Chapter 96: Clearing the Fourth Floor

The dimly lit Western restaurant was shrouded in darkness.

Zhao Kuo and Bai Qi moved cautiously through the shadows, one after the other.

Due to Bai Qi's agonized cries during his evolution, the previously sparse fourth floor had attracted a number of zombies. Most of them stood silently in the dark, while a few wandered aimlessly.

Zhao Kuo counted about seven or eight zombies that had entered the restaurant. Not too many, but he couldn't be sure if there were more lurking in the darkness.

Zhao Kuo made a silencing gesture, followed by a throat-slitting motion, signaling caution and a quick resolution.

Bai Qi gave an OK sign and then crept toward a nearby zombie.

With a swift and decisive motion, the boning knife, powered by his enhanced strength, plunged into the zombie's skull. Bai Qi instinctively twisted the blade, turning the already mushy brain into a complete mess.

Not bad. Although his technique was a bit rough, his ruthlessness was commendable. To survive in this apocalypse, one needed such mental fortitude.

Zhao Kuo nodded in approval. He wasn't slow either, sneaking up behind another zombie and decapitating it in one clean motion. He caught the falling head and gently laid the headless body on the ground. Luck was on his side—the first zombie yielded an ​**[M Virus Fragment].

After pocketing the fragment, Zhao Kuo scanned for his next target.

Decapitation required more skill than stabbing a skull, but Zhao Kuo had already mastered it, executing it with precision.

In just over two minutes, the zombies in the Western restaurant were cleared once again.

"What now, Brother Zhao?" Bai Qi whispered softly. Through the curtains, he could see the faint silhouettes of zombies outside, giving off a horror movie vibe.

"Let's clear the zombies on the fourth floor first. Be extra careful not to get swarmed," Zhao Kuo instructed.

Bai Qi nodded and followed Zhao Kuo as they cautiously exited the restaurant.

Compared to yesterday, the number of zombies on the fourth floor had doubled. Groups of them stood in front of several storefronts.

Fortunately, these creatures had poor eyesight and lacked the ability to detect movement in the dark.

Zhao Kuo and Bai Qi moved stealthily, killing as they went. Bai Qi, in particular, was extremely cautious.

After accidentally stepping on a prone zombie earlier, he now scrutinized every step he took, determined not to repeat yesterday's mistake.

But when they reached the hot pot restaurant from the previous day, an unexpected encounter occurred.

A wandering zombie suddenly emerged from the restaurant, coming face-to-face with the two of them.

A guttural roar erupted, alerting the zombies in the corridor. Immediately, a dozen of them began converging on their location.

The commotion naturally drew more zombies.

Without hesitation, Zhao Kuo decapitated the zombie on the spot and pulled Bai Qi into the hot pot restaurant.

Luckily, they had cleared the restaurant the night before, leaving only a couple of zombies inside, just as Zhao Kuo had anticipated.

Zhao Kuo and Bai Qi each took down one zombie with swift efficiency, then ducked into the kitchen—the place where they had first met.

It was a bit romantic, though the zombies outside were anything but.

Zhao Kuo closed the steel door behind them, once again grateful for the high-quality facilities of the upscale mall. If it had been a regular wooden door, he and Tang Yingying would have been running for their lives on the first day.

Fortunately, they had made it through unscathed.

Bai Qi looked guilty. "Sorry, Brother Zhao. I was too slow."

This guy took all the blame on himself, willingly shouldering the responsibility. He must have been a student council member.

Zhao Kuo found it somewhat amusing and patted his shoulder. "Don't dwell on it. Accidents like this will only become more frequent. Let's take a break while the zombies are distracted."

Zhao Kuo retrieved two bottles of juice from the fridge.

In the apocalypse, juice was a valuable resource—not only for quenching thirst but also for its rich sugar, vitamins, and trace elements.

Of course, this only applied to high-quality juice. The diluted stuff didn't count.

After a while, the noise outside finally subsided. The two exchanged a glance, and Zhao Kuo cautiously opened the steel door.

The hot pot restaurant was now filled with over a dozen zombies, but they had lost their target and stood motionless.

Though zombies were dangerous, they seemed somewhat sluggish at night.

This might be the opportunity humanity needed. Only by daring to hunt zombies at night could one collect enough ​[M Virus Fragments]** and embark on the path of glorious evolution.

Without a word, the two returned to their hunting routine.

Approach, decapitate, done—no unnecessary movements.

Bai Qi wasn't slow either. In a short time, he had transformed from a nervous novice into a seasoned and ruthless killer.

However, a tinge of sadness still lingered in his heart as he killed.

These zombies had been living humans just a day ago. The disaster had struck silently, separating countless people forever.

But Bai Qi knew that such sorrow was futile. To survive in this brutal apocalyptic world, one had to harden their heart.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Qi plunged the boning knife into another zombie's skull.

Over a dozen minutes later, the two had cleared the hot pot restaurant. Holding the newly acquired ​**[M Virus Fragments], Zhao Kuo glanced at Bai Qi.

"I'm not sure if you'll undergo another evolution after this…" Zhao Kuo pointed to Bai Qi's extra pair of legs.

Bai Qi gritted his teeth. "To survive."

Zhao Kuo nodded and synthesized the fragments into one ​[M Virus Essence].

They retreated into the kitchen and closed the door.

After all, Bai Qi had howled in pain for a long time after consuming his first ​[M Virus Essence], so a safe environment was necessary.

Once they confirmed their surroundings were secure, Bai Qi swallowed the essence without hesitation.

But this time, no transformation occurred. It was as if nothing had happened.

The two exchanged puzzled looks, and Zhao Kuo synthesized another ​[M Virus Essence]** for Bai Qi to consume.

Still, there was no effect.

They didn't have enough fragments to synthesize another essence. Could it be that humans could only mutate once?

Zhao Kuo frowned and slowly shook his head.

No, something wasn't right. This didn't align with the logic of the subway world or the apocalyptic world.

But without sufficient information, Zhao Kuo couldn't figure out the key to this mystery. He could only lead the equally confused Bai Qi out of the kitchen to continue hunting zombies.

Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner, a wandering zombie's eyes suddenly gleamed with a faint light.

Then, it lunged at the head of another zombie beside it.

…