Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Without further delay, Lin Chen swiftly dispatched the two bound and completely zombified employees with his Tang sword. He then collected all available coffee beans, drinking water, snacks, and other supplies from the second-floor coffee shop.

"Let's go to the park."

Lin Chen spoke concisely, and quickly left the coffee shop with the newly joined Huangfu Lan, Bai Xin, and Qi Wei, heading towards the park in the center of the campus.

In less than ten minutes, the four of them reached the edge of the park.

In the center of the park is a small artificial pond, its water tinged with a faint, dirty red. Scattered trees and broken benches and sculptures dot the lawn, stained with blood.

Dozens of zombies roamed the park, most of them dressed like students.

While clearing out the approaching zombies, the group followed Huangfu Lan's urgent directions, searching the area where her husband and child were last seen, as she remembered them.

"There it is—!!!"

Suddenly, Huangfu Lan let out a scream that tore through the air, her whole body froze as if struck by lightning, filled with despair, and then she rushed forward uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Bai Xin quickly pulled Huangfu Lan back.

Not far away, in the shade of a Taihu rockery, two zombies, one large and one small, were slowly moving—the larger one was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, while the smaller one looked no more than three or four years old and was wearing a brightly colored children's outfit with cartoon dinosaurs printed on it.

They have become zombies.

Huangfu Lan's legs went weak, but Bai Xin quickly caught her again as she almost collapsed to the ground.

Tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, and she let out a wail that was a mixture of extreme grief and despair as she struggled to lunge forward.

Lin Chen took a step forward, his arm blocking her way like an iron clamp.

"Calm down!" he hissed.

Bai Xin clung tightly to her waist, her voice trembling with tears, "Sister Lan! Look closely! They're not Brother Qin and Xiao Bao anymore! They're zombies!"

Lin Chen watched this scene, and even though his heart had become almost cold, he was still deeply moved. But he knew even better: in the apocalypse, emotional impulses often meant death.

He said no more and quickly took out a long rope.

With a swift movement, the back of his blade struck the joints of the two zombies precisely, knocking them down, and then he swiftly bound them.

Two zombies writhed and roared in vain on the ground, their gray eyes staring blankly at the sky, showing no trace of their loved ones.

Huangfu Lan staggered closer, then knelt weakly before her husband and child's bodies. She reached out her trembling hand, wanting to touch that familiar face, but withdrew as if burned before she could make contact.

She simply knelt there, her shoulders heaving violently, her suppressed sobs mingling with the ceaseless rain of blood, a sound so desolate it cut to the bone.

Lin Chen, Qi Wei, and Bai Xin stood silently to one side, none of them speaking. The wind swirled scarlet raindrops across the rippled, murky pool, rustling the leaves as if they too were mourning.

Ten minutes later, the crying subsided, turning into silent sobs. Huangfu Lan slowly rose, her steps unsteady as she walked to Lin Chen. She raised her swollen, red eyes, her voice hoarse like a broken bellows, yet carrying a chilling determination:

"Chief... give me a gun. I want to... send them away myself."

Lin Chen didn't say much. He pulled a pistol from his waist, checked the safety and magazine, and steadily handed it to her.

Huangfu Lan took the cold metal, her knuckles turning white from the force. She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and walked step by step toward the small figure dressed in a cartoon dinosaur costume.

Her trembling arm slowly rose, the gun aimed at the head that once belonged to her flesh and blood, now only an empty, hideous skull.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Two gunshots rang out, particularly jarring in the silent park. The howls of the zombies abruptly ceased.

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

"Do you need me to temporarily collect their remains, and then... find a suitable place to bury them later?" Lin Chen stepped forward, his voice a few decibels lower than usual.

A glimmer of light appeared in Huangfulan's dim eyes: "Is...is it possible?"

"Can."

He waved his hand, taking the two motionless bodies into a separate corner of his special ability space.

He then turned to Qi Wei, his tone regaining its composure: "Are there any other supermarkets or convenience stores within the school grounds?"

"No...that's all. These are the two larger ones." Qi Wei shook her head, her voice somewhat dejected.

"Then let's go back."

"Go...go back where?"

"Teaching buildings, plaza." Lin Chen looked in the direction of the teaching buildings, his gaze deep. "Haven't you noticed? As we walked from the supermarket to the park, we encountered fewer and fewer scattered zombies."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips. "Most of them were led to the square and cleared away. Follow me, and you'll understand soon enough."

The four began to turn back. Bai Xin and Qi Wei supported the dazed Huangfu Lan on either side, following Lin Chen's steady steps towards the square where the gunfire had not yet subsided.

Returning to the central square, the scene before me was still chilling—

The ground was almost entirely covered with zombie corpses, and dark reddish-black blood seeped into the concrete, forming viscous streams. The air was thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder.

Li Ya was leading the group of women, holding their ground on the high platform of the shipping container. Using the cover, the gunshots were crisp and rhythmic, picking off the last batch of zombies that staggered closer.

Lin Chen grabbed the wrists of the three women beside him and activated his spatial ability—

"Whoosh!"

The four people instantly appeared on the container platform, which was more than three meters high.

"Brother Lin! You're back!" Li Ya's eyes lit up the moment she saw him.

She put down her gun and quickly stepped forward, naturally gripping Lin Chen's arm as if to confirm his presence.

Her gaze swept quickly over the three new members behind Lin Chen, each with a different temperament. A subtle scrutiny flashed in her eyes, but she didn't ask anything. She simply tightened her grip on Lin Chen's arm.

Lin Chen smiled and raised his hand to gently pinch the tip of her nose: "Well done. Your marksmanship and command have both improved."

He looked around—the bullet impacts were dense and effective, with the vast majority of zombies being headshot from a distance, and the piled-up corpses indicated that the battle was always kept at a safe distance.

The team's growth is evident.

He then gave a brief introduction to both sides. When the twin sisters Jiang Yingxue and Jiang Yingyue saw Qi Wei, their faces lit up with surprise and joy: "Senior Qi Wei! You're alive! That's wonderful!"

Qi Wei was also pleasantly surprised to see the twin sisters. All three were campus beauties from the art academy, so they were somewhat familiar with each other.

In this world that feels like hell has been reborn, a once-familiar face is itself a solace left over from the old world.

However, due to the special circumstances, the three only had a brief exchange.

It was already past 2 p.m., and the zombies in the square had been mostly cleared away.

Lin Chen took out the high-powered speaker again, skillfully pressed the switch, and a new round of pop songs began to bombard the area, luring the last batch of wandering zombies in the main teaching building and nearby buildings to this "slaughterhouse," where they were then eliminated one by one by the overhead firepower.

After confirming that there was no longer a large-scale zombie threat in the square and surrounding area, Lin Chen issued his first order to enter the building: "Everyone, check your equipment and replenish your ammunition. Prepare to enter the teaching building for indoor clearing and search and rescue."