CHAPTER 121: THE ISLAND THAT MUST DIE

After Sian’s quiet yet decisive acceptance of young Xiao Zhu into their group, the tension coiled in the boy’s shoulders finally loosened. Freed from the constant threat of suspicion, he now sat at the far side of the fire, head lowered, his hands clasped tightly as if afraid that speaking too much might undo this fragile new trust.

Now, everyone was gathered in groups around the campfires, taking a short rest and eating a few snacks they had picked up along the road before climbing the mountain.

Although it was referred to as a "mountain," the landscape before me lacked the towering majesty typically associated with such grand formations. Instead, its gentle slopes rolled softly, almost like a giant’s back rising from the earth, with patches of wildflowers dotting the lower levels and hints of green meadows stretching up towards the ridges.

Sian sat by the fire with Lan Qisheng and Jiao Liangchen beside him. Directly across from them sat the ten-year-old boy, whose face looked much healthier.

Although Sian had explained to everyone that the boy was not a full zombie and wouldn’t attack anyone—since he still retained all of his consciousness—he had also told them the truth: the poison in the boy’s body was dangerous and active, and any contact with his skin or even a small scratch from his nails would turn someone into a zombie instantly.

Naturally, not everyone was as fearless as a certain someone, which was why the poor boy had been shunned by the group.

To be fair, it hadn’t even been fifteen minutes since the incident, so calling him "shunned" was a bit of an exaggeration—especially considering he had managed to secure a VIP seat beside the strongest members of the team.

Sian had accepted the boy, but he wasn’t foolish enough to let a ticking time bomb wander freely. He needed to monitor the child closely, ready to intervene at any moment—not only for the safety of others but for the boy’s sake as well.

The life he had saved was not one he intended to see snuffed out so soon. On top of that, Sian needed to provide the boy with a small amount of his own blood at regular intervals to keep his strength up.

For even though the boy’s will and abilities were strong, his small, frail body was no match for the virus. He needed Sian’s strength to help suppress it.

As the strongest person in his world, Sian had always tried to maintain a low profile—but his overwhelming power had always made him shine like the brightest star in the night sky.

Not only did he have the ability to heal wounds—even to the point of restoring severed limbs—but he could also suppress and control the powers of others when they spiraled out of control. And, combined with his combat skills and berserk state that allowed him to slaughter millions of monsters in the shortest possible time... there was far more to him than most people realized.

"Sian, here—eat. This chocolate’s really good. You like sweet things, don’t you?" Lan Qisheng held out a large, foil-wrapped piece of chocolate toward him.

Sian stared at the man’s outstretched hand for a few seconds, as if lost in thought. Finally, he lifted those beautiful lashes, and his glassy amber eyes settled on the man with a complicated expression.

"Lan Qisheng," he asked quietly, "aren’t you going to ask me anything? From the very start, you’ve been following my orders. Even though you asked me a few questions before, you’ve completely dropped the subject throughout the entire journey. Don’t you have any questions for me? About how I know so much? About my blood? My powers? About—"

"Sian, I trust you," Lan Qisheng said firmly, cutting him off. Then, in a calmer tone, he continued, "It’s not that I’m not curious. But this isn’t the time to interrogate you. Besides, you’re my lover, and I trust that the person I love isn’t someone bad—no matter what secrets you might be hiding. I can’t believe any of them would carry ill intent toward me or anyone else. And of course, I’m well aware of your laziness and your desire to just sleep without doing anything. A man with your mindset wouldn’t lift a finger unless there was a major crisis knocking at the door."

Lan Qisheng chuckled at his own words before placing the chocolate into Sian’s hand.

Sian looked down at the chocolate, then back at Lan Qisheng’s beloved face. At last, a small laugh escaped his lips.

Yes, this was his foolish, adorable lover—someone who trusted him and loved him beyond reason.

"In your absence," Sian said, "I contacted my men. It seems they’ve rescued many people. They followed your advice too—showed no mercy toward the infected and only took in those without bites or scratches. Everyone’s been moved to high-rise buildings where helicopters can arrive at any moment for evacuation."

Sian’s gaze shifted to the speaker. In Jiao Liangchen’s fiery blue eyes, there was no sign of hesitation.

He smiled innocently in the face of Lan Qisheng’s threatening glare, then turned back to Sian and continued his report in a straight-laced tone—as if he weren’t shamelessly playing the third wheel and interrupting a romantic moment between lovers.

"There are probably many other survivors still struggling on their own. I contacted the intelligence network—they said they’re working in partnership with the National Security forces and the military to secure the island. The island has officially been classified as a Black Code Zone—completely restricted and sealed off from all sides. All that’s left now is to transport the survivors, but—"

"But there’s a risk of the virus spreading, and the higher-ups are afraid, right?" Sian finished for him with a nod.

Then he shrugged, speaking with casual indifference. "That’s how leaders are—no matter the time, no matter the world."

"If I were them, I’d be more afraid of the other creatures—not the humans," Sian added, his tone low and strangely sharp.

"What—? What do you mean by that?" Jiao Liangchen asked, his face puzzled.

Sian sighed, answering lightly but with a heavy voice. "I mean exactly what I said. The possibility of survivors spreading the virus should be the least of their concerns. That’s a problem easily solved with proper organization and monitoring. If they move the survivors into an enclosed location and keep them there for at least twenty-four hours, that’s enough to see if anyone is infected. The virus never stays dormant—its host turns into a monster in less than a day. That way, the fear of the virus spreading during rescues could be resolved. But... has any of you considered the other creatures?"

Lan Qisheng’s eyes lit up with excitement and hope. He leapt to his feet. "Ah, that’s brilliant! Why didn’t we think of that before? We could move all the survivors to the military base, monitor them for a full day, then provide them with proper treatments and send them to the hospital for full check-ups. I’ll tell my grandfather right away—"

"Wait. Sian hasn’t finished speaking yet." The dim firelight flickered across Jiao Liangchen’s face—half of it swallowed by shadow, the other half illuminated.

"Sian... don’t tell me humans aren’t the only carriers—"

"Bingo."

"I hate to say this, but humans should be the last of your worries. This virus can infect animals too. Which means every animal on this island could be a carrier. Just imagine if a bird were infected... what would happen if it flew to another city, and then—"

"...Shit."

"Oh my god."

Lan Qisheng sank back into his seat—or rather, collapsed from shock.

It had never once crossed his mind.

"But don’t panic too much," Sian went on calmly. "It’s obvious the organization wants to control the world, not destroy it. So... if we evacuate all survivors and then burn the island, that should do the trick. The virus can’t withstand high temperatures, and even if bones remain afterward, they won’t pose a threat. Of course, it’s best to destroy the island entirely and seal it off. Luckily, it’s not very large—burning it down should only take two days at most—"

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Sian glanced up after popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth, only to notice the strange atmosphere around him.

Six wide eyes were fixed on him, their shocked expressions almost comical.