Chapter 290 - 152: Rainy Night

Chapter 290: Chapter 152: Rainy Night

But Xu Mo wasn’t about to give it that chance.

BANG! BANG! BANG! Three more shots rang out in quick succession.

The zombie’s body convulsed, and it finally collapsed into the mud, leaving a bloody trail that was quickly washed away by the rain. Then, it went still.

Xu Mo approached, rifle in hand.

He put another bullet in its head before lowering his rifle. It wasn’t that he feared it was still alive; he feared it was playing dead.

It was a lesson Xu Mo had learned from the Black Panther Saber-toothed Beast in Mori Town, which had launched a final, desperate attack just before death. In this post-apocalyptic world, you could never let your guard down around a high-level mutated creature until it had breathed its very last.

Now that it was finally dead, Xu Mo let out a slow breath, the muzzle of his rifle pointing toward the ground. The barrel of the Barrett let off a faint wisp of white smoke, which was immediately swallowed by the rain-filled mist.

He glanced down at the corpse of the Tier-2 zombie by his feet. The torrential rain would wash away all scents and tracks. He had to leave, and quickly.

Back in the SUV, Xu Mo started the engine. The wheels churned through the standing water as he drove toward the outskirts of Luochuan City.

In the rearview mirror, the security booth and the factory complex were quickly devoured by the curtain of rain, blurring into a flowing mass of black.

Xu Mo looked away from the mirror, his focus returning to the road ahead.

The rain was still coming down in sheets. Even with the wipers on their highest setting, they could only clear a fleeting, fan-shaped patch of visibility. He kept his speed at thirty kilometers per hour, slowly making his way toward the outskirts of Luochuan City along the route he had scouted earlier that day.

Whether it was because of the storm or not, the journey back was surprisingly smooth.

He occasionally spotted a few gray, wandering figures along the way, their bodies turning sluggishly in the rain. But they showed no reaction to the steel beast emerging from the depths of the downpour.

There were no pursuers. No agile zombies lunged from the sides. No second Tier-2 zombie burst from the shadows to avenge its fallen comrade. Xu Mo simply drove the SUV right on out.

At four in the morning, Xu Mo parked the SUV in a wooded clearing far from the main road and cut the engine.

He had noted the terrain when he passed by during the day. The clearing was backed by a low hill, and the surrounding area was relatively open, with no obvious signs of zombie activity. At roughly twelve kilometers from the edge of Luochuan City, it was comparatively safe.

The rain continued to fall, a dense drumming on the roof of the vehicle.

Xu Mo didn’t get out. After changing into a dry set of clothes, he sat in the driver’s seat, reclined it halfway, and leaned back to review the events of the day.

’The trip to Luochuan City was a complete and utter failure.’

’My original goal was to assess the feasibility of driving through the city, but I failed. Not because the roads were blocked, but because I didn’t dare get any closer. The gunshots gave away my position, and the pursuit by a Tier-2 zombie proved the city’s danger level was far beyond anything I’d ever experienced. I couldn’t even complete a single full penetration into the city proper before being forced to abandon the plan and make a hasty retreat.’

Xu Mo accepted the conclusion—failure—with perfect calm.

’I didn’t lose the vehicle, any critical supplies, or suffer any permanent injuries. The only real loss was the Mountain-Cutting Saber—but you can always get another blade. You only get one life.’

’Was it worth it, trading a saber for a precise understanding of Luochuan City’s true threat level?’

The answer was a resounding yes.

Xu Mo closed his eyes and began to organize the key intelligence from the operation in his mind.

’The zombie density on the outskirts of Luochuan City was far greater than I’d anticipated. Just driving close during the day drew a horde of hundreds, and I’d estimate over fifteen percent of them were Tier-1 variants. That density means any attempt to drive through is guaranteed to end with being swarmed by a relentless tide of the dead.’

’Furthermore, Tier-2 zombies are confirmed to be present, and in unknown numbers. I encountered two today. I sniped the first from a distance with the Barrett, so there was no direct fight. The second one fought me up close, and I was completely outmatched. In fact, I even suspect it wasn’t just a Tier-2.’

’Then there’s the limit of my Iron Bone Realm. Before today, I was fairly confident in my defenses. I mean, ordinary pistol rounds can’t even break my skin. That’s some serious physical resistance. But today, a single blow from that Tier-2 zombie, even when I blocked it with my Mountain-Cutting Saber, sent a numbing shock through my entire arm. If it had been a direct hit... could my Iron Bone Realm have taken it? I haven’t tested that, and I have no intention of finding out.’

’What’s more, my Mountain-Cutting Saber couldn’t even break its defense. It just scraped off a shower of sparks. That part is... hard to accept.’

’The conclusion is clear: I have to find a way around. There is no other option.’

Xu Mo opened his eyes and retrieved the Triangular Spike from the storage compartment. With the Mountain-Cutting Saber gone, this would be his primary Cold Weapon for the foreseeable future. He gripped the hilt and practiced a few thrusts within the confined space of the car. Then he began to calculate. If he were to face that same Tier-2 zombie again, could the Triangular Spike pierce its Scale Armor?

’The slashes from the Mountain-Cutting Saber only left white marks on the surface, since the curved scales deflected most of the force. But the Triangular Spike is a piercing weapon. It concentrates all the force onto a single point at its tip. The pressure would be dozens of times greater than a slash.’

It could pierce.

’But to what extent? After piercing the scales, how much force would be left to inflict a meaningful wound? How many chances to strike would it give me? In a close-quarters fight, the Triangular Spike is lighter and more agile than the Mountain-Cutting Saber. But if the creature grabbed it or swatted it aside, how much impact could this lightweight Cold Weapon take before snapping?’

Xu Mo had no answers to these questions.

Setting the Triangular Spike aside, Xu Mo began to recall every detail of his fight with the Tier-2 zombie.