Xiao Huang went home for two reasons: first, to see if his mother had made it back.
One look, and he knew she hadn’t.
Second, to get a weapon. He was only a middle schooler—not as strong as high school boys or adults. Compared to a blunt weapon like an iron rod, a blade was better.
He grabbed a kitchen knife, got on his bike, and headed toward the Development Zone Government Building.
Using his ability, he took a winding route to avoid all danger and finally arrived.
The Development Zone Government Building was on the edge of the residential area, next to the river. Across the river was the industrial park.
Xiao Huang stopped his bike and stood at the government entrance. Just standing there, he could already sense the danger inside.
But as his junior Wu Shuchen had thought—so what if he sensed it? His mother was in there. Even if it was a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, he had to charge through.
On his shoulders were the iron guards his junior had made for him despite the nosebleeds. On his arms were his unfinished workbooks and practice books, bound with tape. The kitchen knife was in his hand. Xiao Huang took a deep breath and charged in.
Xiao Huang’s mother worked in the “Science, Technology, and Industry Promotion Bureau” of the Development Zone Government.
Xiao Huang had never been here before—everything he knew came from his parents’ casual conversations.
For instance: third floor, window facing the river view, on the west side of the building. They had three offices, and his mother was in Office No. 2.
With only this sparse information, Xiao Huang stormed into the government building.
The building had more than one staircase. When he felt danger radiating from one direction, he turned and chose another route where the sense of danger was relatively lighter.
Xiao Huang didn’t engage the zombies in prolonged fights. His primary goal wasn’t to kill zombies or clear the building—it was to find his mother.
After riding his bike for over an hour, the conviction to save his mother drove him to an astonishing burst of physical stamina.
He was like an ancient cavalryman charging into enemy ranks—always advancing, never stopping. He swung his blade only to remove obstacles in his path.
When a zombie lunged to bite, he raised his arm to block. As its teeth sank into the workbooks, he slashed off half its face, kicked it away, and seized the moment to push forward.
As long as a human wore armor and carried a weapon, a regular zombie posed virtually no life-threatening danger.
His “danger sense” ability was still useful in combat—extremely useful!
Before a second-generation zombie could even pounce, Xiao Huang had already sensed it coming. Even though being inside a building gave him only a few seconds’ warning at most, those few seconds saved his life.
Xiao Huang had already practiced with this ability during the morning’s battle to retake the school. He’d adapted to those few seconds of urgent forewarning.
And now, inside the Development Zone Government Building, he noticed his ability seemed to be working even better.
Besides the few seconds of advance warning, his perception also told him which direction to move to evade the attack.
But the movement had to be rapid and precise.
From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like this: the second-generation zombie leaped—and the boy started moving at the very same instant it was in midair.
The next moment, the zombie landed on empty air.
The boy and the zombie missed each other by mere inches, brushing shoulders.
The zombie twisted to change direction, but the boy had already stepped again, narrowly dodging another zombie.
Inside the zombie-packed government building, the lean boy wove through them like magic.
Slashing regular zombies with his knife, stepping to evade second-generation ones.
If this were a game, Zhao Yi and Gao Yuxuan would have gasped: God-tier movement!
Xiao Huang didn’t know abilities could level up. But his “danger sense” had actually evolved to the next tier.
From “long-range danger detection,” it had advanced to “close-range, short-duration micro-operational guidance.”
“Close-range” meant face-to-face with zombies. “Short-duration” meant in the blink of an eye.
This dreamlike, god-tier movement looked like a casual stroll, but in reality, every nerve in Xiao Huang’s body was taut. He didn’t dare blink for a single moment.
The zombies, having no intelligence, couldn’t comprehend his existence. This bit of flesh seemed to be right there—but every time they swiped or pounced, they caught nothing but air.
But not every attempt missed.
Due to the constraints of hallway space and zombie density, there wasn’t always a gap of safety between one “danger” and the next “danger.”
Sometimes, he had to choose a direction with relatively less danger and step forward, using his iron shoulder guards or workbook armor to absorb one collision or bite. In the next instant, he’d swing his blade and sever a zombie’s neck.
Between “danger,” “danger,” and “danger,” he would eliminate one threat to force an opening through the others.
This was ultra-high-precision micro-operation.
Every muscle in his body had to be tensed to the max, mobilized in an instant.
The swing of the knife and the step of his foot had to be perfectly synchronized—not a single second of error allowed!
Because a second-generation zombie’s pounce took only one second.
Once, he had to choose among three second-generation zombies. He could only charge straight into one. In the instant of impact, he angled his body to take it on the shoulder guard. As his back slammed against the wall, the zombie bit down on the iron guard on his shoulder—and shattered its own teeth.
His knife slashed into its neck, cutting halfway through. The head tilted sideways but still hung on by a thread of flesh.
Xiao Huang shoved it aside and took a diagonal step without pause.
Bam! Another second-generation zombie smashed into the wall he’d been leaning against just a moment ago, breaking its own nasal bone and arm.
If Xiao Huang had taken that step even a fraction of a second later, that zombie would have taken him down.
It was through this high-intensity, high-risk, high-precision operation that the hallway—once a dead end blocked by three second-generation zombies—now had a way out.
Xiao Huang took that step and advanced another meter forward.
The continuous, high-intensity use of his ability was much like Su Yu’s sustained output of her protective shield.
Unlike Electric and Fire types, who had brief moments of rest between each current discharge or fireball, Xiao Huang and Su Yu’s sustained-output abilities allowed no rest at all.
His brain throbbed with stabbing pain, and blood trickled from his nose.
This was the first time Xiao Huang had gotten a nosebleed, but he’d already learned from Wu Shuchen that this was a side effect of overusing one’s ability.
But what could he do? He was inside a building full of zombies—he couldn’t stop using his ability for even a moment. Stopping meant death.
From the first floor to the third, his school uniform was soaked through with sweat.
Blood was flowing from both his nose and ears. His throat tasted sweet and metallic.
His eardrums and brain felt like they were being stabbed with needles.
That morning, he’d led his junior schoolmates in fighting zombies.
Then he’d ridden his bike for over an hour.
And he hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon—only drunk tap water to quench his thirst.
His young body was actually nearing its limit, burning on overdraft with the help of adrenaline.
His eyes ached and his vision blurred.
Xiao Huang could no longer see the zombies clearly. He could only perceive their “danger” as blurred human-shaped contours in his mind’s eye.
Step. Sidestep. Slash.
Xiao Huang had lost all emotion—including tension, worry, and fear.
He knew he was pulling off a miracle.
Since the zombie virus broke out, had anyone ever heard of a living person making their way alone through a dense crowd of zombies?
No. Never.
He was a miracle.
His parents would be so proud of him.
When Xiao Huang finally saw the sign reading “Science, Technology, and Industry Promotion Bureau — Office (2),” he actually smiled.
A mouthful of blood surged up his throat, and he forced himself to swallow it back down.
But a trace of blood still seeped from the corner of his mouth.
There were four zombies in Office No. 2.
An ordinary person, even in armor, couldn’t take on four at once. But superpowers gave humans an edge. Hadn’t the heavens given humans these abilities precisely to fight zombies?
Even though he sensed immense danger, Xiao Huang charged in anyway.
Zombies from the hallway followed him in.
In this open-plan office, Xiao Huang pivoted, dodged, and counter-killed in the blink of an eye.
Overwhelming danger filled the entire office. The boy’s life and cells were burning.
His eyeballs ached. His vision was blurry.
One. Two. Three.
Kill. Kill!
Office No. 2 of the Science, Technology, and Industry Promotion Bureau was the end point of Xiao Huang’s journey.
He could no longer weave past zombies by outmaneuvering them. Here, he had to kill—because this was the end!
Kill them all!
The kitchen knife was blunt and chipped. Every zombie in the office lay dead on the ground.
All Xiao Huang could hear was his own breathing. His lungs felt like they were about to burst, his heart about to tear apart. He could collapse at any moment.
But the “danger” that loomed over the office had never disappeared—even after all these zombies died.
They weren’t the source of that danger.
Xiao Huang turned around.
The open-plan office had an inner room.
The director’s office.
His mother was the director.
The door to the director’s office had always been ajar.
Now it swung open. His mother stood in the doorway.
She had been there all along, just watching.
Her gaze was the “danger” that had filled the office from start to finish.
Because she was a third-generation zombie.
A crisp, tailored suit. Elegantly pinned hair. Eyes pitch-black, with no whites. Skin a pale green.
Xiao Huang had found his mother.
As a son, he had no regrets, no resentment.
Xiao Huang smiled.
As he smiled, tears of blood streamed down his face.
His hand relaxed, and the blunted kitchen knife clattered to the floor.
Xiao Huang spread his arms, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back, baring his throat.
Ready to embrace his mother’s deadly embrace.
The family of three would finally be reunited.
His mother exhaled a breath and lunged at him!
The next instant, Xiao Huang felt a massive impact slam into his body!
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