C25 Zombie Leader

Urendir could sense just how deeply Jiang Wei yearned for a mother's love.

There was an inexplicable feeling in Urendir's heart. Wasn't she just like Jiang Feng, who had grappled with emotional turmoil and found it impossible to let go?

For twenty-six years, Urendir had never taken a liking to anyone. And when it came to Jiang Feng, she couldn't even be sure if her feelings were genuine.

But one thing was clear: Urendir truly cared about Jiang Feng. Otherwise, why would she feel jealousy, forgive him so readily, and even alter herself for him—learning to mind her words and actions, striving to become more tender?

Yet, Urendir was also frightened. She hesitated to advance their relationship further, wary of the many uncertainties in Jiang Feng's life.

Take Cui Wei, Jiang Wei's mother, for example. A reunion between mother and daughter was inevitable, and Jiang Feng would undoubtedly seek out Cui Wei for Jiang Wei's sake.

And when Cui Wei re-entered the picture, it was uncertain whether Jiang Feng might fall for her. In their original future, they had experienced love at first sight, quickly becoming a couple and sharing a love story that was hard to forget.

Urendir, however, could not tolerate even a speck of deceit. If Jiang Feng were to emotionally betray her, Urendir couldn't be sure she wouldn't turn against him, perhaps even to the point of taking his life.

These were fears Urendir couldn't face, let alone contemplate. That's why she had remained Jiang Feng's silent guardian, avoiding any thoughts or considerations.

But Jiang Feng's actions that morning suggested he was becoming brazen in his pursuit of Urendir.

Urendir was no fool; she noticed and was deeply concerned. She feared how much longer she could resist his advances, worried that one day her emotions might overwhelm her restraint.

With no clear answers, she resolved to take things one step at a time.

About 20 minutes into their journey, Jiang Feng seemed to detect something off.

"Urendir, hold up a second," he said, coming to an abrupt halt.

Urendir halted in his tracks and gently lowered Jiang Wei from his back.

"Urendir, where are we? Do you recognize this area?"

"We're likely within the Elk District of Bluecliff City."

"Have you noticed? Ever since we entered the Elk District, the zombie count has been dwindling. And yet, I recall this district being quite bustling, with a dense population."

"It is peculiar indeed," Urendir mused, pacing across the rooftop of the building.

Jiang Feng surveyed the sparse zombies below with a sense of bewilderment.

"Jiang Feng, come look at this," called Urendir from the opposite side of the rooftop, her tone suggesting she'd stumbled upon something.

Jiang Feng joined Urendir at the edge, peering down from the 18th floor. To his astonishment, he saw a throng of zombies encircling two humans at the center of the mass.

"See that? The zombies have those two people cornered, but they're not attacking. Why is that?" Urendir wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure. These zombies seem off, unusually robust. We should keep watching to see what happens."

That's when Jiang Feng noticed the pair—a boy and a girl. The boy appeared quite young, perhaps thirteen, while the girl seemed older, likely eighteen, possibly his sister.

The sister was seated on the ground, injured, with her brother standing protectively in front of her.

Before them loomed an oddly shaped zombie, as large as three adults, emitting bizarre noises as though it was communicating with the siblings.

The brother, however, looked utterly baffled, as if the zombie's babble was beyond his comprehension.

"Jiang Feng, is that zombie... speaking? Could it be an evolution?"

"It seems likely. That language might be a rudimentary form of zombie speech."

A look of concern washed over Jiang Feng's face. The butterfly effect was more profound than he had anticipated, and the pace of zombie evolution had quickened.

The guide had indicated that by three months into the apocalypse, zombies would have the intelligence of wolves, with leaders capable of controlling hordes. Yet here they were, just over a fortnight in, and a zombie leader had already emerged.

"It's evolved so quickly. Could this be the influence of the butterfly effect? How dangerous. Does that mean we're in a race against time?" Urendir had thought she and Jiang Feng were ahead of the game, but if the butterfly effect was escalating, the situation was far from optimistic.

"Don't be overly concerned. The butterfly effect's impact is likely revolving around us. We've gained powers at this stage that are nothing short of miraculous, altering our own history and that of many around us. As a result, we're experiencing a particularly intense butterfly effect. I suspect that these zombie leaders are unique to Bluecliff City."

"Is that so?"

"It seems likely. If zombie leaders like this were present worldwide at this stage, the Zerg, beasts, and humans would cease to exist. Such a drastic shift wouldn't align with natural laws or logic."

"Now that you've brought it up, it's coming back to me. The strategy guide did touch on this a bit," Urendir recalled.

"Right, so there's no need to worry. Let's first figure out what these zombies are planning."

The zombie leader, realizing the siblings couldn't understand him, began to gesture with his hands. His intelligence seemed limited, and to onlookers, his earnest gestures appeared nonsensical and aimless.

It was apparent that the boy was facing such an oddity for the first time, his face a picture of bewilderment.

Suddenly, a zombie from the horde lost control, lunging at the siblings with a ferocious roar, drenching them in saliva.

The zombie leader swiftly intervened, waving his hand to dismiss the unruly zombie back into the crowd, then let out several cries, asserting his dominance as the true leader.

Having apparently abandoned any attempt at communication, the zombie leader seized the boy and began to lick him voraciously, as if preparing for a meal.

Frozen with fear, the boy was too terrified to move.

"Jiang Feng, what do we do? Should we rescue the siblings?"

"Are they cyborgs? If not, there's no point in saving them. There's a 90% chance they'll turn into zombies."

In that moment, Urendir's gaze sharpened, her attention riveted to the scene below, as if she were tuning into something unseen.

"Jiang Feng, we've got the stats. The girl's combat strength is a 2, the boy's is a surprising 6, and they're all cyborgs—100 percent of them. The zombie horde averages a 5 in combat strength, but their leader is a 10. They don't pose a high risk to us."

The highest combat strength was a mere 10, nothing compared to his own, which was equivalent to 30 people. Jiang Feng brimmed with confidence.

"Jiang Wei, stick close to me and don't move. Urendir, get your sniper rifle ready to provide cover. I'm going in solo."

"Why by yourself?" Urendir asked, puzzled.

"The situation on the ground is unusual. We shouldn't lay all our cards on the table at once. We'll match our combat strength to what we're up against."

"Ah?"

"Don't you get it? In a game of Landlord, would you play your strongest card, the King Bomb, right at the start? You're my ace in the hole, to be played when the moment is right."

Urendir was at a loss for words. What a comparison.

"I can handle the situation down there on my own. Be ready with your sniper. If anything unexpected happens, you'll be my backup."

With a thrill of anticipation after three days of restlessness, Jiang Feng leaped toward the heart of the zombie throng, eager to flex his muscles against the robust undead.

He landed with a thunderous crash, the force splintering the ground and sending pebbles flying into the face of the zombie leader.

The leader, caught off guard by this uninvited guest, slowly set the boy down and approached Jiang Feng with caution, scrutinizing him closely.

Jiang Feng, hands in pockets, remained unflustered, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Despite sensing Jiang Feng's intimidating presence, the zombie leader lacked the intellect to recognize the vast disparity in their strengths.

Mistaking Jiang Feng for another meal, the leader unfurled his lengthy tongue, aiming to sample his new prey.

The tongue, over two meters long, slithered around Jiang Feng's body, attempting to ensnare him.

But then, the leader's eyes bulged in agony, and he emitted a ghastly howl as Jiang Feng tore off the creature's tongue, yanking it out by the root. The boy and girl watched, dumbfounded by the turn of events.

Jiang Feng flicked his tongue, slapping it right across the zombie leader's face. Blood smeared the leader's mouth, his face flushed with rage, veins throbbing wildly.

The leader spun around, issuing a series of bizarre roars to his horde, signaling a collective assault to take down Jiang Feng.

The horde grew agitated, yet none dared to advance.

With an infuriated bellow that seemed to carry a hint of intimidation, the leader spurred three zombies to charge at Jiang Feng with ferocity.

Jiang Feng swiftly caught the first zombie's claw, spun around, and hurled it through the air. It smashed into the glass of a nearby building, shattering it with a loud crash, the shards glittering in the sunlight like a sudden downpour.

Without missing a beat, Jiang Feng unleashed his expert kicking skill. A swift roundhouse kick sent the second zombie sprawling to the ground. Its head collided with the pavement, bursting instantly, life extinguished.

The third zombie recoiled, halting its charge, visibly shaken, and quickly retreated into the mass of its kin.

Jiang Feng's brow furrowed as he mused, "Sigh, a bit of intelligence really changes things. They all understand fear now. The old zombies charged mindlessly, making the fight thrilling. These ones hold back, skittish and cautious."

With the zombies hesitant, Jiang Feng decided to make his move.

He strolled confidently toward the zombie leader, who, despite not retreating, seemed to be sweating bullets.

The leader, needing to maintain its authority before the horde, couldn't afford to show weakness. To keep Jiang Feng at bay, it bared its massive, bloodied maw and unleashed a thunderous roar at him.

"Roar!" The deafening sound echoed for a full 15 seconds, leaving both the boy and girl wincing in pain.

The roar's shockwave stirred up a gust, whisking away the pebbles and dust at Jiang Feng's feet.

Once the roar subsided, Jiang Feng dusted himself off and quipped, "Good thing it didn't blow any spit my way."

He approached the towering zombie leader, looking up to meet its gaze.

The leader, standing three times Jiang Feng's height, loomed above him. Yet, it couldn't bring itself to meet his gaze and its legs shook uncontrollably.

"Ah!" Jiang Feng exclaimed abruptly.

The cry wasn't particularly loud, yet it was enough to send the zombie leader fleeing in terror, tears streaming down his face. As he ran, he emitted bizarre noises that seemed to convey, "Oh my god, anyone who wants to be the leader can have it—I'm done being the leader."