Chapter Sixty-Five: No Tyranny, Yet Far from Self-Sacrificing Compassion!

“Stop wasting time!”
Chen Yi surveyed his surroundings, noting the ever-shifting sky, and sensed that another wave of the undead was imminent.
“Retreat, now. After fighting those sharks and titans earlier, most of us are exhausted. We need to get back, eat something, and recover our strength!”
“Yes, sir!”
Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan immediately stood at attention and signaled to the combat squad to fall back.
As they moved away, the once-azure sea abruptly turned crimson, and the seafloor echoed with fierce roars.
Chen Yaxi suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest and halted.
Chen Yi quickly scooped her up, his worry written all over his face.
“What’s wrong? Were you injured in the fight just now?”
“It’s nothing, brother,”
She shook her head. “I’m just a bit tired, I think.”
“Lean on my shoulder and rest, then,”
He gently stroked her hair, his heart aching for her. “I’ll take you back to rest right away.”
A dozen minutes later, the group safely reached the base on Newborn Island.
Inside the house, Chu Yunxi’s legs nearly gave out at the sight of Chen Yi’s safe return, but she forced herself to the door.
Chen Yi carried Chen Yaxi inside and beckoned for the others to follow.
Once the door was shut, he set Chen Yaxi down, and, before he could speak to Chu Yunxi, the girl threw herself into his arms, clutching his neck tightly, sobbing softly.
Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan exchanged confused glances, scratching their heads.
“What’s going on? What’s with the sister-in-law?”
“After you left, that troublemaker Li Ming deliberately stirred up dissent, rallying the weaker ones to cause trouble. Sister-in-law struck first, killed Li Ming, and quelled the unrest!”
A squad member explained, adding that to prevent the scent of Li Ming’s blood from attracting mutated zombies, she had immediately frozen his body in the cold storage and maintained constant patrols.
In short, for as long as Chen Yi was gone, Chu Yunxi had not rested.
Chen Yi finally loosened his hold on her.

He felt sympathy for Chu Yunxi, but this was no time for sentiment.
He strode forward, sweeping his gaze over everyone.
“Everyone involved in that disturbance, step forward. Don’t cower. Otherwise, I’ll deal with each of you myself!”
Chu Yunxi started to speak, but fell silent under Chen Yi’s cold stare.
She retreated, realizing his mind was made up.
As Chen Yi paced before the remaining group, the oppressive atmosphere finally broke two men, who stepped forward.
“Will you stop already? We only opposed your dictatorship, is that so bad? Chen Yi, I know you’ve saved a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean you get to be so arrogant...”
In an instant, Chen Yi’s double-edged blade slashed the man’s throat, and blood sprayed forth.
The room erupted in cries and shouts.
Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan immediately raised their guns, faces furious.
“What are you screaming for? You brought this on yourselves! You had your chance and wasted it—now you get what you deserve!”
With that, they dragged the dying man away, and together with Li Ming’s corpse from the cold storage, threw them both into a pit ten miles outside the base.
Afterward, they dusted off their hands and returned, ready to speak, but Chen Yi darted forward, shoved them aside, and swiftly severed an enormous tentacle with his blade.
Slamming the door shut, Chen Yi shouted,
“Everyone, prepare for combat! If you can wield a weapon, pick one up now! The enemy is far more terrifying than we imagined!”
“Understood!”
Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan responded with fervor, but Chen Yi could see another group weakly raising their fists in half-hearted support.
He drove his blade into the wall by their ears, his gaze icy.
“Don’t think this place is a refuge for the useless. Anyone with a spine should know that in times like these, everyone must do their part. If you can’t, get out!”
At that moment, Chen Yaxi at his side let out a scream of agony. In a flash, she darted through the room, obliterating a swarm of slug-like monsters oozing in through the cracks!
A closer look revealed they weren’t slugs at all, but S-class blue mutant soft-bodied zombies!
Unlike traditional zombies, these creatures were flexible, resilient, and not easily killed with a single blow.

If not for Chen Yaxi’s quick reflexes, everyone would likely already be dead.
But after such intense fighting, her strength was spent; she collapsed.
Chen Yi sprang to catch her as she fainted, then handed her to Chu Yunxi.
“Now, everyone willing to follow my orders, prepare for first-level defense! Those without combat ability will be protected by the strong.”
He turned to Hu Sanhan and Lu Kai.
“You two are the fastest. As you saw when Xiaoxi fought just now, these zombies target any gap or crevice. The most dangerous places are the safest!”
“Boss, just tell us what to do!”
Lu Kai urged, eyes warily fixed on the wooden door, his gun already loaded.
Yet, after a long wait, the soft-bodied zombies didn’t appear.
Some people began to mutter again.
“Maybe you’re just making this up...”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out. Chu Yunxi immediately gunned down the naysayers, then looked to Chen Yi once more.
“Yi, what now?”
Chen Yi nodded at her.
“Before the mutant horde fully arrives, teach them to shoot. Make sure everyone has a pistol. We’re not saints—when everything’s on the line, we won’t sacrifice ourselves for those determined to die.”
As he spoke, Chen Yi focused on the crimson storm raging outside the window.
This time, the number of mutated zombies wasn’t great, but their threat was a hundredfold worse than imagined.
For the simple reason that these S-class blue mutant soft-bodied zombies, able to slip in through any crack, now possessed the intelligence to adapt and change form at will!
Yet, judging by Chen Yaxi’s earlier actions, Chen Yi realized that continuous attacks could slow their advance.
“If you encounter a soft-bodied zombie, don’t hesitate—hack it to pieces. Don’t treat it like a human, and ignore any sounds it makes. Hold firm: these zombies now possess intelligence!”