Xie Qi had been quietly waiting inside the car for Lu Ze and the others to return safely. Suddenly, the System issued a warning: "Host, there are high-level zombies lurking nearby, and there is more than one!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Qi did not hesitate. He stepped out of the car and ran resolutely toward Lu Ze and his team.
When he caught sight of Lu Ze, Xie Qi shouted with a grave expression, "Get out of here! There are high-level zombies nearby." His voice carried a trace of urgency.
Lu Ze and the others were stunned. They widened their eyes and looked around in disbelief, yet they could not sense the presence of any zombies at all.
If what Xie Qi said was true, it meant that something extremely dangerous was hiding in their midst, likely including a mental-type zombie capable of terrifying psychic control. Such a creature could easily infiltrate a human brain to manipulate and hypnotize their consciousness. At this thought, a chill ran down everyone’s spines; they were horrified.
The environment, which had seemed calm only a moment ago, now appeared eerie and sinister, as if deadly threats were lurking at every turn. It was no wonder that this place, clearly filled with valuable supplies, had been left untouched. Realizing this, the group felt a lingering fear, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Just as they prepared to withdraw, the high-level zombies hiding in the shadows seemed to tire of the cat-and-mouse game and appeared before them without warning.
What was even more heart-wrenching was the presence of a fourth-level zombie. Their own captain had only just reached the fourth level himself. Against such a formidable enemy, they might have had a fighting chance if there were only one, but there were three. Their chances of winning were slim.
"Prioritize survival; do not get tangled in a fight," Lu Ze whispered to his teammates while staring at the zombies.
Just as the two sides stood in a standoff, the zombies launched the first strike, their fierce attacks descending like a rainstorm. Lu Ze acted decisively, unleashing his ability, and his companions followed suit without showing any weakness. Only Xie Qi, an ordinary person, remained outside the fray, protected behind Lu Ze.
Watching Lu Ze struggle to fight the zombies while still worrying about him, Xie Qi couldn't help but shout, "Don't mind me! They can't hurt me!"
Seeing that the zombies indeed weren't attacking Xie Qi, Lu Ze had his doubts, but he had no time to ponder them. He focused entirely on battling the strong enemies.
After a series of coordinated and thrilling maneuvers, the group managed to shake off the relentless pursuit of the vicious zombies and took cover in an abandoned building. Only then did they manage to catch their breath and rest.
It was then that Lu Ze keenly noticed something wrong with Xie Qi: his face was as pale as paper, and his entire body was trembling uncontrollably. Knowing about Xie Qi’s illness, Lu Ze grew worried. He hurried over and asked with concern, "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"
However, upon hearing Lu Ze’s voice, Xie Qi didn't say a word; he simply pulled Lu Ze toward a room on the second floor. Seeing this, the others didn't think much of it, assuming it was just another one of Xie Qi’s recurring episodes.
Once they were in the room, Lu Ze instinctively reached out to activate his water ability, but he was caught off guard when Xie Qi pulled him into a tight embrace, disrupting his movement.
"You’ve already exhausted too much of your ability," Xie Qi whispered. "Don't use it anymore."
Lu Ze was clearly startled by the sudden hug. His body stiffened for a moment, but he quickly relaxed and responded, "But you are in a strange state right now."
"It's nothing," Xie Qi murmured. "Let me hug you for a while; I'll feel better soon."
Lu Ze spoke hesitantly, "I'm very dirty right now. Should I conjure some water for you?" He made a move to pull away from the embrace.
But Xie Qi didn't give him the chance, instead nuzzling affectionately against his shoulder. "I don't care about being clean. I'd rather hold you—it makes me feel much better."
Xie Qi couldn't explain why holding Lu Ze brought him such relief. The embrace seemed to have a magical quality that made him feel incredibly safe. Moreover, he vaguely felt as though someone had held him like this before—a feeling that was both familiar and warm.
*Could it have been my father holding me when I was a child?* At this thought, Xie Qi felt deeply annoyed. He, the young master of the Xie family, had never suffered such indignities before.
Just as the two were wrapped in a tight embrace, lost in their own thoughts, a frantic knocking echoed from outside the door.
Hearing the sound, they quickly released each other. Lu Ze turned to look at Xie Qi, saying with concern in his eyes, "I'll go check. You..."
Xie Qi smiled faintly and replied gently, "I'm much better. I'll just rest here for a bit."
Lu Ze felt relieved, though he still cast a worried glance at Xie Qi. He then used his ability to form a water droplet to clean a chair in the room. Seeing that Lu Ze had only conjured a single droplet and hadn't consumed much energy, Xie Qi didn't stop him, instead offering a soft, involuntary smile.
The moment Lu Ze stepped out, Yu Tian rushed up to him, looking anxious. "Captain! You finally came out. Please, go have a look—the two of them suddenly started arguing."
Hearing this, they rushed downstairs. In the living room, Lu Ze saw his younger brother, Lu Muyang, blocking the doorway with a furious expression, refusing to let Song Chen leave.
Lu Ze frowned and turned to question Song Chen, "Where do you intend to go? I never authorized you to leave the team."
Song Chen looked uneasy, not even daring to meet Lu Ze's gaze. He muttered quietly, "I... I just wanted to go out for some fresh air."
"This broken building with its shattered windows—is it not good enough for you to breathe? Why must you go out? Don't you know there are high-level zombies out there?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Lu Muyang shouted at Song Chen, his tone growing increasingly severe.
"I won't let those zombies detect me. Muyang, be a good boy, listen to me, and open this door. Let me out, please?" Beads of sweat rolled down Song Chen’s forehead. His eyes were filled with pleading as he stared directly at Lu Muyang.
Facing such an earnest gaze, Lu Muyang’s heart was thrown into chaos. He had never seen this side of Song Chen before and felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. His eyes welled up with tears, and his voice trembled, "Song Chen, what on earth has happened? Tell me, and we can solve it together. Just don't look at me like that."
Standing to the side, Lu Ze took in the entire scene. A suffocating suspicion began to emerge in his heart. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were raspy and strained due to the terrifying thought.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Lu Ze took a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulence in his heart and control his emotions. Finally, he gathered his courage and asked hesitantly, "Song Chen, are you... were you bitten by a zombie?"
In an instant, everyone felt as if they had fallen into a bone-chilling abyss; their blood seemed to freeze in their veins. An indescribable despair enveloped them, making their breathing shallow. The already tense atmosphere reached its breaking point.