The Bigshot's Superstar Wife-Chapter 182: Harsh Road

The road back to the base was anything but easy. Athena and Xavier had barely escaped the laboratory with their lives, but the world outside wasn't any kinder.

The moment they stepped out, the scent of decay hit them like a wave.

The air was thick, the sky a dull shade of gray, and the ground was littered with remnants of civilization, broken cars, torn-down buildings, and skeletal remains of those who hadn't been fortunate enough to survive the apocalypse.

Athena pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, her sharp gaze sweeping the ruins ahead.

They had managed to get this far without encountering another monstrosity, but that luck wouldn't last. Xavier walked beside her, his steps heavy but steady despite the wound on his arm.

He had wrapped it up hastily with the supplies Athena had given him, but the deep gashes from the monster's claws had weakened him more than he was willing to admit.

"We can't stay out here too long," he muttered, adjusting the rifle slung over his back. "The longer we're exposed, the more likely we run into trouble."

Athena nodded, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her blade. "We need to find a vehicle."

But the roads were filled with wreckage, making it impossible to drive straight through.

Many of the cars had been left abandoned with their doors wide open, as if people had tried to escape in a hurry.

Some had long-dried blood smeared across the windows, while others still had corpses slumped over the steering wheels.

"Most of them won't have fuel left," Xavier pointed out. "If we want a working one, we'll have to search deeper into the city."

Athena didn't like the idea, but they had no choice. Walking back to the base on foot would take days, and they didn't have that kind of time, not with the injuries they carried.

They moved quickly, staying in the shadows, weaving through alleyways to avoid the open streets. Every sound put them on edge.

The occasional rustling in the distance, the distant groan of a wandering infected, the whisper of the wind through the ruins, it was all a reminder that they were never truly safe.

Then, just as they rounded a corner, Athena stopped abruptly, holding out an arm to stop Xavier.

"What?" he whispered.

She tilted her head, listening. Then she heard it. A slow, rhythmic clicking sound. It was faint but unmistakable.

Xavier's face darkened. "That's not a normal infected."

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Athena's grip on her blade tightened. "It's a Hunter."

The Hunters were among the most dangerous types of infected, fast, intelligent, and ruthless.

Unlike regular zombies, which were driven only by hunger, Hunters retained a terrifying level of awareness. They could stalk, strategize, and worst of all, they learned assassination.

"Damn it," Xavier muttered. "We can't fight one right now, not in this condition."

Athena's mind raced. If a Hunter had caught their scent, it wouldn't stop until they were dead. They needed to either lose it or kill it before it called for more.

She exhaled slowly. "We need to set a trap."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "In the middle of the city?"

"It's the only choice." She pointed to the collapsed remains of a department store a few blocks away. "There. We can lead it into the rubble and bring the ceiling down."

Xavier hesitated, then nodded. "Let's move."

They ran, careful not to make too much noise, but the clicking sound behind them grew louder. The Hunter had picked up their scent.

Then, a shriek tore through the silence. Athena didn't dare look back.

They burst into the ruins of the department store, weaving through rusted clothing racks and overturned shelves. Athena moved quickly, knocking over anything she could to create obstacles.

Then the Hunter appeared. It was humanoid, but its limbs were unnaturally long, its fingers tipped with razor-sharp claws.

Its skin was stretched tight over its bones, its mouth filled with jagged teeth, and its eyes, milky white, yet somehow aware, locked onto them with predatory intent.

Athena didn't wait. The moment it lunged, she threw a knife straight at its face. The blade embedded itself in its cheek, but it didn't even flinch.

Xavier fired his rifle, the shots echoing through the ruins, but the Hunter was fast. It dodged, weaving between the bullets with unnatural agility before leaping straight at them.

Athena grabbed Xavier and pulled him back just as the creature's claws swiped through the air where he had been standing.

"Go!" she shouted. They sprinted toward the weakened part of the building, where the structure was already unstable.

Athena grabbed a grenade from her soul space, pulling the pin just as the Hunter lunged again. She threw it. The explosion rocked the entire building.

The ceiling cracked. The supports gave way. And then the entire structure came crashing down.

Athena and Xavier barely made it out, diving into the open street as dust and debris filled the air behind them. For a long moment, they just lay there, catching their breath.

Then Xavier let out a breathless laugh. "You're insane."

Athena smirked, pushing herself up. "And yet, we're still alive."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll give you that."

They didn't wait around to see if the Hunter had survived. They picked themselves up and continued moving, their bodies aching, exhaustion creeping in with every step.

By the time they finally found a working vehicle, a military-grade jeep hidden inside an abandoned garage, the sun was already beginning to set.

Athena hotwired the engine while Xavier kept watch. When the engine finally roared to life, she let out a relieved sigh.

"Let's go home," Xavier said, climbing into the passenger seat.

Athena nodded, gripping the wheel tightly as she drove toward the base. The journey had nearly killed them, but they had survived.

The jeep sped down the ruined road, its tires kicking up dust and debris. Athena kept her hands steady on the wheel, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon.

Xavier leaned back in his seat, exhaustion weighing on him, but he remained alert.

"We'll be there soon," Athena muttered, though she wasn't sure if she was reassuring him or herself.

Xavier glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "And then what?"

Athena didn't answer right away. She knew the dangers weren't over. They had made it through today, but tomorrow? Tomorrow was still uncertain.

"We survive," she finally said.