Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Xie Ning and Beichen exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other’s eyes.

The leader of this club was a Third-stage Superpower User, and he had several Second Order members under him. Logically, they shouldn’t be this pathetic.

Yet they gave off a lifeless, somber aura.

’Then again, a bunch of man-eating monsters probably aren’t much different from the walking dead.’

Xie Ning’s gaze was icy as she swept it over the people on the ground before walking toward the villa’s entrance.

Just as she reached the main door, a massive BOOM shook the ground. A thick cloud of smoke billowed out of the villa, followed by several disheveled figures running out.

”No good! There are too many zombies in the villa. We need to fall back first... cough, cough cough.” Martin dragged his daughter, Ma Xiaotian, out with him.

Compared to the others, the father and daughter duo looked relatively clean, as if they hadn’t been too affected by the chaos.

Chai Lei shot out of the door like a gust of wind and roared at the group of club members outside, ”What are you all standing around for like idiots? Grab your weapons and get in there!”

”Miss Huang, you’re here too.” Martin smiled and nodded at Xie Ning and Beichen. ”We didn’t expect there to be an evolved Third-stage Power-type Zombie on the villa’s rooftop.”

”We were caught off guard and several of our people were injured.”

Xie Ning put on a concerned expression. ”Are you and your people alright, Ma?”

”We’re fine.” Martin gave a simple, honest smile. Just then, Gong Pingfan walked over, leading more than a dozen men in tattered clothes. ”Ma, I’ve brought the men.”

The dozen or so ordinary men shivered in the cold wind, their faces somewhat pale and blue.

One of them was trembling with fear. ”M-Ma, we... we can’t fight zombies!”

”Yeah, Ma! We can’t even kill regular zombies, let alone those... those with superpowers.”

”Useless! Useless! Useless!” Ma Xiaotian jumped up and pointed at the men, cursing them furiously. ”If you can’t kill them, then go die! What are you good for? You’re all grown men, yet you don’t even dare to kill a zombie! Useless, useless, useless!”

”Xiaotian!” Martin feigned an angry reprimand, but in reality, he waited until Ma Xiaotian had finished her tirade before stopping his daughter.

”Everyone, don’t be afraid. We must believe in one truth: there is strength in numbers!” Martin clenched his fist, a simple smile on his face as he looked at them. ”In a bit, we just need all of you to hold back that Third-Rank zombie. As for killing it, leave that to Pingfan and me.”

”Don’t overthink it. We just hope everyone can work together and... slightly attract the zombie’s attention.”

Xie Ning couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

’Attract the zombie’s attention? How? To put it bluntly, isn’t that just feeding the zombie? Using their lives to attract it?’

’But what does the life or death of these people have to do with me, Xie Ning?’

’If they like to kill each other, let them. I can’t be bothered to interfere.’

She secretly gave Beichen a look, telling him to stick close and not fall behind.

’Can’t screw up at a critical moment. We’re here to watch the show, not join the human-zombie war.’

The two of them tightened their grip on the large iron axes in their hands and stealthily followed behind the crowd.

Seeing their cautious and timid appearance, Ma Xiaotian couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

’A pampered young lady raised in a greenhouse. She’s not even as good as a little girl like me. I really don’t understand why such incapable people are even alive.’

’They just waste food and resources. God is too kind to them.’

’People like this, who have no abilities and only drag their teammates down, should all just die!’

’This young lady looks so delicate and well-maintained. She must be delicious when cooked.’

Following behind Xie Ning, Ma Xiaotian’s eyes glinted, flickering with a strange light.

With her formidable spiritual power, Xie Ning had long since detected Ma Xiaotian’s malicious intentions.

She showed no reaction, only a slight curl of her lips.

The group of more than a dozen club members were urged upstairs. Each one gripped their weapon, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

”Ma, you... you have to protect us,” one of them said, turning his head nervously to call out to Martin.

At the same time, a furious roar descended from above, scaring the club members into screaming and scattering in a panic.

The Third-stage Power-type Zombie was perched on the handrail of the rooftop staircase. Xie Ning had already noticed it.

But Martin and his group hadn’t seen it. When the zombie lunged, Martin and his men immediately fell into disarray.

”Ma, M-Ma! Ma!” The few men in front went weak in the knees and tumbled down the stairs, crashing into several people behind them.

Xie Ning and Beichen quickly jumped up and grabbed the handrail, narrowly avoiding the figures rolling down.

Ma Xiaotian let out an angry cry and kicked a man who was rolling past her.

”Useless trash.”

Xie Ning had no desire to listen to Ma Xiaotian’s impotent rage. She pulled Beichen and ran a few steps up the stairs.

The Third-Rank zombie bit two more people before pouncing and pinning a club member to the ground.

The man let out a desperate wail and a piercing scream.

Martin, however, had a look of joy on his face. He shouted, ”Gong Pingfan! Chai Lei.”

The two of them charged forward, one after the other.

Gong Pingfan took the lead, his axe landing heavily on the Third-Rank zombie’s back.

The zombie roared in fury and turned, suddenly opening its mouth wide.

A long meat cleaver was viciously stabbed into its mouth.

The Third-Rank zombie let out a shrill howl, its limbs convulsed violently a few times, and then it finally collapsed, motionless.

Chai Lei walked forward and, without any expression, chopped off the head of the club member who had been pinned and bitten by the zombie.

Martin turned and saw Miss Huang covering her mouth, looking like she was about to vomit. He quickly explained with a smile, ”Once you’re bitten by a zombie, you get infected with the virus. You’ll turn in less than half an hour. We had no other choice.”

Widening her bright eyes, Xie Ning forced a smile and nodded. ”I understand, I understand.”

Martin gave a few awkward laughs and turned to Gong Pingfan. ”Pingfan, quick, take everyone and search the place. I just saw some men’s down jackets in the wardrobe.”

Gong Pingfan was immediately overjoyed. Without a word, he ran straight for the villa’s bedroom.

”Dad, is there any clothing that would fit me?” Ma Xiaotian was ecstatic. ”I’m going too.”

Martin nodded with a smile. ”Slow down, Xiaotian. Miss Huang, you two should go take a look as well. If you see anything you like, feel free to take a few pieces.”

Xie Ning and Beichen followed them into the villa’s master bedroom.

Glancing at the open wooden wardrobe, Xie Ning raised an eyebrow playfully.

Ma Xiaotian gleefully ran to another wardrobe door, shot Xie Ning a sidelong glance, and huffed, ”My dad was just being polite. Some people actually take him seriously.”

”Don’t think you’re all that.”

Xie Ning glanced at Ma Xiaotian, who was opening the wardrobe, and gave a faint, enigmatic smile. ”I’d advise you to be careful. Don’t think you’re safe just because you’ve dealt with that Third-Rank zombie.”

”Because danger is everywhere.”

Xie Ning spoke slowly and deliberately, her smile gentle and bright.

”Hmph, who do you think you are?” Ma Xiaotian eagerly pulled open the wardrobe door, only to be met with a sudden, piercing scream.