In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xing was dragged up toward the ventilation duct by the zombie's long, slimy tongue.
The tongue coiled tightly around her waist, making it difficult for Jiang Xing to breathe. She tried to grab hold of something, but all her hands could reach was a pile of bags. She couldn't find anything stable to hold onto, and she could only watch in horror as the twisted, brain-like head of the zombie got closer.
Her vision blurred, and darkness began to close in around her. She felt like she was about to lose consciousness.
Click-click!
The creature emitted a strange clicking sound. Though it had no eyes, it seemed to sense that it was getting closer to its prey, and the tongue tightened, even pulling her closer to the opening of the duct.
In the midst of the constant gnashing sounds, the zombie loosened its grip slightly, trying to get a better angle to strike. This momentary slack allowed Jiang Xing to regain some clarity, and she caught sight of the sharp, jagged teeth mere inches from her face. Acting on instinct, she shoved a bundle of cloth into the zombie's gaping maw.
The package was small, but its tight fabric was enough to make the creature gag and hesitate.
Rip!
The sharp teeth bit through the fabric, piercing into some of the packaged food items inside. The zombie chewed a few more times, realizing something was wrong and spitting out the package.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Xing retrieved a small knife she had hidden in her pocket and slashed at the tongue coiled around her. It didn't sever completely, but she cut deep enough that the zombie released its grip, allowing her to fall free. She hit the floor with a thud, the tongue retracting back into the duct.
Jiang Xing knew she couldn't afford to hesitate. Sweat poured down her face as she gripped the knife, her heart pounding. In a split-second move, she lunged at the creature, stabbing directly at its head.
She aimed carefully, and though the zombie twisted to avoid it, Xiao Jin's smaller blade managed to pierce the top of its skull, causing the knife to lodge at the base of its skull.
Human skulls are naturally tough, and this zombie wasn't like the usual ones. Although its body appeared decayed, its skull was as hard as ever. Despite her strength failing, Jiang Xing managed to stab it, but the knife didn't go in as smoothly as she had hoped.
"It's not over yet!" Jiang Xing thought, her heart sinking.
The feeling of the room closing in on her returned, and Jiang Xing's body trembled with tension. She raised her head, catching sight of the zombie's hideous maw. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, snapping menacingly.
"Help me!" Jiang Xing shouted, her voice hoarse, desperately pressing the blade against the zombie's gnashing jaws.
Crunch!
The zombie bit down, and Jiang Xing barely managed to pull her left arm back in time. Cold sweat ran down her back as she tried to maneuver in the tight space of the ventilation duct, unsure if her desperate actions had any effect.
Jiang Xing didn't know if the zombie was aware, but it seemed like the positioning wasn't right. It was clear that the creature could smell the scent of blood in the vent, but it kept chomping down on the bundle of cloth instead of her.
It was just gnashing at random things. Disgusted, it spat out the fabric and prepared to snap again, tightening its body, ready for a third attempt.
Jiang Xing could feel herself growing weaker, her hands trembling from the lack of strength. She also knew she was running out of time.
"Is this how I'm going to die today?" Jiang Xing muttered, staring at the grotesque mouth full of jagged teeth, filled with bitterness and disbelief.
But strangely, the bite didn't come. She was ready for the worst, but instead, she heard a dull thud sound. The zombie's long tongue had been yanked back, the entire creature being pulled back into the vent. The air reverberated as if the entire duct had been shaken.
Click-click!
She could hear the tongue slithering away, and the sensation of being pursued abruptly disappeared. Struggling to catch her breath in the cramped space, she dropped her head and let out a deep, relieved sigh.
The scattered light slowly returned, and she glanced around to see the dark interior of the ventilation duct.
What Just Happened?
Jiang Xing's mind was hazy, her vision blurred. She could barely see anything clearly, but she heard a "thump, thump" sound echoing, and the ventilation duct shook violently, as if something heavy was repeatedly striking the metal walls.
Alongside the thudding, there were gnashing noises, and it seemed like two distinct yet similar growls intertwined, creating a chaotic mess. Her already foggy mind sparked with a sudden realization.
Could it be that two zombies were fighting?
Trying to figure out why this was happening, Jiang Xing took out her phone and switched on the flashlight. In the dark, narrow space, the bright beam cut through the shadows, revealing what was happening in front of her.
The first thing she saw was a lone zombie head. Its eye sockets glowed red, but there was only one eye, while its other socket was gouged out. Its face was half decayed, resembling the other long-tongued zombie with a wide, grotesque mouth and a long, snake-like tongue hanging down.
Clearly, this one-eyed zombie's stealthy approach had been interrupted by the other zombie. The light startled the decayed eye, which seemed to react to the brightness, giving the long-tongued zombie the perfect opportunity to wrap its tongue around the one-eyed creature's head.
The long-tongued zombie pulled back violently, and the one-eyed creature was forced to retreat, unable to withstand the sharp tug. Its tongue lashed out in frustration, but it was caught off guard and had no chance to defend itself.
The creature's screech was painful, and Jiang Xing could sense the distress in its voice.
This might be the perfect chance to escape. Beyond the two battling zombies, she could see an open path further ahead, and there was a clear airflow around her, making it easy for her to breathe. The one-eyed zombie's face was partially crushed, and both zombies had their attention on each other, seemingly oblivious to Jiang Xing's presence.
If the long-tongued creature managed to win, and its allies heard the noise and climbed up, Jiang Xing feared they might trap her there for good.
With that thought, she made her decision. She mustered all her strength and began to crawl away as quickly as she could.
The ventilation duct was extremely narrow, so she moved slowly, carefully. She crawled along, trying her best to remain silent, gripping the sides with all her strength as she tried to inch away.
Jiang Xing had nothing left on her except her phone. The only weapon she had was a small knife she had grabbed earlier, but it was hardly effective against the long-tongued zombie. It was only about half a meter long, and there were limits to what she could do with it.
She took a deep breath. If she was going to survive, she needed to use whatever she could find. Even a simple piece of board could be useful.
But while she was gathering her thoughts, the long-tongued zombie had almost secured its victory over the one-eyed creature.
The long-tongued zombie seemed to be more agile or perhaps had more advanced predatory abilities. The one-eyed zombie lost its stealthy edge, unable to maneuver as swiftly as before, making it easy prey for the long-tongued zombie's tactics.
With a vicious jerk, the long-tongued zombie ripped off the other's head, and the one-eyed zombie, losing its balance, fell back, its gray, decayed head rolling to the floor.
Not wasting any time, the long-tongued zombie licked its tongue clean and promptly devoured the head, swallowing it in one gulp, then prepared to swallow its next meal.
That was when Jiang Xing felt a sudden chill behind her. Something was staring at her, and it felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on her back—a predator locking in on its prey.
The long-tongued zombie spat out its tongue, elongating it straight like a spear, aiming right for Jiang Xing's shoulder.
Its tongue was covered in slime, the smell of decay wafting toward her. Jiang Xing almost retched, but she forced her focus to remain on the small knife in her hand, which was still embedded in the braincase of the long-tongued zombie.
It had tried to dislodge the knife earlier, but it seemed unaware that it was still stuck there. Fortunately, Jiang Xing's grip was firm, and she could still sense the knife's presence.
She moved her hand to a crucial spot on the blade and pushed it deeper, thrusting herself forward in a desperate attempt.
Jiang Xing didn't know how she managed to maintain her balance. Her eyes wide open, she felt the blade sink deeper, and unexpectedly, the zombie's body began twitching. Its once fluid motions stiffened, and the writhing of its tongue slowed.
It was now or never—she had to act fast to kill it.
Blood spattered as Jiang Xing gripped the handle with all her might, twisting and driving the blade deeper. She heard the horrific sound of the knife slicing through the flesh of the brain, and with it, a loud, wet squelch. The long-tongued zombie's entire body quivered, and its guttural growls grew chaotic.
The blade was not large, but it was enough to penetrate vital parts of the creature. Jiang Xing kept pushing until the job was done, ignoring the sensation of sticky blood and decaying flesh covering her hands. With a final desperate shove, she felt the zombie go limp, its movements ceasing altogether.
The light was dim and unclear, making it hard for Jiang Xing to grasp the situation. She could only feel a constant stream of icy liquid pouring onto her hands, chilling her to the bone. The lack of oxygen made her entire body shiver.
"Hmm..." Jiang Xing groaned softly, a fierce desire to survive burning in her eyes. She didn't want to die, especially not in such a miserable place, at the mercy of this vile creature.
With that thought, she summoned her courage, and without hesitation, she jammed her phone into the crack.