The Toad

The explosions grew quieter and quieter. Faced with the Zombie Tide covering the hills, the 1,000 Exploding Insects were soon depleted.

A breeze swept past, and the pungent stench of blood and rot made Liu Feng frown.

Things weren't looking good. Fatty and the others hadn't gotten very far yet, so Liu Feng had to hold out a little longer, no matter what.

He asked the system directly.

"How much experience have I accumulated now?"

[Host's current level: LV3 (15430/10000)]

[Ding! Experience requirement met. Level up?]

"Level up!"

[Level up successful!]

[Host's level: LV4 (5430/20000)]

[New swarm unlocked: Toad. Attacks with its long tongue, steadily devouring enemies. When attacked, it releases white venom with a corrosive effect.]

As the system's notification finished, he finally unlocked a new swarm.

Without another word, he summoned a Toad.

Looking at the Toad in his hand, Liu Feng froze for a moment, his face full of confusion.

Goddammit. I'd thought the "Toad" would be a pretty powerful insect species. But now...

Wasn't this just a fucking toad?

Never mind how hideous it looked—wasn't it way too small? If it actually went head-to-head with zombies, wouldn't they crush one with every step?

Ugh, this useless system!

Forget it. I'll make do with what I've got. I don't have much energy left to summon any other swarms anyway, so these Toads are especially important now.

"Go, little toad! Show them what you've got!"

The moment he finished speaking, nearly ten thousand toads appeared in midair. Some landed on the ground, while others landed directly on the zombies.

The sight of living creatures instantly threw the zombie horde into a frenzy. They switched targets and lunged viciously at the masses of toads.

Some of the more unfortunate toads were trampled into bloody pulp by the zombies. Yet just before they died, their bodies sprayed out white fluid.

Ssssss!

Liu Feng heard it clearly—the sound of flesh being corroded. Following the sound with his gaze, he saw that the rotten flesh on the zombies splashed by the toads' white fluid had begun sloughing off, leaving nothing but stark white bones exposed to the air.

Bam!

Trying to eat a toad, one zombie opened its bloody maw and bit viciously into another zombie's shoulder.

But as white venom burst from the toad's body, the attacking zombie's brain was instantly eaten away, leaving only a horrifying skull.

Whoosh!

A long, slender tongue suddenly shot from a toad's mouth, piercing a zombie's skull with perfect accuracy. The zombie went limp and collapsed to the ground.

[Ding! Killed one "Ordinary Zombie." Experience +10]

[Ding! Killed one "Speed-Type Ordinary Zombie." Experience +20]

[Ding! Introduced one "Ordinary Zombie." Experience +10]

With the arrival of the toad army, the battle suddenly turned around. Their astonishing performance took Liu Feng by surprise.

"These toads are pretty badass. No wonder they only unlock at LV4."

Just as Liu Feng was eating his words, a sudden commotion broke out among the zombies in the distance.

The enormous horde should have continued west along the road. Yet at a gap beside the road, quite a few zombies suddenly charged out, roaring like mad things, as though they'd spotted food.

By now, Fatty and the others had gotten far away. Liu Feng should have taken the chance to retreat too, but his eyes happened to stray toward that gap beside the road.

"Holy shit! Why is there still someone over there?"

Liu Feng's eyes went wide, his face filled with disbelief. He rubbed his eyes, making sure a Mental Control Type zombie wasn't playing tricks on him and that his own eyes weren't failing him.

There really was someone running desperately near the gap—and it was a woman!

Thousands upon thousands of zombies had already gathered behind her. Ravenous growls spilled from their mouths as they chased her like mad.

Watching this, Liu Feng wore his inner conflict plainly on his face.

Given the situation, she was in terrible danger. No matter how fast she ran, her escape would gradually slow as her stamina drained. After all, she was human, and a woman at that.

Compared with zombies that felt nothing, everything about a human was a weakness.

Fatty and the others had to be nearing the Residential Camp by now. If Liu Feng headed back immediately, he might still reach the Residential Camp and take shelter before the Zombie Tide arrived.

But this unarmed woman, exposed to the zombies' gaze, was doomed to be swallowed by the Zombie Tide.

"Fuck!"

After agonizing for a long while, Liu Feng finally made up his mind.

He swept his hand sharply, sending over ten thousand Iron-toothed Insects flying toward the woman.

Bzzzz!

Already at LV3, the Iron-toothed Insects could handle Ordinary Zombies with ease. After only a few brief clashes, several zombies behind the young woman had been reduced to pools of foul-smelling blood.

Sensing the disturbance beside her, the young woman turned warily to look at Liu Feng.

The instant their eyes met, Liu Feng jolted, his heart involuntarily beginning to race.

This...

Liu Feng's heart stirred.

But it wasn't because he'd been lonely for too long, nor because she was as beautiful as an angel. Rather, from his very first glimpse of her face, she had felt familiar, like an old friend he hadn't seen in years.

The look the young woman gave Liu Feng, however, was distinctly strange.

What exactly does this man want? Why does he keep staring at me? Could he be trying to... Hmph. Men really are all scum.

At that thought, an icy glint flashed in her eyes, cool as moonlight. She pushed off hard and instantly left Liu Feng dozens of meters behind.

As the young woman flashed past him, Liu Feng's eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment.

"Holy shit! Is she cheating? How can she run so fast?" Then a terrifying thought suddenly sprang into his mind. Could it be that she wasn't trapped by the zombies at all, but was doing it on purpose?

Before his words had even faded, the young woman in the distance suddenly planted her feet.

At some point, a Curved Knife she carried close to her body had appeared in her hand. Facing the zombies, she deliberately lowered her stance.

Suddenly, two icy gleams flashed in her cold eyes. She drove her legs against the ground and shot toward the zombie horde like a bullet from a gun.

At the sight, Liu Feng sucked in a sharp breath.

"Damn, this girl is seriously fierce!"

(End of chapter)