Love Code at the End of the World

“Noah City is preparing to store water. This happens whenever it rains.” Harry said when he noticed my surprise.

The depressing weather and lightning afar heralded an oncoming storm, but also the coming of precious water for Noah City. Once, I’d walked around the border of Noah City, and had not come across a single water source. Hence, Noah City’s water could only come from the sky above. Things from the sky wouldn’t come as you wish, and the raincloud wouldn’t obediently stay above your reservoir and leave only when it’s full. You had to make the most of what you could get. 

It’s been so long since I’d come to Noah City, and I had yet to experience rain. I’d always thought that Noah City relied exclusively on the reservoir that I’d seen the last time. Now that I think about it, how could that reservoir be enough for two hundred people to eat and drink from it?

“However, the water isn’t clean. It has to first undergo a very long cleansing process,” Harry pouted in dissatisfaction. “The collected water can’t even be used to wash clothes. When your spaceship is ready, let’s go and look for a clean water source!” Harry fixed his gaze on the far-off horizon. Through the lightning and thunder with roiling dark clouds that looked just like hell, he saw hope.

“Ask Qian Li. Where did the flock of flying corpses go?” Sis Ceci’s voice came from below.

Sanjit put his right hand to his ear. He seemed to be communicating with Qian Li, then he reported, “Report, Qian Li says he can’t see them anymore.”

Can’t see them anymore? What does he mean? I looked at everyone suspiciously. The most mysterious person in Noah City is Qian Li. He doesn’t seem to be inside the city itself. Sometimes, I really want to see Qian Li in person but I have duties on hand too. Not only do I have to join in for training, I have to train the others as well.

Plus, I can’t act like some kind of secret admirer and go to peek at the legendary Qian Li. I would feel stupid doing that.

But as a clairvoyant and the first one to spot the flock of flying corpses, he wouldn’t just lose track of them, right? He is Noah’s Eye! I believe he would strictly guard his post and carry out his duty. Otherwise, he would just be unreliable.’

So what does he mean by saying he can’t see? Did the flock of flying corpses leave?

However, Sis Ceci and Uncle Mason’s faces grew grave after Sanjit’s report. They exchanged a glance, then looked at the others. “Everyone, be careful. The flock of flying corpses will be here soon.”

I was dumbfounded. Sanjit said that Qian Li couldn’t see the flock of flying corpses anymore. Why did Sis Ceci and Uncle Mason say that they are arriving?!

“They’re here!” Harry spoke in a deep voice. His eyes were dilated in tension and his gaze was fixed ahead of him, sharp as a blade that pierced the air.

Joey extended his neck and looked to the north anxiously.

Perched on the city gate, I followed Harry’s gaze and looked to the north. My body stiffened at what I saw. I could clearly see a cloud of darkness charging towards us from beyond the crimson lightning on the horizon! They looked like they were racing the storm to reach us first, with the horizon as the starting line and the thunder as the starting pistol!

BANG! They charged out from the starting line after an ear-deafening bang of thunder. I could see them running at full speed between the lightning flashes. Their travel speed was astonishing; they were running ahead of the terrifying lightning!

“Everyone, be on guard!” Sis Ceci commanded, and everyone took a ready stance!

At Uncle Mason’s signal, Williams and Khai quickly stood by Sis Cannon and Xue Gie in the front line. Bill, Mosie and Moorim then formed the second line of defense. Joey, Harry and I remained above the city gate. Xiao Ying and Sia stood behind the gate, nervous as if it was the first time they were fighting against a strong enemy.

Looking at the nearing flock of flying corpses, I was still confused. Clearly they were visible to the naked eye. How could the clairvoyant Qian Li not see them?

However, this was obviously not the time to think about that because the flock of flying corpses was flying towards me!

The flying corpses pounced down at us from among the lightning, dropping down from the sky like elves in the night! 

However, they didn’t descend messily or in ones and twos; instead, they descended in teams of seven and flew down in a V formation. *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* Team by team they landed heavily on the ground and formed a triangle before us, akin to a well-trained fleet. The world instantly became quiet!

*Howl.* The flying corpses in the first row howled at us simultaneously.

They didn’t look quite like Second Sis. They were bald, and their eyes were sharper and longer than Second Sis’. Plus, they were much bigger than Second Sis; they were about three meters tall! When they stood together, the aura of oppression and threat was intense! Especially against the backdrop of the terrifying weather, they looked like demons from hell. In the crimson lightning, their white eyes reflected red.

*Howl.* They howled once again. Then, they raised their sharp claws and stabbed them onto the ground, as if in a show of strength against us. The flying corpses looked ready to charge at us and tear us into pieces at a single command.

“Let me do it!” Bill stepped forward from the second line. Everyone looked at him immediately, seemingly even more nervous than when they faced the flock of flying corpse. Uncle Mason’s expression was the most exaggerated of all; he only calmed down after Sis Ceci glared at him. 

Suddenly, Xue Gie extended her hand before Bill, blocking his way forward. Bill looked at her, and she only glanced back at him with an extremely cool and handsome gaze. She was simply mighty in her unflinching composure!

“Stand back!” Sis Cannon pushed Bill away unceremoniously. “Do you want all of us to throw up?! If all of us throw up, who is going to fight against the flying corpses?!”

Bill’s face darkened. Then, Williams pulled him back and said, “You’re too powerful. We’re more than enough to take care of this easy case.” Despite his words, Williams wore a mischievous smile.

Bill turned away gloomily. He could clearly tell that everyone was ‘afraid’ of his superpower.

As Joey, Harry and I stood on the city gate, our line of sight was further than everyone else’s. The rows of flying corpses had landed like a well-trained army and were standing in a triangle formation. I noticed that the flying corpses in the front rows looked different from those in the back.

The flying corpses on the first few rows were huge and muscular, their claws were even sharper than Second Sis’!

On the other hand, those further back looked petite but their tails were long and erect, like bows that had been stretched taut. 

The flying corpses in the last row had huge wingspans. They spread out their wings and formed a shield as though they were protecting someone.

*Howl.* Suddenly, there was a long howl from behind the shield. Then, the flying corpses in the first row immediately charged at us! They leaped high in the air and flashed their sharp claws, stabbing mercilessly towards us humans who were much smaller in size!