World War Z
Several people moved all the supplies from the car onto the yacht.
After a while, the yacht slowly pulled away from the harbor.
---
Night
In one of the yacht's bedrooms, Xu Mo sat at his computer, searching for information.
There weren't many components needed to construct an auxiliary magic circle. The most important was mithril—a substance made from silver through a special secret method.
But if he wanted to create a magic circle large enough to cover an entire city, the demand was staggering: hundreds of tons of silver.
If the requirement were small, it would be manageable. But for something on this scale, the only solution would be to raid multiple silver warehouses. Unfortunately, their exact locations couldn't be found online.
He would need an expert.
At that moment, a knock came at the door. Alyssa entered, shut it behind her, and locked it.
"Honey, do you need any special services?"
"How special?" Xu Mo asked, putting away his notes and eyeing her outfit.
She had somehow found the same angel cosplay costume once worn by Lao Ma's ex-girlfriend. Twirling before him, she smirked.
"Angel's free upgrade service can help you, the Archmage, strengthen your magic wand and upgrade it directly to purple-tier equipment!"
---
The Next Morning
Xu Mo awoke to another knock. Beside him, Alyssa still slept soundly. He rose, opened the door, and found Harry outside, his eyes ringed with fatigue.
"I just caught a radio broadcast," Harry said. "It gave a location—claims it's the official fleet, calling all nearby ships to join."
"What do you think?" Xu Mo asked.
"I'm not going."
Xu Mo nodded in agreement. With the yacht's current supplies, they could last more than a month. And if he wanted, he could fill the entire ship with resources himself.
There was no need to throw their lot in with strangers. In this apocalypse, it was unclear who really controlled those fleets. Charging in recklessly could spell disaster.
Xu Mo wasn't afraid of confrontation, but he saw no reason to create unnecessary trouble. Still, he planned to investigate personally. After all, official forces would have the clearest picture of the outbreak. Perhaps there were still cities not completely consumed by the undead. If such places remained, he could use their networks to trace silver vaults. If not… he would have no choice but to comb through jewelry shops one by one.
After briefing Harry, Xu Mo returned to his cabin, opened a space door, and stepped through.
---
At Sea
Two hundred nautical miles off New York, a vast flotilla floated on the ocean. At its center loomed an aircraft carrier, flanked by cruisers and destroyers, while civilian ships and yachts clustered around them.
Inside the carrier's command room, a white man in his forties—Kevin—sat enjoying breakfast. Even in the apocalypse, life on an aircraft carrier fleet remained luxurious.
He savored a piece of medium-rare steak, eyes closed as the flavor burst across his tongue. When he opened them again, a short-haired Chinese man was standing silently in front of him.
Kevin's face changed instantly.
"Who are you? How did you get in?" He began to call for his soldiers.
"Shh."
Xu Mo pressed a finger to his lips. A black light flickered in Kevin's eyes, and his expression dulled.
Soul-Stealing Technique—a minor spell from the Dark God's Book, akin to hypnosis. Under its power, the victim answered truthfully.
Xu Mo sat calmly across from him.
"What's the current global situation?"
"Where did the virus come from? How is it spreading?"
Kevin answered mechanically. The military had no idea where the virus originated or how it spread. But since yesterday afternoon, nearly half of the world's cities—including Boston, where Xu Mo had been—had fallen.
By that morning, zombies had appeared even in the cities that had not collapsed. By noon, almost every city on earth would belong to the dead.
Xu Mo exhaled slowly, then stepped back into his space gate without hesitation.
---
New York
He emerged on a deserted street that opened onto the famous Fifth Avenue. Beforehand, Xu Mo had checked online: this avenue housed the largest silver jewelry store in New York.
The moment he appeared, screams echoed from Fifth Avenue. He advanced toward the sound.
The streets were jammed with abandoned cars. Drivers had been dragged from their vehicles, now fleeing in terror as zombies swarmed, biting and tearing.
Xu Mo turned right—the jewelry store lay only a hundred meters away.
Several zombies noticed him, roaring as they rushed forward. Xu Mo flicked his right hand.
Steel nails materialized around him, orbiting at speed. Before the zombies could close the distance, the nails pierced their skulls, dropping them in silence.
Nearby, a family of four witnessed the spectacle. Shock gave way to desperate hope. The father, his face strikingly familiar with medium-length hair, rushed forward with his wife and children.
"Please, save us!" he begged. "My daughter has asthma—I'll give you anything, just take us away!"
Xu Mo had no intention of helping, but when he looked at the man's face, he froze.
That face… nearly identical to Brad Pitt's.
A bolt of realization shot through him.
"Zombies… aircraft carriers… Pitt… a daughter with asthma…"
The pieces clicked together. A single title flashed in his mind.
World War Z.
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