C17 The Chef and the Mutant Dog

Vaulting over the wall and cutting through the street, Lee Yuanhong found himself in an alley that led straight to the market. This alley served as the bustling food and beverage district, swarming with patrons by midday. In the mornings, the crowd thinned, but the number of zombies lurking was still higher than he had previously encountered, prompting him to proceed with extra caution. Luckily, the buildings flanking the alley were either single-story or modest two-story structures, making them easy to scale. If push came to shove, he could emulate Lee Luoxia's wall-climbing prowess.

Approaching the mouth of the alley, the sound of dogs barking and human panting reached his ears. Survivors must be nearby. Picking up the pace, Lee Yuanhong dashed out of the alley.

Emerging from the alley, he spotted four large dogs about 20 meters away, circling a small restaurant. They appeared to be German Shepherds. A shadowy figure flickered behind the restaurant's door, but with the door in the way, the details were obscured. The street, typically teeming with zombies, was eerily devoid of any undead presence.

Relieved by the absence of zombies, Lee Yuanhong's attention turned to the dogs. It was the perfect opportunity to use the Truth Eye magic he had neglected until now. Concentrating his energy on his eyes, an invisible ripple emanated towards one of the Shepherds:

"Level 1 Evolutionary Stray Dog

Skills: Pounce, Tear, Claw Strike

Attack: 5

Health Points: 20 Mana Points: 10

Defense: 3 Spirit: 1

Constitution: 2 Strength: 4

Speed: 3 Intelligence: 2

Mutant dogs, evolved from strays by absorbing evolutionary energy from the air or consuming energy-rich food. Their hide can be crafted into leather gear, claws fashioned into weapons, and their meat is fit for consumption.

Weaknesses: Lumbar spine and eyes."

"Damn, even the dogs have evolved. How's a person supposed to survive?" Lee Yuanhong thought to himself, alarmed.

The dogs, alerted by the noise, turned in unison to face his direction. They then charged towards him, clearly unable to breach the restaurant quickly enough to feast on humans and seeing him as an easier target without the protection of a door.

Lee Yuanhong faced off against four evolved dogs, feeling the pressure mount. With only three gunmen at his side, he knew he'd have to take on one of the beasts himself.

Shield at the ready, he instructed, "Aim for their waists and eyes—that's where they're vulnerable." Despite revealing the dogs' weak spots, his grip on the shield involuntarily tightened.

The evolved dogs were swift, much faster than zombies. They closed the twenty-meter gap in a heartbeat. As they drew within two meters, two of the dogs leapt high, lunging for the group, while the other two attacked from below, displaying a cunning sense of teamwork.

Reacting swiftly, Yuanhong raised his shield against one of the airborne dogs while directing Lu Yi to intercept the other. The remaining gunmen were left to fend off the other two attackers. As the dogs descended, twin flashes of steel were followed by a pained yelp, and Yuanhong felt a warm spray hit him. The anticipated heavy blow to his shield was surprisingly feeble, and the expected thud was replaced by a soft thump. A heavy body hit the ground, accompanied by mournful whines.

Confused, Yuanhong shifted his shield aside and saw a mutated dog with a kitchen knife protruding from each eye. Though not immediately fatal, the wounds were severe. Seizing the moment, Yuanhong raised his ice axe and brought it down viciously on the dog's waist. A sharp crack silenced the barking.

Having dispatched the immediate threat, Yuanhong dashed to assist Lu Yi. The soldiers' gunfire mostly missed the nimble dogs, which retaliated with swift claw strikes, leaving their uniforms torn and tattered. The longer the fight dragged on, the greater the risk of injury to the soldiers.

Lee Yuanhong joined forces with Lu Yi's combat team, using his shield to steer the mutated dog's movements. The riflemen seized the moment to strike, quickly injuring the now immobile creature. Particularly effective was Yuanhong's brutal blow to the neck as the mutated dog dodged a spear thrust, leaving it dazed. Lu Yi didn't waste a second, delivering a fierce strike to the creature's eyes, and with that, the second mutated dog was neutralized.

With both mutated dogs out of the picture, the tide of battle swiftly turned. Yuanhong and Lu Yi charged at the remaining two, creating a two-on-one advantage. The once-aggressive beasts were now reduced to defense, overwhelmed by Yuanhong's shield which severely hampered their ability to move. It took less than a minute for another to collapse.

The final mutated dog, sensing defeat, attempted to flee but only managed a couple of steps before two gleaming blades struck. Two kitchen knives embedded themselves in its body—one merely nicking its hind leg before clattering to the ground, while the other buried itself up to the hilt in the dog's rear. Its speed drastically reduced, the riflemen closed in and finished it off with a chaotic volley of gunfire.

Witnessing the knife's unexpected trajectory, Yuanhong glanced back at Lee Luoxia, whose cheeks flushed as she sheepishly murmured, "The knife didn't fit my hand; I missed." Yuanhong couldn't help but shiver at the thought—if a miss resulted in such a hit, what would an accurate throw look like? Clearly, this knife-throwing woman was not to be trifled with.

Once the threat was eliminated, Yuanhong instructed the riflemen to salvage what they could from the mutated dogs. Their hides and claws were valuable, but the thought of consuming their meat—likely linked to the disappearance of the zombies—was chilling.

The riflemen's response, however, was disheartening: the hide was too tough to cut. Yuanhong was exasperated. To be able to see such valuable resources but not harvest them was a cruel twist of fate in this harsh new world.

With no other choice, Lee Yuanhong grabbed the Crystal Core and checked if the besieged restaurant had any tools for skinning.

Approaching the restaurant, he saw the door was heavily damaged, with a few tables barricaded behind it. A large figure obscured the light, preventing a clear view inside.

Curious about the shadowy figure, Yuanhong moved closer, but was greeted first, "Hey, are those vicious dogs gone?"

Relieved it wasn't a zombie, Yuanhong replied with ease, "They're taken care of."

"Really?" A shiny bald head peeked from behind the tables, scanning the area. Spotting the dead mutant dogs, he exhaled and gave a thumbs up, "Man, you're awesome. Those beasts have been terrorizing us for three days. You saved our necks today. Thanks for that."

Yuanhong responded nonchalantly, "No need for thanks, it was nothing. By the way, I need to handle those mutant dogs. Got a skinning knife?"

"Brother, why so formal? I'm a chef; skinning's my specialty. Little Cui, help me with the tables," the bald chef called out.

A slender figure joined the chef, and together they cleared the tables. The chef emerged, a hefty man in a stained white uniform, wielding a hefty cleaver. Noticing Yuanhong eyeing the knife, he sheepishly admitted, "Been using this to fend off creatures these past few days," followed by a hearty chuckle that jiggled his cheeks.

Yuanhong dismissed it, "No worries, in these times, it's odd not to carry a weapon. By the way, I'm Lee Yuanhong. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm Looh Fei, and that girl over there is Looh Cuihua, my cousin from afar. Cuihua, it's okay to come out; the folks outside mean no harm."

"Cuihua, Looh Fei—those names have a nice ring to them," Lee Yuanhong mused to himself.

At Looh Fei's call, Cuihua emerged. She was clad in a dark blue floral waitress outfit, slightly soiled, yet still a hundred times cleaner than Looh Fei's attire. Her clothes bore traces of blood, and her face held the innocent simplicity of a country child. Her eyes brimmed with tears, yet her complexion, darkened by labor, radiated health and vitality. Standing about 1.6 meters tall, she didn't possess the kind of figure that drives people wild, but rather she had the delicate grace of an Eastern girl—a true beauty in her own right.

After stepping forward, Looh Cuihua bowed deeply to Lee Yuanhong and expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Uncle Lee, for saving my life."

The term 'uncle' nearly made Lee Yuanhong pass out. He was at a loss for words, his face turning the shade of a deep purple eggplant. Thankfully, Lee Luoxia approached and took Cuihua's hand, saying, "No need for such formality, little sister. My name is Lee Luoxia. Just call me Sister Luoxia from now on. Are you two the only ones left?"

"Yes," Cuihua replied, her eyes dimming with sorrow. "Initially, our boss was fine, but then a cannibal burst in and attacked him. My coworker and I were terrified, hiding against the wall, too scared to move. Brother Looh Fei, hearing the screams, came out and killed the cannibal with a kitchen knife. But then the boss came back to life, and when my sister tried to help him, he turned on her and bit her. I was petrified. It was only Brother Looh Fei's resolve that stopped the boss and my sister... But tell me, Sister Luoxia, does that count as murder? Brother Looh Fei won't be in trouble with the law, will he?"

Lee Luoxia quickly reassured Cuihua, "No, that's not murder. Those bitten by zombies will turn into zombies themselves. Once someone becomes a zombie, they're no longer human but a monster. And it's not illegal to kill a monster."

"Oh, that's a relief," Lu Cuihua said with a reassured look. "After that, the streets were swarming with those cannibals. Brother Lu barricaded the restaurant's door, and we survived on the stockpiled food inside, so we didn't go hungry. But a few days ago, some stray dogs appeared out of nowhere and clashed with the cannibals. They even devoured them. Once the cannibals were gone, Brother Lu and I thought about checking out what had happened, but then people from the store across the street ran out first. To our horror, those dogs started attacking people too."

Lee Luoxia quickly reassured her, "There's no need to be scared now. Those vicious dogs are dead."

"Okay, thanks, Sister Luoxia. Oh, and are you and Uncle Lee father and daughter?"

Upon hearing this, Lee Yuanhong, who was in the midst of discussing how to skin the dogs with Looh Fei, nearly choked. Lee Luoxia couldn't contain her laughter any longer and burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Cuihua, standing next to her, looked utterly bewildered with a face full of question marks.