Chapter 13: Death to All Who Stand in My Way

After satisfying his hunger, Alexander collapsed onto the sofa and powered on his second-hand phone to check a pre-downloaded map.

"Currently on Pingshan Road. In the afternoon, head directly east—should reach the destination soon. I'm still a bit short on XP for Level 5, but killing zombies along this route will surely bridge the gap."

After a brief rest, he tucked away his phone and stepped out of the house, humming an unknown tune. Yet, as he neared the doorway, he abruptly halted—the humming ceased.

"One, two, three," Alexander counted silently. His keen ears picked up three distinct breathing patterns outside the door. This signified that three people were lying in ambush.

…

"Are you out yet?" a nervous voice asked.

"No, I clearly heard footsteps," another replied, sweat beading on his forehead as he brandished a kitchen knife.

"Listen to me—did you smell that aroma? That person must have a card that can conjure gourmet food," said a third voice, grimly. Clutching a fire axe, the man's expression darkened. He had witnessed someone earlier using a card to produce a sumptuous meal inside the building.

"But isn't it wrong to rob someone?" the first man hesitated.

"What's wrong with it? Once he comes out, we simply give him a slash and then threaten him until he hands over all his cards," the axe-wielder snapped at his sister.

"Right, sis—we have every right. He even broke our door. It's as if he's committed burglary," the second man agreed, trying to comfort his sibling.

Recalling the enticing aroma of food and with his own stomach rumbling from hunger—after having not eaten since noon—she nodded reluctantly. They had no choice; after the apocalypse, food was precious. Ever since their father had turned into a zombie, the siblings had fled in terror without taking anything. Though they'd tried asking others for help, everyone now knew the importance of provisions and none would lend a hand.

"Alright, let's rob him—let's take everything he's got," the sister declared.

The axe-wielding man grinned. He knew that the siblings of the Ji family had been persuaded to join him. Once they succeeded on the first try, there would be many more opportunities. Soon, they'd become his vanguard.

"I'm telling you—don't hold back. When he comes out, first cut off his legs. And if he protests…" Before he could finish, a cyan-colored broadsword burst through the window on his left, slicing into the back of his neck.

The man had no time to register what had happened; his head tumbled to the ground, blood spurting wildly. Thick, viscous blood splattered onto Ji Yao's face as she, standing just a step away, was shocked into silence. In an instant, she opened her mouth in a terrified scream.

"Don't you dare attract any more zombies—we were saving our Spirit for later," Alexander said with a resigned sigh.

Then, extending his right hand out the window, he infused it with Spirit. Whirling Slash was triggered.

With a powerful flick of his wrist, the Tang Blade spun out with a howling gust of wind. Perfectly executed, the blade sliced cleanly across the junction between Ji Yao's upper and lower lips—severing them permanently. Not only that, the blade continued its spin, chasing after Ji Kai who had already fled in terror. When Ji Kai attempted to glance back, a long blade cleaved into his left waist. The spinning blade, like a meat grinder, dismembered his entire midsection. As the blade finished its return, Ji Kai's upper body writhed on the ground; a long trail of blood marked his severed waist. Eventually, after crawling barely over a meter, his head dropped lifelessly to the pavement.

Three "DEATH" indicators flashed—signifying that three ambushers had lost their lives.

Catching his returning Tang Blade, Alexander stepped out of the kitchen area. When he first heard the breathing outside, he had not gone out; instead, he had slipped into the kitchen on his left. The kitchen window was adjacent to the main door. Hidden just outside on the left, both Gu Gaojie and Ji Yao had no idea that Alexander had overheard every word of their conversation—including all the threats they'd planned.

Three lives were now in the bag.

Alexander maintained his good mood. "They came looking for me—if they can't rob me, they'll get rekt instead. It's only fair," he thought. In his mind, they should be thankful—at least they'd die sooner rather than suffer further calamities in the apocalypse.

"Ah, I've done a good deed again. The government should award me a 'Good Citizen' medal," Alexander mused wryly.

He pressed on. The thought of taking down Derek in the coming night filled him with unbridled energy.

"Li family—you all are not getting away. Really, Carrie was just a puppet in front; a woman like her can't possibly command the entire Li clan. In the beginning, my personal vendetta was only against Derek and Carrie. But after I've killed several of Derek's thugs, it's now a war between me and the entire Li clan. My very existence is like a thorn in their side. If they ignore me, their reputation will be forever tarnished and the world will laugh at them. In time, Li family members will all seek to eliminate this disgraceful Alexander."

"They didn't expect me to be like a cockroach—always crawling back from the brink of death, eventually becoming a War God. The Li family has paid dearly already: they've lost two War Gods and even resorted to summoning a Zombie Emperor. In the end, Carrie led the Zombie Emperor to ambush me—three foes of my level encircled me, even employing a legendary barrier item that completely sealed off my escape. I didn't even have a chance to run, and I died right there."

"But fate has granted me a second chance. Carrie! Derek! Li family! And every family, team, or individual who ever helped Li hunt me down—no one will escape! Whether you're good or bad, if you've ever wronged me, you will surely die!"