Illuminated by the flashlight beam, the zombie slowly looked toward Su Yun, who stood on the stair steps.
Its bitten, mangled face wore a ferocious grin, making it especially horrifying.
It moved with surprising agility, using both hands and feet as it rushed toward her. Judging by its size, it was a child.
Having killed zombies for seven years in the apocalypse, Su Yun’s reflexes were sharp. The bound fruit knife in her hand had long been ready.
The flashlight beam flickered only briefly. When the zombie was still four or five steps away, Su Yun thrust the knife straight into its mouth with all her strength.
After piercing the brain, she immediately pulled it out. From her past experience, she knew exactly where to strike to finish things quickly.
Fortunately, the zombies hadn’t evolved yet. An ordinary fruit knife was still enough to deal with them.
If she waited longer and the zombies evolved, stabbing them with a fruit knife would probably cause the blade to snap in two on the spot.
With a *squelch*, the zombie tumbled down the steps. Su Yun shone her flashlight on it and clearly saw its figure.
It seemed to be a neighbor’s child from downstairs.
People infected with the zombie virus existed in a state of living death. Attacking any other part of their bodies was completely useless— only destroying the brain could kill them.
This was clearly stated in the zombie-killing guides released by the authorities.
Su Yun gripped the knife and continued downward, dimming the flashlight a little as she went.
When she reached the stairwell of the sixth floor, zombie growls came from below. Judging by the sound of shuffling footsteps, at least three zombies were wandering on the sixth floor.
Without making a sound, Su Yun quickly descended, heading straight for the fifth floor. Unless she ran into them head-on or they actively attacked, she wouldn’t strike rashly.
There were quite a few zombies in this building, and another group was roaming the residential compound below.
Conserving stamina was crucial.
Moreover, the fruit knife she held was just an ordinary blade. After killing a few more zombies, the blade would likely chip.
This was her only weapon for now—she needed to cherish it.
When she reached the third floor, she came face to face with a zombie pulling a small cart. Sensing the presence of a living human, the zombie showed a disturbingly human-like grin.
Dried blood was smeared around its mouth, half its face caked in gore. It looked vaguely familiar.
To the zombie, discovering Su Yun was like spotting a piece of juicy meat. Dragging the cart, it moved toward her.
The noise from the cart alerted the zombies in the third-floor corridor. In the darkness came wheezing sounds and the rapid shuffle of feet.
It seemed that the commotion had drawn all the zombies from the third floor. Without hesitation, Su Yun struck decisively, plunging the fruit knife hard into the zombie’s brain.
She pulled it out and immediately rushed downstairs.
By then, the zombies from the second floor had also been drawn to the stairwell by the noise from above. Su Yun didn’t slow her pace.
Her nose was filled with the stench of rot emanating from the zombies. Behind her were the sounds of pursuit, but she didn’t look back.
As she exited the building, the motion-sensor lights on the first floor turned on. About fifteen meters ahead, several zombies were wandering, seemingly drawn by the noise from her stairwell.
They began to move closer as well.
Su Yun shone her flashlight ahead, following her memory as she ran toward a low wall.
After a few steps of acceleration, she easily leapt onto the wall and flipped over, her figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.
In her previous life, when she went out searching for food and had to evade zombies in the compound, this low wall was the only safe route she had discovered.
Climbing over the other low walls would lead directly to night market streets, internet cafés, or bars—stepping straight into a zombie encirclement.
But climbing over this wall led to rows of garbage bins. This alley was used for dumping trash.
Residents from this area, as well as several nearby night market streets, all brought their garbage here for centralized disposal.
It was July—the hottest season in G Province. The apocalypse had broken out for seven days, and the trash had piled up here for seven days as well.
The moment her feet hit the ground, a wave of stench rushed straight into her nose. Su Yun merely frowned slightly and glanced at the surveillance camera at the end of the alley.
She took a hat out of her backpack and put it on, then put on a mask as well. In just this short time outside, the sweltering heat had already soaked the back of her shirt with sweat.
Holding the stick bound with the fruit knife, Su Yun walked toward the exit of the alley.
When she was still more than twenty meters from the alley’s mouth, movement sounded ahead.
Su Yun slowed her steps slightly and listened carefully. “Huff… huff…” She brightened her flashlight and shone it toward the source of the sound.
About ten meters ahead, a garbage bin lay overturned. Two figures were squatting beside it, holding something in their hands, heads lowered as they ate intently.
When Su Yun’s flashlight beam swept over them, both figures turned to look at her at the same time.
Dark green pupils reflected an eerie glow in the light. Their faces were smeared with blood, and one of the zombies still had a length of intestine hanging from its mouth.
Upon seeing Su Yun, the half-rotted corpse on the ground instantly lost all appeal to them.
Catching the scent of Su Yun’s fresh flesh, the two zombies charged toward her like mad dogs.