Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 5 – The Terrifying Hallway

Before leaving, Lin Fan glanced at the property owners’ group chat.

The number of messages had clearly dwindled.

It had gone from “99+” to just a few scattered messages.

Grandpa Wang: “Is anyone there? I think I hear something next door…”

Auntie Li: “It sounds like someone is shouting downstairs, but the voice is very strange.”

Zhang Wei (Property Management): “Everyone, please stay safe. The property management office has been sealed off and is temporarily unable to provide services.”

Lin Fan sneered.

It was a weekday, during the day, so most people weren’t home.

The ones who could chat in the group were either retired elderly people or full-time housewives.

And these people were often the most likely group to become zombies.

They had limited mobility and lacked the ability to protect themselves.

They were practically walking experience packs.

“Ruyan, let’s go.”

Zhou Ming was already fully armed, with two kitchen knives tucked into his waistband, looking quite formidable.

Lin Fan nodded and pushed open the door.

The corridor was deathly silent.

The usually bustling hallway was now terrifyingly quiet.

Even the sounds of televisions and cooking from the neighbors’ apartments, which were always present in the past, had vanished without a trace.

This abnormal silence was bone-chilling.

“We’ll take the stairs.”

Lin Fan made the decision.

The enclosed space of an elevator was too dangerous; encountering a zombie in one would be a dead end.

The stairs were more tiring, but at least there was a way to retreat.

Zhou Ming immediately moved to the front to clear the way.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

He puffed out his chest, looking like a gallant protector.

Lin Fan followed behind him, her steps light.

The soft soles of her sneakers minimized the sound of her footsteps.

Her tight yoga pants fit her legs perfectly and wouldn’t make any rustling sounds.

The two of them carefully descended the stairs.

Seventh floor, quiet.

Sixth floor, quiet.

Fifth floor, still quiet.

Lin Fan felt a little relieved.

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It seemed the number of infected in this building wasn’t high.

Just when she thought they could get downstairs smoothly—

A strange sound came from the corner of the fourth-floor stairwell.

“Ugh… ghh…”

It wasn’t a sound a human could make.

It was more like the low growl of a wild beast.

Zhou Ming stopped in his tracks instantly, gripping his dual knives.

Lin Fan also tightened her grip on the long spear in her hands.

The two of them carefully peeked around the corner to look.

In the fourth-floor hallway, a figure was moving slowly.

It was a middle-aged woman.

She was wearing a pink nightgown, her hair was a mess, and her feet were bare.

But her face…

It could no longer be called a human face.

Her skin had turned a deathly gray, and her eyeballs were completely white.

Dark red blood trickled from the corners of her mouth.

The most terrifying part was the deep wound on her neck.

It was a mangled mess of flesh and blood; you could even see the bone inside.

“She wasn’t here when I came up,” Zhou Ming couldn’t help but whisper.

Lin Fan immediately clapped a hand over his mouth.

But it was too late.

The zombie, Mrs. Zhang, had heard the sound.

She turned her head stiffly, her dead, fish-like eyes staring straight at the stairwell entrance.

“Ghhh… ghhh…”

She let out a beastly growl and started walking toward them.

Her gait was stiff, but her speed was surprisingly fast.

Every step had a bizarre rhythm.

Zhou Ming glanced at Lin Fan behind him.

Her face was pale, and she was clutching her spear tightly.

Her pitiful and helpless appearance instantly ignited his protective instincts.

“Don’t be afraid!”

Zhou Ming roared, drew his dual knives, and charged forward.

Lin Fan was speechless.

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Idiot!

With that roar, if there were any other zombies in the building, they would all be drawn over!

But now was not the time to worry about that.

The zombie Mrs. Zhang had already lunged.

Inside her open mouth, her teeth were still stained with bits of flesh and blood.

A foul stench emanated from her.

Although Zhou Ming was nervous, he was a professional fitness coach, after all.

His physical fitness was undeniable.

He dodged the zombie’s lunge with a sideways step and swung the kitchen knife in his right hand viciously at her neck.

Splurt!

The blade cut deep into the flesh.

Blackish-red blood sprayed out, leaving a shocking mark on the wall.

He had almost severed the entire head.

But the Zombie Mrs. Zhang didn’t fall!

She was still struggling, trying to claw at Zhou Ming.

Her dead-white eyes were fixed on him, filled with a craving for flesh and blood.

“Why isn’t it dead yet?!”

Zhou Ming panicked.

“The head! Cut it off completely!” Lin Fan called out from behind him.

Her voice was urgent, but her mind was exceptionally calm.

Zhou Ming gritted his teeth and followed up with the kitchen knife in his left hand.

This time, he used all his strength.

Crack!

The sound of the neck bone breaking was crisp and clear.

Mrs. Zhang’s head fell off completely, rolling a few times on the ground.

Her body collapsed with it, no longer moving.

Blackish-red blood slowly pooled, emitting a pungent, foul smell.

Zhou Ming gasped for breath, drenched in sweat.

Killing a zombie for the first time, even if it wasn’t a living person, was a huge psychological shock.

His hands were trembling slightly.

“Ming-ge, you’re so amazing!”

Lin Fan ran up at the right moment, her face pale and her voice trembling.

“I was so scared… Thank goodness you were here to protect me.”

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She hugged Zhou Ming’s arm tightly.

Her soft body pressed against his firm muscles.

A faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

Zhou Ming instantly forgot the fear from moments ago.

In its place was a huge sense of accomplishment and a desire to protect.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you get hurt.”

His voice was filled with masculine bravado.

Lin Fan sneered inwardly.

This guy might not be smart, but his combat ability is pretty good.

Nearly cutting off a zombie’s neck with one blow—that kind of strength was no joke.

And when facing a zombie, although he was nervous, he wasn’t so scared that his legs gave out.

He could still charge forward and fight at the critical moment.

A tool like this was worth making good use of.

“Let’s keep going.”

Lin Fan let go of Zhou Ming’s arm, her voice still trembling slightly.

“That shout just now… will it attract other monsters?”

Only then did Zhou Ming realize his recklessness.

“It should… it should be fine, right?”

He scratched his head, feeling a little guilty.

Lin Fan listened carefully.

The corridor was still quiet.

It seemed the number of zombies in this building was indeed low.

Or rather, most of the residents weren’t home.

“Let’s get downstairs quickly.”

The two of them quickened their pace.

Third floor, second floor, first floor.

The rest of the way was safe.

Pushing open the building’s main door, the world outside came into view.

The residential complex was littered with trash everywhere.

Trash cans were knocked over, their contents spilled all over the ground.

Even more terrifying were the dark red bloodstains visible everywhere on the ground.

In some places, there were even fragmented pieces of flesh.

A severed hand lay quietly by a flowerbed, covered in bite marks, its five fingers spread open as if in a final struggle.

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“What… what happened here?”

Zhou Ming stared in shock at the scene before him.

When he came up, the complex hadn’t been this gruesome.

“The Zombie Virus spreads very quickly.”

Lin Fan’s voice was calm, but a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

“And the infected will attack the people around them.”

“One infects ten, ten infect a hundred.”

“It won’t be long before the entire city falls.”

Zhou Ming shivered.

If that was true, then their current situation…

It was practically survival in hell!

“Don’t overthink it.”

Lin Fan patted his shoulder.

“As long as we’re careful, we can definitely survive.”

Her voice carried a firmness that slightly eased Zhou Ming’s heart.

The two of them carefully made their way through the complex.

They did encounter a few wandering zombies on the way.

But there weren’t many, and they were scattered in different places.

Lin Fan directed Zhou Ming to take detours, successfully avoiding all threats.

Soon, they arrived at the main gate of the complex.

The security booth was empty.

There was a bloody handprint on the glass window, a shocking sight.

The main gate was wide open, with nothing blocking the way.

Lin Fan looked out through the iron bars.

The situation on the street was even more tragic than in the complex.

Abandoned cars were everywhere.

Some car doors were wide open, the interiors stained with blood.

Other vehicles had crashed into each other, emitting black smoke.

The air was filled with the smell of burning and blood.

“Our target is right across the street.”

Lin Fan pointed at the convenience store across the street.

It wasn’t far, about fifty meters.

But that fifty-meter journey was fraught with danger.