CH 117

Chapter 117: Entering the institute

The main building of the plant research institute appears very worn and broken, with large vines and leaves wrapped around the walls. Purple flowers dot the branches and vines, making a rather pretty sight.

"Wow, indeed worthy of being dubbed the plant research institute ah. What kind of plant is wrapped around this building? Don't tell me it's the Boston Ivy[1] of folklores?" Li Qing asks over the earpiece. Tapping a few keys, a small circular radar dish rises from the top of the armoured vehicle and turns in the direction of the building.

In the middle of this dish sits a single antenna. The small bulb on its end flashes rapidly before emitting a laser that sweeps the entire structure from top to bottom.

On the monitor of the machine, the layout and floor plans of the building appear. A few jabs on the keyboard and the three-dimensional structure flashes green before several blue humanoid figures can be seen moving around.

"Shall I take a sample back for you to raise?" Huo Zaiyuan teases as he pulls open the armoured car's door and climbs in.

"This young master has no interest in plants and flowers, my dear, but I do appreciate your good intentions." Li Qing sniffs in mock-haughtiness before explaining what he did. "I used the detector probe to do a quick scan of the entire main building. Here, you can see the interior of each floor. Anyway, I discovered the Boston Ivy currently wrapped around it originates from the topmost floor and extended outwards before crawling down the walls. Also, what's astounding is there are signatures of survivors trapped in the eighth level. There are three humans in total, and five zombies on the floors below."

"The survivors are trapped, but the zombies are not trying to get to them at all. Instead, they are just wandering around below?" Long Zhanye's eyebrows draw together as he made minor adjustments to his rifle.

"That's what I saw." Li Qing nods.

"According to those researchers who fled the city, their research labs are located on the eighth floor. That means the materials we were sent to retrieve are also there," Lu Yi says.

"Five zombies are not a lot. Me, little Yuan, Lu Yi, Hou Ying and Qin Jun who has medical expertise will go in. The rest of you will guard the outside. Be alert at all times. Don't forget the horde from before as well as the evolved zombie. We don't know if there is a second one lurking around." Snapping a full magazine into his rifle, Long Zhanye eyes each of them to confirm his orders are received and understood.

"Yes, Sir."

"Little Qing, keep an eye on the screen and report any changes in the situation."

"Un. All of you must be careful." Li Qing nods, eyes landing on Qin Jun.

Seeing Li Qing's worried gaze on him, the corners of Qin Jun's mouth curls up, exposing a tender smile before leaning over and kissing his forehead. "You have to be careful out here too."

The gentle press of warm lips on his skin eases Li Qing's heart a little.

After the five men exit the armoured car, Huo Zaiyuan sticks a yellow paper on the door. A thin silver film envelops the vehicle, forming a protective shell. Like this, they can ensure the safety of the people within.

Hands clutching their respective firearms close, they swiftly cross the distance between where the vehicles are parked and the entrance. Upon reaching the door, they discover a pile of human remains on the ground, with dried blood stains painting the tiles below a muddy red.

"That is…the military uniform of our district," Li Yu breathes.

Following the direction of his gaze, they notice a torn and tattered uniform coated in blood sticking out of the mash of human remains. Despite its current state, one can clearly make out the green camouflage colour and the rather distinctive golden embroidered "E" attached to the collar.

Although the military uniforms of the twenty-six cities are exactly the same, the sole identifying difference lies in the golden alphabets attached to the collars. If a soldier is stationed at A's military base, they will have an "A", "B" for those in B base, etc. The fact that this uniform carried an "E" instead of "I" shows that the previous squads sent to retrieve the results of the successful experiment were met with ill fortune. They managed to come all the way here, but for some reason, something happened and everyone perished.

"Looks like the five zombies inside are no ordinary undead," Long Zhanye says blandly. "Be very careful once we enter."

Eyes tracking the blood trails left behind on the floor at the entrance that leads past the doors and into the building, Long Zhanye's mind understands that they have yet to alert the zombies within to their presence thanks to the Aura Concealment Charm Huo Zaiyuan stuck on them. If not, the moment they got down from the vehicles and approach the institute, they would have suffered the same fate of being dragged into the building as the previous squads. Naturally, wanting to drag him in will not be an easy task.

"Yes, Sir."

The party of five enters in a single file, with Long Zhanye at the head, followed by Hou Yong with Qin Jun in the middle. Rearguard is left to Huo Zaiyuan and Lu Yi.

Glass fragments from smashed windows are strewn all over the floor, mixing in with bits of broken tiles, scraps of cloth and various other junks. Of course, torn limbs and dismembered bodies can be seen here and there, together with zombie corpses with their brains dug out. There was no way to tell how recent these undead were devoured, but at least it does confirm the theories of the five being kin-eaters.

After they turn a corner, Li Qing's voice travels out of their earpiece. ["There's a zombie around the next bend in the corridor. Be careful."]

Directing the others with a wave of his hand, Long Zhanye unsheaths the sword at his waist as both Hou Yong and Qin Jun shifts a pace to the left and right respectively, guns raised and aimed towards the upcoming bend.

Very quickly, faint footsteps drift over from the corridor up ahead, accompanied by a low growl. Cracked purplish-green face and a mouthful of shark-like teeth appear first, then muddy eyes turn and land on the party. As soon as it registers their presence, it springs forward with a snarl.

Two burst of gunfire erupts, Hou Yong and Qin Jun flanking it from the sides. The force of a dozen bullets penetrating flesh and bones cause the zombie to reel away, breaking its initial charge. In the next second, Long Zhanye flashes forward, taking advantage of the undead's momentary stumble. The blade swings down, cleaving through its neck. As soon as the severed head hits the ground, a tongue of golden flame engulfs the corpse.

With the first zombie slain, the group returns to their original line formation and continues forward.

["Keep your guard up. The gunshots alerted the other four. The one on the second floor has already reached the stairs. The zombie on the fifth floor is currently moving downwards from the other staircase. Beware of being attacked from the front and back. The last two are together on the seventh floor, but don't seem to be heading down anytime soon."]

"Senior officer, this corridor is effective when dealing with only one evolved, but should they flank us here, we will be in an unfavourable position," Lu Yi states.

"Little Qing, look for a safe room on this floor." Long Zhanye's gaze sweeps over the other four men. "With only one entrance."

["Un, okay,"] Li Qing murmurs, a burst of clacking sounds come over the line before he speaks again. ["From your current position, go around the corner and walk forward two meters. There's a small room there with a lot of clutter, most likely a storage place."]

"All right."

It doesn't take long to find the room Li Qing referred to. Hou Yong fires a bullet to break the door's lock and everyone files into the small space.

"Inviting enemies to jump into a boiling pot, huh?" Huo Zaiyuan asks.

Closing the door softly, Long Zhanye chuckles. "Beloved, it should be ‘inviting zombies into the room’."

A gesture from Long Zhanye has Lu Yi, Hou Yong and Qin Jun aiming their rifles at the door.

"No need to shoot. I have a better idea." Saying thus, Huo Zaiyuan materialises two coin talismans, sending them thudding into the walls on both sides of the door.

Right at this moment, the howl of a zombie rings out. With a "bam", the door trembles from an intense strike. It shudders in place for a while, then collapses. A shadow leaps into the room.

Just as the three men prepare to pull the trigger, the zombie who threw itself recklessly through the doorway hits an invisible snag, causing it to freeze. A full-body spasm runs through it as it rocks back and forth.

Lu Yi, Hou Yong and Qin Jun lower their rifles, blinking in bewilderment.

What the hell? Is this zombie suffering from epilepsy or sudden muscle cramps?

Not the least bit shocked at the undead's rather comical display, Long Zhanye stalks up to the trapped creature and beheads it.

The body falls to the ground and the head rolls out the door and into the corridor beyond. A withered purplish-green hand extends out with the intention to snatch the head up, black claws preparing to sink into the skull.

Bang!

A bullet pierces the severed head, sending it spinning even further away and causing those sharp claws to snap around empty air. In the next second, a steel blade hacks downwards, chopping the monster's hand off.

Even as it shrieks in agony, the crippled zombie clearly doesn't want to give up the brain of its fellow evolved. Disregarding the stump its left arm has become, it bounds towards the head.

Unfortunately, Huo Zaiyuan's talisman is faster. As it reaches for the head again, a yellow paper whisks past and lands on the severed body part before igniting into flames, burning the outstretched arm too.

With another agonising shriek, the evolved undead flaps its arm about, trying in vain to extinguish the fire.

Stepping out of the room, Long Zhanye's sword rises and falls once more. As the head falls to the ground, he kicks out, sending it tumbling into the golden flames.

"There are still two more."

Footnotes:

[1] Parthenocissus tricuspidata: