Apocalypse Hunter

**Chapter 4: The Alluring Woman**

Under the scorching sunlight, with ultraviolet rays bearing down upon the dusty ground, a swarm of mad corpses roared ferociously as they attacked a lone human.

Shi Tian, or Arthur, gripped his silver M500 revolver tightly in his right hand. The gleaming, serpent-like barrel exuded a chilling aura, and with a deafening bang, the dark muzzle sent a bullet into a leaping mad corpse, its fangs bared.

“Bang!” The naked upper body of the corpse exploded, its flesh and blood scattering before it flew backward, crashing into the charging horde behind it.

The echoing gunfire brutally pierced through their skulls, yet these creatures knew no fear. Their crimson eyes glowed with desperation as they lunged forward, driven by their primal hunger for the human before them.

Shi Tian flicked his wrist, ejecting seven empty shells from the chamber. Swiftly reloading the bullets with his left hand, he raised the steel-clad revolver once more. In one fluid motion, he aimed at the drooling monsters and pulled the trigger.

The mechanical precision of his movements and the strength of his wrists allowed him to withstand the weapon’s fierce recoil. The seven mad corpses before him dropped to the ground, their heads blown apart by the flawless marksmanship.

Though he appeared battered and bloodied, Shi Tian’s minor wounds were a small price to pay for the dozens of corpses he had left in his wake. His foes seemed endless, their numbers an unrelenting tide.

After several desperate skirmishes, Shi Tian’s body was soaked in blood and sweat. His wounds burned as the sweat trickled into them, forcing a grimace from the hardened warrior. Yet he had no time to tend to his injuries as the relentless mad corpses surrounded him, lunging even from above.

He dodged, leaped, and fired, his every movement pushing his body to its limits. Numbness crept over him as his strength waned.

“Is this the end for me?” he thought bitterly. After nearly a decade of missions, from novice hunter to Level 5 veteran, it seemed his journey would end on this desolate land that had given him both honor and the enigma of his past.

His ammunition was spent, and his once razor-sharp combat knife had dulled from hacking through countless bones.

“Roar!” A mad corpse lunged with unprecedented speed, striking at the very moment Shi Tian was at his weakest. There was no time to evade.

Desperate for a quicker death, Shi Tian raised the M500 revolver to his temple.

As the monstrous figure filled his vision, its grotesque face overtook his golden pupils. For the first time, Shi Tian noticed something shocking—the creature was smiling. Its hideous grin hinted at a newfound intelligence.

“They’ve evolved emotions?” Shi Tian was horrified. Just as the monster lunged at his face, he pulled the trigger.

“Bang!” He felt his body lifted into the air as if the monster’s attack had sent him flying.

“I shot myself. So why does it still hurt?” Shi Tian thought as excruciating pain surged through his back. A fist-sized rock had lodged against his spine when he hit the ground, nearly knocking him unconscious.

Staggering to his feet, Shi Tian noticed the mad corpse lying in the gravel. Its head had been blown apart, brown blood gushing from its neck.

Confused, he realized his last bullet had already been fired earlier.

“Who shot it?”

“Do you think you’d survive a mission without me?” a melodic voice called out from the horde of corpses, carrying the faint taste of sand and bitterness.

“Susan? What are you doing here?” Shi Tian asked, tugging his camouflage scarf nervously. Awkwardly, he holstered his gun and caught the katana she tossed his way.

The blade gleamed brightly, a perfect tool for s*******r.

More than a hundred mad corpses continued their deadly dance, circling their prey. Through the gaps in the horde, a dazzling figure emerged. The woman moved swiftly toward Shi Tian, cutting down several mad corpses as she approached. Shi Tian quickly moved to meet her, slicing through any creature in his path.

“You know I rarely use guns. To save your sorry life, I had to break my long-standing rule. Now, how are you going to repay me?” Susan’s fiery eyes hinted at what she wanted.

“Dear Susan, can we survive this first before discussing my debt? As you can see, I’m barely clinging to life here. Surely you don’t think I’d run from you after all this?” Shi Tian panted, slashing a lunging mad corpse mid-sentence.

“Don’t play dumb, Arthur. You’re a man without honor. Even though honor’s worthless these days, you should at least keep some of your hidden promises. Remember when you promised to sleep with me? Instead, you left me waiting in a motel wrapped in a towel all night! I’ll make you pay double for that!”

Susan’s small mouth kept chattering, but her killing motions didn’t falter. Her soft pants seemed to invigorate the male mad corpses, driving them into a frenzy.

Susan, with her light blonde curls and delicate features, resembled a piece of fine Asian porcelain. She was a formidable presence at the base, feared by all. Even the dignified lieutenants lowered their heads to avoid her.

If not for her intervention, Arthur would likely be in heaven by now.

Susan wore a black strapless top, her ample chest threatening to burst free. Her exposed slim waist shimmered under the ultraviolet rays, unfazed by the harsh sun. She paired the top with tight black nano-fabric pants and terrifyingly high-heeled black leather boots.

Arthur couldn’t fathom how she managed to balance on those heels in this rugged terrain, let alone fight so fiercely.

A solid black iron rod was strapped to her back, towering above her head. It was her ultimate weapon.

“Are we really going to fight these monsters to the death? Come up with something!” Susan exclaimed as she dodged the frenzied monsters. A sharp claw tore through her strapless top, exposing a sliver of pale skin. Any higher, and it would have revealed even more.

Arthur’s eyes were drawn to the torn fabric. Regret surged through him for running away from her last time. He couldn’t fathom what had possessed him then.

“i***t!” Arthur cursed himself.

Gripping his katana tightly, he leapt into Susan’s attack range, grabbed her hand, and started running.

Any mad corpses in their way were swiftly sliced apart by Arthur’s precise X-shaped slashes.

The horde gave chase, relentless as ever. From a high vantage point, the scene was striking: a man and woman sprinting hand in hand, with a swarm of mad corpses just ten meters behind them, running on all fours.

“There’s a river ahead. Let’s jump in. Mad corpses fear water!” Arthur said.

“Arthur, I admire your bravery, but the river is infested with bone-devouring spined fish! Are you trying to trade one death for another?” Susan retorted, gasping for breath. The prolonged chase was testing her stamina.

“Let’s survive this first. Maybe those lovely fish are taking a nap!” Arthur quipped coldly.

Susan was left speechless but had no choice but to follow his lead. First, they needed to escape these deadly monsters.