Chapter 509: One problem unresolved, another arises

Laughter seemed inherently at odds with the end of the world; as soon as people felt even a trace of joy, it was mercilessly stripped away.

The relaxed mood of the combatants spread to the ordinary members; everyone dismissed the snowfall as nothing serious—when suddenly, it happened! Clang! Clang…

The floor above was lively with noise when suddenly, loud pounding echoed from below, reverberating through the empty mall, plunging the entire building into silence.

Clang! Clang…

As people fell silent, the pounding grew even fiercer, as if trying to smash the door to splinters.

"What the hell is going on?"

Everyone exchanged glances, never linking the violent pounding to the ordinary zombies they'd faced before; in their minds, those zombies, even if they drifted near the mall, were just a disorganized mob—something they could easily handle with weapons once they were in the mood.

But reality wasn't what they expected—the zombies had come to them?

"That sound's coming from the back door—the front doors are all glass!"

Pan Guoliang licked his lips; he'd wandered through the LeGou Mall several times and had a basic grasp of its layout.

"The back door's been reinforced and still holds—should be…"

The former squad leader of the Survivor Alliance's search team hadn't finished speaking.

"Ahh!"

A piercing scream rose from below, sharp as a dagger piercing every heart.

"Someone got bitten? Who the fuck opened the door?!"

Wu Baokang recognized the scream instantly—it could only come from someone being devoured; only the agony of zombie bites produced that soul-crushing cry, for everyone shared the unspoken truth: once bitten, you were dead.

The scream wasn't from pain—it was from clinging to life.

"Did those zombies break in through the door?"

Yu Wen adjusted his glasses, staring into the pitch-black space below—he saw nothing, but sensed chaos on the first floor.

Aowu! Aowuwu!

As if deliberately answering Yu Wen's question, a chorus of zombie howls drifted up.

"Zombies broke in through the back door! Zombies!"

"No, no no no, ahh… help!"

"Everyone run! Get upstairs! The zombies are insane—they're jumping and hopping!"

At the same time, chaotic shouts reached their ears—terrified screams, people sprinting and knocking over objects, desperate pleas—suddenly, the mall erupted into pandemonium! Combat personnel were mostly concentrated on the third floor, while core members gathered on the fourth; the sudden change left everyone stunned.

Normally, the first floor had few people lingering, but today was different—earlier activities had taken place there, leaving many still present.

And these people became the zombies' first targets!

"Jumping and hopping? How the hell are they jumping and hopping?!"

Pan Guoliang instantly seized on the keyword, his face grim as he stared at the members of the Yama Army.

Lu Yubo scratched his head: "How can zombies jump and hop?"

"Of course they're enhanced, my brother!" Wu Lue, though lecherous, wasn't stupid—he immediately understood.

"We saw no changes before… Meixiangdaohaishiqianghuale …"

Zhang Ya clenched her lips, worried for herself—and for Wang Xin, still outside.

"Enhanced… Quick, quickly organize defense and counterattack!"

Yu Wen froze at the word "enhanced," then snapped to attention—now was no time for panic; he immediately ordered personnel deployment.

"Correct! All combat personnel, assemble! Commander Wu, do you have a way to light the area?"

Li Zongkai remembered Zhang Su's orders and did his utmost to assist Yu Wen.

"Yeah, who the hell—forget it, I'll do it myself, get out of the way!"

Wu Baokang had planned to order someone else to turn on the spotlight, but realized only the two former leaders' wives in the corner might know where the switch was—better to do it himself.

Wu Baokang went to turn on the lights; the LeGou branch's combat personnel and the Civil Guardians had never lowered their weapons—they sprang into motion, their rapid footsteps echoing with urgency, heightening tension.

The Yama Army members, needless to say, had already prepared for battle the moment they heard the pounding; though few in number, their readiness was flawless.

With a thud, a beam as thick as a bowl's mouth plunged from above—the high-power spotlight flared. The light was too concentrated, but through its diffused glow, they clearly saw the carnage on the first floor: from their angle, only two dozen zombies were visible, yet their speed far surpassed ordinary zombies; simple obstacles shattered before them, they charged through like hungry tigers, lunging at survivors, biting necks with brutal efficiency.

From first to fourth floor, the mall's floor-to-floor height was over twenty meters—equivalent to six stories of a regular apartment building—yet even from this distance, they could feel the zombies' bloodlust and madness; had they not seen those zombies arrive below, they'd never believe they were the same species.

"Are these zombies on drugs?"

Wu Lue couldn't help whistling; his combat strength was among the lowest of the Yama Army members left at LeGou, and seeing the zombies sprinting made him tremble.

"I don't know if zombies took drugs, but I think I need drugs to fight them…" Liu Tianji's dark humor.

"Damn, are these science department's test subjects?"

Pan Guoliang stared grimly at the explosion site upstairs—how many deadly things had they brewed in that lab?

"No. The zombies were enhanced by this snow!" Yu Wen, after analysis, answered firmly.

But answers didn't solve the problem…

"Can we handle them?"

"Feels like each zombie now equals three—can't beat them…"

"Hard to say—we've got so many people, and the Yama Army brothers are here. Should be fine."

The situation below made some combat personnel hesitate; all had basic judgment—the zombies in the mall were several tiers stronger than before; a single misstep in direct combat could mean death!

Of course, this didn't include the Yama Army—they held firm combat convictions and confidence in their skills.

"What the hell are you all good for? Only brave against the weak? Hard opponents make you cower? If you're cowards, drop your weapons, strip your pants, and go sell your ass at the Pleasure Den! Those with balls, follow me downstairs! Hmph!"

Wu Baokang returned, sensing the unease in the ranks; he looked at everyone with contempt, already despising the other combatants—now he showed it openly, spitting directly in front of those trembling soldiers.

"Shut your mouth, I'm not scared one bit!"

Lu Yubo raised his grain sampler, face defiant, suspecting the man was insulting him indirectly.

Wu Baokang sneered impatiently: "I'm talking about those cowards—don't start shit!"

"Chairman, what do we do?"

Wu Daqiang took a deep breath and looked at Li Zongkai.

"No other choice—steel your nerves and kill the zombies!"

Li Zongkai didn't hesitate; this decision wasn't about loyalty—it was based on facts. If they didn't fight together while they still had strength, they'd be picked off one by one!

"The zombies are enhanced, warriors—you are fearless, invincible! Believe me, we will defeat them! Charge!"

Yu Wen, seeing the zombies' transformation, felt the pressure—but he wouldn't retreat. Nor was he just shouting empty words; for the first time since arriving at LeGou, he picked up his rifle and sprinted for the stairs first—his movements swift, proving he was still formidable. Behind him, the remaining Yama Army members followed; the zombies were stronger, but if they fled now, who could still claim to be Yama Army?

Whether it was the woman Zhang Ya, or the technical members Wu Lue and Liu Tianji, all followed closely behind Lu Yubo and Pan Guoliang—faces grim, but feet unhesitant.

Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap…

Before they even reached the stairs, Tan HuaJun had already begun firing upstairs; after months of training, she understood her talent better, and with deliberate practice, her firearm skills had grown sharper.

A few shots down, she killed two or three zombies at once—but sadly, she couldn't save any ordinary members; these zombies had already completed their kills and were feasting, blood on their lips, human tissue caught in their teeth—horrifying.

"Good job, Fat Sister! You take the sniper position! Brothers, charge!"

Wu Baokang waved his arm and led the group toward the emergency stairwell.

No one questioned Tan HuaJun staying upstairs to shoot; before even engaging, she'd already scored kills—her marksmanship earned everyone's trust. Give her a rifle and a safe sniper perch, and she'd deliver maximum value! After this encouragement, even those afraid grew bolder; the zombies that had wandered from Taiyangcheng's pedestrian street numbered only a few dozen, and they had nearly fifty combatants—two against one shouldn't be a problem.

But they didn't know that as the mall's back door pounded, the first-floor lobby of the Freeport Office Building across the street had already shattered its five-ply board barricade—and zombies were pouring out in waves, too many to fit inside.

After spilling into the empty, ruined parking lot, the zombie horde stood dazed for a moment—then, from the LeGou Mall, came a chorus of terrified screams. The zombies turned in unison, flowing like water from both sides of the Freeport Office Building toward the mall.

The mall's combat personnel descended quickly; fifty of them met the first wave of zombies climbing the stairs on the second-floor landing! Previously, zombies could climb stairs, but due to stiff joints, they moved slowly, often tumbling and rolling, taking ages to reach one floor—now, they climbed swiftly!

"Don't shoot! You'll hit your own! Hand-to-hand! Hand-to-hand!"

Wu Baokang shouted loudly; he'd sprinted ahead of the Yama Army members, never expecting to collide head-on with zombies climbing up—the narrow, dark stairwell meant firing was suicide!

After warning his comrades, he leapt forward with a kick.

Thud! The zombie, poised to charge, took the kick squarely to the chest and flew backward, dragging several behind it into a tangle of rolling bodies, tumbling down to the halfway point of the first floor.

"Fucking hell!"

Wu Baokang didn't pause, drew the steel rod he'd brought from Tianma Yu, and plunged down straight at the zombies.

Just moments ago, those zombies had been tigers devouring civilians; now, fallen and helpless, they were lambs—and Wu Baokang was the ferocious tiger.

He'd been holding back rage since yesterday—couldn't beat Zhang Su, so he vented with words, only to have his mouth shut—now, he seized the chance to fully unleash it.

Splat!

With the force of his descent, the steel rod pierced a zombie's skull clean through, the rod clanging against the ground.

He shifted his stance, drew his newly reattached dagger, and stabbed at a nearby zombie still struggling to rise—but the bloody floor was too slick; he missed slightly, hitting only the neck—still enough to immobilize it.

Pfft! Pfft!

A second strike followed; the vengeful slaughter quickly stabbed the zombie to death.

"Damn, you're fast! Didn't even leave me one!"

Lu Yubo rushed forward with the main Yama Army group, only to find four or five zombies already dealt with by others—he hadn't even gotten a scratch.

"There's plenty outside for you to kill!"

Wu Baokang was speechless at Lu Yubo's overeagerness.

The corridor was narrow; the group surged into the first-floor lobby and immediately faced three fearless zombies charging them—two front-line combatants, confused and unprepared, were knocked down; this sight terrified everyone.

"Die!"

"Fucking—"

Wu Baokang and Lu Yubo stood beside the fallen men; they reacted instantly, attacking the zombies, while the two on the ground scrambled up, hearts pounding with relief.

Whether watching from above or during the brief clash in the stairwell, none had truly felt how much stronger the zombies had become—until a comrade was flung through the air!

Without the quick aid of these two warriors, they'd have died on the spot; yes, numbers helped—but even so, the zombies' enhancement could not be ignored…

"The zombies are far stronger than before—stay alert!"

Zhang Xin had just been in combat, his thigh struck by the flailing arm of a zombie; the force nearly knocked him down—something impossible in the past.

"I don't feel like they're that strong, brothers! Follow me—kill them!"

Wu Baokang, brimming with murderous intent, led his men charging out.

It must be said that the fifty-plus combatants were indeed fierce; they slaughtered over a dozen zombies on first contact. With numerical superiority and formidable combat power, the vicious zombies—once deemed unstoppable by ordinary members—fell one by one.

"I told you they're nothing special, haha."

"Get serious now, don't let joy turn to tragedy!"

Wu Baokang laughed loudly; nearby, Wu Daqiang frowned and warned him.

"What's there to fear? There's more over there—watch me…"

Before Wu Baokang finished speaking, he heard a clatter and crash…

A string of shattering glass echoed, signaling something far worse.

"Bad! The main gate's been breached!"

"Everyone run! A horde of zombies is pouring in!"

Someone on the second floor, who could see the mall's entrance, shouted—his voice trembling.

"Aren't those just the dozens from the pedestrian street? Where are these zombies coming from? Is someone playing games?"

Wu Baokang, under the dim light, saw the zombies surging through the main entrance—a dark, seething mass that reminded him of a discount rush; at least two or three hundred!

"Who the hell knows? Fuck!"

Zhang Xin gritted his teeth, his grip on his weapon slick with sweat.

They'd shouted loudly while killing zombies earlier, but in truth, they'd only taken down forty or fifty—roughly matching the number of combatants. Compared to yesterday's battle outside Tianma Yu, this record was negligible.

If another large horde appeared, they'd collapse! Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap…

Tan Hua's marksmanship was excellent, but he was handicapped by the lack of Zhang Su's superhuman vision; in the pitch darkness, aiming took time. Even so, his kill rate was astonishing—zombies fell one after another in the horde. Yet, compared to the number pouring in, his kills were but a drop in the ocean.

"Hurry, shoot! Fire! Fuck!"

Vrrrrt… vrrrrt…

Wu Baokang ignored everything else. Seeing zombies charging into the mall like madmen, he chambered a round and unleashed a full burst.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap…

Only a handful reacted immediately with firearms: besides Wu Baokang, only Wu Daqiang and DaNaoTou from the Civilization Guard, and Lu Yu, Pan Guoliang, and Zhang Ya from the Yama Legion.

Others were either in poor positions, afraid of hitting allies, or fumbling helplessly from inexperience…

Six guns, even if emptied, fired only about two hundred rounds. Blasting blindly at an endless horde was like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water.

True, some zombies fell from bullets—but had anyone precisely counted, they'd realize these six guns killed roughly the same number as Tan Hua had!

Howl… howl-howl…

The combatants were given no more time. After the first volley, the leading zombies turned and charged straight into the crowd! (End of Chapter)