The dawn began to recede as the moon made its appearance. The sky was covered in clouds. Along the roadside were patches of grass, and on the northern path, both sides were plains where two shadows walked aimlessly.
Thuong Sinh raised his head to see the sky beginning to turn dark; he turned around.
"We will rest here."
Lam Thanh Dao nodded; she was already used to moments like this.
He went around gathering dry wood and hay left by the roadside. After a while, he finally collected enough, and a small fire was lit.
As the firelight flickered, the sky by now had turned completely dark. The two sat opposite each other, each holding a canned food item heated by the embers. When the lids were opened, the smell of hot food rose.
They ate slowly and deliberately, saying nothing to each other, only the sound of the wind through the dry grass and the crackling of the fire.
A moment later, Lam Thanh Moc set her food box aside. She took the dark red crystal from her bag. Its light reflected in her eyes, unstable, brightening and dimming as if it were breathing.
"This one... is completely different," she said softly.
Thuong Sinh looked over.
"Yeah."
"The ferocity is stronger, not like crystals from human zombies."
Lam Thanh Moc lightly squeezed the crystal in her hand. She had absorbed crystals a few times before, but this time the sensation made her uneasy.
Lam Thanh Moc fell silent for a few seconds.
She took a deep breath, sat up straight, and placed the crystal between her palms.
The ability within her body began to circulate, initially very slowly. The red crystal vibrated lightly, its light rising in small waves. But after only a few seconds.
Boom—!
A fierce wave of hot air surged directly into her body. Lam Thanh Moc let out a soft groan, her back instantly stiffening. The vines on the ground around her trembled, growing rapidly and then retracting, reacting to their owner's emotions.
"Keep your breathing rhythm," Thuong Sinh said lowly. "Don't let it pull you away."
Sweat began to bead on Lam Thanh Moc's forehead. She clearly felt something that did not belong to her clawing inside—not memories, but a predatory instinct: hungry, violent, unlike a zombie.
But a beast.
Fragmented images appeared in her mind: darkness, the smell of blood, the sensation of chasing down weaker prey; her hands shook. Vines suddenly shot out, embedding deep into the ground as if to hold her in place.
"Thanh Moc." Thuong Sinh called her name; his voice was not loud, but strangely steady.
"That is not you."
Lam Thanh Moc gritted her teeth, forcing her ability back into its familiar rhythm. Not resisting, but filtering, bit by bit. The red crystal in her hand gradually dimmed, the light inside stretched, dispersed, and then dissolved into her body. At the final moment, a surge of intense ferocity flared up like a desperate counterattack.
The fire in front of them wavered violently.
Thuong Sinh had reached her at some point, one hand placed lightly on her shoulder—not transmitting force, just placing it there as a point of support.
Lam Thanh Moc's ability finally stabilized; the crystal in her hand shattered into fine powder, vanishing with the night wind. She panted, bowing her head for a long time before she could look up.
"Almost…" she said, her voice hoarse. "I thought I couldn't pull back."
Seeing the pain that hadn't yet faded from Lam Thanh Moc's face, Thuong Sinh's heart sank slightly; he had guessed the danger.
But when he actually saw her nearly being pulled away, he realized there were things that should not be used as wagers.
"It's my fault," he said very lowly.
Lam Thanh Moc froze, turning to look at him.
"You don't—"
"I knew it was dangerous," Thuong Sinh interrupted, his voice deep and steady. "I still let you do it."
He looked at the shattered crystal, the red powder still lingering on the back of her hand. The fire before them flickered; the light reflected in her eyes had returned to normal, no longer chaotic.
"I've absorbed them before, it wasn't the first time."
"But this time was different," Thuong Sinh replied.
Lam Thanh Moc looked down at her two hands. The pale blue veins beneath her skin were still visible; the vines around her had retracted, lying still on the ground.
"I know, but if I don't absorb it, I'll be the one falling behind."
She raised her head to look at him, her gaze very direct: "I don't want to become a burden."
A simple sentence, but it made Thuong Sinh's chest tighten; he withdrew his hand. Not out of distance, but for fear that if he held on for one more second, he wouldn't have enough composure to stand in his proper place.
"You are not a burden."
"But I also don't want to see you like that again next time."
Lam Thanh Moc smiled slightly, a tired but not weak smile: "Then next time, don't leave me alone."
Thuong Sinh looked at her: "I never had that intention."
Lam Thanh Moc let herself go, falling onto the pile of grass behind her, then took a deep breath and slowly stood up.
"I'm fine now, just... need to get used to this feeling."
Thuong Sinh nodded.
"Go to sleep, I'll watch."
She looked at him for a moment, said nothing, only nodded slightly and then turned toward the fire, curling up in her coat.
When she had closed her eyes, only then did Thuong Sinh turn his face away; his gaze darkened, lingering for a long time on the spot where the crystal had turned to dust. The night wind blew across the northern plains, carrying a chill. The fire wavered slightly; the shadows of the two stretched across the old cracked road.
Thuong Sinh sat down, his back leaning against a fallen traffic marker. He no longer looked at Lam Thanh Moc, but every small movement of hers still reached his ears clearly—her steady breathing.
He closed his eyes for a long time; the sensation when he absorbed blood essence appeared vividly in his mind—not pain, but a craving. A craving to crush, a craving to use power to crush everything.
He was used to that thing, used to it to the point of knowing exactly where the boundary was.
But she was not.
"Stupid..." he muttered very quietly, unclear if he was speaking to her or himself. Thuong Sinh opened his eyes, looking up at the cloudy sky. The moonlight was obscured, revealing only patches of dim light, as if someone had deliberately covered it.
"You said you don't want to become a burden…"
He lightly tightened his hand; knowing she was asleep, he still spoke.
"...neither do I."
He wasn't afraid of death, but he feared that one day, because of him, the person beside him would have to go faster than their ability and leave.
The wind blew harder; the roadside grass rustled.
Thuong Sinh stood up, checking the surrounding area; there was no movement, no new traces of travel. Only then did he place his sword by his right hand.
He sat back down in his original spot, maintaining his familiar watch posture. The firelight illuminated half of his face; the other half was submerged in darkness.
The road ahead still had a stretch to go before arriving; from this moment on, he knew he couldn't just get used to the darkness alone anymore. He had to slow down, or teach her how to walk along.
No matter what, he would not let her step into something that even he had to be wary of.
The fire crackled softly.
The night passed in silence.
Early the next morning
The soft sunlight of dawn began to peek out; clouds drifted slowly across the gray sky. Lam Thanh Moc woke up when the light was just enough to clearly see the old cracked road in front of her.
She sat up, lightly moving her two hands. Her ability functioned more smoothly than last night, no longer feeling chaotic, just slightly tired as if she had just overexerted herself.
Thuong Sinh was still sitting there, leaning against the traffic marker, sword resting across his thighs. His posture had not changed; he was circulating the [Vile Blood Heart-Corroding Art]. Deep purple veins were clearly visible beneath his skin, then gradually settled with each steady breath.
Lam Thanh Moc watched for a moment, not speaking. She was used to this sight, but every time she saw it, she couldn't help a feeling of tightness in her throat; he always cultivated in a way that seemed like forcing himself to endure.
A while later, Thuong Sinh opened his eyes.
The deep purple on his veins had vanished; the red in his eyes had dissipated very quickly. He let out a long breath, stood up, and casually brushed the dust from his coat.
"Awake?" he asked.
"Yeah." Lam Thanh Moc nodded, then tried to mobilize her ability a little. The vines beneath her feet vibrated slightly, much softer and more stable than yesterday.
"Much better now."
Thuong Sinh glanced over, his gaze darkening slightly, but he said nothing. He turned to extinguish the fire, using the toe of his boot to cover the ashes with dirt to clean the traces.
"Eat quickly, we're moving on."
The two shared the remainder of the dry rations. Neither spoke much, but there was no longer the sense of tension from yesterday. Everything returned to the familiar rhythm of the journey.
When they finished packing, Thuong Sinh went first to lead the way. The northern road opened up very straight; both sides were empty plains, low grass, with long visibility. Old, tilted road signs with white painted arrows pointed toward names that had almost completely faded.
Lam Thanh Moc looked at one sign where the letters were still legible: "We're out of Nam An, where are we going?" she asked.
Thuong Sinh slowed his pace by half a beat.
"Further north," he replied. "There's an old coastal city line. Fewer people, fewer disputes."
"And?" she waited for him to continue.
"I want you to get used to it," he said straight out. "Not to the crystals, but to the outside world."
"And you?" she asked.
Thuong Sinh was silent for a moment: "I also need to see." "See how far I can go, and not just by myself."
The statement was very calm, but Lam Thanh Moc heard what was hidden behind it. She said no more, just stepped up to walk parallel to him, at just the right distance.
The sun gradually rose higher, its light stretching across the old cracked road. Ahead was land where no one had set foot for a long time.
The journey leaving Nam An was truly beginning now.
By noon, the scenery began to change.
The straight concrete road finally ended at a large collapse. Ahead were no longer empty plains, but a region of low hills interspersed with forest—red soil and rocks, with trees growing crookedly as if forced to grow under water-deprived conditions.
A broken sign was stuck by the road; only half the letters were still legible:
— RE-SETTLEMENT AREA NO. 3 —
Below were mottled black scorch marks.
Thuong Sinh stopped.
"We're out of Nam An's range," he said.
He didn't need a map; he just knew. The air here was completely different—no saltiness of the sea, replaced instead by the smell of damp earth mixed with ash. The wind blowing through the forest created a rustling sound, like something moving inside.
Lam Thanh Moc looked around; low concrete houses appeared scattered among the hills, windows boarded up, roofs collapsed in sections. There were no zombies wandering outside.
Too quiet.
"This place... used to be heavily populated," she said softly.
"Yeah." Thuong Sinh nodded. "And they left in a great hurry."
He stepped down the red dirt slope, his boots leaving clear marks, then froze, leaning to observe.
"Fresh footprints, not more than a day old."
Lam Thanh Moc was immediately alert: "Human or Zombie?"
"Human," Thuong Sinh replied instantly.
He didn't unwrap the sword bandage, only lowered his voice.
"This is no longer a deserted area, even though we haven't gone deep into the center."
"But it's no longer an abandoned zone."
Lam Thanh Moc understood. This was the transit zone, a place where survivors gathered, tried their luck, formed groups, hunted, or were hunted.
She took a deep breath: "Then what?"
Thuong Sinh looked toward the forest ahead, where thin smoke rose very faintly between the tree trunks.
"Then from here on, we need to be more careful," he said very slowly.
Thuong Sinh continued forward, his speed neither fast nor slow, but each footstep became noticeably lighter. He no longer left deep boot prints like before, placing his toes down first, the force dispersing very evenly.
Lam Thanh Moc saw this and adjusted accordingly.
The two walked along the edge of the forest, not entering directly. The smoke ahead was not stationary—thin and scattered—proving it wasn't a large fire, likely just a small stove with someone guarding it.
"There are at least three people, but there's a guard," Thuong Sinh said in a low voice.
"You see them?" she asked softly.
"I hear them."
He tilted his head, stopping for a moment. The wind through the canopy carried the sound of metal touching lightly—very faint—but all familiar sounds of someone holding a weapon shifting posture due to fatigue.
"Not a regular team," he continued. "But not refugees either."
Lam Thanh Moc tightened her backpack straps.
"Go around?"
Thuong Sinh shook his head.
"Around is possible, but behind might be low forest, easy to get blocked off." He stopped behind a fallen trunk, turning back to look at her. "Old rules: don't strike first. But if they force us—"
He didn't finish the sentence, but Lam Thanh Moc understood and nodded.
The two continued to advance, not completely hidden but not revealing themselves too clearly; the distance gradually shortened.
Then a male voice rang out from within the forest, not loud but enough to be heard: "Halt!"
Three figures stepped out from between the tree trunks. They didn't raise guns immediately, but their hands were all on their weapons. Their eyes flicked over Thuong Sinh, then lingered longer on Lam Thanh Moc.
"Passing through or looking for a place to stay?" the one in the middle stepped forward to ask.
Thuong Sinh was silent for a few seconds; his voice replied calmly: "Passing through."
The man laughed softly.
"Through this area, there's no such thing as a free pass."
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense very quickly.
Lam Thanh Moc felt Thuong Sinh's body adjust slightly—not to attack, but preparing to take force. He was locking the thing inside very tightly, just like last night.
She glanced at him.
Thuong Sinh didn't look at her, but his voice remained steady.
"We can pay." "But we cannot pay with people."
The wind in the forest suddenly ceased.
The man in the middle raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth curling up.
"Your tone is quite bold."
He tilted his head as a signal; the other two immediately split to either side, their weapons never leaving their hands.
Their mistake was taking one more step.
Thuong Sinh moved first—no shout, no flashy acceleration. He simply leaned, his toes pivoting lightly; his whole body seemed to slide for a short distance. The sword wasn't fully removed from the white bandages, only half-exposed.
Zip—!
A clean, extremely fast slash.
The man on the left only had time to feel his wrist go cold. His knife hit the ground before he could scream; his hand was sliced off cleanly, blood spraying as if a valve had been opened. He collapsed to the ground, a piercing scream echoing through the forest.
The man on the right was startled and pulled the trigger.
Boom—!
The bullet grazed Thuong Sinh's shoulder, tearing his shirt fabric. He didn't stop, closing the distance in one step as the sword in his hand reversed, slashing straight into the knee.
Crack!
The bone break was clearly audible.
The man collapsed to the ground, the gun flying from his hand. His mouth opened but he couldn't scream in time, only the sound of rapid gasping from the pain.
Everything took place within three seconds.
The man in the middle recoiled sharply, his face turning pale. He raised his gun, his hand visibly shaking.
"Wait—!"
Thuong Sinh was already standing in front of him, but didn't slash. He only placed the sword tip against the man's thigh.
"I told you," his voice was low and cold, "we don't pay with people."
Zip—!
A deep cut into the thigh muscle—not fatal, but enough to cause heavy bleeding and for the leg to lose power. The man shrieked, falling backward onto the ground, his hands crawling frantically.
Thuong Sinh said nothing, backed away a step, wiped his sword, re-wrapped it in cloth, and placed it at his hip.
Three men lay on the ground: one missing a hand, one with a broken leg, and the last covered in blood. No one was dead, but the way they looked at him was no longer aggressive like at the start, but pure terror.
Thuong Sinh's gaze was ice cold, as if looking at three dead men; the reason he didn't kill them was only because Lam Thanh Moc was behind him.
Only then did Thuong Sinh speak: "If you're still alive, then remember this clearly." "There are some people you shouldn't try to take with your mouth."
He turned his back, walking straight ahead toward the edge of the forest.
Lam Thanh Moc followed. As she passed him, she lowered her voice very softly: "You kept your word."
Thuong Sinh didn't reply; after walking a few more steps, he finally said: "Not out of fear, but because it was unnecessary."
The two left the forest. Behind them, moans still rang out along with the wind, enough for those left alive to remember for a long time.
After deepening their trek for about half an hour, the smell of smoke began to become distinct—not the random burning smell of collapsed houses or exploded cars, but the smell of multiple fires mixed together: wood, oil, food. Sounds also gradually appeared: talking, dry laughter, metal clashing against metal, and the sound of a child crying being quickly muffled.
Thuong Sinh stopped on a low mound, leaning over to look down.
Below was a residential area that had been crudely reconstructed. Corrugated iron houses, broken buses used as barricades, and containers arranged in an arc. The entrance had two layers of checkpoints, with guards on high ground, not hiding, clearly holding guns.
There were many survivors. Not dozens, but hundreds.
"Those three earlier were just sentries," Lam Thanh Moc whispered, her eyes a bit tense.
Thuong Sinh nodded.
"Just road sentries. Testing reactions: if they meet the weak, they rob; if they meet the strong, they let them pass."
He looked more closely; in the camp, there weren't just refugees. There were clearly armed groups, people wearing homemade armor, some with long knives at their hips, their eyes accustomed to violence. But there were also elderly people, women, and young children huddled in clusters, living off this camp.
"A nest," Lam Thanh Moc said. "But not all trash."
"Yeah," Thuong Sinh replied. "That's why it's difficult."
He didn't like places like this. Not because of the crowd, but because of a blurred boundary. Here, the one holding a gun could be a butcher or a protector. One wrong decision would drag in many people who didn't deserve to die.
Thuong Sinh said no more; he adjusted his backpack and stepped out from the shadow of the ruined wall, walking straight toward the camp entrance with Lam Thanh Moc.
Not hiding, not too flashy, just walking straight.
As soon as the two revealed themselves, a whistle rang out from above. One gun barrel shifted direction, then two, then four. No one fired, but all had locked their targets.
"Halt." The voice of a gatekeeper rang out. "What do you want coming in here?"
"Passing through, staying for a few days," Thuong Sinh replied.
A raspy laugh rang out.
"Everyone passing through says that."
Two men stepped out from the side, knives ready in their hands. Another man intentionally moved half a step closer to Lam Thanh Moc, his eyes making no effort to hide his investigative intent.
Thuong Sinh didn't turn his head, but the aura around him had changed.
The man had just placed his foot down for one more step—
Crack.
A dry snap rang out.
No one had time to see when he had drawn his sword. They only saw the man's knife-holding arm hit the ground, blood spraying in a jet. Before he could scream, Thuong Sinh had turned, the hilt of the sword slamming straight into the other man's knee.
The man collapsed; the scream finally burst out now, distorted and panicked.
"Back off," Thuong Sinh said, not loud, but clear enough.
The remaining two immediately froze. Above, people leveled their guns, but no one pulled the trigger. Because in just a few seconds, the initiative had been completely flipped.
Not killing, but enough for everyone to understand: this was not prey.
The atmosphere was as tense as a guitar string, then another voice rang out, deep and raspy, from deep within the camp.
"Enough."
A man stepped out.
Average height, old leather jacket, with a horizontal scar on his face from cheekbone to the corner of his mouth. His eyes didn't look at the broken arm, nor at the guards, but straight at Thuong Sinh.
He looked for a long time.
The scarred man smiled faintly, then raised his hand.
"Lower weapons."
Not one person objected; he turned to Thuong Sinh: "I am Khuong Liet, the captain of the guard here." Then he flicked a glance at Lam Thanh Moc, shifting away very quickly.
"You can enter, no one will touch you." "In exchange, there are laws here."
Thuong Sinh gave a nod to show he understood.
"I am not looking for trouble."
Khuong Liet smirked: "But if trouble finds you—"
"Then I will handle it," Thuong Sinh answered calmly.
Khuong Liet laughed.
"Good."
He stepped aside, letting the two enter.
"Welcome to Camp Kinh."