Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

Professor Lin approached slowly, his gaze fixed on Lin An. He doubted his eyes, as the suspected zombie quietly stood behind Shen Xiuzhe, neither lunging to attack nor biting anyone.

Full of confusion, he walked up to Shen Xiuzhe and realized everyone else seemed unsurprised, even Wu Shuangxue, making him understand that this zombie-like person was part of their group.

"Is he a zombie?" Professor Lin asked, puzzled.

At this moment, everyone was gathered around Shen Xiuzhe, inquiring how he got there, completely forgetting that Lin An was also following.

Whenever they went out, Lin An would quietly cling to Shen Xiuzhe like a little mushroom, so well-behaved that everyone got used to it. Now, others had finally noticed.

Wu Shuangxue, still weak from the earlier battle, saw her old friend's confusion and explained, "He is a zombie, but as you can see, he's different from the ordinary ones. He doesn't attack people."

Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong frantically signaled each other. They had forgotten Professor Lin was there. Was it still possible to escape now?

"Why doesn't he attack people? Is it a mutation? Have you been traveling with him all this time? What does he eat? Is he a family member of one of you?" Professor Lin bombarded them with questions, encountering a non-aggressive zombie for the first time.

Lin An, feeling the intense gaze, shrank back, attempting to use Shen Xiuzhe as a shield. The oblivious Professor Lin stepped forward, bringing Lin An back into view.

Lin An wouldn't have reacted so strongly to the others present, as he had grown accustomed to them during their journey.

Meanwhile, a stranger, whom he had never seen before, was staring intently at him. Even with his head lowered, Lin An could feel the gaze, causing his eyelashes to tremble. The next moment, Professor Lin's glasses fogged up, obscuring his vision.

"Huh? Why can't I suddenly see clearly?"

Shen Xiuzhe's lips curled slightly. It seemed that Lin An, now sentient, knew how to block others' gazes and hide from them, a significant improvement from his previous panic and constant hiding.

Wu Duo cleaned Professor Lin's glasses while Granny Wu explained Lin An's peculiar behavior.

Now, the residents of Mechanical City had been evacuated. Apart from Central Street, there was a construction site in Mechanical City for a second safety base to prevent accidents. The base, shaped like an inverted bowl with enclosed sides and top, was still under construction and empty.

While Wu Shuangxue explained, Professor Lin led them to another safe base. He was intrigued by Lin An's change but, being solely focused on mechanics and clueless about other fields, he only wondered if other zombies could transform similarly.

His disappointment was evident when he received a negative response.

Many people were sitting in the base, the remaining survivors of Mechanical City. Compared to a populous city like Chuxi City, Mechanical City had far fewer people.

The survivors stayed here, surrounded only by lights and robots. The sealed top and sides of the base felt like a massive prison, evoking a sense of oppression and despair.

Who could have imagined that the zombies would return, more formidable than before, leaving the survivors in a state of panic, uncertain of what to do.

Many had witnessed during their escape that not even robots could overcome these zombies; so now, with the zombies possibly on their way, was this place still safe?

Professor Lin, leading Shen Xiuzhe and the others to the safe zone, was met with eyes sparkling with surprise and hope from the survivors upon his arrival.

The presence of the Professor might imply that the zombies had been eradicated.

Many were eager to approach, desperate for an answer to soothe their restlessness and unease.

But the group surrounding the Professor was imposing enough to deter them; these unfamiliar faces with overpowering auras were not to be trifled with.

Having battled countless zombies over half a year, the group's aura, steeped in blood and severity, was daunting even to approach. Even the youngest, Udo, carried a composure and vigilance beyond her years.

They had grown accustomed to this; most from Dawn City had endured similar trials, but to the uninitiated of Mechanical City, these seasoned warriors seemed particularly formidable.

Moreover, Shen Xiuzhe's inherently mocking visage, Xu Fang's ruffian-like appearance, and Ouyang Dong's burly form stood like grim reapers beside Professor Lin, discouraging others from getting too close.

"Professor Lin, are the zombies... are they dead?" a survivor asked from a distance.

With a solemn face, Professor Lin confirmed, "They are dead. It was them who killed the zombies."

The Professor intended to make known the existence and strength of those with abilities, although he was not adept at communicating, leaving it at that without further elaboration.

The survivors smiled tentatively at these intimidating figures, but Shen Xiuzhe's group was unimpressed.

These survivors, coddled and complaining, demanding rights and privacy, why didn't they demand these from the zombies? Smiling was hardly a possibility when facing such ungratefulness; they were lucky not to have been chastised.

Another survivor, her face streaked with tears, was in distress; her husband had just been devoured by zombies, his remains unknown. In her confusion, she confronted Professor Lin, "Why did zombies suddenly appear? Aren't the robots on constant patrol? Why didn't they detect those zombies?"

Her tone carried blame and interrogation.

Professor Lin regarded her for a moment, remembering all their names. He had discovered her husband's body on Central Street, which had since been cremated outside the city by robots. He was powerless to change this, having failed to detect the zombies in the sewers himself.

"I'm sorry," was all he could offer.

"With so many robots patrolling, how could zombies breach our defenses? Aren't those robots supposed to be powerful? What exactly are you doing?" The woman's repeated questions were a lamentation of her grief, a venting of her pain.

Professor Lin sighed, "I apologize for my negligence."

Ouyang Dong, who understood the pain of losing loved ones, felt a surge of frustration seeing the aged Professor Lin apologizing continuously. He questioned the woman, "Why didn't you protect your own family?"

The woman was stunned, replying instinctively, "We couldn't defeat the zombies. When they charged at us, my husband had just fallen, and then he was..."

She choked up, unable to continue, while those around her comforted and patted her shoulder.

"Where were you when he fell? Why didn’t you go back to save him? The attackers were mostly ordinary zombies, slow-moving. Just holding them off could have bought your husband time," Ouyang Dong asked coldly. His usually smiling, round face seemed friendly, but with a stern expression, he exuded a formidable presence.

"I... Those were zombies, mindless and biting anyone they see. How could we possibly fight them? All the robots near us were broken, no one came to save us."

"Back then, Center Street was littered with weapons – damaged robots, chainsaws, firearms. Just picking up any could have been used to fight the zombies. You’re quick to blame Professor Lin, but did you ever consider that you were the closest to your husband? A little resistance could have saved him. He was your relative. Didn’t you have the courage to protect him?"

Ouyang Dong knew he was being aggressive, but it bothered him deeply. There was a chance, just a bit more time could have saved lives. He no longer had such opportunities, but the people of Mechanical City did. He had seen it on the surveillance – in the face of zombies, everyone panicked and fled, only thinking of themselves. And now they dare question Professor Lin, who isn’t omnipotent and can’t be everywhere at once.

The woman opened her mouth, then after a long pause, said, "It was too chaotic to think of others."

Udo added, "If you could see your husband being attacked after falling, it means you weren’t far from him. Didn’t you think of going back to save him?"

This time, the woman had no response. She truly hadn’t thought of rescuing anyone, consumed with thoughts of where the robots were and why they hadn’t come to save people, never considering doing it herself.

A bystander, unable to watch in silence, defended, "Usually, the robots protect us. Isn’t the sudden appearance of so many zombies in Mechanical City a failure of the robots? Who are you people, anyway? I’ve never seen you before. Why are you so confrontational towards a woman who lost her husband? She didn’t want this to happen."

Xu Fang waved his hand dismissively, “Oh, we’re from Dawn City. We came to ask Professor Lin for help. Don’t worry, the robots won’t fail again. Professor Lin is planning to take them with us to build a new city. You’ll have to fend for yourselves then.”

The previously calm survivors suddenly became agitated, frantically asking what was happening.

Professor Lin, looking thoughtful, glanced at Xu Fang and softly said to the crowd, "Indeed, I am considering visiting Dawn City."

He truly wanted to see it. His over-intervention had led to Mechanical City’s people lacking resistance against zombies and not knowing how to use their abilities. He was curious about Dawn City, which, as they said, was overwhelmed with zombies, too many for even elementalists to handle, necessitating the building of a new city.

The people here didn’t need him anymore. He developed robots to better serve humanity, and perhaps Dawn City needed these robots now.

“But what will we do if you leave?”

"What if the zombies come again?"

"And the robots? Are all of them being taken away?"

"No, I disagree. How can we survive without the robots?"

"You can't leave."

The crowd bombarded with questions and objections, but Professor Lin remained calm. He was not easily swayed by external influences, possessing a strong and resilient inner core. Although not much of a speaker or manager, his decisions were firm and unchanging.

"I was wrong from the beginning. Using robots to kill zombies seemed effective but dulled everyone's spirit and hindered the training of their special abilities. Before I leave, I'll recheck the city's sewers to ensure today's incident won't recur. Then, elect some administrators and establish necessary rules and regulations. The rest, you can manage on your own."

Xu Fang hadn't expected his bluster to actually influence Professor Lin's decision. But it was for the best. The elderly professor had no obligation to protect them, and Xu was tired of people taking his protection for granted and being overly critical.

The survivors grew more agitated, some even trying to physically stop Professor Lin.

As they were close to Professor Lin, the crowd inadvertently surrounded Lin An and the others too.

The socially anxious little zombie, hiding behind Shen Xiuzhe, trembled with fear. Even though he wasn't the focus of attention, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Suddenly, a wall of water rose from the ground without warning, separating Professor Lin and his group from the survivors.

"What is this?"

"What's happening? Who did this?"

The survivors were startled by the sudden appearance of the water wall. Staring in disbelief, they knew some of them were water element users, but their abilities were limited to producing mere droplets of water, nothing close to this scale.

Professor Lin turned to look at his companions. The earlier water tornado and this water wall were clearly conjured by the same person, but he was still unaware of who it was.

Wu Shuangxue pointed at Lin An, "He doesn't like being watched. But today's water is quite mild. Usually, he would've already swept everyone into the sky with a water tornado."

Are zombies really that powerful now?

Today was the first encounter with a special type of zombie. They hadn’t yet processed its formidable strength, and now they learned of non-harmful zombies, even ones with personalities. Mechanical City had indeed been too isolated.

The survivors who had been clamoring moments before were now silent, shocked. Among them were many elementalists, yet none with such power. They could only watch, unable to approach the professor, separated by a wall of water.

Free from the scrutiny, Lin An finally relaxed. Though still hesitant to come out, he stopped trembling.

Xu Fang gave Lin An a thumbs-up, "Ange, impressive! A water wall scared them off." He knew Lin An did it out of fear of people, but it worked effectively.

Ouyang Dong gazed at the blurry figures beyond the water wall. Although their expressions were indiscernible, he could imagine their fear and surprise: "Do you know? In Chuxi City, every foray for supplies results in deaths. Just a few minutes outside, and zombies surround you, from dawn to dusk, endlessly. We had no Professor Lin, no robots to assist, only ourselves. You're lucky; by the early apocalypse, the zombies were dealt with. But Professor Lin isn't your parent, there's no need to care for you forever."

The survivors dared not contradict, even if they had their own thoughts, afraid to speak them before this formidable group. They knew these people were formidable, capable of killing terrifying zombies, and taking human lives would be just as easy. Naturally, they didn't want to stand out.

In the past six months, Professor Lin also realized the flaws in his management. Previously focused solely on research, suddenly managing a city full of wounds and problems, he had no choice but to operate mechanically. He thought about delegating this burden to someone more suitable, but no one was there to take over. Moreover, only he could modify the programs and repair the damaged robots he had developed, as all other scientists and assistants had perished at the apocalypse's onset.

He was already seventy-eight, his health declining, unsure of the day he might die, unable to continue protecting these people. Knowing that humans could be stronger than zombies, he should let go and spend his last days on more important matters.

Originally, Shen Xiuzhe, after killing zombies, wanted to buy weapons and robots from Professor Lin and leave the city, but ended up being brought here instead. Since he was an acquaintance of Granny Wu, it wasn't easy for him to just leave.

Lin An, hiding behind Shen Xiuzhe, kept his head down, watching a dog's tail wagging nearby. Suddenly, he sniffed a foul smell and frowned.

After turning into a zombie, Lin An's sense of smell became extremely sensitive. He could smell not only the flesh of nearby humans but also the stench of sewage slowly approaching.

It was getting closer, as if right underfoot. Lin An, disgusted, frowned and slowly scanned around, finally fixing his gaze on a sewer pipe.

This place was originally intended to be a fortress of copper walls and iron barricades, a final stronghold for survival. In case of issues in the city center, it could shelter all residents, but now, it was just an empty shell, unfinished.

According to the plan, it would take another six months to install all the various equipment and facilities inside. With zombies suddenly appearing, everyone had to be temporarily accommodated here, waiting to return once the city center was cleared.

Hence, the ground here, as per the original design, was lined with many pipes, connecting the water inlets and sewage outlets. Now, these pipes were filled with zombie rats.

The previously seen fusion zombies could freely enter and exit through the narrow pipes, bringing back captured humans to their nests for consumption, shared with other zombies. The remaining scraps and bones were consumed by the zombie rats.

Due to the availability of food, other zombies and zombie rats in the sewers were relatively docile. But now, with the fusion zombies dead, the sewer-dwelling zombie rats, sensing the loss of their food-bringing counterparts, began to seek the source themselves.

The narrow pipe openings were too small for these mutated rats, now the size of adult dogs. These giant zombie rats, with their sharp teeth, gnawed at the sewer openings, trying to climb up.

The small pipe openings couldn't accommodate these mutated rats, about the size of adult dogs. The giant zombie rats, using their sharp teeth, chewed at the sewer openings, attempting to crawl up.

Lin An not only smelled their foul odor but also heard the distinct gnawing sounds on the pipes. Previously, his brain ignored everything except specific words, but now, with his consciousness restored, he could hear much more.

The incessant nibbling sounds lingered in his ears. Lin An disliked these irritating noises and the decayed, putrid smell of the rats. Clutching Shen Xiuzhe's clothes, he pursed his lips as the water wall in front of them gradually lowered and finally vanished.

Shen Xiuzhe turned to Lin An. The water wall didn’t require much of his special powers, so had Lin An deactivated it himself?

The others also looked at Lin An, puzzled why he suddenly stopped using his powers, especially with so many people around.

Those with special abilities had sharper hearing than ordinary people. Shen Xiuzhe and the others quickly heard sounds emanating from the ground, dull yet seemingly close.

Shen Xiuzhe was the first to realize the sounds were coming from beneath them. Then the ground began to tremble, and everyone noticed the anomaly.

"Retreat, don't cluster in the middle, stick to the nearest wall!" Shen Xiuzhe shouted, immediately pulling Lin An back with him.

They had been close to a wall when they entered. Just a few steps back, and they were leaning against it, while Xu Fang and others quickly retreated following Shen Xiuzhe's command.

Wu Shuangxue, accompanying Lin Huai, also retreated together.

The other survivors, unaware of what was happening but sensing the unusual tremors, thought it was an earthquake and scrambled in all directions, leaving a large space empty in the middle.

The shaking continued, growing more intense. The ground in the middle, unable to withstand it, began to bulge and eventually cracked open.

In an instant, under everyone's horrified gaze, a massive column of water burst through the ground.

Those caught off guard were swept against the walls by the water, unharmed but disheveled.

Amid the roaring water column, seven or eight giant zombie rats were mixed in, scattering in panic as the water subsided.

These zombie rats, grotesque and terrifying like the zombie hyenas Lin An and his group had encountered, had mottled grey fur with their red muscle tissue visibly exposed, and their massive incisors and sharp molars were a chilling sight, even for those accustomed to zombie hyenas, let alone the survivors of the mechanical city who had rarely seen zombies.

A tiny mouse could frighten many; now, these giant mottled rats scurrying around at astonishing speeds caused an uproar of terrified screams.

The zombie rats, startled by the sudden water spout, scurried away, and the humans, frightened by these rats, also fled in all directions, plunging the vast space of the fortress into chaos.

Lin An had merely rinsed the gnawing rats underground with water, but it seemed they were not thoroughly cleaned, as their foul smell lingered, seemingly marinated by the sewer's odor, impossible to wash away.

Should he wash them again?

Before the slow-to-react Lin An could ponder this question, others had already taken action.

Xu Fang used his powers to manipulate the ground, cutting off the zombie rats' escape routes, while Ouyang Dong pierced the rats' bodies with his remaining vines, skewering them together.

Wu Shuangxue immobilized the rats as they attempted to attack fleeing people, buying time for others.

Shen Xiuzhe effortlessly tore a piece of metal from the wall behind him, handling the thick and hard metal as if it were fragile paper, and flung sharp metal shards, manipulated as if they were sheets of paper.

As if sentient, the metal shards weaved through the crowd, heading straight for the zombie rats, each shard claiming a rat's head with ease.

In the blink of an eye, the zombie rats, which had terrified everyone, were all dead.

These zombie rats had no special abilities other than their speed, presenting no real challenge to Shen Xiuzhe and the others.

With the crisis averted, those who had been screaming and fleeing moments ago now stopped, staring at the corpses of the zombie rats, still in a daze.

Had those terrifyingly large rats just died like that?

Killed by those few people?

Previously, when facing special-type zombies, everyone was too preoccupied with reaching the safety base under the protection of robots to pay attention to the zombies' extermination. Most had not seen how the zombies were killed, and even though they knew from Professor Lin that these strangers had done it, they had no real sense of it.

Now, the ghastly zombie rats were right before their eyes, more terrifying than any undead they had encountered, yet these monstrous creatures were dispatched with ease by a few individuals.

Who are these people? How are they able to slay the zombies? Was that display of power a moment ago a form of special ability?

The sight of the zombie rats' bodies, torn asunder, and the one-sided battle that had just taken place, left an indelible impact on them.

It turns out, humanity is capable of such feats.