Chapter 59: Tier-4 Zombie
After leaving the supermarket, Yang Bin and the others took Little Orange out hunting for Tier-3 Zombies again.
Because of its size, Little Orange easily drew stares from other survivors. Yang Bin told it to stay out of sight whenever people were around and go do its own thing.
Little Orange had already reached Tier 3 by now-not from consuming Tier-3 Crystals, but through its own natural advancement.
Mutated Beasts and zombies both seemed to have their own unique methods of breaking through. Only humans still hadn't figured out how to advance on their own and could only rely on consuming crystals.
Still, Yang Bin had a feeling that once their cultivation reached a certain threshold, a breakthrough might be possible.
The school was sealed off. Outside zombies couldn't get in. After so many days of hunting, the zombie population had dropped significantly. It was no longer like before, where stepping outside meant running into them everywhere.
But the remaining zombies were getting harder to kill. Most of them clustered around Tier-3 Zombies now. Solitary ones were rare.
The entire school had at least several dozen Tier-3 Zombies at this point. Any time you spotted a large group of zombies, there was guaranteed to be a Tier-3 among them.
So Tier-3 Zombies were easy to find. Just not easy to kill.
With their current strength, a group of one or two hundred zombies was no problem-they could fight head-on without breaking a sweat. But anything beyond that and they'd be overwhelmed. Nearly half the zombies were Tier 2 now. Not so easy to cut through.
With Yang Bin leading, it didn't take long to find a viable target.
A group of roughly two hundred zombies with one Tier-3 Zombie among them. Right at the edge of what they could handle.
The three of them were about to move in when a roar erupted from somewhere not far away. The entire group of zombies in front of them immediately bolted in that direction.
"???"
"What the hell?" All three stood there, baffled.
"Could something be summoning them?" Chen Hao said, uncertain.
"But we've never seen a zombie that can summon others," Hu Wenliang said, frowning. "The zombies around Tier-3 ones just gravitate there on their own. They're not called."
"Unless..." Yang Bin's eyes sharpened.
"Let's go. Move."
Three humans and one cat sprinted after the fleeing horde, following the sound.
Minutes later, they arrived at the edge of the Sports Field.
Over a thousand zombies had gathered on the field.
Since the Cafeteria survivors had left, the massive horde that once surrounded that building had gradually scattered. They hadn't seen a concentration this large since. Yet here it was again-and this time it wasn't drawn by humans. It was drawn by a single, ordinary-looking zombie standing at the center of the Sports Field.
Every zombie on the field faced that one figure. Motionless. Waiting. As if expecting a command.
Yang Bin activated his True Vision Eye.
The crystal inside its skull was larger than any Tier-3 Zombie's-roughly the size of a peanut.
No question. This was a Tier-4 Zombie.
Excitement flickered through Yang Bin's chest. A Tier-4 Zombie. Kill it, and he could advance to Tier 4.
Then he looked at the thousand-strong horde surrounding it, and the excitement cooled.
Killing a Tier-4 Zombie inside a swarm that size-the difficulty spoke for itself.
Worse, four Tier-3 Zombies stood among the horde. The challenge just kept stacking.
But walking away from the first Tier-4 Zombie they'd ever found? That stung.
If he could reach Tier 4 before leaving the school, their survival odds outside would jump dramatically.
"Bin-ge, is that a Tier-4 Zombie?" Chen Hao whispered.
"Yeah." Yang Bin nodded.
Chen Hao and Hu Wenliang both perked up-then deflated again as they took in the sheer scale of the horde.
"Bin-ge, are we doing this?"
Yang Bin activated his True Vision Eye and scanned the surroundings.
The Tier-4 Zombie's roar had pulled in every zombie from the area. The surrounding streets and buildings were empty.
Yang Bin thought for a moment. Then he nodded, hard.
"We're doing this."
"Little Orange-you go first. See if you can peel off part of the horde."
Little Orange stared at him with wide eyes. The look clearly said: You're sending me to die.
"Go. You're faster than anything out there. They can't catch you. Lead them toward the grove. Once you hit the trees, climb up. Simple."
"Meow!"
A low, reluctant cry-but Little Orange charged forward anyway.
Within seconds, a cluster of zombies spotted it. Instantly, a wave broke off from the horde and surged after the cat.
Little Orange bolted. A blur of orange fur tearing across the field.
Hundreds of zombies gave chase.
Yang Bin allowed himself a moment of satisfaction-then the Tier-4 Zombie roared again.
The pursuing zombies stopped. Turned. Ran back to the horde.
"Holy shit. It's that smart?" Chen Hao's eyes went wide.
"Tier-4 Zombies already have real intelligence," Yang Bin said, his voice tight.
Little Orange circled back moments later, giving Yang Bin a look that plainly said: It's not that I didn't try-they just won't follow.
"So what now?" Hu Wenliang asked.
"We watch. It gathered all these zombies for a reason. It's planning something."
"Got it."
The three of them and the cat stayed hidden at a distance, observing.
Sure enough, before long, the Tier-4 Zombie moved. Under its lead, the entire horde began sweeping through the school grounds.
Yang Bin's group followed at a careful distance.
---
At that same moment, outside a different supermarket, two groups stood in a tense standoff.
"We claimed this place first. Find somewhere else." Zhao Kun stared down the newcomers.
"Strength makes the rules now. We want this spot. Get lost." Zhou Xiong, leader of the Taekwondo club, didn't bother with pleasantries.
"You're not that much stronger than us," Zhao Kun shot back. "You want a fight? Even if you win, you'll lose half your people getting there."
"That so?" Zhou Xiong's lips curled into a sneer. He looked past Zhao Kun-directly at the people behind him.
"Here's your one chance. Anyone who doesn't want to die, come join us. Every person who walks over gets a Tier-2 Crystal. Anyone who stays with him-" He let the pause hang. "Don't blame me for what happens next."
The people behind Zhao Kun shifted. Eyes darted. Feet shuffled.
They were opportunists to begin with-latched onto Zhao Kun's group because his core trio was strong. Now a stronger faction stood right in front of them, offering crystals and safety.
Stay here and maybe die. Walk over and get paid.
Not a hard calculation.
"Sorry, Kun-ge. I'm not ready to die."
One man stepped forward and crossed to Zhou Xiong's side.
That was all it took. One after another, they peeled away from Zhao Kun's group and walked over.
Within moments, only Old Hei and Skinny Monkey remained at his back.
"Haha!" Zhou Xiong laughed, loud and satisfied. "Now let's see you fight me."
Zhao Kun's face was black with fury. His jaw clenched so hard the tendons in his neck stood out. Finally, he forced the words through his teeth.
"Fine. The supermarket's yours. Old Hei, Monkey-we're leaving."
He turned to go.
"Did I say you could leave?" Zhou Xiong's voice cut across the space, cold as a blade.