Two Worlds in the Apocalypse: Each journey through the modern world lasts 60 seconds.

Chapter 148 Gas Station (7300 words)

Driving back to the vicinity of the gas station at the east end of Mori Town, Xu Mo frowned helplessly through the filthy windshield.

The zombies here have not completely disappeared since he left.

More than a dozen ordinary zombies still wandered aimlessly in the open space around the gas station, like lost souls.

Some of them scratched blankly at the air, while others stood still, their tattered clothes fluttering only when the wind blew by occasionally.

It's virtually impossible to refuel silently without alerting the zombies.

Besides, who knows how many zombies are lurking in those dark corners? The lesson from that chase just now was profound enough.

"Looks like we'll have to do it again," Xu Mo muttered to himself.

Without much hesitation, Xu Mo reached out again and pressed the horn button in the center of the steering wheel.

"Beep!!! Beep!!!"

The piercing, high-pitched horn sound, like a stone thrown into a calm pond, instantly shattered the tranquility of the place.

The effect is immediate.

Almost simultaneously, all the wandering zombies abruptly stopped and turned to the source of the sound—Xu Mo and his off-road vehicle.

They let out excited growls from their throats, and their cloudy eyes seemed to light up with a kind of greedy light. Then they took unsteady but firm steps and converged from all directions.

Moreover, Xu Mo could clearly see in the rearview mirror that more figures were staggering out from the winding alleys deep in the town.

Among them was a figure whose movements were noticeably faster, even accelerating on all fours. This made Xu Mo's heart skip a beat—another agile zombie had been alerted!

"You mean, in this apocalypse, you can't live without a car?" Xu Mo muttered to himself as he drove, a mix of self-deprecation and lingering fear in his voice. "I just got a new car recently, if only—unfortunately, a certain company isn't paying me, so I'll stop here—"

After finishing his rant, Xu Mo stepped on the gas, and the SUV roared out of the gas station's vicinity, resuming its leisurely stroll along the outer road from which it had come.

Behind the car, the newly gathered horde of corpses, along with the newly joined Level 1 mutants, chased after them frantically, like hyenas that had smelled blood.

Xu Mo carefully controlled the car's speed. He didn't dare to drive too fast, for fear of leaving the ordinary zombies too far behind and making it too fast for them to return to the gas station later; nor did he dare to drive too slowly, as that would only make things difficult for himself.

The off-road vehicle maintained a certain speed to avoid being easily caught up by the agile zombies behind it, while also preventing the ordinary zombie horde from losing track of it.

As they drove on, the edge of the battlefield they had just seen appeared ahead.

From afar, Xu Mo could see that around the corpses of the agile and strong zombies he had killed, a dense circle of ordinary zombies had already gathered.

As if attending a gluttonous feast, they pounced on the corpses of the mutants, tearing and gnawing frantically. Black and red blood and broken tissues splattered everywhere, and the air was filled with a strong, nauseating stench.

The relatively strong muscles and bones of those mutated zombies are disappearing at a visible rate under the tearing of countless withered claws and rotten teeth.

This scene made Xu Mo feel somewhat uncomfortable, but more than that, it made him wary.

He had seen zombies devour their own kind before, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a large-scale, concentrated feeding.

On the outskirts of the horde, some zombies seemed to have already eaten their fill, or were no longer interested in their companions who were eating. They noticed the roar of the off-road vehicle's engine, slowly turned around, and moved towards Xu Mo's direction.

But most of the zombies were completely absorbed in their "eating" frenzy and ignored the off-road vehicle.

Xu Mo wasn't foolish enough to drive straight into the heart of the horde of reveling zombies. He quickly swerved the SUV off the main road and plunged off the embankment. The wheels rolled over mud and weeds, heading in another direction. He wanted to lead the new recruits away from this dangerous place, buying enough time for the gas station.

The horde of zombies behind the vehicle was indeed swayed and chased after it, howling loudly. The agile zombies rushed to the front, trying to flank him, but Xu Mo always maintained a relatively safe distance, drawing a large arc across the wilderness.

Judging that the distance was about right, Xu Mo still managed to kill the level one zombie and then sped off towards the gas station.

About ten minutes later, the SUV pulled back into the gas station. It was much quieter here, with only the faint roars of the horde of corpses in the distance and the whistling of the wind blowing through the broken signboard.

Xu Mo parked the car closest to the manual gas pump, ensuring he could leave quickly at any time. He didn't get out immediately, but waited quietly in the car for half a minute, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings.

After confirming that there were no moving zombies or other unusual movements in his field of vision, Xu Mo quickly pushed open the car door and got out. Just as Xu Mo reached the gas pump and was about to bend down to check the manual pump interface, "Clang!"

A not-so-loud, but exceptionally clear collision sound suddenly came from the direction of the dark convenience store next to the gas station!

Xu Mo's muscles tensed instantly, and he drew his machete with a "whoosh" in his right hand. He slightly turned his body, pointed the blade at the ground, and his gaze shot towards the convenience store entrance like lightning!

The next moment, the broken glass door of the convenience store was carefully pushed open a crack from the inside. Then, three figures, somewhat flustered, yet wary and with a glimmer of hope, emerged one after another from behind the door.

It's a living person! A survivor!

Xu Mo's gaze quickly swept over the three of them.

There were two men and one woman, all of whom appeared to be quite young, probably in their late twenties to early thirties. But their condition—

It's terrible, or rather, it perfectly captures the image of a lowly survivor who has been struggling to survive for a long time.

It was a hot summer afternoon, but all three of them were wearing thick, obviously ill-fitting, and stained coats and trousers, some even showing signs of sweaters underneath.

This is a rudimentary protection device made to prevent being scratched or bitten by zombies, but it looks bulky and not breathable.

Each of them carried a bulging backpack, stuffed full, which, judging from its shape, must have been filled with all sorts of things they had looted from convenience stores.

The three men's faces were pale and tired from long-term malnutrition, and their eyes were filled with vigilance and fear. But when they saw Xu Mo, and especially when they saw the dirty but obviously sturdy and reliable off-road vehicle behind him, they couldn't help but radiate an almost burning light. It was the light of seeing hope, seeing the possibility of escape.

They were visibly startled to see Xu Mo's defensive posture with a knife. The tall, thin man at the front hurriedly raised his hands, indicating he was unarmed and meant no harm. His voice was hoarse and trembling: "Don't...don't do it! We're survivors!"

The woman next to her quickly raised her hand as well. Her face was dirty, but her big eyes were filled with fear and pleading.

The other, shorter, stockier man instinctively shielded the woman behind him, also raising his hand and nervously watching Xu Mo, especially the gleaming machete in his hand.

Xu Mo didn't immediately put down the knife, but his tense muscles relaxed slightly. Maintaining a safe distance, his gaze swept back and forth between the three people and the convenience store entrance, and he asked in a deep voice, "You've been staying here all this time? In town?"

"Yes, yes!" The tall, thin man nodded hurriedly, speaking quickly as if afraid Xu Mo would turn around and leave. "We were a small group of people hiding in a basement converted into a shelter at the west end of town. We heard car noises outside, as well as those terrifying shouts and gunshots just now. We hid for a long time, and only dared to come out to check when it seemed to have quieted down, and also wanted to take some more things."

His gaze couldn't help but drift towards Xu Mo's SUV. "Big brother, are you from out of town? Can you give us a ride?"

We can help you with the work! We can do anything! Please, take us away from this awful place!

The woman's eyes were also full of expectation, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something but dared not.

Xu Mo paused for a moment, then slowly sheathed his machete, but this action didn't completely put the three of them at ease. He shook his head, his tone calm but undeniable: "I'm sorry, I have a mission to complete and cannot take you with me."

The three of them instantly dimmed, their disappointment and despair almost overflowing.

Xu Mo then asked, "Why have you been staying in town? There are so many zombies here, why don't you try to leave?"

This time it was the woman who spoke, her voice trembling with tears and deep fear: "We tried. We had five companions, and we wanted to sneak out from the south side of town to find another way out. But we hadn't gone far when we were caught by several monsters that were incredibly fast. The two who ran back said they saw Old Wang and the others being pounced on almost instantly. It was terrifying!" As she spoke, her body trembled slightly. The short, stocky man next to her reached out and patted her shoulder, his face also looking grim.

The tall, thin man chimed in, "Since then, we've been even more afraid to wander around. Although there are a lot of zombies in town, at least we know some hiding places, and that basement is fairly well-hidden. There are about twelve of us left, and we're just making do like this. We don't know where we can go, or what's going on outside. Just now, when we heard some noise, a few of us who were a bit braver thought we'd risk coming out to get some supplies to take back."

Xu Mo understood: these were survivors trapped in a remote place. They lacked weapons, organization, and, more importantly, the courage and information to face the outside world. That failed escape had completely destroyed their confidence in breaking out on their own.

"Now is an opportunity." Xu Mo pointed to the direction from which the faint howls of zombies could be heard in the distance. "I just lured a large group of zombies over there. The area around the gas station is relatively safe now. If you want to leave, you can take this opportunity to quickly return to your shelter, pack what you can take, and then choose a direction with fewer zombies to leave."

The three looked at each other, their faces showing struggle and hesitation.

"At night—it's even more dangerous outside at night," the short, stocky man said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with fear of the unknown darkness. "We don't have a car. If we walk, what if we encounter something fast, or get surrounded by a horde of zombies—"

The tall, thin man hesitated, then said, "Yes, brother, this is too sudden. We need to go back and discuss it with everyone, and all our belongings are in the shelter—"

The woman looked at Xu Mo timidly and whispered, "Brother, would you like to rest with us for a bit? Have some water? We have some food there, and we can also let everyone meet you and hear your advice?" Her invitation carried an obvious attempt to ingratiate herself and a hint of barely perceptible desire to pull Xu Mo, this powerful outsider, into their group.

Xu Mo shook his head again without hesitation, "No, my mission is urgent and I can't delay. I need to leave immediately after I refuel here." He paused, looking at the three disappointed and bewildered faces, and added, "If you decide to leave, you can try heading northwest. About 600 kilometers away, there's a large shelter called Jiangcheng. It's orderly and walled, and as long as you're willing to work, you can survive. It's much better than living here in constant uncertainty."

"Jiangcheng?" The three heard the name for the first time, and a flicker of hope rekindled in their eyes, only to be extinguished by the vast distance and the dangers of the journey. "Over six hundred kilometers?" the tall, thin man gasped. "How long would it take to walk there? How many dangers would we encounter along the way—"

"It's better than waiting to die here." Xu Mo said calmly. He didn't try to persuade him any further. Everyone has the right to choose their own way of life, and he couldn't and didn't want to make decisions for others.

He ignored the three people entangled in their debate and turned to operate the manual fuel pump. Fortunately, the gas station's storage tanks did indeed have fuel, and it appeared to be quite plentiful.

Xu Mo skillfully connected the oil suction pipe and began manually pumping oil, his hands churning.

The clear gasoline flowed into the fuel tank, standing out sharply in the quiet gas station.

Beside him, the short, stocky man watched Xu Mo refuel, then glanced at the other gas pumps in the station that might still have some fuel left. His eyes gleamed, clearly tempted.

He hesitated for a moment, then took a few steps forward, maintaining a safe distance. He rubbed his hands together, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Excuse me, sir, could we get some gas? We have a few broken-down cars in our shelter that we found before, barely functional, but they've been out of gas. If we could give them some gas, we wouldn't have to walk the rest of the way when we leave. What do you think—?"

Xu Mo didn't even look up, continuing what he was doing, and simply said, "The oil isn't mine, it's from here. Add it if you want. Hurry up, those zombies might come back anytime soon."

"Hey! Good! Good! Thank you, brother! Thank you!" The short, stocky man was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. He immediately turned around, quickly said a few words to the tall, thin man and the woman, then slung his large backpack over his shoulder and jogged away in the direction they had come from at the west end of the town, clearly to go back and inform his companions and find a suitable container.

The tall, thin man and the woman were left behind. They wanted to go back to report the news or help, but they seemed a little afraid to act alone. They were also reluctant to leave Xu Mo, their temporary "source of safety." For a moment, they stood there helplessly.

Xu Mo ignored them and focused on refueling, the gauge slowly and steadily climbing upwards.

After a while, Xu Mo filled up the gas tank. He glanced at the two bewildered people beside him, thought for a moment, took out a small notebook and a pen from his pocket, and quickly drew a very simple route map on the hood of the off-road vehicle. He marked the main roads and landmarks in the general northwest direction from Moli Town, and wrote the words "Jiangcheng" at the end.

After finishing these tasks, Xu Mo wrote a few more sentences about the situation in Jiangcheng: there are high walls, there is order, people need to work to exchange for food and contribution points, and private fights are prohibited, etc.

He tore the paper off and handed it to the tall, thin man: "Here, if you decide to go, you can refer to this direction. Remember, try to avoid the ruins of big cities, go through the wilderness, and stay vigilant."

The tall, thin man, as if he had found a treasure, took the light yet incredibly heavy piece of paper with trembling hands. He leaned close to the woman, greedily examining every word on it.

"Brother, you're from Jiangcheng? Are you on a mission there?" The woman looked up and asked with awe.

Xu Mo nodded, without explaining the specifics of the mission: "Hmm."

This simple affirmation deepened the awe in their eyes. In their view, Xu Mo was practically a legendary hero, capable of emerging from such a "powerful" sanctuary and undertaking a mission alone across such a dangerous area.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and panting sounds came from afar. It was the short, stocky man returning, but he wasn't alone; behind him were two other men, similarly bulky-looking and tense. They were carrying several dirty plastic buckets and jugs of varying sizes, clearly hastily put together containers.

"Hurry! Hurry! Now!" The short, stocky man, panting heavily, pointed at the gas pump without bothering to explain further.

The two newcomers looked at Xu Mo with surprise and a hint of fear in their eyes. They nodded hastily as a greeting and then rushed to another gas pump that looked intact. They frantically tried to operate the manual pump, and the short, stocky man joined in to help.

For a moment, several "huffing and puffing" sounds of oil being pumped out could be heard from the gas station.

Xu Mo had already filled the gas tank and was now just standing by the car, cautiously watching his surroundings while observing the others as they worked.

A few minutes later, the containers the three men had brought were filled with gasoline, emitting a pungent smell. A look of delight appeared on their faces.

"Great! At least the car can run now!" the short, stocky man said excitedly to his companion. "Let's go, let's take this fuel back first, and then we'll drive the car back to refuel it once it's running again."

"Yes, yes! Hurry up!" The other two nodded repeatedly.

The three men lifted the heavy oil drums, nodded to Xu Mo, and then hurriedly ran towards the west end of the town, their figures quickly disappearing around the corner of the ruins.

The gas station returned to silence for the time being, with only the tall, thin man, the woman, and Xu Mo, who had finished refueling and was doing a final check.

Time ticked by. The roars of the horde of corpses in the distance didn't seem to diminish or get any closer, which reassured Xu Mo slightly. He estimated that it would take the three of them at least twenty or thirty minutes to make a round trip, including refueling the car.

However, less than five minutes later—

"Ah!! Help!!"

"Run! It's catching up!"

Terrified screams and chaotic running sounds suddenly came from the west end of the town, the direction the three people had left in!

Xu Mo and the two people who remained at the gas station both changed their expressions at the same time!

The short, stocky man who had just left, along with one of his companions, were seen scrambling out from around the corner! Their faces were filled with extreme fear as they ran frantically toward the gas station, but even so, they didn't drop the gasoline in their hands!

About twenty meters behind them, a huge figure, over two meters tall, with bluish-gray skin and bulging muscles, was chasing after them with heavy but swift steps!

A level one strength-type zombie, and it looks even more robust than the ones that chased Xu Mo before!

"How did you manage to bring it here?!" The tall, thin man who remained at the gas station was so frightened that his voice changed, and the woman screamed and hid behind the gas pump, trembling with fear.

In the blink of an eye, the two men scrambled back to the gas station, crying and shouting, "We wanted to run somewhere else, but we had no other way to go!"

This reason left Xu Mo speechless, but he knew that what the other party said was true, and now was not the time to blame the other party.

Facing a lone level one zombie, regardless of its species, it poses almost no threat to him.

Xu Mo didn't even bother to retrieve the AK from his back; instead, he grabbed a machete and charged forward.

Just as the zombie rushed into the ten-meter range and stretched out its fan-like giant claws, bringing a fierce wind, to grab Xu Mo's head, Xu Mo shifted his feet and narrowly dodged the powerful grab. He had already swung his machete!

There was no dazzling flash of swords, no shouting or clashing.

Only a simple, sharp, lightning-fast gray line swept diagonally from bottom to top!

"Pfft!"

The blade precisely sliced ​​into the vulnerable area where the zombie's armpit and neck connected, exposed by its forward lunge! The muscles there are relatively thin, and it's close to the cervical spine and major blood vessels!

Xu Mo flicked his wrist, the blade rotated slightly, and using the force of the zombie's charge and the powerful arm strength he unleashed from his Iron Bone Realm, he pulled it out as easily as a hot knife through butter!

"Snap—Sizzle—!"

The teeth-grinding cutting sound and the sound of bones breaking rang out almost simultaneously!

The zombie's enormous, grotesque head, covered in a spray of dark red blood, detached from its neck, tumbled a few times in the air, and then crashed with a "bang" onto the open ground not far away.

Although the zombie's head was gone, its body continued to lunge forward two more steps due to inertia before crashing to the ground and remaining completely still.

From the moment the zombies charged to the moment they were beheaded and fell to the ground, the entire process took less than two or three seconds.

The gas station was deathly silent.

The survivors, including the two who had just escaped death, stared at Xu Mo in disbelief, then at the horrific zombies lying on the ground with their heads severed, and then at the gleaming, blood-free machete in Xu Mo's hand, as if they had witnessed some kind of miracle.

They had witnessed the terrifying power of these zombies; a companion had once been accidentally approached and torn to pieces with almost no chance of resistance. And this man before them had dealt with it so casually, like chopping vegetables?

What terrifying power this is!

After a brief moment of shock came a surge of admiration and a hint of indescribable fear.

This man is too strong! Stronger than they can comprehend! If he wanted to do anything to them, they wouldn't even have a chance to resist.

Xu Mo flicked his machete before sheathing it. He looked at the survivors who were still petrified and said in a calm tone, "What are you all standing there for? Go do what you're supposed to do. I won't stay here for long."

Xu Mo's words startled everyone. The short, stocky man and his companion nodded hastily, while the tall, thin man and the woman also came to their senses. They looked at Xu Mo with complex emotions, including gratitude, awe, and a hint of alienation—an instinctive alienation from an existence that was too powerful and beyond their understanding of the world.

About twenty minutes later, the sound of car engines starting could be heard in the distance. Soon, three cars drove out from the west end of the town and stopped on the other side of the gas station. Five or six more people got out of the cars, men and women, all of them pale and thin, with fearful yet hopeful eyes.

Some of them started refueling the three cars, while the rest continued to loot the nearby convenience store.

Throughout the process, although these people were filled with curiosity and awe towards Xu Mo, they all consciously kept their distance and dared not disturb him too much. Only the tall, thin man from the beginning, while his companions were busy, came over again and cautiously asked Xu Mo a few detailed questions about Jiangcheng and the situation outside, which Xu Mo answered briefly.

Finally, all three vehicles were filled with gas, and the cargo compartments were crammed with the supplies they had scavenged. The group seemed to have accomplished something remarkable, their faces showing relief and anticipation for the future.

Xu Mo also checked his vehicle and prepared to set off.

Before leaving, Xu Mo added, "About a kilometer east of the town, along the roadside, there's a lot of ordinary zombies gathered. They're eating the corpses of the level one zombies I killed earlier."

He saw someone's expression change drastically and continued, "Zombies devour their own kind, and the corpses of mutants, in particular, undergo evolution."

If you decide to leave, you'd better do it as soon as possible, and avoid that area; it's not a good place to stay.

Xu Mo's words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the ignited excitement of some people.

A brief commotion and discussion broke out among the crowd.

"Really? Eating a corpse will turn you into a monster?"

"We can't go east anymore? Does that mean we have to go around in a circle?"

"How about we wait and see? Or prepare more thoroughly?"

"But this guy said it's dangerous here—"

The woman who had initially invited Xu Mo to the shelter now looked worried. She glanced at her companion, then at Xu Mo, and whispered, "Thank you for the reminder, brother. We'll leave as soon as possible." But her tone clearly indicated that not everyone had made up their minds.

Xu Mo could clearly see that some people in the crowd had firm eyes; others had shifty eyes and hesitant, retreating expressions, as if they were weighing their options; and still others secretly glanced towards the east side of the town, their eyes seeming to hold something else.

Such is human nature; Xu Mo was no longer surprised.

"Take care," Xu Mo said one last time, then looked away from the various expressions on their faces, opened the car door, and got into the driver's seat.

The engine started, and a deep roar filled the air.

Outside the car window, the group of survivors stood beside their vehicle, watching the dark green SUV slowly drive away from the gas station and back onto the cracked highway leading southeast.

Looking in the rearview mirror, Xu Mo saw someone waving in the direction he had left, and others urgently pulling their companions, seemingly arguing about something.

He turned his gaze away and looked ahead.

The sun was setting, painting the sky a magnificent yet desolate golden-red hue, and the wind blowing in through the car windows carried the scents of dust and plants from afar.

Moritown and its survivors were quickly left behind, becoming a small, gradually blurring black dot in the rearview mirror.

His journey continues, and their fate will be determined by their own choices.

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