Edge of the Apocalypse
Chapter 23 - 21: Killing at the Door

Chapter 23: Chapter 21: Killing at the Door

Information on the living was more important than information on the zombies.

A zombie’s actions could be predicted. A human’s... not so much.

The actions of just one survivor could change the entire ecosystem of Building One and shatter the fragile peace.

Hearing this, Liu Ye’ye hesitated.

"There is... I think."

"Be certain."

"I saw a survivor yesterday, but I don’t know what’s happened to him today."

"Hm? Where? What’s the situation?"

"In 1403. There was a middle-aged couple. The woman turned into a zombie and is in the living room. The man is hiding in the bedroom."

Yu Dong knew at once that the situation was urgent.

"We have to find a way to save him. Otherwise, he could be eaten by that zombie at any moment."

"But we don’t even know him... Are we really going to fight a zombie for a stranger? That’s terrifying."

Liu Ye’ye buried herself in the large, plush dog toy again, leaving only her eyes peeking out to gauge Yu Dong’s reaction.

"Yeah, it is terrifying," Yu Dong admitted. "But...we have to face these things eventually. Besides, another able-bodied man would be a huge help to us."

Yu Dong needed more people.

Zombies were now physically superior to humans in every way. Fighting alone, Yu Dong knew an accident was bound to happen. Liu Ye’ye was a good person, and clever in her own way, but she was still a woman.

He glanced at her fair, delicate arms and slender hands, then shook his head.

There wasn’t a hint of muscle on her; she’d probably struggle to lift anything heavy.

Yu Dong felt like he could take her out with a single punch.

If he was going to be fighting zombies, teaming up with another adult male was the only reliable option.

Liu Ye’ye spoke up again. "But our food... we only have enough for the two of us for a month. If we add another person, we won’t have enough."

"We’ll find more food using your method. I’ll get the doors open."

Seeing Yu Dong’s insistence, Liu Ye’ye grew anxious.

"But... but we don’t know what kind of person he is! What if he’s some kind of psycho?"

"Your suspicion is valid. We can’t rule out that possibility," Yu Dong said. "But... let’s trust first and question later. We can’t avoid doing the right thing just because there’s a chance it might turn out badly."

Seeing that Liu Ye’ye was still reluctant, Yu Dong asked, "Then why didn’t you suspect I was a psycho when you invited me over?"

"You... you’re different,"

Liu Ye’ye said with a pout.

"Heh. Has one week been enough for you to let your guard down? That’s far too soon. As far as I’m concerned, some psychos have always been hiding in plain sight, acting just like normal people. But once the right environment or opportunity presents itself... their true nature explodes to the surface. So... even after we save him, I’ll be keeping a close eye on him."

As it turned out, Yu Dong was very good at persuasion.

Liu Ye’ye was convinced.

The two of them finally decided to go and take care of the zombie on the 14th floor.

Liu Ye’ye piloted her drone to scout apartment 1403. It was a 100-square-meter, two-bedroom unit. The man was trapped in the master bedroom, having tipped a wardrobe over to block the door.

In the living room, a female zombie in yoga attire was endlessly roaring and slamming against the door, making the wardrobe shudder violently.

Yu Dong and Liu Ye’ye huddled together, watching the video feed on the tablet. A pleasant, milky fragrance wafted from her, tickling his nose.

Yu Dong sniffed.

"Liu Ye’ye, you smell like you’ve been marinated in butter..."

"..."

Liu Ye’ye rolled her eyes, ignoring this insensitive oaf who couldn’t tell the difference between a woman’s natural scent and the smell of butter.

Yu Dong pointed to the haggard, middle-aged man on the screen.

"He’s gone almost two days without food or water, and it looks like he hasn’t slept either. He’s in bad shape. If we don’t act today, he could go into shock by tomorrow. We have to take out the Yoga Pants Zombie today."

"Did you just give her that nickname? ...How do we take her out?"

"A bottleneck kill."

The corners of Yu Dong’s mouth lifted into a slight smirk.

He’d learned the tactic from a helpful netizen on a forum before the apocalypse and had been waiting to use it.

This would be his go-to method for clearing out any zombie trapped in a room.

"Let’s go. Time is short, we move now."

Yu Dong checked his gear and armed himself to the teeth.

Liu Ye’ye looked down at her cute, preppy outfit, then over at Yu Dong’s special-forces-style gear. Her head was filled with question marks.

"You know," she said, "I feel like the two of us are in completely different movies right now."

"Duct-tape some books to your arms and torso. Wear something leather. It probably won’t be dangerous, but... be ready for the unexpected. Keep this knife somewhere you can get to it easily."

Yu Dong pulled out a tactical knife and handed it to her.

He had several other combat knives for himself.

He was afraid that if he gave her the large fire axe, she wouldn’t be able to handle it and might hurt herself...

Since he’d seen her cook often, he figured she’d be more proficient with a knife anyway.

Once they were both ready, they took the stairs up to the 14th floor.

Yu Dong held a spear, while Liu Ye’ye carried a leather satchel on her back, filled with the tools he would need.

Her main role was to be the pack mule.

This allowed Yu Dong to stay in peak condition for the fight.

When they reached 1403, Yu Dong pressed his ear to the security door. The zombie inside was still slamming against the inner door.

He held out a hand toward Liu Ye’ye.

"Angle grinder."

BZZZZZZZZ—

The grinder’s wheel spun at high speed, cutting into the security door’s lock and sending a shower of sparks into the hallway.

Hearing the noise, the zombie inside rushed over and began pounding on the inner wooden door.

ROOOOAR!!!

The female zombie’s piercing shriek made Liu Ye’ye jump back. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly moved back to Yu Dong’s side.

"Yu Dong, she... she’s not going to suddenly burst out, is she?"

"According to standard building codes, the security door swings out, and the wooden door swings in. As long as the Yoga Pants Zombie doesn’t know how to pull, she’ll never open that inner door."

"But what if..."

"There are no ’what ifs’ in classical mechanics."

ZING!

With a final spark, the angle grinder cut through the security door’s lock.

His angle grinder was a high-powered, battery-operated model; cutting through a standard lock was easy work.

Now, only a single wooden door separated them from the zombie.

"Impact drill."

Yu Dong reached back, and Liu Ye’ye handed him the impact drill.

He drilled four holes into the adjacent concrete wall, then hammered in four expansion bolts attached to a single anchor plate.

"Chain."

He threaded a thin steel chain—the kind used for locking up a bicycle—through the anchor and looped it around the wooden door’s handle, locking it tight.

It was a simple, homemade version of a hotel security latch.

But Yu Dong’s version was exceptionally sturdy. To get through, you’d have to either completely destroy the door’s own lock or rip the four large expansion bolts out of the concrete wall.

The latter was nearly impossible, and the former wouldn’t be quick.

Especially not for a single Yoga Pants Zombie.

Once everything was in place, Yu Dong cut through the wooden door’s lock as well.

"Showtime!"

Yu Dong raised his spear, his aim fixed on the crack of the door where the gap would appear.