Meanwhile, outside the building.
“Huff… Huff…”
Skinny Monkey pressed himself against the wall, his face a mask of terror, sweat pouring down as he cautiously peeked outside.
Not far from him, at the mouth of the alley, two Zombies were aimlessly swaying their bodies. Despite being in a dormant state, their blood-red eyes stared blankly, necks slightly tilted back, revealing twisted, grotesque faces. One had its left hand bizarrely bent outward, covered in dried blood, with hook-like nails glinting coldly in the sunlight. The other dragged a worn-out high heel, each sway threatening to topple it, accompanied by a soft “crack” sound.
Skinny Monkey quickly turned his head, pale-faced, resting his head against the wall.
Running into Zombies… What rotten luck!
Sure, Zombies would always be lurking nearby, but why did it have to be this time and place?
“What do I do!” He panted heavily, reaching into his pocket to pull out a Pistol. But as he did, his hand trembled uncontrollably, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously: “What if I miss? Even if I hit, won’t the corpse attract more Zombies? The alley isn’t far from the street!”
Take a detour?
“No, there’s no time, Ling Mo and the others are waiting for me to return and arrange things…” Skinny Monkey swallowed hard, looking at the gun in his hand: “But… I’m all alone now… and my Superpower isn’t combat-oriented!”
Skinny Monkey knew he was timid, knew he was useless… If Ling Mo hadn’t picked him out from the F Team, he’d still be enduring scorn. But compared to risking his life, maybe being looked down upon was easier…
“Ah!”
He suddenly banged his head against the wall, gripping the Pistol tightly.
A year had passed, and he hadn’t gone home… Not because of anything else, just fear. Fear of the Zombies there, fear of the narrow hallways and doors that could open at any moment…
After escaping from there once, he never dared to look back…
“If I run today, I can’t look back again…” Skinny Monkey understood that well.
If he couldn’t do it, he’d die… He lacked the courage to charge at Zombies, but he was even less capable of surviving alone in this city.
“And even if I find another Team, I’ll just be a target for bullying again?” Skinny Monkey trembled all over, unsure if he was more angry or scared. Probably the latter… Even after joining the Miracle Squad, he couldn’t face those who mocked him with his chest out, and when they silently avoided him, he felt a sense of unease… Born a coward, perhaps that’s what he was…
“Yes, I’m a coward, but…” Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth, shakily raising the gun. He peeked out again.
The two Zombies remained oblivious, as Skinny Monkey reached out with his other hand, quietly pulling off a button. As the gun aimed at the high-heeled Zombie, his forehead was drenched in sweat, his palm stuck to the gun. The silenced muzzle aimed at the Zombie’s back, trembling slightly with its swaying movement.
“I can do this… I’ve practiced many times… I can hit it!” Skinny Monkey was nervous, alone, and if he failed, it wouldn’t just be him who died. Realizing this, his perpetually cowardly heart felt a slight change. Though small, it was enough to make him raise the gun. Even as his mind screamed to give up, his hand didn’t lower. R̃Ａ𐌽оＢÊṧ
“Gulu…”
Skinny Monkey swallowed hard, taking two quick breaths. He rubbed the button with his sticky fingers, then suddenly tossed it. As the button left his hand, his mind seemed to go blank…
It’s time!
“Clink…”
As the button hit the ground, the two Zombies froze almost simultaneously.
And in that instant, Skinny Monkey instinctively pulled the trigger.
A flash of fire, the bullet hit the high-heeled Zombie, and at that moment, the other Zombie turned, spotting him instantly.
“Crack…” The Zombie’s neck snapped back into place, its gaze suddenly filled with a savage, bloodthirsty intensity… It woke up, and as its fellow fell, it lunged forward.
Twenty meters… Less than twenty meters!
For a Zombie, that’s the blink of an eye!
Whether Skinny Monkey could fire a second shot would decide his life or death!
Skinny Monkey had faced Zombies charging at him before, but this was the first time he stood his ground with a weapon, instead of turning and fleeing…
“Roar!”
Almost instantly, the Zombie’s gaping maw loomed before him. Its twisted hand swung at his head, a foul stench following close behind.
“Bang!”
Staring at the Zombie with wide eyes, a blood hole slowly forming in its forehead, Skinny Monkey was completely stunned.
The gun still smoked, the corpse fell with a “thud.”
A second passed before Skinny Monkey, breath held, snapped back to reality. He clutched the gun, fearfully eyeing the corpse, his legs giving way beneath him.
“Killed… I killed… Two Zombies on my own…”
For an ordinary person, this might be achievable…
But the sound of the bullet leaving the chamber, tearing through flesh, the Zombie hitting the ground, even his own breathing and heartbeat… These sounds were amplified countless times, echoing clearly in his ears. He feared death, and feared hearing the process of dying so vividly…
Skinny Monkey dry-heaved against the wall, wiping sweat from his brow as he looked toward the alley: “Gotta move…” He thought, supporting himself, stumbling around the corpse into the alley…
No one saw this…
In the sewer, Ling Mo and Xu Shuhan continued to chase the “plop” sound ahead.
The sound seemed to maintain a consistent frequency, meaning the distance between it and Ling Mo was always the same.
They sped up, it slowed down… After several attempts, Ling Mo finally got angry: “This Monster knows we’re behind it!”
“But how did it find us?” Xu Shuhan whispered.
“Not sure… Maybe it has another way to sense us? Here, vision, smell, Sensing are all affected, but… Oh, hearing!” Ling Mo suddenly thought of Skinny Monkey. If this Monster had hearing more terrifying than a Zombie, it could discern their breathing, even heartbeats, from the faintest sounds, despite the distance…
“But if that’s the case, it definitely wouldn’t be a Centipede Man…” Ling Mo muttered. The Centipede Man’s head was just for show, and since it could still move without it, its primary sensory system couldn’t be hearing. An overlooked organ evolving to a Superpower level, that’s just not scientific!
“What Centipede Man?” Xu Shuhan heard clearly, asking.
Seeing Ling Mo pause, she shook her head: “Forget I asked.”
“No, I…”
Ling Mo was about to explain when Xu Shuhan frowned: “Do you feel the sound has gotten lighter?”
“Lighter?” Honestly, he’d been focusing on the distance… But with Xu Shuhan’s reminder, he immediately noticed. The once clear “plop” sound had gradually transitioned to a softer “thud”…
“Wait! This sound…” Ling Mo slowed his pace, listening closely, then widened his eyes, “Isn’t this the ‘SOS signal’ Yuwen Xuan and Skinny Monkey heard!” And also the sound Zombie Puppet and Xia Na heard, like something knocking on the pipe…
So it wasn’t something knocking on the pipe! It was the sound the Monster made while moving…
“But… why did it change?” Xu Shuhan frowned, as the sound changed, her unease grew stronger. For some reason, she felt as if eyes were watching them from ahead, beckoning them closer…
This feeling was incredibly eerie, even giving her a vague sense of…
“No! Since it’s the same Creature, Yuwen Xuan is in danger! It appeared here, where did it lead Yuwen Xuan?” Ling Mo said, suddenly speeding up, charging forward.
Xu Shuhan was momentarily stunned, then noticed Ling Mo’s clenched fists… Thinking of his earlier expression, Xu Shuhan bit her lip, temporarily setting aside her unease, and sped up to follow…
“All that calmness was just an act…” Xu Shuhan couldn’t help but think.
Becoming a Zombie and then pondering these things felt different from when she was human. But this detached perspective made her feel she understood Ling Mo a bit…
“It’s not just trying to lure us in.” Ling Mo suddenly said coldly.
“Huh?”
“It’s also trying to separate us. Yuwen Xuan must still be here, it’s doing this to divide us.” Ling Mo said.
His tone seemed to return to calm, even his expression normalized.
Xu Shuhan glanced at him, nodded: “Okay…”
After a moment’s hesitation, she suddenly reached out, grabbing Ling Mo’s hand: “Stop clenching your fists…”
“Don’t… Don’t get me wrong, I’m just helping you run faster.”