Chapter 33 – The Survivor Team

The night was filled with ups and downs, with Xia Na slipping into unconsciousness several times. It wasn’t until morning that her condition finally stabilized.

As Ling Mo had suspected, Xia Na had indeed turned into a zombie, but she retained a shred of rationality. Compared to before, her “schizophrenia” had improved significantly, though it was still far from gone. Xia Na was now teetering on the edge between a mutation zombie and a regular zombie, possessing strength beyond that of an ordinary zombie.

Ling Mo managed to discern a pattern in her “schizophrenia.” As long as there was no immediate threat, Xia Na would remain in a somewhat normal state. Though she appeared confused and rarely interacted with others, she retained basic language skills and would occasionally speak a few words on her own. However, the moment she sensed danger, the remaining shred of rationality would be swiftly replaced by primal instincts, transforming her into a highly aggressive zombie.

Under Ling Mo’s control, her emotions had gradually stabilized, and her hostility towards Liu Yuhao and Wang Cheng had diminished considerably. Due to the unique psychic link between them, Xia Na seemed closest to Ling Mo.

For instance, right now, Xia Na was staring at Ling Mo with a hint of confusion, clutching his hand tightly…

“Xia Na, do you recognize me?” After calling her name over a hundred times throughout the night, she had begun to respond to it. However, when it came to questions, she seemed completely bewildered, not understanding their meaning at all.

Xia Na showed a strong interest in her long knife. When she saw it, she would stare at it in confusion for a moment before suddenly drawing it out with a force that surpassed even her previous self.

Yet, she refused to put the long knife down. Ling Mo believed that, like Ye Lian, Xia Na had a chance to fully regain her rationality. Therefore, he didn’t force her to hand over the long knife. Having an obsession was better than becoming a completely mindless zombie.

Xia Na’s condition had completely solidified Ling Mo’s confidence. Zombies were indeed terrifying, but ultimately, it was the virus that influenced them. Based on the current situation, Ling Mo had formed a clear idea in his mind. As the virus continued to evolve, the strength of the zombies would also increase, and concurrently, they would gradually become rational monsters! Xia Na’s condition was evidence of this! She had absorbed too much of the virus at once, leading to her current state. Similarly, after her evolution, Ye Lian had also shown signs of regaining her rationality.

Unlike the grief-stricken Liu Yuhao, Ling Mo was now full of motivation!

“Ling Mo… Xia Na’s current state…” Liu Yuhao didn’t dare to get too close to Xia Na anymore. He could only sit at a distance, observing her every move. From his expression, it was clear that he was filled with confusion and sorrow for Xia Na.

No normal person would want to turn into a zombie, even if it wasn’t a complete transformation…

Ling Mo gave him a deep look and said, “Compared to letting Xia Na die or become like Lu Xin, don’t you think the current outcome is fortunate?”

“This…” Liu Yuhao hesitated, then nodded heavily. “You’re right. This is better than death… And at least she doesn’t show hostility towards you, Ling Mo.”

Liu Yuhao’s tone grew bitter as he said this last part. Ling Mo hadn’t told him about his puppet control ability, so Liu Yuhao thought Xia Na’s closeness to Ling Mo was entirely instinctual. However, she had no memory of him, a classmate who had fought alongside her for so long, which understandably left Liu Yuhao feeling dejected.

“Uh…” Ling Mo rubbed his nose in a gesture of concealment and said, “Maybe, just maybe, Xia Na will gradually regain her rationality.”

“What?” Liu Yuhao was startled. Forgetting his disappointment, he immediately focused his gaze on Ling Mo’s face.

Ling Mo slowly replied, “You can see it too. Xia Na is different from ordinary zombies. She can’t be said to be fully rational, but at least she isn’t entirely controlled by her instincts. This situation might be unprecedented among zombies… Regardless, as long as her consciousness isn’t completely erased, there’s hope for recovery. It might take a short time or a very long time.”

Though his words were speculative, Liu Yuhao’s eyes had already become extremely eager!

“Hope is good enough! But… right now, Xia Na only recognizes you…” Liu Yuhao, once excited, became despondent again. Given Xia Na’s current state, he couldn’t even get too close to her, let alone interact with her like before.

Ling Mo was about to say something when Wang Cheng suddenly came running over and stopped at a distance from Xia Na. With a look of excitement, he said, “There are people on the street! Survivors!”

“Survivors?”

Following Wang Cheng to the balcony, Ling Mo peered outside through a gap in the curtain. Sure enough, he quickly spotted the survivors Wang Cheng had mentioned.

But after just a glance, Ling Mo couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his eye. There were not just a few survivors but a whole team of them!

There were about twenty young men and women, all carrying various backpacks and holding an assortment of weapons. It looked like they had come out early in the morning to search for food, but they were now being besieged by a dozen zombies. Ling Mo watched for a while and noticed that although they were ordinary people, a few of the young men had pretty good skills and were fighting more fiercely than the others.

What caught Ling Mo’s attention the most was their method of dealing with the zombies. The young men charged in front, while the others quickly dispersed in groups of two or three, using cars and other cover to maneuver around the zombies. Although their combat skills weren’t strong, they formed a good defensive formation and supported each other. Even if they couldn’t confront the zombies head-on like the skilled young men, they managed to eliminate the remaining zombies while moving around.

Seeing this, Ling Mo couldn’t help but feel impressed. In his eyes, this was what a real survivor team looked like.

However, their combat power was still limited, and in an area teeming with zombies, they soon found themselves in danger. Attracted by the scent of blood, more and more zombies emerged from all directions, furiously attacking them. After holding out for a while, the survivors had to fight and retreat simultaneously, eventually retreating into the residential complex and heading directly towards the building where Ling Mo and the others were!

Soon, there was a dull thud from downstairs, indicating that the group had already entered the safety stairwell. But a loud crash quickly followed, as the zombies began to frantically smash against the stairwell door. Judging by the noise, it wouldn’t take long for the door to be broken down, and then the swarm of zombies would flood in, posing a potential threat to Ling Mo and his group hiding inside.

In such a situation, the best course of action would be to stay silent and remain hidden. But as the chaotic footsteps echoed closer, Ling Mo couldn’t help but feel a wave of frustration.

These people were actually coming upstairs, and they had already rushed into the second-floor hallway!