Chapter 15: The Crossbow

To facilitate movement, the three women once again donned their black, form-fitting leather suits. Their devilish figures, tightly hugged by the suits, appeared even more exaggerated, as if about to burst forth, much to Ye Nan’s delight.

“Let’s go. Move out.” Ye Nan gestured broadly and led the way.

When encountering zombies, Ye Nan instructed the three women to slash wildly with their special alloy knives.

The alloy knives were made of excellent material, with devastating lethality—one strike was enough to kill a level-one zombie. Most importantly, unlike guns, they did not produce loud noises that would attract more zombies.

In short, these long knives forged from alloy were perfectly suited for the three women.

The neighborhood was divided into a villa area and a high-rise section. Yesterday, Ye Nan had roughly scouted the villa district, killing every level-one zombie he encountered, though some had slipped through. Today, they planned to finish off those remaining.

With a swift movement, Ye Nan dispatched a level-one zombie and retrieved its crystal core.

Having advanced to level two, dealing with level-one zombies was as effortless as slicing vegetables.

Standing outside a villa, Ye Nan called out loudly, “Anyone inside? If no one answers, I’m coming in.”

No response followed.

“Let’s go—climb over the wall,” Ye Nan said.

The four had just scaled the wall when two zombies approached, a man and a woman, seemingly a married couple and the villa’s owners.

Gong Wanru reacted swiftly, her long knife flashing brilliantly as it struck the male zombie’s head, killing him in one blow.

Meanwhile, Yan Ruoliu and Li Siqi were equally active, each wielding a knife to quickly dispatch the female zombie.

Ye Nan gave a thumbs-up. “Well done, but stay alert. There might be more zombies inside; don’t let us get caught off guard.”

They began searching the villa thoroughly and soon encountered another zombie. With a single sword strike, Ye Nan ended its existence.

Opening the fridge revealed plenty of frozen meat and vegetables, still edible. Ye Nan opened the door of his tower, absorbing the food into the Reita linked to his mind.

Recalling the bespectacled man who had used a drone paired with a phone to lure zombies, Ye Nan said, “If you find drones, phones, or tape recorders, remember to take them. These can be used to divert zombies and ensure our safety.”

Gong Wanru replied, “Got it. We’ll follow your lead.”

After collecting all useful items, Ye Nan and the three women moved on to another villa.

The owner of this villa was a bald man with a fierce expression, a face full of scars. A blue dragon tattoo adorned his left chest, and a white tiger the right—clear signs of a thug from the underworld.

Ye Nan’s spirits lifted. He wondered if this man, like the scar-faced Zhang Dahu, might have hidden guns at home. If so, it would be a great find.

With a swift “crack,” Ye Nan beheaded the tattooed man with a single sword strike.

“This villa needs a thorough search, especially for basements, secret rooms, or hidden compartments. The chances of finding weapons are high,” Ye Nan warned.

The three women perked up immediately, armed with guns and long knives, and began carefully searching the villa.

Hours passed, but aside from some food and a few walkie-talkies, they found nothing remarkable.

Ye Nan frowned inwardly. “This can’t be right.”

Gong Wanru said, “Not even a single knife? That’s just not possible.”

Yan Ruoliu said, “I know the owner—he’s a friend of Zhang Dahu and also from the underworld. Since Zhang Dahu had guns, I’m sure this place must have some weapons too; we just haven’t found them yet.”

“No worries. Let’s rest for a bit and search slowly. We’ll find them eventually,” Li Siqi said. She reached for a chair but accidentally brushed a nearby vase, causing a loud crash. A painting on the wall partially fell, revealing a hidden compartment.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Ye Nan approached and pulled out three boxes from the compartment. When opened, all four stared in astonishment, eyes shining with joy.

The first two boxes contained hand crossbows, uniquely designed with a high-tech feel. The third was filled with crossbow bolts tipped with steel, deadly in damage.

Ye Nan examined one and realized the design maximized the hand crossbow’s power and allowed for rapid fire. From a certain perspective, these hand crossbows were as valuable as guns. After all, guns fired with loud noise, attracting hordes of zombies, whereas hand crossbows were silent.

More importantly, guns required bullets, and Ye Nan’s ammo was limited. Once depleted, guns would be useless—mere toys. But crossbow bolts could be retrieved and reused; even in desperate situations, they could fashion more themselves. Much more convenient.

The four wore expressions of pure delight. This find was indeed a major gain.

Ye Nan twirled a hand crossbow with a broad laugh. “Didn’t expect the villa’s owner to surprise me like this. Big score, big score.”

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Li Siqi was thrilled. “These hand crossbows are compact, easy to carry, and simple to operate. They’re the weapons I’ve always dreamed of.”

“I’ll test the power first.” Gong Wanru loaded several bolts and pulled the trigger repeatedly.

The bolts shot out in rapid succession, piercing a distant pane of glass.

“Not bad at all! Killing zombies will be so much easier now.”

“Let’s go,” Yan Ruoliu said. “We should try them out.”

“Better check for more weapons first. If we miss anything, it’d be a big loss,” Ye Nan said.

Yan Ruoliu nodded in agreement.

With experience now, they carefully tested vases and paintings. Eventually, in another hidden compartment, they found several machetes.

Ye Nan distributed hand crossbows and bolts to each, storing the rest in the Reita.

Outside, a zombie lunged at them. Ye Nan raised his crossbow and fired.

Whish!

The bolt flew like lightning, striking the zombie’s forehead and embedding itself. The zombie dropped instantly.

The three women also tried shooting bolts, dispatching zombies efficiently. Soon, more than a dozen zombie corpses lay scattered.

Suddenly, a towering two-meter-tall mutant zombie charged, muscles bulging, face grotesque—a level-one mutant.

Li Siqi asked curiously, “Do you think these bolts can kill a mutant zombie?”

Yan Ruoliu replied, “Only one way to find out.”

Li Siqi, having practiced, had improved her accuracy. She fired a bolt straight into the mutant’s head.

To her surprise, the mutant didn’t fall, only hesitated briefly before attacking again.

The four retreated a few steps to keep distance.

“This guy’s defense is crazy strong—way tougher than normal zombies. We’ll need to shoot multiple bolts,” Li Siqi said, slightly frustrated but rapidly firing.

Gong Wanru and Yan Ruoliu joined in, shooting together to bring down the mutant.

Ye Nan observed quietly, letting the women practice. After all, when he was out, who else would protect them?

People had to rely on themselves.

Thanks to their efforts, the mutant finally fell after 29 shots, 18 hits.

It was clear the difference between level-one and ordinary zombies was huge. Normal zombies fell to one bolt; mutants took eighteen. Their thick skin made them tough foes.

The women were thrilled; defeating a level-one zombie for the first time meant they could protect themselves even if Ye Nan wasn’t around.

Collecting their bolts, the group headed to yet another villa.

Outside, Ye Nan called, “Anyone there? If no answer, I’m coming in.”

Inside the second floor stood five survivors—security guards of the community.

When the apocalypse erupted, they hid in this villa. Seeing the male owner turned zombie and attacking the female owner, they killed him without hesitation. The grateful woman treated them to a meal.

But they forcibly stayed, citing the zombie threat outside; the woman reluctantly agreed.

As time passed and food dwindled, the woman’s beauty stirred the men’s dark desires.

Eventually, they seized her, subjecting her to unspeakable acts.

Frankly, these guards were society’s lowest rung, usually respectful to the high-class owners. Now, in the apocalypse, they reveled in their newfound power.

Outside, the guards saw Gong Wanru, Yan Ruoliu, and Li Siqi through the window, eyes wide at their flawless figures and stunning looks. It was impossible they felt nothing.

“The boss, these three women are top-tier beauties. Every time they pass by the guard room, I want to rush out and deal with them on the spot.”

“Same here, especially that Gong Wanru. I heard she’s the CEO of a big company. If I could have a woman like that under me, living ten years less would be worth it.”

“Anyway, it’s the apocalypse—no rules. Let’s get ruthless. Heh heh heh.”

“Women like that are rare; missing this chance would be a curse.”

Their so-called “boss” was a dark-faced man, the security captain, about forty, muscular and strong. After thinking, he waved his hand fiercely and ordered, “Do it!”

“Got it, boss!”

“But boss, they have hand crossbows, and we only have steel pipes. If we get hit, with current medical conditions, it’s death.”

“Don’t worry. The three women are easy. The main concern is that skinny guy. Once they’re inside, take him down first. The rest will be easy.”

The dark-faced man scolded, “Use your brains, not just brute force. Otherwise, what’s the difference between us and animals?”

One guard asked, “Boss, any clever plan?”

The captain said, “They look like they’re here for food. Let’s tell them there’s extra food inside and offer to share. When they come in to get it, we’ll follow behind and attack from the rear simultaneously. That way, their hand crossbows won’t be effective, and the rest will be easy.”

The other four guards grew excited.

“Boss is smart—real brain!”

“I’m the strongest; I’ll take the skinny guy. You each handle a woman. Anyone can’t handle a woman, don’t blame me for losing patience.”

“Relax, it’ll be simple.”

“I’m going after the tall beauty. Damn, she’s at least 175 cm. With heels, she’s over 180 cm—a total conqueror vibe.”

“That beauty’s a flight attendant. If I get her, even dying would be worth it.”

“She’s wearing heels, standing there—think you can handle that?”

“Screw you!”

“Seriously, those legs are insanely long. Carrying her on my shoulders—hehe, that’d be thrilling.”

The five guards chuckled lewdly, their minds painting inappropriate scenes of dominating the three women.

Outside, Ye Nan called out several times. When no reply came, he was about to climb the wall when the door opened.

Seeing the man in a security uniform, Ye Nan was wary. “Who are you?”

“Don’t worry, I’m a community security guard, not a bad guy,” the guard smiled.

“Oh, I see,” Ye Nan said.

The guard appeared earnest. “The villa’s owner was killed by zombies. My brothers and I hid here. You’re here for food, right? There’s some inside. Follow me.”

Ye Nan inwardly sneered. In the apocalypse, food was the most precious resource. You’d never share with strangers unless you had ulterior motives.

Besides, the guard kept glancing at Li Siqi’s impossibly long legs, his intentions clear as day. If Ye Nan couldn’t sense that, he’d be a fool.

Still, Ye Nan masked his thoughts, replying happily, “Thanks, brother. Honestly, I haven’t eaten well since the apocalypse began.”

The guard said, “I’m lucky—the villa owner stocked a full fridge of food. It’s been a boon for me and my brothers.”

Ye Nan muttered, “Comparing yourself to others just makes you angry.”

The guard tried to console, “Don’t say that. You’ve got three beautiful women with you. That’s something I envy.”

Li Siqi tugged Ye Nan’s sleeve subtly and gave him a knowing look, warning him of the guard’s ill intent.

Ye Nan responded with a look that said he’d long known.

The four gripped their weapons tightly, aware it was a trap. But they weren’t overly worried. With guns, hand crossbows, and Ye Nan’s abilities, taking them down wouldn’t be easy.

The moment they entered, the four guards positioned themselves behind Ye Nan.

The dark-faced captain smiled. “Brothers, the food’s in that room. We’re all survivors, so we should help each other through this.”

Ye Nan turned. “You’re right, brother. We must help each other.”

The captain snapped at a thin guard in front, “Monkey, what are you dawdling for? Lead the way and hurry up. Don’t keep this brother waiting.”

“Alright, alright. Coming right up,” Monkey said, quickening his pace.