Hunter's Game 2: Zombie Paradise - Chapter 5

The combat knife was really an extra-long dagger, its blade hard and keen, its edge glinting coldly.

Chen Lang held it in a reverse grip and lunged toward the zombies.

The first two swung rotting arms at him.

He did not dodge. His free hand hooked into a claw and shot around the throat of the zombie on the left while the knife plunged into the skull of the one on the right.

He ripped the blade out in a spray of blood.

Another zombie rushed him from behind.

Chen Lang kicked it into the remaining two. All three collapsed in a heap.

Seizing the opening, he drove his knife viciously into the mouth of the zombie whose throat he still held.

By the time he pulled it free, the other three had regained their feet.

Before they could react, Chen Lang snapped out a spinning kick and sent one tumbling to the far end of the corridor.

He smashed a fist into another zombie’s temple, then buried the combat knife in its face with merciless speed and precision.

Before he could wrench the blade out, the third zombie pounced from behind.

I cried out. Chen Lang moved as though he had eyes in the back of his head, catching the zombie in a flawless shoulder throw and slamming it to the floor.

Before it could struggle upright, he walked over, planted one foot on its back, and hauled its head up.

Crack!

He snapped its neck.

Even then, the zombie was not completely dead. It kept moaning through its teeth.

Chen Lang pulled the knife from the dead zombie’s face, walked over to the writhing one, and struck. The blade punched through the back of its skull all the way to the hilt.

He had just pulled the knife free when the zombie he had kicked away charged back.

A crossbow bolt sliced through the air and pierced its brain with perfect accuracy.

The tall, thin Han Zhong had fired it, of course.

With all five zombies dead, I finally exhaled. My palms were slick with cold sweat.

Chen Lang toyed with the combat knife as he sauntered toward me, grinning. “Well, Senior? Haven’t lost my touch, have I?”

I returned his hammer and rifle, then gave his shoulder an approving pat. “Absolutely terrifying.”

The brat had grown even more monstrous in the past two years.

Qin Wu stared at Chen Lang with his great bull eyes and raised a thumb. “Brother, that was incredible!”

“You weren’t bad yourself.” Chen Lang laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

I took the opportunity to thank Qin Wu for saving my life earlier.

He waved it off with a bashful grin.

While we spoke, Han Zhong had already swept the second-floor rooms, shot one more zombie, and successfully retrieved the briefcase.

Then our earpieces sounded.

“Congratulations, players. Every zombie in this stage has been eliminated. The system has scanned your bodies and confirmed that no player has sustained an injury. Return to the mine cart with the briefcase immediately.”

We hurried downstairs and reunited with the other six.

Together, we returned to the mine cart.

It started moving, carrying all ten of us onward along the twisting rails.

The fog had nearly cleared. I opened my eyes wide and searched our surroundings, but apart from the track and the cart, everything around us was desolate.

Bzzzt!

My watch vibrated.

I looked down. The game administrators had sent our scores for the stage.

“Congratulations, Mr. Li Mo. You killed three common zombies in this stage, earning three points, and received a five-point clearance bonus. Your total score is now eight.”

I checked the player rankings. Sure enough, my junior Chen Lang stood in first place.

Chen Lang had killed ten zombies. With his clearance bonus, he had earned fifteen points.

I looked up at him. The brat winked smugly back.

The other players were checking the rankings too.

In the quiet, everyone looked tired after the vicious fight.

We leaned against the sides of the cart, rocking with its motion.

In that oppressive, frightening place, no one spoke. We were all afraid that the slightest sound might draw more zombies.

After about forty minutes of rest, the mine cart stopped without warning. Our earpieces came alive.

“Attention, players. The green signal is about to expire. Please select a new signal color. The one-minute countdown begins now.”

The ten of us exchanged looks and unanimously chose yellow.

This time, Fang Shuyan was closest. He pressed the yellow button.

“Players, because you selected yellow, the system will drop one random item. Please watch for its arrival.”

We were wondering where we were supposed to find the item when a drone flew toward us.

It landed steadily beside the mine cart. Chen Lang vaulted out and retrieved the package it carried.

“Congratulations, players. You have received a defensive item: a high-voltage electric fence capable of stopping zombie attacks.”

The tension finally left us. We could not help cheering softly.

Chen Lang had already torn open the package. Inside was a folding electric fence three meters long and one and a half meters high.

It came with a small remote control. Pressing the switch would electrify the fence.

We stowed it away, and the mine cart began crawling forward again.

The journey stayed quiet, except that the fog returned.

The air had turned damp and cold. I pulled my jacket tight and thrust my hands into the pockets for warmth—only to feel a crumpled piece of paper.