Chapter Thirty-Six: Rumors and Slander

After Qin Yu accepted the task and left the assignment center, she finally took her time to look at the details. The mission stated that a suspected third-tier zombie had appeared in Kaiyuan Town, and she was to investigate and report her findings.

Qin Yu was surprised by the nature of the task. Although third-tier zombies were scarce nowadays, the base was teeming with talent, and abilities were varied and formidable. By rights, no team should fail to complete such a task. Why then had it remained unclaimed for so long?

From the attitude of the task issuer and others, it was clear that this mission was perilous. Had third-tier zombies become unbeatable for humanity? Wasn’t there a fourth-tier abilities user in the base? Moreover, if her senses were correct, there were more than a few third-tier abilities users here.

What on earth was the mystery behind this mission?

Qin Yu was perplexed, but it was impossible for her to turn back now and ask for a different task. Besides, she didn’t want to change. The reward was lavish—a villa in the central zone and a thousand pounds of grain. Even without the reward, completing this mission would greatly enhance her reputation, boosting her chances of finding her brother. Not to mention, the prize was so tempting. She couldn’t help but feel ever more intrigued.

What Qin Yu didn’t know was that, despite the abundance of third-tier abilities users, nearly everyone who had taken this mission had failed. Upon arriving at the site, their abilities inexplicably dropped by one tier, and, strangely, there were no zombies at all. This unnerved them.

The existence of a third-tier zombie was only speculation. Generally, zombies of equal rank were stronger than abilities users, and high-tier zombies often possessed a sense of territory, so the absence of other zombies wasn’t surprising. Some suspected the third-tier zombie possessed unique abilities; otherwise, their abilities wouldn’t have plummeted so drastically. Sadly, no one had ever actually seen the zombie.

The reason most people feared this task and dubbed it a “death mission” was because a week earlier, the Falcon Squad had taken it. Falcon Squad was, aside from the team led by the new fourth-tier abilities user, the strongest in the base. Yet, after a day, they returned grim-faced and tattered, uttering only one chilling phrase: “Those who go die!”

Since then, no one dared accept the mission. The military became more curious about Kaiyuan Town and continually increased the reward.

This explained why the reward was so generous, yet the task remained untouched.

Qin Yu pondered for a moment, but soon she stopped worrying. She always believed fortune and misfortune were intertwined. She’d survived every trial so far; surely she could handle this one, too. Without risk, how could one grow? Without pushing herself, how could she know her limits? In this apocalypse, only those who pushed themselves could hope to survive.

Of course, Qin Yu wasn’t reckless. The reason she dared go alone was her greatest trump card—her space ability. If things got too dangerous, she could retreat into her space, now accessible at will.

Having reasoned it all out, Qin Yu set out lightly equipped.

She moved swiftly, passing some squad members without a word, quickly leaving them behind. When those squads returned to the base, they spread rumors about someone with a large hat and dark clothes, gender indistinguishable, moving alone and ignoring everyone—a proud figure.

Meanwhile, those at the assignment center also gossiped about the mysterious person who took the mission, face hidden beneath a hat and dark attire.

These rumors spread among the populace, and soon the clever ones realized they described the same person. Thus, opinions about Qin Yu became polarized. Some claimed she was a low-key powerhouse, eagerly awaiting her triumphant return. Others said she was brave but brainless, doomed to die without even knowing how.

Each faction secretly vied for dominance, and Qin Yu’s fate would decide which side prevailed.

Some in the base even opened betting pools on whether Qin Yu would return safely.

There were always busybodies, and in this apocalypse, human nature was magnified to extremes.

News of an unknown individual taking on the mission alone swept through the base, reaching even the upper echelons, who remained silent about the bets. Behind their silence, dark secrets lurked—everyone knew, but none spoke.

In a room, members of the Falcon Squad gathered. A scar-faced man broke the silence, “What do you all make of this?”

A brazen woman with an alluring air laughed arrogantly, “How else? If even we couldn’t complete the task, how could anyone else succeed—especially alone?”

“That’s not the right attitude,” a cold voice countered. “There are many strong people in this world, don’t overestimate ourselves.”

The woman glared fiercely at the speaker but said nothing more.

Suddenly, the scar-faced man laughed, “If she fails, so be it. But if she succeeds… heh.” His laughter was laced with menace, filling the room. Strong? It’s easy to dodge an open threat, but a hidden one is far more dangerous.

The others smiled, exchanging meaningful glances. Their intentions were clear.

The base simmered with undercurrents, each faction responding differently. But what of Qin Yu? What was she doing now?

She walked along a winding path, littered only with the corpses of plants. Their appearance betrayed signs of deadly poisoning.

Qin Yu’s face was unusually grave as she carefully avoided the plants, her mind racing.

She was still at the town’s edge, not yet inside, and the situation was already dire. What horrors awaited within?

Clearly, there was good reason why no one took this mission. Even at the outskirts, she could see thick blue mist swirling above the town, moving as if by some mysterious pattern.

Observing the mist’s movements, Qin Yu was shocked. She felt she’d seen such patterns before—but curse it, she couldn’t recall where! It was as if a portion of her memory had been sealed, leaving her with a profound sense of helplessness.

Deep within the town, a third-tier zombie sat atop a platform, its wide eyes staring. Blue mist coiled around it, occasionally drifting in from outside and entering its body. As the mist flowed in, its decayed flesh began to slowly regenerate.

The zombie seemed to sense something, emitting a harsh, rattling sound. If it could speak, it would surely utter the word “food.”

With each rattle, the blue mist surged faster into its body.