Chapter 44: Overcoming the Leeches

Each leech was as large as an adult's fist, and these creatures were bloodthirsty – not something to be trifled with. The best way to combat these leeches would be with fire or acid, but, unfortunately, none of us had such weapons at hand. We were left to rely on our firearms for defense.

The barrels of our guns spat fire unceasingly. With so many leeches, random shots could hit a swath of them, especially with the collective firepower of our group. The leeches had just begun to congeal into humanoid forms when our barrage shattered them into pieces.

Strangely, the leeches did not aggressively attack us. After losing some of their numbers, they retreated in groups. What was going on? Was someone commanding these leeches?

I noted the leeches' game points were pitifully low, only one point each. After a full magazine, I had only killed eighteen leeches. It seemed prudent to prepare explosives or area-effect weapons for future encounters.

"Damn it, what are these things?" Foster spat in frustration. But then, I was captivated by a sight outside the window.

Amidst the raging storm, with lightning intermittently illuminating the sky, a faint melody wafted through. Looking out of the train window, I saw a man standing on a hilltop across from us. The song seemed to emanate from him, but curiously, it sounded distinctly feminine.

The man appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in a long white robe, barefoot, with a blue stone necklace and long hair. Wait – what was this? Countless leeches writhed around his feet. Was he controlling them?

Just as I pondered this, the train jolted into motion. Someone had started it! Frustratingly, I could only watch the mysterious man slip away. I was certain he was connected to the Leech Queen. Now that we'd lost this chance, finding him again would be a daunting task.

"What's happening?" We exchanged glances, wondering if there were other people on the train – survivors or new enemies?

"Keep moving!" The captain ordered without hesitation. Whether we were dealing with survivors or foes, we had to investigate.

I wholeheartedly agreed. The journey so far had been fruitful in both points and experience. Whenever we encountered zombies, I was quick to fire – I couldn't let others steal my kills!

The others found my eagerness odd but said nothing. Perhaps they thought I simply despised zombies. Only Rebecca watched me closely, her gaze filled with understanding. I appreciated her concern, but it wasn't time to reveal the truth yet. That would come later.

We pressed on toward the front of the train, efficiently dispatching scattered zombies and leeches. Despite encountering several locked carriages, I didn't bother solving puzzles like in a game; I just kicked the doors down, surprising everyone, especially Foster.

But, of course, things weren't that smooth. As we neared the train's front, we encountered a massive scorpion guarding one of the lower carriages.

If it had been an ordinary scorpion, even a venomous one, we could have handled it carefully. But this was no ordinary scorpion. It was about three meters long, with a metallic sheen, massive pincers, and a thick stinger. Clearly, this creature was highly dangerous.

"Everyone, back!" The captain wisely chose to avoid confrontation. We had access to the second level, so we could bypass it.

As we crossed halfway through the upper level, a loud crash sounded from above. The ceiling was torn apart, revealing another massive scorpion!

It descended, targeting Team B. The veterans reacted swiftly, dodging aside, even Billy, handcuffed, rolled under a seat. Only Rebecca froze, unprepared for the attack.

"Rebecca!" In a critical moment, I lunged forward, holding her tightly, and we both flew sideways, crashing into the carriage wall.

"Senior Zhang Fan!" Rebecca hadn't expected to be saved again, especially by me. Was this fate?

I had shielded her during the fall, so she was unharmed, but I had taken the brunt of the impact. Jokingly, I wondered if this was the infamous 'falling for someone' syndrome. I couldn't help but quip, even in such dire circumstances.

"Rest assured, Rebecca, I'm fine." I gave her a thumbs-up, her favorite gesture, and picked up my P5K. It was time to settle the score with this giant scorpion!