"BANG—" A deafening explosion echoed through the entire street. Zombies in the distance simultaneously turned their heads, staring blankly at Bai Wen and the other two.
Both Bai Wen and Wang Ya froze. Wang Ya hadn't expected Wang Han to pull such a stunt! Wasn't this suicide?
"Run!" Wang Han suddenly shouted, grabbing Wang Ya's hand and sprinting away.
Bai Wen was just as quick. Despite carrying the heaviest load, his Serum Enhancement made him stronger than even peak-condition special forces soldiers. Within a few strides, he caught up to Wang Han and his daughter. Wang Han cursed under his breath and picked up speed.
"GROOOOOWL—" Thousands of zombies let out ravenous howls, charging madly toward the trio. Fortunately, there weren't many in their path—most must have been drawn elsewhere by something—or this would have been disastrous.
But "few" didn't mean none. As they dashed past an alleyway, five or six snarling zombies lunged out, baring their fangs and claws.
Wang Ya shook off her father's grip, drew her kukri in one fluid motion, and slashed open a zombie's throat. Her foot lashed out, kicking another zombie in the neck and sending it crashing to the ground.
Wang Han panicked, furious that his daughter wasn't fleeing but instead fighting. Wasn't the guy with the gun better suited for this? But it was too late for Wang Ya to run now. Wang Han spun around, driving his dagger into a zombie's skull, then kicked another away. Dodging a pouncing zombie, his blade cleanly severed yet another's neck. Father and daughter were clearly skilled fighters.
Yet hand-to-hand combat with zombies was the worst possible choice. Anyone with basic apocalypse knowledge knew why—zombies had terrifying survivability and regeneration. They were hard to kill, but their fangs and claws carried the Zombie Virus. Even a scratch could turn an unimmune person into one of them in no time.
Soon, the skilled duo found themselves surrounded. The zombies they'd "killed" staggered back to their feet, lunging again.
"Pew! Pew! Pew!" Gunfire erupted nearby. Bullets punched through zombie skulls, and within seconds, all seven or eight lay dead.
Gasping for breath, Wang Han and Wang Ya stared wide-eyed at Bai Wen. Wang Han blurted out, "You—why—"
Bai Wen coldly snorted. "If not for your daughter, I'd have shot you dead already. Try another stunt like this, and don't blame me for what happens next!"
Only then did Wang Han understand why Wang Ya had stopped to fight. Given their running positions, he and his daughter could've escaped—but those zombies would've blocked Bai Wen's path. Wang Ya hadn't been protecting Bai Wen; she'd been saving their own lives!
The facts proved Wang Ya right. These seven or eight Zombies were like a plate of bean sprouts before Bai Wen—he cleaned them up in no time! If not for Wang Ya's earlier actions, Bai Wen wouldn't have minded firing a few more shots. As for that so-called Secret Safe Spot, it meant little to him. If it was there, he'd find it eventually.
Seeing the killing intent radiating from Bai Wen, Wang Han couldn't help but feel a chill. This guy had genuinely intended to kill them. If not for Wang Ya's quick reaction, they'd probably be corpses by now.
Bai Wen said coldly, "Take me to the Safe Spot quietly, and don't try any more tricks!"
Wang Han nodded dejectedly, then signaled Wang Ya to run. Bai Wen, however, remained unhurried. Seeing the thousands of Zombies chasing after them, he pulled out two grenades and tossed them behind.
Two deafening explosions sent over a hundred Zombies flying. Bai Wen fired several shots in succession before turning to flee.
It was broad daylight, and the Zombies weren't fast. The three quickly left the horde far behind, but the ones ahead grew increasingly numerous. If not for Bai Wen's precise headshots, they would've been surrounded.
As the Zombies closed in, Bai Wen snapped at Wang Han, "Look at the mess you've made! If I die here today, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"
Wang Han said guiltily, "This is all my fault, but there's no turning back now. We have to push forward, or we're done for!"
Bai Wen casually tossed Wang Ya a pistol, then fired both his guns, mowing down the approaching Zombies.
Wang Ya caught the gun in surprise. After attaching a silencer, she pulled the trigger, but her aim was off, and she couldn't control the recoil—clearly, she'd never handled a gun before.
Wang Han snatched it from her in a panic and fired at the Zombies. His marksmanship was just as sharp as Bai Wen's, but he soon ran out of bullets.
"Spare mags?!" Wang Han dodged a Zombie's lunge and shouted at Bai Wen while running.
Bai Wen ignored him, emptying his current magazine before swiftly reloading. Only then did he yell back, "How much farther to the Safe Spot? If you're still hiding something, we'll all die here today!"
Wang Han stomped his foot and shouted, "It's close! Just around the corner—there's a sewer entrance. But don't worry, it's fake, and there are no rats!"
Bai Wen fired rapidly, dropping every Zombie in their path. As they neared the corner, Wang Han and Wang Ya rushed ahead, heaving open the manhole cover. "Hurry!" they cried.
Just as Bai Wen turned to sprint toward them, he spotted a swift figure darting through the horde. It moved unnaturally fast, closing in on him. Bai Wen fired three shots, but the creature dodged every one.
A shiver ran down his spine—he'd never seen a Zombie like this before.
This was no place to linger. Bai Wen pulled out another grenade and hurled it. Shockingly, the Zombie seemed to recognize the danger and leaped away.
"Boom~" A deafening explosion erupted, sending scorching shockwaves in all directions that blasted over a dozen Zombies into pieces. Meanwhile, Bai Wen and Wang Han had already jumped into the sewer, firmly locking the manhole cover behind them.
After the explosion subsided, that swift figure reappeared at the scene—a female Zombie with a slender figure, dressed in tattered red robes, her long hair flowing. Before turning into a Zombie, she must have been quite a beauty.
Unlike the stiff, lumbering movements of ordinary Zombies, she moved with remarkable agility, her speed several times faster than the average undead. What's more, she seemed to possess a rudimentary intelligence, tilting her head as she stared at the manhole cover, unmoving for a long while.