Chapter 19 – Doors Should Not Be Opened Recklessly

In a brief skirmish, four people had died, and the brutal reality left everyone present utterly terrified.

Those who survived were all regretting their decision. If they had stayed behind, they might have starved to death, but that would have been far better than the current situation. The concept of dying at any moment is entirely different from slowly starving to death in a safe environment.

A male student angrily turned towards Wang Cheng, the Glasses Man, and grabbed his collar with a trembling hand. “It’s all your fault! I’ll kill you!”

With that, he clutched the Pocket Knife tightly and lunged at Wang Cheng.

Under the influence of fear and hatred, the student’s eyes were bloodshot, his face filled with murderous intent, and his actions showed no hesitation. Clearly, he had been driven mad… People in such a state are very dangerous and capable of anything in a moment of impulse.

“Clang!”

Although the scene unfolded suddenly, Xia Na reacted immediately, flipping her wrist and using her Long Knife to knock the Pocket Knife out of the student’s hand.

Liu Yuhao was completely stunned. It wasn’t until he heard the sound of metal clashing that he snapped back to reality and rushed over to grab the student, delivering a fierce punch. “Are you crazy!”

By this time, Wang Cheng’s face was ashen, and he was trembling uncontrollably. After catching his breath, Wang Cheng looked at the student with an extremely venomous gaze.

The student who had been knocked down was evidently dazed. It took him a while to stand up, shivering and looking lost. Once the impulse had passed, he fell into a state of mental confusion. This was understandable; an ordinary person experiencing death up close would naturally suffer a brief psychological breakdown. However, humans are remarkably resilient; once the initial shock wears off, people generally recover quickly when faced with unavoidable reality.

Ling Mo, who had been observing coldly, noticed Wang Cheng’s gaze at this moment and couldn’t help but shiver.

That kind of look, appearing on someone who seemed like a gentle student, was truly chilling…

“Alright, let’s get out of here quickly.”

In such a short time, a total of five classmates had sacrificed their lives. Xia Na’s expression was grim. Seeing internal conflict now, her tone turned icy.

Wang Cheng snapped out of his daze, nervously glanced at Xia Na, and then forced a smile, “Let’s go.”

Nearly being killed moments ago, and now able to smile—this person’s cunning was far beyond his years… Ling Mo silently reflected on this, then turned to pull Ye Lian along as they quickly followed Xia Na and the others out of the Shopping Mall.

Having temporarily left the area heavily infested with Zombies, the journey ahead was relatively safer. They even paused at a supermarket for a short rest, seizing the opportunity to scavenge for food to replenish their strength. If possible, it would be ideal to find some provisions for dinner.

The supermarkets in the city had clearly been looted multiple times. Any knives that could be used as weapons, as well as the most essential food items, were all taken. Although some items were overlooked, they were often buried under collapsed shelves, in repulsive pools of blood, or even among bones.

But the Apocalypse had created a harsh survival environment. Finding any food at all was fortunate, so as soon as they entered the supermarket, the Survivors began searching immediately.

Seeing Xia Na guarding the entrance, Ling Mo felt reassured and took Ye Lian on a loop around the relatively large supermarket.

The supermarket was filled with a strong stench of blood and decay. Corpses and remnants were everywhere. Many food items that could be used as raw materials, like rice, had spoiled in this environment and were completely inedible. Even if they found some, the group could not start a fire to cook on the spot.

With his enhanced Psychic Power, Ling Mo felt his sensitivity had increased significantly. For instance, under the same visual conditions and observation methods, he now noticed many details he would have previously overlooked. Although he still did not consciously pay attention to these details, they were immediately registered in his mind as soon as they entered his field of vision.

This was why Ling Mo noticed Wang Cheng’s gaze. Initially, he hadn’t paid much attention to this seemingly ordinary Survivor and had only casually glanced at him before…

Ling Mo was wandering around the supermarket. Although he hadn’t found anything useful, he had a nagging feeling that something was off.

It felt like someone was watching him!

But when he looked around, there was no one to be seen… Ling Mo frowned and carefully inspected the supermarket’s environment. When they first entered, Xia Na and Liu Yuhao had already scouted the place and dealt with any Zombies they found. Logically, apart from them, there shouldn’t be anyone else here.

However, there were so many shelves that Ling Mo’s visibility was limited, making it difficult to see every aspect of the supermarket.

Just as he was walking down one of the aisles with Ye Lian, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, followed by a flash of excitement!

Ye Lian’s instinctive reaction showed a strong desire and aggression! This indicated that there was definitely a Mutation Zombie in the supermarket!

But why did he only sense it now… Ling Mo felt a wave of unease.

“Ah! Help me!”

Sure enough, a desperate scream echoed through the store. Without hesitation, Ling Mo grabbed Ye Lian and rushed towards the source of the sound.

Of course, he wasn’t going to save anyone—he was after the Mutation Zombie!

After running through several rows of shelves, Ling Mo came upon a gruesome scene. In front of a half-open storage room door lay a Survivor, their arm torn off and intestines spilling out, eyes wide open and body still twitching slightly. A boy was frantically running towards him—it was Lu Xin.

“Help! Help!”

No matter how much he usually hated Ling Mo, in this moment of terror, Lu Xin was desperately seeking his help.

Ling Mo’s eyes narrowed. Without glancing at Lu Xin, he directed Ye Lian to flank from the side.

Behind Lu Xin was a massive figure! At least six feet tall, covered in layers of fat, with tiny red eyes radiating a crazed, bloodthirsty light. Despite its bulk, it moved with alarming speed. In a heartbeat, it was right behind Lu Xin, swinging a huge, fan-like hand that sent Lu Xin flying several meters with a scream.

“Holy crap!”

Seeing a living person swatted away like that was shocking for Ling Mo. Such speed and brute force—no wonder it had dismembered someone in an instant.

The situation was clear: Lu Xin and the nearly-dead Survivor had recklessly opened the storage room door, releasing the Mutation Zombie trapped inside.

Opening doors carelessly in the Apocalypse? That was practically a death wish!