The Reborn Otaku’s Code of Practice for the Apocalypse – CH138

Chapter 138 — Frozen World

The staff in charge of opening the gate probably knew that waiting any longer wouldn’t bring many more vehicles, so as soon as Luo Xun’s two cars entered, they opened the gate and let them out.

At first, Luo Xun drove along their usual crystal-hunting route. Once they were far enough that the base could no longer observe them, they repeated their usual trick—disguising both cars as wrecks, covering them with snow, and then climbing onto their assembled sleds. This time, to carry more supplies, they also attached a separate metal trailer behind the sleds, loaded with mushroom solution, gasoline, and all the essentials for their trip.

Three men rode one sled, and the three women took the other. With electricity now heating the water inside the sleds automatically, they no longer had to stop every so often for Xu Mei to heat water with fire. Though their speed was still limited by performance, it was noticeably faster than last time.

At an intersection, Luo Xun did not turn onto their usual route but continued eastward. Meanwhile, Yan Fei began collecting large chunks of metal along the way, forming rolling iron spheres that moved alongside them.

Traveling through ruins buried under heavy snow was no easy task. What looked like flat ground might hide pits or debris, and raised mounds could conceal crouching zombies beneath the snow.

Fortunately, they had Yan Fei.

Though he couldn’t distinguish roads from debris directly, he could sense the distribution of metal underground. Places rich in metal usually meant buildings or vehicles; areas with little metal were likely open ground or roads.

Thus, the couple worked together to scout the path. Meanwhile, Zhang Su, bundled up in layers—hat, hood, scarf, mask, goggles—leaned comfortably against Yan Fei’s back like a sandwich filling and dozed off under a thick quilt.

Yan Fei was thoroughly annoyed. Deep down, he still considered himself straight—only with Luo Xun did he feel anything special. Having another man lean on him like this seriously tested his patience. The fact that he hadn’t kicked Zhang Su off the sled was already restraint enough.

Luo Xun drove while assessing the surroundings. When they reached roughly the area he had planned—and noticed several snow piles subtly shifting—he stopped.

“I think this place should work.”

As soon as he spoke, movement spread across the snow. One by one, zombies broke through the surface, clawing their way out.

Yan Fei immediately reshaped the massive iron sphere that had been rolling alongside them—now over six or seven meters in diameter—into a protective wall.

They followed the same routine as before: clearing zombies, blowing away loose snow with Zhang Su’s wind, melting remaining snow with Xu Mei’s fire, and having Song Lingling move the melted water aside.

Once the ground was cleared, Luo Xun assessed the terrain. It seemed they were standing atop what had once been a commercial street. Yan Fei enclosed an area with metal plates, and Xiao Xinran began turning the surrounding ground into sand—digging a trap.

Trap, metal walls, temporary base—it all came together smoothly. They drove inside, Yan Fei and Xiao Xinran worked on the trap, Luo Xun and Zhang Su unpacked supplies, and Xu Mei and Song Lingling set up a fire and cooking station.

Of course, most of the workload fell on Yan Fei’s metal ability—unfortunately, he was the only one with it.

“The number of zombies is high,” Yan Fei suddenly said.

Luo Xun immediately dropped what he was doing and called everyone to positions. Armed with their modified crossbows, they guarded different directions.

Zombies kept emerging—more than they had ever seen before. Many were Level 3. One after another, they climbed out of the snow, swaying stiffly toward the group.

“Finish the defenses first! The trap boxes can wait—Xiao Xinran, keep going!” Luo Xun ordered.

Yan Fei quickly reshaped the iron mass into a dome overhead and reinforced the walls with more metal. Zhang Su and Xu Mei unleashed their abilities to hold off the growing horde.

“My god… how many zombies are buried here?” Song Lingling exclaimed.

“Who knows? Just keep killing,” Luo Xun said, exhaling and firing his crossbow again.

After about two hours, they finally cleared most of the nearby zombies—though they had used up some crystal cores in the process.

The trap pit Xiao Xinran dug was now enormous, even larger than before. However, their defensive structure was smaller this time, making the trap seem even more exaggerated.

“Not enough metal,” Yan Fei said after inspecting the pit. “I should go out and gather more.”

“I’ll go with you!” Luo Xun immediately stood—but Yan Fei pressed him down.

“I’ll be fine. I won’t go far. I’ll bring a charcoal stove for warmth.”

The charcoal stove—crafted by Yan Fei—was filled with burning coal, a backup heating tool they had prepared in case they got separated.

“Just keep him within sight,” Zhang Su chimed in lazily. “If you’re that worried, why not tie him to your belt?”

Luo Xun shot him a glare but finally relented. “Be careful.”

Yan Fei smiled and ruffled his hair.

He opened a gap in the metal wall, formed a bridge over the trap, and walked out. Luo Xun stood by the window, watching anxiously.

Zhang Su walked over and laughed. “You’re not the only one worried. If something happens to him, how do the rest of us get out? You think I’d let that happen?” He casually draped himself over Luo Xun’s shoulders.

Luo Xun tried to shake him off three times—unsuccessfully. “Do you not have bones?”

“Come on, show some comradeship. You’ve got your partner, and I’m all alone. Have some sympathy.”

Luo Xun rolled his eyes. “You and me? Not that kind of ‘comrade.’”

Xu Mei and Song Lingling burst into laughter nearby, even forgetting about the mushroom solution. Xiao Xinran stared curiously, her face wrapped so tightly only her eyes were visible.

Yan Fei stayed within sight of the base, but his presence quickly attracted distant zombies. Those that had been buried in snow now began crawling out, drawn by the scent of living flesh.

One after another, they emerged.

Meanwhile, Yan Fei walked, gathering metal as he went. The iron sphere beside him grew larger and larger, rolling noisily across the snow.

Behind him trailed a growing mass of zombies—stiff, slow, yet relentless.

A massive rolling iron ball, followed by a horde of stumbling zombies—it was an oddly comical sight.

However, there were still some long-range and speed-type zombies that could attack him even in the snow. Fortunately, Yan Fei had already gathered plenty of metal for defense. A massive metal shield floated about a meter behind him as he quickened his pace and ran back toward the temporary base.

“Quick! Get inside!” Seeing Yan Fei approaching, everyone shouted urgently.

A narrow opening appeared in the metal wall, just wide enough for one person. Yan Fei slipped through, and the wall immediately sealed itself behind him.

“Come warm up!” Luo Xun hurriedly pulled him toward the fire. As for outside… that huge iron sphere was still blocking the way, and the zombies would have to go around it to get close.

While warming himself, Yan Fei casually shaped more metal into water-filled metal sofas. Song Lingling quickly filled them with water, and Xu Mei heated the entire row.

Zhang Su stood by the window, using the sand Xiao Xinran had created earlier—still not yet relocated—as a weapon. He swept it up with the wind, mixing it with snow, and blasted wave after wave toward the incoming horde. Once Xu Mei finished heating the sofas, she rushed over to assist.

Luo Xun placed a bag of crystal cores nearby for easy access, then picked up his crossbow and began shooting one zombie after another.

It had to be said—though Li Tie and the others usually didn’t seem very strong in combat, mostly helping with carrying things or basic attacks—their absence now made everyone else noticeably more flustered.

Fortunately, Yan Fei recovered quickly. Once the stiffness in his limbs eased, he moved to the area with the most zombies. The metal sphere he had gathered split apart, coating the sand pit with a layer of metal. Sharp steel spikes rose from the bottom.

Even after that, plenty of metal remained. Without hesitation, Yan Fei drove it underground, forming a lower “shell” beneath the base.

With a dome above and a dome below, the entire temporary base was now under his control. After finishing, he returned to the fire and collapsed onto the heated sofa, absorbing crystal cores—his mental energy had been heavily drained.

Zhang Su and the others also switched from ability attacks back to crossbows, recovering from the strain of overusing their powers.

Now that the trap was complete, Luo Xun had Yan Fei control the metal box filled with blood—taken from blood packs Zhang Su had brought from the hospital before resigning. Song Lingling kept the frozen blood thawed with warm water. Soon, the scent drew another wave of frenzied zombies.

Watching them fall into the pit—many even pushed in by the crowd—Luo Xun waved his hand. “Pour the mushroom solution!”

They had stockpiled a large amount. Even after bringing some out twice, plenty remained at home.

White smoke hissed up from all sides as the solution was poured, as if someone were boiling water in the snowy wasteland. Heavy thuds echoed—more massive zombies were approaching.

—The real massacre had begun again.

Luo Xun lay sideways on the heated metal sofa, wrapped in a blanket, his head resting on Yan Fei’s thigh. With fewer people, no one was fighting him for space.

Rubbing his eyes, he glanced toward the firing port. The crackling outside hadn’t stopped.

“Still burning?”

Yan Fei lowered his head with a smile, pinching his cheek. “Almost done. The fire’s dying down.”

Yawning, Luo Xun sat up. “I’ll check for stragglers… we still need to clean up.”

The fire had been burning since the previous evening. In the distance, a few large figures still moved about, throwing debris toward them. Luo Xun nodded in satisfaction.

Once they dealt with those, they could wrap up. Today’s haul would definitely surpass last time.

Then he paused.

“I think we should head back soon.”

“Why?” Zhang Su stretched lazily.

“The weather’s turning. It might snow.”

If they got trapped halfway… survival would be unlikely. Even with their abilities, they didn’t carry enough food, and scavenging ruins in this weather was nearly impossible.

At that, everyone jumped up and grabbed their crossbows, quickly eliminating the remaining zombies.

After the fight, they began cleanup. Yan Fei sifted through the pit, Xiao Xinran collected scattered crystal cores, and Luo Xun led the others in packing supplies.

Once done, Yan Fei retrieved the metal structures, leaving only some for emergencies.

Song Lingling created fine ice particles to mimic snow, and Zhang Su blew real snow over it. Even if snow was coming, it was safer to cover their tracks.

After a while, Luo Xun checked and said, “That’s enough. Let’s go.”

As they prepared to leave, Song Lingling suddenly frowned. “Wait… why is it still snowing?”

Everyone looked at Zhang Su—his hands were in his pockets. Then they looked up.

Gray skies. Snowflakes drifting down.

And worse—wind had started to rise.

“Back to the base, now!”

Seeing the worsening weather, Luo Xun immediately urged them on. If a blizzard hit, they’d be in serious danger.

The six of them climbed onto the sleds and sped off.

Luckily, Luo Xun had a good sense of direction. Otherwise, finding their way back in a snowstorm would’ve been nearly impossible.

Setting traps now was pointless. Any trap would likely be buried by snow before it caught anything.

The wind grew stronger. Snow thickened into heavy flakes. Luo Xun pushed the sled faster—but it still couldn’t match a car’s speed.

“Don’t rush. We still have time,” Yan Fei reassured him.

Luo Xun nodded. “If you can, make a metal cover above us.”

Yan Fei immediately gathered metal along the way, forming a dome over the sleds to shield them.

Zhang Su muttered under his blanket, “Scorching summers, freezing winters… and now blizzards. What kind of weather is this?”

With the metal cover, things improved. It blocked much of the wind and snow.

Outside, the storm intensified. Xu Mei and the others struggled to keep sight of the sled ahead. Thankfully, all sleds were tied together—and heavily loaded—otherwise the wind might’ve flipped them.

“What time is it?”

“Ten-thirty.” Yan Fei glanced at the time with difficulty and shouted into Luo Xun’s ear.

Luo Xun nodded. It wasn’t even noon yet, and they still had quite a distance to where they’d hidden the cars. If they could get there by afternoon, that would already be good.

Just as he was thinking this, a chill suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart. Luo Xun abruptly turned toward the direction blocked by the metal panel. Yan Fei seemed to sense it as well and looked over—but their view was obstructed.

Before either of them could react, a loud “clang!” slammed directly into Yan Fei’s metal shield.

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