Chapter 7: Mission Accomplished

Hiding behind the shelves, Fang Chong cautiously peered out. A woman with black hair, dressed in a brown professional outfit and donning black high-heeled shoes, appeared in Fang Chong's sight. Judging by her attire, Fang Chong inferred that she might be a managerial figure in this mall.

However, as he observed her swaying walk, Fang Chong's expression turned serious. It wasn't because of her appearance but rather an instinctive alertness. From morning till now, he had encountered numerous zombies, and their movements and appearances were now quickly distinguishable to him.

Although he hadn't seen her face, judging by her figure, if it weren't for the apocalypse, this woman would likely be considered beautiful. But now, things were uncertain. Twenty meters, ten meters – Fang Chong silently kept track of the distance between him and the woman

Five meters. When the woman approached Fang Chong, now just five meters away, he could clearly see her appearance. Long flowing hair, beautiful features, and a clean face. The absence of festering sores seemed odd to Fang Chong, but upon noticing her lifeless gray eyes, he knew for sure she was a zombie.

"One, two, three." Fang Chong didn't count aloud; instead, he waited until the female zombie passed by before leaping into action. With pinpoint accuracy, he delivered a powerful kick to the zombie's back, sending her body straight to the ground.

After several trials, Fang Chong learned that even though a zombie's strength was five times that of a human, they couldn't react immediately to such an attack. "Thud." As he heard the sound of the zombie's body colliding with the ground, Fang Chong swiftly executed his next move – a clean decapitation of the female zombie.

Opting to avoid direct confrontation with zombies, Fang Chong chose this method, mindful of their inherent danger. Recalling the morning's intense encounter, the memory lingered, with the realization that even car metal could be pierced.

"Killing zombies isn't that difficult, is it?" After successfully dispatching another zombie, Fang Chong felt a sense of pride and a surge in confidence. "The third one," he celebrated, finding joy in the achievement.

With the completion of the first task of the day, Fang Chong decided not to leave Zone Two immediately. Zone Two had fewer zombies than Zone One, and carrying a large quantity of food to Zone One posed a considerable risk. Staying temporarily in Zone Two seemed a safer option, allowing him to focus on other things without worrying about food.

Although zombies still roamed, Fang Chong anticipated their eventual elimination. With a determined plan in mind, he cautiously began searching for zombies in Zone Two.

Fearless in one-on-one combat, Fang Chong had little to worry about. Spending over an hour, he skillfully eliminated the zombies in Zone Two, a total of twenty-four using his cunning techniques.

"Finally, all done." Fang Chong kicked the last zombie's head aside, letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down. Fortunately, these zombies were all solitary, and Fang Chong succeeded without much danger.

If not for the black blood stains covering him, Fang Chong might not believe that on the first day of the apocalypse, armed only with a fruit knife, he could kill twenty-five zombies.

Pulling out his phone, he noticed it was nearly midnight. Although a post-apocalyptic phone had lost its usual functions, serving as a watch and light source when there was power was still practical. Fang Chong had brought it along casually when leaving home.

During the zombie encounters, his focus had been solely on the task at hand, but now the feeling was different.

As his tightly held focus relaxed, not only did the physical exhaustion intensify, but his stomach also growled loudly.

"I need to find something to eat." Having already dispatched numerous zombies, Fang Chong no longer felt nauseated at the sight of them. Besides, without a full stomach, there was no energy to confront zombies.

The entirety of Zone Two was a designated food area, and Fang Chong easily found packaged items like biscuits and sausages in the aisles. The meat in the deli section was off-limits, leaving him with the choice of packaged snacks. Opting for dairy drinks to better supplement nutrition, Fang Chong enjoyed a satisfying meal.

Afterward, he leaned against a relatively secluded corner to rest quietly. Although Zone Two seemed temporarily safe, Fang Chong remained cautious. Even while sleeping, he never let go of his knife.

Over an hour later, Fang Chong got up and, after inspecting Zone Two once again without finding anything unusual, he proceeded to clean up the zombie corpses. When he mentioned "cleaning up," it essentially involved dragging the bodies of the twenty-odd zombies to the stairwell, blocking the path to Zone Two. This not only enhanced his safety but also improved the overall environment by reducing the unsettling sight of zombies.

After completing this task, Fang Chong carefully stacked some shelves near the stairwell leading to Zone Three. Though these shelves might not entirely block zombie attacks, they would at least create some trouble for them, providing Fang Chong with crucial preparation time.

"Perhaps the warehouse is the safest place," Fang Chong thought. He believed that the third task from the Maya system was directing him to find a secure location to hide. Since he had no intention of leaving Mall Two for now, this seemed like the most logical place to search.

After some exploration, a small room in a corner, stacked with various food items, became Fang Chong's target.

Aside from the abundance of on-site food, the warehouse's door, made of iron bars, provided increased security. Even if the entire Zone Two were attacked by zombies, hiding in the warehouse would ensure survival for a considerable time.

Having made up his mind, Fang Chong cleared out some non-essential items while casually moving higher-nutrient and more valuable food items like preserved meat and chocolate from the shelves into the warehouse. After completing these tasks, it was nearly 6 PM, and the sky had begun to darken. Even within Mall Two, Fang Chong could hear occasional roars from outside, sending a shiver down his spine.

Though he was well aware that zombies became exceptionally aggressive at night, experiencing and sensing it firsthand made him realize the true horror surpassing imagination. Through the mall's glass, Fang Chong could clearly see a gathering of zombies in the plaza outside, their speed different from those he encountered earlier in the day.

Seeing this, Fang Chong slightly crouched down, slipping into the warehouse. After closing the iron door, he finally felt some relaxation in his spirit.

He had been constantly grateful for the decisions he made today. If he had hesitated during noon, retreated, and not eliminated all the zombies in Zone Two, he might not have the opportunity to sit here peacefully now.

"Host, today's tasks completed. Level increased by two, and three gift packages are awarded." As Fang Chong prepared to have dinner, the voice of the Maya system echoed in his mind. Upon hearing these words, Fang Chong couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.