Chapter 20: The Special Forces Quietly Enter the Village

“It's a zombie!” A red dot suddenly appeared on Du Yun's map, and she quickly whispered a warning. Her reminder jolted everyone into alertness. The leader and his two companions swiftly formed a triangle, enclosing Du Yun and Taozi in the center, instantly ready for battle.

The leader's gaze flickered as it passed over Du Yun. Though he was puzzled—how could she know a zombie was approaching?—his actions showed he believed her.

Sure enough, a red-eyed zombie slowly staggered toward them from afar. As it drew nearer, it spotted the group and, agitated, charged madly. The zombie looked to have once been a hunter: broad-shouldered and strong, but its eyes glowed crimson and its expression was twisted. It flailed its arms as it rushed forward, evidently stripped of all humanity. Du Yun noticed the bundle of rope slung across its back, a homemade bow and arrows, and a machete at its waist. Her heart leapt—before turning, this zombie must have been a hunter venturing into the mountains, and now, devoid of reason, it merely carried its tools without knowing how to use them.

“Take him down!” The leader’s eyes gleamed as he noticed the weapons on the zombie. Having arms was crucial for their survival. This mission had already left them frustrated—not only had their weapons failed, but somehow they’d ended up in a place overrun with zombies.

At his command, the three moved as one. The zombie was subdued in an instant, struggling for only a few seconds before falling still—it was dead.

Du Yun stared in astonishment at their efficiency, unable to help but inwardly admire their soldierly prowess. What had seemed a formidable zombie was dispatched in a heartbeat, and not a trace of blood was smelled.

The leader gathered the spoils from the zombie and returned, tossing one item to Du Yun without a word.

“This?” Du Yun examined the homemade bow and arrows in her hands. The wooden handle was sturdy enough, and the bow came with dozens of arrows. Though crude and lightweight, it was at least a weapon. She instinctively licked her lips, eyeing the leader suspiciously—how did he know she could use a bow?

“Carry it,” the leader said, glancing at her with just two words. Only then did Du Yun notice how striking his eyes were—slightly upturned like a phoenix’s, yet not at all feminine, bright and full of spirit.

“Uh… Not much of a talker,” Du Yun murmured, dazed by his demeanor. She bent her head, muttering as she handled the bow, testing its tension. Finding it satisfactory, she slung it over her shoulder as instructed.

Du Yun could more or less understand the leader’s reasoning. The bow and arrows, however crude, were still a weapon. For those who had just fought zombies barehanded, discarding it would be a waste. The three men, though varying in height, were all robust, clad in camouflage uniforms and wearing night-vision goggles. Clearly, they belonged to a modern, high-tech unit—not the sort who’d use bows. Unable to wield it themselves and unwilling to leave it behind, they simply handed it to Du Yun. Even if it seemed unfair to a woman, survival trumped all notions of chivalry.

“Boss…” Skinny Monkey tugged at the rope in his hands, wanting to offer to carry the bow, but seeing Du Yun accept it without complaint—clearly not struggling with its weight—he kept silent.

The leader shot Skinny Monkey a cold glance, startling him into shrinking back. “Boss, I’m sorry! I didn’t say anything!” he protested, edging away.

Da Zhuang, silent as ever, dragged the zombie’s corpse away for a while. When he returned, the group sat simply together, saying nothing, eyes closed in quiet rest. When dawn broke, they continued onward.

“From our observations, zombies are more active and aggressive at night. Night also limits us in many ways. So it’s best to travel and gather supplies during the day, and rest at night.” Skinny Monkey chatted with Du Yun as they walked. These two days had been hard for him—the leader was a cold-faced grim reaper, Da Zhuang was taciturn, and talking to gruff men wasn’t nearly as pleasant as chatting with a sweet young woman.

“I see…” Du Yun nodded, full of admiration. Soldiers truly had keen powers of observation. In just two days since the zombie outbreak, they had already discerned a pattern.

“Ahead is the village. Looks like there aren’t many houses, so there shouldn’t be many zombies,” Da Zhuang, scouting ahead, reported. Zombies tended to attack in groups—if too many gathered, it spelled trouble.

“Alright, let’s go,” the leader said, as succinct as ever, nodding and leading the group toward the village.

“Are we going in?” Du Yun was nervous. Having already experienced a zombie siege, the terror lingered in her mind—she did not want to face death again so soon.

The village was indeed small. From the hillside, it appeared to have barely a dozen houses, each modest in size. Not everyone would have turned into a zombie, and not everyone would be in the village. Du Yun hoped, with a hint of optimism, that the zombies here wouldn’t be numerous.

“Go in. Keep quiet,” the leader said, hefting his hoe and entering the village first, his upright figure inspiring confidence.

“Alright.” Du Yun told Taozi to stay close behind her, and took the newly acquired bow in hand. She actually had learned archery—originally to lend authenticity to her writing—and never expected it would one day serve her in battle.

The group advanced quietly, careful not to make any loud noises. As they approached the village, they saw two zombies wandering at the entrance, surrounded by bloodstains and remnants of victims—a chilling sight.

“Take them out,” the leader ordered, and his figure shot forward like an arrow. Skinny Monkey and Da Zhuang followed, energized as if injected with adrenaline.

The two zombies fell quickly under their coordinated attack. Soon, more zombies emerged from the village and were dispatched one by one. The group pressed slowly into the village.

Once they reached the center, no more zombies appeared. Just as Du Yun began searching for supplies, thinking the danger had passed, a zombie suddenly burst from a nearby house, reaching for the back of Du Yun’s head.