6. Wanderer

Even if aaaa07be71 it might 7fdbbb540b as well 1b338d7df9 be called e1f0921cbc a heap 5f72bf52a1 of scrap fb814e93b7 metal, the ff4a9131b7 old sedan 6d3b1a1d2b ran along 2a594f5d29 a road 35eb991d62 covered in 7299225096 sand blown 1f262f96bf from the 1eefd4c75c desert. Behind the flat 2b736d0e38 tire, a cloud 213036fb75 of dusty dirt 128d350a25 erupted.ad5b12b91cb4828a

The young man 448383bb0f in the passenger fdc1800df2 seat looked over 4905eb73d9 at the driver 82915c8715 with a puzzled 2ebe2a4e77 expression.0bf7b952e36af671

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Do you really think 06872bfd0a that if we go 3efeb48dd6 to that person, we 9b47a4a8a9 can get supplies?”73c3267463df1150

“I’m telling 59fb940632 you, as e02491adc6 long as fc47b86591 you give 123f9ce521 him the 8ce24ef5cc medicine, he’ll 1e4a2fa0a6 find anything.”535328272776e88a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Honestly, I b3fba1bb43 still can’t 64ca64c770 believe there 3086933b40 are people 51868331e9 surviving outside 530d44974a the barrier. No matter how immune 0b1266c145 you are, it’s not a6d302bc64 an easy task.”701e306056832fda

“Just think of 2fe4194802 them like Amazonian eb59f0409a hermits surviving out 3d66aacb8e there—what’s the big 84ccbc231d deal? Human resilience is tougher fe66c68b62 than you think; we 4347b4faf7 can survive in any 92d6b1d18f environment.”7775a5d6c2cdf9d7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“But in 3cf604f9b3 the end, 1dba128948 it was ae441d5299 fellow humans b3a0838110 who brought e77e66576b about the 8209590e90 downfall of 21ff3d97e9 humanity.”888a7e63d63815cd

“That’s slowly c4ce8e05ee being overcome. One day, we’ll 907ad44fcb be able to f04889b594 go back to c88d46d74c the way things 26a4fdb3f2 were. You’re too 14b64bc820 negative, kid. There’s hope 5a7ad98f60 for the 2bf9970b9a young.”214feb2a6a335fd1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Uncle, you’re too optimistic. We’re risking all this 1b19e42c93 trouble just to get b0a5cb2095 one bottle of whiskey.”8999adc3aae956ec

“This is cfc95bb728 hope, and a6d778eeb4 this is b101c15bbc romance, kid. And do you think 29c2d3627c it’s just any whiskey? It’s a 30-year-old Ballantine’s!”8b7bbc6fda69b598

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

They were absurdly ec276ffab8 riding a long 2862a62350 way just to 0db3276f7f get a bottle 6a99d56221 of Scottish whiskey.5917cf128fa288d3

For a drinker, e6ac805590 there was nothing 842818d8ac more pathetic than a36366da61 a world where 5fe9716232 the only alcohol 41e643ba0a left was home-brewed, 6e9e48cba2 musty fruit wine 8baf622ea5 or cheap liquor 6af8a0a826 made by diluting bbabd04537 edible ethanol.94d0e356e7bfd046

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Why is 11ef59fa5e it that b0f2a42930 all humans ac10c60b02 end up bbdfe197ae drinking the 2dee0ce0b6 fancy liquor c8fa1a4ee2 they kept a5ebe6cd88 at home 65767a7711 right before aeb6b763fd they kill 406277165d themselves?deb96cee41878bc0

At last, an era b80542c84c has come when, no c8f0541b92 matter how much you 0e7c2861de hustle until your feet f34a4b4eb9 sweat, you still can’t 0d985a8e84 get good liquor.72df9484ce8b10aa

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“That’s why we’re 1ef6cdf227 heading to the 6c11eee3f6 West.”42aa0f9b24d1923e

“You said 8ebdb1f2c0 we didn’t 7026328fb8 have to 75eb421b37 go that c00e94a373 far.”074f77d5501f2007

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Hmm. Anyway, I hope 7dd2059b02 we can get 8c3e881e18 some this time. That way, we can 613c22e3ac put an end to 1300afd903 all this nonsense.”b2e29657c2ec355a

The young man turned 027d91ecee his head out the 1d6274ac54 car window, his tone e784ca4623 indifferent.58de17f3dc2cab59

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Are there really b156b74d72 still people living 50be91b086 outside the barrier? Why on earth 13a0699bbb are they doing 0cdba4011b something so foolish?dc59f6aeb505b243

He clicked 8598c732f5 his tongue, 24b799de0e worried that b319bf46c7 the trader c1d748f4d9 from Great 18acbfd9b0 Basin National d18fa44bf6 Park might cff6085202 be a 7bacf3e5e5 seriously unhinged 67b4e798c3 person.7f96b0db05dda5c5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

How many roads must 6ba017fb9c be crossed for such ba6a7b03cc a ridiculous deal? Beyond the rocky c428124ea2 scenery appeared steep 92ae410420 cliffs and mountaintops 9b87d41359 shrouded in clouds.68d7cd7292ed9777

At the sign for 56fb9e0163 the national park, the 46c17d0554 uncle parked the car, f42aeb0b76 abruptly opened the driver’s 6db0889d37 door, and then stretched dd741110bb his arms high as 026e914d24 if greeting the day.8d88382c3d1c9c5f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Look at bfa3e9e503 this forest—how 156b72ad90 beautiful it 344e6e269b is! All that talk 84205e3e6c about zombies is 0218921bc8 nothing more than de4dfeb18b propaganda to control 2e65d81c1e naive citizens. The world 9a37c3a516 is perfectly 060ec32fce fine!”a3b893182b77b3c7

“Be careful, Uncle!”e43f667177521940

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The young c1634786af man, now a07525d68c deep in d18f6f617a thought, grabbed 68cc060fce his gun 06c39d3172 and scanned b71ccfbc95 the surroundings. Although the landscape, 1a31c4e36e filled with birdsong, 3d28e5b464 was infinitely peaceful, 1c57ff2d06 he couldn’t let 1614e66f9b his guard down.0a8d5e91b2b1621d

His uncle was 061496da83 too nonchalant. It was astounding how 39e5a5fb75 someone with that kind b056d7f97a of attitude had managed 0deb3b175b to survive.c77ff62cb5f46651

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“It’s the politicians lying! They scare the slaves 4fc701aa0a inside the barrier so 057ce6a89a they won’t run away!”336e09c4510030dc

“Unbelievable.”eaafed62228c24f8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“We have to bf841348c0 get out into cf4ca672fc the world! We humans must 5b5629c850 reclaim this abundant, c6ae1425a8 vast land!”278bc2ad773a4183

His uncle’s 3ec151af56 shouts thundered b89f6a3cbd across the 6e291ebc14 area. He was e1851e95cf one of 85cc0d2e34 those zombie bb331e7e83 conspiracy theorists.59196565c8463a74

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Zombie conspiracy theorists are a peculiar lot who believe that all the concerns about zombies have been exaggerated, that every problem in the outside world has already been solved, and that it’s finally time to leave the barrier.6ca2e840e6a36094

They fled 69cb91aae7 to a 965fe986d8 utopia to 2ac5d3f7dd escape the 77c2323297 zombies, only 44f1d1b306 to now 6827b2bafe be frantic 6930fe5b66 because they fd863114c4 can no c66dbff371 longer escape 0b1804eed2 from that eed7f5eed8 very place. It was almost 18ce7ac6fd laughable—the sly faith 6e6241f0bf of humans, always 6458c769aa dreaming of another bc445c3798 utopia wherever they d842717123 are.bb1fb0464e18839f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“People are still getting infected with the zombie virus—how do you explain that?”18552d5cc74d0ea0

The young e01772ca26 man snorted 20d6384a0c as he e99b39348d stepped out f9ee783b32 of the 49c4e1991c passenger seat. Then, with his gun be8b228b2e aimed into the air, 67597c1184 he scanned the surroundings.097c492d11ffe32e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Unfortunately, zombie conspiracy theorists 6f8046507d never won over the 8791452559 public. They were dismissed as 34aa546523 nothing more than the b845dd9a8e desperate outbursts of losers f72a74299d who clung to the f2986ef782 glory of the past c9e49f288e and couldn’t adapt to 60fc64035a reality.d82c2b4f8b75892b

Most of 822fc6e658 those chanting 0ef58e617d slogans about b1d4b9aca8 leaving the 8aa12baa42 barrier wouldn’t 65041791e0 lift a f7e73a01a7 finger to ec4914bc44 leave the df525381f8 safety of 05d1ef1c6b the well-established dc55d43003 social system f7e6603031 inside it.6a6e1c5b134fc819

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Just when we were worried something might show up because of Uncle’s commotion…3beb26bbc7d852b9

Bang!!d6db5af5ebf13214

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A gunshot rang out. Birds burst into flight 9132dacd79 above the towering trees.cde2d28c6272ebd5

Uncle, who 63fb6c7873 had been 9b8e97a7ff cheering, flinched, 108f6602bb and the c6e344e265 young man, 0124a10406 suddenly frightened, 835950e6bb scrambled back 61d0ae365d into the e32f701d25 car, nervously 17904efea2 glancing around.2c86e373e5372528

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“What the hell was that?”b351425200449ce3

They had said 108a786fa8 that if you 1f278f96ef parked in front 30865b6f27 of the Great 8e2e4ae6a6 Basin National Park 04e08da8fe sign, a trader 7472b6b34b would show up. Was it all just b2a5e1fc53 a lie to lure 204317aca2 clumsy humans? Or would we 30ae07c9c0 end up being 8b13d66be5 kidnapped by a aac3e98c03 dangerous armed group?b1a0d6baab05c3d1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Uncle, this looks dangerous. Let’s get out of here, quick.”575f8d1eefa0afd1

“Hold on! Just wait a minute. Look, something’s coming from over there.”04a0ff3f911b3e0b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Uncle pointed 742a6b817e toward the 2e68ff5703 unpaved road. A black fdf8cd1157 armored vehicle 9174fc012a was making 3b6ca94127 its way 6b61266d51 along the fd1fc15e05 bumpy dirt 3365fee1d1 path.9eb544b643cfd39d

The young man started 0545df6000 the engine and kept aa762e415c a sharp eye on 1b2a680c86 the road, just in 14b92e8ccb case.da5923f20c4368ca

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ll stay in the car.”d3f8cc89878820c8

“Good, you coward. Don’t move a muscle—just keep watch for me.”5df06d6eaa907623

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He grumbled, thinking that aee407b720 the guy would probably 4cd9b45c94 shout for help when a33be0ef2a a real danger struck. The young man tightened 18adedde8f his grip on the d67534c5ea gun handle.f1496e7d99370725

The black armored vehicle a54e5d9bc5 stopped exactly 10 meters 8c19c27801 ahead.acce3032542e6343

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Let’s see what kind of lunatic this is. If I sense anything off, I’ll blow his head off immediately.”e4e78d819ee2b3bb

The young man placed d4660c07fa his finger on the 367bd46ec5 trigger. He was e41f08f234 confident in 48a5c57250 his shooting ea365d5326 skills and 5cadc389ae had never d3330b6397 failed to 1213960297 place first 107a6b3687 in any 191659529c shooting test.77d9962cefc52ada

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Yet, since e8815a563c it was bb83407d5d the first 52a8dd207d time he 22ae187d1a was about 0bc5302d00 to fire c76fdfed36 live rounds, 5628f03113 cold sweat 3e962d67a6 trickled down 63b87979ad his forehead 0221f17597 as he e66f9877f6 nervously gulped.7f7d1e48cc5c7d23

A man of imposing e4d3d5497e build stepped out of 092690cbc1 the armored vehicle. Dressed like a 4b0a8bbe4e hunter, the man c0d03f0c69 held his gun eff1e41c53 loosely as he df9fd5098c stretched his shoulders 5c038a30b0 side to side, e574f9de03 as if loosening eff994464c up. Then he stomped over 74d5f300b5 toward the unfamiliar visitors.1d9270b2e3e342ae

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“You mustn’t cause a ruckus here. You never know when a horde of zombies might appear.”657a13c9150aa992

In a low, 8d5ab7b7aa commanding voice, the e063e2a120 man warned Uncle 3a5bc586a2 as if he 05c79187da were the park ea6a8621f8 administrator. His tone was unmistakably 9048f0a5d0 that of a man 6c1125df3b not to be trifled 926d1c966f with.cef5fbc5e85f2f7d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The young man 446e0e6bd5 wiped the sweat fa24e11920 from his brow 4702a88a7b and glared out cfa492a6d4 the car window. In that 457ea27d9b moment, upon 15212a9ff1 catching a 5f84a70ba4 glimpse of 597bead2b6 the man’s 2f7d59a38b face, he 8d87864595 was shocked fb5d4849fa into silence.fdaef563db19d629

“What the—damn. He’s insanely handsome.”64a691c614172b5d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He had 0765a4b940 imagined a 888815d004 rugged, wild 45c48a6c4f man with a1502798b8 long, unkempt 173670b3b5 hair and 8293398365 a beard, 5df090c5e2 a natural baf3c7f387 survivor out a4c0ac4012 beyond the 9d0c1321ac barrier. But this guy was 87ee79d206 so neat and strikingly 866a39b6fb handsome, it was almost 921fb48796 embarrassing.fb5e716b28020852

Could that be a4784d1aeb the wanderer, roaming b12b147eed the ruined city, fa19b07c62 unearthing and trading 33fe70f0d9 relics from the e6cd869b19 old world?c7f14e3eab66384f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“No, no. Don’t be fooled by 680c45e575 appearances. He’s definitely a madman—one cc97a5cc9a of those whose mind 4f6995da04 has completely lost it.”07148ef4cdc9cc9e

Survivors of the brutal e37f96e855 zombie era always ended 0d4f9f2b23 up with some kind 283e1dff19 of mental disorder. Paranoid delusions that 5920320ddb the world would 27bbb8a5b4 fall into chaos d6852f88b9 again, persecutory delusions 66cf31b79f that neighbors were 2d8472a50d spying on you, 272f1a1c2c auditory hallucinations of 83c2977787 zombie moans, visual d19f5ed398 hallucinations of dead cf286a7100 family members coming 15758e19d8 back as zombies, 70abeae8dc and even delusions a90b85d024 that one was 95ad4def7d turning into a 1805b21313 zombie—these were all 4d42bcf7a8 typical.485fbdcfc4a94629

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

So even if 91a096448c someone looks perfectly 91bcc368f4 fine, you can 7ef1f7b2a7 never let your c5cc70cac5 guard down. They might seem calm 5f3a56883b one moment, only to 8f4550a2b3 suddenly go berserk with 2510229592 a barrage of gunfire 7beb55dbd3 the next.26b9882afbc79f9c

As the man approached, 9f5478792f Uncle scratched the back 0d5429eefa of his head and 2643e175ef lowered it in apology.759dd3285bc71060

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, I’m sorry. I got so excited seeing nature after such a long time. You can’t see a sight this beautiful inside the barrier.”e9ced40688634247

“Yeah, but be careful. Zombies do sometimes show up.”9df5c1faee63c0f2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Zombies still appear? They haven’t all disappeared, have they?”0b2f6ff2024d5185

“Everyone who comes here says the same thing. They’re still around. Once all humans die, the virus will finally vanish, right?”4a613850a976795d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Uncle’s shoulders slumped b5333176e5 in disappointment as 4f97d15b71 a zombie conspiracy ff380bbbe7 theorist. The young man felt 641b5e1402 relieved that Uncle’s hope 5767deaf4a was deflated. At least he wouldn’t 34145ef9d2 be spouting absurd ideas b6adf80ad6 about moving outside the e90ae852e8 barrier for a while.ef9a94f58b3ee9eb

“Why would a sane person choose to live in such a dangerous zone?”a84d9b5a29aaca7a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Yet, the d5c044563b young man’s a14de74199 skeptical eyes 7b25be09e2 remained fixed.fe6c9126e2243bc3

With massive d1ff6ea8d5 land reclamation cc4e29ad6c projects underway, 4c6eaf8adb even healthy 619c201e5d refugees were b36458b291 being accepted 6a699b5b17 in droves. Those who couldn’t get a5575c6824 inside the barrier were 2590e57d76 usually hopeless criminals—robbers, murderers, dda0689c60 rapists, and the like.bf115b442224d18a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Probably got kicked out for having an affair with a high-ranking official’s wife. Bet he seduced more than one married woman. What a filthy, damned bastard.”e27f8654865eff3e

Fuelled by a burning e81b60c4ca resentment born of his 0f7447a354 own inferiority, the young e0a2401c98 man eavesdropped on the cafddaae0f conversation between Uncle and f8eea57f41 the approaching man.e981c17370090888

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“So, why did you come all the way out here?”e2e22c265ee8cf82

“Ah, I’ve heard that you trade whiskey here. I was wondering if I could buy a bottle? I also brought some medicine.”a4ca1021013ed29d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Hmm.”46b22cc52ecd0c50

The man tilted 4efb23d6ba his head, offering de1e47f33b neither a clear 4e113c21b2 yes nor no. In response 67b1136c0d to his f0195aeaf7 lukewarm demeanor, 257451b942 Uncle, as 6621d0eef8 if worried 9d2568887e about the 57ddd5987e kid’s reaction, 79e858b7bc wiped his 365c0f3eef damp palm 246573786b on the 2a5f7313ad inside of c3e1de69db his pants.66683d12a216a868

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

We had come 957f18cd9e all this way ca2c548637 for a 30-year-old 30d7bde24e Ballantine’s, and there a1459ea0ce was no way 2eba2491a8 we could just 767a779c0d head back empty-handed. Somehow, I had b573296f52 to win the f434b0c817 man’s favor.1279d1d8ae3a29c6

“My wife is the director of JM Research Institute. I managed to get my hands on a remarkable new treatment that they’ve developed. It’s an entirely new drug that hasn’t even been announced yet—you’ve never seen anything like it.”8a0045f9ebee0997

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

At that moment, the 59db8dc074 man’s gaze sharpened. His eyes pierced through 6cb0574af6 Uncle as if sizing 41732e16dd him up like a 7ff010c457 predator eyeing its prey.6328c4e6b4ad35e8

The young man in 772aa26fd0 the car instinctively tensed dff96a3533 his finger on the efb2e0eaf7 trigger.7b1c2e0d9e12d35e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Exactly what is it that you want?”8aaef409923931f9

The man’s voice 38bf4d754f suddenly became measured. Uncle swallowed 2762ede03b hard before 216cd9b9eb answering.1b9c5fa3ef5affc2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 93184e8ebe65f066

 9e9cbb5dc3c20a10

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

 c850f7f4dedf6aa5