The surrounding was full of mist, making one's field of vision extremely limited. A tall but slender ability user had a fire in her hand that helped the whole team to ward off the darkness.
"Be careful!" A woman shrieked, dragging the slender fire ability user from an incoming ambush.
Unexpectedly, besides limiting one's range of vision, this place also restricted people's senses. They hadn't felt it when a rotting silhouette was slowly closing in on them.
With quick reflex, the fire in the ability user's hand flared and burned more ferociously. Its sparks latched on the rotting zombie. Others in the team backed away, avoiding the zombie's death throes.
A woman watched as the fire, from a small spark, instantly bathed the zombie in red before transforming it to ashes. She scrunched her nose in disgust. "This smell. It almost makes me vomit. It's been a while since we met such a low-level zombie."
The woman had grabbed the fire ability user out of reflex. The zombie wouldn't actually pose a danger, but in such an unknown environment, they were extremely vigilant.
"This place is extremely secluded," A tall and burly man in the team responded. "There are still many such places on this planet that still have low-level zombies."
The woman frowned in dissatisfaction. "We have been walking for so long, why haven't we found the way out yet? Who knows what might lurk further in this foggy place?"
"We will surely get out of this place soon, Mel. Think positively." A thin man protested with a faint tremble in his voice.
"Let's continue." The fire ability user whispered.
"Lead the way again, Lira," The woman, Mel, muttered. None objected. With faint worry in her eyes, the fire ability user, Thalira, adjusted her fire again and walked ahead of everyone.
The mission from their base this time involved retrieving an extremely important material, which possibly could help to make a breakthrough in figuring out the antidote for zombie virus.
After years since the apocalypse, it had always been an unsolvable mystery, and most researchers were obsessed with finding out the truth. If they could retrieve whatever that thing was, the base would definitely give them handsome rewards. Thus, the mission this time was extremely confidential and only top powerhouses were invited to participate.
The anxiety of possibly powerful creatures lurking in the dark slowly crept into everyone's hearts. The deeper they went, the more strange things they encountered. Mostly were zombies and mutated plants.
"Lira, are you tired? Here, drink something." Mel handed over a bottle of water to the tall and burly man in front her. Jason took the bottle from her and gave it to Thalira.
"Thank you, Mel." The girl took the water and drank half of the bottle content in one go. After walking for so long at the forefront of the team and becoming the first person to take any zombie attacks, signs of exhaustion were apparent on Thalira's face. On top of that, it had been hours since she extended her energy to illuminate the way. An ability user's energy wasn't inexhaustible.
"I will walk in front of you," Jason offered. Before Thalira could protest, he already moved.
In this team of six people, unfortunately, only Thalira was the fire ability user. They could have made some torches from the branches that they occasionally step on, but it never lasted long. The environment was humid. Even with the help of the water ability user in the team, the branch would soon become moist again, putting out the fire. So, they no longer bothered.
Thalira stretched her hand out more from her side, making sure that Jason could also see the path ahead. None spoke as they continued to embark on this unknown place.
Soon, they found that the mist was becoming less and less. Their field of vision was restored, and Thalira didn't need to use her fire anymore. With a great relief, Thalira extinguished her fire, fighting off the urge to collapse on the damp, moss filled ground.
"It's all thanks to you, Lira. We managed to get out of that misty forest," Mel immediately went to support Thalira, grabbing her arm. "You can lean on me, take some rest."
Others followed suit by thanking Thalira, giving some praises to the youngest member on this team.
With a soft smile, Thalira thanked Mel and didn't bother to be polite anymore, leaning against the older woman's shoulder. Jason, acting as the leader, gave an announcement to rest temporarily in this place.
Thalira, still sticking to Mel, whom she had regarded as one of her most important people in the apocalypse, slowly scanned her surroundings. After staying half an hour without any attacks from strange creatures, people also gradually relaxed. Anyway, those creatures hardly posed any threat to them.
The lush vegetation was a sight that she hadn't seen in several years of apocalypse. Those plants would either wither or mutate. The head researcher said that the thing was most likely located at the center of this forest.
"Mel, do you think that once the head researcher found the antidote to the zombie virus, things would go back to how they were before?" Thalira asked. She was usually very restrained in front of others; her disposition had been tempered by many things during the apocalypse where humans reveal their truest colors, but in front of Mel, who was like a sister for her, she rarely hid anything.
Mel pursed her lips and smiled, then she patted Thalira's head. "Look at our surroundings. It's like the sight before the apocalypse: green vegetation and lush trees. The dream might not be too far away."
Thalira was slowly becoming more and more drowsy, but she fought the urge to sleep. It wasn't the right time. After all, their mission hadn't finished yet. She disengaged herself from Mel, walked toward the other four people, and sat down. Mel followed from behind.
Ryan, the thin man, frowned. The bread on his hand remained intact, and he didn't look like he had an appetite. "Don't you guys feel that there might be something wrong here? Everything went so smoothly. If it's in another place, there might be some powerful creature guarding this forest, which makes others dare not get too close."
"What nonsense are you spouting, Ryan?" Mel glanced disdainfully at the man. She was already taking a seat beside Thalira. "You are usually so cowardly. Don't infect us with your negative energy. The head researcher wouldn't lie."
Thalira jolted awake when she heard the two arguing. She rubbed her eyes and opened the water bottle, using it to wash her face.
Unbeknownst to the entire team, something slithered from the mist, slowly heading toward them, soundlessly. As it passed, the nearby vegetation withered. Its speed abruptly increased, and in an instant, it reached the group.
A green vine sunk itself on the nearest target, a man with a scar that covered half his face. The man's eyes widened in terror. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Soon, his figure turned into a dried corpse, and then dust.
"Sean…" Gasps left Thalira's mouth as she tremblingly pointed in the man's direction. Everyone's attention was attracted by her and they instantly stood up.
Just as Thalira thought that they were going to fight that vine-like thing or run away, she felt someone grasping her hand. It was Mel. In an urgent tone, she yelled, "Jason now!"
Under the rest of the team's disbelieving eyes, Jason pushed the nearest member toward the green tendrils. Those people struggled, only for a moment, but it managed to slow down the green tendrils' movement.
"Mel… Jason, w-what are you two doing?!" Thalira questioned in anger and shock.
Unexpectedly, Mel sneered at her. "You better stay quiet. Don't make it harder for us."
Soon, Thalira found herself unable to move her limbs. No matter how she mustered her energy and willpower, she was like a paralyzed person who could only be dragged around by Mel as they escaped the deadly green tendrils.
"Y-you, what are you two–" Before Ryan could finish his words, Jason grabbed him and swung him behind them. Jason continued to run. The tendrils grasped Ryan's figure, slowing down for a moment as if savoring its meal.
At this moment, Thalira could no longer speak. Her eyes were full of struggle and pain. She couldn't believe that Jason and Mel had pushed their teammates to buy time for them like that.
They weren't like this before… however, when she heard Mel's next words, her blood turned cold.
"She is so damn heavy. If she isn't the last experimental subject that the head researcher wants, I would have thrown her to that thing!"
"Calm down. Luckily, those tendrils usually only need three sacrifices before it—" Jason's words abruptly cut off as green tendrils wrapped around his body.
Mel cursed and ran, but the tendrils still followed. With a grunt, Thalira could feel her body flying and then some kind of threads wrapped around her entire figure. Her brain finally processed Mel's last words. "It's a pity. Otherwise the anomaly of your wood ability…"
When did she ever tell her about her wood ability at all?
As pain and darkness slowly enveloped her, Thalira felt life flashed before her eyes. Boundless hatred nearly consumed her after she recalled those memories. She had saved and helped those people, so why?
With her limited senses, she found that it was a pity Mel managed to escape. Thalira's body was getting smaller and smaller, and then nothing but oblivion.