Chapter 69: The Romantic Rival is an Angel
Alice and Jill informed the Salvation Army about the impending apocalypse. Among them, only Matt and Carlos, who had previously encountered the angel and trusted Alice's honesty, believed her without question. The rest of the group remained skeptical.
"Settle down, and now we have to move again?"
"What about the zombies along the way?"
"Traveling together is already difficult enough during peacetime, let alone journeying such a long distance to the Sahara Desert now."
The thought of the Sahara Desert brought its own challenges. They would need to carry multiple times the usual resources and account for the lack of local supplies. If the apocalypse truly came, how long would the flames last?
In the Bible, the Great Flood lasted quite some time before receding. If the flames endured just as long, countless lives would be lost.
Among the survivors were still some scientists. While they questioned the apocalyptic claims, they used data to raise their doubts.
"If you're willing to come with us, then come. If not, you can stay behind."
Alice had only intended to fulfill her duty by notifying them. She didn't believe that being chosen for the Noah's Ark mission meant she shared Noah's noble qualities.
In this age, within the framework of human civilization, who could truly claim to be as selfless as Noah?
Though Noah's story was excessively romanticized, the appearance of an angel suggested the events described in those ancient texts were likely real.
"We'll need a large number of vehicles," Carlos said to Alice, offering a practical perspective. Whether or not the survivors chose to follow, they would need numerous transports.
Luckily, in the apocalypse, vehicles were plentiful—especially large trucks.
A pilot suggested finding airplanes for transport, which could carry people in one go and minimize the hassle. The skies were also relatively safer.
After careful consideration, the Salvation Army set their sights on a nearby airbase to secure aircraft. For now, it was their best option.
Chang Wei, observing the Salvation Army's actions with curiosity, had no intention of personally rounding up survivors worldwide. The invisible killers would handle that. He only planned to unleash his full power on the final day to test the limits of his nuclear fusion state.
Yes, the so-called apocalypse wasn't just a dramatic display to awe others. Chang Wei also intended to use the planet to experiment with the full extent of his power. This way, he could gauge his strength and avoid losing control in the next world when he needed to go all out.
Under Chang Wei's watchful eyes, Alice and the willing survivors began collecting various resources.
Due to the enhanced zombies, they suffered significant casualties. Without Alice's exceptional combat abilities, the group might have faced total annihilation.
Chang Wei also noticed Matt transforming into a monstrous form, which resembled the final transformation of the doctor in Resident Evil 3: Extinction. However, unlike the doctor, Matt's monster form was closer to the unleashed Nemesis from the games that pursued Jill.
By reading Matt's mind, Chang Wei learned that Matt viewed this transformation as a gift from the angel. This left Chang Wei feeling slightly guilty. In truth, he had merely reversed the T-virus in Matt's body into a latent state. Strictly speaking, Matt was a long-term latent T-virus carrier. A bite from a zombie could theoretically reactivate the virus, turning him into one of them.
Matt's current transformation was a miraculous anomaly he achieved himself. Chang Wei's role in it was, at best, half the reason. Even he was surprised that the T-virus could achieve temporary mutations akin to the Blacklight virus.
No natural organism could temporarily mutate so rapidly, as the energy requirement would be astronomical.
Even if Matt drank gasoline as though it were water, it wouldn't suffice. This phenomenon could only be attributed to Matt's sheer luck, defying biological logic.
With two powerhouses in their group, the Salvation Army successfully completed their initial preparations, which took ten days.
Alice's group then embarked on their journey. The Sahara Desert was over 6,000 kilometers away from mainland America. Despite being in a relatively remote state, traveling such a distance was still a massive challenge.
Along the way, they encountered a flock of mutated crows, which caused the death of an entire vehicle of people. This led to some survivors suffering mental breakdowns and choosing to part ways.
Thus, the group split up. Alice's group remained steadfast, determined to reach the Sahara Desert. They utilized planes for the first leg of the journey, transporting people and vehicles. When the planes ran out of fuel, they switched to driving.
Through relentless effort, they managed to reach the Sahara Desert just one hour before the countdown ended.
Though they relaxed slightly upon arrival, they stayed alert. After all, zombies might still lurk in the desert, and the apocalypse was imminent. Everyone was on edge.
Alice's group stopped their vehicles and stepped out to gaze at the starry night sky.
"The apocalypse is almost here. From now on, we'll be the new humans," Carlos said, tossing a can of beer to Alice with a smile, attempting to ease the group's tension.
"I need to record this. If the apocalypse really happens, this will become humanity's most precious piece of history," a scientist said, setting up his precision instruments with both nervousness and excitement.
Alice and Matt sat together on a cloth spread over the sandy ground.
"…I heard from Jill that you used to compete with her for the angel's attention," Matt teased Alice.
"No," Alice replied, her heavy mood lightening as she managed a small smile.
"…You can be honest. I won't get jealous," Matt shrugged.
"After all, it's an angel. Who could be jealous of that?"
"Really, I didn't. Jill misunderstood. At the time, I just felt something was off about him. Later, he healed Peyton…" Alice said, her eyes lighting up as she spoke.
What could one do when their romantic rival was an angel?
Forgive them, of course. Besides, there wasn't much to forgive. From what Matt had learned, the angel had maintained a certain distance from them throughout.
Especially when he revealed his true form, everyone had been awestruck by the divine aura and overwhelming difference between the angel and mortals.
Only Jill had dared to step forward at the time. Even Alice had shrunk back.