Ch. 23 - A Life-or-Death Struggle
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Notes
Yuyu: Wake Up, Chen Liu!!!
thINKer: Chen Liu, this is not the best time to take a nap. Zombies, remember?!!! š£
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Yuyu: Wake Up, Chen Liu!!!
thINKer: Chen Liu, this is not the best time to take a nap. Zombies, remember?!!! š£
Bang! Bang! Bang! The gate shuddered under the undeadās blows, each hit rattling the survivorsā nerves. Itās holdingāfor now, Chen Liu thought, his face taut with strain. The wooden gate, braced by two beams, stood firm. Through the slit, Chen Liuās team stabbed, dropping three five-star zombies and one six-star zombie, easing the pressure slightly. Cannon fodderās down, he thought.
Graaahhhāthe seven-star zombie, lurking behind, roared, patience gone. It charged, trampling corpses in the trench, a hurricane of bone and claw. Itās coming. Chen Liuās face was filled with dread. āFall back to the corridor!ā he shouted, heart pounding. He stayed by the gate, axe ready, a plan flickering in his eyes.
Boom! Crash! The seven-star smashed through, blasting a human-sized hole, debris flying. Its speed froze the hall, faces whitening with terror. āRetreat!ā Li Dong yelled, snapping awake, urging the team to the corridor. Chen Liu moved first, axe swinging at the zombieās skull. One shot to end it, he thought, his face fierce with focus. The zombieās burst through the gate left a split-second openingāhe aimed for it.
Crack! The axe grazed the skull, gouging its shoulder instead. Too strong, Chen Liu thought, disappointment flashing across his face. The zombie roared, eyes locking on him. Itās personal now. He almost laughed, but his chest tightened. āCaptain, fall back!ā Fang cried, his voice raw, face pale with fear.
āNo retreat,ā Chen Liu growled, gripping his axe, eyes blazing. āIāll handle the seven-star. You take the rest!ā The other zombiesāfive- and six-starsārushed the corridor, ignoring him. It wants me alone, he thought, his blood surging with defiance. The hall became a duel.
Whoosh! The seven-star lunged, phantom-fast despite its mangled shoulder. Its presence crushed the air, but Chen Liuās blood boiled, his face alight with thrill. Stronger it is, stronger I get, he thought. His battle instinct tracked its blur, raising his shield as claws aimed for his throat. Screeeechāclaws raked alloy, sparks flying. Its hands are weapons. He had to be completely focused. One graze meant death.
The zombieās steel-dense frame seemed impenetrable. Non-lethal wounds were useless except to the head. Walking nightmare, Chen Liu thought, his face straining as he dodged like a boat in a storm. His mental power, stretched thin, barely kept up. Li Dong or Fang would be dead, he worried.
He forgot the hall, the team, everythingāeyes locked on the zombie. Each dodge defied its ferocious swipes. Iām holding, he thought, his face taut with effort. The zombie roared, attacks growing wilder. Chen Liuās heart sank as a headache barged into his head and his instinct started fading. Iām out of time, he thought, his face twisting with desperation.
He gambled, hesitating for a second, exposing his shoulder. The zombieās claws stabbed deep, crushing bone. āAghhhh!ā Chen Liu screamed, his face contorted with pain. Channelling the agony, he swung his axe, severing the zombieās arm along the prior wound. Got you, he thought, his eyes fierce. But the zombie, unfazed, gripped tighter, dragging him toward its fangs.
Too strong. Chen Liu struggled, as blood gushed from his neck, dizziness clouding his mind. Iām dying. The gap was cruelāweakness meant no mercy. But his fear of death roared. Not here, not now. His eyes burned with refusal. This era of supernatural power, of breaking limits, was his dream. Iāll reach the peak, he vowed.
His strength faded, axe clattering to the floor. No! he thought as his vision blurring. A final surge of instinct and desperation flared. His right hand drew his dagger and stabbed the zombieās skull. Die, he thought, then blacked out, defenceless.