Dusk fell swiftly.
After a brief rest in a shop, Ling Mo urged to hit the road again.
Mu Chen appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was already in turmoil.
As he followed out of the door, his mind was a complete mess, just like the development of the situation.
But at that moment, a light and floating voice suddenly reached his ears.
âWait for the signal.â
Mu Chenâs heart tightened, and he instantly snapped back to reality.
The figure that had just brushed past him⦠was Xia Zhi.
Could it be that their actions were also set to unfold tonight?
Mu Chen was momentarily caught off guard. He quickly turned his head to look at Xu Shuhan.
âStay within five meters of me later,â Shana was saying.
Xu Shuhan nodded: âI know, itâs been like this the past few days.â
âBut sometimes you end up following Senior Sister,â Shana added.
âYes, but isnât it all the same?â Xu Shuhan said, puzzled.
Shana was taken aback, then smiled somewhat meaningfully: âTrust me, itâs safer to follow me.â
âIn that caseâ¦â Xu Shuhan tugged at the corner of her mouth.
She didnât quite believe Shanaâs words; from what she had seen in battles, Senior Sister seemed more approachableâ¦
Perhaps sensing Mu Chenâs gaze, Xu Shuhan stole a glance at Shana before turning to look at Mu Chen.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Xu Shuhan paused before nodding.
âThey really plan to move tonightâ¦â Mu Chen furrowed his brows slightly.
The night indeed provided excellent cover for escape, but the risks were also considerably high.
Were they really going all out?
But on second thought, if not tonight, they would have no chance.
Ling Mo was currently tolerating their delays because he still wanted to cooperate with the Niepan Branch in a relatively peaceful manner.
Once his patience ran out, the situation would irreversibly progress in a direction beyond their control.
By then, they would be nothing but pawns between the two forces.
And what can a pawn do?
So, it has to be tonightâ¦
Stepping through the gate, Mu Chen suddenly felt his heartbeat accelerate.
Nervousness? Excitement? Or perhaps a mix of both.
It had been a long time since heâd experienced this sensation.
It brought back memories of when the disaster first erupted, when, like most people, he neither wanted to die nor felt capable of doing anything about it.
The utter destruction of everything he had known and the blank despair when everything turned to ash were more painful than the constant death happening around him.
But with each additional second he lived, he felt that sensation.
It filled him with a sense of purpose, igniting a desire to survive.
This instinct is deeply rooted in most humans; even if they live every day like a rat in the gutter, many will still fight desperately to continue.
It was painful, yet fulfilling.
But when did survival start to become such a complicated affair?
Mu Chenâs gaze suddenly turned wistfulâ¦
Perhaps back then, it was simply about staying alive, but now it was about not living so miserably and pathetically.
Desire really is endlessâ¦
âLetâs go,â Ling Moâs voice came from ahead.
Mu Chen snapped back to reality: âOhâ¦â
Watching Ling Moâs retreating figure, he couldnât help but wonder, what was this guy struggling for, exactly?
Dongming City at night was a completely different scene compared to daytime.
During the day, Dongming City was fraught with danger, but come nightfall, it resembled a monstrous carnival.
Shadowy figures, the floating red dots in the air, growls, chewing sounds, the air filled with the scent of fresh bloodâ¦
âShh, keep it down.â
Mu Chen, who was leading, hid behind a lamppost and turned back to make a pressing down gesture with his hand.
He had barely completed the gesture when Ling Moâs voice came from the side: âWhy do I get the feeling that the zombies here are more active than in other places? I mean at night.â
âShh!!â Mu Chen was immediately alarmed.
âDonât worry, the closest one is twenty meters away in a straight line, and thereâs a wall between us,â Ling Mo said calmly. âBut if you âshhâ any louder, it might just come over to check if youâre peeing.â
âYour mental power also has a built-in range finder?â Mu Chen asked doubtfully.
âIâve trained it. What do you think I was doing in Team F?â Ling Mo nodded. âItâs not that hard. You just need to find a suitable place to practiceâ¦â
âStop, stop, stopâ¦â Mu Chen cut him off, looking annoyed, and countered, âWhere are they more active?â
âOf course, they are.â Ling Mo nodded. âThe zombies in other places become sharper and more aggressive at night, but their basic behavior patterns donât change. Here, thoughâ¦â Ling Mo pointed ahead to the fresh bloodstains in the middle of the road and the scattered bones and debris, âSee that?â
âI⦠see it.â Senior Sister stared intently at the pool of blood, nodding.
âKeep it togetherâ¦â Ling Mo coughed and pulled Senior Sister behind him before continuing, âAt night, this place turns into a banquet. High-level zombies go hunting, and the weaker ones get cleared out.â
Mu Chenâs expression darkened: âYouâre too sensitiveâ¦â
He had barely finished speaking when another muffled sound came from the distance.
Ling Mo gave Mu Chen a small smile: âYou think so?â
That sound was the same strange roar that Ling Mo had heard during the day.
But now it seemed clearer, and it was getting closerâ¦
If Mu Chen and the others paid close attention, they would notice that the three girls were all looking in the same direction.
âWe need to move fast!â Mu Chenâs complexion changed as he spoke.
âItâs too late,â Ling Mo shook his head.
Mu Chen was taken aback for a moment, then followed Ling Moâs gaze to the other end of the street.
âThump, thump, thump!â
The thudding sounds were continuous and growing closer and closer.
The ground seemed to tremble slightly, and Mu Chen looked up to see the street lamps swaying overhead.
He turned sharply to Ling Mo, then back to the pool of blood.
Was Ling Mo talking to him just to buy time?
âThe tables really have turnedâ¦â Mu Chen gritted his teeth.
His mind was focused on action and detours, but he had forgotten about Ling Moâs schemes, allowing him to gain the upper hand.
âLing Mo, I donât know why youâre so interested in zombies, but I want to tell you, weâre in trouble,â said Mu Chen quickly.
âWhen you shouldâve told me, you didnât,â Ling Mo replied calmly, but his focused gaze made it clear that he was gathering his mental power.
Mu Chen was at a loss for words and closed his mouth in frustration.
âThis is no ordinary zombieâ¦â Xu Shuhan said as she slowly backed away.
Boom!
With a muffled sound, a shadowy figure appeared at the corner on the other end of the street.
âRoar!â
The figure violently threw back its upper body, stretching its neck to let out a fierce roar.
Ling Mo swallowed hard, his mouth going dry, âWhat kind of monster is this?â
âDongmingâs dominant,â Mu Chen said darkly.
Ling Mo had never seen such a zombieâ¦
Even with the increasing number of mutated zombies, he had never encountered this kind.
It was a male zombie, bare-chested and barefoot, wearing only tattered pants.
But its limbs were more powerful and muscular than any zombie Ling Mo had ever seen, and its bulging muscles looked exceptionally solid.
Those indifferent, blood-red eyes were fixed on them, and from the slightly open thick lips, fresh blood was still dripping.
But none of these characteristics were as striking as its height.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
This was a giant zombie, about three meters tallâ¦
Boom!
Another muffled sound followed, this time from behind.
Mu Chen immediately turned around, his already dark expression turning pitch black: âThereâs another one⦠They move as a pair.â
Ling Mo also turned around, his expression turning sour.
At the other end of the street, another giant female zombie had appeared.
Just as muscular, with the same look in its eyes⦠they were surrounded.
âRoar!â
The two zombies, one in front and one behind, let out roars simultaneously.
Their eyes instantly became excited, and almost at the same time, they began to move their legs.
âInside the building!â Ling Mo shouted quickly.
As the two zombies charged towards them, Ling Mo and his group turned and rushed towards a tall building on the side of the street.