Chapter 35: A Decisive Farewell and the Path Ahead

Li Fenghua finally accepted the weapon I offered. He immediately bowed to me in gratitude, his sincerity deeply satisfying. If Li Fenghua had been the type to turn his back on others after receiving help, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to assist him. Over the ten years of the apocalypse, I had encountered countless individuals, and Li Fenghua was considered one of the better ones among them. At the very least, he was loyal and trustworthy, always fulfilling his promises.

“Little brother, I, Li Fenghua, have no way to repay you for your help today. But once I gain the ability, I will absolutely return your kindness!”

“Hmm, take care of yourself… Those two over there, I’ll leave them to you.”

I had decided to step forward precisely because I wanted Li Fenghua to owe me a favor. Now that my objective was achieved, I didn’t bother with false modesty. Instead, I pointed towards the two men behind me, indicating that he should deal with them as he saw fit.

Over the decade of the apocalypse, I had killed many people.

The innocent, the guilty—I had killed them all.

For various reasons, it was impossible for my hands to remain unstained by blood.

But having been reborn, I no longer wished to kill.

At least, not at the very beginning of the apocalypse.

Fortunately, Li Fenghua harbored a grudge against these two; it was up to him now.

“Please spare us!”

“Don’t kill me, I’m still so young!”

My words were heard not only by Li Fenghua but also by the two men behind me. Understanding the implication of my statement, they stumbled forward frantically, dropping to their knees and repeatedly kowtowing to both Li Fenghua and me, begging for mercy.

I ignored their pleas, simply observing to see what Li Fenghua would do.

Li Fenghua’s expression flickered with surprise when he heard me tell him to deal with the two men, but it quickly returned to normal. He nodded swiftly in my direction.

Then, gripping the long blade I had just handed him, Li Fenghua walked with an impassive face towards the two men who were still kowtowing and begging for their lives.

“B-Brother, we were wrong before, please…”

The man’s words were cut short mid-sentence as Li Fenghua’s blade severed his head in a single stroke. It arced through the air before tumbling across the ground, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop.

“How did I beg you before…”

Li Fenghua murmured, his sharp gaze suddenly softening. It seemed he had recalled something sorrowful, plunging his mood into profound despondency.

“You pathetic amateur, you think you can kill me? Die!”

Just as Li Fenghua’s mind wandered, the remaining man realized the situation was irreversible and decided to go all out. He pulled a folding military knife from his pocket, instantly flicking out its blade.

The cold, gleaming tip of the blade then shot swiftly towards Li Fenghua’s abdomen.

If Li Fenghua had been truly stabbed, among other things, medicine would be the hardest commodity to acquire amidst the chaos of the early apocalypse.

However, Li Fenghua reacted with lightning speed. The moment the man pulled out his knife, Li Fenghua had already swung the long blade in his hand.

The sneak attacker’s head was cleaved in half. Upon seeing the grisly mix of red and white matter inside, Li Fenghua couldn’t suppress his nausea. He swiftly turned and ran to a corner, where he began to vomit violently.

‘Not bad. With Li Fenghua’s temperament, it’s no wonder he later became an arms dealer.’

‘Decisive in his killing, even if this was his first time.’

After Li Fenghua finished vomiting, he staggered towards me, his legs trembling. I knew then that it was time to part ways.

Without many words, Li Fenghua and I exchanged a knowing smile.

I remained standing, watching as Li Fenghua slowly walked away, alone.

****

The small interlude was over. Now, it was time for me to truly start killing zombies!

After seeing Li Fenghua off, I turned to face the zombies inside the store, a genuine smile gracing my lips.

Most of the zombies here had already been dealt with by Li Fenghua and his companions. Only the main store area, which was dense with them, remained uncleared.

The remaining zombies were trapped inside the building, constantly snarling and clawing through the glass doors.

These hideous and repulsive zombies were not terrifying in my eyes; instead, they represented a glittering pile of crystal cores, beckoning to me.

‘Once I finish this job, it’ll be time to go home and find my sister!’

‘I wonder if my sister is getting impatient waiting at home. When I return, she’ll probably stand with her hands on her hips and lecture me again.’

Shaking my head with a helpless smile, I retrieved a long blade from my spatial ability.

With a weapon in hand, my courage swelled considerably.

I strode towards the mall’s main entrance. Seeing me approach, the hordes of zombies inside grew agitated, clawing at the glass doors with outstretched hands, leaving streaks of red that stained the panes.

‘Well then, let’s begin!’