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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 213: Restless
Although Jiang He had been navigating this perilous world for quite some time, the sudden turn of events caught him completely off guard. In the blink of an eye, the Soldier turned and lunged to attack, and before Jiang He could even react defensively, he was knocked to the ground by the Soldier's swift and powerful tackle. Fortunately, there was a stainless steel table between them; as the Soldier leaped forward, the table provided some obstruction. With a loud crash, the metal table and everything on it toppled over, and a steaming pot of chicken stew landed squarely on Jiang He, scalding hot broth splattering all over him.
Jiang He let out a strangled cry from the burn, but his stunned mind quickly snapped back into focus. Just as the heavy body of the Soldier bore down on him, he bent his legs and kicked out with all his might! The force of his kick struck the Brother Soldier squarely in the chest, halting some of the Soldier's momentum. Saliva dripped from the Soldier's mouth as he was sent tumbling through the air, crashing heavily to the ground. Jiang He scrambled to his feet in a panic, only to see that the Soldier was already getting up again. Desperate, he grabbed a nearby aluminum basin and swung it at the Soldier. The lightweight basin barely made an impact; it was like scratching an itch for Brother Soldier. Finally, a chilling hiss erupted from deep within his throat, and under the flickering light of a candle, his towering figure and grotesque face appeared even more terrifying.
From the moment Jiang He had patted him on the shoulder to their first close encounter, it couldn't have been more than a minute. Still shaken by the sudden transformation of his kitchen comrade into a Zombie, Jiang He realized he needed to call for help after their brief struggle. As he saw the Soldier staggering toward him again, he leaped onto the table and pushed off with all his strength toward the kitchen door while shouting at the top of his lungs, "Help me!!!"
It wasn't that Jiang He was cowardly; it was just that the change had come too suddenly. Who could have imagined that just minutes ago they were peeling potatoes together in the kitchen? In an instant, they had gone from allies to adversaries in a life-or-death struggle. Jiang He quickly assessed their disparity in strength; his earlier suspicions were confirmed—this Soldier, who already possessed superior physical abilities, had transformed into a Zombie with combat prowess far beyond that of an ordinary undead creature. The Soldier's imposing stature combined with Jiang He's lack of any effective weapon left him no choice but to seek help.
As he leaped into action, the Soldier followed closely behind, crashing into the Operation Table in the center of the kitchen with a loud clatter that disrupted Jiang He's jump. The kitchen door seemed impossibly far away as heavy objects fell around them. Finally catching up to Jiang He, the Soldier seized his ankle with a powerful grip and yanked him back.
In Jiang He's memory, he had never faced a Zombie this closely before. Usually armed with knives or guns and highly alert, this situation felt entirely different. His combat skills were not particularly strong; he had survived previous encounters largely due to his companions' support. Though impulsive and willing to confront anyone when provoked, "daring" did not equate to "being able." This fresh Zombie before him had completely overwhelmed him.
Jiang He couldn't fathom why he felt so weak all of a sudden—had the Zombie grown stronger or had he become weaker?
There was no time for contemplation as the Zombie-Soldier yanked him back down and lunged at him again. Hearing its growls behind him, Jiang He desperately twisted around just as its gaping maw lunged toward him. Ignoring thoughts of infection or injury, he raised his arm to shield his face while reaching out with one hand to grab at the Zombie-Soldier's throat in an attempt to escape its grasp. However, his efforts proved futile; its foul-smelling teeth bore down on his arm like boulders rolling down a mountain. If not for Jiang He's timely turn of his head, he would have been bitten regardless.
Jiang He felt utterly defeated for the first time as fear washed over him like a tidal wave; he could feel the warmth radiating from the Soldier's body as he struggled against its grip on his neck. The rough hands pressed against his face were nearly covering it entirely; in this struggle for dominance, Jiang He realized with horror that both thumbs were inching toward his eye sockets while its bloodied mouth drew closer!
Just when it seemed Jiang He would exhaust all his strength, hurried footsteps and shouts finally echoed from behind the door. Song Yao was first to burst into the kitchen without hesitation; she rushed straight behind the Zombie and thrust her slender arms between them in an effort to pull it back! At that moment, others rushed in as well—Shaoshan, Jin Bo, and Zeng Yadong squeezed through the doorway together, all freezing in shock at what they saw!
"Song Yao! Get away!" Jin Bo reacted much quicker than the others despite their hasty entrance without weapons. Seeing Jiang He's eyes nearly being gouged out by the Soldier's attack made him shout urgently; twisting at his waist and stepping forward quickly, he delivered a powerful kick right under Brother Soldier's chin.
With a sharp crack, the Soldier's head snapped back at an unnatural angle. Behind him, Song Yao barely managed to dodge, but was sent flying by Jin Bo's powerful kick. Shaoshan and Zeng Yadong rushed forward to pry the Soldier's grip off Jiang He’s arms. Outside the kitchen, the crowd was in an uproar, their faces reflecting disbelief at the scene inside.
“Jiang He!?” Jin Bo exclaimed, pulling Jiang He out as he accidentally tore open a wound. Jiang He gasped for air, feeling darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision.
“Lucky to be alive…” Jiang He was drenched in cold sweat from that moment of terror. If they had arrived even a moment later, he might not have survived; his eyes could have been lost for good. Thankfully, the Soldier had not kept his nails long, but even so, the pressure on his eyeballs was unbearable, and it took him a while to regain focus.
On the other side, the raging Soldier finally quieted down. Jin Bo delivered a kick that broke his neck, but since his head remained intact, he did not die immediately. Song Yao had been knocked aside and missed the chance to finish him off. Fortunately, Shaoshan and Zeng Yadong quickly stepped in—one choking him down while the other swiftly ended the Soldier's brief resurgence.
Song Yao nervously approached Jiang He. Seeing him unharmed brought her some relief as she fought back her overwhelming emotions and embraced him. Through her ample chest, Jiang He could feel her heart racing wildly.
“What happened? What the hell just happened?!” Shaoshan exclaimed, grabbing his hair in frustration. The people outside the kitchen exchanged glances, none daring to speak up.
The few Soldiers who had assisted Jiang He earlier looked pale as they stared at their fallen comrade lying in a pool of blood and at Jiang He, who seemed drained of energy. Confusion and guilt surged within them.
“It was fine just a moment ago…” one Soldier muttered under his breath, his face marked with shock. They had only stepped out for three to five minutes; how could it have escalated to this?
Zeng Yadong examined the Soldier's body and glanced back at the others with a slight twitch at the corner of her eye. “Everyone out, into the yard,” she instructed.
Shaoshan looked at her and noticed her calm demeanor as she signaled discreetly. Not understanding fully what was happening but sensing something was off, he waved his hand to indicate everyone should leave.
Song Yao helped Jiang He walk out with Shaoshan and Zeng Yadong trailing behind them. Jin Bo and Luci rushed back to their quarters to grab weapons under Zeng Yadong's orders. The group returned to the yard filled with questions; steam still rose from the food on the table. Tabby Cat crouched on the ground chewing on a bone given by the Soldier. Upon seeing people return, it darted away with a swift movement, its eerie green eyes warily watching everyone.
The Soldier's body was carried out while Jiang He sat at the table catching his breath. His eyes felt sore around the edges; he wasn’t sure if anything had been damaged. Zeng Yadong called over Shaoshan and Luci and whispered something to them. Their expressions changed dramatically as different meanings flickered in their eyes.
"What happened?" Wang Zhongyu had just gone to the restroom.
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