As Zed stepped out of the shelter, the drastic change in scenery momentarily disoriented him.
It was not something big.
His eyes seemed to be in a bit of a daze for a second.
The sun was now shining brightly overhead, casting a warm glow over everything. The recent rain had left the air crisp and clean, encouraging plant life to sprout from cracks in the concrete and stretch across the abandoned highway.
He could feel the earth beneath his feet breathe a sigh of relief as it drank in the nourishing moisture.
Discarded cars lay scattered all around, their purpose as transportation for humans long forgotten. With the onslaught of the Brutes, their value as protection became paramount, rendering any distinction between brands meaningless.
Luxuries, once a symbol of prestige and power, were now even more useless on the rough, uneven mountain roads. They stood as sad, rusting monuments to a world that no longer existed.
"Our ride's behind the junk heap," Adrian said.
He just led Zed to the other side of the highway without turning his head.
Zed knew exactly what he meant by 'junk heap': a natural barrier created by the twisted wreckage of vehicles from numerous collisions.
Clearly, the Disaster Response team hadn't bothered to clear it away, well...if there is still a team. Instead, they'd built upon it to provide an additional layer of protection for the shelter.
Naturally, the path was still littered with some unprocessed corpses also.
Their vacant, lifeless eyes stared into the distance, a grim reminder of the terrors that lurked beyond the safety of the shelter. Zed swallowed hard, to be honest, he never think he have to see this again.
It's not about death itself, it's about quantities and how people's reaction on it.
Back to the point, this arrangement may have caused significant inconvenience for the shelter's residents, but it also meant those hungry creatures would have difficulty getting in.
It was the simplest and most effective method of defense against the monsters, by simply using bodies and trash, one that Zed was all too familiar with.
In fact, walking this path out of the shelter gave him an intense sense of déjà vu, as if he had walked countless similar paths in previous lives.
Zed finally laid eyes on the vehicle Adrian had been referring to. It stood there like a hunter, ready to take on the wild.
"1000 HP, four-wheel drive system, intelligent suspension, and chain modifications..." Adrian patted the hood and flashed a boastful grin at Zed, his eyes alight with excitement.
It was obvious he was more than just a swordsman. Man's passion for machinery burned just as brightly as his love for the blade.
Zed remained silent, slowly circling the off-road vehicle while forming his own judgement. His keen eyes took in every detail, his mind calculating the potential strengths and weaknesses of their steed.
'Hmm, the tires have been specially modified, covered in sturdy metal chains to withstand harsh terrain... They should provide ample traction, even on the slickest of surfaces.'
'Well, the reinforced side panels would prevent the doors from being ripped off by monsters... that is a plus...'
His gaze fell on the front of the vehicle. Sharp, iron spikes adorned it, transforming the car into a ferocious wasteland beast that would ruthlessly tear apart any enemy that dared approach.
'A predator...not just a car, huh...'Zed couldn't help but admire its savage beauty.
Lastly, he peeked inside.
There was a large storage space filled with a generous supply of resources: food, water, ammunition, and various tools for survival. Beautiful!It was clear that the owner had meticulously prepared for any eventuality.
"Are you done admiring my ride?" a voice like honey laced with venom asked.
This sticky-sweet feminine voice reached Zed's ears, and he turned to see the source.
A girl with twin ponytails, wearing a leather jacket and fishnet top that accentuated her well-developed curves, sat in the driver's seat nearby, sucking on a lollipop. Her stance exuded a mix of confidence and nonchalance, a survivor who had learned to adapt to this harsh new world.
Zed noticed the dye in her hair had mostly faded, but the pinkish-purple hue was still visible.
"Is this your car?"
Zed asked when he glanced back at Adrian, who responded with a knowing smile, as if sharing a private joke.
Zed pursed his lips and answered himself:
"Alright, for sure. It's definitely yours."
Zed appraised the car once more, his evaluation growing increasingly favorable.
One could say that aside from the paint job lacking a properly applied, aged dark hue that could not hide metal inside, which might attract unwanted attention from monsters, the vehicle looked like it had been traversing the wastelands for quite some time.
Only newbies clung to the old world's mindset, discussing cars based solely on their performance and specifications.
"Let's get moving. We need to be there before nightfall, or we might never make it there at all," said Zed with certainty, casually opening the back door.
"Hey! hey! Zed...Don't you want to sit in the front?"
Adrian nudged Zed with his shoulder and gave him a knowing look again.
Zed understood what he meant.
From the driver's seat, the impatient voice of a young girl chimed in, "Hey, are we going or not? Plus, this car do have a rearview mirror."
Adrian laughed awkwardly, still hoping that Zed would sit in the front.
Maybe he was bold enough to want to sleep in the backseat in trip, or perhaps the front seat couldn't accommodate the knife he always carried at his waist – Zed couldn't tell.
"Sorry, but I don't think there's enough space in the front for us either," Zed shrugged.
"What do you mean by 'not enough space for us'?"
The girl in the driver's seat turned her head, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Adrian held his breath, stepping aside to open the car door. He stared at Zed as if he were a brute, sensing a nervous premonition.
Sure enough, Zed just laughed – a bright, sunny laugh – but his words sent chills down their spines.
"Because I need to sit with my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Where is she? Adrian didn't tell me there would be another person," the girl questioned.
"Well, it's a bit complicated, but I think you might not be able to see her..."
"Can't see her?"
The girl's expression made it seem as if she was witnessing the apocalypse all over again. She furrowed her brow and asked Adrian:
"What does he mean by 'can't see her' now?"
Playing the mediator, Adrian tried to maintain the vibe, chuckling:
"Zed, I can't believe I forgot to introduce you after all this time. This is Coco, or you can call her Cocaine. She's the most talented mechanic we've ever met, and her gift is related to that..."
Leaning in, he lowered his voice near Coco's ear.
"He's a bit...special. He can see things we can't. The researchers at DR discussed it and theorized that his girlfriend might not exist in the same dimension as us..."
"Dimension? Which dimension is his girlfriend in?" Coco asked.
Adrian took a deep breath, as if something horrifying and unspeakable were brewing.
"Imagination."
Coco's eyes widened, and she looked at Zed with a mix of sympathy and pity.
Sunlight streamed through the car window as the young man gently stroked the air beside him.
"Ohhhh... that's really sucks."
Unlike Adrian's fear, Coco's feelings for Zed were more of sympathy.
"Never mind. Let's go."Adrian seemed affected by the scene as well, but there was nothing they could do. After the all nightmare, atop the desolate wasteland, there were too many things worthy of pity.
Even the awakened ones couldn't save everyone.
Sometimes, they themselves were the most pitiable of all.
The car drove on for the entire day. Due to a collapsed bridge, they had to take a detour.
Night fell.
They didn't make it on time.