“Chapter Twenty-Seven”

"Chapter Twenty-Seven"

"The cool night breeze was a whisper, and the bright moonlight bathed the silver-white RV."

"The RV was parked by the roadside, and inside, everyone was gathered for dinner, with Xiao Fu eagerly gobbling down his dog food from his bowl."

"Xu Fang, holding his bowl, suddenly raised a question, 'Granny Wu, what is your special ability?'"

Wu Shuangxue looked up, perplexed, "Didn't I tell you?"

"No?"

Ouyang Dong tilted his head in recollection, "I remember you immobilized that fusion-type zombie that day, but you indeed never mentioned it afterward."

Wudo, who had been looking down, looked up at her grandmother upon hearing this.

Wu Shuangxue laughed heartily, "Then I must have forgotten to tell everyone, I have psychic abilities."

"In Chuxi City, most abilities are elemental, with spatial and psychic types being relatively rare. Xu Fang knew there were a few psychics at the base, though their powers were said to be weak, offering little help in slaying zombies."

"But with Granny Wu being such a formidable person, her powers must certainly be impressive."

"After dinner, Wu Shuangxue proposed to demonstrate her abilities, arguing that as teammates, it was crucial not to solely focus on their abilities but to understand each other's, facilitating future collaboration."

"These days, with fewer cars on the road and the reduced zombie sightings, there was only the distant sight of one strapped by the seat belt in the driver's seat of a car."

"Xu Fang ran over to release the zombie, which, famished, staggered towards the group."

"Lin An, leading Xiao Fu, stood with a vacant expression outside the RV with everyone, watching the approaching ghastly zombie."

"When the zombie was five meters from the RV, it suddenly ceased all movement."

"Its face remained ferocious, but it was as if it had been frozen, motionless."

"Amazing, if we're surrounded by zombies, being able to stop them like this would make escaping much easier," Xu Fang marveled as he stepped closer to examine the zombie, waving his hand in front of it.

"How long can you maintain this state?" Shen Xiuze inquired.

"For one zombie at this distance, I can keep it still for three hours. If they're further away or more numerous, the duration decreases."

Shen Xiuze, observing the immobile zombie, suggested, "Your ability must go beyond just this."

Wu Shuangxue laughed heartily, a mischievous twinkle in her aged face, "Watch closely."

No sooner had she spoken than the previously motionless zombie began to dance, performing a robot dance with surprisingly adept and standard movements. Coupled with the inherent stiffness of a typical zombie, it presented an oddly harmonious sight.

Shen Xiuze: "..."

Wudo covered her face.

Xu Fang initially leaned in to observe a zombie closely, only to be startled as it suddenly started to move. He hastily retreated a few steps, but upon realizing that the zombie was actually dancing, he burst into laughter.

Ouyang Dong inquired, "Can you make the zombies act according to your will?"

Wu Shuangxue stroked her chin, "Indeed, although currently I can only manipulate one zombie, and without music, the effect is somewhat diminished."

Xu Fang, being closest to the zombie, watched for a while and chuckled, "Granny Wu, impressive! This dance moves clearly show some practice."

"Of course, there was a time when I reigned supreme in the dance halls!" Wu Shuangxue would have been ready to show off her moves if the setting had been appropriate and music available.

Apart from the zombie captured for dancing, there were no other zombies to be found on the street for a while, so tonight Xu Fang and the others only needed to practice their special abilities.

For Lin An, manipulating special abilities telekinetically was not a challenge. He progressed faster than Xu Fang, and coupled with his daily commitment to full-throttle learning, he had stopped practicing with others and instead emulated Ouyang Dong, squatting on the ground.

Ouyang Dong squatted there, his gaze intently fixed on a blade of grass, striving to exert his special ability.

The fragile grass trembled slightly, then grew a little, blooming with a small yellow flower atop it.

"Phew, that's exhausting." What seemed like a simple action left Ouyang Dong drenched in sweat. He stood up, planning to drink some water from the RV before continuing practice.

Lin An squatted nearby, zoning out. His ability couldn't make the grass bloom, so he just stared blankly at the ground, sometimes maintaining this posture for hours.

After Ouyang Dong left, Lin An slowly turned his head to look at the flowering grass, the tender yellow petals swaying in the wind, fragile yet tenacious.

His mind was in a haze, yet unexpectedly, he felt a twinge of envy at the scene of Ouyang Dong making the grass bloom and subconsciously mimicked his movements, exerting his ability towards the flower.

The tender yellow flower quivered rapidly, squeezing out a few droplets of water at the tip, after which the whole plant withered, its green leaves turning to a withered yellow, and the wilted flower fell to the ground.

With the breeze blowing, the dry, yellow leaves crumbled at a touch, dissipating in the wind, and the decayed flower scattered with them, blending into the dirt.

The few round droplets of water that hung in the air fell to the ground with a plop, absorbed by the soil.

The once resilient flower was now nowhere to be found.

Lin An stared blankly at the scene before him, his gaze drifting aimlessly for a long while, as if searching for the little yellow flower, but he couldn't find it.

Unaware of what he had done and unable to find the flower, he continued to space out until Shen Xiuzhe, who had come out to look for him, took him back.

"What about my flower? I just conjured one with my powers, but now I can't find it." Ouyang Dong felt puzzled as he patted his recently thinner belly, eventually giving up and deciding to find another spot to continue his practice.

Usually, at this time, they would be fighting zombies. With no zombies to deal with tonight, Grandma Wu and Shen Xiuzhe generously gave everyone a night off for some early rest.

However, the rest of the group, accustomed to their previous rigorous training, found themselves unable to sleep.

"Hey, hey, on this dark and windy night, why don't we tell ghost stories to liven things up?" Xu Fang suggested.

They had lit a fire outside the RV, and were seated around it. Hearing this, Grandma Wu, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned expressionless, leaning in to ask, "Are you sure? I know many ghost stories, some of which are not made up but actual experiences. Are you sure you want to hear them?"

The firelight illuminated half of her aged face, while the other half remained shrouded in shadow. Coupled with her stern expression, she looked somewhat eerie.

Swallowing hard, Xu Fang stammered, "Maybe, maybe we shouldn't..."

Successful in her prank, Grandma Wu immediately burst into laughter, as her granddaughter looked on helplessly at her grandmother scaring people.

Her hearty laughter was mixed with a few short, eerie chuckles.

Xu Fang felt a chill up his spine: "Grandma, please, no more scaring us."

Wu Shuangxue stopped, puzzled: "What's wrong?"

At that moment, the short, eerie laughter became distinctly louder, as if coming from afar, intermittent and piercing.

"Are there really ghosts?" Ouyang Dong immediately stood up.

Shen Xiuzhe also stood, searching around to determine the direction of the sound. "It's not a ghost, it's a pack of hyenas."

Little Fu had already scurried to his master's feet.

It was as if someone was laughing hysterically, the varying distances of the sounds indicating

that the hyenas were gradually drawing closer.

Shen Xiuzhe had encountered hyenas before. These creatures always moved in packs, hunting in groups, making them difficult to deal with, but now with their special abilities, an attack wouldn't be too hard to handle.

"Let's drive away now. Those creatures are tough to deal with in packs. We can shake them off by driving," suggested Wu Shuangxue.

Smelling the stench of blood and decay in the air, Shen Xiuzhe realized their worst fears were coming true: "It’s too late, and we can’t outrun them."

Finally, in the darkness, those with excellent night vision among the ability users could make out the hyenas’ forms.

Wu Duo’s lips quivered slightly: “What on earth is this?”

What emerged before their eyes defied description as a mere creature.

Dozens of hyenas, devoid of fur with flesh peeling away to reveal swathes of red muscle underneath, their eyes a turbid crimson, and their already sharp teeth protruding almost from their jawbones, looked more ferocious than ever.

Resembling demonic hounds from hell, this bloodied pack of hyenas was inching closer to the group.

Normally, wild beasts would give up chase once they couldn't keep up with a car, but these were clearly zombified hyenas, driven purely by their hunting instinct, devoid of any reason and relentless in their pursuit.

At the sight of these monstrosities, everyone tensed up instantly.

Since leaving the city, apart from the zombies and spiders on the roads, they had scarcely encountered other creatures. Xu Fang had harbored hope that maybe the animals in the wilderness wouldn't turn into zombies, but the bloody proof was now right before their eyes.

There were about eighty in number, a disparity so vast compared to their small group that it was downright despairing.

“Wu Duo, take Xiao Fu and lock yourself in the RV, and don’t come out,” Shen Xiuzhe whispered urgently.

Wu Duo pursed her lips, aware that she couldn’t yet contribute to the fight and would only be a hindrance. She retreated to Lin An’s side, reluctantly ushering Xiao Fu into the RV.

As everyone stood up, Lin An also rose, staring blankly at the stinking zombie hyenas and took a few steps back.

It wasn’t fear that moved him but his keen sense of smell; the stench carried by the wind was particularly offensive.

Shen Xiuzhe had wanted Lin An to join them inside, but it was still unclear whether the zombie hyenas were targeting them or Lin An specifically.

If they behaved like regular zombies, Lin An would be safe even outside, but if the hyenas were after him, it would be best for him to stay under the group’s protection.

Sharp, eerie laughter kept piercing the air from within the hyena pack as the zombified beasts closed the distance rapidly, almost without pause.

Unlike ordinary zombies, their running speed was astonishingly fast, even quicker than when they were alive, with even more agile control over their bodies.

The leading few suddenly leaped forward, their dense, razor-sharp fangs aimed at their prey.

They targeted every person present.

Lin An was not included; they couldn't detect the scent of the meteorite on him.

That was a relief.

As they pounced, flames shot up into the sky. The first few zombie hyenas that charged were caught in the fire, howling but not burned to death. Instead, they burst from the flames upon landing, their red muscular patterns charred black, and even the smell of roasting meat wafted among the stench.

The reaction speed of these zombie hyenas was too fast. The roaring flames created a chasm between humans and the undead beasts but couldn't suppress the monsters' bloodthirsty instincts.

The next moment, the hyenas charged again, this time changing direction, attacking from the sides where there were no flames.

"These creatures are fast, be careful not to get bitten," Shen Xiuzhe said with a steely gaze, drawing the knife he always carried at his side.

Wu Shuangxue previously gave one of her twin blades to her granddaughter for zombie-slaying practice. Just now, when Wu Duo returned to the RV, she handed it back to her grandmother.

The twin blades, thin and narrow, shimmered with a faint red glow. Holding them, Wu Shuangxue's demeanor transformed completely; from the kind and playful elderly woman she was moments ago, her gaze now icy, her drooping eyelids concealing cold, murderous intent. Imbued with battle spirit, she resembled a sharpened dagger ready to strike.

Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong also drew their knives. Having been fighting zombies for days, Shen Xiuzhe used materials stored in Wu Duo's space to forge blades for them. While not as fine as those he and Wu Shuangxue crafted with specially sought materials, these were significantly better than any crudely melted metal ones.

Their abilities had a delay, necessitating cold weapons against the alarmingly fast zombie beasts. A single bite, regardless of zombification, would mean losing flesh and bone at the very least.

Lin An looked at everyone poised for action, then at his empty hands.

He didn't have a knife.

The little zombie lowered its head in disappointment.

Shen Xiuzhe quickly discerned what was troubling the small zombie, but there was no time to console it as the zombie beasts were already charging from both sides, nearly upon them.

Wu Shuangxue was the first to act. Despite being in her seventies, she wielded her twin blades with astonishing proficiency, swiftly decapitating two zombie beasts in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, the others also sprang into action. Xu Fang, still unable to remotely control his abilities, had made significant progress. Crouching with a knife in one hand for defense and the other touching the ground, he caused the ground beneath the leaping zombie beasts to collapse, trapping them in a deep, narrow pit filled with sharp earthen spikes.

The beasts, impaled by the dense spikes, were alive but unable to escape.

Strangely, the most zombie beasts targeted Ouyang Dong, about ten attacking him simultaneously. Unable to capture all with his vine-manipulating abilities, in a critical moment, he wrapped himself in vines.

His speed at cultivating plants had also increased considerably; massive vines rapidly grew into a sphere, encasing him within.

All ten zombie beasts bit into the vines.

After dealing with the zombie beasts on his side, Shen Xiuzhe rushed over to assist Ouyang Dong.

The surroundings were chaotic with fire, soil, and plants in tumult, blades flashing, as zombie beasts launched relentless attacks, leaving the ground strewn with black-red blood and dismembered limbs.

Lin An stood aside, unassailed by the zombie beasts, as if to them, this sizable zombie was no more than thin air.

"Everyone is so busy."

"Only the little zombie girl stood out awkwardly, pinching the hem of her dress with her fingers."

"He stared blankly at the chaos around him, yearning to reach Shen Xiuze; after all, in the mind of the little zombie, Shen Xiuze was his barrier against filth. But now, he couldn’t cross the dirty ground."

"With everyone busy and nothing to do, the bored little zombie also busied himself."

"Several other zombies, hyena-like, lurked nearby, ready to pounce, but before they could attack their prey, they were already swept up into the sky."

"The water spout appeared so suddenly, without any warning, rising right beneath the feet of those hyena-like zombies."

"Caught in the massive torrent and lifted into the air, the zombie creatures cried out in terror."

"Hehehe."

"Having just killed a zombie creature, Xu Fang looked up to see the water spout not far away and hearing the cries of those hyena-like zombies, he shouted to Lin An, 'An-ge, that’s awesome! Listen to how happy those zombie creatures are, they’re all laughing.'"

"Lin An was still pinching the hem of his garment, paying no attention to the supernatural ability he had activated. The huge water spout, as if sentient, writhed on the ground, cleaning the scattered blood and limbs."

"As diligent as the little zombie himself."

"While everyone was fervently using their powers and blades to kill the zombie creatures, a few hyena-like zombies managed to circle to the rear, charging towards the RV."

"Udo had been lying at the window, anxiously watching the outside, her heart racing every time her grandmother and the others fought the zombies, not noticing the hyena-like zombies that had circled behind."

"Little Fu wanted to go out; although it was afraid, its owner was outside, and it wanted to be with them."

"It scratched at the door vigorously and tried to use its paws to open it, but the locked door wouldn’t budge."

"Suddenly, Little Fu seemed to sense something approaching and immediately turned to bark loudly in the other direction."

"Thud!"

"A muffled sound erupted outside; it was the zombie creatures trying to get in but were blocked by the vehicle’s body, which Shen Xiuze had reinforced with metal. It wasn’t easy to break through."

"Udo had been alert since she heard Little Fu’s bark and was only slightly startled by the impact sound, knowing that inside the vehicle was still safe and those zombie creatures couldn’t get in."

"Several zombie creatures, as if insensible to pain, kept ramming into the vehicle, but then it seemed they realized they could not shake the massive object, and the ramming noises ceased."

"But Udo did not relax, for these zombie beasts would not cease their pursuit until they were dead or had consumed them."

"The battle outside was at a stalemate. Despite everyone's prowess, the zombie beasts' tenacity and swift reactions meant they couldn't be dispatched as quickly as before."

"So, it wasn’t feasible for her to call for help."

"A thud! The sound came from above as a zombie beast leaped onto the roof of the vehicle."

"They prowled atop the vehicle, clawing fiercely, but the roof had been reinforced."

"Eventually, the zombie beasts found the RV's weakest point—the windows."

"Metal bars protected the windows, and although they were quite sturdy, they were the most vulnerable point compared to the rest."

"A zombie beast lunged, its sharp fangs biting down on the metal bars. For Udo, peering out the window, it seemed to be lunging directly at her, its pointed teeth gnashing close by, tearing at the bars."

"Each bar was nearly as thick as a forearm and should have been impenetrable, yet they began to warp under the relentless pulling and tearing of the zombie beast."

"She watched in horror as the zombie beast broke its teeth yet refused to let go."

"Udo pulled a spray can from her space and aimed it at the window."

"She and her grandmother had found it while scavenging. Although it had sat unused since joining Shen and the others, she figured it should work on a zombie beast."

"If that didn’t work, she’d have to pull the zombie beasts into her space."

"Currently, she had to touch objects to collect them, and using this as a combat tactic was out of the question; she risked getting her hand bitten off by the faster-reacting zombies."

"When the day came that she could collect items from a distance, she might join the fight."

"The others had noticed the zombie beasts attacking the RV but were too entangled in their own continuous battles to intervene."

"Wu Shuangxue seemed anxious; after immobilizing the zombie beast in front of her, she tried to rush to the RV but was intercepted by several more."

"After stopping these new assailants, she finally made it to the RV and, wielding dual blades, slashed at the zombie beast tearing at the window."

"Perhaps realizing that the two individuals inside the vehicle were softer targets than the tough nuts outside, a portion of the hyena-like zombie dogs rushed towards the RV."

"Zombie beasts were trying to tear and pull at the windows on both sides."

"And the number of zombie beasts besieging Wu Shuangxue was growing."

"Shen Xiuze dispatched the creature before him and immediately returned, but the RV seemed to be overrun by hyena-like zombie dogs, with every surface covered; even if he helped Wu Shuangxue out of her predicament, the protective bars on the RV's windows had already been torn down."

"Udo wasn’t afraid; she was ready to use her spray to kill the zombie beasts the moment they broke through the windows."

"Shen Xiuze watched the growing number of zombie beasts on the RV, a glint of cold ferocity in his eyes. He wielded a knife in one hand and slapped the RV with the other."

"In an instant, the reinforced metal surrounding the RV came to life."

"All the reinforced metal smoothly detached from the RV, causing the zombie beasts standing on it to fall to the ground."

"The metal that fell seemed to melt like it was exposed to high temperatures, gradually losing its shape and turning into a pool of molten iron."

"Just as the zombie beasts were about to continue their assault on the now unprotected RV, the molten iron rose, solidified, and eventually formed a giant iron figure."

"It was like an enlarged version of the little iron man Shen Xiuze had demonstrated to Xu Fang before."

"With a rounded head and limbs but no facial features or other details."

"The iron figure stood taller than the RV, extended a fist, and smashed the zombie beast that was about to break through the window into a pulp."