"Ouring here was indeed because we heard the broadcast... Was it sent by you? What''s going on with that research institute? It isn''t in the building across the street at all! And you mentioned knowing the truth about the virus outbreak..."


    Elijah squinted his eyes and stared at the man opposite him, speaking each word deliberately.


    He started to piece things together. These people had deliberately given an incorrect location for the research institute in the broadcast.


    The location they mentioned was within their line of sight, so anyone who went to that empty building must havee to rescue them after hearing the broadcast.


    "We do know the truth about the virus outbreak, but you have to rescue us first. Keep us away from the female zombie in the center of theke, and then we''ll tell you!" The man spoke with a slight excitement.


    "Oh?"


    Elijah smiled, "That''s simple. We already cleared most of the zombies on our way here. As long as we take care of that mutated female zombie in the center of theke, you all will be safe!"


    "Really? That''s great! Then hurry up and kill that female zombie!" The man, along with the group behind him, became visibly excited upon hearing Elijah''s words.


    Earlier, they didn''t want us near theke, but now they are so sure we can take out that mutated female zombie? Elijah thought, puzzled, but he put on a frustrated expression and said, "That female zombie has ice abilities and is very strong! If she were onnd, I could definitely take her down!


    Unfortunately, she didn''t leave theke even when she was so close to us earlier. If she had, I would have killed her right then! Now that she''s in theke, which is her main battlefield, it''s too dangerous and difficult! I heard gunshots earlier; do you have guns? Why not try using them? If you''re afraid, you can give me the gun, and I''ll kill her from a distance!"


    Upon hearing this, the people inside fell silent. The man who spoke initially gave a sheepish smile and said, "Um... we are scared, and the gun... is actually just a toy that makes noise!"


    "I see."


    "If... we... if we have a way to lure that female zombie out, can you kill her?" A girl from the crowd suddenly stepped forward, both anxious and terrified.


    "Zoe, what are you doing?" The man''s face darkened, and he turned to scold her harshly.


    "What am I doing? Of course, I''m going to kill that woman, or none of us will escape! We''ve been living in fear these past days; that woman is doing it on purpose! She could have invaded the cafeteria, but she didn''t kill us all at once! She kills one person every few days; she''s ying with us like a cat with mice! She wants us to face death bit by bit in endless terror!"


    The girl started with a sob, but by the end, she was screaming hoarsely.


    "That woman hates you the most. If you go out, she''ll definitelye ashore! Yes! As long as you go out! As long as you go out!"


    The girl named Zoe, trembling and shouting hysterically, suddenly lunged at the ss door and spoke to Elijah:


    "That female zombie just saw you and didn''t daree ashore. She must be afraid of you. You can definitely kill her, right? Yes! You can definitely kill her!"


    After saying this, Zoe immediately turned to look at the leading man:


    "Mason, you just need to sacrifice yourself, just once, to lure that woman out!"


    "Zoe! You''re crazy! What are you talking about?" Mason''s face turned ashen as he stepped forward, trying to pull Zoe away.


    "I''m not crazy! You were the one who said it! You said they must have superpowers and can definitely handle that woman!"


    "I..." Mason''s face grew even darker.


    He had indeed said that. When he fired the gun earlier, he intended to test the abilities of this group to see if they could deal with the vile woman in theke.


    To his surprise, the woman had shown hesitation for the first time and didn''t daree ashore.


    This had made him overjoyed, leading to his previous statements.


    However, he had intended for his own people to know this, not to let the outsiders find out. Zoe waspletely out of her mind!


    As Mason thought this, a trace of ruthlessness appeared on his face. That woman hated him, but no one here was innocent, especially not Zoe! Why should he be the bait?


    "p!" A heavy pnded on Zoe''s face.


    "Enough!" Mason roared. The p stunned Zoe, and she seemed to regain some rity, looking at Mason with a hint of fear in her eyes. She covered her face and took a few steps back, not daring to speak again.


    Abigail was watching the drama unfold with great interest, but now that it seemed to be ending, she pouted in disappointment.


    Elijah, however, noticed something in that moment. The man named Mason had briefly ced his hand on his belt. It was this action that had frightened Zoe into silence and retreating a few steps.


    Elijah, through the outline faintly visible under Mason''s loose T-shirt, guessed that he had a gun tucked in his waistband. No wonder the woman had suddenlye to her senses!


    Elijah''s face showed a faint smile.


    Watching this absurd scene, Elijah had already guessed what was going on with the female zombie outside just from the few words Zoe had said.


    It was likely that this man named Mason, or this group of people, had caused her death.


    After dying, she had awakened as a mutated zombie and, like Abigail and Kylie, had somehow retained a part of her consciousness.


    But unlike Abigail and Kylie, who had retained memories of their most important friends and family, this mutated female zombie seemed to have retained her endless despair and a deep-seated hatred that couldn''t be erased even in death.


    She hated Mason and everyone in the cafeteria but didn''t want them to die easily.


    This exined what Zoe had said about the female zombie having the ability to invade the cafeteria and kill them all at once but instead ying with them like a cat with mice, killing one person every few days to let them taste the pain of being slowly swallowed by despair.


    Zoe, having been suppressed to the extreme in such an environment, seemed to have lost her mind when she learned that Elijah might be able to deal with the female zombie. The umted pressure suddenly released, making her appear almost insane.