When they peered inside, there was no sign of zombies behind the door. Xia Na and Li Yalin were also nowhere to be seen.
Ling Mo stood calmly at the door, looking somewhat idle.
But in reality, he was silently controlling the little zombie, stealthily eliminating the zombies wandering between the shelves.
As for Xia Na and Li Yalin⦠with two Leader-Level zombies dealing with a group of ordinary ones, there was nothing to worry about.
In fact, it was the presence of him and Mu Chen, the two humans, that complicated thingsâ¦
Xu Shuhan and Mu Chen were both a bit anxious, especially Xu Shuhan. She perked up her ears, occasionally catching subtle sounds, but she couldnât determine what was happening.
Using her nose, she could smell the scent of many zombies, but she couldnât accurately judge direction and number like Ye Lian and the others.
Not to mention comparing with Leader-Level zombies, she couldnât even match up to ordinary zombies now.
This state of being stuck in the mutation process, constantly wavering, was probably the first of its kind.
Mu Chen was also very curious about this situation. Even though Xu Shuhan seemed to have regained her reasoning, he instinctively retreated a little towards Ye Lian when they were close.
Xu Shuhan didnât really notice this⦠If she did, she would probably find it more amusing than hurtful. It was like avoiding a cub only to seek protection from a real monsterâ¦
About ten minutes later, Ling Mo suddenly sighed in relief. Xia Na and Li Yalin squeezed back through the door crack: âAlright, we can go in now.â
âYes, but we should still keep it quiet,â Ling Mo reminded, giving Xu Shuhan a significant look. âNo more shouting here.â
âYou really think the soundproofing is that badâ¦â Xu Shuhanâs face turned red, retorting with a mix of shame and anger.
Whatâs wrong with being afraid of the dark⦠Isnât it normal for a girl to be afraid of the dark?
Especially when sheâs surrounded by threeâ¦
Thinking of this, Xu Shuhan paused for a moment. She curiously glanced at Ye Lian and the other two girls, wondering when they had started being with Ling Mo. Were they human back then, or had they already become zombies?
But regardless of the situation, the girls around Ling Mo certainly werenât normal human girlsâ¦
âNo wonder he doesnât understand girlsâ¦â Xu Shuhan rolled her eyes inwardly.
The group quietly slipped out from behind the open door, navigating the narrow passage between the shelves, and slowly made their way deeper into the mall.
The mall was quite large, and the lighting was rather dim. Without turning on a flashlight, it always felt like there were suspicious shadows watching them from everywhere.
Xu Shuhan tensed up, feeling her blood flow speed up once again.
However, Ling Moâs âspecial reminderâ from earlier had clearly had an effect on her. Despite looking strained, Xu Shuhan gritted her teeth and pressed on.
There was another floor below this one, housing a supermarket and a food court, with quite a number of zombies. They were separated only by a ceiling and could be discovered at any moment.
Ling Mo and the others were currently on a floor that sold shoes, bags, and clothing.
âIf you need clothes, hurry up,â Ling Mo whispered, waving his hand.
The three female zombies instantly disappeared from sight, and Mu Chen, after a brief hesitation, also slipped into one of the aisles.
âMy shoe soles are almost worn outâ¦â Mu Chen muttered quietly.
Ling Mo scanned the area and spotted a sports brand counter.
At the same time, a little zombie was slowly making its way down the stairs to the lower levelâ¦
âHeyâ¦â
Ling Mo was about to head over when he felt his sleeve being tugged.
Turning around, he saw Xu Shuhan staring at him with her red-tinted eyes. âI⦠Iâll go with you.â
âThe zombies on this floor are already taken care ofâ¦â Ling Mo replied helplessly. He was still multitasking, after allâ¦
âBut⦠but Iâm scaredâ¦â Xu Shuhan admitted, forcing herself to speak.
She had initially wanted to stay with Ye Lian and the others, but the thought of being alone with them, out of everyoneâs sight, made her hesitate.
Even though her body was mutating, her mind was still humanâ¦
So, she hesitated for just a second, and by the time she made up her mind, they were already out of sightâ¦
The idea of wandering alone in this eerie environment, potentially running into corpses or worse, terrified her. In a panic, she might end up dragging everyone down.
Seeing Xu Shuhanâs awkward yet expectant gaze, Ling Mo let out a sigh.
âI wish you could see yourself in the mirror⦠What are you even afraid ofâ¦â
Before Ling Mo could finish his sentence, he felt a smack on his arm.
He frowned but didnât say anything more and simply started walking forward.
Xu Shuhan followed closely behind Ling Mo, her red-tinted eyes darting around nervously.
âClickâ¦â
A pair of small feet stepped off the final escalator step, causing a light sound on the metal floor.
The little zombie paused, glanced down at its feet, and then looked around.
After a few seconds, seeing no movement around, the little zombie leapt forward silently, landing on the ground.
This floor was underground; apart from the area near the escalator, it was shrouded in darkness.
But through the eyes of the little zombie, everything in the darkness was clearly visible.
However, the entire scene was tinged with a layer of blood.
The little zombie twitched its nose, then slowly walked forward, soon turning a corner and disappearing into the darknessâ¦
âWhat are you thinking about?â Xu Shuhan suddenly asked.
Ling Mo snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head, âNothingâ¦â
He couldnât possibly tell Xu Shuhan that he was controlling a Zombie Puppet to find the source of an uneasy feeling, could he?
Even though Xu Shuhan had become a zombie and was undoubtedly aware of Ye Lian and the othersâ situation, that didnât mean he should reveal all his superpowersâ¦
âReally⦠You seemed so focusedâ¦â Xu Shuhan muttered. This guy was really casual when brushing people offâ¦
âAnd you? Why arenât you carrying that tape recorder anymore?â Ling Mo asked, glancing back at her.
âGiven everything thatâs happened recently⦠itâs probably best not to record it. If I do mutate and manage to keep my sanity, Iâll continue recordingâIâll keep a⦠zombie diary.â Xu Shuhan couldnât help but show a bitter smile.
âThatâs a great idea. If it gets out there, it would definitely become popular,â Ling Mo said with a smile.
âPopularâ¦â Xu Shuhanâs smile faded into a somewhat wistful expression. âWho knows what will happen to humanity in the future? We might all be wiped out.â
âDonât be so pessimistic. Arenât humans evolving too?â Ling Mo glanced back at her as he spoke.
Xu Shuhan was taken aback. She suddenly wanted to ask Ling Mo which side he would choose between humans and zombiesâ¦
âOh, this store sells womenâs clothing. Would sportswear be okay for you? Zombies move around a lot, so I think it would suit you,â Ling Mo quickly walked ahead, peering inside the store.
Xu Shuhan pressed her lips together, ultimately deciding not to ask. She nodded, âSureâ¦â
âBut why donât Ye Lian and the others wear this kind of clothing?â
âWell, it doesnât look good on them⦠Besides, they can control their movements now.â
âYou⦠Iâ¦â
âWhy are you glaring at me? Itâs the truth⦠Youâre just a low-level zombie.â
ââ¦Foolish human.â
The food stalls lining the corridor were now completely abandoned. Some ingredients still left out had long since molded into black clumps, and the glass display cases were filled with darkness.
Every now and then, faint noises could be heard, though it was unclear whether they came from rats or cockroaches.
These creatures were remarkably resilient. After surviving the initial phase where contact with the virus would cause them to rot and die, they re-emerged from their dark hiding places. Though their numbers had drastically reduced, this new generation seemed impervious to the virus.
The little zombie moved slowly among the scattered tables and chairs, its blood-red eyes constantly shifting.
âSqueak, squeakâ¦â
Two faint red lights suddenly appeared in a corner, then quickly vanished.
âRed?â
The little zombie froze in place, while Ling Mo, controlling it, was momentarily stunned.
Though faint, the red light was unmistakableâ¦
Infected? It didnât really look like itâ¦
But in this state, it could still pose some danger to humans.
âRats and such⦠I rarely come across them, butâ¦â
Ling Mo slightly furrowed his brow. This was a pretty dangerous sign.
Some small creatures that originally couldnât withstand the Virus were now developing resistance, and they might even carry the Virusâ¦
Just like plants, which had started to grow in bizarre ways in this Virus-laden environment.
Nowadays, green spaces were not just overgrown compared to before, but excessively lush.
Their forms had also changed, with most plants growing in more âaggressiveâ ways. While they wouldnât actually attack people, you had to be extra careful when moving through grass and trees to avoid getting scratched.
âThis is turning into global viralizationâ¦â Ling Mo couldnât help but think.
âCatch.â A deliberately lowered voice ahead snapped Ling Mo out of his thoughts.
A dark object swiftly approached, and Ling Mo caught it, immediately hit by a musty smell.
âUnopened, but it still has a bit of an odor⦠airing it out should help,â Xu Shuhan said, holding a bundle of clothes herself and hesitantly looking back.
âGo ahead and change. Iâll stand right here,â Ling Mo said helplessly.
âDonât moveâ¦â
Xu Shuhan reminded him again, then quietly walked to the back of the shelf.
âIf she really mutates, would she become the most timid zombie ever?â
Ling Mo thought to himself as he put on the new jacket.
It was actually quite possibleâ¦