Peak Upon Opening

 "Hurry! Get on the helicopter!" Silver Fox shouted anxiously. The helicopter hovered at the edge of the rooftop—one strong leap, and they could be on it, escaping to safety.

"Silver Fox, you go first!" Lion ordered, struggling to cover them with the heavy machine gun.

"Let's go, boss! Forget about them—they can't catch us!" Silver Fox ran over, knowing full well his leader's temperament, and fearing Lion might do something drastic after the loss of Tiger. He grabbed Lion's arm firmly, dragging him toward the helicopter.

Hound and Python fired their submachine guns to provide cover, while Yang Tian also ran towards them from a distance. He could almost see the hope of survival.

"Hiss... roar!" An enraged howl echoed across the rooftop. The Mother zombie, furious that its prey was escaping after all its efforts, let out a long, bone-chilling roar. It had intended to torture these humans bit by bit, and it had nearly succeeded—yet now, they were trying to flee?

A red blur suddenly shot out from the distant horde. It was the Mother.

"Mother zombie skill—Frenzied Charge!" Yang Tian's pupils constricted as he saw the blood-red figure speeding toward them, leaving afterimages in its wake as it accelerated across the rooftop. Its entire body was enveloped in a sinister crimson glow.

The battlefield was chaotic. Hound pulled out a silenced pistol, but when he saw the rapidly approaching Mother, he looked more pleased than fearful. Holstering his gun, he sprinted towards the helicopter. It wasn't a secret—everyone knew the Mother's deep-seated hatred for Jessica.

Jessica steadied herself, raising her rifle, her aura as cold as ever despite the overwhelming threat of the Mother's frenzied approach. Her blue eyes narrowed, exuding a chilling calmness. She had only one chance—but for a sniper, a single shot was often enough.

Bang!

The bullet fired, aimed squarely at the rapidly enlarging blood-red figure. But just before Jessica pulled the trigger, the Mother zombie changed direction, dodging the shot with an almost instinctive precision.

"What?!" Yang Tian felt a sudden pain and his vision blurred as he was violently thrown aside. His arm throbbed with a searing pain—a deep gash left by the Mother's attack, blood dripping to the ground.

Thud...

Yang Tian found himself crashing into a soft embrace, catching a faint scent amidst the chaos. Both he and Jessica were flung to the ground, rolling several times.

Any slight movement caused sharp pain to course through Yang Tian's body. He looked up, seeing the blood-red figure approaching—he could almost feel the killing intent radiating off it.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat..." Yang Tian picked up his P90, firing wildly. But the Mother zombie, now frenzied, used a regular zombie as a shield, rapidly closing the distance. With a single swipe, it knocked the P90 out of his hands.

"Hiss... prey..." The Mother's voice came out in a chilling rasp as it grabbed Yang Tian with its clawed hand. The zombie's entire body seemed to be stained with blood, emanating a palpable killing aura. Its other hand reached for Yang Tian's head—Yang Tian was just an appetizer; the real target was behind him—that infuriating blonde woman.

"Puppet!" Jessica shouted. She leapt up, brandishing a shimmering dagger, launching into close-quarters combat as she slashed at the Mother.

"Prey..." The Mother hissed, tossing Yang Tian aside like a ragdoll. It was eager to kill this damned human woman once and for all. She had humiliated it too many times, even nearly killing it once.

Thud, thud... Yang Tian hit the ground, rolling to a stop at the feet of several zombies. Dizzy and disoriented, he felt a sharp pain as a zombie bit down on his shoulder.

"Damn it! Damn it!" Yang Tian cursed, feeling darkness creep into his vision. He had been bitten—infected.

"You bastards! Bastards!" He hesitated for a moment before violently struggling. His waist dagger flashed, slicing through the air. The blade glinted in the sunlight, taking down three zombies in quick succession.

"What should I do?" Panic set in. He quickly scanned his points redemption system, but nothing seemed helpful. Facing a Mother zombie with such speed, strength, and uncanny instincts, even guns were useless.

Napalm grenade?

An incendiary weapon that could deal area damage and inflict continuous burning—would it work on the Mother? But with its insane speed, could he even hit it?

"What do I do?!" Yang Tian shouted in frustration as he continued fighting off the smaller zombies. Then, he saw something beckoning to him—the Lucky Treasure Box. It required 300 points and promised an unexpected surprise.

"Screw it, I'm already infected! If I'm going to be eaten, I might as well see what surprise you can give me!"

In a desperate bid, Yang Tian chose the Lucky Treasure Box.

Ding, ding, ding... The icons on the screen flashed by at lightning speed, disappearing before he could see what they were.

"Come on, hurry up!" He roared, turning and shooting another approaching zombie.

Chapter 11: The Turning Point

In the distance, the Mother zombie held Jessica up by her collar. The pungent, bloody stench filled the air. Even someone like Jessica, who had faced countless life-or-death moments, felt her vision blurring.

The Mother stared into her blue eyes with a muddled gaze. Jessica never imagined that their confrontation would end like this—her own death, hanging in the balance.

Thud!

The Mother's expression shifted to surprise. Its swinging right arm missed as Yang Tian rammed into it with his shoulder, sending it staggering.

Yang Tian slowly got to his feet, feeling energy coursing through his entire body, a sensation so good he almost groaned in pleasure.

"Genetic Serum: A miraculous serum that induces genetic restructuring, enhancing human biochemical capabilities."—From the Lucky Treasure Box: Always quality goods!