Marvel's Death Merchant

With the heavy firepower and various firearms forming a network within the camp, the zombie army could only halt its advance to within 400 meters of the camp, unable to advance further. An ordinary army would have retreated long ago, but before the soldiers were zombies devoid of feeling and fear. They were no longer human; the term "monster" would be most apt. Especially the mutated hunters or tanks—different viral creatures were beginning to gather.

The mutilated corpses of the fallen zombies piled up on the ground, slowly forming a small hill. But the remaining infected continued their charge towards the camp, stepping over the bodies. Inside the camp, a tiny explosion occurred in a small water bucket belonging to one of the soldiers. The sound was so faint that the soldiers drinking nearby didn't even notice it. A colorless but viscous liquid slowly released and dissolved in the water…

"What's wrong? You look terrible." A soldier asked his comrade standing beside him. "Nothing... I just feel... nauseous..." The man finished speaking and began to dry heave against the wall. "Hey, do you want to go to the field hospital?" "No... no need... If I leave, who will command our artillery squad? I can't leave my unit." The man remained resolute. Suddenly, he vomited violently, but his vomit was blood! Seeing him vomit blood, his comrade immediately helped him towards the field hospital.

"Medic! Medic!" The man was still outside the tent shouting. "What's wrong?" A man in a white coat rushed out. "Save my brother, he's vomiting blood!" "Quick...carry him inside!" The man's eyes began to roll back, foam began to come out of his mouth, and his body was convulsing; he looked terrifying. "Did he eat something?" the medic asked. "No, we all eat the same things. If the food was poisoned, everyone in our unit should have a reaction! Could it be..." The man seemed to suddenly realize something.

"What? What is it?" the medic shouted. "It's water! He just said he wanted to get a drink of water, and then he went... and a little while later this problem occurred..." He had barely finished speaking when the person lying on the hospital bed glanced at him and stopped breathing.

"Philip! Philip!" The man shook his body repeatedly, trying to wake him, but to no avail. "Didn't you say you wouldn't abandon them to die? Wake up!" the man said, tears streaming down his face. The medic beside him seemed lost in thought. "Water?" the medic muttered to himself. "Yes!" Then, as if remembering something, the medic picked up a walkie-talkie from the table. "Hello... this is a field hospital, an emergency to report..." Just as the medic was reporting this to his superiors, the man who had been lying on the bed, seemingly lifeless, miraculously sat up. His friend beside him was both surprised and delighted. He punched him in the shoulder and said, "I knew you were tough!" Then he hugged him tightly.

The person who sat up had dilated pupils, pale skin, and was constantly emitting low growls. This... this was a zombie. The man suddenly bit the neck of the person who was embracing him, and in an instant, a large hole was bitten in the neck, and blood gushed from the wound.

"What happened?" The medic turned around and saw the bloody scene. "Thud..." The walkie-talkie slipped from the medic's hand and fell to the ground with a clear thud. "Roar!" The infected man glared at the medic standing before him, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Dr. Jack lay on the bed, staring blankly at the surroundings of the tent. "I'm almost fully recovered, why won't you let me go back to the research institute?" Dr. Jack was clearly unhappy with the colonel's order to rest.

Suddenly, a scream came from outside the tent. "What's wrong?" Dr. Jack picked up a pistol hidden under his pillow.

He peeked out and found the surroundings were very quiet. No one was shouting or making any other noises. "Could someone be playing a prank?" Dr. Jack shrugged and prepared to return to his tent when he suddenly noticed a patch of blood not far away.

"Hmm?" Dr. Jack nocked his pistol and quietly approached. He inwardly groaned, then slowly backed away, preparing to report the situation to his superiors. But when Jack turned around, he was utterly startled. Two zombies in military uniforms stood before him, growling incessantly.

"Fuck!" Dr. Jack seemed to sense that his situation was very unfavorable. He raised his pistol, and the two zombies seemed to charge at him at the same time.

Jack fired decisively, hitting one of the zombies. But another zombie knocked the pistol out of Jack's hand and pinned him to the ground.

"Is this it? Am I going to die here today?" Jack felt as if he were facing death face to face. He closed his eyes and waited for death to come.

"Bang..." A gunshot rang out, and Jack felt the pressure on his body disappear. He opened his eyes and saw that the zombie's head had been ripped open by a bullet.

"Hey Jack, you're not going to give up so easily, are you?"

"Hmm?" Jack stood up and looked at the four people standing in front of him. He said, "Tch, if my injuries hadn't been incomplete, how could I have lost?!" Actually, he was very happy. If it weren't for them, he probably would have been dead long ago.

Chapter 664 Crisis Emerges

Outside the base, at the artillery position, an officer-looking man was constantly encouraging the artillerymen. The virus-infected creatures outside were extremely dangerous, even terrifying.

"Soldiers! Our responsibility is heavy! We bear the burden of the camp's maximum firepower output. For the camp and for yourselves, give it your all!" the officer encouraged. "Our ammunition is almost gone! Why hasn't the logistics department brought any more?" a soldier said anxiously to the lieutenant in front of him. "Fuck!" the lieutenant cursed under his breath. "Are all the logistics personnel dead? Didn't we send someone to urge them? Send another one!" "This is the fourth one already. Could something have happened?" the soldier seemed hesitant.

"Don't talk nonsense! This is the center of the camp, how could anything happen here? If you dare to talk nonsense again and undermine morale, I'll send you to a military court!" Fuck! Why haven't these scoundrels returned yet?! The lieutenant's anger seemed to have reached its peak as he finished speaking, picking up his pistol. "Private First Class Harry!" "Yes, sir!" "Now come with me to the logistics department, I want to see what happened!" "Yes, sir!" With that, the lieutenant led the soldier out of the cover and towards the logistics department. Less than two minutes later, the lieutenant suddenly stopped. He looked ahead warily.

"What's wrong, sir?" Someone's here! The lieutenant immediately crouched down, assuming an attack stance. "Sir, could it be your imagination?" a soldier said. "Shut up! You weren't even born when I was fighting!"

As the two men were talking, a figure staggered towards them from the side of the road. The lieutenant raised his pistol, pointed it forward, and said, "Who is that? State your unit number!" The man didn't answer, but continued to walk towards them. The lieutenant looked closely and realized the man was wearing an American military uniform. "Sir, this is my squad leader, Charlie! He's an alcoholic; he probably drank too much at the logistics department earlier." The soldier then walked towards the man.

"What?!" By the time the lieutenant realized what was happening, the soldier had already been dragged a considerable distance away. "Sir! Help me!" the soldier cried out in panic.

"Okay! Wait a minute!" After saying that, the lieutenant picked up his pistol and fired at the zombie, but a group of people dressed in what looked like US military uniforms slowly emerged from both sides of the road.

"Zombies?! How come there are zombies here?!" The lieutenant fired his gun as he ran quickly toward the artillery position, but before he could get far, a zombie seemed to fly and jumped onto him from 10 yards away, straddling his neck and tearing at him.

"Colonel!" a soldier rushed into Colonel Staples's command post, asking. "What is it?" he said calmly. "The artillery position just crackled on the radio, saying a large number of zombies have appeared on their position! They need our support." "What?!" The colonel seemed unable to believe his ears. "Zombies in the camp?! How did they get in? Our lines haven't been breached yet! Did those infected fly there?" the colonel roared hysterically.

"Colonel, what should we do?" "Notify the troops in the pre-battle positions and have them send one unit to support the artillery. Losing the artillery is bad enough; if we're attacked from both sides by zombies, we'll lose!" the colonel shouted. "Go quickly!"

"Sir!" a soldier said. "Why has our artillery fire stopped?" "They're probably resting. We can't rely too much on the artillery; the shells will eventually run out!" "Yes, sir!" "Right! The colonel orders your team to add another squad to support the artillery position; they have a large number of infected there!"

"Infected individuals have appeared in the camp?" Mike's expression was exactly the same as the colonel's upon hearing the news. "Yes! Therefore, your unit is required to reinforce the artillery positions as quickly as possible, eliminate the infected, and remember, leave no zombies behind!"

"Sir! The colonel said they've sent reinforcements and we need to hold off the zombies at all costs," a communications soldier said to a captain.

"Hold off the zombies? This is the only position left on our defensive line. How are we supposed to hold them off? Are we just going to be sent to our deaths?" the captain shouted, almost frantically. "Coco, sir, reinforcements are coming." "I know. Then we'll do our best to hold off those monsters."

By this time, the zombies had broken through to the front lines of the artillery position. Although they were all soldiers of the human resistance, the artillerymen had less training than the infantry, so the zombies who had broken through seemed to have the advantage. "Rick!" the captain said. "Quickly, get the mortars! Give them a shot!" A soldier asked doubtfully, "Using mortars at this close range?" "I believe in you! You can definitely do it!" "Yes, sir!"

After speaking, the soldier rushed out of the position and to the rear. He took out a mortar, ran back several dozen meters, fixed the gun mount, and aimed at the infected in front of the position. "Boom!" A shell exploded among a group of zombies, and several zombies were instantly thrown into the air by the blast wave.

"Okay!" the soldier muttered to himself, "I can do it!" He continued shelling, but the zombies were creatures without feeling or fear; they charged into the position despite the shelling. "What? The zombies have entered the position?!" The soldier stared blankly at the scene before him.

"Sir, why do we have to go rescue those artillerymen? Don't they have guns themselves?" a civilian-looking man asked. "Why?" the officer replied. "Artillery is a vital source of our strength. Without it, our defenses will be severely weakened. You don't want that, do you? Those artillerymen can't exactly use cannons as bayonets, can they? If zombies and humans come into close combat, humanity's chances of winning will be greatly reduced—not just reduced, but..."

"Slaughter!" The soldier named Rick stared at the zombies and the soldiers fighting on the battlefield—no, it shouldn't be called a fight, it was a massacre. "I...I..." Rick's hands trembled uncontrollably, whether from fear or anger. "Boom!" A mortar shell exploded among a group of zombies. "I'll kill you all!" Rick roared.

"Soldiers! Kill them all!" a sergeant continued to shout, encouraging his men. Suddenly, the sergeant seemed to hear something. He turned his head behind him, and a mortar shell flew over—"BOOM!"—blowing the entire position and the soldiers to pieces. "What happened with that explosion?" the colonel shouted. "Uh, the latest news is that it seems an artillery shell from the artillery position accidentally hit our front line, collapsing a section of the perimeter wall."

To be continued.

...

Chapter 665 S.H.I.E.L.D. Support

"Colonel, the infected at the artillery position have been cleared," Corporal Mike said into the walkie-talkie. "Good. Are there any survivors?" Colonel Staples asked. "No," Corporal Mike replied earnestly. "...Are those cannons still usable?" Staples continued. "There was an explosion just now; there aren't many usable cannons left," Corporal Mike answered seriously.

"Alright... I understand. Take your soldiers back. We need reinforcements; the zombies are about to break in..." Staples thought for a moment but continued giving orders. The zombies charged fearlessly towards the human camp, roaring like wild beasts. With each increasing number of zombies, the monsters drew ever closer to the human camp. "Out of ammo!" a soldier suddenly shouted. "Me neither!" "Sir! We need more ammo!"

A sergeant frowned and said to the soldiers, "Hold on, I'll get some ammunition!" "Yes, sir!" "When will our ammunition supply arrive? The soldiers are almost out of bullets!" "...Is that so?" The colonel put down his cigar. "Jack...we're running low on ammunition..." "This is the S.H.I.E.L.D. flight team. We're using military channels now. We'll continue clearing out the zombies outside." The voice came from three Apache attack helicopters in the sky. A soldier wearing headphones was asleep next to the radio... He hadn't closed his eyes for two days. No one was there to relieve him. He must have reached his limit.

"...Huh?" The soldier rubbed his blurry eyes. He jumped up and ran quickly out of the communications tent. "Colonel!" Dr. Jack shouted. "How can we be out of ammunition! If we don't get more ammunition, our entire line will collapse!" "...Jack...you know, we didn't bring much ammunition when we retreated, and after so much time, it's almost all used up..."

Thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D., this place could very well have been completely overrun by zombies today. Although it would only be temporary, it's enough for them.

It was late at night, but the human camp was no longer as quiet as usual. No one could sleep. Everyone was fighting the horde of crazed zombies outside the camp. A military truck drove up to the small square, and a man got out—it was Dr. Jack. "Soldiers..." Jack shouted. "Attention! Squad leaders, come here to collect your ammunition."

"How can this little bit of ammunition be enough?" one soldier complained. "Let's use it sparingly, we'll go get more later," another soldier said. Because of the dwindling ammunition, the defensive line's firepower was greatly weakened. "Sir! At this rate, those monsters will break in!" "Sir? Sergeant Jack?" A soldier looked around, but he couldn't find Corporal Jack. "Where's Sergeant Jack?"

Inside a speeding military jeep, Jack was driving alone, heading towards the tallest building in the human camp. "Jack... I want to issue one last order..." the colonel said softly, his back to Jack.

"What are the orders, Colonel?" The colonel turned around, pointing to the map of the human camp on the table, his hand firmly pressing on a spot. "Place all the ammunition in the camp here. Set the time to 8:30 AM." The colonel looked at Jack with an expression that demanded absolute obedience.

"This is... the central building?" Jack suddenly seemed to understand something. He argued, "Why, Colonel? Why? This much ammunition is enough to raze the camp to the ground." "You should know that the human camp was bound to fall sooner or later. We should seize our destiny while we still have the power. I don't think you'd want to be infected by the virus and become one of those monsters attacking your own comrades, would you?" "..." Jack was silent for a long time. "I understand." After saying this, Jack saluted the colonel and walked out.

He didn't know what to feel, but he knew he was a soldier, and a soldier's duty was to obey orders. He had simply done his job. "What should I do?" Jack seemed utterly lost. "Ah!!!" A sharp sound came from afar. "Ah!!!" The sound grew closer and louder. "What is that?" Jack exclaimed in surprise. "What is that thing?" He picked up his M4A1 automatic rifle and pointed it at the source of the sound. "Swish swish swish..." The branches seemed to be restrained by something, their leaves constantly making this sound. Jack crouched down, pointing his rifle at the branches.

"Who?!" Jack shouted. "Who is it?! Who's there?" Jack finished speaking and loaded his gun. "If you don't speak up, I'll shoot!"... "How are you? Are you alright?" Louis asked Tim. Tim, who had just recovered, seemed to be walking with some difficulty, but he still mustered his willpower and said, "This is nothing! Of course I can do it!" "...Is that so?" Zoe said softly. "Alright, where do we go now?" Francis interrupted their conversation.

"...I think I should go to the front lines now; that's where I belong. I want to be with the soldiers!" Tim said firmly.

“Alright…we’ll take you there first. Then we’ll move on,” Francis said. “Heh…of course, we’ll find that old geezer Bill and run away together,” Louis said with a laugh. “Bang bang bang…” came the sound of rifles firing continuously; the battle between humans and zombies was quickly reaching its climax.

"Let's go! Let's go check it out!" Francis said, running towards the source of the sound. "Come out! You coward!" Jack's assault rifle was aimed intently at the tree branches. Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the branches, making a "ya ya ya..." sound. The piercing sound was as deafening as a jet engine; its speed was incredible, like a black lightning bolt in the night sky. "What is that?!" Jack fired frantically, but he couldn't find it in his scope; he was just firing blindly based on his instincts.

"Die! Die!" Jack cursed the thing as he fired. The spent bullet casings clattered against the floor like a waterfall cascading down a cliff.

Chapter 666 Perilous Situation

At that moment, the dark figure seemed to leap above Jack as if it had fallen from the sky, then landed precisely on Jack's head.

Suddenly, Jack lost his footing and fell to the ground, the dark figure sitting on his stomach. Only then did Jack see its true form: a special infected individual. Its face was covered by clothing, revealing only one eye—a pale green that looked eerily unsettling. The infected individual stopped its attack, slowly raising its hands into fists as if preparing to deliver a final, fatal blow to Jack.

Jack closed his eyes, as if he had witnessed it all. He would never see the moment of victory; he wouldn't see it, and neither would anyone else. "Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and the special infected person sitting on him slowly collapsed.

At that moment, Mike arrived and glanced at his watch. "We've been notified that they've dispatched a flight team. They just helped us clean up this place."

“Alright… I’ve said what I needed to say. Now I should get back to my post.” With that, Jack slowly started walking back to the camp. “I should go too…” Mike said to everyone with a smile. “Jack and I are the same; our duties are there… our concerns are there too. We’re just doing things to make up for our past mistakes…” Jack then looked up at the sky.

Dr. Jack smiled, saluted the crowd, and then limped after Mike. Together they slowly walked towards the position, supporting each other. The crowd watched the two men go. Suddenly, Francis raised his hand and saluted them.

Bill took out his wallet, and inside lay the same small photograph. He gently stroked it with his wrinkled hands; the photograph seemed like a door to a time tunnel, leading the old man into a bygone era…

"Bang, bang, bang..." A series of rapid, heavy sounds of metal striking metal interrupted Bill's reverie. "What's that?" Bill put away his wallet, walked to the door, and peered out through an iron window. Suddenly, a person dressed in an American military uniform appeared outside, but unlike the soldiers, this person's clothes were tattered, his skin was deathly pale, his eyes were lifeless, and blood was constantly spitting from his mouth. It was a zombie, and the zombie kept banging on Bill's door, as if the person inside was a great attraction to him... Bill looked at him indifferently, took out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled the swirling smoke into the zombie's face.

Three Apache attack helicopters continued flying eastward, attacking the dangerous zombies. They had already undergone numerous aerial refuelings, but they kept flying. "Looks like... the camp has fallen... It's a pity Umbrella Corporation no longer exists," Bill said calmly, gazing at the infected outside the iron gate. "...Zoe and the others must have escaped, right?" Bill muttered to himself. "Someone as clever as them should have run away like a rabbit when they sensed trouble..."

Suddenly, a burst of chaotic gunfire rang out. The door to the room opened, and a group of people appeared in the doorway. "Bill... we've finally found you!" Zoe exclaimed excitedly. "Why haven't you run away yet?" "Aren't we teammates? How can we abandon our teammates and run for our lives first?" "Hey old man... are you ready for the adventure?" Francis said with a smile. Bill was stunned for a moment. "Of course..." "Mike... we're surrounded." The two hid in a small room. "Heh... Jack... can you still run?" "Don't be ridiculous, I'm already too tired to run." The infected outside were still relentlessly attacking the already flimsy door. "Want a cigarette?" Mike handed Jack a cigarette. "Thanks..." Jack smiled and lit it. "Heh... we're really taking it easy, even though we're about to die, we're still so..." "...Are you scared, Jack?" "Wait, they're coming in, we should get going too." After saying that, Mike took out two grenades, "Let's go together so we can look out for each other, heh."

"Hehe...hahahaha..." Loud laughter echoed from the room...then abruptly stopped with an explosion. Facing death in that final second, they calmly accepted it. "Wait...wait a minute..." Louis gasped. "Let's...rest a bit...I really can't climb anymore..." "No! Louis, who told you not to exercise more?! Now you know how serious this is, right?" Zoe wiped the sweat from her brow. "Who knew...why did this damn elevator suddenly lose power?!" Louis said, giving Bill a pitiful look. Bill glanced at his watch and said, "No, we can't stay here any longer, time is running out..." He then said to Louis, "Cheer up, Louis!"

"Get lost, Francis!" "Haha..." Francis mimicked Bill's tone. "Cheer up, Louis, maybe a lucky angel will be waiting for you on the roof." Amidst the cheerful conversation, people continued climbing to the roof, everyone laughing, except for one person... that was Tim...

"What's this?" Louis said softly. "Is anyone here?" The group slowly walked over and stopped in front of a door. "What's this...?!" Bill seemed to have noticed something. "Is anyone here..." Zoe gently pushed open the door and went inside. It was a very clean room, simply furnished with a desk and two chairs. But the most striking feature was a huge glass panel on the wall facing the door, seemingly replacing the wall itself. From here, one could clearly see the entire human camp... "Colonel?" Zoe looked at the person and said. The person paused, as if smoking. Then he turned around...

“It really is the Colonel!” Zoe said with a smile. “The Colonel has a helicopter coming to rescue us, please come with us!” “I will not leave. As a commander of an army, I will not abandon my troops and run away alone, I will not!” he said firmly.

Chapter 667 Out of Danger

The world seems like a dream, an illusion existing only within a thin layer of paper and glass. Those within it are oblivious, constantly struggling in this illusion, enacting scene after scene of hypocrisy, deception, and betrayal. Only the Creator, who created this world, smiles and watches all this from beyond that thin layer of paper and glass. Sometimes I feel that the Creator giving humanity intelligence was a mistake, and this feeling has continuously evolved into a reflection: humanity, with its proud intelligence. This species' success is due to it, and precisely because of this, intelligence could also be the cause of its destruction. Like a butterfly effect, seemingly insignificant influences can lead to incredible events.

The sunset was so beautiful, as if it had been infused with someone's blood, making it hang so crimson on the horizon. Its crimson color seemed to have infected the clouds beside it, turning the originally pure white clouds crimson as well. This infection was like the virus happening around us, seemingly far away but actually not far at all.

Inside a black SUV reflecting the sunlight, four people continued their journey into the unknown. "Looks like we'll have to spend the night in the wild again," Bill said, gazing at the setting sun and the endless road ahead. "It's not the first time, anyway. It's fine," Zoe said with a smile. This girl seemed to have lost the youthful naiveté of her younger days, replaced by a hardened resolve forged through trials. Everyone who survived was like this, but beneath this outward resilience lay a heart battered and bruised, yet they always outwardly displayed strength, keeping that inner turmoil forever to themselves.

The setting sun had sunk below the horizon, but a trace of its crimson glow lingered in the sky. The black SUV carrying four people slowly drove into a sparse grove of trees. In the star-studded sky, a waning crescent moon slowly rose above the horizon, looking so desolate… Beside the SUV, a roaring campfire continuously emitted light and heat to dispel the darkness and cold. “Let’s keep it the same,” Bill said, glancing at the three people sitting by the campfire. “Take turns every two hours. The rest of you go to the car to rest.”

“Okay. No problem, old man,” Francis said with a smile. “So, who’s on duty first today?” Bill looked at everyone. “Me,” Zoe slowly raised her hand. “Okay. Good, then thank you for your hard work, Zoe.” Bill looked at Zoe sitting by the campfire, her arms wrapped around her legs. “Let’s go rest first.” After saying that, everyone turned to get into the car. “Louis,” Zoe gently called out to Louis, who was about to get into the car. “What’s wrong, Zoe?” Louis asked, looking at Zoe who was staring at the campfire. “Let’s chat.” Zoe said softly. Looking at the silent Zoe, Louis smiled and sat down next to her.

"Something on your mind?" Louis asked. "You mean..." Zoe looked up at the vast starry sky and lay down on the soft grass. "When will this kind of life ever end?" Louis smiled at the troubled Zoe and also lay down on the grass. "To be honest, I don't know either. Since losing Umbrella Corporation's support, our losses have been enormous." "Then where is our hope?" Zoe said softly. "I originally thought the survivor camp was our best refuge, but..."

“Our hope lies in our hearts,” Louis said firmly. “Look at this road ahead.” Louis pointed to the long, winding highway before them. “The road?” Zoe asked, puzzled. “Don’t be fooled by the darkness now; darkness is not eternal. One day, light will illuminate this road and lead us to hope!” Hearing this, Zoe’s eyes brightened. “You are so kind, it’s so good to have you by my side.” Zoe wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes. “It’s because of your constant companionship that I’ve made it this far…” Louis smiled and handed her a handkerchief. “Hehe, don’t say that. We’re just helping each other. No one could have survived this long, no one…” The campfire continued to burn, crackling softly.

“You guys are so kind… always there for me when I need help the most… I’m so afraid I’ll lose you one day…” Zoe drifted off to sleep, enveloped in the warmth of the campfire, back in that seemingly wonderful world. “Really, she’s asleep again,” Louis said with a smile. A blanket had somehow appeared on Zoe… “Test test test…” The helicopter’s wings were still spinning. “Hey old man… can you fly this thing?” Francis asked, staring at the teetering helicopter. “No…” Bill struggled to operate the controls. “Holy crap! Are you kidding me?! We’re entrusting our lives to a helicopter pilot who can’t even fly a helicopter?!”

“…No…I really don’t know…I just feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before…” Bill tried hard to recall… “Damn, I’ve seen it too…on TV, in games…” Unconsciously, Francis’s complaints seemed to grow fainter and fainter in Bill’s ears…Bill was lost in a distant memory.

In the dense rainforest… a helicopter slowly landed on a clearing… two men in U.S. military uniforms jumped out and helped the unconscious Bill up. “Captain Bill! Captain Bill!” a soldier called out to Bill. “Hmm…” Bill slowly opened his eyes. “Soldiers, you’ve come?” Yes, we’ve come, Captain Bill, we’ve come to take you home! … With the lift of the helicopter’s powerful engine, it slowly ascended into the sky. Bill stared blankly at the pilot. “Is it all over?” Bill struggled to turn his battered body and looked out the window. He saw several fully armed fighter jets flying behind him, and countless explosions echoed from the woods behind him…

"Damn it! You old geezer! What are you looking at?!" Francis shouted in a loud, terrified voice. "Look ahead!"

"Huh?" Bill, snapping out of his daze, looked ahead. The helicopter was flying too low; it was crashing straight into the woods... "Wake up... Zoe..." A voice woke Zoe from her sleep. "Huh?" Zoe stretched, the blinding sunlight making her reluctant to open her eyes. "It's time to get going." Bill helped Zoe up. "We've lingered long enough." Zoe reluctantly straightened up, took a sip of water, and the car started, heading towards the road they had been traveling on. Like the sunset of yesterday evening, the sun was only half-hidden in the sky on the horizon, but unlike the setting sun, this was the rising sun, the new sun of the day, signifying a new day, and an adventure full of danger and excitement.

Chapter 668 Encountering Survivors

"Where are we going?" Zoe asked Bill, who was driving. "West...to find the civilized world..." Bill replied. The black SUV had carried this group through countless nights, through countless destroyed towns, and outrun countless relentlessly pursuing zombies. But life went on; the world hadn't changed, and everything remained the same. The vehicle sped along the highway. Zoe opened the sunroof and peered out, stunned by the scenery. Golden rice paddies on both sides of the road stretched like a golden ocean. A gentle breeze rippled across the surface, creating waves that resembled a real sea. The fragrance of rice filled the air, invigorating the senses and prompting exclamations of admiration for the breathtaking view. A river blocked their path in the distance. The group got out of the car. Looking at the wide river, they faced a dilemma.

“What should we do, old man?” Francis asked. Bill frowned as he looked at the rushing river. “How about this, we split up and go to this side of the river to see if we can find a bridge or a boat. Zoe, you stay here and guard the car until we come back. If anything happens, use gunfire to warn us.”

“Okay, Bill,” Zoe said with a smile. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing.” The other three slowly walked away along the riverbank. Zoe sat on the hood of the SUV, gazing at the clear river, her heart feeling light and carefree. Behind her were tall rice paddies, the fragrance of the blossoms almost making her hungry. Zoe’s stomach rumbled. “Ah… if only we could live in a world without zombies,” Zoe said with a smile. But then she suddenly realized the absurdity of her words. The virus outbreak had only been going on for less than a year. For the previous 20 years, hadn’t she lived in a superhero world without the virus? Yet she seemed to have never truly loved that world, only regretting it after losing it. Perhaps this was a common human failing? Not appreciating things when you have them, only regretting them after they’re gone. As Zoe continued to ponder these thoughts, she heard a rustling sound from the wheat field behind her. It was as if something was approaching her.

Zoe immediately jumped out of the car and pulled out her pistol, pointing it at the wheat field. "Who?" Zoe shouted, "Who is it? I'll shoot if you don't speak!" The rustling sound stopped, as if intimidated. Zoe lowered her head and slowly walked into the rice paddy, each step a slow, deliberate movement, as if walking on water. The path ahead, her view, was completely blocked by the tall rice stalks. "Clang..." a voice came from ahead. Zoe raised her pistol, her finger on the trigger. She was now thinking that even if a monster emerged from there, she would kill it before she was attacked. "Clang... Clang... Clang..." The voice grew closer, seemingly just a short distance ahead of Zoe.

Zoe's heart was in her throat. She was extremely nervous, because not knowing what the enemy is is the most terrifying thing for a human. "Swish, swish, swish..." A small black shadow rushed out from the wheat stalks ahead. "...A field...mouse?" Zoe muttered to herself. It turned out that it was just a field mouse. Zoe's heart finally relaxed. As Zoe turned to go back to the car, suddenly... a dark gun barrel was pointed at her head. It was a woman, who stretched out a hand as if gesturing for Zoe to hand over the gun. Zoe had no choice but to give her the gun. At this moment, the three of them returned to the car, but they all noticed one problem at the same time: Zoe was gone. What happened? Was she attacked by an infected? "Francis said. "No..." Bill stared at the vehicle and the wheat field. His eagle-like eyes seemed to have noticed something. "It wasn't an infected... There was no struggle, no blood, no gunshots, not even a shout..."

“Then…why is this…” Louis asked. “This can only mean one thing…” Suddenly, Bill drew his M16 assault rifle from behind him and pointed it at the wheat field. “Old man…what are you doing?” Francis asked, puzzled. He lit a cigarette. “You’ll see in a moment…” As soon as Bill finished speaking, about 50 people emerged from the wheat field. They included men, women, and children, and carried all sorts of weapons. Some were relatively modern M4A1 assault rifles, others were rifles, some were small-caliber pistols, and some even carried ancient bows and arrows…They surrounded the three men. “Ah…” Francis stared at the scene, stunned. His mouth was agape, and the cigarette in his mouth fell to the ground. “It seems we’re in a bad situation…” Louis said softly. “No…not just bad…very bad…” Bill said calmly.

Suddenly, a woman stepped forward. "Put down your weapons..." In late autumn, a refreshing breeze caressed people's faces, bringing a sense of coolness and comfort. But at this moment, three people certainly didn't feel the same way. I imagine that facing numerous weapons capable of taking lives in an instant would send chills down the spine and break out in a cold sweat. And these three people were now facing such a predicament. The two groups stood in a standoff until a young woman stepped forward.

“…Wow…” The woman walked up to the group and said to the three men, “Put down your weapons and do as I say, and I guarantee you’ll be fine. What if we don’t?” Francis said. “If we don’t, you’ll be riddled with holes in a second,” the woman said calmly. “Then I’ll turn your head into a hole in half a second!” Francis said, aiming his pistol at the woman’s head, but at that moment, the guns of the fifty-odd men around him were all pointed at Francis. “We mean no harm,” the woman said with a smile. “We just want to check you out for our own protection. How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking? You kidnapped Zoe, didn’t you? Release her!”