Chapter 051: Soloing the Tank Zombie

Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat.

Dense gunfire erupted as riot police, who had suddenly appeared in the streets of Tokyo, unleashed a fierce barrage upon the horde of zombies. Clearly, they had been prepared for this moment, their weapons trained on the infected.

Under the suppression of heavy firepower, the zombies infected by the bio-plague were shredded in seconds, the acrid scent of gunpowder filling the air. Even the level-two infected zombies, those with hardening abilities, proved defenseless against the assault of modern firearms.

Yet, to the riot police’s surprise, their guns seemed powerless against the massive mutated tank zombie. Bullets ricocheted off its hardened skin without leaving so much as a mark.

“The hardened skin of the original infected must be tougher than steel. Ordinary bullets can’t even scratch it,” Su Cheng noted from a vantage point, observing the tank zombie below.

Finding clues for the main quest amid the plague-ridden, zombie-infested Tokyo was no easy task. Rather than searching aimlessly like a headless fly, it was wiser to seek hints from these original infected.

But the original infected were formidable foes. Even these well-equipped riot police were at a loss.

“Sir, our weapons are useless against this monster.”

A young officer, face pale with terror, realized that this creature was far beyond what ordinary police could handle. Only the military might have a chance to destroy it.

“Deploy the snipers,” commanded the unit leader, evidently prepared for such an eventuality.

Snipers concealed in nearby buildings took aim at the tank zombie’s vital spots. With a sharp crack, a bullet pierced its tough skin, tearing open a bloody hole.

“It’s working!” The commander’s eyes lit up, but the sniper round lodged within the fortress-like flesh, unable to penetrate further. For a creature weighing several tons, such a wound was barely more than a mosquito bite—far from fatal.

“Aim for the monster’s eyes!”

Gunfire intensified, but bullets aimed at the tank zombie’s eyes were deflected.

Suddenly, the monstrous tank zombie leaped, crashing down among the riot police like a deadly projectile.

Many officers were unable to evade and were crushed beneath the creature’s bulk, reduced to mangled flesh.

“Run! The monster’s coming after us!”

Their riot shields were nothing more than paper before the tank zombie, shattered in a single blow. More horrifying still, many wounded officers were quickly infected by the bio-plague, transforming into mutated zombies.

These police-turned-zombies retained fragments of memory, including the ability to wield firearms.

Gunfire and blood splattered everywhere. The fully armed riot police unit was annihilated under the tank zombie’s relentless assault. The survivors were either devoured or infected.

The situation spiraled out of control.

Faced with an endless army of infected and elite zombies, ordinary players would have panicked and lost all composure.

But Su Cheng remained calm, even entertaining a bold thought.

The possibility of soloing the tank zombie.

Since the game offered a bounty for hunting original infected, it meant these terrifying creatures were not invincible. With the right method, they could be slain.

Su Cheng was a risk-taker. In a deadly, high-mortality dungeon like this, hiding and hoping to survive was folly. To clear the dungeon, one had to confront danger head-on.

With his plan set, Su Cheng stepped out of the building, found a conspicuous spot, and raised his sniper crossbow, aiming at the back of the tank zombie’s head.

Whoosh!

The arrow cut through the air with a mournful wail. Its tip struck the zombie’s hardened skin, unable to pierce it.

Even powerful sniper rifles could inflict only minor damage; at such a distance, the crossbow was naturally ineffective.

But Su Cheng’s intent was simply to attract the tank zombie’s attention for the next phase of his plan.

Sure enough, the tank zombie immediately spotted him, roaring as it charged in his direction.

Despite its massive, lumbering appearance, the tank zombie moved with astonishing speed, sprinting even faster than a truck.

Its intelligence was low—little more than a beast driven by instinct.

As it charged, Su Cheng calmly stowed his crossbow and slipped into the Mitsukoshi Department Store.

Inside, almost all humans had been infected and turned into zombies. Those who escaped were gone; the rest had become food for the undead. Blood and shattered remains littered the floors and walls.

As Su Cheng entered, dozens of bio-zombies in the cosmetics hall were feasting on the dead. Catching the scent of a living human, they immediately swarmed toward him.

“Get out of my way.”

Su Cheng did not waste time with the zombies lingering in the ground floor hall. With a single slash, he cleaved through the one blocking his path and pressed on to the top floor.

A monstrous roar like a bass cannon shook the department store from outside.

The shockwave shattered every glass door. The massive, terrifying infected burst in, crushing ordinary zombies beneath its feet.

Due to genetic mutations from the bio-plague, the tank zombie’s hair had fallen out, its skin blackened and hardened—impervious to most attacks. Its body was like cast iron, with grotesquely bulging muscles and a head swollen like a boulder, its face twisted and savage.

Following Su Cheng’s scent, the tank zombie reached the top floor. Each stomp cracked the concrete, as though a heavy truck had rolled through.

A terrifying tension filled the air. Su Cheng appeared on the rooftop terrace, seemingly waiting for the tank zombie.

“So you’ve chased me up here. Let’s begin, then.”

At that moment, the tank zombie, having tracked its prey, roared with excitement and leaped toward Su Cheng standing at the edge.

Death loomed.

Though Su Cheng had enhanced his physical abilities beyond those of ordinary humans, he remained flesh and blood, incapable of matching such a monstrous bio-weapon in direct combat.

If the tank zombie caught him, he would be crushed and devoured in an instant.

As the tank zombie lunged, Su Cheng silently counted in his mind.

Three... two... one!

At the count of one, Su Cheng leaped from the rooftop terrace.

Meanwhile, a silver metal sphere rolled beneath the tank zombie.

“Detonate!”

In an instant, the sphere emitted a dazzling silver light. A terrifying energy erupted, thunderous explosions rocking the department store.

The arcane bomb’s shockwave hurled Su Cheng through the air. Despite his preparation, the force left him severely injured; he forced down the blood rising in his throat.

The bomb’s power exceeded Su Cheng’s expectations. Flames consumed the Mitsukoshi Department Store, collapsing the entire building in a mighty crash. Debris flew like bullets, annihilating all infected within—leaving not even ashes behind.

Bang!

Su Cheng landed hard, bones shattered and organs damaged. Had his vitality not been extraordinary, he would have died on impact.

Even so, his injuries were grave. He quickly took a blue restorative potion from his pack and drank it.

Certified by the system, the potion delivered reliable effects. Soon, his wounds healed at an astonishing rate.

“Something’s wrong. The game didn’t confirm the kill. Is the monster still alive?”

Su Cheng was shocked. The arcane bomb had leveled a building, yet the tank zombie survived. Its vitality was truly monstrous.

As the smoke cleared over the ruins, Su Cheng spotted a charred, mangled lump of flesh.

The mingled stench of gunpowder and burnt meat was nauseating, making Su Cheng frown.

The tank zombie was reduced to a scorched pile of meat, unrecognizable even to its own mother—and yet it still clung to life.

Cautiously, Su Cheng approached, pondering how to finish it off.

As he neared, a fissure opened in the ruined flesh, revealing a black eyeball.

Within that eye swirled rage, hatred, and bloodlust—a gaze like the abyss, locking onto Su Cheng as if to drag him into hell.

Under its stare, Su Cheng felt a suffocating gloom settle over his heart.

Without a word, he strode forward and stabbed the black eyeball.

“You have slain the original infected. You gain 500 points.”

The game notification chimed. As Su Cheng withdrew his blade, a black crystal radiating ominous energy dropped out.

“Evil Crystal.”

Su Cheng’s heart stirred. He hadn’t expected to collect an Evil Crystal so soon.

As he killed the original infected, a sharp gaze from the ruined building locked onto him from behind.