Chapter 18 – Temporary Cooperation

Volume 1: Apocalypse Beginning

"Hurry up, stop just watching-get out now!"

Unbeknownst to them, the horde of Zombies outside the office building had already been drawn over by the sounds of Wen Yu's slaughter. Seeing that the escape route for his group had opened up, Boss Zhang couldn't spare another glance at the fate of that human, and frantically directed the remaining people inside the building to flee outside.

The crowd inside the office building clearly understood which mattered more: other people's lives or their own. No one had time to watch the spectacle anymore. Under the organization of Director Wang and Boss Zhang, they rushed downstairs to escape.

…

Wen Yu watched as the tide of Zombies before him gradually thinned, knowing that the thrilling battle was nearing its end.

That's right-thrilling.

In his previous life as cannon fodder, Wen Yu had faced countless situations even more dangerous than this. Ordinary Zombies couldn't break through his defenses at all; as long as he protected his face and hands, he could wipe out all these Zombies. As for the Level 1 Zombie he'd encountered by chance, Wen Yu could only say: what fight doesn't have its surprises?

After a round of fierce combat, Wen Yu looked at the mountain of corpses and sea of blood before him, gasping for breath. His powerful physical constitution gave him tremendous endurance, but even the greatest stamina couldn't withstand the impact of several hundred Zombies. Fortunately, Wen Yu had carefully calculated the number of Zombies on the street beforehand, making sure it was well within his capabilities.

Relaxing his numb wrists, Wen Yu exited Combat State, stepped over the pile of corpses, and climbed directly into the second-floor window nearby.

Glancing at the dispirited Little Soul Beast at his side, Wen Yu quickly tended to the wounds on his face, then began searching the area by the window for the survivors he'd spotted earlier.

He'd long known that someone nearby was observing him.

After that solo sweep, he'd racked up nearly 800 Points. There was no reason to give up now. As the nearby Zombie horde dwindled, Wen Yu felt a pang of regret-those were all Points!

But going solo, that last sweep had already been his limit. If he could get some help now, not only could he snatch more Points, but with luck, he might even get a shot at the Mutant Rat.

Chewing on a piece of dried meat, Wen Yu carefully surveyed his surroundings. The bright moonlight gave him a much broader field of vision.

Before long, Wen Yu spotted a group of humans, most of them dressed in police uniforms.

…

Director Wang led the way, swiftly clearing the Zombies blocking their path. With his formidable strength and rich combat experience, he dispatched each Zombie with a single blow.

The survivors behind him weren't weak either. Boss Zhang wielded a Steel Blade, and with several strong young men backing him up, the whole team's combat power was impressive.

Thanks to Wen Yu's earlier rampage, there were few Zombies left along the route.

The team moved forward quickly.

"Wait."

Director Wang was the first to stop, staring at the man in tight clothing blocking their way.

The people behind, confused, craned their necks to look.

"Isn't that the guy from before? Even all those Zombies couldn't kill him-he's totally my idol!"

"Wow, he's so manly-so handsome!"

"Is he really human?"

"What's his story? It's been less than two days and he's already this strong."

…

Wen Yu frowned at the group before him-a motley crew of men and women, young and old.

The most noteworthy was the middle-aged man leading at the front. Wen Yu had observed him closely earlier; his physical constitution had already reached 4 points, even stronger than Wen Yu's own.

At this stage, any Class Holder who'd reached this level must have slain at least several hundred Zombies.

A true top-tier Class Holder.

"Brother, my name is Zhang Wen. I did a bit of business before the Apocalypse. Watching your skills just now was truly astonishing."

Boss Zhang, who was standing behind Director Wang, stepped forward and praised Wen Yu effusively.

Wen Yu looked at Boss Zhang before him-about thirty-something, holding a Steel Blade, a Gun at his waist, and the outline of a Protective Suit visible under his clothes.

He glanced around at the others. Clearly, this team could definitely be called an elite force.

Among the dozen or so people, most of the younger ones were Class Holders, while only a few elderly and children without combat ability had not changed class. Their equipment was also quite good. Wen Yu saw two Guns-one in Zhang Wen's hand, and one in the hand of the middle-aged man leading the group.

Almost every Class Holder carried a Steel Blade.

"I'm here to discuss cooperation with all of you."

Wen Yu spoke to Boss Zhang. The sharp-eyed man in front of him seemed to have real influence in this team.

"I wonder, Brother, what kind of cooperation you have in mind?"

Boss Zhang narrowed his eyes, a note of caution entering his voice.

"There are so many Zombies here, and not many of them have evolved yet. You should all know-just as I did earlier-these Zombies are Points, the very capital for humans to grow stronger. There's no way I can kill them all myself. Rather than letting the Mutant Rats benefit, why not work together to wipe out all the Zombies? The Points I want are enough to make your entire team much stronger."

Zhang Wen drew in a sharp breath. The man before him was either a madman or a genius. Judging by his words, the fight just now hadn't satisfied him-he was still thinking about getting an even bigger gain.

"Brother, you're powerful, but we're nowhere near your level. A Zombie horde this huge is simply too dangerous for us. Besides, we have some people who can't fight."

He glanced back at his team. Although most were Class Holders with combat ability, there were still some elderly and children who hadn't changed class.

Zhang Wen had naturally considered Wen Yu's proposal carefully. Who wouldn't be tempted by Points? But these were all the people he had left. If he lost any more, his core group would be wiped out.

As shrewd as Zhang Wen was, he was already planning to rely on this core group to establish a camp.

"Hmm."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Wen-having been cannon fodder in his past life and having suffered through much in this one-knew he truly wasn't suited for negotiations like this.

And with the team still including the old, weak, sick, and disabled, he couldn't expect them to fight one against a hundred the way Wen Yu could.

"How about this, Brother: why don't you wait until we've settled the elderly and children, then we'll join you?"

Zhang Wen offered tentatively. Right now, this was the most advantageous approach for him.

The elderly and children were too much of a burden on the fighters in the team. If everyone were a Class Holder, Wen Yu's proposal would definitely be worth considering.

"Forget it, then."

Wen Yu couldn't wait for this group to settle the old, weak, sick, and disabled before coming to help him. By then, the Zombies would have been eaten clean by the Mutant Rats, and he definitely had no intention of dealing with those Mutant Rats himself.

"Wait, I'll go with you."

The one who spoke was Director Wang, who had been leading the group earlier. Before Zhang Wen could say anything, Director Wang turned to the others and said, "Everyone, as I said earlier, from now on, once we get out, you should all listen to Boss Zhang. I'm no longer fit to lead."

"As for what happened just now, I owe everyone an apology. If I, Wang Zhigang, make it back alive, I owe all of you my life."

Ignoring the noisy crowd behind him, Director Wang drew the Gun from his waist, handed it to a man behind him, and walked straight up to Wen Yu.

"My name is Wang Zhigang, formerly the Deputy Director of the Police Station. Now, I want to join you to kill Zombies and earn Points. But I have one condition."

"Oh? What's the condition?"

Wen Yu was genuinely delighted with Wang Zhigang's decision. As the strongest among this group, Wang Zhigang alone was worth as much as the rest combined. Wen Yu wasn't sure what had happened within the team, but it had nothing to do with him.

"You have to help me wipe out those Mutant Rats."

Wang Zhigang said this with deep hatred. Judging by his anger and grief, it was likely that someone close to him had died at the hands of the Mutant Rats. Combined with the abnormal Zombie horde, Wen Yu quickly pieced together what had happened.

"To be honest, just the two of us could never take down all those Mutant Rats in the Police Station."

Wen Yu refused directly.

No way-he would never agree to such a suicide mission.

"I have a way."