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Sweat dripped from his forehead, slowly falling in front of him. The trajectory of the spinning arrow was clearly captured, and everything around him seemed to enter slow motion, the only thing unchanged was his thinking.
The flying arrow appeared to be slightly off target, but for some reason, Yang Xiaoyou felt an undeniable certainty that it would hit its mark.
The fierce wind in his ears became slower, creating a somewhat eerie sound. His heart raced violently, and the throbbing sensation in his head constantly reminded Yang Xiaoyou that he was sprinting at full speed toward two Corpse that were still recovering from shock.
Yet at this moment, Yang Xiaoyou's mind was exceptionally clear.
With a sudden burst of energy from Yang Xiaoyou, as soon as the arrow was released, the two Corpse blocking the door began to turn toward him.
It was precisely because of the Corpse's instinctive movement that the spiraling arrow, which had initially veered off course, pierced directly through the mouth of one black police officer Corpse, embedding itself firmly in its head.
Had it not been for that unexpected deviation, the arrow would have likely grazed past the Corpse's head due to its movement.
At this moment, however, Yang Xiaoyou had no time to feel relieved. Before the arrow even hit its target, he had already shifted all his attention to the other Corpse.
Ten meters was not a long distance; for an ordinary person, it would take less than two seconds. But for Yang Xiaoyou now, it was a crucial distance. What should have been a brief moment felt like it had doubled in duration; everything around him slowed down. His movements felt sluggish and clumsy, but so did the Corpse!
The only difference was that while his thoughts raced ahead without pause, Yang Xiaoyou could clearly discern the movements and trajectory of the Corpse!
With a loud smack, the Corpse lunged forward with both hands. Yang Xiaoyou used his left hand holding the Handcrafted Crossbow as a shield to block it. The numbness in his left arm made him acutely aware of the force behind that grab; it was far from an attack one would expect from a seemingly frail blonde girl. The Handcrafted Crossbow he had painstakingly crafted also showed signs of breaking due to this impact.
At the cost of his Handcrafted Crossbow's destruction, Yang Xiaoyou thrust the spare arrow in his right hand into the Corpse's eye, driving it straight into its brain without hesitation.
After completing this action, he endured the numbness in his left hand as he grabbed hold of the clothing of the black police officer who was collapsing. With his right hand releasing the arrow, he wrapped it around the waist of the recently slain woman to soften their fall and gently lowered them down.
As soon as they hit the ground, Yang Xiaoyou slipped like a ghost beneath a nearby public bench. He peered through the gap created by a car tire to observe other nearby Corpse. Once he confirmed that none were approaching him, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
As the tension released, fatigue and soreness washed over him. His mind felt somewhat hazy; although he had performed beyond his limits and executed a series of actions nearly perfectly just moments ago, those few seconds had taken a significant toll on him.
Once the adrenaline wore off, its accompanying side effects began to manifest.
Fortunately, he had passed through what was arguably the most dangerous phase. Although it was somewhat dark inside the half-open Gun Supermarket door, Yang Xiaoyou understood from his knowledge of Corpse behavior that even if there were any inside now, they would likely be incapacitated.
The corpses outside had only recently lost their freshness. If not for these bodies hindering their movement, any noise from afar would have attracted more Corpse away from here. In such circumstances, aside from being immobile, there was over an 80% chance that any Corpse inside would wander out through the open door. If there were fresher corpses inside to draw them in, then those two Corpse at the entrance wouldn’t be lingering here. Even if there were indeed Corpse inside, they would be deeper within and not at the entrance. This position at the Gun Supermarket's entrance allowed Yang Xiaoyou to find enough weapons as long as he didn’t disturb any potential Corpse lurking deeper inside.
The knowledge from Memory Fragments served as an intuitive aid for Yang Xiaoyou; if anyone in the world knew more about Corpse than him at this moment, it would undoubtedly be him.
"Ha, I didn't expect to experience that state again so soon. It seems the food I prepared in advance really made a difference. I wonder what would happen if I injected the Seventh Antibody before the virus undergoes a second mutation," Yang Xiaoyou thought to himself as he slowly recovered from the recent Consumption under the chair.
The strange yet familiar state he just experienced had been mentioned in his Memory Fragments. It was a byproduct of his nerve cells' ability to self-replicate their memories, which significantly increased his thinking speed during crises and moments of extreme tension.
The most intuitive manifestation of this was that, due to the accelerated thought process, his perception of everything around him slowed down, almost as if time itself had decelerated. However, at this moment, his physical strength could not keep pace with this explosive speed; at most, it allowed him enough time to think and react when under attack.
For instance, during the initial encounter with the Corpse, he had forcefully intercepted an attack using his Handcrafted Crossbow.
In such situations, the cerebral blood congestion from Consumption was also quite terrifying. Normally, the brain, which occupies less than a percent of body weight, consumes 0% of the Human Body's energy—a frightening ratio in itself. Yet, in his state of Cognitive Acceleration, this Consumption increased exponentially.
Just those few seconds had left Yang Xiaoyou feeling utterly drained.
In his memory, this ability first manifested when he escaped from the laboratory. Now it seemed that due to the substantial nutrients he absorbed during the recent fusion process, this time it had become even more refined.
When combined with the conclusion drawn from injecting the Seventh Antibody before the virus's second mutation, it was likely that the benefits he gained this time would surpass those from his memories.
"Well, there might actually be a chance to surpass my previous life," Yang Xiaoyou mused as he took a moment to catch his breath.
After all, in his memories, that ability was forged through relentless survival against overwhelming odds—an era where everyone was an enemy and life and death were constantly at stake. His body's potential had erupted countless times. This time around, he was determined to change that situation. Under normal circumstances, catching up to his previous life would be nearly impossible, even with unparalleled training skills.
Combat power couldn't be fully enhanced by mere theory; practical experience was the best teacher. However, now that he had an initial Advantage, there was a real possibility for him to surpass his previous physical capabilities.
Thinking about this made Yang Xiaoyou feel excited. Being in high school like many boys, he harbored dreams that once felt distant but now seemed attainable. Moreover, ensuring safety for himself, his family, and friends required formidable individual combat strength as an essential asset.
The higher his practical combat ability, the greater assistance it would provide for setting future goals.
After resting for about ten minutes and feeling somewhat revitalized, Yang Xiaoyou prepared to infiltrate his target destination.
Although based on some knowledge from his memories he could ascertain there was at least an 80% chance no active Corpses remained inside, he still decided to retrieve two arrows for safety. The half-damaged Handcrafted Crossbow was gripped in his left hand as a makeshift shield.
He scanned the surroundings for other Corpses and seized the opportunity to slip into the Gun Supermarket like a stealthy cat. Once inside, he pressed against the wall and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
Seeing several corpses at the cash register nearly devoured made Yang Xiaoyou feel disgusted yet relieved; indeed there were no fresh bodies here. Even if there were Corpses deeper inside, as long as he remained silent in this place filled with blood and decay, detection seemed unlikely.
However, he still swept through the area with a Standard Electric Baton he found nearby. Spotting a Corpse trapped under a shelf still struggling with its hands made him retreat; there could be other Corpses hidden within that shelf. Even if there were better weapons inside, it wasn't worth risking an encounter.
Shooting here would be unwise. Outside, he had already spotted weapons that pleased him: a Military Sniper Crossbow lying on the ground and several Tactical Bulletproof Vests and helmets hanging behind the cash register.
The Sniper Crossbow Bolt was a Military Model, which should not have been available in civilian weapon shops. It was likely a collectible from a supermarket, and its owner had probably considered the issue of noise. Unfortunately, they met a tragic end here due to the blunders of a temporary teammate.
A firearm equipped with a suppressor would have been ideal, but the latest Gun Control Act in the United States had just been implemented. To reduce the chances of "sneaky" gun use, inspections for suppressors in civilian stores were even stricter than those for military firearms. Perhaps there were stocks intended for police sale in this shop, but they wouldn’t be left out in the open.
As Yang Xiaoyou quietly changed into combat gear and then donned a bulletproof vest, putting on a helmet afterward, he couldn't help but feel exasperated by the sweltering heat. It was June, after all, and in a place like the Hawaiian Islands, wearing such gear was quite a dilemma.
The combat uniform offered low protection except for the area covered by the bulletproof vest, but at least it had long sleeves and was of better quality than regular clothing, effectively preventing scratches. In that regard, despite the heat, he had to wear it.
He picked up the military crossbow, strapped on a Police Taser at his waist, and retrieved a dagger to tuck into his matching Combat Boots. Hesitating for a moment as he glanced at the Corpse pinned under the shelf, Yang Xiaoyou ultimately decided against searching through it.
His current gear was nearly sufficient. He pulled a Black Backpack from the shattered body, stuffing in several handguns and boxes of ammunition. He also took a length of Climbing Rope from the devoured corpse before making his way out of there.
He only needed one handgun for himself; bringing along the others was merely precautionary. He planned to find a safe and convenient spot outside to drop them off in preparation for what lay ahead.
After all, there were quite a few Corpses around the Gun Supermarket. If he wanted to come back later, it might not be so easy.
"My bodyguard, I hope you arrive on time," he muttered as he stepped out of the Gun Supermarket, surveying the chaotic and perilous street while listening to sporadic gunfire echoing from afar. With one hand gripping the strap of his backpack tightly, he moved forward.
He had changed his name... After discussing it with the editor all morning, there was no other way. The name change had been temporary as well; he felt powerless regarding this Aspects. The editors here were experts. As for the cover... it had been rejected multiple times and still hadn’t passed review. What a hassle!
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