I am the Zombie King of the Apocalyptic World
Chapter 1614 - 1608: A One-Way Trip

Chapter 1614: Chapter 1608: A One-Way Trip

After obtaining the evolution crystal of the high-level zombie, the group supported each other as they climbed back onto the road, moving slowly along the winding path ahead. Without a car, their progress was sluggish. However, there’s an old saying: "Having survived a great calamity, blessings must surely follow." It wasn’t long before they spotted a relatively intact sedan abandoned by the roadside.

Upon inspection, they discovered it was powered by anti-life substances and could still start. The group rejoiced at their good fortune. Judging by the rust on the car’s body, it had likely been abandoned here for several months. Although the interior had some malfunctions, and it emitted a "zzzzzz" sound when it moved—likely caused by misaligned metal parts scraping against each other—none of them cared about the vehicle’s flaws at this point. All they needed was for it to move.

Eagerly, they piled into the car and set off. But before traveling far, as darkness continued to fall, they were forced to locate a nearby farmhouse. After clearing out the zombies inside, they decided to spend the night there.

That night, with nothing to do, the group sat together. Brother Shi opened his phone and launched his email application. There were no new messages, nor any replies from his older brother. He had no idea what was going on on his brother’s end. He wanted to ask but hesitated for a moment and ultimately decided against it. Perhaps the sporadic email messages from his brother were the only proof he had that his sibling was still alive.

Brother Shi shook his head and let out a self-deprecating laugh. No matter what, his brother was a Level 6 New Human—far more powerful than him. His brother’s status in the Dangerous Sanctuary City was considerable. If he himself could successfully escape, then surely his brother could as well. Maybe his concern was unwarranted.

Despite this reasoning, an inexplicable unease lingered in Brother Shi’s heart. He wasn’t sure where this anxiety stemmed from—perhaps from a funny skit he had seen this morning, or maybe some subtle implication buried in his brother’s emails. He examined them carefully but couldn’t find any hidden messages. Perhaps his mind was simply too cluttered right now; what he needed was a good rest.

Tomorrow, his brother’s next email would probably arrive.

He glanced down at his injured leg. The regenerative capability of a Level 2 New Human had already reduced the pain compared to earlier. He sighed with relief; once the healing process began, injuries of this severity wouldn’t leave lasting damage. If it hadn’t started to heal, then he’d have had to face permanent disability.

He estimated that his leg would likely recover in about three days and that his condition tomorrow would be noticeably improved compared to today. With this hopeful thought, his inner unease began to dissipate. Exiting the email application, he opened up some funny skits, hoping to ease the tension weighing on his heart.

Similarly, both Ghost Head and Crooked Neck felt an inherent need to relieve their mounting restlessness. Seeing Brother Shi open an entertainment app, their eyes turned toward his screen.

Brother Shi initially intended to watch lighthearted videos or funny skits that could bring laughter. But today was different. The homepage offered no recommended comedy videos; instead, it was filled with war reports from Dangerous Sanctuary City. Even without clicking into the videos, the headlines alone exuded a palpable sense of dread.

Humanity seemed to have finally realized that their time was running out. Life as they knew it was on the verge of ending; people would soon be forcibly drawn into a war to defend their species.

Each headline and thumbnail evoked a sobering melancholy about the apocalypse. Yes, they could flee—they could keep fleeing, minute by minute, hour by hour. But the journey of escape would, ultimately, reach its end. The Chinese Continent was humanity’s last refuge. If that, too, fell as other continents had, where would the refugees turn?

The inevitable conclusion was extinction.

In the dimly lit room, illuminated by only a faint glow, the four sat in silence, their gazes fixed on the homepage’s stream of videos. Each of them was lost in thought. Finally, Brother Shi clicked on one of the video links.

["The failure of the Graveyard Plan has led Dangerous Sanctuary City to refocus its efforts on the Second District Defensive Line. What you’re seeing now is a live broadcast from the front lines of the Second District. The scene is chaotic, yet there’s no shortage of tension for the viewers here. To my right you can see Dangerous Sanctuary City’s notorious Heavy River Rail Cannon, whose destructive power is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Further out, there are over a hundred laser cannons deployed, a testament to how seriously the city is taking its fight against this zombie tide."]

["Following the camera, we can see a large number of soldiers gathered at the front lines. According to my sources, two Level 8 New Humans have already arrived on-site, boldly proclaiming their intent to face the zombie tide head-on!"]

Seeing row upon row of laser cannons in the video stirred an inexplicable surge of emotion in the hearts of the viewers. Even Brother Shi and the other two couldn’t help but feel astounded—despite having lived many years in Dangerous Sanctuary City, they hadn’t expected it to possess such resources. A hundred units of massively destructive weapons, capable of annihilating Level 8 zombies in an instant, had been deployed all at once!

However, this also pointed to how critical Dangerous Sanctuary City considered this battle against the zombie tide along the Second District Defensive Line.

["According to expert predictions, the zombie tide is expected to advance to the Second District within two hours at the latest. By then, the effort to resist the tide will be in full swing... Knock, knock... Coincidentally, there are two soldiers nearby—let’s follow the camera and interview them for their thoughts on the upcoming battle... Excuse me, gentlemen!"]

["Can I help you?"]

["Hello, I’m a field reporter covering the zombie tide resistance effort. I’d like to interview you to get a sense of your thoughts on the upcoming fight?"]

["Thoughts, my ass! Get lost!"]

["What kind of stupid journalist are you? When the zombie tide hits, you won’t find a trace of reporters like you anywhere. What the hell are you interviewing us for? Get lost!"]

["Quit blocking the way. Scram!"]

Halfway through the video, the soldiers roughly shoved the reporter to the ground before marching off. One of the soldiers had scaly skin, clearly an individual who had undergone alien-like evolution as a New Human. Unlike the reporter, their mindset was dominated by primal dread of the approaching battle. The journalist, on the other hand, could leave the battlefield anytime.

After the soldiers walked away, the reporter got back on his feet, wearing an awkward smile. The viewers could feel the desire to laugh, yet laughter refused to come. Their hearts seemed to have been transported into that battlefield, where they could sense the soldiers’ anguish firsthand. What difference would having hundreds of weapons capable of destroying Level 8 zombies make?

Trying to hit a Level 8 zombie was akin to saying: "To ascend the road to Shu is as hard as reaching heaven itself." Furthermore, the gap between the combat capabilities of Level 7 and Level 8 zombies defied simple description. If Level 8 zombies were so easy to kill, then the Cloud Gorge Base wouldn’t have fallen so swiftly, despite being a double-S-ranked safe zone city alongside Dangerous Sanctuary City.

Every soldier in the video knew this: the battle ahead was likely a one-way trip to their demise.