Chapter 11: Terror in the Garage

The black SUV charged out of the compound like a raging bull, roaring as it sped past the van parked earlier. Many zombies still stood there, staring blankly up at the windows above.

Seeing the SUV barreling recklessly toward them, the zombies suddenly surged forward in a chaotic rush. But with a sharp press on the accelerator, Qin Zhong smashed through several broken-down vehicles blocking the way, leaving them far behind.

In Qin Zhong’s mind, the distance to that building wasn’t far, and driving there shouldn’t be a problem. As long as there weren’t too many cars, the SUV was more than powerful enough to plow a path through.

Unfortunately, when Qin Zhong turned onto a street, his expression darkened abruptly. Ahead lay a six-lane road in both directions, along with a wide sidewalk, completely clogged with abandoned vehicles, leaving no room to pass.

“Damn it!”

Frustration flashed in Qin Zhong’s eyes as he slammed on the brakes, realizing his wishful thinking had led him to make a rookie mistake.

Although he had anticipated some traffic, he’d assumed that these broad roads would at least allow him to push through or, at worst, drive along the sidewalk. But fate had other plans—the congestion here was beyond imagination, with no way even on the sidewalk.

His face grim, Qin Zhong immediately shifted into reverse, intending to back out. But when he glanced into the rearview mirror, his motion froze. Behind him, a dense mass of zombies had caught up, blocking the road.

Judging by their numbers, there were at least dozens, perhaps over a hundred. If the SUV got trapped among them, these frenzied undead would surely overturn the vehicle.

No matter how well Qin Zhong fought, he couldn’t take on dozens of zombies at once.

Forcing himself to stay calm, Qin Zhong reminded himself that no one had a god’s-eye view. Since the mistake was made, panicking would only lead to more errors.

Just then, he caught sight of an underground parking entrance not far ahead. With no time to hesitate, he slammed the accelerator and swerved sharply into it.

The entrance ramp sloped downward, turning abruptly, plunging into darkness. Qin Zhong switched on the headlights, sending twin beams cutting through the gloom.

Far ahead, a faint glow indicated the exit on the other side of the parking garage. A flicker of hope ignited in Qin Zhong’s heart, and he accelerated toward the light.

Suddenly, a shadow darted in front of the car. Countless zombies hidden in the parking lot, startled by the engine’s roar and blinding headlights, surged forward from all sides in pursuit.

But Qin Zhong did not panic. After all, he was controlling a steel beast on four wheels. No matter how fierce these two-legged zombies were, they couldn’t outmatch a car.

He pressed the accelerator hard, and with a thunderous “bang,” zombies in front of the vehicle were sent flying into the air.

As the car neared the exit, a smile crept across Qin Zhong’s face. But it froze instantly—seven or eight small cars were jammed at the exit, blocking it completely.

“I…”

Qin Zhong was too exhausted to complain. The entire journey had been riddled with problems beyond words.

Flustered, he spun the SUV around and headed back toward the entrance. At that moment, shadows flickered near the entrance as the pursuing horde surged in like a tidal wave.

Hundreds of zombies howled in unison, their piercing cries echoing through the enclosed parking garage, ringing painfully in Qin Zhong’s ears and shaking his resolve.

His face turned ashen, brows furrowed tightly, teeth clenched. With the entrance blocked solidly, escape seemed impossible. Resolute, Qin Zhong began wildly circling inside the parking lot with the SUV.

As he drove in tight loops, countless zombies were smashed and flung aside. If his driving instructor could see this, he’d surely earn the nickname “Road Killer.”

“Bang!”

But as more zombies poured in, Qin Zhong lost focus. In the dim light, the SUV suddenly jolted violently, crashing headlong into a pillar.

Crackling sounds of crumbling cement echoed as chunks fell onto the windshield, spider-webbing cracks across the glass.

The impact threw Qin Zhong forward sharply, but the seatbelt yanked him back just in time. Simultaneously, the airbag deployed, minimizing injuries.

Still, his head buzzed loudly. Stars flashed before his eyes, and for several seconds, he felt weightless, as if lying on a cloud, drifting without a sense of place.

…

“Ugh…ugh!”

The harrowing howls of zombies pierced his eardrums, their frantic excitement snapping Qin Zhong back to reality.

He shook his head and tried restarting the SUV, but the engine coughed weakly like a tired ox before falling silent.

Seeing the car was immobile, Qin Zhong slammed the steering wheel in frustration. Surrounded by zombies, he had no time to hesitate. Grabbing his knife, he opened the door and leapt out, refusing to wait passively for death.

Still reeling from the violent impact, he nearly collapsed as he hit the ground but steadied himself with the knife, avoiding a fall this time.

One headlight on the SUV was shattered completely, while the other flickered dimly in the dark garage, casting eerie, shifting light on the snarling, grotesque faces closing in.

Not daring to delay, Qin Zhong rolled quickly, darting beneath a car. He then crawled silently across seven or eight vehicles, finally hiding in the shadows beneath a van.

The parking garage was pitch black, making it nearly impossible for the zombies—whose intellect was already near zero—to search each vehicle carefully. Even if they tried, the darkness worked to Qin Zhong’s advantage.

Once somewhat safe, Qin Zhong felt a burning pain in his knee. Touching it, he found blood—he must have scraped off a large patch of skin somehow.

At the same time, his chest throbbed sharply, likely an internal injury from the crash. Thankfully, none were fatal.

He held his breath, waiting for the zombies to lose interest.

After a while, the horde around the SUV seemed to forget why they were there and gradually dispersed. Some zombies, drawn by the light at the entrance, instinctively shuffled toward it and left.

Lying motionless on the cold ground, Qin Zhong controlled his breathing, making it as steady as possible to avoid attracting attention.

About half an hour later, he cautiously peeked out. While some zombies had departed, most still lingered.

Seeing this, Qin Zhong’s heart grew anxious. Waiting for them to leave naturally could take an eternity.

At that moment, a faint green glow flickered in a dark corner. Squinting closely, Qin Zhong’s heart leapt—it was the words “Safe Passage.”

Not daring to stand, he decided to crawl slowly toward it, inch by inch, knife in hand.

Throughout, low growls echoed from the throats of nearby zombies. Qin Zhong fought his panic, steadily inching forward.

In the pitch-black parking garage, barely able to see anything, he silently prayed not to accidentally come face-to-face with one of the undead.