Chapter 122 – Life-and-Death Marathon (13)
◎ ‘Thousand Deaths Blue Enchantress of Cataclysmic Annihilation ◎
“Haha—”
“Hahahaha—”
“Puhahahahaha—”
Song Ke had changed into a coat that could cover her entire body, sitting cross-legged in the back seat of the car, trying hard to diminish her own presence.
The loose hood covered her blushing face; she had stuffed two pieces of tissue in her nose. Echoes of teammates’ unrestrained laughter reverberated in her ears, especially the boisterous ones from Lin Youyou, Lu Xiaoyu, and the muffled chuckles from Xu Xing.
“Song Ke, are you made of jelly? How can you be so elastic hahaha and bounce like that hahaha—”
“Sister, does your face hurt? I felt so much pain on my face just now!”
“The part where you bumped into the cash transport vehicle was already edited into a viral clip. It got a lot of views. I saved it, want to see? I’ll send it to you.”
‘I shouldn’t have made a ‘V’ sign to them,’ Song Ke thought expressionlessly. ‘If only I hadn’t wasted that time, I could’ve flipped up.’
With a last glimmer of hope, she looked at Su Cha and Fang Zhixu. They wouldn’t mock her, right?
Fang Zhixu struggled to hold back his laughter, his trembling left hand offering a row of band-aids, while Su Cha avoided eye contact, dodging her gaze, coughed a couple of times to disguise it, then turned away silently.
Song Ke: “!!”
Don’t think I didn’t notice; you’re clearly laughing!
Zhuang Qingyan extended his arm from the front row, rubbing Song Ke’s head through the hood. He shifted slightly downward, his slender fingers weaving through her hair, lightly touching the minor scratch on her cheek. Song Ke tilted her head to avoid it, but it inadvertently brushed against her ear, turning as red as fire in an instant.
“Next time you jump, aim a bit better, at least… don’t let your face hit first.”
Zhuang Qingyan’s eyes twinkled with a smile, his voice husky, carrying a hint of teasing.
Song Ke froze, then suddenly bit his wrist.
After a while, she spat it out with a stiff, uncomfortable expression.
“The competition, you guys, focus! Talk about serious matters!” Song Ke shouted in frustration and embarrassment.
The teasing had gone too far, the captain was losing her temper, and the team members, sensing the shift, immediately fell silent, pretending to be busy.
“She’s talking to you guys, be serious!” Xu Xing acted all authoritative, pointing and lecturing like a little adult.
Song Ke coldly snorted and leaned against the window, looking outside. The road out of the city was strewn with corpses, devastation everywhere. Hearing the sound of the engine, the zombies grotesquely lunged toward them but were sent flying by Lu Xiaoyu’s wild driving skills.
The newly acquired SUV lacked the stability of the previous off-road pickup truck for long distances. Upon impact, the car would occasionally jolt, making everyone inside sway. Zhuang Qingyan lightly tapped his fingers, conjuring a holographic map. He marked crosses at the positions of Rainbow Cloud City and Greenwater City, then drew a darker line indicating the shortest path to Haimen.
“We’re only heading to safe cities, completing the checkpoints along the way. Before today ends, we must reach Haimen.”
“Not following the designated route?” Su Cha was somewhat surprised. According to the original plan, V587 was supposed to pass through a fallen District C. If they followed Zhuang Qingyan’s route, after reaching Haimen, they’d have to circle back again to complete the check-in, which would waste more time. “Our goal is the championship, killing the Zombie King is the key. Missing this opportunity to catch it, even if we complete the check-in points within the set time, it’s just clearing the level, not winning.”
“You suspect the Zombie King will attack Haimen? Why not Reshufu? Haimen is much tougher to breach,” Lin Youyou raised a question.
“So confident? What if it heads to Reshufu instead?” Lu Xiaoyu glanced at him sideways. If Zhuang Qingyan’s speculation was wrong, they would be left empty-handed, not encountering the Zombie King, wasting precious time.
Zhuang Qingyan squinted with a hint of amusement in his peach blossom eyes. “From the encounters at Tongwan, this Zombie King is valiant in battle, bold yet meticulous, skilled in using ancient warfare tactics, maneuvering and disrupting the enemy’s rhythm. What’s even more remarkable is its calmness under pressure. Even when facing a disadvantage, it can make accurate judgments instantly. It’s an exceptionally outstanding battlefield commander.”
Rarely praising others, Zhuang Qingyan continued to shower such extensive praise on a zombie, leaving everyone’s expressions somewhat hard to articulate.
“I’ve researched the information. Among the active registered commanders in the Alliance, there’s no one with this style,” Lu Xiaoyu multitasked, his idle mechanical arm projecting without reservation. “If it’s as formidable as you say, shouldn’t it be someone known?”
Zhuang Qingyan, looking disdainful, pushed away his intrusive hand. “You think sheer strength can bring success? There are plenty of talented but frustrated individuals out there. You should understand this better than me, right?”
Lu Xiaoyu, whose legs were broken by the Lu family and thrown into Death Prison because of his “outstanding strength and peculiar temperament”: “…”
Hey, isn’t this hitting a little too close to home?
“If I were it, I’d now possess an unstoppable, endless army of the living dead. The instinct of the zombie within me clamors to destroy this land, while the remnants of my human intellect guide me step by step toward victory.”
“I desire Reshufu, and I also desire Haimen. Since foolish humans think I’ll attack Reshufu, let me indulge you. I’ll release some bait, oh? Are you prepared for battle? Want to kill me? Too bad, I’ve already stealthily infiltrated Haimen, catching you off guard.”
“Haimen is indeed a tough nut to crack, but once I bite into it, the path ahead will be clear. I can conquer the entire Alliance…”
Zhuang Qingyan’s knuckles rhythmically tapped, his eyes deep, deliberately lowering his voice to a husky tone, vividly simulating the psychological activity of a zombie. The others got goosebumps all over; wow, this person is so twisted.
“Why say Haimen is hard to bite into?” Song Ke innocently asked, completely unaware of the abnormal atmosphere.
The teammates chimed in, eagerly answering, hoping Zhuang Qingyan would stop talking; it was creeping them out.
Lu Xiaoyu: “Haimen is the most important granary in the east. Be it the total production, goods, or exports, it ranks first in the Alliance. According to scientific statistics, below District C, one out of every three meals includes food from Haimen.”
Lin Youyou: “Haimen has vast land, the largest area within District D, but the population is less than ten million. Due to the sparse population, people live affluent lives. The locals are bold, straightforward, and don’t bother with trifles.”
Xu Xing: “My dad once said, people from Haimen are big and simple, wealthy, and easily deceived.”
Everyone turned to look at him simultaneously, questioning his choice of words. What kind of parenting is that? Saying such things could cause trouble if heard by people from Haimen!
Xu Xing belatedly covered his mouth. “Uh, oops,” inadvertently letting out the latter part of his sentence.
Fang Zhixu stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve heard from colleagues that people from Haimen aren’t very good at arguing.”
Song Ke: “Why is that?”
Fang Zhixu: “Because before you finish saying lines like ‘What are you looking at?’ and ‘What are you gonna do about it?’, the other person’s fist has already landed on your face.”
Song Ke: “???” That sounds like… quite an interesting city.
“Are you sure the Zombie King will go to Haimen?” Song Ke turned to Zhuang Qingyan and asked.
“Seventy percent certain,” Zhuang Qingyan nodded, not elaborating further.
After pondering for two seconds, Song Ke decisively slapped the table, “Then, let’s go to Haimen.”
When the captain speaks, everyone must follow suit.
“To Haimen! Go, go, go!” Lu Xiaoyu floored the accelerator, the SUV speeding through the wilderness, scattering zombies like flower petals.
In the quiet car, Lin Youyou nudged Lu Xiaoyu and whispered, “Hey, that viral clip, send it to me.”
“I want it too, I want it too!” Xu Xing called out quietly from the front seat.
Su Cha didn’t say a word, simply pointing at his own terminal, making his intentions clear.
Lu Xiaoyu maneuvered a mechanical arm and quickly sent the clip directly to V587’s group chat.
The terminal vibrated, and Song Ke, half-asleep, woke up in a daze. Her fingers moved faster than her brain, reflexively tapping to open the message, immediately followed by a stunned expression.
“—Unsend that, right now!!”
…
Before nightfall, V587 completed check-in points in four safe cities and smoothly arrived at the outskirts of District D135’s Haimen.
There were no signs of a zombie horde in the wilderness, just a few scattered zombies. Some held shovels and sickles, some staggered aimlessly near irrigation machines and plow axles, while others gnawed on tractors and plows, their hollow, decaying eyes devoid of any emotion.
“If it weren’t for the apocalypse, it would be the season for spring sowing now…” Fang Zhixu sighed.
As they approached a three-story mansion, sounds of a scuffle echoed from the front. A group of a dozen people, armed and engaged in a fierce battle against zombies, caught their attention.
The most conspicuous figure was a burly man, towering at least six feet tall. He wore a massive gold chain around his neck, a large gold watch on his wrist, a flashy shirt, and what seemed to be a fur or mink coat draped over him. His shoes shone so brightly they nearly reflected light.
Song Ke climbed onto the roof of the car and looked around. This group seemed to lack any supernatural abilities; they were all regular people.
Even though they were ordinary, their fighting capabilities were not to be underestimated.
“Get off me!” The burly man, over six feet tall, kicked a lurching zombie away. His flesh quivered, and beside him, a suited bodyguard lifted a golf club, ruthlessly smashing the zombie’s head, denting it inward.
“Look at your bear-like appearance, dare to come onto my territory and cause trouble. Did I give you permission?” The burly man grumbled and cursed while kicking the zombie. His aggression grew, “Come on then!”
While observing the scuffle between them and the zombies without much concern, Song Ke crouched down, preparing to get back into the car. However, a faint, ghostly blue glint suddenly caught her peripheral vision.
She froze, abruptly lifting her head.
The burly man from afar drew a wide-blade short knife and sliced straight towards the zombie’s head. The knife seemed to cut through it effortlessly, separating the zombie’s head from its body as blood sprayed out like a fountain.
Song Ke’s gaze became fixed.
If she wasn’t mistaken, that was… a machete?
“Stop the car.”
She opened the car door and hurried towards the group.
Having just managed to deal with the zombies besieging their mansion, Wang Hu was covered in sweat. He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “It’s already spring, wearing a fur coat is a bit hot, huh?” He opened his collar to cool off and unexpectedly noticed a young girl walking towards him.
Yo, Wang Hu sighed inwardly. His eyes were quite perceptive; check out that presence, not your average person.
The young girl stopped in front of him, staring directly at the machete in his hand.
“What are you looking at?” the bodyguard next to him asked in a rough voice.
Startled by his loud voice, Song Ke reflexively responded, “…Looking… What are you looking at?”
The bodyguard raised his eyebrows, the golf club ready to move. Was this little troublemaker trying to provoke something?
“Hey, put it down, put it down,” Wang Hu generously gestured with his hand. “Easy now, let her take a look.”
He proudly hoisted the machete onto his shoulder, asking in a casual manner, “How about it? Were you impressed by my zombie-hacking prowess?”
Exerting too much force, the back of the machete accidentally cut through his fur.
“Oh, my God!” Wang Hu jumped in distress, trying to cover his clothes and handle the machete at the same time, flustered and wailing, “My precious!”
Kindly, Song Ke reached out and helped him stabilize the familiar machete. “Can I… take a look at your machete?”
“Sure, sure,” Wang Hu barely paid attention to her.
Song Ke turned the blade over and looked down. Indeed, there was a small ‘Song’ on the handle of the machete. This was her spiritual weapon. How could it appear here? Moreover… she had only produced this standardized spiritual weapon once, back in Hua City, a total of 100 pieces, as part of a deal for those students at the No.1 Middle School.
“Where did you get this machete from?” Song Ke asked.
“What, are you interested too?” Wang Hu glanced at her, then protectively snatched the machete back. “My ‘’Thousand Deaths Blue Enchantress of Cataclysmic Annihilation’ is quite powerful, but not something most people can handle.”
“I acquired this from the black market in the Northern Base through someone. It’s an absolutely genuine supernatural weapon. It cuts zombies like slicing through watermelons. There are less than five in the entire black market. I spent a whopping two million…” Wang Hu bragged triumphantly.
“H-How much?!” Song Ke exclaimed in shock.
