Bai Ye stepped over the shattered glass and slowly walked into the supermarket.
By the counter, a cash register had fallen to the ground, its drawer sprung open, with some coins scattered around.
The countertop was a mess, with many items strewn about. Bai Ye casually picked up a lollipop, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. It tasted fine, so it was likely not spoiled.
Moving further, Bai Ye reached the back of a row of shelves and, after a quick glance, continued forward.
The shelves held milk, yogurt, and cultured milk products. These items had very short shelf lives, so he knew without looking that most of them were probably inedible.
Bai Ye was looking for compressed biscuits and mineral water. If those weren't available, alcohol would suffice. In short, he wanted things with long shelf lives.
As Bai Ye thought this, he approached the next shelf. Before he could even examine the items, the shelf suddenly tilted and began to fall towards him.
Instinctively, Bai Ye raised his arms to brace the falling shelf, and the items on it immediately scattered across the floor.
Then...
With a clang!
Bai Ye felt something step onto the shelf, causing its weight to suddenly increase and forcing him to take half a step back.
Without hesitation, Bai Ye propped himself up with one hand on the shelf and raised his rifle with the other, pulling the trigger.
*Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*
As muzzle flashes spat from the gun, bullets swept across the shelf. Immediately after, Bai Ye saw a figure leap down from the shelf and run towards the side.
"Stop!"
Bai Ye grunted, forcefully pushing the shelf aside and firing his gun. But the figure was incredibly fast, darting between the shelves in the darkness, and with a swift movement, vanished without a trace.
Bai Ye frowned, holding his rifle in front of him, level with his shoulders, and slowly paced forward. But at this moment...
A figure emerged from behind the toppled shelf, holding a climbing rope. They circled behind Bai Ye and suddenly attacked, wrapping the rope around his throat and pulling him forcefully backward.
Caught off guard, Bai Ye was dragged to the ground. He looked up to see a man behind him, his clothes filthy, sporting a large beard, his hair disheveled, and his face covered in thumb-sized tumors.
"Native?"
Natives referred to the people who lived in the world battlefield, as opposed to those chosen from various worlds. Some of them were friendly, some harbored malice, some could help you, while others wanted to kill you. Occasionally, one could even receive tasks from natives, and completing them successfully could yield benefits.
As for the fellow in front of him...
Bai Ye naturally categorized him among those who wanted to kill him.
*Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*
The moment the man tightened the rope and began to drag him, Bai Ye unhesitatingly turned the muzzle of his gun towards him and pulled the trigger.
At such close range, aiming was almost unnecessary; hitting the target was easy.
As bullets struck, bullet holes appeared on the man's body, and blood began to flow.
However, after being hit seven or eight times, the man did not fall. Instead, he dropped the rope and turned to flee to the side.
Bai Ye drew his combat knife and severed the rope around his neck, murmuring in confusion, "Zombie?"
Only zombies were immune to bullets, but zombies couldn't possess such speed and agility. Moreover, in the brief moment their eyes met, Bai Ye had seen a look of gritted teeth on the man's face, and pain after being riddled with bullets. Zombies, on the other hand, didn't have such varied expressions; to be precise, zombies had no expressions at all, only growls or whimpers.
While Bai Ye was contemplating this, a row of shelves to the side collapsed like dominoes, crashing directly towards Bai Ye.
Without a word, Bai Ye directly lifted his foot and kicked forcefully, shoving the shelf back. Immediately after, two figures flashed out from behind the shelf.
"Ningshuang, Sword Control!"
The Ningshuang Sword, suspended beside Bai Ye, transformed into a silver light and shot forward.
*Thwack!*
The Ningshuang Sword caught up to one of the figures, piercing its body and then pinning it to the wall.
Bai Ye quickly moved forward, ejected the empty magazine, loaded a new one, and pulled the trigger again.
Bullets continuously sprayed out, hitting the opponent's back. The person's body convulsed, blood dripped, and soon, they fell silent.
The other opponent, showing no intention of rescuing them, smashed through the window and rapidly fled the supermarket, running towards the adjacent restaurant.
Bai Ye wasn't in a hurry to pursue. Instead, he first went to the person pinned to the wall by the Ningshuang Sword. Grabbing their hair, he tilted their head back and felt for breath.
Dead?
Zombies couldn't be killed without a headshot!
So, this guy wasn't immune to gunfire, but possessed terrifying physical strength, and a few shots just weren't enough to kill him?
Bai Ye revealed a look of realization, understanding the origin of his opponent.
These individuals were indeed survivors of the apocalyptic ruins, but they had mutated after being infected with the T-virus without dying.
This was a low-probability event, but it was indeed possible. The principle was the same as reinforcing the body by injecting the T-virus and then administering a vaccine.
However, what was the reason these people used the broadcast to lure people here?
Bai Ye casually withdrew the Ningshuang Sword from the person's body, then crossed the shattered floor-to-ceiling window and walked towards the restaurant on the side.
"This is Ambro Gas Station..."
As Bai Ye reached the doorway, he heard the voice again.
Entering the restaurant, he saw a wireless radio on a table to the side, playing that message on repeat.
Then, Bai Ye looked up at the restaurant, his brow furrowing.
There was a strong smell of blood in the restaurant, and on the floor around him, Bai Ye also saw fragments of bones, including a complete leg bone, which was human.
Taking a deep breath, Bai Ye slowly walked around the tables and moved forward.
But at this moment...
From behind a table propped upright, two figures suddenly darted out. Holding a cloth bag, they swung it towards Bai Ye, and a large cloud of white powder drifted towards him.
Bai Ye quickly covered his eyes and then pulled the trigger.
With his vision obscured, Bai Ye couldn't confirm the opponent's position, so he could only slowly move the muzzle, sweeping horizontally, preventing them from getting close.
However...
There was someone behind Bai Ye too!
A woman pushed aside the table she was using for cover, sprang out from behind Bai Ye, and slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. Then, like a ferocious wolf, she pounced on Bai Ye and grabbed his throat!
...