Chapter 15

What appeared before them was a terrifying rabid dog, its fur long gone, revealing a bloody body. A gut hung out through a wound in its abdomen, and its fierce head bared its teeth, growling lowly at the group.

The group couldn't help but draw a sharp breath; this was clearly a zombie dog!

Compared to the zombies that became slow after being infected, the zombie dog was undoubtedly a more terrifying existence. Its movements were as agile as in life, coupled with immense strength, making it a terrifying hunter second only to the crawlers.

Moreover, the zombie dog before them was much larger than those in movies, almost like a cheetah. Its gaping mouth, filled with razor-sharp teeth, would likely sever a person's neck if it bit down.

"Damn it!" Li Guodong cursed, immediately opening the sunroof and standing up. He took out a shotgun from his backpack and aimed at the zombie dog's head, pulling the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, the bullet slicing through the air and grazing the zombie dog's head.

It missed!

This was to be expected. Although Li Guodong had the best physical condition among the challengers and was probably the strongest with his beginner equipment, he was still just an ordinary person who had never used a gun in the real world. He only knew the basic usage, so how could he hit it easily?

Being able to graze the zombie dog's head was already a good shot.

"Impossible, Lu Xiaotian! You take over!" Li Guodong knew his shooting skills were poor and didn't dare to waste the limited bullets. He immediately shouted, preparing to switch with Lu Xiaotian, who was the best marksman among the five.

However, just as he finished speaking, the zombie dog growled and charged over.

Despite its large size, the zombie dog was incredibly fast, covering the distance of several meters in a blink. Li Guodong's face changed, and he quickly pulled back, tightly closing the sunroof.

The sunroof of the armored car, though not small, could only accommodate one person standing. If he and Lu Xiaotian switched, Lu Xiaotian would likely be bitten the moment he stood up to aim.

Bang!

With a loud crash, the zombie dog slammed into the car, scaring everyone to their wits' end.

Fortunately, this armored car, used by elite forces, had considerable defensive capabilities. Despite the fierce impact, there wasn't even a crack in the glass, only a slight shake in the car.

Of course, while the armored car could withstand the zombie dog's attacks, it couldn't stop its desire to attack. Its fierce eyes stared at the group inside, its head pressed against the rear window, its paws pounding hard.

Under its attacks, the car kept shaking, especially when the blood from the zombie dog's body smeared the glass, making it look even more terrifying.

Although everyone knew the armored car was highly defensive and wouldn't be easily broken, the sight still made them feel uneasy, especially Zhang Yi and Su Xiaoqing, who were already pale with fear. They trembled and asked Li Guodong, "Uncle Li, what... what should we do now?"

Li Guodong, however, had some courage. He gritted his teeth and said, "Zhang Yi, Lu Xiaotian, help me distract it, and I'll kill this beast!"

As he spoke, he took out the Death Blade from his backpack.

"That... that's too dangerous!" Zhang Yi's face changed, the sight of this terrifying monster already making him tremble. The idea of close combat was something he couldn't even imagine.

"I also think it's too risky," Tang Ya nodded, unusually siding with Zhang Yi. "This zombie dog is completely different from what we've seen in movies. It's likely a mutated zombie, and you've seen its strength and speed. Even you, I don't think you can defeat it."

"But there's no other way now," Li Guodong said solemnly. "The armored car isn't foolproof. It can hold for a while, but not forever. If it keeps ramming, it will eventually break through. If we let it live, it might attract more enemies... either way, we'll be dead. We might as well take a chance now... Zhang Yi, Lu Xiaotian, get ready!"

"O... okay." Zhang Yi and Lu Xiaotian were taken aback but quickly nodded.

Tang Ya frowned slightly, still feeling the plan was too risky. But after careful consideration, she realized Li Guodong's point. In such a world, there was no time without danger, so she didn't try to dissuade him.

There was another reason Li Guodong didn't mention: survival points.

Although the exact use of survival points in the cycle world was still uncertain, from various signs, it could be inferred that their role was similar to money in the real world, perhaps even more significant. A regular zombie was worth one survival point, so this zombie dog would likely be worth more.

"Hisss..."

"Hisss..."

"Hisss!"

However, just as Zhang Yi and Lu Xiaotian were getting ready, the group suddenly heard more low growls around them. Then, one by one, more zombie dogs emerged from the forest behind the car, gradually surrounding them.

"Damn! How can there be so many?!" Li Guodong's eyes widened, and his courage instantly vanished.

If there was only one zombie dog, he was confident he could fight it. But now... there were at least twenty zombie dogs. If he really charged out, he would be torn apart, with no other possibility!

"Damn it, we must leave here!" Li Guodong was decisive, knowing it wasn't the time to fight. He quickly jumped into the driver's seat and started the car.

Tang Ya's face changed, "What are you doing?"

"Of course, we're leaving. Haven't you seen those things?" Li Guodong said without turning back.

"But Tang Cheng hasn't returned!"

"We can't afford to wait any longer..." Li Guodong said while turning the car around. "The armored car can't withstand so many zombie dogs. If we stay, we'll all die in no time. Do you want to see that happen?"

"But..." Tang Ya hesitated. Although she knew Li Guodong's decision was rational, emotionally, she couldn't accept it.

If they left, wouldn't they be abandoning their companion?

"We haven't abandoned Tang Cheng..." Li Guodong looked back at her and said solemnly, "But he can't return. Since he hasn't contacted us in twenty minutes, it means they're in grave danger. Waiting any longer is pointless, and... they told us to act on our own."

"But... we can still look for them, maybe they're not dead..."

Before Tang Ya could finish, Li Guodong sneered, "Alice, Rebecca, and Tang Cheng, together, are far stronger than us. If they couldn't handle it, why would we go to our deaths? If you disagree with my decision, ask everyone here who's willing to go with you."

Hearing this, Tang Ya instinctively looked at the other three. Zhang Yi immediately shook his head upon meeting her gaze. As Li Guodong's loyal supporter, he clearly stood firmly on his side and had no obligation to risk his life for Tang Cheng.

"Sorry," Su Xiaoqing lowered her head in shame.

Only Lu Xiaotian's expression was conflicted. He opened his mouth slightly but, seeing the zombie dogs rapidly closing in, ultimately said nothing.

Tang Ya sighed helplessly, closed her eyes, and murmured, "Maybe you're all right..."

Then, amidst the roar of the engine, the armored car forcefully rammed through the zombie dogs and sped away.