Celine quickly stepped into the space.
Almost at the same time, Hogan's voice came through. He sounded a bit anxious but also happy.
"Miss Celine, you're here."
He spoke directly without wasting time. "I came to see you today because I want to trade for more bicycles."
"This thing is amazing. I've already learned how to ride it."
"You learned it?" Celine's eyes opened wider in surprise.
That was really fast.
When she was little, it had taken her days to learn how to ride. She had fallen so many times and scraped her knees again and again. Even after all that, she had only just managed to balance and ride shakily.
But Hogan looked completely calm. It hadn't even been one full day since she gave him the bicycle.
For someone from ancient times, his ability to learn was truly shocking.
Celine pushed down her surprise. Her curiosity grew.
"So after you took it back, what about the others? Were they okay with something this new?"
Hearing this, Hogan's lips curved into a small smile.
"Yes, they were."
He thought back to what happened yesterday. His voice became lighter and more cheerful.
"When I brought the bicycle back to camp, it caused a huge stir."
The strange two-wheeled thing didn't need a horse or anyone to push it. Just by stepping on the pedals, it could move on its own. Everyone was instantly drawn to it.
The regular soldiers stretched their necks to look. Even General Meng, who was always calm and serious, came over and stared at it for a long time. He kept praising it and couldn't stop talking about it.
In the end, he said it must be a ride from the heavens.
A ride from the heavens?
Hogan only raised his eyebrows.
He didn't explain. He didn't know how to describe something so far ahead of their time.
He simply told everyone it was called a bicycle, and not just anyone could use it. It needed skill.
This made it feel even more mysterious.
After that, Hogan and a few of his close followers watched a glowing stone that showed moving pictures. It was the video Celine had downloaded in advance to teach how to ride a bike.
"In less than half an hour," Hogan said proudly, "after falling a few times, I could ride the bicycle smoothly. I rode it all around the camp."
"One hour?"
Celine was shocked again by how fast Hogan was learning.
Were ancient people really this focused?
Hogan didn't notice her surprise at all. He was still lost in his memory.
"That feeling… it was truly amazing"
His voice was full of joy.
"The wind brushed past my ears. The iron tool beneath me moved with my will. Compared to a fine horse, this felt lighter and more free."
"I almost couldn't bring myself to get off the whole afternoon."
"While I was riding," Hogan paused and looked at Celine, his eyes filled with curiosity, "I found something even more surprising."
"Miss Celine, this thing is designed so well. I don't understand. Why can it ride so fast on smooth grass and also move so easily over rough dirt roads? These wheels... what's the secret?"
He pointed toward the air, imagining the bicycle wheels. His expression was serious, like a student waiting for an answer.
Celine paused. She didn't really know how to explain how modern bike tires worked.
So she simply said, "The wheels are filled with air. I bought a mountain bike. Its tires are specially made."
"Filled with air? Mountain bike?" Hogan frowned. These words were clearly unfamiliar to him.
Celine saw his confusion and explained patiently.
She told him that this type of bike was made for rough ground. The tires were wide and had special patterns so they could handle all kinds of rough surfaces easily.
After hearing this, Hogan finally understood. He nodded.
"I see. That name fits it very well."
Then Hogan shared his plan.
"I was going to leave today to go meet my father, Emperor Qin. But this mountain bike is just too useful. I want to leave more of them for General Meng. So I decided to stay one more day."
Celine had just made more than forty million from selling the antiques she got from Hogan. She was in a great mood, so she agreed right away and said she would hand over the bikes tomorrow.
"Good. Then it's settled." Hogan nodded with satisfaction, then turned and walked away.
His steps were light. It was clear he was in a great mood.
After watching him leave, Celine looked at the tightly closed west gate. She suddenly felt worried.
She didn't know how Red was doing.
Especially after remembering what he said before about mutated zombies and the coming zombie tide.
The atmosphere inside the temporary base grew heavier as night fell.
After quickly eating the vegetarian dumplings and buns made by Silyne and her team, the base immediately activated the highest-level alert. It went into full lockdown.
Children, elderly people, and survivors who couldn't fight were quickly moved to the higher levels of the base, which were safer. A few female ability users stayed with them to keep watch and keep them completely separated from the outside.
The rest, both male and female ability users, gave up on sleep.
They quietly absorbed energy from crystal cores. Their nerves were tight like a stretched string. Everyone stood against the wall or watched through the windows, eyes scanning the dark night, ears focused on every small sound.
Everyone was fully alert.
Red had arranged a shift schedule to help people save energy. But the ability users all felt something deep in their souls, like a drum beating louder and louder. The danger wasn't far away. It was already outside the walls, making their backs feel cold.
This strong feeling of fear broke all the plans. No one dared to relax, even for a second.
Time moved slowly in the silence, minute by minute.
Three o'clock. Then four.
Four or five hours of high alert passed like heavy chains pulling everyone down. It wore out their energy and willpower.
Tiredness spread like fog, quietly filling their bodies, reaching into their faces and eyes.
Even Red, who was strong and calm, now had red eyes and looked very tired.
Silyne, who was in charge of logistics and had rested earlier with a few teammates, was still doing fine.
She looked at everyone's tired faces, took a deep breath, and walked into the kitchen.
Soon, a strong smell of milk and coffee filled the air.
She made hot, strong milk coffee and reheated the leftover buns from dinner. Then she brought them out quietly and passed them around to each person standing guard.
"Drink something warm. It'll help you stay awake." Her voice was low, but it carried warmth.
The surprise meal felt like a boost of strength.
The warm drink went down their throats and pushed away the cold. The caffeine started working and woke up their tired bodies.
Just as everyone's spirits lifted a bit and the tension slightly eased
"Roar!!!"
Outside the window in the darkest part of the night
A sharp, inhuman howl suddenly tore through the silence
Immediately after, like a chain reaction, more howls started one after another louder crazier coming from all directions It was as if the gates of hell had burst open and countless evil ghosts were rushing into the human world
After a moment under the faint moonlight and the weak emergency lights everyone saw in horror
A black dense crowd
Like a tide pouring out from every corner of the street thick and fast gathering quickly under the building where they were
Zombies
Endless zombies
The moving heads the twisted limbs the disgusting rotten smell even through the window it seemed to break through the glass hitting their faces directly
Red's pupils shrank sharply his face instantly turning very serious lips pressed into a hard straight line
Everyone behind him gasped sharply A chill ran like electricity from their feet to their heads freezing their blood and their breath
Someone couldn't help but whisper in shock "How how can there be so many"
"When when did they surround us"
A cold and cruel thought appeared in the minds of Red and all the experienced fighters
These zombies had probably been watching and hiding for a long time
They didn't just pass by by chance and this was not a scattered attack
This was a planned siege
Their goal was to completely devour all the living here
A brutal almost hopeless siege battle had begun