Waldo and his group rested for a day. During this time, they made detailed plans. The following morning, they woke up early, had breakfast, and prepared to set out.

Checking their weaponry and making sure they had everything they needed, Waldo reminded them not to forget anything.

As they were about to leave, Waldo gave a last-minute reminder, concerned that the two women might forget something due to their exhaustion from the all-night battle the previous night.

Alanna checked her backpack and said in a slightly disgruntled tone, "Don’t worry, how could I possibly forget to bring something? You’re underestimating me!"

Waldo shrugged. "What could you possibly forget? I’m just being cautious. And I’m not deliberately trying to say your memory is bad."

Alanna responded with a humph. "Sure, sure. You’re just a scumbag, always picking on me."

Especially at night, he would ignore her protests and act in a way that made her almost fall off the bed.

Waldo, not understanding women at all, immediately retorted, "What? How could I be making that up? I’m just speaking the truth."

Helen couldn’t bear the back-and-forth and interjected, "Alright, let’s get going. It’s almost noon, and don’t forget we have important matters to attend to."

Alanna ignored Waldo and held onto Helen’s hand.

At that moment, she carefully examined Helen’s face and appeared somewhat surprised. "Helen, I’ve suddenly noticed that you’ve undergone quite a transformation lately."

Helen blinked, somewhat puzzled. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Of course! I just realized that recently, you’ve developed a more decisive and sleek style. This aura of yours makes you appear even more aloof and gives off a stunning vibe."

Alanna nodded in confirmation, her gaze holding a touch of envy.

Helen’s naturally aloof demeanor made an instantly striking impression.

Even as a woman, spending time with her might make you fall for her unexpectedly.

With these thoughts, Alanna couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Waldo again.

Unfortunately, such a beautiful woman was stuck with someone like him.

Waldo was utterly confused by this white-eye response.

What the heck?

What does this mean?

Isolation is one thing, but now you’re rolling your eyes at me?

Determined, Waldo decided he would have to deal with the two women even more sternly tonight.

Especially Alanna.

He needed to make sure this young girl understood his strength and might.

However, in all fairness, Helen indeed seemed to have changed a bit lately. And not just a little – quite a bit.

The most significant change was in her demeanor.

This transformation had begun after Waldo had handed her the rocket launcher to use.

True to her nature, Helen was a woman who secretly enjoyed violence.

Not long after, Waldo and the others boarded an armored vehicle. Tanks were too conspicuous and could draw unwanted attention. Additionally, their engine noise was too loud, and their speed was relatively slow, making them not the best choice.

The armored vehicle sped along, and before long, they entered the West City District.

Indeed, the West City District, relatively speaking, turned out to be an undeveloped area, with desolate scenery everywhere. Even the buildings were covered with mutated plants.

The armored vehicle came to a halt on the main road just outside the city. Waldo stood at the front of the vehicle, gazing at the barren landscape in the distance. It was evident that the West City District, once a thriving place, had undergone a dramatic transformation. Millions of people used to live and work here, and there were rows of skyscrapers lining the streets. However, now it looked drastically different.

Looking around, the concrete roads had cracked, and weeds grew out of the crevices, some as tall as a person. The road surface was rough and uneven, making it impassable for regular cars. In the distance, some of the skyscrapers appeared weathered, their once bright facades now mottled. Some buildings had collapsed, and others were on the verge of crumbling. Only a small portion remained intact.

What was most unnerving, however, was that several buildings were entirely engulfed by mutated plants. These mutant plants were incredibly robust, with roots embedded directly into the concrete of the buildings. They exhibited vigorous vitality and had encased several buildings over a hundred meters tall. What’s more, they seemed to be spreading further.

"This stuff looks tough to deal with. Let’s not mess with it. After all, our target is the zombies, not these plants," Alanna remarked from the side.

"Hmm," Waldo nodded in agreement, sharing the same sentiment.

Just as the three of them were preparing to continue driving, they suddenly heard a series of roaring sounds from zombies. Helen’s face slightly changed.

"What’s going on? Have the zombies spotted us? But it doesn’t seem like it," she questioned.

"Something’s not right. We haven’t started the vehicle, and we haven’t made any noise. How could the zombies have detected us? Plus, we haven’t ventured deep into the area yet," Waldo responded, feeling uneasy.

At that moment, they suddenly heard a few gunshots.

Bang!

Bang!

Gunshots?

Waldo and his group paused for a moment, thinking they might have misheard. But soon, more gunshots echoed through the area.

This time, Waldo immediately understood why there had been zombie roars. It seemed someone had attracted the zombies here.

It had to be someone fearless to venture into the West City District. This area was different because it had never been developed and was filled with countless zombies and mutated creatures, making it extremely dangerous. Even Waldo had made thorough preparations before coming here.

However, it seemed the outcome for this other individual was not looking good. At the moment, they were being chased by a large number of zombies. Unless things went unexpectedly well for them, they were likely to be killed.

Thinking this, Waldo climbed onto the roof of the vehicle.

Soon, he noticed a survivor being pursued by a horde of zombies several hundred meters away.

These zombies seemed to be common, but they were much more formidable than typical zombies, approaching the level of second-tier. There were more than ten of them, tattered clothes, and much faster than regular zombies. Overall, they seemed considerably stronger.

Alanna also spotted this and couldn’t help but comment, "The zombies are rapidly evolving now, especially the ones in the West City District. The trend towards evolution is more pronounced here. It might not be long before at least half of the zombies in the West City District become second-tier!" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Helen furrowed her brow slightly, appearing concerned. The world was becoming increasingly dangerous.

Waldo chuckled. "But that’s a good thing. Think about it – killing a regular zombie only gives us one experience point, but killing a second-tier zombie grants us two!"

Just as they were discussing this, the escaping survivor seemed to be in danger. It appeared that a zombie was about to pounce on him. He had no choice but to turn around and shoot.

Bang, bang, bang!

Bullets hit the zombie, causing it to fall to the ground. However, after a few moments on the ground, the zombie struggled back to its feet.

"What the heck! Why are the zombies here so damn strong? I can’t kill them even after shooting!" Harold exclaimed in almost despair.

The overall strength of these zombies far exceeded regular ones, completely beyond his expectations. He had come to the West City District mainly because competition had become fierce after the level cap was raised to ten. Experience points had become crucial. To obtain them, he and his companions had ventured into the West City District to hunt zombies.

But who could have known that the zombies in this world were constantly evolving, rapidly increasing their overall strength? This phenomenon was even more pronounced in the West City District. The strength of common zombies was much higher, approaching second-tier levels.

Under the relentless assault of numerous zombies, his companions had suffered heavy losses, and now he was being chased by a horde as well. At this point, he was on the brink of despair because his stamina was running out, and he had little ammunition left.

The number of zombies trailing behind him, however, reached dozens. Without any surprises, it wouldn’t be long before he would be...

"Damn zombies! Sooner or later, I’ll wipe all of you out!" Harold cursed loudly.

It was his last act of defiance. Just then, he noticed Waldo and his group in the distance.

"Someone!" Harold was overjoyed. However, as he was about to shout for help, he suddenly realized that Waldo’s group consisted of only three people.

Dealing with dozens of zombies, most of which were approaching the second tier in strength, was an impossible task. Furthermore, engaging in a firefight would undoubtedly attract even more zombies. At that point, none of them would be able to escape.

Realizing this, Harold’s face fell. Finally, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Run! These zombies are too strong! Run as far as you can! If you don’t run now, it’ll be too late!"

Harold put all his strength into that shout. However, Waldo’s group didn’t seem in a hurry to flee.

Harold understood that they didn’t heed his warning and had underestimated the zombies’ strength, just as he had the first time he encountered them. They had changed their minds only after being overwhelmed by the zombies.

But now, it was too late.

Cursed luck! Foolish!

Harold shook his head, and then, "Ah!" He suddenly screamed in agony. The uneven road caused him to misstep, and he fell into a crack in the ground. The jagged cracks, like interlocking dog teeth, trapped his lower leg.

Dozens of terrifying zombies were closing in behind him.

"Get out quickly! Pull it out! Quickly!" Harold desperately tried to free his leg.

However, the more he struggled, the tighter the grip on his leg became, making it impossible to pull out. Even as his leg muscles were lacerated, blood flowing profusely, it was all in vain.

Despair!

Endless despair overwhelmed him. He knew he was doomed. Facing these zombies, there was no possibility of survival.

"Why? Why is fate so unfair to me?" Harold couldn’t help but cry out in his helpless despair.

He didn’t want to die, especially not in the clutches of these zombies. The thought was too horrifying to contemplate.

However...

He gave up the struggle, closed his eyes, and awaited the arrival of the Grim Reaper.