C54 The Mutated Zombies Attacked Again at the Side of the Pond, and They Won by Risking Their Lives.

Tang Bing had scoured three streets and countless buildings without encountering a single soul. The city was overrun with horrific, flesh-eating zombies, leaving very few survivors behind. A significant reason for this was that many of the city's survivors had sought refuge in the military sanctuary, only to be devoured by the zombies as the city fell.

The majority of the fortunate few who remained alive had opted to abandon A City and seek safety in the yet unbreached military sanctuary of B City. In essence, A City had been forsaken by its survivors.

However, for Tang Bing, armed with a mysterious gaming system, this desolate place seemed to be the ideal survival spot. With the system, he could lead a life far removed from the ordinary. Why risk a perilous journey to B City, entrusting his fate to others, when he could chart his own course right here?

As Tang Bing navigated his way through the zombie-infested streets toward the factory, deep in thought, he passed the vast pond in Qin Flower Park. His Ocean Heart's keen senses detected something swiftly closing in from the water.

Thanks to his agility, honed by numerous Dexterity points, his reaction was swift. The moment he sensed danger, he spun around, intent on escaping the pond's vicinity.

But he had barely made it a few steps when a hunched zombie, with the agility of an ape, burst from the waves and, like a cheetah, became a blur of motion behind him. Before Tang Bing could even register what was happening, the zombie's right hand came down in a vicious slap across his back.

Caught off guard by the creature's blistering speed and overwhelming strength, Tang Bing felt an excruciating numbness as if his back had been struck by a sledgehammer. Nausea overtook him, and he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood. His body, unbalanced like a kite severed from its string, tumbled through the air before crashing down onto the unforgiving concrete.

The speed was incredible, the force immense. The blow left Tang Bing severely wounded, nearly knocking him unconscious.

On his virtual character interface, his health points plummeted from 100 to 20, flashing an ominous red, signaling the dire peril to his life.

Terrifying! This was yet another mutant zombie, possibly even more formidable than the mutant zombie dog! Especially in terms of speed, this one held a clear advantage. Tang Bing, with his Sea Heart's Detection +5 ability and a significant boost to his Dexterity, still couldn't evade its attack.

Weren't mutant zombies supposed to be a rare occurrence? Why was he so cursed? To encounter two in such a brief span of time!

And despite his protective gear—the scrap iron armor set, the mutant skull, and the finely tailored suit—he nearly met his demise in a matter of seconds. Horrifying!

Without his system, Tang Bing would surely be on his way to the afterlife by now.

There was no time for further thought. Wincing with pain, Tang Bing pulled an emergency kit from his virtual backpack and quickly applied it to himself.

His health points shot up by 50, reaching 70, and continued to climb steadily. The back injury, which felt as if his bones had shattered, miraculously healed as if it never happened. The wave of dizziness vanished instantly, snapping Tang Bing back to full alertness.

"Roar~!" In the blink of an eye, the mutant zombie lunged, becoming a blur as it clutched Tang Bing's neck with both hands, its entire weight bearing down on him, its grotesque mouth gaping wide to strike.

It was only face-to-face with the creature that Tang Bing could see it clearly—the zombie had once been a striking young woman. Now, her flesh was putrid, her clothes hung like sodden rags. Half of her face retained its pre-death beauty, but the other half was pure zombie, exuding a nauseating stench.

Somehow, her body had undergone a grotesque mutation. Her spine was grotesquely curved forward, giving her an ape-like appearance. Her teeth had become razor-sharp, seemingly capable of shredding anything.

In that moment, as Tang Bing took in the full horror of the zombie's visage, he acted out of pure survival instinct. To avoid becoming the mutant's next meal, he swiftly retrieved a silenced pistol from his virtual backpack and jammed it into the creature's dreadful maw.

"Roar~!" Thwarted from biting Tang Bing, the zombie was now furiously trying to chomp down on the gun barrel. Meanwhile, its hands tightened around his neck, turning his face beet red as he teetered on the edge of asphyxiation.

"Poof!" Determined to survive, Tang Bing decisively squeezed the trigger.

A gush of blood burst from the back of the mutant zombie's head, yet it didn't succumb immediately. Instead, it released Tang Bing, staggered to its feet, and stumbled backward several steps, clutching its skull and emitting a piercing scream.

Now free, Tang Bing didn't give a second thought to the foul-smelling blood on his pistol as he quickly rolled over, aimed at the mutant zombie, and fired.

"Poof! Poof! Poof!" Three shots rang out in quick succession. Who could have imagined that the mutant zombie would leap onto a banyan tree by the pond with incredible agility, dodging the bullets?

Tang Bing looked up in disbelief, only to see the mutant zombie let out a ferocious roar and lunge at him once more, its speed so swift he couldn't evade it.

"Bang!" He was no match for the mutant zombie's agility. Caught off guard, he was tackled to the ground once again, his head striking the hard concrete, dizziness washing over him.

"Roar~!" The mutant zombie, like a wild beast gone mad, prepared to tear at his throat once more.

The impact of the zombie's assault sent Tang Bing's silenced pistol flying, skidding several meters away. Pinned down, it was clear he couldn't wrestle free to retrieve his weapon.

But Tang Bing wasn't about to surrender! To protect himself and stay alive, he swiftly pulled an ordinary, unsilenced pistol from his virtual backpack and jammed it into the zombie's mouth with astonishing speed.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Without a moment's hesitation, he fired three consecutive shots.

The bullets tore through the mutant zombie, sending sprays of blood from its head as it wailed in agony, rolling on the ground, clutching its gory skull.

Having narrowly escaped death, Tang Bing rolled away quickly, snatching up the silenced pistol. Ignoring the risk of drawing more zombies, he took aim at the writhing mutant zombie on the ground and furiously worked the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Poof! Poof! Poof!" The gun's muzzle erupted with flames, the scent of gunpowder filled the air, and his ears buzzed with the relentless gunfire.

After being shot through the back of its head four consecutive times, the mutant zombie couldn't dodge any longer. In the midst of its tumbling, Tang Bing unleashed a barrage of bullets from his dual pistols, relentlessly firing until the creature's head was a bloody, unrecognizable mess, finally ceasing its struggles.

You have slain the mutant zombie and earned 800 experience points!

You have leveled up!

You have leveled up!

Having narrowly escaped death, Tang Bing gasped for air, his legs giving out as he collapsed to his knees before the fallen mutant zombie, his body still quaking with tremors.

The terror of the encounter was overwhelming! A moment's hesitation could have turned him into the mutant zombie's next meal. This was nothing like facing a regular zombie; the fear was visceral, spreading to every cell in his body!

Tang Bing couldn't even savor the thrill of gaining two levels. He hastily allocated all ten skill points to Agility. The mutant zombies were a nightmare; he needed to maximize his Agility to better his odds of survival. A single misstep next time could be fatal.

The recent gunfire had stirred the undead even hundreds of meters away. Glancing to either side of the road, he saw it was no longer deserted; hordes of zombies were now charging toward him with ferocious roars.

With no time to rest, Tang Bing frantically searched the mutant zombie.

[You have obtained a Silver Necklace (Superior)!]

[You have obtained a Jade Bracelet (Superior)!]

[You have obtained a Red Short Dress (Legendary)!]

[You have obtained a bottle of mineral water!]

[You have obtained 5 moldy loaves of bread!]

[You have obtained an Iron Hoe (Fine)!]

[You have obtained tomato seeds!]

[You have obtained chili seeds!]

[You have obtained a smartphone!]

[You have obtained 5 shell casings!]

[You have obtained 10 cotton balls!]

It was unexpected to find two Superior quality items and a Legendary quality dress on this mutant zombie!

The Silver Necklace (Superior) grants +5 Strength, +5 Agility, +50 Constitution, and +50 Stamina.

This premium equipment provided a boost to all four attributes, with the Strength and Agility bonuses alone equaling the points Tang Bing received from leveling up twice. And with the additional 50 points to both HP and Stamina, wearing this necklace would instantly increase his HP from 100 to 150, significantly enhancing his chances of survival.

After considering the sensory capabilities of the Ocean Heart against the attributes of the necklace, Tang Bing resolutely decided to forgo the silver necklace. Strong attributes were of little use if he couldn't detect zombies; an ambush could easily be fatal with a single blow.

The Jade Bracelet (Superior) offered +20 Spirit and +20 Endurance, along with an increased ability to remain calm. Tang Bing wasn't sure of the purpose of Spirit just yet, but the boost in Endurance was certainly a welcome feature. The exact nature of this "calm state" eluded him, but without any hesitation, he slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist.

The red miniskirt (Legendary) boasted an impressive +48 Defense and halved damage from physical attacks, firearms, and bladed weapons. For a mere skirt, the attributes were astoundingly powerful—nearly matching the defense of Tang Bing's entire gear set. Wearing it would provide an exceptional level of protection.

Despite its allure, the skirt was designed for women, and although the system didn't explicitly forbid cross-dressing, Tang Bing had no intention of wearing it. Cross-dressing was not his cup of tea, so he promptly stowed the skirt in his virtual backpack.

The rest of the loot was a collection of assorted items, including a fully charged smartphone.

The discovery of a hoe and seeds caught him off guard. The hoe was suitable for breaking new ground for farming, and the seeds were obviously meant for cultivation.

Did this mean that in addition to scavenging, he could take up farming? Wouldn't that simplify the food situation?

His musings were cut short as the zombies, drawn by the sound of gunfire, swarmed in his direction.

Tang Bing swiftly secured all his newfound treasures, stashed the regular handguns, reloaded the silencer-equipped pistol, and picked a relatively open path. His plan was to outrun the pursuing horde and make a swift return to the safety of the factory.