Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 160 I’ll Bury Him Properly

The woman’s gaze wavered for a brief moment before hardening again as her grip around the knife grew firmer. The boy looked up at her as if waiting for her to speak, his small fingers clutching her clothes as the silence stretched longer.

"No," she finally said, her voice low and hoarse as if it took her a lot of effort to say out loud. "We were not bitten."

The boy nodded quickly as if to confirm her words, his eyes moving between Laurel and the soldiers. "That’s true," he added.

Laurel felt the tightness in her chest ease slightly, and without realizing it, she let out a small breath she had been holding all these while, her shoulders relaxing just a little as she looked at them again, this time with less caution and more understanding.

"Then you can come with us," Laurel said, her tone gentler than before as she straightened slightly. "It’s not safe for you to stay here."

The woman hesitated, her eyes shifting toward the surrounding forest as if expecting the infected to jump out at any moment, and even though her grip on the knife had loosened slightly, she did not lower it completely.

Stefan stepped forward slightly, his voice calm. "Do you need water?" he asked.

The woman remained quiet, but the boy’s eyes flickered with hope, and after a brief hesitation, he nodded his head slowly.

Stefan reached into his bag and pulled out two bottles of water before tossing them gently toward them, making sure not to get too close, and the boy caught one awkwardly while the other landed near the woman’s feet.

For a brief second, they both stared at the bottles as if unsure whether to trust them, but then the boy quickly opened his and drank, the water spilling slightly from the corner of his mouth as he swallowed too fast.

The woman slightly lowered herself while keeping her eyes on them. She picked up the water and began drinking.

She couldn’t remember when she last had water to drink, and one as clean and fresh as this.

She wondered if this was really heaven’s way of helping them out of the clutches of death.

Chris watched them quietly before speaking. "Is his body still inside the hole?" he asked, his tone steady.

The boy paused mid-drink before nodding slowly. "Yes," he said.

Alexander’s gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the wooden cover before turning back to the boy. "How did you even find a place like that?" he asked.

The boy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before answering. "We luckily found it when we were trying to escape from the monsters," he said. "We ran into a warehouse that was strangely connected to this place, the warehouse is right at the outskirts of the city."

Laurel’s eyes widened slightly at his words, and for a brief moment her thoughts shifted, the image of supplies flashing through her mind as she considered the possibility of finding something useful there, but she quickly pushed that thought aside as her expression returned to normal.

’That can wait,’ she thought inwardly. ’The Snow Lotus comes first.’

Stefan remained quiet as he listened, his gaze drifting toward the wooden cover before he stepped forward without saying anything and moved toward it.

Before anyone could react, his figure disappeared from where he stood.

The soldiers stiffened instantly, their eyes widening slightly as they looked around, unsure of what they had just seen.

Then, just as suddenly, Stefan appeared again in front of them, and in his hands was a body wrapped tightly in a torn cloth, the shape unmistakable even without seeing the face.

The horrid smell hit them almost immediately. Several soldiers looked away uncomfortably, their expressions hardening as they tried not to react.

The woman froze when she saw the body, her eyes widening slightly as her grip on the knife loosened, her breathing catching for a brief moment.

"What are you doing?" She demanded as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I’ll bury him properly," Stefan said calmly.

The woman’s gaze softened, and for the first time since she came out, her hand lowered completely as the knife dropped slightly to her side.

"Thank you," she said, her voice quieter now, almost breaking.

She turned toward Laurel after a moment, her eyes no longer as aggressive as before. "We will follow you," she added.

Laurel nodded slightly in response.

Some of the soldiers stepped forward to help Stefan while others turned away slightly, unable to fully ignore the smell coming from the body as they tried not to wrinkle their noses.

They chose a spot not too far from where they stood, and under Stefan’s direction, they began digging, the sound of metal hitting the ground breaking the quiet as the sky slowly dimmed above them.

The woman stood nearby, holding the boy close as she watched silently, her expression unreadable as the body was lowered into the ground.

No one spoke much during the burial.

The atmosphere remained heavy, and even Tina stayed quiet, her usual curiosity replaced with something she could not quite put into words.

When they finally covered the grave, Stefan stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands, his expression calm as if he had done this many times before.

By the time they finished, they resumed walking for another hour, before the sun hid in the blanket of the night, and the temperature dropped slightly as the shadows stretched across the ground.

"We camp here for the night," Alexander said, his voice firm as he looked around.

The soldiers nodded and immediately began setting up, some of them clearing the area while others prepared simple bedding and organized their supplies, their movements quick and agile.

A few of them took their positions around the perimeter, their eyes scanning the surroundings as they stood guard.

Laurel stood still for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the freshly covered ground before she turned away.

Now that they had not moved for a way, she was afraid the infected might find them.

Walking a few distances from the watchful eyes she immediately entered her space.