Chapter 125: Saw It Directly
Chapter 125: Saw It Directly
Passing through the Steel Drawbridge located in the West District, the vehicle drove out of Satellite City No.2.
A wide, rammed-earth cement road extended several smaller paths, tracing graceful arcs deep into the Wilderness.
Driving forward along the central and broadest main road led onto an ancient yet still level and vast highway. These remnants were part of the high-speed road network built thirty years ago, stretching out towards various destinations.
Though the Cataclysm happened thirty years ago, and the roads were severely damaged,
The conditions around Qinggang City had been restored by construction crews from within the city walls, largely preserving their original state.
Only near the road intersections close to Highwall City, numerous temporary checkpoints and elevated drawbridges were set up.
This was to prevent attacks by Maniacs and certain other dangers.
Lu Xin had grown up in Satellite City No.2; this was his first time truly leaving the city.
Looking out from the passenger window, he saw dense, lush greenery, vibrant with life.
All plants showed signs of wildly exuberant growth.
The air carried a faint, elusive putrid stench, causing people to subconsciously tense up.
The sky was gray and overcast.
When looking into the distance, it felt oddly like the light itself was distorted, making distant objects appear somewhat warped.
Like crouched Monsters on the ground, watching their surroundings with an ominous air.
…
…
“Haha, come on, let me guess…”
“If Uncle and Auntie, and cute Little Sister are sitting together in the back seat, then they must be arranged like this, right? Uncle on the left, Auntie on the right, and the adorable Little Sister must definitely be sitting in the middle, right?”
“Or maybe Uncle is on the right, Auntie on the left?”
“…”
Gecko, who was driving the vehicle and now aware that this seemingly empty car was actually a bit crowded, wouldn’t stop talking.
From the moment they left the city until now, he had been chatting incessantly with the “family” members in the car.
The key point was, he seemed quite happy doing so…
Lu Xin listened with some helplessness, softly reminding him: “You guessed wrong.”
Gecko looked startled for a moment, then laughed: “No way? Then was Little Sister on the left? Or the right?”
“Neither,” Lu Xin replied without looking up.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw Mother sitting upright in the back seat with a graceful smile.
Her expression elegant, noticing Lu Xin looking at her through the mirror, she chuckled softly:
“This young fellow is quite good, just talks a bit much…”
“Should we consider letting your Little Sister sew his mouth shut?”
“…”
Lu Xin thought about it, then decided it was probably best not to.
He tilted his head slightly upwards; he could hear his Little Sister up on the car roof, happy shrieks mixing with the sound of the wind as she enjoyed the breeze.
Father wasn’t currently in the car.
Although the recent Family Meeting had unanimously agreed that the four family members would collectively go find those people,
Father, being of a volatile temper, couldn’t stand the boredom and tedium of the journey. Moreover, knowing his temper, if he were in the car, Lu Xin estimated it would be difficult for this vehicle to arrive intact at their destination before finding the Knights Order. Furthermore, it was doubtful whether Gecko, who had been happily chatting away so far, could keep his head attached to his neck long enough to reach their destination.
This car, essentially, only held Lu Xin, Mother, Little Sister, and Gecko.
Naturally, Lu Xin didn’t plan to remind Gecko or explain any of this in detail.
After all, Gecko couldn’t see them anyway.
Generally, with people who couldn’t see his family members, Lu Xin chose not to inform them of their existence at all.
He had proactively told Chen Jing before, because it had involved work matters.
As for telling Gecko, it was because they would be travelling together and might need to fight Ability Users side by side; a little mutual understanding seemed better.
As for the problem of Gecko talking too much…
Seeing how nervous he was, if he wanted to talk, better just let him…
…
…
“The information provided by the City Defense Department doesn’t seem to have much that’s useful.”
To prevent the danger of Gecko getting his mouth sewn shut, Lu Xin flipped through the materials in his hand and casually spoke to Gecko.
“Yes, yes.”
Gecko replied immediately.
Having chatted with the invisible presence for so long during the journey, his heart had long been fluttering with unease.
At this moment, hearing an audible response even felt blissful. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other retrieving a file from the car door’s document box, his expression quickly turned serious. “The City Defense Department’s pursuit… was essentially a failure.”
He placed it in front of him, flipping through it twice. “According to the initial findings shared by Special Agents from the City Defense Department, after those Ability Users escaped Outside the City, they didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they headed southeast toward an abandoned town about ten kilometers away. They lingered on the upper floors of a dilapidated high-rise for some time before finally setting off again, fleeing overnight.”
“Unfortunately, only two Agents were tracking this Knights Order. After investigating the building where the Knights had temporarily sheltered, they vanished. It’s been a full day with no word on their whereabouts or whether they’re alive or dead.”
“The follow-up Investigation Team could only trace the trail as far as that abandoned town. They’re still searching for their remains…”
Lu Xin nodded. “So… we’re heading there now to investigate?”
“Right,” Gecko confirmed. “We’ll first inspect where they stayed and see if the Investigation Team uncovered any clues.”
Glancing at the rearview mirror, Lu Xin noticed Mother showed no objection and thus said no more.
He simply pondered carefully before stating, “They’ve been gone for a full day. There’s no telling how far they could’ve traveled in that time. Catching up means pushing this vehicle to its absolute limits.”
“Hehe…”
Gecko chuckled softly at Lu Xin’s words. “Brother, I think it’s high time for a little demonstration…”
“You’re about to witness just how terrifying a Spider-Type Ability User can be when they get their hands on something they can control…”
As he spoke, Gecko shifted the gear down and steadily pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor.
A distinct force pushed Lu Xin back into his seat as he rolled up his window.
Outside, the scenery began to blur and streak past at an alarming speed.
As a Spider-Type Ability User piloting such a high-performance Iron Beast, Gecko’s prowess soon unfolded.
The needle on the dashboard climbed steadily as if tugged by an invisible hand.
The engine roared like a wild beast, its vibrations tingling deep into their bones.
The road ahead was treacherous—cracked asphalt, stubborn clumps of Wasteland Grass, and gaping potholes—making progress difficult.
Yet under Gecko’s seemingly effortless yet impossibly agile control, the vehicle maintained uncanny stability.
The landscape ahead hurtled toward them only to vanish behind in a breath.
For a moment, Lu Xin truly felt the car might take flight.
“Whoosh!”
Even rounding a sharp bend ahead, Gecko didn’t slow—instead, he accelerated.
With seamless coordination of steering and throttle, the heavy vehicle executed a flawless drift, snapping precisely into the new lane while narrowly missing a wild rabbit darting across the path.
Then they plunged once more into the long stretch of road.
The only concession Gecko made to the road’s dangers was a quick glance forward.
He didn’t even place both hands on the wheel.
Lu Xin couldn’t help but marvel; witnessing a Spider-Type master tools possessed an eerie, compelling beauty…
As for Little Sister…
He checked the mirror—she’d been flung off during the turn and was now furiously chasing after them.
…………
Operating at his standard level, it took Gecko less than twenty minutes to reach the abandoned town.
Towering structures, swallowed by overgrown Wasteland Grass, resembled colossal beasts, their fractured skeletons occasionally jutting through the green shroud.
At first glance, it radiated a desolate, unsettling eeriness.
They didn’t drive into the town itself, stopping instead at its edge beside a relatively intact high-rise.
As the brakes hissed, Lu Xin exhaled a subtle sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Gecko’s demeanor had turned grave. He gestured out the window.
Two figures in camouflage gear swiftly emerged from the seemingly deserted town.
They carried rifles; one held a freshly printed document.
Approaching the car window, one saluted and delivered a clipped report: “Acting on the City Defense Department’s orders, we are to share immediate intel with you:”
“Arrived at 0400 hours. At that time, communications with our two colleagues were already lost. Upon preliminary investigation, we confirmed the target group sheltered for over thirty minutes within the high-rise ahead.”
“Analysis of tire tracks and terrain surrounding the building indicates a seven-person contingent. They utilized five Motorcycles and one Off-road Vehicle. Evidence suggests they departed abruptly toward Nan Fang.”
“However, the surrounding terrain and road networks are complex. Pinpointing their exact route remains impossible.”
“No trace has yet been found of our missing colleagues.”
As he spoke, they extended the document through the window. It contained detailed analyses correlating their verbal report, photographs of discarded food packets and cigarette butts retrieved from the upper floors, and other preserved evidence.
“With just this… finding anyone seems tricky…” Gecko mused, turning toward Lu Xin.
Though he’d joined this pursuit as Deputy Captain, he truly didn’t know how to proceed.
Likely, the higher-ups were equally clueless.
The City Defense Department Special Agents outside the window also seemed perplexed.
They knew a special pursuit unit was dispatched to assist them.
What they didn’t grasp was why. Every potential clue at this site had been exhausted. The fugitives left scant traces; even determining their escape route was challenging. The Wilderness sprawled endlessly—where does one even begin?
…………
As all eyes shifted toward him, Lu Xin silently sought Mother’s reflection in the rearview mirror.
“Take the path branching left ahead.”
Mother sat elegantly in the back seat, her expression adorned with a gentle smile.
Her directions came softly, yet brimming with conviction.
Meeting Lu Xin’s puzzled gaze via the mirror, her exquisitely composed smile remained. She elaborated softly:
“How could we visit guests without knowing their location?”
Her expression softened further, radiating warmth. “When one among them sought to see you… I saw him too.”
Reassured, Lu Xin gave a barely perceptible nod. He set aside the intel documents.
Retrieving a small notebook from inside his left breast pocket, he flipped it open. Concealing the pages from Gecko’s view, he turned to the section marked with ‘Mother.’
There, he inscribed: “Can track those who have seen someone…?”
Securing the notebook, he addressed Gecko calmly: “Proceed down the left path.”
Gecko’s expression shifted strangely.
He shot Lu Xin a cautious glance. “Bro… you know tracking and investigation?”
“No, I don’t.”
Lu Xin answered honestly. He then glanced fleetingly at the rearview mirror, his voice softening. “But I have… family who help me.”
In the back seat, Mother’s face gradually blossomed into a delighted smile.