The piercing cry for help sounded like a rusty saw scraping against the eardrum.
Everyone's nerves instantly tensed.
My mind switched from the mode of "how to get an extra pack of cookies" to the urgent mode of "how to survive."
"It seems like the sound is coming from the abandoned building outside!" someone exclaimed.
That building, not far from the camp, was an office building from before the apocalypse, now reduced to mere Ruined Walls, resembling a giant beast lying in wait.
The camp erupted into chaos.
Some suggested going to rescue the person, while others argued it was too dangerous to do so.
Amidst the noise, I furrowed my brow.
This cry for help... felt strange.
In this apocalypse, who would call for help so "loudly"? Were they not afraid of attracting all the Zombies?
Moreover, it didn’t sound like a scream born out of extreme fear; rather, it carried a hint of... intentionality?
"Hey, should we go save her?" Zhong Dali looked at me with his confused eyes.
He was still clutching a pile of tattered clothes, as if they were his lifeline.
Looking at his honest face that seemed to say "please make a decision, I'm counting on you," I sighed.
"Let's go take a look."
Although I had my doubts, the cries for help were undeniably real.
I felt uneasy not checking it out.
Besides, maybe we could gain something from it?
After all, the greater the risk, the higher the reward.
I found myself a noble reason.
As soon as Zhong Dali heard I was going, he immediately tossed the junk he was holding onto the ground.
"Wow! Saving someone!"
Then he followed me closely.
We trudged through the ruins, stepping carefully as we made our way toward the building.
Along the way, we occasionally spotted a few wandering Zombies, which we cautiously avoided.
I certainly didn't want to meet my end while playing the "hero saving the damsel."
When we reached the front of the building, the cries for help became clearer.
It sounded like a young girl's voice, filled with sobs, intermittently calling out for "help."
We followed the sound up to the second floor.
At the entrance of a dilapidated office, we saw her.
A girl.
Her clothes were tattered, her hair disheveled, and her face smeared with dirt and tear stains.
She huddled in the corner, looking pitiful.
"Help... help me..."
Upon seeing us, a spark of hope ignited in her eyes.
Her voice was so weak it seemed it could be blown away by the wind.
Zhong Dali, that fool, was mesmerized by the sight.
He rushed forward in a single leap, eager to help her.
"Wow! Don't be afraid! We're here to save you!"
I cursed him silently for being such an idiot.
But on the surface, I maintained a facade of enthusiasm.
I stepped closer, carefully observing the girl.
Her eyes were beautiful, like two black pearls.
Yet in this apocalyptic world, things that were too beautiful often concealed deadly dangers.
"How did you end up here?"
I asked, trying to keep my voice as gentle as possible.
The girl flinched, as if my voice had startled her.
"I... I escaped alone and got trapped here... There are so many zombies outside..."
She spoke between sobs, tears streaming down her face like pearls from a broken string.
Zhong Dali felt a pang of sympathy, wishing he could scoop her up and comfort her immediately.
"Don't cry, don't cry! You're safe with us!"
He patted his chest reassuringly.
I looked at the girl, sensing something was off.
Her cries seemed too deliberate.
The tears flowed just perfectly.
Moreover, her gaze... though it appeared terrified, there was a hint of shrewdness lurking beneath the surface.
"Are you alone? Or are you with someone else?"
I pressed on.
The girl trembled again, her gaze flickering away.
"Just... just me," she stammered.
A cold laugh echoed in my mind.
Lying.
How could a girl possibly escape here all alone and still manage to send such a clear signal for help?
"Have you seen any other survivors?" I continued to ask.
Her eyes darted even more.
She instinctively bit her lip, then cautiously replied, "No... no... I only saw the two of you..."
I locked my gaze onto her eyes.
"Is that so?"
My voice dropped to a low murmur.
My eyes sharpened in an instant.
The girl froze abruptly.
Her expression began to turn unnatural.
I smiled slightly, a hint of amusement in my grin.
"How long have you been here alone? How did you find this building? And how did you know to send out a distress signal?"
My questions came one after another.
Like knives, they pierced through the carefully woven lies of the girl.
Her face grew paler by the moment.
She knew she had been exposed.
"And,"
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us.
"If there really were a lot of zombies, are you sure you could still emit such a 'beautiful' distress call?"
I emphasized the word "beautiful."
With a clear tone of sarcasm.
The girl's gaze instantly turned fierce.
She no longer pretended.
The pitiful expression vanished without a trace.
Instead, there was a sense of indifference and vigilance.
"You saw through me, what a pity."
Her voice shifted, no longer the weak tone of someone crying, but laced with a hint of mocking coldness.
"However, since you are here, don’t think you can leave."
As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings changed in an instant.
The doors and windows of the office were suddenly sealed.
A grating sound filled the air, sending chills down our spines.
A horde of Zombies surged in from all directions!
It was as if they had received some kind of command, charging straight at us!
"Whoa!"
Zhong Dali was so frightened that he fell to the ground.
He never expected that this seemingly fragile girl was actually the hunter who had set the trap!
I let out a cold laugh.
"I knew it; opportunities that fall from the sky never happen to me."
I clenched my fists.
The restless heat within me surged once more.
"It seems today will be another day of slaughter."
I glanced at the Mysterious Girl.
A victorious smile graced her face.
"Immune One, I find your abilities quite intriguing."
Her eyes were filled with greed and calculation.
But her smile quickly froze.
She realized that the killing intent in my gaze was far more intense than she had anticipated.
Moreover, the power within me was erupting at an astonishing speed!
The Zombie Tide had already surged forth.
The air was thick with a putrid stench.
I took a deep breath.
I was ready to face this death trap meticulously laid out by a Scheming Woman!
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