Apocalypse: Last Traveler

Leaving Ox Head County, Lu Xi'an drove straight towards East Mountain County.

Heading further north, the mountain trails became increasingly numerous, forcing Lu Xi'an to slow down the car to prevent any untimely accidents where he might drive off a cliff.

At night, they rested for a night at a parking area amid the mountain trails.

They then didn't stop until reaching East Mountain County, where they only refueled before turning eastwards to the Xijian River, and after replenishing their water supply there, they ferried the car across.

Once they crossed the Xijian River, the menacing pressure from the sky behind them finally disappeared, and they relaxed.

They drove all the way to the refuge atop the Forest Edge Cliff, got out of the car, and checked it out. The refuge's surface had some cracks, but fortunately, no major damage.

Lu Xi'an jumped onto the refuge, tested it by walking around a bit, and felt it was still stable enough to sit and rest there for a while.

"But this time, the bedsheets are not enough."

Lu Xi'an said with a smile: "Now, my bedsheet is used to wrap fried corn beans, leaving only one bedsheet, which can't block both the door and the window, it's pretty useless."

"How about making a wooden door and wooden window?"

Yao Wei suggested.

Lu Xi'an replied: "That would mean complete darkness inside."

Yao Wei said: "But don't we have fire?"

"True enough."

Lu Xi'an nodded, agreeing with Yao Wei's logic.

Previously, they had also lit a fire in the fireplace inside, and the chimney's smoke ventilation was decent. With a bit of caution, it wouldn't be a problem.

Besides, they were just sitting inside for a short time, not sleeping, so it was even less concerning.

He couldn't help but laugh and said: "Looks like we're in agreement; let's stay here for a bit, and we'll set off once your period is over."

However, Yao Wei said: "Actually, leaving isn't a problem either. Now that we have a thermos, I can drink hot water on the road."

But as she said this, her eyes remained glued to the refuge, abandoned for over half a month, as if reluctant to leave.

Lu Xi'an glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed, so he smirked internally and said: "It's probably better to stop and wait a bit anyway. We're not in a hurry.

"When your period comes, it affects your combat readiness, right? What if we encounter some formidable enemy, and you can't fully exert your combat strength? What then?"

Yao Wei had never heard the term 'combat readiness' before, but it was straightforward and comprehensible. As soon as Lu Xi'an said it, Yao Wei understood.

Yao Wei said: "It has some effect, but it shouldn't be a big problem. I've managed just fine before."

Lu Xi'an replied: "A tiny discrepancy can lead to a massive difference in outcome. Every step we take is crucial, and what if your combat readiness is usually 1000, but you can only manage 998 then, and the opponent's readiness is precisely 999?

"Better safe than sorry, let's wait a bit."

"Mm."

Yao Wei found Lu Xi'an's words reasonable, so she nodded in agreement.

She found Lu Xi'an's description vivid and amusing, so she asked: "What's your combat readiness?"

"Me?"

Lu Xi'an thought for a moment and said, "Probably 5 with a gun, 500 without a gun, 1000 with hidden weapon?"

"I see."

Yao Wei said, "Once our combat readiness surpasses 1000, we shouldn't be afraid of anyone, right?"

"Yes, we will."

Lu Xi'an glanced back at the car and said, "Don't we have that Fungus Stone?

"Ever since we put the Fungus Stone in the car and slept nearby, I've felt my body is slowly transforming.

"Transforming for the better. You should feel the same, right?"

Yao Wei thought about it carefully and nodded: "Yes."

Lu Xi'an said: "So, with continued exercise and the Fungus Stone's assistance, our combat readiness will steadily increase over time.

"When our combat readiness reaches ten thousand, or a million, we'll be the dreaded duo, feared wherever we go. Who would dare challenge us then?"

Yao Wei found Lu Xi'an a bit exaggerated and said: "How could it increase that much? A thousand to a million or ten million is quite the leap."

Her tone suggested she was confident about reaching ten thousand.

Lu Xi'an nodded and said: "True, a million or ten million is indeed a bit much, we're not Super Saiyans with that incredible combat potential."

"Super Saiyan?"

Yao Wei heard another unfamiliar term from Lu Xi'an's mouth and questioned it.

Lu Xi'an explained: "It's from a story, how about I tell you about it tomorrow when we have time? It's already late today, we should rest."

He pointed to the refuge on the cliff wall, thinking a fireside story session would be nice, where they'd have boiled water as tea, and meat strips with fried beans for snacks, not a big deal.

"Mm."

Yao Wei nodded and said, "You sure know a lot of stories."

Lu Xi'an chuckled: "I know tons of stories. If knowing stories were like combat readiness, even Super Saiyans wouldn't be a match for me. You can listen slowly over time."

"Mm."

Yao Wei nodded again.

As the sky darkened, Lu Xi'an brought out the Resonant Gene Scanner to do a quick check, and seeing everything was fine, he and Yao Wei hopped back in the car.

They consumed some meat strips with the water from their thermos, then turned on a laptop to pick a movie, lying down to watch as they fell asleep.

As Lu Xi'an was dozing off while watching, Yao Wei suddenly thought of something, turned to look at Lu Xi'an, and asked:

"Back when Chai Xin was in the car, he held the Fungus Stone in his arms, and soon experienced effects, transforming into a Neo-Human.