Chapter Forty-Five: Burning Bridges, The Skill of Corpse Transformation!

"Roar!"

It was a zombie, its body coursing with crimson liquid, of Silver rank. The moment it appeared, its gaze fixed intently on Gu Lang.

"Hurry! Stop it!"

Li Qingfeng stepped in front of Gu Lang, unleashing a dozen blades of wind with a piercing howl. The wind blades, swift and sharp as knives, slashed directly into the zombie's body. Gashes opened up, blood spraying, and the creature's speed slowed.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Lang sent an ice spike flying, piercing straight through the zombie’s skull. The zombie’s head exploded, and it collapsed, lifeless, on the spot.

"This time, I killed it. The reward is mine!"

Gu Lang, being the closest, unhesitatingly snatched the green light into his hand. Li and Ma exchanged glances, cold smirks flickering across their faces.

"Alright, let's move on. We've wasted enough time," the dwarf suggested.

The group climbed the stairs. On the third floor, zombies were even more numerous, but none of Silver rank appeared. Gu Lang kept conjuring ice spikes, working in tandem with Li Muwan to mow down the horde.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Zombies fell like blades of grass, harvested in droves. Soon, they reached the next stairwell.

The same method carried them through the fifth and sixth floors, where, again, no Silver zombies blocked their way. Throughout, Gu Lang focused only on the slaughter, and his attribute points soared to 150.

Reluctant as he was to move on, the group finally glimpsed a celestial stairway ahead. At the top lay the supermarket roof.

"Brother Gu Lang, after you," Old Ma said, stepping aside to let Gu Lang test the danger first. Li Qingfeng and Li Xiaoyun flanked him, their posture unmistakably threatening. Gu Lang had outlived his usefulness; any resistance would mean instant death at the hands of the group.

"Relax, relax! I'll lead the way!" Gu Lang called out with feigned nonchalance, climbing the ladder to the rooftop.

"It's safe. Come on up," he beckoned.

Li and Ma exchanged another look, hesitating. Not until two more minutes had passed—and safety seemed certain—did they follow.

Once everyone stood assembled, their faces changed at once.

There, on the open-air platform, some thirty meters away, a colossal zombie lay slumbering. Over twenty meters long, its skin was black-blue and steel-like, claws extended like scimitars. Such a creature was beyond anything they had ever known—a true monster.

"Is that… really just Silver rank?" Li Xiaoyun shivered involuntarily.

Li Qingfeng turned to Gu Lang. "Gu Lang! I may be the main force, but we need someone to distract it. Why don't you two go? Just two seconds of distraction is all I need to kill the zombie!"

Old Ma joined Gu Lang, his eyes cold. "That's right! Go on, Gu Lang. It's what you should do."

Li Xiaoyun flashed a bewitching smile. "Brother Gu Lang, you should go!"

Gu Lang smiled, realizing they were about to slaughter the donkey after it had finished grinding. Yet, who was the true donkey here?

"Alright. It seems I am no longer of use," he said calmly, raising his hand and conjuring an ice spike.

Old Ma hesitated, not understanding his words. The next instant, the ice spike pierced straight through Old Ma’s chest.

"Swish!"

Again—ice spikes, two more, this time aimed at the dwarf and Li Xiaoyun. Blood gushed from holes bored through their stomachs and necks, staining the ground red.

"You!" Old Ma clutched his neck, eyes wide in disbelief. How had Gu Lang become so fast?

The dwarf howled, hands clutching his belly, equally incredulous. They had been watching Gu Lang’s ice spikes all along—never had they moved so quickly.

The only survivor, Li Qingfeng, stared in anguish at the blood gushing from his sister’s neck.

"Gu Lang! You’ve been hiding your strength all along!"

Without another word, he unleashed over a dozen wind blades, aiming straight at Gu Lang’s head.

But the blades stopped midair, intercepted by a slender figure.

Clang!

The blades dissolved. Before Gu Lang stood a girl in white, her fingernails extended—none other than the Zombie Queen.

A zombie! And with such speed… could she be Gold rank?

Recognizing her kind, Li Qingfeng drew a cold, shuddering breath. But how could a Gold zombie appear here? And seemingly protecting Gu Lang!

Old Ma, in his final moments, saw this as well, his already small eyes popping wide with shock. Impossible!

The dwarf’s mouth opened for a scream, but he bled out before a sound escaped.

And it was not over.

Another girl arrived—Wenwen.

"Brother Gu Lang, aren’t these people still useful? Why kill them now?"

Gu Lang sneered. "Look at them. They can’t wait to send me to the front. There’s no use keeping them around—they’d only hold us back later."

Li Qingfeng collapsed, sitting heavily on the ground, staring at Gu Lang in a daze.

"Another zombie… Gu Lang, are you even human?"

"Bah! You’re the one who’s not human! Don’t you dare talk about my Brother Gu Lang!"

A little girl jumped down from a zombie, cheeks puffed in indignation, glaring at Li Qingfeng.

One after another, Yu Qiuchi, Li Xiaoxiao, and Julie appeared. Gu Lang was suddenly surrounded by beautiful girls.

Another one! And another! How many zombies are there?

Li Qingfeng was dumbstruck. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Yu Qiuchi knocked him out with a single punch.

Gu Lang’s face remained calm throughout.

"Enough. Time to deal with the big guy behind us."

He turned. Behind him, the massive zombie was waking, its lantern-like eyes fixed on Gu Lang. Without a word, it swung a colossal paw down at him.

Gu Lang activated his skill—Blade Storm!

With a swish, only his shadow remained where he’d just stood. He was already at the edge of the building.

Firearms Mastery!

A high-caliber sniper rifle appeared in his hands, aimed straight at the zombie’s head.

"You all—together, now!" At his shout, he pulled the trigger.

The bullet tore through the air, blasting a hole in the zombie’s skull. Then came a barrage of ice spikes, a storm of blades, a deluge of golden light.

Every one of his women joined the fray.

Especially Wenwen and the Zombie Queen—each moved like a war goddess, darting around the giant zombie, leaving wounds with every strike, their stats nearly Gold rank.

The giant zombie could never have imagined it would be set upon by its own kind.

Its life drained rapidly. Less than half a minute later, it collapsed with a thud, dead.

Gu Lang was momentarily stunned.

Was it really that easy?

He understood quickly enough. This was no ultimate dungeon. It was merely the Golden Treasure Chest of Dawn City—the equivalent of a starter village chest in a game.

How strong could a starter boss really be?

And with Gu Lang’s women, all powerful—several Silver, two nearly Gold—the giant zombie, though Silver rank with high stats and terrifying appearance, was still outmatched.

This was only natural.

Gu Lang stepped forward, finding a golden chest beneath the zombie’s corpse. He opened it with one motion.

[Ding! Congratulations, you’ve received: Skill—Corpse Transformation; 50 attribute points; Equipment—Infinite Rocket Launcher!]