Chapter 67: These Beasts

My internal energy was completely depleted; all that remained was to fight head-on. I gathered the last of my true energy into a protective shield and charged barehanded into the horde of mutated zombies. The Thirty-six Demonic Techniques reached their pinnacle in my hands, but even so, I could only push back the zombies’ advance a little; after a brief pause, they surged forward again. Damn it! Why do you keep chasing me? I’m not some beautiful woman—are your corpse eyes blind? Wait, eyes—that’s it! Zombies have tough bodies, but their eyes are a fatal weakness. Just like striking a snake at its seven-inch mark, if I seize their weakness, I can bring them down in one blow.

I quickly drew my revolvers, one in each hand, firing alternately. My shots were aimed mostly at the zombies’ chests; as soon as the bullets ran out, I swapped in new ones with practiced ease, keeping the undead at bay. The revolver’s greatest advantage was its quick reload—at least for me. I only needed to call forth the necessary rounds from my spatial ring with a thought, flick the cylinder to catch the bullets, and skip the hassle of changing magazines. That was the main reason I favored revolvers.

My attacks to the zombies’ chests were intentional, though their weakness lay in their heads; shooting the chest was a waste of bullets, but I had no choice. The zombies fell for the ruse: though the bullets didn’t harm them, perhaps they found it somewhat unpleasant. The fat zombie strode toward me, undeterred by the bullets.

I sneered; perfect, this was the moment I’d been waiting for. My left hand kept firing, and when the fat zombie was two meters away, I aimed the revolver in my right hand at its eye. A gunshot rang out, and blood blossomed from its eye. Thankfully, my shield blocked the bloody mist. After dispatching one zombie, I repeated the trick, easily taking down a bone-spiked zombie. At that point, the zombies seemed to sense my deception; aside from the bone-spiked one, the remaining four fat zombies quickly raised their arms to shield their eyes.

The fat zombie in front covered its face with its left hand, while its right fist, whistling through the air, swung at me. I grabbed the corpse of the bone-spiked zombie I’d just dispatched and threw it forward. The fat zombie’s fist punched straight through the body, and with a forceful tug, tore it apart like ragged cloth. I seized the opportunity and pulled the trigger; the bullet struck the fat zombie’s eye socket. Without waiting to see if its head exploded, I turned and ran. The three remaining fat zombies were already in pursuit; I reckoned that shot would keep it busy—if not dead, at least a one-eyed zombie.

Never had I imagined facing nearly a thousand zombies alone. The cost of defeating so many was steep—I felt dangerously exhausted, my internal energy depleted, and after a few steps, I was gasping for breath. Since arriving in this strange world, I couldn’t remember the last time I had breathed so desperately—this was the first. Once I settled down, I resolved to gather a force of my own; next time on the battlefield, I wouldn’t fight alone—I’d send my underlings in my stead.

Lost in my beautiful daydream, I was suddenly struck by a powerful impact from behind, sent flying. I scrambled up, not daring to look back, and ran forward, ignoring the agonizing pain that wracked my body. I didn’t know how long I ran, but eventually, I glimpsed a cave ahead. I dashed toward it; the entrance was blocked by a slab of green stone, clearly placed by someone. I pushed against it with all my might, but it was heavy—too heavy for my current weakened state.

“Is anyone there?” I shouted into the cave.

“Who’s that?” a man’s voice replied from within.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and said, “I’m a villager from nearby, fleeing for my life.”

“Wait a moment.” Voices whispered inside, and soon the stone slab was slowly pushed aside. I slipped inside quickly. Before I lost consciousness, I glimpsed six people in the cave, with a woman lying on the ground. I don’t know how much time passed, but I felt a sweet taste in my throat and heard a jumble of voices. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids were heavy and my mind clouded.

“I don’t know why you let him in. Our food is already scarce, and now there’s another mouth. We’ll all starve together,” said a man who looked to be about thirty.

“Who says our food is scarce? Isn’t this fresh meat?” came another, older voice.

“What? Are you insane? I won’t eat human flesh!”

“Hmph! Then you can starve.”

Though I couldn’t see their faces, their conversation revealed much. They were survivors, their food nearly gone. That mention of human flesh—were they planning to eat me? That was monstrous. I struggled desperately, but my body felt leaden, impossibly heavy. Then came banging from outside—probably the zombies pounding on the slab. I wondered if it could withstand such force.

“Fatty, go see what’s happening,” the first man said.

Fatty didn’t answer, simply walked toward the entrance, stepping on my hand as he passed—damn him.

“Brother Liu, it’s zombies! We’re all going to die—I don’t want to die!” Fatty whimpered.

“Shut up, damn it! Stop sniveling,” Liu, as he was called, slapped Fatty’s face with a dull thud.

“Fatty, shove this guy out through the crack,” Liu ordered.

“No, you can’t do this!” protested a young woman. When I’d entered, I’d seen her, and another woman lying on the ground. Besides Liu and Fatty, there was an older man and another man, wounded and silent.

“Shut your damn mouth, woman. If you keep it up, you’ll go out too,” Liu snarled.

“You can’t do this—he’s still alive,” the woman pleaded.

“Shut up, you bitch. Haven’t had enough fun yet? Don’t worry, the night’s still young,” Liu said. Though I couldn’t see his face, I could imagine his vile expression; his words hinted at much.

“Fatty, throw that woman out, too. Didn’t expect her body to be so weak—one night and she’s finished,” Liu commanded. Fatty dragged the woman to the entrance, and then the wounded man, silent until now, suddenly rushed over, clutching her tightly. “You can’t do this! Let me die instead—let me take her place!” His anguished cries echoed in the cave.

“Get out of the way!” Liu’s voice was cold. A thud followed—the sound of a body hitting stone. The man cried out in pain, then fell silent; likely unconscious.

Fatty pushed the woman out through the crack, and immediately, the sounds of tearing and crunching bones came from outside. In the cave, the remaining woman wept beside me.

“Stop crying! Cry again and I’ll throw you out to feed the zombies!” Liu roared. The woman fell silent at once. You beasts! Once my true energy is restored, I’ll make you beg for life and death alike!

“Fatty, throw this guy out, too.”