Chapter 42: The Little Zombie in the General Store

"Watch out!" Just as everyone had found their footing in the general store, the eldest suddenly let go of Du Yun's hand and charged forward. His hoe seemed almost sentient as it flew from his grasp.

At first, Du Yun didn't understand what was happening. She looked up just in time to see the hoe, flung hastily, strike a child—no, a young zombie—squarely on the head. The little zombie howled as it was knocked to the ground, then scrambled up again, vicious and eager to retaliate.

It was still only a child. Du Yun, who had just raised her bow, couldn't bring herself to release the arrow. Ever since finding family here on Bluewater Star, she had become defenseless before children. It was true with Taozi, and now, even in the face of a young zombie, her resolve wavered.

While Du Yun hesitated, the eldest did not. After throwing the hoe, he darted to the small zombie's side, drew the short baton from his belt, and with a sharp crack struck the zombie at the neck.

The young zombie could not withstand such force. Before it could attack again, the blow landed fatally on its neck, and it collapsed, motionless.

"That was close—scared me half to death!" Da Zhuang hurried after the eldest, approaching the small zombie warily and finishing it off with his knife. Gazing at its hands, he shuddered. The nails were long and sharp, nothing like a human's. One swipe from those claws would have left him flayed and bleeding. He spoke with lingering fear.

"This zombie is different from the others," Da Zhuang observed, eyes scanning the surroundings warily, his weapon never lowered. If all zombies moved this quickly, their own situation was far more dangerous than he had thought.

A zombie that looked no older than six or seven could move at a frightening speed. Its stiffened body and razor-sharp claws suggested that its attack power was just as formidable. Clearly, the zombies in this town could not be underestimated.

"Yes, this one was obviously stronger than the others. What's going on?" Du Yun nodded in agreement, murmuring her doubts.

"Dou Zhi, when I asked you before about the zombies, what did you say?" Du Yun remembered questioning Dou Zhi about the zombies, but couldn't recall his exact answer. The topic had probably shifted.

"These zombies have mutated, their speed and—" Dou Zhi began, but Du Yun suddenly noticed new red dots appearing on the minimap in her vision.

"I thought so too, especially the little one—it was much faster than the others," Skinny Monkey chimed in, still discussing the topic, oblivious to the approaching danger.

Previously, Da Zhuang had considered Du Yun a burden, thinking the slender girl, though pretty, was not good enough for their leader. Skinny Monkey felt much the same, though he hid it better. But after witnessing Du Yun's combat prowess, and now her keen observations, both men found their respect for her quietly growing.

"More zombies—be careful," Du Yun said quietly, heart skipping as she saw the new red dots. Yelling would only make her the zombies' prime target. Even so, her low warning might have already alerted the undead. The group quickly closed ranks, weapons raised, surrounding Du Yun protectively.

"Two of them! Coming from three o'clock!" Du Yun saw the red dots approaching rapidly and instinctively called out the position using their combat lingo.

"Got it!" The three men responded in unison, weapons trained in the indicated direction. Moments later, two zombies crashed toward them.

Thanks to the warning and their readiness, the zombies were dispatched in short order. The trio was deeply intrigued by Du Yun's apparent ability to sense the zombies' positions, but survival came before curiosity—no one asked her about it just yet.

Later, as they moved toward the backyard, Du Yun flagged another zombie before it could surprise them. The three exchanged glances, their views of her shifting once more.

"Du Yun, you're incredible! How do you know where the zombies are, and even how many?" Skinny Monkey, emboldened by his familiarity with Du Yun, couldn't help but ask as they finished clearing the store and its yard, dragging the four corpses together.

"Well, hehe..." Du Yun was uncertain how to explain Dou Zhi's existence. She didn't want to betray their trust by saying nothing at all, so she gave a nervous chuckle, accepted the canteen from the eldest, and decided to tell the truth.

"If I told you I can suddenly see approaching zombies, would you believe me?" Du Yun sat beneath the eaves, tilting her head back to sip water, anxiety in her voice.

"You can see them? Back when we were in front of the town, is that how you knew to warn us?" the eldest suddenly recalled.

"Yes, I saw them then, too." Du Yun nodded, watching realization dawn on their faces. She couldn't help but ask, "You believe me?"

The eldest nodded, gazing at her warmly—he clearly did.

"We believe you! Why wouldn't we?" Skinny Monkey declared, sidling up to Du Yun with a cheeky grin. "If the boss believes you, we all do!"

Da Zhuang, still a little awkward, busied himself with the bodies in the courtyard. He listened closely, but his face betrayed nothing.

"I can sense the zombies’ positions and numbers within a range of about fifty meters," Du Yun confessed, touched by their acceptance. "But I can't tell if they're strong or weak—like that little one just now. I didn't sense anything different about it."

She glanced at the four corpses at her feet, pursed her lips, and continued, "It seems my zombie radar has its flaws. Fifty meters might be enough for ordinary zombies—if they spot me, I still have time to react. But if they’re faster and stronger?"

"Do you think zombies might mutate or evolve and become even more powerful?" Du Yun suddenly looked up and fixed her gaze on the others.

"Zombies, even stronger?" The question sent a chill through them all. When ordinary people turn into zombies, they already gain greater strength and speed—enough to rival the soldiers among them.

If zombies could become even more formidable, perhaps even surpassing them, would humanity have any hope left on this world?