Chapter 5
1066 Words
A first-tier strength mutant stood no chance against a second-tier supernatural zombie.
Li Li managed to dodge frantically at first. Though wounded repeatedly, he clung to life. Yet his stamina drained fast, and the speed-enhanced zombie closed in, pinning him to the ground. His face turned ghastly pale.
He raised his machete to defend himself, shouting desperately.
"Help! Save me!"
"Ye Hanshuang, help!"
He could not explain why he called her name. The strongest teammates failed to turn the tide, and this mysterious young lady seemed to hold unfathomable power.
Ye Hanshuang remained motionless beside them.
"Ye Hanshuang! Please save me!"
"Your Highness, I beg you!"
Claws grazed his neck, drowning him in sheer terror. At last, Ye Hanshuang shifted her gaze toward him. Instinctively, Li Li cried out.
"Your Highness! Spare me! I will build you a horse carriage!"
Sharp pain flared, and Li Li squeezed his eyes shut, ready to meet his end. He would die here without ever finding his family.
Unexpectedly, the claws halted inches into his flesh, no longer pressing forward as if frozen in place. Li Li trembled and slowly opened his eyes.
Brand-new black leather shoes came into view, followed by an elegant long gown. Ye Hanshuang stood above him, pressing her folding fan lightly against the zombie’s forehead, her eyes lowered as she looked down.
The zombie stayed fixed in its attacking stance, claws hovering at his throat and fangs bared inches away, its hideous bluish-black face terrifyingly close. Cold sweat streamed down Li Li’s forehead.
Dead silence descended upon the scene, so quiet that even breathing seemed to vanish.
Ye Hanshuang parted her red lips softly. "What did you call me?"
"Y-Your Highness..." Li Li spoke timidly, fearing any sudden movement might provoke the beast.
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "I quite like that title."
She tapped the zombie’s head with her fan. The creature recoiled abruptly, evident fear flickering in its eyes as it stared warily at Ye Hanshuang.
It stepped backward steadily, then spun around and fled at top speed, vanishing from sight in an instant as if running for its life.
Shao Chenyan and the others stared at Ye Hanshuang with sheer astonishment, as if gazing at a monster.
With the formidable second-tier foe gone, the remaining ordinary zombies were easily dealt with. Still, the team was exhausted and badly injured. Fortunately, zombie viruses barely affected ability users, and lower-rank mutants could not infect higher-tier counterparts.
No crystal cores resided within zombie brains, making combat against them unrewarding. Fighting mutated beasts and plants at least yielded food, while battling undead offered nothing but combat experience.
They dressed each other’s wounds, stealing frequent glances at Ye Hanshuang, who stood aloof as if belonging to a separate realm. Everyone wondered how a simple fan could subdue a powerful second-tier zombie.
No one dared speak up. Li Li bore the worst injuries, and even Zhang Siqin held her tongue. Eventually, Ye Baolin broke the silence.
"H Shuang, how did you drive that zombie away?"
Ye Hanshuang turned to face her. Ye Baolin awkwardly trailed off, ready to drop the topic.
"I simply ordered it to retreat," Ye Hanshuang replied matter-of-factly.
She lifted her chin, her gaze sweeping over them haughtily. "How dare mere ants behave insolently in my presence!"
The group fell speechless once more.
In ordinary times, such arrogant princess-like conduct would drive everyone away. Yet this was no ordinary spoiled girl—she had single-handedly intimidated a deadly second-tier zombie. In the lawless end times ruled by strength, no one dared act recklessly against her.
Zhang Siqin glanced at Li Li’s wounds and could not hold back her complaint. "You could have acted sooner. Li Li nearly lost his life..."
She was cut off mid-sentence as Li Li hastily covered her mouth. Despite her haughty attitude, Ye Hanshuang possessed terrifying power capable of frightening powerful zombies. No one wished to incur her wrath.
Before Li Li could respond, another violent explosion boomed from the temporary base. Their expressions darkened with alarm.
They had wasted precious time. Even powerful second-tier zombies fled in panic, proving the colossal mutated owl far too dangerous to confront.
"We must leave at once," Zong Ling coughed.
He exchanged a look with Shao Chenyan, who then addressed Ye Hanshuang in an unusually gentle tone. "Come with us first. We will build you a proper carriage once we reach safety."
Ye Baolin nodded in agreement. Li Li also urged urgently. "Please come along, Your Highness."
All shared the same thought—coax her into leaving first.
Ye Hanshuang’s calm gaze settled on Li Li. She raised her fan toward him. "You promised me a carriage. A princess deserves nothing less."
Li Li froze with regret, realizing he was the one who had made the vow. Sharp glares came from his teammates.
The ground rumbled, accompanied by a piercing bird cry that sent icy dread coursing through every heart. They looked upward to see the giant owl soaring once again, diving fiercely toward the human base.
"We have to go now!" Zhang Siqin trembled in fright.
Everyone turned to Ye Hanshuang hesitantly.
"It’s extremely dangerous here. That beast could bring ruin upon us all," Ye Baolin persuaded anxiously.
"I want my carriage," Ye Hanshuang insisted.
Enraged and flustered, Zhang Siqin snapped. "Do you truly believe you can defeat that monstrous owl? Can you even stand a chance against it?" She urged Shao Chenyan to abandon the stubborn girl.
Shao Chenyan hesitated, torn between choices.
Li Li suddenly brightened and spoke quickly. "Your Highness, we lack building materials here."
"We know a place with fine timber," Zong Ling chimed in. "Skilled craftsmen at Sichuan Base can craft you the most exquisite carriage worthy of your status."
"The artisans there are unmatched," Ye Baolin added softly. "We may even find intact carriages left behind."
"You need a majestic beast to pull your carriage," Li Li elaborated. "We can acquire fine horses once we reach the base."
Ye Hanshuang’s eyes lit up with delight. Li Li smiled, thinking his persuasion worked.
"You are quite clever," she praised. Her fan pointed toward the massive flying silhouette in the sky. "A noble princess must have a grand steed. That one catches my eye. Bring it down for me."
Li Li’s smile vanished instantly, met with furious stares from his teammates. He inwardly lamented his careless words.
- Writer
