157: Help
She didn't pause, splitting its head open with another strike.
As she smashed open the zombie's skull, Lei Qian immediately noticed the difference between a First-level Zombie and a common zombie.
The crystal core in a common zombie's brain was much smaller and not as clear as the one in Bai Wanning's hand.
It was not only larger and more vibrant in color, but more importantly, he vaguely felt energy fluctuations from that crystal core.
“Do you want it?” Bai Wanning asked him, cleaning the crystal core with her Water Ability. After the tar-like bloodstains were washed away, the crystal core’s brilliant red glow became even more dazzling.
Lei Qian shook his head and said, “No, although we killed it together, if you hadn’t helped me keep watch and told me the difference between a First-level Zombie and a common zombie, I might have been bitten by it long ago.”
He paused, then asked, “What’s the difference between being bitten by a mutated zombie and being bitten by a common zombie?”
“None,” Bai Wanning shook her head, then walked into the shop and began searching for the remaining gold and silver jewelry.
Lei Qian was a bit puzzled but didn't ask further.
She then said, “The difference isn’t significant. Zombies are divided into five levels. The first four levels don’t have much difference; it’s just that the chance of mutation after being bitten is higher.”
“The real difference is with Fifth-level Zombies.” At this point, Bai Wanning couldn’t help but recall the scene of her fighting a Fifth-level Zombie.
She had narrowly escaped that time, but her teammates weren't so lucky.
Some, eager for a quick victory, underestimated the horror of a Fifth-level Zombie. As a result, not only were they bitten, but they also turned into advanced zombies, dragging down the entire team and making the mission increasingly difficult.
“You mean, if you’re bitten by a Fifth-level Zombie, you might turn into an advanced zombie?” Lei Qian gasped.
“Exactly,” Bai Wanning nodded. She turned back to the team and continued, “Each time a zombie evolves, its strength and speed increase, becoming more adapted to fighting humans. Some even gain extraordinary abilities. Fifth-level Zombies can even awaken abilities.”
“So, once you encounter this type of mutated zombie, it’s best to deal with it before it fully evolves.”
Lei Qian nodded in agreement.
The two returned to where their cars were parked. Bai Wanning noticed Yun Chuan controlling his twisted and thick vines, effortlessly strangling several zombies.
Beside him, Yang Chunhua summoned several earth golems.
Those golems charged fearlessly into the zombie horde. The zombies tried to bite but only got a mouthful of mud, and the next second they were smashed into pulp.
Looking further over, Mo He darted among the zombies like a gust of wind.
His speed was almost unmatched; even if a zombie spotted him, by the time they reacted, Mo He had already finished the kill and even collected the crystal core.
After the team had collected all the crystal cores and supplies, everyone got into the cars and continued along the street. But after only two blocks, they discovered another group of zombies.
“Ding—”
“A First-level Zombie has been detected.”
“Does the Host need to exchange for a First-level crystal core?”
Hearing the system prompt, Bai Wanning’s brows furrowed slightly.
First-level Zombies are much stronger than common zombies and attract hordes of zombies. If this First-level Zombie isn’t dealt with promptly, the entire street will likely fall very quickly.
She was about to get out of the car when suddenly—
“Help! Help me—!”
“Hey, isn’t someone calling for help over there?” Bai Zhan raised his hand and pointed to a building not far away, a hint of surprise in his tone.
Bai Wanning looked in the direction her brother was pointing and saw several clothes and old blankets hanging on the twenty-third-floor balcony of that building.
Although the distance was considerable, she clearly saw several figures.
Da Cheng and the others also noticed the commotion on the rooftop.
It was a group of survivors trapped on the top floor, three men and two women, anxiously waving at them from the balcony, clearly calling for help.
Da Cheng looked at their desperate and helpless appearance and snorted, “Do they really think we’re their last resort? Such a good opportunity, yet they don’t fight their way out themselves, instead wanting us to go upstairs and clear the way for them? That’s too fanciful.”
“If they don’t have the guts, they might as well jump off the building. What’s the point of living?” He curled his lip in disdain.
However, as he said these words, he didn't notice Lu Yin’s face growing increasingly grim. Although she wasn't one of the trapped people, she knew very well that if she were in such a predicament at that time, she would also wait for others to save her.
So, even though Da Cheng didn't intentionally target her, Lu Yin couldn't help but feel like he was mocking her.
Da Cheng obviously wasn't intentionally targeting Lu Yin.
Among the survivors in that building were three burly men; if they were willing, they could easily deal with those zombies and save their lives.
Yet, they acted like damsels in distress, pleading bitterly, only hoping someone would come to save them.
Moreover, Da Cheng also knew that these people were the same as those survivors in Ancient North Grand Court.
The possibility of Bai Wanning being willing to save them was almost zero, so he didn’t mind sitting in the car, watching with cold eyes, and enjoying their “tragedy.”
Meng Suisui and Meng Qibao, who were parked next to Da Cheng’s car, both disliked him, but hearing his words, they had to admit he was right.
The zombie horde was indeed large, but this was reality. If they couldn’t even handle the zombies in front of them, what was the point of talking about surviving? They might as well jump to their deaths.
“No! Let go of me! Let go of my child!!”
A sharp female voice suddenly broke the silence on the street, and everyone turned to look at the balcony.
Perhaps the three men and two women realized that Bai Wanning and the others had no intention of helping, so one of them suddenly pushed out a pregnant woman holding a three- or four-year-old child.
The pregnant woman tightly shielded her child, struggling with three men who were trying to snatch the child from her hands.
But when the three men saw they couldn't take the child, one of them suddenly raised his foot and kicked her hard.
The pregnant woman was caught off guard and trembled in fright, immediately freeing one hand to cover her belly, struggling desperately to prevent the child from being taken. But just as her arm loosened slightly, the man grabbed the child.
Seeing her son forcibly taken away, the pregnant woman let out a heart-wrenching wail, her entire body trembling violently.
She frantically lunged at the man, trying to snatch her child back, but she was fiercely held back by the two women.
No matter how much she struggled, the two women held her down tightly, not letting her get close to her child.
And the child, forcibly taken from his mother’s arms, was already crying hoarsely.
He struggled with all his might, stretching his tiny hands towards his mother, crying out “Mama,” his voice growing more tragic with each cry.
But he was, after all, just a three- or four-year-old child; how could he match the strength of a grown man? His struggles only led to more terrified cries.
Bai Wanning sat in the car, watching everything unfold with cold eyes.
Initially, she didn't move, her face devoid of any expression. But when she saw the three men forcibly snatch the child from the pregnant woman’s arms, their figures suddenly overlapped with those of Su Hu, Chu Chuxia, and Bai Qingshi.
It was these three bastards who had forcibly taken her son from her and handed him over to those crazy researchers!