Chapter 31: Storming the Zombie Stronghold

The bullets had clearly hit their mark, so why was there no blood?

"That’s not him. Where... where is he?"

Soon, everyone realized something was wrong. Lin Yu, who had been riddled with holes like a sieve, slowly dissipated into thin air. Only then did they realize that what they had hit was merely an afterimage.

"Are you all looking for me?"

A voice, as if rising from the depths of hell, echoed behind them. Without a second thought, they spun around and pulled their triggers, but it was already too late.

A massive blade of fire swept through the air, slicing every one of them in half at the waist. Blood sprayed everywhere, and entrails spilled out, turning the scene into a living hell.

"Y-y-you..."

Standing to the side, Duan Yang watched the gruesome spectacle, his speech faltering. A large splatter of blood stained his face—it had splashed onto him just moments ago when one of his men was cut down.

"Oh my, Young Master Duan, why are your legs trembling?" Lin Yu looked at him with a playful sneer.

"Aah!" Duan Yang recoiled, stumbling back several steps in terror. Having lived a life of luxury, when had he ever experienced such a scene? Even in this apocalypse, all the dirty work had been handled by his underlings. Now, staring at the carnage, his face turned deathly pale and his teeth chattered uncontrollably.

"For someone like you to have survived this long in the apocalypse is a miracle." Watching Duan Yang’s pathetic display, Lin Yu pulled a steel pipe from behind his back and swung it directly at the man’s legs.

Sensing the cold breath of death, Duan Yang, fueled by a sudden, desperate surge of adrenaline, scrambled to his feet. Turning his back to Lin Yu, he attempted to unleash his innate ability.

But Lin Yu had anticipated this. Moving with lightning speed, he thrust the steel pipe forward, and as luck would have it, it pierced straight into Duan Yang’s rear.

"Aaaaaah!" A pig-like shriek tore through the air. The ability Duan Yang had been preparing was instantly extinguished. Lin Yu had already learned about this man’s talent from the evolved survivor who had led him here. While not particularly powerful, the thought of being sprayed with that foul stench was too disgusting to contemplate, which was why he had opted for the pipe. Of course, he could have finished him off with the flame blade, but that would have been letting him off too easily.

"Duan Yang, you conspired with Su Yan to drug me, hoping to frame me for attempted rape and send me to prison. Didn't expect that, did you? Your scheme backfired, and I got to sleep with Su Yan for nothing."

Lin Yu gripped the steel pipe and brought it down with a heavy thud. A sickening "crack" echoed as the bone shattered; this single strike snapped Duan Yang’s left leg.

"Lin Yu... Brother Yu, I was wrong! Please, spare me!" Duan Yang’s eyes were filled with sheer terror, his voice rasping as he begged for mercy.

"Just because your family has money and power, you think you can ruin someone’s life on a whim?" A ferocious expression crossed Lin Yu’s face. If Duan Yang had succeeded, given his connections, Lin Yu knew for certain he would have spent at least ten years in prison. His life would have been destroyed.

As he spoke, Lin Yu swung the pipe again, shattering Duan Yang’s other leg.

"Aaaaaah!" The excruciating pain caused Duan Yang to claw at the ground, his fingernails tearing into the dirt until they bled.

"Brother Yu, spare... spare my life, I was wrong..." He gasped, drenched in sweat from the agony, continuing to plead.

"If I had gone to prison, what would have happened to my sister?" Lin Yu’s eyes were cold as ice. He manifested his flame blade once more and swung it.

"Aaaaaah!" Duan Yang’s eyes bulged, blood vessels popping in his frenzy. His limbs were cleanly severed, and blood surged from the stumps. The intense shock caused him to pass out instantly.

"It’s time to end this." Having vented his rage, Lin Yu looked down at the unconscious man and whispered, "I’ll send you on your way. Try to be a better person in your next life."

With one swift stroke, he decapitated him.

"Where’s your father, then?" Lin Yu muttered before turning to leave.

Afterward, he and Liu Shiyun, along with Ru Ke, scavenged for supplies, specifically looting two large supermarkets. Both had been occupied by zombies, but after a considerable effort, Lin Yu wiped them out, harvesting hundreds of spirit crystals. Among them was a First-Order crystal—a pleasant surprise.

"Let’s find a place to stay, rest for the night, and set off tomorrow morning." After the continuous fighting, Lin Yu felt exhausted. He used to have Chen Jing'er to help him decompress, but now... he glanced at Liu Shiyun and dismissed the thought.

"There seems to be a hotel up ahead," Liu Shiyun suggested.

"Let’s go."

The hotel entrance was closed but unlocked. The three of them stepped inside. Everywhere they looked, there were bloodstains, and a pungent, nauseating odor filled the air.

"Should we find somewhere else?" Liu Shiyun asked, clearly uncomfortable.

Lin Yu shook his head. "Anywhere else will be much the same. If I hadn't been there, the place we stayed before would have looked just like this."

"Then I’ll go find a clean room." Liu Shiyun covered her nose, took Ru Ke’s hand, and headed toward the stairs.

"Come back!" Lin Yu suddenly barked. In that instant, he had sensed a aura of danger that made his heart heavy. Given his current attributes, it wasn't impossible for creatures to pose a threat, but he shouldn't be feeling this way in a place like this. Usually, only apex-predator mutant beasts in the deep wilderness would trigger such an instinct.

*Creak.*

A door opened, followed immediately by dozens more in unison.

*Creak. Creak.*

The doors of all five rooms on the first floor swung open simultaneously. Lin Yu narrowed his eyes. He could feel powerful, distinct auras emanating from within each room. The atmosphere in the hotel turned eerily silent, yet permeated with a cold, bloodthirsty malice.

Liu Shiyun pulled Ru Ke behind her, gripping the corner of Lin Yu's shirt tightly, her hands slick with sweat.

Movement finally came from the rooms. A figure emerged from each of the five doorways.

"First-Order zombies!" Lin Yu’s gaze sharpened. The five figures were clearly First-Order zombies. They stood at their respective thresholds, eyes devoid of pupils, staring fixedly at the three of them without making a move.

"Go," Lin Yu whispered. He sensed something was terribly wrong. He had heard the sound of many doors opening—did that mean there were countless First-Order zombies on the second and third floors? Perhaps even a Second-Order?

Lin Yu moved quietly, his companions mirroring his caution, terrified of alerting the rest of the hotel's inhabitants. Just as they slowly reached the exit, a deafening roar erupted from outside.

In the blink of an eye, thousands of zombies appeared beyond the door, though no one knew where they had come from. Surprisingly, they didn't charge in; they stood in neat rows outside the hotel, as if waiting for a leader to give a speech.

Getting out now would be difficult.

Had they accidentally walked into the zombies' headquarters?