The limping zombie called Old Wang turned his grayish-white eyes toward the mother and daughter pair.
As if catching the scent of fresh meat, he let out a low growl and began staggering toward them with his uneven gait.
Song You’ai’s face turned pale with fright, yet she kept pushing Xie Ning behind her. “Ningning, run! Run quickly!”
Xie Ning gave her mother’s hand a firm squeeze, then dashed forward in a swift motion. With precise control over angle and speed, she drove the long blade deep into the zombie’s brain, then pulled it out, bringing with it a dark red, murky substance.
Song You’ai’s limbs felt weak. Old Wang fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud, the sound hitting her heart like a hammer.
Xie Ning turned and wrapped her arms tightly around her plump, round mother. “Mom, don’t be afraid.”
When she felt her mother’s warmth again, even with her resilient nature, Xie Ning couldn’t help but feel her eyes growing moist.
For her mother, it had only been a few hours since she last saw her daughter.
But for Xie Ning, it truly felt as if a lifetime had passed.
After enduring long years of loneliness and sinking into prolonged darkness, reuniting with the light now brought with it a sense of caution and unease.
“Mom,” Xie Ning rested her head on Song You’ai’s shoulder, fighting hard to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
Song You’ai held her unharmed daughter close, her emotions equally stirred. She patted Xie Ning’s back gently, her voice soft. “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Ning. Mom is here.”
Xie Ning felt an overwhelming urge to cry—one that boiled up uncontrollably.
Her mother’s words were exactly the same as her parting words in her previous life.
But in this life, it would be Xiao Ning’s turn to protect her mother, to ensure she never lacked for food or clothing.
“Mom, Xiao Ning isn’t afraid at all.”
Song You’ai held her daughter at arm’s length, looking her up and down, her voice trembling slightly. “Xiao Ning, you don’t know how scared I was when I received that text message. I was so worried about you. Thank goodness you came. Seeing you safe finally puts my mind at ease.”
“Text message?” Xie Ning paused, then vaguely recalled something like that.
At the beginning of the chaos, before communications were completely cut off, the government had sent several emergency text notifications.
She couldn’t remember the exact details, but she had a general impression.
It seemed to say that due to an unknown virus, people would experience persistent high fevers, which could develop in two extreme directions.
One was turning into mindless rotting corpses craving flesh and blood, and the other was undergoing a genetic mutation that granted supernatural abilities to fight against the rotting corpses.
It sounded like a joke, but unfortunately, it was the reality of the world.
So, a persistent high fever didn’t necessarily mean turning into a zombie—this was essential knowledge for everyone.
If not careful, one might accidentally kill a teammate who was in the process of developing supernatural abilities.
In the early days of the apocalypse, such tragic incidents happened frequently.
Xie Ning felt her mother’s hands trembling slightly and gave them a firm squeeze, comforting her in a low voice. “Don’t be afraid, Mom.”
“These early-stage zombie monsters aren’t that terrifying. They move very slowly. As long as we maintain enough stamina to run and avoid getting surrounded, we’ll be fine.”
“Alright,” Song You’ai clenched her fists. “Mom will do her best to adapt and won’t hold you back.”
The mother and daughter carefully descended the stairs, trying not to make too much noise to avoid attracting unnecessary trouble.
In the silent supermarket, occasional roars could be heard, accompanied by the sound of chewing that sent chills down one’s spine.