Chapter 82 Northwest Vanguard Squad

Inside Ma Yi’s villa, the atmosphere was warm and filled with laughter, as everyone chatted and enjoyed their food together. There was no trace of the tension and desperate struggle for survival that had become so common in the apocalypse. Within these walls, it was as if the end of the world did not exist.

Yet, outside, the survivors across the nation were terrified. Not only was there a massive horde of zombies advancing steadily eastward from the southwest, but even more alarming was the sudden resurgence of domestic zombies. Once hardly noticeable or seemingly vanished, they had now reappeared in staggering numbers—millions, even tens of millions at a time.

What left the surviving humans bewildered was that, for the first time, these zombies did not attack on sight. Instead, they surged en masse toward the southwest, while the human survivors fled northeast, the two streams moving in opposite directions. Some shrewd base commanders even dispatched teams of evolved humans to follow and observe the zombies, hoping to discern their intentions.

To their astonishment, the commanders deduced from the zombies’ routes that the domestic zombies were actually heading toward the foreign zombies swarming in from Indonesia. Weren’t zombies all supposed to be on the same side? Could it be that even after turning, they still harbored a fierce territorial pride, ready to attack any intruder?

In truth, these commanders only understood part of the picture. Both zombies and evolved beasts possessed a strong sense of territory. To them, all creatures living on their land—be they human or otherwise—were resources. The arrival of foreign zombies threatened to deplete these resources. While the lesser zombies lacked the intelligence to grasp this, the higher-level ones were as cunning as humans. The only difference was that they no longer saw themselves as human, but their territorial instincts were as strong as ever. Behind these waves of corpses, moreover, lurked a powerful and mysterious zombie orchestrating their movements.

Any intruders who dared to steal their territory and resources would be ruthlessly destroyed—just like the foreign zombies advancing from the west. Their purpose was not idle wandering; they were invaders, seeking food and resources, just as human armies of the past had done. In this apocalyptic world, the evolved zombies viewed humans, evolved beasts, and even their own kind as food, while territory—rich with zombies, humans, and beasts—constituted precious resources.

The domestic zombie horde’s advance to intercept the foreign invaders had inadvertently bought the human survivors precious time and space. Thanks to the zombies’ resistance, more people could evacuate safely to secure locations.

Along the eastern migration route, survivors sometimes glimpsed two massive zombie armies, each millions strong, both pushing southwest. These legions, clearly from different factions, marched in parallel, neither interfering with the other—a sight so bizarre it defied explanation. How, after all, could domestic zombies sense the approach of their counterparts from thousands of miles away?

Humans could not fathom the zombies’ behavior. Nor did they feel the slightest gratitude for being spared; instead, they fervently wished the domestic and foreign zombies would annihilate each other, leaving the world safe for humanity. Yet in this apocalyptic era, zombies had become the new overlords, and mankind had toppled from the pinnacle of the food chain. Alongside zombies, evolved beasts, and mutated insects, humans were no longer dominant. Although evolved humans could hunt zombies, for the most part, humans were merely another food source—just as the beasts and insects considered humans their prey.

Compared to the vast zombie hordes, humans were insignificant. In terms of overall strength, humanity now languished at the very bottom of the world’s pecking order; every creature eyed them as a morsel to be devoured. In the eyes of all other life forms, humans were nothing more than a delicacy.

What humanity did not yet realize was that far out at sea, even more formidable oceanic creatures had arisen. The marine races Ma Yi had inadvertently discovered were beings against whom humans stood no chance. To survive in this chaotic world, humans would have to seek the shelter of a powerful ally, or else vanish into the relentless currents of time.

Recently, Ma Yi received reports from Tie Zhu and the others that more humans had been spotted in the vicinity. This puzzled him. Liu Xue, ever eager for excitement, volunteered to investigate these newcomers, but Ma Yi would not let the impetuous girl act recklessly. Instead, he sent Li Li, now a third-tier evolved human, to find out why so many people had suddenly appeared nearby.

These newcomers frequently appeared near the villa district. Watching the zombies drilling in the open fields like disciplined soldiers, they were astounded. Anyone with experience could tell that, though this zombie army numbered only in the tens of thousands, its members were all powerful—none weaker than fourth-tier zombies. With their golden hue, they resembled a legion of gilded warriors, ceaselessly honing their skills.

Like a regular army, the zombie troops occasionally let out bestial roars during training. Some bolder observers crept closer, yet the zombies, though clearly aware of their presence, maintained strict discipline and ignored the humans lurking at the edge of the training ground. The humans, in turn, did not disrupt the zombies’ routine.

At the army’s forefront stood two figures, chatting amiably. Both looked human, but were unmistakably zombies; one even had two heads.

“Who are you people?” As the survivors gawked at the zombie army, a striking woman approached. Clearly an evolved human, she had a flawless figure and a beautiful face.

“We’re a survivor team from the Northwest Base,” replied a burly man who seemed to be their leader. He eyed the woman appreciatively—if only he could find such a wife, his life would be complete. But as a mere second-tier evolved human, even in his own base he was at the bottom of the hierarchy. The women there weren’t fools; they preferred to pair with stronger, higher-tier men, increasing their chances of surviving the apocalypse.

“The Northwest Base? What brings you here?” asked Li Li, recognizing the name. The Northwest Base lay deep in the desert, over two thousand kilometers away. Had this team really lost their way? But that seemed impossible—how could anyone wander so far without realizing?

“It’s a long story,” the leader began, but Li Li cut him off.

“Keep it short—just the important parts,” she said, glancing around. Most of the group were only first- or second-tier evolved humans. Even their leader was unimpressive. She herself was close to reaching the fourth tier, soon to join the ranks of humanity’s backbone in this world.

“Alright,” the man replied, a little flustered. Collecting his thoughts, he began to explain.

As Li Li listened, she felt her mind reel. Life in the villa had been so peaceful, she had sensed no danger at all, but so much was happening outside.

“Foreign zombies have already penetrated deep into the mainland. Our domestic zombies have been fighting them for nearly ten days. Maybe it’s because, as humans, their bodies were somewhat weaker to begin with, or perhaps there’s another reason, but our zombies clearly lack the strength and speed of the foreigners at the same level. They’ve been pushed back over a thousand kilometers, forced to retreat as they fight. Countless survivors from various bases are steadily moving east—right in our direction.”

Ma Yi put down his chopsticks, listening in a daze as Li Li recounted the news brought by the survivor teams. The number of survivors had swelled to eight million, as bases of all sizes merged during the migration. Though many perished along the way, new survivors emerged from hiding, keeping the total steady around that number.

It amazed Ma Yi that the domestic zombies were so united in their resistance, yet he himself had received no word of this.

“In fact, I felt something calling me not long ago,” said Ruhua suddenly, recalling a vague premonition she’d had but ignored, distracted by watching the pregnant zombie woman at the foot of the mountain. Only now did she realize it had been the call to organize a counterattack.

“I suppose I’m still not a qualified Zombie King,” Ma Yi said with a wry smile. “I didn’t sense the call as you did, but I did feel a little uneasy these past few days. I thought it was trouble from the oceanic races. Clearly, it was the coming crisis from the zombies themselves.” In truth, his anxiety had been fleeting. With his current strength, few problems could truly trouble him for long.