Chapter Seventy: The Mutated Zhang Meng

"Zhang Meng?" Jiang Miaomiao's doubtful voice reached Zhao Tiantian and the others. Zhao Tiantian was visibly much more flustered, clutching Shen Mei's hand tightly. The commotion just now from Zhang Meng had filled her with a terrible foreboding.

Trying to calm herself, Zhao Tiantian patted her chest and forced herself not to overthink. Jiang Miaomiao was equally shocked. Seeing Zhang Meng kneeling with her head bowed, she called out again, more alert now, "Zhang Meng?"

Chu Xingyu, noticing Zhang Meng's odd behavior, stepped forward and pulled Jiang Miaomiao behind him.

Suddenly, Zhang Meng lifted her head. The once round, adorable face was now a mangled, bloody mess, as if a zombie had taken a bite out of her. Had Jiang Miaomiao not recognized Zhang Meng's figure and voice, she would never have guessed that this girl, missing half her face, was her former roommate.

"She's not right. We need to be careful," Chu Xingyu whispered into Jiang Miaomiao's ear.

Jiang Miaomiao nodded, instinctively reaching for her dagger. Chu Xingyu also tightened his grip on his own knife, cautiously probing toward Zhang Meng.

"Tiantian..." Zhang Meng called weakly in Zhao Tiantian's direction, her eyes brimming with tears.

At the sight of Zhang Meng's current state, Zhao Tiantian's tears fell uncontrollably, her heart twisting in agony.

"Tiantian, I finally found you. Come hug me..." Zhang Meng, seemingly oblivious to the pain on her face and the presence of the others, stretched her arms out toward Zhao Tiantian, awaiting her embrace.

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu kept their eyes glued to Zhang Meng, worried she might suddenly lash out. Yet, oddly enough, aside from her wounded face, Zhang Meng showed no signs of zombification or mutation.

Jiang Miaomiao looked at Chu Xingyu with evident hesitation.

Zhang Meng had not yet mutated, but they couldn't let their guard down. Yet, if she denied Zhang Meng’s request to hug Zhao Tiantian, it would certainly hurt both of them. But if she let them embrace, she might not be able to protect Zhao Tiantian in time. By then, it would already be too late.

Chu Xingyu noticed Jiang Miaomiao’s indecision and patted her hand reassuringly before turning to Zhao Tiantian. "We can’t be sure if she’s carrying the virus."

Zhao Tiantian, seeing their dilemma, hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching Zhang Meng, who was crouched on the ground.

Before anyone could react, Zhao Tiantian already had Zhang Meng tightly in her arms.

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu broke out in cold sweat, their daggers clenched, ready to act at the first sign of Zhang Meng mutating.

"Mengmeng, I failed to protect you..." Zhao Tiantian’s tears poured down, falling in heavy drops on Zhang Meng’s shoulder.

Seeing her old friend in such a state, how could Zhao Tiantian not be heartbroken? She had only wanted Zhang Meng to stay with Qin Mengchun and eat well. How had things ended up like this?

"Mengmeng, tell me, what happened to you?" Zhao Tiantian couldn't bear to look directly at Zhang Meng’s face. The more she looked, the more it felt like her heart was being torn from her chest. Zhang Meng had always been so good to her, in the apocalypse and before. Now, seeing her like this, Zhao Tiantian only felt more guilt and remorse.

Zhang Meng seemed slow to respond, as if her nerves were dulled. After a long time, she finally spoke, "When the zombies came... Qin... Qin Mengchun pushed me out..."

Suddenly, Zhang Meng gasped for breath, as if she were suffocating, and collapsed backward, startling Zhao Tiantian.

Jiang Miaomiao quickly pulled Zhao Tiantian behind her.

Her guess was right: Zhang Meng hadn’t mutated immediately, but now it seemed the virus had invaded her brain. Zhang Meng’s eyes had turned red—a stark contrast to the usual black, vacant eyes of ordinary zombies!

"What’s going on? Why are her eyes red?" Chu Xingyu was certain he hadn’t seen wrong. Every zombie he’d encountered had dark, lifeless eyes. He’d never seen red eyes before.

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu began to retreat cautiously. A Zhi and Shen Mei, noticing Zhang Meng’s unnatural state, gripped each other's hands tightly and slowly moved back as well.

"Don’t alarm her. Move back slowly," Jiang Miaomiao whispered, warning those behind her not to startle the newly mutated Zhang Meng.

She and Chu Xingyu both agreed not to act rashly for now. With such an unusual zombie, evasion was their best option; being reckless with an unknown threat could be fatal.

Just as they were about to exit the rooftop through the other door, Zhang Meng suddenly began to convulse, twisting violently and letting out a piercing scream that startled everyone.

"Run!" Jiang Miaomiao shouted, seeing the change in Zhang Meng, and urged the others to hurry.

"No one is leaving!" To their shock, even after mutating, Zhang Meng retained the ability to speak. As she shouted, the rooftop door slammed shut in an instant.

It was as if something glued the door shut—there was no way to open it.

A Zhi, trying to open the door, panicked and said, trembling, "The door won’t open..."

Jiang Miaomiao’s brows knitted tightly. What was happening? Could Zhang Meng control the door?

Was she even a zombie?

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu exchanged a wary glance and readied their daggers.

A Zhi and Shen Mei, seeing Zhao Tiantian frozen in terror, gripped her hands protectively.

Zhao Tiantian trembled all over. What was happening? How had Mengmeng become some kind of monster?

She stared in horror at Zhang Meng, who was now striding calmly toward them despite her grotesque appearance.

No, she was no longer Zhang Meng. She was a monster!

"Xingyu, be careful," Jiang Miaomiao whispered to Chu Xingyu, who stood fighting by her side. Together, they moved left and right, slowly closing in on Zhang Meng.

Chu Xingyu nodded, his grip on the dagger tightening.

"Now!" Jiang Miaomiao seized the moment—while Zhang Meng was looking away—and lunged, dagger in hand, at the unguarded monster.

Chu Xingyu followed close behind; they attacked simultaneously, and Zhang Meng roared as Jiang Miaomiao stabbed her.

Clearly, Zhang Meng—or rather, this creature—was now completely enraged.

Jiang Miaomiao hadn’t expected the stab to the heart to have no effect. Shocked and frightened, she doubted she could find the creature’s weakness again.

Indeed, Zhang Meng was no ordinary foe. With a roar, she charged at Jiang Miaomiao and rammed into her with tremendous force. Jiang Miaomiao had no time to react before she was sent flying, crashing hard to the ground. Bright blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

When Zhang Meng saw the blood at Jiang Miaomiao’s lips, her eyes grew even more crimson. She smiled blankly, taking slow steps toward her, as if she saw prey.

Jiang Miaomiao realized her blood had attracted the monster. She quickly wiped the blood from her mouth, gripped her dagger, and scrambled to her feet, ready to fight again.

Chu Xingyu watched as Jiang Miaomiao was thrown to the ground. His heart clenched, and seeing Zhang Meng approach her again, he rushed forward and stabbed fiercely at Zhang Meng’s back.

But it was useless—Zhang Meng seemed unfazed. Laughing loudly, she struck out again, this time flinging Chu Xingyu even harder to the ground. The impact was fierce; he was left barely able to move from the pain.

A Zhi, seeing both Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu repeatedly hurt, rushed over and helped the fallen Chu Xingyu to his feet.

"A Zhi!" Zhao Tiantian shouted, watching helplessly as Zhang Meng, moving with terrifying speed, charged toward the unprepared A Zhi.

Hearing her name, A Zhi reflexively turned around.

She saw that Zhao Tiantian had somehow placed herself in front of her, while Zhang Meng gripped Zhao Tiantian’s neck in a deadly hold. Zhao Tiantian felt as if her neck would be snapped, but her last instinct to resist kept her from passing out.

"Mengmeng..." Zhao Tiantian called out in anguish.

Zhang Meng, now utterly without consciousness, seemed to savor the feeling of her prey in hand. The more Zhao Tiantian struggled, the more excited and frenzied she became.

"Damn you!" At some point, A Zhi had found a broom and jabbed it at Zhang Meng’s eye.

Zhang Meng recoiled in pain, releasing Zhao Tiantian, who could finally gasp for breath.

A Zhi had no idea where her courage came from, but with so many injured already, if she did nothing now, they would all be doomed.

Shen Mei joined in, mustering all her strength to kick Zhang Meng in the head, sending her crashing hard to the ground.

The two quickly dragged the gasping Zhao Tiantian aside to recover.

Jiang Miaomiao seized the chance, grabbing her dagger and slashing it across Zhang Meng’s throat.

The instant the major artery was cut, a torrent of bright red blood spurted from Zhang Meng’s neck—strikingly vivid in color.

At last, Zhang Meng moved no more. The group finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. Jiang Miaomiao, spent, collapsed and gasped for air.

Thank goodness no one had been lost.

Before Jiang Miaomiao could recover, the furious roars of zombies echoed from the other rooftop door.

Disaster! That door had just been opened!

Jiang Miaomiao instantly tensed, scrambling up and rushing to the rooftop entrance to slam it shut and lock it tight.

She let out a relieved breath; they had made it in time, or else a single zombie could have brought disaster.

"How are you, Xingyu?" Jiang Miaomiao asked the battered Chu Xingyu.

Though she herself was far from unscathed.

Chu Xingyu shook his head, but the motion tugged at his injuries and his lips turned pale.