A mysterious man in pitch black armor appeared in front of them.
Blocking the door to where they can stay.
Just when death was shrouding them, they suddenly appeared, and those seemingly terrifying and ferocious zombies were handled like ants at will in front of the opponent.
head shot!
head shot!
Seeing the sharp and domineering methods, they were dumbfounded and dumbfounded. They had never thought that someone could be so cruel.
"Who is he?" Zhu Gui said to himself.
Lao Wang stared at the big characters on the back of the armor.
"police."
They are all literate people.
How could you not recognize the words behind the armor?
"Are there still policemen alive now?" Zhu Gui couldn't believe it. He always felt that it was a bit fake. They encountered such professional people in the apocalypse. They did not fulfill their responsibilities, but relied on their firearms to forcibly oppress the survivors.
By.
Everyone was very silent.
No words were spoken.
They looked at each other with confusion in their eyes.
Officer Huang turned back and stared at them. They could not see what Officer Huang looked like hidden under the mask. To them, Officer Huang was full of mystery.
What they didn't expect was that this mysterious man in dark armor took out a satellite phone and handed it to them.
The moment Lao Wang took the satellite phone call and before asking what it meant, the zombies who had been intimidated completely went into a rage.
At the end of the zombie wave in the corridor, Jin Minghao roared. The zombies in the corridor did not dare to disobey, roared ferociously, made a roar of 'ho ho', and rushed towards them in a mighty manner.
"The zombies are coming."
"Can it really be stopped?"
Lao Wang and the others looked at the situation in front of them and couldn't help but feel worried.
Several zombies were the first to appear in front of them. Officer Huang waved his arms. The palms covered by his armor were extremely destructive. When he waved them, he could hear a roaring sound of "whooping".
boom!
boom!
boom!
The zombie's head kept exploding, and thick blood splattered everywhere.
Officer Huang was like a big mountain, standing firmly in front of Lao Wang and the others.
Zhu Guidao: "For some reason, although I don't know who he is and I didn't say a word, looking at his back seems to be telling us, don't be afraid, I'm here..."
brush!
brush!
Lao Wang and the others looked at Zhu Gui.
Do you feel this way?
Finally, they looked at the back and saw the mysterious black armored man constantly killing the ferocious zombies. This group of zombies just wanted to break through the defense line and eat them who had no way to retreat.
They were fascinated by it.
I want to help, but I don't know how.
They are all made of flesh and blood. It may be safe to deal with an ordinary zombie alone, but if you fight against so many zombies in front of you, it is just adding a delicious flesh and blood dish to the zombies.
For some reason, the two words behind the mysterious dark armored man standing in front of them were so dazzling.
It seemed as if there was some kind of warm light blooming.
When they were in deep despair, a dazzling light shone, illuminating their way forward, and this light became even more dazzling.
Yang Jing, holding the baby in her arms, said, "What does the phone call he gave us mean?"
In her opinion, it was impossible for someone to give them a satellite phone out of nowhere. There must be some meaning in it.
Lao Wang looked down at the satellite phone, turned it on, and saw the communication record inside, which showed only one number.
"Does he want us to make a call?" Lao Wang said.
Zhu Guidao: "I feel like you want us to call and ask for help?"
Just when they were discussing.
They raised their heads slightly and took a look at the situation in front of them.
They saw a huge zombie appearing in front of the mysterious black armored man. The fist that hit was bigger than their heads. They didn't know if the opponent could hold on.
It wasn't until the mysterious black armored man punched out that the zombies with fists bigger than their heads instantly shattered their arms, and bloody bones could be seen.
It was really overbearing to create such a terrifying situation with just one punch.
There are more and more zombies, swarming like cockroaches. This scene is too scary, but even so, the figure still keeps killing zombies, one after another, the zombies are exploded, and the domineering scene directly hits their hearts.
soul.
"I'll make the call."
Lao Wang decided to call this number.
…
Yellow City Sunshine Shelter.
"Is this armor 2.0?"
Lin Fan looked at the suit of armor in front of him. It was obviously different from the traditional armor.
The color of the surface is a mixture of black and white. Judging from the appearance alone, the appearance of this armor is much better than the 1.0 armor.
Professor Xia said: "Well, this is a sample of the latest armor. It is a big improvement over the 1.0 traditional armor. We have installed an intelligent analysis system in the helmet. We input the zombie type data from the "Zombie Atlas"
Inside, if you encounter a zombie, the situation of the zombie will be given as soon as possible. Even if you have not read "Zombie Atlas", you can know the type of zombie."
Lin Fan listened carefully to Professor Xia's explanation.
Nodding his head from time to time.
Although he couldn't understand some of the professional terms, he knew that Professor Xia put a lot of effort into the armor.
"Night vision and intelligent analysis are just small changes to the armor. The real change is the change in the built-in materials. After wearing the armor, when it is impacted by external forces, the built-in special materials can buffer most of the impact.
"
"Nowadays, many zombies are famous for their strength. Once hit by these zombies, the impact will be great, difficult to support, and the damage to the body will be relatively heavy. But now, under the protection of special materials, the impact is greatly
Reduces the impact on the body.”
Professor Xia introduced that the main reason is that today's equipment and materials are a bit difficult. If there are complete equipment and materials, he really wants to install a small nuclear reactor, supporting laser weapons, etc. in the armor.
Lin Fan nodded. It was indeed the case. Ordinary zombies or some normal evolved zombies were easy to deal with. The buffer of the armor was enough to offset the damage.
But things like tyrants, fusion zombies, hybrid zombies, etc...
They are very powerful, and a simple collision can cause a violent and terrifying impact.
Human beings are just flesh and blood. Without the protection of armor, a simple collision can cause them to be torn apart, with internal organs ruptured and other consequences.
Professor Xia picked up the battle armor and put it on his arm. With a slight movement, a crisp sound came out and a sharp and bright elbow blade appeared.
"This is the elbow blade installed on the battle armor. When the battle armor is blessed, the elbow blade is integrated with the battle armor and can also be blessed. Considering that most of the geographical environments of combat are in cities, the suction force is specially added
The device can be used in various environments.”
When Professor Xia designed 2.0, he was not thinking about how high-end it would be, but about its practicality.
Lin Fan said: "Professor Xia, this is really great. This armor is very practical in many aspects. When they change to the second armor, it will be even stronger."
He always firmly believes that as long as humans can work together, they will be able to defeat zombies and defeat the apocalypse.
"That's all I can do. I hope I can help you." Professor Xia sighed. He felt powerless in zombie research and could only make some contributions in terms of equipment.
And at this moment.
The satellite phone Lin Fan carried with him rang.
Take out the phone.
"Officer Huang's call, is this another survivor?"
Lin Fan answered the call. He would never delay Officer Huang's call. After all, the situation outside was changing rapidly and could change drastically in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, Officer Huang, how are you?"
"You... I'm sorry, I'm not Officer Huang."
Lin Fan had never been surprised when he heard these words. He often encountered this kind of situation and he already had his own way of dealing with it.
"Oh, hello, don't be nervous, don't be afraid. I am Lin Fan from Huang City Sunshine Shelter. The person wearing a black armor in front of you now is Officer Huang. He will ensure your safety. Please tell me your location. I
We will arrive at the scene in a very short time. Please trust Officer Huang in front of you, he will do his best to protect you." Lin Fan said quickly.
I just want the other party to relax their vigilance and listen carefully to the voice coming from the satellite phone. It's a bit noisy. It's obviously Officer Huang who is fighting the zombies.
He knows there is no point in hurrying.
Officer Huang is wearing a battle armor, and his own strength is extraordinary. Even if he encounters terrible zombies, he can still support him. As long as he knows the location, he can reach his destination in a very short time.
"Laofangshan, we are in a shelter embedded in the mountain on the other side of Laofangshan."
"Okay, hold on, I'll be here soon."
hang up the phone.
"If you have anything to do, go get busy." Professor Xia said.
"Um."
Lin Fan left in a hurry.
…
In Laofangshan Shelter.
The smell of blood wafted in the air at the scene, and thick blood spilled all over the floor. The walls that originally revealed the iron light were covered in blood.
Countless zombie corpses are piled up in the corridor. It is not an exaggeration to say that this place is a purgatory on earth.
The original color of Officer Huang's armor could no longer be seen and turned completely red.
Like a bloody demon coming out of the abyss.
"He is really strong, really strong."
Zhu Gui had long been frightened by the situation in front of him. From the beginning to now, he could no longer count how many zombies the other party had killed. He only knew that the other party had always guarded the line of defense. No zombie could break through the line of defense and come to
in front of them.
Lao Wang said: "I called him, and the other party said he would be there soon and asked me to hold on. The other party called him Officer Huang. He is a police officer in the apocalypse and is always rescuing living survivors."
Zhu Guidao: "It's really incredible that there are such police officers in the apocalypse."
Yang Jing, holding the baby in her arms, said: "It's faith and responsibility. He is a qualified policeman no matter in peacetime or now."
Zhu Gui looked at each other and was deeply touched by what Yang Jing said.
Are there really people who still maintain their faith even in the last days?
They looked at the situation in front of them.
Officer Huang stood in front of them as steadily as a big mountain. His seemingly not tall figure was, in their eyes, as towering as a mountain.
"Roar……"
There was a ferocious roar.
They saw a zombie appearing not far away that was obviously not simple at first sight.
If they had watched "Zombie Atlas", they would have recognized that the zombie was a fusion zombie. With the appearance of this zombie, the ordinary zombies in front of them obviously felt terrible oppression and quietly pressed against them.
wall.
The fusion zombie clenched its fists, leaned forward, and roared angrily. The sound seemed to be an impact of energy, which was transmitted wave after wave like a wave, causing wave-like wrinkles to appear on the wall.
Officer Huang also roared, and the sound collided with the sound, and the invisible sound waves seemed to form a violent impact. In the place where the collision occurred, the metal wall seemed to be impacted, and there was a clicking sound.
Zhu Gui and the others looked at each other.
Officer Huang who was standing in front of them was also roaring just now. Listen carefully, this voice sounds like the roar of a zombie.
at this time.
Officer Huang, wearing a battle armor, gradually became serious when he saw the appearance of fusion zombies. When the zombie stage reaches a certain level, it will be very scary.
The fused zombie is walking towards Officer Huang. Its crystals are colorful, which is not comparable to those of mature hybrid zombies.
It knows that the guys hiding in the armor are zombies.
It can integrate the abilities of other zombies and is very interested in Officer Huang. It wants to eat his flesh and blood and take out the crystals in his head.
The fused zombies roared as they walked, and the surrounding ordinary zombies were instructed to run wildly.
Of course, the target of this group of ordinary zombies is not Officer Huang.
It's the humans hiding behind.
Fusion zombies don't believe that the opponent is still thinking about protecting the humans behind them at this moment. After all, they can't protect themselves, so how can they still protect humans.
Unfortunately, it was wrong.
As the ordinary zombies approached, Officer Huang roared, quickly stretched out his arm, and directly pushed the approaching zombies against the wall.
boom!
boom!
Officer Huang kept fighting back.
He must kill all approaching zombies.
The safety of the people behind you must be ensured.
At this moment, the fusion zombie quickly appeared in front of Officer Huang. With a bang, his arm, which did not look rough, could burst out with unimaginable power and directly hit Officer Huang into the wall. The entire wall was covered with fire.
It sunk in.
If it weren't for the higher hardness of the armor, this single blow would have seriously injured Officer Huang.
"Officer Huang..."
Seeing this situation, Zhu Gui was very worried. Officer Huang, who was like a god of war in his eyes, was pressed into the wall by the other party. This situation was not acceptable to him.
The fusion zombie raised his hand and wanted to blow Officer Huang's head open with one punch.
Biu!
A bullet hit the fusion zombie's head, but the bullet was like cotton and could not cause any damage to the fusion zombie's head.
The fusion zombie raised its head and looked at Lao Wang, who was holding a gun.
Humans are shooting at it.
Lao Wang, who fired the gun, moved his throat and looked very nervous. The zombie gave him a strong sense of oppression.
The bullet had clearly hit.
But not even a layer of skin was touched.
It's really terrible.
Officer Huang, who was beaten into the wall, saw from the corner of his eye another ordinary zombie rushing towards humans.
Officer Huang jumped up in an instant, ignoring the threat posed by the fused zombies to him, and rushed towards the ordinary zombies, pressing them to the ground and blowing off their heads.
Officer Huang looked at the living humans and still said nothing, but why did he look at them? It was obviously sending a signal, don't be afraid, you will be safe with me here.
From the beginning to the end, Officer Huang has been protecting the citizens. He was so weak at the beginning and faced the massive zombies, but he refused to retreat. Even though he was covered with wounds, he still stood in front of the citizens.
He is a police officer whom living people can trust.
It is also an example that many police officers need to learn from.
"careful."
Lao Wang reminded him loudly.
The fusion zombie appeared in front of Officer Huang. It arrived unexpectedly. Officer Huang stretched out his hand to grab the opponent's neck.
But who would have thought that the fused zombie could predict Officer Huang's movements.
Avoid it in advance and let Officer Huang escape.
Bang.
Officer Huang's waist was swept by the fusion zombies, and a huge force burst out. Officer Huang, who was wearing a battle armor, was hit hard against the wall. The extremely powerful impact spread along the wall, causing cracks to appear on the wall.
"What a scary zombie."
They knew that Officer Huang was very strong, but they really didn't expect that this zombie was even scarier than Officer Huang.
"Ho ho"
Ordinary zombies took advantage of this opportunity and tried to rush in and eat them completely.
Officer Huang embedded in the wall seemed to sense this situation.
Like a cheetah, it rushed out again and hunted down the ordinary zombies that rushed towards it.
This situation greatly shocked Lao Wang and the others.
It has obviously been suppressed like this.
But when they are in danger, do you still want to protect them and never care about your own safety?
Officer Huang stood outside their door, opened his arms, and faced the zombies in front of him fearlessly.
The fused zombie tilted its head and walked towards Officer Huang step by step. As it approached, Officer Huang used his instinctive grabbing moves to protect the waist of the fused zombie.
But fused zombies may have precognitive abilities.
He stepped back to the extreme, raised his knee sharply, and hit Officer Huang's helmet hard.
boom!
Officer Huang couldn't support this terrifying force, so he turned his body backwards and spun, and fell to the ground with a bang.
The fusion zombie raised his feet and landed, trying to crush Officer Huang's head.
Officer Huang rolled, trying to avoid the kick as much as possible, but the fusion zombie seemed to know where Officer Huang was going to roll, and the foot firmly stepped on Officer Huang's head.
boom!
Metal floor dents.
Looking at this scene, Yang Jing and the others covered their mouths, their eyes widened, and even the corners of their eyes were a little moist, as if tears were about to roll down.
They found that Officer Huang was really trying his best to protect them.
Even if he was beaten so miserably.
There was no move to back down.
Officer Huang grabbed the ankle that was on his head, and used his metal-covered fingers to exert force. Poof, his fingers crushed the fused zombie's ankle.
The fusion zombie roared and kicked Officer Huang away.
Officer Huang, who was kicked against the wall, got up and made a low voice. This was the scariest zombie he had ever encountered. It was scarier than any zombie he had encountered before.
The fusion zombie looked down at its ankle. The flesh and blood were blurred, and the bones in the flesh could be seen. He cut off the ankle with a knife, and then the flesh and blood moved and grew again.
Foreknowledge.
A broken limb is reborn.
This ability is beyond imagination.
This is a kind of zombie second only to the creator.
When there is no creator, it is the real overlord among zombies.
"Officer Huang..."
Zhu Gui and the others looked at the back. The word "police" behind them was covered with flowing blood, but even so, they still couldn't hide the flickering light in it.
Officer Huang looked back and saw that the helmet on his head had cracks. Under the crushing force of the fusion zombies, even the blessed armor gradually became unable to support it.
"Leave it to me, I can do it."
Officer Huang, who had been reluctant to speak, spoke.
In just six words, Officer Huang's determination was expressed.
He seemed to know that he was no match for the fused zombies in front of him, but he knew that Lin Fan would definitely arrive, and he was waiting. He must hold on until Lin Fan arrived before he could be defeated.
Officer Huang rushed towards the fusion zombie without hesitation.
The fusion zombie standing there had already known Officer Huang's movements and had predicted the other party's behavior in advance.
Officer Huang wants to blow the fusion zombie's head off.
However, the fusion zombie dodged him, grabbed his neck, and raised it high. Officer Huang waved his arm, and with a snap, the fusion zombie grabbed Officer Huang's arm.
Even though he was covered in armor, Officer Huang still felt how terrifying the opponent's power was.
"Ho ho"
The fused zombie roared, pulling Officer Huang's arm, creaking... the sound of metal twisting could be clearly heard.
Poof!
One of Officer Huang's arms and the metal armor were torn off by a fusion zombie.
Thick blood flowed all over the floor.
"Officer Huang..."
Zhu Gui and the others couldn't help shouting.
The fused zombies roared, and the ordinary zombies behind them rushed towards them like mad dogs.
Officer Huang saw this group of ordinary zombies.
Struggling like crazy.
However, the power of the fused zombie was so strong that it was unable to break free for a while.
He looked at the group of ordinary zombies that were about to cross his side and pounce on the citizens.
Officer Huang's strong will to protect them suddenly burst out, and with a bang, he struggled to break away from the fusion zombie's control, but the metal protecting his neck shattered, directly exposing his throat.
Officer Huang, who had a broken arm, rushed towards the ordinary zombies.
boom!
boom!
Kill the ordinary zombies that want to rush over one by one.
He was still standing in front of the citizens, staring at the fused zombies in front of him. His embarrassed appearance showed that his current condition was very poor.
But even so.
He still won't back down.
"Officer Huang, are you okay?" Zhu Gui said with a trembling voice.
The very embarrassed Officer Huang looked back and said nothing. He could say that he was not good, but he would definitely not say that. As a police officer, when facing criminals, he must move forward bravely even if he knows he is defeated, even if he is beaten to pieces.
Kong, he will not surrender to the criminals.
…
Outside.
boom!
A figure descended from the sky and landed steadily in front of the door of Laofangshan Shelter.
I saw the iron gate thrown aside.
Then he looked at the two jeeps parked there.
Quickly walking towards the inside, he saw the badly damaged walls and could imagine what had happened here before.
"Warning! Warning! Warning!"
The red light was still flashing in the corridor.
Lin Fan sensed movement in front of him. Not long after walking, he saw the corridor was crowded with zombies. These zombies wanted to move forward. This was because Officer Huang and the survivors were stuck inside and could not escape.
Without thinking, he pulled out Frostmourne and transformed into an afterimage, waving a sword full of positive energy.
Poof!
Poof!
Wherever the sword light passed, the zombies' bodies were cut off directly, and thick blood flowed all over the ground.
at the end.
The fusion zombie discovered that the thing this guy was wearing was like a turtle shell and was very hard. There was really nothing he could do except tear it or press it with extremely strong force.
at this time.
Officer Huang was choked by a fusion zombie again.
The fused zombie showed a gloomy smile similar to that of a human, and grabbed Officer Huang's other arm, as if trying to slowly turn Officer Huang into a human.
"Officer Huang..."
"Officer Huang..."
They shouted helplessly.
Lao Wang had already used up all the bullets, but the bullets fell on the zombie's body without any use, not even a little bit of skin was broken.
It has completely made them despair.
Creaking, creaking...
The crisp sound is harsh.
The fused zombie makes a low sound.
And at this moment.
A figure appeared, accompanied by a sword light.
Poof!
The arms of the fused zombie were cut off instantly.
The fused zombie stepped back and looked at the broken arm with a puzzled expression, as if thinking... what on earth happened?
Okay, why is the arm broken?
The fusion zombie looked up and saw a figure appearing in front of him.
"Officer Huang, are you okay?"
Lin Fan looked at the situation of Officer Huang at this time, and his expression changed slightly. Officer Huang was now in a miserable state, with broken arms, damaged armor, and the armor protecting his chest had been dented. As you can imagine, Officer Huang's body had been damaged
What a squeeze.
Officer Huang's armor was personally blessed by him.
It turned out like this.
This was something he could never have imagined. Then when he saw the fusion zombies, he knew what Officer Huang had gone through. Facing such zombies, among all humans, except for him who could kill them, everyone else could escape.
All are lucky.
Lin Fan looked at the survivors standing there.
"I'm Lin Fan, just leave the rest to me."
He found that the faces of these survivors were full of fear, and he spoke to comfort them, telling them not to be so afraid.
Later.
Officer Huang's appearance at this time made him feel very distressed. Officer Huang, who has always maintained public security, is so dedicated. No matter what difficulties he encounters, he always moves forward. It is obvious that the Huang City he is responsible for is safe, but Officer Huang
It's better to stop, leave the stable yellow market, and plunge into the dangerous apocalypse.
He didn't want to see Officer Huang treated by zombies like this.
"Officer Huang, leave it to me, I will handle it next." Lin Fan said softly.
He knew that Officer Huang had been waiting for him.
Officer Huang knew how terrifying the zombies in front of him were, but he still relied on his own abilities to persevere, fight, and buy time for his arrival.
Lin Fan stood up and looked at the fused zombie that had regrown its arms.
"You become a zombie because you want to be lawless and even dare to hurt the citizens that the police officers want to protect. I know many people think there is nothing you can do, but as long as I, Lin Fan, are here, you will have no chance to be arrogant."
Lin Fan looked at the surrounding environment.
The dented and cracked walls illustrate how much torture Officer Huang suffered.
Lao Wang and the others looked at the mysterious figure that suddenly appeared.
Yellow market?
Lin Fan?
Can a human being without a suit of armor really be a match for those terrifying zombies?
Their hearts are twisted.
There is an unspeakable worry.
And just when they didn't know what the outcome would be, a shocking scene appeared in front of their eyes.
Lin Fan's figure seemed to disappear.
When it appeared, it had already appeared in front of the fusion zombie, and the fusion zombie that was just standing there was actually hit directly into the wall.
The speed is too fast.
Their vision simply cannot capture it.
"I won't get rid of you quickly. I want you to experience the pain that Officer Huang suffered." Lin Fan looked at the fused zombie sunken in the wall.
The fusion zombie climbed out of the wall, shook its head, and let out a low roar towards Lin Fan.
It's just that the fusion zombies didn't rush over.
Instead, he showed fear and actually took a step back.
The fusion zombie originally wanted to rush towards Lin Fan.
But in its foreknowledge, it would receive an unimaginable blow when it rushed over.
Zhu Gui said in shock: "Did you see that the zombie was retreating, as if he was afraid of him?"
They are not blind.
Naturally, I saw this happening.
The zombies who were very cruel to Officer Huang actually showed fear. They were deeply shocked. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would have found it hard to believe this scene.
They don't know who Lin Fan is from Sunshine Sanctuary in Huang City.
But that's the kind of person that even such a powerful police officer Huang is waiting for.
That must be unimaginable.
Also, when they saw that the zombies that had just crowded the corridor could not even stand up, and their bodies were torn apart, they rubbed their eyes, thinking it was an illusion.
But the reality is right in front of us.
It’s impossible not to believe it.
At this moment.
The fusion zombie turned around and ran away. It had a little wisdom and knew that it was no match for the human being in front of it. It predicted many charging behaviors, but the final results were unimaginably bad.
Just when the fusion zombie was about to turn around and run away.
It found that the back of its neck was grabbed by someone. When it reacted, its entire face collided with the metal ground, and a terrifying force spread.
The ground is sunk in.
The fusion zombie got up, its face bloody and bloody, and continued to roar toward Lin Fan.
Lin Fan stepped forward and raised his leg.
Fusion zombies can predict the opponent's leg-raising movements.
But it really can't react.
boom!
Lin Fan blocked the middle and swept across, and then swept the fusion zombie into the wall.
"I know you can predict, but the prediction is your picture, but you can't react. This is the difference between you and me." Lin Fan said.
He knows that fused zombies are really a disaster for humans.
If Officer Huang did not contact him, what would be the result?
You know it without even thinking about it.
Officer Huang will definitely be beaten to death by fusion zombies.
This is not a scene he wants to see.
Fortunately, Officer Huang has full trust in him. When he encounters danger, he will call him as soon as possible. He likes this kind of Officer Huang. When he knows that he is in danger, he seeks help and understands that I am not alone. I still have Huang Shi
Sunshine Shelter Lin Fan can help me.
"Ho ho"
The fusion zombie roared crazily.
boom!
Lin Fan kicked the fused zombie in the jaw. The fused zombie flew high into the air, its head collided with the ceiling, and it directly penetrated the ceiling and hung there.
He grabbed the fused zombie's ankle, yanked it off, and slammed it to the ground.
boom!
boom!
Smashed again and again.
The scene at this time deeply shocked Zhu Gui and Lao Wang's hearts.
"Is this still the scary zombie we just saw?"
They asked to themselves.
The fusion zombie just left a shadow-like image in their hearts.
but now……
The zombies that left them like a shadow were being brutally beaten.