The middle-aged man stood frozen, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the figure in mid-air. He reached out with both hands, trying to grab the floating person's ankles and pull him down.
But as his hands touched the person's feet, a chill swept through him, and he felt as if his hands had passed through something intangible.
"Ahhh! My hands!" Blood gushed from the middle-aged man's arms, his hands were gone.
Upon seeing this, the others rushed towards Chén Xiǎodōng, but they stopped after taking a few steps. Blood poured from their mouths.
Then, several gaping holes appeared in their chests, and they were flung from the ground, instantly torn in half by an unseen force, splattering blood and entrails all over the walls, a truly gruesome sight.
"My god, what is this thing?" Lín Běi's legs trembled uncontrollably; the scene before him was unbelievable.
Lín Běi shone his flashlight forward, trying to locate the invisible killer. He saw the fallen corpses and was horrified to discover that their faces all wore the same expression of ineffable fear.
Seeing Lín Běi still trying to approach for a closer look, Chén Xiǎodōng thought, "Is this guy just reckless? Those people in front didn't even know how they died, and he still dares to go look? He must be tired of living."
Chén Xiǎodōng immediately grabbed Lín Běi's shoulder and yanked him behind him. "Don't look, get back!"
Chén Xiǎodōng's voice was laced with tension as his eyes remained fixed ahead, warily scanning the darkness for the unknown while retreating.
"Brother, stop shining the light, what are you waiting for? Let's get out of here!"
Chén Xiǎodōng looked back at Lín Běi, his heart filled with anxiety. Lín Běi kept sweeping his flashlight beam forward, trying to find any trace of the ghastly thing.
However, Chén Xiǎodōng knew this was futile. He had tried using his night vision goggles to find the thing earlier but couldn't track it. He doubted Lín Běi's flimsy flashlight could find it.
Suddenly, a chill swept over him, Chén Xiǎodōng's heart rate quickened. He spun around and instinctively pushed Lín Běi away, while he himself dodged to the side.
Bang!
The wall opposite Chén Xiǎodōng suddenly let out a sharp cracking sound, as if something sharp was slicing through it.
Immediately, a long crack appeared on the wall, accompanied by a rumbling sound. The crack rapidly widened, and the entire section of the wall collapsed instantly.
Chén Xiǎodōng watched in stunned silence as the concrete blocks were neatly cut away. The steel bars within the wall seemed to have been severed by an invisible blade, and the entire wall collapsed into rubble before his eyes.
Chén Xiǎodōng's eyes widened in terror, his heart pounding violently. He was rooted to the spot, unable to move.
Blasted by Chén Xiǎodōng's push, Lín Běi shot forward like an arrow, heading straight for the glass door. Lín Běi's heart pounded in his ears, a deafening roar sounded behind him.
However, as Lín Běi's hand touched the cold glass door handle, he suddenly stopped. Lín Běi looked back and saw Chén Xiǎodōng still standing in place, a look of shock and fear on his face. "Run! Don't just stand there like an idiot!"
"Stop looking, or you'll lose your life!" Lín Běi yelled, his voice filled with an unprecedented anxiety and panic. His hands gripped the glass door handle tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Hearing Lín Běi's voice, Chén Xiǎodōng's heart jolted. As if waking from a dream, he sprinted towards the glass door. His footsteps were rapid, his breathing heavy, and he could feel his heart racing faster and faster.
Behind Chén Xiǎodōng, the rushing sound grew closer, like some unknown terror pursuing him. Chén Xiǎodōng dared not look back, telling himself he had to escape this terrifying place.
Chén Xiǎodōng's gaze remained fixed ahead. The glass door was getting closer. He could clearly see Lín Běi standing by the glass door. As soon as Chén Xiǎodōng emerged, Lín Běi would immediately close the door, trapping the ghastly thing inside.
As soon as Chén Xiǎodōng ran out the door, Lín Běi slammed it shut. But in the next moment, the entire world seemed to turn upside down.
The bulletproof glass door, which even artillery might not destroy, instantly exploded into countless fragments that flew everywhere.
Lín Běi was thrown to the ground by the concussive blast, his ears filled with a roaring sound, and his eyes filled with flying glass shards. Lín Běi rolled over and got up, dodging falling glass fragments. Seeing that Gù Xiǎoyù in his arms was unharmed, Lín Běi breathed a sigh of relief. This girl slept too soundly.
Lín Běi looked back and his eyes widened in horror. What kind of monster could blast a hole through a bulletproof glass door? A chill ran down Lín Běi's spine.
The crowd heard a loud bang and couldn't help but turn to look in the direction of the sound. They saw a large hole in the bulletproof glass door in front of Chén Xiǎodōng, as if it had been struck by a powerful force. Glass fragments from the door lay scattered on the ground, gleaming with a cold light.
Chén Xiǎodōng aimed his sniper rifle at a spot, and the figure flickered in and out of the glass debris, a murderous aura permeating the air. The crowd watched in astonishment as the entire open space fell into dead silence.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Zhang Mao thought Chén Xiǎodōng had lost his mind after waking up, and rushed forward to confront him. "You're making such a commotion, what if you attract zombies? If this place falls, will you take responsibility?"
The small white dog lay on the ground, its eyelids fluttering slightly as it gradually woke up. It looked around confusedly, but couldn't find its familiar Gù Xiǎoyù. The small white dog was overjoyed and wanted to get up and run away.
Suddenly, the small white dog's senses detected an unusual aura around it. It crouched slightly, its ears perked up, a glint of vigilance in its eyes. Then, it opened its mouth and barked furiously towards the direction of the danger.
However, the unseen danger came too quickly. A dark shadow flashed past, and the small white dog had no time to dodge, being violently sent flying.
It landed right at Zhang Mao's feet. Zhang Mao, who was about to question Chén Xiǎodōng, stopped abruptly, looking at the glass door in confusion.
The crowd stared, stunned, at the scene. An ominous aura seemed to fill the air, sending shivers down their spines.
They couldn't comprehend what kind of force could send a small dog flying with such ferocity; it was beyond their understanding.
The dog lay on the ground, groaning in pain, blood covering its head. Its eyes were filled with rage. It crawled up from the ground and unleashed its fury beneath Zhang Mao's legs.
"Don't come any closer!" Chén Xiǎodōng saw that some of the bolder people were about to go and look, and quickly tried to stop them. But before he could finish speaking, those people were already headless, utterly dead.
"If you don't want to die, don't come near here, you idiots, don't run!" Chén Xiǎodōng roared angrily, his voice echoing through the empty square, causing panic.
However, people began to flee in all directions, searching for any cover. They screamed, pushed, and shoved, descending into chaos. Chén Xiǎodōng's eyes widened as he watched the crowd scatter.
Chén Xiǎodōng wanted to shout, to tell them not to move, that they wouldn't be discovered, but it was already too late.
He could only watch helplessly as the crowd fled in panic, like headless chickens. Chén Xiǎodōng saw the terrified expressions on their faces, heard their ragged breaths, and smelled the scent of fear permeating the air.
Chén Xiǎodōng's heart was filled with helplessness and despair. Knowing he could no longer prevent the spread of panic, he could only stand there, silently watching as the unknown entity began its slaughter.
Like a ghost in the darkness, everywhere it went, there was a bloody mess, entrails flying, severed limbs scattered everywhere. Screams and cries for help rose one after another.
City of the Dead Chapter 30: Chameleon
Qín Lán, Xǔ Xiǎosōng, and others rushed in from the underground garage. Qín Lán instructed Xú Xiǎosōng and the others, who were more familiar with the roads, to scout ahead for the best route for the vehicles to pass through quickly.
As Qín Lán and two others were escorting a group of elderly people and children into a vehicle, they heard a commotion from the square. Thinking they had been discovered by a zombie horde, they emerged from the underground garage. But when they saw the scene in the square, everyone froze.
"Boss, don't come over here!" Lín Běi shouted urgently. Seeing Qín Lán and some team members about to rush over to help him, he immediately stopped them. "There's something invisible. They're being chased normally, so you guys stay put, don't move!"
Qín Lán and the others stopped, exchanging bewildered glances. They didn't know what Lín Běi had seen. Lín Běi's face was pale, his body stiff as if held in place by an unseen force, his eyes fixed fearfully ahead.
"Lín Běi, what's wrong?" Qín Lán asked cautiously, a chill rising from her spine.
Lín Běi didn't answer. His throat felt constricted, unable to utter a single word. His face was a mask of terror, his pupils trembling uncontrollably, as if he had seen something truly horrific.
Qín Lán and the others involuntarily followed Lín Běi's gaze. They saw people running, falling one by one at the waist, yet there was nothing behind the crowd.
"Use the night vision goggles to check!" Qín Lán said to Lǐ Qíwěi beside her, asking him to use the night vision scope on his sniper rifle to see what was happening.
"Boss, I tried, it's no use!" Lǐ Qíwěi said after a moment of silence, shaking his head helplessly. He had emerged earlier than Qín Lán and the others and had already tried the night vision goggles, stating he couldn't see clearly ahead.
"Can't see?" Qín Lán frowned, anxiety flickering in her eyes. She gripped her gun tightly, a strong sense of helplessness washing over her. "Are we just going to stand here and watch them get killed?"
"We can't just stand here doing nothing!" Qín Lán's voice was firm. She widened her eyes, trying to pierce the darkness ahead, but saw nothing but darkness.
"I'll shoot, you guys rescue them immediately. I'll hold it off!"
Chén Xiǎodōng finally decided to act. He cautiously approached the dark figure, each step as light as possible, as if afraid to disturb it.
The figure was indeed large, but its shape was elusive. At first glance, its silhouette resembled a crocodile, with a long, flat head and powerful hind legs, resembling a ruler of the waters.
But upon closer inspection, its narrow eyes were like a lizard's, gleaming with slyness and alertness. Chén Xiǎodōng's mind was filled with doubt. What exactly was this mysterious creature?
Bang bang bang!
Chén Xiǎodōng pulled the trigger. The roar of the sniper rifle echoed through the night sky. The dark figure seemed to sense the danger, its body trembling slightly, then it darted away like an agile leopard. The bullets cut through the night sky, only to watch them slither past the figure, unable to hit.
The dark figure moved fluidly and gracefully, as if dancing in the dark. It charged abruptly towards Chén Xiǎodōng with astonishing speed.
A flicker of shock crossed Chén Xiǎodōng's eyes. The figure was clearly hunting survivors, yet its vigilance was so high, and its speed so incredible.
Chén Xiǎodōng quickly adjusted his breathing, steadied his mind, and prepared to counter the figure's attack. He felt a cold wind hit him; it was the air current generated by the figure's charge.
Chén Xiǎodōng dodged sharply to the side, evading the figure's claws. At the same time, he fired his gun backward at the figure, but the figure stabilized its forward momentum and retreated quickly, dodging the bullets again.
Chén Xiǎodōng continued to fire forward, forcing the dark figure into a corner. But he caught sight of Qín Lán and the others still standing there foolishly. Chén Xiǎodōng immediately yelled, "Go save them, it's now, in the eastern corner!"
"Lǐ Qíwěi, Dèng Guǎng, provide suppressing fire. You two, follow me to save them!" Hearing Chén Xiǎodōng's words, Qín Lán immediately gave the order. "Remember, don't shoot in the wrong direction!"
Dada dad
Dèng Guǎng raised his heavy machine gun, and flames spewed from the muzzle. The eastern corner was instantly covered by dense gunfire. Bricks and stones flew from the wall, creating dense bullet holes, making it look like a tattered sieve.
Lǐ Qíwěi stood beside him, staring dumbfounded at Dèng Guǎng's frantic actions. The sniper rifle in his hand seemed to lose its weight, his fingers unconsciously loosened.
Dèng Guǎng's machine gun fire gradually dwindled. His ammunition finally ran out. He panted heavily, glaring at the eastern corner, which was now a mess.
Lǐ Qíwěi remained frozen, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. As Dèng Guǎng was changing his magazine, he glared at Lǐ Qíwěi, "Why aren't you shooting?"
"I can't see it, why should I shoot?" Lǐ Qíwěi twitched his mouth a few times, cursing inwardly, "Who fires a full 100-round magazine the moment they start? Isn't that a waste of bullets?"
"Just shoot randomly like me!"
"Can you hit it?"
"Probably not!" Dèng Guǎng's gaze swept back and forth across the wall, as if searching for something. There were dense bullet holes, but nothing special on the wall, no particular clues.
"This is called suppressing fire, what do you know?" Dèng Guǎng said dismissively, with a hint of contempt in his tone.
Lǐ Qíwěi frowned irritably, glared at Dèng Guǎng, and ignored him. This wasn't suppressing fire at all; it was clearly just causing trouble! If that thing moved from the east to the west, then Chén Xiǎodōng's sniper rifle wouldn't have any deterrent effect.
"Your boss told you to provide suppressing fire, not to chat!" Chén Xiǎodōng snatched the heavy machine gun from Dèng Guǎng and glared fiercely at the two of them.
Chén Xiǎodōng aimed the heavy machine gun at the dark figure ahead. Powerful firepower instantly suppressed the figure's attack as bullets poured out like rain, forcing the figure to retreat repeatedly.
At the same time, he shouted, "Big guy, watch my gun carefully!"
Dèng Guǎng looked at the sniper rifle in his hands with disdain, clearly dissatisfied with this type of firearm. He unceremoniously threw the gun to the ground, completely ignoring Chén Xiǎodōng's words.
Dèng Guǎng quickly drew his pistol from his waist, his finger tightly on the trigger, his gaze like a torch fixed on the eastern wall ahead, proving his displeasure at Chén Xiǎodōng taking his heavy machine gun.
Suddenly, the heavy machine gun in Chén Xiǎodōng's hand went silent. Seeing the empty magazine, he glanced at the rapidly approaching dark figure, took a deep breath, and charged towards it with the heavy machine gun. The gun bounced on his shoulder, rising and falling with the rhythm of his steps.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the figure's head, his body suddenly erupted with uncontrollable power. He lunged at the figure with the force of thunder, smashing the heavy machine gun down onto it.
With a loud crash, Chén Xiǎodōng swung the heavy machine gun towards the figure's head. At the same moment, the figure let out a pained howl, its body shuddered, and it was pushed back a few steps by the weight of the machine gun.
Chén Xiǎodōng seized the opportunity and rammed his shoulder hard into the figure's chest, slamming it against the wall. The figure let out a hoarse gasp but still struggled to get up.
A