I'll Make You Braised Fish

Mi Li looked thoroughly timid, but her words had a bit of an edge.

If this world was crawling with creatures like zombies, she had to overcome her fear of them.

Chen Luo was a little surprised to hear what Mi Li said.

She looked fragile on the outside, but she was strong inside.

With him watching over her, nothing would go wrong, so Chen Luo did not refuse.

"Dazhu, give Mi Li your iron rod."

There was no way a rolling pin could hit as hard as a heavy, solid iron rod.

Su Dazhu looked at the still-trembling Mi Li with amusement, then handed her the rod with an admiring look.

Mi Li wanted more time to prepare herself mentally, but the zombie would not give her that time.

Watching the zombie lunge at her, Mi Li hastily cast a Strength Buff on herself.

The zombie opened its bloody maw. Mi Li's mind went a little blank, but her gaze quickly turned resolute.

Still, Mi Li had absolutely no combat experience. When the zombie lunged at her, she did not even know to dodge.

Well, she just stood there and traded blows.

The zombie planted both hands, tipped with sharp nails, on Mi Li's arms. If she had not been wearing a thick leather jacket, it would probably have torn away chunks of flesh.

At the same time, the zombie's mouth snapped toward Mi Li's pale neck.

Mi Li swung the heavy iron rod in her hands hard at the zombie's head.

Mi Li's strength boost added a fixed amount. She might have looked like a frail young girl, but she was now stronger than a healthy adult man.

The blow split the zombie's head open, spraying blood onto Mi Li's helmet and leather jacket.

The head was a zombie's weak point, but it took someone with Su Dazhu's strength to smash one apart with a single swing. Mi Li fell a little short.

The zombie kept trying to bite her. Frightened by the splashing blood, Mi Li raised the iron rod and hammered it again and again, as if she were smashing a watermelon.

The zombie died, but Mi Li kept swinging.

The zombie's head was completely smashed to pieces. Even Chen Luo's scalp prickled at the sight.

Girl, you're taking fierce a little too far.

After killing the zombie, Mi Li crouched down and took off her helmet. The bloody sight made her want to vomit.

She could only dry-heave. There was nothing in her stomach.

Chen Luo took out some tissues and a bottle of mineral water and handed them to Mi Li.

Mi Li gave him a grateful look.

Two minutes later, Mi Li calmed down. Looking at herself, then at Su Dazhu and Chen Luo, she finally understood why they had looked so fierce.

Even she looked frightening with blood all over her clothes.

Chen Luo offered a few words of encouragement. At least she had found the courage to fight zombies, and she had not faltered at the crucial moment.

Rice sighed. You're such a hassle. Are we going to find dried fish or not?

Chen Luo had already killed quite a few zombies on his way here, so there were not many left wandering around the residential complex.

He took Mi Li and Rice aboard his heavy truck. Its sturdy body gave Mi Li a considerable sense of security, easing her worries about this supply run.

There was a large shopping mall nearby, the only one in the area. Its second and third floors housed a supermarket, so there would be plenty of supplies.

The supplies were not the main point. What mattered was building some teamwork with Mi Li.

In the truck, Chen Luo prepared Mi Li for what might happen. "Mi Li, what should we do if we run into survivors in the mall?"

Mi Li paused, then thought it over. "With your strength and Dazhu's, Chen Luo, you can kill a lot of zombies. If there are survivors, they should be able to escape on their own then."

"I've been watching. The zombies aren't fast, so escaping is possible. We're not saviors. They still have to rely on themselves."

If he and Mi Li had known each other better, Chen Luo would have really wanted to pat her head.

She was absolutely right.

It was better to rely on yourself than to beg others for help. You could not keep pinning your hopes on someone else.

What, are we supposed to escort you all the way home, then keep you fed and comfortable?

When there was time, he would have Ma Yu tell Mi Li about her experiences.

Soon, they reached the road beside the mall.

Quite a few cars were blocking the way.

Chen Luo looked around. He could not use the heavy truck to run over the zombies. For one thing, turning around would be difficult. For another, there were plenty of electric scooters beside the mall, along with uneven ground where the truck could get stuck.

They would have to kill the zombies themselves.

Fortunately, it was not the weekend, and the apocalypse had broken out in the morning. There were not many zombies in the mall or on the surrounding roads, and the mall was not in a busy district.

The mall's greatest value was actually in drawing people to the area and raising the prices of nearby homes.

Chen Luo said, "Mi Li, just boost my strength in a moment. You don't need to boost Dazhu's. He doesn't need it."

With or without Mi Li's boost, Su Dazhu could smash a zombie's head apart in one swing.

As a level three ability user, Chen Luo was not quite as strong as Su Dazhu, but he was not far behind. With Mi Li's boost, he could also kill a zombie with a single swing.

It was only because Mi Li's mana bar was limited. Otherwise, giving Su Dazhu a boost would naturally have been better.

Chen Luo gave Mi Li two stun batons to defend herself.

Seeing Chen Luo pull things out of thin air made Mi Li terribly envious. Being a Spatial Mage was just too good.

Chen Luo also took out a heavy iron rod and worked with Su Dazhu to kill the zombies.

The stun baton no longer helped Chen Luo all that much. After a while, it would become even less useful.

Mi Li watched in awe as Chen Luo and Su Dazhu easily killed the zombies. These two were so strong.

Even without me, they could easily get the supplies here, couldn't they?

Suddenly, as if the Dharma King had figured something out, the dog spat out a fist-sized ball of lightning that flickered constantly with silver light.

The ball of lightning reached a cluster of zombies and abruptly exploded, killing four of them on the spot.

The Dharma King gave Rice a smug look. Can a cat like you do that?

Truthfully, Rice was a little shocked, but even an outmatched cat could not lose face. On the surface, the cat put on a disdainful expression.

Chen Luo was genuinely speechless. Had the Dharma King learned this lightning ball because Rice had provoked the dog?

Still, it was not much of an improvement, because the lightning ball consumed a little more energy than the electric arc attack.

The mall's first floor mostly sold clothing. There were more store clerks than customers.

The second floor was the snack section, and the third was the fresh food section. There were bound to be a few more zombies there.

When they reached the second floor, Chen Luo said, "Dharma King, go lure the zombies over. We'll kill them in batches."

If over a hundred zombies came at once, even Chen Luo would have no choice but to run.

It took Chen Luo and Su Dazhu five minutes to clear all the zombies from the second floor.

Mi Li's mana bar was completely empty by then, too. Each strength boost she gave Chen Luo lasted only two minutes.

Chen Luo said, "Mi Li, go get some bags and fill them with whatever you like. Take as much as you can carry."

Rice had already found the dried fish in the snack section and was pleading with Chen Luo to open a packet.

Chen Luo tempted the cat. "Don't rush. I've got fresh fish here. Come back with me later, and I'll make you braised fish."