Ye Chen glanced coldly at the corpses on the ground, gripping his watermelon knife as he approached. He first dissected the two charred zombies but was out of luck; there was no catalyst meat inside them. Ye Chen didn't let this disappointment deter him, as catalyst meat was rare—finding one in ten zombies was already fortunate. He then walked to the struggling zombie, easily severed its neck, and cut open its chest.
Without lingering, Ye Chen swiftly left the area. The explosion just now would have undoubtedly alerted many wandering zombies downstairs. Soon after his departure, several zombies ran up the stairs, their grotesque faces glancing around and sniffing the blood-scented air, heading upwards.
Ye Chen retreated to the room where he had previously hunted zombies, locked the door, and retrieved the catalyst meat. After a quick rinse, he consumed it. The energy from this piece of catalyst meat made his physique stronger, bolstered his anti-virus capabilities, increased his strength by dozens of pounds, and made his blade strikes swifter.
Suddenly—
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The door shook under heavy knocking. Ye Chen frowned, gripped his watermelon knife tightly, and peeked through the peephole. Three figures were frantically pounding on the door, their faces twisted in a frenzy—it was three zombies. Ye Chen didn't panic. He calmly stepped back, pondered for a moment, and then came up with a plan. He pushed the sofas in front of the TV to the door, positioning three sofas in a "T" shape. He then went into the kitchen, found a cleaver and two frying pans, and also brought a mop from the bathroom door.
With everything prepared, Ye Chen opened the door latch. With the zombies' force, the door opened to a crack but was immediately stopped by the sofas, which in turn were backed against the wall. Only a small gap was opened. One zombie tried to squeeze in but could only extend one claw, unable to reach Ye Chen, who stood just out of reach. This made the zombie even more frenzied, growling and struggling with bloodthirsty eyes.
Ye Chen remained calm. Seeing the zombie extend its hand, he swung his watermelon knife, slicing off the zombie's claw with one powerful strike. Previously, Ye Chen could only cut halfway through a zombie's arm, but now he cut cleanly. The zombie, missing a claw, grew even more frenzied, pressing harder against the sofas, which creaked under the strain.
Ye Chen didn't waste any time. He used the length of the mop to strike the zombie's nose from a safe distance. The zombie groaned in pain and fell back. The two other zombies behind it, seizing the opportunity, pushed in. Eventually, one of the zombies managed to squeeze through the gap.
With a cold glint in his eyes, Ye Chen repeated his tactic: first, he cut off the zombie's claw and then struck it with the mop on its eyes and mouth. Crack! The sofa behind the door broke, its wooden and aluminum frame bending under the pressure. The three zombies outside the door burst in, lunging at Ye Chen.
Startled by the sofas' sudden collapse, Ye Chen realized the zombies' immense strength. As one zombie lunged, Ye Chen struck it with a frying pan, smashing its head. The pan broke through, and Ye Chen pulled the pan, causing the zombie to stumble and fall. Another zombie charged, but Ye Chen sidestepped, sweeping the mop at its waist, which snapped with a crack.
Before Ye Chen could catch his breath, the third zombie rushed in. Ye Chen dropped to the ground, kicked back, and struck the zombie's chest, sending it flying. He quickly stood up, kicked the zombie whose head was caught in the pan, hitting its nose and eyes.
The zombie cried out, knocked back several feet. Before Ye Chen could follow up, the zombie struck in the waist had recovered and leaped at him. Ye Chen stepped back, waiting for the right moment, and then slashed the zombie's neck as it landed, decapitating it with a swift motion.
Kill!
With a cold gaze, Ye Chen turned to the zombie with the pan on its head. He stomped down hard, crushing its skull. White brain matter splattered across the floor. Simultaneously, the remaining zombie lunged at Ye Chen from behind. In a split second, Ye Chen heard the growl but didn't turn around. Instead, he dashed forward. With no way out, Ye Chen accelerated, ran up the wall, and with a powerful kick, flipped backward. His watermelon knife cleaved down, splitting the zombie's head.
The zombie trembled and fell to the ground. All this happened within a minute. Without pausing, Ye Chen closed the door and sat on the damaged sofa, panting. After regaining some strength, he checked the three zombies, almost expecting them to jump up again. Assured by their smashed heads, he dissected them but found no catalyst meat, feeling a twinge of disappointment. After a short rest, he left the room and headed downstairs.
As he walked through the corridor, the dissected zombies lay scattered, black blood covering the floor. Ye Chen carefully stepped around them, clearing a path in case he needed to escape. Once done, he continued downstairs. This floor was spacious, with many rooms, including presidential suites, guest rooms, and singles. The guest floor had thirty-four rooms.
Ye Chen walked down the corridor, where a heavy silence hung. Some doors were ajar, others stained with blood. In the middle of the corridor lay a severed head surrounded by blood—likely another victim of the zombies. Gripping his watermelon knife, Ye Chen tried to stay calm, knowing that sweaty hands could make the knife slippery. In his past life, these zombies would have been inconsequential, but now, they posed a real threat to his weaker body.
The corridor had ten doors, three slightly open, potentially housing more zombies ready to pounce. Cautiously, Ye Chen approached the first ajar door. A cool breeze brushed past, sending shivers down his spine.
Ye Chen held his watermelon knife, slowly pushed the door open, and peeked inside. The room was clean and orderly, offering a momentary relief. As he took in the scene, he noticed a black creature on the living room floor—fist-sized, pitch black, with a pair of antennae and a shiny, black shell.
Mutant Ant!
Ye Chen instantly recognized the creature, a mix of fear and excitement rising within him.