Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

Lights flickered on, hanging from the rearview mirror, illuminating Celestial Horse Island’s parking lot brightly. Members of the Cyan Dragon Corps got off their vehicles one after another, each holding a gun, rhythmically slapping their palms on their thighs. The muffled sound combined with their sophisticated equipment and synchronized steps created an intense sense of oppression!

Bang bang, bang bang, bang bang bang.

Following the slapping sound, about thirty people spread out in a semicircle, blocking the path leading down the mountain from the camp, making it nearly impossible for anyone to escape.

Clap clap, clap…

Gradually, the slapping stopped.

Standing in front of the camping lights, with their backs to the light, the breaths of the Cyan Dragon Corps were highly noticeable, curling into various shapes above their heads. No one could see their faces, creating a mysterious unknown and further piling up psychological fear.

Quiet air, oppressive atmosphere, as if even the wind had stopped.

“Who’s in charge here, come out and talk!”

Liu Lei gently tapped the rifle on his chest and swaggered to the front of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the sleepy-eyed faces, filled with pride and disdain.

Pride because the Cyan Dragon Corps was a hundred times stronger in both spirit and appearance compared to these folks. Disdain because this rabble in front seemed so helpless!

“It’s me, it’s me, good evening sir!”

Yuwen stepped out from the crowd, deliberately clumsily dropping his hat to the ground, picking it up with a pathetic look, patting it off, and then placing it back on his head, walking with a forced smile toward Liu Lei and the others.

“That’s right. Xiao Shu said the one in charge at Celestial Horse Island is an old geezer. Come on, gather all the camp folks here! Don’t tell me your camp is just this lot. I don’t believe this group could survive three months in the apocalypse!”

Liu Lei disdainfully pointed his gun at the crowd in front of him.

“What’s all the fuss about? Aren’t we supposed to move stuff? Waiting to eat our food and still being so arrogant?”

Some people carrying burlap sacks emerged from the shadows, with a hint of anger on their faces. Chen Hanzhou grumbled unceremoniously, a tattered hat perched on his head like an overturned bowl, too rough to be called a fisherman’s hat.

This was the bulletproof hat specially crafted by Fu Weijun for him, in exchange for various data after injury…

“Oh? Hahaha, I love seeing this kind of forced obedience when you have no choice. Enough with the nonsense, everyone stand straight! Count off!”

Liu Lei raised his gun, shouting arrogantly.

Chen Hanzhou led his people to stack the burlap bags aside, signaling to the people behind him. Though unyielding, they all stood straight, glaring at the Cyan Dragon Corps.

No one is happy to be looted. Even when cooperating, the expected emotions must be present, or it’s all a sham.

“Is everyone here? Now’s your chance. If we find anyone else here later, we’ll follow the rules—find one, kill two!”

Liu Lei’s gaze swept across the faces of the camp people, looking at the men with disdain, but showing a greedy interest in a few of the women—limited to interest, with no further actions.

“No, no!”

Yuwen quickly stepped forward, smiling, “Rest assured sir, since we agreed to hand over food supplies, we won’t lie. The south survivor camp was attacked by a zombie horde a few days ago, over ten survivors escaped. It’s them we’re talking about, nothing hidden!”

“Damn, it’s you worthless bunch, making us run for nothing. Truly worthless!”

Liu Lei spat on the ground, looking at Yuwen with satisfaction, savoring his nodding and bowing appearance, feeling greatly fulfilled, his gaze sweeping across the faces once more, asking, “Your camp isn’t bad, everyone seems whole?”

“Not me, right?” Chen Hanzhou raised his arm in displeasure, saying, “I don’t have an arm, see?”

“Kid, you little…——”

“Honestly speaking, we have a companion who can’t walk and hasn’t come out. I can lead the sir to check the situation!”

Yuwen interjected quickly, knowing Chen Hanzhou’s reaction followed an arranged script but still worried he might overdo it.

“Damn it, only speak when I ask, huh?”

Liu Lei raised his brows, turning to Sun Jianwei and Hou Changjun, saying, “Hey, should we give this bunch a little lesson for being untruthful?”

Sun Jianwei and Hou Changjun were speechless in their hearts. This was clearly a very cooperative survivor camp, yet they insisted on finding an excuse to make a show of power?

“Suit yourself!”

Hou Changjun responded expressionlessly.

Sun Jianwei was even too lazy to speak, simply nodding perfunctorily. It was just as well to have such a person make a fool of himself, saving them the effort.

“Hahaha, since you are not being honest, according to our Cyan Dragon Corps’ rules, there must be a duel! But the opponent for the duel is not us; let’s welcome our gladiator, 003!”

Clang.

The Cyan Dragon Corps members were already prepared. Upon Liu Lei’s command, they pulled open the latch of a cargo truck’s container.

Thud, thud, thud…

As the container door slowly opened, the crowd heard a series of heavy footsteps. Even the cargo truck was trembling with the vibration, and the tires deformed from the shaking, which aroused everyone’s curiosity.

Gulp.

Before long, a gigantic figure appeared in the dark container, almost wider than half the door. From its movements, it looked like a zombie, but it was much bulkier than ordinary zombies!

Normally, even if a very overweight person turns into a zombie, for unexplained reasons, their muscles would shrink and skin dry up. A 200-pound person could shrink to 130 or 140 pounds, but the zombie named 003 was different!

By human standards, the zombie in the container was about two meters tall and estimated to weigh seven or eight hundred pounds, causing the truck’s chassis to sway with each step it took.

Howl, howl, howl, howl!

003’s howling wasn’t loud, but it seemed to sense the dense human presence, shaking its massive head as it searched around, stumbling and falling to the ground. Everyone felt as if the ground trembled slightly.

Making strange grunts, it stood up, and only then did everyone clearly see 003’s appearance.

The upper body had sturdy defense, with metal armor seemingly custom-fit. Even the mouth was sealed tightly, sacrificing the zombie’s most lethal weapon in exchange for defense!

Only the eye area had two holes, and some quick-thinking people inferred that the Cyan Dragon Corps made this choice because the creature needed its eyes to pursue prey!

Its limbs were covered with very thick armor, and it wore a specially modified bulletproof vest on its chest and back, making it look even bulkier. While enhancing its defense, the zombie’s palms had two thick machetes attached, further increasing 003’s offensive capabilities!

In other words, this was a specially equipped zombie with nearly maxed-out defense, wielding fine weaponry, and possessing unknown abilities!

A metal collar with several steel cables looped around 003’s neck extended into the cargo truck. No one doubted the tensile strength of the cables but worried about the truck being dragged away by the zombie…

Such a behemoth’s destructive power was frightening. Without a specialized control method, it would certainly spell disaster!

Fortunately, the Cyan Dragon Corps had a unique way to control this giant zombie!

Sizzle, crackle…

Two members of the Cyan Dragon Corps stood on either side of the cargo truck wielding electric shock devices. With a series of crackling sounds, 003’s enormous body twisted like a puppet on strings. After about five or six seconds, the members stopped the shocks, and 003 slumped wearily to the ground beside the truck, its head drooping as if it were dead.

Chen Hanzhou and Zhao Dezhu exchanged looks, surprise evident in their eyes. A word simultaneously popped into both of their minds: mutated zombie!

If all this had happened before their encounter with the Petrified Skin Zombie, they might have been baffled, but at this moment, they weren’t overly shocked.

They couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental. Apparently, they weren’t the only ones who had discovered mutated zombies, and places giving birth to mutated zombies weren’t limited to the quarry. They hadn’t realized it might not be as simple as just mutated zombies!

Soon, someone clarified their doubts.

“The pride of the Cyan Dragon Corps Scientific Division, 003!”

Liu Lei aimed a flashlight at the zombie. After the introduction, he drew a circle in the parking lot and then addressed the people of Celestial Horse Island.

“Which brave warrior will step forward and take on the challenge? The area is limited to this size, and as for the weapon, here’s a dagger. Killing the zombie will exempt you from the supplies for ten people, but if you unfortunately get killed… it’ll exempt you from the supplies for one person! That’s how reasonable we are in the Cyan Dragon Corps!”

With that, he pulled a military dagger from his waist and tossed it to the ground, producing a series of clattering sounds.