Chapter 34: Aberrant Zombies, Flee!

Su Bai stared intently at the zombies charging toward her. Her pupils contracted sharply as, following the appearance of the first zombie, dozens more suddenly emerged from the mist.

Seeing the horrific state of these creatures, Su Bai’s heart hammered violently against her ribs, as if it might burst through her chest. She activated [Appraisal Eye], and the zombie’s attribute data immediately materialized before her:

[Monster: Aberrant Zombie]
Level: 5
Talent:
Aberrant Virus: Carries a lethal virus; targets infected will be transformed into Aberrant Zombies!
Skills:
1. Bite: Tears at targets with mutated, razor-sharp teeth.
2. Zombie Physique: Immortal and indestructible unless the head is destroyed.
3. Devour: Restores health by consuming flesh.
4. Aberrant Evolution: Possesses a chance to mutate and evolve during combat.

"Level five monsters... four skills..." Su Bai gasped, her hand trembling as she gripped her weapon.

If it were a one-on-one fight, she might have been able to hold her own with the strength of Tianba and the others. But as she looked into the mist, dozens more of these grotesque zombies were charging at an astonishing speed, their milky eyes flickering with a bloodthirsty red light.

Su Bai’s body shook slightly. These zombies moved with far greater agility than anything depicted in movies; some ran on all fours like wild beasts, while others moved with their joints twisted at unnatural, eerie angles.

"Quick! Now! Get out of here!" Qin Yuke’s roar exploded in her ears.

Vehicles were useless, as in this digitized zone, only those with specific classes could operate them. This experienced soldier realized the gravity of the situation. These zombie monsters were entirely different from anything they had encountered before. He had never expected Linghai City to be suddenly digitized.

Zhang Yunqi wanted to get closer to collect data on the zombies, but Qin Yuke stopped him immediately.

"If you don't want to die, get out of here now!"

Qin Yuke, possessing the art of Qi-reading, saw the zombies as a dark cloud pressing down from above; they stood no chance against such foes. Retreat was the only option. Besides, their mission was to evacuate from Linghai City anyway; they had simply encountered an incredibly unfortunate moment where the city was being digitized.

Su Bai saw Qin Yuke make the decisive choice to abandon the data collection and secretly admired his judgment.

"Break through to the southeast!" Qin Yuke commanded.

Su Bai ran frantically while repeatedly glancing back to gauge the distance of the encroaching zombies. The Aberrant Zombies moved with terrifying speed, their limbs flailing at impossible, non-ergonomic angles—this was not the speed of a typical zombie!

"Their speed... it’s a match for ours!" Cold sweat beaded on Qin Yuke’s forehead, and his military uniform was already soaked through at the back. He kept checking the positions of his team members until his pupils suddenly constricted: "Watch out!"

A small-framed Aberrant Zombie suddenly accelerated. Its hunched body compressed like a spring before launching itself directly at Zhang Yunqi, who was at the back of the group. The creature's finger bones had mutated into sharp bone spurs that shimmered with a dark, poisonous blue luster in the sunlight.

"Get lost!" Qin Yuke bellowed, whipping his body around. His right fist was instantly enveloped in a pale cyan cyclone, striking the incoming zombie with a sonic boom.

Skill: [Impact Punch]!

"Bang!"

With the crisp sound of shattering bone, the zombie’s chest caved in, and the knockback effect of the skill sent the creature flying like a discarded ragdoll, crashing into three or four others behind it. But more zombies had already scrambled over their fallen kin, their rotting faces twisted into hideous expressions.

"This won't work... it's only a matter of time before they catch up." Su Bai gritted her teeth, knowing that hiding her class abilities now would be suicide.

With a flick of her will, two streaks of light shot out from her Beast Taming Space.

"Pearl! Tianba!"

Amidst a clear, sharp bird cry, Pearl spread her lustrous wings and circled above Su Bai’s head. Tianba appeared at Su Bai’s side like a phantom, a bloodthirsty, cold light dancing in its single eye. The fleeing group had no time to be startled by the scene; the instinct for survival kept them focused on nothing but sprinting ahead.

"Pearl, Sonic Blast! Knock back the zombies behind us!"

"Chirp—!"

Pearl let out a sharp cry, her wings vibrating at a high frequency. She flew toward the trailing zombies and unleashed her skill, sending visible ripples of sound exploding through the air. The moment the sonic waves hit the horde, the seven or eight zombies in the front row were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer; their rotting flesh burst like fireworks, splattering dark purple fluids across the street walls.

However, the group’s faces did not brighten at the sight of the zombies being repelled. Instead, they grew even grimmer. Somewhere ahead, at the crossroads, a dozen more Aberrant Zombies were crawling out from other buildings. They seemed attracted by the sonic blast, turning their heads in unison, their milky eyes glowing with a scarlet light.

"Pincer attack..." Lin Wanqing’s staff ignited with a dangerous red light, her voice remaining unnervingly calm. "Su Bai, keep your bird suppressing the rear. Leave the ones in front... to me."

Lin Wanqing knew this was no time to pretend to be weak. Before she finished speaking, a torrent of flames whistled from her hand, slamming into the group of zombies blocking their path. The zombies engulfed in the inferno roared even louder, but unless their heads were destroyed, they would not perish.

"It’s no use! These zombies must have their heads destroyed to die; otherwise, even burning them won't stop them!"

Tianba, guarding Su Bai, saw the zombies blocking the path. It instantly transformed into a black bolt of lightning, charging into the fire, its claws precisely piercing the eye sockets of the zombies.

Su Bai worried for Tianba, knowing how terrifying the zombie virus was. Pearl circled in the sky, using sonic blasts to repel any zombies that got too close to the group. Qin Yuke was not idle either; he was deep in the fray.

"Go! Don't get bogged down in a fight!" Qin Yuke shouted.

Thanks to the help of Su Bai and Lin Wanqing, who both possessed transcendent classes, the group finally retreated from the digitized zone of Linghai City. As soon as they stepped out of the area, the zombies behind them dared not cross the boundary and eventually turned away.

Seeing this, Zhang Yunqi clutched his chest, gasping for air. "My god, I thought I was going to die there! These zombies are so abnormal—how are they so fast?"

Su Bai was panting heavily, too exhausted to speak. Even though her level had increased and her physique had been enhanced, this run had been grueling.

"Are you all alright?" Su Bai asked the others.

Lin Wanqing simply wiped the sweat from her face. "I'm fine, just a bit shaken."

Once out of the game zone, their electronic devices finally regained signal. Qin Yuke immediately reported the situation in Linghai City.

"It looks like we have no choice but to head to the Bichui Safe Zone on foot. I promised to help you evacuate, but it seems I can't fulfill that," Qin Yuke said with an apologetic look.

Su Bai wasn't thinking about evacuation anymore. Being able to escape the zombie territory alive was already more than enough.