Surviving the Game as a Zombie - Chapter 46

Their fingers were already interlocked. Pulled by gravity, Xiao Li’s entire body was left hanging in mid-air, and Tang Yu was dragged forward, stumbling half a step.

She was bearing the weight of nearly two people, and half of her foot was already dangling over the edge of the rock.

Xiao Li raised her other hand, preparing to grasp Jin Ye’s wrist.

The mishap occurred in that instant. The rock on the platform couldn’t withstand the weight of so many people, and a piece from the edge suddenly broke away.

Tang Yu’s left foot slipped, and she pitched forward toward the cliff. Zhou Zhou, reacting swiftly, quickly wrapped her arms around Tang Yu’s waist, and at the same time, Fu Mengqing grabbed hold of Zhou Zhou.

The five of them were instantly like grasshoppers on a string, linked together and swaying precariously on the cliff face.

The immense force transferred all the way to Xiao Li at the end of the chain. Her fragile, pale fingertips could no longer grip Jin Ye’s hand. With a slip of her fingers, she fell backward, plummeting toward the bottom of the cliff.

“Xiao Li!” Jin Ye cried out, her hand reaching out in a futile gesture, grasping at empty air as she watched Xiao Li’s small figure disappear into the mist and the canopy of trees below.

Tang Yu also called out her teammate’s name repeatedly, but there was no answer.

For a moment, everyone’s mind went blank.

In a moment of panic, Jin Ye let go of her other hand holding Tang Yu, preparing to leap off the cliff after Xiao Li.

Tang Yu sensed her intention and quickly grabbed Jin Ye’s wrist, shouting, “Zhou Zhou, pull us up! Now!”

Standing in the safe zone, Zhou Zhou and Fu Mengqing pulled with all their might. It took considerable effort, but they managed to haul the two, who were dangling in the air, back onto the platform.

“I’m going down to find her.” Jin Ye stared intently at the spot where Xiao Li had fallen, her eyes red and her tone resolute.

“We will find her, but you can’t just jump. You’ll die too. If Xiao Li is still alive, what would she do if you were dead?” Tang Yu said no more, leaning out to survey the cliff face. They had to find a safe way down.

The most rational approach was to return to the village for supplies before heading to the valley floor to rescue her. But a round trip would take the better part of half a day. The longer they waited, the slimmer Xiao Li’s chances of survival would become.

Who knew what was down in the valley.

If Xiao Li had died from the fall, even though she could be resurrected, her body would be in grave danger. Left in a place like that, even common wild animals would pose a major threat.

“Lu Lu, can you hear me?” Tang Yu asked in the group chat.

“I’m here! What happened? What’s wrong with Xiao Li?” Lu Lu asked anxiously.

“Pick two people, grab our backpacks, and head north along the mountain behind the village. In about four hours, you’ll see a cliff. Throw the backpacks down into the valley.” Tang Yu tried to keep her voice calm as she gave Lu Lu instructions. They didn’t have time to retrieve the supplies themselves; this was their only resort.

There was a high chance they wouldn’t be able to find the supplies after they were thrown into the valley, but if they did, those items would be lifesavers.

“Okay! I’m leaving right now,” Lu Lu replied loudly from the other end.

As Tang Yu gave these instructions, Fu Mengqing, standing to the side, grew distraught, her self-blame reaching its peak. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you all here… It’s all my fault. I lost my sister, and now I’ve made you lose a teammate…”

The successive blows and their narrow escape had pushed her to the brink of a mental breakdown. She kept muttering words of self-reproach, rambling on and on.

Jin Ye suddenly stood up and slapped Fu Mengqing across the face.

The crisp sound of the slap startled everyone. Fu Mengqing stood frozen in place, her eyes wide with shock.

“This is not the time for self-blame,” Jin Ye said coldly before turning to examine the cliff face. She didn’t want to blame Fu Mengqing. After all, she and Xiao Li were the ones who had persuaded Tang Yu to search for the sister and climb the mountain. The accident had no direct connection to Fu Mengqing, but Jin Ye couldn’t help herself; she needed an outlet.

The slap snapped Fu Mengqing back to reality. Although she couldn’t understand a word Jin Ye had said, she finally pulled herself together. She stopped her useless self-reproach and began searching for footholds on the cliff face.

The cliff face was sheer, as if carved by a knife. The gray rock offered no purchase, making it impossible for an ordinary person to climb down. After staring for a while, their eyes began to sting; the uniform color was causing visual fatigue.

Tang Yu’s heart sank.

In the silence, Fu Mengqing suddenly pointed at the cliff face. “There’s a small protrusion there, big enough for half a foot. From there, you can jump to that spot, there’s a crack to hold onto. Then jump left, there’s an indentation…”

Having calmed down, Fu Mengqing reverted to the cautious and stoic state she had been in the previous night. Eager to find a way to remedy the situation, she failed to notice the strange looks Tang Yu and Jin Ye were giving her.

Fu Mengqing continued to offer advice: “This way down is very difficult. One misstep and you’ll fall, but it’s the best route in the vicinity.”

Following Fu Mengqing’s gestures, Tang Yu strained her eyes for a long time before she could finally make out the protrusion Fu Mengqing was pointing to on the dark gray rock face. From their angle, the small, palm-sized ledge blended in with its surroundings, making it incredibly difficult to spot.

“How can you see that?” Tang Yu asked.

Fu Mengqing only heard Tang Yu grunt something but couldn’t understand what she said, so she looked to Zhou Zhou for help.

This wasn’t working. Communicating like this was too inefficient.

Tang Yu glanced at the two of them and said, “Zhou Zhou, translate for me.”

Zhou Zhou reluctantly agreed.

Tang Yu reached out, grabbing Fu Mengqing’s arm through her sleeve. “We need to be able to communicate without any barriers,” she said. “How about you join our camp right now? But… what I need most are zombie companions. If you agree, I’ll infect you this instant.”

There was nothing wrong with joining the camp while remaining human, but human companions couldn’t form an alliance. With the special exceptions of Zhou Zhou and Xiao Li, Tang Yu was reluctant to recruit any more human players. Their human status allowed them to come and go as they pleased, making it hard for them to develop a true sense of belonging. Too many people like that would become a liability for the camp.

Zhou Zhou’s translation style was completely different from Xiao Li’s. She didn’t provide a literal translation, instead condensing it into a single sentence: “Do you want to join our camp and be our teammate? The catch is, you have to become a zombie.”

Fu Mengqing froze for a moment, unable to process what she had just heard.

Tang Yu shot Zhou Zhou a glare, which only strengthened her resolve to turn Fu Mengqing into a zombie. If she had to rely on Zhou Zhou’s translations for the entire journey, there was no telling how many misunderstandings would occur.

Fu Mengqing asked, “But wouldn’t that mean I’m dead? What if my sister is still in the game…”

Tang Yu cut her off. “No. The game will ask you to confirm if you want to stay. The only thing is, your points will be wiped, and your physical attributes will reset to their initial state.”

Zhou Zhou was taken aback for a moment; this was the first she’d heard about how the zombie mechanics worked. This time, she translated Tang Yu’s words faithfully.

Fu Mengqing hesitated. She didn’t care about the points, but…

“If my physical attributes reset to their initial state, does that apply to my ability too?”

Jin Ye and Tang Yu glanced at each other. “Abilities… I’m not sure,” Tang Yu replied. “We haven’t tested that yet. You have an ability?”

Fu Mengqing seemed to make up her mind before answering, “Yes, my ability is enhanced vision. I don’t mind if it gets reset to zero, but it’s a very useful skill. I’m worried that losing it might hinder our rescue efforts.”

Tang Yu and Jin Ye exchanged a glance. Tang Yu released Fu Mengqing’s arm, then held out her hand, palm up.

“To be honest, I have a replication talent,” Tang Yu said, not hiding her intentions. “I’d like to copy your ability. That way, if your ability is reset after you turn, our team won’t have lost a valuable skill for nothing. Of course, it would be best if it doesn’t reset at all.” She added, “In return, I promise I will find your sister, dead or alive.”

Zhou Zhou looked at Tang Yu in surprise. This was the first she’d heard of Tang Yu having such an ability. No wonder her skills were similar to those of Xiao Qi from Miss Song’s team. Despite her astonishment, Zhou Zhou translated Tang Yu’s words faithfully.

Tang Yu had considered not revealing her hand so soon. After all, she had only known Fu Mengqing for a day and could have easily copied the ability when Fu Mengqing was off guard.

But such a sneaky tactic was fine to use on enemies; on a teammate, it could easily breed resentment. Besides, Fu Mengqing and Zhou Zhou would inevitably notice when she used the ability later. It was better to be transparent now and let Fu Mengqing make the decision herself.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fu Mengqing reached out and placed her hand in Tang Yu’s. “Alright. Thank you for making that promise.”

The replication occurred silently. In an instant, Tang Yu’s vision became crystal clear, as if it had been washed clean by rain. She turned to look at an ancient pine clinging to the cliff face and, by focusing, could even see ants crawling on it.

No wonder Fu Mengqing had been able to spot the smoke from their village from so far away and had dared to travel alone at night.

One sister had vision like a clairvoyant, while the other was blind. Who knew what sort of story lay behind that.

After copying the ability, Tang Yu made a cut on Fu Mengqing’s arm. Once Fu Mengqing had fully turned into a zombie, Tang Yu added her to the alliance and the camp’s group chat.

“Well? Check if your ability is still there,” Tang Yu prompted.

Now that she was one of them, Fu Mengqing could easily understand Tang Yu’s words without needing Zhou Zhou to relay them.

Fu Mengqing looked toward the rock face and squinted. She turned back, saying with resignation, “Good thing I gave the ability to you first. It’s really gone.”

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed. Many players went to great lengths to obtain an ability, and having it wiped out in an instant was something most people couldn’t bear. But Fu Mengqing didn’t dwell on it. Her main purpose in the game was to protect her sister, and having someone willing to help find her was more important than anything else.

Tang Yu, however, furrowed her brow. Their gamble hadn’t paid off.

At that moment, Tang Yu suddenly sensed the game’s malice toward her. If all the skills of her converted zombie companions were reset, turning them into complete novices, it would be incredibly difficult for her team to grow.

Her leveling rules were the same as the players’, but it felt like the game was deliberately or inadvertently restricting her through these minor regulations. She couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination.

The thought flashed through her mind and vanished just as quickly.

Tang Yu shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it for now. She carefully re-examined the route Fu Mengqing had pointed out, then instructed her teammates, “Follow my lead.”

With that, Tang Yu crouched and leaped out.

The spot she landed on was incredibly narrow. She clung to the wall like a gecko before immediately leaping to the next foothold without pausing.

Though her teammates weren’t in peak physical condition, their desperation to save Xiao Li drove them on, and they showed no fear as they climbed. Following Tang Yu’s lead, they slipped and stumbled but managed to descend about twenty meters. There were several close calls where they nearly fell, but by lending each other a hand, they made it down without any real disaster.

A little further down, they could reach the treetops. Tang Yu simply let go and jumped directly onto the canopy.

Jutting branches scraped her skin, but thanks to a zombie’s dulled sense of pain, the wounds didn’t slow her down. She reached out and pulled Fu Mengqing, whose stamina was completely drained.

By the time the four of them were on solid ground, everyone except the physically fit Zhou Zhou was soaked in sweat. The cold sweat had even dampened their hair, and a gust of cold wind from the valley floor made them all shiver.

The chill wasn’t just from their sweat; the valley floor, with its sky-blocking canopy, was genuinely damp and cold.

A thick layer of dead leaves covered the ground, reaching nearly to their calves. The earlier downpour had been torrential, but aside from the damp surface, the leaves underneath were still dry, shielded by the dense, overlapping canopy.

Unlike the forest near the village, this valley was a truly primeval, untouched region.

Jin Ye kept looking up, trying to pinpoint where Xiao Li might have landed. Their descent hadn’t been a straight line, so they were now some distance from the spot where Xiao Li had fallen.

None of the surrounding basin-thick branches showed any signs of being broken, so they had no idea where Xiao Li had landed. Fortunately, the layer of leaf litter was thick enough to cushion a fall, so there was a chance she had survived.

The group spread out to search, calling Xiao Li’s name as they went.

“Xiao Li! Xiao Li!” “Xingyue!” Aside from Zhou Zhou’s human shouts, the others could only produce zombie-like roars.

Their calls echoed through the woods, but there was no reply.

Just as they were struggling to wade through the deep leaves, a sound like a zombie’s roar came from the south.

They were all startled. Xiao Li wasn’t a zombie; she couldn’t make a sound like that.

Soon, the single roar from the south was joined by a second, then a third and a fourth. Like a chain reaction, the entire valley was soon filled with eerie, low growls.

How were there zombies down in the valley?

They ducked down, hiding themselves in the undergrowth, but their earlier shouts had already given away their position. Soon, the rustling of parted bushes sounded from behind them.

“Run!” Tang Yu glanced back and broke out in a cold sweat. With her enhanced vision, she could see a massive dark shape moving swiftly through the foliage a hundred meters away.

That was no zombie’s silhouette.

No longer caring about being discovered, they scrambled to their feet and bolted.

Chest-high shrubs impeded their movement, and sharp leaves occasionally slashed at their faces, but they couldn’t afford to pay it any mind.

Because chasing them from behind was a giant bear, three times the height of a person.

If it were just a single bear, they could have handled it with their weapons. But there were four of them in pursuit.

And these weren’t ordinary black bears. The crimson eyes on their massive faces were a clear warning that something was terribly wrong.

“They’re infected!” Zhou Zhou shouted as she ran.

A chill went through them all, not just for their own predicament, but also for Xiao Li and Fu Xingyue. With so many infected beasts in the valley, even if the fall hadn’t killed them, they would have had little chance of escape.

Their greatest fear was that an incapacitated Xiao Li had become food for these beasts. In that case, even with her resurrection ability, she would be helpless without a body.

Jin Ye’s fingernails dug into her palms. She forced herself to stay clear-headed and not spiral into worst-case scenarios.

After running only a few steps, the ground beneath Tang Yu’s feet suddenly gave way. The solid earth was gone, replaced by something like soft mud.

They had run into a mire.

The thick layer of leaves had camouflaged the mire. They hadn’t noticed, running several steps into it before they realized what was happening. By then, the sludge was already over their ankles, and they could feel themselves sinking.

“Get down! It’s a swamp!” Tang Yu shouted. The others immediately spread their arms and lay flat on the bed of leaves.

They hadn’t sunk very deep. By increasing their surface area, their rate of sinking slowed dramatically. They didn’t dare move, fearing any struggle would only make them sink faster. But just then, the black bears caught up.

They had lost all sense. One of the bears plunged into the swamp and, ignoring the fact that it was sinking, continued to roar and lunge toward Tang Yu.

It was incredibly strong, managing to wrench its left leg from the mud and take another step, bringing it just within reach of Tang Yu’s feet.

Lying prone, Tang Yu had no choice but to turn and swing her knife, slicing a long gash across the bear’s paw.

Foul-smelling animal bl00d sprayed out, splattering Tang Yu’s pant leg.

Perhaps the scent of bl00d agitated the mindless beasts, as the other bears also roared and charged into the swamp.

One of them used the sinking bear in front of it as a stepping stone, charging toward the group as if on solid ground.

Jin Ye and Zhou Zhou raised their guns, aiming for the bear’s eyes. By now, they had sunk beneath the layer of leaves, their bodies in the filthy mud and water, almost completely covered.

A series of gunshots, ten in total, rang out with a bang.

Jin Ye and Zhou Zhou froze, bewildered. They hadn’t fired yet.

Someone else had fired the shots.

Another twenty thunderous shots followed. The smell of cordite even reached Tang Yu’s face. They lay motionless, sunk so deep into the mire that they could barely see anything at eye level.

Voices came from the center of the swamp. A man’s voice called out from a distance, “Did we hit them? Should we go back and check?”

“No need. Just a few infected bears,” a low male voice replied. “Finding that blind person is our priority right now.”

After he spoke, the sound of a motor started up.

Once the sound had faded, Tang Yu struggled to lift her head. She saw a military-green hovercraft blending in with the aquatic plants, shrinking into a dot in the distance. The boat was crowded with people, at least twenty of them.

To think there were other players in this remote canyon.

She looked back at the black bears. They had been torn to shreds by some unknown firearms.

Tang Yu moved her limbs, churning the mud as she painstakingly shifted her position. She finally managed to grab the bear’s severed paw and slowly hauled herself onto its body.

Half of the bear’s body was submerged in the mire, but the other half of its back was still exposed. Tang Yu reached out and pulled her teammates up one by one.

Ignoring the filth covering them, they used the bear carcasses as stepping stones to get back to solid ground.

Zhou Zhou avoided the bears’ bl00d. She knew animals could be infected by zombies but wasn’t sure if humans could be infected by mutated animals. For now, it was best to be cautious.

Fu Mengqing had heard the people on the hovercraft mention a “blind person” and nervously asked Tang Yu, “Are they looking for Xingyue?”

Tang Yu shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

There was a mire here. Logically, if Fu Xingyue had fallen from the cliff last night, she couldn’t have gotten far. That group of players clearly had a destination in mind and weren’t searching the mire. They were probably looking for someone else.

But what if something had carried Fu Xingyue across the swamp?

They had originally assumed this was just an ordinary mountain valley, but now it was clear that wasn’t the case.

This valley not only had mutated animals but also a large group of heavily armed players.

This place was not normal.

Tang Yu first surveyed the swamp for a long time. The terrain was low, the aquatic plants were dense, and while the canopy overhead was thinner here, it still blotted out the sky.

If Xiao Li and Fu Xingyue had been unlucky enough to fall into the swamp, their bodies would have likely been swallowed by the mire already.

Tang Yu looked up at the canopy. The branches still showed no signs of being broken. She could only pray that the two of them hadn’t fallen in this spot.

Yet, none of them could shake the suspicion.

The atmosphere was somber. They shook the caked mud from their clothes and turned back to continue searching the area.

They searched back and forth for hours. It wasn’t until dusk that they found a small tree with branches snapped by a heavy impact.

A large patch of surrounding ferns was also crushed, revealing a human-sized indentation in the ground, but there was no one to be seen.

Jin Ye searched anxiously near the small tree. She suddenly stopped, moved her foot, and picked something up from beneath the dead leaves.

It was a short-barreled submachine gun, the weapon Xiao Li always carried with her. There was still some ammunition in its holster.

Everyone’s heart leaped into their throats. Xiao Li was gone.

If she had left consciously, she would never have abandoned her gun. In the apocalypse, a gun meant survival; everyone knew that.

She had most likely been taken by something.