Time passed quickly after that.
All afternoon, Team 7 moved around the park area strictly following the marked route. Suspicious spots were confirmed, and dangerous paths were eliminated. Occasionally, stray zombies appeared, but they were all handled cleanly before they could cause any chaos.
The formation's operation became visibly smoother.
Van Thieu cleared the path and controlled the terrain. Thanh Dao scouted and provided early warnings. Lam Thanh Moc controlled the perimeter. So Sinh struck fast and finished quickly. And Thuong Sinh was always on the front line.
Without a word, whenever a target appeared, he stepped forward. His sword flashed, his figure blurred past, and the zombies collapsed. Gradually, no one questioned letting him take the lead anymore.
By the time the sun had completely vanished behind the ruined buildings, the group finally stopped at a convenience store that had been looted long ago.
A fire was lit.
The flames flickered against the peeling ceiling, illuminating the six people sitting in a circle. Each held a tin of canned food; the sound of lids popping open echoed softly.
The atmosphere was rarely this quiet.
Van Binh chewed on a piece of canned meat, muttering while eating: "Being able to eat like this and still be alive is truly a miracle." So Sinh didn't answer, only lowering his head to eat. Van Thieu re-checked the map, occasionally glancing out the door. Thanh Dao sat against the wall, her expression much less tense than during the day.
Lam Thanh Moc sat opposite Thuong Sinh. She said nothing, but her eyes would occasionally and subconsciously rest on him—from his hand gripping the sword resting beside him to the dried bloodstains he hadn't had time to wipe off his sleeve.
It wasn't a stare, it was a quiet observation.
Thuong Sinh, who had been eating with his head down, suddenly looked up slightly. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Lam Thanh Moc was startled and quickly looked away, her ears turning visibly red under the firelight.
That scene did not escape Van Binh's eyes. He smirked, his gaze darting back and forth, then cleared his throat and spoke with deliberate intent.
"Hey, Thuong Sinh." Thuong Sinh glanced at him: "What?"
Van Binh didn't answer immediately.
He slung an arm naturally over Thuong Sinh's shoulder, leaning in close with a grin: "You're really something. Everywhere you go, people are watching."
Lam Thanh Moc immediately turned her head back, her eyes turning cold, shooting a glance at Van Binh as sharp as a knife. It was a clear warning. But Van Binh was Van Binh, not only was he not afraid, he laughed even louder, tightening his grip on Thuong Sinh's shoulder.
He shot a provocative look back at Lam Thanh Moc, as if saying: What are you going to do about it?
"Let go," Thuong Sinh said curtly. Van Binh chuckled but let go anyway, retreating to his seat before someone "accidentally" strangled him with a vine.
Lam Thanh Moc went back to eating, but her movements were clearly stiff, and her face was still burning. Watching the scene, Thanh Dao's lips curled up slightly before she quickly regained her composure. Van Thieu said nothing, only shaking his head slightly.
The fire crackled. Van Thieu folded the map and set it aside, his gaze scanning each person before stopping at the embers in the center. "Get some rest after eating," he said, his voice deep and decisive. "The area has been scouted. The danger zones have been marked and expanded according to the mission requirements. Tomorrow, we head back to the safe zone."
The atmosphere softened—not with tension, but with relief. Van Binh was the first to react, snapping his head up: "Really? So it's finally over?" "Our part is done,"
Van Thieu replied. "I will report the anomalies in the park. The rest is outside the team's scope."
So Sinh let out a soft sigh, leaning back against the wall, his claws fully retracted: "At least I'll finally sleep well tonight."
Thanh Dao nodded slightly, her grip on the can of food relaxing a bit.
Lam Thanh Moc said nothing, she continued eating, but her pace slowed as if she were deep in thought.
Thuong Sinh sat still, the firelight reflecting in his eyes. Hearing the words "heading back," he only gave a soft "mm," showing no further emotion. He glanced at the blue interface floating before him.
[ Thuong Sinh ]
[ Cultivation ]: 499/500
[ Realm ]: Body Tempering (Late Stage)
[ Combat Skills ]: Blade Wind (Minor Accomplishment), Phantom Steps (Entry Level)
[ Accumulated Points ]: 231
During these quiet night breaks, he never gave up his daily cultivation habit. Over the past few days, having killed many zombies, his points had skyrocketed into the hundreds.
His cultivation could no longer progress. No matter how he tried to circulate the Source Breath Cultivation, it was futile. He felt a wall separating him from the next realm. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling.
Thuong Sinh closed his eyes. The stream of Essence in his body circulated steadily according to the Source Breath Cultivation, lap after lap, smooth and stable without any chaos. Yet, every time it reached the limit, the Essence was like water hitting an invisible wall, unable to advance even half a step. There was no pain, no backlash; it just simply couldn't cross.
"A bottleneck..." He opened his eyes, making a silent judgment. It wasn't the cultivation method, nor was it a lack of accumulation. His cultivation had reached the threshold suitable for his body, and the Essence even showed signs of condensing.
He recalled the moment he faced the creature with the crystal, the moment he was forced to expend all his Essence to manifest the ultimate technique Blade Wind · Decapitate. At that time, the boundary had trembled—very slightly, but it was real.
"Not enough," Thuong Sinh thought. "Or perhaps, it's not yet the right time."
Behind him, Van Binh yawned loudly, muttering: "Going back tomorrow, I'm going to sleep for three days straight..."
Thuong Sinh didn't turn around. He opened the interface once more, his eyes lingering on the numbers 499/500 for a long time. Only one step left. But this step could not be gained simply through time.
The flame flickered slightly in the night wind.
The quiet night passed, and the group woke up before the sky was fully bright. Without needing a reminder, everyone packed their gear quickly, extinguished the fire, and erased their tracks. Empty cans were buried, and ashes were scattered evenly.
Van Thieu was the last to check. He walked around the temporary shelter, stepping lightly on the ground to feel for anything unusual, then finally nodded. "Let's go."
The team left the abandoned building in their familiar order without looking back. The return journey followed the outer edge of the park, avoiding the center. Early morning sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining down on the fallen trees.
Occasionally, they encountered stray zombies. But compared to before, they were clearly slower and weaker. Without a word, Thuong Sinh would step forward, his blade flashing, ending it cleanly. No shouting or complex coordination was needed; the team simply advanced in silence.
Van Binh whistled softly as he walked: "Having a Great God of Slaughter leading the way really feels different." No one answered him, but no one disagreed either.
So Sinh followed behind, his gaze occasionally dropping to the cleanly severed zombie corpses, his eyes darkening. Lam Thanh Moc retracted her vines; no longer needing to maintain constant sensory contact, her shoulders relaxed. Thanh Dao closed her eyes for a long moment before opening them and whispering: "Clear ahead."
When the high walls of the safe zone appeared in sight, the atmosphere finally truly lightened. The sound of clashing metal and people talking echoed from inside. The heavy steel gate opened, and the guards signaled, their eyes quickly scanning the six people covered in dust and dried blood. "Team 7, returning."
The gate closed behind them. The moment they crossed the threshold, the stench of zombies and rust was gradually replaced by the smell of machine oil, human sweat, and cooking smoke. It was as if two completely different worlds existed. Van Binh stretched and let out a long sigh: "Finally back. It feels like being reborn."
No longer in formation and no longer on high alert, the six stood under a shelter. The yellow overhead lights revealed scratches they hadn't had time to treat. Van Thieu spoke, his voice less cold than usual: "Mission is over. If you're free... we can get together. Exchanging information is also good."
Van Binh immediately responded, grinning and pointing at Thuong Sinh: "Right, right, let's make a date. This team's coordination isn't bad. He and I are in Sector C, Row 10, Room 3."
Lam Thanh Moc hugged her bag, hesitated slightly, then said: "Thanh Dao and I are in Sector B, Row 3, Room 12." After saying it, as if realizing something, she shot a quick glance at Thuong Sinh. Catching his accidental gaze, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to adjust her backpack strap.
Van Binh saw everything. The corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile, but before he could say anything, he met Lam Thanh Moc's warning glare, sharp as a blade. He immediately coughed and looked away.
Van Thieu pointed at So Sinh and added: "I'm with him, Sector A, Row 1, Room 4."
Thanh Dao smiled gently: "Then, until we meet again."
No one said anything else. The group separated one by one, merging into the bustling crowd of the safe zone. In a moment, the place returned to its usual busy state.
Meanwhile, in the city.
In a ruined residential area, far beyond the reach of where Team 7 had stepped. Six people stood back-to-back in a small square, their breath ragged, clothes torn, eyes filled with panic. "It's not... it's not a normal zombie..." A man stumbled back, his voice nearly cracking.
In front of them, the thing standing there crouched low. Its form was still that of a zombie, but its body was larger, muscles unnaturally bulging, dark gray skin stretched to the point of cracking.
Two long arms nearly touched the ground, with pitch-black claws as sharp as blades. It lifted its head. The dark red eyes were no longer soulless; they carried something like... hunger.
"Run—!" The word had barely left his mouth when the speaker was hit by a terrifying force. Bones snapped, and his body flew backward, slamming into a concrete wall before falling motionless. Chaotic screams rang out. In just a few heartbeats, the remaining five fell one by one. There was no resistance, no chance to escape. Fresh blood stained the cracked ground.
Finally, only one person remained. A girl fell to her knees, limbs trembling, mouth open but unable to make a sound. Before her eyes, the dark shadow approached, step by heavy step. It reached down, a massive hand grabbing her head and lifting her off the ground. Then came a crack, followed by the sound of wet chewing in the silence, blood dripping onto the concrete.
In the distance, within the dark alleys, other low growls began to answer.