Heavy Casualties

Despite his injuries, Lu Chengchuan did not dare stop. He ran forward desperately.

Before he could leave the alley, gunfire erupted ahead. The monsters guarding the main road had attacked and were blocking everyone's path.

The soldiers used explosives to clear the way, blasting aside the monsters in their path. They sprinted madly toward the exit, but several soldiers failed to make it in time and were seized by the encircling monsters.

"Ah! Ah!"

Their screams were swallowed by the horde of monsters. Several unlucky soldiers died beneath the monsters' fangs and claws.

No one dared look back or try to save them. More deadly monsters had emerged from the alley, and if they slowed for even a moment, they would be trapped in the black fog forever.

The Black Zombie was far faster than an ordinary person and instantly caught up to the soldiers at the rear.

Its claws swept across their bodies, tearing through their clothes and equipment. Their chests were ripped open, and they all fell to the ground screaming.

Seeing the zombie about to catch up, Zhou Yaning and the others turned back to cover the rear.

Chen Long's body swelled, his height growing from over six feet to more than six and a half. He changed from a sturdy ordinary man into a miniature giant.

The giant Chen Long stood at the front while Zhou Yaning placed a transparent shield around him. The others also used their abilities to attack the Black Zombie.

Flames and wind blades flew toward it, but the Black Zombie neither dodged nor evaded, charging straight into them.

As it crashed through, the flames scattered into sparks and vanished into the air. The wind blades struck its body but only sliced its clothing, leaving not a single mark on its black skin.

In the blink of an eye, the zombie burst through the flames and wind blades. Chen Long, in his giant form, charged forward on his own initiative.

Chen Long swung a fist at the zombie. He looked larger and stronger than it, and with Captain Zhou's Psychic Shield protecting him, he was brimming with confidence. Even if this punch could not injure the zombie, it should at least knock the monster back.

Yet the zombie still neither dodged nor evaded. It threw a punch at Chen Long, who stood in its way.

The two fists collided. Before Chen Long's expression could even change, an immense force sent him flying. The Psychic Shield around him shattered, and his giant body reverted to normal.

Chen Long lay on the ground, coughing up blood.

Everyone hurriedly helped him up. As Chen Long watched the zombie approach, a trace of fear appeared in his eyes. The others felt the same. They had used all their strength, yet they were like ants trying to shake a tree, utterly unable to stop the Black Zombie.

"Run!"

Zhou Yaning shouted from the side, spreading her five fingers toward the zombie.

Psychic power surged from her mind. She tried to seize the zombie with it, but the moment her psychic power touched its body, she felt a force repelling it.

She wanted to grab the zombie, but her psychic power could not reach its body. Even when she used all her strength, it was still repelled and could barely get near the zombie.

The zombie charged forward. Before everyone could retreat, a figure suddenly rushed out and blocked its path.

Lu Chengchuan!

The person who had come out to save them was Lu Chengchuan, who had run ahead earlier.

Facing the zombie, Lu Chengchuan felt utterly miserable as well. He had originally been running at the front, but when he looked back and saw several Investigation Bureau members being stuck to by the zombie, unable to escape—

He had no choice but to turn back, though he could not defeat the zombie either.

"Run! I can't hold it off for long!"

Lu Chengchuan urged them to flee. After speaking, he stirred his Inner Energy and began tangling with the zombie.

Meeting it head-on would only get him defeated in one move. His main goal was to stall for time so the Investigation Bureau members and soldiers could escape.

Lu Chengchuan battled the zombie at the front. Though no victor could be seen for the moment, everyone knew he could not hold out long. They quickly turned and ran, leaving only Zhou Yaning behind to support him.

"You need to run too!" A transparent shield appeared before him as Lu Chengchuan shouted without looking back.

He did not need support. Zhou Yaning would only be a burden if she stayed.

Hearing this, Zhou Yaning also ran back. Lu Chengchuan fought as he retreated, while the other zombie monsters closed in as well.

Once he was sure the Investigation Bureau personnel had gotten far enough away, Lu Chengchuan did not hesitate. He took a backward step and leaped away, then turned and ran, pulling out a bundle of explosives as he did.

He had taken it from the soldiers, and they had told him how to use it.

He pulled the safety fuse, threw the bomb at his feet, and sprinted forward with all his strength. After he ran more than thirty feet, the bomb exploded with a boom.

The shockwave swept outward. It knocked Lu Chengchuan off balance, and he staggered several steps before steadying himself.

Once he regained his balance, Lu Chengchuan pulled out another bundle of explosives and threw it behind him.

As the second explosion rang out, Lu Chengchuan killed many low-level zombies. The Black Zombie was also held back by the blast, allowing him to widen the distance.

Lu Chengchuan quickly caught up with the Investigation Bureau group. Hearing the explosions behind them and seeing him catch up, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, they reached the exit of the black fog. Many soldiers had already gotten out, and only Captain Li and a few others remained there waiting for them. Seeing the Investigation Bureau members return, Li Wang's expression improved considerably. They did not dare linger and walked straight into the circle of light.

When the darkness before their eyes faded, Lu Chengchuan and the others were already standing outside the black fog.

After escaping the black fog, they ran back to where the vehicles were parked and told the others to start them quickly.

They feared the zombies would chase them out. That Black Zombie was too strong; even together, they were no match for it. If it came out, everyone could only keep running for their lives.

Once everyone was in the vehicles, they immediately drove away.

After fleeing for half an hour and getting far from Little Stone Village, they stopped on the road to wait. More than two hours passed, and only after confirming that no monsters were pursuing them did the vehicles turn around and slowly head back.

Once the vehicles stopped and they confirmed there was no danger, Zhou Yaning found Li Wang and asked about the situation.

"Captain Li, how many casualties were there?"

"Eight soldiers died, and five were injured. Captain Zhou, fewer than ten people on my side can still move."

Li Wang looked grief-stricken, forcing out his words one sentence at a time.

Fifteen members of his squad had gone in, but only seven came out, and five of those were injured and needed time to recover. They had all been his soldiers, training alongside him for many years, yet they had all fallen in there.

Zhou Yaning looked at the injured soldiers in the vehicles. She understood how Li Wang felt. When her own subordinates had been killed by monsters, she had felt the same way. But she knew some things could not be avoided. There would inevitably be casualties in battle. Not knowing what to say, she could only tell Li Wang to get some proper rest.

"How do we deal with that zombie?"

After returning to her own vehicle, Zhou Yaning asked Lu Chengchuan how they could deal with the Black Zombie.

Lu Chengchuan leaned his head against the seat and let out a breath. "I'm not its match. If I fight it head-on, it'll beat me to death. Armor-piercing rounds don't work on it, and explosives can't kill it either."

This Black Zombie was extremely high-level. He was completely unable to defeat it in a direct fight, and he could not stall it for long, either.

After thinking it over, he had no solution unless...

"Unless you lure it away and let me destroy the Energy Source. Once the black fog disappears, the monsters should disappear too." Lu Chengchuan suddenly came up with an idea.

Last time, after he absorbed the Energy Source, the black fog dispersed and the monsters inside vanished with it. It should work this time as well.

"The Energy Source... lure away the zombie..." Zhou Yaning began calculating.

That was indeed a way, but the Black Zombie was too powerful. Luring it away would also be extremely dangerous.