hotmtlnovel Chapter 576 The Non-existent Paradise
Chapter 576 The Non-existent Paradise
As soon as Ling Yue finished speaking, A Que couldn't help but laugh out loud, breaking the momentary tension.
"A demonic calamity? Sister Lingyue, you're overthinking it."
As Aque laboriously stuffed the last box of compressed biscuits into the truck bed, she spoke in a relaxed tone.
"The probability of that thing appearing is rumored to be lower than being hit by a meteorite. The number of recorded calamities in the wasteland can be counted on one hand, and each one is more mysterious than the last..."
She dusted off her hands, her face full of optimism.
"Don't worry, we'll never be the ones who suffer that kind of bad luck."
However, Ling Yue was not infected by this optimism. She stared at the dark underground passage outside the warehouse, and beneath that anticipation and sense of security, there was still a shadow that could not be dispelled.
"I hope so..."
Her voice lowered, carrying a solemnity completely different from that of Aque.
"The reason why that thing is so mysterious and why there is so little information recorded about it is because... there were no survivors under the calamity of the demons."
One sentence instantly froze the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
A-Que's smile froze. She opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Just then.
A clear, cool yet warm voice came from deep within the warehouse, breaking the deathly silence.
Are you ready?
Hiyori emerged from the shadows of the shelf, carrying several rolls of medical bandages and disinfectant spray.
"We can probably go now."
……
After a brief rest, the underground warehouse, which had just been ransacked, was once again sealed off by a heavy alloy door.
Tao Yao and her group prepared to continue their journey.
However, the team's composition has undergone a complete transformation.
Beside the once solitary SUV, a massive six-wheeled truck, resembling a steel behemoth, now stood. Tao Yao and Fei Ying's two-person team had expanded to five, becoming increasingly lively.
The journey that followed turned into a unique “wasteland resupply tour.”
Under the tearful guidance of their newly joined, yet resentful and silent, "logistics supplier," the convoy made its way toward the elusive paradise on the map, while also "visiting" several other supply depots scattered throughout the wasteland by the female merchant.
Each time the businesswoman opened the door to yet another secret warehouse with trembling hands, she would see Tao Yao's innocent and harmless smiling face.
Then, he watched helplessly as Ling Yue and A Que happily loaded the treasures he had painstakingly collected onto the truck.
Hiyori thoroughly enjoyed the process.
She was no longer the lone traveler struggling to survive in the wasteland, clinging to a sliver of hope.
She has found a companion.
A bad woman who always likes to play tricks on people, but is incredibly reliable in the most crucial moments.
Two lackluster followers who, though not particularly strong, bring a lot of laughter and joy.
There's another one... although it was forced to join, it always manages to contribute all sorts of strange and quirky high-tech products: the mobile department store.
The roar of the convoy's engines dispelled the desolation of the wasteland.
Hiyori found herself laughing more often than she had in the past few years combined.
But when the convoy finally reached the finish line marked on the map, all the cheers and laughter came to an abrupt end.
There was no idyllic paradise with lush trees and flowing streams as described in legends.
There was no idyllic haven where survivors could live in peace and prosperity, far from the monstrous beasts and strife.
What appeared before them was only an endless, desolate wasteland.
The crumbling walls stretched out under the gray sky, twisted steel bars piercing from the collapsed buildings, pointing towards the sky as if silently accusing something. The wind blew through the empty streets, making a mournful sound, stirring up dust and the smell of decay.
This place may have once been a bustling city.
But now, it's just a huge tomb.
The so-called paradise does not exist at all.
The hope that Hiiro sought so desperately was, from the very beginning, a lie.
Although she had been mentally prepared for it.
But when this scene actually unfolded before my eyes, the sense of loss and sadness still surged up like a tide, uncontrollably.
She stood quietly by the car, looking at the despairing scene before her, unable to say a word.
"Look."
A light, slightly teasing voice rang out from the side.
Tao Yao crossed her arms, leaned against the SUV, turned her head, and spoke softly to the livid businesswoman next to her.
“I told you, there’s something wrong with your product.”
The businesswoman's face instantly turned a deep liver color.
She wanted to argue back, to roar, to point her finger at Tao Yao and berate her for her sophistry.
But she didn't dare.
Along the way, she had come to deeply appreciate how terrifying these two women were.
Whether facing hordes of mutated monsters or occasionally encountering groups of clueless scavengers.
This pink-haired woman didn't even need to lift a finger.
That seemingly aloof and quiet black-haired woman alone could easily and effortlessly eliminate all threats with just a simple Tang sword.
That leisurely, strolling demeanor, that overwhelming gap in strength, made the businesswoman fully realize the reality.
These two people are monsters she can't afford to mess with at all.
In the end, all the anger and resentment could only be reduced to a barely audible snort squeezed out from between his teeth.
She could only blush and turn her head to the side, daring not to speak out in anger.
Tao Yao seemed satisfied with her reaction and did not continue to make things difficult for her.
She turned around and slowly walked to Fei Ying's side.
The cynical banter disappeared, replaced by a pure, unadulterated tenderness.
She didn't say anything to comfort her.
He simply reached out and silently took Hiyori's slightly cold hand in his.
The warmth from her palm made Fei Ying tremble slightly. She turned her head to look at Tao Yao.
"It's ok."
Tao Yao looked at her, and in her clear eyes, Fei Ying's slightly disappointed face was reflected.
"Didn't we anticipate this outcome from the very beginning in our search for paradise?"
Her voice was soft and gentle, yet it carried an undeniable power.
"Since there is no paradise..."
With her other hand, Tao Yao gently raised it and softly brushed away a stray strand of hair from Fei Ying's cheek.
"Then let's proceed according to our original plan."
"We will build the paradise of your dreams with our own hands."
These words, spoken lightly, are more powerful than any vow.
Hiiro stared at her blankly.
Looking at this woman in front of me, who is always unserious, likes to play pranks, does whatever she wants, yet is incredibly powerful.
The sadness and disappointment brought on by shattered hopes were gently soothed by a warm hand at this moment.
Then, little by little, it transformed into a completely different emotion.
Looking at Tao Yao's serious face, she couldn't help but smile.
It was a shallow, yet heartfelt curve that dispelled all her coldness and despondency.
"You really are reckless."