Volume 1, Chapter 11: Advancement of the Power of Lightning

Lin Xue bit her lip, saying nothing more.

Just then, a low, guttural growl echoed from outside.

Gao Yang’s expression turned stern instantly. He walked to the window and peered through the shattered glass.

"A horde," he muttered, his tone laced with chill.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xue’s face turned pale. "A horde? How many are there?"

"At least twenty, and..." Gao Yang paused, a flicker of gravity in his eyes, "there are evolved zombies among them."

Lin Xue’s body trembled slightly as she asked in a shaky voice, "What should we do?"

Gao Yang did not answer immediately. Instead, he swiftly grabbed his baseball bat and turned to look at her.

"We fight our way out," he said, without a hint of hesitation.

Lin Xue’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Fight our way out? But... there are so many of them..."

"The longer we wait, the more trouble we'll be in," Gao Yang replied coldly. "Besides, I want to test the results of my recent progress."

He hoisted the bat onto his shoulder, walked to the door, and took a deep breath.

"Stay close to me, and don't fall behind," he commanded, then kicked the door wide open.

Boom!

A zombie lunged forward. Gao Yang swung his bat, crackling with lightning, and smashed its head into pieces.

"Move!" he barked, leading Lin Xue out into the fray.

Lin Xue gritted her teeth and followed closely behind him, clutching a dagger tightly. Though terrified, she did not stop.

The horde quickly closed in, but Gao Yang’s lightning acted like a blade of death. Every swing carried the power of a thunderbolt, blasting the zombies away in waves.

"Chain Lightning!"

Gao Yang shouted, and the lightning in his hand erupted, transforming into a thick arc of electricity that knocked down every zombie in the vicinity.

"Roar—"

An evolved zombie let out a furious cry and pounced toward him.

A cold glint flashed in Gao Yang’s eyes as he swung the bat in a wide horizontal arc.

"Boom!"

The lightning exploded, tearing the evolved zombie in two as blood splattered everywhere.

Watching the scene, Lin Xue was stunned.

"Is this his power?" she thought, feeling both terrified and reassured.

Before long, the horde was wiped out. Gao Yang stood amidst the sea of corpses, his baseball bat still flickering with residual electricity.

***

Gao Yang and Lin Xue traversed a desolate ruin until they finally spotted the rumored military warehouse in the distance.

The warehouse doors were tall and heavy, but covered in rust, clearly neglected for years.

A few dilapidated defensive structures lay scattered at the entrance; sandbags and barbed wire were piled in disarray, as if a fierce battle had once taken place there.

Lin Xue wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking at the warehouse, she couldn't help but whisper, "Do you think there’s really supplies in a place like this?"

Gao Yang didn't answer. His gaze was locked onto the surroundings, sharp as a blade.

"Something's wrong," he said in a low voice.

Lin Xue was startled. "What is it?"

Gao Yang raised a hand, gesturing toward the area around the warehouse. "Look at the ground. There are no traces of zombies, nor any signs of human activity. This silence... it’s too unnatural."

Lin Xue looked where he pointed. Indeed, there were neither the dragging marks common to zombies nor any fresh footprints on the ground.

Everything felt eerie.

"Could it just be because it's too remote?" Lin Xue ventured.

Gao Yang shook his head. "In remote areas, you usually find more zombies. This silence doesn't feel natural; it feels like... it’s being controlled by something."

His words made Lin Xue’s heart skip a beat.

She instinctively tightened her grip on her dagger and looked around nervously.

"Should we still go in?" she asked cautiously.

Gao Yang pondered for a moment, then said coldly, "We go in. Since we’re here, we can’t leave empty-handed. But... be careful."

The two walked up to the warehouse doors. Gao Yang gave them a tentative push and found them locked tight.

He pulled an iron bar from his backpack and pried at the lock with all his might.

"Click!"

The lock gave way, and the doors groaned open, releasing a stale, metallic stench.

The interior was dim, the air filled with the scent of decay.

Gao Yang raised his hand, electricity dancing across his palm to dimly illuminate the path ahead.

"Stay close," he muttered, stepping inside first.

Lin Xue followed cautiously, her eyes darting around in nervousness.

The interior was vast, with shelves stacked high with various crates.

Some were broken, revealing their contents, but many remained intact, seemingly untouched.

"There really are supplies here!" Lin Xue whispered, a flash of joy in her eyes.

Gao Yang, however, did not let his guard down. He walked to a shelf and carefully opened a crate, finding rows of canned goods neatly arranged inside.

***

"Doesn't look like anyone’s found this," Gao Yang whispered, stuffing the cans into his bag.

Lin Xue began to help, searching the shelves.

She found some bottled water and medical supplies, handing them to Gao Yang excitedly. "Take these too!"

Gao Yang nodded, stowing the items away.

However, just as they were busy, a strange sound emanated from the depths of the warehouse.

"Click... clack..."

Gao Yang stopped instantly, his eyes scanning the direction of the noise like a blade.

"What is that?" Lin Xue asked, trembling.

"Don't make a sound," Gao Yang whispered, then slowly moved toward the source of the noise.

Lightning danced in his palm, casting light on the area ahead.

His footsteps were nearly silent, yet each step felt heavy.

As he drew closer, the sound grew clearer.

"Click... clack... hum..."

Finally, in a corner of the warehouse, he discovered the source.

It was a mechanical zombie.

Its body was a patchwork of rusted steel and rotting flesh. Cold red light flickered in its eyes, and its mechanical parts emitted a low, rhythmic hum.

"What the hell is that thing?" Lin Xue gasped, a chill running down her spine.

Gao Yang’s brow furrowed, a cold intensity in his eyes. "It seems this warehouse isn't simple. These mechanical zombies... they were likely created by someone."

The mechanical zombie seemed to sense Gao Yang’s presence. It let out a low growl, its mechanical components whirring into action, and then it lunged at him!

"Get back!" Gao Yang shouted, pushing Lin Xue aside before swinging his bat to meet the attack.

"Boom!"

The bat, wreathed in electricity, slammed hard into the mechanical zombie. The current surged across its body, but its mechanical parts managed to withstand most of the impact.

"Incredible defense, as I thought!" Gao Yang cursed, quickly retreating to avoid the creature's counterattack.

The mechanical zombie was incredibly fast. Its hands transformed into two sharp blades, slashing toward him.

Gao Yang kept backing away, gathering lightning in his hands, waiting for an opening.