Beyond His Expectations

That fleeting sense of danger kept Tao Yu from doing anything.

Judging by Jack's attitude toward Cao Shaolin, he had already started accepting the newcomer as one of his own. If Tao Yu suddenly made a move against Cao Shaolin, he would have to contend with the resistance of the entire settlement.

He could wait for an opportunity tonight. For now, he shouldn't put Cao Shaolin on his guard.

So, on the surface, Tao Yu gave Cao Shaolin the same friendly smile.

"Let's go. I'm curious, too, about how they suddenly disappeared."

"Yeah, let's go take a look together."

Jack translated for Tommy and the others.

There were more than twenty people in the settlement, but few of them had weapons or the ability to fight. Around ten were elderly, weak, sick, or young children.

Seven months into the apocalypse, they still had ten vulnerable people in their group, and women made up a third of the settlement. That was enough to show Jack really was the kind of man with an overflowing sense of justice.

As a former CIA special operations team member, he wasn't exactly a bleeding heart. Still, as a partner, he was more reliable than most pioneers when it came to watching your back.

Tao Yu assessed the settlement as they followed the corridor to the room where the prisoners had been held. They opened the door and went inside.

The room had already been cleared out. Apart from the window, which had been boarded up, it was just an ordinary hotel room. The bedding on the bed was somewhat rumpled and hadn't been straightened.

"They were all tied up before, usually sitting on the bed. We didn't have enough food for ourselves, so we only gave them some food that was nearly expired, just enough to keep them alive.

"But then we found they were all gone. The ropes they'd been tied with were gone, too. There were no signs of escape, and everything else was just as normal."

As Cao Shaolin spoke, his surprise seemed genuine.

"Cao, you're in charge of the food?"

Tao Yu asked casually.

"I've got to do what I can. I'm not a fighter like you, Brother Jack, so I can only help out with logistics."

Cao Shaolin gave a somewhat bashful smile.

"They just disappeared like that?"

Jack stood in front of the boarded-up window, completely baffled. He couldn't figure out for the life of him how this could have happened.

When people vanished into thin air, it was impossible to understand the first time you saw it.

"Did the three of them say anything? Leave any other clues? Why did they attack you?"

Tao Yu asked at the right moment.

"They had strange accents, and they had plenty of food. That took a lot of pressure off us."

Jack began to think back.

"They were also desperate to survive. After we captured them, they kept begging us to give them a chance. Looking back, they must have planned it in advance and been sure they could get away.

"As for why they attacked us, they said they wanted to force a few ordinary people to scout ahead for them. That's why they didn't kill anyone. They found a gas station with plenty of supplies and told us where it was."

At that, Tao Yu quickly considered the possibilities.

A strange accent made sense; they must have spent Wish Power to communicate. As for the supplies, ordinary Outer City pioneers would naturally haul goods back to sell while mapping the area to earn money.

That gas station might really have a lot of supplies, perhaps even trucks, but also a lot of zombies.

Or it might be a temporary gathering place for a small group of pioneers.

"They don't have their weapons anymore. We just need to stay alert."

Jack couldn't figure it out, so he stopped trying. He already had enough to worry about every day. It was making his hair fall out.

"Brother Zhang Wei, are you still planning to leave after resting for a bit?"

Jack turned and asked Tao Yu.

"Yeah."

"Can I ask who you're working for, investigating the zombies? Are there any legitimate organizations left? The official broadcasts have stopped. All we get now are local stations that have lost contact with the outside world."

Now that the moment seemed right, Jack asked. He wanted to know if any places were still capable of sending people out to investigate.

They were struggling just to survive, while somewhere else people could be sent out to investigate. The difference was enormous.

"I work for a company. It's preparing to build a settlement in the nearby area. If the conditions are right, I think you could join us."

Tao Yu thought it over before sharing what information he could.

Bringing the natives of the fragments into the settlement was part of the plan for its development. After all, most people from the Outer City could also be considered ordinary people, and there were very few pioneers in the early stages.

Someone like Jack might even stand out when they needed people.

"A settlement? That's a big undertaking."

Cao Shaolin looked surprised. A hint of excitement crossed his face, as if he was quite interested.

Jack and the others listened closely, though hearing something and believing it were two different matters. Only they knew how much they trusted it.

"Yeah. We're looking for a suitable location right now. Personally, I think this area is pretty good."

Tao Yu wasn't making that up. They had already found a frozen world in another direction, which was clearly unsuitable. The rainforest would have to be developed from scratch, and there was Black Water in the grasslands.

This place might be crawling with zombies, but the buildings were already here.

They had also learned that they were in Henderson, a city in Nevada, with famous Las Vegas about ten kilometers to the northwest.

Zombies surrounded both places, but ordinary zombies were far less troublesome than Black Water or the extreme cold.

And considering the meteorite that could make weapons—a powerful Wish Power item—Tao Yu figured that just this information would earn him a few thousand units of Wish Power when he got back.

"This... You think this area is good?"

Jack looked confused.

"Relatively speaking, yes. I can't even rule out the possibility that those three were mercenaries hired by the company."

Tao Yu brought that up himself.

Even if he didn't say it, someone would suspect he was connected to the three men who had come before. Besides, Jack and the other two fighters had been following him the whole time. They had never let their guard down.

He might as well be honest.

"Mercenaries? There's still work like that?"

Tommy, the bald man, sounded surprised. He had served in the Marine Corps and spent some time as a mercenary.

Besides, in times like these, they weren't too bothered by what Tao Yu had said. They were all adults, each capable of making their own judgments. They wouldn't judge everyone by the actions of one person.

"It's hard to explain the company's situation all at once. Once we start building the settlement, you'll probably understand."

Tao Yu shared a little more, then hesitated before asking directly,

"Besides the zombies, I'm investigating something else. You all have some connection to the military. Do you know anything about it?"

"Go on."

Jack was still thinking about what Tao Yu had said.

"It's a meteorite that can be used to make weapons of mass destruction. The company wants to use it to clear out the zombie hordes."

The same object could serve completely different purposes in different environments!

In peacetime, Jack would have been extremely wary. He had almost been silenced over that very mission.

But later, his superior had wanted to sell the thing, so it wasn't surprising that some major groups had learned about it. Some had even come forward with money.

And in a world like this, they really needed something that could wipe out zombies on a large scale!

When the infection first spiraled out of control, someone had even proposed using nuclear bombs to disinfect the area. Then they discovered the nukes didn't work!

And that was that. They hadn't even had time to study the matter.

Tao Yu had shared some information and then asked him in return. After hesitating for a moment, Jack gave him a few details.

"I know about that thing you mentioned. The meteorite isn't very far from here. It should be at a military base about a hundred kilometers northwest of Las Vegas."

At that, Tao Yu's eyes lit up slightly.

He had been thinking of completing a mission with this information alone and earning some Wish Power to spend.

But now, perhaps he could try looking for it himself!

A hundred kilometers sounded like a long way, but with a suitable vehicle and route, it wasn't much.

Aside from people like Jack and Cao Shaolin, almost everyone in this world was an ordinary person or a zombie. It was the perfect place for Tao Yu to show what he could do.

"Mr. Jack, you know about it? Would you be willing to take me there yourself? I have plenty of food and would be happy to offer it as payment. I can also promise to put you in touch with the company afterward."

Tao Yu looked intently at Jack. Jack hesitated.

As a former CIA special operations team member who had been betrayed by his superior, Jack's first thought on hearing that Tao Yu wanted the meteorite was that another naturally evil company wanted to make weapons.

Only after considering the current state of the world had he revealed a little.

Now Tao Yu was sincerely willing to leave them food, hard currency in the apocalypse. Regardless of the amount, he was showing good faith.

Jack didn't suddenly believe Tao Yu's claims about the company, the settlement, and clearing out the zombies. But at the very least, he felt he could give him a chance.

He could judge for himself by observing Tao Yu along the way.

"I can give it a try..."

Jack's answer pleased Tao Yu. Having a guide who was fairly righteous, broadly trustworthy, and decisive would save him a lot of trouble.

But then he glanced at Cao Shaolin and fell silent.

If he left this pampered young master, who took pleasure in killing, here alone, the whole settlement might be wiped out by the time Jack and he returned.

Tonight, he would strike first!

For the best results, he should wait until Cao Shaolin made his move, then expose and stop him in front of Jack and the others.

People appreciated being warned about a pit far less than being pulled out after falling into one.

But...

Tao Yu didn't want to do that...

"We've got more food."

"It's all high-energy food. That should keep us going for a few more days."

"..."

Most of what Tao Yu carried was food, so he could replenish his energy whenever necessary. But even so, he could only carry so much on his own. He had brought around thirty kilograms of food.

Still, even that much food had brought a wave of joy to the people in the small settlement.

In these circumstances, nobody objected to Jack leaving for a few days.

"I heard a radio broadcast when I came over. There should be another small settlement over there, right?"

Tao Yu watched as Tommy locked the supplies in the storeroom and asked Jack beside him.

"There are plenty of small settlements in the city. They usually center around hotels, apartments, or supermarkets. But that broadcast came from Las Vegas."

Jack saw the joy in everyone's eyes and sighed.

"Settlements are already attacking and robbing one another. Sometimes people are more terrifying than zombies..."

"Ha, aren't you worried I'm a spy they sent over?"

Jack rolled his eyes at Tao Yu's question.

"You think I don't know what's going on in the city? How could anyone send a spy like you?"

He paused, then added,

"Besides, even if you were, we'd still take the food. But tonight you'll have to stay in a room by yourself. Shaolin's in the same situation now."

Jack's words were all well and good, but they still had to take precautions.

Just as their three fighters had stayed with Tao Yu the entire time.

They weren't as "naive" as they seemed.

Cao Shaolin had only recently joined the settlement, and he was also staying alone in a room. Tao Yu smiled and spoke to Cao Shaolin with a friendly air.

"Brother Shaolin, looks like we'll be neighbors from now on."

"That's right, Brother Zhang. I hope you'll look out for me."

Cao Shaolin gave him a fake smile, too...

That night, Tao Yu sat with his back against the wall, silently peering at the dark outdoors through the gaps between the boards nailed over the window.

The sky seemed blanketed in clouds. The moon was completely hidden, leaving everything pitch-black.

Tao Yu slid his hand along the gap in the boards and estimated its size.

The boards were there to keep threats out, but they also served to keep an eye on Tao Yu. Still, they were only meant to block a person-sized opening. The room needed ventilation, after all, so the gaps weren't small.

"This should be enough..."

Tao Yu waited. At three in the morning, he took out two Qi Replenishing Pills and held them in his mouth.

Then he suddenly used Shadow Meld, slipping into the mottled world of shadows. He squeezed through the gap in the boards in an instant, then quickly circled around and flowed into Cao Shaolin's room.

What nearly made Tao Yu lose his composure was that Cao Shaolin, who should have been lying in bed fast asleep, opened his eyes the moment Tao Yu entered. He sat up and warily scanned his surroundings!

Even Li Hui, the deputy captain of the Outer City Security Team, hadn't sensed Tao Yu at all back then.

That was where Tao Yu's confidence came from.

Who could have guessed that this attempt at a cautious ambush would run into something like this?

No wonder he had sensed a hint of danger along with the malice!

"Who goes there, you rat?"

Cao Shaolin's easygoing daytime demeanor vanished. His face turned cold as he charged toward the general direction of Tao Yu.

His movements followed the standard Eight Extremes Fist style, and Tao Yu felt a cold sweat break out. In an instant, he entered Bullet Time!

He had been the one sneaking up on his opponent, yet Cao Shaolin had seized the initiative. What kind of perception was that?

But Tao Yu could tell from the other man's eyes that he hadn't actually seen him. He had only somehow sensed the direction he was in!

Under Bullet Time, Cao Shaolin's brutal, rapid cannon punches slowed at once.

The wind distorted the skin on his face, making his expression look savage. His pupils were unfocused, and he seemed to turn his head to sense Tao Yu's position. The force of his punch even slightly warped the air. It all appeared before Tao Yu like a slow-motion scene.

The physical strain of accelerating his body with Bullet Time sapped his strength. Tao Yu felt his blood and energy surge throughout his body.

Even with his powerful physique, he felt a sharp, tearing pain.

He drove his force with his surging blood and energy, using the clean, simple movements of the Crane Form to dodge the punch. At the same time, he twisted his wrist and slashed his kukri toward Cao Shaolin's chest and abdomen.

He wanted to pass by him and gut him in one stroke.

But Tao Yu's heart sank when he saw Cao Shaolin's knees and elbows begin to twist unnaturally, even in the heightened clarity of Bullet Time.

Clang—

Cao Shaolin raised a knee and dropped an elbow. The slash Tao Yu had meant for his chest and abdomen was caught firmly between them.

Tao Yu nearly swore.

The tone had taken a turn!

Pfft~

Shadow Power poured out from around Tao Yu's body, combining with the force of his own slash like rivers flowing into the sea. It surged along the strike toward the space between Cao Shaolin's knees and elbows.

In an instant, the fabric covering Cao Shaolin's knees and elbows flew apart!

A series of ragged bloodstains appeared across his bronze-colored skin, even from a distance.

On top of that, the mental shock added by Basic Weaponry Refinement made Cao Shaolin grunt. Blood vessels bulged in the whites of his eyes.

Yet even so, his defense with the dog-leg knife didn't budge in the slightest.

In fact, as the various forces clashed, the dog-leg knife snapped in two.

Crack~

But just as Cao Shaolin fought through the dizziness in his head and the tearing pain from the physical blows, preparing to pull back and counterattack—

He turned and saw the pistol in Tao Yu's hand, freshly emerged from the shadows, and the black muzzle aimed at him.

Cao Shaolin's pupils contracted. At the last possible moment, he tilted his head and dodged the bullet that spat out with a flash of fire.

When he realized it was Tao Yu, his face twisted with rage.

Cao Shaolin had never imagined this. He had always been the one to toy with others, but this time someone had come knocking at his door!

I'll kill you!

But before he could turn that fury into action—

The bullet he had just dodged by tilting his head suddenly curved and drilled into his eye.

Fuck! You bastard!

"You're still alive after all that?"

Tao Yu clicked his tongue as he watched Cao Shaolin, one eye socket reduced to a bloody hole, merely throw his head back and stumble away. He still seemed ready to turn and smash through the window to escape. Tao Yu was completely stunned.

Then he fired another burst, every shot aimed at Cao Shaolin's head.

Cao Shaolin took his first step toward turning around. A bullet struck the back of his head, and the mental shock combined with the physical impact, leaving him dazed.

Yet his strengthened, rock-hard skull actually stopped the bullet. It cracked his skull, but didn't kill him outright.

Looking at the window sealed with planks, he felt a desperate longing to live.

If he could just make it over there, if he could just smash his way out, he could survive!

Then he'd come back and kill every last one of them!

Toys dared to defy their master!

But it was no use. Though his speed and strength were terrifying, his defenses astonishing, and his vitality tenacious—

A bullet struck him with every step. He couldn't dodge, no matter how he tried, and each shot brought a violent mental shock. His final shred of consciousness scattered just as his head smashed through the planks.

In the end, his whole body was left wedged in the broken boards, eyes wide open in death.

And Cao Shaolin wasn't the only one whose heart was pounding. Tao Yu's was racing, too.

He had been sure Cao Shaolin was no ordinary opponent. That sense of danger had been real.

That was why he'd gone all out!

He'd thought that with a sneak attack, things should go smoothly enough!

He never expected he'd have to use every trick he had—and still nearly lose.

If One Proof, Eternal Proof hadn't let him ignore the muscle strain from the tearing injury, allowing him to draw his pistol at once, Cao Shaolin's ferocity would have left him in a helpless mess if he'd managed to counterattack.

Taking a whole burst of bullets to the skull before dying. What the hell was he?

Tao Yu reloaded. Only after confirming the Willpower on Cao Shaolin had begun to gather did he hurry over, his weary body moving amid the commotion of people outside waking up.

"It's not part of his body?"

Tao Yu was surprised to discover that the Willpower had gathered around a golden pistol at Cao Shaolin's waist, one he hadn't had the chance to use.

He didn't dwell on it. After quickly clearing away the spent casings and crushing the Qi Replenishing Pill in his mouth to recover, Tao Yu casually tossed Cao Shaolin's corpse through the broken window and down below.

Then he slipped back into the shadows and returned to his room.

He casually checked what he'd gained from the golden pistol.

Just absorbing its Willpower would give him over a thousand units.

That was the equivalent of killing more than fifty xenomorphs!