The two men cautiously ascended the concrete staircase leading to the first floor. Michael, taking up the rear, gnced back every few steps. A tightly shut iron door blocked their way. They both knew that if this pce was structured like the other side, opening the door should lead them to the backyard of the first floor. However, Lin Tao harbored no illusions—this backyard was different from the one they had just escaped. If thousands of zombies had gathered at the front, the rear courtyard, even if less crowded, wouldn’t be much better.

  "Brother Lin, do you think that big guy is waiting for us right outside? The moment we step out, won’t we just walk straight into its arms?" Zhang Xu, standing tensely behind Lin Tao, kept shining his fshlight backward, his hairs standing on end. He stammered, "Brother Lin, something’s not right. I... I keep feeling like something is watching me from behind."

  "Hey, listen! My master is leading the way, and I’m covering the rear. You’re in the middle, so what the hell are you scared of? If someone has to die, it sure as hell won’t be you!" Michael stood at the bottom of the stairs, occasionally scraping his front paw against the ground in agitation. His expression showed clear impatience toward Zhang Xu’s nervousness.

  "You guys are all badass fighters—I’m the one most likely to die here!" Zhang Xu pulled a long face, realizing his machete didn’t feel reassuring enough. He swiftly slung his rifle from his back and clutched it tightly to his chest.

  "There’s no turning back now. We’ve come this far—do you really want to retreat?" Lin Tao gnced back at Zhang Xu, then narrowed his eyes, scanning the darkness around them. That eerie feeling of being watched—it wasn’t just Zhang Xu. He felt it too. But it wasn’t entirely hostile, more like the gaze of an indifferent observer watching them from afar.

  "Alright, I’m opening the door now. Once it’s open, I’ll draw their attention. You immediately find a way to climb up to the second-floor ptform and cover us from above. Understood?" Lin Tao raised his M1911A1 pistol, gripping it firmly in both hands. Zhang Xu hastily checked his own weapon and nodded. Without another word, Lin Tao reached out and carefully twisted the handle of the iron door.

  Unfortunately for them, the stealthy approach they had hoped for went out the window the moment they opened the door. Two sck-jawed zombies were standing just outside, nearly bumping straight into them. The undead paused, tilting their heads under the moonlight as if trying to determine just how much of a meal these newcomers could provide. But Lin Tao and Zhang Xu didn’t give them a chance—each man delivered a brutal kick, sending the zombies sprawling. With Lin Tao covering Zhang Xu, the two of them sprinted toward an extended ptform on the second floor.

  Tat-tat-tat!

  Both Lin Tao’s pistol and Zhang Xu’s automatic rifle roared to life, unloading rounds without hesitation. But the moment those first two zombies let out their wretched howls, it was as if a stone had been thrown into a still pond—the entire courtyard erupted.

  The undead came flooding in from all directions, their collective screams forming a monstrous chorus. Even as bullets poured out at maximum rate, it was a losing battle. For every zombie that fell, ten more surged forward. The relentless gunfire barely made a dent in their advancing ranks. The circle around them tightened rapidly. Some zombies, already fallen at their feet, reached out desperately, their rotting fingers inches away from grasping them. Blood and viscera spttered in all directions—the situation was spiraling into chaos.

  "Go! Get up there, now!"

  Lin Tao bsted the skull off a lunging zombie, bits of red and white spttering everywhere. He and Zhang Xu had their backs against a white iron pilr, barely as thick as a grown man’s calf, but it was the only thing supporting the gss terrace on the second floor.

  Zhang Xu didn’t waste a second. He fired off two more shots without even aiming, not caring whether he hit anything. Slinging his rifle onto his back, he ignored the writhing horde below and, moving like an agile monkey, scrambled up the pilr in mere moments.

  "Hurry up!"

  From above, Zhang Xu quickly unslung his rifle and began firing down at the zombies. The recent downpour had left the gss terrace dangerously slick, forcing him to kneel to keep steady. Even so, he managed to pick off several zombies lunging toward Lin Tao. But against this overwhelming tide of undead, even two fully loaded assault rifles would have been nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

  Sssst—

  A single raindrop dripped from the terrace, nding on the scorching barrel of Lin Tao’s pistol. The intense heat evaporated it instantly, sending up a faint wisp of steam. He heard Zhang Xu shouting again, but there was no time to respond. The horde was even denser than he’d feared—an ocean of rotting bodies stretching into the darkness. His st bullet had already left the chamber, and reloading now was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

  Whipping his pistol around, he smashed the butt of the gun into a zombie’s skull, shattering it in a spray of gore. He swiftly holstered the weapon, realizing that following Zhang Xu’s route up the pilr was a death sentence. Even with cover fire, the sheer number of zombies ensured they would yank him down before he got halfway up.

  The undead had now completely surrounded the base of the pilr. Zhang Xu’s rifle clicked empty, and he swore under his breath as he scrambled to reload. Just as his forehead glistened with sweat, he saw Lin Tao make his move—a sudden burst of speed, a foot pnting against the windowsill, and then a powerful leap. His hands caught the edge of the terrace. With a quick pull, he swung himself up with practiced ease.

  Meanwhile, Michael, who had been snarling and snapping at the zombies below, had a much simpler approach. After tearing apart a few zombies who dared grab at his hindquarters, he coiled his muscur frame and unched himself straight up. In a single bound, he nded effortlessly on the terrace. Zhang Xu gawked for a moment, then shook his head, wiping the sweat from his brow.

  "Help! Please, help us!"

  The second-floor terrace was connected to a gss-walled dining area. The entire building mirrored the one across the street—it looked almost like an airport terminal. Inside, a group of survivors pressed against the gss, watching Lin Tao’s team fight their way up. The moment they saw them reach safety, they erupted into frantic banging against the windows, shouting for help.

  "Step back!"

  Zhang Xu raised his rifle and gestured for the people inside to move. They quickly understood and shuffled away from the window. The next moment, Zhang Xu fired a round into the tempered gss. The massive pane, nearly two meters tall, shattered into a shower of jagged shards, raining down like a deadly cascade.

  As Zhang Xu slung his rifle back over his shoulder, preparing to step inside, the floor beneath him trembled violently. He stumbled, barely catching himself before toppling over the edge. Looking down, his eyes widened in horror.

  The zombies below, numbering in the hundreds—if not thousands—had begun rocking the iron support pilrs of the terrace. Pressed together, their combined strength sent the entire structure shuddering ominously.

  A long, piercing creak rang out.

  "Shit—"

  With a deafening snap, the iron pilr gave way.

  And in the next instant, the entire terrace colpsed.