Chapter 505: The God of Jinxes

"Big brother, these things are too freakish. The bastards are driving us to our deaths!"

Zhang Su kicked the corpse of a zombie beside him twice, venting the frustration in his heart. He had fought with abandon just moments ago, but looking back, he felt a lingering fear. If he hadn't been diligent in his training over the past few months, he truly wouldn't have been able to keep up with the zombies' evolution!

Everyone had a clear sense of their own standing. Zhang Su understood perfectly well what level the combatants at Lishan were at; if even he found it difficult, it went without saying for the others.

"Yeah, this snow... sigh, it's so annoying!"

Zheng Xin furrowed her small brows and sighed at the sky. She trained very hard, but she had still felt the danger just now. She primarily relied on a technical style, using various skills to kill zombies, but in the face of such speed and strength, the effectiveness of technique was diminished, or even rendered useless.

Looking at Tachibana Maiying, who remained calm and composed after the battle, she felt that she might have to switch to a power-based style in the future...

Qi Xiaoshuai rubbed his legs, his expression strange as he said, "I think the biggest problem is that the zombies are getting faster and faster. This is turning into *Train to Busan*, which makes me very awkward."

(A quick patch: Qi Xiaoshuai was missed in the previous writing.) His strength lay in running; whether it was short-distance bursts or long-distance endurance, he was very skilled. In the past, he had felt confident when encountering zombies—if he couldn't win, he could just run. But now that the zombies' speed had increased, his advantage was shrinking.

"It's fine, we still have this to use."

Chen Hanzhou tapped his head with his mechanical prosthetic limb.

Zhang Su put away his weapon and took a deep breath, looking at the group. As their leader, he had to maintain an uplifting attitude. He revealed a resolute smile and encouraged them: "Humanity survived from the prehistoric era; our genes are filled with resilience. Such minor difficulties cannot defeat us! Little Chen is right; zombies are nothing more than monsters with well-developed limbs. We are humans with intellect. As long as we pool our wisdom, unite as one, and utilize our respective strengths, there will always be a way to resolve this crisis!"

"Zombies are nothing!" Liu Yao shouted, waving his arms. "We are the strongest. Look, didn't we just stab them all to death? Even if there are stronger zombies, we won't hesitate!"

"Pah, pah, pah! You can skip the last two sentences!"

Yang Xin looked at Liu Yao with great dissatisfaction. His words were indeed meant to boost morale, but if they came true, it would be a disaster!

"This was a sudden encounter, and we didn't have much of an advantage. If we prepare defensive positions in advance and utilize various fortifications and weapons, these enhanced zombies are nothing to fear! As the days go by, we will kill more and more zombies, and the surviving ones will become fewer and fewer. We will eventually see the rainbow after the rain!"

Zhang Su hadn't liked giving pep talks or making empty promises in the past, but these tactics were sometimes very effective. Facts proved that everyone needed verbal encouragement, and the fear and panic on their faces slowly faded.

Everyone was willing to believe Zhang Su's words, even if the process was arduous. Whether they themselves would live to see the rainbow was unknown, but someone certainly would! After calming the group's emotions, Zhang Su looked at Liu Yao and Yang Xin with suspicion: "Which one of you used to claim this residential complex?"

Yang Xin pointed at Liu Yao with an annoyed expression: "His."

"Heh heh... Brother Su, are you asking why there are so many zombies in here?"

Liu Yao gave a dry laugh and explained quite self-consciously: "Killing zombies always carries a certain risk for us. If we can avoid killing them, we don't. We use areas we've already searched to trap them. When we run out of coal, we take some out to kill and use as fuel. We haven't had any problems before..."

Zhang Su shrugged, noncommittal. Every survivor camp had its own way of surviving. The method used by the Eagle Society was understandable, but they were just unlucky to have run into this today.

"If we had known these zombies would turn into what they are today, we definitely would have killed them all, killed, killed... holy shit!"

Liu Yao was pointing at the complex while speaking when he suddenly saw an unusual figure appear behind the gate. He was so scared that his face turned from earthy yellow to deathly pale.

"Damn you, you really are the God of Jinxes from Ancient Greece!"

Yang Xin looked in the direction Liu Yao was pointing, his face twisting.

Zhang Su, who had been facing away from the gate, turned around quickly when he saw their expressions. He saw a sturdy figure over two meters tall swaying as it appeared beside the gate. Because there was a guard booth nearby to serve as a reference, its height was easy to judge! This zombie hadn't been this big before; the clothes on its body had been stretched to the point of tearing, leaving only dirty strips of cloth hanging on it. Although its physique was sturdy and its limbs well-developed, its head was the same size as a normal person's. Unlike the withered, blue-gray appearance of ordinary zombies, its entire body was a pale brown, lacking the previous withered look, and it looked somewhat like hard rock.

"Is this what you meant just now when you said we wouldn't be afraid even if stronger zombies came? Are you afraid now?"

Tachibana Maiying's cold voice sounded in Liu Yao's ear.

"I... I was just talking nonsense."

His expression was extremely strange, like someone on New Year's Eve who had just been sentenced to immediate execution.

"Comrade Liu Yao, I solemnly notify you: starting today, it is law that you are not allowed to make any more flags. No promises, no oaths, no prophecies, or anything of the sort!"

Zhang Su lowered his voice, his eyes fixed on the massive figure. Ordinary zombies were now comparable to the old burning zombies after being enhanced. This thing looked dull and clumsy, but anyone with a brain knew it was unusual; its combat power would only be more exaggerated.

"This guy... could it be a mutant zombie that appeared because of this snowfall?"

Zheng Xin lowered her head slightly, eyeing the sturdy zombie with a strange look, feeling very nervous.

Zhang Su recalled rapidly. After the last snowfall, varieties like petrified-skin zombies, venom zombies, and flame zombies had appeared. It wasn't impossible for this precipitation to enhance ordinary zombies and give birth to even stronger ones! "It's possible, but this snow has only just started falling. How could it mutate so quickly?"

"Maybe it's because it was held back for too long before..."

"This zombie is several times larger than an ordinary one, like an NBA player. What do you say, Brother Su? While it hasn't discovered us yet, should we ambush it or slip away? Or should I go lure it and see how it reacts?"

The group whispered as they discussed.

Unfortunately, before Zhang Su could give an answer, the sturdy zombie had already sensed the presence of humans. Its head, the size of a normal 1.78-meter human, turned and stared fixedly at the crowd. Its mouth opened and closed mechanically. The violent roar everyone expected did not sound; there was actually no sound at all, but it gave people a bizarre sense of terror.

*Thump, thump, thump. *

In the blink of an eye, the sturdy zombie took long strides and ran toward the crowd! Its sturdy, burly body was not slow at all. It ran with long strides, not faster than an ordinary zombie, but at a similar level, charging over like a black whirlwind, exerting immense pressure. The expression on its face wasn't as crazily bloodthirsty as an ordinary zombie's; it was dull and wooden like a puppet, but that didn't mean anything.

"Open fire! Aim for the head! Shoot quickly!"

Zhang Su felt his hair stand on end. He had become stronger, but he wasn't invincible. Precisely because he was stronger, his intuition for danger was more sensitive. A voice in his heart told him that this big guy charging over was not to be trifled with! *Rat-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat. *

In the rush, a series of bursts of small-caliber bullets hit the sturdy zombie, but they couldn't cause any substantial damage. Even rifle bullets could only make it pause and leave a crater, but they couldn't stop its pace at all! Some people specifically aimed at the zombie's thick legs, but unfortunately, the legs moving back and forth were not easy to hit, and even if they occasionally landed a shot, it caused no substantial damage.

The threat of ordinary firearms to this kind of zombie was reduced to an appalling degree.

*Squish, squish. *

Its big feet stepped on the corpses of the previous zombies, making the sound of fresh meat being squeezed and burst, which made people feel nauseated.

*Rat-tat-tat, pop, pop, pop... *

The gunfire was dense. Finally, no one knew which gun fired the bullet, but with a *puff*, it entered the sturdy zombie's brain through its eye socket. Only then did it stop its charge, and its massive body stood quietly in the wind and snow... In its static state, people could clearly see the bullet holes on its body. If it were an ordinary zombie, it would have fallen seven or eight times, let alone died, but it had been able to withstand the damage and charge forward until it was shot in the head...

After about five or six seconds, the sturdy zombie slowly fell to the side, landing on several ordinary zombie corpses. By comparison, it was even more obvious: its arm was thicker than an ordinary zombie's thigh. One really didn't know what would happen if one were slapped by it.

"Phew... Hahaha!"

Liu Yao touched the hot gun barrel, unable to help but reveal a smile of surviving a disaster: "Damn, that was too scary. Don't ever..."

"Shut the hell up!"

"Don't you dare speak!"

"Shh, stop talking!"

"Please, just don't say anything else..."

The whole group looked at Liu Yao with unfriendly eyes, which made him feel very awkward, and he lowered his head to scuff the ground with his toes.

"A false alarm, but Brother Su, we don't have much ammo left..."

Wang Xin patted his chest and checked his spare magazines; they were all empty, leaving only the dozen or so rounds loaded in the gun.

"It's fine, the crisis is resolved! This kind of mutant zombie should be very unique; we must take it back for research!"

Zhang Su lowered his head to touch his cigarette case, intending to light one and then go up to check the situation. Just as he turned his head to pass cigarettes to his companions, he saw Zhang Su looking behind him with a terrified expression, his lips seemingly trembling slightly.

"Bi, big brother, this, this damn thing is, is not, not fucking unique..."

Zhang Su's facial muscles twitched as if they were cramping.

Zhang Su didn't have eyes in the back of his head, but Zhang Su's words told him something was wrong. He slowly turned his head to look at the residential complex, his pupils shrinking! At the same time, many survivors from the Auto Park covered their mouths with their hands, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

The gate of the complex was like the lid of Pandora's box being opened. One, and then another sturdy zombie walked out from behind the wall one after another, wandering to the front gate! In an instant, everyone's breathing stopped.

One, two, three, four, five! When the fifth sturdy zombie walked into their field of vision, no more things appeared behind it. But even so, it was enough to make everyone feel immense pressure! "Bro, Brother Su, what do we do? We don't have enough bullets!" Wang Xin gripped his rifle tightly, his eyes fixed on the sturdy figures in the distance.

"Let's drive a car to lure them away. I think we can..."

Qi Xiaoshuai suggested.

"The environment in the city is complex now. If a few more zombies pop out from somewhere else, we won't even have a place to hide if we're driving!"

Zhang Su directly rejected the suggestion to lure them away. This wasn't the northern suburbs. He looked at Tachibana Maiying: "Sakura, where are the detonators?"

"Here!" Tachibana Maiying rummaged through her bag.

However, in this short time, the zombies in the complex had already discovered them. It had nothing to do with their conversation; they just naturally turned their heads, their dull expressions seeming to say: Found you, heh heh heh.

The five zombies had been men and women in their previous lives. Normal heads perched on massive bodies looked very awkward. They all opened their mouths at the crowd, but for some reason, they couldn't make a sound. Perhaps the price of becoming larger was the loss of the ability to express themselves!

No sound didn't mean no danger. It was as if an invisible sound wave was rushing toward them. Zhang Su only felt his scalp explode, as if he had entered bullet time. While lighting the detonator Tachibana Maiying had shoved into his hand, he roared: "Run! Everyone run!"

*Whoosh. *

Upon hearing the order, the ordinary survivors didn't say a word and ran for their lives. Fear of death was one thing, but they also knew that staying here would only be a hindrance...

It took more than ten people firing in unison to kill one sturdy zombie. With five appearing at once and at such close range, their long-range output simply wasn't enough. Plus, they were low on ammo; killing two would be a stroke of luck! "Big brother, let's go, hey, you wouldn't... forget about it for now!"

Zhang Su turned his head to run, but seeing Zhang Su desperately throwing the detonator at the charging zombies, he actually jumped into the driver's seat of the box truck.

"What is Brother Su doing..."

"Hurry up and run, the flame-throwing zombie won't be lost!"

The other members of the Yama Legion also urged him, their faces full of anxiety. The flame-throwing zombie was important, but if everyone died, this thing couldn't be kept either! *Boom! *

The detonator's fuse was very short, and it exploded in the air. The air wave pushed outward, and no one was injured by it, but the zombies were closer to the explosion point and were slightly affected.

"Honey, run quickly, we can come back for the truck later. The flame-throwing zombie is the same kind as them, it won't be hurt!"

Zheng Xin was hit by the air wave, her face covered in dust and her ears ringing. Seeing Zhang Su tinkering in the driver's cab, she also thought he was reluctant to part with the flame-throwing zombie. However, just as her voice fell, she heard a *clang*! The cargo box's tailgate dropped down.

*Awoo, awoo-awoo! *

Even through the thick steel plate, everyone heard a burst of zombie roars. The sturdy zombies couldn't make a sound, so the only one who could make this sound was the flame-throwing zombie.

The usually quiet flame-throwing zombie had been affected by the snowflakes and had become very manic. The iron chains binding it rattled, and the whole truck was shaking. Fortunately, it wasn't known for its strength, otherwise the box truck definitely wouldn't have been able to contain it!

"Sister-in-law, come here quickly!"

Qi Xiaoshuai held his gun in one hand and waved the other. He knew what Zhang Su was going to do; it wasn't that he was reluctant to part with the flame-throwing zombie, he was about to pull off something ruthless! Their long-range attack output wasn't enough, but that didn't matter; there was something even more fierce that hadn't been used yet! Seeing that Zheng Xin couldn't hear Wang Xin's shouting, Tachibana Maiying stepped forward and dragged her toward the group.

In just three or four seconds, the five sturdy zombies had recovered from the impact of the explosion. Because they weren't at the center of the blast and the power of the detonator was limited, it hadn't caused them any substantial damage.

Ordinary zombies would be tripped by the corpses on the ground, but it didn't have much of an effect on these few zombies, and they continued to charge toward the crowd with long strides.

In the truck, Zhang Su's eyes were calm, his mind focused, not listening to anyone's shouting. His fingers didn't even tremble as he pressed the password one by one.

After the last digit was entered, he turned his head to look at his companions hiding on his left, then aimed his cold gaze to the right.

Heat seemed to have a special attraction for these zombies. They were already close at hand. Unfortunately, the position of one of them wasn't very good, and the flames couldn't cover it, but it was too late to make adjustments! "Turn to ash for me!"

His voice wasn't loud but was full of anger. He exerted force with his hand and pulled the iron chain.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 506 =====