187 Slow

Two years into the apocalypse

March of the Year 2XXX

"Faster. Go faster!"

It was as early as six in the morning and Lilian Mo's complexion did not look good. Her face was red, she was nearly out of breath and she couldn't feel her legs.

The pair of eyes intensely staring at her did not help and continued to put pressure on her.

"Faster." The same command was repeated.

Lilian Mo closed her eyes and forced herself to increase her speed.

"Run...faster." Lu Jingren told her for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning. He pressed the controls on the machine and increased the pace.

Lilian Mo who was running on the treadmill was nearly out of breath. This sudden workout in the morning was something she had gotten used to.

After ten more minutes of running, Lilian Mo really couldn't take it anymore. Her body fell forward but before she could smack her face on the controls, a hand had grabbed her waist and pulled her to the side.

Her head fell on someone's shoulder and she looked up to see Lu Jingren's brooding face. He did not look happy.

He looked very unsatisfied if she was being honest. His other hand had reached towards the control to stop the treadmill.

"Jingren..." Lilian Mo called out.

"I'm tired... Let's-"

"Slow." His words caught her off guard.

"You are too slow." He continued.

"Because you can't fight, you should atleast be good at running. I won't always be here for you." Lilian Mo felt his hold around her waist tightening.

Lu Jingren looked at her gloomily.

"But you can't even do something so simple. The moment you get out, those things would eat you alive, all bones and meat." He whispered to her in a sinister tone.

Lilian Mo didn't say anything anymore.

He let her go and left with an unreadable expression on his face.

Once she was alone, Lilian Mo collapsed on the floor and hugged her knees to her chest.

The spartan training began last week after Lu Jingren saw her talking to his friends.

Was it jealousy? Perhaps.

Or it was beyond that since Lu Jingren got even stricter compared to before.

"But you can't even do something so simple. The moment you get out, those things would eat you alive, all bones and meat."

His words echoed in her ears repeatedly.

Lilian Mo hugged herself further and firmly shut her eyes closed.

After a minute or so, she opened her eyes, got up and stood straight as though nothing had happened.

For the second time that morning, she got on the treadmill.

When the timer began, her usually slow pace was nowhere to be seen and her legs ran as if she was running in a competition.

....

....

Present Time: Four months into the Apocalypse

October of the Year 2XXX

"Faster!" Lilian Mo shouted while keeping watch of the back.

"It's as fast as it can get."

"Do you want us to end up as bird feed?" Lilian Mo criticized as she blasted another fireball in the air.

This route was faster, he said.

This would be easy, he said.

Lilian Mo should have really known better than to trust this guy's words.

Now, they were taking the short route, only to end up directly at a pack of Scavengers.

Although Lilian Mo had fought one in her previous life, it had never been easy because of their huge size and thick feathers that were harder than steel, serving as another layer of protection.

Most of all, these guys never travel alone.

Thus, they were put in such a predicament.

The caws and noises made by these huge giant birds of prey echoed around the surroundings which deterred the other weak mutants from approaching.

Lilian Mo counted six of them and saw that one of them was significantly bigger than the others which means it must be the leader of the group.

"We are getting closer to the river. If we continue forward, we'll be able to.."

"Just drive!"

Lilian Mo got out of the Marauder through the window and climbed to the roof, her hands holding on to the side firmly.

Doing this while driving at breakneck speed was extremely dangerous.

"I will blind them." Lu Jingren raised his hands. A dozen of water droplets gathered in the air, sucking in the moisture from the environment.

In the blink of an eye, they all hardened and elongated, turning into thin ice needles.

They flew in the air, aimed at the Scavengers, towards their beady red eyes.

Clang!

The ice needles shattered. The Scavengers had shielded themselves using their wings, and the shards fell like broken crystals, glistening under the light.

Lilian Mo narrowed her eyes, fire spreading into her arm, then she blasted a fireball towards them.

The attack barely did any damaged except cause some smoke.

The Scavengers became agitated, getting more aggressive. Their red feathers shook and Lilian Mo who saw this, instantly knew what was coming.

Lilian Mo quickly maneuvered back inside.

"Cover the roof with layers of ice!

Now...!"

Along with her words, Lu Jingren reached his hand to the window. Ice quickly built up, covering the roof and even creeping on the side of the Marauder, the cool, misty air coming from its freezing temperature rising.

Even the inside where they sat was a little frozen.

Lilian Mo looked at Lu Jingren with exasperation.

"I am still not used to my ice ability. I still can't control it well. Furthemore, I am drivi--"

"I understand."

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