Chapter 21: Peril

"I'll join too," perhaps emboldened by the sight of zombies being effortlessly slain by Carter Hayes, Tone found a surge of confidence. Gritting his teeth, he seized the moment when a zombie was turned away, cleaving it with the great sword over a meter in length. However, his swing was so forceful that not only the zombie's head but also a large part of its torso was severed, spraying dark blood all over the ground.

"Ugh," Tone stood in disbelief for a few seconds, capable of feeling a zombie, before he bent over in a corner and began to vomit.

Though the slain were zombies, they bore human likenesses, and the sight of blood mingled with organs like livers spilling onto the ground was unsettling.

"Are you okay?" Carter Hayes, wary of attracting other zombies with any noise, quickly dispatched another zombie before approaching Tone.

"I'm... I'm fine," Tone replied, his face pale but determined.

"You'll get used to it. Remember, they are no longer human," Hayes had planned to retreat to allow Tone to acclimate for a day, but seeing the resolve in his eyes, he realized his concern was unnecessary and handed him a can of water.

After a brief rest, Tone signaled Hayes with a nod and they stealthily made their way out.

Subsequently, they managed to eliminate several dozen zombies without alerting the rest.

Although Hayes accounted for the majority of the kills, Tone gradually adjusted, hardening his resolve and maintaining composure even as heads fell to his blade, a change that Hayes found surprising.

What frustrated Hayes was not just Tone's mental fortitude but also his rapidly improving skill with the blade, executing swift and precise strikes.

At this moment, Tone fully utilized the skills he had honed in the military.

Aside from speed and strength, Hayes acknowledged that Tone's technique and tactics surpassed his own.

"What if Tone reached Level 7 like me?" This thought crossed Hayes' mind just as a fierce roar broke the silence.

"We've been spotted," Hayes tensed up.

Despite having dispatched dozens of zombies, the remaining number could easily exceed two hundred. Hayes' greatest concern was the possibility of attracting all the zombies from the streets to their location.

"Tone, back to the stairs!" Hayes, realizing Tone had been detected, shouted without fear of attracting more attention.

As zombies throughout the mall staggered towards Tone, Hayes, with his powerful leg muscles, shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

Having reached Level 7, Hayes' control over his speed and strength was extraordinary.

Rushing towards the stairway at an incredible speed, his blade never ceased to move, each swing ensuring the demise of a zombie.

With the strength of 700 pounds behind each strike, zombies cleaved by Hayes were not just beheaded but sent flying.

Hearing Hayes' shout, Tone, without hesitation, turned and sprinted towards the indicated stairway.

The narrow stairway, being easily defensible, was an obvious tactical advantage, a simple fact Tone understood well.

Upon reaching the stairway, Tone paused, his hands slightly trembling as he gripped the great sword, vigilantly scanning the encroaching zombies.

"Kill!" Tone, well-informed about zombies' strengths and weaknesses through Hayes, knew that even with the entire mall's zombies converging, they could not be easily trapped.

As the nearest zombies approached within a few meters, Tone, having shed all fear, charged forward, quickly dispatching the two fastest zombies.

"Squish, squish," Hayes, concerned for Tone's safety but unable to avoid attracting more zombies with the noise, resignedly continued to wield his blade relentlessly.

Minutes later, they had eliminated all immediate threats.

Their clothes were drenched in foul-smelling, dark blood, and their hair was matted with flesh and brain matter.

However, Hayes, concerned for Tone, did not pause to assess his own disheveled state but hurried towards the stairway.

The distance between them was not great, and Hayes, after rounding a counter, saw Tone still fighting, which eased his worry.

After this intense skirmish, the number of zombies on the first floor had significantly dwindled, reducing the immediate danger.

Yet, Hayes remained vigilant, noting Tone's shaky stance, a sign of nearing his limit. Considering Tone's first day of hunting zombies and the hours of sustained focus, this was not surprising.

"Hold on," Hayes, now just a few meters from Tone, could have reached him in two strides on open ground. After cutting down two more zombies, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, seeing no further obstacles.

"Carter Hayes," Tone, seeing Hayes approach, managed a weak smile.

But the next moment, Hayes' expression froze.

A green figure darted towards Tone at an alarming speed.

Hayes was familiar with this terrifying velocity; the figure was a Green Zombie.

Having reached Level 7, Carter Hayes' speed was nearly on par with that of the Green Zombies, giving him a profound understanding of their terrifying velocity.

Tone, catching the grave look on Hayes' face, knew trouble was imminent. Without even glancing back, he swung his great sword towards the rear.

Simultaneously, Hayes quickly unwrapped the 'whip' coiled around his body, which was actually the tail of a mutated lizard.

With a forceful push from his legs, propelling himself forward, he lashed out with the 'whip,' aiming for the zombie's neck.

The sound of the blade slicing into bone echoed.

Tone's initial strike severed one of the Green Zombie's arms completely.

However, such a blow was inconsequential to the Green Zombie. Watching the creature approach closer, Tone looked on in despair at its green face, its bloodied mouth opening to bite him...

But at that moment, Hayes' whip had already ensnared the Green Zombie's body. With a powerful tug, Hayes flung the entire body of the Green Zombie away.