"It was eaten clean so quickly!"
In just one night, half of the Mutant Golden Retriever's corpse had disappeared. It was clear that there were other Mutated Creatures in the residential community.
Moreover, the hole in the ground didn't seem normal either.
"Brother Lin, why do I have such a creepy feeling?"
Zhao Tuantuan held the compound bow, but this cold weapon could not give her even a shred of security.
"It's because there are so few people around. In such a large residential community, with just the two of us, it's natural to feel afraid."
The human instinct for living in groups manifested at this moment; having been away from crowds for only a few days, they already felt the abnormality of the situation.
The large hole on the lawn was clearly dug by an animal, though it was unclear what kind. Lin Qi poked it with a steel pipe but couldn't reach the bottom, so he found a Stone and filled it in.
"Stay close to me, let's look around nearby."
Holding a wooden bow, Lin Qi kept a lookout in all directions as they walked slowly through the residential community. Zhao Tuantuan also looked the part, though the compound bow in her hands was clearly just for show.
Approaching winter, the number of animals and insects was very scarce. Lin Qi wandered around the residential community for quite a while without encountering a single living thing, yet he still dared not relax his guard in the slightest.
After all, whatever could drag away a hundred-pound Mutant Golden Retriever corpse was definitely not something small.
"Let's go, let's head out of the residential community and search."
Whether it was hunting Mutant Beasts or zombies, it was something Lin Qi had to do. He could not be like other Survivors who, once they had Supplies, hid in safe places waiting for the Federation to stabilize the situation and rescue them.
Arriving at the entrance of the residential community, the zombies on the Street had already been cleared once, but after a day, a few more had wandered over from somewhere, dragging their feet slowly and leisurely.
Lin Qi nocked an arrow and fired, hitting the zombie heads with several consecutive shots. He left the slowest-moving zombie behind, signaling for Zhao Tuantuan to Practice Hand.
"Come on, this one is for you. Try to see if you can hit it."
Come to think of it, Zhao Tuantuan had never killed a zombie before. To survive in the Apocalypse, one must have the courage to kill zombies.
However, there was no sign of resistance on the young girl's face; instead, she seemed eager to try.
She pulled back the compound bow and aimed at the zombie's head, her face full of excitement.
"I'm firing!"
With a *whoosh*, the arrow flew past, grazing the zombie's ear and flying dozens of meters away.
"Aim a bit lower and try again."
Lin Qi offered guidance from the side. The virus-body zombie was very slow, and by the time Zhao Tuantuan reloaded the Arrow, it hadn't walked many steps.
The young girl took a deep breath and aimed at the zombie's head again. Once the arrowhead aligned with the zombie's head, she released her fingers.
With a soft *thwack*, the Carbon Arrow pierced directly into the zombie's eye. Although it didn't penetrate through the back of the skull, the damage had already destroyed the zombie's brain. The walking zombie body stumbled and collapsed to the ground.
"How was it? How do you feel?"
Since it was her first time killing a zombie, Lin Qi was afraid Zhao Tuantuan might have psychological trauma, so he quickly asked with concern.
"It's so thrilling! I never realized a person's brain was so fragile!"
Zhao Tuantuan's face was flushed, clearly from the excitement. This psychological rush was even more stimulating than when she relieved stress.
She couldn't help but take out another Arrow and aim it at the zombies in the distance.
"I'll find you a target to practice properly later. For now, let's go look for Mutated Creatures."
Lin Qi quickly stepped forward to retrieve the two arrows and took Zhao Tuantuan to search around.
Although the stray cats and dogs in the city had been cleared out beforehand, there were always some remaining hidden in the shadows. After being infected with the virus, some mutants reactivated the wildness in their bodies and became fierce hunters.
These hunters would prey on all living things, and they wouldn't even spare zombies.
But in the daytime during the early stages of the Apocalypse, it was somewhat difficult to find these animals.
"I could usually see a few birds, so why can't I see a single one now?"
After passing two streets, they still had nothing to show for it. It seemed as if the Federal Rescue Team's main task wasn't to rescue Survivors, but to hunt down these Mutated Creatures.
"Could it be that they've all eaten their fill and gone into hiding?"
Zhao Tuantuan guessed. In the two-plus months since the virus outbreak, most animals had not been disturbed by humans. Initially, many died from the virus, but those that survived were lucky; they had obtained a large amount of food storage. Just like the Golden Retriever from yesterday, its size had already exceeded its original limits.
"What you said is also possible. If we really can't find any, we'll just have to kill some zombies first."
Lin Qi raised his bow and shot another zombie, glancing at the progress requirement for his archery skill, which was only one-third complete.
Moreover, the zombies in this area were becoming fewer and fewer. To quickly level up his skill, he had to find a place where a large number of zombies gathered.
"Let's try our luck in areas where the rescue team hasn't arrived yet."
Outside the residential community was a commercial street. During the quarantine period, this entire area had been sealed off; there wasn't a single living person, let alone zombies. They would have to go to the old town on both sides of the moat, where the population was dense.
Lin Qi found a Shared Bicycle on the street and opened the lock with a light tug. However, what really restricted the bicycles was the scan-to-operate requirement, which was why no one bothered with them even in the Apocalypse.
But for Lin Qi, that was not a problem at all. As long as it was a lock, he could open it.
"Come on, I'll give you a ride."
The seat on the back of the Shared Bicycle was just enough for Zhao Tuantuan to sit on. With Lin Qi's riding skills, it was easy to avoid the zombies along the way.
Zhao Tuantuan sat on the back, carrying the crossbow on her body, and wrapped her arms around Lin Qi's waist. Who knew that as soon as they started moving, her body lurched forward, pressing heavily against Lin Qi's back.
"Brother Lin, slow down, I'm almost being squeezed out!"
Under the heavy pressure, Zhao Tuantuan could barely breathe, so she had to lean her body backward to regain her breath.
But even so, Lin Qi could still feel two soft mounds pressed against his back.
"Hold on tight, I'm starting the ride!"
Two wheels were indeed much faster than two legs. Even when driving past zombies, the zombies' stiff bodies couldn't react in time, so the two of them passed through the commercial street without any danger and arrived at the old town.
Lin Qi parked the bicycle by the Guardrail of the canal. As they approached, Lin Qi had already heard scattered Gunshot sounds; it seemed the rescue team was also in the vicinity.
"Let's sneak in quietly and don't alarm those people."
Near a small bridge in the distance, two Armored Vehicles were parked, and a few zombies were wandering nearby. Clearly, the rescue team had been inside for a long time.
"Brother Lin, should we steal their car?"
Zhao Tuantuan looked eager, clearly full of interest in the car with its extreme armored protection.
"Don't, that's a dangerous idea. They have guns!"
Although the rescue team had already entered the buildings in the old town, no one knew if there was someone with a sniper rifle watching from the shadows.
"So what if they have guns? I have a Bow and Arrow. Look, someone is approaching the Armored Vehicle."
Following the direction Zhao Tuantuan pointed, there were indeed a few sneaky figures creeping toward the Armored Vehicle. After confirming there were no Soldiers guarding the area, those few people quickly dealt with the nearby zombies and pried open the car door with force.
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