Chapter 880: with translation of chapter title

The corpse remained intact, with no signs of struggle.

Although the face was already somewhat rotting, one could still faintly see the despair of the deceased before death.

It was a mother and child, the mother holding the child.

In her arms, the little boy's round eyeballs were dull and lifeless; maggots crawled in and out of his slightly open mouth, occasionally wriggling as they fell from the corner of his lips to the ground.

The bullet hole on his forehead was like another eye of a black hole, staring at the ceiling.

The remaining solitary corpse sat upright before the broadcast control panel, with a Type 96 pistol fallen at its feet.

Three shell casings corresponded to three bullet holes.

On the broadcast console before the corpse, numerous buttons could be seen twisted haphazardly, indicating that the man had apparently been trying to contact the outside world before his death.

「He killed... he killed... suicide? 」

Walking behind the chair, Chu An expressionlessly picked up the pistol on the floor.

「Click」

The gun was cocked, yet there was no bullet.

He pulled out the magazine; inside the empty magazine, the spring used for loading showed a faint trace of rust.

「Only three rounds... no... 」

A glance revealed a dim glint of brass slipping into view from a crevice beneath the broadcast console.

「Four rounds... one round misfired? 」

Gripping the gun, Chu An casually aimed at the two corpses behind him, as if reenacting the scene.

「Shooting... with intervals... no dodging... 」

The first to die was likely the woman, followed by the child.

When firing the second shot, the shooter obviously struggled for a long time before pulling the trigger.

He muttered softly.

As he spoke, a strange emotion flickered in his eyes.

Just as he was about to press the left-hand tape button, Chu An's brow suddenly furrowed:

「Is the interference deepening... hallucination.. 」

「Here it comes.. 」

His head hurt badly.

The endlessly looping broadcast sounded for the tenth time, like a spell, rapidly expanding in his thoughts.

In an instant, the scene before his eyes abruptly shifted.

He stiffened in place, his eyes losing focus.

「Lao Chen, there's nothing to eat... we only have half a bag of biscuits here. 」

Clutching a bag of "Snacks" in her hand, the woman wiped her tears while sobbing.

Inside the broadcast room, she held the child, her face streaked with undried tears.

Limping, he moved a file cabinet and pushed a metal rack.

The middle-aged man known as Lao Chen, panicked, piled heavy objects at the doorway, then, like a headless fly, stared at the iron door being relentlessly struck.

「Bang! Bang bang! 」

Those were the zombies outside continually battering the door with their heads.

The deformed iron door seemed as if it would be burst open in the next second.

Having escaped from the Military Region's family quarters, he originally intended to drive to find the main force, after all the Military Region was nearby.

But he never expected that, upon encountering the troops on the road, he would personally witness a mutant over three meters tall slaughtering them.

Screams and explosions echoed in his mind.

In the panic, frightened, he hastily grabbed his wife and rushed to the nearest broadcast station.

He was so terrified that he crashed into the railing.

Misfortunes never come singly: the off‑road vehicle was already wrecked, and outside the station a large horde of zombies had gathered, drawn by the noise.

They are now completely surrounded, and all they have in hand is a single pistol.

This broadcast station that seemed safe has actually become their coffin.

Still reeling from the shock, the man seized his wife, drew a deep breath, and forced an ugly smile.

「It's fine.. 」

「Someone will surely come to rescue us... surely will. 」

「The Military Region is right nearby; it won't take long. 」

While comforting her, his right hand trembled as he reached for the cigarette in his pants pocket.

After fumbling with it, he saw only a few cigarettes left in the wrinkled pack and hesitated for a moment.

Forget it; he didn't know how long they'd have to endure.

Will anyone really come to rescue us...

Panic, helplessness.

He didn't understand what had happened to the world, just like the vast majority of survivors when the Apocalypse broke out.

People only heard the brutal game's opening proclamation, and then the nightmare descended.

Flashing fragments recalled the huge monster that had charged into the military and slaughtered them; he felt only utter despair.

「Zzz‑zzz」

The broadcast sounded:

「Please all survivors stay indoors in safety, beware of the fog! Do not look out the window! 」

"Please don't go out!"

"The next day."

"With day and night alternating, the man curled up in front of the iron door, guarding, was awakened by a series of pounding knocks on the door."

"He jerked awake, instinctively turning his head to look behind him, and only after seeing that the iron door was firmly blocked did he let out a breath of relief."

"Turning back, he saw his wife and child lying on their sides nearby, fast asleep; they were utterly exhausted."

"He had spent the whole day reinforcing the broadcast station; this was their only hiding place."

"He didn't know... what was happening outside."

"He licked his dry, cracked lips, feeling as if his throat were on fire."

"So thirsty..."

"The broadcast continued to send out warning messages nonstop, saying that inhaling too much fog would drive one mad, and could even turn one into a Zombie."

"Panicked, he spent another night sealing all doors and windows."

"Dry heat, the air was polluted."

"Fortunately, in the radio that sounded in the middle of the night, it seemed that troops were coming to rescue them..."

"The third day."

hiss-soso

"Like a knife cut, the man carefully aimed at the water bottle and urinated out the last drop of deep-yellow urine."

"He shook the bottle in his hand twice, and a pungent urine smell made him feel a bit dizzy."

"He licked his lips and saw his wife's throat moving as she swallowed."

"Three days without water, the two had only eaten half a biscuit; the remaining half was dissolved by the woman and given to the child."

"This half-bottle of 'water' was their last reserve."

"He had learned this trick from the broadcast."

"The other side kept sending warnings, as well as much rescue knowledge."

"As the sole channel of contact with the outside world, he trusted the voice in the broadcast implicitly."

"But no matter how he sent messages, he could not reach the other side; it was like one-way communication."

"He handed the water bottle to his wife, giving a bitter smile:"

"'They'll come, they'll come to rescue us.'"

"'I heard the sound of artillery exploding in the distance...'"

"The fifth day."

"Looking at the child in his arms, now powerless to move, the man stared blankly at the ceiling."

"The child had already coughed up blood-tinged saliva, too hungry to cry out."

"Despair spread."

"If it weren't for the broadcast's real-time updates on the rescue forces' movements, they were gradually drawing nearer."

"Otherwise, this immense pressure and oppression would have nearly driven him mad."

"'Please, Survivors near the military dependents area, stay indoors; please do not go out!'"

sizzle-sizzle

"The broadcast came through, and in a daze the man seemed to hear dense gunfire ringing out in the distance."