The number of zombies decreased upon leaving the main road and although we avoided them up to this point. I didn't have confidence we could continue to have such luck. But the moment we entered the back streets. I could sense danger.
Old Lei's voice sounded from behind.
Mu Qinglan stood beside me, rubbing the bat on her palm.
I felt the weight of my spear—holding it with a single hand strained my entire upper body.
"Keep quiet. Check the side roads and alleyways."
There won't be any mistakes.
Distant groans and the low shuffling of feet echoed in the silent city. A far cry from what we were all used to.
A small cat sat on a wall, licking itself, almost like living in two worlds. As we crossed its path, my eyes lingered on the little creature.
It jumped up with a hiss, then fled into the distance.
A low moan sounded before something started banging on the wooden gate beside where the cat slept.
Something wanted to reach us, a zombie.
Even though I steeled myself, there was still a sense of apprehension. I mean, one bite, and it was all over right now.
I gripped the cold black steel of my spear, a bitter cold filling my lungs with each breath, forming a small cloud of breath. The ache of my muscles throbbing from the weight of my spear kept me focused and alert.
A long breath, exhaling as I lowered my body two steps from the wooden door.
Mu Qinglan stood opposite me, while Shen Yifei stood to my right, her eyes filled with fear, yet she held her spear without being told.
I couldn't see Old Lei or the others from here.
"Relax, Yifei, it will be fine."
Machoism or bravado. I just wanted to help myself calm down.
The wooden door cracked, revealing two faces... not quite rotten but deformed and caked in dried blood.
'Does the infection accelerate decomposition?'
[Tutorial Hint: The effects seem random, depending on genetics and other factors!]
Another fine answer disturbed my focus as I shifted closer, narrowing my gaze and preparing to strike my breathing rapid.
With another ram, the two zombies broke half of the fence, bending the metal lock and almost fell into the alley, getting caught and flailing with their heads exposed.
I thrust the heavy spear.
The tip penetrated the old zombie, with half his jaw missing.
Qinglan's bat swung with a howl of wind.
And crushed the second zombie's face with a brutal crunch.
The two zombies flung back one with half its skull missing, the other with a gaping hole through its eye socket.
A sense of adrenaline flowed through my body, excitement and a thrill causing my heart to pound.
▼ You have killed a stage one zombie
▼ Mu Qinglan killed a stage one zombie
I met eyes with Qinglan and noticed the change in her expression. She must have felt that sudden rush. The moment my spear pierced the cloudy eyeball, a rush made my spine quiver and made me feel aggressive.
"Let's continue, they seem to be getting more active."
My voice echoed in the empty alley.
We needed to clear at least four hundred metres to get to the pawnshop and double that to get a visual on the mall.
The distance always seemed so much shorter in Novels.
A horde could easily wipe us out if one appeared.
These tight spaces with many small paths led to dead ends, perfect for the zombies to overwhelm someone. After ten minutes of slow creeping brought us near the shop, the distant growl and groaning of zombies became unsettling.
Old Lei stepped forward, almost jogging as he gazed to the left.
The opposite direction from the pawnshop was a small house with old-fashioned architecture and a rather dull style. But obviously, someone maintained it well and from the nervous look on his face.
I suddenly felt a sense of dread, and my stomach dropped... because I knew what was about to happen.
"...My wife and son are in that house."
He turned to me with a nervous smile. "You guys should continue, but I need to do this."
Old Lei's raspy voice echoed in my mind, and I just acted before I thought.
But after saying this, I felt regret. We might take one or two more zombies, but many could have broken into a household. What if his wife and son turned, and he stopped me from killing them or insisted on joining them?
"You... do you mean that?"
His eyes looked at me in shock. After speaking for two days with this man, I believed Old Lei could be trusted.
At the very least, despite wanting only women around me, it wasn't possible.
I needed skilled men to build a base and protect it.
Mu Qinglan whispered in a voice filled with judgment, but she didn't continue. I didn't have time to explain the benefits of having Old Lei, who was reliable.
"Take Shen Yifei and the others to scavenge for some items."
She looked at me with her cold blue eyes and snorted.
"I will be back here within two hours."
I noticed Shen Yifei glance at me as our groups split in two and winked at her.
She turned away from me, puffing her cheeks. It seemed Yifei also disliked the fact I would be leaving them.
My gaze scanned across Roulan's face, but she smiled back at me.
"Be careful. We will wait for you here."
"You too. Be careful."
I looked away from them. It wasn't time to think about the girls. Because going into this house would be definitely be a mistake.
Step by step, me Old Lei and separated from the group.
The Nanchang road was famous.
It had two shops that would be beneficial for our survival, but the back streets and mixed houses could only be called a nightmare.
How many families live in this small area?
How many humans or, rather...