Chapter Ten: Conflict (Part Two)

Chapter Ten: Conflict (Part Two)

"Be cautious," exclaimed Xiao Ran, but it was too late. Wu Peng had already acquired a stone unnoticed in his hand and viciously smashed it onto the back of Chu Min's head while he was off guard. Chu Min felt a dizzying sensation, his vision darkened, and he collapsed to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Bin snatched the Five-Four handgun from his grasp.

"Brother!" Chu Ying rushed over in panic, supporting Chu Min to sit in the corner against the wall. His injuries were not severe, just knocked unconscious. Resting for a while would suffice.

"Damn it, what a farce. There isn't a single bullet in the gun," sneered Wu Peng after inspecting the handgun. The situation now completely reversed, the initiative firmly in the hands of the Wu brothers.

"Now, are you all behaving?" Wu Bin grumbled discontentedly. He kicked open Chu Min's door. "Baldy, you and Su Hao bring out everything from the room. I declare that all the food will be distributed by us."

Xiao Ran was inclined to resist, but Wu Peng aimed the shotgun at the Chu siblings. Moreover, he wasn't proficient in his electrical abilities. If he failed to eliminate them in one go, everyone would be in danger. He reluctantly complied, swallowing his pride, and together with Su Hao, they moved the limited food from Chu Ying's room to the Wu brothers' room.

Wu Bin was delighted. He had long coveted Chu Ying's beauty but had refrained due to fear of Chu Min. Now, he finally had the chance. His triangular eyes shamelessly ogled Chu Ying's prominent chest for a long while, then lewdly remarked, "Girl, I snore at night, which keeps Brother Peng awake. Tonight, you'll sleep in Brother Peng's room."

"Shameless scoundrel," Chu Ying retorted, tears welling in her eyes. But with her protective brother unconscious, she was in a perilous situation.

"You wench, don't play hard to get. Unless I blow your brother's head into a smashed watermelon, you won't yield," Wu Peng viciously threatened.

"You've gone too far. You can take the food, but sparing even a weak woman? You'll have to kill me first," Xiao Ran interposed, standing in front of Chu Ying. No matter what, the Chu siblings were in this predicament because of their efforts to save him. If he didn't step up now, he wouldn't be a man. He had made up his mind. As soon as the Wu brothers made a move, he would charge forward, risking it all.

"Damn it, I was considering sparing you, but it seems you're asking for death yourself. Can't blame me then," Wu Bin aimed his crossbow at Xiao Ran. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, his eyes widened in horror. "W-what's that? A monster!"

Following his gaze, everyone looked toward a peculiar creature crouching on the floor-to-ceiling window of the hall. Its limbs were elongated, ending in sucker-like pads resembling those of a duck's bill. Its pale gray head protruded without any semblance of a neck, with two fish-like eyes bulging high, and two small nostrils in place of a nose. Its wide mouth was lined with two rows of fine teeth, and its pink tongue, resembling that of a snake, constantly extended and retracted.

Wu Peng's reaction was swift. He raised the shotgun and fired at the creature.

A deafening blast echoed as countless steel pellets shattered the glass into tiny shards. However, the creature was nowhere to be seen. It had evaded the shot completely.

"There it is!" Su Hao exclaimed as the creature appeared on another windowpane. It seemed it could freely climb the walls.

Wu Peng immediately fired another shot without hesitation, but the creature swiftly dodged again. Apart from the shattered glass littering the floor, there was no trace of it.

The two opposing parties, previously on the brink of internal strife, were now too preoccupied to continue their dispute. A cold wind blew in through the broken windows, causing the room's temperature to drop significantly. However, the tension had everyone breaking out in a cold sweat. Initially, everyone had believed that zombies couldn't climb, so guarding the second floor was considered safe. But now, with a zombie capable of scaling walls, everyone was on edge. They slowly retreated, pressing their backs tightly against the cold walls, afraid of a surprise attack from the zombie.

Xiao Ran recalled what Chris had mentioned about zombies evolving. This unique creature was likely the successfully evolved T2.

As everyone nervously watched every window, not knowing from which one the creature would emerge next, a crisp sound of shattered glass suddenly came from the third floor. Immediately afterward, a loud thud came from the ceiling, causing the chandelier in the hall to sway slightly as if something heavy had landed on the third floor. Everyone reflexively looked up at the ceiling, but aside from the wood and lime plaster, there was nothing else, and no more sounds were heard.

"The monster is on the third floor," Su Hao swallowed hard, feeling a lump in his throat. This made matters worse. If no one went upstairs to kill the monster, and it climbed down while everyone was asleep at night, then no one would likely survive.

Wu Peng briskly pulled the bolt of the shotgun, his fierce gaze sweeping over everyone. Wu Bin, caught in his gaze, even felt his legs go weak.

"Brother Peng, I beg you, don't pick me. You know I'm the most cowardly. If I go up there, I'll just be a burden to you," Wu Bin said tearfully and snot-nosed. His earlier arrogance had completely vanished.

"Worthless coward! I knew you were useless. I didn't expect anything from you. Just stay here and watch over these people," Wu Peng cursed viciously. He then turned to Xiao Ran with a cold smirk. "Baldy, since you like being a hero, here's your chance. Go with me to take down the monster."

Xiao Ran understood Wu Peng's intentions. He wanted to use him as a shield. But in such dire circumstances, he didn't want to conflict with the Wu brothers anymore. He couldn't let women and children go up. 

"I'll go up, but you have to give me a weapon," Xiao Ran said.

Wu Peng chuckled, then kicked the steel pipe Xiao Ran had thrown on the ground yesterday towards him. Xiao Ran took a deep breath, picked up the pipe, and smiled back at Chu Ying, who was watching him anxiously. Then, he slowly ascended the stairs to the third floor.

The third floor was a storage room, usually used to store sundry items. It was seldom visited, and the wooden steps and handrails were covered in dust. Each step stirred up clouds of dust, indicating it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. Eyeing the thick wooden door, Wu Peng prodded Xiao Ran's lower back with the gun barrel. "Baldy, you go ahead and open the door."