Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 36 – Mutated zombies

Twelve o’clock sharp.

Lei Li raised her right hand, and everyone instantly fell silent.

“The operation begins.”

Her voice was low and powerful, like a general giving the final order to charge.

The team began to advance toward the fifth floor.

Lin Fan blended in at the back of the team, flanked by two bodyguards specially arranged by Lei Li—one named Xiao Qiang, the other Ah Fei.

Both were Lei Li’s trusted subordinates, and their orders were clear: no matter what happened, they were to ensure “Chen Yao’s” safety.

“Doctor Xiao Yao, just stay behind us. Don’t run off,” Xiao Qiang said, turning back to remind her.

Lin Fan nodded obediently.

“I know, thank you, Brother Xiao Qiang.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, and paired with her delicate, doll-like face, the two big men’s hearts instantly melted.

The team arrived at the fifth-floor stairwell.

As per the previous plan, Ah Long and ten others had already constructed a simple defensive line using office desks and iron cabinets.

The desks and chairs were cleverly joined together, forming a semicircular barrier with only a few firing holes left open.

“Ranged squad, in position!”

Xiao Li led five people, each holding a crossbow or a compound bow, spread out behind the defensive line.

Their quivers were filled with arrows, and every face was a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Lei Li stood at the very front of the team, gripping a modified tactical machete.

The blade was wide and heavy, its edge glinting coldly. One look was enough to tell it was her personal weapon.

“Prepare to make some noise.”

A team member raised an iron hammer, aiming at the fire hose pipe beside him.

“Smash it!”

CLANG—

The tremendous impact echoed through the stairwell like a muffled thunderclap.

Immediately after, a response came from the depths of the fifth floor.

ROAR—

A low snarl came from the office area, followed by the sound of dense footsteps.

The sound grew closer and louder.

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“They’re coming!” Ah Long shouted in a low voice.

Everyone held their breath.

The first zombie appeared at the top of the stairs. It wore a tattered suit, and half of its face had rotted away.

Then came a second, a third…

Soon, the stairwell was filled with zombies.

They snarled and roared, charging madly toward the defensive line.

“Fire!”

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH—

Crossbow bolts and fletched arrows sliced through the air, accurately striking the zombies at the front of the charge.

One zombie was pierced through the skull by an arrow and collapsed on the spot.

Another was hit in the chest but continued to charge forward frantically.

“Finishing blow!”

Another volley was fired, and the injured zombie fell as well.

The tactic was highly effective.

The narrow stairwell limited the number of zombies, forcing them to charge one by one and become living targets for the ranged squad.

Ten minutes later, the ground was piled high with zombie corpses.

“Cease fire!” Lei Li raised her hand to signal.

The stairwell returned to silence; no more zombies poured out.

“Count your arrows and prepare to enter the office area.”

The team members began to retrieve usable arrows while checking their equipment.

“Prepare to enter the office area!” Lei Li commanded.

The team advanced slowly, stepping over the pile of corpses and entering the fifth floor’s open-plan office space.

It was indeed very spacious, and they could see to the other end at a glance.

Office desks and chairs were scattered about, and the floor was stained with blood and littered with severed limbs.

But there were no living survivors to be seen.

“Split into pairs to search. Don’t stray too far.”

Lei Li’s instructions were clear.

Ah Long led a few people to search the left side, while Xiao Li took his men to the right.

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Lei Li herself led the core members forward through the center.

Lin Fan followed Xiao Qiang and Ah Fei, moving forward slowly.

She held a first-aid kit, posturing as if ready to treat the wounded at any moment.

The search went smoothly.

There were indeed no more zombies in the office area, only scattered belongings and dried bloodstains.

“Lei-jie, we found something over here!”

Suddenly, Ah Long’s voice came from the left.

Everyone looked in that direction.

In the corner of the office area, a figure was squatting.

From the back, it was a woman in a professional skirt suit with black stockings.

One of her high-heeled shoes had fallen off beside her as she huddled in the corner.

“It’s a survivor!”

Ah Long said excitedly.

After so long, they had finally found a living person.

“Wait!” Lei Li frowned. “Be careful.”

But Ah Long had already walked over.

“Miss, are you okay? We’re here to rescue you.”

He squatted down and gently patted the woman’s shoulder.

The woman slowly turned her head.

In that instant, everyone sucked in a cold breath.

Her face was as pale as paper, without a trace of color.

The most terrifying part was her eyes—her pupils were blood-red, glowing like two rubies in the dark.

“AHHH—”

The female zombie suddenly let out a sharp, piercing shriek, so shrill it made their scalps tingle.

The next second, she lunged at Ah Long.

Her speed was astonishing, several times faster than the evolved zombies they had encountered at night.

Ah Long didn’t even have time to react before he was tackled to the ground.

SQUELCH—

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The female zombie’s nails, like blades, instantly tore open Ah Long’s neck.

Fresh blood sprayed out.

“Ah Long!”

Two nearby team members rushed over, trying to help.

But the female zombie’s movements were too fast. She moved like an agile cheetah, darting rapidly between the three of them.

In less than ten seconds, all three big men had fallen into pools of their own blood.

“Dammit!”

Lei Li’s expression changed drastically as she gripped her machete and charged.

Her speed was also fast, her muscles erupting with astonishing power.

She delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to the female zombie’s waist.

Based on past experience, this kick should have been enough to snap a normal zombie’s spine.

But then, something that shocked everyone happened.

The female zombie’s body was abnormally flexible, bending like rubber.

Lei Li’s kick landed, but the zombie’s body bent backward at an impossible angle, neutralizing most of the impact.

“What the hell!”

Lei Li cursed under her breath and quickly retreated.

The female zombie let out another shriek and pounced at Lei Li again.

This time, Lei Li was prepared.

She dodged to the side, simultaneously swinging her machete at the female zombie’s neck.

But the female zombie’s reaction was too quick; it twisted its body in mid-air, avoiding the fatal blow.

The machete only left a shallow gash on its shoulder.

“Ranged support!” Lei Li yelled.

Xiao Li and his men immediately drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and fired at the female zombie.

But the monster’s speed was simply too fast; the arrows couldn’t hit it.

It darted rapidly between the office desks, sometimes leaping, sometimes rolling, its form erratic and unpredictable.

Lei Li chased after it, her blade flashing, but every strike was cleverly dodged.

This female zombie was not only fast, but its flexibility was also absurdly high.

It could perform all sorts of incredible movements that completely defied the common sense of human anatomy.

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“Lei-jie, watch out!”

The female zombie suddenly leaped out from behind a desk, its hands formed into claws, lunging straight for Lei Li’s face.

Lei Li raised her machete to block, but the female zombie’s strength was also astounding.

The two collided, and Lei Li was actually pushed back two steps.

“Damned monster!”

Lei Li roared, her entire body’s strength erupting.

She spun around and smashed the pommel of her machete into the female zombie’s temple.

The strike was fast and precise. The female zombie failed to dodge and was hit squarely.

It let out a pained hiss and tumbled backward.

Lei Li seized the opportunity, lunging forward in a single step and thrusting her machete straight at the female zombie’s head.

SQUELCH—

The blade pierced through the female zombie’s skull.

Black blood gushed from the wound.

The female zombie struggled for a few moments before finally going still.

The entire office area fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared blankly at the scene, their minds not yet fully processing what had happened.

The events of the last few moments had completely overturned their understanding of zombies.

Speed, strength, flexibility… this female zombie far surpassed ordinary zombies in every aspect.

If Lei Li hadn’t been strong enough, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Lin Fan stood at the back of the team, with Xiao Qiang and Ah Fei nervously protecting her.

On the surface, she wore a terrified expression, but inwardly, she was calmly analyzing the situation.

This zombie was indeed special.

The virus was evolving, and so were the zombies.

If they encountered more monsters like this in the future…

Lin Fan looked at Lei Li, who was checking the injuries of Ah Long and the others.

Unfortunately, all three were already dead.

“What the hell was that thing?” Xiao Li asked, his voice trembling.