It was so frustrating. In just three minutes, the Zombies inside and around the bar counter were completely slaughtered. It wasn’t that the Zombies were weak; there were several reasons for this.
First, the opponents were too strong. Second, the opponents disguised themselves as Zombies and were treated as one of their own. Third, these Zombies were stuffed to the brim and no longer reacted to sounds. After all, an entire freezer full of pork strips had been devoured by Luffy and the dozen or so Zombies that managed to get close to it.
As the Zombies died one by one, falling onto and around him, he became increasingly anxious.
"I’m full. You guys go eat. I’ll look for the Corpse Pouches!"
At the sound of the burly man’s voice, Luffy’s body trembled slightly with panic.
Was he going to die again today? He didn’t believe good luck would grace him a second time. If he died again, his existence would undoubtedly be erased!
"No! Calm down! Calm down! I still have a chance!" Luffy continuously comforted himself in his mind, trying to steady his nerves and dispel his fear. He couldn’t panic!
He still had a chance! He pulled the screwdriver from his pocket and gripped it tightly in his hand.
Luffy heard the other three leave, leaving only the burly man outside the counter. Soon, the THWACK and CRACK of shattering skulls echoed through the air.
Shortly after, Luffy sensed the burly man jumping over the counter. Perhaps the thick hat was too hot, and since most of the Zombies in the supermarket had been lured outside while the rest were cleared out, the man took off his hat and placed it on the counter.
With his eyes rolled back, Luffy watched the burly man retrieve a file.
In one swift motion, the file plunged into a Zombie’s skull. The technique was quite practiced, accurately striking the joints of the cranium. It seemed he had done quite a bit of practice over the past half-month.
He pressed down on the end of the file, prying the Zombie’s skull open. Then, he reached a rubber-gloved hand inside. When it emerged, he had scooped out the Zombie’s entire brain.
A human brain was a mix of red and white, but a Zombie’s brain was a mix of black and red, giving it an eerie appearance.
He then rubbed the brain between his hands. The dark brown tissue fell away, leaving behind a mass of uneven, net-like structures. This was likely the unique nervous system of a Zombie.
Next, Luffy watched as the burly man shook his head and casually tossed the filthy mass aside.
He must not have found the Corpse Pouch they were talking about!
The burly man picked up the file again and pried open another Zombie’s head. Still nothing. He shifted his position, lowering his head to continue his work.
Now, his head was positioned not far from Luffy. Luffy tightened his grip on the screwdriver, his eyes locked dead on the burly man’s head. He was waiting for an opportunity—a split second to plunge the screwdriver straight into the man’s temple.
Yes, Luffy felt he still had a chance. His advantage lay in the fact that no one would ever suspect an Intelligent Zombie was hiding among the pile of corpses, ready to launch a lethal ambush.
The distance was still a bit too far right now; the man might react in time.
Suddenly, the man burst into hearty laughter. Luffy saw that in the center of the net-like mass in his hands, a transparent, jelly-like object about the size of an adult’s thumb was connected to the structure.
This had to be the Corpse Pouch they mentioned!
For some inexplicable reason, Luffy felt a sudden craving for that Corpse Pouch. Perhaps it was also beneficial to Zombies! Whether that was true remained to be seen. Right now, all Luffy needed to do was survive—survive the threat of these four human survivors.
Thrilled to have obtained a Corpse Pouch, the man carefully peeled away the nerve structures attached to it. He turned sideways, pulled a small box from his waist, and delicately placed the pouch inside.
"Now’s my chance!"
Gritting his teeth, Luffy swung the arm holding the screwdriver.
A soft THUD sounded.
The screwdriver in Luffy’s hand sank into the man’s temple all the way to the hilt.
The man’s eyes bulged wide, and his mouth immediately dropped open.
Luffy pulled out the screwdriver. Blood slowly trickled from the small hole in the man’s temple as he slowly collapsed to the ground, his eyes unclosed even in death.
Until his dying breath, he never saw who killed him!
The man died, passing on with endless regrets! Luffy peeked out, initially intending to make a quick escape, only to see the other three emerging from the aisles and heading in his direction.
Unable to flee, his only option was to continue playing dead. With a bit of luck, he might even be able to kill one or two more. Thus, he tilted his head again and buried his body back into the pile of Zombie corpses.
"Husband, where are you?" The woman’s voice preceded her arrival.
"Huh? Where did he go?" Her voice drew nearer.
Beneath his body, Luffy tightened his grip on the screwdriver once more.
"Husband!" the woman exclaimed. Approaching the counter, she saw her husband lying in the pile of corpses.
Those wide, staring eyes and the blood trailing from his temple down his cheek left no doubt—her husband was dead.
"Husband, what’s wrong?" The woman’s voice trembled. Looking dazed, she hastily hopped over the counter and leaned down to check on him.
"Get up! What’s wrong with you? Get up!" She continuously shook the man, but he remained completely unresponsive.
She couldn’t understand it. It had only been a few minutes—not even ten minutes. How could her husband be dead?
"Ah!" she shrieked, crying as she continued to shake him. "Who did this? Who?"
If the woman had been alone, her emotional breakdown would have presented the perfect opportunity for Luffy to strike. However, the other two men outside the counter had already noticed their companion’s death and instinctively adopted defensive postures. Standing back to back, they vigilantly scanned the supermarket’s surroundings.
While the woman had completely lost her composure, the men were thinking: Hadn’t the Zombies in the supermarket already been cleared out? How could this happen?
Consequently, Luffy had no choice but to abandon the idea of killing the woman.
The woman continued to weep bitterly, her cries heart-wrenching.
Listening to her made Luffy a bit irritated, but he felt no pity. He didn’t think he would survive a direct confrontation with these people. If he had softened his heart even a fraction earlier, he would currently be just like the lifeless Zombies lying around him. In truth, Luffy, who still possessed human reasoning, didn’t want to kill anyone unless he harbored a grudge against them—like Li Yufeng.
But he had no choice. In this situation, it was either them or him. If he didn’t want to die, then they had to die!
Therefore, if given the chance, Luffy would not hesitate to plunge his screwdriver into the woman’s head, even if her miserable sobbing easily evoked sympathy.
After a long while, the woman wiped her tears and said, "Liu, go check the surroundings for any missed Zombies. I’m going to avenge your Brother Chen!"
One of the men fell silent for a moment before replying, "Mrs. Chen, the boss was already a Tier One Evolver. Whatever managed to kill him must definitely be stronger than him. I think we should leave immediately. It’s not safe to stay here for long!"
The woman suddenly turned her head and glared at the man. "What? Chen Dong just died, and already you’re refusing to listen to me?"
The two men exchanged a glance, nodded, and went off to scout the rest of the supermarket.
Neither of them suspected that Chen Dong’s murderer was hiding right next to his corpse.
Just how close? Close enough to touch!
Seeing the two men about to leave, Luffy was overjoyed. As soon as they were a bit farther away, he could finish off this woman.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Before the men could even get far, the woman abruptly sat down and continued to weep as she hugged the dead man’s corpse. Beneath her buttocks, Luffy’s face was completely squished out of shape.