Transmigrating into a Wasteland Cannon Fodder Slag A [GL Yuri] - Chapter 8

Yan An scrolled through her phone, skimming the world’s key facts especially the current situation. The net could cut out at any moment; it would be wise to secure a portable connection. A satellite-linked phone would be perfect and no need to worry about losing signal.

Networks that relied on ground base stations were fragile. If power went or infrastructure collapsed and no technicians remained, the signal would fail sooner or later. Her predecessor had remembered hearing about such phones, but they were prohibitively expensive, only the very rich could afford them.

Yan An peered down. The wave of corpses flooding the factory was swelling fast; new undead kept appearing. Getting out would be harder by the minute.

At that moment, a great racket came from the rooftop entrance: the heavy iron door bulged outward from a massive blow.

Someone else had the same idea, to get to the roof and pick their moment to leave.

They couldn’t wait any longer.

“Can you jump across to the neighboring roof?” Gu Xia asked.

Clearly she also understood the situation: this was no time for delay.

Yan An measured the gap with her eyes. Seven or eight meters? No human leap could span that unless she could fly.

Unless there was another way.

She reached for the axe, but it materialized in her hand before she could even move. Gu Xia had tossed it over. That settled it.

“Heh—guess we’re in sync, sister,” Yan An teased as she re-secured the rope to the axe. Then, with a practiced toss, she hurled it toward the opposite roof.

She yanked hard on the line, trying to cinch the axe tight, but it wouldn’t catch where she wanted. She threw again, again and again but the axe refused to wedge into place. Her arm ached with each attempt; she had to pause.

Behind them, Chen Hao and his men had stopped bashing at the rooftop door. It sounded like they were rethinking their plan.

Neither of them could afford to linger any longer.

Yan An gripped the axe, drew in a deep breath, and hurled it again. This time, luck was on her side. The blade lodged firmly into the steel beams of the retractable roof on the opposite building.

Normally, the space between the two warehouses was covered by a sliding roof to protect goods from rain. Luckily for her, it wasn’t closed, or she never would’ve managed the throw.

She tugged on the axe. It held fast, wedged securely.

“Do you want to go first, or should I?” she asked Gu Xia, a trace of concern flickering in her eyes.

Crossing with a single rope was no small feat. Without training, it was dangerously difficult. And in this uneasy alliance, trust was thin. If the one who crossed first decided to cut the rope, the other would fall straight into the horde’s waiting jaws.

If the rope was cut before climbing, fine. But if it snapped mid-cross… there’d be no saving yourself.

That was why Yan An asked. It was, at its core, a question of trust.

“You first,” Gu Xia answered. She chose to believe her.

“Alright~” Yan An’s reply carried a lilting smile.

So her efforts hadn’t been wasted after all. Gu Xia was beginning to trust her.

Of course, Gu Xia had her own reasons. She wanted to test whether the axe’s hold would hold under weight. And beyond that, she wanted to lay the first brick of trust between them. If they were to survive the factory and perhaps even stick together afterward, in a world swarming with zombies and stripped of human decency, trust was as much a lifeline as food or water.

Yan An tightened the knot, pulled the rope taut, and edged toward the ledge. Inch by inch, she began her crawl across.

As long as Gu Xia didn’t pull any tricks, she’d make it just fine.

There was no point hesitating here. Yan An shoved aside all stray thoughts, clutched the rope with both hands, hooked her legs around it, and shifted her weight.

The rope sagged hard under her, but it held.

Steadying herself, she forced her breathing to slow, moving carefully so as not to slip. She was light, and she moved with deliberate care. Even so, it took her nearly three long minutes to reach the opposite roof.

When she checked the axe, a cold sweat broke out. The weapon had already started to shift under her weight. Given another minute, and it might have slipped free.

Good thing she was quick.

She signaled Gu Xia to wait, wound the rope several times around the steel beam, and braced herself with one hand on the axe for extra security. Only then did she wave Gu Xia forward.

Gu Xia hesitated at the edge for two heartbeats, then gripped the rope. She’d watched Yan An’s every move. As long as the other didn’t betray her and she kept her grip, she’d make it.

But even though she trained often and had decent strength, this was her first time attempting something this reckless. Fear gnawed at her.

She swallowed it down, forcing her body not to shake, and crept forward at a snail’s pace.

Yan An didn’t rush her. She watched closely, eyes darting occasionally toward the building opposite. The fight inside was fierce. The windows were smeared with bl00d, chunks of flesh scattered everywhere.

The alarm had gone silent, but zombies still poured in endlessly.

They had to hurry. If the battle inside ended, it would be too late to flee.

Gu Xia realized she was moving too slowly. Fear and urgency tangled in her chest, and she quickened her pace.

That was when Yan An felt the air shift, danger prickling her spine. She whipped around.

A twisted male zombie was staggering toward her in a grotesque gait. The moment it saw her look back, it broke into an uneven run.

Yan An let go of the rope, ready to fight then caught sight of the knot loosening around the beam.

The rope was thick, but thick ropes slipped easily. Her special knot hadn’t been enough, not with someone’s full weight dangling on it. Worse, there was nowhere better to tie it.

Panic knotted in her chest if the rope gave way now, Gu Xia would fall straight into the horde. Yan An clenched down harder, refusing to let go.

The zombie lunged. She kicked it square in the gut, sending it flying back, but it scrambled up again, unfazed.

Good thing these early-stage zombies were still slow, even when they ran.

This was Yan An’s first real face-to-face encounter with one of them. The sight of its rotting flesh, the grotesque twist of its body. It turned her stomach. She yanked a dagger from her space.

The zombie lunged. Yan An sidestepped, letting it crash past her. Before it could turn, she drove the blade into the back of its skull. Bl00d spurted, drenching her in a hot, vile spray.

She grimaced, almost gagging at the stench, but forced herself to pull the knife free as the creature collapsed.

The stinking corpse reeked, but she had no time to fuss over the mess. She tied the rope around her waist for safety, braced herself, and edged closer to Gu Xia.

“Grab my hand,” she urged, one hand gripping the beam, the other reaching out.

Gu Xia lifted her head with difficulty, eyes meeting Yan An’s. She freed one hand to clasp hers.

“Don’t rush. Take it slow,” Yan An soothed gently.

Even she, an avid wilderness survival player, had been terrified crossing like this. How much worse for Gu Xia—a pampered heiress, more used to books and the arts than life-and-death stunts? Fitness training aside, without the raw will to survive, this would’ve been impossible.

Yan An’s firm grip steadied her. With her hand secured, Gu Xia’s fear ebbed, replaced by determination.

Then another zombie appeared, sniffing around for the commotion.

The rooftop door wasn’t locked. Zombies from below could wander up at any time, drawn by the faintest sound.

Yan An’s mind raced. Sweat beaded on her brow despite the mild weather.

“Gu Xia! We don’t have time to go slow anymore.”

Gu Xia had just secured her other hand on the beam when she heard this. She looked up and locked eyes with the hungry corpse.

Her pupils shrank in terror. “Yan An!!!”

“Hold tight!”

Yan An heaved with all her strength, dragging Gu Xia up as the girl pushed off the wall and kicked hard, using Yan An’s pull to scramble over.

Her feet barely found purchase before Yan An shoved her aside.

Another zombie barreled forward. This one was stronger, more aggressive. Its swing missed her body but clipped her arm, sending her reeling.

She staggered back, trying to absorb the blow, but her spine slammed against the wall. Pain exploded in her chest that she nearly coughed bl00d.

At least she’d had the presence of mind to cut the rope from her waist. Otherwise, she might’ve been yanked clean off the roof.

The severed rope snapped the axe back into her hand.

Fury flared. She hurled the axe like a projectile, burying it in the zombie’s shoulder.

Not the head, so it kept coming and staggering but undeterred.

Clenching her jaw against the ache in her body, Yan An snatched up her knife and charged. The zombie was slow—slower than her resolve.

She gripped the axe embedded in its shoulder, twisted it free with a sickening crack, and, in the same motion, swung it upward.

The blade smashed into its skull. The stench of decay burst over her, gagging her so hard she retched.

She staggered back, holding her breath, gasping desperately for clean air once she reached the other side of the roof.

Gu Xia hovered at a distance, clutching her fruit knife but making no move closer. She knew she’d only get in the way.

She didn’t need to. The fight was over.

When the zombie finally slumped, Gu Xia rushed forward. “Are you hurt?”

“I am hurt,” Yan An groaned, face twisted in misery.

“Huh?”

Gu Xia’s heart lurched. She ignored the reek clinging to Yan An, hands flying anxiously over her arms and shoulders. If Yan An fell here, she’d never see tomorrow’s sun.

Her importance was undeniable. The thought of losing her sparked raw fear that slipped into her expression.

Yan An gave her a pitiful look. “Guzi-jie, I smell so bad!”

…Guzi?

Gu Xia stared, speechless. For a second there she had thought Yan An was about to collapse, bitten or worse.

But Yan An clung to her arm, grin flashing through the gore. “Come on, Gu Xia-jie. Let’s get out of here.”

Gu Xia shook her head in exasperation, but her relief was palpable.

Strong as she was, she had to admit it. Without Yan An, she wouldn’t make it far in this apocalypse.