Chapter 52: A Sister’s First Stand

After Big Gold Tooth lured five or six zombies towards us, my sister eagerly volunteered to take them on.

Given her newfound awakened abilities and her unwavering insistence, I pondered for a moment before readily agreeing.

Flowers nurtured in a greenhouse can never truly withstand the trials of a harsh winter.

Thus, in this perilous apocalypse, I had always yearned for my sister to possess the strength to protect herself.

Her current initiative was, without a doubt, a welcome development.

Therefore, I intently observed her technique as she cut down the zombies, mentally noting any missteps and how they might be corrected.

Even the slightest, seemingly insignificant error in her combat could prove fatal in the future.

Progress is always gradual, and I knew I couldn’t expect her to become a martial arts master overnight. I could only teach her slowly, allowing her to adapt at her own pace.

My sister’s first encounter with a zombie was remarkably successful!

With a single horizontal slash, she split the zombie’s head in two. Inside the cleaved skull, there was no gruesome black brain matter, only a single crystal core lying quietly in the center.

Not only had she successfully killed a zombie, but she had also achieved a brilliant start, acquiring a crystal core!

I recalled my own first zombie kill, which yielded absolutely nothing. Yet, here was my sister, effortlessly slaying a zombie and immediately finding a crystal core!

Just as I was marveling at the capriciousness of luck, Big Gold Tooth and his two companions, standing not far from me, were similarly awestruck by my sister’s astonishing combat prowess.

Their eyes were wide as they stared at her, with even the timid Curly beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

They had likely underestimated my sister, assuming my abilities were the only formidable ones. Now, however, her display of strength had left all three utterly flabbergasted.

After all, the moves my sister had just employed against the zombies completely shattered their understanding of what was possible.

****

While I was still lamenting my own poor luck, my sister had already engaged the second zombie.

Unlike the first, this one presented a greater challenge.

The second zombie, seizing the momentary lapse after she dispatched the first, lunged directly at her, its maw snapping towards her neck.

The sudden turn of events caused everyone’s expressions to freeze.

Just as I reacted and was about to intervene, my sister launched her counterattack.

As the zombie lunged to bite, my sister swiftly raised her long blade, blocking its gaping mouth.

Then, a sudden smile bloomed on her face as she looked at the zombie.

Her pure, innocent face held a mischievous grin, like a child on the verge of causing trouble.

“Hehehe, take this!”

Immediately after speaking, my sister extended a leg, kicking the zombie that was still locked in a stalemate with her blade. The creature was sent flying a dozen meters away.

Without lingering in triumph, my sister, having kicked away the second zombie, raised her blade and dispatched the remaining zombies one by one, cleaving open each of their heads.

After all the zombies lay dead, my sister jogged a few steps away, distancing herself from the gory scene.

Upon reaching a clean spot, she unceremoniously collapsed to the ground.

Although the battle had been brief, for a novice like my sister, it was an experience filled with both novelty and fear.

Thankfully, she had ultimately achieved her goal.

“Brother, look at how I killed—”

“Oh my god, look! That zombie that got kicked away!”

“What’s wrong? What happened? Holy shit! Brother Bai, look at that zombie!”

“My heavens! Why is its stomach inflating like a balloon? Is it going to explode?”

My sister’s words were cut short by the trio, causing her to frown at them in displeasure before shifting her gaze towards the zombie she had just kicked away.

The kicked zombie suddenly rose from the ground. With a deep inhale, its already sizable belly began to swell even further.

Initially, it was just a slight protrusion, but soon, its distended abdomen became stretched almost transparent.

This zombie’s ability felt incredibly familiar…

Wait, it’s a Sonic Zombie!

“Sister, be careful!!!!”

No sooner had I uttered the warning than the Sonic Zombie’s belly reached its maximum inflation.

It turned towards my sister, its mouth suddenly gaping wide, and an ear-piercing shriek instantly reverberated through every inch of the surrounding space.