Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 69

Upon hearing Xi Ya’s words, Zhou Yu and the others didn’t hesitate and immediately ran in the direction she pointed.

The ability-powered zombies behind them were close and there were two of them.

One, in particular, was incredibly fast. If not for the low temperatures making their limbs slightly stiff, Zhou Yu and Song Yan wouldn’t have been able to run that far.

But no matter what, humans and zombies were different in terms of stamina. Zombies never tired, but humans did.

A vine suddenly appeared in front of them, an ability from a wood-based zombie. Zhu Liang saw it and lifted his foot, but the vine seemed almost sentient, moving an inch higher.

Under normal circumstances, Zhu Liang would have reacted in time and dodged. But after running all night, while his mind registered the danger, his legs weren’t fast enough. The vine wrapped around his ankle and his body tilted forward uncontrollably.

He tumbled into the snow.

That slight delay of just two seconds was enough and the ability-powered zombies were already upon him.

“Brother Liang!” Zhou Yu and the others stopped in their tracks.

Zhu Liang saw the zombies and knew he wouldn’t be able to escape. He pulled out the handgun from his waist and fired several shots directly at the zombies’ eyes, shouting without turning his head, “Go! Now!”

But no one moved.

There was no way they would abandon their comrade.

Xi Ya quickly got down from Zhou Yu’s arms. Her ability had improved significantly, but her body was still too small and weak. She couldn’t store enough energy to keep up with her power output. She could handle lower-tier zombies, but against ability-powered ones, she was at a disadvantage.

Zhou Yu, Song Yan, and Lu Jia were the main fighters against the ability-powered zombies. Wen Xiaxia’s water ability also proved to be a useful support in the freezing environment.

Even so, fighting ability-powered zombies was a struggle, especially since they were all running low on stamina.

Bang!

Wen Xiaxia was struck by a wooden club from one of the ability-powered zombies and was sent flying.

Zhou Yu immediately threw an iron chain in her direction, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her away just in time to avoid a second attack from the zombie.

But in that brief moment of distraction, another zombie’s iron rod slammed into Zhou Yu’s arm. Everyone clearly heard the sickening crack of his bone breaking.

Zhou Yu let out a muffled grunt but still managed to pull Wen Xiaxia back to safety.

A few steps away, Lu Jia was completely tangled in the net-like vines, unable to move. The agile wood-based zombie lunged forward, claws outstretched.

Seeing this, Song Yan didn’t have time to think. She swung her fist straight at the zombie’s claws.

Her fists were wrapped in sand, refracting light as they clashed with the mutant zombie’s punch. Both she and the zombie staggered back two steps from the impact of their energies. The sharp edges of the sand left shallow cuts on the zombie’s claws.

The zombie seemed enraged by Song Yan’s movements. It howled and from behind her, where she wasn’t looking, a metal-based ability zombie launched an attack.

“Sister Yan! Watch your back!” several people shouted.

Song Yan turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of the zombie’s claws in her peripheral vision. She kicked the wood-based mutant zombie in front of her square in the chest, using the momentum to step onto its shoulder and leap into the air, narrowly dodging the metal-based zombie’s claws behind her.

Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, a metal rod appeared out of nowhere and struck Song Yan hard on the back.

Like a bird with broken wings, she plummeted straight toward the ground.

Waiting below was the wood-based mutant zombie, its hollow black eyes filled with madness and hunger as it watched her fall.

It knew that the ability users’ flesh and blood could grant it even greater power!

Impatiently, it stretched its claws toward Song Yan. But just as its claws were about to grasp her, her body turned into flowing sand, slipping through its fingers.

As soon as she was beyond the zombie’s reach, she reformed into her solid state, planting a hand on the ground. The steel spikes embedded in her combat boots gleamed as she kicked fiercely at the zombie’s knee.

She used all her strength in that kick. If it had been a regular human, their kneecap would have shattered. But a mutant zombie wasn’t human.

Its body was even more resilient than an ordinary zombie’s. Song Yan’s kick only forced it back a few steps. The steel spikes embedded in its knee, but it felt no pain.

The zombie let out an even louder guttural growl, frustrated at missing its target. It fixed its gaze on Song Yan and lunged again.

Her waist and back were injured, preventing her from getting up quickly.

In her widening pupils, the zombie’s reflection grew closer and closer. Suddenly, a small figure stepped in front of her.

Song Yan’s pupils contracted. She gritted her teeth through the pain and shouted, “Xi Ya, get out of here!”

But Xi Ya didn’t leave. She stretched out her small hands, mimicking a technique she had seen Lou Tiannan use before. She tensed the energy within her body and, astonishingly, she managed to unleash a roaring wall of fire.

The raging flames blocked the wood-based zombie’s advance.

Xi Ya didn’t have time to celebrate. The next second, she was violently tackled to the ground. She heard someone shouting a name.

It was Uncle Zhu Liang.

Zhu Liang shoved Xi Ya toward Song Yan, his voice hoarse. “Go! Don’t waste time! The mission must be completed!”

With that, he sprang up, pressed his gun into the mouth of the charging zombie, and fired.

Bang, bang, bang!

The gunfire exploded inside the zombie’s mouth. The recoil was so strong that Zhu Liang’s hands cracked open at the base of his thumbs.

Song Yan scooped Xi Ya into her arms and immediately ran. Everyone around them moved in silence, hastening their escape.

Xi Ya wanted to ask, weren’t they going to help Uncle Zhu Liang?

She opened her mouth but stopped when she saw Zhu Liang’s back. His combat uniform was torn, exposing his skin, where three deep claw marks were already swelling and turning purple.

She closed her mouth, staring blankly.

Uncle Zhu Liang… had he been infected?

Because he saved her…?

A drop of water landed on Xi Ya’s hand.

Some were hers.

Some belonged to Song Yan, who was holding her.

Seeing the enticing humans about to escape, the metal-based mutant zombie and the wood-based mutant zombie, despite having its mouth blasted open by four bullets, were still unwilling to give up the chase.

But before they could move, the man in front of them forced them back.

Zhu Liang stood in their way, unarmed, blocking the two zombies with nothing but his own body. The usual gentle look on his face was now fierce and ruthless. He was buying time for his comrades to survive.

However, he was quickly knocked to the ground by the mutant zombies.

They didn’t even spare him a glance. This prey no longer carried the scent they craved. Growling, they pushed forward, intent on pursuing Zhou Yu and the others.

Zhu Liang flipped over and grabbed onto the zombies’ legs with both hands. He clung to them desperately, veins bulging on his arms, his fingers digging so deeply into the zombies’ rotting flesh that they nearly sank inside.

Screech!

The sound of metal blades slicing through the air rang out. The metal-based zombie launched a blade attack, slashing toward Zhu Liang’s neck. Still clutching the zombie’s leg, he barely managed to dodge. But in the next second, another blade struck, ruthlessly severing one of his hands.

The searing pain forced a cry from his throat, but even without a hand, he struggled to raise his elbow and wrap his arm around the zombie’s leg.

A metal rod came stabbing straight for his head.

Zhu Liang did not let go. He did not dodge.

His eyes burned with the resolve to face death head-on.

Federation soldiers never retreat!

Clang!

Just as the metal rod was about to strike his forehead, only a centimeter away, a spinning black shadow knocked it off course. The rod skewed at an angle, stabbing into the ground beside Zhu Liang’s ear.

His keen vision caught sight of that black shadow.

A black blade.

He recognized it.

A low, resonating hum filled the air.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a woman riding a heavy-duty motorcycle, speeding toward him.

***

Lin Bai had sensed something was wrong the moment she caught a faint trace of Xi Ya’s presence.

Without wasting words with Lou Tiannan, the two immediately found a motorcycle. After a quick modification by Lin Bai, they set off toward their allies.

Lin Bai drove while Lou Tiannan sat in the back, using his flames to clear the path.

Her riding skills were extraordinary. Whether it was sharp turns, steep inclines, or obstacles, she maneuvered through them without hesitation, smoother than even pre-apocalypse self-driving cars.

The distance from Northern District One to Eastern District was neither too far nor too close. Under normal circumstances, driving there would take at least fifty minutes. But Lin Bai didn’t take the usual roads. She lifted the front wheel of the motorcycle, riding across the tops of overturned cars, over rooftops of low buildings, and following the absolute shortest route in her mind.

With Lou Tiannan’s assistance in clearing the way and Xi Ya guiding them, they reached their destination in just twenty minutes.

That was when they saw Zhou Yu and the others fleeing toward them.

Tears welled up in Zhou Yu’s eyes as he pointed behind him and cried out, “Brother Liang—”

Lin Bai didn’t even bother braking. She sped past Zhou Yu and the others with a sharp whoosh, the motorcycle kicking up a fierce gust of wind as it shot forward.

In less than thirty seconds, they saw Zhu Liang holding back the two mutant zombies. Lin Bai gripped the handlebars with one hand while hurling a black blade from her thigh with the other. Behind her, Lou Tiannan launched two fireballs straight at the zombies.

Boom!

Five minutes later, they finally found a moment to catch their breath inside a house near the border of the Northern and Eastern Districts.

Zhou Yu and the others saw Zhu Liang, whom Lou Tiannan had brought back, and their eyes turned red with emotion.

His left hand was gone, his body covered in wounds, but the most fatal injury was the zombie claw marks on his back. The dark purple infection was visibly spreading across his entire back through his veins.

Zhu Liang had been infected.

“Ugh—!” As soon as they laid him flat, he suddenly sat upright, eyes wide with pain. His body was changing, his pupils bulging, his fingernails lengthening, his teeth sharpening…

Zhu Liang hadn’t completely lost his consciousness to the zombie virus yet. He gritted his teeth, clutching the wooden floor beneath him, and said in agony, “Captain Lou, just end it for me!”

Lou Tiannan didn’t respond.

Instead, he reached for the small metal box he had kept close to his chest, the Primal Blood Vaccine he had retrieved from the 621 Biopharmaceutical Research Institute.

His eyes quickly scanned the notes on the box. The paper inside explained that the Primal Blood Vaccine was divided into two doses. The box was supposed to contain five sets of vaccines. The instructions stated that administering the first dose, followed by the second dose thirty minutes later, would provide immunity to the zombie virus.

However, the notes were clear was it was a preventive vaccine, not a cure. Due to time constraints, there had been no experiments to determine whether the vaccine could treat already infected individuals. Its effects on the infected were unknown.

But Lou Tiannan didn’t have time to worry about that. After confirming the instructions, he opened the metal box and then froze. His heartbeat seemed to stop for a moment.

The others noticed his strange expression and peered into the box. Their faces darkened.

The paper had stated that the box contained five sets of vaccines. But upon opening it, they found only five vials of the first dose. The other half of the case, where the second doses should have been stored, was completely empty.

“Why is the number of doses wrong?” Wen Xiaxia, who had a medical background, questioned. The notes were written with clear detail. She refused to believe the director had made a mistake.

“Someone took the second doses,” Lou Tiannan said grimly. His mind flashed back to the people he had seen on the 17th floor, the Aurora priests.

“Aaahhh—!” Zhu Liang let out another agonized, hoarse scream.

Lou Tiannan didn’t hesitate any longer. He took one of the first-dose vials and injected it into Zhu Liang’s arm.

Everyone watched anxiously.

The mutations in Zhu Liang’s body slowed. His fangs even started retracting.

But no one dared to relax.

Because one dose was missing.

No one knew exactly how the first and second doses interacted, what each one did, or if a single dose was enough.

All they could do was pray. Pray that the vaccine will work and save Zhu Liang’s life.

Lin Bai leaned against the wall, her gaze shifting from the box in Lou Tiannan’s hands to Zhu Liang’s face.

Zhu Liang now lay still, as if he were merely sleeping. Wen Xiaxia held back tears as she treated his wounds.

Zhou Yu hadn’t forgotten the reason they had risked everything to find Lou Tiannan. He stood up and said urgently, “Captain Lou, there’s something you need to know.

“In the Military Defense Department of District One, we found an operation log left behind by the First Squad.”