Chapter 54: The Ambush

Guo Hanxue led the charge, her wind blades flying out effortlessly, sending the surrounding zombies sprawling. With Qing Dou and Li Huiyu flanking her, the group was well protected. Jiang Yi just needed to keep his head down and run...

“Ah, don’t bite me...”

“Wait for me! Please take me with you!” “I don’t want to die, I really don’t want to die!” After running barely two hundred meters, the four heard a chaotic commotion behind them. Turning around, they saw Dongfang Tian and his group wildly fleeing from the cafeteria!

A massive horde of zombies was crashing into the crowd! Those trapped inside the cafeteria collided head-on with the undead!

The zombies, starved and ravenous, seized the opportunity eagerly, ripping into the survivors with ferocious jaws.

Few managed to escape...

Hearing the agonized screams behind them, the four’s expressions changed drastically.

Guo Hanxue looked back and recognized some familiar figures disappearing into the zombie throng. Instinctively, she halted.

Jiang Yi grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”

Struggling, Guo Hanxue hesitated for a moment, but as more people were devoured, she shoved Jiang Yi away violently. “You run! I can’t just watch my comrades die like this!” Turning sharply, she charged back, her hands sweeping through the air as several wind blades pierced into the horde.

Jiang Yi’s eyes hardened with frost. “Damn woman, if you want to die, there are better ways!”

But he had already drawn his black blade, swinging it in a wide arc. The razor-sharp knife whistled through the air, slicing through three zombies instantly. Without hesitation, he spun around and followed her back.

Li Huiyu stared in shock. “Are you all insane? Saving people at a time like this?”

Qing Dou smiled, drawing his white katana. “This is what I call trusting my comrades!” He followed Jiang Yi’s footsteps into the fray.

“A bunch of lunatics!” Li Huiyu cursed under his breath and swiftly disappeared down the road.

With Jiang Yi, Qing Dou, and Guo Hanxue’s sudden return, they tore a wide breach through the zombie ranks ahead. Dongfang Tian and the others who had escaped first brightened at the sight — their despair flickered with a glimmer of hope.

All the powered fighters hacked at the zombies with frenzy. Even though Jiang Yi returned, he wasn’t the kind to heroically save everyone; he focused on blocking the scattered zombies at the front, giving the survivors a sliver of life.

Guo Hanxue understood Jiang Yi’s intent. Despite her concern for her comrades, she gritted her teeth and abandoned those clearly beyond saving.

The crowd and the zombie horde raced, pursuer and pursued, stretching several hundred meters apart.

By then, including Jiang Yi and his two companions, only about twenty survivors remained.

Among them were wounded, their fates uncertain.

The survivors gazed at Jiang Yi’s trio with deep gratitude.

Dongfang Tian, Li Zhitian, and Zhu Caijun’s faces darkened as they watched this scene, knowing that after this ordeal, Jiang Yi’s reputation would soar to unprecedented heights within the group.

And they might lose all leadership authority.

Li Gang looked painfully at the three who tirelessly handled the aftermath, then back at Dongfang Tian, who was only concerned with escape. A flicker of sorrow crossed his eyes.

With the support of Jiang Yi and the others, the fleeing survivors finally gained a buffer. Although zombies continued to attack from all sides, these were ordinary ones, manageable to handle.

Soon, the group fought and fled for several hundred meters. The zombies able to keep up dwindled, leaving only a few obviously advanced ones refusing to relent.

Jiang Yi eyed the pursuing advanced zombies with interest but knew he was no match for them now. Suppressing his desire for their experience and the valuable medicines they carried, he fiercely cut down the ordinary zombies with his blade.

They all ran madly forward, but Jiang Yi quickly noticed a problem: fatigue was causing some to lag behind.

Guo Hanxue and Qing Dou kept guarding around them, but their pace slowed steadily.

Knowing the group couldn’t fragment further, Jiang Yi swung his sword, blocking the path of Dongfang Tian and Zhu Caijun’s group.

Everyone stopped abruptly. Li Zhitian’s eyes reddened as he shouted furiously, “Move aside! Why are you blocking the way?”

Jiang Yi glared coldly, then looked at Dongfang Tian and Zhu Caijun. “Is this how you want to run? Haven’t you seen your own teammates can’t keep up? Are you really going to abandon them?”

It was only then that Dongfang Tian and Zhu Caijun glanced back. Their hearts sank — fewer than a third of those who fled with them remained, scattered and panting desperately behind.

Some exhausted survivors collapsed, unable to rise. Qing Dou and Guo Hanxue quickly dispatched the attacking zombies and pulled the fallen to their feet.

But even with their protection, people were constantly dragged away by zombies, their screams ending in death.

The group shuddered, their courage long shattered by the terror of the undead.

Li Zhitian roared, brandishing his blade. “What do I care? I can’t look after their lives!”

Dongfang Tian looked back again at the vanishing horde, realizing that if they kept running like this, none of his team would survive.

Resolute, he turned and led those behind him to fight the nearby zombies.

With Dongfang Tian and the others joining, Guo Hanxue and Qing Dou finally felt some relief.

Jiang Yi stood firm before Li Zhitian, coldly warning, “Either go back and save people, or die.”

“You...!” Li Zhitian opened his mouth to curse but was held back by Zhu Caijun, who forced a dry laugh. “We’re classmates. Of course, we won’t abandon anyone! Li Zhitian, hurry back and help!”

Jiang Yi stood behind the crowd, watching their reluctant faces with a coldness seeping deep inside. Was this the nature of humanity after the apocalypse? Would he soon become like them?

A sudden irritation welled up in his heart as he charged into the scattered zombies, wildly swinging his blade.

Li Zhitian and Zhu Caijun wielded their weapons to fend off attacks, exchanging glances.

With all powers combined, the battle was no longer one-sided.

Guo Hanxue and Qing Dou finally exhaled, noticing Jiang Yi behaving strangely. They hurried toward him.

Jiang Yi’s eyes burned red. A powerful advanced zombie before him showed little resistance to his frenzied assault. One stroke severed its arm; after three strikes, Jiang Yi, in a near madness, cleaved off its head.

Panting heavily as light spheres flowed into his body, his frenzied mood eased.

But before he could relax, a small figure shot from the horde.

Jiang Yi tensed instinctively, about to look up, but a zombie’s claw had already caught his forehead. He reflexively closed his eyes just as a white blade flashed from the side.

The swift advanced zombie howled miserably as its reaching arm was cleanly severed.

Jiang Yi kicked the zombie away, then breathed easier, glancing at the alert Qing Dou beside him.

“Thanks,” he said.

Qing Dou watched a zombie rising from the ground warily. “Jiang Yi, are you alright?”

Jiang Yi shook his aching left hand and stepped toward the swift zombie. “I’m fine, just a bit reckless earlier.”

The armless zombie gave a furious roar and charged again. Qing Dou and Jiang Yi struck simultaneously with their long blades.

The zombie tried to dodge, but no matter how fast it was, Jiang Yi’s speed surpassed it. His blade sliced into its shoulder, forcing it off balance. The black blade caught on bone, pinning it down.

Qing Dou leapt up and severed the zombie’s head.

Jiang Yi smiled suddenly, watching their seamless cooperation. What nonsense had he been worrying about? He was not Dongfang Tian, nor was Qing Dou Li Gang. At least he could entrust his back to Qing Dou and Guo Hanxue.

With this realization, Jiang Yi was startled to notice the zombie head at his feet and groaned, “Ah! Qing Dou, why are you stealing my kills again?”

Advanced zombies were precious to Jiang Yi, not only for experience but because he needed their rare medicines.

Qing Dou scratched his head sheepishly, grinning foolishly. Jiang Yi rolled his eyes. Seeing no immediate danger, he squatted to extract the corpse core from the zombie’s head. Though the medicine was gone, the corpse core was equally important, capable of enhancing Guo Hanxue’s strength.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Yi, as he unraveled his thoughts, a malicious presence nearby took notice of him.

Just as he picked up the corpse core, a blade flashed at the corner of his eye. Alert, he instinctively tried to retreat.

Suddenly, Li Zhitian’s furious roar shattered the air: “Scum, die!”

Jiang Yi looked up to see Li Zhitian crazed and triumphant, plunging his blade toward him.

Qing Dou’s eyes widened in shock as he shoved Jiang Yi aside. “Jiang Yi, watch out!”

“Thud!” The sharp katana pierced Qing Dou’s arm.

Jiang Yi staggered, then looked up in horror. Qing Dou’s arm was impaled.

Li Zhitian frantically tried to pull out his blade to strike a fatal blow.

“Get lost!” Jiang Yi’s fury exploded. In a flash, he was at Qing Dou’s side, grabbing his arm and kicking Li Zhitian hard.

Li Zhitian screamed and collapsed.

Pale-faced, Qing Dou stumbled back several steps, held firmly by Jiang Yi’s protective grip.