Chapter Twenty-Five: Venturing Out

Wu Jue, seeing the situation, volunteered without hesitation, “Let me go. I’m the most suitable for this task.” Perhaps he also needed to step out and calm himself, to ponder how best to handle relations with everyone, especially the newly accepted Luo Si and others.

The matter was settled just like that. Wu Jue packed up his things to go searching for supplies. Xiao Han wanted to accompany him, but Wu Jue stopped him.

He explained that during these times in the prison, there needed to be people who could control the overall situation. With Princess An Yi gone and himself out searching, they couldn’t leave Xiao Yang alone to hold the fort.

Xiao Han discerned from his tone that Wu Jue didn’t fully trust Luo Si, so he agreed to stay behind and keep an eye on things.

Wu Jue took two handguns, an AK47, and several dozen bullets—these were all scavenged from the prison. Having grown accustomed to these advanced firearms lately, his fighting style had gradually begun to change.

Combining martial arts with firearms undoubtedly produced a more powerful and swift killing force. This line of thought and initiative was something Wu Jue embraced naturally.

Of course, he still needed to carry some traditional weapons; a steel blade and a wooden club were indispensable. If he ran out of bullets, he’d rely on them for defense.

Since he was traveling alone and still couldn’t drive, Wu Jue took out the flywheel invented by Xiao Yang, which would save him a lot of effort.

After preparing everything, he left the prison alone, bidding farewell to Xiao Yang and Xiao Han, promising to return in a day or two at most. He’d contact them by wireless headset if necessary, and advised them not to leave the prison unless absolutely required.

Stepping out of the prison gates, Wu Jue felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted. The carnage of that night had left a suffocating pressure in his heart—it was time to relieve it.

He walked alone down the deserted avenue. After days of rampant zombies, it was difficult to spot any living soul. During these days, the group had constantly gathered information and learned that the entire Tianhai City had nearly turned into a ghost town.

It was believed most survivors had already congregated here; those remaining, if not already lost, were very few.

Wu Jue knew they were fighting alone now and had to strengthen themselves before the Heaven Punisher Clan made their next move.

It was a pity Princess An Yi had left. If she had stayed, she could have shared much of the burden.

As he was pondering, Wu Jue faintly heard the discordant sounds of fighting ahead. Unsure if zombies were attacking humans, he cautiously drew his handgun and moved forward with agile steps.

Ahead lay a dense forest, the sounds emanated from within. Wu Jue used the trees as cover to look inside, and as he drew closer, he saw a bizarre scene.

A dozen grotesque zombies were wildly biting each other, totally out of control.

At first, Wu Jue thought it was humans resisting being bitten, but upon closer inspection, it was not so at all.

Those biting each other were all already mutated zombies, seemingly provoked by something and now attacking their own kind.

This change was unexpected. Based on previous experience, zombies only sought to devour the living, never fighting their own kind. Could this scene be a sign of some terrifying transformation?

Suddenly, Huron’s voice sounded in his mind, warning him, “Be careful. This is the virus infecting the zombies, showing signs of self-evolution. When they can’t feed for a certain period, they start biting their companions to evolve. This is how the Heaven Punisher Clan cultivates higher-level zombies. Those who survive and mutate become elite zombie warriors.”

Wu Jue frowned. He estimated that after the melee, fewer than ten zombies remained.

He couldn’t leave such threats behind. Without warning, Wu Jue brandished his steel blade and charged into the fray.

He struck swiftly, decapitating two zombies almost instantly. Stepping on his flywheel, he vaulted over their fallen bodies and slashed at the others.

A grotesque zombie turned to snarl at him, but before it could strike, Wu Jue cleaved its head with a single stroke.

Filthy blood sprayed everywhere. Before Wu Jue could kick the creature aside, two zombies seized the opportunity to lunge at him, aiming for his thigh.

Forced to abandon his blade, Wu Jue exerted force with his legs, leaping up and performing a nimble somersault. His hands shaped into claws, swinging down precisely to grasp the heads of the two zombies.

With powerful grip, his fingers pierced through their skulls, and with several cracks, he crushed both heads, dropping them dead.

Turning to face the last remaining zombie, he saw it was a large brute. It had just killed one of its own kind and seemed oblivious to what had happened, still gnawing at its companion’s corpse, chewing the disgusting flesh and blood.

Only when Wu Jue drew his handgun and aimed at its back did the hulking zombie turn its blood-red eyes on him and suddenly charge.

Bang bang bang—several shots struck its head, which should have been fatal. Yet the zombie was unfazed and instantly lunged at Wu Jue, swinging its massive hands.

In a split second, Wu Jue retreated several steps, kicking the creature with all his strength, but it had no effect.

The zombie’s flesh was like rotten mud—no attack could stir it. Wu Jue was shocked, exclaiming, “Is this the power of mutation? So terrifying?”

As he weighed his options, he realized he was already pressed against a large tree. There was no time to dodge.

Just as the zombie lunged at him and Wu Jue was about to perform his wall-climbing technique to escape up the tree, a rope suddenly dropped from above, binding him and pulling him upward.

Upon reaching the tree, he saw a familiar figure standing there, asking, “What’s this? Have you finally met an opponent you can’t handle?”

It was Princess An Yi, who had left earlier.

Seeing she had saved him, Wu Jue felt a rare surge of joy and said, “Princess, is it really you?”

Princess An Yi retorted, “Why not me? I saw you leave alone and knew you’d need help. Luckily I came, otherwise a high monk dying at the hands of such an ugly zombie would be a real shame.”

She even found time to tease him. It seemed her recent travels had helped her see things more clearly. Wu Jue raised one hand and said, “Blessings, blessings, Wu Jue is not so incompetent. But this zombie’s mutation is truly bizarre, far beyond my expectations.”

As they spoke, the zombie below saw its opponents had fled up the tree and gained reinforcements. In rage, it hugged the trunk, shaking it fiercely.

Apparently it still couldn’t climb, just like the others, only able to walk upright. Wu Jue patted Princess An Yi and said, “It’s not safe here. Let’s move.”

He stepped onto his flywheel, shooting up several meters high. Princess An Yi followed, whipping a leather cord to wrap a nearby branch, swinging herself up.

The two soared side by side through the air, crossing effortlessly like immortals wandering the world. Wu Jue was about to express his awe when suddenly, with a snap, Princess An Yi’s whip broke the branch, and she began to fall.

Seeing the zombie twisting to grab her, Wu Jue quickly darted down, caught Princess An Yi around the waist, stomped on the monster’s head, and sprang up three or four meters, landing safely in the tree.

Looking at the startled Princess An Yi in his arms, her proud face was tinged with a blush—not just from fear, but also embarrassment.

End of Chapter Twenty-Five: Outing.