I was too late

The whole situation had a mysterious air about it. Nevertheless, the Black Dragon truly lived up to its status as the favored offspring of the abyss, and sometimes, beasts were more cunning than humans.

Clark looked at the Black Dragon, which had turned into a stone sculpture on his wrist, feeling a pang of bitterness. He casually snapped a zombie's neck; it was getting a little too enthusiastic about gnawing on him. Multitasking, Clark cleaned up the zombies slowly while lost in thought.

With the Black Dragon's current strength, it could easily dispatch most second-tier mutants or Awakened individuals it encountered. Did this mean he was essentially carrying a second-tier protector with him, or did it have limitless potential?

If the Black Dragon woke up before they confronted [The Stitcher], he would have a solid chance of completing the mission. A smile crept across Clark's face. He just didn't know how long it would take for the Black Dragon to wake up from its slumber, but it shouldn't be too long. Most likely, the Black Dragon had fallen asleep after digesting the power of the [Soulcrusher's Hand]...

Wait a minute! Clark subconsciously looked at the [Hand of Souls] in his hand, and his expression suddenly turned grim.

Inside the pharmacy, Arnold glanced at the package on his back and then at the bandaged girl on the floor, suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Clark had urged him to quickly join him, and after hearing his description, Clark had only uttered an expletive and hadn't said much else. So, it seemed like Clark hadn't explicitly forbidden him from saving the "girl," right?

If there was a problem, Clark would have said more than just cursing at him! Self-assured, Arnold still felt compelled to save the bandaged girl.

After all, looking at her age, she was similar to his own sister, and he couldn't bring himself to abandon her. Arnold wasn't foolish; he carefully considered the situation. If the bandaged girl was indeed a mutant, there wasn't much point in pretending to be unconscious.

After all, she didn't know why he had come here. If she were truly a mutant, she would have killed him already. Arnold, who couldn't transform into a bear in a short time, had abilities equivalent to the limits of an ordinary person. At most, he could withstand a few extra blows.

After thinking it through, Arnold no longer hesitated. He quickly picked up the scattered bandages and tied them into a knot, securing one end to the bandaged girl and the other to the package of medicines. He then hoisted the bundle onto his shoulder like carrying a pole.

With only his right hand holding the spine of the serpent and his broken left arm guarding the "pole" to keep it steady, Arnold looked like a scavenger from a distance. Carrying both the girl and the supplies, he felt no significant weight with his current strength.

Arnold moved swiftly, carrying the bundle on his shoulder and holding the vial of medicine in his mouth as he headed straight for the hospital building.

The pharmacy wasn't far from the hospital building. Arnold wasn't sure if the commotion he and Clark had caused earlier in the emergency building had something to do with it, but as he passed the hospital, the zombies inside didn't come out. They remained on the second floor.

Arnold, with his bone whip in hand, occasionally cracked it to deal with any stray zombies blocking his path. As an Awakened, his speed was significantly faster than an average person's.

With all his might, in just a minute, he rushed to the front of the hospital building where Clark was. However, the sight before him left him in despair.

Had he arrived too late? In his frantic state, he immediately bit and crushed the medicine vial, swallowing the contents along with the shards of glass.

"Clark! I'm here!" Arnold's eyes were filled with tears as he shouted.

In his eyes, not far from where he stood, Clark was surrounded by zombies. He appeared heavily injured, covered in blood, and seemingly powerless to fight back. Zombies would occasionally pounce on him, and Clark remained motionless, allowing them to gnaw at him.

"Clark! How are you?" Arnold's voice trembled with emotion.

After swallowing the medicine, Arnold, facing a small group of zombies, still had the strength to put up a fight. He threw down the package and the girl behind him, then dashed towards Clark's direction. The zombies were gnawing on Clark, but he remained motionless.

Clark might not have died, but there was a high probability that he had already been infected. Arnold felt deep remorse and wished he could give himself a couple of slaps. Clark had saved his life, and he had hesitated to save a stranger, which delayed his support for Clark.

He cursed himself for his hesitation and recklessly charged into the midst of the zombies. He didn't care about the risk of infection; he just had to retrieve Clark's body, at the very least.

In the center of the zombie horde, Clark's eyes were tightly closed as he slumped backward. His chest cavity was sunken, indicating severe injuries, and fresh blood occasionally dripped from his mouth.

"Ah! Die, you bastards!" Arnold shouted in anger, disregarding all consequences as he activated his bear transformation. He had just recovered a bit of his spiritual power, which was instantly depleted, and he felt his head explode.

"Roar!" A massive paw slammed into the horde of zombies, crushing them to pulp within seconds.

"Clark!" With his voice tinged with sorrow and regret, Arnold's giant bear paw scooped up Clark, attempting to catch his "corpse."

"I'm sorry! I was too late!" The chilling wind whistled, and it was now late afternoon, with a gloomy and desolate sky.

Clark slowly regained consciousness. However, when he saw the glove on his right hand again, he couldn't help but express his frustration.

"Damn it!"

Arnold's sobbing stopped abruptly, and his face turned embarrassed.

"Clark, you're not dead..." Arnold said hesitantly.

Clark glanced at Arnold with a helpless expression and didn't feel like speaking. However, he felt a hint of warmth in his heart when he saw Arnold's desperate attempt to save him. Despite having known each other for less than two days, even with the debt of saving his life, Arnold's actions were still commendable.

Additionally, the system had just sent a notification.

"Ding, member Arnold, loyalty has increased to 90. (He is unlikely to betray you, no matter the circumstances.)"

By a twist of fate, Arnold's loyalty to him had risen significantly. It seemed that the Arnold he had saved on a whim might become a true companion in the future.