C4 Save Me!

White snowflakes gently cascaded from the sky. Overwhelmed by the intense visual onslaught, Wang Mengyan was no longer able to cry out; instead, she found herself foolishly collapsing to the ground, her first instinct being to flee the perilous area. Yet, in that moment, her body refused to cooperate, leaving her without even the strength to rise.

A silent black shadow crept up behind Wang Mengyan, its presence undetected and its footsteps barely audible. It seemed poised to startle her, catching her completely off guard. Meanwhile, Wu Qi, reeling from a surge of emotion, stumbled backward and, with a loud thud, collided with the sports car, his hands desperately clinging to the vehicle's metallic exterior.

"What... What on earth is this?"

Wu Qi's eyes were wide with horror as he fixated on the corpse's stomach, where a palm-sized Devil Insect clung. It was a creature unlike any he had ever seen—ghastly in appearance, with eight sharp legs buried into the flesh, showcasing a terrifying visage reminiscent of something straight out of a horror film.

Despite being no stranger to horror movies, Wu Qi's heart involuntarily seized at the sight of the creature.

"This is a Devil Insect. As frightening as it looks, it's our key to survival in the future!" Shen Faang's fingers became deft as he confronted the creature. With a few gentle prods, the Devil Insect contracted its legs, allowing Shen Faang to effortlessly remove it.

Wu Qi was at a loss for Shen Faang's intentions, staring at the insect's knife-like legs, his face ashen with fear. Shen Faang, on the other hand, quietly observed the Devil Insect in his hands, seemingly entranced.

Reflecting on his past life, three years after the apocalypse had erupted, it was finally discovered that this seemingly innocuous insect could actually induce human evolution! Thus began a new era of confrontation between humans and the evolved zombies.

Yet, the revelation came tragically late. Coupled with the zombies' astounding evolutionary capabilities, the remnants of humanity were as insignificant as ants when faced with the world's vast hordes of zombies. The dreaded Devil Insects even became a form of currency among survivors. A low-level Yellow Rank 10 Insect Tail, filled with the essence of the Devil Insects, could be traded for a house sufficient for an entire family's dwelling.

The snowfall intensified, a sight Shen Faang had never witnessed in his past life. Luckily, the zombies in his current life were just as he remembered them, meaning the knowledge in his head remained his greatest asset!

Silence fell, broken only by the echo of faint footsteps that seemed to amplify in the stillness. Liu Fei turned her head in shock to see a ghastly, blood-smeared face with teeth that appeared to be gnawing on something, her mouth a gory red.

The creature's fingers were half-gone, and the glimpse of pale flesh between its teeth was a grotesque indication that it was chewing on its own digits.

Thud!

The zombie, now less than three meters from Liu Fei, suddenly toppled to the ground, then slowly began to rise. In that instant, Liu Fei's body surged with adrenaline. She screamed at the top of her lungs and scrambled backwards.

"Save me!" Liu Fei's eyes were wide with terror as she instinctively pleaded with Shen Faang for help.

The fallen zombie was clambering to its feet again. Its movements were sluggish, but to those accustomed to the safety of modern civilization, who had never witnessed such horrors, even this feeble creature seemed like the most terrifying being imaginable. It posed little threat compared to the formidable zombies in Shen Faang's memories, yet to the average person, it was a nightmare come to life.

Shen Faang hadn't even formulated a plan when Liu Fei's scream spurred him into action. He snatched up the trash can lid, smeared with a mix of blood and brain matter, and wielded it with deadly force.

Another crushing blow to the head! Accompanied by a resounding whoosh, the solid lid shattered along with the zombie's skull, scattering fragments on the ground where they mingled with blood and brains to form a nauseating mess.

Witnessing the carnage, Liu Fei sprang to her feet and darted aside, propping herself against a wall as she began to retch uncontrollably. Wu Qi, reacting to the sound of her vomiting, stumbled forward and braced himself against a sturdy traffic sign, succumbing to his own wave of nausea.

As they emptied their stomachs, their minds went blank.

Seizing the moment, Shen Faang swiftly lifted the clothes of the recently deceased zombie and snatched the Devil Insect from its belly. The Devil Insect, displaying a tenacity greater than that of the zombie, emitted a high-pitched squeal as Shen Faang held it, sending shivers down both their spines.

"Over here!" Shen Faang strode to the supermarket entrance and barked at the pair. He pinned the still wriggling Devil Insect under his foot, its sharp thorns scraping against the white tiles with a grating sound, while he simultaneously unlocked the shutter door.

There was no time left for second-guessing!

The shutter door reverberated loudly through the still night, yet the two seemed frozen, unable to react. Despite having emptied their stomachs, they continued to dry heave relentlessly.

"Do you have a death wish?" Shen Faang yelled again. "Who knows how many zombies are lurking nearby? Do you want to end up like them?"

"I... Shen Faang, wait for me!" Wu Qi quickly turned, wiping his mouth, only to gag again.

The darkness was now filled with an increasing chorus of growls, leaving Wu Qi no time to ponder. He dashed towards Wang Mengyan, yanking her into the safety of the shutter door and slamming it shut. He called out into the pitch-black surroundings, "Shen Faang, where are you? What's our next move?"

There was no answer from Shen Faang, but the wails from beyond the metal door heightened their fear.

"Shen Faang," Wang Mengyan called out, her voice quivering as she echoed Wu Qi, yet the darkness offered no reply. She shuddered, instinctively pressing her body against the cold concrete wall, her voice barely above a whisper, "Shen Faang, what do we do now? Outside... should we try to save them? What's happening? Where did all these creatures come from?"

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