CHAPTER 1641: CHAPTER 1635: THE LAST CIGARETTE

Four-Eyed One looked at everyone, and the people behind him kept silent. No soldiers on the wall uttered a sound either, quietly awaiting his next words.

Four-Eyed One paused for a moment, then suddenly displayed a smile on his face.

"You can’t guess, can you? Fine! Then I’ll tell you!"

"It’s negativity! I saw negativity in you!"

"Let me repeat, we’re not standing here for death; we’re here for hope! The odds of success certainly seem bleak, but we can’t give up! And just now, you’ve disappointed me; this is self-destructive behavior, a refusal to face reality! Technically, I shouldn’t be saying this, but it’s not good; I’ve seen your attitude!"

"Brothers, this fight, Sanctuary City hasn’t demanded each of you die here, and I truly hope that from the start to the end, you will fight desperately for your lives, carving a bloody path! I truly hope you survive!"

"Once this battle starts, in the end, not only will you die, but those beside me will also die; no one will survive!"

"Do you think I’m giving a speech? Sorry, I’ll be honest with you; this isn’t a speech, it’s more like a farewell. I’ve finished speaking now, but I still want to say this: whether we win or lose this battle, I hope you use all your strength to survive. In this battle, the people by my side and I will give our all. I can’t guarantee what others think, but I can guarantee I’ve prepared for death. Reflecting on my life, I realize, at this moment, I’m the greatest..."

Ghost Head’s heart pounded forcefully a few times; he looked at Brother Shi beside him, who also glanced back, understanding each other’s thoughts. Ghost Head gazed complexly at the Level 8 New Human called Four-Eyed One.

So, he thinks like this too?

For some reason, he’s somewhat moved, feeling not so lonely. He just doesn’t know, apart from Four-Eyed One, how many others around have similar thoughts.

"Alright, let me say this: in this battle, not many of us will survive. If the battle ends and someone successfully stays alive, when you meet other surviving compatriots, treat each other like family. Because surviving and meeting is a huge destiny, and say goodbye in advance; take a good look at the people around, remember their faces, for this farewell might be forever."

"Everyone, give it your best."

Four-Eyed One finished his last words, put down the megaphone, and someone handed him a cigarette. He silently accepted it, squatted down, lit it, and took a deep breath.

The person who handed the cigarette to Four-Eyed One distributed one to each around, then waved to the back. A few soldiers carried a large box over, opened it, and inside were packs of cigarettes from before the Apocalypse, cleanly packaged but sparsely preserved, and they’re brand-name.

That person grabbed several packs and tossed them toward the defense wall, shouting, "There’s not much of this stuff, one per person, finish it, and get your spirits up!"

The soldiers’ gazes were drawn to the cigarettes, then they surged forward together. Brother Shi patted Ghost Head, and went together.

"Rare stuff." Ghost Head remarked, seeing the cigarette brand, as the cigarettes were picked up by the officers at the front, opened efficiently, and distributed.

The soldiers, like starving wolves who hadn’t eaten for days, upon receiving their cigarette, eagerly pulled out lighters to light up. Ghost Head and Brother Shi borrowed a lighter from someone nearby, lit up, and returned to their previous spot.

Ghost Head took a strong puff; he didn’t recall when he last smoked. If not for the familiar tobacco aroma drifting through his lungs, he’d almost think he had quit smoking.

The nicotine slowly rising to his head made Ghost Head feel a bit dizzy, but simultaneously, the tension in his heart eased under the cigarette’s stimulus. He heard Brother Shi coughing nearby; the lad seemed to be smoking for the first time, quite unaccustomed. He didn’t speak, letting the dizziness linger, took another puff in a daze.

"Savor it; this is our last cigarette in this lifetime."

Nearby soldiers conversed, and Ghost Head, hearing the content, smiled faintly, muttering in his heart: "Yes, the last one..."

Whether it was nicotine’s stimulus or not, his heart became significantly calmer, slowly puffing, and memories sequentially flashed across his mind. Suddenly, he wanted to hear music, a piece of pure music, a slow rhythm. He stood at the building’s top, gazing at the city, seeming endlessly prosperous in the night sky before the Apocalypse.

This time before the cigarette burned out was entirely his own; he cherished it immensely, longing for the moment’s time to slow down a bit more, allowing him to enjoy it longer. But ultimately, it’s a luxury. Unnoticed, the cigarette reached its end, and only when the ember scorched his fingers did Ghost Head react.

Taking one more breath, seeing the tobacco part already at the butt where he couldn’t continue another puff, Ghost Head resignedly gave up.

Throwing away the cigarette butt, he had only one thought, leaning against the wall, awaiting everything coming next. He closed his eyes, seeming asleep, while the surrounding noisy discussions seemed faint—slow and chaotic—until the rustling in his ear accelerated, his shoulder getting a pat, he slowly opened his eyes. He saw Brother Shi’s back, picking up his weapon, ran to the wall.

"What’s going on?" Ghost Head asked in confusion, but no one answered him. Quickly standing up, awakening makes the world seem silent; once external sounds reached his ears again, he only thought one thing: it’s loud, really loud!

Looking around, the soldiers somehow, like Brother Shi, gathered at the wall railing, gazing outward, seemingly discovering something. Ghost Head hesitated for a moment, swiftly reacted, picked up "Tianguang", stepped to Brother Shi’s side in two strides, and looked out.

"Look." Brother Shi pointed forward; in the distant barren land, thin dust floated mid-air, vaguely he saw silhouettes running toward the defense corpse wall. Just by their stumbling, staggering gait, it clearly showed those figures weren’t normal humans!