Chapter 104: The Emergence of the High-Level Zombie at Last

With their food supplies nearly exhausted, the group could scarcely move without something to eat. The problem had already been difficult enough to solve, yet now they had been ambushed as well. One setback followed another, and no one knew when they would finally make it back to Emperor Star.

Under such circumstances, the morale that had soared after they seized control of the starship suffered a serious blow.

“We’ll resupply first.” The Boss fell silent for a while before making his decision. The fact that a high-level zombie was already inside the starship could no longer be changed. No matter how worried or frightened they were, there was nothing they could do about it.

Finding the high-level zombie was one matter; whether they could defeat it was another. Since they might not even be able to locate it—and could almost certainly not beat it with ease—abandoning the starship and finding another was hardly a simple option. They might as well remain on guard and deal first with what they could.

And what they could do, naturally, was resupply.

“The Haimo carried a great deal of food. The storage compartments probably weren’t all destroyed. We can go and take a look,” Lia suggested quietly.

“Mm. That’s possible.” The Boss considered it, then nodded.

There had to be somewhere in the spaceport district where they could obtain supplies, but they did not know where it was. Searching would cost time and manpower, and if they encountered another Blueglow starship and someone discovered that the core inside their vessel had been replaced, they could easily invite trouble. It would not be worth the risk.

Searching the wreckage of the Haimo, on the other hand, would be much easier. Although the starship had broken apart into several sections when it exploded, most of the wreckage remained near the district where they were stationed, greatly reducing the difficulty of the search.

Moreover, if any of the wreckage had fallen into the sea, the chances of finding supplies would be much higher. Once the debris sank into the seawater, it would not suffer a secondary explosion and burn the supplies inside.

Once the Boss had made up his mind, the others naturally raised no objections. He ordered the crew to activate the Blueglow starship’s radar and rapidly scan the nearby ground and waters. Before long, they had located several spots that were highly likely to contain wreckage from the Haimo.

“This place, this one, and this one. Make them our primary search targets.” The Boss recalled how he had watched the Haimo break apart. Since the supply storage compartments had been located at the rear of the starship, the wreckage that had fallen in that direction was more likely to contain provisions, and was therefore given priority.

These impact sites lay anywhere from a few to several dozen kilometers from the Blueglow starship. Taking the starship there was impractical, so they decided to leave it where it was and travel in the energy-absorption rover instead.

“Half of you stay behind to guard the starship. The rest of you come with me.” Fearing the appearance of a high-level zombie, everyone carried heavy weapons. The energy-absorption rover, already connected to the Blueglow starship, slowly drove to the entrance of the command room at their order.

“Let’s go!” the Boss said.

Anything that involved taking risks inevitably included him. Du Yun also had to come along, because the supplies they might find would be measured in tons even if they recovered only a small portion. Without Du Yun’s storage space, the group would never be able to carry much at all.

“Safe travels, Boss!” Lia stood ramrod straight and raised her hand in salute. Whether they went out in search of supplies or remained aboard the starship to defend it and wait, both options were fraught with danger. Lia’s expression was resolute, yet a trace of reluctance still showed in her beautiful eyes.

Du Yun followed the Boss into the energy-absorption rover. Since they needed to leave room for the supplies, only a few people boarded. It promised to be a dangerous journey.

“Big Sister, I’m coming with you!”

After everyone had boarded, Taozi suddenly called out for some reason. Before the rover’s door had fully closed, she scrambled inside, using both hands and feet.

“Taozi!” Du Yun cried out. She hurriedly examined the girl’s thin arms and legs. “You little rascal, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, Sister Du Yun. Can I come with you?” Taozi gazed at Du Yun with wide, tear-filled eyes. She looked almost exactly like Du Yin when she was being affectionate, and Du Yun’s heart softened at once.

“All right. Stay close to me, and don’t run off,” Du Yun agreed with a nod.

“All right!” Taozi immediately broke into a smile. Her round eyes curved into bright crescents, making her look utterly adorable.

The energy rover slowly drove out of the starship, left the spaceport district behind, and headed toward the first location where supplies might be found.

The group had to admit that their luck was excellent. In the enormous crater where the first piece of wreckage had crashed, they discovered a substantial amount of supplies scattered across the ground.

“Wonderful! Let’s hurry and collect them!” Du Yun cheered. She quickly opened the door, and everyone poured out of the rover. But after they had run only two or three meters from the vehicle, Du Yun suddenly realized that something was wrong.

She slowly raised her head and looked toward the top of the ruins. Standing atop the wreckage of the starship, which rose as high as a three- or four-story building, was a tall, rigid black silhouette. The figure gazed down at them from above. Its face, hidden beneath a military cap, was shrouded in darkness. Only its eyes were visible, glowing with a dim, eerie crimson light.

“It’s you!” Du Yun inhaled sharply when she saw him.

This zombie was none other than the third-order zombie she had wounded at the armory.

No. He might no longer be a third-order zombie. The dangerous aura of the undead surrounding him had grown even more intense. It was entirely possible that he had already advanced to the fourth order.

Du Yun instinctively sensed that something was wrong, but she did not dare to act rashly. The bloody lesson before her eyes was still fresh: if she spoke or tried to flee carelessly, the high-level zombie would immediately lock onto her.

The atmosphere instantly became terrifying and oppressive. Du Yun’s body tensed like a drawn bow, while her mental power had already fixed onto the officer zombie.

In the blink of an eye, Du Yun drew several energy crystals from her storage space and sent them into the hands of the Boss and the others. The slightest sign of trouble, and she would launch an attack without hesitation.

“Sister Du Yun, I’m scared.” Taozi, standing beside her, was frightened by the tense atmosphere. She spoke in a tiny voice and edged closer to Du Yun.

She did not realize that this small movement instantly drew the officer zombie’s attention.

His body seemed to blur into a black afterimage. Almost in the very next moment, he had rushed in front of Taozi.

The officer zombie arrived, and Du Yun’s defenses rose at the same time. Just as she raised the energy rifle across her body, preparing to withstand the zombie’s fatal blow head-on, another black shadow suddenly appeared before her.

Clang!

A tremendous collision rang out as the attacks of the two black figures crashed together. The sight before them left everyone present staring wide-eyed.

The high-level zombies had finally revealed themselves.

And there were two of them.