511 The Road Out Into the Mainland, Finding a Treasure Just Beside Them (1/2)

Day 126 - 2:11 PM - Parking Space, Absecon Blvd., Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States of America

The survivors of Bally's Casino walked behind Mark and Mei with utmost vigilance. They finally left the main Island of Atlantic City. From behind, they could see the silhouette of the collapsed bridge connecting the main island to the mainland of New Jersey, the Absecon Blvd. Bridge.

It was the line that every single one of them wanted to cross ever since the apocalypse started. In the end, there were only thirteen of them left from their whole group that managed to reach that goal.

Many died, sacrifices happened. It was all for the sake of surviving,

Now, however, even though they managed to get out of the hellish cityscape, most of them felt empty.

Like the others, they thought that getting out of the city would be the end of their suffering. Like in that movie where the whole city was locked down, and the outside was still safe and sound until several years later.

Contrary to their thoughts, the goal they wanted to reach was the actual beginning of their journey.

And the worst thing, aside from the ragged clothes they were wearing, they were not able to bring anything with them. Not even a single candy to eat or a fork to use as a weapon.

Furthermore, it was fortunate that they were traversing the road they were on right now during the day. If it was during night time, they would not know how they died.

From that collapsed bridge, the whole road they needed to traverse was grassy planes and small forests. To the next city, they needed to walk around five kilometers of this deadly road.

Fortunately for them, Mark and Mei, who saved them, had been leading the way.

Since the moment they arrived at the road, they had been attacked for more than a dozen times already. Even though the way was rather desolated in appearance, many abandoned cars were strangely piled up in the middle of the boulevard.

The appearance of the vehicles and the number of infected on this side of this Absecon Boulevard Bridge only led to one conclusion.

Many thought that the island of Atlantic City was a safe place being by the coast and was isolated from the mainland with bridges. That thought only led to them being trapped in this road and were left to die with nowhere to run.

As they said, the grass is greener on the other side.

Unfortunately, not only that the road to the other side was cut off, but it was more dangerous in a deadly way.

Nevertheless, the only issue was the number of infected. In fact, even these survivors that managed to live inside Atlantic City all this time felt that the infected here was weaker than those that they encountered before.

That was how their lives were honed by a more dangerous environment.

Right now, Mark was pulling a black metal cart behind him. On the cart, the restrained [Queen Type] lay while struggling.

However, the cart was rather small and unbalanced.

This cart was made using the blood of the infected they were encountering on the way. However, since the ratio of conversion was still on the low side, it was hard to complete a whole cart with just a few dozen infected. Especially when the infected had lesser blood flowing through their veins because of starvation.

Of course, due to Mutagen, the Biter Types would not die of starvation that fast. However, they would still have complications like this. Furthermore, if they actually died, they would turn into Eater Types, which did not seem to require blood at all in their bodies to continue moving.

”By the way, Sir. Where are we going? Where is your base located?”

Arnold, who was carrying Morgan on his back, asked. Although they agreed to follow Mark as they had no other choice at all where they would survive, Mark never told them where his base was located.

”Oh, I forgot to tell you guys,” Mark replied while looking above his shoulder. ”Our base at Quezon Province in the Philippines.”

”Huh?”

Everyone froze, except Mei, froze.

”Can you please repeat that again?”

Arnold could not register the answer in his brain and decided to ask once more.

”Quezon Province, Philippines.”

Mark replied with a bit of a smug look. He rather liked the shocked appearance of the people behind them right now.

”Philippines? Not Philadelphia, right?”

Ernst asked in a very awkward manner.

Finally, everyone, aside from the three children, could not believe what they had just heard.

To think of it. Now that both Mark and Mei's faces were revealed to them, they did not look like locals at all. Although there was that. But it was also possible that they were tourists like some of them.

Still, the Philippines? Philadephia was already far enough from this place on foot. Just how were they going to the Philippines? Furthermore, they felt quite unsettled, hearing that they would be going to a country on the opposite side of the globe. All of them here had never stepped into an Asian country, after all.

With those things in mind, their eyes fell on Mei. They remembered that Mei suddenly appeared in front of them out of thin air.

”What you guys are thinking is wrong. We have a different way of going home. It's just we needed to go to Reading, Pennsylvania first since we can only return from there.”

Everyone felt mystified. However, considering the display of the two earlier, it was not wrong to believe that Mark and Mei could do many things that were far from their imagination.

GRROOOWWWLLL...

Every one of the survivors flinched and got ready to fight. Well, everyone aside from the little girl who was now red-faced.

There was no danger around, and they found out where the growling sound came from soon after.

The survivors could not help but laugh. It was a good atmosphere changer. Nevertheless, it made everyone realize that all of them were hungry. Furthermore, since their supplies were dwindling, they already ate a little this morning.

Now, they did not have anything to eat at all. The eyes of the survivors fell on the abandoned cars on the road. Maybe, just maybe, there was still food left in some of the vehicles.

”Don't bother looking. Here.”

Mark suddenly spoke to them as a black hole opened in front of his hand. His hand entered the hole. And when he pulled it out, a medium-sized plastic bag filled with things was magically on his grasp. He threw the bag towards Ernst, and he clumsily caught it in surprise.

Opening the bag, they were surprised to see that it was filled with luxury chocolates.

”Just make do with those. We'll eat later if we find a suitable place.”

Everyone could not say anything and could only stare at Mark in amazement.

This strange couple was filled with mystery.

That was the only thing they could think of.