NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 44
Chapter 44: The Calm Before the Storm
After a satisfying lunch and an afternoon nap, Wang Xiong arrived at Lu Ming’s door. He explained that they were heading out for a double mission: restocking their supplies and hunting giant zombies for precious crystals.
Lu Ming readily agreed, confident in his ability to hold down the fort. With him on watch, there wouldn’t be any problems.
As Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng disappeared down the street, Lu Ming took up his post at a second-floor window. With the benefits of the Archery skill, his eyes constantly scan the streets like a vigilant predator.
Since the last major zombie wave, only scattered stragglers and the occasional giant zombie had wandered by. These were easily dispatched by either Wang Xiong or Lu Ming’s sharp aim. This decline in local zombie activity meant less danger for the nearby survivors, even if they made some noise.
In truth, Lu Ming secretly hoped for a few stray zombies to appear, providing him with some target practice. However, the area seemed eerily quiet. Even Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng hadn’t encountered large hordes lately.
The afternoon wore on, another zombie-free period.
The evening brought Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng back, their return heralding the end of the peaceful day.
24th Day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Tuesday
Day Two of Training
Training with Wang Xiong was a revelation for Lu Ming. Having a professional guide made a world of difference. Not only did Wang Xiong provide expert fitness advice, but he also began to teach Lu Ming the fundamentals of mixed martial arts, significantly enhancing his close-combat skills.
This morning’s session had been both challenging and rewarding. Lu Ming could feel himself getting stronger and faster. His basic attributes were improving, his Fitness skill proficiency was soaring, and his unarmed combat experience was rapidly accumulating. Wang Xiong definitely deserved a big thumbs up.
During dinner, Zhang Chengcheng filled Lu Ming in on their afternoon trip. They had visited the Zhang family’s gathering place, which hadn’t changed much. The courtyard remained piled high with undead, and the food cellar, thankfully, showed no signs of being breached.
According to their original plan, they were supposed to wait a week before clearing the zombies and retrieving the supplies. However, upon confirming the absence of hunters, Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng took the initiative. The hapless zombies were quickly dispatched, with Zhang Chengcheng playing the lead role.
Her superpower is truly terrifying. She can even suppress me to Wang Xiong’s level. It’s obvious how formidable she is.
But that’s not the main takeaway. The point is, it seems I might not need to venture out anymore. Should I be celebrating this development?
I thought the Zhang family gathering place issue was settled, but then Zhang Chengcheng dropped another bomb. The place apparently has a ton of supplies, and manually transporting everything would be a huge chore.
Their new plan is to head to the village entrance first and retrieve the military vehicles and weapons left behind by the army. This seems like a sensible approach before attempting the supply retrieval. Looks like I might be included on transportation duty soon.
25th Day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Wednesday
[Lu Ming's POV]
After this morning’s training session, Wang Xiong set off for the village entrance alone. During a previous visit, he’d lured some zombies back here, essentially opening a corridor between our home and the entrance. My job was to pick them off with my bow.
Following lunch, Wang Xiong returned with Zhang Lixin and the other three men to drive back the military vehicles. The engine noise attracted some zombies, but nothing overwhelming. I took care of them with my trusty bow and arrow.
I must admit, bows and arrows aren’t as practical as slingshots. But hey, gotta use them to grind those skill and attribute points, right?
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 39.6
Physique: 40.1
Agility: 40.3
[Skills]
- Fitness Lv7 (590/700)
- Slingshot Lv1 (1269/1300)
- Archery Lv9 (53/900)
- Hand-to-hand combat Lv1 (599/1200)
- Cold Weapon Combat Lv0 (0/1000)
- Throw Lv2 (26/200)
26th Day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Thursday
Morning exercise
[Lu Ming's POV]
I spent the afternoon chatting with Wang Xiong, Zhang Lixin, and the others by the window.
Military vehicles are a game-changer. They’ll be crucial for future travel and supply runs. We all agreed that upgrading them is a priority. Thickening the armor, muffling the engines, and adding firing ports are all on the to-do list. There’s no point rushing the supply retrieval; a well-sharpened tool gets the job done best.
Sir Soldier, the former special forces soldier, is taking the lead on modifying a reliable military vehicle, with Wang Xiong assisting him. It seems their first priority is to get one dependable vehicle battle-ready.
On a positive note, Sir Soldier surprised me with a gift today—a rifle with a silencer! Ammo, however, is scarce and irreplaceable, so I’ll need to use it sparingly. I gave it a test run and successfully unlocked the Firearm Shooting Lv1 skill.
- Firearm Shooting Lv1 (0/100)
[You have mastered the initial shooting technique of the Firearm. Agility increased by 0.1 points.]
Despite the cool factor, I still maintain that slingshots have a higher practicality rating.
27th Day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Friday
Morning exercise
Afternoon: Uneventful day
28th Day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Saturday
Morning exercise
[Lu Ming's POV]
The afternoon saw Sir Soldier and Wang Xiong diligently modifying a vehicle. Today, I had the rare opportunity to venture out and test the car’s firing position. It’s actually quite well-designed. You can stand in the back seat, upper body out of the car for shooting, and quickly retreat back inside if danger arises.
With this car in our arsenal, I feel a sliver—maybe 1%—more confident about future outings.
Oh, and one more thing. Running low on ammo, I requested Bro Soldier’s help in crafting arrows, pellets, and throwing discs. He and the others readily agreed. For someone who can build hunter-grade slingshots, crafting ammo is a breeze.
29th Day of the Apocalypse Calendar, Sunday
Morning exercise
[Lu Ming's POV]
This afternoon, Sir Soldier sent over the finished ammo—300 pellets, 30 arrows, and crossbow bolts each, along with some throwing discs. However, he seemed a bit under the weather, mentioning he wasn’t feeling well.
Later that night, Zhang Chengcheng informed me that Bro Soldier had fallen ill with a fever. I offered some medicine, unsure of its effectiveness. My hope is that Bro Soldier recovers quickly. He’s a good man, and we need him.
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 50.4
Physique: 51.1
Agility: 48
[Skills]
- Fitness Lv8 (700/800)
- Others: omitted...
Strength and stamina exceed 50! This is a milestone breakthrough! I feel like I’m overflowing with power!
End of Chapter 44