(Xyrean Province- Inner Regions)
(The Mermaid's Lake- Forested Outskirts)
"If we can catch him by surprise before he has time to use his portal ability then we have a chance of killing him," Qin Lan darkly whispered.
"Won't it be too risky?" Eve replied with concern evident in her voice.
The zombie empress felt sick at the thought of her favourite human putting herself in harm's way.
"It would be even risker to do nothing. From what you've told me, Subject 001 can strike at any moment which makes him an unpredictable threat," Qin Lan explained calmly.
"His very existence is like a sword hanging over our heads. Besides… I am interested in visiting the place where the outbreak started maybe we can find something useful."
Eve nodded but her brows were still furrowed as she stared into Qin Lan's eyes.
Qin Lan sensed Eve's discomfort and stood on her tip toes to lightly press a kiss against her lips.
"Trust me… this is the only choice," Qin Lan softly whispered as she savoured the sweet taste of Eve's lips.
The bright moonlight streamed down on the two women who remained locked in a tight embrace as though the two figures wanted to become one.
Finally, Qin Lan broke away from Eve's grasp and took in a few deep breaths in order to calm down her excited mood.
Of course, there were some finer details to be sorted out in her plan and the biggest concern was what to do about Liu Yifei and Gong Li.
Qin Lan was not comfortable leaving them behind in Xyrean Province especially with those lunatic cultists roaming around.
But if she stayed with them then there was a chance that Subject 001 would attack and they would be put in harm's way.
The faces of Chen Xiao and Liu Tao flashed across Qin Lan's mind, and she could feel her fingers begin to tremble.
Not again… she couldn't lose another person again…
Every time… every time… she always made the wrong choice.
Qin Lan used her fingernails to pierce the soft underside of her left palm and a few small droplets of blood slowly dripped down to the ground.
This sharp burst of pain was enough to pierce through the mental fog that was clouding her mind.
"Eve… do you think that we should take Liu Yifei and Gong Li?" Qin Lan hesitantly asked as she placed her bleeding hand in her pocket.
The zombie empress didn't really care about the two humans that Qin Lan mentioned but if they were important to her favourite human then they were important to her as well.
"They… they will be safe with us," Eve solemnly promised as she placed a hand over her chest and swore.
Qin Lan felt oddly comforted by her gesture. It was strange how she felt so at ease with the monster wearing a human disguise.
Maybe it was because she sensed that Eve was completely genuine and honest with her words.
"Okay. Let's go back to the campsite… Although, I might have to explain to the girls why you suddenly appeared," Qin Lan gently spoke.
"Are you going to tell them the truth?" Eve asked curiously as she walked up to Qin Lan and stood by her side.
"Maybe… but I haven't decided how much to tell them," Qin Lan explained as she brushed some dirt from her pants and walked in a northeastern direction.
"I told them that I was going hunting so let me know if you spot any wild animals nearby that we can kill."
Clearly if they were going to track and kill Subject 001 then the two teenage girls couldn't be kept in the dark, but Qin Lan wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about her brother's return to life.
She still didn't understand what his motive was to hate her.
In both lifetimes she had done nothing but protect and look after her little brother with love.
And he repaid her with betrayal…
Qin Lan's chest began to feel warm as her unstable emotions affected the ability that was lurking deep inside her body.
It hungered to get out. It wanted more puppets.
It wanted more playthings…
Qin Lan closed her eyes and briefly muttered a few curse words under her breath before reopening them.
This ability was as much a curse as it was a blessing.
Eve was walking beside her as they wandered through the forest. The rustling of the nearby bushes and the sounds of insects chattering filled the air with signs of life.
Occasionally the zombie empress' hand would brush against her favourite human's palm, but Qin Lan was too distracted to notice.
Eve sniffed the air twice and smelled an odour that was vaguely familiar. She gently tugged on Qin Lan's jacket to get her attention.
"Yeah?" Qin Lan asked quietly as she turned to face Eve.
"Boar… two hundred meters up ahead," Eve responded quietly as she stretched out her arm and pointed in a certain direction.
Qin Lan followed her finger and saw a massive animal snoozing peacefully underneath the cover of a nearby tree.
She thanked Eve quietly and then reached for the knife that was attached to her hip. With soft cat-like movements, Qin Lan crept closer and closer to the sleeping animal.
She was like a hunter carefully circulating around her prey.
Searching for the moment to strike…
Qin Lan's wasn't sure where she had gotten these skills from since she could not find any memories related to fighting or hunting in the original Qin Lan's memories.
Perhaps they had something to do with her experiences in her first mission world.
The quiet woman hid behind a tree as the boar suddenly let out a light yawn and rolled over to its other side.
Little did the animal know that the shadow of death had long been hanging over its body. Qin Lan bent her knees and then leapt forward with startling swiftness.
Her enhanced physique from absorbing the purplish-black crystals was on full display as her body moved with supernatural quickness.
The knife in her hand plunged forward and entered the boar's neck where it tore apart the fleshy sinew and muscle tissue.
The boar woke up with a painful cry as it thrashed around in a pool of its own blood. Qin Lan's eyes shone with determination as she searched for the animal's jugular vein.
Slice!
The boar let out one final groan as it collapsed with blood leaking out the corners of its mouth. It was not a pretty sight, but this is how one survived in this brutal world.
Qin Lan took her knife out of the boar's neck and blood splattered all over her jacket. This would be enough meat to last for at least two days.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l