"Humanity right now doesn't just have to fight against the extreme cold, but always has to be ready to become food for the stronger species." Noah said.
With the current pace of evolution, it wouldn't be long before humanity's survival space was overtaken by the newly evolved species. Humans, once at the top of the food chain, would soon become weak, and soon, the only traces left of humanity on Earth would be the structures they built.
What was happening now was truly terrifying. Humanity had spent millions of years reaching the top of the food chain, and in less than a day since the meteorite fell, it seemed like humanity's history was about to end.
Noah asked in a trembling voice: "Can we escape from here?"
"I don't know." Kai calmly replied.
Noah felt a deep sense of worry. He always felt that they wouldn't make it onto the plane to leave this place. The truth was that all flights today might be delayed due to the bad weather. The weather was getting worse and worse. This wasn't just a normal snowstorm. This was an actual blizzard.
Moreover, even if they made it to Moon City, then what? If this situation didn't change, Moon City would eventually become a territory for the stronger species.
"I can't imagine what I'll turn into if I'm still standing here in a few days." Noah said, sitting down on the ground and laughing bitterly.
Kai didn't answer this question. The truth was, no one could answer it for him.
What would become of this Earth?
No one had the answer!
"Let's talk about something else, like your story. What did you and my aunt talk about? Is she okay?" Noah sighed and asked.
"She's probably okay. The audio file from earlier was something she asked me to deliver to you. She just asked me to do my best to get you back to Moon City, and didn't say much else." Kai replied.
"What division are you from? Are you a special forces soldier?" Noah was curious about Kai's true identity.
Kai didn't respond to the question.
Noah felt a bit embarrassed and frustrated with himself: "You young soldier, can't you say a few more words to others? We're living on borrowed time now, why not take the opportunity to make friends so that when we end up in hell, we'll have someone to talk to."
"I won't die. If you want, feel free to," Kai glanced at Noah and replied.
"Are you crazy? No one wants to die, but if this situation continues, I don't think I'll live as long as the fortune teller said."
At this moment, Noah wanted the words of his patient from the other day to come true. His patient had once said, "One day, you'll meet someone strong and spend your happy days together till the end of your life!" Back then, Noah had just laughed it off. He thought that meeting a strong woman would be a good thing. If he couldn't protect her, at least she could protect him.
"That's right!" Kai brought him back to reality.
"You've trained in harsh conditions, so you'll probably live a bit longer than me." Noah said, looking down sadly.
Seeing that the weather was getting worse, Kai pulled Noah into a nearby abandoned house.
Noah, dejected, looked out the window at the snowstorm, while Kai took off his backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a pistol and a combat knife. Then he called out:
"Come over here!"
"Hey, I'll help you out a lot on this trip! Give me a chance!" Noah pleaded, his back pressed against the wall.
"Stop talking nonsense, come over here!"
Thinking it through, Noah realized that Kai wasn't the type to kill someone just to get rid of a burden, so he slowly walked over and looked at the gun and knife Kai held.
Noah hesitated for a moment before taking the gun. This was the first time he had ever held a real firearm. The weight of the gun in his hands made him nervous. He fumbled, trying to find a place to hide it in his clothes.
Kai, irritated, took the pistol back: "You haven't even learned how to use it, and you're already looking for a place to hide it?"
"I practiced with a mock gun back in high school, but never used a real one."
"This is the safety. When you need it, just release it." After releasing the safety, Kai loaded the gun and then put the safety back on. "The gun's loaded, just pull the safety off when you need to use it."
"Well, if you don't mind, you can keep it. I'll just take the knife." Noah said, awkwardly.
"The knife won't be able to kill those mutated creatures! Keep the gun!"
Noah reluctantly took the pistol back and tucked it behind his back, feeling twice as strong in that moment.
"It's cold! Do you have any fire starting tools?"
Kai rummaged through his bag, found a box of matches, struck one, and used it to light some dry wood Noah had found in the dark, abandoned house.
As soon as the flame ignited, the first thing they felt wasn't warmth, but the imminent danger of being trapped.
It seemed that this house was the territory of over a hundred cockroaches. The flickering light from the fire illuminated the cockroaches crawling around the house, making the space even more terrifying.
The cockroaches, which humans had once easily killed, were no longer easy prey. Hundreds of cockroaches, nearly fifty centimeters tall, were ready to charge at them.
Kai slowly set his backpack on the ground, reaching for the holster at his side, while Noah also reached for the back of his pants, readying himself.
"I'll count to three, then we run outside!" Kai said, sweat beading on his forehead.
"One."
"Two."
But things weren't that easy. Before they could get to three, a few cockroaches seemed to go mad and charged toward them.
Noah and Kai quickly turned to run to the door, but there were already countless cockroaches blocking the way.
Kai quickly drew his knife and gun, using one hand to slice the head off one cockroach, and the other to fire at the ones advancing toward them.
"Are you okay? Why aren't you using the gun?" Kai looked over at Noah and asked.
Noah's knife skills were impressive, shaped by years of performing intricate surgeries as a doctor. He skillfully sliced through the oncoming cockroaches, each strike precise, cutting them down with deadly accuracy. But when it came to the gun, he was still hesitant.
"I'm fine, but what do we do now? There are too many of them." Noah muttered, glancing around anxiously.
"Get closer to me!" Kai urged.
Noah continued to fend off the cockroaches, inching his way toward Kai. He swallowed hard, eyes glued to the swarm of cockroaches ahead. He quickly realized the reason behind their aggression: their food source had decayed too fast, and now, he and Kai had become the perfect meal. It felt like a deadly trap they had willingly walked into.
With each step backward, the cockroaches crept forward, closing in and making the air thick with tension. Carefully, Noah unstrapped his backpack and gently placed it on the ground, every movement cautious. He opened the zipper slowly, taking a step forward as if offering the remaining supplies to the swarm. Inside, he felt the suffocating dread of the cockroaches pouncing at any moment.
Despite his focus on the swarm, Noah knew both he and Kai were exhausted. They had no strength left to react quickly. If they died here, it wouldn't just be terrifying; it would be horrific.
"Step back!" Kai whispered urgently.