僵尸觉醒：从行尸走肉到传奇

Chapter 3: Codename Python - Jessica!

Nathan Yang was filled with terror! What he saw was a mirror! That meant... the zombie was right behind him on his left!

With a swift bend of his body, Nathan felt a gust of wind pass over his upper body as the heavy weight of a zombie pressed down on him, but its arms missed their target!

With a firm stomp, Nathan hoisted the over-100-kilogram zombie, driving his shoulder into the creature, shoving it away. He didn't even have time to use the gun in his right hand. Instead, his left hand pulled out the dull fruit knife from his waist. In one fluid motion, he flipped it in his hand, holding it in reverse grip. Nathan closed the gap in an instant, slashing horizontally at the zombie's neck!

Ssssh...

Whether it was due to the angle or the force, the fruit knife, though not sharp, cut through most of the zombie's neck, leaving a small part of the skin and flesh stubbornly holding onto the large black head. When the wobbling zombie finally collapsed to the ground, its head separated from its body entirely, spilling streams of bright red blood.

"Huff... huff..." Nathan panted, holding the knife in his left hand and the Five-Seven pistol in his right. He muttered to himself, "Damn it, what just happened? Why didn't I use the gun? Why the hell did I go for the knife?"

"Rooooaaaarrrrr!" Suddenly, a distant, fierce cry echoed through the air... The raspy voice carried a terrifying power, wild and absolutely maddening. In an instant, the frenzied roar resounded throughout the quiet little town, making the eerie silence even more unsettling.

"Rooooaaaarrrrr!" As Nathan listened carefully, another round of fierce howling erupted, followed by another and another. Hoarse and crazed voices sprang up like mushrooms after the rain, filling the streets, alleyways, grocery stores, squares, amusement parks, and parks. The once calm city, now swept by a tidal wave of chaotic sounds, erupted in a chorus of terrifying roars and howls—a symphony of the apocalypse.

Nathan quickly stood up. He didn't know what the howls meant, but he knew he needed to ensure the safety of the small villa. He needed to lock and secure all the doors and windows. If he could find some food, great; if not, he'd go hungry for a night. Either way, Nathan planned to spend the night here. He needed to study the gun and knife techniques that the electronic interface had forcibly downloaded into his mind. He also needed to think carefully about what to do next, to form a rough plan for survival.

...

At the same time, in another district of Wildcat City...

In an old, dilapidated factory, a group of mercenaries was resting. Six men and one woman, all equipped with state-of-the-art gear, practically armed to the teeth.

"Boss, did you hear that?! The damn thing finally showed itself!" a loud, rugged voice said. The speaker was a tall, burly mercenary with a thick beard, equipped with top-tier gear, and wielding an M4A1 assault rifle—a weapon commonly used by special forces in M Nation.

"Tiger, that's exactly what I was worried about. It's no longer hiding, but rather provoking us. I think... we might be in trouble. The difficulty of this mission is about to go up," a steady voice replied. A large, calloused hand clapped the mercenary named Tiger on the shoulder. The speaker was another mercenary, codenamed Silver Fox.

"Screw the difficulty! I've had enough of this place, facing disgusting zombies every day. We should finish the job, take out that damn thing, and head back to report!" Tiger said angrily, clearly agitated.

Suddenly, another voice chimed in, "And then what? Get a new mission after reporting in? We'll just end up facing more of them. The suits in the company are all bloodsuckers. They won't stop until they've drained us dry! You're a bit too simple-minded."

The mocking voice belonged to a mercenary in his mid-twenties, a white man with sharp eyes, also holding a rifle.

"Pup! If I were you, I wouldn't use that tone! Maybe I should kick your ass right now!" Tiger roared as he stood up and marched toward the younger mercenary who had taunted him.

"Oh... I'm so scared..." the younger mercenary feigned fear, patting his chest in mock terror. Then he snapped, "I've told you a million times, stop calling me Pup! My codename is Hound!"

The tension in the room skyrocketed...

"Both of you, shut up!" The deep voice came from a large black man who had been silently smoking against the wall. He was the leader of the mercenary group, codenamed Lion.

The remaining two men and the lone woman in the group seemed unfazed by the bickering, going about their own tasks. It was clear this kind of argument had happened many times before.

"Hmph..." Hound snorted heavily, turning away from Tiger and walking toward the only woman in the mercenary group.

"Hey... You know, that simple-minded Tiger is always good for a laugh..." Hound sat down next to the female mercenary, trying to start a conversation.

The female mercenary didn't even lift her head, continuing to wipe down her massive sniper rifle. If Nathan had been there, his eyes would have lit up with excitement, because the weapon she held was none other than Nathan's favorite in the game—a Barrett M95!

"Come on, Jessica... don't be so cold. If that topic isn't good, we can talk about something else..." Hound persisted. It was obvious to anyone that his gaze held an unhidden desire when he looked at the female mercenary.

The blonde woman suddenly paused her movements, turning her head slightly. Her cold eyes narrowed as she glared at Hound, her voice icy, "It's Jessica. I didn't give you permission to call me Jess. And during missions, address me by my codename!"

Hound looked at her, shrugged helplessly, and said, "Alright, alright... Python. You don't have to be so frosty all the time. If you're bored, maybe I could entertain you..."

Jessica returned to wiping down her gleaming silver Barrett, completely ignoring Hound's words.

"Haha..."

"Serves you right..." The other mercenaries chuckled as they watched Hound get shut down once again.

Hound continued his one-sided chatter for several more minutes. Finally, Jessica paused her cleaning, her voice now carrying a cold detachment

"What did you say?" Hound asked, a hint of anger creeping into his tone.

"I said..." Jessica turned her head once more, her cold eyes narrowing, her voice cutting like ice, "Leave."

"You—!"

"Break time is over! Let's get moving, everyone!" Lion, the leader, threw away his cigarette, adjusting his gear and cutting off all further conversation.

Jessica snorted, picking up her sniper rifle and walking out.

"Damn b***h... One day, you'll be begging at my feet!" Hound muttered darkly, spitting on the ground.

Jessica, not far off, frowned slightly, a flicker of murderous intent flashing in her cold eyes...