Xiaotian's unusual behavior triggered Ye Fan's attention.
"Xiaotian is a military dog. His heightened alertness suggests the presence of mutated zombies."
Ye Fan swiftly checked the map, discovering a telling clue about 800 meters ahead—a cluster of red light spots moving slowly.
Among the numerous light spots, one shone brightly red, separated from Ye Fan and his team by a tree, preventing mutual awareness.
"Why is this one so intensely red?" Ye Fan pondered, noting its stark contrast to the lighter shades of other spots.
"Sir, the darker the red, the more formidable the zombie. The intense red dot indicates a mutant zombie!"
Ye Fan considered the possibility of encountering Tie Jia and turned his attention to the area.
"Xu Haoran, telescope!"
Xu Haoran passed the telescope to Ye Fan, providing a clearer view.
A multitude of zombies approached from the green trees—a young female zombie led the group. Despite her torn clothes, remnants of fashionable attire hinted at her past life as a young mother.
Now, she was a demonic presence, her arms extending below her knees, and long black nails measuring nearly a foot.
She seemed to sense something through a slight twitch of her nose, directing her toward Ye Fan. The zombie was trailed by a group, including child zombies, seemingly wandering aimlessly yet inadvertently following her lead.
Ye Fan had encountered such a zombie before, but this one surpassed it in appearance and skin quality, suggesting full evolution.
Next to her were several other women resembling those from the small fishing village.
Observing the zombie's black claws and its slightly arched body resembling a leopard, Ye Fan sensed trouble.
Agile zombies posed a greater challenge than armored ones; this mutant zombie, in particular, was likely incredibly fast.
Ye Fan noticed a concerning pattern: ordinary zombies instinctively followed advanced zombies.
Whether in the small fishing village or now, mutants' heightened sense of smell or awareness allowed them to sense others' presence, even from a considerable distance.
"Chen Chuan, can you ensure a one-shot kill on this agile zombie?"
Sniper Chen Chuan raised his rifle and looked through the scope, responding, "Sir, the trees obstruct our view, making it uncertain."
Ye Fan gestured for him to lower the gun—precision was essential, considering the three quasi-agile zombies accompanying the mutant.
Ye Fan faced a predicament; the zombies were dangerously close to the Ferris wheel, an obstacle he needed to overcome to reach the supply box.
"I might need more strength for a frontal assault. At least, I need more people and a suitable location to eliminate these zombies."
Ye Fan surveyed the surroundings, discovering an alternative in the opposite direction—a massive castle constructed of sponge plastic.
Inside the castle, hundreds of child and female zombies lurked. Approximately two hundred zombies, mostly women, gathered outside, likely mothers bringing their children.
Ye Fan's eyes lit up.
To amass wealth from zombies, killing female zombies was crucial, as men usually carried no jewelry. These two hundred female zombies, being young mothers, likely possessed valuable items.
"Eliminate these two hundred zombies first, and then I'll have money to spend as I please."
"But if we shoot, it will undoubtedly attract the attention of other zombies. We need to lead the group of zombies led by the mutant zombie away first."
Ye Fan devised a strategy and promptly assigned Xu Haoran the task.
"Rest assured, sir, I'll accomplish the mission!"
Xu Haoran departed, leaving Ye Fan to lead the larger force.
"Let's go, head over there."
Ye Fan led the team along the amusement park's edge, gradually approaching the castle.
About 200 meters from the castle, after waiting for a while, an explosion echoed in the distance—Xu Haoran had detonated a grenade.
Zombies in the distance veered toward the explosion, while the two hundred female zombies on Ye Fan's side remained stationary.
Seeing the zombies move farther away, Ye Fan took immediate action. The team sought refuge behind a nearby carousel, less than a hundred meters from the castle.
Feeling secure, Ye Fan retrieved his 54 pistol and fired at the distant female zombies.
Though unsure of the bullet's destination, it reached its mark. The zombies roared and charged towards the team upon hearing the gunshots.
As the temperature remained high in early September, the zombies, still wearing fashionable clothing, presented an eerie sight—once lively, now demonic.
In less than ten minutes, over 200 zombies were eliminated, forming a ring of corpses around the carousel.
"Descend quickly and collect the supplies."
The soldiers jumped down, scavenging jewelry from the zombies. Ye Fan took the opportunity to check the radar screen.
The strategy he and Xu Haoran devised seemed successful. First, Xu Haoran lured away the zombies on the Ferris wheel's opposite side. Subsequently, Ye Fan drew the attention of zombies on the other side by initiating gunfire.
With Xu Haoran securing the supply box, the plan was to reunite and escape Yida City together.
The tactic appeared on track. The group of zombies led by the mutated one faintly heard gunshots, gradually approaching.
Before the mutated zombie saw a person, it wouldn't sprint at top speed, granting Ye Fan's team time to escape.
"Sir, the supply box has been collected!"
Nana's announcement verified that the green supply box had vanished from the map, and Xu Haoran's white light spot danced among the zombies.
"Excellent! As long as Xu Haoran returns here ahead of the zombies, this battle is a complete success."
Ye Fan felt a sense of pride in the successful execution of his tactics. Not only did he secure a supply box, but he also accumulated a considerable amount of jewelry.
Just as success seemed imminent, an unforeseen event unfolded.
In the castle, a child zombie tore through the protective net,
accompanied by hundreds of child zombies.
Upon closer inspection, the leading child zombie, taller and with thicker arms, had mutated into a quasi-armored state, albeit on a smaller scale.
"Oh my god, a child mutated to this extent! Even with a small body, mutating into iron armor—how powerful can it be?"
Certainly not as robust as normal armored zombies, but it disrupted Ye Fan's plan. Inside the castle, more child zombies outnumbered mothers outside, making their way towards the team.
"Retreat! Everyone back to the top of the Trojan!"
With jewelry nearly collected, all Red Alert soldiers returned, leaping onto the carousel's top.
The child zombies surged like a tide, surrounding the carousel.
Simultaneously, the group of zombies led by the mutated one noticed Ye Fan's team, accelerating towards them.
At this moment, Xu Haoran had not returned, separated from Ye Fan's troops by the growing pile of corpses.
Ye Fan grabbed a heap of collected jewelry, half-hoping to witness one of his subordinates panic, providing an opportunity to showcase his leadership.
Unfortunately, each Red Alert soldier remained calm, unfazed by fear. Death held no terror in their consciousness.
This left Ye Fan slightly disappointed. Finally, he looked at Xiaotian beside him, gently patting its head.
"Don't worry, everything is under my control, Commander."
"Woof!" Xiaotian shook its head, seemingly disliking the head pat.
"Haha, it's not a pet dog; it's quite courageous," Ye Fan retracted his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed.