Danger

The living corpse, which looked as if it hadn't eaten in days, didn't seem to care about the group standing under the scorching sun. It gorged itself on the remains, letting out joyful roars as if savoring a delicious steak.

"Damn it, does no one here have a ranged weapon?!"

A reminder from someone in the crowd suddenly brought everyone to their senses; although these zombies were ferocious in their assault, they could only attack once they were within reach.

Consequently, those with weapons brought them out. Some produced homemade bows, others crude crossbows, and a few even pulled out firearms. However, due to the loud noise firearms would create—which might attract a massive horde of living corpses from deeper in the street—they decided not to use them for the time being.

Thwip!

With a dull thud, someone pulled a bowstring, and an arrow was instantly launched!

The sharp metal arrowhead tore through the air with a shrill whistle, flying toward the limping living corpse crouched beside the body!

Clang!

However, the archer's accuracy was abysmal, and the quality of the homemade bow was poor; the arrow struck the ground ten meters away from the target, vibrating back and forth...

"You idiot! Let me do it!"

At this moment, a lean man snatched the bow. After pulling the string to its limit, his gaze turned sharp, and a faint crosshair appeared within his pupils!

He was also a First-Order Baptized One! And a vision-enhanced Apocalypse Hunter at that!

Swish!!

Yet, his first arrow also missed the living corpse, landing about eight meters away and drawing jeers from those around him.

He didn't care, however. With a cold sneer, he readjusted the tension of the bowstring and aimed at the target once more.

Swish~

Squelch!

This time, after recalibrating his aim, the arrow shot by the Apocalypse Hunter plunged precisely into the center of the forehead of the living corpse, which was still busy clutching fresh meat and gorging itself!!

Caught off guard by the powerful arrow, the living corpse sprayed green blood from the center of its brow, fell backward, and collapsed onto the ground, motionless...

Was the first living corpse really dealt with just like that?

ROAR!!!!

It was not. It suddenly sat up, opened its rotting, bacteria-filled mouth, and let out a blood-curdling scream at the crowd!

The tail of the arrow was still vibrating rhythmically in the center of its forehead!

As soon as the crowd heard that shrill, bone-chilling scream, goosebumps broke out across their skin. Instinct took over, and some had already begun to retreat.

Xia Leng, watching the show from behind the crowd, felt a ripple in his heart at the sound.

He had nearly died at the hands of these humanoid monsters several times in the past; their sharp, swift attack patterns were something Xia Leng could never forget.

Having its meal interrupted, the living corpse noticed the "fresh" crowd ahead and immediately launched itself forward, sprinting on all fours toward the group—which far outnumbered it—at a staggering speed!

As for its leg, which had been twisted almost a full rotation, it didn't hinder its movement in the slightest; one could even vaguely see the white femur piercing through the skin as it ran!

It charged toward the crowd like an enraged beast, moving in that eerie, rapid, four-legged posture!

By now, the morale of this unreliable, makeshift team had begun to crumble. Many of the unarmed refugees instinctively wanted to run; even if they had a ticket, what was the point if they were dead?

"What the hell are you running for?! There are so many of us, are we really afraid of one dead thing?! Shoot the bastard!!"

The Apocalypse Warrior, the strongest in the group, finally proved useful. His booming voice brought the braver refugees to their senses, and they hurriedly raised their weapons and fired wildly at the zombie!

Although their accuracy was questionable, they had the advantage of numbers, and eventually, some managed to land their shots.

By the time the ferocious living corpse had covered half the distance to the group, its body was bristling with arrows, and its speed had slowed significantly. It had to be said, there was strength in numbers.

ROAR!!!!

Finally, thanks to a precise headshot from the Apocalypse Hunter, a succession of arrows managed to peel back half of the living corpse's skull, exposing the disgusting, dark green brain tissue!

"It's over, heh heh."

The Apocalypse Hunter gave a cruel grin, pulled the bowstring taut again, and fired!

Bang~

With a crisp sound, the final arrow pierced straight through the exposed brain, dislodging a gray crystal from within. It hit the ground, rolled a few times, and came to rest in a pool of viscous green blood.

Deprived of this stone, the zombie—which had been full of life and ferocity just a moment ago—collapsed instantly. Aside from slight twitches caused by nerve reflexes, its scarlet pupils gradually dimmed...

The zombie had been killed.

At the same time, the crowd fell silent. Everyone, harboring their own secret thoughts, stared with greedy eyes at the "ticket" to a new life lying in the pool of blood.

A single gray crystal was only a ticket for one person, yet this makeshift team consisted of twenty or thirty people.

The atmosphere grew heavy in an instant. Everyone wanted it, but everyone understood the consequences of making the first move.

If they delayed any longer, the thick scent of blood wafting through the air would attract a massive horde from deeper in the street, and then they wouldn't even get one.

"It was my bait that lured it out! So this one belongs to me first!"

The burly Apocalypse Warrior suddenly stepped forward, looking fierce enough to beat anyone who dared to object.

After stating his claim, he prepared to walk over and pick up the Pandora stone.

"Why should it belong to you?! My arrows were the ones that hit the corpse too!"

"Exactly! And mine too!!"

Regardless of the era or location, wherever there is oppression, there will be resistance; this was even more true for this makeshift team where no one owed anyone anything.

Hearing the noisy curses behind him, the Apocalypse Warrior suddenly spun around, reached out a large, rough palm, and grabbed the refugee who had been shouting the loudest!

Then, gripping the man's head with one hand as if it were a coconut, and before the refugee could even react, he tightened his other fist—which was the size of a sand pot—and smashed it fiercely into the refugee's stunned face!

Crack~

The Apocalypse Warrior's fist sank almost entirely into the refugee's face...

This sudden, bloody scene instantly plunged everyone into silence once again; no one dared to be the first to speak up anymore.

"Damn it all! You bunch of trash really think you're something? Who the hell wants to shout again? Give it a try!"

The Apocalypse Warrior pulled his fist out viciously, grinning as he licked the blood and brain matter from his knuckles, a sight that terrified the crowd into even deeper silence.

Afterward, the Apocalypse Warrior, who had suppressed the crowd through sheer bloodlust, let out a cold snort and hoisted the corpse onto his back before walking toward the gray crystal ahead, perhaps to prevent anyone from shooting him in the back.

As for Xia Leng, who had been watching the spectacle from the very back, indifferent to the world, his pupils suddenly constricted at this moment, and fine, hair-like tentacles suddenly stood up across the surface of his pores!

The Blacklight Virus's danger sense had been triggered!