Chapter 36: Precise Strikes, As if Guided by the Gods

When there were still a few mountain peaks to cross before reaching the town, the five-person team made camp beside a large boulder to rest. Out of fear that zombies might discover them, no one dared to light a fire while out in the wild. The mountain air was thick with dampness, and as they drew closer to the horde of zombies, Du Yun's anxiety only grew. That night, she slept fitfully, unable to find any real rest.

At the break of dawn, they packed up and set out once more. After a day and night on the road, most of their rations were gone, but at least their burdens had lessened. Skirting around two mountains, they had barely begun to search for where Dense Forest Town might be, when an alarm blared in Du Yun’s mind. On her map, three or four pulsing red dots appeared, racing straight toward them.

“Zombies are coming!” Du Yun tensed instantly, yanking Taozi behind her as she drew her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming in the direction of the red markers. Within moments, she could already see the red-eyed zombies, their silent, predatory figures darting through the stillness of the dawn, their sharp claws and twisted faces sending a chill through her bones.

“Attack!” At the leader’s command, three figures leapt forward, putting distance between themselves and Du Yun and Taozi, instantly falling into fighting stances, ready for combat.

Du Yun’s heart trembled, but her hands were steady. She fixed her gaze on the leading zombie, and as soon as it entered her range, she loosed her arrow without hesitation.

The crude, homemade arrow shot like a meteor, whistling through the air before thudding into the zombie’s skull, toppling it to the ground where it lay motionless. The other zombies seemed oblivious to this, charging forward with wild howls, indifferent to their fallen comrade.

“Yes!” Du Yun let out a jubilant cheer, quickly readying another arrow. She felt an unexpected sense of aptitude, as if she truly had a talent for archery. Taozi, clinging close to her side, watched Du Yun’s actions in astonishment; her initial fear gave way to excitement, her cheeks flushing with exhilaration.

The others had also noticed Du Yun’s actions, but with the zombie horde upon them, they only spared her a quick glance before turning back to their own battles. Only Skinny Monkey, fearless as ever, shouted his approval, “Well done!”

“The real show is yet to come!” Du Yun called, eyes locked on the onrushing zombies. Focusing intently, she selected another target, drew, and fired—another hit, felling a second zombie as if guided by some divine hand.

“Ha! Another one! You guys better keep up!” Skinny Monkey couldn’t help but comment, even as he squared off with his own zombie, noting that Du Yun had already taken down more by herself than any of the others.

“Hey, see if you can still say women are a liability!” Big Zhuang, drawn by Skinny Monkey’s words, glanced toward Du Yun and chuckled. But pride comes before a fall—his opponent was a stronger zombie, and in his momentary distraction, it seized his machete and, with a sickening crack, snapped it clean in two!

“Damn it! That thing’s tough!” Big Zhuang’s hair stood on end as his weapon was broken. Seeing those deadly claws swipe toward him, he desperately plunged the remaining half of his blade into the zombie’s chest, yanking and slicing to pull the creature aside and narrowly avoid a fatal blow.

A single careless moment could mean life or death. No longer daring to be careless, Big Zhuang kicked the struggling zombie to the ground, then, with a fierce pull of his broken blade, severed its neck.

Meanwhile, their leader was fending off two zombies at once, under considerable pressure. Yet his skills surpassed all others; with fists and feet flying, he wielded his hoe like a whirlwind, dispatching his assailants within a few swift exchanges.

Compared to the bloodshed of close combat, Du Yun’s situation was far more favorable. Though not every arrow was instantly lethal, three or four out of every five struck vital points, crippling the zombies’ ability to attack or move.

When the last of the zombies were finally dispatched, it was clear that Du Yun had achieved the most impressive results of all.

“My god, Miss Du, you’re incredible! I never took you for a fighter!” Skinny Monkey was the first to rush over, face full of admiration. Until now, he’d only seen her as the woman the leader was interested in, but after witnessing her combat prowess, respect for her surged within him like a mighty river.

“It was just luck,” Du Yun replied, a little embarrassed. At the start of the fight, she’d simply wanted to get in as many shots as she could, forcing herself to draw the bow and let fly.

Yet the moment she drew the bow, it was as if the scene before her magnified a hundredfold. Every detail of the zombie’s movements became clear, the precise spot her arrow would strike and the damage it would deal all unfolding in her mind’s eye.

“Dou Zhi, was that you helping me just now?” Du Yun ignored Skinny Monkey’s chatter, urgently questioning the presence in her mind.

The sensation had been uncanny, unlike anything she’d ever felt before—such precision in her aim, such force behind her shots, it made her reassess her own capabilities. If she could maintain this level of performance, surviving in this perilous world would be a far less daunting prospect.

“It wasn’t me, but I sensed your mental energy fluctuating with great finesse,” Dou Zhi replied, though he sounded a bit hesitant toward the end.

“Mental energy? What’s that?” Du Yun immediately caught the key point. “I saw the zombies’ movements so clearly, and my aim was spot-on—was that because of mental energy?”

“Yes, I could sense your mental energy had improved significantly,” Dou Zhi answered with grave seriousness.

“Good. When we have time, you’ll have to explain to me what mental energy is.” Du Yun nodded, then turned away from Dou Zhi. The leader had finished checking the corpses and was striding purposefully toward her.

Fortunately, the leader didn’t question her, and Big Zhuang and Skinny Monkey, both outperformed by Du Yun, were too busy reflecting on their own shortcomings to ask anything either. After barely five minutes’ rest, the group set off again—after all, with several dead zombies behind them, who knew if more would soon be drawn to the scene?

Still caught up in the thrill of her sudden surge in combat prowess, Du Yun had barely recovered when they rounded another mountain. Looking in the direction of the town, the sight that met her eyes made her draw in a sharp, involuntary breath.