Chapter 112: One in Ten Thousand

"Tsk, missed... No matter. If the first shot doesn't land, there's always another. I'd like to see how long you can keep running; I doubt you're faster than me." Bai Ye raised the Wave God sniper cannon and fired again, aiming at the corner where Cao Fusheng was hiding.

"Bang!"

A chill ran down Cao Fusheng’s spine. Almost instinctively, he dodged, refusing to stay put any longer and instead darting deeper into the pipeline.

With the power of the Wave God sniper cannon, punching through these pipes was like tearing through paper; such ordinary walls stood no chance of stopping a single shot.

"Why are you running!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Cao Fusheng was in a wretched state. Bai Ye was in hot pursuit, and every shot it fired seemed to require no aim at all, yet each one nearly found its mark. Had Cao Fusheng’s reflexes not been sharp, he would have been reduced to mincemeat long ago—a direct hit from a sniper cannon did far more damage than just leaving a hole in one’s body.

"So this is what it means to be hunted! Shit! A zombie is a zombie—there’s no reasoning with them!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Damn it!

Cold sweat streamed down Cao Fusheng’s face. Today’s humiliation was truly stifling; being shot at with his own gun felt incredibly cheap. Yet, he couldn't turn back. The pipe was far too narrow; turning around would only offer a clear shot to end him.

"What kind of monsters have I run into? They’re completely out of my league! Ever since that giant ape, I haven't encountered a single thing I could take head-on. This isn't some cultivation novel—why are you throwing 'leap-frog' challenges at me!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier Cao Fusheng became. His luck had been abysmal; not a single good thing had happened since he left the chemical plant.

"If I’m truly going to die, if there's no way out today, do you have any other abilities to save me? Or will you just watch me suffer until I’m shot dead?" Cao Fusheng asked the Ecological Chain, his thoughts racing as he sprinted. Surely, this thing wasn't that cold-blooded? Would it really just watch him die?

Genetic Ecological Chain: "..."

"Damn you! If you stay silent now, don't blame me for smashing my head against the wall and killing myself! I don't believe you’re just staying in my body because you like me. If I die, let's see how you'll exist!" Cao Fusheng roared in his mind, pushed to the brink of rage.

He had no confidence in escaping Bai Ye in this environment; if he were on the surface, his chances would be much higher. At least on the surface, there were plenty of shelters and more space. He was confident he could shake off or even counter-kill Bai Ye!

But there were no "ifs" in this world.

Reality was cruel. The man and the zombie met in the underground pipes.

Genetic Ecological Chain: "Host, cheer up! I believe in you! You can do it!"

Cao Fusheng: "..."

Look at that. Is that something a human—or anything—would say?

Ten minutes passed.

Under such pressure, Cao Fusheng began to feel his limits. The first layer of the Genetic Ecological Chain only provided a preliminary development of his physical capabilities; it hadn't granted him superhuman transformations. Running at this extreme speed while constantly guarding against sneak attacks from behind and the sides was an astronomical drain on both his stamina and focus. Even Cao Fusheng was reaching his breaking point.

Finally, hearing the footsteps behind him fade, Cao Fusheng stopped. He looked up to see a massive, thick cover suspended above him. There was no ladder, likely removed by the people of the Heavenly Pillar.

"Am I... at the foot of the Heavenly Pillar? This must be the passage sixty meters away from it. If I can just get up there..."

Cao Fusheng gave a bitter laugh. "To think that being hunted would lead me straight to my destination. But where did Bai Ye go? Why is it so quiet? Did it give up? No, the mission hasn't notified me of success, and it didn't specify the conditions."

"ROAR!!!"

Cao Fusheng’s ears twitched. The sound came from above. There must be many predators on the surface; a million-strong zombie tide besieging the Heavenly Pillar was no joke.

"I can't just climb up there, or I'll be bitten into a sieve. The surface must be crawling with zombies, and who knows what kind of monsters are mixed in."

Just as Cao Fusheng frowned in thought, the footsteps returned.

*Pat.*

Suddenly, a palm landed on Cao Fusheng’s shoulder. His body went rigid. He glanced sideways at the pale hand resting on his left shoulder.

It was Bai Ye’s hand!

"Tell me, should I avenge the loss of my arm? To be honest, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it this far. But you're lucky, because right now, I really do want to kill you! Hehehe!" Bai Ye let out a terrifying, maniacal laugh. Due to the decay of its body, the sound was barely human.

Cao Fusheng grabbed the hand on his shoulder and attempted a shoulder throw to toss Bai Ye over his back.

But he grabbed nothing but air!

There was no sign of Bai Ye behind him!

As Cao Fusheng looked around in confusion, a corner of his mouth curled up. He spun around, both fists striking toward the belly of the now-visible Bai Ye.

"Baji Crushing Fist!"

The moment Bai Ye was sent flying, it spat out black blood. It stood up and looked at its stomach, where the already rotting skin had fallen away, leaving a ghastly, hollow cavity.

Its intestines were slowly sliding out. Bai Ye laughed indifferently, pulled the intestine from its stomach, and tied it around the wound to prevent more organs from falling out.

"Sigh, there are benefits to not being human. That is something you humans could never understand."

Cao Fusheng stepped back into a defensive stance—a posture designed for counter-attacks. If Bai Ye decided to engage in close-quarters combat, he would have room to retaliate regardless of how it attacked, ensuring he wouldn't be overwhelmed in an instant.

After a brief clash, Cao Fusheng dared not underestimate this bizarre zombie. Its abilities included tissue regeneration, invisibility, gas absorption, perfect aim without needing to look, and an incredibly keen sense of smell. It could identify him by scent alone—a feat even his own high-level enhanced senses couldn't match.

"You're something else. A zombie with abilities better than mine. If I hadn't spent years in a hail of bullets and developed a hypersensitivity to danger, you would have got me with that sneak attack." Cao Fusheng tried to appear as casual as possible.

He was panicking inside, but he couldn't show weakness on the surface. Otherwise, the enemy would use psychological pressure to crush him.

Recalling the information provided when the Ecological Chain issued the mission—that friends and foes, grudges and debts, and life and death all hang on a single thought—Cao Fusheng decided to trust it. Fighting to the death like this held no advantage for him.

If it could be avoided, why not try?

Cao Fusheng dropped his guard, pulled two cigarettes from his pocket, tossed one to Bai Ye, and lit his own. "I think we should talk."

"Oh? And what do we have to talk about?"

"Why not discuss life and ideals? Why must we fight to the death? I can tell that you are a zombie with great ambitions."