Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 985: Chapter 970: Operation Luring Corpses (18)

The men lined up side by side, each standing on either side, using their bodies to block the zombies’ invasion, creating a path for the females to escape.

Demmi gently moved forward with Zhao Lina, having little faith in the two girls behind them.

After all, if it weren’t for their "delicacy," she wouldn’t have fallen into that predicament just now, possibly losing her life.

Helplessly, the responsibility of comforting the two girls fell onto Derek.

Fortunately, he was tall and robust, and having been a biracial foreigner, his years abroad had taught him the art of getting along with people. Plus, his handsome appearance made him quite adept at handling women. If his heart wasn’t already taken, he would likely have caused trouble for many girls.

"Don’t be afraid! With so many people protecting us, those creatures can’t harm us. Let’s move forward, shall we? You see, there’s a car there; isn’t it safer inside?"

Indeed, Derek’s soft and gentle words were far more effective than Old Xu’s harsh rebukes.

The two previously stunned "ancestors" finally proceeded slowly under Derek’s guidance.

The zombies were not about to give up. The rare appearance of delectable prey constantly prompted their bloodthirsty genes to launch attacks.

Soon, the scattered zombies regrouped, launching another assault on the Survivor Team’s defense line.

However, the Survivor Team was no longer as fragile as it was earlier. The zombie horde couldn’t break through the four-man group of Old Xu, Lei Tong, and others before, let alone the currently expanded "reinforced regiment."

The tightly sealed and ventilated defenses on both sides, aside from the newly joined "China" brothers, included members with extensive experience in enemy elimination.

Additionally, on the car roof stood Hu Xiaodong, with his deadly archery ensuring long-range protection, making the zombies’ new assault futile once again.

Everything proceeded within the Survivors’ control, waiting only for the girls to get inside the car for a full retreat.

Yet, there are always unforeseen changes. No one expected such a seemingly stable situation to lead to an unexpected disaster.

The two girls progressed step by step under Derek’s protection, the sound of swords and clubs clashing audible from either side. They dared not look, focusing solely on moving forward.

But just half a meter out, danger descended from the sky. A "Climber" that had somehow climbed the sycamore tree leaped down from an extended dead branch.

No one expected the crisis to occur within the defense line, given that all the male guards were focused on the outer perimeters.

Thus, the "Climber" suddenly dropping from the sky felt like entering an unguarded realm, directly pouncing on one of the girls without any hindrance.

"Ah!" A piercing scream ensued.

Derek was utterly shocked by the scene before him; blood splattered down the girl’s throat, and her screams abruptly ceased the next second.

It was the first time Derek had witnessed such a gruesome scene. Although he had ventured out alone to scavenge for supplies for over six months and faced numerous difficulties, he had absolutely no experience dealing with such a close encounter.

At arm’s length, Derek could only watch helplessly as the girl was devoured.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to save her, but his mind was stupefied by the scene before him.

You can’t blame Derek for being heartless. Knowing that zombies eat people and witnessing it firsthand are two completely different kinds of sensory shocks.

Particularly for Derek, encountering it for the first time, the girl’s painful and desperate struggle, and the peculiar noise of flesh being torn, were all overwhelming his heartstrings.

In the end, the young man couldn’t suppress his churning stomach, vomiting on the spot.

If a healthy adult man reacted this way, it’s even more telling for the remaining girl.

The girl was already mentally fragile, and with the previous shock from the zombie, witnessing the gruesome scene now, she broke down and ran away blindly.

During her aimless run, she bumped into Demmi, who was supporting Zhao Lina.

Demmi, however, reacted swiftly, staggered a few steps, and barely stabilized.

But while she steadied herself, Zhao Lina, however, did not...

The physically weak Zhao Lina lost Demmi’s support, and with the force of the girl’s collision, she fell to the ground, letting out a wail.

The successive sounds from the center caught everyone’s attention.

Hu Xiaodong was the first to notice what was happening in the field, and a chill ran up his spine immediately.

Damn it!

As soon as he spoke, the zombie chewing on the delectable prey heard the scream from behind, turned around, and Zhao Lina was lying less than ten meters from it.

Faced with the newfound delicacy, the "Climber" gave an excited growl, clearly elated by its luck today.

Without any hesitation, the "Climber" quickly turned and crawled towards Zhao Lina.

Oh no! Realizing the creature’s intent, Hu Xiaodong hastily shot an arrow, but his over-eager emotions and the worry of inadvertently harming a teammate threw off his aim for that life-saving shot.

The arrowhead brushed against the "Climber’s" clothes and embedded in the ground, the scattering stones drawing the creature’s attention to Hu Xiaodong.

The "Climber" bared its teeth and roared at Hu Xiaodong, then lowered its head and continued toward the prey.

Having missed the opportunity, Hu Xiaodong quickly nocked another arrow, but the "Climber" was disastrously close to Zhao Lina’s position.

He couldn’t possibly nock an arrow before the creature committed its "atrocity," and even if he had the chance to shoot, in such a tense situation, trying to precisely kill, no matter how superb Hu Xiaodong’s archery was, was almost insurmountable.

After all, the hardest thing to control is the human heart, as the saying goes, "the more you care, the more chaotic." Zhao Lina’s position in the hearts of all the survivors was self-evident.

This time, they spared no effort, taking all the team’s resources, risking rescue, and the root of it was for Zhao Lina.

So at this moment, Hu Xiaodong’s mind was chaotic, and he simply couldn’t perform a precise kill.

The "Climber" crawled up onto Zhao Lina’s thigh under the spectators’ eyes among the survivors.

The girl had never experienced anything so frightening. Even when facing those wolf-like "Japanese" brats, she had never been so terrified.

With flesh remnants still in its mouth, the "Climber" had blood dripping from its lips, a visual assault that continuously shattered Zhao Lina’s mental defenses, making her forget to even resist instinctively.

Without any obstruction, the "Climber" smoothly reached the attack range. With just a bite, it could tear away the tender flesh from Zhao Lina’s calf.

The creature seemed very excited, its arched spine heaving up and down, eager to taste the delicious flesh before it.

Then just at this moment, at the critical juncture of the helpless rescue, the sound of something cutting through the air pierced, and a frigid streak slashed downward. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

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