I Attacked Because I was Afraid of Death

IABIWAOD-CHAPTER 18.1

Arc I: Novice village

Chapter 18.1: A mutant emerges (1)

Nights at the end of the world were not as bright as seen in the movie. After the loss of lightning engineers, in order to save electricity, the lights were all turned off at night and the entire base looked like a deserted and dead city.
Chi Xin checked her gun inventory in the space and after feeling it was more than enough, she walked to the entrance in the dark.
"Who's there?"
A few flashlights shone in her face and Chi Xin squinted her eyes.
"Lower your hands!"
"It's the Goddess!"
And the lights soon disappeared.
Someone came to her quickly and asked in a very flattering voice: "Why is Sister Chi coming out in the dark? Are you leaving the base?"
Chi Xin was startled by his attentive attitude and only had time to hum softly.

When the base had first been established, in order to protect the few surviving humans, it had been surrounded by giant walls that were constantly being monitored. Because Yu Xiang and the soldiers were not really considered people of the base, even if they had gone out, no one would have cared.
Chi Xin was ready to fight the gatekeeper but realized he was not planning on stopping her at all. He even turned around and beckoned: "Open the door! Sister Chi is going out!"
Chi Xin asked: "Shouldn't I register or something?"
"No need." The man kept his polite attitude, "Does Sister Chi want to investigate that legendary powerful thing again?"
"Yeah."
She had already forgotten about the "powerful being" she had first used as an excuse but since she was able to go out because of it, they could think whatever they wanted.
The man smiled even more and personally led her to the door. He watched her leave and admonished in a tone full of affection: "Sister Chi, be careful! Of course, with Sister Chi's skills, there is nothing to worry about but be careful anyway!"
Goosebumps broke all over her body and she left the base without looking back.

She thought of Xiao Li and Jing Xiubai she had left behind and clapped her hand before silently apologizing. She had missed their appointment.
During the day, the three of them had realized Yu Xiang and the five soldiers had disappeared at the same time and had not returned for a day and a night. The three of them were certain something serious had happened.
"Although Yu Xiang is somewhat carefree, he is not reckless." Jing Xiubai had said hesitantly at the time, "If he didn't tell anyone where he was going, it is possible he felt too embarrassed to talk about it."
"My comrades are rather serious and disciplined." Xiao Li had shown confusion, "Is it really possible for them to act together?"
Jing Xiubai: "Let's not rule out this possibility. If they're still in the base, then nevermind but if they went out..."
Chi Xin, who had been silent all along, had said: "Then let's go find them."
They had looked through every corner of the base until it had been about to get dark. It had been unlikely they had still been there and Jin Xiubai had proposed to borrow a car the next day to look for them outside.

But for the sake of the mission, Chi Xin couldn't follow them honestly and chose to slip out at night.
Her thoughts were very simple; she wasn't sure how Yu Xiang would have been able to learn of her absence if he had been staying in the base. But now that he was outside, he would definitely be able to see the distress signal. Chi Xin, who believed she had figured out the plot's routine, felt rather good about herself.

In the movie, Chi Xin had gone to a department store in the center of the original L city to... get cosmetics and beautiful clothes.
That was hitting her limit. Forget it, it was also good to get more supplies.
But after a few steps, Chi Xin stopped. When the base had been built, in order to avoid being besieged by zombies, it had been built on the outskirts of the city. How would she get to that mall now?
She raised her head and looked at the few abandoned vehicles all over the dilapidated street. The howling of zombies was faintly heard from afar and when a Land Rover appeared in her line of sight, the smooth body of the car made her eyes shine and she rushed forward... only to bypass the Land Rover and pull out a dirty shared scooter from the grass behind it.
The little bike was still full of gas. Chi Xin tested it and, satisfied, she took out a gun and fired at the lock. At once, she accelerated and left her spot, where a few zombies attracted by the gunshot spun around in confusion.

Although Chi Xin couldn't drive, she had good cycling skills. She controlled the handlebar with one hand and held a gun in the other, always watching out for the zombies on the side of the road. When one would appear, she would try to not rely on her instinctive reaction but to aim and shoot on her own and the scattered zombies on the way became her perfect practice targets.

Chi Xin found everything very easy in the early stage. But as the road gradually narrowed and she began to enter the city, she realized things were unusual.
Before the outbreak, L City had been a third-tier city. It had not been particularly prosperous but its population had not been low. Yet as she made her way to her destination, she encountered very few zombies, which had been the reason the system had not bothered to show and she had been able to practice her skills.
Where were the zombies? Were they waiting for her near the mall for the plot, eager to get provoked?
The closer she got to the store, the more Chi Xin felt that this ridiculous guess was the most probable.

The roof of the mall vaguely appeared from the building complex, seemingly only a couple of blocks away. Her surroundings were no longer dead silent and she could hear the roar of zombies and the crackling sound of bloody flesh and bones, which grew louder as she kept approaching. Chi Xin pulled on the brake and some apprehension flashed in her eyes.
Were these zombies so dedicated they really were waiting for her impatiently in the mall?
Then, should she send the distress signal now and summon Yu Xiang?
[With so many zombies there, does the host really want to retreat?] The system's gloomy voice sounded, [Host, think clearly, that's all points!]
Chi Xin hesitated for a second before rushing to the door of the mall.

The howling became even louder and Chi Xin suppressed her wild heartbeat that was almost as fast as the roars. She drove around the corner and held her breath as she saw the scene in front of her.
Layers upon layers of zombies surrounded the door of the mall. They roared, rushed, and lunged themselves on the roll-up door, which was already falling down and was about to be breached.
What was going on?

Chi Xin was about to turn her scooter around and leave when she heard faint human sounds coming from the building. She suddenly stopped and looked up.
In the darkness, around the fifth floor, sparks of gunfire were slightly visible and male voices were mixed with the howling of zombies. And now that she had heard them, she could no longer ignore the situation.
But was it...? Thinking of Yu Xiang and the soldiers' disappearance, Chi Xin sighed and almost cursed, before controlling herself. At such a distance from a crowd of monsters, she shouldn't attract their attention.

She got off the scooter cautiously and as she tried to find a way to enter the man, she heard a loud noise and she saw the group of zombies break through the roll-up door and rush in like a Black Friday crowd.
The system screamed: [Your points! Your points!]
My points! My... what points! The second male lead's life is in danger!
Chi Xin's heart was almost in her throat. She did not care about being discreet anymore, she ignored the main entrance and rushed straight to the fire escape. The zombies were everywhere and they already occupied the narrow space. They turned their heads as soon as they heard her come. Their festered face and missing fleshes almost made her puke.
"Get out! Get lost!"
Chi Xin didn't care about practicing her marksmanship anymore and she frantically shot at all the zombies. Like before, as long as the bullet was fired, it would definitely aim true, right in the head of a zombie.

After clearing the intersection, Chi Xin fought her nausea and took a deep breath before rushing up the stairs.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, I'm going to die!
Chi Xin almost didn't dare to open her eyes, running all the way up, pressing the trigger, or pushing zombies down the stairs instinctively, and she soon reached the third floor.
Click.
Not again.
Chi Xin couldn't even give a bitter smile, she felt dead inside. Her Desert Eagle was powerful and had a flexible range but its fatal weakness was the small magazine.
She didn't have time to replace it and Chi Xin threw it into the space. She pulled out the army knife at her waist and backhanded the nearest zombie in its eye socket in a flash.

By the time she made it to the fifth floor, her whole body was covered in blood and the fear in her heart was numb. After cleaning the last zombie beside her, she looked at the closed fire escape and aimed the knife at the lock.
This kind of lock was naturally not comparable to the armory's and Chi Xin lifted her foot and kicked the door open in a huge noise. She quickly took a look at the situation inside and when she saw the dazzling array of makeup counters and various pre-apocalyptic big brands, she was stunned.
This... could not be a coincidence.