The train rumbled across the snowy plains of the northern continent, its metallic walls echoing with heated arguments.

"She's a ticking time bomb! Anyone scratched by an R-type mutant could turn at any moment after half an hour. We can't keep her on this train!" one voice shouted, laced with panic.

"She's our Deputy Commander Wen! She got injured protecting all of us! How can you say something so heartless?" another voice fired back, filled with indignation.

"Who's being heartless? The mutation from this kind of corpse poison is rapid and deadly. A single infected person could take out a hundred of us. Are you saying the lives of the other ninety-seven team members on this train don't matter?"

In the corner of the train car, Wen Yao sat in silence, her long lashes casting shadows on her pale face. With a steady hand, she used her long blade to cut into her arm, excising the contaminated, blackened flesh. There was no anesthesia, no painkillers. As the infected tissue and blade clattered to the floor, she let out a sharp hiss, her forehead beading with sweat that trickled down her delicate features and landed with a soft "tap" on her leather boots.

Fang Lanyin couldn't bear to watch any longer. She grabbed the last remaining gauze from the medical kit and approached, her eyes red-rimmed. "Deputy Commander Wen..."

Wen Yao, her face ghostly pale, managed a reassuring smile. "I... I'll be fine."

After Fang Lanyin finished bandaging the wound, she turned to Shen Yichuan. "Captain Shen, what do you think?"

All eyes shifted to the man standing by the window. Dressed in a sleek black tactical uniform, Shen Yichuan cut an imposing figure. His tall, athletic build, sharp features, and piercing eyes exuded an air of cold authority, tempered by a hint of ruthlessness and defiance. His expression was unreadable, and the silence stretched on, making those who supported removing Wen Yao from the train uneasy.

After all, Shen Yichuan and Wen Yao had been partners for years, their bond forged in life-and-death situations. Many feared he might prioritize her safety over the rest of the team.

The train car fell into a tense silence.

At the mention of Shen Yichuan's name, Wen Yao couldn't help but look up. Even though she knew he wouldn't show her any favoritism, in this moment of despair, she couldn't help but cling to a sliver of hope.

Shen Yichuan didn’t even glance at her. He tossed the bullet in his hand casually, his voice icy as he addressed the group, "To be fair, we’ll vote."

The faint glimmer of hope in Wen Yao’s eyes instantly vanished. In this apocalyptic world where everyone was fighting for survival, who wouldn’t want to live?

The outcome of the vote was no surprise: 89 to 7. Only seven people agreed to let her stay on the train.

Shen Yichuan walked up to Wen Yao and extended his hand. "Wen Yao, you’re off the team."

Wen Yao met his gaze, searching for any hint of emotion, but his eyes were dark and cold, as unreadable as ever.

"..."

The train came to a halt. Shen Yichuan led Wen Yao off the vehicle. Outside, a fierce wind whipped through the snow, biting into their bones. He took her to the leeward side of a small hill and tossed her a bag. "Here’s a lighter and three days’ worth of food."

They were in the middle of a blizzard, with hordes of zombies closing in. The train was severely delayed, and it would take at least three to five days to return to the base. Wen Yao knew her chances of survival were slim. She couldn’t help but ask, "What about you? You didn’t vote…"

Shen Yichuan fired a few shots, taking down the remaining zombies. His voice was low and steady. "With a vote like that, does my one even matter?"

Wen Yao looked at his familiar, handsome face and couldn’t help but lower her head. "But Shen Yichuan, it’s not just Mu Shengshengsheng who’s scared. I’m scared too…"

Officially, he had no choice but to abandon her. But what about personally? She felt that if he had shown even a hint of reluctance, a trace of compassion, she would have willingly stayed behind to face her fate.

But he didn’t. Not only that, he frowned deeply. "You’ve been infected with the R-type mutated zombie virus. There’s a one in three chance you’ll turn. For safety’s sake, you can’t stay on the train."

"Stay here and await further orders until I return."

Wen Yao stepped forward, her voice trembling, "Shen..."

Shen Yichuan gazed at Wen Yao, whose eyes were filled with longing and reluctance. Suddenly, he raised his gun and pointed it directly at her forehead. Suppressing the emotions he couldn't bear to part with, he spoke with a stern, almost angry tone, "This is an order."

Wen Yao's heart grew colder by the second. She forced herself to swallow her grievances and suppress her vulnerability. "When the mutant's severed limb came at us, you shielded someone else first. What does that make me in your eyes?"

Shen Yichuan's emotions were a tangled mess, but his voice remained icy. "In life-and-death situations, there's no time for sentimental nonsense. You should know by now that personal feelings have no place among base members. Mu Shengshen is a newcomer to the base. As her trainer, it's my duty to ensure her safety."

"You've been through countless battles. Why are you comparing yourself to a rookie?"

"Wen Yao, I thought you were more understanding than this."

Wen Yao's eyelashes fluttered as she tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't stop them from welling up. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, freezing into frost in the biting wind and snow.

Time was running out, and Shen Yichuan didn't linger. He muttered under his breath, "Stay alive. You're not so easy to kill."

As Wen Yao watched the man's retreating figure, she called out one last time, "If you find my family, please protect them for me!"

But Shen Yichuan didn't seem to hear her. His dark silhouette quickly vanished into the swirling snowstorm.

"..."

...

Three days later, within the borders of North Continent, a modified off-road vehicle was traversing the icy plains.

The dark-skinned man in the front seat rolled down the window and stuck his head out, scanning the surroundings. "Holy crap! There are so many headless zombies around here!"

The red-haired woman driving beside him, annoyed by the noise, slapped the back of his head. "Shut the hell up! Haven’t you seen headless zombies before?"

The man pouted, "I mean, who’s this badass? Using a blade to kill zombies, and so many of them!"

"Look, it’s obvious a horde came through, and someone sliced them up one by one. The snow just stopped, and these bodies aren’t covered yet, which means they’re fresh…"

At that moment, the man in white sitting alone in the back seat opened his peach-blossom eyes, which always seemed to carry a hint of amusement. He tilted his head to look out the window, his tone languid. "Using a blade, huh…"

Seeing the boss respond, the dark-skinned man, Di Dahu, immediately got excited. "Right? Nowadays everyone uses guns. Who still uses blades?"

Ji Mingchen still smiled. His demeanor was noble, his skin pale and cold, his cheekbones perfectly sculpted as if chiseled by a master. His features were breathtakingly beautiful, and when he smiled, it was like a gentle spring breeze, leaving anyone who saw him momentarily dazed.

His voice, as mesmerizing as his appearance, was clear and smooth like a mountain spring. "I do remember someone who was quite skilled with a blade."

The driver, Mei Yasha, also smiled. "Boss, are you talking about Wen Yao from District 13 of North Continent?"

Di Dahu chimed in, "Her blade skills are indeed unmatched. Under her leadership, they’ve snatched so many resources from us in East Continent over the years…"

*Smack—*

Before he could finish, Mei Yasha slapped him again.

Di Dahu, even more aggrieved, rubbed his head. "What did I do this time!?"

Mei Yasha couldn’t be bothered to deal with his lack of tact and continued driving. But as she glanced forward, she noticed a black figure stumbling into view not far ahead.

The man dragged a long silver blade behind him, his clothes in tatters, his body swaying precariously as if a mere gust of wind could knock him over.

Di Dahu noticed him too. "Black uniform with a white insignia... someone from the North District base? Hey, boss, he's not dead yet. Should I finish him off with a shot?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was met with another heavy slap. Mei Yasha slowed the vehicle, her expression grave. "Black uniform, that blade... the Silver Moon Blade. Is that Wen Yao?!"

"..."

Ji Mingchen's eyes snapped open, the smile on his face freezing in an instant. His peach-blossom eyes narrowed, exuding a dangerous and somber aura. "Stop the car."