Early the next morning.
Outside the shelter.
Lin Mao crouched silently on a thick tree branch not far from the cave, watching a small group leave the shelter to gather food.
According to his calculations, the shelter’s food reserves would only last another four or five days at most.
And tomorrow was the Blood Moon.
Once it arrived, the zombies would enter a berserk state, making food collection nearly impossible.
Which meant today was their last safe opportunity to search for supplies.
As long as the people inside the shelter weren’t idiots, they would definitely send a team out today.
And all Lin Mao had to do…
Was waiting for his prey.
…
Meanwhile, deep inside the forest—
“Wen Rou, why did we have to come out here?” a short-haired girl complained nervously. “Wouldn’t it be safer to stay in the shelter?”
“All the food before was collected by Lin Mao,” Wen Rou explained softly while gathering berries from a bush. “Now that he’s gone, the supplies inside won’t last much longer.”
She handed a handful of berries to the girl.
“Hurry and eat a little first. There are too many people back at the shelter. Everyone barely gets enough.”
The short-haired girl’s eyes lit up as she quickly stuffed the berries into her mouth.
“Xiaorou, you’re so smart!”
“Hmph. If you ask me, this is all Lin Mao’s fault,” Zhang Yuxin suddenly said from nearby. “If he hadn’t thrown a tantrum and run away, we wouldn’t need to risk ourselves like this. No sense of responsibility at all. What kind of man acts like that?”
Wen Rou frowned slightly, about to respond—
But suddenly—
“AHHHHH!!!”
A terrified scream tore through the forest.
Five or six zombies burst out from the bushes to their right, letting out horrifying growls as they charged toward the group.
The short-haired girl collapsed onto the ground in terror, her legs completely frozen.
The next moment, screams echoed throughout the forest.
Wen Rou looked around desperately before grabbing a wooden stick from the ground.
Am I going to die here?
The thought flashed through her mind.
SHING!
A silver flash cut through the air.
One zombie’s head flew upward instantly.
Dark red blood sprayed across Wen Rou’s jacket.
The headless corpse staggered for a moment before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Wen Rou stared blankly ahead.
Lin Mao stood before her, holding a fire axe.
Several decapitated zombie corpses already lay at his feet.
“Lin Mao?! You came back!” Wen Rou exclaimed in shock.
“You useless trash actually dared to come back?” Zhang Yuxin shouted while pointing at him. “These zombies must’ve followed you here! Hurry up and deal with them, or I’ll make you—”
Before she could finish—
BAM!
Lin Mao kicked her directly toward the zombies.
“You’re about to die and you still won’t shut up.”
He swung the axe impatiently, splitting apart another zombie blocking his path.
“Wh-What are you doing?!” Wen Rou cried out in panic.
Lin Mao ignored her completely.
He grabbed her by the waist, threw her over his shoulder, and immediately ran.
Leaving behind only corpses and terrified screams.
“Ahhh! Lin Mao! Put me down! I can walk by myself!” Wen Rou shouted, her face bright red from embarrassment.
SMACK!
Lin Mao slapped her lightly on the butt.
“Shut up,” he coldly warned. “Do you want to attract more zombies? Because I don’t mind throwing you down.”
Wen Rou gasped softly.
Her entire face burned red.
She could clearly feel the warmth of his hand through her clothes.
And being carried over his shoulder in such a humiliating position made her even more flustered.
But she didn’t dare say another word.
After all…
Lin Mao was someone who truly dared to kill people.
Even though she didn’t understand why he had saved her.
Thinking about it, Wen Rou quietly adjusted her posture slightly to make it easier for him to carry her.
Lin Mao moved incredibly fast through the forest.
He weaved between trees, avoided wandering zombies, and headed higher up the mountain.
Only after a long time did he finally stop and set Wen Rou down.
Breathing heavily, Wen Rou looked around.
They were already halfway up the mountain.
Dense trees blocked the view completely.
The original shelter was nowhere to be seen.
Even the sounds of zombies had disappeared.
“Th-Thank you…” Wen Rou said softly as she looked up at him.
Then she froze.
Lin Mao looked completely different from before.
It was still the same face—
But his gaze had become sharper.
His body looked stronger.
Even his height seemed slightly taller.
Before she could think further, Lin Mao handed her a piece of paper.
“Sign it.”
His tone was cold and unquestionable.
Wen Rou lowered her head.
It was another contract.
But unlike the previous one, this contract only had three conditions:
Wen Rou looked into his eyes for a moment.
Then—
Without hesitation—
She signed her name at the bottom.
Cleanly.
Decisively.
Without asking a single question.
This time, it was Lin Mao’s turn to be surprised.
He had expected to spend time convincing her.
Instead, she agreed immediately.
Back in university, Wen Rou had always been gentle and easygoing.
She was also one of the few classmates who had maintained a decent relationship with him.
That was why he chose her as his first target.
But even so, he hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.
“You’re not going to ask where the shelter is?” Lin Mao raised an eyebrow. “How many people are there? What conditions will you be living under?”
Wen Rou shook her head lightly.
“You saved me,” she said softly. “So I’ll trust you.”
The moment she signed her name—
A notification rang out inside Lin Mao’s mind.
【New member detected.】
【Scanning member information…】
【Name: Wen Rou】
【Age: 22】
【Appearance Score: 93】
【Figure Score: 97】
【Special Talent: Toxic Identification
(Capable of identifying the toxicity of most plants and substances.)】
【Relationship History: 0】
【Overall Rating: 96】
Lin Mao glanced over Wen Rou again.
No wonder carrying her earlier had felt…
Pretty nice.
A body score of 97?
Though honestly, they didn’t even look that big.
【Congratulations! You have successfully recruited your first Goddess-tier member!】
【Reward distribution in progress…】
【Divine Talent Acquired: Lightning Manipulation (Beginner)
You can generate and control lightning. Power increases with proficiency.】
【Resource Rewards:
Master Kong Braised Beef Instant Noodles ×1000 Cases
Nongfu Spring Mineral Water ×3000 Cases】
【Special Notice: All supplies have been stored in system storage and may be retrieved at any time.】
Lin Mao’s pupils contracted sharply.
Lightning manipulation?!
That was practically the power of a god.
Almost instinctively, he raised his right hand.
Crackle—
A small blue arc of electricity danced between his fingertips, releasing sharp snapping sounds like chirping birds.
Wen Rou widened her eyes.
“Th-That’s…”
Lin Mao immediately dismissed the lightning and returned to his usual cold expression.
“Don’t ask questions,” he said calmly. “Let’s head further up the mountain and find a shelter before the Blood Moon arrives.”
“Ugh… aaaaahhh!!”