Chapter 124: Self-Rescue

Yi Chen had never been one to believe in gods or spirits, yet at this moment, he prayed to every deity he knew in his heart.

His cell phone was completely dead. He tried repeatedly to call Lu Yu back, but all he received was the cold, emotionless automated message: "The user you are calling is currently unavailable."

Damn it!

Outside the apartment building where Yi Chen lived, the scene was one of total ruin. Over a dozen security personnel from the Future Group lay on the ground. Zhou Shiwen had deployed them at Yi Chen’s request to secretly protect his family, but they had all been slaughtered, their bodies left in gruesome states.

A nearby utility pole had snapped in half, wedging itself into the balcony of Yi Chen’s apartment like a grotesque, oversized javelin. With a persistent, buzzing electrical hum, a terrifying magnetic field had formed around the area.

Yi Chen’s mother, Chen Hong, lay unconscious on the living room floor, her head struck by a falling steel pot. Lu Yu held the terrified Yi Lin in one arm while using a wooden cabinet door in the other to deflect a barrage of flying knives and forks.

The one attacking Yi Chen’s home was none other than the fifth infected: Magneto.

Magneto was a tall, muscular man with a rigid face, dressed in a tight black bodysuit and an absurd red cape. He stood at the entrance of the apartment, watching with a mocking gaze as Lu Yu scrambled to defend against the flying metal implements.

Both Yi Chen and the Future Group had underestimated Magneto’s abilities. Yi Chen’s previous victories over the Hypnotist and the Puppeteer had led him to believe that the infected possessed the same physical capabilities as ordinary people. He wasn't wrong, but Magneto was a special case.

He could generate a magnetic field within a certain radius and manipulate metallic objects. From cars to cutlery and buttons, everything was at his disposal. In an ordinary household, who doesn't have pots, pans, and bowls? These were all metal! Magneto’s weapons were everywhere—inexhaustible and limited only by one's imagination.

The incident had erupted suddenly, starting with the utility pole crashing into the balcony. The deafening boom shook the entire building, and half of the Yi family’s balcony collapsed instantly. Chen Hong’s first thought was a gas explosion; as she stood up, she was struck down by the flying steel pot.

Every piece of metal in the house seemed to come alive, floating into the air to strike and pierce at Lu Yu and Yi Lin. Lu Yu reacted quickly, shielding Yi Lin as he dodged. He had intended to rush for the exit, but Magneto blocked his path.

Lu Yu immediately grasped the origin and intent of this attacker. He retreated with Yi Lin into a room, locked the door, and used the brief window to call Yi Chen, only for the signal to cut out. The interference from the magnetic field made maintaining a connection impossible.

Magneto was aware of Lu Yu’s small attempt; he could hear the content of the call. He could have prevented the call from going through, but keeping the Lurker’s mission in mind, he had intentionally eased his pressure. Attacking Yi Chen’s family and breaking his spirit was the Lurker’s desire. If Yi Chen knew his family was in mortal danger while he was far away and powerless, that suffering would be exquisite, wouldn't it? When Yi Chen inquired about his family, Magneto deliberately severed the signal. Yi Chen knew enough; as for the rest, he could spend his time guessing, imagining, and stewing in anxiety.

Lu Yu felt uncertain. He did not know where Yi Chen was, nor could he estimate his arrival time. A person’s stamina and energy were limited. If this cat-and-mouse game continued, both he and Yi Chen’s family would surely be killed. Fleeing was not an option, and waiting was a dead end—he had to fight.

Lu Yu shoved Yi Lin into a wooden wardrobe and urged her not to run. "I'm going to deal with the bad guy at the door."

Yi Lin gripped the hem of his shirt, tears streaming down her face. She was terrified, sensing that if she let go, Lu Yu would disappear just like her brother. Lu Yu gently pried her fingers away and said softly, "You have to be strong. You want to see your brother, don't you? He will be here soon, and we must hold out until then."

Yi Lin stopped crying. Seeing the determination in Lu Yu’s expression, she believed he wasn't lying. On the day of the black rain, her brother Yi Chen had appeared when she and her mother were in despair, turning the tide and killing several zombies. Though he had been covered in blood like a messenger from hell, he had been a source of comfort. Recalling this, Yi Lin nodded, hope and courage rekindling in her heart.

After settling Yi Lin, Lu Yu grabbed a wooden chair, steadied his breathing, opened the door, and headed toward the foyer.

"Kid, do you really think Yi Chen will make it in time?" Magneto spoke, his voice raspy, like metal grinding against metal.

He had been monitoring Yi Chen’s movements for days and knew about his trip to the Dream Resort Hotel. It wasn't just Yi Chen who could deploy a "Wildcat" legion across the city to act as his eyes and ears; Magneto could do it too. The metal cables and iron railings around the hotel where Yi Chen stayed were all his tools for eavesdropping and signal transmission. He didn't partner with other infected, viewing himself as superior to those immature fools. Today’s operation was entirely his own calculated, flawless plan.

"If I take you down, he’ll make it in time," Lu Yu said slowly.

"Big words! I'll let you taste a living hell!" Magneto was slightly irritated. Lu Yu was merely an ordinary person; where did this confidence come from?

Lu Yu held the wooden chair over his head and charged at Magneto, his body hunched. His speed and movement caught Magneto off guard; this seemingly reckless, unrefined charge was actually difficult to counter. Magneto instinctively stepped back into the room, dodging the direct path of the charge. Because Lu Yu was shielded by the chair, the large metal objects clattered against its frame without striking his head. As for being pelted on his body, Lu Yu simply endured it.

He was looking for an opportunity—a chance to get close.

Magneto had not yet realized that he was being slowly drawn toward the threshold of the living room and the balcony. That was where the utility pole was wedged, and there were several live, sparking wires on the ground.

Lu Yu was observant; these details had not escaped him. He knew zombies feared electricity—a fact he had heard from Yi Chen’s father, an architect, regarding the electrified defensive nets between the inner and outer city. The infected shared so many traits with zombies that conventional methods might not work on Magneto, but an electric shock would surely be effective!

Lu Yu was determined to try. Who said an ordinary person couldn't make a difference?

Just as Lu Yu focused on leading Magneto into the target zone, a kitchen knife slashed into his back. The bone-deep pain caused him to stumble, nearly falling.

"Hahahaha! My attacks are omnidirectional. You might be able to defend your front and sides, but you can't cover your back, can you?" Magneto sneered, his expression twisted and grotesque.