Heart of Ashes
by Shangwugu
About This Novel
In 2143, an unknown virus codenamed "Red Mist" swept across the world. The infected people would transform into irrational and extremely aggressive "Bone Eaters" within 72 hours. The virus also paralyzed the global power system and reduced cities to ruins. The survivors struggled to survive due to lack of resources and the threat of monsters.
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Official(1)Scraped 13d ago
Take a look at the street lights. There are no stars, only the occasional flash of firelight in the distance, reflecting the dead city. The three of them huddled behind the water tank on the roof of the office building, using the faint light to treat their wounds. Chen Mo used the remaining half bottle of iodophor to disinfect Chen Xi's ankle. She grimaced in pain, but bit her lip and made no sound. Lin Xi was on the side wrapping his bleeding palms with rags, looking up from time to time into the distance. The darkness there was like thick ink, as if it could swallow everything at any time. Later in the night, the wind picked up. There was a damp smell in the wind, and soon, big raindrops fell, crackling on the iron sheet on the roof, making an ear-splitting sound. "Come in!" Chen Mo found a small maintenance compartment on the side of the water tank, which could barely accommodate three people. He helped Chen Xi in first, then asked Lin Xi to follow him, while he stood guard at the door, using a piece of torn canvas to block the wind and rain. It was dark in the cubicle, and the only sounds that could be heard were each other's breathing and the sound of the rain outside. The rain seeped in through the gaps in the canvas and wet the ground, and the cold air penetrated through the thin soles of the shoes. "Is it cold?" Chen Mo asked. Chen Xi leaned closer to him and whispered, "A little bit." Chen Mo took off his coat and wrapped it around her. His body temperature was still on the coat. Chen Xi sniffed and suddenly said, "Brother, I'm sorry." "Sorry for what?" "On that day... On your birthday, I shouldn't have quarreled with you." Chen Xi's voice was filled with tears. "I thought about it later and realized that you must have been too busy. I shouldn't have been so willful..." Chen Mo's heart felt like something was tugging at her. He reached out and touched her head: "I am the one who should say sorry. I will never quarrel with you again. When this matter is over, I will watch movies with you every day." "Really?" "Really." In the darkness, Chen Xi smiled with tears. Lin Xi was listening next to him, his eyes were red. She recalled that when she was a child, her brother would always leave her the last piece of candy and carry her through the waterlogged alleys on rainy days. If my brother was still alive, would he protect himself the same way Chen Mo protected Chen Xi? The rain was getting heavier and heavier, even mixed with hail, which made a clanking sound on the iron sheet. Suddenly, a strange sound came from downstairs, like someone prying at the door, accompanied by the harsh sound of metal friction. Chen Mo immediately pricked up his ears and signaled them to be quiet. The sound was intermittent, mixed with the sound of rain, and not very clear. A few minutes later, there was a muffled sound from downstairs, like the door being knocked open, followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps and the sound of someone talking - it was a living person! Chen Mo and Lin Xi looked at each other and saw the wariness in each other's eyes. In the apocalypse, living people are sometimes more dangerous than bone eaters. "Shall we go down and take a look?" Lin Xi asked softly. Chen Mo hesitated. They are now short of food and medicine, especially Chen Xi's feet, which must be dealt with as soon as possible. If there were ordinary survivors downstairs, they might be able to exchange some supplies; but if they were people wearing camouflage uniforms... He remembered the melee he had seen in the factory before. Those people had guns in their hands and were ruthless. "Let's check the situation first." Chen Mo lowered his voice, "You guys wait here while I go investigate." He carefully moved to the edge of the roof and looked down by the light of lightning. The door of the office building was open, and several dark figures were walking in with flashlights. The flashlight beam swayed in the darkness, illuminating the blue work clothes they were wearing - not camouflage uniforms, they looked like factory workers. "There were about five people, but I didn't see any guns." Chen Mo turned around and said to them, "They don't look like bad guys." Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief: "Then let's go down, maybe we can borrow some medicine." Chen Mo nodded, supported Chen Xi, and followed Lin Xi to the stairwell. The corridor was filled with dust and the footprints were messy. It was obvious that someone had just passed by. When we reached the third floor, the beam of flashlight suddenly shone over us, followed by a voice asking: "Who is there?" Chen Mo immediately stood in front of Chen Xi and Lin Xi, and said in a deep voice: "We are survivors. We passed by here to take shelter from the rain." Two men walked out of the darkness, holding steel pipes in their hands, looking at them warily. One of the men with short hair spoke: "Where are you from? Have you been infected?" "Those who escaped from the factory in the south are not infected." Chen Mo pointed to Chen Xi's feet. "My sister is injured. I want to borrow some medicine. We can exchange it with food." The short-haired man hesitated for a moment and shouted behind him: "Uncle Zhang, come out and take a look." An old man with gray hair came out, holding a medicine kit in his hand. He looked at Chen Mo and the other three, then his eyes fell on Chen Xi's ankle, and he frowned: "The ligament is strained. I need to apply cold compress as soon as possible and put some anti-inflammatory medicine on it. Come with me." Several people followed the old man into an office. There was a fire inside, and two women and a child were sitting beside the fire. They all showed surprised expressions when they saw Chen Mo and the others. "This is my daughter Xiaoya, and her colleague Sister Li. This is Sister Li's son Mingming." Uncle Zhang pointed at those people and introduced them, "These are new friends." Xiaoya smiled at them and moved to the side to make room for them. Mingming was hiding behind Sister Li and looking at Chen Xi timidly. Uncle Zhang opened the medical kit and took out an ice pack and anti-inflammatory drugs: "The ice pack is replaced by a towel soaked in cold water. Apply it first to reduce swelling." Chen Mo quickly thanked him and took the ice pack and handed it to Chen Xi. Lin Xi took out the remaining half bag of compressed biscuits from his backpack and handed it to Xiaoya: "We don't have anything good, you can just accept this." Xiaoya's eyes lit up and she took the cookie: "Thank you! We haven't eaten for two days." The short-haired man is named Wang Yong, and he is a security guard at this factory. He told Chen Mo that after the red fog broke out, more than a dozen people in their workshop hid in the basement and survived by relying on the inventory in the warehouse. It was not until yesterday that the warehouse was breached by the Bone Eroder and they escaped here. "Where are you going?" Wang Yong asked vaguely, chewing on compressed biscuits. "The research institute on the outskirts of the city." Chen Mo said, "I heard there is anti-viral serum there." Wang Yong and Uncle Zhang looked at each other with surprised expressions. "Do you also know about the serum?" Uncle Zhang frowned, "There is an old professor in our workshop who used to work in the research institute. He said that the place was abandoned long ago and was moved to a new area ten years ago." Chen Mo's heart sank: "Abandoned? Is the news about the serum false?" "It's hard to say." Uncle Zhang sighed, "The old professor said that although the institute has moved, there are still some experimental equipment in the old building, and there may be something useful. But..." He looked out the window, "That area is occupied by the Bone Eater. We tried to go there before, but we couldn't get close at all." Chen Mo was silent. Are all hopes false? Lin Xi held his arm and whispered: "Even if there is no serum, it's good to go and have a look. What if there is medicine?" Chen Xi also nodded: "Brother, we have come so far, we can't give up." Wang Yong suddenly said: "We will go with you." Chen Mo looked at him in surprise. "The inventory in the basement is gone, and we won't be able to survive here for a few days." Wang Yong looked at Xiaoya and Mingming, "Rather than sit back and wait for death, it's better to fight. And..." He paused, "The old professor said that there may be a generator in the underground warehouse of the institute. If we can find it, we can use telegraphs to contact other survivors." Chen Mo thought for a moment, a few more people would give him more power. He nodded: "Okay, we will set off at dawn tomorrow." The rainy night gradually stopped, and a hint of fish belly white appeared on the horizon. The fire gradually extinguished, leaving ashes on the ground. Chen Mo leaned against the wall, looking at Chen Xi and Lin Xi who were sleeping soundly, and then at Wang Yong and the others - these strangers were about to embark on the same road because of a slim hope. He didn't know what was waiting for them ahead, but at least at this moment, he was no longer alone. In the darkness, he seemed to see his sister's smiling face, the rekindled light in Lin Xi's eyes, and the little bit of hope on everyone's faces that refused to be extinguished. At dawn, they packed their backpacks, with Wang Yong leading the way, Uncle Zhang carrying the medical kit, Sister Li holding Mingming, Chen Mo holding Chen Xi, and Lin Xi behind. The group of people walked out of the office building and walked toward the outskirts of the city. The road under their feet was muddy, and the Bone Eaters in the distance roared sporadicly, but their steps were firm. Hope may be far away, but as long as you move forward, you will have a chance to touch its shadow.
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Official(1)Scraped 13d ago
Take a look at the street lights. There are no stars, only the occasional flash of firelight in the distance, reflecting the dead city. The three of them huddled behind the water tank on the roof of the office building, using the faint light to treat their wounds. Chen Mo used the remaining half bottle of iodophor to disinfect Chen Xi's ankle. She grimaced in pain, but bit her lip and made no sound. Lin Xi was on the side wrapping his bleeding palms with rags, looking up from time to time into the distance. The darkness there was like thick ink, as if it could swallow everything at any time. Later in the night, the wind picked up. There was a damp smell in the wind, and soon, big raindrops fell, crackling on the iron sheet on the roof, making an ear-splitting sound. "Come in!" Chen Mo found a small maintenance compartment on the side of the water tank, which could barely accommodate three people. He helped Chen Xi in first, then asked Lin Xi to follow him, while he stood guard at the door, using a piece of torn canvas to block the wind and rain. It was dark in the cubicle, and the only sounds that could be heard were each other's breathing and the sound of the rain outside. The rain seeped in through the gaps in the canvas and wet the ground, and the cold air penetrated through the thin soles of the shoes. "Is it cold?" Chen Mo asked. Chen Xi leaned closer to him and whispered, "A little bit." Chen Mo took off his coat and wrapped it around her. His body temperature was still on the coat. Chen Xi sniffed and suddenly said, "Brother, I'm sorry." "Sorry for what?" "On that day... On your birthday, I shouldn't have quarreled with you." Chen Xi's voice was filled with tears. "I thought about it later and realized that you must have been too busy. I shouldn't have been so willful..." Chen Mo's heart felt like something was tugging at her. He reached out and touched her head: "I am the one who should say sorry. I will never quarrel with you again. When this matter is over, I will watch movies with you every day." "Really?" "Really." In the darkness, Chen Xi smiled with tears. Lin Xi was listening next to him, his eyes were red. She recalled that when she was a child, her brother would always leave her the last piece of candy and carry her through the waterlogged alleys on rainy days. If my brother was still alive, would he protect himself the same way Chen Mo protected Chen Xi? The rain was getting heavier and heavier, even mixed with hail, which made a clanking sound on the iron sheet. Suddenly, a strange sound came from downstairs, like someone prying at the door, accompanied by the harsh sound of metal friction. Chen Mo immediately pricked up his ears and signaled them to be quiet. The sound was intermittent, mixed with the sound of rain, and not very clear. A few minutes later, there was a muffled sound from downstairs, like the door being knocked open, followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps and the sound of someone talking - it was a living person! Chen Mo and Lin Xi looked at each other and saw the wariness in each other's eyes. In the apocalypse, living people are sometimes more dangerous than bone eaters. "Shall we go down and take a look?" Lin Xi asked softly. Chen Mo hesitated. They are now short of food and medicine, especially Chen Xi's feet, which must be dealt with as soon as possible. If there were ordinary survivors downstairs, they might be able to exchange some supplies; but if they were people wearing camouflage uniforms... He remembered the melee he had seen in the factory before. Those people had guns in their hands and were ruthless. "Let's check the situation first." Chen Mo lowered his voice, "You guys wait here while I go investigate." He carefully moved to the edge of the roof and looked down by the light of lightning. The door of the office building was open, and several dark figures were walking in with flashlights. The flashlight beam swayed in the darkness, illuminating the blue work clothes they were wearing - not camouflage uniforms, they looked like factory workers. "There were about five people, but I didn't see any guns." Chen Mo turned around and said to them, "They don't look like bad guys." Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief: "Then let's go down, maybe we can borrow some medicine." Chen Mo nodded, supported Chen Xi, and followed Lin Xi to the stairwell. The corridor was filled with dust and the footprints were messy. It was obvious that someone had just passed by. When we reached the third floor, the beam of flashlight suddenly shone over us, followed by a voice asking: "Who is there?" Chen Mo immediately stood in front of Chen Xi and Lin Xi, and said in a deep voice: "We are survivors. We passed by here to take shelter from the rain." Two men walked out of the darkness, holding steel pipes in their hands, looking at them warily. One of the men with short hair spoke: "Where are you from? Have you been infected?" "Those who escaped from the factory in the south are not infected." Chen Mo pointed to Chen Xi's feet. "My sister is injured. I want to borrow some medicine. We can exchange it with food." The short-haired man hesitated for a moment and shouted behind him: "Uncle Zhang, come out and take a look." An old man with gray hair came out, holding a medicine kit in his hand. He looked at Chen Mo and the other three, then his eyes fell on Chen Xi's ankle, and he frowned: "The ligament is strained. I need to apply cold compress as soon as possible and put some anti-inflammatory medicine on it. Come with me." Several people followed the old man into an office. There was a fire inside, and two women and a child were sitting beside the fire. They all showed surprised expressions when they saw Chen Mo and the others. "This is my daughter Xiaoya, and her colleague Sister Li. This is Sister Li's son Mingming." Uncle Zhang pointed at those people and introduced them, "These are new friends." Xiaoya smiled at them and moved to the side to make room for them. Mingming was hiding behind Sister Li and looking at Chen Xi timidly. Uncle Zhang opened the medical kit and took out an ice pack and anti-inflammatory drugs: "The ice pack is replaced by a towel soaked in cold water. Apply it first to reduce swelling." Chen Mo quickly thanked him and took the ice pack and handed it to Chen Xi. Lin Xi took out the remaining half bag of compressed biscuits from his backpack and handed it to Xiaoya: "We don't have anything good, you can just accept this." Xiaoya's eyes lit up and she took the cookie: "Thank you! We haven't eaten for two days." The short-haired man is named Wang Yong, and he is a security guard at this factory. He told Chen Mo that after the red fog broke out, more than a dozen people in their workshop hid in the basement and survived by relying on the inventory in the warehouse. It was not until yesterday that the warehouse was breached by the Bone Eroder and they escaped here. "Where are you going?" Wang Yong asked vaguely, chewing on compressed biscuits. "The research institute on the outskirts of the city." Chen Mo said, "I heard there is anti-viral serum there." Wang Yong and Uncle Zhang looked at each other with surprised expressions. "Do you also know about the serum?" Uncle Zhang frowned, "There is an old professor in our workshop who used to work in the research institute. He said that the place was abandoned long ago and was moved to a new area ten years ago." Chen Mo's heart sank: "Abandoned? Is the news about the serum false?" "It's hard to say." Uncle Zhang sighed, "The old professor said that although the institute has moved, there are still some experimental equipment in the old building, and there may be something useful. But..." He looked out the window, "That area is occupied by the Bone Eater. We tried to go there before, but we couldn't get close at all." Chen Mo was silent. Are all hopes false? Lin Xi held his arm and whispered: "Even if there is no serum, it's good to go and have a look. What if there is medicine?" Chen Xi also nodded: "Brother, we have come so far, we can't give up." Wang Yong suddenly said: "We will go with you." Chen Mo looked at him in surprise. "The inventory in the basement is gone, and we won't be able to survive here for a few days." Wang Yong looked at Xiaoya and Mingming, "Rather than sit back and wait for death, it's better to fight. And..." He paused, "The old professor said that there may be a generator in the underground warehouse of the institute. If we can find it, we can use telegraphs to contact other survivors." Chen Mo thought for a moment, a few more people would give him more power. He nodded: "Okay, we will set off at dawn tomorrow." The rainy night gradually stopped, and a hint of fish belly white appeared on the horizon. The fire gradually extinguished, leaving ashes on the ground. Chen Mo leaned against the wall, looking at Chen Xi and Lin Xi who were sleeping soundly, and then at Wang Yong and the others - these strangers were about to embark on the same road because of a slim hope. He didn't know what was waiting for them ahead, but at least at this moment, he was no longer alone. In the darkness, he seemed to see his sister's smiling face, the rekindled light in Lin Xi's eyes, and the little bit of hope on everyone's faces that refused to be extinguished. At dawn, they packed their backpacks, with Wang Yong leading the way, Uncle Zhang carrying the medical kit, Sister Li holding Mingming, Chen Mo holding Chen Xi, and Lin Xi behind. The group of people walked out of the office building and walked toward the outskirts of the city. The road under their feet was muddy, and the Bone Eaters in the distance roared sporadicly, but their steps were firm. Hope may be far away, but as long as you move forward, you will have a chance to touch its shadow.
