Chapter 60: The Sagacious Zombie’s Ambush

As the car was about to move, I sensed a powerful life aura hidden nearby.

It lurked in the shadows, showing no intention of appearing, as if preparing an ambush. This prompted me to make a swift decision.

I instructed my sister and the others to disembark, while I positioned myself at the very front, ready to face whatever came.

Whether human or zombie, if they dared to ambush me, they had sealed their own fate.

However, ten minutes had passed since we stepped out of the car, yet an unsettling stillness enveloped our surroundings.

It was the calm before the storm, a silence that bred fear.

“Brother, what exactly is happening?”

During the wait, my sister, unable to suppress her curiosity, took a few steps forward.

Then, recalling my earlier command, she retracted her foot and settled back into her original spot.

She remained in place, calling out to me in a hushed voice.

For an ordinary person, at a distance of a hundred meters and with my sister’s soft tone, not a single word would have been audible.

But for an ability user, it was different. After awakening their abilities, not only did their physique and strength undergo a qualitative leap, but their five senses were also significantly enhanced.

Not only could I hear my sister’s quiet voice, but I could also distinctly hear the approaching footsteps of a horde of zombies from the direction I had been intently watching.

Finally, this entity was about to reveal its true nature.

The ten-minute wait was, in fact, the intelligent zombie deploying its forces, as evidenced by the sudden increase in the sound of zombie footsteps.

It was precisely because of this that I confirmed the powerful life aura belonged not to a human, but to an intelligent zombie.

From the looks of it, it seemed to be a one-star [Sagacious Zombie].

Unlike the ranking system for ability users, while ordinary zombies could also be categorized by level, special types of zombies were different.

Their unique abilities were incomparable to the combat prowess of common zombies. Thus, their strength couldn’t be quantified by conventional levels, but rather by a star rating.

There were five star levels in total. If explained in a game context, they corresponded to five modes: Easy, Normal, Hard, Hell, and Abyss.

Given that it was still the early days of the apocalypse, the appearance of a one-star special type zombie was already extremely rare.

If it were a two-star special type zombie, all of us combined wouldn’t even be enough to fill its teeth! A two-star entity could only be dealt with by a Level 3 ability user.

As for why I was certain the hidden entity was a [Sagacious Zombie]…

It was because its behavior—from hiding to ambush us, then gathering surrounding zombies—already demonstrated an intelligence on par with humans.

Zombies with simple thoughts were not to be feared. What was truly terrifying were special types like the [Sagacious Zombie].

Similar to Enhanced Zombies, [Sagacious Zombies] simply swapped physical reinforcement for mental enhancement, making their minds sharper and more cunning.

Throughout the ten years of the apocalypse, many bases fell not just due to zombie tides and singular attack methods, but often because [Sagacious Zombies] masterminded strategies from behind the scenes, aiding the zombie hordes in breaching defenses.

This demonstrated that [Sagacious Zombies] could be considered the strategists among zombies in the apocalypse.

They specialized in controlling various zombies, analyzing human weaknesses, and then dispatching zombies with abilities that countered them.

The apocalypse had just begun, and I had already encountered a [Sagacious Zombie]. I truly didn’t know whether to call myself lucky or unlucky…

After reviewing the characteristics of a [Sagacious Zombie] in my mind, my gaze shifted to the right. Hearing the zombies’ movements gradually cease, I knew the battle was about to begin.

I did not draw my blade, for a single knife could not contend with hundreds of zombies.

So, when hundreds of zombies suddenly appeared from the right, I didn’t hesitate, immediately raising my right hand.

With my sister and the others behind me, even if I unleashed my ability once the horde closed in, a few stragglers might still slip through.

If any of those zombies harmed my sister, it would be utterly intolerable.

****

“Oh my god! Not a sound, yet so many zombies suddenly appeared!”

“Holy crap, that must be over a hundred zombies!”

“Definitely. Such a massive horde of zombies—you couldn’t finish them off with a sword, and then you’d just be swarmed and eaten.”

“Shut up, don’t curse my brother.”

“Yes, yes, we spoke out of turn, Sister Bai, please don’t be angry~”

Bai Xia had been anxiously waiting after getting out of the car, and when she questioned her brother, Bai Han, she received no response.

Just as she could no longer hold back and was about to step forward to ask Bai Han for clarification, she suddenly heard a chaotic clamor of footsteps from behind the right wall.

When Bai Xia looked up upon hearing the sound, she saw hordes of zombies rapidly emerging from behind the wall.

Although she had killed a few zombies earlier, this was Bai Xia’s first time facing such an overwhelming number. This not only made her panic but also intensified her concern for Bai Han’s safety.

It was at this moment that Big Gold Tooth and the others, speaking without restraint, made Bai Xia frown, and she immediately scolded them without ceremony.

Now, Bai Xia was no longer a weak woman but a genuine ability user. Though not as formidable as Bai Han, she was an insurmountable presence for Big Gold Tooth and his companions.

However, in the current situation, the outcome of fighting hundreds of zombies meant Bai Han would undoubtedly face certain death.

Fighting a dozen or so zombies alone was understandable. But before, Bai Han had hidden at home, using coins to shoot zombies one by one, yet now there was nowhere for him to hide.

The distance between the zombies and Bai Han would be covered in less than a minute. How could Bai Han resolve a hundred zombies in such a short time?

Cut them down one by one with a knife?

Thinking this, Big Gold Tooth subtly turned his head to glance at Little Seven and Curly. As if by telepathy, both of them simultaneously turned to look at Big Gold Tooth.

After a brief exchange of glances, the three ultimately decided not to flee for now, choosing to observe the situation first.

To them, they were merely a few subordinates under Brother Li. But witnessing Bai Han’s formidable strength had sparked in all three a desire to follow him.

If Bai Han could resolve this horde of zombies today, then they would be absolutely determined to pledge their allegiance to him.

Bai Xia’s worry and Big Gold Tooth’s observation unfolded in an instant.

Yet, as Bai Xia and the others stood rooted, anxiously watching Bai Han, they saw him calmly raise his right hand.

Bai Han at this moment was like a pine tree on a cliff edge—though in peril, his posture remained perfectly straight.

And as he extended his right hand, his entire aura transformed instantly.

He now resembled a sharpened weapon, drawn and poised to plunge into the enemy’s throat, severing life itself.

“Brother Bai, what is he going to do? Is he going to surrender?”

“Impossible, zombies don’t have consciousness, how would they understand surrender?”

“Then what is he doing? Is he casting a spell?”

“Casting a spell?”

“Yeah, like shooting fireballs from his hands to burn all those hundreds of zombies.”

“Tch, you’ve read too many novels! If Brother Bai’s palm could really produce fire, I’d cut off my head and give it to—”

Big Gold Tooth’s words trailed off. He stood agape, pointing forward, his mouth wide open, unable to utter a sound.

“Big Gold Tooth, don’t stop halfway! Hurry up and say what you’d do if fire came out.”

“I… I’d recognize Brother Bai as my boss. From then on, I’d be his in life, and his ghost in death.”

“…So you’re gay.”

“Gay my ass, just look! Fire is really coming out of Brother Bai’s hand!”

Amidst Big Gold Tooth’s excited tone, everyone shifted their gaze to Bai Han’s position.

They saw that, centered around Bai Han’s raised right palm, clusters of small flames drifted all around him.

They encircled Bai Han, like guardian spirits, protecting his safety.