Shen Qingqiu was burning with anger, but she forced herself to remain calm and stabilize the situation. She said, “Su Jin, your mask still has eighteen minutes left. Don’t worry. No matter how shameless the system is, it can only penalize the magnification card. If it dares to go further, I will apply for arbitration again.”
Su Jin had no other option. Taking advantage of the remaining time, she swept away all the nearby zombies. “Alright, you guys retreat first. The points from earlier still count, and we’ve already accumulated quite a few.”
The most important thing was not earning points but ensuring safety. If they delayed any longer, they would be overrun by the massive zombie horde.
Shen Qingqiu understood the gravity of the situation. “Xiao Zuo, Chen Kaijie, retreat.”
With Su Jin holding them off, they quickly retreated to the vicinity of the factory. However, Su Jin’s card had a limited duration. Shen Qingqiu quickly used the “Happy Family” card to contact Su Jin. “Su Jin, retreat now, don’t linger. Hurry and regroup.” “Yes, Vice-captain.” Su Jin, who had reverted from her giant form, responded while decapitating a zombie and charging towards the main group.
“Vice-captain, they’re still chasing you. Be careful.”
Su Jin circled around the horde and ran towards them. The situation was still urgent; the zombies were enraged by their daring moves and had abandoned their siege to hunt them down.
“Damn it, Xiao Muyu’s team has gone crazy, causing us to suffer too. It’s infuriating!” Jiang Han, who already harbored deep hatred for Xiao Muyu, had hoped to scavenge some easy points but was met with chaos instead.
Inside the base, a middle-aged man who had been commanding the battle peered through his binoculars, stunned by what he saw. “Who were those people just now? And where did that giant zombie go?”
“Commander, most of the zombies have retreated. What should we do now?” his deputy anxiously inquired.
“Take advantage of the fewer remaining zombies. Kill as many as possible. We’ve been too passive, leading to this dire situation. This time, we must take the initiative!” He waved his hand, and the people inside began to orderly charge out with their weapons.
Lin Jian didn’t return to the factory as Shen Qingqiu had suggested. After assessing the situation, he stealthily moved forward.
So when the people inside started their counterattack, Lin Jian charged in, carrying three tubes of blood.
Meanwhile, although Shen Qingqiu and her team had shaken off the main zombie horde, the mutant zombies attacking the base turned their attention to them.
Human speed was no match for these mutants, and Shen Qingqiu’s team couldn’t shake them off.
Seeing seven mutant zombies closing in, Shen Qingqiu’s expression darkened. “Su Jin, where are you?”
“Vice-captain, I’m here.” As Su Jin spoke, she jumped down from the factory roof beside them.
She twirled her knife, her white eyes staring ahead, looking somewhat terrifying.
Zuo Tiantian looked at her with distress. “This system is too much. Su Jin has sacrificed so much, and she earned that card with her skills. The system is too unreasonable. Is this even allowed in the game settings?”
Su Jin glanced at her points and quickly said, “But my previous points are still valid. We just gained sixty-four points. Vice-captain, how about you?”
“Your points are still there? That’s great. I have thirty-six,” Zuo Tiantian said excitedly.
“I have forty-three,” Chen Kaijie said, on high alert as a mutant zombie lunged at him.
Shen Qingqiu swung her iron rod to push Chen Kaijie aside and coldly said, “I have fifty-six. We still need over sixty points. It will be harder with items. Today’s situation won’t end easily. Get inside and use the interior to evade, quickly!”
She gripped her iron rod, cutting off a zombie’s fingers with her right hand, and then thrust the rod backward, forcing another mutant zombie a meter away.
Chen Kaijie and the others rushed inside, with two mutant zombies close behind, barely two meters away.
Fortunately, the interior was filled with wooden shelves, which they could use to create obstacles for the zombies.
“Vice-captain, be careful, get inside quickly!” While human speed couldn’t match zombies, humans had intelligence. If they couldn’t outfight them, they could outwit them.
Understanding their plan, Shen Qingqiu leaped up, squeezing through a vent hole into the building, executing the move swiftly and gracefully.
Two zombies outside collided, and one angrily tried to follow Shen Qingqiu inside, only to be stabbed and collapse.
Shen Qingqiu sheathed her knife, snorting coldly, “Think you can follow me in?”
At that moment, three more zombies jumped inside. Chen Kaijie, Su Jin, and Zuo Tiantian together managed to kill one zombie.
Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu climbed onto a shelf and maneuvered through the structure. Three zombies followed her, causing the already unstable shelves to teeter even more.
The zombies were relentless in their pursuit. Shen Qingqiu climbed quickly, and when one zombie started climbing like a monkey, she grabbed a crossbar and kicked it in the stomach, knocking it and the shelf down. Chen Kaijie and the others emerged from the wreckage, swiftly killing another zombie.
More zombies flooded in, shaking the shelves violently. Shen Qingqiu, unable to stabilize herself, looked down with concern.
“Chen Kaijie, escape through the back window. Don’t get surrounded.” Shen Qingqiu frowned, realizing the precariousness of their situation.
The entire shelf was about to collapse, leaving her no choice but to act.
Chen Kaijie and the others were forced back to the window, panicking. “Vice-captain, jump down, we’ll catch you.”
Shen Qingqiu glanced at the shelf below, seeing more zombies pouring in. She was too far from Chen Kaijie and surrounded by zombies, making it impossible to jump across.
“Get out now! I have a plan!” If they didn’t leave, there was no hope.
As soon as she spoke, the shelf collapsed. Shen Qingqiu leaped down, facing a mutant zombie mid-air. She decisively decapitated it with the momentum of her fall. However, she was about to land in the midst of the zombie horde. Gritting her teeth, she prepared for a desperate fight.
On the other side, Chen Kaijie remembered the alarm light card and quickly activated it, attaching the alarm to his head as he ran desperately towards Shen Qingqiu.
Chen Kaijie spread his arms and closed his eyes, ready to catch Shen Qingqiu. She had just slashed a zombie in mid-air, and now, completely out of strength, she was falling straight down. The height and the debris-filled ground made it very dangerous.
However, he only felt a gust of wind and did not feel the weight he expected. Just as his heart skipped a beat, the voices of Zuo Tiantian and Su Jin rang out in surprise and joy, “Captain Xiao!”
Chen Kaijie opened his eyes to find Shen Qingqiu being held securely by someone. That person, with red eyes, was urgently examining her.
Shen Qingqiu was still dazed and didn’t realize she was being held. She touched Xiao Muyu’s face, “Muyu, why are you here?”
Xiao Muyu frowned, her voice still a bit hoarse, “If I didn’t come, were you planning to get yourself maimed or fall into someone else’s arms?”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes brightened with joy, and she wrapped her arms around Xiao Muyu’s neck, “Muyu, you’re better? You recognize me now?”
“When did I not recognize you?” Xiao Muyu was still shaken by the thought. This fool always pulled such dangerous stunts, and she knew something was wrong when she woke up and couldn’t find them.
Luckily, her vision and sense of smell had improved significantly, allowing her to track them by scent.
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes welled up, “You weren’t like this before; you wouldn’t talk to me.”
Xiao Muyu sighed, “Get down quickly. You look undignified like this.”
Shen Qingqiu hurriedly stood up. Xiao Muyu looked at Chen Kaijie and couldn’t help but laugh before getting serious, “Chen Kaijie, clear a path. We’re heading straight to Noro Pharmaceuticals.”
The warning lights on Chen Kaijie’s head were still flashing. He nodded repeatedly, and the four of them followed Chen Kaijie, hacking their way through the zombies toward Noro Pharmaceuticals.
“Muyu, your consciousness is back, but what about your eyes?” Shen Qingqiu was both surprised and worried.
“It should be fine, probably a side effect of the virus infection. I feel great now, no problem carrying you while running.”
Xiao Muyu, worried that Shen Qingqiu might be scared, tried to lighten the mood despite the tense situation.
“If it weren’t for the urgency, you carrying me wouldn’t be so bad.” Shen Qingqiu’s spirits lifted, and she began to chatter.
“So, are you fully recovered now?”
“Yes, I think so. And my speed and senses are much sharper.” She glanced ahead, and they suddenly turned, drawing the zombies’ attention back toward them, causing panic among the people at Noro Pharmaceuticals who started retreating.
Xiao Muyu called out, “Wait for me here.”
Xiao Muyu’s speed surpassed Shen Qingqiu’s. Using the streetlights and vehicles, she quickly climbed the stacked containers lining the road.
She shouted toward Noro Pharmaceuticals, “Sun Qinian, if you’re inside, respond. I’m the Xiao Muyu you’re looking for.
Given the situation, you have no choice but to cooperate. If the zombies besiege you, running won’t help. If you agree, give me a sign.”
Her voice carried far. Inside, Sun Qinian was stunned and quickly shouted, “Watch your fire! Don’t shoot recklessly!”
He had long regretted the virus research. Initially, he was reckless, but when the drug trials failed, he wanted to stop. Unfortunately, others in the company opposed him.
He planned to take the virus samples abroad to his mentor but was discovered. While fleeing, he crashed into Xiao Muyu, and in the chaos, the virus container flew out of the broken windshield, infecting Xiao Muyu.
Not realizing she was infected, he thought she was doomed. Seeing the virus leak, he panicked and dealt with the container and the scene first.
The virus had limited transmission methods; without an open wound, it wouldn’t infect. But he underestimated his mistakes in his panic, and Xiao Muyu showed symptoms days later.
Due to poor lab management, the situation worsened during their handling.
He bribed a nurse, Tian Jia, to inject Xiao Muyu with the Z agent, hoping for a miracle. Miraculously, Xiao Muyu recovered.
“If you want to live, protect that woman. Her antibodies are our hope.”
Shen Qingqiu was worried, “What if they just want to experiment on you, not develop a cure?”
Xiao Muyu smiled and looked at Shen Qingqiu, then effortlessly leaped down, growling softly at the zombies gathering behind her.
The zombies immediately froze, their expressions bewildered and fearful.
“You…” Shen Qingqiu was stunned, “This isn’t…” She wanted to say it was like cheating but didn’t dare to, given the system’s unpredictability.
But clearly, this was a huge advantage.
Qi Hongyue and her group, who had narrowly escaped death, were also stunned seeing the horde of zombies halted before Xiao Muyu. It was as if she was the chosen one.
“Professor Sun, give me an answer!” She turned toward Noro Pharmaceuticals, and soon a red flag appeared.
At the same time, a disheveled man staggered toward them; it was Lin Jian.
As Xiao Muyu turned, a mutant zombie, having been eyeing her, suddenly lunged, baring its fangs at her neck.
“Muyu!”
The sudden attack made Shen Qingqiu scream, her voice breaking. She threw her dagger instantly. Xiao Muyu remained calm, stepping back with incredible speed. By the time Shen Qingqiu rushed over, Xiao Muyu had already grabbed the zombie by the neck and slammed it to the ground, breaking its spine.
The remaining zombies hesitated and retreated.
Xiao Muyu’s action not only intimidated the zombies but also crushed any remaining resistance from Noro Pharmaceuticals’ people.
Shen Qingqiu’s face softened, unable to hide her admiration for Xiao Muyu. She smiled radiantly, her eyes fixed on Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu, seeing her wink, felt both amused and exasperated, thinking she’d deal with this fox later.
They finally met Sun Qinian, who looked much older and worn out. With him were two girls, one of whom was Sun Xi.
“You… you’re really better.” Sun Qinian’s eyes were filled with awe and disbelief, like an artist admiring a masterpiece.
“Don’t look at her like that, or we won’t talk. I’ll gouge your eyes out.” Shen Qingqiu coldly warned, hating his gaze.
Sun Qinian trembled and quickly apologized, “I was just too excited, no other intentions. If Miss Xiao truly has antibodies, we need you to come to the base…”
Shen Qingqiu sneered, exchanging a glance with Xiao Muyu. They moved quickly, subduing Sun Qinian’s guards before they could react.
Shen Qingqiu pressed a dagger to Sun Qinian’s neck, smiling, “I think it’s better for you to come with us. We have no conflict of interest and won’t harm you. But you have a record, and I don’t trust you.
Also, this isn’t a negotiation, it’s a command. I’m not a good person. If you disregard a city’s lives, sacrificing you is easy.”
“Bring your people over; we’ll treat you well. Antibodies benefit everyone, right?”
Xiao Muyu’s red eyes made Sun Qinian’s legs tremble.
Sun Xi, pale and pleading, said, “Don’t hurt my dad. He has no bad intentions, just confusion. Dad, you’ve already made one mistake. They’re not bad people. Promise them, no more human experiments. We’ve paid the price.” She cried as she spoke.
Sun Qinian, looking at his two remaining daughters, regretted deeply and finally nodded, “Okay… okay.”
He had no choice and genuinely wanted to develop a vaccine, not just as a bargaining chip.
In the end, Sun Qinian and several researchers were forced to work with Lin Jian to test Xiao Muyu’s blood in a makeshift lab.
With Xiao Muyu there, the zombies didn’t dare act out. However, she wasn’t truly the zombie king and couldn’t control them beyond her sight.
The survivors still had to fend for themselves, but the discovery of antibodies meant fewer opportunities for survival challenges.
Sitting outside, Xiao Muyu saw Sun Qinian rush out excitedly, shouting, “It’s real! It works!”
Before she could react, the system announced, “Congratulations to player Xiao Muyu’s team for completing the hidden task ‘I Am Legend.’ Team points increased by 80, achieving a perfect clearance. Each member receives 120 bonus points. Chosen One Xiao Muyu receives the item ‘Zombie Compendium.'”
“Congratulations to player Xiao Muyu’s team for completing instance 005 ‘Doomed G City,’ earning the special reward ‘Unkillable Roaches’ team title.”
Shen Qingqiu had already exchanged three passes and was only short by a few points.
However, it was clear their hidden task ‘I Am Legend’ was to find the antibodies, which Xiao Muyu’s restored blood contained.
They weren’t biologists; their mission was complete at this stage.
The announcements signaled the end of their apocalyptic journey. Chen Kaijie sat on the ground, muttering, “We can finally leave this cursed place.”
Author’s Note: Whew, pseudo-zombie king Xiao pulling off a heroic moment.
![After I Transmigrated as a Mermaid, I Transmigrated Back [GL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mermaidtransmigrate2.jpg "After I Transmigrated as a Mermaid, I Transmigrated Back [GL]")
