Chi Ying was the last to arrive at the assembly point.
Because she was the only one capable of moving effortlessly across walls and rooftops, Gu Chi had asked her to investigate from above. So, her return was delayed.
“Did you see anything suspicious?” Gu Chi asked.
“Nothing aside from a faint, strange noise,” Chi Ying replied, frowning. “It sounded like a machine, but it could’ve been wind. The sound was weak and hard to pinpoint.”
“Ah, probably just the wind,” Mu Yu said with a sigh. “It’s noisy at high altitudes anyway.”
She glanced at the detector on her wrist. “There’s no indication of a leader’s presence either. Could it be that those supernatural beings really just vanished?”
Gu Chi’s lips pressed into a line. “Let’s head back for now.”
__
The next day, their investigation resumed—still among the decaying zombie corpses.
This time, though, they weren’t completely empty-handed.
Gu Chi exited an abandoned parking lot and paused. As he surveyed the piles of corpses, something about them felt… off. He circled slowly, scanning the area, until a specific body caught his attention.
It lay prone beneath a mound of corpses, its neck unusually clean and pale.
Donning protective gear, Gu Chi walked out onto the corpse-covered road. He stopped before the body, crouched down, and carefully turned it over.
Beneath the lifeless exterior, pale skin and faint corpse spots marked the body—subtle, human… not a zombie.
This wasn’t one of the undead.
It was a human corpse.
Likely, one of the missing supernatural beings.
His expression darkened. The skin showed not the usual grey-green rot of zombies, but pale discoloration. Closer inspection revealed faint circular marks clustered around the nape, temples, and neck.
The clothing, though thinner than expected for the current temperature, bore no distinguishing features.
He grabbed his communicator. “I found something. New search priority: locate bodies with similar signs. Report any findings immediately.”
__
Elsewhere, Song Shi quietly slipped away from Lu Yunfei and returned to the alley she had marked the previous day.
Carefully skirting the corpses, she made her way across the street, enduring the foul stench and stiff corpses beneath her feet. Her disgust was clear as she glanced down at her once-clean shoes and exposed ankles.
Once across, she exhaled in relief.
Then—
Buzz. Buzz…
The sound returned.
She turned, trying to locate its source.
Left? Right?
Surrounded by empty high-rises, it was impossible to tell where it came from.
“Maybe it’s just a machine… nothing unusual,” she muttered, disappointed. She turned to leave—
Only to freeze.
Something had latched onto her ankle.
She instinctively kicked, wrenching herself free.
A shallow scratch appeared. Barely bleeding.
Looking down, she saw a twitching “corpse.” Its fingers curled as if it had just grabbed something—her.
It was a hidden undead.
She froze in place, then forced a smile.
Just a scratch. Don’t panic.
She activated her healing ability, and the small wound disappeared within seconds.
Her lips quivered. Nothing happened. I’m fine.
Then—
“Want to live?”
A hoarse voice rasped behind her, dry like sandpaper and far too close.
Song Shi froze.
She wanted to look back, but—
“Hehe… I wouldn’t turn around if I were you…”
“Who… who are you?” she whispered.
__
Night fell. The team gathered again.
“Where’s Song Shi?” Lu Yunfei looked around, frowning.
“Here!” Song Shi emerged from a nearby alley.
“Why so slow?”
“Got caught up investigating. Lost track of time,” she said casually.
Lu Yunfei shrugged. “Come on. Don’t keep everyone waiting.”
__
Elsewhere in Yuhu City…
“Professor, why did you change your mind?” a man beside a wheelchair asked.
They had planned to capture that female superhuman.
But the elderly voice replied slowly, “Did you see how she reacted when the zombie scratched her?”
“She panicked… and then covered it up immediately.”
“She’s the type who always puts herself first. People like that pose no threat to our plan. Besides, she’s under that senior commander.”
__
Back at the camp, the group shared their findings.
In addition to the corpse Gu Chi found, Mu Yu and Lu Yunfei had also located similar bodies—humans, not zombies, marked by round red spots on the skin.
“Song Shi, are you okay?” Lin Xun asked, noticing her trembling slightly.
Gu Chi also turned toward her. “You look unwell.”
“…A little,” she replied softly.
[System Prompt: Accumulated points have exceeded 2 million. Highest-level reward—anti-virus potion—unlocked. Congratulations, host.]
Chi Ying, who had been quietly listening, suddenly brightened. Joy flickered in her eyes.
Two million points!
When they returned, she could finally hand over the potion to the Research Institute. Once the formula was analyzed, even ordinary people could join the fight against zombies.
She looked toward the barren north with renewed hope.
Meanwhile, Song Shi rubbed her ankle in silence.
Author’s Note:
If Song Shi had told the truth—had admitted to the injury—Chi Ying might have been able to save her.
The final boss is about to appear, so I’ll try to keep the tone light as we head into the climax~
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1
nahh i’m glad she didn’t admit it. hate her guts so much