Bai Ye stepped over the shattered glass, slowly walking into the supermarket.
By the counter, a cash register lay on the ground with its drawer sprung open, scattering coins around it.
The countertop was a mess, with many items strewn about. Bai Ye casually picked up a lollipop, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. It tasted fine, so it was likely still edible.
Moving further in, Bai Ye reached a row of shelves. After a glance, he continued forward.
The shelves held milk, yogurt, and fermented milk products. These items had short shelf lives, so he knew most of them would be spoiled.
Bai Ye was looking for compressed biscuits and mineral water. If those weren't available, alcohol would suffice. In short, he needed things with a long shelf life.
As Bai Ye thought this, he approached the next shelf. Before he could examine the items, the shelf suddenly tilted and began to fall towards him.
Instinctively, Bai Ye raised his arms to brace the falling shelf, and the items on it instantly spilled onto the floor.
Then…
*Clang!*
Bai Ye felt something step on the shelf, causing its weight to suddenly increase, forcing him to stumble back half a step.
Without hesitation, Bai Ye propped himself up with one hand on the shelf and raised his rifle with the other, pulling the trigger.
*Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew…*
As the muzzle flashed, bullets swept across the shelf. Immediately after, Bai Ye saw a figure leap off the shelf and run towards the side.
"Stop!"
Bai Ye grunted, shoving the shelf away and firing his gun again. But the figure was incredibly fast, darting between shelves in the darkness, disappearing with a single flash.
Bai Ye frowned, holding his rifle horizontally in front of him, parallel to his shoulder, and slowly paced forward. It was then…
A figure emerged from behind the fallen shelf, holding a climbing rope. They circled behind Bai Ye and suddenly attacked, wrapping the rope around Bai Ye's throat and yanking him backward with force.
Caught off guard, Bai Ye was pulled to the ground. He looked up and saw a man behind him, dirty and disheveled, with a thick beard. His face was covered in thumb-sized tumorous growths.
"A native?"
Natives, in this context, referred to those who lived in the World Battlefield, as opposed to those chosen from various worlds. Some were friendly, some harbored malice, some could help, while others wanted to kill you. Occasionally, one could even receive quests from natives, with rewards for successful completion.
As for the current individual…
Bai Ye naturally categorized him as someone who intended to kill him.
*Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew…*
The moment the man tightened the rope and dragged him, Bai Ye unhesitatingly turned his gun and pulled the trigger.
At such close range, aiming was almost unnecessary.
As bullets struck, the man's body was riddled with holes, and blood flowed profusely.
However, after being hit seven or eight times, the man didn't fall. Instead, he dropped the rope and turned, fleeing towards the side.
Bai Ye drew his combat knife and cut the rope around his neck, asking in confusion, "A zombie?"
Only zombies were unfazed by bullets, but zombies couldn't possess such speed and agility. Furthermore, in that brief moment of eye contact, Bai Ye had seen a gritted-teeth expression on the man's face and felt his pain after being shot. Zombies, on the other hand, had very few expressions; in fact, they had no expressions at all, only growling or whimpering.
While Bai Ye pondered, a row of shelves to his side collapsed like dominoes, falling directly onto Bai Ye.
Without a word, Bai Ye kicked the shelves forcefully, pushing them back. Immediately after, two figures darted out from behind the shelves.
"Ning Shuang, Sword Control!"
The Ning Shuang sword, hovering beside Bai Ye, transformed into a silver streak and shot forward.
*Thwack!*
The Ning Shuang sword caught up to one of the figures, piercing their body and pinning them to the wall.
Bai Ye quickly moved forward, ejected the empty magazine, inserted a new one, and pulled the trigger again.
Bullets continuously sprayed out, hitting the opponent's back. The person's body convulsed, blood dripping, and soon, they became silent.
Their companion made no attempt to rescue them. Instead, they smashed through the window and rapidly fled the supermarket, heading towards a nearby restaurant.
Bai Ye didn't rush to pursue. Instead, he first approached the person pinned to the wall by the Ning Shuang sword. Grabbing their hair, he yanked their head back and felt for a breath.
Dead?
Zombies couldn't be killed unless their heads were pierced!
Therefore, this guy wasn't immune to gunfire; his body was just incredibly tough, simply not dying after a few shots?
Bai Ye had a look of realization, understanding the origin of these individuals.
These were indeed survivors of the post-apocalyptic ruins, who had mutated after being infected with the T-virus and hadn't died.
This was a low-probability event, but it was certainly possible. The principle was the same as reinforcing the body by injecting the T-virus and then administering a vaccine.
But what was the reason these people used the broadcast to lure others here?
Bai Ye casually pulled the Ning Shuang sword out of the person's body, then stepped over the broken floor-to-ceiling window and walked towards the restaurant on the side.
"This is the Ambro Gas Station…"
As Bai Ye reached the entrance, he heard the voice again.
Walking into the restaurant, he saw a radio on a side table, continuously playing that message.
Then, Bai Ye looked up at the restaurant, his brow furrowing.
There was a strong smell of blood in the restaurant. Furthermore, on the floor around him, Bai Ye saw fragments of bones, including a complete leg bone, which was human.
Taking a deep breath, Bai Ye slowly walked around the tables, moving forward.
It was then…
From behind a table propped upright, two figures suddenly leaped out. Holding a cloth bag, they swung it towards Bai Ye, sending a cloud of white powder drifting in his direction.
Bai Ye quickly covered his eyes and pulled the trigger.
With his vision obscured, Bai Ye couldn't confirm the opponents' positions. He could only slowly sweep his gun horizontally, preventing them from getting close.
But…
There was someone behind Bai Ye too!
A woman pushed aside the table she was using for cover and burst from behind Bai Ye, slamming into his back and knocking him to the ground. Then, like a wild wolf, she pounced on Bai Ye and grabbed his throat!