NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 37: Simba's Observation
The elation of their successful awakening was short-lived. With the advancement complete, Wang Xiong, Zhang Chengcheng, and the remaining survivors emerged from the safe house, converging on the "Zombies Strike Array" meticulously constructed in front of Lu Ming's residence. This would be their campsite for the night.
Thankfully, the weather cooperated, sparing them the discomfort of battling the cold alongside the undead. Safety, however, remained a concern. Night watch duties were meticulously assigned, ensuring a vigilant eye would be cast upon their surroundings throughout the night.
Driven by the desire to share their success with Lu Ming, Zhang Chengcheng reached for the doorbell. However, the timing seemed inopportune. Disruption of his sleep, a crucial element in preparing for the inevitable conflict, was far from ideal.
“Is the zombie horde here?” Lu Ming's voice inquired through the intercom, his tone heavy with fatigue.
“It's not exactly that...” Zhang Chengcheng stammered, a touch of apology creeping into her voice.
“Then hold off on any disruptions,” Lu Ming interrupted a hint of impatience in his voice. “Preserving my energy is essential.”
Understanding dawned on Zhang Chengcheng. Yes, Lu Ming, their primary defense against the approaching horde, needed to be at his peak. Disturbing his rest at such a critical juncture would indeed be ill-advised. She made a mental note to discuss their advancements and newfound abilities at a more opportune time.
After a quick freshening up and a change into sleepwear, Lu Ming found himself restless on his bed. His thoughts veered towards a different kind of struggle —the limitations of his fitness equipment.
The impressive gains he'd made in strength had rendered his current workout routine obsolete. He estimated that within a week, the effectiveness of his training would begin to decline, eventually reaching a point of diminishing returns after a month. This predicament, Lu Ming realized with a jolt, was a potentially greater threat than the approaching horde.
Sleep proved elusive that night. His mind churned with anxieties, his body tossing and turning in restless anticipation. Around 11 pm, the sudden shrill of the doorbell shattered the silence.
Lu Ming bolted out of bed, rushing towards the door and activating the electronic screen. Wang Xiong's face materialized on the display, his expression grim.
“Brother Lu,” he announced, his voice etched with urgency, “the horde is here.”
The remnants of drowsiness instantly vanished from Lu Ming's mind.
“Understood,” he responded, a surge of alertness replacing his earlier lethargy.
Dr. Meng Jie's theory, Lu Ming mused, presented the Awakened and the undead as locked in a reciprocal hunt. But a deeper analysis revealed a stark reality – the zombies possessed a significant advantage over humans. Beyond their superior strength and speed, their lower evolutionary requirements played a crucial role. The ease and rapidity with which they could evolve presented a formidable challenge to humanity's struggle for survival.
This inherent advantage, their ability to sense the presence of Awakened individuals, added another layer of complexity to the situation. Dr. Meng Jie, while still puzzling over the underlying reason, recognized the dire implications. Every time an Awakened leveled up, it served as a beacon, attracting zombies of equal or even greater strength, culminating in a relentless tide of undead led by powerful, high-level beings.
Under the ethereal glow of the moon, a chilling spectacle unfolded. Grotesque silhouettes, like phantoms, lurched and shuffled towards their target. The horde, a chaotic mass of undead, surged forward, their moans and guttural growls echoing in the night. Mud squelched beneath their feet as they traversed the deserted streets, their singular objective abundantly clear.
This horde numbered nearly a thousand, with dozens of hulking giant zombies interspersed amongst the shambling masses. Any civilian refuge at this stage would be utterly defenseless against such a force.
But the true terror resided at the rear of the approaching horde. Five grotesque hunters, their bodies warped and twisted parodies of their former humanity, stalked forward in a menacing row. Their crimson eyes, gleaming with predatory hunger, fixated on Lu Ming's house in the distance. It was a primal desire for flesh, a ravenous yearning for sustenance.
A closer inspection revealed a peculiarity – one of these hunters stood out from the others. Unlike its companions, who exuded an air of cold arrogance, this individual displayed a sense of caution, its gaze flitting between its brethren with a hint of nervousness. Every so often, its nostrils would twitch, and a flicker of intelligence, almost mischievous, danced in its eyes. Its movements were akin to a cunning husky infiltrating a pack of wolves.
This hunter had christened itself Simba.
From its very inception as a zombie, Simba had deviated from the norm. Unlike its mindless brethren who relied solely on sound to locate prey, it possessed a spark of sentience. Its vision was superior as well, enabling it to outsmart even simple tactics like tossing a glass bottle for distraction. This inherent advantage translated into an exceptional hunting prowess.
As a giant zombie, Simba's intelligence blossomed. It even mastered the art of unlocking doors and ransacking dwellings, a feat that culminated in the silent demise of a lone Level 1 Awakened who fell victim to a fatal neck snap during his slumber.
The evolution to Tier 2 Hunter further elevated Simba's cognitive abilities. A past encounter had cemented its cautious nature. It had witnessed a convoy – heavily armored vehicles manned by individuals clad in green – swaggering down the street. While its brethren, consumed by their primal urge, saw only an easy target, Simba sensed something far more potent – a formidable force best avoided. This intuition proved to be accurate. It watched in morbid fascination as the convoy annihilated its fellow hunters, their leader wielding a sparking pipe, and a powerful Awakened clad in green, with devastating efficiency. Simba, ever the opportunist, wisely opted to slink away before the carnage unfolded. Even now, the memory of its escape filled it with a sense of pride, a story it would carry for eternity.
A guttural roar from its neighboring hunter shattered the silence, snapping Simba out of its reverie.
The guttural roar served as the starting pistol for the impending chaos. Simba, however, couldn’t help but cast a disdainful glance at its companions. Herein lay the fundamental difference – intelligence. While Simba possessed a cunning mind, its physical strength remained comparable to its brethren. Past experiences have instilled a valuable lesson – the wisdom of avoiding unnecessary risks. In this group hunt, Simba planned to be the opportunistic closer, snatching victory at the last moment. After all, these mindless creatures wouldn’t be able to discern who truly delivered the decisive blow.
“If I can't exploit their idiocy, who can I exploit?” it mused cynically.
As the five leaders unleashed their coordinated roar, the zombie horde surged forward, a tide of ravenous flesh unleashed upon their target.
Lu Ming's House
The second-floor window stood wide open, a stark contrast to the fortified structure below. Lu Ming, his improved slingshot gripped firmly in hand, stood poised for action. Fifty pouches of steel beads lay neatly on a table beside him.
The full moon cast a luminous glow over the approaching horde, their grotesque forms clearly visible even from afar. The air crackled with the cacophony of moans and growls, a symphony of the undead, that only served to heighten Lu Ming’s focus.
He held his breath, waiting patiently. Not until the lead zombie lumbered within a hundred meters did he make his move. With a swift, powerful pull of the slingshot, a steel bead whizzed through the air. The impact was instantaneous – the zombie’s head exploded in a crimson mist.
This opening kill, swift and effortless, served as a testament to the improved capabilities of his new slingshot. Enhanced power translated to a greater effective range, and while this increased the difficulty of aiming, landing a successful shot yielded a larger reward in terms of skill proficiency.
+7
The system announced, confirming the addition of seven proficiency points for the headshot.
Uncertainty gnawed at Lu Ming. Would this night turn deadly, or would his preparations be sufficient? His growing expertise in skill proficiency offered a glimmer of hope.
The unmistakable aroma of a Level 2 Awakened, emanating from Lu Ming's location, sent the horde into a frenzy. Even Simba, with its superior intellect, felt a surge of primal hunger. The urge to devour and evolve was deeply ingrained in all zombies, an undeniable imperative for survival.
Simba scanned the crude defense line erected in front of Lu Ming's house, a sneer forming on its grotesque face. The defenses were weak, the Awakened defenders seemingly few, and there was an obvious absence of any fearsome fire-spewing pipes. This ragtag resistance, Simba concluded, wouldn’t stand a chance against the combined might of its companions and itself. Annihilation seemed inevitable.
However, as Simba continued its observations, a disquieting realization began to dawn on it. Something didn’t quite add up.
End of Chapter 37