Bai Ye stepped over the shattered glass and slowly walked into the supermarket.
Beside the counter, a cash register lay on the floor, its drawer sprung open, scattering coins around it.
The counter 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 probably wasn't spoiled.
Moving forward, Bai Ye reached a row of shelves and, after a glance, continued onward.
The shelves held milk, yogurt, and fermented milk products. These items had very short shelf lives, so he knew most of them would be inedible.
Bai Ye was looking for compressed biscuits and bottled water. Alcohol would suffice if he couldn't find anything else—anything with a long shelf life.
Lost in thought, Bai Ye headed for the next shelf. Before he could even look at the contents, the shelf suddenly tilted and began to fall towards him.
Instinctively, Bai Ye raised his arms to brace the toppling shelf, and its contents cascaded to the floor.
Then…
*Clang!*
Bai Ye felt something step onto the shelf, causing its weight to suddenly increase, forcing him to take half a step back.
Without hesitation, Bai Ye supported the shelf with one hand and raised his rifle with the other, pulling the trigger.
*Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew…*
As flames spat from the muzzle, bullets raked across the shelf. Immediately after, Bai Ye saw a figure leap off the shelf and dash towards the side.
"Stop!"
Bai Ye grunted, forcefully shoving the shelf aside and firing his weapon. But the figure was incredibly fast, darting between shelves in the darkness, disappearing in a flash.
Bai Ye frowned, holding his rifle at shoulder level, and slowly paced forward. Just then…
A figure emerged from behind the collapsed shelf, holding a climbing rope. It circled behind Bai Ye and suddenly lunged, 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, his clothes filthy, his beard long, his hair disheveled, and his face covered in thumb-sized pustules.
"Native?"
Natives referred to those who lived in the World Battlefield, not those selected from various worlds. Some were friendly, some harbored ill intent, some could help you, and some wanted to kill you. Occasionally, one could even receive quests from natives, which, if completed successfully, would yield benefits.
As for the one in front of him now…
Bai Ye naturally categorized this individual among those who wanted to kill him.
*Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew…*
The moment the man tightened the rope and began to drag him, Bai Ye unhesitatingly turned his rifle towards the man and pulled the trigger.
At such close range, he could easily hit the target without needing to aim.
As bullets struck, bullet holes appeared all over the man's body, and blood poured out.
However, after being hit seven or eight times, the man didn't fall. Instead, he dropped the rope and turned to flee to the side.
Bai Ye drew his combat knife and cut the rope around his neck, wondering, "Zombie?"
Only zombies were impervious to bullets. But zombies couldn't possess such speed and agility. Moreover, in the brief moment their eyes met, Bai Ye saw a look of gritted teeth on the man's face and the pain of being shot. Zombies, on the other hand, had little to no expression, only growls or whimpers.
While Bai Ye pondered, another row of shelves to the side collapsed like dominoes, crashing directly towards him.
Without a word, Bai Ye forcefully kicked the shelves, pushing them back. Immediately, two figures emerged from behind the shelves.
"Ningshuang, control sword!"
The Ningshuang Sword, suspended beside Bai Ye, transformed into a silver streak and shot forward.
*Thwack!*
The Ningshuang Sword caught up to one of the figures, pierced its body, and pinned it to the wall.
Bai Ye quickly moved forward, ejected the empty magazine, loaded a fresh one, and pulled the trigger again.
Bullets continuously sprayed out, hitting the opponent's back. The man's body twitched, blood dripped, and soon, he lay silent.
His companion showed no intention of rescuing him. Instead, he smashed through the window and quickly fled the supermarket, heading towards the adjacent restaurant.
Bai Ye didn't rush to pursue. Instead, he first went to the person pinned to the wall by the Ningshuang Sword. He grabbed the man's hair, tilted his head back, and checked for breathing.
Dead?
Zombies wouldn't die unless their heads were shot!
So, this guy wasn't immune to gunfire, but possessed terrifying physical strength, and just couldn't be killed by a few shots?
Bai Ye had an enlightened expression, understanding the nature of his attackers.
These individuals were indeed survivors of the apocalyptic ruins, but they had mutated and not died after being infected with the T-virus.
This was a low-probability event, but it was indeed possible, similar to the principle of reinforcing the body by injecting the T-virus followed by a vaccine.
However, what was the reason for this group luring people in with broadcasts?
Bai Ye casually withdrew the Ningshuang Sword from the man's body, then stepped over the shattered glass of the floor-to-ceiling window and headed towards the restaurant on the side.
"This is Ambrosia Gas Station…"
As Bai Ye reached the entrance, he heard the voice again.
Entering the restaurant, he saw a radio on a side table, continuously broadcasting that same message.
Then, Bai Ye looked around the restaurant, and his brow furrowed.
There was a strong smell of blood in the restaurant, and on the ground around him, Bai Ye saw scattered bone fragments, including a complete leg bone, clearly human.
Taking a deep breath, Bai Ye slowly walked around the tables, moving forward.
Just then…
From behind an upright table, two figures suddenly sprang out, holding a cloth bag. They swung it towards Bai Ye, and a large cloud of white powder drifted in his direction.
Bai Ye quickly covered his eyes and then pulled the trigger.
With his vision obscured, Bai Ye couldn't pinpoint their exact location, so he slowly swept his rifle 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, burst from behind Bai Ye, slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. Then, like a wolf, she pounced on Bai Ye and began to choke him!
…