158 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan washed her face and carried the tiny Cai Cai out of the bedroom. Outside, the air was thick with fog and torrential rain. The RV's automatic drainage system was activated, continuously removing the water that flooded the deck. Chen Wan handed Cai Cai to Qin Ke and Shen Ming Yan, then sat down next to Yi Yi to watch the hazy expanse outside. They drove southward, through the storms and the rain. Around the RV, debris such as floating buildings scattered, swept away by the deluge. The RV was like a tiny boat, defying the raging current, refusing to be swept away. Yi Yi drove the RV, carefully aware of the situation beneath to ensure the curved chassis wouldn’t hit the tops of surrounding structures. Over in Qingji City, several large ships navigated the fierce currents, clinging to life. The water was as high as a 20-story building. Many survivors gathered on the rooftops of towering structures, pleading for help, but the ships struggled to remain stable, let alone rescue anyone. The ship's captain was terrified of crashing into the high-rise buildings that could breach the hull, risking everyone on board. Debris of all kinds encircled the ship, from cars to metal sheets to planks, swept into the currents. Among them were countless corpses, indistinct between zombies and humans. Desperate cries came from rooftops, as people feared their buildings would collapse or the water level would rise further, leading to inevitable death. Seemingly trapped, no one knew how to escape this dire situation. Despite its small size, Chen Wan's RV was agile, compact, and multifunctional, equipped with four mechanical arms to clear away obstacles, ensuring nothing in the water would collide with it. The little one, tense for most of the day, finally succumbed and fell asleep. They continued southward for another twenty minutes, the rain still relentless, when something underneath nudged the RV's bottom, causing it to tilt slightly to one side. Fortunately, Yi Yi quickly accelerated, pulling away from the area. Using the mechanical arm, Chen Wan detected something large in the water eyeing them, just as Cai Cai, nestled in Qin Ke's arms, woke up frightened, burying its little head and pointing ahead of the RV, "Something bad's coming." Chen Wan's heart sank, holding two fire axes in hand, understanding it was imperative to eliminate the threat beneath. Qin Ke, seeing Chen Wan ready to head out, grabbed a rifle to join her. Chen Wan instructed Yi Yi to stabilize Qin Ke using a mechanical arm, allowing her to stand firmly on the deck, ready to adjust her shooting position. Qin Ke excelled in long-range shooting. Chen Wan, on the other hand, manipulated the RV's mechanical arm, hoisting herself up, prepared to strike at whatever lurked in the water. Yi Yi reversed the RV a short distance, fearing the creature might attack and topple the vehicle. Chen Wan used herself as bait, suspending her body ten meters out from the RV with the mechanical arm. Finally, the massive shape in the water couldn’t restrain itself any longer, leaping out with its enormous maw wide open at Chen Wan. Only then did she see the true form of the creature—a massive fish about three meters long, with two long whiskers and a dark head, dripping with an unknown sticky substance, resembling a catfish-shaped slug. The sight churned Chen Wan's stomach, barely holding back her nausea. Yi Yi swiftly adjusted the RV's direction, retreating, while Chen Wan, aided by the mechanical arm, executed a mid-air flip and swung one of the fire axes with force onto the fish's head. The impact split its head open with a loud "bang," spraying blood and mucus everywhere, covering Chen Wan in a putrid fishy stench. Resisting the urge to retch, Chen Wan discarded the dulled axe, drew a new one from her waist as the giant fish plunged back into the water, thrashing towards the RV. Fortunately, the RV’s four rotating propellers enabled Yi Yi to swiftly dodge backward, preventing the fish from gaining any advantage. Qin Ke instructed Yi Yi to raise her like Chen Wan, raising her own rifle and with rapid shots, hitting precisely along the gash Chen Wan had made, piercing the fish's body. Writhing wildly, the fish, having tasted Chen Wan’s axe, now aimed its open jaws at Qin Ke. Yi Yi maneuvered evasively with the mechanical arms dodging in mid-air, while Qin Ke fired continuously, her bullets turning the inside of the fish’s maw into a shredded mess. Meanwhile, Chen Wan leaped with the mechanical arm’s help, delivering another axe blow through the existing wound, this time cleaving most of the fish's head. She nearly plunged into the maimed head before the mechanical arm swiftly pulled her out. The thrashing fish sank back into the water, Chen Wan doused in its blood and slime, even her face speckled. Unable to hold back, she vomited mid-air while still suspended by the arm. Qin Ke, raised by the left mechanical arm, provided cover for Chen Wan, closely observing the fish’s movements. The creature, still alive, appeared more cautious this time, drifting back beneath the surface, leaving the rain's rumble and a temporary calm. After five minutes, the catfish, having plunged over ten meters deep, seized its moment to surge towards the RV, but with Yi Yi’s sensor range extended to 120 meters, she was already aware of its intent. An acceleration dodged the fish’s attack. Failing in its charge, the fish madly thrashed its tail at the RV, but Yi Yi’s quick left turn only allowed a glancing blow, causing no real damage. Enraged, the fish leapt again, attempting to submerge the RV under its weight. Yet Yi Yi was prepared, forcing the RV backward, while Chen Wan once again leaped high with the mechanical arm, delivering another axe blow from the side. Her strength-enhancing ability loaded, far surpassing an ordinary power-type ability user. Now truly angered, Chen Wan clung fiercely to the fish with one hand, wielding the axe with the other, hacking relentlessly at its body. Incredibly, she managed to haul the three-meter fish into the air, though straining, but not impossibly. With contact with the RV, Chen Wan could access her storage, switching out dulled axes for new ones as needed, until, eyes red with fury, she severed the fish’s entire head at last. Tossing aside the fish's body and her axe, Chen Wan had the mechanical arm set her onto the deck. With the danger gone, Chen Wan’s senses were overwhelmed by her new odor, wishing she could wash in a machine ten times over. She knelt, heaving until bile rose, the combination of blood and slime suffocating her. Qin Ke, initially trembling as she approached to support Chen Wan, was staggered by the stench. Compared to her slight splattering, Chen Wan reeked overwhelmingly, and upon getting close, Qin Ke couldn’t help but join in retching beside Chen Wan. Barely able to look at each other, they continued to dry heave until empty before staggering into the RV’s cabin. Cai Cai, worried for them, cried for a hug, but Chen Wan could barely manage. Still reeling, she dashed to the bathroom. Chen Wan soaked in the stench, bathed herself only to find the fishy odor remained. Gastrointestinally exhausted, she liberally applied an entire bottle of body wash. After two hours of scrubbing, she emerged from the bathroom, unsure if she was faint from the smell or having emptied her stomach. Finally, a trace of humanity returned, with only a faint fishy odor lingering. As for the disgusting catfish, Chen Wan wanted to get it as far away as possible. She had no intention of consuming something reminiscent of a slimy slug-fish. The mere scent clinging to her was enough to make her feel nauseous. Yi Yi, observing Chen Wan's state, offered words of comfort, "At least it wasn’t for nothing. That was a level-three mutated fish, so we've gained a level-three mutated animal crystal core." "That's good to know," Chen Wan replied weakly. Seeing Chen Wan and Qin Ke on the brink of collapse from vomiting, Shen Ming Yan hurriedly brought them each a warm glass of honey water to soothe their throats. Chen Wan thanked her, sipping it slowly. Still mindful of Jiang Yan Xin, she returned to the room to check on her, leaving Cai Cai to Jiang Wan Ning's care. Given that both she and Qin Ke carried lingering odors, it wasn't exactly clean or safe for Cai Cai to be near them. In the room, Jiang Yan Xin’s complexion had improved, showing some color. Chen Wan approached, feeling a bit put out by the slimy catfish ordeal, wishing for a comforting hug from Jiang Yan Xin. Slowly, Jiang Yan Xin opened her eyes but scrunched her nose as if detecting something off. The scent—a mix of fishiness and rose-scented body wash—was unpleasant, causing discomfort on first whiff.