The heavens were like ink, arching over the earth, the roaring thunder seemingly mocking all things in the world, and the lightning snaking through the dark clouds resembled a devil's sneer.

The torrential rain lashed down like knives and swords against Ye Chen’s face and body. He was ice-cold, trembling slightly; having bled too much, his complexion was as pale as paper. With every step he took, the wound in his abdomen would pull, sending a tearing agony through his gut.

This stubborn man gritted his teeth in silence, pushing himself to the fastest possible speed toward the distance.

For an ordinary person, having their stomach ripped open meant certain death, let alone Ye Chen, who had managed to stuff his own entrails back inside before sprinting madly in the downpour.

He was exhausted.

But he could not stop.

Perhaps, if he fell now, it would be so much easier… so much easier…

"Sister…"

Ye Chen spotted several blurry figures standing by the wall. Recognizing them by their vague outlines and attire, he softly called out for his sister, Ye Zhu, and the others. Perhaps because the abdominal wound was too large, his voice emerged as little more than a gasp.

By the wall, Ye Zhu and the others had been waiting anxiously for Ye Chen. Hearing the sound, they started violently and quickly turned their heads. In the next moment, they saw a man rushing toward them out of the heavy rain, his entire body caked in mud.

"Brother—"

Ye Zhu’s delicate frame shook, and she immediately rushed out without a second thought. The rain instantly soaked her clothes. She reached Ye Chen and instantly noticed something was terribly wrong. The usually composed Ye Chen’s face was bloodless, and a trail of scarlet blood flowed from his abdomen along his path.

"You’re hurt?" A flash of shock crossed Ye Zhu’s eyes.

Ye Chen glanced at her, a sliver of relief settling in his heart. Without saying more, he urged quickly, "Run! A powerful monster is right behind, it will catch up soon. With my current strength, I can't fight it yet."

Ye Zhu’s heart leaped. She quickly shouted to Bai Long and the others by the wall, repeating Ye Chen’s words. Bai Long and the others listened, astonished, knowing Ye Chen wasn't joking, and a shadow of gloom fell over them.

"Run!"

Ye Chen pushed himself forward toward the location of the research institute, while his sister Ye Zhu and the others followed close behind.

This small group of people struggling against the world ran through the streets under the immense rain. Not long after they started, Ye Chen felt a wave of dizziness sweep over his mind. Despite his formidable physique, the severe blood loss was making him lightheaded.

"Let me!" A light, mocking voice sounded near his ear. Ye Chen vaguely felt someone supporting him, and then he heard the voice laugh, "You saved my life once; now we’re even."

Who else could it be but Bai Long?

Ye Chen didn't reply. The intense fatigue made him not want to move an inch. His vision blurred further, the buildings before him swaying, and a watery drowsiness washed over his mind; his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Ye Chen gently bit the tip of his tongue. The sharp pain cleared his head slightly. Seeing a turn ahead, he managed to say, "To the left."

Bai Long agreed, supporting him as they veered left, and instantly, they saw hundreds of zombies scattered along that street, wading through the puddles. The rain washed over them, stripping away layers of black, putrid flesh…

"Damn it!" Bai Long’s pupils contracted sharply.

At that moment, all hundred-plus zombies spotted Ye Chen and his group. They roared in unison and charged forward.

Bai Long and the others gasped in horror—

Ye Chen gritted his teeth, wrenched himself free from Bai Long’s support, snatched the fire axe from his hand, spun around, and plunged into the horde of zombies. Veins bulged in his arms as he twisted his body and roared, "Cyclone Dragon Slash!"

Boom!

A violent gale erupted, sending the zombie mass flying in all directions, each one sliced cleanly in half at the waist. Their upper bodies lay on the ground, their clawed hands scrabbling at the earth, trying to crawl toward Ye Chen.

Having scattered this wave of zombies, the last reserves of strength left Ye Chen completely drained. He could barely stand, swaying precariously, his vision growing even hazier. Bai Long, after a moment of stunned silence, snapped back to reality. He rushed over to support Ye Chen, swiftly hoisted him onto his back, and darted into the distance.

"Can you hold on?" The usually joking young man now spoke with a grave expression.

"Stop talking nonsense," Ye Chen gasped out.

Hearing this, Bai Long wasn't angry; instead, a small smile touched his lips. "You still have the energy to curse—you must be able to hold on. That’s good. I’m running at full speed now!" With that, he moved, soaring rapidly away. The zombies swarming out from the surrounding buildings didn't even get a chance to attack before Bai Long left them far behind.

The violent jolting twisted Ye Chen’s insides, but he made no sound.

Ye Zhu and the others followed closely behind.

Yue Heng and the other two handed all their baggage to Ye Zhu; they were only responsible for running for their lives.

"Are we attracting too many zombies by doing this?" Yue Heng asked worriedly, watching the endless stream of zombies pouring from all directions.

Ye Zhu, beside him, shook her head. "It’s a good thing this heavy rain washed away the scent of blood lingering in the air. Otherwise, all sorts of powerful monsters would have been drawn here."

Yue Heng’s heart gave a lurch. Recalling the image of hordes of powerful monsters like the mutated rats swarming toward them made his scalp tingle and goosebumps rise all over his body.

After running for a short while, a tall building finally came into view ahead. Ye Chen forced his eyes open and saw the words "Biological Research Institute" written across the top of the structure. A wave of relief washed over him.

"Rush inside!" Ye Chen managed, exhausted.

Bai Long responded and increased his speed. Just as they were a mere few hundred meters from the institute, a fierce, enraged roar suddenly erupted from the end of the street behind them, shaking the ground and making Ye Chen’s group flinch in terror as they whipped their heads around to look.

The sight caused their pupils to contract violently. A creature the size of an elephant was charging, its tusks grotesque, its entire body covered in black fur, and its eyes filled with brutal savagery.

"This… this is the monster you mentioned?" Bai Long’s face went ashen.

Ye Chen's heart sank. "Don't stop."

Bai Long immediately accelerated, pouring every ounce of strength he possessed into his legs, even though they were already burning, he desperately pushed all his remaining power.

Run!

Run!

This was the only thought in everyone's mind. They exerted the greatest strength of their lives, running toward the institute just a few hundred meters away.

Closer!

As the institute came within just dozens of meters, joy surged through them. At that exact moment, a piercing shriek suddenly rose from behind them. One of the two subordinates following Yue Heng was torn apart by a single swipe from the pursuing Demonic Wind Hound, his body splitting in two and collapsing into the mud, his blood rapidly dyeing the rainwater crimson.

"Save… save me!"

The young man's half-body weakly reached out toward Ye Chen and the others, but he could only watch them run further away. Helplessness and despair enveloped him, and his eyes immediately filled with intense resentment and bitterness.

"Run!"

Yue Heng’s heart hammered against his ribs, wishing he had grown several more legs.

"Ah…"

Another scream followed. The other young man, lagging behind, also fell beneath the claws of the Demonic Wind Hound, which moved like a demon sprung from hell, reaping lives.

"Almost there," Ye Chen murmured to himself, looking at the institute just a stone's throw away.

"Ah!" At that moment, a scream rang out, carrying a note of tragic beauty. Even separated by a thousand raindrops, it cut clearly into Ye Chen's ears and straight into his heart.

Ye Chen’s mind went blank with a loud boom; it was as if all other sound had vanished, leaving only the frantic pounding of his own heart. He turned to look, and in that glance, time itself seemed to freeze.

There, in the rain, the beautiful girl lay fallen in the mud like a broken-winged butterfly, a portrait of tragic beauty—was it not his sister, Ye Zhu?

Ye Chen felt his head instantly explode, buzzing deafeningly; he could hear nothing else.

...

The recommendation votes today are so few, dozens less than usual. Alas, my ranking has dropped by two spots.