Fifteen kilometers away from the Komodo Corporation's affiliated fortress lies a street.
Once a bustling commercial avenue combining entertainment, finance, and industry, this street was densely packed with shops and vibrant billboards that nearly obscured the sky.
Now, this area, which has been deprived of sunlight for years, has become a "summer retreat" for various mutated monsters.
The densely populated area that once thrived here has naturally turned into one of the most severely affected disaster zones by the Black Rain infection.
Over 90% of the humans infected by the Black Rain have transformed into bloodthirsty monsters known as "Living Dead."
These beings have lost all human characteristics but can still eat, move, and even mate. Survivors refer to them as living corpses.
The Living Dead are like the zombies depicted in old movies—rotting and decaying, with exposed, crimson muscle tissue. Even with severed limbs or a gaping abdomen, they can still move about.
They are devoid of pain, unafraid of death, and are driven by an insatiable thirst for blood.
Their pre-infection consciousness is long gone, whether they were once well-dressed office workers, managers, or CEOs, or ragged and foul-smelling beggars under the bridge.
Now, they all share the same fate, aimlessly wandering the streets, foraging, or fighting for mating rights with female Living Dead.
Unlike the sluggish zombies of movies, the Living Dead of this era are more like top athletes—whether in sprinting, marathon running, triathlons, high jumping, or even swimming.
Once detected by their keen senses, they will ignore all obstacles and charge at you with a frenzied speed of under 10 seconds per hundred meters, until nothing remains but bones.
Therefore, before hunting Living Dead, you must first consider if you can outrun them.
At this moment, Xia Leng is less than a kilometer away from the street of the Living Dead.
He has taken on this highly dangerous mission.
In the past, he would have turned away immediately, unwilling to undertake such a suicidal task just for some information about the fortress.
But now things are different. With his extraordinary abilities, he should be able to fight a solitary Living Dead.
Moreover, the Black Light Virus seems to be subtly suggesting that these Living Dead are a "delicacy," urging him not to let them go...
Xia Leng is not the only one who has taken on this task. Many other refugees also seek the "ticket" to a stable life within the fortress.
Humans, no matter where they are, tend to gather in groups to tackle daunting hunting tasks.
This situation is no exception. About a hundred meters ahead of Xia Leng, there is a temporary team of about twenty to thirty refugees also heading towards the street of the Living Dead.
An individual may lack the courage to face the terrifying zombies, but a group of people feels different. They understand that more people mean greater strength, and even if they die, they have comrades to rely on...
However, Xia Leng has no desire to join this group of scheming refugees. Hunting Living Dead is challenging enough without having to deal with treacherous companions.
When they are about five hundred meters from their destination, they start to enter the dangerous area where dense billboards block out the sunlight.
Xia Leng notices that the team, initially full of confidence, begins to hesitate as they approach the ominous and eerie area. They waver between light and darkness.
The transition from sunlight to darkness feels like a gateway from heaven to hell; one misstep could lead to eternal damnation.
None of them wants to be the first to enter the Living Dead area, hoping instead to pick up a crystal stone from the chaos.
Even killing a teammate to obtain a crystal stone seems preferable to facing the terrifying, bloodthirsty Living Dead directly.
Xia Leng watches as the refugees push and pull each other, none willing to be the first sacrifice.
This is expected by Xia Leng. Now he just waits to see who will make the first move against their companions.
As anticipated, after nearly five minutes of indecision, some of the refugees begin to fight amongst themselves!
In the apocalypse, fights are often brutal, with each blow potentially deadly.
Amidst the screams that pierce the air, some are killed by their "companions," and the group quiets down again.
At this moment, a scarred and strong man among the refugees, looking the most robust of the group, sneers as he approaches. He grabs a bloodied and beaten elderly man from the ground as if he were a small chicken.
"Hmph, an old man still dreams of entering the fortress. He might as well pave the way for us younger folks."
He hoists the foul-smelling, emaciated corpse and walks to the edge of the sunlight. Taking a deep breath, he roars and hurls the corpse dozens of meters away, making it crash heavily onto the dark street.
Throwing a corpse fifty meters is an impressive feat, indicating that the man is at least a Tier 1 strength-based apocalypse warrior!
The fact that even a Tier 1 Baptized person needs to participate in a mission to enter the fortress shows just how overcrowded it is inside.
However, even a Tier 1 Baptized individual would not dare face a starving Living Dead alone, as even a scratch from such a creature could infect them with deadly bacteria.
After throwing the body, the burly man quickly runs back to the crowd under the blazing sun, holding his breath along with everyone else as they watch the solitary corpse lying in the dark street.
After a few minutes, with no anomalies appearing in the dark area, could it be that this is the edge of the Living Dead street, and there are no zombies?
As the anticipation grows more intense, a deep, low growl emerges from the dark mist, and a gaunt figure begins to slowly reveal itself!
Roar...
Finally! The first Living Dead appears!
Its skin is so decayed that it sheds with every step. Its right thigh is twisted almost 360 degrees, and one eyeball is dangling from a nerve in the socket. It moves step by step towards the "bait"!
As everyone sees it, beyond the innate fear, the ticket to the fortress and a new life appears before them.
People start to stir with excitement, but no one dares to take the lead. Even though the zombie looks slow at the moment, it is still a formidable opponent.
The Living Dead, drawn by the strong scent of blood, eagerly approaches the corpse...