Lu Dongnuan really hated it when people kept popping up one after another.
‘Was this group from South High this time?x
She didn’t care anymore whether they were or not.
She slipped behind Lin Mo without leaving a trace, and began summoning all the Zombies she could call.
There were eight people on the other side, two in each of the four directions, clearly an ambush set up in advance.
They grinned menacingly.
When they saw Lu Dongnuan, their eyes nearly popped out.
“Hey, that kid.” The one in the lead looked extremely streetwise, a large bag slung on his back and a snake tattoo winding around his neck.
“Oh ho, not bad, pretty sturdy. But in this day and age, you can’t blame us for what we do, hahahaha.”
Their laughter wasn’t loud, but it was wildly arrogant.
Lin Mo glanced at his handgun and shrugged.
The other side wasted no words, reaching out immediately to grab Lu Dongnuan’s shoulder.
Seeing this, Lu Dongnuan squatted down at once, and Lin Mo’s fist swept over her head.
That guy was knocked out cold, his flying tooth striking the lamppost with a crisp sound.
Hei Laoda’s eyes widened, and he instantly stopped his furious men.
Seeing this, the others obediently backed off.
“Liu Zi, go and take Lao Wen away.”
As soon as the words fell, someone rushed over, dragging the unconscious man into a nearby shop.
Hei Laoda leisurely twisted his neck, his joints cracking sharply.
He fixed his gaze on Lin Mo, a fierce grin spreading across his lips, “Trained fighter, are you?”
Lin Mo said nothing, just subtly adjusted his stance, sinking his weight, his calm gaze sweeping over the remaining people before settling on Hei Laoda again.
The pressure in the air felt as taut as a drawn bowstring.
“What a pity,” Hei Laoda licked his lips, his eyes turning even more serious, “In these times, being able to fight is a skill, but it’s also a death sentence. Brothers, be ready!”
Even before he finished speaking, he shot forward!
His speed was far beyond that of the man before.
Except—he ran the other way.
The henchmen left behind stared in shock as their boss bolted.
After a while, they finally snapped out of it and chased after him, “Laoda, why are you running?!”
“Come on, forget that the kid looked tough. Didn’t you notice that girl was glowing all cool-like?”
Hei Laoda explained as he ran, his speed actually picking up again.
“Huh? What glow?” The henchmen whipped their heads around, and with just a glance, felt the blood in their veins freeze solid.
That so-called “cool glow” was way too modest a description.
The girl they’d treated as prey was now wreathed in a faint but unmistakably crimson aura but more terrifying was what she’d summoned.
It wasn’t just a handful, nor a small crowd—it was a true “tide” that swallowed the entire street.
Every alleyway, every side road, even the shattered windows of buildings on either side, Zombies poured out in endless waves.
They howled, their dragging footsteps merging into a dreadful, muffled roar.
The stench of rot thickened the air to the point of nausea.
In a blink, the once-empty street was packed with Zombies, front, back, left, right—their escape routes visibly shrinking by the second.
“Holy shit!!” Huang Mao Xiaodi let out a shrill, broken scream, his legs buckling almost to the ground.
“Monsters! Monsters!” Another finally came to his senses, his voice twisted by sheer terror.
Hei Laoda had already sprinted a dozen meters away without looking back.
Watching their retreating figures, Lu Dongnuan was a little stunned.
“What incredible instincts.”
Lin Mo crouched down, gathering up the Medicine that Lu Dongnuan had dropped.
Far away, Hei Laoda couldn’t hear his underlings’ cries of despair behind him.
In his world, there was only the sound of his own ragged breathing, the pounding of his heart, and the stretch of street ahead that still seemed clear.
He was even glad he’d run fast enough, and acted decisively.
But the speed and spread of the Zombie tide exceeded all his expectations.
Just as he was about to rush across the next intersection, seven or eight shambling figures burst out of a side alley, blocking his path!
Hei Laoda’s pupils contracted, but he couldn’t halt his momentum.
He twisted sharply, barely brushing past the leading Zombie, whose decaying fingertips tore his coat.
The stench was overwhelming, his stomach heaving.
Zombies were so much faster now than on the first day of the apocalypse, but since it was winter, their movements remained stiff, and with Lu Dongnuan so far away, her control was weak and clumsy.
The Zombies kept bumping into each other.
Thanks to this odd mix of factors, he actually managed to escape.
Lu Dongnuan watched as Hei Laoda disappeared from sight, her brows slightly knitted.
The crimson light around her had already faded away.
“The Zombie horde is too dense—they’re getting in each other’s way… And winter lowers their activity,” she murmured, more analyzing her own mistake than anything, a hint of frustration in her voice.
“Yeah.” Lin Mo nodded.
He was cradling a device he’d pulled out from who knew where.
It looked like a locator.
Lu Dongnuan was stunned again and asked, “A tracker? When did you plant that!?”
Lin Mo looked at her and explained, “I didn’t. But that bag he’s carrying is mine—my tracker’s inside.”
“How did your bag end up with him?”
“After I was reborn, I got into the habit of stuffing bags in shops whenever I was bored. I went all over, big and small stores, oh right.” He glanced at Lu Dongnuan.
“Didn’t you pick one up too?”
“The one I found in the Dead Mall?”
“Yeah. Otherwise, how do you think I found you—by searching everywhere?”
Lu Dongnuan was speechless.
Regressors really did think differently.
This ‘casting a wide net’ kind of preparation sounded absurd—actually was absurd—and yet, somehow, it worked perfectly.
“Are we going after them?”
Lin Mo, hearing this, turned off the locator screen and carefully tucked it into his inner pocket.
“Just note the location and direction for now. We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go back first.”
Without another word, the two quickly left the chaotic street, following their planned evacuation route.
“Oh right, one more thing.” Lin Mo spoke suddenly.
“What?”
“Even if you can control Mutated Infected, remember—they’ll still attack you on their own.”
Lu Dongnuan nodded.
“And if you ever run into a Monster with Giant Wings and extra-long claws, just run. Don’t even think about fighting it.”
Lu Dongnuan nodded obediently.
She didn’t know what had gotten into him, but this sudden concern made her feel warm.
“Got it,” she replied softly, silently etching the warning into her heart.
She couldn’t help but glance at Lin Mo beside her again.
He was usually so silent and cold, acting with a near-savage efficiency, like a beast roaming the wilds alone.
Who would have thought this beast would care about others?
Truly, beasts with human faces can be kind, men with beastly faces can be kind—and Lin Mo was even greater: beast face, beast heart, and even kinder.