Bait, Betrayal, and the Undead Horde

"Big bro, I'll go! I'll go, okay?!"

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Li Xuan quickly put on an act of submission. Though he was reluctant, he had no choice. Whether he liked it or not—he had to go!

Seeing Li Xuan's fearful and cowardly demeanor, Zhang Qiang was very satisfied. Knowing when to yield is the mark of a wise man, he thought. Zhang Qiang didn't like disobedient teammates. Since they were a team, following the captain's orders was non-negotiable.

"Li Xuan, you'll lure the zombies this time. It's dangerous, yes—but with great risk comes great reward. Any zombie you lure in and we kill, you'll get 20% of the zombie cores!"

"I promise—no tricks!"

"And once we take down Wanxiang City, we'll have a ton of survival supplies. You'll get at least 20% of that too. With all those cores and supplies, it won't be long before you evolve into a Level 2 mutant!"

"Don't you want to become stronger? Or do you prefer starving every day?"

"Go on—I believe in you! Zombies are slow as hell. You're an evolved human, aren't you? Surely, you can outrun those dumb, clumsy things."

Zhang Qiang's mix of persuasion and manipulation was top-notch—practically an art form. If Li Xuan were still just a Level 1 evolver, he'd probably be getting played straight to his death.

After all, Wanxiang City likely had Level 2 zombies lurking inside. If one of them targeted a mere Level 1, could he even survive? That'd be a suicide mission.

But luckily, Li Xuan had successfully evolved to Level 2 just the day before. And not just that—he'd awakened an incredibly powerful ability: Spatial Blade. That was his trump card.

Zhang Qiang had no idea. So, in the end… who was really working for whom?

"Brother Qiang, Sister Qian, Shadow, Red Hair, Eagle—don't worry, I'll get the job done!"

"For a better future, let's give it our all!"

Li Xuan grabbed his machete and strode toward Wanxiang City without hesitation. The cold wind whistles over the Yi River, and the warrior marches on, never to return. With a spirit of 'Though faced with thousands, I will not falter,' he gradually disappeared from the sight of the five evolvers.

"Captain… isn't this a bit unethical?" Eagle muttered, watching Li Xuan's fading figure.

"With my Eagle Eye scan, I can confirm there's already a Level 3 Zombie King inside Wanxiang City. And at least twenty Level 2 zombies. That kid's 100% dead meat if he goes in there to lure them."

Eagle wasn't just an expert marksman—after the apocalypse, he had awakened an ocular ability through zombie cores. He could focus his vision to scout environments up to five kilometers away, detecting dangers before they struck. An incredibly useful skill for the team, preventing countless ambushes.

"It doesn't matter," Zhang Qiang replied coldly. "A regular Level 1 evolver? If he dies, he dies. We'll just find another."

"The real prize is the Level 2 zombie cores inside Wanxiang City."

"Once you all reach Level 2, you'll understand—Level 1 cores are almost useless to us. No matter how many you absorb, it's nearly impossible to reach Level 3. Only by consuming ten or more Level 2 cores do we stand a chance."

"I'm just three Level 2 cores away from advancing myself."

"And if you guys absorb some too, we'll all grow faster."

"For the sake of the team's progress, some sacrifices are inevitable."

"Eagle, keep an eye on Li Xuan. If he tries to run, kill him. And if he accidentally lures the Level 3 Zombie King… we'll abandon him without hesitation."

"But if it's just a few Level 2 or Level 1 zombies, we stick to the original plan—ambush and eliminate them."

Clearly, Zhang Qiang had considered every possible scenario. The ambush strategy was flexible—ready to adapt on the fly.

Li Xuan's life? Completely expendable.

He'd just joined, had no deep bonds with anyone, and could be sold out without a second thought. But Zhang Qiang's ruthless disregard for his teammates didn't go unnoticed. Even if no one voiced objections, deep down, their loyalty to him was fragile at best.

After all, if he could betray Li Xuan today, who's to say he wouldn't betray any of them tomorrow? In this team, everything was tied together by one thing—pure self-interest.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan had just stepped into Wanxiang City when dozens of wandering zombies caught his scent. The moment they detected fresh flesh, they went berserk, charging straight at him.

One zombie, in particular—a young male—moved with terrifying speed, becoming a blur of shadows. Its sprint easily outclassed Olympic athletes, clocking under eight seconds for 100 meters.

"Holy sh*t, what the hell is THAT?!"

"Since when can zombies run this fast?!"

Realizing something was wrong, Li Xuan bolted without hesitation.

Though Level 2 zombies were fast, so was he. After consuming eight zombie cores yesterday, his physical abilities had skyrocketed to monstrous levels. He could easily match that insane speed—sub-eight-second sprints were a breeze for him now.

While running for his life, he couldn't help but scream:

"BROOOO, HELP! I'M GONNA DIE!"

"LEVEL 2 ZOMBIE! THERE'S A FREAKING LEVEL 2 ZOMBIE CHASING ME!"

His cries attracted even more zombies. By the time he dashed back to the city gate, three Level 2 zombies were hot on his heels, along with over a hundred Level 1 zombies and two hundred regular ones.

Over 300 zombies in total—an unstoppable tide, all gunning for Li Xuan.

The three Level 2 zombies were almost upon him, claws swiping just inches from his back. But every time they lunged, he dodged—barely, but skillfully.

"Captain, there are three Level 2 zombies and over 300 others. That's… a bit more than expected. Do we stick to the plan?"

"Stick to it!" Zhang Qiang barked. "The Zombie King hasn't shown up. Focus fire—take out the Level 2s first. The fodder can wait."

Red Hair conjured a ball of blue flames in his hand and hurled it at the three pursuing Level 2 zombies. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and the zombies dodged it. Still, the attack slowed them down slightly.

Then Eagle, positioned with his sniper rifle, took the shot. One perfect bullet to the head—instant kill. A Level 2 zombie down in one hit.

Zhang Qiang and Shadow leaped into action.

Zhang Qiang wielded a spiked mace with brutal force, shattering the arm of a Level 2 zombie in a single blow. A few more strikes, and the creature was reduced to pulp. His strength was overwhelming—each swing carried several tons of force, unstoppable and devastating.

Shadow moved like a phantom, faster than even the Level 2 zombies. Her dagger found a precise angle, stabbing directly into the temple of another zombie—another near-instant kill.

With the three Level 2 zombies eliminated, the rest of the horde was nothing. Zhang Qiang's mace crushed skulls left and right, while the team blocked off a narrow alleyway to funnel the zombies into a death trap.

The cramped space nullified the zombies' numerical advantage. Only a few could attack at once, and they were swiftly butchered.

An hour later, the battlefield was silent.

Over 300 zombies were wiped out.

The spoils? Three Level 2 cores and 102 Level 1 cores—a huge haul.

The five team members were exhausted, covered in sweat and gore.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan lounged in the back, munching on sunflower seeds, completely unscathed.

It was then that Zhang Qiang finally noticed—how the hell did that coward survive being chased by three Level 2 zombies? Could it be… his luck wasn't the only thing that saved him?