Chapter 91: Chapter 91: One Step Away from the Capital
Zerra had expected Darren, whose favorability toward her had decreased, to lash out and ignore her while storming off in irritation.
But... he just let out a sigh and took some for himself.
"Thanks, Zerra." With that, he strolled away to his car.
The minor episode in the drama didn’t affect the mood of the entire journey. They would occasionally encounter some robbers desperate for supplies or other teams of ability users.
In short, the next three days of the journey were going more smoothly than their initial thrilling days. Nyra had gone back to drive with Darren. They were in the same car as Laziel and Meira.
They finally arrived at the Capital, or to be exact, at the spot just a few kilometers away from the Capital.
The requirements for entering the Capital were very stringent. Every individual who wanted to get in had to go through a few rounds of examinations. They wanted to make sure that no infected individuals managed to slip through the net.
There were already too many people taking refuge. As a result, they didn’t lack people at all with the combination of limited supplies. Everyone who got approved needed to behave, or they would be banned from the Capital.
Some people were even willing to sleep outside the Capital’s gate just for the sake of queuing early.
Zerra watched the high walls surrounding the Capital and frowned. She hadn’t expected that the Capital’s response to the apocalypse was incredibly quick. In order to resist the zombies, they had built the walls already.
"Is the Capital always like this?" Zerra turned to Cassias; her eyes brimming with curiosity. The last time she visited the Capital was probably half a year before the apocalypse. It was enough time to build such high walls.
"Are you referring to the high walls?" Cassias asked.
She slowly nodded, staring at him seriously.
He thought about it for a while and said, "When I exited the Capital last time, they were still in the process of building it."
Zerra blinked at him, wondering whether he was the culprit behind the project, but looking at that expression... it didn’t seem so. He also narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at the high walls.
The Virethorn family was very influential in the Capital, but unless Cassias was reborn half a year before the apocalypse, the project wouldn’t have been finished so quickly. He had less time than Nyra.
"How do we get there?" Meira asked. She was cleanly dressed in a long-sleeved brown T-shirt after Laziel asked for some clothes from Zerra.
Standing behind the survivors with tattered clothes and dust-streaked faces, they all stared at the long queue in the distance. The queue ended within one kilometer; the next area was very disorganized, filled with people scattering all around.
If not for the worn-out clothes, weary faces, and somber atmosphere, anyone would think they were going to some sort of celebrity concert.
Darren frowned. "We might have to spend a night outside the Capital gate."
In fact, a lot of others did too. Some came while riding their vehicles, while the majority only brought some items in their bags, big or small.
It was unimaginable that such a sight might have been common during the apocalypse–people sleeping on dirty ground. Anyway, their group had a few cars.
"It’s going to get dark soon. Let’s go." Darren led them back to their cars. Unfortunately, the buildings nearby, like houses, shops, and restaurants, were all filled with people. They couldn’t even squeeze a little place inside those settlements.
He had ordered some members to stay and keep watch over the cars, fearing the covetous eyes of the desperate people that might destroy the windows just to take the items in the cars.
When they returned, many eyes were secretly or openly looking at them. Meira squeezed herself between Laziel and Darren, showing her anxiety in the crowded environment.
"What is happening over there?" Isryn pointed to the spot exactly where their cars were located.
Many people were crowding around their cars with angry looks on their faces.
"You have so many supplies, why can’t you share them with us?" The moment they got closer, they heard such shouts.
"Don’t you see us looking so thin? A little bread won’t make you lose a chunk of your flesh," Another yelled in indignation.
Anyone who didn’t know the full story would think that those people were the ones getting robbed instead of the other way around.
"Move away!" The five members who remained to watch the cars were finding themselves overwhelmed by the number of survivors trying to break into the cars.
Meanwhile, other survivors with much cleaner appearances, who were most likely fellow ability users, merely watched the drama with eyes full of interest.
Darren frowned, and he struggled to go forward amidst the sea of people. "What are you all doing here?"
When they saw Darren’s face, which was full of displeasure, they weren’t deterred. They had abandoned their shame because it was no longer important compared to their stomachs.
"This mister, can you spare us some bread? Our children haven’t been eating anything since yesterday, and they are starving." A middle-aged woman came forward and asked, followed by other survivors who were chiming in about their sick family members being hungry.
They had seen Darren and his group arrive just now, total newcomers.
After Darren managed to stand in front of the cars, others also followed. Cassias clutched Zerra’s hand tightly as he blocked anyone from touching her.
Seeing the owner of the cars appearing, the survivors’ momentum declined sharply. However, then they remembered their needs and became brave again.
"Guests..." They repeated what they had said to gain the group’s sympathy.
Not all the survivors came to them, but some were secretly watching from the sidelines. Waiting to see what would happen.
Darren and others knew that they couldn’t give in just like that. If they did, others would feel that they were unfair and pester them relentlessly.
If they gave some supplies to those people, the remaining people would also ask them for supplies. They wouldn’t have a night of peace then.
"Mr. Valez, what should we do?" One of Darren’s people whispered.
They couldn’t get away or bring their cars away with so many people crowding around.