Chapter 17: The Bloody Witch

Lin Yi paused at the end of the hallway, deep in thought. He knew that in his previous life, a mutant had appeared in this hotel, but he couldn't remember exactly where.

The mutant, known as the "Bloody Witch," was notorious for her brutal methods. Although not particularly powerful, she struck fear into the hearts of survivors in Linjiang City during the early days of the apocalypse. Her reputation stemmed from her penchant for torturing and killing players in the most inhumane ways imaginable.

"Do I have to search floor by floor?" Lin Yi muttered to himself, feeling a bit exasperated.

He decided to act quickly and decisively. Walking out casually, he tapped his Nepalese curved knife against the wall corners, producing a sharp metallic sound.

The zombies gathered at the doors suddenly turned their heads. Surprisingly, only a few charged towards Lin Yi.

With a loud crack, a door frame collapsed. Under the constant gnawing and pounding of the zombies, the door finally gave way. A horde of undead rushed in.

Inside the room, Yu Shihao clutched a small knife, his face contorted with madness. He dragged Wang Fang by her hair, ignoring her struggles. Blood flowed from her wrists, and her pierced ankles were limp and useless.

"You filthy whore!" Yu Shihao screamed. "If we're going to die, you're going first!"

With a final shriek from the girl, Yu Shihao threw her into the zombie horde, following up with a vicious kick to her back for good measure. In his mind, this was his only chance of survival – using Wang Fang as bait to buy himself some time.

The girl's face twisted in despair as she was thrown into the mass of undead. Dozens of rotting hands tore at her clothes and flesh. Her skin was ripped apart as she let out agonizing screams.

The zombies, driven by their basic instincts, ignored Yu Shihao in the corner and savored their fresh meal. Large chunks of flesh were bitten off the girl's face as she howled in pain.

Yu Shihao couldn't bear to look into her eyes, which were filled with utter despair and hatred.

Now was his chance!

"Ahhh!" He let out a roar, as if to psych himself up. With a fierce look in his eyes, he protected his head with both hands and made a desperate dash through the gap in the zombie horde while they were preoccupied with Wang Fang.

Two meters, three meters – his regular exercise routine was paying off. In a burst of adrenaline, he managed to break free from the encirclement of zombies.

I'm alive! Yu Shihao's face lit up with wild joy as he tumbled and crawled into the hallway.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi efficiently dispatched the few zombies that had charged at him with a clean, forward-striking slash. His cold gaze then fell upon the young man who had just burst out of the room.

Yu Shihao, sprawled on the ground, stared at Lin Yi in awe, marveling at his lightning-fast sword skills and immense strength.

"Big brother, please save me," Yu Shihao pleaded, crawling towards Lin Yi. "My girlfriend was eaten by zombies. I couldn't save her. Please, help me."

He knelt at Lin Yi's feet, his face a mask of subservience and flattery. Feigning extreme sorrow, he squeezed out a few tears as he looked up at Lin Yi imploringly.

Lin Yi remained silent, having no interest in saving anyone. Ignoring Yu Shihao, he strode towards the group of zombies still feasting on Wang Fang's remains.

As Lin Yi charged into the horde, cutting them down like a tiger among sheep, Yu Shihao's mind raced with possibilities. Unlike the others Lin Yi had encountered earlier, Yu Shihao was older and had a better grasp of the situation. During his time trapped in the room, he had carefully read through the few instructions provided by the apocalypse game system.

Combining this knowledge with what he had seen in movies, Yu Shihao realized that the world had likely changed completely. If his guess was correct, the outside world was probably overrun with zombies.

Seeing Lin Yi's incredible strength, Yu Shihao was determined to do whatever it took to attach himself to this powerful figure. He had no confidence in surviving on his own.

As Lin Yi finished off the last zombie with a sickening crunch, Yu Shihao flinched, both awed and terrified by the display of brutality.

"Big brother, may I ask your name?" Yu Shihao quickly stood up, eager to ingratiate himself. He even took off his own jacket, offering to wipe the blood off Lin Yi's body.

"Get lost," Lin Yi coldly spat out, causing Yu Shihao to back away in fear.

Lin Yi had activated his Judgment Eye, searching for clues among the two groups of zombies. However, he found no trace of the Bloody Witch. He wondered if she was on a lower floor or if she hadn't mutated yet.

If it was the latter, it would disrupt his plans. Killing non-mutated zombies wouldn't increase his level. Blindly searching for other mutants in the city would be suicidal. Without reaching a high enough level, he might not be able to acquire the equipment from the hospital.

Everything was interconnected, leaving no room for error.

At this moment, Officer Wang and his companion, who had been following Lin Yi from the upper floors, arrived on the eighth floor. Lin Yi remained silent for a moment, then turned to the three people with varying expressions and asked slowly, "Have any of you seen a particularly unusual female zombie? Or any zombies behaving strangely?"

Yu Shihao, eager to prove his worth, quickly spoke up. "Big brother, there are many female zombies here. What kind of special characteristics are you looking for?"

Lin Yi pondered for a moment. He actually didn't know much about the Bloody Witch's appearance. All he knew was her name and approximate strength from the chat channel in his previous life.

"If there's anything special, it might be related to the words 'Bloody Witch,'" Lin Yi finally said.

Bloody Witch? Officer Wang and his companion looked at each other in confusion, completely lost as to what Lin Yi was talking about.

Yu Shihao wracked his brain but couldn't recall any information related to a "Bloody Witch."

"Big brother, I've been stuck in my room since the apocalypse began. I haven't been outside," Yu Shihao said with a forced laugh, afraid that Lin Yi might find him useless. "If you want to search, I can help you look. This building is huge, and it would be inconvenient for you to search alone. I'm in good shape, I promise I won't slow you down!"

As if to prove his loyalty, Yu Shihao opened his player panel and respectfully presented it to Lin Yi.

"Player Information: Yu Shihao (Level 0)"

"Strength: 7"

"Agility: 6"

"Constitution: 6"

"Will: 8"

The attributes were decent, above average for an ordinary person.

"Big brother, if I may ask, what's your strength stat?" Yu Shihao couldn't help but ask, his heart racing as he recalled Lin Yi's earlier display of power. "Judging from what I saw earlier, your strength must be at least 11 points, right?"

Lin Yi frowned slightly. Although Yu Shihao had tried to disguise it well, constantly flattering him, Lin Yi could tell he was probing for information.

Ten points was the human limit, according to one of the few explanations in the attribute panel. By asking if Lin Yi had 11 points, Yu Shihao was indirectly trying to determine if Lin Yi's abilities exceeded human limitations.

Lin Yi didn't respond and prepared to move to the next floor.

Undeterred by Lin Yi's silence, Yu Shihao hurriedly followed. "Big brother, please take me with you. I'll do whatever you say, I promise I won't be a burden!"

Lin Yi's frown deepened. Take him along?

While Yu Shihao's attributes were decent and he seemed adept at reading situations, Lin Yi had no intention of wasting a slot on an ordinary person. Besides, the Savior Squad mission placed certain restrictions on recruitment.

As for Yu Shihao's cunning nature and true personality? With the system's constraints, once he joined the team, there would be no room for scheming or betrayal. That wasn't a concern.

Seeing that Lin Yi wasn't acknowledging him, Yu Shihao clenched his fists. "Damn it, this guy must know how to enhance his abilities! I need to find a way to get that information out of him."

Not daring to reveal his thoughts, Yu Shihao continued to follow Lin Yi respectfully.

Lin Yi led the way, with Officer Wang and his companion trailing at the back, not daring to fall too far behind.

As the group made their way down the floors, the dim corridor behind them suddenly twisted. Wang Fang's half-destroyed face, her eyes blank and filled with resentment, stared lifelessly at the ceiling.

No one noticed.

On the second floor of the hotel, Lin Yi shook the blood off his hands, feeling somewhat disappointed. He had searched from the ninth floor down but hadn't found any trace of the Bloody Witch. However, the number of survivors following him had grown to twenty-seven.

Most of the survivors were couples, as single people wouldn't typically come to a hotel like this. Of course, there were also a few unusual groupings.

"Go on, go wipe the sweat off Lin's forehead," a middle-aged man dressed like a wealthy businessman said with a sycophantic smile, pushing the woman beside him forward. The woman was his mistress, whom he usually doted on. But in this situation, he wouldn't hesitate to offer her – or even his wife – to Lin Yi if it meant gaining favor.

The others joined in, praising and flattering Lin Yi. These survivors had witnessed Lin Yi's god-like killing spree on their way down. While they feared him, most hoped to establish a good relationship with him.

Some of the younger men looked at Lin Yi with admiration, clutching fire axes for courage. A few women in professional attire discreetly tore their already revealing clothes further, hoping to catch his attention.

"That won't be necessary," Lin Yi coldly refused the offered towel, his mood growing irritable.

It wasn't that he was annoyed by people following him. These people could serve as bait, even if they couldn't help directly. Mutated zombies had a much stronger urge to kill than ordinary ones. The denser the crowd, the more likely they were to attract mutants.

Just like in his previous life, the larger the safe zone, the more frequent the attacks from zombie hordes and mutants.

He hadn't planned on saving anyone; these people had simply started following him after he cleared out the zombies. Following the strong was human instinct. Of course, enjoying his protection meant they would have to pay a price.

"Last floor," Lin Yi said without much hope as he prepared to go downstairs.

The first floor was the lobby, which faced the hospital entrance across the street. The elevators on the first floor of the hotel were out of service, and the stairs were blocked by debris.

Perhaps because the "meat" in the hospital couldn't run fast, most of the zombies in the surrounding streets were concentrated inside the hospital rather than gathering at the hotel.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the street, followed by a cacophony of car alarms.

"Big brother Lin! There's... there's a monster!" Yu Shihao, reacting quickly, rushed to the window. After seeing what was happening, he turned back to Lin Yi with a terrified expression.

"There are people too!" "On the street!" Several young men shouted, equally horrified. It was as if something truly terrifying was outside the window.

Lin Yi quickly walked to the window and pulled back the curtain.

What he saw was...!

In the middle of the street, more than a dozen survivors were frantically fleeing. At the rear was a bald man, desperately dodging cars that were being hurled at him like cannonballs. His reflexes were impressive.

Lin Yi was slightly taken aback. Unlike the panic and fear of those around him, Lin Yi's face broke into a smile as he watched the monster chasing the survivors.

"Hello, Licker," he said softly.

In the middle of the street, the three-meter-tall Licker easily picked up a car and hurled it at the bald man. The man rolled with surprising agility, dodging in a way that seemed to defy his body type.

With a thunderous crash, the hybrid car exploded into a towering fireball upon impact. Thick smoke filled the air.

"Old Zhang! Quick, get inside the building!" A burly man running in the middle of the group turned back and shouted to the bald man, his eyes filled with urgency. "That monster is too big to get in! We'll be safe once we're inside!"

"Don't worry about me! You guys go in first!" the bald man shouted back. "Damn it, I don't believe I can't kill this thing!"

The bald man was also quite muscular. He tore off his tattered shirt, revealing a glistening set of muscles that reflected the sunlight. His waist was nearly twice the size of an average person's.

"Screw you!" he cursed. "Bear transformation!"

As he shouted, the bald man stopped dodging. A burst of black light entered his chest, and his body instantly expanded. His muscles seemed to explode, veins bulging all over his body.

With a roar, the bald man's head began to transform. His body was covered in black fur, and in the blink of an eye, he had changed from a human into a massive black bear over two meters tall.

The Licker's claws lashed out, but they were blocked by the bear's enormous paws. The impact was like two trucks colliding.

The Licker let out a piercing shriek, its body tilting backward. The transformed bald man only stepped back twice, showing that he was only slightly inferior in this clash between monsters.

"Die, you bastard!" The black bear pushed off the ground with both feet, leaving cracks in the pavement. He clasped both hands together like a hammer and brought them down on the Licker's head with devastating force.

Blood and flesh collided with a sickening thud. The Licker's hard skull instantly caved in halfway.

A glimmer of hope flashed in the bear's eyes. However, contrary to his expectations, the bear man's all-out attack had only achieved this much.

The blow, which would have been fatal to any other creature, didn't seem to cause much damage to the Licker. When Lin Yi had sliced off half of the Licker's head earlier, it hadn't died. A mere dent in its skull was nothing in comparison.

The Licker's razor-sharp claws lashed out again, easily tearing through the black bear's defenses. Blood gushed like a fountain, spraying everywhere.

The bear stumbled back two steps in shock and disbelief, its massive body swaying.

"Old Zhang!" The burly man who had been guarding the fleeing crowd roared in anger, his eyes bloodshot.

"You damn monster, I'll fight you to the death!" The two men had been like brothers for years, as close as family.

Seeing the Licker's claws about to strike again, he pulled out a handgun from his jacket, his expression manic.

"Come on, you beast! Grandpa's right here!" He fired his gun repeatedly, the muzzle spitting flames.

However, it was useless. The Licker's powerful muscle tissue easily stopped the bullets. The yellow-orange shells entered its body but were quickly pushed out by the pulsating muscles.

As if enraged, the Licker abandoned its attack on the bear and appeared in front of the burly man with incredible speed.

With one swipe of its claws, the gun-wielding man was cut into three pieces. The wounds were as clean as if they had been made by a laser.

His severed head fell to the ground, eyes wide with fury.

"AHHHHH!" The bear-transformed bald man howled in grief and rage.

"You monster, I'll kill you!" He pushed his strength to the limit, causing his wounds to burst open and spray even more blood.

He struggled to his feet, charging at the Licker with reckless abandon.

Back on the second floor of the hotel, the crowd cowered behind Lin Yi in terror. Officer Wang's legs were shaking uncontrollably, his whole body trembling.

When movie monsters appear in reality, the impact is enough to break anyone's spirit.

The Licker's appearance alone was enough to crush any thought of resistance in ordinary people.

Teeth chattered as several young men clutched their fire axes tightly. Just moments ago, while following Lin Yi downstairs, they had been boasting to the women beside them. Watching Lin Yi kill zombies as easily as squashing chickens, they had thought the apocalypse wasn't so terrifying after all.

But now, faced with a truly powerful monster, they realized how laughable their earlier thoughts had been.

"Brother Lin, let's hide quickly!" Yu Shihao swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "They're about to lead that monster right to us!"

"That's right, Brother Lin. Let's hurry upstairs and hide!" Everyone began urging Lin Yi, who was still standing by the window, to flee.

It wasn't out of gratitude for Lin Yi saving them that they were reluctant to leave him behind. Most were concerned that there might still be zombies inside, and having Lin Yi with them would ensure their safety.

As for running away, although everyone thought Lin Yi was very strong, he had only dealt with zombies so far. The difference between zombies and the Licker was like that between an adult and an infant.

They had just witnessed the bald man's incredible strength after his bear transformation. His raw power allowed him to go toe-to-toe with the Licker, making him seem superhuman. They assumed his strength must be close to Lin Yi's.

But the bald man was nearly killed in an instant by the Licker, so naturally, they thought Lin Yi couldn't possibly defeat it either.

Lin Yi stood motionless by the window, his gaze intense.

He had thought he wouldn't be able to find the Bloody Witch and would have to waste time hunting down a Licker to kill. He never expected one to deliver itself to his doorstep.

What made Lin Yi even happier was that an Awakened One had also arrived with it.

After watching the first battle between an Awakened One and a mutant since his rebirth, Lin Yi had gained some insights.

He considered himself quite lucky.

The bald man was an Awakened One, but probably only at level 0.

Perhaps he could be recruited?

Seeing that the bald man was about to meet his demise, Lin Yi decided to stop observing and take action.

With a thunderous crash, Lin Yi smashed through the window sill. The concrete and rebar wall crumbled under his force, exposing the steel bars inside.

To the onlookers' horror, Lin Yi moved at a speed their eyes could barely follow, instantly appearing on the ground floor of the hotel.

Another loud boom echoed as Lin Yi landed, cracking the asphalt beneath his feet.

"Hah!" Lin Yi let out a battle cry that sounded like rolling thunder.

Holding his blade in one hand, Lin Yi fixed his gaze on the Licker in the distance, his fighting spirit surging.

"ROAR!" Another insignificant insect dared to challenge it.

The Licker let out a piercing shriek, tossing aside the half-torn arm of the black bear.

Accelerating, accelerating – the Licker's massive body crushed cars in its path as it charged frantically towards Lin Yi.

Lin Yi smiled cruelly, his pace quickening with each step.