Atop the verdant mountain peak stood a warrior clad in Hard Tactical Armor, a Blood-colored Long Blade strapped to his back and an ultra-long sniper rifle cradled in his arms.
Below the mountain stretched a dilapidated highway leading toward the distant silhouette of a massive city. The road was littered with rusted, broken-down vehicles and the shambling figures of the Walking Dead.
Yes, this was a world overrun by Zombies—an apocalypse where nearly everyone had turned into the undead, leaving only a handful of fortunate survivors.
Bai Wen was one of them.
And among all survivors, he was the luckiest!
Gazing at the hazy outline of the city in the distance, his large hands tightened around his rifle. The humiliation and suffering he endured in his past life—this time, he would repay it all.
Just then, a mechanical model floated out from his pocket. To his astonishment, it resembled the SCV from the real-time strategy game StarCraft II—the most basic Terran unit responsible for construction, resource gathering, and repairs. The Space Construction Vehicle, or SCV for short.
This professional-grade equipment, superior even to standard military gear, had been crafted by the SCV!
As one might guess, Bai Wen had been reborn. After dying in his previous life, he inexplicably found himself revived three years earlier—the second year after the Zombie virus outbreak.
At this point in his past life, his fate had taken a drastic turn. The initial wave of the Zombie virus had begun to subside, and surviving humans had established Safe Zones, temporarily securing a foothold in this apocalyptic world. Yet, it also marked the dawn of a dark era.
And today was the day when the very people who had condemned him to a slave-like existence in his past life would appear!
They were a group of hypocrites, masking their cruelty with false kindness, deceiving him into trusting them. After squeezing him dry of all his supplies, they tossed him into a so-called Safe Zone, where he endured hellish servitude and endless humiliation.
In the end, he perished during a Zombie Horde.
He thought it was all over—but who could have imagined he would be reborn? And to top it off, Heaven had granted him an SCV from StarCraft II!
Recalling the Zombie that had torn out his heart with its claws in his past life, Bai Wen clenched his fists once more.
Glancing at the SCV perched on his shoulder, he flashed a confident grin. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, Commander. The stage is yours!" The pleasant, synthesized electronic voice replied.
With a powerful push from his ankles, Bai Wen leaped from the mountain peak, swiftly disappearing into the lush forest below.
At the foot of the mountain, an off-road vehicle rolled to a stop at the trailhead. Four burly men jumped out, heavily armed and wearing designer sunglasses—luxuries they could never have afforded in peacetime. They surveyed the vast, verdant expanse of the mountains.
"Boss, are you sure there are survivors here? This feels like a wild goose chase," one of the men grumbled.
"What do you know?" The leader—a Bald Headed Man—let out a sinister chuckle. "Sure, the city has more survivors, but the risks are just as high! This place is perfect—scenic, sparsely populated. Fewer people mean fewer Zombies, which means it's safer!"
The other three suddenly understood: "So you mean that what we can think of, others can too, which means there's a high chance of survivors here?"
The Bald Headed Man nodded in satisfaction, looking pleased with their comprehension: "Exactly. This place is rich in resources and has plenty of food. If there really are survivors here, they must have ample supplies. Even if there aren't, the risk we're taking is minimal!"
"Heh, I can't wait~" a younger man chuckled eagerly.
"Don't get too cocky. Even though the risk here is low, it's not zero. There might be infected or mutated animals—those things are scarier than Zombies. Li Zhong and I will take the lead, Xiao San will cover the rear, and Lao Zhou, you stay here and guard the car!" the Bald Headed Man ordered.
"Is that really necessary?" Lao Zhou grumbled inwardly, unhappy about being left behind while the others went in to feast.
The Bald Headed Man frowned. "In this apocalypse, carelessness means death!"
"Fine, fine, I'll stay~" Seeing the Bald Headed Man's anger, Lao Zhou immediately backed down. In a one-on-one fight, he might not lose to the bald man, but with the other two around, he didn't dare cause trouble.
The Bald Headed Man promptly led Li Zhong and Xiao San up the mountain.
Lao Zhou suddenly shouted after them, "Boss, if you find any women, save one for me, damn it…"
After yelling, he climbed onto the car roof, his brow furrowed in frustration.
He was a lustful and cruel man, deriving pleasure from the helpless cries and struggles of women. But the women in the Safe Zone now were like the Walking Dead, lifeless and uninteresting to him.
"Damn it! All the good women are hoarded by that bastard leader, not leaving any for us! One day, when I'm in charge, I'll make sure that bastard dies!!" Lao Zhou cursed, his pent-up frustration from days without a woman pushing him to the brink.
He didn't notice at all that a pair of cold, gleaming eyes were fixed on him through a high-powered scope.
"Piu…"
A soft sound came from the grass as a bullet, muffled by a silencer, left the barrel and precisely pierced Lao Zhou's head, leaving a fist-sized hole.
"Thud…" Lao Zhou's body toppled from the car roof.
Bai Wen emerged from the woods, rifle in hand, and stared at the corpse. After a moment's thought, he abandoned the idea of looting and instead placed the body in the driver's seat, fastening the seatbelt.
He took a grenade, pulled the pin, and tucked it under Lao Zhou's body.
With that done, Bai Wen smirked faintly before disappearing back into the woods.
On the mountain path, the three burly men advanced cautiously, moving slowly. Their rifles were fitted with silencers—essential equipment in the apocalypse. Unsilenced gunfire would attract hordes of Zombies, a surefire way to die.
The deeper they went, the more excited the Bald Headed Man became. There were too many signs of human activity here. There was an 80% chance of survivors. Could they really strike it big this time?
Xiao San, who was covering the rear, chuckled darkly, "I wonder if there are any young and pretty women inside. If there are, we can finally have some fun!"
"Don't let your guard down. The more people there are, the more cautious we need to be. Anyone who's survived the apocalypse isn't a fool. Better safe than sorry, got it?" The bald man reminded them sternly.
"Got it!" the two replied. But in the very next moment, Li Zhong, who was leading the way, had his head explode like a smashed watermelon!
(End of Chapter)