Chapter 36: What Is This Thing

The two walked one after the other until they reached a small shop selling roasted sausages and drinks. Lin Qingqing gestured for Lei Min, who was behind her, to come over. They saw that the shop door was indeed closed and intact, yet the window glass was shattered all over the ground.

It was strange; the door had only been pulled shut and was not locked, so why go to the trouble of smashing the window? Besides, even with the glass broken, the ornate window frame was too small for a person to crawl through.

"Something feels off. Let's go in and take a look, but stay alert," Lin Qingqing said before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Lei Min nodded obediently and followed closely behind.

As the door swung open, a crisp "ding-a-ling" rang out overhead. The sudden sound startled both of them. Looking up, they realized there was a bell hanging inside the door, likely intended to alert the staff to incoming customers.

Lin Qingqing reached up, took the bell down, and placed it gently on a nearby dining table. She glanced back at Lei Min, who immediately understood the signal. The two stood back-to-back, scanning the room with heightened vigilance.

The shop was small and decorated with a distinctly girlish aesthetic. A long counter divided the space into two sections. In front of the counter were four small tables, each accompanied by four chairs. The chairs were neatly arranged, showing no signs of a struggle.

Behind the counter was the beverage preparation area, where various machines and tools were scattered about. Further inside was a small doorway covered by a curtain, which likely served as a storage room.

Finding nothing of note, Lin Qingqing glanced at Lei Min and vaulted over the counter.

On the floor behind the counter lay a zombie wearing a sky-blue uniform, its head tilted at an awkward angle. It was clearly a shop employee. Lin Qingqing averted her gaze and prepared to step over the body to check the storage room.

However, just as she took a step, she noticed something odd. The zombie’s collar had been shredded into strips, and through the tattered fabric, she could see deep, outward-turning wounds on its gray skin. These wounds were thin and jagged; Lin Qingqing couldn't immediately guess what had caused them.

"Come and look at this."

She pointed out the strange markings to Lei Min, who suppressed her nausea and observed them carefully for a while, yet she also couldn't identify what could have caused such damage.

Finally, Lin Qingqing used the tip of an ice blade to nudge the zombie's mangled head aside. Only then did they discover that half of its neck was missing, as if it had been ripped away by something with immense force.

"Do you think this looks like it was caused by the teeth of some beast?" Lin Qingqing asked, pointing to the wound on the zombie's neck.

"Now that you mention it, it really does. And if that's the case, the marks on its shoulders look like they were made by animal claws," Lei Min said after a careful inspection.

"Are there animals kept in this park?"

"There are, but they're mostly birds—swans, ducks, egrets, and the like." Lei Min paused, then added, "Though you can see plenty of small wild animals here too."

Hearing this, Lin Qingqing seemed to realize something. She turned abruptly and shouted to Lei Min, "Run! We’re in danger!"

Without waiting to explain, she vaulted back over the counter and sprinted toward the exit. Lei Min, jolted by the sudden alarm, didn't stop to ask why and raced after her.

Unfortunately, they were a step too late. As soon as they stepped outside, they realized that dozens of cat-like beasts of various sizes had surrounded the shop, occupying the ground, the roof, and even the treetops.

"Sister Lin, are those... cats?" Lei Min asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.

"They must be!"

Lin Qingqing stared at the creatures. They resembled cats, but were much larger and possessed far sharper claws. The deep gouges they had left in the nearby tree trunks looked identical to the wounds on the shop clerk.

"It seems these mutated stray cats are the ones who killed that zombie," Lin Qingqing remarked, eyeing their razor-sharp claws.

"Stray cats? Mutated?" Lei Min was stunned, but she quickly reached the same conclusion. "You're probably right. Some of their markings look familiar. That large ginger one on the tree and the black-and-white cow-patterned one on the roof—I've seen them here several times before. I never imagined that even the animals would mutate after the apocalypse."

"Be careful! These mutated cats were able to kill a zombie!"

"Right. You be careful too, Sister Lin."

Lin Qingqing couldn't help but look at her. Though Lei Min appeared terrified, she hadn't lost her composure; her large eyes were darting around, scanning the surroundings.

"Let's try to make it back to the car," Lin Qingqing said, having no desire to fight this pack of mutated cats. They looked far more vicious than any zombie.

The beasts were staring at them with intense hostility. They bared their fangs, saliva dripping from their mouths, their fur standing straight up on end as if they were about to pounce at any second.

"They aren't planning to eat us, are they?" Lei Min’s voice trembled.

"It's very likely. Cats are carnivores by nature; mutation would only make them more ferocious." Lin Qingqing felt a chill, her expression darkening. It was her first time encountering mutated animals.

She signaled to Lei Min, and the two began to edge slowly toward their vehicle, never turning their backs on the pack.

The first few steps went smoothly, with the cats merely watching their movements with wary eyes. But as they neared the edge of the perimeter, the pack began to stir. Several cats let out low, impatient growls.

Sensing the pack was about to lose its patience, the two women suddenly picked up their pace.

"Run!" Lin Qingqing shouted, spinning around and dashing toward the car. Lei Min followed instantly.

The moment the word left her lips, the entire pack pounced like a synchronized flash of lightning.

*Rip!* The tip of a claw from the lead cat caught the back of Lei Min's jacket. Feeling the backward tug, she swung her steel pipe behind her without looking.

*Crackle!* The electrified pipe struck the hind leg of the leaping cat, sending it sprawling sideways. It twitched on the ground for a long moment before managing to scramble back up.

That seemed to trigger the entire pack. Like a hornet's nest stirred to fury, the cats surged toward them with maddened intensity.

Seeing them closing in, the two had no choice but to turn and engage. They fought while retreating toward the car, Lin Qingqing wielding her ice blade and Lei Min swinging her electrified pipe, batting away the attacks one after another.

The mutated cats, unwilling to let their prey escape, realized the two were dangerous. They changed their tactics, spreading out to launch organized, wave-like attacks, attempting to wear the two women down through sheer attrition.