Chapter 86: Killing the Tier-5 Zombie
They sprinted toward a building just off the roadside.
The moment they got close, zombies poured out from every direction, swarming toward them.
"Into the stairwell!"
Yang Bin's plan hadn't changed-funneling kills through the stairwell was still the safest play.
The six of them swung their Barbell Rods in a frenzy, cutting down every zombie in their path. They punched through to the stairwell in seconds, then held the entrance, dropping everything that followed them in.
But just as Yang Bin thought they'd repeat their usual easy grind, a massive roar echoed from somewhere in the distance.
The zombies chasing them froze mid-stride. Not a single one advanced further. Instead, they all gathered below, forming a dense crowd around the building's ground floor.
Silence in the stairwell.
"This Tier-5 Zombie is way too smart." Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene below.
Whether this one was uniquely intelligent or all Tier-5 Zombies were like this-if it was the latter, they were in for serious headaches down the road.
"Brother Bin, what now?"
"They won't come up, so we go down. Fight with our backs to the wall-no getting flanked. When we're gassed, pull back up here to rest. As long as we don't get surrounded, our strength is more than enough. No reason to fear them."
"Got it!"
They descended from the stairwell and launched into the horde.
Most of the zombies were Tier 2 at minimum now, with Third Orders making up nearly a tenth of the crowd.
But all six of them were Tier 4.
The strength gap was overwhelming. Combined with the reach of their Barbell Rods, the zombies could barely get within striking distance.
The occasional Tier-4 Zombie caused some trouble, but nothing unmanageable. With the wall at their backs and only one direction to worry about, six people working in coordination kept even Tier-4 Zombies at bay.
Still, two to three thousand zombies wasn't a number you cleared quickly.
Yang Bin hacked through the front line while scanning for the Tier-5 Zombie's position.
That sneaky rat loved pulling underhanded shit. Had to stay sharp.
After they'd cut down several hundred, Yang Bin's eyes locked on.
Found you.
A zombie in black clothing trailed behind a cluster of others, inching closer.
It looked completely ordinary. Lost in a crowd of thousands, no one would have pegged it as a Tier-5 Zombie.
But nothing escaped the True Vision Eye.
Yang Bin shot the team a look, then kept killing without breaking rhythm.
He watched the Tier-5 Zombie creep closer, calculating the perfect moment to strike.
Two rats, each scheming to ambush the other.
The Tier-5 Zombie closed to less than two meters.
Then it moved-shoving the two zombies in front of it forward as shields, leaping high, axe arcing down toward Yang Bin's skull.
"Been waiting for you."
Yang Bin smirked. He ignored the two stumbling zombies entirely. His Barbell Rod lashed out first, slamming into the airborne zombie before it could complete its swing.
BOOM.
The Tier-5 Zombie hit the ground even faster than it had left it.
Yang Bin shouldered past the two shoved zombies, gripped the rod two-handed, and brought it crashing down on the downed zombie.
It rolled clear.
Yang Bin closed the gap instantly, giving it no time to breathe. The rod came down again.
The Tier-5 Zombie roared.
Every zombie in the vicinity went berserk, throwing themselves at Yang Bin.
His momentum broke. He had to deal with the mob first.
This goddamn rat.
Yang Bin gritted his teeth. Would it kill this thing to fight fair for once?
While Yang Bin was pinned down, the Tier-5 Zombie scrambled to its feet and fixed him with a predator's stare.
"Brother Bin, we're here!"
Chen Hao and the others crashed in, carving through the surrounding zombies, clearing space for Yang Bin to focus.
Yang Bin gave them a nod, then gripped his Barbell Rod and charged.
Today, this thing dies. No matter what.
The Tier-5 Zombie saw its minions cut off. No more ambush opportunities. It raised its axe and came at Yang Bin head-on.
Metal shrieked against metal as axe met rod.
The impact drove Yang Bin back several steps. His arms went numb.
He frowned. The thing had gotten stronger again-at least twenty-three or twenty-four hundred kilograms.
Good thing we came when we did. A few more days and this bastard would've advanced again.
Shaking off the shock, Yang Bin swung the Barbell Rod once more.
Weapon reach was still in his favor-the rod was far longer than the Fire Axe.
But raw durability? The zombie had him beat completely.
Body shots did nothing. Every strike aimed at its head got blocked. The thing's entire attitude screamed: hit me anywhere but the skull, see if I care.
Yang Bin couldn't afford the same luxury. One clean hit from that axe and he was done-dead or crippled.
Time to change tactics.
The zombie lunged again, axe cleaving toward his head.
This time, Yang Bin didn't block. He grit his teeth and swung the Barbell Rod straight at the zombie's wrist.
CRACK.
Bone shattered. The zombie's wrist snapped clean, and the axe spun free-flying straight at Yang Bin's face.
He jerked his head aside at the last instant.
The Fire Axe grazed his ear and bit deep into his shoulder.
Yang Bin hissed through clenched teeth, face draining of color.
The gamble paid off-the zombie was disarmed. But he hadn't walked away clean.
Still. No weapon meant this fight just got a lot more manageable.
Forcing past the searing pain in his shoulder, Yang Bin raised the Barbell Rod and drove it at the zombie's head.
The weaponless zombie threw up its arm to block.
THUD.
The rod hammered into its forearm.
But unlike Third or Tier-4 zombies that would've had their arms obliterated, this one tanked the hit. Its arm held.
Yang Bin didn't hesitate. He swung again. And again.
Finally-another crack of breaking bone. The arm snapped.
For the first time, genuine fear flickered across the Tier-5 Zombie's face. It turned and bolted toward the horde.
"Running?"
Yang Bin's lips curled. He lunged forward and swung low, smashing the rod into the zombie's legs.
The Barbell Rod connected with its foot. Didn't break it-but sent it sprawling.
Before it could push itself up, Yang Bin brought the rod down on its skull.
The blow was brutal. But the skull didn't shatter-only drove the zombie back into the ground, blood streaming.
"Damn. Tough bastard."
Yang Bin muttered it like a complaint, but his hands never stopped. The rod came down again.
The previous hit must have rattled something loose-the zombie's reactions had slowed. This strike connected clean.
The skull cracked open. But the thing still wasn't dead. It shrieked, calling its horde to save it.
The surrounding zombies went absolutely feral at the sight. But Chen Hao and the others held the line like a wall-taking hits on their bodies if they had to, refusing to let a single one through.
"It's over."
Yang Bin swung one final time.
The zombie's head burst apart like a watermelon.