In a residential district five kilometers from the Survival Base, a group of soldiers was rapidly clearing zombies from the area.
With sufficient firepower, these zombies were no longer terrifying.
Under concentrated fire, zombies fell in waves.
The soldiers rescued survivors as they went, while also sweeping through supermarkets, Campus Convenience Stores, and other locations for supplies.
The Survival Base's population kept growing, and so did its appetite for resources.
The supplies hauled back from Walmart wouldn't last long.
So the soldiers' mission wasn't just rescue-it was scavenging too.
They'd just finished clearing the zombies inside a supermarket and were about to move in to strip it bare.
Then, from every direction at once, tens of thousands of zombies surged toward them in a frenzy.
The soldiers froze.
"Didn't we already clear the rear? Where the hell did all these zombies come from?" Battalion Commander Zhao Yongjun's brow furrowed.
"No clue. It's like they just appeared out of thin air." The company commander beside him was equally baffled.
"Prepare to engage!"
Fortunately, they'd brought plenty of ammunition this time. No reason to panic.
The soldiers set up machine guns and opened fire on the charging horde.
Zombies dropped in sheets.
But more climbed over the fallen, trampling corpses as they closed the distance fast.
"Boom-"
High-explosive grenades detonated among them, stalling the charge.
"Hmph. Think this is still back when we were rationing bullets?" Zhao Yongjun sneered.
Ample ammunition meant confidence. Even facing these numbers, they held firm.
Then five zombies dropped from the rooftops behind them, landing directly in the formation. They tore into the soldiers with savage fury.
Screens erupted instantly.
"Tier-5 Zombies!!!"
Panic rippled through the ranks. Soldiers drew combat knives and engaged at close quarters.
But most of them were Third or Tier 4. Five Tier-5 Zombies in their midst-they didn't stand a chance.
The formation collapsed. Firepower faltered. Zombies from all sides crashed over them like a wave.
Within moments, the soldiers vanished beneath the tide.
On a rooftop not far away, a female zombie in a black dress watched the slaughter with cold eyes. The faintest curve tugged at the corner of her mouth.
News reached the Survival Base quickly.
Liu Yong's expression turned to stone. Even with full firepower-a complete wipeout. He hadn't thought it possible.
His initial assumption was simple: they'd accidentally drawn too large a horde.
Then more bad news arrived.
Another squad of several hundred soldiers-wiped out to the last man.
Liu Yong couldn't sit still anymore.
Their troop numbers were already thin. Losses of several hundred at a time were unsustainable.
Inside the temporary military camp-
"What the hell is going on?" Liu Yong stared hard at the officers assembled before him.
"Division Commander, I don't believe this is coincidence. These zombies appear to be launching organized, deliberate strikes against our forces." A regiment commander spoke up.
"Organized? Deliberate? Regiment Commander Sun, you're giving zombies way too much credit." Another officer frowned.
"I'm not joking. Why aren't they hitting our main forces? Why specifically target squads of a few hundred?"
"And the execution is clean-kill and withdraw. By the time reinforcements arrive, there's not a single zombie in sight."
"You all know how zombies behave after a kill. They stay and feed on the corpses. Both times, they didn't. What more proof do you need?"
"This..."
Silence fell as Sun's words sank in.
Viewed that way, it really did look like coordinated strikes.
But could zombies truly be this intelligent?
Even Tier-5 Zombies only knew how to skulk inside buildings like dirty campers. They couldn't possibly plan something like this.
Unless-
Every head in the room lifted at once. Eyes met. The same shock reflected in each pair.
"Tier-6 Zombie!!"
Liu Yong drew a deep breath. His conclusion matched theirs-this had to be a Tier-6 Zombie.
"According to the Star Chart, Tier 6 means fully igniting a star. That likely triggers a qualitative transformation."
"Zombies should follow the same rules. At Tier 6, a fundamental leap occurs. Organizing coordinated attacks would be well within that capability."
"Recall all small teams immediately. No rescue party leaves with fewer than two thousand soldiers. Maximum vigilance at all times!"
"And send scouts. I need to know exactly what we're dealing with!" Liu Yong's voice was iron.
"Yes, sir."
On the other side of the city-
Tang Weiwei and her team arrived at the entrance of a residential complex, only to find zombie corpses scattered everywhere inside.
"Someone's been here?" Tang Weiwei frowned.
"Blood's still fresh. Killed recently. Could be residents inside the complex," Mo Yu said.
"Then let's find somewhere else."
All she wanted right now was to level up fast. No interest in running into other groups.
"Hey-do you guys smell meat?" A chubby woman on the team sniffed the air, her face melting into bliss.
"Yeah... oh god, that smells incredible. I haven't had meat in so long. That aroma is hitting different."
"With my years of foodie expertise, I can confirm-that's stewed dog meat. Holy shit, it smells amazing. I'm losing my mind."
The group had been ready to leave. Now their feet might as well have been nailed to the ground.
Everyone inhaled deeply, noses tilted toward the sky.
Twenty days into the apocalypse, having anything to eat was a blessing. Even Evolvers like them survived mostly on bread and crackers.
Sometimes they'd scavenge snacks from a supermarket, but dog meat? That was luxury.
"Someone's actually eating dog meat during the apocalypse. Whoever that is, they're living way too damn well."
Tang Weiwei took a long, deep breath through her nose.
"...Okay, that does smell incredible."
"Weiwei-jie, should we go check it out?" The chubby woman's eyes were practically sparkling.
"With what plan? The base of that building is crawling with zombies." Tang Weiwei rolled her eyes.
The dog meat aroma had drawn nearly every zombie in the complex to that building. But the stairwell was barricaded solid-the zombies couldn't get up. They just milled around the ground floor, snarling.
"Those idiots are asking to die. Cooking something that fragrant during the apocalypse-they won't even know what killed them." Jiang Tianming's voice was cold.
Though his eyes told a different story. He was drooling too.
"Maybe they just aren't worried." Tang Weiwei's smile was thin.
"Not worried? The building's surrounded. If the military doesn't come rescue them, they're dead."
"Not everyone needs your rescue."
Tang Weiwei snorted, then turned to the group. "Come on. Let's find another spot."
Silence.
Not a single person moved. Every pair of eyes was locked on that building, naked longing written across their faces.
"Weiwei-jie, how about we just kill zombies here? Smelling that dog meat-I feel like my whole body's surging with power."
"Yeah! We lure the zombies over, bottleneck them at the complex gate, and mow them down."
Tang Weiwei looked at her teammates' faces. She knew exactly what they were thinking.
They wanted to clear the zombies downstairs so they could go up and beg for scraps of dog meat.
Honestly... it wasn't the worst idea.
That dog meat smelled too damn good.