Chapter 23: The Peril of Silence

After making my escape right under Shen Qing’s watchful eye, I deliberately steered the car onto the narrower, less-traveled paths.

The vehicle’s speed, even on these backroads, made it an easy target for the zombies.

Driving on the main roads would have been a blatant invitation to death.

Why, you might ask? Because in the aftermath of the zombie virus outbreak, every survivor, desperate to live, would have been fleeing the city. Those with vehicles would drive, and those without would walk, all converging on the quickest escape routes.

To most, the main thoroughfares were the only perceived entry and exit points.

Yet, where people gathered, the zombie virus found fertile ground to spread.

Thus, without even needing to check, I knew those main roads and highways would be swarming with an unimaginable horde of the undead.

As for why I wasn’t following the same desperate exodus as everyone else…

I had already decided I wouldn’t be abandoning the city just yet.

By waiting here for another two weeks, I would be able to rendezvous with the incoming army rescue.

Escorting my sister and trailing behind the military would undoubtedly be a far safer option than attempting to drive out on our own.

This time, my decisions couldn’t be solely for myself.

With my sister by my side, I absolutely couldn’t allow any harm to befall her.

Guiding the car smoothly into a narrow alley, I retrieved my phone to consult the map I had downloaded earlier. A wave of relief washed over me as I noted our proximity to home. Now, it was time to search for zombies.

I pulled out the car keys, and as the door creaked open, my hand instinctively went to my waist. The knife was drawn in a swift motion, held ready in a defensive stance before me.

The instant I stepped out, every fiber of my being was on guard, anticipating any sudden threats.

Thankfully, no immediate attack materialized.

Perhaps it was due to the apocalypse’s nascent stage; people were too consumed with their own survival to contemplate robbery or murder.

Meanwhile, the zombies were drawn to the frantic sounds of screeching tires and panicked shouts, completely oblivious to my quiet presence.

Survival in this new, brutal world demanded unwavering caution.

I had witnessed countless individuals fall victim to their own carelessness, whether at the hands of other survivors or the undead. The ultimate price of a life lost served as a stark, unforgettable lesson, one that even I, a mere observer, constantly kept in mind.

Therefore, no matter the circumstance, prudence was always the wisest course.

The alley bordered a main road, flanked on both sides by a row of shops. What was once a bustling, vibrant street was now eerily deserted, devoid of any human presence.

I moved cautiously through the alley, pausing to survey my surroundings. The silence was unnerving, almost terrifying.

Not a single human was in sight, nor even a lone zombie.

Were it not for the gruesome tableau of bloodstains and scattered limbs on the ground, I might have convinced myself that my previous encounters with the undead had all been nothing more than a nightmare.

Alas, the apocalypse was no dream.

And having personally endured ten years within this ravaged world, I was certainly not one to harbor such delusional thoughts.

As I scanned the unsettlingly quiet environment once more, my brows furrowed with a nascent sense of panic.

‘Something out of the ordinary always signals trouble.’ The complete absence of zombies here was a glaring sign that danger lurked nearby.

My abilities had yet to awaken, leaving my physical attributes entirely unchanged. Should I encounter a powerful zombie, my life would undoubtedly be forfeit.

Zombies could be found and hunted elsewhere, but a life, once lost, was gone forever.

With that thought, I spun on my heel, intent on quickly returning to the car and escaping this unsettling place.

Before I could take more than a few steps, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the direction of my car.

My gaze snapped towards the sound, only to witness my car being violently crushed by another vehicle. The blaring car alarm pierced the air, a shrill, panic-inducing shriek that set my nerves on edge.

My eyes fell upon the towering figure standing next to the mangled wreck, and an internal scream tore through me.

‘I’m utterly screwed! This time, I’ve truly run into a formidable opponent!’