Before leaving, Tao Zhaochuan had already mapped out a route. To the north was a large commercial pedestrian district filled with all kinds of stores, making it the ideal place to search for supplies.
However, they had barely gone a few steps before a man blocked their path.
“Need a bow and arrows?”
The man held two bows in his hands and carried a quiver on his back containing over a dozen arrows.
Seeing their hesitation, he demonstrated the bow in his hand and added, “They’re very effective. One shot, one headshot.”
It was a handmade compound bow, exquisitely crafted.
Ye Huizhou said, “Thanks, but we don’t really need one.”
Tao Zhaochuan, who didn’t have an ability, was interested.
“How much?”
“Five loaves of bread for one bow. Arrows sold separately.”
“Buy five arrows and get one free?”
“Deal.”
The man handed over the bow.
“Payment and delivery at the same time.”
Tao Zhaochuan scratched his head.
“We don’t have any supplies on us right now, but that’s exactly what we’re going out to find. Once we get some, we’ll pay you.”
“…”
The man gave him a complicated look, rolled his eyes, and turned to leave.
“Hey! Hey!”
Tao Zhaochuan really wanted the bow. Seeing the eye roll, he grumbled, “What’s with that attitude? It’s not like I wasn’t going to pay!”
After the man left, the group continued onward.
The closer they got to the mall, the more zombies they encountered.
Fortunately, most were only F-rank Zombies and E-rank Zombies. For Ye Huizhou and Gu Zhuoye, dealing with them required little more than a casual wave of the hand.
After turning a corner, they unexpectedly ran into the bow seller again.
“Brother!” Tao Zhaochuan immediately called out. “We’ll have supplies soon. Just wait for me, okay?”
The man stared at them expressionlessly for a moment before asking,
“You’re heading to the mall ahead?”
Tao Zhaochuan nodded.
“Ever since an entire team went in looking for supplies and never came back out, nobody has entered that place for days.”
The group immediately understood.
He was warning them not to go.
“Thanks, brother,” Ye Huizhou replied, “but we’re almost out of supplies. If we don’t search, we won’t have anything left to eat.”
The bow seller said nothing further and simply continued walking in the same direction as them, his face as cold as ever.
“Are you going too, brother?” Tao Zhaochuan asked.
The man ignored him.
Having failed to get a response, Tao Zhaochuan stopped trying.
A few steps later, the man disappeared without a trace.
They soon arrived at the mall entrance.
Flames ignited in Gu Zhuoye’s hand as he entered first to scout the area.
After the chaos of the Apocalypse’s early days, the enormous mall had fallen into ruin. The jewelry store immediately to the left of the entrance had every display case smashed to pieces.
The floors and shattered glass were stained with dried blood.
Gu Zhuoye frowned.
A place like this, with such heavy foot traffic before the Apocalypse, should have been crawling with zombies.
Yet now it was eerily quiet and strangely empty.
As he ventured deeper inside, he discovered a mountain of zombie corpses piled near an emergency exit ahead and to the right.
Someone had clearly cleaned the place out.
Turning back, he signaled that it was safe to enter.
The others quietly followed him inside, and Gu Zhuoye moved to Ye Huizhou’s side to share what he had discovered.
“Something’s off here. The zombies have been cleared out too thoroughly.”
Surveying the surroundings, Ye Huizhou said, “Get in and out quickly.”
Ye Xihe patted his arm and pointed toward the information desk.
In front of it stood a large marble map of the mall.
This was one of F City’s most famous commercial complexes. The basement level housed restaurants and a food court. The first floor was dedicated to luxury brands. The second floor contained clothing stores. The third floor focused on family and leisure activities. The fourth floor featured entertainment venues such as KTVs and cinemas. The top floor held a large supermarket along with various food and snack shops.
“This is troublesome.”
Ye Huizhou tapped the basement and top floor on the map with his long fingers.
“The food we need most is located in the two places furthest apart.”
“Top floor first?” Gu Zhuoye asked.
“If the zombies on the upper floors get attracted by the noise, we’ll end up trapped in the basement.”
“Then basement first.” Gu Zhuoye nodded. “There probably won’t be much left there anyway. We’ll do a quick sweep, head to the second floor for clothes and shopping bags, then move straight to the top.”
“Food first. Clothes can wait.”
The others remained silent and obediently followed the instructions of the two strongest members.
Ye Huizhou pulled Ye Xihe between himself and Gu Zhuoye and quietly instructed her,
“Stay close to either me or Gu Zhuoye.”
Ye Xihe obediently grabbed her brother’s sleeve.
The basement level hadn’t been cleaned completely. A few zombies still wandered about.
A tiny flame condensed at Gu Zhuoye’s fingertip and pierced through their heads with pinpoint accuracy, silently eliminating every zombie that approached.
Most of the basement consisted of restaurants and food stalls. The food had largely spoiled. Some of the meat left out in the open had already rotted and become infested with maggots, releasing a nauseating sewer-like stench.
The smell made Ye Xihe gag.
After making a full circuit, they managed to collect some pre-packaged meals that hadn’t expired yet.
The group quickly moved toward the second floor.
Ye Huizhou reminded the three researchers accompanying them,
“There’ll be plenty of shopping bags in the clothing stores. They’ll make carrying supplies easier. Don’t take plastic bags. They’re too noisy and could attract zombies. Don’t wander off alone, and stay close to us.”
Like the first floor, the second floor had been thoroughly cleared. Not a single zombie was in sight.
After gathering enough bags, they moved swiftly toward the upper levels through the emergency stairwell.
At the stairwell entrance on the third floor, countless zombies stood with their backs facing them.
Gu Zhuoye’s pupils contracted.
He immediately raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop.
The researchers behind him were confused.
“What is it?”
The moment the zombies heard the voice, they spun around.
D-rank Zombies!
And not just one or two.
The densely packed horde behind them surged into motion.
Gu Zhuoye felt his scalp go numb and immediately retreated.
“Run!”
All six of them turned and bolted.
D-rank Zombies were sprinting zombies with terrifying speed. The instant the group turned around, the monsters were already in pursuit.
The stench of decay wrapped around their noses like venomous snakes.
They were simply too fast.
Ye Huizhou looked back. Purple lightning shot from his fingertips and struck the three closest zombies.
Their pursuit faltered for a moment.
Ye Xihe had the weakest stamina and quickly fell behind, ending up beside Ye Huizhou, who was covering the rear.
His gaze sharpened.
If it came down to it, he would abandon the attack without hesitation and prioritize getting his sister out.
Gu Zhuoye suddenly extended an arm around Ye Xihe’s slender waist.
With a burst of strength, he lifted her over the stair railing and tucked her under one arm.
Like carrying a doll, he sprinted straight to the front of the group.
Ye Xihe: “…”
She gave up struggling and simply allowed herself to be carried.
Ye Huizhou finally relaxed.
A few moments later, they reached the first floor.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ye Huizhou saw that the other five had already escaped outside.
Purple light exploded in his hand.
A net of lightning materialized and crashed toward the pursuing zombies.
The horde was halted for a single second.
Taking advantage of the opening, Ye Huizhou rushed out and slammed the heavy steel fire door shut behind him.
The sound of claws scraping against metal immediately echoed from the other side.
“Move! Head to the opposite side.”
At the center of the mall stood a massive supporting pillar. On the far side was another emergency stairwell and exit.
They ran to the open area near the stairs and entrance before finally stopping to catch their breath.
“How are there so many D-rank Zombies here?”
Thanks to Gu Zhuoye carrying her the entire way, Ye Xihe wasn’t even breathing hard.
“Are we still going to the fifth floor? The upper levels are extremely dangerous.”