"Brother, using melee weapons against zombies is way too slow! If we could get our hands on two heavy machine guns and use firearms to farm energy crystals, we'd level up so much faster than this."
Li Miao'er pouted, her small mouth forming a stubborn line of dissent.
"Meow, there are only two of us, and a whole horde of zombies are downstairs. Police stations only stock automatic rifles and pistols. How exactly are we supposed to transport supplies to an arsenal?"
A faint, wry smile touched Chen Yi's lips as he took the pliers and slowly tightened the steel wire, securing it with two firm knots.
He gave the dagger a strong tug—it was fixed solidly. As long as the spear shaft didn't snap, it definitely wasn't coming loose.
"Oh…" Li Miao'er pressed her pink lips together and fell silent. What her brother said… did make sense.
And his physical strength was so lacking—if zombies caught him, it would be a real crisis.
We still need to clear the nearby zombies first… or collect enough energy crystals to evolve and get stronger.
"Mhm."
Chen Yi went back to the bedroom to fetch two old autumn jackets. Sister Meow lay lazily on the sofa, scrolling through her phone.
She was even leisurely eating a banana—clearly not planning to lend a hand anymore.
Chen Yi cut the jackets into long, flat strips, then used blue waterproof tape to wrap the cloth tightly around the spear shafts, securing the ends with more steel wire.
Two quite serviceable modern-style long spears were now ready.
"Alright! Meow, pack up your things. Let's go check if there are any survivors in this building."
Chen Yi stood up with a smile, brushing the dust from his hands. There were ten units in this building. Auntie Ye and Auntie Zhang were already gone; Old Wang's family on the fourth floor was also lost. That left six neighbors whose fates were still unknown.
"Brother, remember to stick close to me! I'll protect you!"
Li Miao'er patted her small chest with the spear in hand, her adorable face brimming with confidence. She would be the one protecting him outside—how could she let her brother shield her?
"Come here and put on your camouflage. And the gloves and mask."
Chen Yi walked toward the bedroom, a trace of displeasure in his steps. Yesterday, I was the one saying I'd protect my sister… now it's the other way around.
"Oh~"
Li Miao'er tossed aside the half-eaten banana and followed him back to the bedroom. They changed into loose camouflage uniforms and cotton masks for daily wear.
They also donned the cut-resistant fiber gloves his adoptive mother used to use. Armed with spears and machetes, they were now—barely—fully equipped.
"Meow, first we make sure there are no living people in this building. Then we look for isolated zombies to pick off. If there are more than two, we run. Don't try to fight head-on. Understood?"
Chen Yi took his sister's small hand and stressed the point. Although his blood could neutralize the toxin, they couldn't afford to be reckless.
Developing a bad habit of overconfidence now would lead to a miserable death later—it was the same as in gaming: you couldn't afford to throw.
"Mm, brother, I understand."
Li Miao'er gritted her pearly white teeth, shaking her body uncomfortably. This outfit was stifling—she felt like she was sweating all over.
But seeing her brother endure it, she gritted her teeth and bore it too. It wasn't unbearable pain, just… really hot.
Click—
Chen Yi pushed the door open and peered out. The corridor was eerily quiet, only distant zombie howls breaking the silence.
"Meow, Auntie Ye's place is definitely empty. We'll mainly check the third floor and the first two floors of the second floor. If we meet any survivors, we absolutely cannot let them follow us. Understand?"
Chen Yi whispered. With his looks, any unfamiliar woman would likely turn into a villain with ill intentions.
"Mm." Li Miao'er frowned and nodded, a cold expression settling over her small face.
She wasn't about to play the saint and save people. Being able to protect her brother alone was enough.
Shuffle… shuffle…
Chen Yi and Sister Meow tiptoed downstairs. The iron doors on the fourth and third floors were shut tight.
The doors to both units on the second floor, however, were wide open. From inside came the sounds of tearing, gnawing, and feasting.
"Meow, let's check Unit 201 first."
Chen Yi leaned close to his sister's ear and whispered.
Crunch. Hiss—
As soon as they reached the doorway, they saw two blood-soaked zombies crouched on the floor, savagely tearing into a gory corpse. The stench of blood and decay assaulted their senses.
One of the male zombies seemed to sense something. It turned its head, its scarlet eyes—brimming with killing intent and cruelty—locking onto Li Miao'er.
Li Miao'er tightened her grip on the machete, the fighting spirit in her eyes intensifying.
Haa…
She took a deep breath. She wanted to chop down both zombies. Only by constantly growing stronger could she survive in this apocalypse.
Thud!
The zombie caught the alluring scent emanating from the two of them. It kicked aside the feasting zombie next to it.
Rooooaar!
The zombie let out a piercing howl, swung its blood-stained sharp claws, and charged straight at Chen Yi.
It had only one goal: to rush over, kill these two humans, and then taste their fresh, delicious flesh.
Li Miao'er hastily shoved the spear into Chen Yi's hands and pushed him hard behind her.
She gripped the gleaming machete tightly with both hands, aiming to decapitate the zombie in one swing. If a spear thrust missed the heart… things would get really dire.
Rooooaar!
The zombie, reeking of a potent stench, had arrived.
Whoosh!!!
Li Miao'er's eyes widened. Putting all her strength into it, she slashed at the zombie's neck!
Thump!
The zombie's head separated from its body. The filthy, mutilated corpse twitched and collapsed at Li Miao'er's feet.
Howl!
Rooooaar!
Another zombie rushed up swiftly, howling as it moved. Hearing the commotion, two more howls erupted from Unit 202 behind them!
Thump!
Li Miao'er didn't have time to think. Charging forward with the machete, she raised her arm and swung down—another zombie head hit the floor!
"Brother! Get over here!"
Li Miao'er yanked Chen Yi behind her, her slender body blocking the doorway, her cold, beautiful eyes glaring fiercely.
Rooooaar!
Rooooaar!
Three mutilated zombies came howling over—some missing arms, some legs, some with gaping holes in their torsos, wounds still dripping blood.
Haa…
Li Miao'er took a deep breath. Without a moment's hesitation, her slender form shot forward.
She swiftly raised the machete and swung it down!
Thud! Thud!
Two zombies missing limbs fell to the ground, leaving only one thighless zombie crawling forward.
"Brother, don't go over there!"
Li Miao'er shook her sore arm, grabbing her brother's clothes tightly—she didn't want him taking any risks.
"It's fine."
Chen Yi gently pushed his sister's small hand away, tucked the machete into his belt, calmly took the long spear, and thrust it hard into the crawling zombie's chest.
Pchk!
The sharp dagger easily tore through the zombie's skin. Struck by the force, the energy crystal inside the zombie's body was dislodged, and it lay motionless on the ground.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Several zombies downstairs, hearing the noise from the second floor, were now charging up the stairs at full speed!
Chen Yi ignored the bloodstains on the zombies. Using all his strength, he dragged the two mutilated corpses into the unit.
Sister Meow followed his lead, pulling in the remaining two half-corpses.
Bang!
Chen Yi swiftly closed the iron door and engaged the deadbolt, then piled the dismembered zombie remains against the door.
The stench of the zombies can mask our human scent… Let's deal with the ones outside first.