Cheng Xiao laughed heartily, "The assassin beauty is indeed wonderful, but could you perhaps refrain from wrapping yourself in such thick strips of cloth? It completely conceals your exquisite figure. Just think, such a beautiful body..." Zhao Yingkong suddenly sprang up, a flash of firelight crossing her hand, cleanly bisecting a skull that appeared beneath her feet. Landing smoothly, she said coldly, "Two chances left. Then, I kill you."

Watching the dagger erupting with flames, Cheng Xiao immediately adopted a cautious, ingratiating smile, daring not to utter another loose word.

The group was situated in a graveyard, from which half-rotted zombies ceaselessly emerged from the earth. Some bodies were already decomposed into greenish carrion, while others were swarming with maggots, yet they still managed to move and lurch toward the group. Several of these undead even materialized directly beneath their feet.

Zhao Yingkong’s speed was terrifyingly fast; she dispatched the zombies erupting beneath them with quick dagger strikes. Meanwhile, Zheng Zha and Alice charged toward the larger horde of the undead, moving one ahead and one behind. Both instantly activated their Genetic Locks. Although Alice’s raw strength might have been slightly lacking, her inherent T-virus mutation enhancements provided a formidable attribute, one that, unlike Zheng Zha’s, operated at one hundred percent efficiency. When factoring in the balance between the two, her combat effectiveness only fell short of one or two members of the Central Continent team.

Zheng Zha’s combat style was decidedly more brutal. His immense strength allowed him to sweep his massive weapon with a slight pull, cleaving several zombies in half. He then pulled out a micro-submachine gun, spraying close-range fire, preventing the undead from closing the distance entirely.

Despite their relentless killing, more and more zombies kept clawing their way out of the ground. Furthermore, once downed, the disgusting corpses emitted a foul, putrid stench. Frustrated, Alice shouted, "This isn't working! We’ll be attacked endlessly here. We should flee toward the back!" Zheng Zha nodded, "Everyone run toward the rear! I'll cover the retreat! Quickly!" Hearing this, the others followed Alice toward the back exit of the church, while Zheng Zha retrieved an ultra-high explosive charge from his storage ring—a device whose power he had never tested. He pulled the pin, then casually tossed it into a dense mass of zombies.

After throwing it, he quickly engaged his Qinggong (lightness skill) to catch up with the group. Just as he shot out about thirty meters, a wave of intense heat surged from behind him. The final ten meters were nearly covered by the sheer force of the heatwave, propelling him forward. Ten meters ahead, the others stared mutely at his back.

Where the graveyard had been, there was now an inferno. The countless zombies from moments before had vanished completely. Moreover, the sheer destructive power was terrifying. Not only was a deep crater carved out at the epicenter of the explosion, but surrounding structures were also affected. The blast radius spanned nearly a hundred meters. Yet, it was only a fist-sized bomb, capable of such devastation—truly worthy of the name high explosive.

Climbing up from the ground, Zheng Zha shrugged, "Damn, just as expected from 'Main God' production; no fakes here."

The veteran members shared knowing smiles. Alice studied him intently before saying, "Let’s go. The noise and light from this explosion might attract a massive wave of zombies and Hunters. We should leave this area immediately."

No one argued further; they simply followed Alice onto the street.

The entire street appeared desolate, though some streetlights shone from the sides of tall buildings, suggesting the internal power facilities were still functioning. Walking along these illuminated sidewalks meant the group no longer had to worry about a zombie suddenly emerging from the darkness.

"So, you don't know where Matt and the others went either?" Alice murmured, asking the question.

Zheng Zha gave a wry smile. "Indeed. Our escape from the laboratory was pure chance; it’s a long story. What about you? Did you head straight for the checkpoint after waking up in the hospital?" Alice nodded. "Yes. Seeing so many zombies and Hunters, I figured we should flee the city while our ammunition was still sufficient. Otherwise, we might never get out." The beautiful policewoman, Jill, suddenly spoke up loudly, "Hey, since you possess such formidable combat power and such excellent weaponry, why aren't you attempting to rescue more civilians? There should be many civilians in the city center! Why not save them?" Zheng Zha didn't offer much, simply continuing to walk forward. It was Alice who turned to her, saying, "Do you know why? Because there isn't a single living person left in the city center. We are the last survivors!" Jill opened her mouth as if to say something more, but the large Black man beside her offered a pained smile and patted her shoulder, signaling her to remain quiet. Jill could only sigh softly and follow the group silently.

Alice asked as they walked, "In that case, you just came back from the checkpoint? Is it really sealed off there?" Just as Zheng Zha was about to reply, a public payphone by the roadside suddenly rang out. The jarring sound in the eerie night made everyone jump instinctively. Zheng Zha reacted the fastest, moving to the phone and picking it up. A voice instantly spoke from the receiver, "Do you wish to leave this city? I can help you."

Zheng Zha paused, pressed the speakerphone button, and then hung up the receiver. He heard the man’s voice continue, "If you want to leave the city, make a trade with me. I will help all of you escape this damned place, but you must help me find someone. How about it?" Alice looked at Zheng Zha; upon seeing him nod in agreement, she immediately inquired, "Who are you? How do you know where we are? And why should we trust you?" The man’s voice continued, "I am a crucial research scientist affiliated with the Umbrella Corporation. My name is Ash; you may call me Doctor. The person I need you to find is my daughter."

"Do you think I wouldn't try every means possible to get her out of this city? Therefore, I guarantee you: as long as you find my daughter at the city center school, I will do everything in my power to get you all out of the city before tomorrow dusk. What do you say?" Alice looked confused. "You know our current location? And you expect us to get to the city center school to retrieve a little girl? Moreover, you need to get us out before tomorrow dusk—do you think we can fly?" The man sighed. "The Umbrella Corporation has issued an order to completely destroy this city via airstrikes before tomorrow dusk. So, if you don't want to die, then do as I say: find my daughter before tomorrow dusk and leave the city with her, or die here!" The call ended there, replaced by the dial tone. Alice violently kicked the phone booth, bending the metal support pole at the base inward with a single strike. She shouted, "Damn it! Why didn't that bastard tell us where the nearest vehicles are? Does he think we can walk to the city center? Damn it!" Zheng Zha quickly intervened, "It’s fine, we have local maps. Zhan Lan, scan the surroundings—are there any suitable, undamaged large vehicles nearby?" Zhan Lan immediately closed her eyes. Moments later, she opened them. "Around the next bend, about a ten-minute walk. There’s a medium-sized bus. It seems intact. The road there is quiet, not a single zombie."

"Alright, we'll head for that bus."

When the group arrived at the bus, following the directions, Alice and the others finally believed that Zhan Lan could indeed pinpoint nearby locations. Alice looked at Zheng Zha and his team with a strange expression. "You all are getting progressively more mysterious. Forget it—does anyone have food? I’ve been hungry for a full day and night."

Once everyone was settled inside the bus, Zheng Zha produced a ration of compressed food and solid water. After eating it, Alice regarded them with an even more bewildered gaze.

Zheng Zha smiled, deliberately ignoring her expression.

He then addressed the group, "So now our objective is very simple: reach the school in the city center and find the Doctor's daughter, Angie. The distance from here to Angie’s school is quite far. During this journey, due to road blockages or other issues, we might have to get out and walk. So, everyone, rest and take short naps when you can to conserve your strength. Let me make one thing clear: for everything that happens on the road, follow my commands. Similarly, those with strength will protect everyone—that’s the basic arrangement. How about this: you've all been up for a day, so go sleep for a while. I'll drive this stretch. Zhan Lan, you navigate for me."

Zhan Lan nodded. The others offered no objection. After all, to survive in this city, the prerequisite was the strength to fight the zombies, and in that regard, Zheng Zha and his team possessed overwhelming power. Thus, including Alice, everyone closed their eyes to rest. Alice, perhaps, felt even more at ease; having already survived one horror film experience with Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan, they felt like acquaintances.

Zheng Zha took the driver’s seat, started the bus, and drove down the main route. Zhan Lan scanned the area with her eyes closed and whispered, "From here until the bridge sixty kilometers away, the road is blocked by several vehicles. From there, we must proceed on foot. And that bridge..."

"I know, that’s the bridge where we run into the Stalkers, right? Xiao Honglü, what do you think? How about the plan we just discussed?" Xiao Honglü, though appearing to be dozing lightly, had his consciousness linked with Zheng Zha's.

"If it’s that plan, it’s excellent; I think it’s worth trying. If it succeeds, we will have a massive advantage in countering or escaping the attacks of the Devil Reincarnation Squad!"