NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 18: A Deadly Favor
With each steel ball he launched from his slingshot, Lu Ming’s proficiency soared. His ammunition bag slowly dwindled, a testament to the relentless barrage he unleashed upon the undead. There was an undeniable thrill in the act of striking down the mindless hordes, but it wasn’t just adrenaline driving him.
Every zombie he took down was one less threat. He envisioned a future overrun by monstrous evolutions like the giant zombie, and with each precise shot, he chipped away at that horrifying possibility. His survival was paramount. That was the core principle guiding every action.
There was a risk, of course—one of the undead might scale his building and breach his sanctuary. But to Lu Ming, it was a calculated risk, one he deemed acceptable. “Besides,” a tiny voice in his mind whispered, “That guy would call this reckless.”
Dozens of zombies surrounding Wang Xiong and his companions soon met their demise, felled by Lu Ming’s unseen slingshot from above. His intervention provided a much-needed reprieve, allowing Wang Xiong to catch his breath, though confusion clouded his face.
However, the sudden silence didn’t last long. More undead approached, drawn to the commotion. As Wang Xiong prepared for another desperate fight, he noticed something strange—zombies in the distance began dropping, one by one, taken down by unseen forces. He had long suspected a hidden ally, and now, with the horde thinning, he finally had time to search for his mysterious benefactor.
It didn’t take him long. Lu Ming’s house stood out—its reinforced structure and strategic design made it a natural fortress amidst the chaos. Spotting it, Wang Xiong made a split-second decision. "Let’s head there!" he urged, the instinct to seek refuge overriding caution.
They made a beeline toward Lu Ming’s house. But just as they approached, a steel ball landed with a sharp thud near Wang Xiong’s feet—a clear warning. A voice boomed from above, crisp and unwavering:
“Stay away! This is private property. No trespassing!”
Wang Xiong froze in place, bewildered. His companions, Dr. Meng Jie and Zhang Lixin, exchanged confused glances. Forced to retreat, they quickly took cover in a nearby building.
From his perch, Lu Ming continued raining down shots. The slingshot made little noise, and now that Wang Xiong and his group had retreated, the sounds of battle gradually began to fade. The flow of zombies trickled to a stop.
By lunchtime, the street had become a gruesome graveyard, littered with lifeless bodies. After securing his windows and ensuring no zombies lingered nearby, Lu Ming stretched his aching arms and headed inside, preparing for a well-earned meal.
Just as he sat down, the shrill ring of the doorbell shattered the quiet.
Lu Ming stood, stepping toward the door cautiously. Activating the security camera, he saw them—Wang Xiong, Dr. Meng Jie, and Zhang Lixin standing just outside his gate.
He pressed the speaker. “What do you want?”
Dr. Meng Jie stepped forward, offering a polite smile through the camera feed.
“Thank you for your help earlier,” she said, her voice warm and diplomatic. “We owe you our lives.”
“You’re welcome,” Lu Ming replied curtly, his voice muffled by the intercom. “If that’s all, I have lunch to eat.”
Dr. Meng Jie blinked, caught off-guard by his blunt response. “Wait,” she called out quickly, “there’s something else…”
Lu Ming sighed, leaning closer to the speaker. “What is it?”
“Well, we’re running low on supplies…” she began.
“I don’t have food to spare!” Lu Ming cut her off, annoyance creeping into his voice.
Dr. Meng Jie remained unfazed. “That’s not the only reason. We’re with the military, and we’re on a critical mission. We thought you might be interested in joining us.”
Lu Ming rolled his eyes inside his house. “Why does everyone think I want to leave the safety of my home?”
“You want me to abandon my secure house to wander around with you?” He scoffed. “Thanks, but no thanks. Don’t waste my time.”
Without waiting for a reply, he shut off the intercom.
The trio outside exchanged uneasy looks. After the doorbell rang a few more times with no response, Dr. Meng Jie sighed in defeat. “He’s not coming,” she murmured, disappointment etched in her voice. She suspected Lu Ming was an Awakened, a valuable ally in their mission, but without his cooperation, they were out of options.
“We can’t force him,” she added. “We’re soldiers, not bandits. Let’s go.”
Wang Xiong, Zhang Lixin, and Dr. Meng Jie turned away, retreating to a nearby building where they scavenged for any remaining scraps. They managed to find some packaged food, but it was far from enough. After a meager meal, they settled down to discuss their next move.
"That guy," Wang Xiong began between bites, "he’s definitely an Awakened. Did you see how precise his shots were? He’s got incredible aim. Must’ve been using a slingshot even before this apocalypse."
Zhang Lixin frowned. “There’s something off about him. I can’t shake the feeling.”
Dr. Meng Jie nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. “I agree. He’s… different.”
Wang Xiong waved their concerns away. “You two are overthinking it. You’re just older and can’t relate to the way young people are these days. We like to stay home and avoid trouble. He’s probably just one of those types—keeping to himself, surviving alone. We barged into his space and expected him to join us. It’s no wonder he wasn’t exactly welcoming.”
Dr. Meng Jie smiled at the insight. “You might be right. Still, he did help us.”
Wang Xiong grinned. “Of course, he’s a good guy. You can tell.”
Their conversation drifted away from Lu Ming, shifting to their immediate plans. Dr. Meng Jie leaned forward. “Let’s rest here for a while. Once we’ve recovered, we’ll search for a vehicle and some weapons. Agreed?”
Both men nodded in unison. “No problem.”
After lunch, Lu Ming felt refreshed. His energy restored, he reviewed his status panel:
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 13.9
Physique: 14.4
Agility: 14.7
His Slingshot Shooting proficiency had jumped significantly after that intense practice session, pushing him to Level 7 (564/700). With this momentum, he knew reaching Level 8 was just a matter of time.
But skill proficiency wasn’t his main concern anymore. The colossal zombie he had defeated earlier had forced him to rethink his survival strategy. His fortress, once thought impenetrable, now seemed vulnerable in the face of evolving threats.
Lu Ming stood by the observation window, scanning the street below. The giant zombie might have been taken down, but his instincts told him this was just the beginning. There could be more. Stronger ones.
Through the narrow gap, he spotted Wang Xiong sneaking out of the house, heading toward the village entrance. The other two—Dr. Meng Jie and Zhang Lixin—remained inside.
He had no intention of interfering. “Let them do what they want,” he thought. His home was his fortress, and outside movements were beyond his control. Besides, even in this apocalyptic world, restricting others’ freedom was still against the law, and Lu Ming was nothing if not a law-abiding citizen.
But then he heard it. A low rumble, like the distant thunder of an approaching storm. Lu Ming narrowed his eyes and looked down.
Wang Xiong was sprinting toward his house, a horde of nearly a hundred zombies charging after him. Their thunderous footsteps shook the ground, a deadly wave of destruction.
With his sharp eyes, Wang Xiong spotted Lu Ming at the window. Desperation bled into his voice as he waved frantically.
"Brother, help me out! Please!"
End of Chapter 18