"Ding ding ding..."
The sound of shell casings hitting the ground echoed continuously.
Mu Qingtian and the others’ gun barrels were red-hot from relentless firing, their spare magazines depleted.
They were in the process of reloading, while Zhu Mingjun was already locked in close combat with the charging regular zombies.
With a new iron spear in hand, Zhu Mingjun unleashed his full strength.
These fungal monster variants were not like the special mutant, impervious to blades and bullets. Even the mushrooms on their bodies were soft. Facing Zhu Mingjun, they were practically one-shot kills.
Simpler than stringing candied hawthorns.
*Pfft*
On the other side, the battle also saw a breakthrough. The mutant zombie’s bone armor had mostly fallen off after being repeatedly targeted by high-explosive and incendiary rounds. Lin Yuan, seizing the opportunity with full firepower, swung his axe at its neck again.
The first strike cut halfway through. Lin Yuan, deeming it insufficient, swung again, directly decapitating the Terry mutant, which was as resilient as a cockroach.
"Captain!!! We're clear!!!" Jiang Ziqi practically sprinted over.
"Get in the car, quick, quick!"
Lin Yuan kicked a nearby rolling zombie head away.
Mu Qingtian and the others were already in the vehicle.
But as soon as Jiang Ziqi saw Lin Yuan, the relief of surviving the ordeal vanished. She took off her motorcycle helmet and looked again. The clearer she saw, the more helpless she felt.
Pointing at Lin Yuan’s chest, her hand covering her mouth, she trembled uncontrollably.
Gathering immense courage, she managed to say, "Brother Lin Yuan, your chest is bleeding."
Lin Yuan was still in his invincible state and hadn’t felt any pain.
He only realized what was happening when Jiang Ziqi spoke. He looked down at his chest; his bulletproof vest had three gashes, and blood was dripping from them.
The zombies in close proximity had gone mad. Mu Qingtian had used all her grenades to barely hold them back.
How did she hold them back? Naturally, with a pile of zombie corpses blocking the path.
Looking at Jiang Ziqi’s tear-streaked face and his teammates who were getting into the car without noticing his injury, Lin Yuan suddenly felt his tension ease.
"Captain, Captain, hurry up and get in the car, what are you waiting for!!"
Wang Zhihai was frantic. Just as he was about to get out to see what Lin Yuan was doing, he suddenly noticed the wound on Lin Yuan's chest and the relieved smile on his face.
His heart nearly stopped.
"Captain!"
"Alright, let’s move out. Stick to the planned route. The pile of bodies behind us won’t hold them for long."
Lin Yuan sat down on the spot.
He was bleeding, and the wound was definitely infected. Within half an hour, he would turn into a mindless zombie that only ate.
The thought made him chuckle.
Indeed, how could such a powerful zombie not injure me?
But I still don't feel any pain.
The wound isn't that deep either.
It’s lucky I wasn’t cut into three pieces.
"Lin Yuan, how long are you going to sit there? Are you trying to get us all killed? Get up and leave with us!" Wu Tian’s roar interrupted Lin Yuan’s thoughts.
Lin Yuan looked up. He saw Wu Tian, his usually gentle, kind, and sometimes goofy girlfriend, who had also removed her helmet, her face covered in tears.
"I told you all to go. If I come with you in this state, don't you know the consequences? If I turn into a zombie, who among you can stop me?"
Mu Qingtian stepped forward, holding her gun, and said, "Captain, it's okay. If you turn into a zombie, I'll put a bullet through you."
Lin Yuan: "..."
(눈_눈), such loyal teammates!
"No, I can't risk the entire team. You all go first, head to my dad's place. If I don't turn into a zombie, I'll come find you!"
"Captain!"
"This is an order. Wang Zhihai, remember this. You are now the team captain. Get them to my hometown safely. If that's not possible, find a place for them to hide."
They were less than a hundred kilometers from Lin Yuan's hometown. There were only two towns with significant populations nearby. Although their geographical advantage wasn't as good as Lin Yuan's hometown, they could manage to survive.
He just worried about the zombies acting in hordes in the future.
Wang Zhihai no longer insisted and saluted firmly.
"Yes!!!"
"Especially you, Wu Tian, get back in the car immediately. Who will drive if you don't? Besides, Meng Yao is still in the team. You need to take care of her!"
At this moment, the pile of bodies behind them was shaking violently. The zombies, one after another, were piling up like a human tower and were about to breach the barrier.
"Everyone get in the car!! Continue forward!!" Lin Yuan issued his final command, without any more sentimental words. He grabbed a pocketful of pistol bullets, picked up his axe and a gas mask, and ran towards the narrow path that only motorcycles could use, luring the zombies away.
Wu Tian didn't even have time to speak. Only after Lin Yuan had completely disappeared was she pulled into the car by the other team members.
The car had never turned off its engine. With a full tank, it sped away.
They had to fulfill Lin Yuan's last wishes, and the rest, they would leave to miracles.
"Ziqi, what are you doing??"
The car had only traveled a few steps, at full speed, when a new situation arose.
Zhao Anjing reached out to grab Jiang Ziqi, who had jumped out of the car, but she was a step too late, only managing to catch the words she left in the wind.
"I owe the captain a life. I'll bring him back!"
Zhao Anjing grasped at the air, but catching nothing, she slumped to the ground, unable to speak.
The convoy was temporarily safe, but Lin Yuan was quickly being caught up by zombies again. The most terrifying thing was that the special mutant whose neck he had just severed had stood up again, a new face growing from its chest.
It was the face of the mutant he had killed first in the industrial park plaza.
Lin Yuan was speechless.
Big brother, are you that vengeful?
Don't worry, after I turn into a zombie, I'll be the first one to rip your brains out and eat them, becoming the Zombie King, hahahahaha.
Lin Yuan’s gallows humor didn’t last long before he spotted a familiar figure.
"Jiang Ziqi?!!"
What was she doing here? Was she going to die?
At this moment, Jiang Ziqi was dispatching zombies one by one with her tentacles, prying open their skulls and thrusting her tentacles inside for a gurgling feast.
The sight made Lin Yuan's scalp tingle. But he didn't have time to think, because if he was distracted any further, his scalp wouldn't just be tingling.
However, just as he was preparing to counterattack, a strong wave of fatigue suddenly surged into his brain.
"Why am I suddenly so sleepy? Am I about to mutate?"
Lin Yuan shook his head, trying to clear his head, but was punched flying by a zombie. Fortunately, he instinctively raised an arm, preventing his head from being smashed.
After this blow, Lin Yuan's body began to lose control, like he'd drunk two catties of bad liquor. Swaying unsteadily, he saw Jiang Ziqi rush forward and shield him in his daze, before he could no longer resist the sleepiness and collapsed to the ground.
Unconscious.