The Licker

The residential area where Dirk was located was deep within this region. This used to be the old city area, with complex and winding roads, and he could only make progress on foot. But even on foot, with his enhanced body, he could reach it in no more than fifteen minutes at his speed.

"Brother, hold on!" After punching through a few zombies that pounced on him, Clark rushed along the inner wall of the residential area.

What used to be quiet and cozy residential buildings had now turned into slaughterhouses. The sealed burglar bars became the biggest obstacle to escape. Occasionally, a piercing scream could be heard from inside the building. In partially open windows, the shadow of zombies flashed by, and that was a stroke of luck.

Before the outbreak of the apocalypse, most of the residents in the residential area were still outside and had not returned home. Otherwise, with the population density of this old city area, he would have been stuck. With his agile and highly agile figure, Clark easily dodged the small groups of zombies that surrounded him.

Clark's running speed was extremely fast, and with all his strength, he had already reached the entrance of the residential area. The zombies along the way avoided him if they could, and if they couldn't, he simply punched through their heads.

At the entrance of the residential area, beneath the security bars of a fancy townhouse on the 6th floor, a well-dressed businessman was hanging on with his upper body exposed, struggling below the railing. It was unclear how he, being so fat, had climbed to the outside wall.

"Save me! I'm begging you!" The chubby man shouted loudly to Clark, his face contorted into an ugly smile. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans dripped from his nose. He had been hanging outside the window for a while now, and he could see Clark rushing out of the residential area like a god of death.

Wouldn't it be easy to save him? Clark remained unmoved, kicked a zombie in front of him, and didn't even look back.

"I'll give you money! I'm begging you! A hundred thousand dollars! Save me!" The panicked businessman was about to be out of the gate as he watched Clark.

Clark paid no attention to him. Money in the midst of the apocalypse could only be used as toilet paper.

Seeing Clark's figure disappear, the businessman suddenly felt bewildered. That was five hundred thousand dollars! How could someone not be tempted? Ask for anything, and I'll give it! He believed that anyone would be enticed. Clark couldn't care less. The money from the apocalypse era could only be used to wipe his butt.

Clark rushed through a road with no zombies blocking the way. Suddenly, his footsteps faltered, and his face became serious. It wasn't the promise of money from the businessman that had tempted him and made him want to go back.

In the distance, a giant monster, three meters tall, covered in blood-red like a skinned frog, blocked the road. It was a Licker! As a mutated zombie, the Licker possessed terrifying combat power.

In a past life, a single Licker could easily destroy a small safe zone. Although it lacked armored protection, its constantly regenerating muscle tissue could withstand most small-caliber firearms. It was incredibly fast, strong, and had regenerative abilities. Hardened steel was like dough in its hands. It was truly one of the nightmares of survivors.

Clark wondered if he could bypass it. He carefully hid his presence, crouching behind a truck. Even though he had become an awakened, he was only at level 0. Although his strength had exceeded human limits, there was still a significant gap compared to this monster.

Should I take a detour? Clark held his breath and carefully examined the situation with a broken rearview mirror in his hand.

Every move made by the Licker blocking the road was like an earthquake. With claws over two meters long, it could easily pierce through metal. Its double claws continuously extended like phantom shadows, continuously pulling out the humans hiding in the cars. It devoured them like savoring a delicacy, not even sparing the zombies.

Clark remained silent. No wonder there were no zombies on this road; the monster had devoured them all.

A dozen seconds later, the Licker held a pair of severed legs in its mouth, greedily surveying its surroundings with its eyes. It had already devoured the entire road.

A slight vibration from his phone, it was a voice message from Dirk. Clark's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he carefully turned the volume to the lowest.

"Clark, I'm Viola, Dirk's sister. My brother seems to be in bad shape, he's been vomiting a lot of blood, and I don't know why... The way he looked at me, it was like he wanted to eat me." 

The message was distorted and unclear due to electrical interference, and it was sent five minutes ago.Global communication had been severely disrupted after the apocalypse began and would gradually shut down within three hours.

Clark tightly clenched his phone. Originally, he had fought his way out from a sea of zombies, and even now, his hands, which had remained steady, were trembling slightly.

Dirk's deteriorating condition was beyond his expectations. Perhaps in the next moment, he would completely turn into a zombie, and there was no more time to waste. Clark, who had originally planned to take a detour, straightened his body instantly, not caring about the risk of exposing himself to the Licker's sight. He ran at full speed!

"Boom! Boom!" The ground shook. In the distance, the massive Licker seemed to have sensed something, and on its hideous giant face, two nostril-like openings sniffed carefully.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" Suddenly, the Licker's huge body started a frantic sprint. Cars along the way were knocked aside like projectiles by a train. Its speed was astonishing, and it had caught the scent of living creatures! The distance between them rapidly closed.