"Ugh!"
Kael Voss was curious about what Lyra Solis had prepared for him. As for supplies, since he was still alone, he didn't find himself in immediate need of much.
After waiting for a while, Kael suddenly saw a faint light flash across his phone screen, and a snake-skin bag appeared on the ground in front of him.
"Hmm?"
When he picked up the bag, Kael immediately noticed its weight. Opening it, he was surprised to find four crossbows inside. Their dark, matte bodies absorbed light, giving off an aura of high-quality craftsmanship—clearly not something ordinary.
Seeing the crossbows, Kael's eyes lit up. He quickly selected a short crossbow and held it in his hands, admiring the feel of the cold metal. His heart swelled with joy.
This was a great tool. While it didn't have the power of a firearm, its greatest strength lay in its silence. Unlike guns, which made too much noise and attracted zombies, the crossbow could be used discreetly.
It was a shame, though—if only there were a scope on this crossbow, it would be perfect. After all, he wasn't an expert marksman.
"How do you like it, Kael?" Lyra's voice came through the phone. "I spent quite a lot to buy these from a collector."
"Not bad. Thank you, Lyra… I mean, you've really outdone yourself!" Kael said with sincere appreciation. These crossbows were going to be incredibly useful.
"By the way, I've also sent you these," Lyra continued. "These supplies should last you for ten days."
As Lyra spoke, several black backpacks appeared, flashing into existence before Kael.
Kael opened one of the backpacks and found it filled with high-energy food. The other bags had similar contents. To his surprise, one of them even contained several bottles of Moutai.
Upon seeing the Moutai, Kael couldn't help but smile. He quickly uncorked a bottle and, without bothering with a cup, took a swig directly from the bottle.
The fiery liquid burned its way down his throat, and the long-lost scent of alcohol seemed to ease his fatigue, making him feel much lighter. He drank several more mouthfuls before he remembered to thank Lyra.
Just as Kael reached for his phone to call her, he realized that the line had dropped. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. It seemed he'd have to wait until the next time to thank her properly.
The next moment, still holding the bottle of liquor in one hand and the crossbow in the other, Kael stood outside the duck restaurant, looking for a few targets to test out the weapon.
As he scanned the area, he noticed two zombies stumbling behind a row of counters up ahead.
Click.
It was Kael's first time using the crossbow, and he hadn't quite mastered the distance. The first shot went high, and the zombie, startled by the sudden attack, turned its head, howled a few times, but seeing no one, just wandered off aimlessly.
Seeing this, Kael quietly moved forward a few meters, hiding behind a shelf. He focused once again on the target.
Click.
This time, the shot landed true. A steel bolt struck the zombie's head, dropping it instantly. The second zombie, seeing its companion fall, stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. It became an excellent target.
Kael took a deep breath and let loose another bolt, finishing off the second zombie. Satisfied with the results, Kael couldn't help but smile. The crossbow might not be as powerful as a firearm, but it was far more practical for his current situation.
The snake-skin bag that Lyra had sent him still contained three more crossbows, six more steel bolts, and plenty of crossbow arrows—enough to keep him going for some time.
...
Kael wasn't in a rush to head to the wildlife sanctuary. Instead, he decided to stay and practice with the crossbow on the zombies in the mall. This also gave him the chance to reclaim the mall from the undead.
Although he wanted to get to the wildlife sanctuary as soon as possible, rushing wouldn't do him any good. He needed to be fully prepared before making that move. Otherwise, the journey would be nothing more than a one-way ticket to death.
Chapter 21: The Crossbow (Part 2/2)
After a long day of practice, Kael returned to the duck restaurant, locked the door behind him, and fell asleep quickly, the alcohol's effect putting him into a deep slumber.
The next morning, Kael opened a few cans to fill his stomach, packed three bottles of steel bolts into his backpack, and hid the other crossbows and supplies inside the restaurant.
Grabbing his knife, Kael stepped out and resumed the search for zombies in the mall that he had started the day before.
He had already cleared the southern side of the rooftop, and now, with the crossbow, he felt confident that he could quickly reclaim the eastern, western, and northern sides as well.
By late afternoon, Kael had cleared the rooftop. He then started making his way down, clearing the floors one by one. By the time he reached the sixth floor, he had already taken care of the zombies on the eighth and seventh floors. But as he moved lower, the number of zombies grew, and the difficulty increased.
When Kael reached the sixth floor, he found a taekwondo studio directly ahead, filled with zombies wandering aimlessly. A quick count told him there were at least seventy or eighty zombies inside.
It seemed that, when the disaster struck, some customers had sought refuge in the studio, only to be trapped when the transformation began.
As Kael descended the stairs, the zombies noticed him and immediately began to crowd the door. Suddenly, with a loud crack, the glass doors exploded inward, and the zombies poured out.
The unexpected collapse startled Kael. He quickly ran along the circular corridor of the sixth floor, trying to put some distance between himself and the oncoming horde.
For the past few days, Kael had been using both his knife and the crossbow to deal with the zombies. Over time, he had become more skilled with both weapons. Although he wasn't a master swordsman, his use of the long knife had become more fluid, and with each swing, it was almost a guaranteed kill.
Now, with so many zombies emerging at once, Kael employed a tactic he'd learned from video games: kite them. He ran while continuously firing the steel bolts, using the zombies' slow speed to his advantage.
As Kael shot bolt after bolt, more zombies dropped, but as he escaped to a greater distance, the horde continued to follow.
Though the situation seemed manageable, the sight of seventy or eighty zombies, their eyes dark and hollow, chasing after him relentlessly, made Kael's nerves tingle.
The circular corridor stretched on for nearly three hundred meters, roughly the length of a standard football field.
Kael kept an eye on the zombies behind him, calculating that after a couple more laps, the horde would be completely wiped out.
While he remained cautious, he didn't panic.
Soon, Kael found himself at a small outdoor terrace in the center of the circular corridor. There were a few glass tables set up, and on one of them, two unopened cans of iced tea were sitting.
Seeing the iced tea, Kael immediately felt parched and grabbed one of the cans. He popped it open and drank it in large gulps, feeling his dry throat finally begin to ease. By the time he finished, the can was empty.
As Kael paused to drink, the zombies closed in, now only about seven or eight meters away. Kael quickly grabbed the crossbow again, knowing that at this range, he could easily hit them every time.
With another shot, two more zombies dropped to the ground. As the remaining zombies advanced a few meters, Kael casually continued to lead them along, taking his time and picking off targets.
But then, something unexpected happened...