Chapter 580 - 500: I’m Back!
"I can't go on..."
After taking down another zombie, Wu Baokang, their strongest warrior, suddenly saw darkness before his eyes. In his disoriented state, he was fully aware that this was a sign he was nearing his limit; his body was on the verge of collapse.
He could only continue to endure through sheer willpower and the desire to survive. The moment he entertained the thought, "To hell with it, living is so tiring, might as well die," he would fall immediately!
Second strongest, Lu Yubo, was still battling fiercely. His lips and arms were trembling, and his clothes were gone, leaving only the bulletproof vest made from petrified zombie skin. With its incredible defense, he could hold on a bit longer, but death was just within reach.
The motivation that kept him fighting came from his unwillingness to give in. The woman he loved hadn't been won over completely, the figure he chased was becoming more distant, and the beauty he longed for hadn't been tasted.
"Xinxin... farewell forever."
Zhang Ya silently recited in her heart as she withdrew the steel rod from the zombie's head, feeling all her strength drained. At that moment, she truly wanted to give up. Knowing she was about to die, she thought it would be better to go in comfort; why suffer before death?
"My wrong decision has cost everyone their lives; I have failed Mr. Zhang's trust..."
"Brother Su... Damn, if Brother Su were here, these zombies would be nothing but crap!"
Upon hearing Yuwen mention Zhang Su, Lu Yubo suddenly gained strength. He kicked away a zombie's head, then shoved his left forearm into the mouth of another lunging zombie. The bite, through the bulletproof vest, was not painful but slightly ticklish. His right hand quickly jabbed the food sampler upwards, slaying another zombie.
What stood before him were no longer counters or chairs but a pile of zombie corpses, stacked up to more than half a person's height!
"Ah, King Yama, you were so tough when you beat me; now, when I need you to save my life, where are you? If you've got the guts, come on!"
Wu Baokang felt a surge of frustration when he heard Lu Yubo and others shout for Zhang Su, wondering if he had that man's power, maybe he had a chance to survive?
Bzzz, clang, boom, crash...
Just as everyone stood on the edge of despair, about to fall into the abyss of death, the glass curtain wall of the mall's first floor was violently impacted. The sound was crisp, shards flying, as several zombies were rammed into the mall by a car's front, their heads spinning. Though not killed instantly, they were crushed and immobilized.
Simultaneously, car headlights pierced into the mall through the gaps, beams of light materializing in the Tyndall effect. In front of the headlights were flailing zombie arms, the chaotic shadows like demonic claws, stirring people's heartstrings.
Darkness and light, complete opposites, where the dark instilled fear with its frenetic chaos, the light, breaking through the darkness, crushed the demons' faces, bringing hope. The fighters felt a heavy tremor in their hearts at that glimmer of light, and everyone silently questioned.
Have reinforcements arrived?
"I'm back, brothers, hold on!"
A high-pitched voice pierced through the zombie howls, striking the eardrums of the desperate crowd.
"It's Brother Su, it's Brother Su's voice!"
Lu Yubo's eyes nearly popped as he roared wildly, veins bulging on his neck as a surge of heat flowed from his dantian, instantly spreading throughout his body, bringing his strength back!
"Thank heaven... everyone, hang in there, Yama has returned to save us, hold on!"
Yuwen stood bewildered for a second, unsure where the strength came from as he raised his arms in a rallying cry, only to be pounced on by a zombie, hitting the ground hard. He felt his chest being bitten, but thankfully the petrifying skin protected him; otherwise, he'd be dead again!
"Teacher Yu!"
Zhang Ya cried out in shock, having also lost focus for a moment, fearing it was a hallucination until a beam of light stabbed into her eyes, confirming everything was real. Seeing Yuwen under attack, she quickly went to rescue him.
"Hahaha, Yama has returned, everyone, give it your all, hold on!"
Wu Baokang, with scratch marks on his head and face full of blood, was at his peak of excitement, more explosive than when he first rushed down the stairs.
Li Zongkai, Zhang Xin, and Wu Daqiang felt their hearts tremble at Zhang Su's voice, as if their bodies automatically dug deep for hidden strength, trying hard to carry them through this final hurdle!
"Finally here, made it just in time, thank goodness."
On the fourth floor, Tan Huajun's tears welled up.
After she sent out the message, a reply soon came, but with only four simple syllables: almost there.
'Almost' was too vague; Tan Huajun dared not reflect on it, nor did she inform everyone to avoid raising false hopes and slacking off. Survival through adversity was the premise for a sliver of hope.
Though not in close combat, just before the car crashed into the mall, she had run out of bullets, with a zombie kill count unmatched by anyone. Hearing Zhang Su's voice, she clutched the calipers that had accompanied her and sprinted toward the safety passage.
She was serious about killing zombies, driven by a strong belief that she mustn't die here and must return alive; her daughter needed her.
Swish! Swish!
Two cold glimmers flashed, sending two zombie heads flying askew, like pineapples tossed in Fruit Ninja, as two headless bodies fell to the ground...
Zhang Su, gripping the dog leg military saber in his right hand, its sharp blade gleaming, held an unadorned but heavy steel rod in his left. He leapt from the car and swiftly dispatched two charging zombies. Seeing the countless zombies lurking in the interplay of light and darkness ahead, his heart sank heavily.