The plants grew vigorously, with the green ivy showing the most obvious growth.
Its main body was in Apartment 16-1, but at some point, it arrived at the ground floor faster than the other kindergarten friends. While the kindergarten classmates were still waiting for takeout, its roots had already settled into the soil in the community’s green area downstairs, starting to sprout and forage.
It didn’t participate in the bi-weekly feasts with the zombies at Building 7’s base, but instead, it devoured all the seemingly useless rubbish around the base of the building.
For example, shattered window glass blown down in a strong wind, lifeless dried grass and dead trees, garbage thrown down by survivors of the apocalypse, and various mosquitoes and flies.
Fu Erdie was immersed in attracting and leading zombies every day, while also documenting the situation inside and outside Building 7. She noticed that the ivy was growing larger day by day, essentially covering the entire 16th floor. Every day when she watered the millet in Apartment 16-7, she would receive complaints and gestures from the millet about “not getting enough sunlight.”
In this way, of course, she also noticed the changes downstairs.
She sincerely felt that there was a reason why the ivy could become the leader of the kindergarten!
While the other little friends were still proud of their new growth mechanisms in Room 8-8 with ample sunlight, the leader had already gone wild!
Fu Erdie, mischievous at heart, didn’t show the ivy’s position downstairs to the other little friends.
So, by the end of October, when the little friends had finished eating the zombies from Building 6, they finally noticed a tree in the garden downstairs.
This tree looked very much like the ivy.
On the second floor, the succulents were flourishing, thinking they had the geographical advantage to be the leader: ?
Meanwhile, the cucumbers and tomatoes were still fighting each other: ?
The spider plants, often called upon by the leader and thus desperately fighting for zombie flesh to eat, were also present: ??
“You should act like a human!”
“No, you’re not human!”
And so, amidst this cheerful atmosphere, October came to a close.
There was a small incident along the way: a car heading out of the city towards the suburbs had a flat tire at the entrance of the residential area.
A blood-drenched person crawled out of the car and, after failing to move the stranded vehicle, entered through the community gate.
He didn’t head towards Building 7, and Fu Erdie didn’t pay him any mind. It’s estimated that by now, he’s become part of the zombie horde.
November. After finishing off the zombies from Building 6, Fu Erdie planned to move on to Building 5.
The first day went smoothly.
However, on the second day, she had a very strong feeling of being watched.
She initially thought it was just her imagination and proceeded to lure thirty zombies back as usual.
But lying in bed at night, the feeling grew stronger and more unsettling.
With no mutant zombies or troublemakers recently, she had been living too comfortably—taking care of plants every day, almost retiring.
She had never encountered any issues at Building 6, so how could she feel such a significant difference stepping past Building 6 and into Building 5?
If it was from normal zombie surveillance, there was no way it would give her such a strong sense of danger.
Fu Erdie didn’t go out again and spent each day observing the situation at Building 5 from home.
She speculated that it was the severely injured survivor covered in blood who was observing her in secret.
To survive such serious injuries and still have control over so many zombies to recuperate at Building 5, it must be said, he must be a very powerful ability holder.
But now, Fu Erdie wasn’t afraid either.
If she couldn’t beat him, couldn’t she still hide from him?
With injuries like his, he couldn’t possibly get past the thick zombie blockade and come after her.
Still, Fu Erdie remained cautious. Over the next few days, she didn’t go out and instead quietly observed the situation outside from home.
Building 5 remained quiet.
Fu Erdie decided not to wait any longer. Instead, she changed direction and decided to lure zombies from Building 8.
In passing, she also gave a task to the green ivy.
“Do you see that building?” She pointed to Building 6. “The zombies inside have been mostly cleared out, but there should still be plenty of food inside. You go over first, pick what you like, and also be the vanguard to occupy that area. Then, we can follow over and have more space to move around!”
The green ivy bent its leaves in a nodding gesture.
Fu Erdie patted its “head” and turned towards Building 8.
Fu Erdie was skilled in luring zombies now. She knew how to attract a portion of them accurately without making a big fuss, even with her eyes closed.
However, she still couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.
This feeling peaked on November 17th.
She almost felt like the psychic was starving. If it weren’t for the zombies surrounding him, preventing him from moving recklessly, he would surely come out and try to devour her.
Fu Erdie was annoyed, and her zombie-luring process became more impatient. She returned after luring only a dozen or so zombies.
On the 19th, it started drizzling.
Fu Erdie wore a hat and went out to lure zombies as usual.
The temperature had dropped a bit these days, hovering around 25 degrees Celsius during the day.
Compared to previous years, November temperatures were still quite high this year.
But compared to the long summers since the apocalypse, it was already considered a comfortable and normal temperature.
Comfortable for humans, but equally comfortable for zombies.
Fu Erdie stood at the entrance of Building 8, not wanting to get too wet in the rain. She waited a few minutes; whatever came out would be better than nothing.
The axe in her hand was somewhat rusty, carrying the sticky, damp scent of iron rust in the rain, like the smell of blood.
Fu Erdie absentmindedly rubbed the axe handle, her eyes fixed on Building No. 5.
As she looked, she unexpectedly saw a red line.
A sniper rifle?!
Fu Erdie’s pupils contracted, and the next moment she suddenly bent down to dodge.
A loud gunshot rang out in the distance, bullets speeding towards her, grazing just above Fu Erdie’s head in a cold arc within the rain curtain.
Fu Erdie was shocked and furious.
So this person wasn’t an ability holder, but somehow got hold of a gun and was here to kill and silence her!
Before she could finish cursing in her mind, a clear yet slightly hoarse voice came from Building No. 5 through a loudspeaker.
“Get down.”
Fu Erdie: ????
Who cares about you?! Are you waiting for me to be shot?!
But the suppression of bullets indeed made her dare not get up.
Mainly because this person’s aim was not good; shot by shot, all of them were hitting just behind her, like outlining a human figure.
… Wait, behind her?
She turned her head to look behind on the ground and was astonished to find that a zombie had silently approached her to within less than a meter.
Bullets from the sniper rifle shot one by one towards its forehead.
But its head seemed to be made of reinforced, bulletproof material, with each shot only making it stagger back half a step, unable to penetrate.
Fu Erdie had just been criticizing the person’s marksmanship, but now she felt it was overly precise.
The zombie kept retreating and shaking its head, yet each shot from the person aimed squarely at its head, where the core crystal was located, without missing or deviating.
Fu Erdie finally understood. The first shot seemed to be…
Aimed at her, but in fact, it was aiming at the zombie behind her. The person’s poor marksmanship was actually saving her.
Fu Erdie found a direction and quickly crawled forward.
The zombie became extremely agitated by the bullets, and now furious at seeing its prey escaping, it disregarded the bullets and rushed forward, grabbing Fu Erdie’s ankle.
Fu Erdie flipped over, facing up, and swung the axe towards the zombie’s head.
With a loud bang, one corner of the axe hit the back of the zombie’s head, causing it to detach from the wooden handle and fall to the ground, leaving cracks all over the handle.
This mutant zombie was very powerful.
It was on a completely different level compared to the fast zombies from before!
Its defence was astonishing. Not only was it not harmed by bullets or the axe, but its strength was terrifying, almost crushing her bones as it grabbed her ankle.
Fu Erdie tried to kick hard, but it only seemed to tickle the zombie, unable to move it at all.
Instead, continuous shots aimed at its head finally redirected towards its arm, barely freeing Fu Erdie’s foot.
The mutant zombie shook its hand and then lunged at Fu Erdie with even more ferocity.
Its speed was too fast, and Fu Erdie’s injured foot couldn’t escape in time.
She held the axe handle horizontally in front of her neck, attempting to fend off the zombie’s deadly teeth.
Given the immense strength difference, a rotten piece of wood was utterly useless.
Fu Erdie knew this well. Gritting her teeth, her other hand reached for the dagger at her waist, planning to blind the zombie’s eyes the moment it lunged at her.
Suddenly, a blur darted past.
The zombie was sent flying by the force of impact, crashing into a tree ten meters away, snapping it in half and sending dust and debris flying.
Before Fu Erdie could assess the situation, the figure dashed into the dust cloud, fists striking flesh with the sound of metal cutting through, stirring up chaos in the relatively sparse grove of small trees.
Fu Erdie understood immediately that this was a battle she couldn’t participate in. She quickly got up, bracing her badly injured ankle, and sprinted towards Building No. 7.
The ivy had long since noticed the situation and extended its vines, waiting as close as possible to Fu Erdie. When she reached it, the ivy wrapped around her injured ankle for support. Two more leaves reached into her armpits, lifting her upwards to reduce the weight on her injured foot, helping her swiftly return home.
A distance that had once seemed so close now felt incredibly distant in the critical moment of escape and survival.
Fu Erdie could even hear the zombie’s frustrated roar and the sudden sound of it approaching her again.
At moments like this, another attack would always interrupt the zombie, forcing it to turn around and engage in combat.
Fu Erdie gritted her teeth and sprinted madly towards Building No. 7 without looking back.
By the time she reached the doorstep of Building No. 7, her injured ankle was completely useless, and she could only sit on the threshold, straightening her leg to alleviate the pain.
She pressed on her leg, assessing the injury, while glancing towards Building No. 8.
The speed was too fast; she couldn’t see anything clearly.
Fu Erdie clenched her fingers tightly, furrowing her brow.
Though she didn’t understand what was happening with the sudden appearance of the super-strong zombie and the ability holder, one thing was clear.
—Their battle would determine her fate, and even the survival of the residents on the first floor of Building No. 7.
What could she do?
Her line of sight was blocked.
Zombies from around had heard the commotion and were closing in.
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