Quick Transmigration: I Was Cannon Fodder But Became the White Moonlight

The journey eastward is much longer than the straight-line distance.

What appears as a short section on a map actually takes an incredibly long time in reality, with severely damaged roads, complex and varied terrain, rampant mutated plants, and occasional mutated creatures.

They had to frequently detour, push the vehicle, and on some sections, Jiang Sicheng even had to use energy to forcibly clear obstacles or temporarily reinforce the road surface so that the off-road vehicle could pass smoothly.

The journey ahead became exceptionally slow and arduous.

Of course, they weren't always on the move. Along the way, they needed to find relatively safe places to rest and replenish supplies, and they also had to spend a lot of time avoiding danger and dealing with emergencies.

However, the journey was not all gloomy, despite the dangers and pressures.

The five people traveled together, spending every day together. With a common goal of survival, they gradually developed a kind of warmth and fun that was especially precious in their desperate situation.

They passed through an area of ​​mutated plants that had once been hailed as the city's green lungs but had now become eerie and dangerous.

Those plants had bizarre shapes and vibrant colors.

The air was filled with a cloyingly sweet fragrance that made one dizzy, and thick, twisted vines, like the tentacles of a living creature, silently writhed among the ruins and remaining tree trunks.

"Holy crap, what is this thing? It looks like something out of a horror movie."

Song Yi curiously approached a slowly swaying dark purple vine and gently poked it with the branch in his hand.

As if enraged, the vine suddenly sprang up and quickly wrapped around Song Yi's arm.

"Hey, hey, hey... don't come any closer."

Song Yi was startled and jumped back, but the vines, like a persistent leech, chased after him relentlessly, and in an instant split into several more strands, wrapping around his waist and legs.

Song Yi dodged and weaved in a flustered manner, yelling incoherently, "Boss, Chen Su, Brother Yunfan! Help! This damn vine has come to life!"

He tried to retaliate with lightning, his palm crackling with electricity as he struck the vines, but only left a charred patch. After a few seconds of silence, the vines twisted violently, tightening their grip and lifting him into the air.

"Song Yi!"

Chen Su exclaimed in surprise and immediately focused his senses, trying to find the main body or weakness of the vines. However, the vines were intertwined and the energy fluctuations were scattered, as if the entire area was a whole, making it difficult to pinpoint the source for a while.

He Yunfan reacted swiftly, drawing his dagger and slashing. The sharp blade struck the vines, leaving only shallow white marks, as the vines were exceptionally resilient.

Just as Song Yi was hanging in mid-air, struggling desperately, a pale golden energy blade silently swept past.

"laugh--"

The thickest main vine that was wrapped around Song Yi snapped in response.

The cut was smooth, and dark purple juice spurted out, carrying a fishy-sweet smell.

Without any support, Song Yi cried out "Ouch!" and fell solidly to the ground from a height of more than two meters, grimacing in pain.

It was Jiang Sicheng.

He glanced at Song Yi, his cold gaze sweeping over the other vines that were still stirring around him.

However, just as everyone's attention relaxed slightly, another slender vine lurking under the fallen leaves on the ground silently wrapped around Chen Su's ankle and suddenly pulled.

"what!"

Caught off guard, Chen Su felt a sudden tightness in her ankle, lost her balance, and fell forward with a cry of alarm.

"Chen Su".

Jiang Sicheng's eyes flashed, his reaction was incredibly fast.

With his left hand, fingers joined like a knife, he swung it down, unleashing another energy blade that precisely severed the slender vine.

At the same time, he pushed off with his feet and pounced like a cheetah. Before Chen Su could fall completely, he wrapped his long arm around her and caught her steadily in his arms. Using the momentum, he spun around to dissipate the force, and the two of them staggered a few steps before finally standing still.

The whole process was completed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Su was still in shock, feeling a strong arm around her waist and the familiar, cold scent emanating from him filling her nostrils, her heart pounding like a drum.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Sicheng looked down at her, his voice slightly tense.

Chen Su quickly shook her head, took a half step back from his embrace, her cheeks slightly flushed: "No, it's nothing, thank you Captain Jiang."

On the other side, Song Yi, who had just grimaced and gotten up from the ground, rubbing his sore bottom, saw this scene and immediately felt indignant, shouting:

"Boss, you're so biased! You didn't even help me up when I fell, but you caught Chen Su before she even fell! And you held her so tightly..."

He Yunfan pushed up his glasses, looked at the disheveled Song Yi, then at the slightly uncomfortable Chen Su and the expressionless Jiang Sicheng, chuckled softly, shook his head, and bent down to examine the broken vine samples on the ground.

Meng Anran also looked over, her eyes shifting between Jiang Sicheng and Chen Su. She seemed to understand something, smiled slightly, and then quickly lowered her head.

Jiang Sicheng glanced at Song Yi coolly without saying a word, but his eyes clearly conveyed his meaning.

You're tough and resilient, what's wrong with falling down?

Jiang Sicheng stood protectively beside Chen Su, constantly unleashing energy blades to clear a path.

The five quickly retreated from the eerie vine-covered area. Only after running several hundred meters did the writhing vines stop their pursuit and slowly shrink back into the shadows.

_

Afterwards, they took a short rest in a relatively dry wasteland, where they encountered a group of mutated beetles.

These beetles are the size of a fist, with a shiny black carapace, sharp mouthparts, and move swiftly in swarms, making a rustling sound that sends chills down your spine.

Song Yi volunteered, but this time he learned his lesson and didn't rush into close combat. Instead, he excitedly rubbed his hands together.

His palm shimmered with blue and white light as he controlled the lightning energy, condensing several extremely high-voltage electric arcs. After a burst of crackling lightning, a dozen charred beetles, emitting blue smoke, curled up on the ground.

The beetles' shells were cracked, emitting a smell that was a mixture of burnt and protein scorching.

"Hehe, it looks like... it's cooked?"

Song Yi leaned closer to smell it, and his eyes lit up.

He picked up a clean twig, skewered a mutated beetle that was roasted to perfection, its shell brittle, and presented it to Chen Su, who was drinking water, like a treasure:

"Chen Su, want to try some? All-natural, high-protein, lightning-grilled, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, guaranteed non-toxic and harmless, a post-apocalyptic delicacy!"

The charred, twisted insect corpse, still dripping with suspicious liquid, swayed before my eyes.

Chen Su looked at the string of dark things, her stomach churned, and she quickly waved her hand and stepped back, her expression indescribable.

"No, thank you, Song Yi, please enjoy it yourself."

Song Yi then looked at the others.

He Yunfan turned his head and pretended to be studying the map carefully.

Meng Anran glanced at it curiously, but was immediately disgusted by the sight and quickly turned her head away.

Jiang Sicheng glanced at him, and Song Yi immediately withdrew his hand sheepishly, chuckled dryly, and scratched his head: "Just kidding... I'll eat it myself, I'll eat it myself."

With a pained expression, he cautiously took a bite, then his face contorted in pain as he spat it out: "Ugh! It's bitter, astringent, and has a weird taste!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh, and even Jiang Sicheng's lips curled into a smile.

_

Nighttime is a rare time for peace and relaxation.

The five people sat around a small fire, sharing simple food and water, and talking in hushed tones.

The flickering firelight illuminated several young faces, though weathered by time.

After a day of danger and hard work, the tranquility and warmth at this moment seem especially precious.

Chen Su often chatted with Meng Anran.

The two were of similar age and both were girls, so they naturally became closer.

They would talk about their lives before the apocalypse, those ordinary days that now seem like a distant memory.

"I had just been admitted to university at that time, to medical school."

Meng Anran hugged her knees, her eyes somewhat dazed, and her voice soft, "Every day is just going to class, doing experiments, squeezing into the cafeteria with my roommates, complaining about too much homework, and discussing where to go on weekends... The biggest worry is probably not having enough living expenses at the end of the month, and having to stay up all night to study during finals week."

She smiled, a smile tinged with bitterness and longing.

Chen Su listened quietly, her eyes somewhat lost in thought, filled with undisguised envy.

She was a little younger than Meng Anran, but before the apocalypse, she had already worked on the factory assembly line for more than a year.

Her companions were the roaring factory workshops, the endless repetitive actions on the assembly line, the cramped and dirty dormitory, and a life where every penny had to be carefully calculated.

"That's wonderful..." Chen Su said softly, her tone tinged with envy and a hint of wistfulness. "If... if one day all of this could really end, if there were still a chance... I would also like to try what it's like to go to university. Even just attending one class would be enough."

Meng Anran looked at Chen Su's profile. In the firelight, that face, which still had a touch of childishness, had a composure that was beyond its years, as well as a pure yearning for knowledge and another way of life.

She reached out and gently patted Chen Su's hand: "It will happen, Chen Su, that day will definitely come. When that day comes, I'll take you to see our school. Although... it might not be there anymore, we can find other schools, go to the library..."

The two girls chatted in hushed tones, sometimes lamenting when the apocalypse would end, and sometimes yearning for an ordinary future that might never come to pass.

As we chatted, fatigue gradually crept in.

Chen Su's voice grew softer and softer, her head bobbing up and down until it finally rested against the backpack beside her. Her breathing became even and deep, and she fell asleep.

Looking at Chen Su's peaceful sleeping face, Meng Anran was about to reach out and gently pat her awake, telling her to go to her sleeping bag so she wouldn't catch a cold...

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Sicheng's tall figure had silently approached.

He raised his hand to Meng Anran, gently placing his index finger to his lips, gesturing for her to be quiet.

Then, he bent down and gently picked up the sleeping Chen Su in his arms.

His movements were steady and slow, as if he were holding some fragile treasure.

Chen Su buried her face in his chest, remaining motionless.

Jiang Sicheng looked down at the unguarded sleeping face of the person in his arms. His usually cold and hard eyebrows softened unexpectedly in the flickering firelight and shadows.

His heart seemed to soften along with the tranquil embrace.

He carried her, his steps extremely light and slow, walking step by step towards Chen Su's sleeping bag.

He carefully placed her into the sleeping bag that had been laid out, and tucked the edges of the blanket in. Jiang Sicheng stood quietly beside her for a few seconds to make sure she was alright before turning around and silently returning to his watchman's position by the fire.

Only after Jiang Sicheng's footsteps had completely faded away did Chen Su, still in her sleeping bag, slowly loosen her slightly clenched palms.

She woke up the moment Jiang Sicheng picked her up, or rather, her long-term vigilance prevented her from falling into a deep sleep.

When that familiar scent and embrace drew near, her heart skipped a beat.

I didn't open my eyes because I didn't know how to face him, I was afraid of embarrassment, afraid of meeting his all-seeing eyes...

A feeling mixed with shyness, nervousness, and indescribable emotions gripped her, making her choose to continue pretending to be asleep.

But leaning against his firm, warm chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, and feeling his deliberately slowed and gentle steps, an unprecedented sense of security enveloped her.

What unsettled her even more was that her mind-reading ability, through close contact once again, allowed her to capture his innermost thoughts:

[It's so light, even lighter than when I held it last time...]

[When she's asleep, she looks much more obedient and adorable than usual.]

If only the road were longer.

Finally, his gaze lingered on her sleeping profile for a moment, and he silently uttered:

Goodnight, Chen Su.

She quietly turned over, burying her burning cheeks in the blanket, her fingertips tracing the rough fabric, her heart still beating uncontrollably.

_

As the journey continued, a certain thought in He Yunfan's mind became clearer and clearer.

After spending several days together and observing her, He Yunfan gained a deeper understanding and speculation about the principles behind Meng Anran's healing abilities and the special factors that might exist in her blood.

Since Zhao Hongbin's crude methods were able to yield results, is it possible, with his professional medical knowledge and the blood samples containing special energy that he now possesses, to conduct more in-depth analysis under relatively sterile and controlled conditions, or even attempt to extract or simulate the special factors that might catalyze the awakening of supernatural abilities or fight against viruses?

His special ability space, although its main function is storage, is relatively stable and clean inside, isolated from external pollution, and may be able to simulate a rudimentary sterile operating environment.

This requires extremely precise energy control and experimental experimentation, but... it's worth a try.

At least, compared to passively waiting for an unknown safe zone, there is an added possibility of actively seeking hope.

"Captain Jiang," He Yunfan said to Jiang Sicheng during a break, "Based on the existing clues, the blood of special ability users may contain a catalyst that can react in a special way with viruses or mutated energy, or even guide and stabilize their effects."

He adjusted his glasses, his gaze sharp behind the lenses: "I'm thinking, if I could extract any special gene fragments or active substances that might exist in Meng Anran and Chen Su's blood, and combine them with my healing abilities, perhaps... there's a chance that, under relatively controllable conditions, I could try to simulate and induce a safer, more stable..."

"In addition, I suggest that your blood also be used as one of the samples. Your awakening process of your superpower was special, and your blood also showed effects when assisting Song Yi and me. Perhaps it can provide different data for comparison."

"This may be a long way from a so-called vaccine, but it is at least an important step toward understanding this particular situation and responding to the infection."

Jiang Sicheng listened in silence, his brows slightly furrowed.

He understood what He Yunfan meant.

But this is risky, involving the extraction and study of a companion's blood...

"How much blood do you need?" Jiang Sicheng asked directly.

"Take a small sample and observe the reaction."

He Yunfan replied, "I will strictly disinfect to ensure safety. Moreover, the experiment will be conducted in my own space, isolated from the outside world, to minimize the risk of leakage."

Jiang Sicheng nodded: "Go talk to them yourself tonight, explain the pros and cons, make it completely voluntary, not forced, and you can take my share anytime."

That evening, by the campfire, He Yunfan explained his thoughts to Chen Su and Meng Anran in the simplest and most understandable way possible.

He emphasized the exploratory nature of the experiment, its success rate, and the potential unknown risks, and also explained the special significance for everyone if any discoveries were made.

Meng Anran's face turned pale after hearing this.

Zhao Hongbin's terrifying experience of having her blood drawn left her with lingering fear.

But after looking at He Yunfan's calm and professional eyes, she finally gritted her teeth and whispered, "I...I'm willing to try. If it can help others, it can also...stop those lunatics from taking my blood...I agree, it's okay to have a little blood drawn."

Chen Su looked at He Yunfan, took a deep breath, and her eyes became firm: "Dr. He, I'm willing too. If my blood... really has something special about it, rather than letting it flow in my body forever in vain, I'd rather it have the potential... to help those who truly need it, to help them understand what's really going on."

She paused, then added, "And I trust you, Dr. He."

He Yunfan nodded solemnly to the two of them: "Thank you for your trust. I will do my best to ensure the safety of the process and that the information will never be leaked."

So, He Yunfan carefully used sterilized instruments to draw a small amount of blood from the veins in the arms of Meng Anran, Chen Su, and Jiang Sicheng.

The whole process was fast and professional.

Chen Su watched the dark red blood flow into the blood collection tube, feeling strangely calm.

She knew that this was not just a few milliliters of blood, but also their hope for the future, an attempt to actively seek light in the darkness.

Jiang Sicheng stood beside her, and after she finished drawing blood, he handed her a piece of chocolate and a bottle of water, saying in a low voice, "Just a little something extra."

He Yunfan carefully sealed the three precious blood samples, along with some previously collected data records, and stored them in his supernatural energy space, which had expanded to several cubic meters and had a relatively stable internal environment.

There, the flow of time appears extremely slow, maximizing the preservation of sample viability.

"This is just the first step. Data analysis and simulation will be very lengthy, and may even yield no results."

He Yunfan packed up the equipment and spoke frankly to everyone.

"It's alright, Dr. He, feel free to try."

Chen Su smiled and said, "Having hope is better than having none."