Chapter 70: Three Arrows Decide Life and Death

"Roar!" The third-tier zombie, its blood-red eyes glaring, howled as it charged at Du Yun. The moment it left the range of their leader, Du Yun's first feathered arrow had already left the string, flying straight toward the top of the zombie's head.

Just a moment ago, the zombie was too close to their leader and the others for Du Yun to dare shoot—if her aim strayed, or if they changed positions at the last second, the arrow might not save but instead kill someone. Now that this concern was gone, Du Yun loosed her arrows swiftly and precisely, without pause. In the span of a single breath, three arrows had already flown.

The sharp arrows, propelled by the rush of wind, shot toward the third-tier zombie. As if unaware of their deadly force, the zombie neither dodged nor flinched, continuing its charge. Only when the arrows reached it and it failed to casually bat them away with its claws did the third-tier zombie realize the immense power behind these arrows.

But it was too late. One of Du Yun's arrows, carrying tremendous force, struck the zombie's torso directly. It didn't end there. Though two arrows were deflected and hardly wounded the creature, one arrow pierced straight into its body, bursting forth a spray of blood.

"Wow, it actually went in!" Even the worldly-wise Dou Zhi couldn't suppress its surprise at this sight. In its databanks, injuring a third-tier zombie required a force measured in tons. Du Yun's arrows were powerful, but surely not that powerful!

"Indeed, it actually went in!" Du Yun herself was overjoyed. When she released those three arrows, her heart was anxious, and she seemed to enter a mystic state of spiritual focus, as though divinely aided in her archery.

There was no time for joy. The third-tier zombie was still closing in fast. Du Yun's fingers moved, another arrow appeared in her hand, and she drew and released again, sending shafts flying in rapid succession.

But this round of arrows was not as lucky as the last. Not only did they fail to wound the zombie, but none even grazed its body—they were all deflected by its slender claws.

The third-tier zombie was about to reach her. Du Yun held her breath, pupils contracting as she took aim, every detail magnified in her eyes. She grabbed three arrows at once, and aimed at the zombie's upper, middle, and lower body in unison. Drawing the bowstring taut, she released—the three arrows shot simultaneously toward the zombie.

This time, the zombie tried to dodge and deflect, but it was no longer so easy. The arrows flew twice as fast as before, reaching it in the blink of an eye. It managed to bat away two, but the third struck its leg with a wet thud, sending another burst of blood spraying.

"Roar!" The zombie glared hatefully at Du Yun, who stood straight and grim, and after snapping the arrow with its bare hands, it did not charge at her again. Instead, it spun around and, with a few bounding leaps, vanished from sight.

Only after a long moment did Du Yun collapse to the ground in a daze, her face still pale with lingering fear. When the zombie glared at her, it had been very close—close enough that she thought it might snap her neck in an instant.

The ordeal of facing death was harrowing, and more so for Du Yun, whose strength had been utterly drained by those three arrows. She forced herself to look strong, pretending she still had the energy to fight, but she was spent. The zombie's retreat was a relief; otherwise, so many would have died here today.

"Are you alright?" Their leader staggered over, gazing at Du Yun's ashen face with a complicated expression. He had long considered her under his protection, but now his life had been saved by her risking hers—how could he not feel awkward?

"I'm fine, just can't get up," Du Yun replied weakly. Perhaps it was the effect of using the second-tier energy crystal, but she had no strength left at all, weakened beyond belief.

"I'll carry you." Seeing Du Yun's exhaustion, the leader's awkwardness vanished in a flash. Clumsily yet gently, he helped her up, turned, and carried her on his back toward the armory's main gate.

"Don't worry, you just overused the second-tier energy crystal and depleted your body's energy. Rest for ten minutes and you'll recover," Dou Zhi consoled her in her mind, though it too was shaken.

Though Dou Zhi was an AI core, in its former world it had only gathered information from various planets. It felt both anger and hatred at the destructive power of zombies, but never the fear that comes with facing life or death.

This time was different. If anything happened to Du Yun, Dou Zhi was certain it would cease to exist as well. In that life-or-death moment, Dou Zhi realized it had been frozen with fear—a terribly humiliating revelation.

"Boss," Da Zhuang approached with guilt written on his face, and when he looked at Du Yun, a trace of respect for the strong flickered in his eyes. He had thought her a burden, yet again and again she proved herself, and now she'd indirectly saved his life. She had earned his respect.

"Let's go inside," the leader nodded at Da Zhuang, then glanced at Dong Ironhammer. With Da Zhuang and Skinny Monkey guarding them, they headed into the armory.

Dong Ironhammer stood behind them, deeply grateful he had caught up to the four and brought them here. Without them, the third-tier zombie would have annihilated them in moments; even the zombies at the gate before would have been more than enough to wipe them out. Total destruction would have been a certainty.

"Ironhammer," the seductive woman, petrified by the ordeal, finally broke down in tears, wanting to seek comfort from Dong Ironhammer, but he brusquely brushed her aside with a slap.

"Grab as many weapons as you can! These zombies are terrifying!" Dong Ironhammer cursed loudly as he strode into the armory. His booming swearing was both a way to vent his overwhelming fear and to steel his own courage. Otherwise, faced with such unstoppable zombies, he would have had no will left to move forward.

By now, the leader had carried Du Yun into the courtyard. The barren yard, apart from mottled bloodstains, held nothing to see. The windows of the two-story building were so high that nothing inside could be seen; only a gaping dark door stood open, the air thick with the stench of blood.

"Let's go in," the leader stood at the door in silence for a moment, shifted Du Yun higher on his back, freed a hand to take up his weapon, and slowly walked toward the doorway.