David coughed awkwardly and instructed, "I need to go out for a while, I'll leave this to you." With that said, he turned his head and glanced at Duke, who was still struggling.
Arnold patted his chest and replied, "Leave it to me."
David nodded and opened the door, walking out. He planned to go upstairs to find the man and clarify how much he knew about the red light. Although David didn't know which room the man was in, the only thing he could be certain of was that it wasn't on the same floor as them.
"I can only search slowly," David murmured. He summoned his armor and held an alloy battle sword in his hand. This was the most critical moment, and if any unexpected situation occurred, he needed to be alert and prepared to handle it.
Equipped with his gear, David walked up the stairs. He searched room by room for signs of occupancy, passing by Brian and Lily's room. The bloodstains inside the room had long dried up, and the scattered flesh on the floor became even more evident. David quickly averted his gaze, turned around, and continued to the next room in search of the man.
Meanwhile, in the stairwell, the man wearing a duckbill cap walked heavily, pressing the cap low. As he walked out of the stairwell, he didn't notice David's presence as he had left through another stairwell. The man leisurely took out a key, opened the door of the third room from the left, and entered cautiously, closing the door behind him.
On David's side, he searched floor by floor for the man but couldn't find him. When he reached the rooftop and saw the empty platform, he furrowed his brow. How could he not be here?
Standing at the entrance, David looked at the red light on the ground but didn't take a step forward. Letting out a long sigh, he turned away from the rooftop. Returning to the room, Duke had already finished absorbing the energy and his eyes were bright, excitedly discussing something with Arnold.
Arnold noticed David's return and quickly greeted him, "David, you're back." Then, he nudged Duke. "Duke seems to have leveled up too!"
David's lost eyes lifted his head when he heard this. Before more powerful zombies appeared, he had to improve his own strength to the maximum and establish his own team. Only then would he have the capital to confront the apocalypse and ensure his survival in the long run. David knew that the upcoming tasks were crucial, and he had to seize the time to complete them.
There was still much for David to do. However, the most urgent matter at hand was to find a new stronghold, as it was their refuge and the most important facility for survival in the apocalypse.
"Hey," just as David was contemplating, Duke's voice came through.
David turned to look and saw Duke extending his hand towards him. "What's the matter?"
Duke shook his hand and said, "Give me a bit more of that thing, I still want Crystal!"
Want it? This kid was getting too full of himself. David immediately rejected his request.
Duke looked dissatisfied and said, "Why not?"
Listening to his question, David replied calmly, "If you don't want to die so soon, you can keep asking me. If you still want to live, absorbing the amount I give you every day is enough." With that said, David turned his head and looked out the window. Thump! His heart trembled as the red light receded.
David stood up, picked up the nearby coat, and prepared to leave. Duke walked over and asked, "What do you mean?"
David glanced at him and said, "That's what I mean literally."
Then, David gave some instructions to Arnold. Just as he was about to leave, his hand was already on the doorknob, and at the moment of opening the door, Duke spoke up, "I'll go with you."
David raised an eyebrow, didn't refuse, and nodded. The two of them went out.
Inside the room, Cola slowly opened its eyes, "Meow." Cola meowed and stood up. It glanced at the crystal in front of it and absorbed it in a few moments. Before Sally could come over, Cola disappeared from the spot.
"Cola?" Sally looked at the vanished spot where Cola had been and was momentarily stunned. Recently, Cola has been mysteriously disappearing. But in the end, Cola would definitely come back home. Moreover, it always appeared after David returned. Could it be following David? ๐๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐ญ.๐๐๐
Sally pondered for a moment but felt that something was off. If David wanted to take Cola with him, he wouldn't just leave directly. She walked to the window and watched the two people who had already walked downstairs.
Sure enough, Cola wasn't following behind them. Where did Cola go? Downstairs, the two had barely taken a few steps after exiting the stairs when the sound of zombie roars reached their ears.
David swiftly raised his blade and quickly dispatched several low-level zombies. Thump! One after another, their heads fell to the ground.
As David swiftly killed several zombies, Duke naturally refused to be left behind. As the red light dispersed and the sun gradually appeared in the sky, shadows of various objects, including the zombies, became visible on the ground.
At that moment, a zombie roared and charged towards the two of them. David was about to raise his alloy short knife to deal with it when he heard Duke's furious roar, "Die!"
David turned his head and saw Duke clenching his fist tightly, smashing the fragmented shadow of the zombie. With a loud "bang," the zombie's body, which was already swinging its severed arm, suddenly exploded with an ear-piercing sound. Witnessing this, David quickly dodged behind an abandoned billboard, avoiding being splattered with foul-smelling blood and flesh. Looking at the zombie that had been crushed into a pile of meat by Duke in an instant, David frowned slightly and glanced at Duke.
At that moment, Duke seemed to be intoxicated by the pleasure of slaughtering zombies, with a hint of excitement on his face. But in David's eyes, it was a sign of Duke being too bloodthirsty. Moreover, it was Duke's first time consuming a crystal and gaining special abilities, and he had expended his energy so recklessly for a low-level zombie.
To David, this was not a wise move. It was important to note that activating special abilities had a fatal weakness. As the energy was depleted, physical strength would greatly diminish, resulting in a direct decrease in combat effectiveness and even death on the battlefield for the ability user.
Every ability user cherished the opportunity to use their abilities and would not use them unless they encountered particularly formidable zombies. For example, David, even though his level was about to reach level six, still carried an alloy short knife when he went out. That way, he could kill zombies without depleting his energy. After all, crises were everywhere in this world, and for survival, every survivor had to leave themselves an escape route.
But obviously, Duke had overlooked this point. "You better not consume your energy like this next time, or I'm not sure if you'll end up being one of the zombies," David advised him.
Listening to David's words, Duke glanced at him, his pride still intact. In his view, he had already activated the power to crush everything, so why not enjoy killing to his heart's content? Moreover, he believed that as long as David continued to provide him with crystals, his strength would undoubtedly surpass anyone else in the room.
However, because only David had crystals at the moment, Duke didn't reveal his true thoughts but instead concealed his intentions and nodded. "I understand. I will remember it next time." He then glanced at the zombie that had been turned into pulp, a hint of disdainful smile on his lips.
The two of them continued on their way, encountering scattered zombies along the path, all of which David swiftly dispatched with his alloy short knife. Although Duke was eager to use his own special abilities, he could only think of the crystals on David's person, swallowing his saliva and silently following behind him.
Before long, David led Duke to the entrance of a tall building. Looking up, the building had around fifty floors, but due to relentless zombie attacks, it appeared dilapidated, with many of the windows mysteriously shattered.
Duke looked at the building with some confusion and asked, "Why are we here?"
With a calm expression, David didn't answer Duke's question but instead gripped the alloy short knife and walked straight into the building. Seeing this, Duke, although puzzled, followed inside.
Pushing open the weathered glass door, which was covered in cracks and even had dried black bloodstains, the two of them entered the building one after the other. The entire tower had a gloomy atmosphere due to the lack of signs of human habitation. In some hallways, there were already decomposed and putrid corpses. Observing the torn limbs and bite marks on these bodies, David immediately understood that this was the work of zombies.
To be on the safe side, David tightly gripped his alloy steel knife, fearing that a zombie might suddenly appear from a room or corner. Although he had more than enough strength to deal with a few zombies, he didn't dare to be careless. After all, being careless in such a situation would be playing with his own life.
Having already died once, David had no desire to experience the taste of death again. Ignoring the ground floor lobby, David went straight to the second floor. The situation on the second floor was similar to the lobby, with several bodies of women lying around, torn apart by zombies. Seeing that each of them fell in the direction of the entrance, David guessed that at the moment the zombies appeared, they had tried to struggle and escape. However, the outcome was already knownโthey had failed.
Duke frowned as he looked at the bodies, wishing he could go out and teach those zombies a lesson right away. Bypassing the corpses, David pondered for a while in several rooms on the second floor but found that they were all offices and not suitable as a hiding place for their team.
Their main objective for coming out this time, as the red light faded away, was to find a new stronghold for their team. Their previous location had been compromised, which David considered extremely dangerous. If he wanted to ensure the team's permanent survival in the upcoming battles, he had to quickly find a new base.
Shaking his head at the spacious offices, David continued to the third floor. Unfortunately, it seemed that each floor of the building had the same layout. After going up to the tenth floor without finding a suitable stronghold, David realized that Duke had also understood the purpose of their expedition.
"This kind of building is semi-public; there are simply no hidden places," Duke said, wrinkling his brow. "Instead of searching here for a base, it's better to take a look in the alleys outside. We might find some unexpected rewards there." Duke's judgment was not wrong. Compared to this building, the residential houses in the alleys seemed more suitable as a stronghold and were sufficiently hidden.
David had naturally thought of this option, but after careful consideration, he felt that other surviving teams might have the same idea. In that case, multiple teams would end up living under the same roof, and conflicts would be inevitable. In this world, people with ulterior motives were everywhere. David had to avoid all risks and ensure that their team was secure enough. That's why he came to this building that everyone else overlooked.
After circling the tenth floor, David suddenly spotted a car key on a table, and a spark of inspiration ignited within him!
"Parking lot!" When David saw the bunch of car keys, those words immediately came to his mind. The parking lot belonged to an underground structure, which offered significantly greater security compared to buildings on the surface. Moreover, based on his memories from his previous life, a large building like this should have at least four entrances and exits in the parking lot. This meant that if their team encountered danger, they would have four escape routes, greatly increasing their chances of survival.
With this in mind, David didn't hesitate anymore and quickly said to Duke, "Let's go to the underground parking lot. Maybe we'll find the base we're looking for."
"The underground parking lot?" Duke was initially puzzled when he heard David's words, but then he immediately understood David's idea, which filled him with admiration. It wasn't an ordinary person's ability to maintain a clear mind in such chaotic and oppressive circumstances.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the underground parking lot. The lighting inside was intermittently dim and bright, and all kinds of cars on both sides were already covered in dust. David cautiously observed the surroundings while holding an alloy short knife, and Duke assumed a stance ready to launch an attack at any moment.
After a while, they reached the innermost part of the parking lot where the lighting remained unaffected and functional, allowing David to see the surroundings clearly. On both sides, there were still many cars parked, but compared to the cars they had seen when they entered, these were noticeably high-end and luxurious: Ferraris, Porsches, Bugatti Veyrons, and even two modified off-road vehicles.
Seeing these luxury cars, which would cost a fortune on normal days, discarded here like trash, David couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head. In his previous life, he couldn't afford a single one of these cars, but in this world, he could own any car he wanted. It wasn't about becoming wealthy; it was about the fact that the number of survivors in this world was dwindling. Being alive already meant having access to immense wealth.
David continued to observe for a while, nodding silently. He believed they could utilize the terrain here to establish a stronghold, ensuring a safe hiding place for their team members. Moreover, the most important thing was that he didn't see any corpses here, which meant that no zombies had been in this area. It was clearly an absolute safe zone.
"Huh? Why is there another door here?" David suddenly noticed an inconspicuous corner where there was a steel door of the same color as the wall. If one didn't observe carefully, they wouldn't notice this door at all.
David walked towards the door, discovered that it wasn't locked, and gently pulled it open. Stepping inside, he was somewhat surprised to find a three-bedroom apartment. This surprised him.
An apartment with three bedrooms and a living room in the underground parking lot? How is this designed? However, when David entered the bedroom, he understood why someone would build a three-bedroom apartment in the underground parking lot. He saw a maid's uniform and a set of expensive-looking suits scattered untidily on the bed.
Wow! So this is a "hidden" room built by some big boss just for his mistress! This made David full of admiration for this cunning big boss. Being able to choose this location was also a stroke of genius. The original spouse would never have expected her husband to enjoy himself not in a hotel or an office but in the underground parking lot. However, now this place belonged entirely to David. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๏ผ๐ฃ๐๐ฉ
Looking at the dust on the table in the room, David speculated that the wealthy boss who owned this place hadn't been here for quite some time. It was even possible that he had become food for the zombies. David couldn't help but feel delighted at the stroke of luck he had in finding such an excellent location with high security.
"This is it!" David surveyed the room and expressed his satisfaction. Duke also inspected the room and was equally pleased.
"Now all we need to do is bring Arnold and the others here, and This is our new base for the team," David said.
There were still five days left until he had to find a base for the team. Initially, David thought five days wouldn't be enough time, but to his surprise, he managed to complete the task in just half a day, which relieved him.
If he didn't find a suitable base within these five days, according to the system's prompt, David would likely be completely exposed to the zombie horde and wouldn't have any more chances to respawn. So he had to seize this rare opportunity for rebirth and fulfill his unfulfilled wishes from his previous life.
After a moment of contemplation, David instructed Duke, "You stay here and wait. I'll go back and inform the others. We don't have much time; we're moving here today."
Although Duke hesitated for a moment upon hearing that David wanted him to stay alone, he eventually agreed. Seeing this, David hurriedly retraced his steps, preparing to inform Arnold and the others.
Meanwhile, as the red light on the horizon disappeared, Danny finally put down the few remaining potato chips in his hand. He got up and walked slowly to the window, glancing at the window across the street, only to find that the two people who were observing the red light had vanished.
"I don't like red in this world," Danny sighed and shook his head. Hearing Danny's words, Monica couldn't help but roll her eyes.
In this world, red only appeared in two situations: bloodshed and red light. However, whenever either of these two occurred, it meant destruction. Not only Danny, but all survivors wished to avoid encountering this color their whole lives.
"Easy for you to say, but can you avoid it? In this world full of slaughter, we can only passively accept it. If there comes a day when we can accept it proactively, I hope it's for victory, not death," Monica replied. The man sitting in the corner remained expressionless, while Danny nodded with deep meaning.
"By the way, did you say David is offering ten thousand primary crystals for a box of military supplies?"
"Yes," Monica nodded in response.
"Although I'm curious about where that kid got military supplies from and even want to buy it right now, we have to wait for Abraham to come back before making a decision. After all, it's ten thousand primary crystals. Although we're not short on them, we can't be so extravagant," Danny said, and Monica understood his meaning. She knew that only Abraham could make such a decision, so they silently waited for Abraham return.
On the other side of the city, inside an equally dilapidated building, an old man stood before a double-layered security door, leaning on a cane. With a "beep," the identity verification succeeded, and the double doors slowly opened. The sight inside the secure door was in stark contrast to the decrepit building.
Inside was a massive laboratory, various experimental equipment neatly arranged on tables, and containers of different colors filled with liquids bubbling away. And in each of these liquids, without exception, were black objects. Approaching one of the containers, the old man pushed his wire-rimmed glasses and furrowed his brow, a hint of seriousness appearing on his face. ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐๐.๐๐๏ฝ
"It's running out of time. I must hurry to extract more energy," the old man murmured, shaking his head.
This old man was none other than Abraham, and the objects immersed in the liquid before him were actually corpses of zombies. Not only in the liquids but also in some cryogenic chambers and on surgical tables, there were neatly arranged zombie bodies. From their appearance, these zombie bodies were particularly large and seemed different from ordinary zombies, most of them being high-level ones.
Abraham collected these zombie bodies from various places. The reason he collected their corpses was that he discovered a little-known secret from these high-level zombies. It seemed that enormous energy was hidden within them. This energy was potent and could even directly trigger the mutation of humans, granting them incredible abilities.
For example, Abraham successfully obtained teleportation abilities by extracting energy from a high-level zombie corpse. That was why he could leave the base and come here when the red light appeared. His teleportation ability allowed him to move to a location twenty meters away in the blink of an eye. During the movement, he couldn't be targeted, not even by something as terrifying as the red light, which couldn't harm a hair on him.
However, Abraham had never revealed this secret to Danny, Monica, and others. After conducting several experiments, he discovered that the energy extracted from the zombie bodies wasn't easy to control. The acquired abilities were also not very stable. This would pose potential risks to those who absorbed this energy.
Abraham knew that if he revealed this secret to Danny and the others, they would surely experiment on themselves in an attempt to gain these abilities. But as the only elder among them, Abraham didn't want them to become guinea pigs. Originally, he planned to wait until he had more time to thoroughly study and research in the laboratory. However, the sudden reappearance of the red light made Abraham immediately realize the urgency of the situation.
Moreover, he had a vague sense that a wave of higher-level zombies was about to descend. For the survivors like them, it would be a devastating massacre. Therefore, before that happened, he needed to completely understand this energy and stabilize it, making it fully absorbable by those with abilities. Only then would they have a chance to survive.
"God bestows great tasks upon worthy individuals," Abraham muttered as he put on his lab coat. "I hope I have enough time." With that said, he picked up a surgical knife from the operating table and began his research on the zombie bodies...
Back at the original base, David quickly informed everyone about the discovery of the new base.
"Great! Now we don't have to worry about finding a place to stay!"
"Yes! Only then can we focus on practicing and improving our abilities."
Arnold and Sally exclaimed happily. Although they were at level three, they couldn't control their abilities very well yet. At this stage, their abilities were still unstable, so a secure stronghold was crucial for both of them. Sophie nodded repeatedly and started packing her belongings, and everyone else became busy as well.
David didn't have many things, and most of the important items were carried by the system, so he didn't have much to pack. Seizing the opportunity, he crouched down to stroke Little Black's fur. "Little Black, we're moving to a new place. Are you happy?" After consuming the crystals, Little Black seemed more understanding, immediately grasping David's words and wagging its tail excitedly. This brought a smile of contentment to David's face.
In the monotonous life, he was grateful not only for Sally's presence but also for the company of Little Black and Cola. Otherwise, he might have developed depression in this constantly anxious life.
And Cola? David was thinking about it when he suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Cola since he entered the room. He quickly turned his head to search for it. At that moment, Cola's voice came from the windowsill. "Meow! Meow!"
David let out a sigh of relief and walked over, reaching out and picked up Cola. "Little one, where did you go? You scared me for a moment." Listening to David's words, Cola simply looked at him and twitched its whiskers twice before letting out another "meow."
David had always had a big question in his mind about Cola. He felt that there must be some secret about Cola that he didn't know. However, even after spending so much time together, he hadn't discovered what that secret was. Just then, Sally walked out of the bedroom carrying a box.
Seeing David holding Cola, she was slightly surprised and asked, "When did Cola come back?" This question left David somewhat confused. When did Cola come back? Did it go out when he left? He quickly asked, "Did Cola go out after I left?"
Sally nodded, but then immediately shook her head. After David left, Cola did disappear, but she didn't see Cola following David outside.
Seeing this, David was also puzzled, and his curiosity about Cola deepened. Meanwhile, Cola remained curled up in David's arms, looking completely content.
Soon, everyone finished packing their belongings. As David had instructed earlier, to quickly reach the new base, each person only carried essential items. After double-checking, David nodded and handed Cola to Sally while letting Little Black follow Arnold. Then they left the room.
As they were leaving, David deliberately circled a few floors, trying to find the man. The secret of the red light remained unresolved, a knot in his heart. He had to find a way to get answers from that man.
However, even after circling a few floors, David couldn't find any trace of the man's residence. Helpless, he decided to leave first and come back when he had time. After all, settling everyone else was the most important thing at the moment. And so, the four people, one dog, and one cat set off toward their new base.
Several people walked on the road and encountered a group of fiercely murderous zombies. However, at this moment, Arnold, who had already gained superpowers, stood up without hesitation. In an instant, he transformed into a werewolf form, his muscles bulging like small mountains, and the ferocious aura emanating from him was even stronger than that of the zombies. ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐น๏ผ๐จ๐ซ๐ด
"Die!" Arnold roared angrily and rushed towards the zombies without hesitation. With a few heavy blows, he turned all the zombies into a pile of flesh. Witnessing Arnold's terrifying strength, not only Sophie and Sally, but even David were secretly amazed.
"Wow! Arnold's werewolf form is so powerful! He can instantly kill zombies?" Sally said admiringly. Previously, before Arnold awakened his superpowers, he was just an ordinary person in battle, with attack power no different from an average person. It even took him some effort to deal with zombies. So now, the power he displayed was a stark contrast, shining brightly in front of everyone.
Although David was also shocked by Arnold's superpowers, he knew that if they encountered zombies of a slightly higher rank, Arnold would probably have a hard time dealing with them. Because based on the superpowers Arnold had obtained, it was a power explosion type of ability. In other words, it relied solely on the brute force unleashed by his own body in battle.
However, higher-ranking zombies differed from ordinary ones in that they possessed some human intelligence, allowing them to employ combat techniques and strategies. In that case, Arnold's power-based superpower would not have an advantage.
But David also knew that power-based superpowers had one advantage, which was that power was constantly generated within the cells, It's like having an infinite energy bar . This was very different from Duke's activated superpower. So when David saw that Arnold was using his superpowers to kill zombies throughout, he didn't try to stop him.
Soon, after killing a dozen or so wandering zombies, David led them to the underground parking lot of a building. As they entered the parking lot and looked at the surroundings, Sally was the first to ask with confusion, "Is this underground parking lot our new base?"
David nodded and continued walking. Upon receiving confirmation, Sally became even more puzzled. Because she knew the criteria for choosing a base, it not only needed to be concealed but also required an ample number of escape routes, including backup routes. Only when these conditions were met could they avoid being trapped when facing danger.
However, no matter how Sally looked at this underground parking lot, she felt that it did not meet these two conditions. So she spoke up again, "David, I think we should look for another place again. Although this place is underground, based on my experience, it is not the safest place."
After speaking, Sally had a serious expression. In this crisis-ridden world, she didn't want to joke with her own life. Sophie and Arnold looked around the environment with the same sense of confusion, waiting for David's answer. It was already quite difficult for them to survive until now, so every step they took and every decision they made had to be flawless.
Upon hearing Sally's words, David shook his head under the flickering lights. If it came to experience, he had more experience than anyone else. After all, he had the combined experience of two lifetimes, and he was extremely familiar with all of this. He knew that Sally was right, but she also overlooked the most important question, which was defense.
When they encounter danger, they naturally want to attack. However, if there is an impregnable defense, can it reduce the need for aggression? After all, initiating an attack will inevitably lead to bloodshed and sacrifice. This underground parking lot is located beneath a fifty-story high-rise building and encompasses the entire crust. It can be considered an absolute natural defense. Even if the defense is breached, the parking lot's four exits are sufficient to provide alternative escape routes. Moreover, there are several hundred cars fully fueled and ready to be activated at any time.
Attack, defense, and mobility. These are three indispensable factors in the zombie world. And this underground parking lot brings together these three factors. David shared his idea with the others. Upon hearing David's explanation, they immediately realized its significance.
Sally was so amazed that she couldn't even speak and could only admire David, silently giving him a thumbs-up gesture, saying, "I have to say, you're the most formidable person in our team."
David smiled faintly and continued leading them forward. Soon, they arrived at the deepest part of the underground parking lot. Approaching the concealed security door, David surveyed the surroundings to ensure there were no threats and then knocked on the door.
"Watchword," Duke's voice came from inside. This was the code word David and Duke had agreed upon before he left. Only by uttering the watchword could the door be opened.
"Newborn," David whispered.
Then, with a click, Duke inside opened the security door, and the group hurriedly entered. Seeing this concealed three-bedroom apartment, they were once again surprised. They never expected David to have discovered such a hidden place.
As soon as Little Black entered the room, it immediately began its "exploration" of the new home. It sniffed around here and scratched at things there, exhibiting a curious demeanor. Meanwhile, Cola jumped out of Sally's arms and leaped onto the sofa. After assuming a comfortable posture, Cola let out a "meow" towards the others, seemingly proclaiming that this would be its territory from now on.
Observing this, David chuckled and began organizing the others to tidy up the house. It seemed that the previous owner treated this sanctuary as their own home, so everything inside was neatly arranged, and there wasn't much clutter. Moreover, some appliances, kitchen utensils, and daily necessities were brand new, so they didn't need to clean anything. They disposed of some torn stockings, high heels, and expired banana-scented condoms.
They started assigning rooms since there were only three bedrooms for five people. Sally and Sophie shared one room, Duke and Arnold shared another, and the remaining room was occupied by David himself.
No one had any objections to this arrangement. After all, David currently held the most authority in their small team. Without him, they would probably have perished outside long ago. The group then began returning to their respective rooms to pack their belongings, while David went back to his own room.
Lying on the bed, David stretched lazily. After a day of fighting and searching for a stronghold, his body was somewhat weary. However, the good news was that the issue of the stronghold had finally been resolved. Just as he was about to lie down and rest for a while, the mechanical voice of the system once again rang in his ears.
[DING! Congratulations, host, you have obtained 50 primary crystals! ]
[DING! Critical strike multiplier activated! ]
[DING! Congratulations, host, you have obtained 500 primary crystals! ]
These primary crystals were all picked up by David while killing zombies just now. As he looked at the increasing number of primary crystals, David felt a sense of security. In this world, crystals were a circulating currency. As long as he had crystals, he could guarantee all his needs.
Of course, David didn't plan to use the crystals for food and drink. They were too valuable. In other words, based on the current exchange rate, one primary crystal could be exchanged for a significant amount of food. David believed that besides himself, no one else in this world was as wealthy as him.
While David was contemplating, the mechanical voice of the system sounded again.
[DING! Host has found a new Base for the team. Mission accomplished! ]
[New mission initiated: Consolidate the spatial functionality of the new stronghold and create a supreme defense system.]
[Mission completion countdown: 7 days, 18 hours, 53 minutes, 42 seconds.]
Listening to the system's voice, David furrowed his brow slightly. "Consolidate the spatial functionality of the stronghold and create a supreme defense system?" He paused for a moment and immediately understood. If he guessed correctly, this mission should be based on his spatial abilities as determined by the system. In other words, it meant using his abilities to transform the base into a fortress in the apocalypse.
In fact, David had considered this before, but he had been too focused on finding a new base these past few days, so he hadn't given it much thought. Now that they had found the new stronghold, it was natural for him to start reinforcing it. However, over seven days was more than enough time for him. In fact, David believed that if he wanted to, he could complete this mission before the deadline.
With this in mind, David didn't rush and lay down on the bed to rest. After all, taking care of his body was essential, especially in this world filled with violence.
On the other side, as Monica watched the disappearing red light on the horizon, she became restless. She had been waiting for Abraham for nearly a whole day, but she still hadn't seen him return.
As a result, their plan to purchase weapons from David had to be put on hold. However, Monica suddenly wondered if someone had beaten them to David's stockpile of weapons. If that were the case, their wait would have been in vain.
You see, in this world, if you possessed a box of weapons, you were like a god. Having weapons symbolized power. Although Monica believed that their group's strength shouldn't be underestimated, having weapons would provide them with a greater sense of security.
"Why hasn't Abraham come back yet? It's almost dark," Monica stood up and paced anxiously.
At the same time, she was also very puzzled. Although Abraham would occasionally go out alone, it was usually for a short time, and he would always return within a few hours. But today, he had been out for so long without returning. Could he have encountered some danger?
With these thoughts, Monica immediately panicked! The red light had just dispersed, and there were wandering zombies everywhere outside. If Abraham had truly been targeted by the zombies, the outcome would be unimaginable.
Seeing Monica's serious and nervous expression, Danny, on the other hand, calmly returned to the sofa and continued opening the remaining bag of potato chips to eat.
Observing this, Monica became displeased. "Abraham hasn't returned yet, and you're still eating potato chips? Don't you worry about Abraham's safety?"
Danny picked up a chip fragment and put it in his mouth, producing a crisp sound. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Abraham is highly skilled and unpredictable. You don't need to worry about him ,you're concerned about your own safety. He won't be in danger. Instead of anxiously waiting here, why not enjoy the rare moments of beauty in life?"
Danny gestured with the bag of potato chips, inviting Monica to have a piece as well. This only angered Monica even more! She knew that Abraham was also a hidden master, but the situation outside was too complex now! The reappearance of the red light and the discovery of high-level zombies in the recent battle indicated that the danger level in this world had increased by another level.
What would they do if higher-level zombies appeared? Monica didn't have the leisurely attitude of Danny. After a pause, she spoke again, "Forget it, enjoy the beauty of life yourself. I'm going out to search. Maybe I'll have some gains." Without further hesitation, she turned around and disappeared from the room.
Seeing Monica leave, Danny wasn't concerned. He also knew Monica's personality, and once she had made up her mind, he couldn't change it, no matter what he did.
Meanwhile, in the third room on the left of the third floor, a man wearing a duckbill hat and a black cloak slowly walked out. Standing at the doorway, he surveyed his surroundings, finding no one, and then headed towards the staircase.
As the sky gradually darkened, David began to wake up. At that moment, there was a knock on his bedroom door. "David, it's time to eat," Sally's voice came from outside the door. David answered and got up, leaving the room.
He entered the dining room, not knowing when Sally had already prepared dinner. Everyone was sitting at the table, waiting for David. Looking at the dishes laid out on the table, David rubbed his belly, suddenly feeling a wave of hunger.
"David, start eating! Sally has been busy making this for the whole afternoon. It smells so delicious that it makes one's mouth water!" Arnold eagerly exclaimed, looking at the braised pork ribs on the table. David nodded and picked up his chopsticks to take a piece of rib. The others followed suit and started eating.
"Sally's culinary skills are truly amazing. This steamed fish is so delicious! And this herbal chicken soup is so nourishing!" Arnold praised Sally's cooking while eating. David also didn't hold back and gave Sally a thumbs-up.
Hearing these exaggerated compliments, Sally smiled happily, feeling a warm and nostalgic sensation in her heart. Since the red light descended and the zombie outbreak occurred, she hadn't experienced the feeling of eating together like this. So she watched the others eating greedily, and it seemed like she was seeing the scene of her and her family eating together in the past.
After a while, the table full of dishes was completely devoured by everyone. David patted his satisfied belly and then took out several dozen crystals and placed them on the table. The plan was for everyone to absorb these crystals later and see if they could make any breakthroughs.
In this world full of crisis, gaining strength quickly is naturally the desire of every survivor. However, if one is too eager in their heart, they often end up sabotaging themselves at a critical moment.
In the previous life, David had seen too many people who destroyed themselves because they were too obsessed with gaining power. So, after being reborn, David constantly reminded himself that everything must go through a process and not to be impatient. He was particularly worried about Duke's behavior at the moment.
However, he knew that Duke, who was obsessed with power enhancement, would not listen to him at all, so he could only shake his head helplessly.
After seeing everyone return to their rooms, David shifted his gaze to Little Black and Cola. Little Black was still happily gnawing on a big bone, looking contented. However, compared to before absorbing the crystals, both Little Black's size and aura had become much stronger, even showing signs of transformation.
This was an extremely unexpected development for David. If Little Black could become his spirit beast, it would be a significant boost for David. In the previous life, there were instances of ability users obtaining spirit beasts, and with the help of the spirit beast, their strength skyrocketed, even being able to confront high-level zombies head-on.
David squatted down, smiling as he rubbed Little Black's head, and said, "Little Black, eat more and grow stronger quickly. Then the two of us can dominate the world together!" As if understanding David's words, Little Black happily continued gnawing on the bone and wagged its tail towards David.
"Meow!" Suddenly, at this moment, Cola, who had been lounging on the sofa, suddenly meowed at David. And from the sound, there seemed to be a hint of dissatisfaction. This made David laugh wryly and quickly sat on the sofa.
He rubbed Cola's chin gently and said in a gentle tone, "Cola, are you jealous?" Cola only glanced at David with its head raised, then arrogantly stretched out its paw and licked it, completely ignoring David. This instantly made David feel awkward. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก๏ผ๐ค๐๐
Wow! Now even Cola was acting like this? But recalling the last time when he saw the shadow of a demon cat in Cola Behavior, David nodded with deep meaning. If Cola could really activate the abilities of the demon cat, it would be an incredible existence for him.
With the changes in the rules of this world, spirit beasts were also classified into different levels: Awakened, Commanding, Transcendent, Totem, Sovereign, Demon King, and Void.
Initially, spirit beasts that acquired abilities were at the Awakened level. After long-term absorption of crystals or self-transformation, they could gradually upgrade their level and become stronger. However, there were some exceptionally talented spirit beasts that could reach the Commanding or Transcendent level upon gaining abilities. But such spirit beasts were extremely rare and hard to come by. Therefore, David had high expectations for Cola.
David took out twenty crystals from his pocket and placed them in front of Little Black and Cola. Then he returned to his room. Little Black wagged its tail happily and quickly absorbed all the crystals, while Cola stood up and began to absorb the crystals only after David entered the room.
And this scene was clearly observed by David, who was watching from the crack in the door. "Sly cat, You don't like crystals, do you? Why do you seem to enjoy them more than Little Black?" David looked at Cola, who was in a state of bliss, and chuckled.
Before moving, he discovered that the ten crystals previously placed on the table had suddenly disappeared. He initially thought someone else had consumed them, but based on his understanding of them, David quickly ruled them out. Instead, he became suspicious of Cola. So, he staged a little act to see what Cola had been up to in his absence, but to his surprise, he caught him red-handed.
Continuing to observe Cola's every move, David noticed that after consuming the crystals, his entire body began to expand, emitting a surprising sense of pressure. After a few minutes, Cola returned to his previous lazy state, lying on the sofa and continuing to sleep.
Suddenly, Cola seemed to sense something and turned his head towards Little Black. This immediately raised David's alertness, and he quickly looked in Little Black's direction. After consuming the ten crystals, Little Black's body suddenly grew larger, and even his eyes faintly emitted a green light. Opening his mouth, a hotter and more dazzling green light glowed continuously, clearly indicating an upgrade facilitated by the crystals.
This left David momentarily stunned. He quickly pushed open the door and approached Little Black, squatting down to carefully sense his changes.
Sure enough! Just as David had guessed, Little Black had evolved from an awakened Hellhound to a commanding-level Hellhound! His strength had once again reached a new level!
"Well done, Little Black!" David exclaimed excitedly as he rubbed its head. At this moment, the others had also finished consuming the crystals and walked out of the room. David hurriedly shared the good news of Little Black's promotion to a commanding-level beast with everyone.
Everyone gathered around Little Black, wearing expressions of astonishment, eager to take it out and experience a battle with it. Little Black wagged its tail with excitement, circling around the group.
"This is amazing! Little Black has exceeded our expectations! He's a commanding-level beast!" Sally happily exclaimed while holding Little Black.
Arnold and Sophie also looked at Little Black with excitement and joy. As for Cola, who was lying on the sofa, it simply let out a gentle "meow" while wearing a slightly displeased expression, then closed its eyes and dozed off.
At this point, David inquired about everyone's experiences after consuming the crystals. Arnold and Sally mentioned that they hadn't upgraded, which didn't surprise David since they had just completed their previous upgrades. However, he was surprised to learn that Sophie had unexpectedly gained an ability.
"Sophie, what ability did you acquire?" David eagerly asked.
Sophie nodded, then closed her eyes slightly and raised her hands. In an instant, the tips of Sophie's feet left the ground, and in that moment of levitation, shimmering starlight suddenly showered down from the sky. The starlight landed on each person, and they felt an inexplicable surge of power spreading through their bodies. Arnold even witnessed his wounds from battle healing at a visible rate.
"A healing ability?!" David exclaimed in astonishment, feeling the surge of power.
Listening to David's words, everyone present looked at Sophie with some surprise. They all knew what it meant to have healing abilities. In a battle, offensive abilities, defensive abilities, and healing abilities were the three essential powers. As long as they had these three abilities, they had a high chance of winning the battle.
In David's five-person team, both he and Duke possessed offensive abilities, while Arnold's werewolf ability not only had attack power but also provided decent defense. The only thing missing was a healing ability. After all, injuries were unavoidable in battles, and at such times, having an awakened healer would be crucial in turning the tide and even determining the outcome. Now, Sophie perfectly filled the gap in their team, making them a well-rounded unit.
"That's great! Now our team's offensive system is complete!" David looked at Sophie excitedly. Sophie also looked around at everyone with a hint of excitement. While everyone awakened their abilities, she had always remained an ordinary person. Just when she thought she would remain that way for the rest of her life, she suddenly awakened her own ability. And from David's words, she could sense the importance of her ability.
"Sophie, give your healing ability a name. How about... Stellar healing?" David recalled the moment when Sophie used her ability, and the falling dots of light resembled stars, which led him to suggest that name.
"Stellar healing... That's good! I like that name!" Arnold clapped his thigh and agreed. Sally also pondered over the name and nodded in agreement. Sophie naturally had no objections, so she nodded to confirm the name of her healing ability.
"Hmm? Where's Duke? Why hasn't he come out of his room? Sophie, we must let him know about this great news." At that moment, Sally suddenly noticed that Duke was still inside his room. She walked towards his room and knocked on the door. However, despite several knocks, there was no response from inside, which puzzled Sally.
David hesitated for a moment, seemingly anticipating something, and quickly walked over to kick the door open. The scene inside the bedroom immediately appeared before everyone's eyes.
Duke had collapsed on the ground like a pile of mud, with traces of blood at the corners of his mouth, seemingly unconscious.
"Duke!" Arnold immediately rushed over, lifted Duke up, and checked his pulse. He nervously looked at David and said, "His pulse is very weak, and his internal energy seems to be in disarray."
Everyone became tense. David quickly went over and carefully observed Duke's condition. His face was pale, and his internal energy surged as if it was about to burst through his skin. ๐๐๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐.๐๐๐
With just a glance, David understood the reason. Duke had consumed all ten crystals at once, causing his body to be unable to bear the power of the crystals, resulting in a backlash. As energy storage devices, the crystals contained a vast amount of energy surpassing that of the human body. The consumer had to finish consuming one crystal before moving on to the next, otherwise, it was easy for the energy to accumulate and exceed the body's capacity to withstand.
It was evident that Duke had consumed all ten crystals at once, leading to an unbearable burden on his body. David furrowed his brows. Although he knew accidents were bound to happen sooner or later given Duke's temperament, he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
However, the most important thing now was to release the excess energy within Duke's body and prevent it from shattering his organs. Without hesitation, David activated his spatial blade and made a shallow cut on his skin. Instantly, a large amount of vigorous energy surged out from the wound, even faster than the speed of blood loss.
Everyone watched anxiously, fearing that Duke might have some accident. After ten minutes, the excess energy inside Duke's body finally dissipated, and his breathing gradually stabilized.
"Sophie, please use your Stellar healing once again to heal his wounds," David instructed Sophie.
Sophie nodded and quickly raised her hands, performing a prayer-like ritual as she activated her ability. Suddenly, star-like lights descended upon Duke, and in the blink of an eye, the wound inflicted by David's spatial blade closed up completely. At that moment, Duke regained consciousness, relieving everyone's anxiety.
"What... what happened to me?" Duke looked at everyone surrounding him, a bit confused. He remembered that after consuming the crystals, he was about to leave, but suddenly felt a whirlwind-like force surging within his body, causing unbearable pain, and then everything went dark before he fell to the ground.
Arnold explained the events to him. "If it weren't for David's timely intervention, you might not be here with us anymore." Arnold sighed as he spoke.
Upon hearing Arnold's words, Duke's face turned red, and he looked at David with embarrassment. "Thank you..."
David sighed as well and said, "Strength cannot be improved all at once. Don't do such foolish things again in the future. I don't want to lose a brother." He patted Duke on the back and then left the room.
Watching David's departing figure, Duke felt a sense of guilt. Following David's instructions, Duke continued to rest in the room to recover from his weakened state. The others gathered in the living room, contemplating their own abilities.
Observing this, David glanced at Little Black and had a sudden idea. Little Black had already reached the commanding level as a hellhound. He wondered about its combat prowess. With this thought in mind, he decided to take Little Black out for a test, which would not only allow it to gain some combat experience but also acquire some crystals.
With this plan in mind, David casually found an excuse and left the room with Little Black. Seeing David and Little Black leave, Cola, who had been lying on the sofa, suddenly opened its eyes and glanced at their figures. Then, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, it leaped out through the door crack.
In the underground parking lot, David surveyed rows of luxury cars and ultimately chose a modified off-road vehicle. With a sixteen-cylinder engine, top-notch off-road suspension, and massive wheels, it exuded a sense of power just by its appearance. Since the underground parking lot was attended by valets, all the keys were kept in a dedicated key storage room.
David quickly located the key to the modified off-road vehicle, inserted it, started the vehicle, and revved the engine. The sound of the powerful engine echoed through the area.
"Driving a luxury car is so satisfying!" David exclaimed as he caressed the carbon fiber steering wheel. Then, he pressed the accelerator once again, and the vehicle roared out of the underground parking lot.
David drove the modified off-road vehicle with Little Black, racing through the city streets. The exhilarating roar of the engine and the gusts of wind outside the car window filled David's heart with excitement.
In his previous life, David was just an ordinary worker who commuted by bus every day. Sometimes, he even had to walk home to save money. Whenever he saw people driving luxury cars with beautiful women by their side, he couldn't help but feel envious. He always thought that when he became successful, he would buy a luxury car and experience the feeling of showing off. Unexpectedly, in this life, he fulfilled his wish by driving a luxury car.
The only difference was that there wasn't a beautiful woman sitting in the passenger seat, but Little Black. Little Black was also very excited, wagging its tail vigorously. As they passed through one street after another, David carefully observed the surroundings, trying to find some single and wandering zombies. Just as he slowed down and turned a corner, a faint putrid and bloody smell suddenly permeated the air.
Based on his experience from numerous battles with zombies, David immediately recognized that the scent came from a zombie. Little Black also seemed to have detected the scent and became restless and anxious, barking loudly at the window. "Woof! Woof! Woof!"
To avoid alerting any potential threats, David quickly signaled Little Black to remain silent, then drew his alloy dagger and got out of the car. Little Black also leaped out of the car window. Following the stench of decay, David arrived at the entrance of a roadside convenience store. It was a 24-hour store, with a flickering signboard and a chaotic interior.
David gently pushed open the door and walked in. Rows of collapsed shelves and scattered damaged food items indicated that nobody had been here for a long time.
David continued to follow the scent further inside. At that moment, Little Black suddenly let out a low growl in a specific direction. David immediately turned his gaze to where Little Black was looking. He saw a low-level zombie feasting on the body of its companion, and the putrid smell in the air became even stronger.
The zombie also noticed David at the same time, emitting a chilling sound. It slowly stood up, discarding a severed arm in its hand and quickly charged towards David. Seeing this, David remained calm and said to Little Black, "Little Black, take it down!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Little Black roared angrily and sprinted towards the zombie like an arrow leaving the bow. When it was two or three steps away from the zombie, Little Black kicked off with its hind legs, instantly soaring into the air, while opening its mouth to reveal sharp teeth.
In the blink of an eye, Little Black pounced on the zombie. With its immense strength, it sent the zombie flying five or six meters away. The low-level zombie opened its decaying mouth, intending to devour Little Black, but Little Black didn't give it a chance. It unleashed a green flame from its mouth, directly engulfing the zombie. The zombie let out a sound of agony, which gradually faded away until it turned into a puddle of blood. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก.๐๐ค๐
[DING! Congratulations, host, you have obtained a primary crystal, and the critical hit effect is active at a 100x multiplier! ]
[Congratulations, host, you have obtained one hundred primary crystals! ]
As the zombie turned into blood, the voice of the system followed. David nodded silently and walked towards Little Black. "Good job, Little Black! You truly deserve to be a leader-level Hellhound!" David praised excitedly while patting Little Black's head.
He originally thought that it would take some time for Little Black to kill the zombie, but unexpectedly, it was resolved in less than a minute. This made him truly appreciate Little Black's strength. And this was only a leader-level Little Black, what if it were a Divine King or Demon King level? David started to look forward to Little Black's final transformation.
Little Black continued wagging its tail, excitedly rubbing against David's pants, as if saying that it could handle a whole pile of these things at once. After that, David continued to search nearby with Little Black, and within half an hour, they encountered more than a dozen low-level zombies. However, without exception, they were all burned to ashes by Little Black's Inferno.
David obtained several hundred primary crystals as a result. This made David instantly understand the pleasure of having a beast companion. He didn't have to fight himself; he just followed behind and collected crystals for free. Only those who experienced it would know the feeling of taking advantage. Continuing their search, David also gained a rough understanding of Little Black's combat power. Any low-level zombie couldn't withstand its charge.
"I just wonder what would happen if we encounter high-level zombies." David thought to himself. However, as he looked at the darkening sky, to avoid any unexpected situations, David decided to call it a day and head back home. But just as he was about to start the off-road vehicle, the sound of a fight suddenly reached his ears. Moreover, amidst the sounds of fighting, there seemed to be a woman's voice.
This immediately made David alert, thinking that other survivors might be in danger. He quickly got out of the vehicle with Little Black and rushed into an alley.
At this moment, in a small alley, Monica frowned as she looked at a tall high-level zombie in front of her. She had initially come out to find Abraham and to see if anything had changed in this world after the Second Red Light. Unexpectedly, shortly after leaving, she encountered this zombie.
She originally thought it was just a low-level zombie, but after a few rounds, Monica suddenly realized that this zombie's strength was beyond her imagination. Not only could it attack and defend, but it could also adjust its tactics based on her fighting style. This immediately made Monica understand that she had encountered a tough opponent today, and judging by the situation, this zombie seemed to be even stronger than her.
Trapped in the narrow alley with no escape route, and with the zombie relentlessly pursuing her, sticking to her like a piece of adhesive, Monica could only continue to fight it.
Slowly, Monica's stamina began to deplete, and she was on the verge of being defeated. Despair surged within her as she could not believe that such a powerful high-level zombie had appeared in the world after the Second Red Light. Its strength could even rival that of a Level 3 esper. As she exhausted her last bit of energy, she leaned against the wall and smiled bitterly, watching the zombie approach her step by step. She seemed to see the end of her life.
"Farewell... to this world," Monica whispered softly, then closed her eyes, waiting for the final death. But just at that moment, a familiar voice suddenly reached her ears!
Little black, attack!" Upon seeing David, who arrived just in time, giving the command, Little black charged towards the zombie. Its speed was so fast that it left behind afterimages. David, holding an alloy dagger, followed closely behind Little black with a serious expression.
"David?" Seeing that it was David who came, Monica was initially puzzled, but then she felt a sense of reassurance. Ever since David saved her last time, whenever she saw him, she felt a sense of safety. It seemed that as long as David was around, she didn't have to worry about anything.
At this moment, David quickly arrived by Monica's side and asked, "Are you okay?" Monica shook her head bitterly. She couldn't believe that in just two days, David had saved her twice in her most dangerous moments. This made her feel touched deep inside.
"As long as you're fine. Stay here and don't move," David nodded and said, then he picked up the alloy dagger, preparing to help Little black subdue the zombie.
"Wait, David!" Seeing this, Monica quickly stopped him. "What's wrong?" David paused and asked in confusion. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐๐ฅ.๐ป๐ฒ๐ญ
"This zombie is different from ordinary zombies, and its strength is even stronger than that of a high-level zombie. I suspect... it might be an intelligent zombie," Monica said with a frown, revealing her conjecture.
During the previous battle, Monica vaguely sensed the difference in this zombie. It not only possessed intelligence but also understood tactics and could adapt on the fly. This immediately reminded her of the descriptions she had read in the illustrations about intelligent zombies. Otherwise, with her current strength, although she couldn't kill a high-level zombie, she shouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.
"An intelligent zombie?" Upon hearing Monica's words, David furrowed his brow instantly. He was well aware of the existence of intelligent zombies and their terrifying nature. The destruction of the previous world could be attributed to the sudden appearance of a large number of intelligent zombies, rendering countless survivors helpless and ultimately leading to their demise.
In fact, David had some doubts earlier. He knew that Monica's strength should not be underestimated, so how did she end up defeated by this zombie? Moreover, judging from her complexion, it seemed that she had already exhausted all her strength.
However, at that time, David didn't have time to think too much. He was focused on quickly dealing with this zombie, which made him overlook a careful observation of it. Therefore, he stopped his footsteps and stood aside, observing the battle between Little black and the zombie. Little black, who had grown into a commanding-level hellhound, naturally possessed formidable strength. Its hind legs pushed off the ground, leaping towards the zombie, while opening its mouth and shooting out a green flame at extreme speed.
However, the zombie, upon seeing this, directly rolled on the ground, skillfully dodging Little black's hellfire attack. Even while rolling, it took the opportunity to assess Little black's landing position. Just as Little black was about to touch the ground, the zombie suddenly rushed forward with astonishing speed, even surpassing Little black .
Before Little Black landed, it decisively threw a punch! The punch landed directly on Little Black's abdomen, forcefully sending it flying more than ten meters away! Little Black, hit by the blow, let out a muffled groan and crashed into the wall, shattering some bricks and stones.
"Little Black!" David's heart tightened, and he quickly ran towards Little Black. He saw Little Black lying on the ground, curling up its whole body, with a pained expression on its face. Obviously, the punch had caused significant injury.
Seeing Little Black, who had just grown to the level of a leader, losing its fighting ability with a single punch from the zombie, David became furious. In this world, there weren't many people or things that could accompany him. Arnold was one, Sally was one, and even Duke was one. But only Little Black and Cola were the best comfort in his heart. So now that Little Black was seriously injured, how could he sit idly by?
"You bastard! I'm going to kill you!" Instantly, a strong killing intent surged from David's body. He looked like a bloodthirsty demon coming out of hell, wielding an alloy short knife as he rushed towards the zombie. The zombie, on the other hand, stood still, watching David with a contemptuous smile. It seemed to be mocking how a mere human dared to fight against an intelligent zombie. Wasn't this seeking death?
But David didn't care about what the zombie was thinking. In his eyes, as long as it harmed Little Black, it had to die! The alloy short knife in his hand emitted a dazzling light, and at the same time, David decisively activated the Space Blade, preparing to give the zombie a deadly blow with all his might. However, just as he was about to approach the zombie, the zombie unexpectedly extended its arm and forcefully blocked the attacks of the alloy short knife and the Space Blade!
This caught David by surprise! He couldn't believe that this guy could block his attacks with its arm. After all, his alloy short knife and Space Blade had killed countless zombies, even some high-level ones. How could it be that they lost their power when facing an intelligent zombie?
This resistance, also scared Monica, who was watching from the side. The zombie stared at David with its eyeless sockets, its facial expression becoming increasingly varied. It looked at David as if he were a clown. Then, it quickly raised its right hand and aimed for David's heart with its razor-sharp nails.
Seeing the knife-like nails on the zombie's hand, David knew that if it reached his heart, his life would be over. Without thinking too much, he immediately opened a spatial portal and teleported himself behind the zombie, narrowly evading its deadly attack.
Gripping the knife, David took two steps back cautiously, keeping a close eye on the zombie. The zombie also turned around and stared at him, shaking its head continuously. David's brain spun rapidly as he recalled how the supernatural beings in his previous life had killed these intelligent zombies.
As far as he knew, the skin of intelligent zombies was extremely tough, especially on the arms, chest, thighs, and face. These four areas were practically impenetrable to ordinary weapons, as any contact with them would instantly render the weapons useless. That was why in his previous life, when intelligent zombies appeared, no matter what the superhumans did, they couldn't resist them, ultimately leading the world to destruction.
"That's not right!" David suddenly whispered as he recalled his past life. "As long as it's a zombie, it must have a weakness. I just need to find its weakness and attack!"
David remembered that in his previous life, some surviving scientists discovered through dissecting intelligent zombies that although their skin was tough, they also had weak spots. As long as these weak spots were found, the zombies could be killed. So David observed the intelligent zombie in front of him and began to contemplate.
While David was observing the intelligent zombie, the zombie was slowly approaching him. Compared to regular zombies, the intelligent zombie had a steady and powerful stride, with well-defined muscle lines visible on its body.
As the intelligent zombie walked, it opened its mouth and emitted a piercing sound. David forced himself to calm down and carefully observed every part of the zombie's body: the arms, chest, ribs, waist, ankles...
No matter where David looked, he could see a layer of skin that resembled hardened steel. It was evident that this wouldn't be his weak point, which made David increasingly impatient.
Seemingly sensing David's helplessness, the intelligent zombie continued to make sounds, and there was even a hint of excitement in its demeanor. In its eyes, this human before it was undoubtedly going to die today!
Meanwhile, Monica was on edge as well. Originally, she wanted to divert the attention of the intelligent zombie, giving David some time to adjust. However, her strength had not fully recovered yet. She could barely stand against the wall and could only anxiously watch David, hoping he would act quickly.
The piercing sound of the zombie grew closer to David, and he felt as if he could smell the putrid stench emanating from its decaying body with every blink of his eyes. He kept his eyes slightly closed, contemplating every part of the intelligent zombie.
As he listened to the increasingly near piercing sound, David seemed to have an idea. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the mouth of the intelligent zombie. At the moment when it opened its mouth to make a sound, he saw a completely different red flesh inside, devoid of any skin protection.
This spot was also connected to the intelligent zombie's brain. By launching an attack here, he could undoubtedly destroy its brain, thus depriving it of its intelligence and achieving a lethal blow!
"I found it! His weak point is inside the mouth!" David excitedly shouted.
At the same time, the intelligent zombie reached David and thrust its hand straight toward his chest!
Seeing this, David suppressed his excitement and quickly opened a portal using his spatial abilities. The void tore open, leaving a rift, and as a blurred figure passed through, David appeared next to Monica. The intelligent zombie's lethal strike missed its mark.
"I found it! His weak point is inside the mouth, where there is no skin protection! Only by attacking there can we reach his brain and kill him!" David excitedly exclaimed to Monica.
Upon hearing David's words, Monica instantly understood. Just now, she had also been observing the intelligent zombie, continuously searching for its weak point.
After hearing David's words, Monica looked at the zombie's mouth. Sure enough, it was a crimson color, and she could even see the tremors of the brain behind it.
At that moment, Monica felt a sense of admiration for David. To be able to analyze the zombie's weak point amidst such a crisis was not something an ordinary person could accomplish. However, a new problem arose. The intelligent zombie was too powerful. If they wanted to attack its weak point, they had to engage in close combat and even have someone to divert its attention.
However, besides Monica, the only one by David's side was Little Black. But at this moment, Little Black was still curled up on the ground, clearly affected by the previous attack. It wouldn't recover anytime soon. Monica herself was exhausted, unable to do much. When David appeared beside her, she couldn't hold on any longer and sat on the ground. In other words, only David remained.
"How about we retreat and call for backup?" Monica suggested, analyzing the situation at hand. However, David furrowed his brow and shook his head. He knew that if they didn't deal with the intelligent zombie right now, it would pose an even greater threat to the survivors in the future. After all, zombies were constantly evolving. If given time to strengthen itself once again, even a group of superhumans would be helpless against it. Therefore, they had to kill it today!
Without hesitation, David took a step forward, gripping his alloy dagger tightly. At the same time, he analyzed the environment in the alley. Due to the narrow space, when he used his spatial abilities to teleport, he could only move in three directions: forward, backward, and up. He couldn't move sideways. This made it easy for the intelligent zombie to see through his attack route and predict his position.
But at this moment, David didn't have time to consider all of that. He had to give it a try. David opened a portal, a bright light flashed, and when he looked again, he was already above the intelligent zombie's head.
David's sudden appearance immediately drew the attention of the intelligent zombie. It slowly raised its head and looked at David above, still emitting the piercing sound.
"Here's my chance!" David tightly gripped the alloy dagger and exerted all his strength to thrust it into the zombie's open mouth. However, the intelligent zombie reacted even faster. In the instant the dagger was about to touch its mouth, it quickly turned its body. ๐๐๐๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐๐จ๐บ
The alloy dagger collided with its skin, creating a series of sparks and the sound of metal clashing. David quickly retracted the dagger and used his spatial abilities to move once again, this time appearing directly in front of the zombie.
Feeling the pain in his hand, David was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected this creature's defense to be so formidable. Even the alloy dagger couldn't do anything to it, and its reaction speed surpassed that of lower-level zombies, even surpassing some awakened superhumans.
"Darn it!" David said in a deep voice. It was clear that someone needed to divert the attention of the intelligent zombie while he seized the opportunity to attack. But now, he was the only one capable of fighting, and David found himself in a dilemma.
Monica frowned and nervously watched David. Just then, a furry figure suddenly flashed on the wall, accompanied by a familiar voice that David knew all too well. "Meow~"
David was taken aback. "Cola?" He quickly followed the sound and looked towards the wall. Indeed, he saw Cola sitting on the wall, seemingly yawning and looking at David.
"Cola, how did you get here? It's too dangerous. Leave quickly!" David quickly said to Cola, fearing that the intelligent zombie would notice it and attack. It would only make his situation worse. However, to David's surprise, after hearing his words, Cola glanced at him as if annoyed. This instantly confused David.
"Meow~" Cola called out to David and then turned to face the intelligent zombie. Suddenly, a chilling beam of light emitted from its pair of blue eyes, which left David even more confused.
As David observed the overwhelming killing intent emanating from Cola's body, he felt a sense of familiarity with this aura. It seemed like something he had encountered in his past life. Before David could think further, Cola let out a deep roar and swiftly pounced on the intelligent zombie. Its speed was twice that of Shadow, and it even left a trail behind in mid-air. The intelligent zombie, having noticed Cola, turned its rotted and disfigured face towards it and stared intensely, as if it had encountered a formidable opponent.
"Meow!" Cola extended its claws in mid-air, and several steel-like spikes instantly emerged from its palms. At the same time, cold light appeared, and its claws carried a thick killing intent.
"What's going on? How can Cola be so strong?" David stood still, astonished by Cola's transformation. He had known that Cola was keeping secrets from him, but he didn't expect it to be this fierce. Its entire presence even surpassed Shadow's. Nervously, he continued to watch Cola's actions. Cola swiftly landed on the intelligent zombie's body, and its spike-like claws immediately pierced into it.
"Scratch!" A piercing friction sound echoed, and David quickly focused his gaze. He saw that Cola had torn open several wounds on the intelligent zombie's brown, steel-like skin. Black blood was oozing out of the wounds.
The intelligent zombie seemed to feel pain and continuously emitted angry sounds. Then, it extended its palm and swung it towards Cola's body. However, after successfully attacking, Cola did not pursue further. Instead, it lightly leaped into mid-air, rendering the intelligent zombie's attack instantly ineffective.
The intelligent zombie seemed to have never suffered such a big loss before. Being bullied by a little cat was an unbearable humiliation. It extended its palm to grab Cola, who was suspended in mid-air, attempting to crush it. But how could Cola regard it seriously?
"Meow!" Witnessing this, Cola let out another low roar, and its fur suddenly stood on end, as if it had exploded. Its entire body rapidly expanded at a visible speed! The muscles on its limbs swelled like coiling dragons. In just a few dozen seconds, the originally petite Cola had become even larger than Shadow! Combined with the terrifying muscles on its limbs, it now looked like a mutated tiger, emitting an even stronger killing intent!
Cola stared at the extended hand of the intelligent zombie and continuously growled. Just as the zombie's hand was about to grab Cola, without hesitation, Cola extended its claws and fiercely slapped it!
"Boom!" A loud roar resounded as Cola forcibly broke the intelligent zombie's arm. Due to the excessive force, the entire body of the intelligent zombie was slapped against the wall by Cola. The red brick wall instantly formed a large hole, and debris continuously fell onto the intelligent zombie.
Seeing this slap from Cola, David couldn't help but utter a horrified voice. "This strength... even a mutated water buffalo wouldn't be able to withstand it!"
Monica had long been shocked and sat on the ground with her mouth wide open. She couldn't believe that a small and delicate cat could be so terrifying, appearing like a demon king.
Cola's slap had immense force. After a while, the intelligent zombie slowly stood up from the rubble. It had lost one arm and had many cracks in its defensive skin. The intelligent zombie stared fiercely at Cola, let out a roar.
Cola's palm strike was extremely powerful. After a while, the intelligent zombie slowly stood up from the rubble. By now, it had lost an arm and its defensive skin was cracked in many places. The intelligent zombie stared at Cola with anger and roared, then swiftly charged towards Cola. At the same time, its nails on the palm grew out one by one, aiming for Cola's chest. Just as it was about to reach Cola, he instantly appeared behind it and swung his fist towards its back.
"Bang!" Cola didn't give the intelligent zombie any chance to react. His punch landed directly on its back, causing the zombie's mouth to open wide in pain as its body plummeted to the ground like a runaway kite.
Seeing the opportunity, David knew it was time to act. He opened a spatial portal and teleported next to the intelligent zombie, raising his alloy dagger and thrusting it fiercely into its mouth.
Instantly, the sound of agonizing moans filled the air. The intelligent zombie attempted to struggle, but David held the alloy dagger in its mouth and gave it a 360-degree rotation, instantly blending its head into a pool of blood.
Now, the intelligent zombie couldn't produce any sound from its mouth, and its struggling body suddenly fell silent. After confirming its complete death, David withdrew the alloy dagger and shook off the black bloodstains. He let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, with the combined effort of him and Cola, they killed the intelligent zombie. To be precise, it was Cola who delivered the fatal blow.
Given Cola's current combat abilities, dealing with the intelligent zombie was an easy task. David just didn't want to prolong the battle and seized the opportunity to kill it in one strike. At this moment, Cola returned to his petite appearance.
"Meow~" Cola let out a meow towards David as if nothing had happened, completely different from the intense killing aura it had moments ago.
This left Monica bewildered as she stared at Cola. If you say it's cute, it just smacked an intelligent zombie with one paw. If you say it's not cute, well, it's just a little kitty! So, watching Cola stroll around, Monica instantly fell in love. Having such a little companion by her side meant not only being able to cuddle with it daily but also having a fighter who could take on ten enemies at once. Who wouldn't love that?
So Monica looked at David with envy, hoping he would let her enjoy spending a couple of days cuddling with Cola. At that moment, Cola slowly walked towards David and let out a meow before heading straight to the side of Little Black. Little Black, who was vaguely waking up from unconsciousness, still hadn't opened its eyes, likely due to its injuries. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ญ.๐ฏ๐๐ก
Approaching Little Black, Cola looked at it with a disdainful gaze. "Meow!" Then it extended its paw and slapped Little Black's head. Only then did Little Black slowly open its eyes. Seeing Cola's contemptuous expression, Little Black seemed to understand something and lowered its head in a submissive manner, afraid to look at Cola.
Meanwhile, Cola continued to stare at it, as if saying, "Is this all the skill you have? How embarrassing!"
Looking at Little Black's pitiful appearance in front of Cola, David laughed. At the same time, he finally remembered why he felt so familiar with the aura emanating from Cola earlier.
In his past life, David had personally witnessed some powerful Spirit Beasts whose aura was exactly the same as Cola's just now. Moreover, when he first sensed Cola, he felt that it would evolve into a Demon King-level existence in the future. Although its current strength had not reached the level of a Demon King, it was already far superior to Little Black.
With this in mind, David focused his senses on Cola's level. As soon as he focused his psychic power on Cola, its aura surged like a lake, vaguely possessing some extraordinary power.
"Mmm, Transcendent level?" Finally, amidst this aura, David determined Cola's level and couldn't help but be greatly surprised! Little Black had just entered the Sovereign level, but Cola had already surpassed it by a long shot and entered the Transcendent level.
Helplessly, David looked at the pitiful Little Black and chuckled twice. With such power displayed, Little Black wouldn't dare to make a sound, would it? David couldn't help but sympathize with Little Black.
At this moment, Monica regained her strength and slowly stood up from the ground. The first thing she did after standing up was run to David and ask, "Can I keep the kitty for two days?" She lifted her head with an expectant expression, waiting for David's answer.
Looking at Monica's eager gaze, David once again smiled helplessly. He knew that Monica had been blinded by Cola's surface cuteness. On the other hand, as Coke's summoner, David understood the principle that a beast should not be separated from its master. Otherwise, the invisible bond they had established would come to an abrupt end, and there might even be a situation where the beast no longer recognized its master.
So David shook his head, firmly rejecting Monica's request. Seeing David's refusal, Monica immediately pouted her lips and then reached out to grab David's arm, shaking it while acting coquettishly. "Big brother David, you're handsome and kind. Just let me play with the kitty for two days! Pretty please!"
As she spoke, Monica even stomped her feet shyly. As a woman who always portrayed a cool and aloof image, Monica had never acted coquettishly in front of anyone. The reason she was willing to lower her dignity and act cute for David was simply because she liked Cola too much. After all, it seemed that no girl could resist the temptation of such a furry creature.
But David's self-control was strong, and he still shook his head. This made Monica's face instantly turn red... Goodness! She had even abandoned her cool and aloof persona to act cute and coquettish, and he still didn't agree? Did he really not care about her face?
However, helplessly, if it weren't for David appearing in time to save her, she would probably have gone to the Lord of the god to act cute. So she could only sigh lightly and then look at Cola again, full of reluctance.
"Just as the red light receded, what are you doing here? This is the most dangerous time," David paused and looked at Monica inquiringly. He was somewhat confused about why she had come out at this time.
Upon hearing David's question, Monica sighed again. "I came out to look for Abraham."
"Abraham?" David asked, and the image of that old man appeared in his mind.
Monica nodded and continued, "Since the last time you mentioned trading ten thousand primary crystals for a box of military supplies, our team took note of it. However, the final decision lies with Abraham. In order to quickly replenish our arsenal, I decided to go out and find Abraham. But I didn't expect to encounter this guy shortly after coming out." Monica glanced at the slain intelligent zombie.
After listening, David nodded and said, "I will save the military supplies for you. When you have collected ten thousand primary crystals, you can come to me. Whenever you want, he can provide them, but the prerequisite is that you must have ten thousand primary crystals." ๐ท๐ฎ๐น๐โด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐.๐ฌ๐ธ๐
It wasn't that David was too much of a merchant, but supplies had become the most precious thing in this world. Although he could obtain many through system crits, he didn't want to give them away for free. He knew that people's hearts were unpredictable, and if someone coveted his supplies and resorted to means, he would be in trouble.
Monica naturally understood the unspoken meaning behind David's words, so she didn't say much and just nodded.
After a brief thought, David said to Monica, "If you decide, you can come to the parking lot of the Bauhinia Building when the time comes." Originally, David didn't plan to reveal the location of his team's small base, but considering that they might have many future transactions and Monica's character, he decided to tell her. After all, he was about to improve the defense system of the new base, and even if someone had malicious intentions, they would have a hard time.
"Bauhinia Building... I got it," Monica replied, reverting to her usual cool demeanor, and bid farewell to David. Her top priority now was to find Abraham, and the sky was gradually growing darker. She didn't want to encounter another freak like the intelligent zombie.
Before leaving, Monica glanced at Cola once again, her eyes filled with fondness. As Monica walked away, David approached Cola and little black. little black had also recovered and was able to move normally, although it still had a pitiful look on its face when facing Cola. Cola continued to meow at little black, as if it were a small leader scolding someone.
Seeing this, David quickly said, "Cola, little black has just reached the Lord-level, don't expect too much from it." Hearing David's words, Cola reluctantly closed its mouth and rubbed against David's leg.
Watching this guy who could easily slap away an intelligent zombie, David felt extremely excited. He casually collected the crystals. With Cola by his side, no matter how dangerous the situation, he now had a way out. And he believed that as time passed, Cola's level would continue to rise and eventually reach the level of a Demon King. At that time, Cola would become an unrivaled existence!
With that in mind, David picked up the two familiars and walked towards the off-road vehicle. "You've both worked hard today. I'll make delicious food for you when we get home!" After saying that, he placed little black and Cola in the passenger seat, stepped on the accelerator, and the off-road vehicle roared as it headed towards the Bauhinia Building.
With Cola's extraordinary form revealed, David gained greater confidence in surviving in this world. Moreover, with little black awakening as a Lord-level familiar, he believed that it wouldn't be long before it could grow into a super familiar on par with Cola.
Upon returning to the new base, it was already completely dark. After parking the off-road vehicle, David carried little black and Cola to the entrance. "Knock, knock!"
"Slogan!"
"Newborn."
The security door instantly opened, and Arnold stuck his head out, looking at David with some concern. "David, where were you? Why did you come back so late? Everyone was getting worried." As the core of the team, David was the backbone of everyone. So when they saw the sky turning dark and David hadn't returned yet, everyone was anxious, fearing that he had encountered some danger outside. Even Arnold was about to go out and look for David, but Sally stopped her, saying that they should trust David's strength. Arnold could only pace anxiously inside the house, waiting for David, and everyone in the living room breathed a sigh of relief when they saw David return unharmed.
"Did you encounter any danger?" Sally asked quickly, noticing David's slightly disheveled appearance. She spoke with concern while examining him, her eyes filled with worry.
David smiled slightly and shook his head. "No, I just took little black and Cola out for a walk. I also wanted to test the power of little black as a Lord-level Hellhound."
David didn't mention the encounter with the intelligent zombie today. He didn't want to worry everyone excessively, which could affect his own level advancement. After all, this was a crucial moment for them to level up, especially Sophie and Arnold. Sophie had just become an esper, and Arnold had just mastered the ability to transform into a werewolf. If they were distracted, it could undermine their progress. Hearing David's explanation, Sally nodded in agreement.
"By the way, how is Duke?" David suddenly remembered Duke, who had fainted due to excessive crystal consumption.
"He's much better now. With Sophie's Stellar Healing, he's no longer in any serious condition. He's probably sleeping now."
David nodded. Although Duke was too eager for quick progress and pursued power excessively, his team currently needed more manpower, and David didn't want to go out and search for new members at this time.
After discussing some other matters with everyone, David returned to his bedroom. He initially wanted to reinforce the defense system of the new base tonight. However, considering that with the appearance of the second red light, there would likely be more formidable opponents like the intelligent zombies, they might become busier. Resting became the most important thing at this time. If he didn't rest well, his combat effectiveness would naturally decrease. He didn't want to die miserably at the hands of zombies due to exhaustion. So without overthinking, he quickly freshened up and fell into a deep sleep as he collapsed onto the bed. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ๐๐.๐๐ง๐
At this moment, Cola squatted at the bedside, slowly opening its eyes. As soon as its eyes opened, without a second thought, it extended its claws and fiercely scratched little black 's head. Startled, little black instantly woke up with a start, looking around cautiously and even assuming a fighting stance.
But when it saw the disdainful expression on Cola's face, its ears drooped, and its eyes filled with a sense of grievance. Its momentary show of power disappeared. Cola licked its paw lightly, then let out a soft meow towards little black before standing up and walking towards it.
Then, taking advantage of the situation, it lay down on the belly of little Black. Resting its head on the soft belly of little Black, Cola yawned contentedly and closed its eyes.
But this frightened little Black! It was fine when Cola beat it up in front of so many people in the afternoon, but now it was using it as a pillow? This was simply bullying!
Helplessly, little Black had to stay still, even reducing its breathing sounds, afraid of waking up Cola. If it did, it would be subjected to a series of bullying from the evil cat.
On the other side, in a dilapidated building, a voice filled with age and a hint of unwillingness came from a laboratory. "Why! Why is it that I have studied every part of the zombie's body and still cannot grasp the secret of its energy!"
Abraham stood in front of the operating table, holding a surgical knife, looking somewhat helpless at the countless dissected zombie bodies before him. Despite his extensive research, he still couldn't uncover the mystery of their energy. This instantly left him feeling disheartened and depressed.
"Ah! Perhaps it's because I'm getting old and my abilities are not enough. Maybe only someone destined can obtain this secret."
Sighing, Abraham put down the surgical knife in his hand and shook his head. Due to the nature of the zombie bodies, he needed utmost concentration and mental strength during his research.
Furthermore, he needed to possess powerful crystal energy within himself to resonate with the hidden energy within the zombies, in order to unearth this secret. However, now in his eighties, his crystal energy had gradually weakened with age.
Standing in front of the zombies, he couldn't sense any resonance of energy. Shaking his head once again, Abraham took off his lab coat. He glanced at the sky, now filled with stars. Unbeknownst to him, he had been in the laboratory for the entire day.
Thinking about Monica and Danny still being at the base, he realized that further delay might cause them to worry. So, Abraham turned around and left the laboratory. Before leaving, he glanced once more at the zombie bodies in the lab and gently closed the door.
Under the moonlight, Abraham returned to the base. Monica, Danny, and the others had been anxiously waiting for his return. When they saw Abraham walking in, they hurriedly approached him.
"Abraham, where did you go? Are you okay?" Monica was the first to support him and ask.
Abraham smiled gently and said, "I'm fine. I just wanted to get some fresh air but ended up getting lost. It took me quite a while to find my way back based on the terrain."
Upon hearing Abraham's explanation, Danny spoke up, "As long as you're okay. In the future, please let us know before you go out. Otherwise, if something dangerous happens to you, we won't be aware." Abraham naturally understood that they were concerned for his well-being and nodded with a smile.
"Oh, Abraham, there's something we want to discuss with you," Monica paused and then spoke up.
"What's up?" Abraham sat down on the sofa, rubbing his legs which were sore from standing for too long.
"We've talked it over with Danny, and we think we need to acquire some firearms."
"Firearms?" Abraham was puzzled upon hearing Monica's words.
Monica nodded and said again, "The red light suddenly appeared again, indicating that there are higher-level zombies in this world. If we don't strengthen our defenses, it will be difficult for us to protect ourselves." She then proceeded to explain the encounter with the intelligent zombie they had today.
"Intelligent zombie?" Danny frowned instantly upon hearing Monica's words and asked.
"Yes, the intelligent zombie's power has surpassed that of ordinary high-level zombies, and it is even more terrifying than some special-tier zombies. Its skin is as tough as iron, reaching a terrifying level of defensive ability, and it can adjust its tactics based on the attacker's attack patterns. If David hadn't intervened today, I probably wouldn't have made it back," Monica recounted, recalling the life-and-death moment from earlier, still feeling a chill.
At that time, if David hadn't suddenly appeared, she might not have made it out alive. After listening to Monica, Abraham also furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He naturally understood the significance of the red light appearing for the second time, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
With that in mind, Abraham thought that it was indeed necessary to consider the matter of purchasing firearms as Monica mentioned. Moreover, their current stockpile of supplies was running low, and if they didn't replenish them in time, they probably wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. If a wave of intelligent zombies were to come, relying solely on their own abilities wouldn't last long at all. "You're right, we do need to replenish our firearms. However, in this chaotic world, who would be willing to sell us precious firearms and supplies that are equivalent to life?"
Apart from their awakened abilities, the only reliance for survivors now was firearms and other weapon supplies. Moreover, awakened individuals with abilities were only a minority, and most survivors were still in an unawakened state. This meant that if they wanted to survive, they had to rely on firearms. Abraham couldn't understand who would be willing to sell them these precious items.
"David, David can sell us the firearms he has," Monica said without hesitation.
"David?" Abraham couldn't help but feel puzzled. "I've already talked to him about it, as for the price..."
"Ten thousand primary crystals," Monica said, observing Abraham's expression all along, afraid that it would startle him.
Upon hearing this price again, Danny chuckled helplessly. "You call that a negotiation? I guess David just gave you a fixed price."
Monica glared at him angrily and said, "What's wrong? Not satisfied with the price?"
"Otherwise, why don't you go and negotiate with David for a lower price? I'd like to see how much you can bring it down," Monica said angrily. Monica knew that purchasing a box of firearms with ten thousand primary crystals was somewhat unimaginable, but there was no other choice. If she had the opportunity to haggle with David, she would at least try to bring it down by two hundred crystals.
After being reprimanded by Monica, Danny could only awkwardly close his mouth. The two of them looked at Abraham, waiting for his response. After thinking for a while, Abraham finally nodded. "In this world, primary crystals are not important; life is the most important thing. What use are these external possessions if we don't even have our lives?" Abraham, who had lived for half a lifetime, naturally understood the balance between crystals and life.
"Tomorrow, hurry up and bring ten thousand primary crystals to buy that box of weapons from David. Otherwise, we might really run out of time!" Abraham murmured softly, seemingly thinking of something, as he turned to look at the pitch-black night outside.
With Abraham's agreement, Monica nodded and decided to go find David with ten thousand primary crystals the next morning. This way, she could also see the little kitten. Just thinking about Cola melted Monica's girlish heart.
Early the next morning, David woke up. Seeing Little Black and Cola still curled up sleeping next to his feet, he smiled. To avoid disturbing the dreams of these two little fellows, David quietly got out of bed.
After a simple wash-up, seeing that the others had not yet woken up, he went alone to the underground parking lot outside the base. Today, he had to prepare the defense system for the new base. After circling around the base, David noticed that not only were all three sides surrounded by thick load-bearing walls, but even the roof was covered with a layer of heavy steel plates. It was probably done to enhance the support when the underground parking lot was built.
This made it easier for David. According to the current situation, he only needed to set up defenses in front of the base, at the entrance.
Without further ado, David directly took out ten specially reinforced steel plates from the warehouse system and, using his abilities, expanded the steel plates around the entrance. And at a distance of ten meters from the base, he used twenty steel plates for a second layer of defense reinforcement. This way, the steel plates acted as load-bearing walls, completely enclosing the base.
Not even zombies, let alone powerful weapons, could easily destroy this steel plate defense system. After all, these steel plates were made from a special fusion of materials. In the previous era, they were generally used as decks for spacecraft, not only possessing great strength but also capable of withstanding temperatures of over a thousand degrees.
After working for an hour, David finally finished setting up everything. From a distance, these steel plates surrounded the base like a tent. And to enhance the base's concealment, David painted the steel plates the same color as the walls. In the dim lighting of the underground parking lot, these steel plates were practically indistinguishable if one didn't look carefully. They had seamlessly blended with the surrounding environment.
Looking at his masterpiece, David finally felt relieved. The experience with the intelligent zombie yesterday made him cautious. If their base were to be attacked by those creatures, the few of them would probably be unable to resist no matter what.
Although everyone in their group had activated their abilities, apart from himself, the other three were at most second-level. The strength of an intelligent zombie far exceeded that of a second-level esper, which is why David hoped Little Black would quickly evolve into a transcendent-level Hellhound.
With Little Black and Cola, their team would have sufficient combat power. By then, they would have the confidence to fight against not only intelligent zombies but also stronger zombies.
"Just so diligent early in the morning? We have free access to weapons now, and yet you've made the base so sturdy. You really think ahead!" As he was thinking, a voice suddenly echoed in the parking lot. David quickly turned his head to see a charming figure slowly approaching him.
The figure emerged slowly from the darkness and approached David. Upon recognizing the visitor as Monica, David wasn't surprised at all. He knew she would come to find him sooner or later, which is why he had given her the location of his new base yesterday.
David smiled faintly and said, "I don't want to be a frog in lukewarm water in this world. My life is precious!"
Upon hearing David's words, Monica nodded and walked up to the steel plate defense that David had personally constructed. She lightly tapped on it with her slender finger. The steel plate produced a crisp and resilient sound, indicating its strong defensive capabilities. Monica couldn't help but be amazed. Finding such highly defensive steel plates in a world where resources were extremely scarce was unimaginable for most people. Yet, David had used thirty of them. Monica couldn't help but be shocked by David's abundant wealth.
"No wonder he's willing to sell valuable weapons. It seems he has plenty of good stuff!" Monica muttered to herself. She turned around and walked up to David, placing a box she was carrying on the ground. She entered the password and instantly, ten thousand neatly arranged primary crystals began to shine before David's eyes.
"These are ten thousand primary crystals. And the weapons?" Monica pointed at the crystals on the ground and asked.
Before leaving, Abraham had specifically instructed them to bring back the weapons as quickly as possible. So when Monica saw David, she didn't waste any time and got straight to the point. Looking at the ten thousand primary crystals, David nodded with a smile. In his mind, he thought that only Monica's team could afford to be so extravagant and bring out ten thousand primary crystals.
Although they were only primary crystals, they were still highly sought-after treasures. While ordinary people couldn't become Ability Users by ingesting them, they could significantly enhance their physical attributes. Ability Users could also improve their own abilities and evolve by consuming them multiple times.
Although the primary crystals were insignificant compared to the intermediate crystals or spatial crystals in David's warehouse system, they were still treasures that every survivor coveted. After all, no one else could casually produce tens of thousands of primary crystals like David could.
"Indeed, you has a lot of wealth! To casually bring out ten thousand primary crystals like this, it's truly enviable," David subconsciously praised Monica's team.
But upon hearing these words, Monica couldn't help but stare at David in frustration. Wealthy? Envious? Shouldn't she be the one saying that to David? Someone who can sell weapons, do they lack this kind of thing?
Although Monica didn't know the extent of David's wealth, she knew for sure that he was a well-off individual. Otherwise, he wouldn't casually use thirty highly defensive steel plates like that.
Suddenly, Monica had the idea of recruiting David into her team, but she dismissed it immediately. A rich person like him already had everything he needed. Why would he want to join her team?
After putting away the ten thousand primary crystals, David said, "Wait here for me. I'll fetch the weapons." He then entered the house.
After setting down the ten thousand primary crystals, David directly retrieved a box of weapons from the warehouse system. Then, after some thought, he also picked up a heavy machine gun. Since Monica would be his major customer from now on, give them bigger deal.
Looking at the supplies piled up in his warehouse system like a mountain peak, David felt that even if he didn't give them to her and left them here, it would be a waste. Carrying a box of firearms and a heavy machine gun, David walked out of the room.
Seeing David in this manner, Monica stood still in astonishment. Wow! The heavy machine gun is out too? This is too extravagant!
Placing the supplies on the ground, David smiled and said, "This is the box of firearms you wanted, and I'm also giving you a heavy machine gun. How about that? Am I a considerate friend?"
At this moment, Monica finally understood that the heavy machine gun was a gift from David to her. Opening the arms box, all the listed items were revealed: 10 high-explosive grenades, 10 anti-personnel mines, 10 anti-tank mines, and 6 Desert Eagles...
Seeing these weapons, Monica was dumbfounded. She didn't expect this box of firearms to be so abundant. It could practically arm a platoon.
"I told you I wouldn't let you lose out. These things are treasures that money can't buy now. Buying them means you've made a profit." David Watching Monica's astonished expression, said with a smile.
It has to be said that Monica wholeheartedly agreed with David's words. Not to mention all these items, even just these ten high-explosive landmines would require a substantial fortune. Coupled with the additional gift of the heavy machine gun, Monica felt that this deal was worth it! She instantly became happy because with these items, the combat power of their squad would directly rise to a new level!
After closing the arms box, Monica couldn't contain her excitement. "By the way, where's the little kitty? Why haven't I seen it?"
Pausing for a moment, Monica looked around, trying to find Cola's figure. This time, she came not only to purchase the arms box but also to cuddle the little kitty she had been thinking about. Hearing that Cola was still sleeping, Monica couldn't help but feel disappointed.
The two of them chatted about other things, and when Monica glanced at the time, she was ready to leave. If she returned late, Abraham would worry. So, she bid farewell to David and prepared to leave. But looking at the box of firearms and the heavy machine gun on the ground, her lips twitched involuntarily. These two items combined must weigh at least 200 pounds, and the heavy machine gun alone is 100 pounds. Yet, she was just a little girl! Although she could carry them, she still wanted to take care of her image.
Seeing Monica's hesitant expression, David immediately understood. "What's wrong? Can't you carry these things? Otherwise, shall I send them back for you?"
"But let's make it clear first, the shipping fee is 100 primary crystals." David revealed a cunning look as a merchant.
Monica looked at him with disdain in an instant and then said, "Can't I carry them? What a joke. After all, I am a superhuman. Can this little weight stop me? Besides, do you know what it means to be an unstoppable girl?"
Saying that, Monica bent down, lifted the arms box with one hand, and slung the heavy machine gun over her shoulder with the other hand, leaving David with a graceful figure. This made David burst into laughter. "This girl, she's really fierce!"
When Monica left, the people in the base finally came out. As soon as they stepped outside, they were stunned by the sight before them. Goodness! Thirty pieces of alloy steel plates appeared before their eyes, and unaware of the situation, they thought they had entered an underground bunker.
"David, did you do all of this?" Arnold asked incredulously as he tapped on the steel plates. David smiled and nodded, leaving Arnold even more amazed.
"Wow! With this defense in the base, even the Zombie King would cry and leave. David, you're truly awesome!" Arnold exclaimed, giving David a thumbs-up.
Sally and Duke also looked at him in astonishment. They couldn't believe that in just one morning, David had reinforced the defense of the base to such an extent.
You see, each of these alloy steel plates weighs at least a thousand kilograms, and David effortlessly arranged them. The group couldn't help but have a renewed appreciation for David's strength. As they looked at everyone's astonished faces, David smiled faintly. What he had done now was just physical defense for the base. Although it could withstand some low-level and even high-level zombies, it probably wouldn't be very effective against intelligent zombies like the ones with higher intellect.
At the same time, the voice of the system sounded in his ears.
[ Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, on completing the initial upgrade of the base's physical defense system!]
[Triggered new mission: Upgrade the base to an Apocalypse base!]
[Time: 8 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes]
Upon hearing the system's voice, David frowned slightly. "Upgrade the base to an Apocalypse base?" The system detected David's confusion and spoke again in his ear.
"The Apocalypse base is the most formidable base during the apocalypse, capable of withstanding all apocalyptic calamities, including zombie attacks."
"Survivors in the Apocalypse base can enhance their own supernatural abilities based on the fortress's level of advancement."
"From low to high, the Base can be upgraded to six levels: Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and King."
As David listened to the system's explanation, he gradually understood. He then asked quietly in his mind, "How can I upgrade the base?"
He knew that upgrading the base would definitely require some resources. If it was only crystals, he had no need to worry because the amount of crystals piled up in his warehouse was astounding. However, he vaguely felt that upgrading the fortress wouldn't be as simple as just crystals. After all, it was a matter concerning the survival of the survivors and their hiding place.
"To upgrade the base to the Black Iron level, 10,000 primary crystals are required."
"To upgrade the base to the Bronze level, 10,000 intermediate crystals are required." ๏ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ
"To upgrade the base to the Silver level, 10,000 advanced crystals are required."
Upon hearing the system's pricing, David couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. Spending 10,000 primary crystals to upgrade the base to the Black Iron level was acceptable to him, but the Bronze level required intermediate crystals, and the Silver level required advanced crystals...
David couldn't help but think, "Is this an upgrade or a robbery? These are high-level crystals! Even as a resources tycoon like him, the number of advanced crystals in his warehouse was extremely limited. Furthermore, David knew that the higher the base level, the higher the quality of crystals required. Who knows, maybe a King-level base would require all sorts of special crystals."
David thought he could live carefree in this world, with crystals all around him. But after the system's offer, he fell silent because he realized, in an instant, that even if he gave everything he had, he could only upgrade his base to the black iron level.
However, considering the importance of the Doomsday base, David nodded silently. The higher the level of the base, the stronger the support for their team members. They wouldn't even need to consume crystals to upgrade their abilities. When David calculated it, he found it worth it.
So he decided that in the days to come, he would hunt zombies diligently to obtain crystals. There was no other way. The road ahead was long and arduous, and great responsibilities would fall upon them. To ensure the strength of his team, he had to be fully committed.
At this moment, David decided to spend 10,000 junior crystals to upgrade his base to the black iron level. He looked at his base and silently called out to the system.
[Ding!]
[Host's intention to spend 10,000 junior crystals detected. Upgrading the base to the black iron level fortress.]
[Please confirm, host!]
"Confirmed!" David decisively affirmed in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Base is currently upgrading!]
David stood aside, observing the changes in the base. Suddenly, a surge of energy emerged from all around. This energy quickly enveloped the entire base. After a few minutes, the energy dissipated.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host. Base upgraded to the black iron base!]
The system prompt of the base being upgraded to a fortress resonated in David's ears, prompting him to eagerly look. In an instant, the ordinary base seemed to have a subtle metallic feel. Not only the walls but even the load-bearing walls emitted a faint metallic glow. However, the appearance of the fortress still appeared to be covered in cement, without any noticeable changes if not observed carefully.
With this upgrade, David successfully transformed his base into a black iron fortress, further improving its defensive capabilities. Seeing the upgrade completed, David smiled. It had to be said that spending those 10,000 junior crystals was worth it. Just these metallic load-bearing walls could withstand many attacks for their team.
Entering the fortress, David noticed that the interior remained mostly unchanged. However, as soon as he stepped inside, an invisible aura instantly infiltrated his body. This aura was as comfortable as the flowing of a spring or a murmuring stream.
Suddenly, under the influence of this aura, David felt a sudden ripple in his heartstrings. "Did I reach level six?" Feeling the ripple in his heart, David was surprised. He didn't expect that a black iron-level Base would grant him such a boost. It instantly elevated him to level six, exciting him. If things continued like this, leveling up their team would be like child's play.
The others also heard David's words and quickly approached, their faces filled with astonishment. "You've become a level six superhuman?" David nodded.
Sally stared at David, her eyes seemingly wanting to dissect him. Arnold, Sophie, and Duke looked at David as if he were a monster.
David smiled faintly and said, "Don't look at me with such strange eyes. I only leveled up by one level." But his words instantly sparked anger. How could you call becoming a level six superhuman "just" leveling up by one level?
Invisible to others, David made a decisive move. After a moment of contemplation, he realized that upgrading the Base would require more crystals of different levels. Therefore, he decided to take his team out hunting today. It would be a good opportunity to assess the strength and cooperation of the team members.
Now that all the members of the team had awakened their abilities and become supernaturals, David felt it was time to hone their skills through real combat. After sharing his thoughts with the others, they all nodded in agreement.
Especially Arnold, since becoming a second-level supernatural, he hadn't fully showcased his werewolf power. So when he heard David's suggestion, he was eager and ready to give it a try.
Sophie and Sally also looked excited. Only Duke seemed burdened, with a trace of anxiety on his face. David immediately understood his concerns and walked up to him, patting his shoulder reassuringly, saying, "During the battle, you can control the enemy's shadows from a distance. Stay behind us, and we'll protect you. We are a team, and we won't let anything happen to you."
David knew that Duke was still recovering from overdosing on low-level crystals, so he was probably worried that his condition would hinder the team during real combat. That's why he spoke those comforting words. Hearing David's reassurance, Duke lifted his head excitedly, looked at him gratefully, and nodded heavily.
After awakening his supernatural abilities, Duke's confidence had swelled, believing that he could defeat any zombie with his powers. But when he witnessed David saving him yesterday, he abandoned that idea because he knew his strength was insignificant compared to David's.
Seeing everyone's eager expressions, David began to prepare the team to go out and find zombies. Just as they were about to leave the underground parking lot, David looked at the cars and had a sudden idea. If they traveled on foot to search for zombies, it would undoubtedly consume a lot of time and limit their mobility. This would greatly reduce their efficiency and increase the risk of not being able to escape danger in time.
So David decided that they would all drive to search for zombies. This would not only increase their operational efficiency but also allow them to evade higher-level zombies when encountered. However, before that, David decided to give these cars a major overhaul.
In his past life, David had seen ordinary people, without awakened abilities, fearlessly driving their modified cars into hordes of zombies, surpassing some esper in bravery.
Therefore, David stopped everyone and focused on a modified version of an off-road vehicle. He then secretly retrieved some steel plates, bayonets, long spears, and other weapon devices from the warehouse. In front of everyone, he carried out a series of modifications on the modified off-road vehicle.
As they watched David busily work, everyone became curious about what he was up to. After half an hour, David wiped the sweat off his face and looked satisfied with his masterpiece.
Only then did the others understand what David had been busy with earlier, and they looked at the enhanced version of the off-road vehicle in astonishment. Mounted on the front of the vehicle were several steel spears over a meter long, exuding tremendous killing power. Dozens of short knives were also attached to the wheels and sides of the vehicle, and even an alloy steel plate was added to the roof. Overall, the off-road vehicle appeared extremely domineering, giving off a hint of a doomsday war machine.
"Oh my god! This isn't just an off-road vehicle, it's a zombie killer!" Arnold exclaimed as he looked at the war vehicle, unable to resist touching it. The other three also stared in shock at the menacing beast before them. They believed that if this thing charged into a horde of zombies, it would wreak havoc.
Soon, the four of them got into the apocalyptic war vehicle. Just as they were about to set off, little black, wagging its tail, ran out from the Base.
Upon seeing Blackie, David immediately scooped him up and brought him into the car. He believed that this real combat experience would greatly enhance little black's strength.
Perhaps it would even allow him to level up again and become a more powerful hellhound. David had expected Cola to come along as well, but after waiting for a while with no sign of it, he shook his head.
"That guy probably snuck off somewhere again." Without waiting for Cola, David started the war vehicle and sped out of the underground parking lot. The weather was good today, with warm sunlight and a gentle breeze. Looking at the lush trees in the distant mountains, they felt a sense of tranquility. Enjoying the comfortable breeze, they all felt a sense of nostalgia as if transported to a different world.
Since the zombies descended upon this world , they hadn't experienced the warmth of the sun like they used to. So, when they suddenly felt the warmth of the sun, their hearts were filled with longing.
"I wish this world could return to how it was before. That would be so nice!" Sally said absentmindedly as she leaned against the car window.
"Until the zombies are eradicated, we may never return to the happiness we had before," Arnold bluntly revealed the harsh reality to Sally, which left her feeling a bit disheartened. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ.๏ฝ๐๐
"Damn zombies! They destroyed our homeland and killed our families! I'll make sure to kill a few more!" Sally clenched her fists tightly, speaking with intense hatred. The others also wore expressions of anger, wishing they could encounter the despicable zombies right now and vent their frustrations.
Under David's driving, the war vehicle swiftly traversed every street of the city. The broken buildings lining the streets made the world appear even more desolate.
Everyone knew that this place was once prosperous, with tall buildings, beautiful scenery, and bustling crowds. People lived in a lively and extravagant world, happiness radiating from their faces. But now, they had long departed from this world.
During the drive, scattered zombies would occasionally appear on the road. Upon seeing them, David decisively steered towards them and charged. In an instant, these zombies were mercilessly slaughtered by the long spears and short knives on the war vehicle. This exhilarated everyone, and dozens of low-level crystals instantly found their way into David's pocket. With that, David led the team to continue their journey.
Suddenly, an incredibly piercing roar erupted from a building.
Upon hearing the sound, everyone's hearts skipped a beat! David immediately stopped the car and carefully listened to the sound, which was growing louder and clearly filled with a hint of anger. Moreover, the sound was distinctively different from the usual zombie noises. It seemed like a type of zombie they had never encountered before. The furrowing brows of everyone turned to David, silently asking for his decision. David, too, was puzzled as he strained his ears to listen to the sound. Whether in his past life or the present, he had never heard this kind of zombie sound before.
After hesitating for a moment, David spoke to the others, "Since we've encountered it, let's test its strength. Be ready for anything." He decisively drew his alloy short knife and opened the car door, stepping out.
Hearing David's words, the others also became alert. Although they sensed that this zombie was extraordinary and undoubtedly stronger than some low-level zombies, it was often the formidable prey that brought out their strength. They all got out of the car, cautiously following behind David. According to David's earlier arrangement in the car, they formed an arrow-shaped formation. David took the lead with his knife, with Sophie and Sally on his left and right sides, respectively. Arnold and Duke followed at the rear. This arrangement was made because Sophie was a healing ability user, and Sally's combat ability was noticeably weaker. By walking beside them, the three could be well-protected. little black, leading the way with its scent, was at the front. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐๏ผ๐๐๐จ
In this manner, the five of them maintained their formation and slowly made their way towards the building. Pushing open the dilapidated glass door, they were met with the corpses of low-level zombies, mangled in an extremely brutal manner. It seemed as if they had been torn apart by something, with their bodies broken and in pieces.
This immediately left David perplexed. "Could it be other ability users?" he speculated in his mind. However, when he thought about the piercing and terrifying sound from earlier, he shook his head. Observing the gruesome state of these zombie corpses, he didn't believe it was the work of ability users. Ability users who hunted zombies emphasized speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. They would never exert such effort to severely injure a zombie. Apart from wasting time, it could lead to a decrease in stamina and a subsequent decline in their abilities.
Therefore, David remained firm in his belief that the mastermind behind this was deeper within the building and certainly not an ordinary character. With this in mind, David heightened his caution and continuously surveyed his surroundings. They proceeded along the stairs, slowly advancing to the second floor.
Suddenly, as they passed through a hall, the same enraged roar from earlier echoed from inside. Blackie, at the forefront, had its fur instantly bristle, and the aura of a hellhound burst forth. Having already identified the enemy's location, David didn't hesitate and commanded, "little black, go!"
Upon hearing David's command, little black sprinted toward the massive silhouette in the hall. little black let out a series of growls, swiftly pouncing onto the figure, and David quickly followed suit.
However, when they saw the scene in front of them, they were instantly shocked and rooted to the spot. They witnessed a huge zombie, standing in the hall, with a strange gaze fixed upon them. In its hand, it held the arm of another zombie, while the corpses of five or six low-level zombies lay in a pile of shredded flesh at its feet. Seeing this horrifying sight, the group was momentarily stunned, overcome by fear.
Zombies eating zombies? It was something they had never witnessed before. They raised their heads to examine this brutal creature. The zombie's physique was particularly robust, with muscles still visibly exposed despite the rotting flesh. It stared at them with an excited expression.
The zombie dropped the decaying arm from its hand and emitted a grating sound of grinding teeth, as if considering them as fresh food, ready to feast upon them in the next moment. David furrowed his brow upon seeing this creature, and a name popped into his mind: Titan Zombie!
Instantly, David's brow furrowed even more tightly. He had heard of Titan Zombies in his past life. They were named "Titans" due to their incredibly strong defense, seemingly lacking any weak points on their bodies.
What's more, Titan Zombies could enhance their own rank by devouring lower-level zombies. In David's past life, he had only heard about them but never encountered one. According to descriptions from some esper, anyone who had encountered a Titan Zombie did not return alive, even some powerful esper met the same fate.
As a result, very little was known about Titan Zombies. Looking at the behemoth before them, David decisively activated his spatial blade. He seemed to anticipate that a fierce battle was about to begin, and he had to give it his all.
Arnold immediately activated his werewolf mode, while Duke took a step back, maintaining enough distance to ensure the use of his shadow control abilities. After all, as a superhuman of the self-control category, engaging in close combat would be suicidal.
Sally stood guard beside Sophie, doing her best to protect the only healing superhuman in their team. The imminent battle was about to commence, with the Titan Zombie still staring at them and emitting a grating sound. Without giving them time to react, the Titan Zombie took a big step and charged toward them. It seemed impatient to feast on fresh food.
"Go, Little Black!" At the same time, David quickly gave the command to Little Black! Upon receiving David's command, Little Black roared and leaped directly at the Titan Zombie. At the same time, green flames of hell erupted from its mouth. The Titan Zombie seemed unperturbed by the sudden attack, extending its massive hands and viciously swatting at Little Black. Its speed was so fast that the group had no time to react!
"Boom!" A thunderous sound rang out as Little Black was instantly sent flying by the Titan Zombie, the force of the blow even causing the surrounding air to tremble. Seeing this, David quickly opened a spatial portal and moved Little Black to the ground. However, even so, Little Black lay on the ground, howling in pain and with an expression of agony on its face.
Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time.
"Little Black!" Seeing Little Black injured, David couldn't help but feel a tightening in his heart and quickly ran over. As he approached Little Black, David carefully held it in his arms and examined its injuries. He saw that at this moment, Little Black had traces of blood oozing from the corners of its mouth after enduring the blow from the Titan Zombie earlier. Its breath was unusually weak, as if the energy inside its body was completely disrupted. This made David's heart tighten with worry.
it hadn't been long since Little Black became a commanding-level Hellhound. If it suffered serious injuries at this time, it would pose a serious obstacle to its future upgrades. It might even...
David didn't dare to think further, looking at Little Black, who had always been by his side, now barely clinging to life. David felt like his heart was bleeding.
"Meow!" At this moment, the sound of Cola's voice suddenly came. David turned his head and saw that Cola had somehow arrived at the entrance of the hall and was now walking towards him. After coming to David and Little Black's side, Cola looked at Little Black lying in David's arms and let out a gentle "meow," then reached out a paw and nudged Little Black. Seeing no response from Little Black, Cola seemed to panic and kept circling around Little Black.
"Meow!" Cola called out to Little Black, but unfortunately, Little Black still didn't respond. Now, Cola seemed to realize something, and its presence instantly swelled up, a strong and oppressive aura filling the entire hall.
"Meow! Meow! Meow!" Cola, with blood-red eyes, stared at the Titan Zombie and let out furious roars. It seemed to believe that the guy in front of it had killed its best friend. Although Cola would often bully Little Black on ordinary days, as familiars, their bond was very deep. So when Cola saw no response from Little Black, the first thought that came to its mind was that Little Black had been killed by the Titan Zombie in front of them!
Without hesitation, filled with rage, Cola leaped towards the Titan Zombie! In mid-air, it transformed into its extraordinary state, and its claws quickly emerged with a "whoosh." Seeing a little cat suddenly appear, the Titan Zombie first stared at it curiously, then seemed to smile.
Then, it swung its fist again, aiming to strike Cola in the air. Due to transforming into its extraordinary state, Cola's size had more than doubled compared to before. Moreover, it was in mid-air, making it an easy target for the Titan Zombie. And this punch was even more powerful than the previous one, so the Titan Zombie's fist quickly landed on Cola's body.
However, unlike Little Black's situation earlier, Cola wasn't knocked away by the punch. Instead, it extended its claws and firmly grabbed onto the Titan Zombie's fist, revealing its sharp fangs.
"Meow!" Cola's anger had reached its peak, and its voice seemed to carry raging flames. Although this punch didn't send it flying, it still caused significant damage to Cola. Enduring the pain, Cola extended its sharp claws and fiercely swiped at the Titan Zombie's arm.
"Clang!" The sound of metal collision instantly rang out. Only a few scratch marks were left on the Titan Zombie's body from Cola's attack, but it didn't cause substantial damage.
"The defense is so terrifying!" David couldn't help but be shocked. Even the intelligent zombie had formidable defense, but it was still broken by Cola's powerful claw. Looking at it this way, the defense of the Titan zombie was far superior to that of the intelligent zombie.
David's guess was not wrong. The primary attack method of the intelligent zombie relied on its own intelligence to predict the opponent's attacks and adapt its tactics accordingly, so its greatest strength was in its brain.
The Titan zombie, on the other hand, was different. Its main fighting style relied on its brute strength and the power that erupted from within its body. This required close-quarters combat. To better kill its opponents, its defense had naturally been honed to the highest level.
Glancing at the scratches on his arm, the Titan zombie suddenly twisted its wrist and tightly grabbed Cola in its hand. "Meow!" Cola instantly let out a howl and struggled relentlessly in its grasp.
While Cola struggled, the Titan zombie clenched its other fist and raised it high above its head, as if it was about to smash it down on Cola. Perhaps due to excitement, the Titan zombie continued to make sounds, and a hint of killing frenzy appeared in its bulging eyes.
"Oh no!" Seeing this scene, David became tense. Cola and Little Black were his two loyal beasts, and he couldn't bear to see them get hurt. Moreover, Little Black was still unconscious at the moment, and if anything happened to Cola, his heart would probably shatter. Just then, he noticed the sunlight shining through the hall's floor-to-ceiling windows, directly onto the Titan zombie's body, and its shadow slowly appeared on the ground.
Seeing this, David quickly shouted to Duke, "Duke, take action!" Duke's heart was already filled with anger, and upon hearing David's voice, he didn't hesitate to unleash his powers!
Suddenly, he clenched his hands tightly toward the shadow of the Titan zombie on the ground! Instantly, the raised arm of the Titan zombie froze in mid-air. Seeing Duke's success, David finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But before he could celebrate, Sally suddenly exclaimed, "No! Shadow damage won't affect him!" This made David quickly turn his head and saw that after being hit by Duke's shadow damage technique, the Titan zombie's body only paused for a moment before lifting its fist again to strike at Coke, just like before. Duke also suffered the backlash of this force and was instantly rebounded into the wall.
Duke's body hadn't fully recovered yet, and he spurted out a mouthful of blood. Seeing this scene, David didn't have time to react and directly opened a portal, rushing towards Cola .
At the same time, Arnold activated his werewolf mode and followed David, charging forward. Sally, on the other hand, guarded Sophie and urged her to activate "Stellar Healing," quickly healing Duke and Little Black.
In the blink of an eye, David reached the side of the Titan zombie, then raised the Space Blade and forcefully slashed it on its arm. This strike was a powerful blow that David had gathered, and its force was so great that it even caused the invincible Titan zombie to feel a slight pain, causing its grip on Cola 's right fist to slowly loosen.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Cola also managed to break free and leaped into the air, creating a distance of five to six meters between itself and the Titan zombie.
David quickly opened another spatial gate and teleported to Cola's side. He glanced at the pale-faced Duke and looked somewhat , at this moment, both he and Little Black were bathed in Sophie's Stellar healing, allowing them to regain some of their abilities in a short amount of time. David frowned as he looked at the Titan zombie. The slash it had made on his body had caused him some pain, and blood was seeping from his tiger's mouth.
"This guy's defense is incredibly strong!" David couldn't help but mutter to himself.
At the same time, seemingly provoked, the Titan zombie suddenly roared in anger and charged towards David. Its hundreds of kilograms of weight stomping on the floor caused the entire hall to tremble.
"Cola, get out of the way!"David quickly shouted to Cola and rolled to the other side. However, in doing so, he completely exposed Sally, Sophie, and Duke to the Titan zombie's attack. The three of them had weak combat abilities.
Especially Sophie, who was the team's only healer. If something happened to her, it would completely disrupt David's formation plan. Without thinking too much, David clenched his alloy short knife, gritted his teeth, and rushed towards the charging Titan zombie. Regardless of the circumstances, he had to protect the safety of the three individuals!
At the same time, Cola was also furious. Its cat claws, sharp as knives, sprang out once again: "Meow!" Together with David, it pounced on the Titan zombie's back.
"Clang!" The sound of metal friction resounded on the Titan zombie's body. David mercilessly swung his alloy short knife on the zombie's arm, while Cola climbed onto its back and wildly waved its claws. This move seemed to have some effect as the Titan zombie's speed noticeably slowed down, but its anger grew increasingly intense.
Without giving David time to react, the Titan zombie lifted its fist and smashed it fiercely toward David. Seeing this, David quickly twisted his footing, and the fist landed heavily on the ground near his nose. The marble floor instantly formed a large pit from the impact. However, the Titan zombie was clearly not satisfied and extended its left hand, intending to pull Cola off David's back.
At this moment, Arnold activated his werewolf mode and charged towards the Titan zombie with a howl. "Boom!" With Arnold's powerful strike, the Titan zombie was sent flying more than five meters away, causing the tables and chairs in the hall to shatter under its immense body.
Cola also leaped high in an instant and landed on David's shoulder. Seeing that Cola was unharmed, David finally relaxed. He then looked at the fallen Titan zombie with a serious expression. The zombie slowly climbed up from the ground and moved its shoulders a couple of times before emitting a piercing sound. However, this time, the sound seemed to carry a hint of anger, and its eyes were filled with intense rage. David knew that they had thoroughly angered this creature.
Through the previous battle, David realized that confronting the Titan zombie head-on was simply impossible. They could only find a way to outsmart it. He quickly surveyed the surrounding environment and saw that apart from some desks and chairs, there were no other unnecessary items in the hall. Most of the area was empty, without any objects placed around.
David had a sudden idea. The Titan zombie was tall and weighed over a hundred kilograms, which provided him with enhanced defense but also some disadvantages. One of those disadvantages was his speed. Moving with such a large body was relatively difficult.
David noticed this during the Titan zombie's movements. On the other hand, their team members were smaller in size, lighter, and faster compared to the Titan zombie. So why not use their advantage in speed to engage with him?
With this in mind, David quickly said to Arnold and Cola, "Arnold, attack from the right, Cola, attack from the left. After attacking, switch positions to avoid close combat! We need to use our speed and agility to keep it occupied!"
Upon hearing David's words, Arnold nodded, and Cola let out a "meow." Looking at the slowed-down Titan zombie, David tightly gripped his alloy short knife, and Arnold assumed a position ready to charge.
Just as the Titan zombie lifted its foot to move, David had a sudden thought: "Now, go!" He immediately rushed towards the Titan zombie like a gust of wind.
Arnold and Cola also leaped towards the sides of the Titan zombie. When they reached the front of the Titan zombie, David swung his knife fiercely towards its chest, leaving a sparking gash on its body. The Titan zombie probably didn't expect humans to suddenly attack him, so it angrily raised its fist and aimed to strike David.
Seeing this, David quickly opened a spatial gate behind him and appeared there, delivering another powerful strike with his knife. Arnold and Cola swiftly changed positions after their attacks. This made it impossible for the Titan zombie to accurately hit its targets, and it could only keep striking the floor with its fists. Before long, the floor beneath its feet shattered, revealing the underlying steel reinforcement.
The Titan zombie was completely enraged. After three roars, it became even more frenzied. Its skin emitted a red glow, which grew brighter and covered its entire body in an instant.
David immediately signaled for Arnold and Cola to stop and observed the changes in the Titan zombie. Under this blood-red glow, the Titan zombie's skin seemed to resemble the mud in a swamp. Not only did blood continue to flow from certain areas, but a layer of red skin began to grow on its arms.
"Secondary evolution?" David exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected the Titan zombie to reach the stage of secondary evolution. This meant that its defense would be significantly enhanced, and their attacks would become even more challenging. David furrowed his brow, contemplating strategies. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐ผ๐ซ๐ด
At this moment, Duke and Little Black slowly recovered from their injuries under Sophie's Stellar Healing. They stood up again, preparing to join the battle.
Seeing Duke and Little Black join the battle, David's confidence grew. Now they could quickly attack the Titan zombie from multiple angles and directions.
Taking advantage of the evolution gap of the Titan zombie, David began to make arrangements. "Arnold, continue attacking from the right. Cola and Little Black, attack from the left. Sally, step back and protect Sophie. If anyone gets injured, Sophie should immediately start Stellar Healing. Duke, listen to my commands and act accordingly."
Upon hearing David's instructions, everyone nodded. Cola and Little Black let out a low sound. Seeing Little Black return to his side, Cola extended his cat claws and tapped his head, as if reminding Little Black to be cautious. At this moment, Little Black was fully activated in Hellhound mode, and his eyes emitted a terrifying green glow as he stared at the Titan zombie.
Initially, Little Black had been reckless and got injured because he hadn't fully grasped the Titan zombie's strength. Now he became cautious, keeping a watchful eye on his opponent.
The Titan zombie emitted another piercing sound, and a hint of disdain and contempt appeared on the faces of the people before it. At this moment, it had undergone secondary evolution, and the hardness of its skin had significantly increased compared to before, resulting in defense several times stronger than before.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Titan zombieโit could convert the energy stored in its body into defensive strength on its outer skin. Through this method, it could elevate its defense to a horrifying level. The blood that had flowed out earlier was the energy it had stored when devouring lower-level zombies. So now, the Titan zombie's strength was even more terrifying than that of a fourth-level superpower.
Feeling the weight and majesty of the Titan zombie, David tightly gripped his alloy short knife. He understood that the Titan zombie was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. Their only solution was to surround it, even if they couldn't cause substantial damage to its body. At least they could create an opportunity, and that opportunity was David's goal.
As they watched the Titan zombie slowly move towards them, David gave the command, and the trioโDavid, Arnold, Colaโcharged at it. They had to take the initiative and attack before the Titan zombie launched its assault, in order to seize control of the situation.
David employed the same technique, swinging his alloy short knife fiercely at the Titan zombie's chest. However, this time, there was no sound, and the moment the alloy short knife touched its skin, it seemed to be magnetically attracted, making it impossible for David to pull the knife back no matter how hard he tried. The same was true for Arnold's werewolf attacks and the attacks from Cola and Little Black. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐จ๐บ
"Terror! This defense is too terrifying!" David's heart trembled. In the corner of his eye, he saw the Titan zombie's fist, as big as a sandbag, appear above his head.
The Titan zombie gazed at David with a playful expression in its eyes and then ruthlessly smashed its fist toward his head. This startled everyone, and they desperately tried to intervene and help David, but the Titan zombie's movements were too fast, giving them no time to react.
"David, be careful!" Sally anxiously shouted to him.
At this moment, David cursed inwardly and without hesitation activated the Space Blade, swinging it with all his strength towards the descending fist! A deep and muffled sound exploded in David's ears like a bell ringing! Immediately, the space around him distorted intensely, forming an air vortex. Due to the tremendous impact, David was flung against the wall, his ears ringing. After a moment of daze, David finally reacted and looked at the Titan Zombie.
Although David's strike bought him some time to escape, it didn't inflict any damage on the Titan Zombie. On the contrary, the recoil was so powerful that it left him internally rattled. However, it made him realize that the Space Blade wasn't magnetically attracted when it touched the Titan Zombie's skin.
David felt it might be due to the nature of the space element. With this realization, he now had a handy weapon to contend with the Titan Zombie. He quickly stood up, glaring fiercely at the Titan Zombie and shouted, "You beast! Today, I'll butcher you!"
David admitted that since his rebirth, he hadn't experienced such humiliation. In an instant, his anger soared, and he unleashed all his firepower! Without any hesitation, he charged at the Titan Zombie, crashing into it recklessly! The Titan Zombie seemed to recognize the power of the Space Blade and constantly waved its hands to defend itself, which created opportunities for Arnold and the others. Soon, they engaged the Titan Zombie in a guerrilla warfare using their speed advantage.
Suddenly, Little Black fiercely bit the ankle of the Titan Zombie, catching it off guard and causing it to stumble. Seeing this, David quickly shouted at Duke, "Duke, now!"
Duke, who was already prepared, immediately launched the Shadow Control technique against the Titan Zombie, even though he would experience a backlash. However, Duke believed there was a reason David's request. Instantly, the Titan Zombie's body stiffened, tilting in mid-air, exposing its neck.
Seeing this, David didn't hesitate and retrieved a heavy machine gun from the space. "You beast! Today, I'll make sure you die! Do you understand the damage of a heavy machine gun?"
David relentlessly pulled the trigger, spraying bullets onto the neck of the Titan Zombie. Although he knew the neck wasn't the weak point of the Titan Zombie, it seemed to be the only breakthrough point compared to other areas. The blue-glowing heavy machine gun, like a bloodthirsty war god, ferociously showered the Titan Zombie's neck with bullets.
The Titan Zombie had no chance to move and its body was constantly hit by bullets. Wisps of white smoke rose from its armored skin as the heavy machine gun took effect. Seeing the results, David quickly signaled Duke to stop and retrieved ten high-explosive grenades from the arsenal!
At this moment, due to the force of the bullets, the Titan Zombie's body was pushed to the window, with no room to retreat. David pulled the pins of the ten bundled grenades while walking forward. When he reached the front of the Titan Zombie, he released all the grenades.
"Die!" David hung the bundle of high-explosive grenades on the Titan Zombie's body, his tone icy. Then, lifting his foot, he exerted all his strength and kicked fiercely against the Titan Zombie.
The sound of shattering glass instantly resounded! David's kick was a culmination of the full strength of a Level 6 esper, unexpectedly kicking the Titan zombie out of the hall. Then, the Titan zombie sneered, and his entire body started falling downward. At that moment, the Titan zombie suddenly extended its large hand and fiercely grabbed David's arm.
"Damn it!" Caught by the Titan zombie, David had no strength to struggle due to the previous powerful strike. Arnold, Sally, and the others were shocked when they saw this!
They immediately wanted to rush over to grab David. However, the falling speed of the Titan zombie was too fast. Before they could reach David, he and the Titan zombie crashed towards the ground.
The Titan zombie tightly grasped David, staring at him with a strange expression. It seemed determined to take him down as a shield, even if it meant dying together. At the same time, wisps of white smoke started emanating from the high-explosive grenades on its body, which would completely explode in a few seconds.
"You damn beast, you think you can use me as a shield? Dream on!" David stared fiercely at the Titan zombie and immediately manifested the Blade of Space in his hand. At the same time, he opened a spatial portal. As the Blade of Space slashed toward the Titan zombie's arm, half of David's body had already entered the spatial portal.
The Blade of Space struck the Titan zombie's body, producing a series of sparks. Its grip on David's hand also slightly loosened.
Seeing this, David quickly mustered the last bit of strength to break free from its grasp and then flashed! He entered the spatial portal. At the moment the portal closed, the high-explosive grenades suddenly began to explode!
"Boom!" The sound of ten high-explosive grenades detonating caused the entire building to tremble slightly! The people in the hall quickly stabilized themselves and rushed to the balcony, looking down below. They saw a white smoke mixed with red spreading. The white smoke was from the nitrous fumes generated by the explosion of the high-explosive grenades, and the red was the blood mist from the Titan zombie's body being blown apart. However, the expressions on everyone's faces were filled with sorrow because when they looked at that blood mist, they seemed to think of something they couldn't accept.
"David! David!" Sally knelt on the ground, frantically shouting as she looked at the ground. After calling several times with no response, tears slowly streamed down her delicate face.
"David, don't scare me, okay? Answer me quickly, David!" Sally seemed to anticipate something, crying and calling out David's name.
Arnold and Duke also wore expressions of profound grief on their faces. They didn't want to accept this reality, but falling from such a height, coupled with ten high-explosive grenades exploding nearby, even an iron man would have no chance of survival. Instantly, they started blaming themselves, regretting that they didn't run faster earlier, otherwise the situation wouldn't have turned out like this. As they looked at the lingering blood mist below, everyone's mood sank to the extreme.
And at that moment, a faint cough suddenly came from below. The hearts of the few individuals shook! "Stop mourning, I'm not dead! Damn it! This bastard is really cunning!" Upon hearing this familiar voice, the group was momentarily stunned before their faces immediately lit up with excitement. They could tell that this voice belonged to David. ๐ทโฏ๐ญ๐ทโด๐๐ฎ๐ต.๐ธโด๐ถ
Being able to speak and curse, does this look like a dead person? Sally quickly got up from the ground and ran downstairs, with the others following closely behind. It turned out that at the moment the high-explosive grenades exploded, David had completely entered the spatial portal. Originally, he was supposed to teleport behind the others.
But who knew that the power of the high-explosive grenades was too great, directly shaking the space and causing his teleportation location to change, sending him to the ground. Fortunately, he completely avoided the damage from the explosion of the high-explosive grenades.
Soon, Sally followed the sound and rushed to David's side. At this moment, he was leaning against a scrapped car, coughing continuously.
"David, are you okay?" Sally squatted down and asked worriedly.
After a moment, David waved his hand and slowly stood up."I'm fine, I was just choked by the smoke from the high-explosive grenades."
After confirming that David didn't have any life-threatening injuries, Sally let out a deep sigh of relief:"It was too dangerous just now, don't do something like this again." Before David finished coughing, Sally said angrily. "I won't allow you to joke with your life."
"Anyone in our team can be absent, but not you. Besides, there are still many things... that I haven't told you." As she spoke, Sally's expression suddenly changed. From the anger just now, she slowly blushed and became shy.
This made David laugh helplessly and said, "I remember, next time I will definitely call you, and we can have a good chat." David pointed to the sky above.
"Eww! Don't say such things!" Sally quickly covered her mouth and said.
At this time, Arnold and the other two arrived. "David, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
After confirming that David was fine, everyone let out a sigh of relief. David was too important to them, even though they had become empowered individuals who could stand on their own and kill zombies. But in their hearts, David was the strongest and wisest person. Moreover, the reason they were able to awaken their powers and become empowered individuals was because of David.
Walking to the location where the Titan zombie exploded earlier, David saw pieces of black and red flesh and limbs. The once towering Titan zombie was reduced to a pile of flesh by the high-explosive grenades. Seeing the blood-red ground, the voice of the system rang in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Defense Crystal!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundred times critical strike and obtaining a hundred Defense Crystals.]
"Hmm? Defense Crystals?" Listening to the system's words, David was somewhat puzzled. It was the first time he had heard of this type of crystal. So, he silently asked the system in his mind about the function of the Defense Crystals. After learning that they could strengthen the defense of any object or person, David nodded inwardly and didn't delve into it further. He then found his alloy short knife and held it in his hand.
At this moment, Little black and Cola also came down and, upon seeing David, they approached his feet. It seemed that they also thought David had died earlier, and now they were clearly excited.
Even Cola, who was usually aloof, kept circling around David's legs, showing no intention of leaving.
However, observant David noticed that Little black seemed to be constantly looking towards the middle floor of the building and sniffing around with his nose, as if there was a special scent on that floor.
This piqued David's curiosity. Little black, being a hellhound, had a sense of smell hundreds of times stronger than ordinary dogs, so he could detect even faint special odors in the air. Even if it was several blocks away, it was no problem for Little black. Therefore, David also looked curiously at that floor of the building, feeling a slight interest. Whatever caught Little black's attention couldn't be ordinary. It might be some crystals of exceptional quality. So, David decided to go and investigate.
"You guys wait in the car, I'll go back and get something." After casually giving a reason, David took Little black back into the building. The reason he didn't tell the truth to Arnold and the others was that David was afraid there might be other higher-level zombies upstairs. If that was the case, they would have no energy left to fight again after just going through a battle. He did this to protect the lives of his team members.
After all, in his view, some difficulties were meant to be borne by David alone. If his entire team were to perish, he would regret it in this life. Hearing what David said, Sally was skeptical but still nodded and returned to the car.
Cola also had a puzzled expression and stared at David's figure for a while, then softly called out and jumped into Sally's arms. ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ๏ผ๐๐ฆ๐ต
Entering the building once again, Little black continued to sniff ahead, diligently searching for that special scent. David followed behind him, holding the short knife with a cautious expression, afraid of encountering another Titan zombie. If that happened, the best course of action would be to quickly run with Little black.
Although David had plenty of high-explosive grenades in his storage system, he didn't want to experience the sensation of being choked again. Following Little black through one floor after another, Little black stopped at the stairs on the 38th floor of the building. He wagged his tail towards David, indicating that the special scent was coming from here.
At this point, David could also smell the faint scent in the air. However, he felt that this scent was somewhat peculiar. It was like the smell of a corpse, while also resembling the smell of certain chemical substances. This made him even more puzzled.
After ensuring there was no danger in the surroundings, David slowly walked to the entrance of this floor. When he saw that the door here was a high-security door that required a card to enter, David's eyebrows slightly furrowed. Because he knew that such doors were not typically installed in regular places. They were only installed in secretive laboratories and important bases that required confidentiality and access control.
In other words, this place could be a laboratory or an important secret base. After contemplating for a moment, David decided to go in and take a look. "Little black, wait here obediently. If there's any danger, run away quickly. Understand?"
David didn't plan to bring Little black inside. If there was really danger inside, he didn't think it was a wise choice. Besides, if there was danger outside, Little black staying outside could quickly relay the information to him, ensuring his safety.
Listening to David's words, Little black crouched down obediently and nodded, raising its ears attentively, cautiously observing the surroundings. At that moment, David activated the Gate of Space. The powerful Gate of Space could surpass any obstacles and enter any space that Road Far desired. Therefore, a security door could not stop David from entering.
As a dazzling halo appeared, the Gate of Space slowly materialized in front of David. He leaped towards the gate and disappeared into the void, while the Gate of Space gradually closed, leaving only Little black outside.
Another dazzling halo appeared, and David slowly walked out of the halo behind the security door. There were two huge glass doors behind the security door, with little black and yellow biohazard symbols affixed to them. This instantly made David understand that this was likely a secret laboratory.
However, David had no idea what they were experimenting on. He slowly pushed open the glass doors and walked inside. In the instant he opened the glass doors, the faint scent of decay and chemical substances in the air suddenly rushed into his nostrils.
This made David involuntarily furrow his brows tightly and quickly covered his nose with his hand to avoid the strong odor from harming his body. After entering through the glass doors, David continued to walk forward. Ahead of him was a spacious corridor with various shelves embedded in the walls on both sides, displaying a wide variety of chemical substances.
David continued to move forward, and there was still a huge glass door ahead. The little black and yellow biohazard symbol was affixed to it as well. This made David sigh with emotion. The size of this laboratory was unexpectedly large. It had taken him more than ten minutes just to walk from the security door to this point.
Suppressing his inner doubts, David continued forward. After walking for about ten minutes, David finally arrived at the center of the laboratory. However, as soon as he stepped into this area, he was stunned by the sight in front of him.
In front of him was a spacious hall filled with various experimental instruments, as well as chemicals and equipment for experiments. In the middle of the hall, there were a dozen or so glass jars of different sizes, filled with yellow liquid. Looking at the darkening color of the liquid inside, David speculated that the rotten odor in the air earlier must have come from here.
At the same time, David noticed that these liquids seemed to be soaking something. He quickly approached for a closer look and discovered that the liquids contained the corpses of zombies. This surprised him once again.
"How could there be so many zombie corpses here?" David couldn't help but ask. At the same time, he carefully observed these corpses and found that they varied in rank. There were low-rank and high-rank zombies, as well as some intermediate-rank zombies.
"Could there be people in this world who have a hobby of preserving zombie corpses?" David became more and more bewildered. He had no idea what this laboratory was used for, or even what these zombie corpses soaked in yellow liquid were used for. He began to wander around the laboratory, hoping to find some clues.
Suddenly, as David approached a corner of the laboratory, a large operating table in front of him instantly caught his attention. "There's even an operating table? How strange."
At the same time, as David approached the table, he noticed that something seemed to be lying on it. Upon closer inspection, David realized that it was not a person lying on the table, but a corpse of a zombie. Moreover, the zombie's body appeared to have been dissected by someone, with cuts covering various parts of the body, and certain parts had even been severed and neatly placed aside.
Examining the neatly arranged pieces of flesh and missing organs, David once again found himself puzzled. He never expected that there would be people dissecting zombies in this world. In the previous world, he had heard from some survivors that there were scientists who hired supernaturals to capture zombies for the purpose of conducting dissecting studies in search of a powerful energy source.
However, this claim had always been regarded as a rumor, and no scientist had ever successfully extracted energy from a zombie. So, David looked at the dissected zombie with a faint shake of his head, then prepared to turn and leave. But just as he was about to turn away, he suddenly felt a faint energy fluctuation in the void. Although the energy was weak, David, being a spatial ability user, was able to sense it.
This made David immediately stop in his tracks and look back at the zombie on the operating table. "What's going on? How can there be energy fluctuations? Where is it coming from?"
Approaching the table, David carefully examined the zombie's body and the surrounding area, filled with curiosity. Just as he approached the corpse, he sensed an even stronger energy fluctuation. "Wow, it's coming from the zombie's body?"
"Could it be that there is really some mysterious energy contained within the zombie's body?" Now David was completely interested. He carefully observed the zombie's body and concluded that it was a low-level zombie.
At this moment, all four limbs of the zombie had been severed, and some rotten organs had been cut out. Only the heart remained intact. David leaned closer to the heart, focusing his senses. As a spatial ability user, he could clearly perceive any energy fluctuations in the surrounding space. At the moment he approached the zombie's heart, he could distinctly feel waves of concentrated energy emanating from within.
"This is it!" exclaimed David excitedly. Although he didn't yet know how to harness this mysterious energy, he felt a surge of inexplicable excitement. After thinking for a moment, David activated his spatial blade. Since the corpse was already in pieces, another cut wouldn't make a difference.
The spatial blade shimmered with faint light as David carefully sliced through the heart of the corpse. After a few minutes, he successfully extracted the heart from the body. As he looked at the heart, David furrowed his brows. He realized that the heart showed no signs of decay, and even the blood vessels on it were clearly visible. If it weren't for the fact that David had personally dug it out from the zombie's body, he would have believed it was a normal human heart. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐๏ผ๐๐๐ข
As he looked at this peculiar heart, David instinctively reached out and touched it with his fingertip. As soon as his fingertip made contact with the surface of the heart, he felt a warm sensation, which spread slowly from his fingertip to his arm and then throughout his body.
Soon, the warm sensation began to intensify, and it seemed to flow through David's veins and acupoints, causing them to tremble.
"Energy, it's really energy!" Feeling this sensation, David suddenly opened his eyes and exclaimed excitedly. As a Level 6 ability user, his perception of energy far surpassed that of an ordinary person, so he immediately recognized it as energy.
Just then, the voice of the system also sounded in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on leveling up to become a Level 7 ability user!]
"What? Leveled up again?" Hearing the voice of the system, David shouted in excitement. He didn't expect that this inexplicable power would directly bring him a level upgrade. But before the system's voice disappeared, it continued to sound in his ears.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on acquiring one Primary Crystal!]
[Congratulations, host, on triggering a hundredfold critical hit and obtaining one hundred Primary Crystals!]
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on acquiring the attack-type abilityโDecay!]
"A new ability? And it's in the attack category?" David was instantly bewildered. He knew that he was an awakened spatial ability user, and according to common sense, an ability user could only awaken abilities within a single category. So why did he suddenly gain an attack-type ability?
The system seemed to understand David's confusion and immediately explained.
"Because the host sensed energy obtained from the enraged zombie, it activated the host's second ability slot."
"In the future, different ability slots will be activated based on the source of energy obtained by the host."
"Note: Up to three ability slots can be activated, and later on, it is possible to stack the same type of ability slot."
Upon hearing the system's explanation, David suddenly realized. It turned out that different energy sources could activate different ability slots for the ability user. Since his previous awakening of abilities was related to a spatial zombie, the first ability slot he activated was for the spatial category. Now, because he came into contact with the corpse of an enraged zombie, naturally, the ability slot activated was for the combat category. Once he understood, he inquired about the function of the ability [Decay].
[Ding! Answering the host!]
"This ability is the ultimate skill of the enraged zombie. When activated, any object touched by the host will decay completely within thirty seconds!"
"After use, there is a cooldown time of ten seconds, which will gradually decrease based on the host's level."
"Wow! Any object? Does that mean there are no limitations?" Understanding the implied meaning behind the system's words, David clenched his fist tightly and said excitedly.
For David, this was already an incredibly powerful attack-type ability. When combined with his spatial gate, he could freely attack any enemy. Judging from the name "enraged zombie," David felt that this skill must have significant power.
With these thoughts in mind, David decided to experiment and test the extent of its power.
David reached out his hand towards an iron rack nearby, simultaneously silently chanting the word "Decay" in his mind.
Suddenly, David felt a flicker in his mind! An inexplicable power surged from within his body to his fingertips. This power was surging and seemed to carry a hint of malevolence as it headed straight for the iron rack.
"Hiss~" A piercing sound instantly resounded as white vapor emanated from the iron rack upon contact with David's hand. Then, the iron rack began to rapidly decay, as if it had been doused with some kind of chemical. In less than a minute, the steel pipe, which was originally as thick as a child's arm, turned into a puddle of black iron liquid.
"What the... This ability is too terrifying, isn't it?" David exclaimed in astonishment as he looked at the iron liquid on the ground. He didn't expect this skill to be so brutal, capable of instantly corroding and decaying even iron objects. If he encountered some low-level zombies, they would have been reduced to a pool of rotten blood long ago.
Suddenly, David felt delighted. With this ability, he would save a lot of energy when dealing with low-level zombies. When he unleashed this ability just now, he could clearly feel that the energy consumption was minimal.
However, the power was incredibly potent. For an ability user, it was the most efficient ability. After all, in combat, besides abilities, an ability user's stamina was the most crucial factor. It determined the duration and efficiency of an ability user's fights, enabling them to hunt more zombies and protect themselves.
After searching the laboratory and finding no other energy sources to extract, David opened the spatial gate and walked out. Little Black, who had been squatting at the door, wagged its tail and barked happily when it saw David coming out.
"Little Black, I've had quite the harvest today!" David reached out and rubbed Little Black's head, excitedly saying.
Little Black seemed to understand David's words once again and jumped up excitedly. David walked out of the building, and then he got into an off-road vehicle.
"Did you find anything inside?" Sally, who was in the passenger seat, asked while caressing the sleeping Cola in her arms.
"I didn't find anything, just an empty building." David didn't mention the laboratory or the fact that he had upgraded to a Level 7 ability user and acquired another attack-type ability.
Seeing David's calm expression, no one suspected anything. So, David started the car, stepped on the gas pedal, and headed towards the base. Upon reaching the base, David parked the car and then arrived at the entrance of the base. Other people, exhausted from the battle, went inside to rest and replenish their stamina.
Little Black also followed Cola and slowly walked inside. Seeing that there was no one around, David began to survey his base. Although the base had already been upgraded to a black iron base, with significantly improved defense and concealment, David felt unsatisfied.
Living in a world full of constant crisis, David had to make his hiding place even stronger. So, he summoned the defensive crystal. Looking at the shiny triangular crystal in his hand, a thought flashed through David's mind. He decided to see if he could use it to upgrade his base's level and directly called upon the system in his mind. "System, how many defense-type crystals are needed to upgrade the black iron base to a bronze base?" David inquired.
[Ding! Answer, host!]
[To upgrade the Black Iron Base to Bronze Base level, it requires twenty Defense Crystals!]
[To upgrade the Bronze Base to Silver level, it requires thirty Defense Crystals!]
[The host can continue in a similar manner for subsequent upgrades.] ๐๐๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐จ๐บ
Listening to the voice of the system, David nodded silently. After the hundredfold critical strike, he now had 100 Defense Crystals in his storage. This meant that he could only upgrade the base by three levels to the Gold level at most. However, David didn't plan to spend all the Defense Crystals because, strictly speaking, these crystals were of medium rarity. It means they could not only enhance the defense of buildings but also provide support to vehicles and even the human body.
Without hesitation, David spent twenty Defense Crystals and upgraded the Iron Base to the Silver level.
[DING! Congratulations to the host for upgrading the Black Iron Base to the Silver Fortress!]
[Defense Crystals are rare, so only dozens are required for upgrades.]
The voice of the system quickly resounded in David's ears.
At the same time, David looked up at the base in front of him. Suddenly, a silver light flashed through the void, quickly enveloping the entire base. Under the coverage of this silver light, the Base emitted faint ripples of energy waves in the void, and its overall color continuously changed. From the initial dark color, it transformed into a more concealed and dark shade, resembling the night.
Even standing right in front of it, David couldn't sense the presence of the base at all. At the same time, he felt an invincible force emanating from within the base.
"So, this is the Silver-level base? It's amazing!" Sensing this penetrating power, David couldn't help but marvel. With the existence of a Silver-level base, he believed that the defensive strength of their team's shelter would greatly increase, ensuring the safety of the team members.
Among their group, both David and Arnold possessed abilities that had some defensive capabilities. On the other hand, Duke, Sally, and Sophie were pure mages and relatively vulnerable. Thus, their own defensive capabilities were naturally weaker. With the protection of the Silver-level base, their defensive power would indirectly improve. Seeing the successful upgrade to a Silver-level base, David decided to test its effect on the human body.
He took out another crystal from the storage and began to absorb it. A white aura slowly emerged from the crystal and quickly penetrated David's body through his skin. Immediately, David felt as if an extremely powerful force was surging within him. Gradually, this force permeated from his body to his skin, forming a thin energy shield on the surface.
Although the energy shield was thin, David felt as if he was wearing a thick suit of armor. Even if he were to be hit by a bullet, it probably wouldn't break through. Moving his body, David also discovered that the energy shield was as smooth as silk, not hindering his movements at all. Now, David was thoroughly delighted.
Now, David is not only a Spatial Ability user but also an Attack Ability user, and he possesses formidable defensive power. This greatly enhances his combat strength.
Feeling the comfortable and warm sensation of the energy shield against his body, David slowly returned to the base. At this moment, the team members inside the base had already returned to their rooms to rest and recuperate.
So David also went back to his room and lay on the bed to restore his energy. After all, in this world, energy determines all the actions of an Ability user...
When Monica returned to the base carrying a heavy machine gun and a box of firearms, Abraham and Danny couldn't help but be taken aback. Whoa! those who didn't know might mistake her for an armed robber.
"The firearms are back?" Abraham asked as he sat on a chair.
Monica dropped the box on the floor and placed the heavy machine gun on the table. "This box is the firearms we bought. It's so heavy! It almost killed me!" Monica shrugged her shoulders and sighed.
"Why did you also bring back a heavy machine gun? Did you buy it with crystals too? That must have cost a lot of crystals. Our team's crystals aren't abundant now, so let's save them whenever possible. Although this thing is powerful, it's also heart-wrenching to use crystals. So, how many crystals did you spend on this heavy machine gun?" Danny said with some heartache after circling around the heavy machine gun.
A box of firearms requires 1,000 primary crystals, so Danny guessed that the more powerful heavy machine gun would require at least 10,000 crystals, which made him cringe.
"Look at you being stingy. This heavy machine gun was given to us for free by David, without asking for crystals," Monica explained slowly after glaring at Danny.
"What? This heavy machine gun was given to us for free by David?" Danny exclaimed in surprise.
Abraham beside him also showed a hint of astonishment. A fiercely powerful heavy machine gun given for free? This seemed too domineering. Hearing that the heavy machine gun was obtained for free, Danny's previous feeling of heartache gradually disappeared. He then reached out to pick up the box of firearms.
"Hmm?" Just as Danny reached out his right hand to grab the handle of the firearms box, he paused for a moment. When he tried to lift the box with a bit of force, he couldn't lift it. This instantly left him bewildered in place. He then exerted more strength, slowly lifting it up. This astonished Danny once again.
Isn't it just a box of firearms? Why is it so heavy? Curious, Danny opened the box of firearms. Immediately, he was stunned by the sight of various weapons inside the box. High-explosive grenades, Desert Eagle... one weapon after another appeared before Danny's eyes. This made him turn his head and look at Monica in astonishment, asking, "Are these the firearms you bought with 1,000 crystals?" Monica nodded in confirmation.
Now Danny couldn't sit still anymore. He slapped his thigh, his whole body filled with excitement. Initially, he thought spending 1,000 crystals to buy a box of firearms from David was a bit of a bad deal. But he didn't expect the box to contain so many amazing things. Not to mention the high-explosive grenades, just a Desert Eagle alone was worth 500 primary crystals. When he did the math, they not only didn't suffer any loss but also made quite a profit.
Abraham, standing beside him, was also shocked by David's unique business acumen, but he also felt a sense of security. With these firearms by their side, their team's defensive and offensive capabilities were greatly enhanced.
However, Abraham still had a heavy-hearted expression on his face. Ever since the failed attempt to extract zombie energy from the lab yesterday, he had been feeling a bit down. Because he had been contemplating who could absorb the powerful energy inside the zombies. Obviously, it wasn't him. Monica and Danny weren't either. After pondering for a while with no clues, he shook his head and looked out the window...
After resting on the bed for a few hours, everyone in the base came out of their rooms. Sophie and Sally went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, while the three men sat together playing cards, which was their only form of entertainment in their daily lives. Otherwise, being stuck in this world, they would eventually be bored to death. ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๐๐๐๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ
After a while, Sophie and Sally came out carrying several dishes. The three men quickly went over to take the plates and placed the food on the dining table. Cola and little black, seeing this, also slowly approached. They picked some spare ribs and chicken wings and put them in Cola and little black's food bowls. Then they all started to enjoy the meal.
It had to be said that Sophie and Sally's cooking skills were really good. They devoured the sweet and sour spare ribs, even sucking the bones clean. They wished they could eat the entire bone like little black. Watching the three of them wolf down their food, Sally couldn't help but feel a long-lost warmth.
After dinner, they continued to rest in their rooms, and David walked out of the base alone and arrived at the underground parking lot. Just as he approached his off-road vehicle, he suddenly noticed a dark figure flash by in his peripheral vision.
"Who?" Without hesitation, David drew his alloy dagger and asked in a cold voice towards the darkness. As he heard David's voice, the figure slowly materialized in the darkness. As he approached, David realized that this person was the same man he was looking for on the second floor earlier.
"It's you?" David asked with a puzzled expression. However, at the same time, he continued to hold the alloy dagger tightly, remaining extremely vigilant, without relaxing in the slightest.
The man nodded, smiled at David, and said, "What's the matter? Why did you come looking for me last time?" It was evident that this man knew why David was looking for him.
"Just some minor matters. How did you know about this place? What are you doing here?" David said coldly.
Before determining the man's intentions, David had to remain cautious. There were too many untrustworthy individuals in this world who could deliver a fatal blow at any moment. So, David had to be careful. Even though he knew some background information about this man, he couldn't afford to take it lightly.
Seeing David gripping the dagger tightly with a cautious expression, the man smiled helplessly. Then, he pointed to a nearby pickup truck and said, "I just wanted to steal a car. I didn't expect you to find out."
"Steal a car?" Following the man's finger, David saw a small pickup truck. He then stared at the man for a while and realized that there was no intention to kill in his eyes,This reassured David.
Upon seeing David relax his guard, the man named Charles gave a faint smile and introduced himself, "I'm Charles, and you must be David, right?"
Hearing Charles suddenly mention his name, David was taken aback. As far as he could remember, he had never mentioned his name to this man before. They had only briefly met, so how could he know his name?
David looked at him with confusion and asked, "How do you know my name?"
Charles smiled again and replied, "There are some things in this world that cannot escape the eyes of us stargazers." After speaking, Charles looked up at the sky outside the parking lot exit. His eyes deepened, as if the stars in the sky were reflected in them.
"Stargazer?" David paused upon hearing this name. In his previous life, he had heard of this name and knew that Charles was also a supernatural being.
A stargazer was someone who could deduce things based on the changes in the stars. In other words, they used the stars for divination, making them a type of mage-like supernatural being. With this understanding, David realized why Charles would know his name.
Glancing at the pickup truck in the distance, David slowly spoke, "Don't you have a team? Are you the only one living in this world?" He knew that most people who managed to survive in this world formed groups and rarely acted alone. Because acting alone would increase the risks significantly.
Upon hearing David's words, Charles silently nodded. "Stargazers have always walked their own path. If we talk about comrades and friends, then only the stars in the sky are there."
David thought about it and it made sense. After all, stargazers constantly relied on the changes of the stars to divine the unknown. Considering that, it was not an exaggeration to say that the stars were their only friends.
Just then, David suddenly remembered the incident of the second red light a few days ago. The reason he went downstairs to find Charles at that time was to clarify this matter. So he looked at Charles and said, "You can take the pickup truck, but you have to answer me a question."
Saying that, David took out the key to the pickup truck from the warehouse and shook it in front of Charles. When they set out this morning, David had stored all the keys from the garage in his warehouse. He did this to prevent any survivors from finding their way here and stealing the vehicles.
Seeing the key in David's hand, Charles pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Go ahead, ask your question. As long as it's something I know, I'll answer."
David didn't hesitate and went straight to the point, "Do you know why the second red light suddenly appeared?" ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐ค๐ฐ๐
Upon hearing David's question, Charles was taken aback. He looked at David, and it seemed like he recalled something unpleasant from the way David was looking at him.
After a pause, Charles sighed helplessly and said, "I was also surprised by the sudden appearance of the second red light. So, I conducted a divination based on the positions of the stars overnight. I seem to have obtained some answers." David focused his attention and listened attentively.
"Based on previous patterns, a first red light would bring forth some low-level zombies, occasionally mixed with a few mid-level ones, but only in small numbers. However, after the second red light appeared, the number of low-level zombies in this world decreased significantly, replaced by a large number of high-level zombies and some zombies with supernatural abilities. These high-level zombies feed on the low-level ones, devouring their energy to become stronger. Therefore, I believe that the appearance of the second red light signifies the arrival of even more terrifying zombies, possibly even the legendary Zombie King," Charles explained, with a slight furrow on his brow, as if he anticipated some gruesome scenes.
"High-level zombies? That makes sense!" Upon hearing Charles' words, David nodded inwardly, finally understanding why they encountered a Titan zombie earlier in the day. It was all because of the second red light's appearance.
"Could the Zombie King really appear?" David pondered and asked this question.
"He will, without a doubt. It's only a matter of time," Charles replied firmly.
At the same time, Charles kept his gaze on David, continuously assessing him. After a moment, his face suddenly showed a shocked expression. "You're actually a Level 7 supernatural being?"
David openly nodded, surprising Charles even more. Since Charles had been focused on answering David's questions earlier, he hadn't paid much attention to David himself. Thus, he had always assumed that David was just an ordinary awakened supernatural being. But after conducting a divination, Charles discovered that David's strength and inspiration far surpassed that of most individuals.
"Yes, your power is formidable," Charles nodded and acknowledged.
However, David wasn't in the mood to listen to Charles' praise at the moment. His greatest concern was the high-level zombies that appeared after the second red light. These zombies would pose a significant threat to the survivors. Remembering how he almost lost his life today in the attempt to kill the Titan zombie, a chill ran down his spine.
"What about us survivors? Will there be any changes, like becoming stronger?" David contemplated and asked. In his view, there was a delicate balance between the loss of ranks and the strength of supernatural beings in this world. When one side improved, it would cause the other side to rise as well. This was a secret he had learned from other supernatural beings in his previous life.
Shaking his head helplessly, Charles replied, "No, if we want to become stronger, we can only rely on our own efforts. It's impossible to achieve through the rules of this world. Besides, the appearance of the second red light was too mysterious. I haven't fully divined its secrets yet." Charles sighed, feeling both resigned and puzzled.
Charles was already a Level 4 stargazer, possessing formidable abilities that allowed him to divine anything he wanted to know. However, when he tried to divine the second red light, it was as if he had encountered a thick wall. No matter how he observed the changes in the stars, he couldn't access the secrets behind that wall.
Seeing Charles' worried expression, David didn't inquire further. At the same time, an idea arose in his mind. The system had already assigned him the task of forming a team, and currently, their team only had five members, one short of a standard team. Therefore, he decided to immediately recruit Charles into their group.
Looking at Charles, David pondered for a moment before saying, "Perhaps with the help of others, you can better utilize your abilities as a stargazer. After all, this is a world where strength is magnified through unity. Only by standing together can we unleash greater power."
Finishing his words, David quietly observed Charles, hoping to catch a glimpse of any change in his expression. True enough, upon hearing David's words, Charles paused for a moment, and a complex expression appeared on his face. He naturally understood the underlying meaning of David's words. However, he was just a stargazer, someone who could foresee events and divine the darkness, but he had a fatal flawโhe had no combat abilities. ๐๐๐๐๏ฝ๐๐๐.๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ
After all, stargazers were supportive supernatural beings, or in other words, fragile. They couldn't charge into battle like tanks. Even if they stood at the rear of the team, they could only rely on others for protection. Charles was well aware of this weakness.
This was also why Charles had always been alone. He had considered joining certain squads before, but as soon as the other party learned that he was a stargazer, their faces immediately showed disdain and contempt.
Clearly, no one wanted to have a burden in their team that would significantly diminish their combat effectiveness or even lead to the team's downfall. No one was willing to risk their lives for someone else. So, for all this time, Charles had been wandering alone.
Now, upon hearing David's words, Charles shook his head self-deprecatingly, sighed, and said, "I'm just a stargazer without any offensive power. No one needs me, and I'm used to being on my own, not relying on others."
Listening to Charles, David spoke again, "In my opinion, your abilities can surpass those of any other supernatural being. This is an unknown world, and none of us know what kind of zombies will appear tomorrow. No one knows how this world will change. But you can, you can use your abilities to foresee what will happen in advance. Isn't that your combat strength? Combat strength isn't necessarily about wielding a weapon; sometimes, wielding the unknown is the most terrifying power."
As soon as David finished speaking, Charles suddenly lifted his head, looking at him with surprise. "Wielding the unknown... is the most terrifying power..." Charles murmured these words quietly. No one had ever said such things to him before, and no one had been willing to acknowledge his abilities. In the eyes of others, he was only a burden, a defenseless weakling, someone whose existence would only become a laughingstock.
But in David's eyes, everything had changed. For the first time, he heard someone recognize him, and Charles felt a surge of excitement. His once lifeless gaze suddenly became bright.
David saw all of this and seized the opportunity to continue, "If you're willing, I hope you can join my team. I need you, and my team needs you."
Finishing his words, he looked at Charles with sincere eyes. Charles lowered his head, and tears welled up in his eyes. He had waited for decades in this world just for this sentence, "I need you." And now, he finally heard it. He no longer had to wander alone in fear in this world, nor did he have to contemplate the vast darkness on his own.
With that, he raised his head, his eyes filled with excitement, and nodded at David. "Thank you. It's an honor for me." After saying that, he reached out his hand towards David.
David smiled slightly and reached out his hand, shaking hands with Charles. "Welcome to my team. From now on, we're family. We will face dangers together and solve difficulties together. In this process, each one of us is the support for the others."
Charles nodded heavily. At this moment, his excitement couldn't be described in words.
"Oh, by the way, you can absorb these three crystals later. They can enhance your physical defense. Consider them as a gift for joining the team." Thinking that Charles was a mage with no combat power, David quickly took out three defense crystals from the warehouse system and handed them over.
As Charles looked at the three shimmering crystals in his hand, he was amazed. Feeling the warm sensation emanating from the crystals, he immediately understood that their quality must be extraordinary. He looked at David in surprise. Giving such precious crystals as a gift right after they met? And they were even defense crystals? That was too generous.
If Charles were to find out that there were dozens more of these crystals in David's warehouse system, as well as millions of primary crystals, his worldview would likely be shattered. But Charles didn't suspect a thing. He nodded while holding the three crystals and put them into his pocket.
At the same time, David called out the other members of his team. Everyone was surprised to see this unknown man suddenly appear. David smiled and pointed at Charles, introducing him to the others. "Charles, the stargazer. He can foresee the future and now he's a member of our team. Welcome, everyone!"
After speaking, David clapped happily. Charles smiled and nodded at everyone.
"stargazer,That's a cool ability!" Arnold walked over curiously and introduced himself, "I'm Arnold, a werewolf awakened with special abilities."
Others also introduced themselves one after another.
"Duke, shadow ability awakened."
"Sally, mutant lightning ability awakened."
"Sophie, healing ability awakened."
At the same time, they looked at Charles with friendly eyes. Although it was their first time meeting him, they understood that as long as David chose someone, there would be no problem. After all, they had also come together through David's selection process. So they had absolute trust in David.
"I hope everyone will take care of me in the future." Charles politely said, listening to everyone's explanations. At the same time, he looked at David with curiosity in his eyes.
David naturally understood his thoughts and spoke slowly, "David, spatial ability awakened." He paused for a moment and then added, "Level 7 Awakened."
"David, when did you reach Level 7? That's incredible!" Arnold exclaimed in surprise upon hearing that David was already a Level 7 Awakened. The others also looked at David, their faces filled with disbelief.
Charles was even more shocked. He had thought that David's power would be at most Level 5. He didn't expect him to have already reached Level 7. In the current world, this level was considered that of a strong individual. Charles couldn't help but nod secretly in acknowledgment of David's strength.
In response to the surprise and inquiries from the others, David just smiled faintly and didn't explain too much. After all, the existence of the system was too mysterious.
However, the others still shook their heads in disbelief, unable to fully believe that all of this was real. After all, the advancement of an Awakened's level was extremely difficult. Besides requiring a sufficient number of crystals, one also needed to have enough combat potential. Both were indispensable. So, some Awakened individuals remained at Level 1 for many years after awakening their abilities. Some even passed away without any progress in their level. From their perspective, upgrading seemed as commonplace as eating for David.
After a pause, Charles suddenly asked, "By the way, what's our team's name?"
Upon hearing Charles' question, everyone realized that they hadn't given their team a name yet.
"Let's call ourselves 'Berserkers'! The Berserkers who sweep everything!" Arnold struck a pose of a charging werewolf as he suggested.
"Oh, that name is so common!" Sophie glanced at Arnold disdainfully and said, "How about something else?" This made Arnold a bit embarrassed as he scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
David also forgot about this matter. Usually, when establishing their own team, they would have a resounding name. It would not only enhance the team's aura but also instill fear in their enemies. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before looking up at everyone and saying, "How about we call our team 'Embers'?"
"Embers?" Hearing David suggest this name, everyone hesitated for a moment.
"Yes! Let's say we are the remnants of the embers in this world. Although our power is weak, one day we will become a blazing flame with this feeble strength!" David quickly explained the meaning behind the name.
"Become a blazing flame... I like it! This name is better than 'Berserkers,' right?" It's profound and sounds good! I love it!" Everyone quickly accepted the name for their team.
Charles also contemplated the name quietly, and a surge of emotions rose within him. Just ten minutes ago, he was just a speck of ember in this world. But now, this speck of ember had encountered a torch. It made his life feel more meaningful.
After deciding on the team name, everyone led Charles into the base. Since the base was a three-bedroom house, David temporarily cleared the storage room, added a spare bed and some daily necessities, and used it as Charles' temporary bedroom.
"I apologize for making you adjust for now. I will find a better solution for you in a few days," David said somewhat apologetically, but Charles didn't mind at all. For him, having a place to sleep in this world was already enough.
At this moment, Little Black and Cola seemed to sense the arrival of a new teammate and immediately ran out of the bedroom. They approached Charles, sniffed him to remember his scent, and then wagged their tails at at these two little animals, Charles also felt a warm sensation in his heart..
And so, David's team went from the initial five members to six. This was a significant progress for David. After he left Charles' room, the voice of the system rang in his ears. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐.๐ค๐๐ฎ
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for recruiting new members, reaching a team size of six!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for naming the team!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the initial team building goals!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving a system reward - Escape Mist Fruit x1]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundred-fold critical hit and obtaining 100 Escape Mist Fruits.]
"What is an Escape Mist Fruit?" Curious about the system's announcement, David asked.
The voice of the system explained again in his ears.
[The host can throw this fruit to create a mist when in danger, obscuring the enemy's vision and allowing for escape.]
[The mist lasts for one minute.]
[During this minute, the mist can block any enemy attacks from all directions.]
[Note: The mist only obstructs the enemy's vision and attacks, it has no effect on the host.]
Listening to the system's explanation, David silently nodded. The function of the Escape Mist Fruit was similar to that of a smoke bomb. However, what made it different was that it could block the enemy's attacks, any attack to be exact. It meant that any abilities from other Awakened individuals would be ineffective against the mist.
With this in mind, David felt that the Escape Mist Fruit was quite powerful. Not only could it help with escape, but it could also provide defense. If he launched an attack from within the mist against enemies, it would truly combine offense and defense.
Satisfied with the thought, David nodded and placed one hundred Escape Mist Fruits in the storage room. He then went to the underground parking lot and looked at the rows of vehicles before him. Suddenly, a bold idea arose in his mind. He wanted to utilize the resources he had to turn these cars into invincible doomsday war machines.
Through the battle with the Titan Zombie, he had realized the importance of mobility for their team. Without convenient transportation, their efficiency and timing in attacks would be severely affected. They might even be unable to escape in critical moments. Therefore, he decided to create a doomsday car fleet specifically for their team.
David started searching in the parking lot. It didn't take long for him to select six vehicles: three off-road vehicles, one pickup truck, and two Porsche sports cars. One of the off-road vehicles was the one he had previously made some initial modifications to.
David planned to transform them into fully equipped vanguard assault vehicles. The remaining two vehicles were specifically chosen for Arnold and Duke. As for the pickup truck, it was the one Charles had initially wanted to "borrow."
David intended to transform it into a resource rescue vehicle that could store supplies and provide rescue for stranded vehicles. The two Porsche sports cars were chosen for Sally and Sophie, as they were the fastest. If any danger occurred, they would have the most timely means of escape.
Three assault vehicles, one resource rescue vehicle, and two escape vehicles. David looked at these six cars with satisfaction and nodded. He then started taking out various tools and materials from the storage room to begin the modifications. David believed that with this car fleet, the combat effectiveness of their team would greatly improve.
Inside the base, after tidying up the room, Charles took out the three defensive crystal formations that David had given him. Looking at these three sparkling diamond-shaped crystals, he had a thought and began to consume them. Three wisps of faint white smoke quickly evaporated from the crystals and permeated his body through the skin. As soon as the smoke entered his body, it rapidly spread throughout him.
Wherever the white smoke went, Charles could clearly feel a warm current passing through. This warm current was like a gentle spring breeze, like a murmuring stream, bringing a sense of comfort wherever it went. This surprised him greatly. He never expected these three crystals to bring him such a comfortable feeling. In the past, he had consumed other crystals, mostly low-level ones, which didn't give him any sensation or help with his abilities.
But these three crystals clearly felt different. After the warm current flowed through his body, Charles could feel slight vibrations in his organs, gradually transmitting to the surface of his skin. Astonishingly, a faint protective barrier formed on his body. When he lightly tapped the protective barrier with his finger, Charles could hear a crisp sound. The sound seemed as strong as steel, making him feel invincible just by listening to it.
Now, Charles couldn't contain his excitement anymore. He stood up and carefully examined the protective barrier. The shimmering and colorful shield truly amazed him. Previously, he enjoyed wandering outside, but now he finally had a safe place. This protective barrier undoubtedly increased his defense significantly. Even without offensive capabilities, such a powerful defense provided a sense of security. Feeling the strength of his body, Charles couldn't help but show an excited smile.
At the same time, Charles was also curious about David. What kind of person could possess crystals with such great power? However, he had no intention of using his abilities on David. Doing so would undoubtedly indicate a lack of trust in him. Charles respected a team that could accommodate him, so he didn't plan to harm David with these matters.
Suddenly, Charles heard the sound of grinding coming from outside the base. It seemed like someone was hammering something. This piqued his curiosity, and he pushed open the door and walked outside the base. Immediately, he saw six vehicles neatly arranged in the underground parking lot, including the pickup truck he had his eyes on. Beside the six vehicles were piles of supplies, such as alloy steel plates, short knives, long guns, iron chains, and more.
David, holding a hammer, was continuously pounding on an alloy steel plate. Charles walked over with confusion, approached David, and crouched down, asking, "What are you doing?"
Seeing Charles, David smiled and revealed his plan to build an apocalypse war vehicle.
"Apocalypse war vehicle?" Charles slightly trembled at the name and showed an excited expression on his face. The reason he wanted to steal a pickup truck here was to build a versatile war vehicle that could protect him. This way, he could rely on the vehicle to travel outside. Unexpectedly, he had the same idea as David.
Immediately, Charles rolled up his sleeves and began helping David. Due to limited materials, David's modification plan was relatively simple. They first attached alloy steel plates around the vehicle to increase its defense. Then, they welded long guns, short knives, and iron chains around the vehicle, significantly enhancing their offensive capabilities.
At the same time, David also added approximately one-inch-long iron nails to the wheels of each vehicle, ensuring that they could destroy any obstacles while driving. With Charles' help, the modification plan progressed quickly. Two hours later, the six vehicles were completely transformed by the two of them. They exchanged smiles as they looked at the renewed and imposing six war vehicles. With these vehicles, their future operations would encounter far fewer difficulties.
After some thought, David said to Charles, "Can you use your abilities to predict any vulnerabilities in these vehicles?"
Upon hearing David's request, Charles nodded and closed his eyes. In that moment of closing his eyes, a dazzling halo instantly appeared behind him. The halo was densely engraved with peculiar patterns, and each pattern was surrounded by radiant stars. At this moment, Charles was floating in mid-air.
Then, the halo slowly began to rotate, and the stars surrounding the patterns started to scatter, enveloping Charles in an instant. Suddenly, David felt as if Charles was strolling through the galaxy, able to see through any cosmic mysteries.
After about a minute, the stars around Charles suddenly dimmed, and the halo behind him slowly disappeared into the void. Finally, the halo vanished completely, and Charles descended gently to the ground.
"How is it? Could you predict it?" David asked eagerly.
Charles nodded and immediately described the images he had just seen. Listening to Charles, David nodded thoughtfully. He then picked up his tools and reinforced some parts of the vehicles based on Charles' description. ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐๐.๐ฃ๐๐ฉ
Finally, when Charles nodded in approval, David stopped satisfactorily. Now, his apocalypse war vehicles had received comprehensive reinforcement, covering all the vulnerabilities.
"From now on, our team will be a car family. No more walking every day." Thinking back to their previous missions, where their team had to rely on their legs for transportation, David couldn't help but smile. At this moment, other team members heard the commotion and walked out of the base. When they saw the six colossal vehicles, they were instantly dumbfounded.
"Oh my God, are these modified apocalypse war vehicles?"
"So cool! With these vehicles, I can kill an average of 100 zombies per minute."
"Amazing, we finally don't have to walk anymore."
The group of people gathered around the apocalypse war vehicles, filled with excitement, their hands unable to resist touching the vehicles, especially Sally and Sophie. When they saw the two Porsche sports cars that David had modified, their eyes lit up.
To cater to their girlish desires, David even prepared two pink stickers and completely wrapped the cars with them. From a distance, it was full of girly vibes.
"David, you're amazing! I love this car so much," Sally couldn't help but exclaim as she looked at the pink war vehicle, her girlish heart overflowing.
Looking at Sally's excited expression, David smiled and said, "These war vehicles were modified by Charles and me. They will be a great tool for us to hunt zombies in the future. With these vehicles, our Ember Squad will undoubtedly become the most powerful team in this world." After speaking, David scanned the crowd with a determined look.
The others were moved by David's words, and their gazes became resolute. Next, David asked everyone to take the vehicles for a test drive in the underground parking lot. At the same time, David retrieved various supplies from the warehouse and loaded them onto Charles' pickup truck. After all, this truck was designated as a rescue vehicle, so it was necessary to have some rescue supplies on hand.
Seeing David pulling out a large amount of supplies from seemingly nowhere, Charles was instantly dumbfounded. Each item was incredibly precious in this world. There were iron chains, steel plates, hydraulic presses, small diesel engines, and even a radar system. This made him even more curious about David's identity. Were there still such wealthy people in this society? Looking at his own empty hands and the need to steal a car, Charles couldn't help but bitterly smile.
Meanwhile, on another street in the city, a young man with bleached blond hair kicked over a trash can by the roadside and complained, "Damn it! This place is so poor that not even dogs come here! I'm really unlucky today! Dirk, we've been searching for so long and found nothing. Today's outing is a big loss."
Beside the blond man stood a skinny guy named Dirk, who also wore a resentful expression. "Exactly! If we go back empty-handed today, our boss will beat us to death! Damn it! We should have gone south to scavenge!" Dirk sighed helplessly.
The two brothers had been out for a whole day but hadn't found any supplies. They thought this area would be a hiding place for survivors and planned to search thoroughly. However, to their surprise, they searched through half the city, and there was not even a pair of worn-out slippers in sight. If their boss found out, they would surely be beaten mercilessly. Just thinking about their boss's fierce and ruthless appearance sent shivers down Dirk's spine.
Like David and his team, they were also survivors in this eerie world. However, they didn't directly fight against zombies or come into contact with any strange creatures. Their way of acquiring supplies was simple and brutalโlooting.
They often sneaked into the homes of survivors and took all the supplies they had hoarded. Therefore, in this world, they had a name: the Rat Clan. The name accurately described their survival situationโthey had no combat power but were everywhere, and they enjoyed entering other people's dwellings to steal their supplies.
Dirk was a member of the Rat Clan in this world, but he was relatively lucky to have joined the main squad. His daily job was to help his boss loot supplies and receive rewards in return. Today, he was following his boss's orders, taking his attendant out to work.
However, to his surprise, they hadn't found any hiding places for survivors after searching for half a day. This made him suspicious. He had been to this area before, and although the situation was unfavorable, he could always find some useful supplies. But today, no matter how he searched, he couldn't find any supplies.
"Damn it! I'm really unlucky today!" Dirk spat and cursed. Just then, he suddenly heard the roaring sound of car engines coming from somewhere nearby. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐.๐๐๐
"Brad! Is that the sound of a car?" Dirk stood still, perking up his ears to listen carefully.
Brad, his younger companion, also listened attentively for a while, then his face lit up with excitement. "Dirk, that's definitely the sound of a car engine! No doubt about it!"
Now, the two brothers were completely thrilled. They knew that zombies would never drive cars; only humans, the survivors of this world, could do that.
"Hahaha! It's true that when you search too hard, you find nothing. But when you least expect it, it comes effortlessly! I can't believe I've encountered it here. We won't go back empty-handed now," Dirk exclaimed. He drew a short knife from his waist and held it in his hand, then led Brad in the direction of the roaring car engine.
"David, the thrill of speeding is so exhilarating! It's been a while since I've felt this kind of excitement!" Arnold sat in the off-road vehicle, stepping on the accelerator madly. The modified off-road war vehicle, under his control, raced like a wild horse. David smiled faintly as he watched Arnold's excellent driving skills.
At that moment, Charles, who was by their side, suddenly furrowed his brow and nervously looked at the entrance of the underground parking lot. David also noticed Charles' unease and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
Charles continued to stare fixedly in the direction of the entrance, as if his eyes could penetrate through any obstacles and see what was happening outside. After a brief pause, he finally said, "Someone is coming."
Upon hearing that someone was approaching, everyone immediately grew tense. Arnold also quickly got out of the off-road vehicle and assumed a ready-for-battle posture.
"How many people?" David asked with a serious expression.
"Two men," Charles confirmed. His ability allowed him to predict any movement within a radius of ten miles, so their actions couldn't escape his notice.
"Two people? And both men?" David's face showed a hint of confusion upon hearing Charles' words. He initially thought it might be Monica, as only Monica knew about his new base, but when he heard that it was two men, he immediately dismissed that thought.
"Can you predict their strength?" David pondered for a moment before asking again. Charles shook his head helplessly and replied, "As a Level 4 Stargazer, I can't predict their true strength yet. But based on their aura, it doesn't seem very strong."
Upon hearing Charles' response, David breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he looked up towards the entrance and unsheathed his alloy short knife, ready for action. In this world, he had to be fully alert and prepared, regardless of whether the enemy was strong or weak. Otherwise, it would be too costly to make a mistake. The others also positioned themselves for combat, their expressions cautious as they kept a close eye on their surroundings.
"Dirk, do you feel like this place is eerie? Could it be a trap?" Brad asked in a low voice while exploring the surroundings.
"Don't forget, we are the Rat Clan. Wherever it's eerie, we should go. No risk, no reward. Fortune favors the bold. Just follow me!" Dirk patted Brad's shoulder and confidently said, embodying the role of an older brother. With that, the two of them continued cautiously moving forward, crouching.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance of David's new base, which had been upgraded to a Silver Base. Its remarkable concealment made it invisible to ordinary people. Even if the two of them stood at the entrance, they couldn't see that it was a base.
Looking around at the emptiness, Brad scratched his head, looking confused. "Something's not right, Dirk. I heard the sound of car engines coming from here, but there's no one around. Could they have discovered us and left?"
Hearing Brad's words, Dirk also looked puzzled. Based on his experienced intuition, he was absolutely certain that someone had been here, even lived here. However, the empty environment in front of him left him completely perplexed.
"It can't be. We heard the sound with our own ears. Could we both have misheard?" Dirk began to mutter.
Just then, Brad suddenly noticed several cool-looking war vehicles parked not far away. His eyes lit up, and he jogged over to David's off-road vehicle. "Holy shit! These cars are so cool! Are these even cars? They're like post-apocalyptic war machines!"
Brad couldn't resist touching and admiring the off-road vehicle that David had personally modified, his face filled with envy. Dirk also approached, his eyes shining as he looked at the nearby Ferrari.
"Hahaha! I never expected to find a Ferrari in this dump! Looks like we're going to strike it rich today! We'll each take one car and present it to the boss. Then the big boss will surely reward us with the position of deputy squad leader!" Upon hearing Dirk's words, Brad nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at grains. He then opened the car door and prepared to sit inside to fully experience the war vehicle.
"So damn cool!in my whole life, I don't care about women, I only love cars. Today, we must enjoy ourselves." Saying that, Brad pulled open the car door, ready to sit inside and savor the moment. However, as soon as he opened the door, he froze. He noticed a gleaming dagger suddenly appear at his waist, pressing against him as if a slight force would pierce through his entire body. Instantly, fear washed over him, leaving him motionless and a look of panic on his face.
"Dirk, I... I..." Brad quickly pleaded for help from Dirk.
Dirk, who was circling around the Ferrari, couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing Brad's voice. "Look at you, all worked up over an off-road vehicle? What's there to be excited about? And now you can't even speak properly? As long as you stick with the big boss and wait until the day I become the captain of our squad, the big boss will give you luxury cars every day!"
But Brad, at this moment, had no interest in listening to Dirk's empty promises. He slowly raised his head and suddenly saw David sitting in the driver's seat, with Arnold and Charles standing in the back row. Seeing three figures, whether human or ghost, suddenly appearing before him, and realizing that they seemed well-prepared, Brad couldn't bear it any longer. With a loud cry, he turned to run
However, David was faster. He extended his foot and kicked Brad's back forcefully. Instantly, Brad was sent flying several meters away like a kite with a broken string and landed on the ground. ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๐๐
"Dirk! Dirk! There's a ghost! There's a ghost!" Brad crawled on the ground while his eyes were filled with fear, staring in the direction of the off-road vehicle.
At this moment, Dirk also sensed that something was wrong. He quickly walked over to Brad's side and helped him up. "What's going on? Where did a ghost come from in broad daylight? Stop talking nonsense, or I'll beat you up!"
Dirk tried to appear calm and spoke to Brad, but his eyes kept scanning the surroundings, fearing that something might suddenly appear. Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps echoing in the underground parking lot. The sound seemed like someone's footsteps, and it sent a slight shiver down his spine. Dirk tightly gripped the dagger in his hand and held it in front of him protectively.
Meanwhile, David emerged from the darkness and approached Dirk. Behind him stood Charles, Duke, and other members of the team.
"Are you guys humans or ghosts?" Dirk, feeling somewhat panicked, asked as he stood up.
David smiled faintly and glanced at him, saying, "To survive in this world, everyone is a ghost." Then his voice suddenly turned extremely cold as he questioned them, "Who are you? What do you want?"
Seeing these people suddenly appearing and being able to speak normally, unlike the mechanical zombies, Dirk instantly realized that they were living humans. He relaxed and the sense of horror he felt earlier disappeared instantly. In his view, as long as they were humans, there was nothing to fear.
So Dirk dusted off himself lightly and looked at David disdainfully, saying, "Who am I? It might scare you if I tell you. We are the Rat Clan, the terrifying group that everyone fears in this world. How about that? Are you scared? If you're scared, hand over all your belongings and these cars to me."
After saying that, Dirk even gestured a decapitation motion towards David. It seemed like as long as David didn't agree, he could kill them on the spot. Hearing Dirk's words, David laughed. In that brief moment, he had sensed the aura from Dirk and realized that he was just an ordinary person, not an awakened ability user. Since he was just an ordinary person, he was in a completely different league from them, the ability users. So why should he be afraid? David looked at Dirk with a playful expression and said, "The Rat Clan? A group that specializes in stealing, right?"
David was familiar with this organization. However, they had always been despised by all survivors because of their reputation for doing anything and everything to get what they wanted. So David's gaze towards Dirk was full of disdain. How could a lowly ant dare to talk tough in front of him? Did he really think that he, a Level 7 ability user, could be ignored?
Although Dirk, as a member of the Rat Clan, didn't possess any awakened abilities, he still acted arrogantly in front of David and his group. He didn't even consider David and the others as a threat. The reason he was so confident was that he came prepared. Since they frequently went out to loot supplies, they sometimes encountered battles. As a result, their leader had given them some life-saving equipment, including a small revolver holstered at Dirk's waist.
Dirk knew that the revolver would be useless against zombies. However, if they encountered humans, even if they were advanced ability users, they would obediently in front of him. So, at this moment, he slowly retrieved the revolver from his waist and played with it in his hand.
Dirk spun the revolver, producing a crisp sound as he chambered a round. Then, he glanced at David and pointed to the revolver in his hand, implying that he was armed and unafraid.
Seeing Dirk draw the revolver, Brad also realized the situation. He straightened his posture and looked at them with a proud expression. "You scared me earlier, but my big brother has a revolver. Do you? I advise you to be sensible and hand over all your valuable possessions. Otherwise, when I, Dirk, get angry, I'll blow your heads off one by one, just for fun."
Sally, feeling Brad's lecherous gaze upon her, wrinkled her brow in disgust. She then looked at Brad with cold eyes. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐๏ผ๐๐๐จ
Seeing Dirk's worn-out revolver, David couldn't help but sneer. "I never realized it, but it turns out that every Rat Clan member now carries a weapon."
Upon hearing David's words, Dirk became even prouder. He raised his hand and waved the revolver, once again saying, "Kid, don't underestimate us Rat Clan members just because we have a humble status. We don't lack any weapons. Take this revolver, for example. Do you have one? Be a good boy and hand over your valuable items. Maybe, if I'm feeling generous, I'll let you touch it."
Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter. Ignorance might not be terrifying, but stupidity certainly was. They never expected a Rat Clan member to flaunt a worn-out revolver in front of David.
They all looked at Dirk with sympathy, their faces showing a pitying expression.
"Tsk tsk, indeed a member of the Rat Clan, short-sighted and ignorant!" Arnold shook his head mockingly.
Upon hearing this, Dirk instantly became unwilling. Short-sighted and ignorant? He was a trusted subordinate of the leader, how could he tolerate such an insult? He immediately glared at Arnold, filled with anger, and said menacingly, "Kid! Watch your mouth and show some respect. If you provoke me, believe me, I'll blow your head off first!"
As a Level 2 ability user, Arnold wasn't impressed by Dirk's words. His expression of disdain became even more pronounced.
"Hey! Are you deaf or something? Didn't you hear what my big brother said? Show me that stinky face again, and I'll beat the crap out of you right now!" Saying that, Brad swiftly charged towards Arnold, swinging his fist to strike his face.
This time, not only Arnold, but everyone burst into laughter. It was pure foolishness for an ordinary person to boast about their fists in front of an awakened werewolf. It was like asking for trouble. Immediately, everyone eagerly watched the scene unfold.
Arnold also laughed disdainfully. Just as Brad's fist was about to touch his face, he suddenly flashed and disappeared from the spot. Brad's punch immediately hit empty air.
"Are you scared, kid? If you have the guts, don't hide. Let me teach you a lesson!" Brad thought that his fierce punch had scared Arnold, so he stood in place, looking smug.
At that moment, Arnold appeared behind Brad, reached out and patted his shoulder, and smiled, saying, "See this punch? Are you scared?"
With that, Arnold clenched his right fist and swung it fiercely towards Brad's abdomen. A muffled sound followed, and Brad, who hadn't reacted in time, felt as if his abdomen had been struck by a locomotive. His internal organs seemed to shatter, causing intense pain. He immediately curled up on the ground in agony, rolling around. His previous arrogance vanished in an instant.
"Ouch! It hurts! It hurts! He's killing me! He's killing me!" Hearing Brad's cries of pain, Dirk's face instantly revealed a hint of killing intent.
"Do you think you can get away with this? How dare you lay a hand on my little brother? I'm going to kill you right now!" Dirk exclaimed, raising his revolver and aiming it at Arnold. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
"Bang!" The sound of a bullet being fired instantly rang out. Arnold, seeing the situation, sneered once again and disappeared from the spot. His physical body couldn't withstand bullets, but as an awakened werewolf, his speed was unparalleled.
Seeing that the shot fired missed the target, Dirk grew even angrier. He had traveled far and wide, bullying countless survivors, and every time, his revolver had managed to scare them off. Even when facing some ability users, as long as he showed his revolver, they would obediently speak a few kind words. After all, in this world, firearms still held a dominant position.
"You fucking don't take me seriously?" Dirk held his gun and continuously searched for Arnold's figure.
Watching this scene, David let out a faint smile. He knew Arnold was teasing Dirk, otherwise, with his strength, he could have slapped him to the ground long ago. Considering the security of the base, David didn't intend to engage with these two individuals for a long time. It could attract the attention of other zombies or untrustworthy individuals, and he wasn't fond of dealing with trouble.
So he shouted to Dirk, who was becoming increasingly furious, "Hey, you want to compare weapons with me, right? Have you seen this?" As he spoke, David secretly retrieved a heavy machine gun and an AK from the warehouse system.
Now, Dirk stood there in a state of confusion. He looked at the heavy machine gun and AK in David's hands, then glanced at his own revolver. He was dumbfounded. I only have a revolver, and you just pulled out a heavy machine gun and an AK. You're not playing fair!
Looking at the heavy machine gun and AK in front of them, Dirk and Brad fell silent. After swallowing their saliva and clearing their throats, Dirk slowly tucked his paint-chipped revolver back into his waistband and smiled, saying, "boss, it's a misunderstanding, all just a misunderstanding! Don't take it to heart."
Saying that, Dirk once again showed a apologetic smile to David. People who can survive in this world have sharp minds. Although Dirk is the lowest-ranking rodent in this world, years of plundering have allowed him to quickly assess the pros and cons of a situation. How can his small revolver compare to a heavy machine gun and an AK? It would be foolish to pretend otherwise and invite trouble upon oneself. A real man knows when to yield and when to stand tall.
Dirk immediately lowered his head, perfectly illustrating this principle. On the other hand, Brad glanced at David, and his expression did not show fear upon seeing the weapons. Instead, he became even more restless, gazing at the modified war vehicles parked not far away.
In Brad's eyes at this moment, neither the heavy machine gun nor the AK caught his attention. The only thing that interested him was these magnificent and imposing post-apocalyptic war vehicles! When he drives these vehicles on the road, not only the rodent clan, but anyone who sees them will be envious. It's the perfect tool to show off! ๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ.๏ฝ๐๐
As Brad's excitement grew in his heart, he completely disregarded David's words. He even thought that this young man was just a verbose guy who kept preventing him from driving his beloved post-apocalyptic war vehicle.
Watching Dirk's submissive expression, David smiled faintly and said, "Misunderstanding? In my eyes, there is no such thing as a misunderstanding. Since you guys have shown yourselves, shouldn't you bear the consequences of your actions? After all, this place is not where you can come and go as you please."
As he spoke, David raised the heavy machine gun in his hand and coldly surveyed the two men. This made Dirk shiver with fear. Based on his years of experience, he believed that the killer in front of him was probably completely set on killing today. On top of barging in without any courtesy, it was bound to leave a bad taste in his mouth. Vaguely, he felt a chill rising in his heart as he looked into David's eyes.
After briefly contemplating, Dirk was about to try using his silver tongue to persuade David, the killer. But before he could open his mouth, Brad couldn't help but speak up. He looked at David disdainfully and said, "Why are you so long-winded? It's just that the two of us brothers said some unpleasant things. Are you going to be so petty about it? If it weren't for my boss Gary not being here today, would you even have a say? I advise you not to scare us brothers with that thing in your hand and simply give us a car. We'll call it even today!"
After speaking, Brad glanced at the weapon in David's hand with a nonchalant expression. However, this statement instantly shocked Dirk, freezing him in place. Wow! He wanted to kneel down and beg David for forgiveness, but this guy was trying to make David even angrier? Was Brad an idiot or what? At that moment, Dirk felt that his teammate was truly a fool! He looked at David, at a loss for what to do.
After Brad spoke those words, a slight smile appeared at the corner of David's mouth. He turned his gaze towards Brad, revealing a playful look. How dare they blatantly stand in his way and attempt to rob him? David acknowledged that he had never encountered such a courageous warrior before. But since he had come across one today, he would make sure to show him the consequences of his actions.
With his eyes fixed on Brad and his thoughts drifting towards the menacing doomsday vehicles nearby, David decisively pulled the trigger of his heavy machine gun. Rat-tat-tat! The heavy machine gun roared to life, with blue flames flickering and shells clattering on the ground. The sound of the gunfire intertwined with the noise of the bullets being fired, creating a suffocating sense of despair.
Explosive gunfire echoed through the underground parking lot as bullets rained down on Brad. After a minute, David released his finger from the trigger and looked at the lifeless, bloodied corpse lying on the ground. heavy machine gun had sent Brad straight to another world.
David shook his head gently and turned to Dirk, who was trembling uncontrollably, his legs shaking like straw. Dirk never expected that David would kill Brad right in front of him. Instantly, an extreme sense of fear engulfed him. He stared at David with wide, terrified eyes, his face drenched in cold sweat. Meanwhile, David still held the heavy machine gun, its white smoke not yet dissipated. He looked at Dirk and gave a faint smile.
"Oh my God! Devil!" It was David's smile that drove Dirk insane. It also stirred his strong survival instinct. Without hesitation, Dirk swiftly pulled out three smoke grenades from his waist and threw them on the ground. Thick smoke instantly filled the parking lot. Taking advantage of the dense fog, Dirk didn't think twice and crawled and rolled away from that hellish place. Arnold rushed out to chase after him, but David stopped him.
"No need to pursue him," David suddenly said to Arnold. "He's just a lowly ant, incapable of causing much trouble."
Arnold nodded and retreated. After escaping from the underground parking lot, Dirk kept running without stopping. He occasionally glanced back, fearing that the killer David might suddenly chase after him. After running through five streets, he finally stopped in an abandoned residential building, gasping for fresh air. Wiping the cold sweat off his face, Dirk's trembling continued. However, along with the fear, an intense anger surged within him. He couldn't believe that this young man, David, could be so ruthless. How could he just kill a living person without any qualms? Was that even fair? If this news reached their Rat Clan, how could Dirk maintain his position?
"This guy is just plain rude" Dirk complained. At the same time, he remembered his fully equipped appearance just moments ago and came up with an idea. If he let his leader, Gary, know that this young man was a walking arsenal, wouldn't he be overjoyed?
Their leader, Gary, was someone who valued all kinds of resources as life itself. That's why he sent them out every day to search for supplies. Dirk speculated that if Gary learned about this, he would personally take action. They could not only seize all the supplies from that guy, but also avenge Brad!
The prospect of accomplishing two goals at once excited Dirk. "Kid, you've messed with me. Are you qualified for it? Let's have a showdown and see who's tougher!" After saying this, Dirk's eyes flashed with cunning, and he immediately ran towards the Rat Clan's base.
Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time.
After Dirk escaped using the smoke bomb, David slowly put away his heavy machine gun and AK. While he understood the principle of not revealing wealth, he also knew that certain individuals needed to be dealt with decisively to deter them completely. He had changed since before, becoming ruthless and cold-blooded, his signature traits.
Furthermore, relying on their rat clan's power, it was delusional for anyone to think they could fight against Ember Squad. So, after Arnold hung Brad's body outside the parking lot, David continued with the final modifications on the remaining vehicles.
In a suburban underground basement, a damp and cold air filled the room. The walls were covered in moss, and the dim overhead light flickered dangerously. At the far end of the basement, a chair adorned with a skull pattern was placed in the center.
At this moment, a man with a delicate and sinister appearance sat on the skull chair. It seemed as though he had never seen sunlight, with his pale skin appearing even more ghastly against the black robe he wore. He lifted his eyelids, gazing at Dirk who stood respectfully below him.
"boss, Brad was killed today, and I almost didn't make it back to see you! You have no idea how audacious those people were. Not only did they kill Brad, but they also tried to attack me. If I hadn't run fast enough, I would've been finished there. I still can't help but shudder when I think about it!" Dirk lamented, prostrating himself on the ground with a mournful face.
At the same time, Dirk recalled David's appearance with the heavy machine gun, causing his body to tremble involuntarily once again. Listening to Dirk's words, Gary slowly raised his head and looked at him. Suddenly, a gleam of interest appeared in his narrow eyes.
"Oh? Who are they?" Gary played with his long fingers and spoke softly.
"boss, judging by their appearance, they should also be awakened ability users. And those guys are incredibly wealthy. Not only do they have dozens of modified apocalypse vehicles, but they also possess heavy machine guns and AKs. If it weren't for my fear of that heavy machine gun, I would have brought back a few vehicles for you," Dirk explained.
"Is that so?" Hearing Dirk's words, Gary's face instantly radiated excitement, and his eyes revealed a greedy gleam. He had survived in this world for several decades, building his fortune through plundering others' resources. In his eyes, all the resources in this world should belong to him. When he heard Dirk mention the presence of vehicles, heavy machine guns, and AKs, his excitement surged.
"bossr, I wouldn't dare to deceive you! I genuinely witnessed them with those weapons. I must say, they were fantastic. Just grabbing one of those would enable us to dominate this city. Who would dare to provoke us then? The fools who offended us will pay the price," Dirk said, his eyes sneaking glances at Gary's changing expression.
When Dirk saw a hint of excitement on Gary's face, he became even more thrilled. Because he knew that his words had deeply captivated Gary. If he wasn't mistaken, Gary would personally lead them to seize the group's resources. With Gary present, why would they fear those individuals? They would surely return the humiliation they had suffered earlier. Thinking of this, a subtle smile of satisfaction appeared at the corner of Dirk's mouth.
"Do you remember their location?" Gary couldn't wait to get his hands on those resources and hastily asked.
"Remember, remember! It's in an underground parking garage. I made two trips back and forth there, so I definitely know the way," Dirk quickly replied.
Upon hearing Dirk's words, Gary slowly stood up. Excitement caused a patch of greenish-brown snake scales to suddenly appear on his arm. The scales trembled up and down, making a rustling sound. This characteristic was a manifestation of his excitement.
"Great! Take me there now. I want to see which fool dares to bully my subordinate. It's time for our Rat Clan to leave a legendary mark on this city."
Gary's scales trembled even more intensely, and the sound became increasingly piercing. At the same time, a charming woman and several burly men emerged slowly from the darkness, following him. Seeing this, Dirk quickly stood up and led them towards David's underground parking garage.
"Kid, once my boss takes action, your days are numbered!" Dirk led the way, speaking maliciously. This made him unconsciously quicken his pace...
After over an hour of effort, David finally finished the reconfiguration of the several combat vehicles. The redesigned vehicles not only had significantly increased attack power but also much stronger defense compared to before. Looking at his masterpiece, David proudly clapped his hands. With these big guys, their team would no longer have to exert as much effort when going out on missions or hunting zombies.
At this moment, Charles also emerged from the base. Looking at the combat vehicles that had been strengthened by David's reconfiguration, Charles couldn't help but feel admiration for him. He never expected that this person before him could completely reconfigure five or six vehicles within a few hours, and each one turned into a formidable behemoth. As a result, he increasingly felt puzzled about David, but at the same time, his respect for him grew. After all, he was already a member of the Embers squad, and David was their leader. If David hadn't reached out to him, he would probably still be wandering alone outside.
"How do you like my skills?" David smiled and asked Charles.
"Not just good, it's almost on par with some professional mechanics," Charles praised, to which David responded with a faint smile.
Next, David put away all the repair tools and neatly parked the several combat vehicles at the entrance of the base. This way, if there were any emergencies, they could quickly get into the vehicles and take action. With everything arranged, David and Charles prepared to return to the base.
However, at this moment, Charles frowned once again and sighed with a bitter smile. "This guy is really persistent. Why is he here again?"
Hearing Charles' words, David instantly understood. He then looked somewhat helpless as he glanced at the entrance of the parking garage.
"No, he has brought someone else, and the aura emanating from that person is very powerful," Charles paused and nervously added.
"Mm? Two more people?" Hearing Charles' words, David immediately understood that the person from earlier must have found some help and returned to attack again. And based on Charles' description, it seemed to be an awakened superpower wielder.
This made David shake his head in disbelief. He never expected this Rat Clan member to be so persistent, hovering around them like a fly.
"Don't worry, our team is composed entirely of esper individuals. What is there to fear?" David patted Charles' shoulder reassuringly.
When the Embers squad joined forces, they could even take down a Titan zombie, let alone awakened esper individuals. For an awakened individual to surpass the power of a Titan zombie, their level of awakening must be above Level 7. However, in this world after so many years, besides himself being Level 7, David had never encountered anyone above Level 7. He knew that this world was incredibly stringent when it came to the advancement of superpowers. It not only required great opportunities but also a large supply of crystals. Without either of these, a successful advancement was impossible.
Therefore, David didn't pay much attention to these individuals. He stood in the middle of the underground parking garage, waiting for their arrival. Charles silently stood beside David, observing the scene.
Suddenly, a piercing friction sound resounded in the underground parking garage. David furrowed his brows, staring intently in the direction ahead, his face displaying a hint of confusion. At the same time, two figures flashed at the entrance of the underground parking garage.
"What a nice place this is! Cold and deep, perfect for our Rat Clan to dwell." Suddenly, an extremely sinister voice emerged from the darkness, followed by a man dressed in a black robe slowly walking out. Behind him were a young woman and seven to eight burly men, with Dirk among them.
"That's the guy!" Dirk quickly stepped forward and pointed at David, saying to Gary, "boss, that's him!" Anger filled his voice, as if he couldn't wait to rush forward and teach David a lesson.
Following Dirk's finger, Gary slowly raised his head to look at David. In his narrow eyes, a chilling light flashed, giving people goosebumps.
Feeling Gary's icy gaze, David felt goosebumps rise on his body as he imagined a snake crawling on his skin. Both from Gary's gaze and the aura emanating from him, David felt like he was facing a cold-blooded snake lurking in the darkness.
"Could his awakened ability be related to snakes?" A doubt arose in David's mind. However, at the same time, he lifted his head without hesitation and met Gary's gaze.
Upon seeing this, the scales on Gary's body rubbed against each other more intensely. The sound echoed in the enclosed underground parking garage. Upon hearing the sound, Arnold, Duke, Sally, and Sophie immediately walked out from the base. When they saw the sudden appearance of a man exuding a chilling aura, they became cautious.
They also noticed the seriousness on David's face and quickly understood the situation, walking to his side. David and Arnold stood in the front, while Charles, Duke, Sally, and Sophie stood behind them.
The positioning of the team in combat was previously requested by David. This way, the mages in the team could be tightly protected, helping them create distance for their attacks and ensuring their personal safety. Everyone looked at the sinister man in front of them with caution, assuming a ready-for-battle posture.
As Gary saw the sudden addition of several people, a faint smile appeared on his face. He was already a Level 6 esper and had rarely encountered opponents stronger than him in regular battles. Although he knew that the people in front of him were also awakened espers, he didn't pay much attention to them.
At this moment, Gary lifted his hand slightly, and from the wide sleeves of his robe, a small snake with peculiar patterns emerged. The snake wrapped around his arm and slowly crawled up, finally coiling on his shoulder, its crimson tongue flickering as it stared at the group.
Seeing this snake, David confirmed his speculation that this person had indeed awakened a snake-based ability. Moreover, he could also raise snakes, indicating that his level couldn't be too low. David focused his gaze on him, carefully sensing the level emanating from him.
"A Level 6 esper?" Soon, David sensed his level.
At the same time, Gary slowly spoke, "Did you kill my subordinates? As the saying goes, you should ask for my permission first. I'm here today to settle this matter. So, tell me, what do you want to do? I advise you to be sensible, or else it won't show any mercy when it gets angry."
As he spoke, Gary glanced at the snake coiled on his shoulder and revealed a faint smile. The snake seemed to possess a spiritual connection, emanating a strong aura.
David naturally understood the implied meaning of his words. He smiled faintly and said, "What's this? Your son got beaten up and came crying to daddy? I spared your dog's life earlier, but it seems you can't understand human language." With that, David turned his head to look at Dirk beside him, his eyes full of amusement.
With his boss by his side, Dirk no longer appeared as timid as before. Proudly raising his head, he fearlessly looked at David and said, "Do you really think you're so great? With my boss here, you're nothing but rubbish! While my boss isn't angry yet, hand over all the supplies on you obediently. Otherwise, you'll regret it when my boss gets mad!"
Dirk had a smug expression on his face, looking at David. Then, as if he remembered something, he quickly added, "Let me tell you, my boss is fierce! Hand over the heavy machine gun and AK you had earlier, or else! " As he spoke, Dirk's eyes kept glancing at the modified war vehicles, revealing the same envy as Brad before.
Hearing Dirk's arrogant words, David laughed again. Today, he truly witnessed what it meant to be a lapdog, boldly confronting him with a Level 6 big brother. Did he really think a Level 7 esper like himself was nothing?
Arnold behind him couldn't contain his anger at these words. Without further ado, he transformed into his werewolf form.
Gary, upon seeing this, once again emanated a sinister gaze from his narrowed eyes, followed by a cold smile at the corner of his mouth.
As a Level 6 esper, Gary could naturally discern Arnold's level. When he saw that the other party was only a Level 2, his eyes were filled with disdain. He knew that as a Level 6 esper, he could easily defeat a Level 2 esper.
So Gary looked at Arnold contemptuously and said, "A puny ant like you isn't worth my time." With that, he waved his hand, and a woman dressed in a black robe emerged from behind him. The woman had an extremely slender figure, and her narrow eyes were just like Gary's. However, the light in her eyes was not only cold but also carried a hint of charm. The woman walked slowly towards Gary with a respectful expression on her face.
"Rosa, I leave this guy to you. Don't disappoint me," Gary said, and the snake on his shoulder immediately emitted a piercing sound when it stared at Arnold.
"Don't worry, master. I will offer his flesh to the snake spirit," Rosa said in a deep voice, then lifted her head to look at Arnold across from her.
At this moment, Arnold had completely revealed his werewolf form, with muscular and powerful limbs like a dragon and wolf claws that resembled steel blades. There was even a wild wolf's aura emanating from his body.
However, Rosa, like Gary, didn't pay any attention to him. She extended her pale and slender finger, casually brushing her hair aside, and walked step by step towards Arnold.
David was also captivated by this woman named Rosa. Judging from the aura emanating from her, David deduced that she was a Level 4 awakened esper. The aura she emitted was just as cold and ferocious as Gary's, like a venomous snake in the wilderness preparing to capture its prey.
This made David immediately understand. Rosa should be Gary's disciple, and both of them awakened snake-type abilities. He immediately became worried about Arnold. Although Arnold's strength and speed were top-notch, the level suppression doomed him to be unable to defeat Rosa. Seeing her casual demeanor, David's eyebrows furrowed.
Meanwhile, Rosa continued to approach Arnold, her fingers twirling her hair. Observing Arnold's arrogant appearance, he roared and charged at her. David was about to intervene, but he realized that Arnold had already rushed in front of Rosa.
As Arnold lunged towards her, Rosa's lips curled into a cold smile. She raised her right hand, and her large sleeve fluttered, emitting a faint black aura. This aura was particularly eerie, as if it had a spiritual connection, directly rushing towards Arnold.
"Oh no! It's toxic gas!" David became instantly nervous when he saw the black aura.
However, Arnold seemed to completely disregard the toxic gas and still intended to rely on his speed and strength to confront Rosa head-on. He continued to advance, and the toxic gas surrounded his entire being.
In an instant, Arnold felt the toxic gas entering his body through his seven orifices. Once inside, the gas began to rampage wildly, flowing through his meridians. With each passage, an unbearable stinging sensation coursed through him.
This surprised Arnold, and his speed began to slow down. However, the toxic gas in his body showed no mercy. Soon, his body started to numb, and finally, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
The entire process took less than three minutes, and Arnold was defeated by Rosa. This instantly shocked the members of the Embers Squad! They never expected Arnold to be defeated so quickly by a woman. Moreover, Arnold didn't even have a chance to approach her before she knocked him down with a single move.
Although Arnold is only a Level 2, his strength and speed are excellent. Even some Level 3 awakened individuals cannot gain any advantage against him. That's why he rushed towards Rosa without hesitation earlier.
At the same time, Charles quickly rushed over to rescue Arnold, and then Sophie directly activated Stellar healing. Instantly, a shimmering power of stars emerged from the void and enveloped Arnold entirely. Seeing Arnold already affected by the poison, Rosa smiled faintly, and her contemptuous expression on her face grew stronger.
"Hahaha! Well done, my proudest disciple!" Gary applauded from behind, and the little snake on his shoulder let out a piercing hiss. Meanwhile, his triangular eyes looked at Arnold, revealing a hint of eager greed.
Seeing Arnold being knocked down so quickly, Dirk's face instantly showed excitement. He proudly looked at David and said, "Kid, do you understand the power of our Rat Clan now? While our boss is still calm, hand over everything to me quickly! Otherwise, your fate will be the same as his!"
With that, Dirk once again reached for the worn-out revolver at his waist. Then he raised his head leisurely and said to David again, "You think you're so tough? Scaring me with a heavy machine gun? Try scaring me again. If I get serious, not only you but everyone here will obediently die!"
As he spoke, Dirk straightened his back and kept playing with the revolver in his hand, as if he could shoot a bullet at David at any moment. David, who was pondering about the opponent's true strength, found Dirk's voice rather noisy. His brows furrowed tightly as he said to Duke, "Make him shut up!"
Duke understood David's intention, and since Arnold was defeated and unconscious, he was particularly angry. The lights in the underground parking lot happened to hang above Dirk's head, casting his shadow on the ground. Without hesitation, Duke reached out his hand towards Dirk and his eyes showed a thick murderous intent. "Shut your mouth!" ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฆ
As Duke spoke, and palm clenched tightly! Dirk, who stood in place, felt as if his body was being squeezed between two oncoming trains. Invisibly, a powerful pressure suddenly appeared, making it impossible for him to breathe. Then his body was forcefully compressed by this invisible pressure, and a mouthful of blood instantly sprayed from his mouth. Soon, he collapsed on the ground like a puddle of mud.
Witnessing this, the several men behind Gary were instantly stunned, wearing a bewildered expression, not knowing what had just happened. But suddenly remembering that David told them to shut up earlier, they quickly covered their mouths with their hands, afraid that they might end up lying here next.
At this moment, Dirk lay on the ground, his face twisted in extreme pain. He didn't expect that his boss was here and would dare to attack him. He quickly looked towards Gary with a pleading expression. However, Gary only glanced at him after Duke's remote attack, and then ignored him completely. Instead, he looked at Duke with a hint of curiosity.
"I didn't expect you to be a Shadow Manipulator, very suitable to be my vessel. But your level is too low, it's somewhat regrettable," Gary sighed and shook his head when he realized that Duke was only Level 1.
Hearing Gary's words, Duke's face turned pale. He didn't expect this guy to boast and claim to use him as his vessel. He coldly said, "Watch your tone!"
"Hahaha! You have quite a temper, I like it," Gary said with a smile, then signaled Rosa again.
As an awakened snake-type esper, Gary needed to shed his skin once a year. Unlike ordinary snakes, his process of shedding was unique and required finding a human vessel to contain his soul. The selection of his vessel was extremely strict, requiring an awakened esper with abilities like a mage. This way, they could quickly merge with his soul and fully unleash his power.
Seeing Duke's performance just now, it deeply impressed Gary. So he looked at Duke again and laughed softly, "I didn't expect you to be such a spirited guy, I like it even more."
While Gary was speaking, Rosa also walked towards him again, gently flipping her hair with slender fingers and revealing a seductive expression in her eyes. Since Duke was standing behind David, she walked to David's side first, looking up at this somewhat handsome young man.
Rosa's smile became even more seductive, and her mouth extended a long tongue as she licked her lips, whispering to David, "Your scent is so captivating, I'll play with you later. I don't mind taking you back, and then you'll become my slave."
After saying these two sentences, Rosa glanced at David again, her eyes becoming even more enticing. David remained calm in the face of her words.
Just as she brushed past him, David suddenly spoke, "Do you know what death tastes like?" With that, a hint of killing intent appeared at the corner of his mouth, and a spatial blade instantly manifested in his hand.
Upon hearing David's words, Rosa suddenly froze. Then, she felt a strong murderous intent spreading behind her. She immediately realized that danger was approaching and quickly tried to turn around and dodge. But how could a Level 4 esper like her escape from a Level 7 esper's attack?
In addition, David's esper abilities were in spatial manipulation and combat. When combined, both his speed and fighting power completely overwhelmed Rosa. Seeing a glint of coldness in David's eyes, the spatial blade in his hand instantly pierced through Rosa's chest.
The spatial blade pierced through Rosa's body, emitting a dull sound. Instantly, extreme pain appeared on Rosa's seductive face. She tried to struggle, but David didn't give her a chance. He gathered his strength and threw a powerful punch, hitting her abdomen mercilessly!
David exerted the full force of several thousand pounds, directly pouring it onto Rosa. Suddenly, her body floated in the air like a broken kite, blood gushing from the wound pierced by the spatial blade, while the blood floated in the air.
"Boom!" A heavy landing sound instantly exploded in the underground parking lot! After landing, Rosa felt as if every bone in her body shattered, and she instantly felt excruciating pain. She quickly turned her head to look at Gary, uttering unclear words.
"Master..." she barely said before Rosa's head tilted and she ceased to breathe.
David flicked off the bloodstains from the spatial blade and looked at her lifeless body, saying indifferently, "Don't think that just because you're a woman, I won't kill you." His voice was icy, as if it came from the depths of an ancient ice cave, filling the entire underground parking lot with a chilling atmosphere.
Gary watched his most talented disciple instantly killed by the young man before him, without even a chance to fight back. His face initially showed a horrified expression, but the next moment, absolute anger surfaced on his face. It caused the scales all over his body to rub against each other violently. The little snake on his shoulder instantly raised its triangular head, its bloody red tongue fixed on David as it emitted a sound.
"You killed my most beloved disciple, I promise this will be the thing you regret the most," Gary stared at David intensely.
At the same time, Gary began to assess David's strength. However, since David's power was one level higher, Gary naturally couldn't perceive it. In addition to his extreme anger, his mind was instantly clouded.
"Attack! The one who kills him will become the Deputy Squad Leader of the Rat Clan," Gary said to a dozen burly men behind him.
Upon hearing this, these men instantly became excited. Although they weren't esper, each of them appeared as sturdy , and they all carried various weapons. One look tells you they're not to be messed with.
In the blink of an eye, these men charged towards David. Meanwhile, Sally promptly filled in Arnold's absence and rushed over. Little Black and Cola also leaped out of the base and charged directly into the crowd.
David held an alloy short knife in one hand and the spatial blade in the other, constantly maneuvering through the crowd. Every time he raised his hand, a spray of blood blossomed. Little Black was particularly fierce, fully displaying its hellhound strength. It pounced on the head of one of the men and ruthlessly bit into his neck. Instantly, the underground parking lot echoed with continuous cries of pain.
In just a few minutes, the previously arrogant dozen men all fell to the ground. Some were slain by David with a single strike of the alloy short knife, while others had their necks forcefully bitten off by Little Black.
Sally and Cola stood together, and three or four bodies lay at their feet as well. The parking lot instantly filled with a strong smell of blood.
Gary, looking at his subordinates being eliminated so quickly by these few people, clenched his fist tightly. The black robe on his body swelled as the aura emanating from him expanded. The little snake on his shoulder even jumped directly to the ground, assuming a posture ready to attack David at any moment.
"Damn it! Do you all really treat me, as a rat? Today, I'll make sure you know what terror means!" With so many of Gary subordinates taken out by David, couldn't bear it any longer. Without hesitation, his entire body instantly floated in mid-air and charged towards David. The little snake also wriggled its body and crawled menacingly towards him.
Seeing this, David quickly spoke to the embers team, "You're no match for him, step back and leave the rest to me." Upon hearing David's words, everyone nodded and took a step back. Although they wanted to help, they knew that rushing in at this moment would be tantamount to sending themselves to their deaths. It wouldn't assist David, and it might even burden him. Meanwhile, Arnold, after Sophie's Stellar healing, slowly expelled the toxins from his body, and his consciousness began to recover.
In the midst of the conversation, Gary reached David's front. He suddenly extended a pair of hands with sharp nails, making a gesture as if he was going to dig into David's chest, seemingly determined to forcefully extract David's heart as revenge for Rosa.
Seeing this scene, David immediately opened a portal in space and vanished on the spot. Startled by the sudden disappearance of his prey, Gary paused for a moment, freezing in mid-air. The little snake beneath his feet straightened its body and continuously spat out its bloody red tongue, searching all around.
"Kid, I've found you!" Relying on the powerful sense of smell of snakes, Gary quickly locked onto a direction in the void and spoke coldly.
At the same time, Gary extended his palm and lunged forward. This caught David off guard, as he suddenly remembered how sensitive the sense of smell of snakes could be. As soon as he appeared from the void, they would instantly detect his position.
Therefore, David quickly opened another portal in space and disappeared into the void once again. Then, he charged out from the void behind Gary, still holding the alloy short knife in one hand and carrying the spatial blade in the other, thrusting towards the back of Gary's heart.
David had to rely on the mobility and speed of the spatial portals to deliver the quickest strike to Gary. Otherwise, as soon as he appeared, Gary would immediately lock onto him. That would be quite troublesome for him. At the same time, Gary once again caught sight of David's position and quickly turned around, raising his arm. Utilizing the snake scales on his arm, he forcefully blocked David's attack.
The spatial blade struck Gary's snake scales, causing a burst of sparks to flash. This surprised David slightly. He hadn't expected this guy's scales to be so tough, capable of withstanding his spatial blade's attack.
Gary, who took the blow, was suddenly shaken! Immediately, a surge of blood rushed up to his throat. However, to conceal any weakness, he forcibly swallowed it down.
"Is this young man really this strong?" Gary perceived David's strength as the reason behind his attack, without realizing it was a matter of hierarchy. As they fought, the snake beneath Gary's feet suddenly leaped high, opening its large bloody mouth, and lunged towards David's cheek.
"Watch out!" Sally immediately shouted nervously.
Suddenly! In the corner of Sally eye, she caught a glimpse of a blur. She quickly turned her head to examine and discovered that Cola had pounced towards the snake.
"Meow!" Cola let out a roar and in the blink of an eye, shot towards David's feet like an arrow. Then, it leaped high again, biting towards the snake. Because the snake's attention was completely focused on David, it didn't notice Cola's sudden attack. It was instantly knocked down by Cola. Only at that moment did it react and began wriggling its body, engaging in a battle with Cola.
A fierce battle ensued on one side of the underground parking lot, without the threat of the snake. David could finally fight with full force. He retracted the spatial blade, took a step back, opened another portal in space, and disappeared on the spot.
After swallowing the blood that surged up, Gary paused briefly. Then, he pulled out a short sword made of snake bones from his sleeve. The segments of white snake bones were distinct and the shape was chilling to look at. This snake bone sword was his personal weapon that he only used in times of danger. He never expected it would come to this today.
Next, David continued to swiftly shift his position using the spatial portals, launching an attack on Gary each time. However, with the snake bone sword in hand, Gary managed to barely cope. But due to the suppression of hierarchy and David's agility, it was extremely challenging for him.
On the other side, Cola battled the snake, displaying formidable momentum. The extraordinary level boosted Cola's power, and each strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, mercilessly landing on the snake.
Little Black also rushed over trying to assist Cola, but it was scared off by Cola's fierce glare. Finally, after a turn, Cola seized an opportunity during the snake's crawl and revealed its sharp claws, forcefully striking its body. Instantly, Cola's sharp claws cut several bloody gashes on the snake's body, and blood began gushing out from the wounds.
The snake seemed to sense the pain, and its tongue flickered more frequently, emitting increasingly piercing hissing sounds. Cola pursued the advantage, striking again without mercy. This made the snake instantly fearful and it hastily prepared to escape by wriggling its body. However, as soon as it turned around, it saw a menacing figure standing in front of it, glaring at it with a face full of killing intent.
It was Little Black. "Woof, woof, woof!" Little Black barked furiously at it while extending its claws, swatting it back towards Cola. Cola launched another attack, causing the snake's eyes to increasingly panic. No matter where it ran, it would be caught by the chasing Little Black.
Then, the snake returned to Cola's side once again. For a moment, it seemed to be caught in a stalemate. The situation was equally worrisome for Gary. After enduring David's continuous rapid strikes, cracks had started to appear on the snake bone sword in his hand, and wounds were gradually accumulating on his body. Ultimately, in a combined attack of David's spatial blade and alloy short knife, Gary's snake bone sword instantly snapped into two pieces and fell to the ground. He watched his snake bone sword, crafted from thousand-year-old snake bones, become useless.
Gary finally experienced the terror of the young man before him.
"Who are you?" Gary exclaimed in fear, stepping back with the broken snake bone sword in his hand. In this fight, he instantly realized the terrifying nature of the young man before him. Not only did he surpass him in speed and strength, but his techniques were also incredibly cunning and brutal. This made him doubt the identity and rank of the young man.
Listening to Gary's words, David smiled lightly, then lowered his head to wipe the alloy short knife. "I'm David, just like you, a survivor of this world," David said coldly, revealing his name.
Gary pondered over this unfamiliar name, swearing that he had never heard of him. Since the apocalypse, he had led his team, the Rat clan, and practically knew the names of every powerful esper in the city. However, he had never heard of the name David.
In reality, it wasn't Gary's fault. David usually acted extremely low-key, and very few people knew about him. Just then, a piercing hissing sound rang out. Gary quickly turned his head in the direction of the sound.
Between their conversation, Cola had used her Cat's Eighteen Fists technique, knocking out the little snake directly. Now, Cola was pressing its head with her palm, grinning at it.
This sudden scene made Gary's heart skip a beat. Looking at his subordinates lying on the ground and his broken snake bone sword in hand, he couldn't hold back anymore. As one of the survivors in this world, he had survived for a hundred years relying on his own strength. But seeing everything he had worked so hard to accumulate being destroyed by David, a flame of anger ignited within him.
"David, huh? I'll make you realize that being a survivor in this apocalypse was a wrong decision. Next, I will show you the true power of the Snake Spirit!" Gary declared, a sinister expression appearing on his face, along with an imperceptible smirk. ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๐๐
Seeing this, David frowned slightly. In that instant, he sensed a tremendous aura emanating from Gary. This aura didn't seem to come from a human but from some kind of creature in the natural world. So, he shifted his gaze towards the little snake being restrained by Cola.
Sure enough! Under the impact of Gary's aura, the little snake fiercely writhed its body, suddenly swelling to more than ten times its size and gaining even more power than before.
"Hiss~" The little snake let out a vicious hiss, raising its triangular head forcefully. It instantly broke free from Kola's restraint.
"Meow!" Cola let out a cry and quickly took a step back, cautiously staring at it.
"Hiss~" Immediately after, the body of the small snake swelled as if inflated, instantly transforming into a large snake. It went straight towards Gary after breaking free from Cola's grip. Gary, seeing this, immediately bit his finger, drawing blood. In an instant, as the blood fell in the air, the large snake opened its mouth wide and precisely swallowed it into its belly.
"Awaken, Snake Spirit! Deal with this enemy and show everyone the terrifying power you possess! Hahaha!" Gary stood in place, raising his hands high and laughing maniacally.
After consuming the blood, the patterns on the large snake's body became even more pronounced. Suddenly, a dagger-like bone spike grew from its triangular head. The spike looked exceptionally sharp, capable of piercing through any object.
"Hiss~" After this transformation, the large snake no longer appeared as pitiful as when it was subdued by Cola. Its aura was now surging with overwhelming intensity. It stared fixedly at David, its crimson snake tongue continuously tasting the air for various scents.
Seeing this, David knew that trouble was brewing. From Gary's strange gestures earlier, he could tell that he was performing some kind of mysterious ritual. This ritual allowed him to summon a creature with abilities similar to his own, in other words, a spirit familiar. By harnessing the spirit familiar, he could gain assistance in battle, and the summoned spirit familiar would be much stronger than ordinary beasts.
David stared at the large snake, the alloy short knife and spatial blade appearing in his hands once again. At the same time, he instructed the people behind him:"This is that guy's spirit beast, formidable in strength. Be cautious!"
Upon witnessing David's caution, everyone immediately understood the urgency of the situation and nodded in agreement.
Then, David gestured to Cola and Little Black, instructing them to protect Sophie. Little Black and Cola seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and obediently ran to stand in front of Sophie. Now, only the large snake and David remained on the battlefield.
The large snake continued to stare at David, emitting ear-piercing sounds, its voice filled with boundless anger and insatiable greed.
"Hiss~" Suddenly, the large snake fiercely hissed at David twice, then dragged its enormous body and charged towards him. At the same time, its bone spike flashed with a cold gleam, surrounded by a faint dark aura, the toxin secreted by its body.
"Hahaha! Dare to act arrogantly in front of me? Let's see if you can withstand the Abyssal Venomous Sting of the Snake Spirit!" Gary laughed maniacally.
"Abyssal Venomous Sting?" David immediately understood that this must be the ability of the Snake Spirit, so he looked at the dense toxic gas surrounding the spike. Then he swung both knives and charged forward. Soon, David and the large snake engaged in a rapid battle.
The spatial blade in David's hand slashed diagonally, directly tearing through the void, creating ripples of spatial fluctuations. The snake spirit's body was agile, evading David's attack in an instant, while simultaneously changing angles and thrusting its venomous spike towards David from another direction.
Seeing this, David inwardly shouted, "This isn't good!" and immediately retracted the spatial blade, using the alloy short knife in his right hand to block. At the same time, he quickly retrieved a flash grenade from his storage and threw it at the Snake Spirit while swinging the alloy short knife.
Suddenly, a bright white light exploded in the underground parking lot! The Snake Spirit lowered its head to avoid the flash. Taking advantage of this, David forcefully swung the alloy short knife and managed to strike the venomous spike based on his intuition.
"Clang!" The sound of metal collision rang out! David felt a tingling sensation in his hand, and the alloy short knife almost slipped from his grasp. This surprised him greatly.
David never expected that the venomous spike of the Snake Spirit would be so resilient, able to withstand his alloy short knife. In that moment when the Snake Spirit lowered its head, David quickly retracted the alloy short knife and stomped forcefully on the ground. Utilizing the recoil, he leaped into the air and landed on top of a car, while the light from the flash grenade slowly dissipated.
Standing up, David stared intently at the Snake Spirit. After his strike with the alloy short knife, he noticed a gaping wound on its venomous spike, from which more poisonous gas was slowly seeping out. However, the Snake Spirit seemed to have been shaken by David's attack, now shaking its head to regain clarity.
"Give up, for you are powerless against the mighty Snake Spirit! If you submit to me now, I will let the Snake Spirit bless your body and make you my glorious subordinate," Gary, who was watching the battle, saw this scene and sneered, speaking to David. ๐๐๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐.๐๐๐
"Hmph! Become your subordinate? In your dreams!" David disdainfully replied to Gary.
At the same time, David looked at the Snake Spirit again, contemplating how to deal with it. He initially intended for Duke to use shadow techniques to control the Snake Spirit while he delivered a fatal blow. However, the creature seemed to have recognized Duke's ability earlier, refusing to step into the light where its shadow would be exposed.
"What a cunning creature!" David rubbed his sore hand and said.
During their previous encounter, David understood that he couldn't engage the Snake Spirit in close combat if he wanted to defeat it. He needed to maintain distance and attack from afar.
After all, he didn't know the potency of the Snake Spirit's venom. If he recklessly approached, he might end up being struck by its venomous spike, which would only lead to more trouble.
Now that he had a battle plan in mind, David mustered up his confidence. With a wave of his hand, a spatial portal quickly opened before him. Then, with a leap, he jumped into the portal and disappeared.
The Snake Spirit had already regained its senses and had been continuously watching David, its crimson snake tongue flicking in the air. The moment David disappeared, it became cautious, continuously testing the air with its tongue, attempting to locate its vanished opponent.
"No need to search, I'm right here!" Suddenly, David manifested from above, holding the spatial blade in his right hand, and viciously swung it towards the Snake Spirit's vital spot. However, due to the Snake Spirit's keen sense of smell, it already knew his position the instant David appeared. So as David swung his blade down, the creature twisted its body intensely, narrowly evading his strike.
"Boom!" The spatial blade struck the ground with a tremendous roar. But David wasn't finished yet. He had already anticipated that the Snake Spirit would quickly pinpoint his location. So, the moment he landed, he swiftly raised the alloy short knife once again.
"Slash!" The alloy short knife sliced through the air, producing bursts of sonic booms as it mercilessly cleaved towards the Snake Spirit. Another crisp metallic sound resounded as David's strike directly hit the creature's body. Upon contact, sparks erupted between the alloy short knife and its skin.
"Hiss~ Hiss~" The Snake Spirit seemed to feel pain from David's attack and began coiling its body while letting out hissing sounds. Witnessing the effectiveness of his strike, David felt overjoyed. He once again opened a spatial portal, disappearing from his original position. Then, taking advantage of the Snake Spirit's reaction, he suddenly appeared behind it and viciously swung the alloy short knife once more.
"Hiss~ Hiss~" The strike once again hit the serpent spirit's body, and a miserable sound instantly escaped its mouth. Seeing his serpent spirit continuously attacked by David, Gary, standing aside, had an incredibly dark expression on his face, mixed with anger.
At this moment, blood began to seep from the corners of Gary's mouth. As a hybrid of human and serpent, he shared a physiological and mental resonance with the serpent spirit. Whenever the serpent spirit was harmed, he would feel the pain as well. Therefore, David's two strikes indirectly struck him.
"Damn it! How dare you insult the great serpent spirit like this!" Gary gritted his teeth and spoke through clenched jaws. Suddenly, a colder aura emanated from him. He extended his index finger into his mouth and bit down hard, causing black blood to flow from his fingertip.
The serpent spirit seemed to sense the scent of the black blood and immediately became excited. It swiftly swam towards Gary's side and opened its mouth wide towards his finger. Gary's hand was instantly bitten by the serpent spirit, and the black blood flowed into its body.
"Since that's the case, don't blame me for using the blood sacrifice." Gary looked at David with an icy gaze, a smug expression appearing on his face. Observing Gary's peculiar action, David furrowed his brow.
"Blood sacrifice?" David recalled this somewhat familiar name and suddenly remembered what this ability was about.
In his previous life, David had seen some espers who used their own blood to summon a stronger version of their spirit beasts. Because it required sacrificing oneself, this ability was called blood sacrifice. In other words, it involved feeding one's spirit beast with their own flesh and blood to awaken its hidden potential and enhance its combat power.
David never expected that this ancient and legendary method was still being used by someone. He stared intently at the serpent spirit, tightly gripping his dual blades. At this moment, after consuming Gary's blood sacrifice, the serpent spirit instantly doubled in size. The abyssal spines on its head also grew thicker, and the venomous aura emanating from the spines became even more intense. The color of the venom changed from black to purple, a sign of intensified toxicity.
Soon, the serpent spirit slowly released Gary's fingers from its mouth. It then turned its head again, facing David's direction, with a chilling gleam in its triangular eyes.
"Hiss! Hiss!" The serpent spirit spat out its serpent-like tongue, and its hissing sound was even more imposing than before. This made the other members of the team tense up. They could also sense that the serpent spirit's combat power had increased significantly. Beside them, Cola, upon feeling this aura, even activated its transcendental state. Its fur bristled, and it stared intently at the serpent spirit, growling softly.
The air in the underground parking lot suddenly became tense. Gary glanced triumphantly at the serpent spirit beneath his feet, then cast a glance at David. He knew that the slaughter had just begun.
Soon, the serpent spirit, having consumed the blood sacrifice, charged towards David once again. Its speed was even faster than before, moving at twice the previous speed. Its massive scales rubbed against the ground, stirring up clouds of dust.
David immediately became fully alert, cautiously watching its movements. Just as it was about to reach him, David opened another spatial portal and disappeared from his original position.
This time, instead of appearing in a different direction, David reappeared ten meters away from the serpent spirit. He knew that engaging in close-quarters combat with the beast was not a viable option.
Although David was a Level 7 esper, capable of overpowering a Level 6 esper like Gary, the serpent spirit was, after all, a wild beast. Its level was slightly higher than Gary's.
Instead of rushing into an attack, David chose to maintain a distance and observe the serpent spirit's every move. Upon seeing David appear in another location, the serpent spirit hissed and once again dragged its massive body towards him.
Compared to before, the serpent spirit's speed was noticeably faster this time. In the blink of an eye, it reached David's vicinity. Before David could open a spatial portal, the serpent spirit suddenly opened its mouth wide, revealing its sharp teeth, and lunged at him.
"Uh-oh!" David muttered under his breath and quickly rolled on the ground, taking cover behind a car, narrowly evading the serpent spirit's attack. Unfortunately, the car in front of him suffered the consequences as the serpent spirit bit a large hole through its roof.
Charles, Sally, and Sophie instantly became tense. They had never expected the serpent spirit's power to become so terrifying. Arnold, who was regaining consciousness, opened his eyes and anxiously stared at David, who was leaping around on the car. Although they wanted to help, they knew that their abilities were no match for the serpent spirit. They could potentially become a liability to David. They had been instructed to remain in their positions and provide assistance when needed. Everyone watched David's battle with serious expressions, their hearts pounding.
Seeing David dodge the attack, the serpent spirit twisted its body and launched another assault towards him. David continuously dodged, utilizing the parked cars as cover, while also contemplating his countermeasures. He noticed that although the serpent spirit was fast and powerful, its elongated body hindered the effectiveness of its attacks.
The serpent spirit's main offensive power resided in its head, while its rear body, apart from its thick scales, was practically ineffective.
David formulated a plan. "Strike at the serpent's weak point," and in this case, the weak point was the serpent's rear body. If he continued to engage with the front half of its body, he wouldn't gain any advantage. Only by attacking the serpent's rear half could he find a breakthrough.
As David sprinted forward, he suddenly halted, then somersaulted in mid-air. Utilizing the spatial portal, he disappeared from the serpent spirit's line of sight. Simultaneously, he reappeared behind the serpent spirit. Raising his space blade high, he fiercely swung it towards the vulnerable spot on the serpent's scales.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing resounded as the space blade struck the serpent spirit's body, but it didn't inflict any damage. The serpent spirit tilted its head and coldly stared at David. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐ฐ๐
David, who had anticipated this outcome, remained calm and immediately fetched a can of gasoline from the warehouse. Opening the gasoline can, he quickly poured all of its contents onto the seven inches of the snake spirit. Instantly, the underground parking lot was filled with a strong gasoline smell.
Next, David retrieved a flashbang grenade from the warehouse and shouted loudly to Duke, "Shadow Magic !"
While speaking, David had already thrown the flashbang grenade high into the air, and at the same time, he swiftly moved to the side.
Just as he landed, the flashbang grenade in the air suddenly emitted a bright light. The shadows of nearby objects were instantly cast on the ground, including the shadow of the snake spirit.
Duke, who had been waiting on the side, immediately raised his hands and fiercely grabbed the shadow of the snake spirit.
"Hiss! Hiss!" In an instant, the snake spirit was firmly immobilized by Duke's Shadow Control Magic. Duke exerted all his strength in this grab, even needing Sally's assistance.
Meanwhile, David took out a windproof lighter and, as it ignited, he coldly stared at the snake spirit, quietly saying, "In the presence of humans, a beast will forever remain a beast. Goodbye."
After speaking, David threw the lighter, still aflame, at the snake spirit. Hiss~~ As the lighter touched the gasoline-soaked body of the snake spirit, a large flame erupted. The fire quickly spread and soon engulfed the entire snake spirit.
"Hiss!" The snake spirit seemed to be in excruciating pain from the burning flames. It struggled to break free but was forcefully held in place by Duke's Shadow Control Art, leveraging the strength of everyone present. The fire grew larger, and the scales on its body began to crackle. David could almost smell the scent of charred flesh in the air.
"Damn it! This is so infuriating! How could it end up like this?" Gary, seeing this scene, was instantly filled with anger. He hurriedly tried to move and rescue the snake spirit. However, before he could take a step, Little Black and Cola rushed forward, preventing him from moving any further.
But Gary's body was already extremely weak; how could he withstand the attacks of two animal spirits? Soon, he was pinned down by a pounce from Little Black.
Charles, seeing this, quickly approached and drew a short knife from his waist, pressing it firmly against Gary's neck. The fire continued to burn on the snake spirit's body. After a moment, the flames finally subsided, and the snake spirit, which had been struggling desperately, became motionless.
Duke let go of his hands and started to breathe heavily. He had exerted almost all of his strength to suppress the snake spirit. Consequently, he was now in a weakened state. Sophie immediately activated Stellar Healing to assist Duke.
Looking at the dark corpse of the snake spirit, a cold smile finally appeared on David's lips. He then walked over to Gary's side.
Looking at Gary's weakened body, David noticed that the scales on his body had turned dark. He speculated that it was the result of the snake spirit's reciprocation. A faint smile appeared on David's lips. The snake scales were Gary's only defense, and now that he had lost that advantage, he was as helpless as a fish on a cutting board.
David glanced at him and said, "Not every survivor is as pitiful as you imagine. If you're from the Rat Clan, then you should stay in the dark and damp sewers where you belong. Crossing paths with our Embers Squad, you can only blame yourself." David never showed mercy towards those who overestimated themselves.
Hearing David's words, a hint of malice appeared in Gary's triangular eyes. "Why should the Rat Clan forever live underground? We are all survivors in this world and have the right to enjoy the sunlight outside. No one is supreme. In this world, as long as you're alive, you must enjoy everything you deserve."
David couldn't help but sneer at his words. Did being alive give you the right to enjoy everything? He silently shook his head. Remembering the humble fate from his previous life, David believed that if you wanted to obtain and enjoy everything, you had to rely on strength. This was a world of survival of the fittest, where the weak would eventually be defeated by the strong. It wasn't a matter of blaming fate but rather one's own fortune.
After being reborn, David's first priority was to continuously strengthen his own power. He killed zombies relentlessly to obtain crystals. He searched for resources tirelessly to ensure his survival. He formed the Embers Squad to provide warmth and support for survivors in this world. Everything he did was to prove to this world that he was powerful and deserving of it all.
But what about the person in front of him, who relied on theft and robbery? Using his cunning schemes to snatch the resources upon which other survivors relied. Although he was also surviving, a long-standing saying from David's previous life resonated in his mind: That is, even in theft, there is a principle. Without the "principle," it would be a disgraceful act of greed endangering lives. The same principle applied,Even in this absurd world, there was still a principle, and that was strength. Only with strength could one reign supreme! ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ.๐๐๐
So David looked at Gary and said coldly, "You think this world is too simple. If you could live another life, I believe you wouldn't utter these words. This world belongs to the strong, a world where might makes right. Ants like you are destined to be slaughtered."
Hearing David's icy and ruthless words, even Charles and the others couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. They watched David's figure under the dim light, as if they were seeing a proud and formidable god of slaughter!
Meanwhile, Gary secretly lifted his head and observed David's every move. When he noticed that David was lost in thought, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. He quickly raised the revolver that had fallen from Dirk and aimed it at David.
This sudden turn of events made everyone present tense up! They couldn't believe that even when facing death, this guy was still resisting. Worried expressions filled their eyes as they looked at David.
"David, be careful!" Sally anxiously shouted to David.
In fact, David had already seen Gary's small movements before he made them, but he just shook his head slightly.
"Hahaha! I won't die in this world! Even if I die, I'll make sure you accompany me to the underworld!" When Dirk fell to the ground, his revolver slipped to Gary's feet. So when he was lying on the ground just now, he casually grabbed it and hid it behind his back. He had been waiting for this opportunity, waiting to deliver the final blow to the person who defeated him.
Looking at Gary with a crazed smile on his face, David furrowed his brow and said, "Sorry, I've already died once. So I won't try the taste of death again."
At the same time, Gary pulled the trigger. A spinning bullet shot out of the barrel at high speed, heading straight for David's forehead like a meteor falling from ten thousand meters high.
Sally was instantly frightened and wanted to rush forward, but she knew it was too late. "David!" she could only shout his name desperately.
Arnold, Sophie, and the others also showed a hint of fear in their eyes. They seemed to anticipate what would happen next.
Just as the bullet was about to touch David's forehead, he suddenly closed his eyes and softly said, "Stop."
Instantly! The air within a five-meter radius of David seemed to freeze in place. Dust particles floated silently in the air, without any movement.
The entire space was momentarily paused by David. And the bullet also stopped right at his forehead. David raised his hand, gently took the bullet, and flicked it in the air.
Similarly, the bullet became a suspended object in mid-air. Everyone was astonished, unable to believe that David had the ability to pause space.
Gary's mouth gaped in terror, trying to continue pulling the trigger, but no matter how hard he tried, his fingers had no strength. David smiled, reached out and took the revolver from him, pointing the muzzle at Gary.
David awakened the spatial ability, so during his conversation with Gary just now, something seemed to strike a chord in his heart, stirring ripples. Then he felt as if he had plunged into an endless void, and a profound understanding of space rushed into his mind. And this mystery was the power to freeze space.
The pitch-black muzzle pointed at Gary, spreading fear in his eyes. In this moment, he seemed to experience a terror he had never felt before, as he looked into David's eyes. He felt that David's gaze was like an endless abyss, emitting chilling killing intent.
At this moment, Gary admitted that he was scared. "Please, spare me..." he struggled to move his Adam's apple, trying to plead for mercy from David. But no matter how hard he tried, under the effect of the frozen space ability, he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
What's more, David wouldn't give him that chance. Looking at Gary, David no longer hesitated. "Die." With a light shout, the sound of the firing pin striking the revolver in his hand resounded. Then a bullet suddenly shot out.
At the same time, the frozen space ended. The bullet that had been floating in mid-air slowly fell to the ground. However, along with it, another bullet stained with blood fell to the ground as well...
Looking at Gary's lifeless body, David had an expressionless face, and his eyes seemed even colder. According to his words, this was originally a dog-eat-dog world. And for someone like him, who had humble power, his fate was destined to disappear from this world.
This made David couldn't help but sigh at these guys. They truly lived up to their name as rats clan. They were the most insignificant existence in the world, to the point where not even their deaths would evoke sympathy from others. After witnessing his boss being shot dead by David, Dirk, who had been knocked out by Duke, suddenly woke up. He looked at David with fear in his eyes and quickly crawled away with all his limbs.
"Don't! Don't kill me!" Dirk pleaded to David out of his instinct for survival, fearing that a bullet would end his life.
Seeing this, Charles stepped forward, a cold light flashed across his neck. He raised his hand and the knife fell. A pool of red blood flowed from Dirk's neck.
Watching Charles finish off Dirk, David nodded expressionlessly at him. He didn't want to exterminate the weak. Instead, he understood the importance of eradicating the roots when cutting grass. This world was inherently dangerous, and he didn't want to bring any hidden dangers to himself and his team. Being such a captain would be extremely irresponsible, and he absolutely couldn't play with the lives of his team members.
Decisiveness in killing was the first survival rule taught by this world to every survivor. The others secretly nodded at Charles' actions. In their eyes, even if Charles didn't kill Dirk, someone else among them would have done it. Suddenly, the backbone members of the rat clan, including their leader, all lay in the underground parking lot, cold corpses.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining a high-grade crystal!]
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining a medium-grade crystal!]
At the same time, the voice of the system echoed in David's ears. Wow! He obtained a high-grade crystal and a medium-grade crystal?Upon hearing the system's voice, David became delighted. At the same time, he realized that the high-grade crystal should have come from Gary, while the medium-grade crystal came from Little Qing Rosa.
However, David looked at the bodies of the others with some disappointment. Perhaps because they were not Espers, David didn't obtain any crystals from them. Just as David was contemplating, the system's voice suddenly rang in his ears again. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก.๐๐๐
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining a Beast Pill!]
Hearing this sound, David was stunned. Beast Pill? At the same time, he noticed a faint glow emanating from the body of the snake spirit. He quickly approached and took out his alloy dagger, decisively cutting open its body. And then he saw it, a round, egg-sized shining object suddenly appearing before his eyes.
David carefully held it in his hand, realizing that this should be the Beast Pill mentioned by the system. However, he didn't understand what use this thing had. The system, as if understanding his thoughts, began to explain.
[Beast Pill: Obtained from the body of a beast, it contains the essence of the beast and can promote the beast's evolution.]
[It can also randomly grant the beast special abilities.]
[Note: Beasts of different levels have different properties for the Beast Pill.]
After hearing this explanation, David immediately understood. In simple terms, the Beast Pill contained the essence of a beast within it. Any beast that consumed it could gain a level increase according to its own circumstances and also had a chance to obtain different special abilities. This truly surprised David.
David didn't expect such a thing to exist in this world, so he shifted his focus to Cola and Little black. After a brief thought, he felt that it would be better to deal with the corpses in front of him first. It would be quite a downer to have them lying in front of his base.
So they began to clean up together. After loading all the bodies onto the pickup truck, Charles threw them onto the street outside. Looking at the bodies, David knew that the scent of blood in the air would soon attract some zombies. He had a clever idea and let Little black guard the area. When the zombies appeared, he would alert them. This way, they could set up an ambush and gain some experience points.
"Little black, the experience of our team depends on you. You have to stay alert!" David patted Little black's head and reminded him.
Seeing David entrusting such an important task to him, Little black wagged his tail and started patrolling near the bodies. The others returned to the base one after another.
"That big snake from earlier was so terrifying!" Sitting on the sofa, Sally couldn't help but tremble when she remembered the sudden evolution of the snake spirit.
"Yeah! I didn't expect the rat clan to have such powerful individuals." Sophie also sat down and agreed.
The reason they were so amazed was that they hadn't experienced any major situations before. Even if there were, they would be protected by the others and couldn't participate in the fight at all. So when they saw the snake spirit, they were instantly shocked.
At this moment, Arnold poured a glass of whiskey and smiled at the two, saying, "What's the big deal? Compared to the Titan Zombie, that snake is nothing. We can kill the Titan Zombie, let alone a pesky snake."
Upon hearing Arnold call the snake spirit a pesky snake, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere of worry dissipated. Duke suddenly stood up and said, "If it weren't for David, we would have probably died both times."
His words made everyone nod in agreement. Duke was right. If it weren't for David, they would have likely become food for the zombies long ago. Every time danger came, wasn't it David who stepped forward? Wasn't it David who turned the tide in the most critical moments? So they couldn't help but look at David, their eyes filled with gratitude.
They were grateful not only because David had saved their lives time and time again, but also because he had brought them the sense of security that was most lacking in this world. They could now sit together like a family, chatting and laughing, and it was all thanks to David.
Seeing the expressions of the others, David smiled and said, "We are a team, and there's no need to discuss who deserves credit. In my eyes, each and every one of you is indispensable to our team. Without you, I would probably have died in this world long ago."
Upon hearing David's words, everyone felt moved in their hearts. Charles, who had just joined the group, felt this even more so. It was the first time since coming to this world that he had felt such a sense of gratitude. At this moment, David took out fifty low-grade crystals from the warehouse system and handed them to everyone, instructing them to break through their own levels as soon as possible.
Upon hearing David's instructions, the five of them nodded and each took ten low-grade crystals back to their rooms. The reason for this was that during the intense battles with the Eyesore and the snake spirit, David realized a weakness hidden within the Embers team, which was that the members had generally low levels.
This meant that when facing opponents of higher levels or stronger power, only David himself could pose a real threat. He also knew that if they didn't seize the opportunity to solve this problem, it would be a great challenge to the fighting capability of the Embers team. It could even directly lower their team's fighting power, making enemy like sitting ducks in the face of danger. Therefore, in order to prevent such a situation from happening, David had to ensure that the team members broke through their level bottlenecks with the help of crystals.
Soon, Sally excitedly walked out of her room first. She looked at David and exclaimed, "I leveled up! I'm now a Level 4 esper!" Before her words could settle, the others also came out of their rooms, their faces filled with excitement.
It turned out that, under the insights gained from the battle, each member of the Embers team had increased their comprehension, vaguely crossing the bottleneck of leveling up. With the ten low-grade crystals that David had given them, they could instantly break through this bottleneck.
"This is unbelievable! I wondered why my heart was constantly being stirred during the battle. It turns out I leveled up," Arnold said in amazement as he felt his stronger body. The others also experienced the profound changes within themselves and were filled with joy.
This made David nod in appreciation. He didn't expect them to level up so quickly. He decided to take advantage of the momentum and once again took out 100 low-grade crystals from the storage space and handed them to the five of them. He reminded them that this was their last chance to level up using the low-grade crystals, and they had to make good use of it. He wouldn't provide them with any more in the future; they would have to find their own way to obtain crystals. Being strong from within was true strength. Everyone nodded in agreement.
They knew that after using twenty low-grade crystals, if they wanted to level up by consuming crystals, they would have to use medium-grade crystals or even hunt zombies to improve during battles. So, with confidence on their faces, they believed they could quickly break through their current levels once again.
Next, they sat in the base, laughing and chatting, sweeping away the crisis-filled atmosphere of their daily lives. They suddenly felt that this world hadn't been invaded by zombies and it wasn't an apocalypse. The long-lost warmth filled the base and was evident on everyone's faces. As they chatted, Little Black, who had been keeping watch outside, suddenly started barking wildly. So they took the opportunity to go out and deal with some low-level zombies, with Sally and Duke handling them. The purpose was to train their combat abilities.
Although Duke was a long-range esper, with the help of shadow manipulation, he could also perform close-range kills on enemies. Soon, there were more zombie bodies around Gary's corpse. David also obtained a dozen low-grade crystals. He distributed all these low-grade crystals to the members of the team because they needed them more than he did at the moment.
It was already dark when David called Little Black back. "Great job today, Little Black! I'll stew a big bone for you later!" David said, patting Little Black's head.
Upon hearing that it would be given a big bone, Little Black instantly became happy, wagging its tail and spinning around David. On the other hand, Cola, who was lounging lazily, showed a disdainful expression. It glanced at David and then went back to sleep on the sofa.
At the same time, David took out the Beast Pill he had obtained from the snake spirit's body. Looking at the still-glowing Beast Pill, David pondered. According to the system's explanation, if a beast consumed this Beast Pill, it could level up and also obtain random special abilities.
It was obviously tailor-made for Cola and Little Black. However, David hesitated, unsure whom to give the Beast Pill to. He looked at Cola, who was lazily napping on the sofa, then glanced at Little Black circling around him. After a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to feed the Beast Pill to Little Black.
After all, Cola had already reached the Transcendent level, while Little Black was still at the Commanding level. There was a one-level difference between them, resulting in an imbalance of power. In the previous battles, it was mostly Little Black who faced suppression from the opponents, and it was only when Cola made a move that the crisis was resolved.
This inadvertently increased the risk of injury for Cola. As David's precious beast, he didn't want Cola, who could only become a Void-level beast, to face any danger. The loss would be too great for him. So he decided to share some of the future dangers with Little Black, which would also help alleviate the pressure on Cola.
At the same time, David also felt that Cola's advancement was much faster than Little Black's. Even without the Beast Pill, Cola's strength was already unmatched by ordinary beasts. Thinking of this, David no longer hesitated. After placing the Beast Pill in his palm, he called Little Black over.
"Little Black, come here quickly. Once you eat this Beast Pill, you can level up! You will become a Transcendent-level Hellhound!" Upon hearing David's words, Little Black quickly approached, sniffed the Beast Pill in his hand, and then opened its mouth to swallow the entire pill.
Just as the Beast Pill entered Little Black's body, the radiance emitted from the Beas pill increased. Little Black's visible changes were happening at a rapid pace. Not only did its size double, but its fur also became even tougher. Its teeth became sharper as well. It even grew two terrifying fangs that made people shudder. In the blink of an eye, Little Black exuded an endless aura from the void.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host's beast, Little Black, for leveling up to the Transcendent level!]
Sure enough, the system's prompt quickly sounded in David's ears. Although he had anticipated this result long ago, seeing Little Black truly level up, David couldn't hide his excitement. With this, Little Black and Cola were even closer to the Demon King level. When they both became Demon King-level beasts, he would truly have an invincible force. David excitedly rubbed Little Black's enlarged head, his face filled with anticipation. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐ฐ๐
[Ding! Congratulations to the host's beast, Little Black, for obtaining a random special ability!]
[Random special ability in progress!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host's beast, Little Black, for obtaining the Void Claws ability!]
The system's voice rang in David's ears once again. "Void Claws?" Upon hearing the name of this skill, David was momentarily stunned. He instinctively looked at Little Black's claws. After the system's announcement, Little Black's claws suddenly became extremely powerful, and its meaty paws exposed sharp claws that resembled short knives. The claws seemed unstoppable, shining with a chilling light that seemed capable of tearing through the void.
"Wow! Little Black, you've got an upgrade!" David exclaimed excitedly to Little Black.
At this moment, Little Black seemed to sense its own transformation. It lowered its head to look at its claws and then exerted a little force, leaving deep scratches on the floor. This caused David's mouth to twitch. This was his bedroom! How could Little Black just start scratching around? Although it had a little conscience, it wasn't much.
"Little Black, you're in the wrong here. I know your Void Claws are powerful, but do you really have to show them off in my room? Although you can sleep anywhere, I can't afford to lose my bedroom, my friend!" David said with a feigned annoyance to Little Black.
However, Little Black was immersed in the joy of its upgrade and didn't pay attention to David's words. It even turned around and targeted David's wardrobe. Raising its paw, it seemed ready to swipe again.
This made David quickly stand up and stop it. "Little Black, you can't destroy my bedroom. Otherwise, we'll both be sleeping on the streets. You can sleep anywhere, but I can't afford to lose this place, buddy!" David said with a wry smile.
After hearing this, Little Black wagged its tail and put down its paw, then walked confidently to Cola. Cola was still sleeping at this moment. When Little Black approached and looked up, it raised its paw and scratched Cola's head.
"Meow!" Startled awake by Little Black's sudden scratch, Cola let out a deep roar. It then raised its head and stared coldly at Little Black. Little Black continued to wag its tail, seemingly showing off its successful upgrade. However, Cola only gave it a glance and immediately pounced on it, executing a series of eighteen consecutive cat paw strikes!
This frightened Little Black, and it screamed in fear. Seeing Little Black's pitiful state, David couldn't help but laugh. "Cola became a Transcendent level a month ago. What are you showing off for?"
In the following period of time, David trained with the members of the team in various ways. Under David's guidance, Each team member took 20 primary crystals and their levels were elevated to a new tier. Charles made rapid progress and became a Level 6 Stargazer, while Sally reached Level 4, and Duke and Arnold both advanced to Level 4. Sophie also became a Level 3 healing mage.
Looking at the levels of his team members, David felt a sense of satisfaction. Twenty-four hours had passed since the second red light appeared on the horizon. The sky had returned to its usual faint blue, but upon closer inspection, a faint crimson hue could be discerned within this blue.
At this moment, in a corner of the city that remained in ruins, a tall building lay desolate, with blackened soil where no grass grew. As the wind blew, a gentle "whooshing" sound could be heard. Suddenly, a wild deer popped its head out from the sewer, only to be tightly grabbed by the neck as soon as it saw the outside world. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape from the powerful hands holding it.
"Quite plump. We can have a roasted rabbit today," a voice suddenly sounded. A man wearing a black cloak and a straw hat smiled as he looked at the wild rabbit in his hand.
"I don't like roasted food. This is a critical time for skincare. It would be best if you stewed it and added a couple of carrots," a soft and gentle female voice followed.
A fair-skinned young woman in tight combat attire with short hair, adorned with two cute cat pendants hanging from the hilts of her dual daggers, looked at the man and spoke. Beside her, an older man with graying beard patted his beard and said, "Shirley, finding something to eat is already good enough. We don't have the luxury to be picky."
Upon hearing their conversation, the man holding the rabbit pondered for a moment before speaking again, "In that case, let's have half of it carbonized and the other half in a stew."
"After all, Shirley is the only princess in our team. We can't let the princess suffer," the man said with a smile directed at Shirley.
After speaking, the three of them walked towards a base constructed of steel. The oval-shaped base was adorned with satellite antennas, and even in the center, there was a mounted machine gun. In the open area surrounding the base, slight mounds could be seen at one-meter intervalsโminefields with over thirty buried landmines. Inside the living room of the base, various monitoring devices were placed on the table. The nine-pointed star on the devices displayed the nine locations of the city. There was even a screen showing the footage of the red light that appeared twenty-four hours ago.
At this moment, the man had returned to the kitchen to start cooking, while the old man sat on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest. Shirley, on the other hand, sat in front of the screen, switching between the views of the nine locations. Surviving in this world for so many years, her daily tasks consisted of hunting zombies and using satellites to monitor the city's every move. Though it was dull and tasteless, it was the best choice for her. She was a member of the Phoenix Rising squad.
The man from earlier was the captain named Duane, a fifth-level gold-type esper. The old man was the vice-captain named Alvin, a fifth-level fire-type esper. The Phoenix Rising squad had a total of ten members, and apart from Duane and Alvin, the other team members were mostly around the third level in terms of their abilities.
Shirley herself was a fourth-level water-type esper. As per Duane's instructions, the other team members were distributed in different bases, while the three of them stayed in the main base to observe the situation outside. This was done because the Phoenix Rising squad had a daunting mission from its inceptionโto uncover the secret behind the appearance of the red light in this world. Despite several decades having passed and multiple rotations of team members, they still hadn't discovered the secret of the red light.
At this moment, Shirley looked at the screen, idly playing with the cat pendants hanging from her dagger hilts.
"I'm stuck staring at this damn screen every day. This life is so boring. I want to go to a concert, go karaoke singing, and have hot pot. How long is this damn life going to continue?" Shirley muttered with a sad expression. At her age, she should be enjoying herself, going shopping with friends, dancing at clubs. But now she had to strive for survival in this world.
"Sigh, as long as we're alive." Shirley let out a sigh, the disappointment evident on her fair cheeks.
Suddenly, a hawk flew in through the window and landed on Shirley's shoulder. Looking at the hawk, Shirley softly spoke, "Sky fire, where have you been causing mischief again?"
Upon hearing Shirley's words, the hawk named Sky fire flapped its wings twice and let out a soft cry. Hearing that sound, Shirley smiled.
"Did you go out to play with friends? You know, you're a commander-level beast, while they are just ordinary birds. How can they match you? But I guess it's true, you also need friends if you stay here all the time." Shirley sympathetically reached out and stroked the feathers on Sky fire's body, slowly speaking.
This hawk was her beast partner named Sky fire, and it had also reached the commander level. It was Shirley's only companion in daily life. At the same time, she glanced at the screen, where the nine locations remained quiet. Occasionally, a few low-level crystals passed by, without causing any ripples.
Suddenly, at the bottom of the screen, three figures appeared. One of the men stood there, directing a man and a woman in killing zombies. There was a black dog by the man's side, wagging its tail around him.
"Beast?" Shirley exclaimed in surprise as she saw the black dog, even though it was only on the screen. But because Sky fire was a commander-level beast, Shirley was particularly familiar with this aura. She even felt that the level of this beast might be higher than Sky fire's. Moreover, looking at the man's demeanor, he seemed to be a formidable person.
This instantly confused Shirley. She didn't know that such a person existed in this city. Although she had seen other awakened ability survivors before, most of them were around the second level. The aura they emitted was not as powerful. But looking at this man, Shirley could clearly sense a surge of power.
"How strange, who is he?" Shirley muttered as she looked at the screen.
At this moment, Captain Duane shouted from the kitchen, "Shirley, come help me serve the food!"
Shirley responded with a sound, temporarily setting aside her doubts and running into the kitchen. There, she saw a wild rabbit in Duane's hands, transformed into two dishesโone grilled and one stewed. As she smelled the aroma of the meat, Shirley couldn't help but smile.
"It smells amazing!" Shirley's eyes gleamed as she smelled the delicious scent in the air. Being able to enjoy such food in this world was like finding water in the desert.
"We should be grateful that we can still enjoy such delicacies in this world. It's a blessing from above," Alvin said slowly, looking up at the sky outside.
After hearing those words, Duane and Shirley nodded in agreement. They believed it was indeed a blessing from above. Since the apocalypse, too many people had died in this world, and the survivors lived each day in dire circumstances. There was no food, no water source, and no resources to protect their lives. In the face of this world, they were defenseless, like prey that could be hunted by zombies at any moment. So they were grateful that they could still sit in a sturdy base and eat rabbit meat and drink soup.
After reflecting for a while, the three of them finally started eating. Duane picked up a rabbit leg and placed it in Shirley's bowl. "Shirley, eat more. You need strength," Duane said with a smile.
Shirley nodded without hesitation and started eating. As she savored the tender and elastic meat of the rabbit, she nodded in approval. "It's so delicious! Captain, did your cooking skills improve again? We're so lucky to have you as our captain!" Shirley said with her mouth full of meat, complimenting Duane.
"Hahaha!" Hearing Shirley buttering him up, Duane couldn't help but laugh.
"You mischievous girl, always saying nice things to me. If you slack off during the next surveillance of the outside, I'll give you a punishment!" Duane said, causing Shirley to pout.
Duane said this because the last time it was Shirley's duty to monitor the zombie situation outside, she ended up playing around instead. As a result, a group of zombies surrounded their base. If Duane hadn't noticed in time, it wouldn't have been long before more zombies were attracted. At that time, the three of them would have been surrounded by zombies.
"Captain, I only slacked off once! Why do you keep bringing up this matter?" Shirley said, and Alvin furrowed his brows first upon hearing Shirley's words. He put down his chopsticks and sternly said to Shirley, "If it weren't for Duane's timely discovery last time, the three of us would have been besieged by zombies. Have you forgotten that the rule of survival in this world is to be vigilant? Don't think that making a mistake once means it's not a mistake. If we want to survive, we cannot afford to make even a single mistake." Seeing Alvin starting to lecture again, Shirley became a bit frustrated.
Every time Alvin spoke, Shirley felt like she was in a classroom listening to a teacher's lecture. She could only nod helplessly.
"I got it, I won't slack off next time." Seeing Shirley's expression, Duane smiled.
"It's okay. When you truly grow up, you will understand the wisdom behind Alvin's words. You're still young, and as long as we protect you, it's enough. You won't have to be on duty anymore; I'll handle it," Duane said, doting on Shirley as she was the youngest member of the entire Phoenix Rising team.
Shirley herself knew this well, so she put down the rabbit leg in her hand and quickly stood up, shaking her head. She said to Duane, "Captain, you already work hard enough for our team on regular days. How can you sit in front of the screen every day? Don't worry, I promise you I won't make any more mistakes in the future. Otherwise, you can punish me by making me copy the Book of Changes a hundred times!" ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๐๐๐
Seeing Shirley's serious expression, Duane nodded with a smile.
So Shirley quickly told Duane and Alvin about the scene she had seen on the monitoring screen.
"What? A powerful stranger?" Hearing Shirley's words, Duane instantly became serious. He had suspected that the inexplicable second red light appearance this time might involve the participation of an esper. But he didn't expect a strange esper to appear so soon.
According to Shirley's description, this person had a formidable presence, had their own team, and even had a beast companion, with the lowest level being at the commanding level. This lineup was enough to make anyone envious. Could it really be this stranger?
Upon hearing Shirley's words, a look of confusion appeared on Alvin's face, followed by a sense of relief. His right hand, which was holding the dragon-headed cane, slowly relaxed.
"Shirley, quickly bring up the video of this person!" After pondering for a moment, Duane hurriedly instructed Shirley. Seeing her captain so serious, Shirley also became nervous. She nodded and quickly stood up, walking to the computer. She rewound the time by five hours, and the screen displayed David's image once again.
At this moment, David faced a group of zombies but didn't attack. Instead, he used his own presence to create an absolute battleground. Then he let Duke and another person enter this battleground and started training against the zombies. Little Black remained crouched by his side, constantly on alert for the surroundings.
Although David didn't make a move throughout, the strength he exuded and his absolute authority left Duane shocked. From the first glimpse of David's back, Duane felt that this man was not an ordinary person. The more he looked down, the more serious his expression became.
He realized that no matter from which angle he looked, the strength of this man on the screen surpassed any member of their Phoenix Rising team. This instantly astonished him.
"There's actually an esper with such formidable strength in this world? Not only does he have a combat team, but he even has a powerful beast companion. Who is he?" For a moment, Duane's brow furrowed tightly.
Leading the Phoenix Rising team, Duane had been monitoring every detail of this city for more than a decade. It could be said that he had seen every survivor here, and he knew the abilities of each one of them. He even knew everything about the Rat Clan that always hid in the sewers. Yet, this man on the screen was particularly unfamiliar to him. No matter how he tried to recall, he had no memory of this person.
"Could he be related to the appearance of the second red light?" Duane wondered in his mind. He speculated that this strange man might have come from a mysterious place, namely a wormhole. He had heard about such a legend from the previous team captain.
It was said that when the red light appeared, a wormhole would also appear in the sky. This wormhole was extremely hidden, and only esper level 7 or above could find it. At the other end of the wormhole was a mysterious world, inhabited by various incredibly powerful espers and various resources that could help people survive in the apocalypse. ๐ซโฏ๐ญ๐๐ธ๐โฏ๐๏ผ๐ฌ๐ธ๐
But at the same time, it also concealed various dangers, which could be divided into two categories. One was the treacherous espers who harbored ill intentions, seeking to use their formidable power to dominate this world. The other was the high-ranking zombies who guarded the resources, attacking any survivors that appeared.
However, becoming a level 7 esper was an extremely difficult task. There were also others who used some special methods to detect the position of the wormhole, causing harm to the survivors.
When Duane first heard the captain tell this story, he didn't believe it at all. The captain looked at his youthful face and smiled, then reached out and patted his shoulder, saying, "There are too many unknown horrors in this world. Slowly, you will discover them. When the day comes that you can witness these horrors with your own eyes, I hope you will stand up like a warrior. Remember, the terrifying thing is not these horrors, but human nature. When the day comes that you are willing to gaze into the abyss of human nature, I hope you will still have the courage you have now." Duane remembered that when the captain said these words, his eyes were filled with decline and disappointment, but also with a hint of determination.
Then, in the evening of that day, the captain mysteriously died during a zombie siege. The entire team was left with only Alvin and Duane. At the time, Duane didn't understand what the captain meant by those words. But after seeing his lifeless body, he seemed to understand what the captain had said. In the face of horror, one must stand up bravely like a warrior.
Duane watched David's figure and slowly stood up. Although he didn't know if this young man was the one behind the second red light appearance, he didn't want to miss any opportunities. Otherwise, he would never be able to face the captain's spirit in the afterlife. So Duane silently nodded and took note of David's location.
"Captain, what's going on?" Shirley had been by Duane's side the whole time, so she saw every change in his expression. This instantly made her confused.
You see, normally Duane wasn't a suspicious person. Why was he acting so unusually today? Moreover, Shirley seemed to sense an indescribable fear in his reaction just now. This made her unable to help but look at the man on the screen. Who was he, the person who could make their level 5 Gold Esper captain inexplicably fearful? Could his strength surpass even that of the captain?
But in Shirley's eyes, Duane's strength was already at the ceiling level for survivors. How could anyone surpass him? So she stared at Duane, her face full of puzzlement.
At this moment, Duane spoke up, "Shirley, for the next few days, keep a close eye on this stranger from home. I may be gone for a while. Remember, if you encounter danger, immediately let Sky fire notify the nearby members of the other teams. They will arrive within two minutes."
Upon hearing that Duane was going out and even wanted her to stay at home, Shirley immediately understood that Duane must be going to search for some clues. She nodded and readily agreed.
Meanwhile, Alvin, who had been silent by their side, suddenly stood up. Holding his dragon-headed cane, he seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll as he slowly walked out of the base. Once outside the base and making sure that neither Duane nor Shirley noticed him, a series of sparks spread around Alvin. Then he disappeared within the midst of these sparks...
Suddenly, a spark appeared in the void, and Alvin emerged from it, leaning on his cane. As he took his first step with his right foot, the spark disappeared as if it had never been there. He had arrived at a desolate area on the eastern edge of the city.
This place had been hit by a severe wave of zombies in the past, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. The atmosphere here was particularly heavy with gloom. Over time, no survivors were willing to come here, and instead, it became a roaming ground for some low-level zombies. Just as Alvin was talking, a wandering low-level zombie suddenly noticed his presence and immediately growled, rushing towards him.
Seeing this, Alvin simply raised an eyebrow and glanced at the zombie, then extended the dragon-headed cane in his hand towards it. Suddenly, a dazzling burst of flames erupted from the cane, engulfing the zombie in a sea of fire. No matter how it struggled, it was futile. The flames were overwhelming, and in less than a minute, the zombie was completely consumed, leaving only a pile of white bones.
After taking a quick look around and confirming that there were no other threats, Alvin continued walking towards the deepest part of this desolate area, leaning on his cane. After walking for more than ten minutes, he arrived at a dilapidated courtyard. The sinister aura here was even stronger than when he first entered, and even on the surface, wisps of black aura were seeping out. Just a single glance at it would probably cause spiritual devastation, resulting in immediate death.
Alvin paid no attention to these sinister auras and simply stepped on them as he walked towards the courtyard. As he reached the entrance, he saw two intermediate-level zombies chained on both sides. Upon seeing someone approaching, the two zombies continuously growled and roared in anger. However, they were restrained by the iron chains, and no matter how they struggled, they were instantly pulled back by the chains.
This made Alvin shake his head and mutter, "Alexander is still like this! Why did he have to play with these guys? If one day these beasts break free from their restraints, it won't be good." He sympathetically glanced at the two zombies and then pushed open the door and entered.
Originally, this was an abandoned courtyard that had long been in ruins, and naturally, no one lived in the rooms. However, what appeared before Alvin was a luxurious decoration. The floor was adorned with a large number of agate, and even the walls had a unique charm. And in the four corners of the room, various precious green plants were placed. There were Dragon Spines and Phoenix Waists, among others. Although they were slightly inferior to Dragon Spines and Phoenix Waists, they were still something ordinary people couldn't afford.
Alvin stood in the middle of the room with his eyes slightly closed. After a while, he suddenly spoke, "Alexander, we've known each other for a few years now. Is your guard still so high? I've been standing here for the duration of an incense stick, don't you plan to say something?" A slightly dissatisfied voice echoed in the room.
"Hahaha! It's my fault for being thoughtless. I hope Alvin won't take it to heart." Laughter instantly filled the room, but after waiting for a while, no one appeared.
But all of this was already a familiar scene for Alvin. He listened to the voice and casually glanced into the void. He stood in place, gripping his dragon-headed cane, and said, "The matter of the second red light almost exposed some clues to that kid Duane. Fortunately, a young and foolish person appeared at the last moment, diverting his attention." ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Upon hearing Alvin's words, Alexander seemed momentarily stunned, then smiled and asked with confusion, "Oh? Duane's judgment is so accurate? This was a flawlessly arranged matter between the two of us, how could he possibly have figured it out? Alvin, are you being too cautious?"
Glancing at the void once again, Alvin snorted in disdain at Alexander's words. "Hmph! Alexander is underestimating my relationship with that kid Duane. I've watched him grow since the establishment of Phoenix Rising, and I know him better than anyone. But speaking of which, the captain of Phoenix Rising should have been mine. It's just a pity..."
Alvin shook his head helplessly, recalling a scene from over twenty years ago in his mind. It seemed as if the invisible Alexander had seen through Alvin's thoughts and smiled lightly as he spoke, "Twenty years ago, it was your own decision. If it weren't for your misjudgment, causing the reinforcements to arrive, how could things have turned out like this? It's not quite appropriate to say such things now, is it?"
Hearing Alexander's words, a hint of anger instantly appeared on Alvin's face. The dragon-headed cane in his palm was instantly covered in purple flames. The flames flickered and danced like demons in the fire.
Alvin hadn't expected that his casual mention of the past would be turned into a joke by Alexander. He could even hear the contemptuous mockery in Alexander's words. Despite this, he slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head.
Alvin knew that after making that decision twenty years ago, he had forever become a pawn in Alexander's hands. He had never seen Alexander, nor did he know his true face. Sometimes he wanted to escape from Alexander's grasp, but as soon as that thought arose, it was as if Alexander had already sensed it and immediately sounded the alarm. This time was no exception.
"Alvin, I believe that over these decades, you must have learned many lessons. I assure you, I will find a way to get that kid Duane off the captain's position. Congratulations in advance, Alvin, for taking full control."
Although Alvin was already in his fifties, his desire for power had not diminished but rather increased. So upon hearing Alexander's words, he fell into silence.
"By the way, I heard that Duane is interested in that young and foolish guy. If I'm not mistaken, he should be going to meet him soon. Don't forget to prepare a welcoming gift for them. Only then can you show your true sincerity. Hehehe..." After saying that, Alexander disappeared as if he had never been there, and the voice abruptly ceased, leaving Alvin standing alone in the room.
The scene shifted to the courtyard of ruins. A handsome young man sat on a bamboo chair, his legs crossed. A meaningful smile appeared on his face as he watched the image appearing in the void, showing Alvin inside the courtyard.
"I wonder what surprises you will bring me for the sake of the captain of Phoenix Rising. I'm becoming more and more excited!" The young man chuckled and then picked up a bag of chips, taking a chip and putting it in his mouth.
As the members of the Embers squad continued to level up, David conducted a series of practical exercises with them. Whenever they had time, he would drive the apocalypse vehicle through the streets to help them search for zombies. At this stage, if they wanted to further level up, they had to rely on higher-level crystals and accumulated combat experience. And all of this had to be earned through their own efforts.
Although there were endless crystal resources in David's warehouse system, he believed that if he wanted his squad to become powerful, he couldn't always lend a hand to each of them. In this world, he could provide assistance in times of crisis, but he would never give handouts. Therefore, each member of the squad had to earn their strength through their own efforts.
Only in this way could the Embers squad become a truly fearsome force in the apocalypse. David was pleased to see that through the past few days of practical training, the combat capabilities and skills of each member had improved significantly. Their attack methods had become more diverse, and they could even utilize the different awakened abilities of each team member for coordinated combat.
For example, when Arnold activated his werewolf ability, he could rely on Charles' stargazer ability to detect the movements and strength of the enemy in advance. Meanwhile, Duke could use his shadow manipulation to control the enemy, allowing Arnold to execute more precise attacks. However, these tactics could only be effectively used against opponents who were evenly matched. If they encountered enemies with higher levels and greater strength, these tactics would be greatly restricted.
However, David wasn't in a rush because he knew that this kind of thing couldn't be rushed. It had to be a gradual process. Moreover, the team members had just recently leveled up, and each person still needed time to adjust to their newfound abilities. If they were too impatient, it could lead to unintended consequences.
What surprised David the most during these days of practical training was that everyone seemed to have learned to be decisive in killing. When encountering zombies, they would immediately strike and kill them without leaving any chance for the zombies to survive. Even Sally, who was naturally gentle and prone to hesitation, had become ruthless. This was truly unexpected for David.
After all, they were living their days on the edge of a knife, and if they showed mercy to their enemies, it could give them an opportunity for a deadly counterattack. It would be a situation where the farmer is bitten by the snake. As he watched the team grow continuously, a sense of confidence gradually arose in David's heart. He believed that as long as the Embers squad existed, there would always be a place for them in this world. After all, the apocalypse was a paradise reserved for the strong.
And the Embers squad would become the builders of this paradise.
On this day, David drove the apocalypse vehicle back to the base with the squad members after another practical mission.
"That zombie today was too cunning. If I hadn't acted quickly, he might have escaped. Thanks to Duke for catching his shadow in time, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to catch up to him," they were still discussing the scene as they got out of the vehicle.
David turned off the engine and slowly got out of the driver's seat. As he got out, his gaze instinctively turned towards the entrance of the base. When he saw that there was no movement, a sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart. Previously, when they returned from their practical missions, Blackie and Cola would run out to greet them upon hearing the engine of the vehicle. But today, there was no sound or movement in the entire underground parking lot except for the voices of a few people.
"What's going on?" David's mind was filled with confusion.
At the same time, the others also noticed that something was wrong. "Why didn't Little black come out to greet us today? And where's Cola? Did these two oversleep and forget our return time?" Sophie speculated to Arnold.
The group quickly pushed open the door and returned to the base, searching every corner of the rooms, but there was no sign of the two. This left everyone puzzled.
"This shouldn't be happening! They never leave without us. If we're not with them, they won't go anywhere," Sally continued searching the room while speaking. Arnold also went to the parking lot to search again, but the result was the same โ there was no sign of the two familiars.
This made David furrow his brow instantly. He knew their habits too well. Normally, they wouldn't leave unless they were out on a mission together. Especially Cola, who would rather laze on the sofa all day than go out. So why had they suddenly disappeared?
David quickly turned to Charles and said, "Use your ability to see where they went."
Charles looked nervous as well, but he nodded and immediately activated his Stargazer ability to trace their whereabouts.
Soon, Charles put down his hands and opened his eyes. Then, with a hint of doubt in his gaze, he said to David, "I saw an esper entering here, and after that, Cola and Little black left the base with that esper and disappeared."
Charles described the scene he had just witnessed. An esper had appeared here, and Cola and Little black had disappeared with them. Hearing Charles' words, everyone became tense. They couldn't determine whether this new esper was a friend or a threat to their squad.
Moreover, they had a vague feeling that the esper who could take away Cola and Little black wasn't an ordinary person. If that was the case, what was their intention in taking them? Could the two of them be in danger? The thought immediately raised concerns in everyone's hearts.
Having spent so much time with Cola and Little black, they not only saw them as members of the squad but also as their own family. If anything happened to them, it would greatly affect everyone in the squad.
David's expression became extremely serious. His attachment to Cola and Little black was deeper than anyone else's. However, he didn't panic right away. Instead, he calmed himself down and pondered carefully. After a moment of silence, he asked Charles again, "Can you trace the person's aura?" ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ง๐จ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐๐จ๐ฆ
Charles shook his head, but then added, "I can track that person based on Cola and Little black's aura." Upon hearing this, David didn't hesitate and immediately instructed Charles to start tracking. They followed Charles' lead and began their search for Cola and Little black.
From David perspective, regardless of what had happened, the safety of Cola and Little black was of utmost importance. Only by finding them could they confirm if they were harmed. So the most urgent task is to find the location of Cola and Little black.
As for the esper who took Cola and Little black away, David didn't care at all. He knew that no matter the esper's level or strength, if they dared to harm Cola and Little black, he would return the favor a hundredfold. So the group, led by Charles, got back into the car and began searching based on the auras of Cola and Little black.
"This is top-grade spirit beast meat, and you two are really lucky. Even Sky fire, I'm reluctant to give it to him. Shirley always scolds me for being stingy," Duane said. He was sitting on a scrapped machine tool in an abandoned factory, holding a fresh piece of spirit beast meat in his hand. Cola and Little black were by his side, staring at the meat with anticipation.
Duane tore off two pieces and threw them to Cola and Little black. Little black immediately stuffed it into its mouth and swallowed the whole piece of meat in one gulp. Then it looked at Duane's hand again. On the other hand, Cola was calmly chewing and savoring the spirit beast meat. Seeing the contrasting behaviors of the two Spirit beast, Duane chuckled.
"You guy, eat in such a hurry? Look at how refined the kitty eats. Only this way can you fully digest the spirit beast meat," Duane said to Little black with a smile, and then he tore off another piece and threw it to Little black. At the same time, he occasionally glanced at the entrance of the factory, seemingly waiting for something.
Ever since he saw David on the surveillance screen, he became curious about this squad and wondered if their appearance was related to the Second Red Light. So he followed the detected location and arrived at the underground parking lot base.
Just as he arrived there, he saw Cola and Little black before his eyes. Upon seeing the familiars, Duane had an idea. He wanted to meet David, so he decided to take the two Spirit beast with him, expecting David to come to him personally. Perhaps then he could learn some secrets about the Second Red Light.
Duane tempted Cola and Little black with the spirit beast meat originally prepared for Shirley and Sky fire. Sure enough, under the lure of the delicious meat, the two Spirit beast quickly followed him out of the underground parking lot and arrived at the abandoned factory.
Looking at these two guys, Duane sat calmly on the scrapped machine tool because he knew that the young man would soon find his way here.
"Here it is." Soon, David stopped the car in front of the abandoned factory. The starry glow in Charles' eyes suddenly brightened. He could clearly sense the scent of Cola and Little black emanating from the factory.
Upon hearing Charles' words, David was the first to push open the car door and get out. The others followed suit and stood at the entrance of the factory. After surveying the surroundings, they discovered that there were no ambushes nearby.
"David, do you think someone might be hiding inside?" Arnold frowned and asked.
David shook his head. "Currently, we don't know what this person wants by taking Cola and Little black, and we don't even know his identity. We don't know anything about the situation inside. We'll only find out once we go in."
With that, David took a step forward and began walking towards the factory. The others followed behind him in the order of their previous battle squad. It seemed that this factory had been abandoned before the apocalypse arrived.
There were piles of scrapped steel and even a few discarded trucks at the entrance. The smell of rust filled everyone's nostrils. It was evident that this factory used to be an ironworks. The group walked slowly into the workshop, constantly scanning their surroundings, afraid that the stranger would suddenly ambush them.
Soon, they reached the center of the workshop. Inside, various shapes of steel and dozens of discarded lathes were scattered around. At this moment, Charles once again used his ability and looked towards the northeast corner. Following Charles' gaze, David also stared intently and indeed saw a man sitting on a lathe, calmly staring at them. It seemed that he had noticed their presence long ago. And at his feet, Cola and Little black were still devouring the spirit beast meat.
"Cola, Little black!" Sally exclaimed when she saw the two guys. Upon hearing the familiar voice, Cola and Little black raised their heads and looked at them.
The two guys softly called out to them and then continued to lower their heads to eat the spirit beast meat. This surprised everyone. What's going on? Why didn't Cola and Little black come to them when they saw them? Could it be that this man cast a spell on them and controlled them? This made everyone even more nervous.
At this moment, Arnold couldn't help it and directly transformed into a werewolf. He looked at Duane sternly and said, "Release Cola and Little black immediately! Otherwise, I won't spare you!" After speaking, he made a move as if he was going to rush towards him.
"Stop." Seeing this, David quickly said to Arnold. Arnold stopped in his tracks and looked at David with confusion. The enemy was right in front of them, so why wait and not attack? Not only Arnold but also the others didn't understand David's actions.
"He didn't harm Cola and Little black." After a pause, David looked at Cola and Little black and said to Arnold. He knew these two spirit beasts too well. If they had been harmed, they wouldn't be behaving like this. Instead, he saw how Little black was wagging his tail.
David knew for sure that there was no danger happening, but it only made him more puzzled. So he looked up at Duane while also sensing his awakening level. Soon, he obtained Duane's awakening level. Level 5? But what element's ability did he awaken? David had no idea.
However, looking at Duane's non-aggressive aura, David felt that this person probably wasn't a bad guy. Nevertheless, David kept a close eye on Duane, being extremely cautious. He even quietly reached for his alloy short knife, ready to strike if he misjudged and needed to kill him immediately!
Seeing David and the others appear, Duane smiled and tossed the last two pieces of spirit beast meat to Cola and Little black. Then he stood up and looked at David, saying, "You must be the captain of your team, right?"
David nodded and continued asking, "Who are you, and why did you bring Cola and Little black here?"
After confirming that the young man in front of him was indeed the team captain, Duane couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He sensed his aura the moment David entered, inferring that David's level was higher than his own. This also made him think that David might be related to the second red light appears about. After all, an esper with such strong abilities would likely have means to change certain world rules.
So Duane continued, "It's not my fault. They insisted on following me. They ate up all my spirit beast meat, and you should compensate me for something later." Saying that, Duane smiled and looked at David. Both Duane and David were kind espers in this apocalypse, and there was no killing intent in Duane's words.
"Spirit beast meat? What's that?" Duke was the first to ask.
"It's the flesh and blood of some spirit beasts. When a spirit beast eats it, it can strengthen its bones and aura. If it's meat from a higher-level spirit beast, it might even help the spirit beast directly level up." Duane explained straightforwardly.
David naturally understood what spirit beast meat was. Because spirit beasts were especially difficult to hunt, their flesh and blood were priceless, with even a small piece costing tens of thousands. Not to mention this person openly taking out a pound of it. David guessed that he was probably a wealthy individual.
Listening to Duane's explanation, Duke pondered for a moment and asked again, "If spirit beast meat is so good, why did you give it to Cola and Little black? Do we know each other?" In his view, if someone suddenly started being nice to them for no reason, they must have ulterior motives, except for David, of course.
"Good question. We don't know each other." Duane nodded, took two steps forward, and continued, "I came here this time to ask you about the Second Red Light. It's related to the laws and direction of this world, and I hope you can tell me what you know."
Duane looked at David, his gaze becoming more determined. This made David suddenly understand that this guy thought he knew the reason for the appearance of the Second Red Light. That's why he used spirit beast meat to lure Cola and Little black out and then led them here. However, this question was also a knot in his own heart, so he naturally couldn't inform Duane. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ป๐ผ๐๐๐น๏ผ๐ป๐๐
So David shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about the Second Red Light. You've got the wrong person." After speaking, David called Cola and Little black over and gestured to leave the place.
Seeing that David was about to leave, Duane immediately spoke again, "Every survivor in this world should abide by the principles of the apocalypse. If anyone dares to disrupt it, I will use my life to protect it."
As Duane said these words, his expression became particularly solemn. Ever since the apocalypse descended upon this world, he had been monitoring every move in this world with his Phoenix Rising team, all for the purpose of ensuring that this world wouldn't continue to decay. He admitted that even if he wasn't the savior of the apocalypse, he was willing to give everything, even his life, for this world.
Upon hearing Duane's words, David stopped in his tracks and looked at him intently, saying in a deep voice, "Do you think you can change this world just by yourself? This world is inherently lawless, and what you're guarding is nothing more than your memories of the previous world. If you truly want to do something for this world, why not kill more zombies and increase your level? Without strength, you will always be a castaway in this world." David's tone was cold as he spoke to Duane.
At the beginning of the apocalypse, David had the same thoughts as Duane. However, after experiencing various deceitful schemes, David realized that if he wanted to protect this world, becoming stronger was his only way. Otherwise, he would eventually fall under the feet of zombies. At that time, it would be difficult enough just to survive, let alone protect the world. David admired Duane's lofty ideals. However, in his eyes, Duane's strength was simply too weak.
At this moment, Duane looked up at David. He didn't expect to hear these words from a young man's mouth. So he said to David once again, "Strength, you say? Well, let's have a fight then. Perhaps you will make me realize what true strength is."
Duane naturally knew that his level was lower than David's, but upon hearing David's words, his fighting spirit was instantly ignited. He also wanted to see the strength of this young man before him and whether he was the mastermind behind the Second Red Light.
As soon as Duane finished speaking, he drew two black daggers from his waist, then swiftly charged towards David. Seeing the opponent's action, David remained calm. He knew that the other person was testing his strength. Arnold, at this time, didn't want to fall behind either and quickly prepared to confront Duane and teach him a lesson.
"Arnold, you don't need to intervene in my business. I'll let him see the strength of our Embers team," David said, and upon hearing this, Arnold stopped in his tracks and nodded at David. The others also relaxed as they looked at David with confidence. They knew their captain could easily overpower this strange individual.
While they were contemplating, David pulled out his alloy short knife and charged towards Duane. His speed was so fast that it even stirred up a whistling sound throughout the abandoned factory. In the blink of an eye, David reached Duane.
"Such incredible speed!" Duane couldn't help but be amazed as he looked at David's afterimage. He then raised the daggers in his hand and unleashed a move called "Chasing Stars, Shattering Moon," slashing towards David's shoulder.
Seeing this, David merely shifted slightly and raised his alloy short knife, blocking Duane's dagger. Duane quickly flipped his wrist, causing the dagger to spin in his hand in a strange manner. Then he thrust it towards David's abdomen, utilizing his maximum speed and matter whether it was speed or strength, it was the maximum limit he could unleash.
However, in David's eyes, this level of attack had no effect on him at all. So as Duane's dagger was about to touch his clothes, David directly opened a portal using his spatial abilities, and in an instant, he teleported behind Duane.
"Huh? Disappeared?A spatial ability awakened?" Seeing the empty space in front of him, Duane immediately realized that David's awakened ability was related to space manipulation.
At the same time, David stood behind him and whispered, "To recognize my awakened ability means that you still have some strength, but... it's too late."
Hearing David's voice, a wave of determination surged through Duane's heart. Without hesitation, he swung his dagger in a move called "Arc of the Sky," slashing towards David. As Duane swung the dagger mid-air, it was suddenly blocked by David's hand. Their palms and the dagger collided, producing a crisp sound. Meanwhile, David's awakened defensive ability and the extent of his physical prowess, which surpassed ordinary individuals, had already exceeded common knowledge. So, a mere dagger was insignificant in his eyes.
But to Duane, this was simply a terrifying display. After all, he was a Level 5 awakened esper of the Metal element. He had exceptional skills in using metal weapons, even infusing his combat intent into the dagger to synchronize his mind with it, thus increasing the dagger's combat effectiveness. The attack he just used, "Arc of the Sky," was a technique he had devised himself, somewhat similar to a surprise attack that could deal the heaviest damage when the opponent was caught off guard.
Yet, even so, it was easily countered by David's bare-handed technique. Duane furrowed his brow as he looked at this terrifying young man. David lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, softly saying, "I told you, your strength is too weak. In my eyes, your Level 5 ability means nothing."
After speaking, David looked at the black dagger in his hand and then murmured two words, "Corrode." As soon as the words fell, an extremely ferocious aura suddenly surged out from his palm. This aura instantly enveloped Duane's dagger.
In just an instant, the aura completely corroded the dagger into black liquid. The liquid flowed continuously on the ground through the gaps between David's fingers, making a "drip-drip" sound. Duane couldn't help but inhale sharply. It actually instantaneously corroded and melted the dagger made of his own refined iron? What kind of terrifying power was this? ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ
Momentarily stunned, Duane let go of the hilt of his dagger and looked at David. "I have to admit, your strength is indeed formidable. So you are capable of controlling the Second Red Light, esper. Am I right?" At this moment, Duane's concern still revolved around the changes the Second Red Light brought to the laws of this world.
Hearing Duane say that, David couldn't help but twitch his lips. Then he said again, "I've told you, the Second Red Light has nothing to do with me. Similarly, I am also searching for the reason. This world isn't just you alone trying to unravel the truth."
After speaking, David no longer intended to entangle himself with this individual and gestured to leave the place.
Listening to David's words, Duane watched as he turned to leave. At this moment, he realized that this young man in front of him was not the one controlling the Second Red Light. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken those words. So, who could it be? Duane's mind was filled with doubt once again.
Just then, a chaotic noise suddenly came from the entrance of the abandoned factory. Upon hearing the sound, David paused, and his eyebrows furrowed instantly. He wasn't the only one; the team members and Duane also heard the sound and immediately became tense.
They knew that this piercing sound came from the zombies. The sound grew closer and louder, indicating that a considerable number of thirty or so zombies were approaching, and there even faintly echoed the powerful growl of a high-level zombie in their midst.
"What's going on? How did so many zombies suddenly appear?" Charles's expression tightened as he spoke.
Duane approached at this time, looking puzzled as he gazed toward the faint sound coming from the factory entrance. Seeing Duane approaching, Arnold's face immediately darkened. They hadn't encountered any zombies on their way here, so how did so many suddenly appear when they arrived? Arnold believed that this matter must be related to Duane. Perhaps he had set up an ambush, waiting for them to enter.
At this moment, Duane also sensed Arnold's icy gaze. He quickly said, "I didn't summon these zombies, and besides, I don't have the power to summon so many zombies."
Hearing Duane's words, Arnold hesitated for a moment but remained vigilant. Meanwhile, David pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "It has nothing to do with him. It seems that some esper has summoned them here!"
David knew that Duane indeed didn't possess that kind of power; otherwise, he would have noticed during their previous clash. Summoning such a large number of zombies required a powerful psychic esper with awakened abilities, and none of them had that kind of ability. David furrowed his brow. In the void, he seemed to catch a glimpse of the manipulator behind the zombies.
"Who could it be? What does he want?" David's mind raised a question.
At the same time, the sounds from outside the factory grew closer, and the chaotic figures slowly appeared at the entrance. Soon, thirty to forty zombies stood at the entrance, fully exposed to everyone's view. These zombies rotated their eyeless eyeballs, hungrily fixating on the group, seemingly eager to pounce on them as their next meal. The group quickly took a step back upon seeing this.
However, David stepped forward and stood in front of everyone. Arnold, Duke, and Charles also surrounded Sophie and Sally, assuming a fighting stance. Duane, without hesitation, also took a step forward, standing side by side with David. David didn't say anything to this unfamiliar man, simply glancing at him before looking back at the group of zombies. ๐๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐ญ.๐๐๐
Suddenly, a fiercely enraged growl erupted from the zombies! Then, a skeletal figure, about two meters tall, completely devoid of flesh except for a white skeleton, emerged from the zombie horde. It held a bone knife in its hand. Its skeletal frame was unusually large, not resembling the typical shape of a zombie, and the aura emanating from within its skeleton was several times stronger than that of an ordinary zombie. It raised the bone knife, sneering coldly at the people in the factory. This immediately made everyone's hearts tighten!
"skeletal zombie?" Duane blurted out immediately, his expression becoming particularly grave. The only remaining knife in his hand was tightly clenched. David was puzzled upon hearing Duane's words because he had never heard of zombies with that name before.
"This is a mutated form of a high-level zombie. I've seen it in the guidebook before, but I never expected it to suddenly appear. If I remember correctly, the skeletal zombie is a highly skilled attacker. It can match the speed and strength of a Level 5 esper. Due to the lack of brain and physical constraints, it can continue fighting without pause. Just that alone is enough to exhaust any esper who battles it," Duane explained, addressing David's confusion by relaying the information he had read in the guidebook.
"Oh? An attack-oriented zombie?" David said, suddenly understanding after Duane's explanation.
Duane nodded, his expression serious. "You could say that, but its attack power is beyond our imagination." From the former team captain, Duane had heard rumors about the skeletal zombie's strength, which could even nullify some esper abilities. Once engaged in combat, it wouldn't stop. It was an eternal fighting machine. He couldn't understand, however, why this high-level zombie, the skeletal zombie would appear at this moment.
Meanwhile, in a house five kilometers away from the abandoned factory, an old man rubbed his cane's dragon head handle before watching a seal inscribed with the word "pardon" slowly turn to ashes in the air. The old man then slowly moved his feet, leaning on the cane. Sparks suddenly appeared behind him. When the sparks extinguished, the old man's figure disappeared from the spot.
"If you're sending a gift, you must show sincerity," a voice floated lightly from the void.
The zombies at the factory entrance twisted their bodies and started squeezing through the door. Their eyes gradually became blazing hot as they waved their severed limbs, constantly snarling and making piercing noises at the group. The skeletal zombie held its bone knife high, seemingly giving orders.
Seeing this, Duane became tense as he remembered that this was the sign of the skeletal zombie launching an attack. As soon as the bone knife fell, he would immediately enter a state of battle. He quickly assessed the factory environment and said to David, "We're probably going to fight this guy. I'll try to hold him back while you take your team and leave as soon as possible. I can hold him off for a maximum of one minute. If, within that minute, you can't lead your team out of here, we will all die."
After speaking, Duane swiftly took out a black iron box from his pocket and crouched down on the ground. David looked at Duane with a faint smile. He didn't know what tricks this guy had up his sleeve to restrain the fighting machine, but listening to his words filled him with admiration. Curiously, he watched as Duane opened the black iron box.
Duane's lips moved slightly as he recited a series of obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations. Surprisingly, the black iron box visibly expanded at a rapid pace. Duane quickly opened the black iron box, revealing various objects inside. His hand reached for a golden bell.
The bell had a vibrant color and emitted a faintly sacred aura that was not to be desecrated. On the surface of the bell, a large character was engraved in a peculiar font. David stared intently and finally realized that it was the character "restrain."
After taking out the golden bell, the black iron box returned to its original size, and Duane put it back into his pocket. David understood that this box was Duane's hidden treasure, containing various magical artifacts and treasures that were his assets in this world. It became clear why Duane had boldly stepped forward to face the formidable skeletal zombie. He had this treasure trove, which gave him confidence and fearlessness.
This piqued David's curiosity about what treasures were inside the box. However, the most important thing now was to deal with the approaching horde of zombies.
As they pondered, the skeletal zombie viciously swung down its bone knife. For all the zombies, it seemed like a signal to attack! Dozens of zombies, gnashing their teeth and waving their limbs, rushed into the factory, madly charging towards the group.
Witnessing this, Duane didn't hesitate and bit his right index finger, then smeared the blood that seeped from his fingertip onto the golden bell. As soon as the blood touched the bell, it began to tremble slightly. The large "restrain" character on the bell started to emit a faint glow.
Then, Duane gently flicked the iron ball inside the bell. The bell instantly produced a crisp sound. The sound spread throughout the factory, forming visible ripples in the void, directly rushing towards the horde of zombies. Upon touching the zombies, the ripples immediately softened, causing the agitated horde to quiet down instantly. Their forward steps halted, and they stared ahead expressionlessly, seemingly indulging in something mesmerizing.
The skeletal zombie, unable to move, stood in place, attempting to swing its bone knife with force. However, the friction between its bones emitted a "clack clack" sound, rendering it powerless.
"I've subdued them, but it will only last for one minute! Hurry, leave now, or none of us will escape!" Seeing the once-aggressive zombies calm down, Duane quickly informed David.
While speaking, Duane continued to smear his fingertip's blood onto the bell, making it even more vibrant in color and its sound clearer. David no longer hesitated. He knew that the others wouldn't stand a chance against the skeletal zombie here. Rather than waiting here to die, it was better to seize this opportunity and leave quickly.
David instructed Arnold, who was by his side, "Arnold, take everyone and leave this place as quickly as possible, the farther the better!" ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๏ผ๐๐จ๐บ
Upon hearing David's words, Arnold wanted to say something, but suddenly, from the horde of zombies, a piercing "clack clack" sound rang out. He quickly turned his head to see the skeletal zombie, which had lifted its bone knife over its head, seemingly about to initiate another attack.
"Don't hesitate, go!" David immediately realized that Duane's bell wouldn't hold the zombies for much longer, so he urged Arnold once again.
Arnold understood David's intention and nodded. He immediately led the team members and jumped out of a nearby window. Following David's instructions, Cola and Little black were also taken away by Arnold and Duke. Now, only Duane and David remained in the abandoned factory.
At this moment, Duane furrowed his brow. His right hand, holding the bell, began to tremble slightly, as if he was being counteracted by the skeletal zombie across from him. Meanwhile, the movements of the skeletal zombie appeared much smoother now, and it could even move its steps.
"Hurry! Its power is too strong, and I can't hold on anymore!" Duane barely finished his words when the light on the bell suddenly dimmed, and the divine-like sound that had filled the air abruptly ceased.
Then, a resounding explosion erupted! Duane's bell shattered into pieces and fell to the ground. The horde of zombies instantly lost their threat. The skeletal zombie let out a roar and viciously swung down its bone knife once again!
"Another one of my treasures ruined!" Duane couldn't help but curse and took a step back. He then pulled out a brown iron box, took out a machete from it, leaving David even more curious about this guy's treasure trove.
Meanwhile, David also unsheathed his alloy short sword and mercilessly slashed at an approaching low-level zombie fell to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. Duane showed no mercy either, wielding the mighty machete and cutting through the zombies as if slicing melons and vegetables. In the blink of an eye, four or five low-level zombies met their demise under his blade.
Impressed, David nodded inwardly. The two of them rushed into the horde of zombies one after the other, engaging in a frenzy of slaughter. With swift and clean movements, all thirty zombies were quickly laid to rest on the ground. The stench of blood permeated the entire factory.
Taking a deep breath and looking at the pile of zombie corpses on the ground, Duane turned to David and asked, "Why didn't you leave earlier?" When he had subdued the horde of zombies earlier, he knew that David had enough time to leave safely. In the face of danger, preserving one's life was the top priority for every survivor in the apocalypse. So he couldn't figure out what the young man was thinking.
Upon hearing Duane's question, David smiled faintly and casually replied, "You saved my team members. It wouldn't be right for me to leave . Besides, this guy isn't someone you can handle alone."
In reality, this was just an excuse David made on the spot. The reason he didn't choose to leave earlier was that the allure of the skeletal zombie was too strong. He wanted to see what kind of crystallization it could yield. That's why he decided to stay.
Duane raised an eyebrow in response, then quickly turned his gaze to the zombie. He then said to David, "You should have left. Those were just small ants. This is the most troublesome opponent." A bitter smile appeared on his face for an instant.
David remained noncommittal regarding Duane's words. Staying here with Duane was purely suicidal. However, the rewards of killing the skeletal zombie and his curiosity about Duane's treasure trove made David itch with anticipation. What kind of esper was Duane exactly?
Based on the current situation, David believed that Duane must have awakened as a metal-type esper. This would explain why his control over metal was significantly stronger than that of an ordinary esper. When David corroded one of his daggers using his corrosion ability, Duane simply picked up a piece of scrap metal and reshaped it into the form of a dagger using his telekinesis. Although not as good as his previous Adamantium dagger, it still appeared incredibly sharp and emitted a cold gleam.
This made David decide to stay and observe. Perhaps this person could become his next ally. So David said to Duane, "Since we've encountered it, there's no reason to leave. How about we have a little competition and see who can kill this zombie first?"
After speaking, David smiled slightly at Duane and immediately manifested his Spatial Blades in his hands. The next second, he raised the dual blades and rushed towards the skeletal zombie. A surge of overwhelming battle intent raged within him, to the point that Duane couldn't react in time and only saw David whisk past him like the wind.
"Impressive!" Duane couldn't help but marvel and a hint of excitement appeared on his face. It was a joy to fight alongside a powerful warrior and truly experience the thrill of battle. He gripped the machete and steel dagger in his hands, following David as they charged towards the skeletal zombie.
In the blink of an eye, David arrived in front of the skeletal zombie. He swiftly swung his Spatial Blades, aiming for its neck with a ferocious strike. The Spatial Blades erupted with an ethereal and elusive trajectory, appearing faintly in the void, while the blade emanated a chilling light. Meanwhile, the skeletal zombie had already entered an undying battle state.
At the moment David raised his Spatial Blades, the zombie burst into mad laughter and swung its bone knife to parry the attack. The Spatial Blades clashed with the bone knife, causing space to distort suddenly, accompanied by faint explosive sounds.
David wasn't surprised by this turn of events. He had only used one-third of his strength with that strike. He simply wanted to assess the opponent's abilities and whether they were worthy of the title of a combat zombie. After this strike, the skeletal zombie seemed to enter a fanatical combat mode. It forcefully pressed down its bone knife and suddenly stepped forward, trying to corner David in the corner of the factory.
With a light leap backward, David created some distance between himself and the zombie. He understood the zombie's strategy, attempting to force him into a corner to gain the upper hand. But David wouldn't let it succeed so easily. He employed a "dog walking" tactic, retreating while enticing the zombie to chase after him.
The bone knife in the hands of the skeletal zombie unleashed swift and fierce attacks, aimed at David's vital points. However, every single strike was effortlessly resolved by David. Watching the zombie's desperate efforts, David couldn't help but shake his head.
Just then, Duane finally caught up. Observing the skeletal zombie's relentless swings of the bone knife, he didn't hesitate. He immediately used his machete to perform a "Mount Splitting" move directly towards the zombie.
"Beast, don't be so arrogant, go to hell!" With a furious roar, Duane's machete emitted a resounding clang. The skeletal zombie realized the danger and quickly turned its head to face Duane. But instead of evading, it altered the trajectory of its bone knife in a sinister manner, aiming directly for Duane's airborne body.
"damn! This guy is so damn cunning!" Duane exclaimed as he saw the bone blade approaching. His heart tightened, and he quickly had to retract his Ironbreaker sword. While sheathing the sword, he crouched down and leaped into the air. The bone blade of the skeletal zombie grazed his scalp closely.
Duane was instantly drenched in cold sweat from the fright. He didn't expect the strength of this guy to be even more terrifying than the legends. He was stronger than some awakened esper abilities. As he landed, the skeletal zombie ceased its attack on David and charged towards Duane instead.
This made David stop in his tracks, standing there with an amused expression, observing their battle with interest.
The skeletal zombie's fighting spirit remained fierce, and its bone blade became increasingly ferocious. Each strike pushed Duane to the point of barely being able to defend himself. Just as Duane executed a carp jump to narrowly evade a "ground-sweeping slash" from the skeletal zombie, he turned his head and glanced at David.
Seeing David standing there, watching the show, Duane couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Good Lord! I'm here, in a miserable state, being beaten up by this animal. And there you are, savoring the spectacle? ๐ทโฏ๐น๐๐ธ๐ฟโฏ๐.๐ธโด๐ถ
Helpless, after another somersault, Duane promptly opened the black iron box from his pocket again and quickly reached inside with his right hand. He pulled out a straw man about the size of a palm.
"Oh? Another treasure?" David remarked, even more intrigued now.
Duane held the straw man in his hand, bit his finger again, and then dropped his fresh blood into the heart cavity of the straw man.
"Serve my purpose!" After completing these actions, Duane solemnly uttered these words, and decisively threw the straw man in front of the skeletal zombie.
Instantly, the palm-sized straw man rapidly expanded. In the blink of an eye, it grew to the size of a full-grown adult. The transformed straw man rushed forward, confronting the skeletal zombie's attacks, engaging in a fierce battle. This finally gave Duane a moment to catch his breath.
"Puppet?" David suddenly spoke as he watched the straw man fiercely fighting against the skeletal zombie. He didn't expect that Duane's treasure trove would still have this kind of treasure. The so-called Body Puppet was when an esper could summon objects to act as their puppets to aid them in combat. The strength of the summoned puppet varied based on the summoner's level of power.
In his previous life, David had seen some espers summon small animals like cats, dogs, or weasels as their body puppets. However, this was the first time he had seen someone like Duane summon a straw man that could expand in size.
"This guy is a living treasure trove!" David couldn't help but exclaim, watching the straw man. At the same time, he secretly made up his mind. He was determined to take away two treasures from Duane today, considering them as gifts for staying behind to fight alongside him.
The puppet straw man summoned by Duane continued to fight the zombie fiercely. Although it managed to withstand the bone blade attacks, David could clearly see that its defense was strained.
After all, Duane was only at Level 5, which meant the strength of the straw man was at most Level 5 as well. However, this Level 5 strength was quite mediocre, and the straw man lacked intelligence. On the other hand, the skeletal zombie's combat power was astonishing, making them clearly mismatched opponents.
Duane was well aware of this. Taking advantage of the time the straw man in its battle with the skeletal zombie, he approached David.
"The straw man won't last much longer. We need to find a way to deal with it quickly. I don't want to waste another one of my treasures," Duane said with a tinge of sadness. He had already destroyed a golden bell, and if the straw man was destroyed as well, it would be a bloody loss for him. These treasures were hard-earned in this post-apocalyptic world, and not only were they powerful, but they were also incredibly rare.
Listening to Duane's words, David nodded. He had been observing the skeletal zombie's attack patterns. He noticed that it only launched attacks against one person at a time. This meant that there would always be one person in a spectator role. He acknowledged that the skeletal zombie's combat power was formidable for a regular esper, but in doing so, it exposed its own weaknesses in the process.
So, David pondered for a moment and said to Duane, "I'll engage it head-on, and you look for an opportunity to support." Hearing David's words, Duane was momentarily taken aback. Him engaging the skeletal zombie head-on? He admitted that the young man before him was strong, but the opponent was an undying combat-oriented zombie. Not to mention the strength alone, the never-ending battle was enough to exhaust anyone. That's why he chose to summon the straw man as a substitute.
Duane expressed his concerns to David, "The strength of the skeletal zombie should not be underestimated. Can you handle it?"
David smiled faintly. "When it comes to survival, even if I can't, I have to give it a try. Haven't we all survived like that? Isn't that right?" After speaking, David walked towards the skeletal zombie without hesitation. Observing the determined figure of the young man, Duane couldn't help but be amazed. In that moment, he seemed to see the silhouette of a savior in the apocalypse. He quickly became extremely cautious, tightly gripping his Iron breaker sword, and waiting for David's command.
Soon, after the straw man blocked one attack from the zombie's bone blade, it could no longer withstand the pressure and instantly shrank back to its original size, falling to the ground. However, the skeletal zombie's fighting spirit remained high, and it swung its blade towards the motionless straw man on the ground.
This instantly pained Duane's heart. He had intended to step forward and snatch his treasure from the skeletal zombie's blade. But as soon as he took a step forward, he saw David rush forward like a beam of light.
"Clang!" The spatial blade in David's hand collided with the skeletal zombie's bone blade. Then, David picked up the straw man, swiftly stuffed it into his pocket, and only then did Duane breathe a sigh of relief.
David then spun his alloy dagger in his left hand, swiping its blade across the ribs of the skeletal zombie. "Slash!" A piercing sound instantly resounded as the alloy dagger left several scars on the exposed ribs of the zombie. Enraged by the strike, the zombie forcefully thrust its left arm towards David's arm.
A smirk appeared on David's lips as he decisively let go of the alloy dagger in his hand, assuming a stance to catch the incoming arm of the skeletal zombie. Instantly, the tremendous force unleashed by the zombie was effortlessly neutralized by David.
"What an immense power!" Duane, who was observing from the side, couldn't help but exclaim. At this moment, David raised his head and locked eyes with the skeletal zombie, which seemed to be filled with mockery and disdain within its empty eye sockets.
David's lips curled up slightly, and he whispered two words, "Corrosion!" As soon as the words left his mouth, a fierce malevolent aura burst forth from his palm, instantly enveloping the zombie's arm.
In the next second, David saw a drop of white liquid trickle out from between his fingers. The corrosive ability that could melt Duane's iron dagger ,effortlessly entangled in the zombie's bones.
The skeletal zombie seemed to feel pain and immediately let out an angry roar. It swung its bone blade with its right hand once again, aiming for David's skull. David activated the portal of space, instantly appearing behind the skeletal zombie.
"Boom!" The bone blade in the skeletal zombie's hand struck the abandoned lathe nearby, producing a loud rumbling sound. Seeing that its attack had missed, the zombie quickly pulled out its bone blade and charged at David from behind. Compared to before, its speed and strength had noticeably increased, possibly due to anger.
Meanwhile, David calmly used the portals of space to shuttle back and forth. As a Level 7 esper, he could easily overpower everything in this area. However, he wasn't in a hurry; he wanted to see the true strength of the skeletal zombie. Undying combat? A fighting zombie? David considered them all rubbish.
Watching David disappear and reappear through the portals of space, Duane nodded in astonishment. He had already been conquered by the young man's strength.
At this moment, the skeletal zombie fiercely swung its blade at David once again. However, this time, David didn't dodge but instead, after activating the portal of space, he moved the portal right in front of the skeletal zombie. It immediately plunged into the portal, charging forward. After a spatial fluctuation, the zombie suddenly appeared in another part of the factory.
Watching as half of the zombie's body was exposed, David smiled faintly and decisively pulled out a high-explosive grenade from the storage system. He didn't want to waste too much time here anymore.
"Clang!" David pulled the pin of the high-explosive grenade and unhesitatingly threw it towards the zombie. Duane, witnessing the grenade rapidly flying towards the skeletal zombie, was stunned in place.
"A grenade? This guy is using a grenade to blast the zombie? What kind of move is this!" In the midst of Duane's astonished gaze, the entire body of the skeletal zombie emerged from the portal of space, and the high-explosive grenade happened to land on its head.
The high-explosive grenade spun in the air, and the white smoke swirled like a rotating windmill. The skeletal zombie slowly lifted its head, its hollow eyes curious as it stared at the grenade.
Then, in the next second, "Boom!" A deafening explosion instantly resounded! The intense blast shook the entire abandoned factory, causing the discarded lathe to tremble violently, raising layers of dust. Duane quickly took cover behind an iron rack, attempting to avoid the powerful shockwave.
After a moment, the abandoned factory returned to silence, and the smell of gunpowder in the air gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint white smoke floating in the air.
"Is it resolved?" Duane cautiously poked his head out from behind the iron rack, gazing intently. At the same time, David was also looking, his face displaying a relaxed expression as the dense fog slowly dissipated. He was well aware of the power of the high-explosive grenade, which would undoubtedly cause significant damage to the zombie.
Just then, a deep growl emanated from within the smoke. "Roar! Roar!" Duane was instantly startled. Following that, the skeletal zombie slowly emerged from the smoke. However, this time, one of its arms had been blown off by the high-explosive grenade, and only half of its skull remained, while its ribcage had been almost completely shattered, leaving behind only bone fragments.
Duane couldn't help but gasp in disbelief. He never expected this creature to possess such tenacious vitality. It had been directly hit by a high-explosive grenade, yet it was still able to survive.
Meanwhile, David merely raised an eyebrow, seemingly thinking that the high-explosive grenade had forced the skeletal zombie to reveal its true strength. When facing other zombies, as soon as the high-explosive grenade appeared, the battle would immediately end. Who would have thought that the skeletal zombie could withstand it?
Following the principle of seizing the opportunity, David decisively drew his spatial blade and charged towards the skeletal zombie. He knew that the current zombie's strength should have significantly declined compared to before. However, as soon as he approached the zombie, he made an unexpected discovery.
The skeletal zombie seemed to have undergone a mutation during the explosion. Its bones were covered with a protective layer, emitting a metallic glow when seen up close. Moreover, its aura had become particularly domineering, completely different from before.
"Indeed, it has become stronger." David became slightly more interested and swung his spatial blade at it without hesitation. A crisp collision instantly reverberated throughout the abandoned factory. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๏ผ๐ค๐๐
David's strike landed forcefully on the skeletal zombie's neck, but it didn't seem to have much effect, only creating a shower of sparks.
"The defense is so formidable!" Duane couldn't help but exclaim. Meanwhile, the skeletal zombie began to move once again. It grabbed hold of David's spatial blade and forcefully flung him into the air. David floated in mid-air as the zombie let out a "hehe" laugh. Then, with a powerful push from its legs, the zombie charged towards David in mid-air.
"Oh no!" Duane inwardly cursed upon seeing the situation and quickly wanted to rush up to help. However, David remained calm and slowly opened a spatial portal. Just as the skeletal zombie's fist was about to make contact with him, he disappeared in the air using the spatial portal.
After landing, David didn't hesitate and took out a Desert Eagle from the warehouse system. He fiercely pulled the trigger, firing the gun at the airborne skeletal zombie.
"Bang!" The sound of firing pins hitting echoed as 11.43mm bullets rained down on the skeletal zombie like a storm. However, these bullets, upon impact with the zombie, only created dazzling sparks before being deflected in various directions.
However, at the same time, David also discovered some weaknesses in the skeletal zombie. He noticed that although the entire skeletal structure of the zombie was covered in a metallic shield, there were still some exposed areas. When the bullets hit these parts, they instantly shattered the bones, causing the zombie to twist in pain.
"It's time to end this," David said softly. While the skeletal zombie was still in mid-air, he said to Duane, who was nearby, "I'll leave the metal shield on its body to you." He said this because David knew that Duane awakened the ability to manipulate metal, allowing him to produce a series of reactions with metal.
Upon hearing David's words, Duane immediately stepped out from behind the iron rack and looked at the skeletal zombie in the air, a faint smile appearing on his lips. In today's battle, he had only used his treasure trove, and he hadn't fully demonstrated his metal manipulation ability to David yet. He knew he couldn't hide it any longer. He raised his right hand and made a strange gesture toward the body of the skeletal zombie.
Suddenly, Duane shouted out loudly! Immediately, David saw a white smoke billowing up from the skeletal zombie's body. Then, black liquid quickly flowed out from its skeletal frame. It was evident that Duane had used his ability to melt the metal shield on its body.
Seeing this, David didn't hesitate. He directly took out a heavy machine gun from the warehouse system and aimed it at the now defenseless zombie. He decisively pulled the trigger!
"Da-da-da!" The heavy machine gun spewed blue flames, and bullets rained down upon the skeletal zombie like a storm.
The skeletal zombie instantly let out a painful howl. Its entire body writhed violently, and its bones began to shatter and fall apart under the barrage of bullets.
Watching David wielding the heavy machine gun with a fierce expression, Duane's mouth hung open in shock. First, the high-explosive grenade, then the Desert Eagle, and now he pulled out a heavy machine gun? Wasn't this guy a walking arsenal?
Duane was dumbfounded by David's audacity. The heavy machine gun continued to pour out bullets, each one accurately hitting the zombie's body. In no time, the heavy machine gun emptied its magazine of a thousand rounds. Setting down the heavy machine gun, David looked up at the skeletal zombie. Its body showed no signs of movement anymore, and it quickly fell from mid-air with a "boom," its fragmented bones scattering all over the ground.
David approached the skeletal zombie and found that it had already lost any signs of life. It was clearly dead. At this moment, Duane also arrived by its side, shaking his head slightly as he looked at the mangled corpse.
Duane paused and looked up at David. "You win," he said, his eyes filled with a hint of admiration. It was not an exaggeration to say that David was the most powerful esper he had encountered in the apocalypse. He accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
But David didn't really care about Duane admitting defeat. He had approached this with a playful attitude and didn't take the outcome to heart. After all, in his view, he would always be the ultimate winner.
"In the apocalypse, there is no winning or losing. Being able to survive is the greatest victory," David said slowly to Duane. Hearing this, Duane nodded in agreement. He acknowledged that David was right.
At that moment, the mechanical voice of the system suddenly sounded in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a high-grade crystal!] ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐ค๐
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundred-fold critical hit!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining one hundred high-grade crystals!]
Hearing the system's voice, David smiled slightly. One hundred high-grade crystals meant that he hadn't stayed here in vain. He already had a considerable number of high-grade crystals stored in his warehouse, but David felt that if he wanted to survive in this world, he had to seize every opportunity to acquire crystals. Only with sufficient resources would the hope of survival be greater.
But before David could fully enjoy his happiness, the system's voice sounded again in his ears.
[Ding! Host detected killing of a zombie, acquired zombie ability - Skeletal Enhancement!]
Huh? Skeletal Enhancement? Hearing this voice, David couldn't help but be stunned. He hadn't expected any other gains besides high-grade crystals. A faint smile once again appeared on his lips.
Naturally, Duane had no idea about David's unexpected gains. He looked at the remains of the skeletal zombie and said slowly, "Since the Second Red Light appeared, there have been more high-level zombies in the world. These zombies are different from regular high-level ones; they possess strength, speed, intelligence, and even absolute defense. That's why I wanted to investigate the Second Red Light."
David naturally understood Duane's words. He had encountered intelligent zombies and titan zombies. Today, he had killed a skeletal zombie. The world seemed to become more and more bizarre after the Second Red Light. Like Duane, he was also trying to find the reason behind it, but so far, they hadn't made any progress.
"However strange this world becomes, we survivors are still the masters of this world. Instead of speculating here, it's better to go home and improve our strength," David said, preparing to leave. He couldn't wait to return to the new ability he had recently acquired within the base.
Seeing David about to leave, Duane quickly called him and reached out his hand.
"What?" David pretended to act as if he didn't know what Duane was talking about.
"Give me back my scarecrow. It was something I had worked hard to obtain," Duane said, his expression showing a hint of sadness as he remembered the shattered golden bell. Those treasures were his hard work and his guarantee of survival in the apocalypse.
Seeing this, David simply resorted to being mischievous. "What scarecrow? I didn't see anything. Don't accuse me falsely," he said, ignoring Duane's bewildered expression, turning around, and swiftly leaving the factory.
"What... what just happened?" Duane looked at the suddenly disappearing David and stood there in shock. After a moment, he finally reacted and realized that his precious scarecrow had probably been taken by that guy. It made Duane's mouth twitch, feeling a pang of pain.
"This guy... he's really cunning! Isn't this straight-up robbery?" Duane couldn't help but hold his treasure chest tightly, afraid that David might suddenly reappear and loot him again.
"Alvin, is this the gift you gave to that kid? It seems like you're not very interested in the position of Phoenix Rising squad leader," Alvin stood in the courtyard, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, while Alexander's voice came through from the void. There was obvious anger in his voice.
Alvin slightly closed his eyes, a hint of shame on his weathered face. He hadn't expected Duane and that kid to be able to kill the skeletal zombie. It had cost him one hundred high-grade crystals to summon that high-level zombie, and yet it was resolved so quickly by the two of them?
"Alexander, that kid's strength is at least Level 7 or above; otherwise, he wouldn't stand a chance against the skeletal zombie," Alvin pondered and said.
Alvin knew that the strength of the skeletal zombie was comparable to that of a Level 6 esper. If it had only been Duane, a Level 5 esper, he wouldn't have been a match for the zombie at all. The reason they were able to kill it was because David's strength surpassed that of the skeletal zombie. This surprised Alvin as well.
"Oh? Is that your excuse for failure? You should know that I'm not someone who likes to hear excuses," Alexander's voice rang out, and suddenly, a red lightning bolt flashed across the sky! The red lightning coiled through the clouds like a dragon, as if it wanted to tear the sky apart. The two high-level zombies chained at the entrance became incredibly furious upon hearing the thunderous sound. They struggled against the chains, roaring angrily.
Seeing this, Alvin felt a pang of anxiety. Although he had never seen Alexander's true form, he was well aware of his ruthless methods. So Alvin quickly bent down and said, "Give me three days, and I will give you a satisfactory answer, Alexander." As he spoke, he tightly gripped the dragon-headed cane in his hand, and his body trembled slightly.
At some point, the two high-level zombies at the entrance broke free from their chains and were now surrounding him, scrutinizing his every move. The stench of rotting flesh and their incredibly violent and malevolent aura immediately made Alvin realize that their level was likely above Level 8, making them terrifying zombies! This made him even more nervous, afraid that he might say something wrong and anger Alexander. In that case, he would become a meal for these two zombies.
"My patience is limited. I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer in three days. If you mess up again..." Alexander paused, seemingly emitting a faint laughter.
This caused the two zombies beside Alvin to open their bloody mouths wide, revealing long, jagged teeth right in front of his eyes. It seemed like they could easily devour him with a single bite.
"Alexander, rest assured, I won't disappoint you this time." Alvin Suppressing the fear in his heart, quickly reassured him.
"It's good that you understand!" Alexander sneered coldly, and a gust of wind blew through. The two zombies returned to their chains at the entrance, and the red lightning in the sky slowly dissipated within the clouds.
After realizing that the surroundings had become silent, Alvin finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. The palm of his right hand, which was gripping the dragon-headed cane, was soaked with sweat. Every time Alexander appeared, he could feel a terrifying sense of oppression. That's why he willingly became Alexander's puppet in the apocalypse, not just for the position of Phoenix Rising squad leader, but also because of Alexander's terrifying power that was shrouded in mystery.
As someone who understood the rules of survival in the apocalypse, Alvin decisively chose to attach himself to Alexander. He looked up at the distant sky, and suddenly, a sharp light gleamed in his eyes. An eerie aura slowly enveloped the dragon-headed cane in his hand.
"I want to see how capable you really are this time!" Alvin viciously smashed the cane into the ground, causing the stone pavement to instantly crack and a loud rumble to echo. Then, Alvin turned around and walked out of the courtyard, slowly disappearing into the white mist.
"Hmph! What a useless old man! If it weren't for the fact that you still have some value, I would have fed you to my two pets already!" A young man in the void looked at Alvin's disappearing figure and sneered. Afterward, he casually picked up a floating potato chip.
He shook it and realized it was empty, which made him feel even more disappointed. "Forget it, forget it. I'll enjoy a feast of potato chips after that guy is taken care of." After saying that, the man lightly swiped his finger, and a rift suddenly appeared in the void. A woman's voice immediately came through the gap...
Back at the base, several members of the Embers squad were anxiously pacing inside the house. When they saw David return unharmed, the worry on their faces disappeared.
Sally quickly approached with a concerned expression and asked, "Why are you back so late? Everyone was worried about you."
David reached out and rubbed Sally's head, smiling as he replied, "I got delayed with something, that's why I came back late."
Arnold also stepped forward and asked, "David, did you deal with that bastard?" David nodded in response.
With that, everyone finally felt relieved. After briefly discussing some other matters, David retreated to his room to study the Bone Enhancement ability.
As David focused his mind, a heavy and profound aura instantly rushed into his body from all directions. Feeling this iron-like aura, David's mind calmed down, as if he was enveloped in a thick armor.
At the same time, David could feel a faint "cracking" sound emanating from every inch of his bones. Then, a cool sensation, as if his bones were wrapped in metal, spread over his skeleton. After about three minutes, this cool sensation slowly dissipated.
David slowly opened his eyes and heard the voice of the system.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for strengthening the bones throughout the body!]
David lifted his arm and moved his body, and sure enough, he could clearly feel his bones, like strands of steel. Even when his joints moved, he could sense a tight and solid sensation.
"It truly is the ability of a high-level zombie. It has enhanced the defense of my bones!" David exclaimed with excitement. With this enhancement, his defensive ability as an esper had been further sublimated, and even a faint layer of metal coating appeared on his skin, just like the bone armor of the skeletal zombie he encountered earlier.
David never expected to have such an unexpected gain today. At the same time,He also found the straw man he had snatched from Duane's grasp in his own hands. After taking it out, David carefully examined it. The small straw doll, about the size of a palm, had facial features drawn with red cinnabar ink, and two straw-made ponytails on its head, vividly depicting the image of a little girl.
This made David somewhat disdainful of Duane. Such a beautiful little girl buried in his hands was truly a precious treasure. Thinking of Duane's actions earlier, David followed suit and bit his finger, dripping a drop of blood onto the straw doll's body.
Suddenly, the straw doll trembled violently and then bounced on the ground, once again turning into the size of an adult. Its facial features also became lively, constantly tilting its head to observe David in front of it. Seeing its cute and endearing appearance, David couldn't help but smile. He originally thought that this treasure only recognized Duane, but now he found out that it could also be bound by his blood.
Looking at the straw doll's tilted head, David thought for a moment and said to it, "From now on, you'll be my substitute puppet. Let's give you a name... Mandy!"
Upon hearing the name Mandy, the straw doll's ponytails suddenly shook, and then it looked at David, tilting its head in another direction. Apparently, it was quite satisfied with the name. This action surprised David. He didn't expect that it could understand his words. Could it also have some intelligence?
So David threw the TV remote control beside him onto the ground and said to Mandy, "Pick up the remote control."
Upon hearing David's command, Mandy's body stiffened for a moment before slowly turning to look at the remote control on the ground. Then, it bent down, picked it up, and placed it in David's hand.
This immediately filled David with excitement. At the same time, he realized that it was probably because of his own level that he possessed a bit of human consciousness. And as for his strength, it would also increase along with his level.
David nodded in satisfaction as he looked at Mandy. He then commanded it to return to its original size and put it back into his embrace. Although he took this treasure from Duane, he didn't feel guilty at all. After all, he saved that guy's life, so it wasn't excessive to take some treasures from him, right?
Besides, Duane's treasure trove was filled with countless items, and the absence of one wouldn't have any impact on him. With this in mind, David accepted Mandy as his treasure with a clear conscience.
If Duane knew what David was thinking at this moment, he would probably want to bring out all his treasures and give David a proper lesson.
David lay on the bed, recalling everything that happened today. He realized that he wasn't the only one curious about the Second Red Light; there were others searching for the underlying laws of the apocalypse. This made him aware of the importance of strength. If his strength wasn't formidable enough, he might find himself in a passive situation in the upcoming apocalypse.
Therefore, David secretly made up his mind to further improve his strength. Only by doing so could he continue to secure his place in the unknown laws of the apocalypse.
"Strange, why are men always so secretive, disappearing without a word?" Monica wandered around the base in search of Abraham and Danny's figures, but she couldn't find them anywhere, which made her complain.
Ever since the second red light appeared, Abraham and Danny would inexplicably disappear for a while, leaving Monica puzzled.
Just then, Danny walked in through the door. "You called me?" he asked, pushing his glasses up while looking at Monica.
"Where have you been? Why didn't you tell me?" Monica asked, hands on her hips, with a hint of unhappiness on her fair cheeks.
Danny scratched his head and chuckled. "I just went out to clear my mind. Being cooped up in the base all day can drive you crazy. By the way, where's Abraham? Haven't seen him around," Danny asked, looking at the empty bamboo chair in the room.
"Sigh, who knows. It's already noon, and Abraham hasn't returned. I'm worried something might have happened," Monica expressed her concerns.
Danny pondered for a moment and shook his head. "Abraham is capable, he can handle ordinary low-level zombies without a problem. Besides, he must have had a reason for going out, maybe to clear his mind too." Saying that, Danny sat down on the sofa and instinctively reached for something with his right hand, but as if suddenly remembering something, he smirked and pulled his hand back.
"Don't worry, I went out to observe just now, and the streets are filled with low-level zombies, no high-level ones at all. So Abraham won't encounter any danger," Danny reassured Monica, finally putting her at ease. ๐๏ฝ ๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๐๐๐
As the apocalypse grew more and more mysterious, their survival team had to ensure the safety of every member. Otherwise, if they ended up as a small, powerless team, Monica would be in for a hard time.
After a pause, Monica said to Danny, "I envy David's team. They not only have an abundance of resources but also an apocalypse vehicle. Unlike us, our most powerful weapon is bought from others. If this continues, we might as well rename our team the 'Leg-Hugging Team.' Maybe we can join David's team and increase our chances of surviving the apocalypse."
With these words, a hint of envy appeared on Monica's face. When Danny heard this, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, but quickly relaxed. He continued to smile and said to Monica, "What's this? Our little princess misses David? Should I go talk to him and reserve a spot for you?"
"You're talking nonsense, absolutely not!" Monica retorted, and Danny's words immediately made her blush.
Ignoring it, Danny turned his head and looked out the window. Faintly, a faint shimmer flashed behind his lenses.
Meanwhile, inside the dilapidated building's laboratory, after Abraham opened the laboratory door, he immediately sensed an unfamiliar scent. It seemed like someone had been here. This immediately put him on high alert as he carefully examined every corner of the laboratory.
When Abraham realized there was no one else present, he approached the operating table. On it lay the same zombie corpse. As he looked at the body, he let out a silent sigh. According to his speculation, a large number of high-level zombies had entered this apocalypse after the second red light, making their team's situation increasingly dangerous.
Even though they had acquired firearms from David, they could only withstand the threat temporarily and couldn't defend themselves for a long time. If they wanted to truly protect themselves in the upcoming dangers, the best way was to improve their own level of strength.
Looking at the zombie corpse on the operating table, Abraham knew it was his only option. Today, no matter what, he had to extract the energy from the corpse. He placed his hands on the body and closed his eyes, carefully sensing the surging energy within.
"Hmm? What's going on!" Abraham suddenly opened his eyes, surprised, and then furrowed his brows. During the energy sensing process just now, he discovered that there was no trace of energy fluctuation inside the zombie's body. He thought maybe his psychic power wasn't accurate enough, so he quickly sensed again, but the result remained the same.
This made Abraham's expression immediately turn serious. In the previous attempts, he could clearly sense the surge of energy, but this time, there was no trace at all.
"Could it be... someone got here ahead of me?" Abraham recalled the unfamiliar scent in the laboratory earlier and couldn't help but be shocked. This was the zombie secret he had painstakingly uncovered, how could someone else know about it? What's more, the energy within the zombie's body, though abundant, was extremely difficult to extract. He had tried five or six times without success, but now it had been taken by a stranger. This truly surprised him.
Various figures flashed through Abraham's mind, but he quickly dismissed them. Finally, he thought of one personโDavid. Although he hadn't met David many times, he knew from Monica that he was exceptionally powerful, especially awakening spatial abilities that allowed him to traverse through space. In that case, it was very likely that David had crossed the obstacles and entered the laboratory.
"This young man is indeed formidable. He was able to extract the energy from the corpse so cleanly," Abraham exclaimed. He didn't hold any ill will towards David, but he believed that this energy should have been used by his own team.
In the apocalypse, the possession of resources determined the strength of a team. Every team would go to great lengths to acquire all the supplies, and energy naturally fell within their targets.
Looking at the now valueless corpse, Abraham felt a sense of regret. However, a thought occurred to himโhe could use this opportunity to get to know David. Sometimes, communication between teams could be a means of acquiring resources, and there might be unexpected gains. So he quickly left the laboratory and hurried back to the base before it got dark.
Monica remained by the window, watching the sunset and waiting for Abraham to return. When she saw Abraham's figure entering through the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Monica, who seemed slightly exhausted, Abraham smiled apologetically and explained that he had just gone out to get some fresh air. This made Monica wonder why men liked to go out for fresh air for no reason.
"What about Danny?" Abraham didn't see Danny's figure and asked.
"That guy just came back not long ago, I guess he's probably already asleep by now." Hearing that Danny had just returned, Abraham instinctively looked towards the door of his bedroom. Sensing the calm atmosphere inside, Abraham lay back on the bamboo chair and closed his eyes to rest.
After returning to the base, Duane reflected on the recent battle. He was increasingly sensing the changes in the laws of this world, which led to more high-level zombies appearing. This unexplainable sense of crisis furrowed Duane's brow.
He had initially thought that finding David would solve the mystery of the second red light, but to his surprise, David was just like himโa survivor searching for answers. This left Duane completely clueless.
Shirley sat in front of the monitoring screens and became puzzled as she watched one of the screens. Suddenly, a red lightning bolt struck down from the clouds, creating an eerie sight.
"Red lightning?" Shirley couldn't help but mutter. Hearing Shirley's voice, Duane quickly walked over.
"Captain, why would there be red lightning? Could it be related to the second red light?" Shirley asked, confused.
As they both looked at the winding red lightning, Duane was just as perplexed. Even though this was the apocalypse, where strange phenomena were not uncommon, he had never seen lightning like this before.
"Perhaps Alvin might know something. Where is Alvin?" Duane thought of the more experienced Alvin, but he couldn't find him anywhere after searching around the base.
Seeing this, Shirley said, "Alvin went out early in the morning to inspect the base in the northern district. He should be back by now." Checking the clock on the wall, it was already past five in the afternoon. Just as she said that, they heard the sound of a cane striking the ground, and Alvin slowly walked in from outside.
"It's just a natural phenomenon, nothing to make a fuss about." Alvin casually remarked, seemingly understanding Duane's thoughts. At the same time, he glanced at the red lightning on the screen, a faint trace of coldness appearing on his face. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐ผ๐ซ๐ด
Upon hearing Alvin's words, Duane nodded and didn't say anything more. As an elder member of the Phoenix Rising team, Alvin had always earned Duane's respect as the captain. If it weren't for Alvin stepping up when the previous captain sacrificed himself, the Phoenix Rising team might not have survived to this day. After briefly glancing at the red lightning, Alvin returned to his own room.
"It's strange. Alvin feels different today." Watching Alvin close the door, Shirley muttered softly while fiddling with the cat accessory on the hilt of her knife.
Early in the morning, David woke up and, after a simple wash-up, headed outside while the others were still asleep.
Looking at the silver-grade base, David decided to upgrade it to a gold-grade base. There were five days left until the system mandated the transformation of the base into an apocalypse base. Now, David realized that the rules of the apocalypse were changing, and the world was becoming more mysterious in the later stages. He had to seize the opportunity to fortify the team's shelter.
"System, upgrade the silver-grade base to a gold-grade base," David softly requested the system while standing in place.
[Ding! Upgrading to a gold base requires forty defense system crystals! ]
[Detected that the host has fifty defense system crystals remaining! ]
David nodded, and then the triangular defense system crystals appeared before him. "Upgrade!" David decisively said.
[Ding! Upgrading the base to a gold grade! ]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for upgrading the base to a gold-grade base! ]
Soon, the sound of the system completing the upgrade rang in David's ears. As David looked at the base in front of him, he saw a sudden flash of golden light. Then, that light quickly spread to every corner of the base, leaving a faint golden texture wherever it touched.
David approached and knocked on the base with his hand, causing a heavy metallic sound to resonate. Compared to the previous silver-grade base, the gold-grade base had become more formidable. David took out the spatial blade and swung it forcefully at the wall.
"Clang!" Sparks flew, but David carefully observed and found no traces left on the wall. Obviously, the defense had greatly improved. Satisfied, David nodded. This way, their team had a bit more reliance when facing stronger zombie attacks.
In the apocalypse, the strength of survivors was crucial. But even more important was the establishment of a shelter. A shelter with strong defenses could protect survivors' safety at any time. That's why David's first priority after the previous base was destroyed was to find a new base. Looking at the golden base before him, David suddenly noticed a faint golden defense coating on his bones and skin, which surprised him.
"Is there a resonance?" David suddenly realized that his bone reinforcement ability must have formed some kind of connection with the gold base, causing a resonance at this moment. In other words, his physical defense should be on par with the gold base.
After a brief thought, David once again swung the spatial blade without hesitation, chopping down on his forearm. Another metallic collision sound rang out, but the spatial blade, upon touching David's forearm, immediately rebounded back. The golden coating on his forearm flowed like running water, perfectly shielding him from this "self-harm" attempt.
"Not bad!" David smiled with satisfaction. This meant that his defense ability had made a breakthrough into a new stage. Combined with his Level 7 rank and spatial ability, David felt that he could now protect himself in the apocalypse, but he didn't stop there.
Now as the captain of the Embers team, it was his responsibility to protect all the team members. So his current level was still far from sufficient. What's more, he needed to help each team member improve their own level and strength.
After circling around the golden base for a while, David gathered all the team members and continued with their outdoor combat training. The difference this time was that he brought Little Black and Cola along, allowing these two little ones to participate and gain experience levels.
With a command, Little Black leaped onto the war vehicle, excited to go out. Cola, on the other hand, remained elegant, climbing into Sally's arms and grooming its fur before casting a disdainful glance at the restless Little Black.
David chuckled lightly at this and stepped on the accelerator, driving out of the parking lot. Along the way, they encountered scattered zombies, all of which were quickly dispatched by the team members.
Soon, David drove the war vehicle to a ruined area of the city. The wind blew with an eerie chill, There seemed to be a faint smell of decay in the air, instantly sharpening the team members' focus.
"This place is strange," Charles got out of the car and looked at the ruins in front of him, furrowing his brows.
David nodded, carefully sensing the chilling evil wind that whispered around his ears. Unlike the winds in other places, the malevolence in this wind was particularly heavy, as if it came from a pile of corpses. David looked up and suddenly saw a low figure slowly emerging from a thick mist.
"We have a situation!" Arnold was the first to notice the figure and immediately joined Duke in surrounding Sophie. David decisively drew out his alloy dagger, holding it tightly in his hand as he cautiously stared at the figure. The figure continued to approach the group and soon emerged from the dense fog.
As David looked closely, he realized that the figure was actually a hunched old man. The old man had white hair, wore an outdated suit, and his face was filled with wrinkles like a network of ravines. His old hands were covered with age spots, and his thick, elongated nails resembled eagle claws.
At that moment, the old man stopped, slightly struggling to lift his head and gaze at the group. "Cough, cough!" After a momentary pause, the old man suddenly coughed twice, then looked at David and asked, "Young man, how do I get to the funeral parlor?"
The old man's voice was extremely hoarse, as if his throat had been wrapped in sandpaper, making it particularly uncomfortable to listen to. After speaking, the old man stared at David with his murky and hollow eyes, seemingly filled with sorrow.
Before David could respond, the old man took two more steps forward, sighed lightly, and continued, "My daughter was only eighteen years old, and she was bitten to death by zombies. It's not easy for a lonely old man like me to survive in this world. To let her leave with dignity, I must take her to the funeral parlor. It's my last wish."
"Cough, cough..." The old man spoke as if there was no one else around, his coughing intermittently accompanying his words. While coughing, he slowly raised his palm to cover his mouth, as if afraid that the next second he would cough up blood from his body.
Hearing the old man's words, Sally instantly felt a wave of compassion. She didn't expect to encounter such a pitiful survivor in the apocalypse. The death of his only daughter must have caused immense pain to the elderly man.
Having experienced various separations and farewells, Sally could no longer contain her inner sympathy and quickly said to him, "Old man, there is no funeral parlor here. Let us see if there are other ways we can help you!"
Upon hearing Sally's words, the old man looked up at her again, seeming to ponder for a moment before saying, "You are kind-hearted people. I thank you on behalf of my daughter. Then, please follow me. If we're too late, my daughter's body will start to decay." Saying that, the old man coughed sadly twice, shook his head, and then turned to leave. ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐๐.๐๐๏ฝ
Seeing this, Sally couldn't help but take a step forward and follow him. "Hold on!" David quickly grabbed Sally's hand and said in a deep voice. But Sally seemed to be under some sort of spell, attempting to break free from David's grip.
"Not good!" Sensing something amiss with Sally, David immediately activated a void space and pushed Sally inside, preventing her from approaching the old man.
David stared at the old man, his expression serious. Meanwhile, the old man seemed to sense Sally's halt, so he stood still, turned around, and looked at David.
"Young man, won't you help this old man? I only have this one daughter, and now that she's gone, I don't have much time left either. Grant me this one wish," the old man said, staring straight at David, seemingly waiting for his answer.
"Old man, don't play tricks here! I advise you to leave right away, or..." Arnold also noticed the strangeness of the old man and bluntly retorted. However, before he could finish his sentence, the old man once again covered his mouth and coughed twice. This time, Arnold stood frozen on the spot, mouth agape.
"I know you're kind-hearted, so come with me," the old man smiled at Arnold and spoke.
Following that, Arnold, just like Sally, couldn't help but take steps towards the old man.
"Duke, stop Arnold!" David quickly said to Duke.
Upon hearing this, Duke immediately used shadow manipulation and instantly bound Arnold's shadow, keeping him in place. Despite that, Arnold continued to mechanically step in place, his complexion turning pale and devoid of color.
"Hypnosis?" David looked at Sally and Arnold, who were both standing still and stepping mechanically, and said with confusion. He could clearly sense that both of them were in a hypnotic state, their bodies controlled by the old man.
This made David's expression even more serious. He carefully observed the old man and noticed that he emitted not only a human aura but also a scent of decay. Charles also noticed this and spoke, "Necromancer?"
After a moment of contemplation, David shook his head. The term "necromancer" referred to someone whose body was infused with a certain power, causing them to exist in a semi-dead state. However, the old man in front of them, despite being slightly sluggish in his movements, showed no signs of being a corpse in his words or actions. Even the scent of decay emanating from his body didn't resemble the stench of a corpse.
This immediately puzzled David, but the most important thing now was to find the source of the old man's hypnotic technique. Otherwise, their entire team might become helpless pawns in an instant. He couldn't afford to take that risk. So, he carefully recalled every detail about the old man's behavior: his speech, coughing, and the moment they were hypnotized.
"I understand!" David suddenly looked up at the old man, and his eyes emitted a piercing cold light. The old man had been constantly asking questions, implying that he was waiting for their answers.
As soon as Sally and Arnold responded to his questions, the old man coughed twice, and they were immediately hypnotized. In other words, his method of hypnosis involved allowing the other person to respond to his questions, and then triggering the hypnosis through coughing, completely putting the person into a hypnotic state.
Realizing this, David quickly said to the three people beside him, "Don't answer! Don't answer any of his questions! That's the trigger for his hypnosis!"
Upon hearing David's words, the three immediately closed their mouths and stared fixedly at the old man. At that moment, David opened a void space, enveloping everyone inside, attempting to isolate them from any external sounds.
Seeing this, the old man hesitated for a moment, then a hint of anger appeared on his deeply wrinkled face. He glared at David with resentment in his eyes, and the veins on his forehead surged like coiling dragons.
"Young man, I advise you to be sensible. Ruining my plan, not even a deity can save you!" The old man's demeanor suddenly turned extremely malicious, abandoning his previous kind and gentle attitude.
Seeing the old man reveal his true nature, David decisively activated his Void Blades, judging from the aura. He felt that this old man was not someone to be trifled with, probably at a similar level to him, around level seven. However, the stench of decay emanating from him sent shivers down one's spine.
Without uttering a word, David turned his head to look at Sally and Arnold, only to find them still expressionless, stepping in place just like before.
"Charles, find a way to break his hypnosis!" David said to Charles beside him. He didn't know how harmful the old man's hypnosis was to the human mind. If it caused mental intrusion, it would be troublesome.
Charles nodded and began to trace the origin of the old man's ability, attempting to find any trace or clue.
Meanwhile, the old man, still hunched over, stared fixedly at David. It seemed that David was an unforgivable sinner in his eyes.
"It seems that you are truly an ignorant fellow! Since that's the case, I'll make you regret appearing here!" With those words, a peculiar sound suddenly emanated from the old man's throat. The next moment, his mouth opened extraordinarily wide, the muscles at the corners of his mouth tearing apart, revealing crimson flesh.
Then, a horrifying scene unfolded before David's eyes. Countless spiders with strange patterns crawled out of the old man's mouth like a tide. Each spider was covered in a disgusting layer of mucus, and some even appeared rotten.
Quickly, around a hundred spiders gathered at the old man's feet, constantly wiping their sharp teeth and scrutinizing David and the others.
Seeing this, David couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He finally understood why the old man emitted that strange stench of decay. It turned out that his body was infested with so many rotten spiders.
At the same time, David recalled the slight movement of the old man covering his mouth while coughing earlier. Presumably, he was afraid of revealing the presence of the parasitic spiders in his body, which would ruin his plan.
"This old man is truly sinister!" Duke looked at the densely packed rotten spiders on the ground, and his body hair stood on end.
"These are spiders in an extremely advanced stage of decay. They have strong venom and are adept at parasitizing the human body, reproducing by consuming the organs." Sophie looked at the decaying spiders and immediately spoke.
David nodded, then looked at the old man again. Now that his scheme had been exposed, David was no longer prepared to give him a chance to live. He stepped out of the void space, holding his Void Blades and Alloy Dagger, and charged towards the old man.
"Hahaha! I'm an immortal survivor. Let my spiders have some fun with you first!" The old man's mouth dripped with blood as he looked at David with a ferocious expression. Then, the rotten spiders under his feet made a piercing sound and swarmed towards David.
David knew that to deal with the old man, he had to first deal with this group of decaying spiders. During his charge, he grabbed a high-explosive grenade from the warehouse. After pulling the pin, he threw high-explosive directly at the decaying spiders.
"Boom!" A loud explosion suddenly rang out, and the dust on the ground rose more than ten meters high. Using the Spatial Gate, David instantly appeared on a giant rock, observing the situation beneath the dust. As the dust dispersed slowly under the blowing wind, the scene before David made him furrow his brows.
He noticed that some of the decayed spiders, after being blown in half by the high-explosive grenade, actually regenerated into two separate spiders! The original hundred-plus decayed spiders instantly multiplied by more than twice. The expression on the old man's face became even more twisted, and the blood dripping from the corners of his mouth had stained the ground beneath him. With a smirk of amusement, he stared at David, lightly snapping his fingers in the air like a claw.
"Let my spiders indulge in slaughter!" Upon receiving the old man's command, the swarm of spiders once again surged towards David, their momentum stronger than before. The air was filled with a highly oppressive force.
Instead of evading, David plunged into the swarm of spiders and began the slaughter. The Space Blade and Alloy Dagger in his hands continuously carved arcs in the air, each accompanied by the sound of "crack" as the spiders shattered and the stench of their putrid blood. Numerous decayed spiders were cleaved in half by David's blades, only to painfully struggle on the ground for a moment before splitting into two complete entities and charging at David once more.
In that instant, David understood that a frontal assault wasn't a viable strategy; it would only lead to more and more decayed spiders. He looked towards the old man standing behind the swarm of spiders and deduced from what had transpired earlier that the old man possessed the ability to release the decaying spiders parasitically within his body. However, he lacked any offensive or defensive capabilities himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't have continuously maneuvered himself alongside the swarm of spiders to maintain a safe position. The best course of action was to eliminate this instigator, the old man himself, as doing so would naturally disperse the decayed spiders.
With this thought in mind, David shouted to Duke, "Deal with these spiders. I'll go meet that old man! Remember not to kill them, lure them into the ruins!"
Duke nodded in response and drew a combat knife he had prepared for such training, charging directly into the swarm of spiders. His extensive combat training allowed him to possess formidable close-quarters combat skills.
At the same time, David glanced at Charles, who was still tracing the origins of the hypnotic technique. He then swiftly entered the Spatial Gate and headed straight for the old man. When the old man saw David approaching, a flicker of fear flashed across his eyes. He opened his mouth again, and another wave of decayed spiders crawled out. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ป๐ผ๐๐๐น๏ผ๐ป๐๐
David hadn't expected that this man's body harbored so many decayed spiders. He put away his dual blades and picked up a wooden stick from the rubble nearby, rushing forward. The wooden stick whirled fiercely in David's hands, every strike precisely hitting the decayed spiders and sending them flying dozens of meters away with tremendous force. This not only denied the spiders the opportunity to divide but also cleared a path between him and the old man.
As David closed in, the old man realized the danger approaching. He hastily took two steps back and, with a malicious tone, said to David, "Lay a finger on me, and you will regret it! My daughter will be here soon, and none of you will survive!"
A sinister smile replaced the fear on the old man's face. Without hesitation, David's alloy dagger gleamed!"Splurt!" A thick black fluid sprayed from the old man's neck. His eyes widened as he stared at David, still wearing a chilling expression.
"My daughter... will kill... all of you..." The old man's Adam's apple moved as he mumbled incoherently. The next second, his entire head rolled on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. Some of the decayed spiderlings emerged slowly from his body.
At the same time, the hundreds of decayed spiders that had been entangled with Duke suddenly stopped their attack. Each trembling spider emitted a piercing noise. Then, their bodies suddenly exploded in a series of blasts, and their organs splattered on the surrounding rubble.
Clearly, there was a connection between these decayed spiders and the old man. As soon as the source was eliminated, they immediately perished. The air soon became filled with the pungent stench of decay, making it feel like standing among a heap of rotting flesh.
Meanwhile, Charles, whose body had been suspended in the air, suddenly landed. He opened his eyes, and a myriad of colorful stars shimmered in his gaze.
"How about it, have you traced the method to break the hypnotic technique?" David quickly asked.
Charles nodded. Using his celestial divination, he had traced some of the old man's vague memories, capturing the means to shatter the hypnotic spell. He walked up to Sally and Arnold, recalling the strange gesture of the old man in his mind, and slowly replicated it.
With a loud shout from Charles, the two of them jolted! Then, as if just waking up, they groggily opened their eyes.
"David, where is that old bastard? I want to kill him!" Arnold, just awakened, clenched his fists and said fiercely.
Sally, still with a frightened expression, recalled what had happened moments ago. Obviously, they had only been hypnotized by the old man, while their consciousness remained awake.
Seeing that Sally was only slightly shaken and unharmed, David felt relieved. He turned to Arnold and said, "That guy has been taken care of." Hearing David's words, Arnold finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Charles furrowed his brow and wore a puzzled expression as he walked up to David. He said, "When I was tracing the old man's memories, I seemed to have glimpsed the shadow of a woman in a red robe. It felt like she noticed me and kept coldly smiling at me."
"A woman in a red robe?" Charles's words immediately heightened David's attention. He recalled that before he killed the old man, he had repeatedly mentioned his daughter seeking revenge. Could this woman in the red robe be the old man's daughter? David speculated.
"Can you sense her level of strength?" David asked Charles.
Charles shook his head and said, "Her power is terrifying. Just a single glance sent shivers down my spine. If I hadn't closed my eyes in time, I might have been crushed by her gaze alone." Hearing Charles's terrifying description, everyone felt a tinge of fear. To be able to crush Charles within his celestial divination was truly a horrifying existence.
David nodded, understanding that this woman in the red robe was a formidable individual, likely at least Level 7 or higher. Without dwelling on it further, David prepared to lead the team out of this place. It was too dangerous here, and if that woman in the red robe appeared, David believed she would be a formidable opponent.
Just as they boarded the armored vehicle, a colder and more chilling gust of wind suddenly swept through! Within this cold breeze, there was even a faint floral scent mixed with the lingering stench of decay, instantly making everyone tense.
"Killing my father and thinking you can leave? Well, then you can all stay as my dinner." Suddenly! A seductive voice emerged from the cold wind, followed by a vague red figure appearing before them. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ
"Oh my god! What is happening?" Arnold was shocked by the sudden appearance.
David didn't hesitate and immediately stepped on the accelerator. The armored vehicle let out a deep roar and swiftly drove in the direction they came from. In that voice from earlier, David distinctly felt an immensely formidable aura. This allowed him to quickly determine that the newcomer was an eighth-level being.
At the same time, David knew that the opponent was not human but a revenant. In other words, she was an eighth-level revenant. This made David extra cautious.
In this apocalypse, reaching the eighth level as an esper was already a formidable existence. Those at the tenth level or even god-level were like lords of the apocalypse! However, to this day, David had not encountered an esper above the eighth level. The god-level existed only in legends.
Meanwhile, the level of revenants matched that of espers, and their strength naturally surpassed that of espers of the same level. That was why, upon sensing this aura, David chose to leave. The first rule of survival in the apocalypse was self-preservation.
In David's own words, it was about ensuring there were green mountains left, not fearing a lack of firewood. The armored vehicle continued to race forward, and the red figure slowly materialized in the thick mist. It was the same red-robed woman that Charles had seen during his divination. She gazed at the dismembered body of the deceased old man, her face filled with a tinge of sorrow.
Then, she lifted her head and looked in the direction David had left, speaking fiercely, "Killing my father, you all... will die!"
Within the ruins, a slightly elderly figure leaned on a cane, standing to the side. He watched the Embers Squad depart and sneered. The dragon-headed cane in his hand gradually revealed a layer of blue flames.
"You think you can just leave like that? You underestimate her power too much." A cold wind blew, instantly dispersing the thick mist surrounding the figure. Alvin stood there with a smile.
Indeed, Alvin has managed to summon this father-daughter duo. "You're quite ruthless!" Another ethereal figure beside him laughed.
"Alexander, this time, no matter what, I will kill this young man named David. Then, leave the position of Phoenix Rising Squad Captain to me." Alvin spoke to the shadowy figure.
"Hahaha! Alvin, you're exaggerating! Your business is my business. After all, we're partners, aren't we? Without you, I wouldn't have unlocked the Second Crimson Radiance so quickly. Don't forget, we're on the same boat, hehehe..." Alvin chuckled lightly, listening to Alexander's words.
Alvin lightly flicked his finger, and a faint blue flame suddenly emerged on his fingertip. The flame flew towards the red-robed woman and instantly entered her body. This intensified her already enraged emotions, and she flew towards the direction David had left.
At this moment, David and his team had already left the ruins. The armored vehicle roared with its powerful engine, swiftly traversing through every street. Suddenly! At a turn, the cold wind that had been present in the ruins struck again, even more ferocious than before!
"Not good, that person is following us!" Charles furrowed his brows, sensing the external aura. Upon seeing this, David firmly pressed down on the accelerator, attempting to break through the cold wind.
"You can't escape from the palm of my hand, hahaha!" The voice of the red-robed woman suddenly resounded in everyone's minds. This caught David off guard!
"Telepathy?" David immediately recognized the ability of the red-robed woman. The other team members also realized it and looked out the window with serious expressions. This ability to infiltrate the human brain and release certain signals within it was undoubtedly a telepathic ability. ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๏ผ๐๐ค๐ข
David didn't expect that this red-robed woman not only reached the eighth level but also awakened telepathic abilities. The voice kept hovering in everyone's minds, combined with her piercing laughter, causing a dizzying sensation.
Seeing this, David knew that today they had crossed paths with a formidable adversary, and telepathic abilities were a long-range power. Espers with this ability could invade a person's consciousness regardless of obstacles. Even if the armored vehicle's speed was fast, it probably couldn't escape the enemy's control.
So David made a firm decision and immediately slammed on the brakes. "Since we've encountered each other, there's no reason to avoid a fight!" David retrieved his dual blades, pushed open the door, and stepped out.
The others quickly followed suit, getting out of the vehicle and assuming combat-ready postures. Little Black and Cola seemed to sense the danger and kept scanning the surroundings. The cold wind on the street grew stronger, and the thick mist spread as if surging up from the ground.
David stared straight ahead and, with a thought, activated his Bone Enhancement ability, instantly covering his entire body with a faint layer of golden defense.
"Be cautious, the opponent is at the eighth level and has awakened telepathic abilities. Avoid direct confrontation at all costs." David observed the surroundings while briefing his team members.
Upon hearing that the opponent was at the eighth level, everyone was momentarily stunned, their expressions growing more serious. Just at that moment, the red figure appeared again from within the thick mist. Everyone immediately focused all their attention and stared intently at her.
"Hehehe, I thought you were all a bunch of cowards!" The red-robed woman slowly walked out from the mist, and only then did the others get a clear view of her. They saw that her face was pale, her long hair draped down, and there was a butterfly hairpin clipped at her temple. Her crimson robe looked particularly eerie, resembling a waterfall of blood.
The red-robed woman looked at David with a faint smile and continued, " You killed my father, and now you want to run?" Saying this, a tinge of sadness once again appeared on her face.
"If I don't kill him, we will die. Killing him is the rule of survival in the apocalypse." David looked at her coldly and said.
Upon hearing David's words, the woman in the red robe instantly became furious. "What a survival rule! Today, I'll show you what a terrifying rule is!" she exclaimed. With that, she opened her red lips slightly and began uttering a series of strange symbols.
Upon seeing this, Arnold and Duke immediately rushed towards her, attempting to disrupt her ability. However, as soon as they took a step forward, the woman in the red robe suddenly opened her eyes wide, and blood instantly flowed out of her torn eye sockets. She stared intensely at the two men, a dangerous and eerie expression forming on her lips.
Arnold and Duke had just taken a step when they both forcefully coughed up blood. They stood frozen in place, seemingly devoid of any consciousness.
"Arnold!" "Duke!" Sally shouted loudly upon witnessing the scene. At the same time, white lightning surged from her fingertips, poised to strike the woman in the red robe. However, in the next second, she too coughed up a mouthful of blood, becoming identical to the two men.
"Uh-oh! Their consciousness has been invaded!" David exclaimed. Without hesitation, he opened a spatial portal and charged towards the woman in the red robe. He had to interrupt her release of abilities in a timely manner, as the consequences would be unimaginable.
The woman in the red robe also noticed David's actions. She swung her enormous red sleeve, and a waterfall made of congealed blood surged towards David. He quickly evaded it, causing the red cascade to collide with a nearby cement wall.
"Boom!" The sturdy wall instantly collapsed! Charles couldn't help but gasp, realizing the terrifying strength of the woman. As the debris flew around, David slowly distanced himself from her. With his current Level 7 ability, he would undoubtedly face some pressure if he engaged in a direct confrontation with her.
However, David had calculated and decided to stay and fight her, taking into account the arsenal of weapons he had amassed in his storage system, as well as his newly acquired bone reinforcement ability. He believed he had the strength to confront her. So, he stared intently at her, attempting to find a flaw.
Meanwhile, inside the Phoenix Rising team's base, Shirley was somewhat bored as she stared at the screens, unable to suppress a yawn. She immediately regretted the promise she made to Duane, vowing to monitor the screens every day. Even an old man would grow tired staring at these screens all day, let alone someone like her, who was at the age of indulging in whimsical thoughts. So, she casually clicked the mouse, switching between the surveillance screens.
"Huh? Where did this little kitten come from? So cute!" A little kitten suddenly appeared on the screen, instantly piquing Shirley's interest. As a self-proclaimed cat lover, she couldn't resist the charm of a cute kitten. She had even secretly brought a stray kitten inside from outside, but the next day, Alvin, who didn't like small animals, picked it up and threw it out. This deprived her of the only joy in her apocalyptic life.
As she gazed at the kitten on the screen, Shirley's eyes lit up. However, she quickly noticed that there was a man standing next to the kitten. Looking at the man, Shirley became puzzled because she remembered seeing this familiar figure not too long ago."Why is this man appearing again?"
Looking at David's figure, Shirley's attention immediately shifted to him. "What is he doing? " Shirley kept moving the camera, observing the surroundings around David, and suddenly she saw the woman in the red robe.
At the same time, David swung his spatial blade and charged at the woman in the red robe again. His speed was so fast that Shirley's screen started to lag.
"So fast!" Shirley couldn't help but marvel, instantly losing any trace of drowsiness. She focused intently on every move David made.
The spatial blade in David's hand whistled as it aimed at the woman's waist. She smiled slightly and raised her sleeve, instantly conjuring a waterfall of blood.
David quickly performed a mid-air somersault, narrowly avoiding the blood waterfall. At the same time, he hurled his alloy dagger fiercely towards the woman's forehead. "Whoosh!" The alloy dagger sliced through the air like a released arrow, heading towards the woman in the red robe.
David's movement was fast, accurate, and ruthless, leaving her no time to react. She could only instinctively raise her sleeve to block."Clang!" The alloy dagger collided with her sleeve but was forcefully repelled.
However, David's attack had caused a gash in the woman's sleeve, and an endless stream of blood gushed forth. Shirley widened her eyes as she witnessed this scene.
The quick thinking from David and the formidable strength of the woman left Shirley utterly shocked. She never expected such powerful figures to exist in the apocalypse. She wanted to inform the team leader, Duane, and Alvin about the situation, but she realized they had already left the base and hadn't returned. So she had to watch the screen alone. Meanwhile, she could sense the hostility emanating from the woman in the red robe and silently cheered for David, someone she had never met before.
After all, to every survivor in the apocalypse, an individual victory represents a victory for all survivors. Moreover, David had a cute little cat by his side, which made Shirley even more focused.
The woman in the red robe raised her sleeve and drank all the flowing blood, instantly giving her pale cheeks a tinge of color. She lifted her head and continued to smile at David.
"Instead of struggling in vain, why not embrace death wholeheartedly? Rest assured, I will make sure you and your friends die comfortably. "Hearing the woman's words, Charles quietly reached for the dagger at his waist, his expression becoming solemn.
"Don't act rashly; you're no match for them," David quickly stopped Charles's movement. He didn't want his teammates to make reckless sacrifices at this moment.
But instead, David's action piqued the woman's interest. "Oh? I didn't expect you to be concerned about your companions' safety. I advise you to take care of yourself," she said, her gaze towards David filled with deep meaning.
At this moment, David didn't have time to listen to her nonsense. He needed to quickly deal with this Eerie corpse. Otherwise, Sally and the others wouldn't know when they could break free from the control. Even if he was struggling in the fight, David believed that as long as there was a slight chance, he had to seize it firmly. This was the survival rule of their Embers Squad.
So David rushed towards the woman in the red robe once again, but this time his speed was even faster. In the back-and-forth movement of the Space Gates, he pushed his speed to the limit.
The woman in the red robe continued to sneer, lifting her sleeves and causing streams of blood cascades to appear in the void, rushing towards David again and again. Every time David was about to make contact, he would enter the Space Gate and then slowly approach her, attempting to deliver a heavy blow with the Space Blade. Just as the woman in the red robe lifted her final blood cascade, David instantly appeared behind her.
"Now!" David shouted loudly, making a powerful and dominant move with his sword, aiming directly at the woman in the red robe's shoulder. The woman in the red robe immediately realized the danger and quickly turned around, raising her sleeve-covered right hand. The Space Blade tore through the void, creating layers of space ripples, and collided with the woman in the red robe's sleeve.
The tremendous recoil caused David's hand to ache, almost losing grip of the Space Blade. He gritted his teeth and leaped into the air, landing on the ground. Looking at the slight bleeding from his hand, David was shocked by the terrifying defense of the woman.
After being struck by David's attack, the woman in the red robe staggered back two steps, and another slit appeared on her sleeve, allowing more blood to flow out like a stream.
"You've cut my father's gift to me," the woman in the red robe murmured, her face showing a hint of sadness. "You will pay a heavy price for this!" She suddenly lifted her head and stared at David, her eyes filled with a horrifying expression, as if her beloved toy had been destroyed.
"Enter my world, and I will make you experience a fate worse than death!" the woman in the red robe said sternly. Then both of her sleeves lifted up, and the land beneath her feet was instantly covered by a blood cascade. Buildings, streets, and even Charles and Sophie disappeared, leaving only the woman in the red robe and David standing there, feeling the eerie bloodiness.
David immediately realized that this was a space created by the consciousness of the woman in the red robe. Charles and Sophie, looking at David enveloped by the blood cascade, became extremely anxious and shouted his name loudly.
Cola and Little Black also growled lowly around the space. However, this space isolated everything from the outside, so David couldn't hear any sound.
At this moment, the woman in the red robe gently took off the butterfly hairpin from her hair. She held it in her palm and lovingly caressed it, with two lines of tears slowly flowing from her eyes.
"Do you know? This is the birthday gift my father gave me, and I love it the most. Look at the wings of this butterfly, they are so beautiful!" The woman in the red robe looked at the butterfly hairpin in her hand, a gentle smile appearing on her face. This puzzled David, unsure of what she was planning to do. ๐ซ๐ฎ๐น๐ทโด๐ฟโฏ๐ต.๐ฌโด๐ถ
"This butterfly represents me. My father wanted me to fly freely in the sky like a butterfly. He was the greatest father in the world." The woman in the red robe continued to speak to herself, carefully holding the butterfly hairpin and showing it to David. As David's gaze touched the butterfly hairpin, unfamiliar images suddenly flashed through his mind! A little girl in a red dress, a man in a white polyester shirt. The little girl happily chasing a butterfly in the field, and the man following behind her with a doting expression.
"What's going on? Why are these images suddenly appearing!" David vigorously shook his head, trying to make these unfamiliar images disappear from his mind. But no matter how hard he tried, these images remained as if they were ingrained memories.
"Daddy, look! The butterfly is so beautiful!" The little girl excitedly exclaimed to the man.
The man smiled and nodded. "We are the most beautiful butterflies! Daddy hopes that you can also fly freely like it in the sky without worries."
With that, the man took out a hairpin from his pocket and placed it in the girl's hand. "Butterfly, happy birthday!" The little girl jumped up in excitement, hugging the man tightly.
David's gaze quickly shifted from the hairpin to realize that it was the same butterfly hairpin held by the woman in the red robe. "Could it be her childhood memory?" David suddenly realized. And that man was the old man he had just killed.
Meanwhile, David also learned the woman's name, Butterfly, from his father. But this only made David more puzzled. He couldn't understand why she wanted him to see her childhood experiences. Was there another hidden agenda? ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฆ
So David looked up at the red-robed woman across from him. She had her head lowered, tightly clutching the butterfly hairpin in her hand, with drops of blood tears falling from her eyes, making a "drip-drip" sound on the ground.
In the next moment, she suddenly raised her head and looked at David, a glimpse of compassion appearing in her eyes. Although it flashed by, David keenly caught it. This made David immediately realize that the woman seemed to have some secret. But before he could further contemplate, the images in his mind started moving again.
However, the scene had shifted, and now it showed the little girl lying on the ruins with a terrified look in her eyes. The man was being trampled underfoot by a hunched figure. Around this figure stood decaying corpses with hungry eyes fixed on the little girl. This made David's heart tighten, and he stared intently at the figure.
But the mist surrounding him was too dense, preventing him from clearly seeing the figure. He could only see a hunched silhouette. At this moment, the lips of the figure moved as if about to say something. But suddenly, the scene disappeared inexplicably from David's mind.
"What's going on!" David was momentarily stunned, then looked at the red-robed woman. She had an extremely pained expression on her face, and a faint blue flame appeared on her chest, flickering as if burning something inside her. She reached out to extinguish the flame but immediately recoiled in pain.
At the same time, the coldness returned to the woman's face. She lifted her head, locked eyes with David, and a sinister smile curved on her lips. "Welcome to my world. Here... I will... kill you!"
After uttering these chilling words, the red-robed woman charged at David like a gust of bloody wind! Seeing this, David quickly dodged to the side, trying to evade her attack. But at this moment, he realized that he was standing in a pool of blood, unable to move no matter how hard he tried. As the red-robed woman drew closer, David quickly retrieved two steel plates from his storage system and swiftly stacked them together, creating a makeshift shield that he placed in front of him.
"Boom!" The red-robed woman crashed into the steel plates, and the tremendous force immediately transmitted to David's body. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his entire body began to slide backward rapidly. The golden defensive layer on his body shimmered from the impact.
After sliding for several meters, David finally came to a stop, feeling the intense impact he had just endured. He knew that if it weren't for the golden defensive layer on his body, he would probably have met his end there. At the same time, the red-robed woman halted her steps, blood swirling around her. The blue flame on her chest grew more and more intense, adding a touch of pain to her angry expression.
"Seek revenge and hate...!" She struggled to move her throat, producing intermittent sounds, and then charged at David again, as if driven by madness. Before David could recover, he tried to dodge but realized that he was surrounded by cascading bloodfalls, leaving him no chance to evade.
In his desperation, David recalled the scene from his father taking out the butterfly hairpin in his mind. He quickly shouted, "Butterfly, is the hairpin your father gave you still with you?"
Upon hearing his voice, the red-robed woman paused, immediately stopped in her tracks, and then opened her palm, carefully looking at the hairpin in her hand. Seizing this opportunity, David swiftly evaded her and found himself in a relatively open area. Meanwhile, she stood motionless, holding the hairpin and repeatedly muttering, "It's here! The hairpin my father gave me is here!"
She cradled the hairpin against her chest, and suddenly, David understood something. He realized that the hairpin was something that could calm her down, as it held sentimental value due to the deep bond between father and daughter. It could even make her stop attacking him in an instant.
So David continued, "Don't disappoint your father. You should be the butterfly freely soaring in the sky, not in the state you are in now. If your father knew, he would be heartbroken."
Having said that, David carefully observed the changes in the red-robed woman's expression. As expected, whenever her father was mentioned, a happy smile appeared on her face. Not only did it reduce the hostility emanating from her, but even the faint blue flame on her chest began to weaken. David immediately deduced that this flame controlled her aggressive intent.
Meanwhile, in the ruins, a dark figure spoke with a hint of mockery while observing the images appearing in the void.
"Alvin, you did say that she was the most successful corpse you've cultivated. That's quite a boast, isn't it? "Upon hearing Alexander's words, Alvin's expression darkened. In order to turn the red-robed woman into the most formidable corpse, he personally killed her father and turned his body into a decaying spider parasite. This was done to unleash the rage within her and enhance her strength. However, he never expected that David would awaken her subconscious memories, which took him by surprise.
However, Alvin's surprised expression quickly turned into anger. How could his painstakingly cultivated corpse creature be so easily defeated by a young man? He sneered and flicked his fingers again, causing a more intense blue flame to instantly ignite at his fingertips.
Meanwhile, in the bloody space, the woman in the red robe still held the hairpin in her hands, looking dejected. Suddenly, the flames on her chest, which had been slowly weakening, burst into a bright flame! The woman in the red robe seemed to be in great pain, howling as her body contorted violently. The hairpin in her hand slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground.
Immediately after, the blue flame spread throughout her body, causing her to appear as if she had just been pulled out of blood, with crimson blood dripping continuously. The smell of blood was extremely foul, similar to the rotting smell of a zombie. David's heart tightened instantly, knowing that her corpse creature aura had erupted. As a result, she would enter a state of full-blown eighth-level corpse creature mode.
Indeed, under the lingering stench, the woman in the red robe mechanically raised her head, her already torn eye sockets filled with blood, her pupils and eyeballs blending into a single blood-red color. The wide sleeves of her robe kept trembling, oozing black blood. As the blood flowed to the ground, a white smoke rose immediately, accompanied by a sizzling burning sound.
The woman in the red robe stared at David and slowly uttered a word before transforming into a mist of blood and rushing toward David. David frowned and immediately picked up the alloy short knife from the ground while opening a portal. In the instant the blood mist approached, he swiftly leaped into the portal, traversing to another direction. However, as soon as he landed, the blood mist reversed direction and continued to charge at him.
David quickly took out a high-explosive grenade from the warehouse system, pulled the pin, and decisively threw it towards the blood mist. "Boom!" A violent explosion sound instantly resounded! The blood mist was scattered by the blast of the grenade, but it quickly recondensed and charged at David once again.
"Wow, even a high-explosive grenade doesn't work!" David said in a deep voice. He relied on the gilded defensive layer on his body and wielded his dual blades, charging forward.
In the blink of an eye, David collided with the blood mist formed by the woman in the red robe. David first attempted to disperse it with a mid-air strike. But as soon as the alloy short knife touched the blood mist, it automatically dispersed, only to recondense as soon as David retracted the knife, surrounding him in the middle.
Feeling the putrid and rotten smell around him, David simply sheathed his dual blades and began pounding the blood mist with his fists, one punch after another. Immediately, David's punches took effect, smashing the blood mist into pieces. However, it quickly recondensed again, like an indestructible cockroach. This left David feeling somewhat helpless.
Meanwhile, outside the bloody space, Sophie guarded Sally, Arnold, and Duke, anxiously looking at the tightly sealed space. Charles, who had activated his ability, floated in mid-air, surrounded by a string of dazzling starry galaxies. After a moment, he landed on the ground and shook his head, "No, I can't see what's happening inside at all."
Charles had initially wanted to use his Stargazer ability to glimpse the situation inside the bloody space, but this space was particularly mysterious. No matter how he traced and speculated, he couldn't catch even a glimpse of it. This made him, usually calm and composed, somewhat anxious.
Currently, the only members of the team with combat capability were David, Sophie, and the three of them. They didn't know what was happening with David now, and if something unexpected happened to him, their Embers squad would be in serious trouble... ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ.๐๐๏ฝ
Charles dared not continue thinking further, so now he could only pin his hopes on David.
On the other side, Shirley stared at the huge bloody space on the screen with a puzzled expression. She felt as if it had appeared out of thin air, trapping the man and the woman in the red robe inside. This instantly made her feel nervous.
At this moment, Duane pushed open the door and returned to the base. Seeing the captain's return, Shirley quickly recounted what had just happened to him. After listening, Duane quickly looked at the screen and immediately saw the massive bloody space. His eyebrows furrowed at once.
Although he had only met David briefly, he already considered him to be someone like himself. Now that David was in danger, he couldn't stand idly by.
He quickly said to Shirley, "Stay in the base, I'll be right back." With that, he prepared to rush to the street where David was.
Shirley followed suit, and Duane reluctantly had no choice but to bring her along. David continued to smash the blood mist with his fists. Every punch was a full-force strike, but even so, the blood mist didn't diminish much.
So David took out Mandy from his pocket. After biting his finger, he dripped his own blood onto her. Instantly, Mandy began to swell. Without waiting for David's command, she rushed directly at the blood mist and quickly engaged in battle with it.
David finally had a moment to catch his breath. He scrutinized the changes in the blood mist while pondering the situation with the woman in the red robe. He noticed that the strength of the flame on her chest seemed to control her consciousness. If the flame was intense, her corpse creature consciousness would overwhelm her normal consciousness, turning her into a state of rage. In order to control the blood mist, they needed to control the flame on the woman's chest. And now, the goal was to make the woman in the red robe revert to her original form, only then would there be a chance to deal with the flame.
So David looked at the butterfly hairpin that had fallen to the ground. He walked over and picked it up, feeling the warmth from the woman's touch still lingering on it. David held up the butterfly hairpin and said to the mass of blood mist, "Your hairpin is with me. Don't you want it?"
Upon hearing David's words, the blood mist immediately stopped in mid-air, and Mandy's fists also froze, tilting her head as she observed it.
Then, the blood mist quickly transformed back into the form of the woman in the red robe. She looked at the hairpin in David's hand, her face filled with anxiety, and said, "Quickly return my hairpin to me."
David didn't immediately return the hairpin to the woman in the red robe. Instead, he looked at her and said, "Let me put it on for you, like your father did." With that, David slowly walked up to the woman in the red robe, enduring the putrid smell of decay, and reached out to place the hairpin on her forehead.
After completing everything, David looked at her again and said, "Don't forget, your father said you are the most beautiful butterfly." As soon as David said these words, the woman in the red robe stood still in amazement. The blood-red color in her eyes began to gradually fade away, and the foul smell of decay and the ferocious aura of a corpse slowly disappeared. The woman in the red robe reached out her hand and touched the hairpin on her head. Instantly, a hint of happiness appeared on her face. It seemed that she remembered the scene when her father gave her this hairpin, and her hand trembled slightly.
"Let me see what you want to say, and I will help you," David recalled the hunched figure who was about to speak earlier and said to her again. At the same time, he looked at the flames on the woman's chest. Indeed, the flames were now covered by her normal consciousness and were very weak.
Upon hearing David's words, the woman in the red robe raised her head slightly and looked at him, then nodded slowly as if understanding. The color of compassion reappeared in her eyes. Instantly! A series of flashing images appeared in David's mind once again.
David gave Mandy the command to guard him, then closed his eyes and carefully examined these images. There were still the little girl, the man in a well-fitted shirt, and the butterfly hairpin taken out of a pocket. Soon, the scene with the hunched figure appeared again.
David focused his mind and concentrated all his attention. He wanted to know what the person hiding in the darkness had said. The little girl stared at the figure in fear and started crying, begging him to release her father. The hunched figure slightly opened his lips, and David strained to listen.
"I will turn your daughter into the most perfect corpse. As for you, you will become the nest for these spiders. You should thank me because I gave you a chance to survive in the apocalypse, hehehe..." The hunched figure laughed twice, then pulled out a huge decaying spider from the void and threw it into the man's mouth. The man tried to resist, but no matter how he struggled, it was in vain. He could only watch in astonishment as the rotten spider crawled into his body through his mouth.
The little girl was terrified and bent down to the hunched figure, pushing the flame in her palm into her own body. Immediately, the little girl stopped crying and became dull. ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐๐.๐ฃ๐๐ฉ
"Come with me, and I will make you reborn," The guy with the hunchback After speaking, the little girl obediently stood up and followed the hunched figure, leaving the place.
Seeing this, David slowly opened his eyes and suddenly understood everything. The hunched figure had turned the red-robed woman's father into a decaying spider parasite and turned her into a corpse.
At the thought of this, David couldn't help but curse inwardly. What kind of beast would harm their own kind like this? He looked up at the woman in the red robe again and saw that she was also looking at him. She softly said, "Help me seek revenge..."
David nodded, finally understanding. When he encountered the woman in the red robe earlier, she was constantly calling for revenge, not for herself, but hoping that he could help her seek revenge. However, under the control of that flame, she had no choice but to display an attacking state.
Thinking of this, David lowered his head and looked at the weakening flame on the woman's chest. He furrowed his brows and decisively reached out his hand to extinguish it completely. In the moment the flame was extinguished, the woman in the red robe collapsed to the ground, her whole body limp.
David quickly reached out his hand to catch her, feeling her weakness, and gently placed her on the ground. At this moment, the woman in the red robe had completely dissipated her ferocious aura, and a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks. She struggled to open her eyes and smiled at David. Then she lifted her hand, took off the butterfly hairpin from her hair, and held it in her palm, with a look of intoxication.
"Father, your butterfly has flown back to you..." After saying these words, the woman's smile remained forever on her face. At this moment, David was deeply moved as he looked at her. In this cruel apocalypse, every survivor would do anything to survive, but in the woman in the red robe, he saw the brightest aspects of humanity and felt the warmth of a long-lost loved one.
David slowly stood up, silently noting the hunched figure in the darkness. "Butterfly, I will help you and your father seek revenge," David said as he looked at her lifeless body.
At the same time, the voice of the system rang in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining the psychic ability - Mind Invasion! ]
Listening to the voice of the system, David silently nodded. He knew this was the gift the butterfly had given him. And at this moment, the body of the butterfly began to emit a dissipating mist of fragmented blood, gradually disappearing in the air, and the bloody space slowly receded.
Seeing David walking out unharmed, Charles and Sophie finally let go of their worries. Little Black also approached, wagging its tail around David.
"Captain, are you alright?" Charles walked up and asked.
David shook his head and then looked at Sally and the others. At this moment, the three of them had finally freed themselves from the control of the butterfly's consciousness and regained their senses. They quickly gathered around and asked what had happened in the bloody space.
David just smiled faintly and then looked at a drop of blood mist in the sky, whispering, "Butterfly... has flown back to that field."
The others were puzzled by David's inexplicable words. However, seeing the crisis resolved before their eyes, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as the members of the Embers squad were preparing to get in the car and leave, a voice suddenly came from the distance, "Brother, where is that monster? I'll help you deal with her!"
Listening to this familiar voice, David smiled and turned around to see Duane rushing over like a gust of wind, holding the machete in his left hand and the treasure chest in his right. When he arrived in front of David, he looked around but couldn't find any trace of the monster. He asked in confusion, "Where's the monster?"
David spread his hands and said, "It's been taken care of." Hearing that David had already dealt with the monster, Duane also breathed a sigh of relief.
"As long as it's taken care of. But I came all the way here to help you, although I didn't do much, but you owe me a favor for this. Remember to repay me," Duane said, glancing at David. He noticed that David was staring meaningfully at the treasure chest in his hand. This instantly reminded him of the incident where David "stole" his scarecrow. So he quickly stuffed the treasure chest into his embrace and said, "Are you trying to get your hands on my precious again? Not this time!"
Looking at Duane cautiously looking at him, David smiled. At this moment, Shirley also approached David. Looking at this man whom she had only seen on the monitoring screen, Shirley curiously glanced at him and then confidently asked, "Where's your little kitty?"
Upon hearing the little girl's question, David was momentarily stunned. Seeing this, Duane quickly introduced Shirley. When he heard that she was a member of the Phoenix Rising squad, David nodded and said with a smile, "Are you here specifically to see Cola?"
"Cola?" Shirley instantly recognized that as the name of the little kitty, so she nodded. Meanwhile, Cola heard David calling its name and slowly poked its head out of the armored vehicle.
"Meow~" Upon hearing Cola's meow, Shirley walked over with a pleasantly surprised expression.
"What a cute little kitty!" As a Beastmaster, Cola's fur was already smoother and more lustrous than that of an ordinary cat. Coupled with its current level, it was particularly endearing. Shirley's eyes instantly lit up with excitement, and she reached out to stroke Cola's fur.
Cola, in turn, abandoned its usual aloof demeanor and snuggled against Shirley's face, clearly enjoying the attention. This made David couldn't help but chuckle. On ordinary days, when he wanted to pet Cola, the cat wouldn't give him the time of day, but now it changed its tune for a woman?
"What a fickle creature," David said to himself with a wry smile.
Meanwhile, Duane looked towards the location of the bloody space from earlier and remembered the red-robed woman he saw on the screen. He said once again, "We must quickly find out the secret of the second red light, or else these terrifying monsters will continue to increase."
Listening to Duane's words, David nodded. He naturally knew that there was a close connection between the appearance of the butterfly and the second red light, otherwise, how would it suddenly appear? Based on the blue flame on her chest, David concluded that there must be a manipulator behind her. And this manipulator should be related to the second red light.
At this moment, David suddenly thought of what Duane had told him before about his Phoenix Rising squad monitoring the apocalypse for many years. It meant they could see any corner of the world at any time. So he pondered for a moment and said to Duane, "Perhaps your apocalypse monitoring facility can find some clues. When the woman in the red robe appeared, the manipulator behind her must have been nearby."
Upon hearing David's words, Duane instantly understood what he meant. Before their Phoenix Rising squad was established, they had installed dedicated military cameras on every street in this city. These cameras could work twenty-four hours a day without the need for cables, relying solely on radio waves. With the advent of the apocalypse, these cameras gradually became their tool for monitoring the world, setting their squad apart from other survivor squads. Whenever they wanted, they could access the footage from any location.
Duane nodded. "I understand. I'll go back and check everything within a five-kilometer radius." After saying that, he called Shirley to prepare to leave.
If what David said was true, then the secret of the second red light that had puzzled him for a long time might slowly come to the surface. Shirley hugged Cola and happily stroked its fur. Hearing that they were going back, a trace of reluctance appeared on her face. As a seasoned cat lover, she rarely had the opportunity to fully enjoy petting a cat, and now she was leaving before she could fully indulge herself.
Watching Duane's anxious expression, Shirley reluctantly let go of Cola. "Cola, I'll come to see you again, so don't miss me too much," Shirley said to Cola with a hint of sadness.
Watching this familiar girl, David simply smiled and said, "You're always welcome to come and play with Cola." Upon hearing David's permission, Shirley regained her happiness. She waved goodbye to Cola and left with Duane. David also left with his team and headed towards the base...
"Hmph! Is this the corpse you cultivated? You didn't expect her to betray you, did you?" Amidst the ruins, Alexander's ethereal figure glanced disdainfully at Alvin. His patience was almost worn out by this old man. ๏ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ
The repeated failures filled Alvin with a sense of murderous intent as he sensed Alexander's anger. He quickly lowered his head and explained, "The butterfly is indeed the most powerful corpse in this world, but that kid was too formidable. He managed to sever my control over her, allowing him to succeed."
Recalling the scene of David extinguishing the flame, Alvin couldn't help but feel angry. He didn't expect this young man to have such keen observational skills, discovering the bridge between him and the controlled butterfly so quickly. At the same time, Alvin felt a pang of pain. It wasn't because David had decapitated the butterfly's father, but because he felt that the butterfly's death was undeserving.
"You don't need to explain to me. This is the second time you've messed up this matter," Alexander's tone suddenly turned icy cold, and the rubble on the surrounding ruins floated in the air, piece by piece.
"You should know that I don't like people who can't solve their own problems. In my eyes, you're already of no use." With that, Alexander raised his ethereal arm and made a gentle gesture. Countless pieces of rubble instantly shot toward Alvin like arrows, moving at a speed that left him with no time to react.
In the blink of an eye, Alvin's body was tightly enveloped by the pieces of rubble, and his dragon-headed cane fell to the ground with a "snap."
"Alexander... please, give me... one more... chance!" Alvin said in a terrified voice, feeling the pressure of the rubble on his organs. It seemed that with just a little more force from Alexander, his body would explode immediately.
"A chance? What guarantee do you have?" Alexander's words remained cold and sharp, and more pieces of rubble kept approaching Alvin. In Alexander's eyes, Alvin was nothing more than a clown who would do anything for the Phoenix Rising squad. The second red light had already been activated, and he could easily activate the next three red lights using his own abilities. Therefore, Alvin had lost any value to him. On the contrary, Alvin knew too many of his secrets, and keeping him alive would be a potential threat.
"I guarantee it with my own life! Give me one more chance, and I will definitely kill David!" Alvin struggled to breathe, the rubble pressing against his lungs with immense force, as if a truck were crushing him.
"Oh? It seems like Alvin is quite confident this time!" Alvin's words instantly piqued Alexander's interest.
Originally, Alvin's life was in Alexander's hands, easily disposable at his whim. But upon hearing that Alvin was willing to kill David at the cost of his own life, a cold smirk appeared on Alexander's lips.
"Perhaps I'll give you one more chance. You might actually be able to kill that despicable kid," Alexander pondered. These words were undoubtedly a lifeline for Alvin, who eagerly nodded in response. In the face of staying alive, Alvin would agree to anything Alexander said without hesitation.
"Since that's the case, considering your service to me, I'll give you one more chance. But if you fail to deal with David again, don't blame me for being ruthless," Alexander emitted a sinister laugh. With a wave of his hand, the rubble tightly enveloping Alvin fell away, leaving him slumped on the ground, gasping for breath.
"This time, I will personally kill that kid!" Alvin expressed his determination once again. His mind conjured up an image of David, and he crushed a stone into powder in his hand.
"I await your good news," Alexander said, and his ethereal figure dissipated like a gust of wind, disappearing into the ruins. Watching him depart, Alvin slowly stood up. Suddenly, a dazzling flame erupted from the top of his dragon-headed cane.
"David, this time I will make sure you die!" After leaving the ruins, Alexander arrived at the courtyard of that silent place. The two highly-ranked zombies, previously agitated, immediately lowered their heads upon sensing his presence.
Alexander's ethereal figure glanced at them and then raised his hand, pulling two men out of thin air. These two men wore tattered clothes and had terrified expressions on their faces, clearly ordinary people who had not awakened any abilities in the apocalypse. Alexander had casually grabbed them on his way back here.
"Don't... don't kill us! We can do anything! Please don't kill us!" The two men pleaded prostrated on the ground, resembling dogs before Alexander's figure.
"You both are a waste of the world's air by being alive. How about becoming food for my pets? That way, you still have some value," Alexander said contemptuously, observing their abject appearance.
The two previously dormant highly-ranked zombies, now infuriated once again, frantically struggled to break free from their iron chains, reaching out their skeletal hands towards the two men. Witnessing this scene, the two men were instantly frightened to their core, hastily standing up and running backward.
"Hmph, trying to escape?" Alexander sneered, snapped his fingers, and the iron chains on the two highly-ranked zombies fell to the ground. Freed from their restraints, they chased after the fleeing men like starving wolves.
As the two zombies pursued them, their torn mouths emitted a chilling laughter. In the blink of an eye, they caught up to the two men.
"No, please!" The sound of two agonized screams echoed as the zombies bit off their heads, then crouched on the ground and began feasting. Observing this gruesome and terrifying scene, Alexander nodded in satisfaction.
Alexander stepped into the courtyard and made his way to the back gate. Pushing it open, a distinct aura, unlike that of the apocalypse, rushed in from outside. This aura was desolate and even carried a thick sense of gloom. Looking up, an endless barren land without boundaries came into view. Seeing this desolate wasteland, a smirk appeared on Alexander's lips.
The reason Alexander had gone to great lengths to activate the Second Red Light was not only to bring forth more high-ranked zombies but also because of the desolate land that lay beyond it, known as the Wasteland. Within the Wasteland, countless treasures awaited the lucky survivors to scavenge. Each of these treasures was formidable enough to terrify any esper.
Obtaining these treasures would bring Alexander one step closer to dominating the apocalypse. However, the Wasteland was not just a paradise of treasures; it was also a terrifying graveyard. Each treasure was guarded by a highly powerful zombie mutant. Only a strong esper could defeat them and claim the treasure as their own. Otherwise, they would become a meal for these zombie mutants. Opportunities and dangers coexisted, and in the Wasteland, strength was paramount. ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ
Alexander was not the first person to seek treasures in this place. When the apocalypse arrived, some lucky individuals had chanced upon the secret of the Wasteland after the fortuitous Second Red Light. They had then gone mad, flooding into the Wasteland from the world of the apocalypse, each hoping to obtain an item that would allow them to survive in the apocalypse.
However, none of them had emerged alive. The zombie mutants within the Wasteland were far more terrifying than those in the world of the apocalypse. They showed no mercy, devouring these treasure seekers without hesitation. As a result, the secret of the Wasteland had remained hidden all these years, until Alexander unintentionally stumbled upon it in a book, sparking his interest.
Alexander toyed with a dark green circular jade pendant in his hand as his ethereal figure became increasingly elusive. This pendant was obtained after his first entry into the Wasteland, following the defeat of an iron zombie mutant. With this pendant, he successfully raised his level to ten, becoming a terrifying presence in the apocalypse.
Taking one last look at the scarred land, Alexander put away the jade pendant and suddenly found himself holding a shadowy longsword. He took a step forward, entering the Wasteland once again.
Back at the base, Duane immediately sat in front of the monitoring screen. He set the search range within five kilometers of the Bloodspace and carefully examined every frame on the surveillance footage. He knew David's speculation was correct.
The person who controlled the actions of the woman in the red robe must be within this range, possibly not far from their battlefield. Otherwise, it would be impossible to repeatedly ignite the woman's fighting spirit. Suddenly, every street, every alleyway, appeared vividly in Duane's mind.
Suddenly! In front of a ruined building, Duane seemed to catch a glimpse of two dark figuresโone ethereal and elusive, the other seemingly aged. This immediately piqued Duane's interest. He continued to click on the screen, enlarging the surveillance footage. However, even at maximum zoom, he could only vaguely see these two figures, surrounded by a rising mist that obscured their specific appearance. This furrowed Duane's brow in frustration.
Duane could clearly see that the slightly aged figure seemed to deliberately avoid the surveillance angles of the cameras. No matter how he adjusted the cameras, he couldn't get a full view of the person.
"Could someone know about the presence of these cameras?" Duane immediately had this question in his mind. However, he quickly dismissed it himself. These cameras were installed for military surveillance purposes and were positioned in hidden locations. It was impossible for anyone to know about them except for the internal personnel responsible for their installation. Outsiders were unaware of the existence of these cameras. This only deepened Duane's confusion.
At this moment, Shirley sat boredly beside Duane, swinging a cat pendant on the handle of her knife. Her mind was filled with memories of Cola from earlier. If it weren't for Duane being in a hurry to return, she could have spent more time with the little cat. ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ
But seeing Duane's serious expression upon his return, Shirley naturally didn't dare say anything. So, she could only sigh helplessly and mutter to herself, "When Alvin comes back, I must talk to him about adopting another kitten."
Upon hearing Shirley's words, Duane's mind suddenly shook. "Alvin?" A hint of surprise flashed through his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
Meanwhile, inside the Embers team's base, David lay on his bed, recalling everything that had happened today. When he thought of the look of happiness on Butterfly's face before she died, he couldn't help but be moved once again. This apocalypse had brought too much suffering to humanity. He realized that at some point, death had become a release for the people in this world, even a reunion with their loved ones.
Lost in thought, David remembered the psychic ability of consciousness invasion he had obtained. He knew it was a gift left by Butterfly, hoping that he could help her by killing her enemy. The image of the hunched figure resurfaced in David's mind.
This made David clench his fist inwardly. He would find this despicable person no matter what! He not only sought revenge for Butterfly but also aimed to eliminate any aberrations in this apocalypse!
David acknowledged that he was not the savior of the apocalypse. However, if he wanted to survive in this world, he had to eliminate anyone who posed a threat to him. He didn't understand why the person had suddenly attacked him, but now that he had revealed his murderous intent, David wouldn't wait for the person to come knocking on his door again.
Lost in thought, David's mind stirred, and the ability of consciousness invasion came to his mind. This was a psychic ability in the realm of consciousness invasion. That meant David now possessed a new ability in addition to his spatial and defensive abilities, making him an awakened individual with three different abilities.
At the same time, the voice of the system rang in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for acquiring Consciousness Invasion! ]
[This ability allows the host to invade the consciousness of others and control their actions.]
[Note: This ability is auxiliary and has limited offensive capabilities. It will gain significant offensive capabilities once the host reaches Level Ten.]
Listening to the system's explanation, David silently nodded. From his experience of Butterfly invading his consciousness and showing him those images, he knew that this ability was auxiliary in nature. However, as Butterfly was only at Level Eight, she hadn't reached the level where consciousness invasion could be used to harm him, thus causing no damage to him.
In comparison, David still believed that his spatial ability should be the focus. After all, the spatial portals and spatial blades derived from this ability were his most commonly used tools in combat. If he could further enhance this ability, the power he could unleash would become increasingly terrifying.
This was also related to David's level. He had already reached Level Seven, just in the middle of the esper level sequence. But according to the current rules of the apocalypse, more and more high-level zombie beasts had appeared, including the enigmatic and powerful figure with the hunched back.
If David wanted to stand firm in the apocalypse, seek revenge for Butterfly, and increase his chances of survival, he had to raise his level. With this in mind, David unhesitatingly retrieved thirty high-grade crystals from the warehouse. Placing the crystals in front of him, David began to calm his mind.
As David's level continued to increase, the number of high-grade crystals he needed for each level also increased. Looking at the thirty high-grade crystals, David unhesitatingly absorbed all of them into his body!
Suddenly, the immense power contained within the thirty high-grade crystals surged through David's body like a raging beast. David gritted his teeth and endured until this power spread throughout his entire body.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Your level has increased to Level Eight! ]
Soon, the voice of the system rang in David's ears again. Instead of hurriedly opening his eyes, David continued to wait for the system's voice. He knew that each time he leveled up, his abilities would receive new enhancements.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have received the Spatial Ability Enhancement reward! ]
As expected! David heard the voice he wanted to hear, and it was the reward for enhancing his spatial ability. Only then did he slowly open his eyes.
[Host, please choose the ability you wish to enhance from the following options.]
[Option One: Enhance Spatial Portals, allowing the host to simultaneously open two portals for free movement.]
[Option Two: Enhance Spatial Blades, increasing the critical hit rate of the spatial blades by twenty percent.]
[Host, please make your selection promptly! ]
Looking at the two options that appeared before him, David pondered. Option One would increase the number of spatial portals, allowing him to open two portals simultaneously, making his position in battle even more unpredictable. Option Two would enhance the properties of the spatial blades, increasing their critical hit rate by twenty percent and inflicting more severe injuries with the blades.
After analyzing for a moment, David decided to choose the second option. His main method of combat relied on his alloy dagger and spatial blades. Although both blades had considerable power, they were slightly inferior when facing formidable opponents. By increasing the critical hit rate of the spatial blades by twenty percent, he could overcome this disadvantage and deal heavy damage to powerful opponents through critical strikes with the spatial blades.
Although it was only a twenty percent critical hit rate, combined with the sheer ferocity of the spatial blades, their power already surpassed that of any weapon. This also made his fighting style more aggressive, and each strike he made carried a bleeding effect.
"Enhance Spatial Blades!" Without any hesitation, David decisively made his choice.
[Ding! Host's choice to enhance the Spatial Blades has been detected. Enhancement in progress! ]
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Enhancement successful! ]
As the voice of the system sounded, the Spatial Blades slowly materialized in David's hands. A faint blue blade quickly passed through a visible white halo, continuously tempering the blade and causing the Spatial Blades to emit a resounding vibration.
David held the handle of the blade, and a power capable of tearing through everything surged through his entire body. He swung the blade towards the void. "Boom!" Sparks quickly erupted, and a black spatial rift suddenly appeared.
"Increasing the critical hit rate by twenty percent truly allows it to tear through space!" Looking at the spatial rift, David couldn't help but nod. With this enhancement, the power of the Spatial Blades had significantly increased compared to before. Furthermore, according to the system's prompt, as his level and strength improved in the future, the critical hit rate of the Spatial Blades would continue to strengthen. This would gradually unleash David's full potential.
Satisfied, David retracted the Spatial Blades and entered his personal warehouse system. Through his continuous efforts and the system's critical hit blessing, the warehouse was now filled with various resources piled up like mountains. Looking at these valuable items, David began to contemplate. Obviously, he couldn't possibly use up all these resources at the moment. While they wouldn't go to waste or expire, they were still rare and precious.
If other survivors found out that David was so extravagant during the apocalypse, their eyes would probably pop out with envy. After inspecting for a while, David decided that he should find an opportunity to properly manage these resources. Leaving the warehouse system, David calmed himself down and began to train and refine his physical body.
On the other side, Monica was leaning against the window, bored as she looked out into the apocalyptic world. "Abraham isn't here, and that guy Danny has disappeared again. Sigh!" She paused for a moment and couldn't help but sigh.
"Creak!" Suddenly, the base door was pushed open, and Danny slowly walked in from outside. Glancing at Danny, Monica's face showed a hint of displeasure. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐ฐ๐
"Where have you been these past few days? Why are you being so secretive?" Monica's voice just fell when she sensed Danny's weakened aura. This startled her, and she quickly walked towards Danny.
"Are you injured?" Monica asked with concern on her face.
At this moment, Danny's face was pale and devoid of color. Weakly glancing at Monica, he casually said, "It's nothing. I just accidentally encountered a high-level zombie." After speaking, he staggered towards his own room.
Monica hurriedly walked up to support him and led him to the bedroom. "You look so weak. I'll make some herbal medicine for you." Saying that, Monica quickly entered the kitchen. In a short while, she returned with a bowl of herbal concoction.
Danny finished drinking the potion, and his complexion improved significantly, which put Monica at ease. She intended to inquire further about what had happened, but Danny smiled slightly and said, "I'm fine now, I just need to rest for a while."
Monica nodded and gave a few instructions before leaving the room. As she departed, Danny suddenly frowned and spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning extremely pale once again. He slowly lifted his clothes, revealing a fist-sized hole in his chest. Blood continued to gush out from the wound, presenting a gruesome sight.
"Damn it! I didn't expect to be ambushed by a Thundering Zombie!" Danny gritted his teeth. Upon entering the Desolate Land, he had immediately come across a golden silk armor, guarded by a high-level Thundering Zombie. It took dozens of rounds of intense battle before he managed to repel it.
However, just as Danny was about to pick up the golden silk armor, the Thundering Zombie unexpectedly underwent evolution. Its aura skyrocketed instantly, and a bolt of lightning shot out from its mouth.
Danny had sensed something was amiss and tried to dodge, but the lightning was too fast. Before he could react, it pierced through his chest, dealing a severe blow to his strength. Fortunately, he had obtained the golden silk armor and quickly retreated from the Desolate Land.
Feeling the excruciating pain in his chest, Danny gathered all his energy to focus on the wound. Soon, visible to the naked eye, new flesh and blood began to grow, covering the wound.
After half an incense stick's worth of time, Danny's wound had completely healed, and his face regained a healthy color. After a short period of further recuperation, his energy had fully recovered, returning to his initial state.
Danny smiled faintly, adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses, and conjured the golden silk armor from the void. As he looked at the armor woven from golden threads, a thought crossed his mind, and he donned it. The golden silk armor was extremely lightweight, like a feather, but its defensive power was formidable. It could even withstand ordinary attacks from some Espers. This instantly elevated his physical defense by a level.
Feeling the changes in his body, Danny rose from his seat and walked to the window. The streets were still in ruins, with scattered zombies roaming about. However, as Danny's gaze fell upon them, a powerful aura compelled them to immediately kneel in his direction.
"Heh," Danny chuckled lightly, observing the zombies bowing their heads in submission. During the advent of the apocalypse, he had conceived the idea of ruling this world. In his eyes, it was a world for the strong, where only those with great power deserved to stand upon the ruins. The weak could only become ants beneath his feet.
However, after activating the Second Red Light, Danny discovered the presence of someone seemingly even stronger than himself: David. Invisibly, Danny perceived David as the greatest threat to his dominance over this world, something he absolutely could not allow. He knew that one day he would trample David underfootโit was only a matter of time. At that moment, he would become the sole helmsman of this eerie world, while the surviving humans would become his subjects. With this in mind, a faint smile appeared on Danny's face. He tightened his fist, and an agonized cry erupted from a zombie on the street, reduced to a pile of flesh.
After the incident with the Red Robed Woman, David had been focusing on refining his own strength. He not only became familiar with the critical hit attribute of the Spatial Blade but also mastered the auxiliary ability of Consciousness Invasion. He could now infiltrate the consciousness of others within a hundred meters and control their actions for three minutes. Furthermore, as his level and strength increased, the distance and duration of the invasion would gradually extend.
In addition to his personal training, David also led the members of the Embers team on daily combat drills. He knew that improving his own strength alone was not enough. Only by raising the abilities of every member of the team could they all have a chance to protect themselves.
After a few days of intense training under David's demanding regime, the team members complained, but not a single one of them voiced any grievances. They understood that it was for their own good, so they focused all their energy on the practical combat drills. After all, they didn't want to experience a situation where David had to fight alone again.
In a concealed room in the city, Alvin, a young member of the Phoenix Rising team, sat in front of a monitor, watching the footage of David and the team training every day.
As Alvin watched David's figure, he clenched his fists tightly, and his Dragonhead Cane beside him began to heat up. It was this young man who had repeatedly embarrassed him in front of Alexander, and in the end, he had to sacrifice his own life. How could he tolerate such humiliation? His hatred towards David grew even stronger.
Feeling the intense heat emanating from Alvin, the other members of the Phoenix Rising team looked at him in confusion and asked, "Alvin, are you feeling unwell?"
Upon hearing their words, Alvin suddenly turned his head towards them, and a ferocious killing intent flickered in his weary eyes. In the next moment, his large hands clamped around the person's neck like a vise, and flames instantly spread across his palm.
"Alvin!" The young team member's eyes filled with fear as he looked at Alvin in disbelief. He never expected that this respected elder would suddenly attack him, but the flames "leaped" onto his body and engulfed him completely. He struggled desperately to escape Alvin's grasp, but the flames were too intense. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a pile of black ashes on the ground.
Alvin released his grip, his anger still evident on his face. He glanced at the screen displaying David's image, then picked up his Dragonhead Cane and walked out of the base slowly.
This time, he was determined to eliminate David no matter what! Otherwise, he would not only lose his position as the leader of the Phoenix Rising team but also his life.
After breakfast, the members of the Embers team once again left the base to prepare for their daily combat training.
"These battles have been so exhilarating! I feel like I'm getting more proficient in my Werewolf mode," Arnold said as he stretched his arms.
Duke nodded in agreement with Arnold's statement. During the past few days of combat training, he had developed more functions with his Shadow Arts. Now he could simultaneously control three enemies with his shadows, and the duration of his control had also significantly increased.
This made Duke look at David with a considerable amount of respect. If it weren't for David leading them through the city, constantly searching for zombies and keeping a watchful eye on each team member during battles, none of them would have improved their abilities. Sometimes, David even acted as their sparring partner, fighting against them without holding back.
However, every time they were easily defeated by David, left lying on the ground without any chance of retaliation. But even so, David mercilessly made them stand up and continue fighting. After each battle, they were covered in bruises.
"He's someone you can both love and hate!" Duke whispered as he looked at David.
Seeing the significant improvement in the strength of his team members, David felt a little relieved. Although the past few days of combat training had been tough, he had to persevere with the team. Each member had reached a critical period for leveling up, and only by engaging in more battles could they quickly reach the highest level.
David stepped onto the war vehicle and pressed down on the accelerator. The team members climbed aboard and they began to drive out of the parking lot. ๐ทโฏ๐น๐๐ธ๐ฟโฏ๐.๐ธโด๐ถ
"I hope we encounter some high-level zombies this time. Low-level ones are nothing in front of me! I can punch them one by one, just like cutting vegetables!" Arnold said gleefully, waving his fist from the back seat.
Hearing his words, Sophie gave him a disdainful glare. "You still want to hunt high-level zombies? Perhaps you've forgotten the last time the captain had to carry you back." As soon as Sophie said this, Arnold's face turned red instantly.
In their last combat training, they unexpectedly encountered a high-level zombie. Full of fighting spirit, Arnold charged at it without hesitation, hoping to defeat it with his fists. However, the opponent's strength turned out to be overwhelmingly dominant, and it struck him down with a single palm. He instantly lost consciousness. It was David who eventually killed the zombie and carried him back to the base.
Thinking about this, Arnold scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled. Seeing Arnold's reaction, the others couldn't help but laugh.
"The next time I encounter a formidable opponent, I'll definitely show David my true strength! Besides, we can't let David clean up after us every day!" David chuckled at Arnold's words.
The Embers team's overall strength was gradually improving, and their respect and acknowledgment of David had reached its peak.
The war vehicle slowly left the parking lot, and the sunlight outside instantly shone through the windows. Everyone closed their eyes and enjoyed the rare warmth. It was the moment they looked forward to the most in this post-apocalyptic world.
However, at that moment, David suddenly frowned, a foreboding feeling creeping into his mind. He quickly tightened his grip on the steering wheel and the team members in the vehicle were startled, immediately opening their eyes.
"What's wrong?" Charles asked anxiously. The war vehicle stopped on the side of the road after crossing a green area.
David stared at a thick fog not far away, his expression serious. In that fog, he sensed a strange presence. It carried a strong aura of hostility and was rapidly approaching him.
Everyone at this moment noticed the dark shadow, and immediately became cautious. Little Black and Cola also walked to David's side, their fur standing on end. This made David realize instantly that the other party meant harm. The black shadow drew closer, and before it fully emerged from the thick fog, a deep, old voice sounded.
"David, this time I will take your life." Upon hearing this voice, David couldn't help but furrow his brow. He hadn't expected the other party to know his name, indicating that they were prepared.
At the same time, David recognized the hunched figure; he seemed to have seen it somewhere before. Before he could continue his thoughts, the dark figure emerged from the fog and appeared before the members of the Ember Squad.
The person was none other than Alvin. In order to preserve his own life, he had to personally kill David. Looking at the elderly man before him, David immediately sensed his strength. An eighth-level esper awakened, but which series of abilities he awakened, David did not know for the time being.
Alvin lifted his eyelids and glanced at the members of the Ember Squad, finally fixing his gaze on David. A sinister smile crept up on his lips, and with a cold voice, he said to David, "Remember this day well, for it will be your doomsday. Hahaha!"
As Alvin spoke, he burst into laughter, and the thick fog surrounding him suddenly turned into flames burning in the air. The flames grew larger and gradually engulfed Alvin's entire body. Combined with his gloomy and cold smile, it made everyone feel as if he were a demon emerging from a raging fire.
"A fire-based ability?" David also quickly deduced Alvin's awakened ability series and expressed his surprise. In the apocalypse, the five elemental series of abilitiesโmetal, wood, water, fire, and earthโformed the basis of all abilities, making espers who awakened these series stronger than other espers.
"You're smart, to have figured out my awakened ability so quickly. But the dead don't speak," Alvin disdainfully replied upon hearing David's words.
David dared to come alone to find David, relying on his awakened fire-based ability and the combat experience accumulated over the years. In Alvin's eyes, this young man was simply not worthy of being his opponent. If it weren't for the butterfly's sudden betrayal, he believed David would have been a lifeless corpse long ago.
Seeing this old man's arrogance, Arnold immediately stepped forward and said, "Old man, don't rely on your age to act superior. I advise you to leave now, or else you might get beaten up later. Don't think we young people lack martial ethics."
Arnold was confident in his own fighting power at the moment. Even though he knew the opponent had awakened a fire-based ability, he still didn't consider him a threat. On the contrary, he urged the other party to leave quickly. Otherwise, if others heard that they were bullying an old man, it would tarnish the reputation of their Ember Squad.
Alvin slowly shifted his gaze to Arnold and then pointed with his cane, which had turned as red as molten lava, and said, "Young man, let's start with you."
Arnold couldn't sit still in the face of Alvin's disdainful gaze and provocative actions. He looked at David and said, "David, how about letting me deal with this old guy first?" ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ๏ผ๐๐ณ๐จ
David pondered for a moment and nodded. "Stay safe and don't prolong the battle. The reason I agreed to Arnold's request for the first fight is because I also want to see the true strength of this eighth-level elder. And more importantly, I want Arnold to temper his inflated confidence."
With David's consent, Arnold ripped off his clothes, revealing his muscular physique. He approached Alvin and said once again, "Remember, the Ember Squad is not to be trifled with!"
After speaking, Arnold transformed into his werewolf form. His muscles instantly grew larger, resembling a fierce dragon coiling around his body. With a low roar, Arnold couldn't wait any longer and launched a werewolf assault towards Alvin. Dust was stirred up like a gust of wind as he dashed towards Alvin, reaching him in the blink of an eye. He raised his right hand, exposing sharp wolf claws, and made a slashing motion towards Alvin's chest.
Alvin simply smiled faintly at Arnold's attack. He didn't even consider opponents of this level as a threat. However, he didn't mind letting the other party witness his true strength. Just as Arnold's wolf claws were about to touch Alvin's robe, Alvin struck the ground forcefully with his dragon-headed cane.
Instantly, a more intense flame erupted from the ground beneath his feet. The flames surged aggressively, approaching Arnold who was right in front of them. Seeing this, Arnold quickly retracted his arm and executed a werewolf kick, aiming fiercely at the other side of Alvin's body.
But as if the flames had anticipated Arnold's attack route, they immediately changed direction and blocked his strike. At the same time, the flames touched Arnold's right foot, entwining around it like a slithering snake.
"Not good!" Arnold inwardly exclaimed. He fiercely slashed at the entwined flame on his leg, trying to sever its grip. However, the agile flame changed direction the moment Arnold launched his attack and began rushing towards his abdomen.
"Puh!" The flame struck Arnold's abdomen, and he felt as if a raging fire had been injected into his body. Every organ and entrail seemed to be scorched with searing pain. Before he could even land, he spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air.
Seeing Arnold about to crash onto the ground, Sophie immediately summoned a cluster of starry clouds to catch him mid-air, while Duke leaped up to save Arnold.
"Arnold, are you okay?" Charles quickly approached to check on him.
Spitting out another mouthful of blood, Arnold slowly stood up. "Damn it! I didn't expect this old man to have some tricks up his sleeve! If I hadn't been careless, I wouldn't have been ambushed by him! I'll continue fighting him for another three hundred rounds!" Arnold said, spitting out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and preparing to charge again.
"Arnold, don't go!" David intervened at this moment.
"David, I..."
"It's alright, you've done well enough," David nodded at him. He knew that if Arnold went up again, he would still be beaten up by the opponent, possibly sustaining serious injuries. The reason Arnold wasn't severely injured at the moment was that the other party hadn't gone all out; it seemed like they were just warming up. But David knew that the ultimate goal was himself.
At this moment, Alvin looked at David and once again smiled in a sinister manner.
Alvin's intention today was clear - to kill David. He didn't consider his subordinates as opponents capable of challenging him. Leaving Arnold alive was simply a way to let David witness his true power. Otherwise, he would have easily crushed him with a single move.
Arnold wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and still wanted to charge forward. David sternly said, "You are not his match. His target today is me. Take this time to heal your wounds. Leave the rest to me."
David took a step forward and stood in front of Alvin. In the previous battle, he had already roughly deduced Alvin's attack style - using his ability to manipulate fire for offense. He could even give consciousness to the flames, allowing them to follow his intentions. Moreover, the flames he summoned could serve both offensive and defensive purposes.
This ability surprised David, but as he looked at Alvin, the smile on his face grew even stronger. It was this young man before him who had nearly caused him to die at the hands of Alexander. Even the eighth-level corpse butterfly he had painstakingly cultivated ended up losing its life because of him. This ignited a burning rage within Alvin's heart, considering David an unforgivable individual.
"Captain, look! Is that person... Alvin?" Inside the Phoenix Rising Squad's base, Shirley exclaimed in astonishment as she looked at the screen displaying David and the elderly man across from him. Hearing Shirley's words, Duane quickly approached. As he looked at the familiar figure on the screen, he immediately confirmed that it was indeed Alvin.
"How could Alvin end up fighting David?" Duane felt a hint of confusion in his heart. With a furrowed brow, he continued to gaze at the two figures on the screen.
As Alvin's anger burned within him, a blue flame suddenly erupted from the ground! This blue flame resembled a tsunami, constantly devouring the surrounding air.
"A blue flame?" David looked at the flame, his heart tightening. He carefully examined Alvin's figure - the hunched back, the gloomy aura...
David's eyebrows furrowed suddenly! He had seen these scenes in the memories of the butterfly. This figure, this aura, he would never forget. It instantly reminded David of the tragic fate of the butterfly. It turned out that the mastermind behind it all was this unforgivable individual. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐.๐๐๐
"It was you who turned the butterfly's father into a rotting spider parasite and transformed her into a corpse, right?" David clenched his fist secretly and asked coldly. He would never forget the plea of the butterfly before her death. He also swore to avenge this unfortunate father and daughter.
Upon hearing David's question, Alvin Adrian glanced at him strangely and said, "It was you who chopped off her father's head. Have you forgotten? If it weren't for me, they would have died in this world long ago. I gave them a new life, and you killed them. You are the murderer who killed them!"
Alvin grew angrier as he spoke, and the blue flame continued to lick around him. David only sneered at Alvin's words. He killed the butterfly's father and daughter? If he hadn't helped them find release, they would have forever been the other party's puppets. Was that kind of miserable existence considered a new life?
David laughed coldly. He raised his head and stared at Alvin with icy determination. Then, he took a slow step forward and said to Alvin, "Save your repentance for when you meet the father and daughter in person!" As he spoke, the Blade of Space manifested in his right hand.
Without waiting for Alvin to speak, David charged towards him. He wasn't the savior of this world, but when it came to fulfilling his promises, he had to follow through. It was his motto in life!
David came with great momentum, and the Blade of Space in his hand resonated, accompanied by the sound of space shattering and tearing inch by inch. "Since that's the case, I'll send you to hell as well!"
Alvin roared in anger, and his dragon-headed cane transformed back into a molten form as he charged towards David. The Blade of Space clashed with Alvin's molten cane, producing a crisp sound!
David gripped the blade with one hand, his gaze icy as he stared at the culprit who had killed the butterfly's father and daughter. He then retracted the Blade of Space and swung it with force once again. "Boom!" The Blade of Space unleashed a 20% critical hit, striking the molten cane with another resounding roar! After receiving this critical hit, the molten cane was slashed open, and droplets of molten lava began to flow out.
Alvin quickly stepped back and once again slammed his cane heavily into the ground. Instantly, the molten lava that dripped onto the ground began to rapidly expand and transform, forming the shape of a fierce tiger in the blink of an eye. This molten lava tiger let out a deafening roar and leaped high into the air, pouncing towards David!
At that moment, the team members behind David were shocked and stunned in place. They hadn't expected this old man to be so formidable, capable of transforming molten lava into the shape of a tiger and manipulating it in battle. This raised the tension in each of their hearts, especially Sally, who looked at David with worry, fearing that he would be harmed by the approaching tiger.
Without hesitation, David drew Mandy and pricked his index finger, allowing droplets of blood to fall onto her. "I leave this beast to you!" he said to Mandy before tossing her into the air.
Instantly, Mandy rapidly expanded and immediately engaged in combat with the molten lava tiger. Meanwhile, David opened a portal in space and charged towards Alvin. He had already decided to eliminate this damned individual immediately!
As Duane watched Mandy and the molten lava tiger battle each other on the surveillance screen, his mouth twitched. He couldn't understand David's thought process. How could he allow his beloved Mandy, in her straw body, to fight against the molten lava tiger? Wasn't he asking for trouble?
Duane would feel heartbroken even if he used the scarecrow once, but now that his precious doll was in David's hands, it seemed he didn't care at all?
Duane couldn't help but curse David's ancestors in his heart, but he also keenly sensed that Alvin was determined to kill David. It seemed that they harbored deep-seated enmity, and the only way to resolve it was by killing him and extinguishing his burning hatred.
This made Duane furrow his brow once again. Until now, he didn't understand why Alvin regarded David as his enemy. Could it be because of some secret? Duane thought of the faint silhouette beneath the camera that day. It made his heart skip a beat! If his speculation was correct, it would have fatal consequences for him.
Duane's tension grew even tighter, and he immediately decided to head to the battlefield of the two men. He took Shirley with him and rushed to the street where David was located.
On the other side, Mandy continued to fiercely battle the molten lava tiger. As David's level reached nine, Mandy's strength also surpassed the ninth level, and her own prowess was enough to overwhelm any opponent.
However, considering that Mandy was made of straw, David commanded her not to directly confront the molten lava tiger but instead to keep entangling with it. Even so, a large portion of the straw on Mandy's body was burned off by the ferocious attacks of the molten lava tiger, but it did not affect her fighting capabilities.
Taking advantage of this moment, David reached Alvin's presence. He held only the Blade of Space in his hand, but the aura emanating from his body was enough to overwhelm everything around him.
Seeing David charging once again, Alvin showed no sign of retreat and swung his cane towards him. "Clang!" The crisp sound of metal colliding rang out, accompanied by a series of never-ending sparks exploding on this street.
David was determined to kill, while Alvin exuded a thick aura of murder. The two continuously swung their weapons at each other's weak points. However, despite Alvin's formidable fire-based abilities, his eighth-level rank slightly paled in comparison to David's ninth-level strength.
During the attacks, Alvin continuously manipulated the molten lava on his cane to assault David's body. However, unbeknownst to Alvin, David had a gilded defensive layer protecting him. As soon as the lava made contact with him, the defense layer emitted a faint golden light, blocking the attack.
This astonished Alvin! He hadn't expected this young man's physical defense to be so terrifying that even his Abyssal Lava couldn't penetrate it. Helplessly, Alvin could only rely on the lava and fire to defend himself continuously.
But David's determination to kill him had already solidified. Each swing of the Blade of Space became more ruthless than the last! Critical hits were constantly triggered by David, and his attacks repeatedly shattered Alvin's defensive lava. Alvin quickly retreated, attempting to create distance between them.
In that moment, Alvin truly realized the terror of David's strength. Gasping heavily for breath, bloodstains already faintly visible on his robe, David's expression remained emotionless. Without giving Alvin a chance to catch his breath, David directly opened a portal in space and charged towards him once again!
Alvin, who hadn't recovered his breath, saw David's figure flash before him once more and immediately lost his composure! He weakly raised his cane, attempting to block the Blade of Space as David slashed down from above. However, he underestimated the power of David's attack. With a "crack" sound!
David forcefully severed Alvin's cane, the blade crossing his chest, causing a large amount of blood to spray out. Alvin felt as if his hands were bearing the weight of ten thousand pounds, and he stumbled and fell to the ground. "Puh!" A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth. As he looked at the fallen Alvin, David's eyes were filled with disdain.
"A killer must pay with their life. I've taken the revenge of the butterfly father and daughter," David calmly uttered these words. He raised the Blade of Space and brought it down towards Alvin's face. The whistling blade combined with the chilling radiance emanating from it immediately filled Alvin's eyes with fear! In desperation, he immediately manipulated the molten lava tiger to pounce towards David's back!
"Roar!" The molten lava tiger revealed its sharp claws and viciously swiped at David's back. A trace of disdain appeared on David's lips as he twisted his wrist and executed a move called "Look Back at the Moon," instantly cleaving the molten lava tiger in half. The tiger let out a painful howl and transformed into two pools of lava splashed onto the ground.
Witnessing his molten lava tiger being slain by David's single strike, Alvin felt a pang of pain in his heart. Seizing this opportunity, he leaped backward and landed on a lamppost, crouching down and taking heavy breaths.
David's strike had severed his meridians. If he hadn't forcibly sealed the wound with his aura, he would have likely died under David's blade.
Alvin's entire body began to tremble as he stared fixedly at David. He had initially thought that he could easily crush David with his own strength, but the current desperate situation was something he hadn't anticipated.
Seeing Alvin being pushed to a dead end, the members of the Embers squad finally breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, with Sophie's Stellar Healing assisting him, Arnold had also recovered from his internal injuries.
Arnold had observed the fight between David and Alvin earlier and silently nodded his head. He now understood why David didn't let him continue fighting Alvin. With his current level of strength, he could probably only engage with the molten lava tiger.
David glanced up at Alvin, who was perched on the lamppost, his eyes still sinister and terrifying. Even his teammates felt chills running down their spines. They had never seen David in this state, resembling a killing god whose sole purpose was to end his opponent's life.
Alvin took a breath and concentrated more aura on his wound. "Kid, you've successfully angered me!" Alvin slowly stood up, and his strength began to recover.
"Did you really think this old man is so easy to bully? Hahaha! I'll show you my true power!" Alvin laughed maniacally, completely changing his appearance from his previously disheveled state.
David paid no attention to Alvin's words. Compare their strength? As someone who had experienced rebirth, he would never accept defeat based on strength alone.
"Come out! Pyrocorpse! Let these fools witness your terrifying power!" Alvin raised both hands high as if performing a certain ritual. As he spoke, a large amount of molten lava spewed out from his wound without restraint.
Soon, Alvin's entire body was tightly enveloped by the molten lava. His body underwent a grotesque transformation in that moment. On one side, his skeletal structure appeared white and bare, while the other side was a burning flesh. One could even see his heart pulsating inside.
"A corpse?" David immediately understood the sinister transformation Alvin had undergone. This guy before him had actually transformed himself into a pyrocorpse. Shaking his head, David couldn't believe that someone would resort to such inhumane methods against him.
As the pyrocorpse, Alvin's body had grown to two meters in height. Exposed ribs stood erect, each gleaming with sharp and icy light. His once murky eyes turned pitch-black, exuding an eerie depth, and a mass of red flames replaced his pupils. "This is my true power! Apocalypse... I am the apocalypse of this world!"
Alvin stood on the lamppost, laughing maniacally! The flames on his body licked away his remaining flesh, and the blood that flowed out evaporated instantly. As he watched the now deranged Alvin, David's mind stirred, and without hesitation, he raised the spatial blade and charged at him. He didn't care how deranged this guy before him was; today, he had only one belief: to kill him!
In his pyrocorpse form, Alvin, with eyes aflame, continued to emit lava from his pupils, and the flames on his body grew more vigorous, exuding an overwhelming aura of devouring everything. Extending his hand, Alvin took hold of a sharp rib bone and sneered at David before rushing towards him. In an instant, the two engaged in combat once again. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ก.๐ค๐ง๐
As the pyrocorpse, Alvin's combat prowess was significantly stronger than before, and his bone blade was incredibly unpredictable, striking at David's vital points. The ribs protruding from his body elevated his defense to another level, repeatedly blocking David's attacks. They clashed in the air, with countless sparks and drops of flame falling to the ground.
As they witnessed the intense battle between the two, the members of the squad once again felt their hearts tighten. Arnold, driven by the desire to fight, wanted to rush forward and assist David. However, remembering his own performance earlier, he couldn't help but dismiss the thought. Charging in now would undoubtedly be troublesome for David. The others understood this as well, so they anxiously watched David, clenching their fists.
Mandy lifted her head and looked at David in the sky, her twin ponytails swaying. Her expression appeared much more relaxed compared to the other members of the squad. As David's puppet, she naturally knew the true strength of her master, so she wasn't worried about their battle at all.
Seeing the ribs protruding from Alvin's body, David seized the opportunity and sliced off one of them with his blade. Alvin suddenly felt a sharp pain in his body and quickly steadied himself, swinging his bone blade.
David had already anticipated this move, and he effortlessly blocked it with his spatial blade. Then, he lifted his leg and delivered a powerful kick to the remaining ribs of Alvin.
"Crack!" Several cracking sounds echoed as David's kick shattered three of Alvin's defense ribs, leaving only a single isolated one without any protective function. Feeling the intense pain in his body, Alvin stared at David in terror. While his pyrocorpse form was only at level eight, due to his special cultivation over the years, his strength was on par with a level nine esper. Particularly, the six defense ribs he had meticulously honed were exceptionally tough. Alvin hadn't expected David to destroy all his years of painstaking training with just two strikes.
"Damn it! Today, I must kill you!" Alvin endured the pain and rushed at David like a madman.
A cold smile curved on David's lips as he retracted his spatial blade and delivered a fierce punch to the oncoming body. "Thud!" The punch struck heavily against Alvin, who felt as if he had been hit by a locomotive. He crashed onto the ruins like a kite with a broken string. The sound of intense impact with broken stones resonated as a large pit with a diameter of two meters formed where he landed.
David drew out an alloy dagger and swiftly swung it downward, aiming for Alvin's chest. "Splash!" Blood sprayed out from the wound, and the flames on Alvin's body immediately extinguished, reverting him to his normal human form.
"I said, killing requires paying the price." David withdrew the alloy dagger and looked at him. After this strike from David, Alvin's body had become extremely weak. He struggled to lift his head and gazed at David with eyes filled with unwillingness.
At this moment, Duane also arrived with Shirley. Standing by Alvin's side, Duane's eyebrows instantly furrowed. David looked at his gloomy expression and guessed the relationship between the two, so he said, "I've taken care of a renegade for your Phoenix Rising squad, no need to thank me." With that, David sheathed his alloy short knife and turned to leave.
Seeing Alvin barely hanging on to life, Duane felt a mix of emotions. After all, Alvin was the vice captain of his squad and someone he had watched grow up. He never imagined that Alvin would turn out to be a traitor.
"Why did you do this, Alvin?" Duane asked in a deep voice.
Looking at Duane, Alvin once again showed a disdainful expression. Swallowing a mouthful of blood, he struggled to speak, "Did you really think the Phoenix Rising squad was yours? Without me, you would have died in this world a long time ago."
Listening to Alvin's words, Duane remained silent. Shirley, by his side, frowned as she looked at Alvin amidst the ruins. Taking a breath, Alvin continued, "If you had given up the captain position to me from the beginning, the Phoenix Rising squad would have become the most powerful squad in the apocalypse!"
"You're not deserving of that captain position!" Duane still kept his head low and didn't respond. He didn't care about what Alvin said. Right now, he only cared about two questions. He raised his head and looked at Alvin as he asked, "Did you kill Adrian's squad?"
This was Duane's first question, buried deep in his heart for ten long years. Adrian's squad was the first captain of the Phoenix Rising squad and Duane's mentor.
"Adrian? He was a coward. I killed him to clean up the waste in this world! Shouldn't waste be eliminated?" Alvin said without concealing his words.
Duane's mind tightened, and he clenched his fists tightly. "The Second Red Light, is it related to you?" he gritted his teeth and asked the second question, which had been the truth he had been investigating these past few days.
Upon hearing the mention of the Second Red Light, Alvin visibly paused. After a brief moment of contemplation, he smiled and looked at Duane, then opened his mouth to speak.
"Regarding what you said..." Before Alvin could finish his sentence, a steel pipe suddenly flew towards him from a distance! It happened so quickly that not even David had time to react.
Duane quickly drew his machete to defend himself, but as soon as he touched the handle, he heard a dull thud. He lowered his head to see the steel pipe lodged in Alvin's throat. Alvin writhed, his throat full of shock, as he looked in one direction before tilting his head and losing his breath completely.
David immediately pulled out his spatial blade and stared at the direction the steel pipe came from. Duane also rushed over, wanting to investigate. However, in the distance, there was only a dark cloud, and no one else could be seen.
"This person's strength surpasses ours," David surveyed the surroundings and said. Whoever could kill Alvin in front of so many people must be extraordinary. Could there be a bigger puppeteer behind the scenes? A surprising speculation arose in David's mind.
This instantly made David vigilant, constantly observing every detail around him. The other members of the team also felt an invisible pressure and assumed combat stances.
Little Black and Cola even transformed directly and started roaring towards the distance. All of this indicated that the enemy's strength surpassed everyone present. After observing for a while and seeing no movement around, David put away his spatial blade. He knew that the other side only wanted to kill Alvin and had no interest in them.
Duane also sheathed his machete and walked back to Alvin's body. Looking at his former teammate and elder, Duane's heart was filled with complex emotions. However, there was no trace of sympathy on his face.
Just because Alvin had killed the former captain of the Phoenix Rising squad, Adrian, Duane would never forgive him. He never expected that the man who had brought him back from the orphanage ,would die at the hands of his own team member. Duane felt a sudden pain in his heart.
Shirley, equally at a loss, stared at Alvin's body with a face filled with sorrow and indignation. Seeing the two in such a state, David walked over to Duane and said, "This is the rule of the apocalypse. Whether they are enemies or comrades, we can't see it with our naked eyes. In the fog, there will always be eyes watching us." After speaking, David patted Duane's shoulder. At the same time, he looked up at the sky and whispered, "May you live your life as a free butterfly."
At that moment, the system's voice suddenly sounded in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing an eighth-level zombie! ]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a defense crystal! ]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundredfold critical strike and obtaining one hundred defense crystals! ]
"A defense crystal?" David glanced at Alvin's body with some surprise, but he quickly understood. Alvin's eighth-level zombie form focused on physical defense, similar to a zombie. It was only natural to obtain defense crystals.
David watched as a hundred defense crystals entered the warehouse system, and his heavy heart finally felt some relief. With these hundred defense crystals, he could further upgrade the base.
Duane also reacted at this moment. He had obtained the answer he wanted, even though it made him angry. Alvin had been killed by David, which was equivalent to avenging his captain.
"I almost found out the secret of the Second Red Light. What a pity!" Duane shook his head. If he had another minute, he believed he could have extracted the secret of the Second Red Light from Alvin. However, that powerful esper behind the scenes thwarted his idea.
"It doesn't matter. The truth will always come to light," David said calmly. Duane nodded and shifted his gaze to Mandy, who was watching him from a distance with her head tilted. Instantly, his mouth twitched because he saw a piece of Mandy's body burned by fire.
"I think you should give her back to me. If you keep tormenting her like this, I'm afraid I'll be heartbroken," Duane said to David with a resentful expression on his face.
Upon hearing Duane's words, David quickly had a thought, and Mandy returned to her normal size. He then swiftly tucked her into his arms, as if nothing had happened.
David's seamless movements made Duane feel as if he had rehearsed them many times, all to guard against him. Seeing his precious Mandy once again in David's pocket, Duane could only force a bitter smile. If he could defeat the guy in front of him, he would have snatched Mandy back by now.
After a pause, Duane bent down and lifted Alvin's body, saying to David, "Thank you for dealing with the traitor in our team. I've noted this favor, so if you ever need help, feel free to find me." After speaking, Duane nodded at David and prepared to leave. Leaving Alvin's body exposed in the wilderness was something Duane couldn't do.
"Really?" Duane's words immediately piqued David's interest. Duane nodded earnestly, and David's eyes lit up. "Actually, I have something I need your help with. While you're at it, return this favor to me."
"What is it?" Duane asked, pausing in his steps.
As they spoke, David's gaze drifted towards the corner of the treasure chest peeking out from Duane's arms, signaling him with his eyes. Duane was momentarily stunned, but he quickly understood!
Wow! He's still thinking about my treasure? Does this guy have a conscience? Duane promptly shook his head and decisively said, "That's not possible!" After speaking, he carried Alvin's body and hastily fled the scene with Shirley. Their speed was so fast as if they were afraid that David would catch up and take their belongings.
Watching Duane disappear in a flash, David couldn't help but shake his head. " this guy is really stingy!"
"Worthless! He couldn't even kill a David. He deserves to die!" In the courtyard, Alexander's ethereal shadow sat on a high-backed chair. Thinking back to the moment when Alvin almost revealed the secret of the Second Red Light, he was filled with anger. Fortunately, he intervened in time and killed Alvin; otherwise, it would have brought him more trouble.
After a moment, Alexander quieted down, and the anger on his face subsided. Alvin was nothing more than a pawn to him, and his death had no effect on Alexander. Instead, it made him more interested in David.
"Awakening both spatial and defense abilities at the same time? I have to admit, you're quite a genius." Recalling David's every move just now, a trace of admiration emerged on Alexander's face, but it was immediately overshadowed by disdain. His level had already reached ten, and if he continued to delve into the wasteland and find higher-level treasures, his level would continue to rise.
By then, surpassing David would be effortless, and Alexander's desire to rule the post-apocalyptic world would be within reach. In that case, not to mention killing one Alvin, even if there were thousands, Alexander would consider it as easy as blinking. At the same time, he thought of the several members of David's team and secretly planned to find an opportunity to make them his spies. If he could cultivate one Alvin, he could cultivate a second one.
"Heh! How can a mere David compare to me? I'll show you the true horror of the apocalypse." Alexander sneered, stood up, and walked to the back door of the courtyard. Opening the door, the gloomy cold wind and desolate land greeted him. Looking around, he saw a scene of devastation. Without much thought, he stepped forward and entered the wasteland world.
After Duane and Shirley left, David returned to the base with the team.
"That old guy today was brutal, actually transforming himself into a zombie!"
"Yeah, how can there be people like that in the world?"
Arnold and Sophie couldn't help but shudder at the thought of Alvin's twisted appearance earlier.
"In the apocalypse, some people will do unimaginable things for survival," David explained. He knew that Alvin's actions were normal for someone who craved power in the apocalypse. However, in his eyes, it was particularly extreme.
"From now on, each of us needs to improve our level and strength," Charles pondered aloud. Throughout the battle today, it was mostly David who was involved, and although they wanted to help, their strength was far below Alvin's. This made Charles immediately realize their shortcomings.
It was impossible to let David bear the burden of every battle alone. As team members, they had to step up at critical moments. Charles' words were met with agreement and nods from the rest of the team. Now, their method of leveling up was no longer just absorbing low-level crystals, but accumulating experience through battles to increase their levels. The combat training they had undergone during this period had improved the level of each team member, but they still fell short of their ideal level.
Seeing everyone lost in thought, David smiled and said, "Leveling up is something that can't be rushed. Be careful not to be too hasty. When your combat experience accumulates to a certain extent, your level will naturally increase."
Listening to David's words, Charles nodded. He was also determined to participate in more combat training to increase his own strength.
After a pause, David remembered the defense crystals he obtained from Alvin's body. After a hundredfold critical strike by the system, the quantity had reached one hundred. Adding the leftovers from before, there were a total of one hundred and ten defense crystals in the system's warehouse.
After some consideration, David decided to continue upgrading the base. As their only refuge in the apocalypse, the importance of the base was self-evident to each member of the team. Coincidentally, Arnold was eager to go out and continue hunting for zombies, so David allowed them to drive the war vehicle and engage in small-scale hunting around the parking lot.
As the other members of the team left the underground parking lot, David also walked out of the base and stood in front of it. Looking at the faint golden glow emanating from the diamond base, David's mind stirred, and sixty triangular defense crystals appeared in his hand. Feeling the power emanating from the crystals, David decided to upgrade the base to a diamond level. Compared to the golden level, a diamond-level base had higher defense and better concealment.
David was also grateful for obtaining the defense crystals from Alvin. Otherwise, upgrading the base to a diamond quality would require at least tens of thousands of advanced crystals. Even though he was a resource-rich individual and could easily produce so many advanced crystals at any time, it still pained David. Each crystal in the warehouse was obtained at the cost of his life. Using so many at once would even make a landlord feel distressed for a while. Fortunately, with the one hundred defense crystals from the critical strike, David felt much more at ease.
"System, upgrade the golden base to a diamond base." After a moment's pause, David decisively spoke to the system.
[Ding! Detected that the host wants to spend sixty defense crystals to upgrade the base to a diamond level! ]
[Please confirm, host! ]
"Confirmed!" David said in a deep voice.
[Ding! Sixty defense crystals have been deducted. Upgrading in progress! ]
As the system's voice sounded, the sixty defense crystals in David's hand immediately disappeared.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, the base has been successfully upgraded! ]
Soon, the sound of the base upgrade completion echoed in David's ears. At the same time, a dazzling white light flashed before David's eyes! The light quickly descended, causing strange ripples to appear on the previously golden walls of the base. These ripples resembled sunlight refracted on a crystal ball, radiating light from all directions.
David quickly approached to inspect and discovered that the previously smooth walls of the base now had numerous intricate facets. Each facet emitted a faint colorful glow, and upon closer inspection, he could vaguely see the glowing structures inside.
This immediately made David think of diamonds, and he instantly understood. The diamond-level base had been completely covered with a thick layer of diamond material on its exterior. Diamonds were the hardest substance in the world.
"This is great! With this, the defense of the base will reach a terrifying level!" David exclaimed excitedly as he touched the incredibly smooth facets.
But before he could finish his excitement, the system's voice rang in his ears again.
[Ding! Detected that the host's base has reached the diamond level. Activating the base remodeling function! ]
"Hmm? Base remodeling function?" David asked with some confusion.
[Yes, host. Only a diamond-level base can activate this function.]
[In this function, the host can remodel various aspects of the base.]
[The remodeled base does not affect its defense, and the changes take effect immediately.]
The system explained again, seemingly understanding David's confusion. Listening to the system's explanation, David understood. No wonder he had never heard of this function before; it required a higher level. So he asked the system again, "How can I remodel it?"
[The host can remodel the base by consuming corresponding resources! ]
As it spoke, a translucent information template appeared before David.
[Special Alloy Gate: Twenty alloy steel plates]
[Blast-Proof Glass: Three hundred rounds of 7.62mm caliber bullets]
[Mutated Rhino Skin Flooring: Five hundred sheets of mutant beast skin]
[Multi-functional Bedroom: Three hundred pieces of wood, one hundred alloy steel plates]
[Multi-functional Living Room: Four hundred pieces of wood, one hundred fifty alloy steel plates]
Looking at the complete list of base remodeling projects before him, David couldn't help but nod. According to the display, he found that the projects were essential in the apocalypse, and each one belonged to the special category, clearly tailored for the post-apocalyptic world.
David's base was a common three-bedroom, one-living room layout, but it was twice the size of a regular room, spanning over three hundred square meters. Not only was the living room spacious, but the other rooms were also quite roomy.
Apart from upgrading the base's level, David had never made any improvements to the base before. He lacked ideal materials and didn't know where to start. Now, with the base remodeling function, these problems were easily solved.
Walking into the base, David surveyed everything inside. Based on his memories from his previous life, he knew that for a base to become the strongest sanctuary for survivors in the apocalypse, it needed to have functional facilities beyond basic shelter. It required living quarters, remodeling workshops, weapon workshops, and various other facilities. Only then could the base unleash its maximum potential in the apocalypse.
After inspecting each room, David opened the remodeling panel once again. Soon, his attention was drawn to the weapon workshop.
[Weapon Workshop: Helps the host remodel weapons and upgrade their power! ]
[Requires ten Desert Eagles, ten alloy steel plates, and five hundred rounds of 5.56mm caliber bullets]
Upon reading the description, David decided to start with this remodeling project. While he had a decent number of weapons in his warehouse system, they were mostly conventional and lacked exceptional power compared to the abilities of a Level 1 esper in combat.
David believed that if he could remodel them, they would undoubtedly become formidable killing machines. He understood the principle that anything from the system would be top-notch. So, with a thought, the blueprint for the weapon workshop appeared before his eyes.
Then, the system's voice came once again.
[Ding! Ten Desert Eagles, ten alloy steel plates, and five hundred rounds of 5.56mm caliber bullets have been consumed! ]
[The weapon workshop is under construction! ]
Suddenly, the design blueprint before David disappeared, followed by a deduction of the corresponding resources from the system's warehouse.
[Ding! The weapon workshop has been completed! ]
Soon, the sound of the completion of the weapon workshop echoed in David's ears. At the same time, a separate space appeared in a corner of the bedroom.
David walked over to inspect it and found not only a machine tool but also various tools that he couldn't name hanging on the walls. Looking at the weapon workshop, David nodded in approval and then took out a Desert Eagle.
"Remodel the Desert Eagle!" David gently placed the Desert Eagle on the machine tool and said softly. As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a white aura swirling around the Desert Eagle. Under the influence of this aura, the Desert Eagle trembled slightly, and soon the white aura dissipated, leaving a faint glow on the gun's surface.
[Ding! The Desert Eagle has been remodeled! ]
[Magazine capacity increased by thirty rounds, bullet firing speed doubled, and a ten percent increase in critical hit rate! ]
Hearing the voice of the system, David held the remodeled Desert Eagle in his hand. As expected, after the modifications in the Weapon Workshop, the Desert Eagle now felt considerably lighter in weight, and the magazine was more prominent. Despite these changes, the gun didn't feel cumbersome at all but rather exuded a sense of dominance.
Outside the base, David aimed the Desert Eagle at a wall in the underground parking lot and pulled the trigger. The Desert Eagle emitted a cloud of smoke and produced a loud bang! At the moment the bullet was fired, sparks ignited at the muzzle, and the bullet rapidly shot toward the wall at supersonic speed. In the blink of an eye, the bullet struck the wall, resulting in a resounding roar!
As the dust settled, David approached to inspect the thick cement wall, only to find that the Desert Eagle had created a fist-sized hole in it! The steel reinforcement inside the wall was also shattered by the impact of the bullet. Looking at the hole, David couldn't help but take a sharp breath. He hadn't expected the remodeled Desert Eagle to possess such immense power. If it were fired at a zombie, there would undoubtedly be carnage.
Returning to the Weapon Workshop, David spent some resources to create five more Desert Eagles. With each member of the team now equipped with one, their combat effectiveness would be significantly increased. Then, David placed an alloy dagger on the machine table.
[Ding! Modifying the Alloy Dagger requires consuming ten pieces of steel, and five low-grade crystals.]
Without hesitation, David confirmed the modification, and the alloy dagger, just like the Desert Eagle before, was instantaneously remodeled.
[Ding! Alloy Dagger modification complete! ]
[Sharpness increased by 15%, destructive power doubled! ]
Observing the gleaming blade, David nodded in satisfaction. With these physical enhancements, he could greatly reduce his reliance on esper abilities in future battles, thereby saving a significant amount of energy. Next, David spent twenty alloy steel plates to remodel the base's main gate into a special alloy gate. Together with the base's current diamond level, it could be said that the base had become impregnable. Even if attacked by high-level zombies, it would likely remain unscathed.
At this moment, the other members of the team returned to the base. Upon seeing the transformed base walls, everyone was astonished.
"Damn! This base would make the zombies cry even in the midst of an apocalypse!" Arnold exclaimed, knocking on the diamond walls of the base.
Everyone approached to inspect, their expressions filled with amazement as they looked at David. David simply smiled faintly and then took out the five remodeled Desert Eagles. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๏ผ๐ฃ๐๐ฉ
"I made some small modifications to these Desert Eagles. Each of you can have one for self-defense." David handed the guns to his teammates, and they carefully examined them in their hands. Besides the increased magazine capacity, they couldn't discern any special features.
Duke aimed at a scrapped car in the distance and fired. Once again, the deafening roar echoed through the parking lot, followed by an explosion. The bullets, with a 10% critical hit rate, pierced through the car, reducing it to a blazing fireball. Everyone stood frozen in place, witnessing the scene.
What's going on? Is this even a gun? It's more like a doomsday cannon! Recalling that David had said he made only minor modifications, the team couldn't help but twitch their mouths. They hadn't expected their captain to be so extraordinary. This wasn't just a modification; it was like a research and development laboratory for new weapons! Who would believe that a single bullet could destroy a car? The team members looked at their Desert Eagles, treating them like precious treasures as they carefully cradled them in their arms.
The desolation of the apocalypse continued to spread across this once bustling land. In the suburbs, within an abandoned farm, a skinny young man cautiously poked his head out of a haystack, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a rat, illuminated by the moonlight.
After a moment, the man whispered to the bald man beside him, who was crouching in the grass, "Boss, the intelligence was wrong. There's not a soul here! Damn it! We traveled all this way for nothing! Not even a hair to be found!" The skinny man stood up from the grass, spitting out in frustration. Hearing his companion's words, the bald man glanced around and confirmed that indeed, there was no sign of activity. He stood up as well.
"Sigh! It's getting harder and harder for us Rats Clan to survive!" The bald man put away his large machete and sighed.
Both of them were survivors in this post-apocalyptic world, ordinary people without awakened abilities. Consequently, they naturally became members of the Rats Clan. However, they hadn't joined any Rat Clan faction and instead established their own "Murder God Gang."
The bald man, Eamonn, was the leader of the" Murder God Gang", and the skinny man, Brad, was his right-hand man. Their gang consisted only of the two of them.
"Boss, I heard that Gary, the boss of the local Rat Clan, was killed not long ago. That guy was a formidable esper! " I wonder who was skilled enough to take him down," Brad said, recalling the news he had heard a few days ago about the death of Gary, the leader of the largest local Rat Clan. He shook his head in disbelief.
"Yeah, Gary was incredibly powerful! To be able to kill him, the other person must be no pushover. I'd guess their level is at least Level 9!" Eamonn replied.
"Level 9 esper?" Brad couldn't help but take a sharp breath, his face filled with astonishment. Level 9 awakening was like divine existence to ordinary people like them.
Seeing Brad's astonished expression, Eamonn gave him a disdainful glance and said, "Look at you! Don't forget, even though we haven't awakened any abilities and don't have any underlings right now, once we have the opportunity, we'll recruit Gary's subordinates. Then, the two of us will become the new Gary! Our Murder God Gang will be the biggest Rat Clan faction in the area. Who would dare to provoke us? Even espers would have to give us some face."
Hearing Eamonn's words, Brad became instantly excited. He didn't want to spend his days stealing from ordinary people or hiding from zombie attacks. In this post-apocalyptic world, who wouldn't want to have immense power and establish their own formidable force? Just the thought of having hundreds of underlings excited Brad to the point where he couldn't contain himself. As the two of them prepared to leave and continue scouting, a sudden gust of eerie wind swept through the farm. The wind was chilling, accompanied by a veil of white mist.
"Boss, why is it foggy in the middle of the night?" Brad scratched his head, puzzled by the sudden fog. Eamonn, equally baffled, stared at the mist without knowing what to do.
Suddenly, within the mist, a faint figure emerged. The figure took steps closer and closer to the two men. Under the cold moonlight, the presence of this figure was especially eerie, sending shivers down their spines.
"Boss! It's a ghost!" Brad pointed at the shadow, his legs trembling, and the hairs on his body standing on end. At this moment, Eamonn also felt a tinge of fear, although he remained calmer than Brad. He had encountered plenty of eerie things in the apocalypse, so without a second thought, he turned and ran. In desperate situations, running was the best option for ordinary people like them. However, their legs felt as heavy as lead, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't lift their feet.
The shadow looked at the two men's disheveled appearance and sneered, "You two are fortunate to encounter me today!" The voice was chilling, and it was none other than Alexander.
"Boss! It's a talking ghost!" Brad's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he lay on the ground, full of fear, clutching the wild grass, trying to quickly escape from this eerie figure.
Eamonn, on the other hand, realized that he had encountered a powerful individual. No matter how much he struggled, he probably wouldn't be able to escape the clutches of this person. With this thought, he immediately calmed down, turned around, and asked Alexander, "Who are you? We're just ordinary people, we have no grudges with you. Why are you targeting us?"
As he spoke, Eamonn tried his best to suppress the terror in his heart. He had encountered many espers with awakened abilities in the apocalypse and was familiar with the aura they exuded. Looking at the dark figure before him, he suddenly felt an overwhelming force, as if a mountain was pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Brad was experiencing the same, already lying on the ground, gasping for air.
"You're the first ones to question me. You should be taught a lesson!" Alexander's voice suddenly turned ice-cold. He waved his blurred hands lightly, and the two men felt an immense pressure on their chests, compressing their hearts. Unable to bear it any longer, they forcefully coughed up blood. Eamonn's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest, groaning in pain.
"You can call me Alexander. There are only two choices before you today. Either become my subordinates, and I can help you awaken your abilities and assist you in recruiting other espers, or die," Alexander glanced at the two men, a cold smile on his lips.
"The decision is in your hands. You have thirty seconds to consider. I believe that you've survived this long because you're intelligent." Hearing Alexander's words, Eamonn immediately knew that there was no escaping today. It was either become a subordinate of the dark figure before them or die. Given these two options, he naturally chose to become Alexander's subordinate. It was his only choice. Moreover, the other party could help him awaken his abilities. No matter how he weighed the options, it was the most advantageous for the two of them.
Before Brad could say anything, Eamonn quickly stood up and knelt before Alexander, saying, "Alexander, the two of us are willing to become your loyal subordinates!" Seeing his boss kneeling on the ground, Brad also endured the pain and knelt before Alexander.
"Hehehe, you two are indeed intelligent." This outcome was already within Alexander's expectations. Death was a taboo for everyone in this world. Only strength was the endless pursuit of every individual. Watching the person replacing Alvin appear, Alexander let out a cold laugh.
"Remember, from now on, you are my people, Alexander," Alexander said as he waved his sleeve, and an extremely dark cold wind instantly enveloped the two men. Eamonn and Augustus looked puzzled, unsure of what to do about the chilling wind. The next moment, the cold wind grew stronger, forming two small tornadoes that completely surrounded them. Suddenly, two dazzling lightning bolts exploded in the wind, striking the two men mercilessly. They had never seen such a sight before, staring wide-eyed as the lightning swiftly passed through their bodies. The wind surrounding them then transformed into two massive blood pools, emitting a nauseating rotten smell that filled their nostrils.
"After bathing in the blood of decay, you will become espers in the apocalypse! Enjoy this unforgettable taste!" Alexander said with a maniacal laugh. Subsequently, the two men slowly sank into the blood pools. Despite their struggles, they couldn't escape the swarm of blood that closed in around them. Soon, they were completely submerged in the blood, and there was no movement or sound.
At this moment, Alexander took out the circular jade pendant and lightly tapped its edge with his finger. The pendant emitted a crisp sound, seemingly counting down.
After a moment, Alexander stopped his actions and looked at the blood pools. Eamonn and Augustus slowly emerged from them, covered in putrid blood. The blood dripped to the ground, producing a "plop, plop" sound that coincided with the earlier tapping of the circular jade pendant. As they looked at the blood dripping continuously from their bodies, a hint of crimson appeared in their pupils. Once the blood dissipated completely, they felt a powerful force coursing through their bodies. ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๏ผ๐ง๐๐
Eamonn lifted his arm, and the muscles on his body had become as strong as small mountains, emanating an extremely ferocious aura. Augustus experienced the same transformation. The two of them were astonished by the changes in their bodies and then looked up at Alexander.
"You are now Level 6 espers. This is my reward to you. As long as you work diligently under me, I will make you the most powerful individuals. At that time, the entire world will belong to the two of you," Alexander said meaningfully as he looked at them.
"What? We're Level 6 espers?" Eamonn's face was filled with astonishment upon hearing Alexander's words. He couldn't believe that in the blink of an eye, he had gone from being an ordinary person to a Level 6 esper! The terrifying speed of this upgrade made his whole body tremble slightly.
"Boss, we're already Level 6 espers? That's incredible!" Augustus couldn't contain his excitement any longer, his voice filled with enthusiasm. He extended his finger and waved it towards a distant haystack. Instantly, the haystack was struck by lightning and burst into flames. The immense power filled him with excitement once again. Observing their exhilarated expressions, Alexander sneered in disdain.
In the past few days, apart from leading the team in real combat training against zombies on the streets, David had been constantly studying the system's remodeling functions. In addition to the weapon workshop, he expanded the base to include the first floor of a building. There, he established a greenhouse to grow various vegetables and fruits. With the system's assistance, these plants grew rapidly, maturing completely in just a day or two. This allowed the team members to enjoy a taste of freshness in this post-apocalyptic world.
However, Monica was feeling frustrated. Her teammates Danny and Abraham had been mysteriously absent these past few days, leaving her alone in the vast base. This made her feel a sense of loneliness as she climbed onto the balcony and looked at the ruins outside, reminiscent of David. "Staying here is boring anyway. I might as well go find that guy and see if there's anything interesting happening. Plus,I can also play with Cola."
The thought of Cola instantly cheered Monica up. She immediately set off from the base towards David's location, encountering a few scattered zombies along the way, which she swiftly killed. Slowly, she arrived at the underground parking lot.
At that moment, David had just returned with the team from outside, and as the war vehicle came to a stop, he caught sight of Monica. Was this girl here to buy weapons again? David smiled as he looked at her.
After entering the base, Monica approached David. Seeing David, whom she hadn't seen for a while, Monica smiled and asked, "Where's Cola?"
David couldn't help but twitch his mouth at her question. Seriously? Did she come all this way just to pet the cat? Just then, Cola slowly descended from the armored vehicle. It glanced at Monica, let out a light meow, and walked toward the base. This instantly deflated Monica's excitement.
Seeing Monica's disappointed expression, David chuckled and said, "Maybe if you buy some firearms, I can let you hang out with Cola for a while. That guy is more snobbish than me."
Hearing David's words, Monica deflated like a punctured balloon. Since spending so many crystals on purchasing firearms last time, their team's resources had dwindled. Now, they couldn't even afford to buy a Desert Eagle, let alone the fact that Abraham and Danny were always disappearing. She didn't have any power or authority anymore.
"Sigh!" Monica let out a soft sigh and then looked at David's base. Instantly, she was stunned in place. The walls of the base reflected a subtle light, resembling a gigantic diamond cut surface.
This piqued Monica's curiosity, and she quickly approached and touched it. The hardness was solid, and she could even feel a hint of warm power as she touched it.
"This is your team's base?" Monica asked in astonishment.
"What's the matter? Any problem?" David casually replied.
"This is amazing! You've made the walls as hard as diamonds!" Monica shook her head, finding it hard to believe. It reminded her of her own base's construction, and she realized it couldn't compare.
A sense of envy suddenly spread in Monica's heart. She knew David was wealthy, but she never expected him to use diamonds for the base walls. If this got out, it would surely drop everyone's jaws!
Seeing Monica's expression of being inexperienced, David smiled. Although the diamond base seemed impressive to others, it was far from reaching David's ideal level. If he hadn't been busy with weapon remodeling these past few days, he would have continued upgrading the base.
Next, David showed Monica the greenhouse on the ground floor of the building. Seeing various ripe fruits and vegetables, Monica couldn't hold back any longer. Seriously? While others were barely surviving during the apocalypse, this guy was enjoying fresh watermelons every day, and seedless ones at that?
184 gene fruit
After impressing Monica with his base, David looked at her astonished expression and gave a faint smile. He had always regarded Monica highly. After all, during the initial outbreak of the apocalypse, only a few people awakened as espers. The majority of the remaining population hid in their homes, praying that the zombies wouldn't come knocking, even deluding themselves into thinking it was all just a dream. But when they finally realized it was an unprecedented human catastrophe, they fell into utter despair. Only a few daring individuals ventured out to scavenge for food and supplies, and most people starved to death in their homes out of fear.
Although Monica had her own team and successfully awakened her ability, she was among the first group of people to encounter the zombie outbreak. David never expected that such a seemingly fragile woman could survive the endless slaughter and rely on her own abilities to reach where she was today. This was, in fact, the ultimate law of the apocalypse: the adaptors would eventually prevail, while the weak would perish.
At this moment, Monica squatted on the ground and pointed to a melon being watered with drip irrigation. She asked, "Is this the genetically modified melon you mentioned?"
David had roughly introduced the different fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse to Monica earlier. Of course, he didn't mention his own system and instead attributed it all to special genetic modifications. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ
David nodded and said, "That's right, it's a gene fruit. Not only does it taste good, but it also enhances human stamina, improves genetic makeup, and can even help espers level up."
David walked over, bent down, picked a melon, and placed it in Monica's hand. Looking at this gene fruit, which appeared no different from a regular melon, Monica couldn't help but feel confused. How could such an ordinary-looking fruit be so powerful?
Monica examined the gene fruit in her hand and asked again, "How do you eat this? Do I just take a bite?"
Although Monica looked puzzled, upon hearing David say that this fruit could enhance human stamina and even assist in leveling up, she immediately placed it near her mouth, ready to take a bite. With the deteriorating situation in the apocalypse, she had long realized the importance of strength.
Seeing Monica so eager, David quickly said, "If you don't want to be poisoned and die, you better hold on."
Upon hearing David's warning, Monica quickly moved the gene fruit away from her mouth. She looked at David with even more confusion, thinking that this guy was definitely messing with her.
David chuckled, turned around, and took out a bottle of transparent liquid. Taking the gene fruit from Monica's hand, he poured the liquid over it, then handed it back to her, saying, "Now you can eat it safely."
Knowing the preciousness of resources in the apocalypse, when constructing the greenhouse, David had intentionally added toxicity to the fruits and vegetables grown with the help of the system. Only after being washed with the transparent liquid in his hand could the toxins be completely eliminated. Otherwise, anyone who ate the gene fruit without being cleansed would be fatally poisoned within a minute.
David didn't want others to take advantage of the things he had painstakingly grown during the apocalypse. As Monica looked at the gene fruit David had washed, she glanced up at him, then hesitantly took a bite. "Crunch!" The crisp sound echoed through the greenhouse as the juicy and tender gene fruit instantly enveloped her taste buds with its sweetness.
"This gene fruit is so delicious!" Monica's eyes brightened, and she excitedly exclaimed. Since the apocalypse began, this was the first time she had tasted such a delicious fruit. She was instantly surrounded by a sense of overwhelming happiness.
"Don't just stand there, start moving. That way, the gene fruit can penetrate your organs more quickly, and its effects will be maximized," David instructed. He also picked a fruit, washed it with the liquid, and began eating it without hesitation.
Then David took off his shirt and started jogging in the greenhouse. Seeing David's muscular physique, Monica's fair cheeks turned rosy. Since David had started exercising, she felt it wouldn't be appropriate to just stand there. So she followed behind David and started jogging as well. After about thirty minutes...
"Feels great!" David stopped and exclaimed joyfully. At the same time, he felt a pleasant surge of energy flowing through his body. The sweat dripping from his body emitted a faint white vapor.
David then drew a alloy dagger from his waist and demonstrated a swift and sharp knife technique in front of Monica. Whether it was the speed of his attacks or his agility in dodging, they were all faster than before consuming the gene fruit. Even his stamina seemed to be replenishing, despite having just run around the greenhouse for half an hour.
Observing David's energetic state, Monica also began to feel the changes within herself. Indeed, after consuming the gene fruit, she could clearly sense the flow of power in her body. She then drew her own dagger and displayed a simple knife technique in front of David.
"Whoosh!" The dagger sliced through the air, producing a series of sounds, although Monica's movements were imbued with a feminine grace unlike David's.
"Not bad, it seems you have fully absorbed the gene fruit," David nodded approvingly.
A hint of excitement appeared on Monica's face as she incredulously examined her own body. She never expected that a simple fruit could bring her such pleasant surprises. If she were to consume one every day, wouldn't her strength become extraordinary? After hesitating for a moment, she looked up at David and asked, "Do you sell gene fruits? I'd like to buy some."
David had already anticipated Monica's question and smiled, nodding in agreement. "Considering that we are old acquaintances, I can sell you some. However, the price..."
"The price is negotiable. Such a good thing is worth any amount of money," Monica quickly interjected.
David nodded and, after some contemplation, held up five fingers.
"Five crystals for one gene fruit?" Monica asked. She found the price acceptable, but David shook his head.
"One gene fruit for five advanced crystals. Five advanced crystals," David quoted a price that immediately shocked Monica.
"Do you think it's too expensive? I may not sell it to others. Besides, this is already a discounted price for you," David said with a smile, gesturing toward the hundreds of gene fruits in the greenhouse. In his view, although the price of five advanced crystals was somewhat high, no one else had these fruits but him. Naturally, he wanted to make a profit from this opportunity. He chuckled again at Monica's astonished expression.
In fact, Monica also knew that the price of one gene fruit for fifty advanced crystals was exorbitant. However, when she thought about the powerful functions of the gene fruit, her heart couldn't help but be tempted. Obtaining such a resource in the midst of the apocalypse would be a great help for her and their team. After calculating her private savings, she had sixty advanced crystals. These were rewards she had earned while hunting zombies with the team. Although it wasn't much, it was enough to purchase another gene fruit.
So Monica gritted her teeth and said, "I'll bring the crystals tomorrow. We'll do a direct exchange."
Seeing the pained expression on Monica's face, David knew she was already drawn to the gene fruit. He nodded and smiled, "Same time tomorrow, I'll be here waiting for you. The gene fruit will be yours then."
Monica nodded and reluctantly took one last look at the abundance of gene fruits before leaving David's base.
As Monica left, Sally silently made her way from the first floor to the greenhouse.
"You seemed to have a good chat with her," Sally's face showed a hint of jealousy as she spoke to David.
Upon realizing that Sally was jealous, David walked up to her and rubbed her head, saying, " is about Business relationships. We have so many gene fruits in the greenhouse that we can't possibly consume them all. It's better to exchange some for crystals. That way, our team's resources will be more substantial."
Sally understood the reasoning behind David's actions, but seeing him interact with other women still stirred up some jealousy within her.
"Alright, no need to be upset. Come and see the gift I've prepared for you," David took Sally's hand and led her to a room on the second floor.
"A gift?" Sally paused for a moment before following David to the corner room. As they reached the door, David gently pushed it open. Suddenly, several flickering candlelights appeared in the middle of the room. On the table were not only red candles but also two plates of steak with pasta and a bottle of red wine. The room was filled with a captivating romantic ambiance under the warm glow of the candles.
"This is the candlelit dinner I prepared for you," David held Sally's hand and walked into the room. During the gap when Monica left, David had prepared all these things. However, before he had a chance to call out to Sally, she had already arrived on her own.
This room had also been transformed by David into a separate space, with a bed and a fur-covered sofa inside. Although the facilities were simple, it was a rare haven of tranquility. As Sally looked at the flickering red candles in front of her, a sudden surge of warmth welled up in her heart.
Since the apocalypse began, Sally hadn't seen such a romantic scene. When this long-lost memory suddenly appeared before her eyes, she looked up at David excitedly, her beautiful eyes sparkling like stars.
"Don't just stand there, sit down," David pulled out a chair for Sally and took a seat across from her. He opened the wooden cap of the red wine. The rich aroma filled the room, pouring into the tall wine glasses. The swaying red wine, illuminated by the candlelight, added to the enchanting atmosphere.
"Cheers to your hard work during this period," David raised his wine glass and said to Sally. Sally's fair cheeks instantly turned rosy as she clinked her glass with David's and took a sip. Looking at the handsome man in front of her, Sally felt like there was a little deer jumping around in her heart.
Since their last encounter, Sally hadn't spent time alone with David like she did today. The long-lasting post-apocalyptic life had gradually made her forget about such moments of beauty in life. She never expected that David would prepare a candlelit dinner for her at this time.
What woman wouldn't be moved? The jealousy Sally felt because of Monica just now vanished completely. They ate steak, drank wine, and shared laughter, making it impossible to tell from the room that the outside world was in an apocalypse. If others knew that they were here enjoying steak and wine, they would surely be envious.
After a satisfying meal, Sally started feeling a bit tipsy. The blush on her cheeks grew deeper. Looking at David, she had a happy expression on her face. Then she stood up and slowly walked towards David. Illuminated by the soft glow of the lights, Sally's curvaceous and alluring figure became even more captivating. Even in her loose combat outfit, it couldn't hide her natural charm.
"Should we... sleep here tonight?" Sally blushed as she softly spoke to David.
Seeing this shy woman in front of him, a smile appeared on David's lips. Without a word, he scooped up Sally and tossed her onto the bed. A night of silence followed...
Early the next morning, David woke up and looked at Sally, who was still asleep in his arms. He smiled, got up, got dressed, and walked out of the room. The rare sunlight shone through the dilapidated windows of the building. David stretched lazily and prepared to check on the growth of the fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse. Just as he stepped into the greenhouse, a chubby figure suddenly flashed past him from the opposite side!
David's eyebrows furrowed instantly, and he swiftly drew his alloy dagger, chasing after the slightly chubby man. Although the man was overweight, he was surprisingly fast. After weaving through several gene fruits, he quickly headed towards the exit on the other side.
But in David's eyes, the man's speed was still too weak. In the blink of an eye, David caught up to him from behind, lifted his foot, and ruthlessly kicked the man in the back.
"Damn it! You went all out!" The slightly chubby man was sent sprawling to the ground by David's kick. He stood up while holding his waist, turned around, and complained to David.
"Huh? A survivor?" Upon hearing the man's words, David immediately deduced his identity. Judging from the aura emanating from him, he was an ordinary person who hadn't awakened any abilities. This puzzled David. How did an ordinary person end up in his base?
Glancing at a piece of broken glass not far away, David immediately understood. It turned out that he hadn't had the chance to upgrade the glass on the second floor of the base to blast-resistant glass. The intruder must have climbed up and removed the glass to enter.
With a cold gaze, David looked at the man and asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?"
David glared at the man called Fatso but didn't say anything. Instead, he raised his alloy dagger. Seeing the dagger in David's hand, Fatso immediately wore a smile on his face.
"Hey, buddy, don't be impulsive. I got lost and ended up here. Who would've thought I'd run into your territory! The world is so big, we might meet again if we're destined!" After saying that, Fatso bowed to David and prepared to leave with a carefree attitude.
Watching Fatso act like a wandering hero, David spoke in a deep voice, "Put down the gene fruit from your pocket, or I'll turn you into fertilizer for these fruits."
Seeing that he had been discovered by David, Fatso awkwardly smiled and took out a gene fruit from his pocket, placing it on the ground.
"I knew there was something bulging in your pocket. Turns out, it was a fruit! Strange, did this guy grow legs by himself?" Fatso scratched his head, feigning confusion.
"That pocket," David ignored his pretense and pointed to the pocket on the other side of his clothing.
"Oh, there's another one here too! Damn, it's really strange. " Fatso said with a laugh. He then took out another gene fruit. At the same time, a hint of reluctance appeared in his heart. He had climbed to the second floor and picked these two fruits, but he hadn't even tasted them before returning them.
However, even so, the smile on Fatso's face didn't diminish at all. He completely concealed his thoughts. Seeing this seemingly harmless Fatso, David couldn't help but feel amused. Acting all tough in front of him? Little did Fatso know that David had experienced various types of people in his previous life, having roamed and struggled in society. Just a single glance, and David knew what was going on in Fatso's mind.
However, David's face also showed a hint of surprise. He didn't expect that this guy without awakened abilities would speak so confidently in front of his level ten presence, and he hadn't even revealed his true thoughts. Apparently, this man was a very cunning character.
"Buddy, can I go now? Don't worry, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, just mention the name Fatso, and I guarantee smooth sailing for whatever you do! We roam the world, and reputation is everything!" Fatso said, making a righteous expression while extending his thumb.
"The fruits you plucked are poisonous. Today, I saved your life, so consider it a debt you owe me," David said. If it weren't for David taking the gene fruit from him in time, that guy would have probably eaten it by now. By then, his two hundred pounds would have become fertilizer for the fruits in the greenhouse.
Upon hearing David say the fruits were poisonous, Fatso paused for a moment and then showed a relieved expression. He lifted his head, glanced at David, and left the greenhouse. Using a rope, he quickly descended to the ground and disappeared at the end of the street. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐ง๐ฒ๐
Watching the rope left behind by Fatso, David remembered this plump man who roamed the world.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned hospital in the city, on the fourth floor, there was a hidden room in a long, dimly lit corridor. Needles of various sizes were scattered all over the floor, and the smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of decay constantly irritated the nostrils. The room's door was shut, and inside, boxes of nutrient solution were stacked. Behind these boxes, there was a narrow empty space.
A nurse crouched trembling in the hidden room, her hands tightly covering her mouth, afraid to make any sound. Suddenly, a hurried footstep sounded from outside the corridor.
A middle-aged doctor arrived in front of the pharmacy door, anxiously whispering to the nurse inside, "Don't make a sound. These nutrient solutions are our only supplies. If they're taken away, we will lose all hope of survival in this apocalypse!"
As the middle-aged doctor spoke, he kept glancing at both sides of the corridor, seemingly afraid of someone approaching. Upon hearing his words, the nurse inside the hidden room wanted to say something but suddenly heard a sinister voice from outside.
"Old man, where are the nutrient solutions? If you don't hand them over, believe me, I'll kill him right away!" This immediately made the nurse nervous, and she tightly covered her mouth again.
Watching the two approaching figures, the middle-aged doctor stood up and said to them, "I will never tell you, even if it costs me my life! It's because of despicable scoundrels like you that the apocalypse has become even more cruel!"
Upon hearing the middle-aged doctor's words, the two slowly approaching individuals couldn't help but sneer. "Augustus, give that guy a taste of our methods by shedding some blood!" said the man standing behind.
"As you wish, boss! Dealing with this kind of thing is my specialty!" The two men were Eamonn and Augustus, successful puppets under Alexander's command.
After becoming Level 6 Espers, both of them awakened their abilities. They relied on their formidable strength to recruit all of Gary's former subordinates into their Murder God Gang. Those who didn't obey became the wandering spirits under their control. This time, the two of them came here to seize some nutrient solutions for their guild members.
Hearing Eamonn's words, Augustus smirked, revealing a chilling coldness at the corner of his mouth. Then, he swung his hand holding a young doctor by the neck fiercely.
"Splurt!" Instantly, a red flash appeared as Augustus's palm struck, leaving a bloody gash across the young doctor's neck. The young doctor cried out in pain as blood gushed out like a fountain from his neck.
"Felix!" The middle-aged man trembled as he looked at the young doctor. "Beasts! You animals! Even if you kill all of us, I won't let you succeed!" He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes fixated on Eamonn and Augustus, burning with anger.
Now he only blamed himself for not awakening his ability, for not having the power to save his students. Otherwise, he wouldn't have to fight desperately against these two people. But now, he had to protect the nutrient solutions in the room. Otherwise, ordinary people like them who hadn't awakened their abilities would face the threat of starvation.
"Oh? Didn't expect this old man to have some backbone?" Augustus dropped the barely alive Felix from his hand and laughed.
"Well, then let's see your bones are stronger, Or I have more methods" With a hint of murderous intent, Augustus transformed into a crimson flash and quickly charged towards the middle-aged doctor. He struck his palm on the man's chest, causing a mouthful of blood to spurt from his mouth.
The middle-aged doctor couldn't withstand Augustus's palm strike and fell to the ground, his legs giving way. Nevertheless, he continued to glare firmly at Augustus from his lower position. "You're dreaming! I'll never hand over the nutrient solutions!"
"Heh! Seems like you're quite stubborn!" Augustus said with a sneer. "Believe me, I can make you vanish into thin air right now!" He raised his palm again, ready to finish him off.
"Augustus, Hold your horses!" Suddenly, Eamonn behind him spoke, then he glanced at the hidden room and signaled to Augustus. In the instant the middle-aged doctor fell to the ground, Eamonn, with his acute hearing, caught a faint sound coming from inside. Augustus immediately understood Eamonn's meaning and forcefully pulled open the door to the hidden room.
"Ah! Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!" The nurse inside the room immediately screamed in fear, continuously moving backward.
Seeing this, the middle-aged doctor took advantage of Augustus's momentary pause and swiftly lunged at him, tightly embracing his legs. "Susie, run!"
At this moment, Augustus looked at the middle-aged doctor, frowned, and kicked him hard in the face. The immense force almost knocked him unconscious.
"Sister, don't be afraid. Big brother knows how to take care of you! Once we're back, big brother will make you feel like you're floating in the clouds every day!" Augustus smirked and walked toward Susie.
"No, please, no..." Susie struggled with all her might, but she couldn't escape from Augustus's grip. In an instant, Augustus lifted her from the ground, then viciously sniffed her hair. "Sister's hair smells so good!" At the same time, Augustus also noticed the stored nutrient solutions in the hidden room.
"Boss, the nutrient solutions are all here! This old man is too cunning!" Holding Susie, Augustus walked out of the hidden room and said to Eamonn.
Eamonn nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the middle-aged doctor lying on the ground in pain. "You've been hiding from us for so long. You've wasted too much of our time."
After saying that, a putrid blood burst out from Eamonn, completely surrounding the middle-aged doctor. In the blink of an eye, the putrid blood corroded him completely, leaving only a few white bones behind.
This was Eamonn's ability, Blood Devour. Anyone surrounded by the putrid blood would be quickly devoured. Seeing the white bones on the ground, Susie was so frightened that she fainted.
"Hehe, quite a fruitful day! Not only did we obtain the nutrient solutions, but we also have a beautiful lady in our arms!" Augustus's hands started wandering on Susie's body.
"Focus on the task at hand. The brothers are waiting at home," Eamonn said coldly to him. Then, several members of the Murder God Gang quickly approached from outside and moved all the nutrient solutions from the hidden room onto a vehicle outside the hospital. They carried Susie and walked out of the hospital gates.
Proudly, Augustus said to Eamonn, "Boss, who would have thought that the two of us would awaken our abilities one day, and even reach Level 6! Now, who wouldn't bow their heads in front of us? I never thought that I, would have this day." Augustus grew more excited as he spoke, eager to celebrate this occasion by having a double stroke of luck with Susie on his shoulders.
"Don't be too arrogant. Don't forget that Alexander warned us. That guy named David is quite powerful. He's likely to be a formidable opponent even if the two of us join forces." That night, after they became Level 6 Espers, Alexander informed them of David's name. They knew that he would be their future opponent, regardless of his actual strength. With Alexander's remarkable abilities, they had nothing to fear!
"If we perform well, maybe Alexander will be pleased and continue to raise our ranks! Then killing David would be as simple as squashing an ant in a forest," Augustus said indifferently, not caring about David at all.
However, Eamonn shook his head. He knew well that even someone like Alexander didn't dare to provoke David, so he and Augustus wouldn't stand a chance.
At the same time, he was curious about who Alexander really was. Every time they met, he appeared as a shadow, and they had never seen his true face.
But Eamonn realized that, as mere pawns under Alexander, they probably didn't have the qualification to see his true identity. The most important thing now was to quickly bring back the nutrient solutions and strengthen the physical condition of the members of the Murder God Gang. It was a secret technique he learned from Alexander.
So the two of them walked towards the car filled with nutrient solutions. Just at that moment, on the street across from the hospital, Arnold showed his head, observing the members of the Murder God Gang loading boxes. He had come out alone today to seek out zombies and enhance the power of his werewolf mode through real combat. ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐.๐ฏ๐๐ต
Upon arriving, Arnold saw a group of people carrying boxes out of the hospital. He became curious and crouched down to observe. Eamonn and Augustus, with Susie in Augustus's arms, gradually appeared in Arnold's field of view.
"Espers?" Arnold furrowed his brows as he looked at the two. At the same time, he noticed Susie being carried by Augustus. Suddenly, he understood. These two guys were here to rob the hospital! And they were forcefully taking women.
Arnold couldn't stand by and watch. With a look of indignation, he stepped out from the corner of the wall and walked towards Eamonn and Augustus.
"Someone!" Just as Eamonn was about to get into the car, he sensed Arnold's presence and turned to look at him. Augustus also looked up at Arnold.
"Heh! Who's this audacious fellow? Daring to come and seek death on his own?" Augustus placed Susie on the car, licked his lips, and a bloodthirsty expression once again appeared on his face.
Arnold approached the two slowly and looked at them, saying, "Leave the woman behind and get out of here! I have the utmost contempt for people like you!"
The other members of the Murder God Gang who were loading the car immediately surrounded Arnold upon hearing his voice. Seeing these lackeys, Arnold let out a light laugh. They were just ordinary people, far inferior to him. With a swift charge, he used his Wolf Charge technique, tearing through their chests with his sharp wolf claws. Before A member of the Murder God Gang could even scream, Arnold swiftly dealt with them.
Wiping the blood off his claws, Arnold looked at Eamonn and the others. "Oh, a tough guy, huh? I like people like you! Today, I'll let you witness true terror!"
188 Level 2 genetic fruit
Eamonn also stared at Arnold, his face filled with an undisguised killing intent. From the aura emanating from the opponent and his previous actions, Eamonn immediately recognized Arnold's strength. However, he remained calm because he knew his own level was higher than Arnold's. At the same time, Arnold looked at Augustus, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Kid, if you want me to let her go, you have to prove your strength. Today, let me see what you're capable of!" Augustus said, clenching his fist, causing his knuckles to emit cracking sounds. In the next moment, he swiftly charged towards Arnold.
Seeing this, Arnold didn't dodge and instead directly extended his palm to meet Augustus's incoming fist head-on. However, Augustus's punch was incredibly powerful, and even the awakened werewolf ability of Arnold couldn't help him from instinctively taking two steps back.
"Very strong!" Arnold thought to himself, stabilizing his posture. He now truly assessed Augustus's strength, his face growing increasingly serious.
Augustus sneered and continued to charge towards Arnold. Witnessing Augustus's imposing momentum, Arnold activated his werewolf mode, roaring as he met him head-on.
Black blood coalesced around Augustus's body, as if under his control, transforming into various shapes and relentlessly attacking different parts of Arnold's body. Although Arnold managed to barely withstand each assault, the disparity in their power levels gradually made it more difficult for him.
Finally, Augustus seized an opportunity and directly pierced an arrow-shaped stream of blood into Arnold's arm. Arnold instantly felt the pain, leaping backward to create distance between them. Looking at the wound on his arm that was continuously bleeding, Arnold was somewhat surprised by the abilities and strength of the person before him. He didn't expect his opponent to be this strong and capable of manipulating blood for attacks. Both in terms of speed and power, Augustus surpassed him by far.
At this moment, Augustus toyed with a blob of blood in his hand, glancing at Arnold disdainfully. "You think you can be a hero with this level of strength? You don't even know how you'll die! Since you want to be a hero, I'll show you the price of being one!"
A cruel and violent aura erupted from Augustus's entire body as he prepared to deliver the final blow to Arnold. In his eyes, killing Arnold was as easy as squashing an ant, and the act of killing itself was an addictive pleasure!
"Augustus, let him go." Just as Augustus took his first step forward, Eamonn, who had been silent all along, spoke in a deep voice.
Hearing his boss's command, Augustus paused for a moment and asked in confusion, "boss, why keep this trash alive? He's useless."
Eamonn pondered for a moment and spoke again, "Until we find David, let's keep a low profile as much as possible. He is our ultimate enemy. Let him go, and let's hurry back."
Upon hearing Eamonn mention David's name, Arnold's heart skipped a beat. He scrutinized the two even more seriously. Hearing Eamonn's words, Augustus nodded and looked at Arnold, saying, "Kid, you're lucky today. My boss has spoken, so get lost!" With that, he turned around and got on the car, swiftly driving away.
Seeing the figures of the two leaving, Arnold hurried back to the base. From their conversation earlier, he understood that they had ill intentions towards David. Their ultimate goal was to kill David. Combined with their display of strength, Arnold felt that they could be a big problem for the Embers squad. He needed to inform David about this as soon as possible.
Soon, Arnold returned to the base and found David. Without even tending to his wounds, he quickly told David about what had happened.
"They're targeting me?" David said with a puzzled expression upon hearing Arnold's words.
Arnold nodded. "them strength is not low, and one of them can manipulate blood for attacks." David looked at the wound on Arnold's arm and nodded. He didn't understand why he had become the target of those two individuals, let alone this so-called "Murder God Gang."
When David heard the name of the faction, he found it amusing. So, these guys considered themselves killers, huh? Shaking his head with a smile, David instructed Arnold to quickly tend to his wounds. Although he was curious about this matter, he didn't dwell on it because that's how the post-apocalyptic world was. Deception and treachery were rampant, and people desired to possess everything around them. No one wanted to see others become stronger. If they did, would have to eliminate them.
Sally, who had heard Arnold's words, came downstairs. "Who are these people, after all?"
David looked at Sally and smiled faintly. "They're just survivors in this post-apocalyptic world. Don't worry, we haven't encountered any opponents that pose a threat to our Embers squad yet." As he spoke, he reached out and ruffled Sally's hair, evoking a sense of inexplicable security within her.
David then went back to the greenhouse on the second floor. Looking at the genetically modified fruits and various vegetables, he decided to modify them once again. The effects of the genetically modified fruits were particularly pronounced for the members of the squad. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐.๐๐ค๐ข
However, the effects were minimal for David, as he was already a Level 10 esper. The genetic fruits were only in their early stages, so their effects couldn't be fully manifested in him.
David called out to the system, "System, upgrade the genetic fruits."
[Ding! Host's request to upgrade the genetic fruits detected. It requires 100 primary crystals as the cost. Please confirm, Host.]
This was why David wanted to upgrade the genetic fruits. Unlike upgrading other objects, the upgrade for the genetic fruits only required primary crystals. And David had accumulated a considerable amount of primary crystals.
"Confirm the upgrade!" David decisively replied.
[Ding! The genetic fruits are upgrading! ]
[Ding! Upgrade complete! ]
[The genetic fruits have been upgraded to Level 2, doubling their functionality! ]
Listening to the system's voice, David looked at the fruits that had completed the upgrade. Their size had suddenly doubled compared to before, and even the emanating aura felt more substantial.
David picked one of the fruits, washed it with liquid, and took a bite. The taste was still crisp and delicious, just like before the upgrade, but once it entered his body, he felt a stronger surge of warmth.
David felt the power coursing through him and nodded in satisfaction. Although the genetic fruits could only enhance his physical and mental strength, they were still an excellent choice for daily energy supplementation. This ensured that the members of the squad would maintain their vitality during battles. David then picked the ripe genetic fruits and distributed them to the others.
After a few days of rest and recuperation inside the base, David decided to take the team members out for a training exercise. Prior to this, they had always trained in combat near the base and had never ventured out. They had practically wiped out the nearby zombies, so David wanted to take them further away to find some new ones. ๐ฏ๐๐๐ป๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ.๐๐ผ๐ฆ
Although this decision was somewhat risky, David pondered it and believed it was necessary. The reason was simple: the team members were eager to improve their rank and strength. The small number of low-level zombies no longer satisfied their needs; only more and higher-level zombies could rapidly enhance their abilities.
In the apocalypse, strength was paramount. Only by rapidly improving their own strength could they survive permanently in the apocalypse. So David informed everyone of this decision. Upon hearing about the training exercise, the team members immediately became excited.
"David, we should have gone further away a long time ago. We've already killed all the zombies in the vicinity," Arnold exclaimed excitedly, stretching his muscles. After a few days of rest, his arm, which had been injured by Augustus, had fully recovered. After experiencing the previous incident, Arnold was determined to quickly improve his rank and strength. He was determined to find the person who had injured him and seek revenge. As a resolute and courageous man, how could he let someone beat him without retaliating?
Charles also chimed in, "I've already calculated it. The weather has been good these past two days, which makes it a good time for a training exercise." David nodded, but he had only temporarily thought of this decision and hadn't decided where they would go.
Before the apocalypse, this city was the third largest in the country, with a permanent population of tens of millions and a monthly flow of several million people. Therefore, the area was vast, taking five to six hours by car to travel from the northernmost to the southernmost part of the city. Since the outbreak of the apocalypse, their team had been guarding this area and was completely unfamiliar with other regions.
In addition, since David wanted to find a place with more zombies, he needed to study it carefully. After pondering for a moment, he said to Charles, "Charles, can you calculate which place has the most zombies?"
Upon hearing David's words, Charles nodded. As his rank reached level six, his astrological abilities became stronger. Not only could he predict the weather, but he could also make detailed speculations about events in a certain area. He closed his eyes slightly, and Charles floated in mid-air, surrounded by a circle of stars.
After a moment, he gently landed on the ground and said to David, "There's a town called D town to the north, about seventy kilometers away from us. The zombie activity there is very strong."
David thought for a moment and immediately decided to go to D town in the north. It was not only a suitable distance, avoiding a long journey, but they could also reach there in half a day. What was more important was that he didn't sense any other danger from Charles's words; it seemed like the best place for the team members' training exercise.
Next, David took out a large piece of red cloth from the warehouse system and had Sally and Sophie make it into small flags. Arnold, Duke, and Charles loaded some drinking water and food onto the supply vehicle, and they also filled several combat vehicles with fuel and checked their conditions.
David then went to the greenhouse on the second floor, picked a few genetic fruits, washed them with a potion, and put them into a bag. This ensured that the team members would have the physical and mental energy for the journey. After completing all these tasks, the team members left the base.
"This is the set of three flags you asked Sophie and me to make," Sally handed the completed red flags to David. Taking the flags, David inserted them on one side of the engine hoods of three combat vehicles. For this training exercise, he prepared to deploy three combat vehicles. He and Sally would lead in the off-road vehicle, followed by Arnold and Sophie in the rescue vehicle, and Charles and Duke in the supply vehicle. This arrangement would not only allow all team members to practice their driving skills but also foster cooperation among them.
After David finished inserting the flags, he addressed everyone, saying, "These flags will help us better identify each other's vehicles. If anything unexpected happens, we can take down the flags to signal each other. During the drive, we can use the flags or honk the horn to communicate with the vehicles ahead and behind." Saying this, David stepped onto the off-road vehicle and demonstrated to the others how to use the horn to communicate important messages.
One honk meant everything was normal, two honks meant encountering danger, and three honks meant needing support. At the same time, David also taught them several common tactical gestures for actions during their operations. Everyone listened silently and committed them to memory. After the preparations were complete, the members of Ember Squad got into their cars.
Little Black and Cola jumped onto David's off-road vehicle. After rechecking the conditions of the vehicles, they slowly left the parking lot and headed towards D town.
On the other side, at the Phoenix Rising Squad base, Duane and Shirley had returned to their normal lives after a period of depression following Alvin's death. After all, they had to carry on with their lives; they couldn't let the death of a traitor disrupt their normal routines. As Shirley watched the three combat vehicles of Ember Squad slowly driving through each street on the screen, she became puzzled.
"What's going on? Why did they all go out? Are they going on a vacation or something?" Shirley wondered. The thought made her envious. She spent every day staring at these boring monitors while the members of David's squad went on a thrilling trip in their cool combat vehicles. Who wouldn't envy that?
"Captain, just look at their lives. That's what I call living. How about taking me on a trip too? Going out to relax would be nice!" Shirley complained. Hearing Shirley's grievances, Duane chuckled and looked at the three combat vehicles on the screen. Duane knew for sure that they weren't going on a vacation; they must have a purpose. Otherwise, the last supply vehicle wouldn't be carrying so much drinking water and supplies.
"Could it be that they're taking the team members out for a training exercise?" Duane guessed.
"What about it? Does Shirley want to go out too?" Duane asked, and Shirley quickly nodded like a pecking chicken.
"Then when David and the others go next time, I'll make sure they take you along. I don't have the luxury of time for such leisure," which immediately made Shirley hang her head and give Duane a resentful glare.
For Duane, the most important thing now was to uncover the secret of the Second Red Light. He knew that Alvin's death was highly suspicious. Why was he killed as soon as the Second Red Light was mentioned?
Duane knew that the person who killed Alvin was likely the key figure behind the Second Red Light. So Duane had been trying to find a way to locate them.
190 Not even worthy of licking my feet!
However, Duane had very little information about the mastermind behind the scenes. After several days of investigation, all he knew was that the person was a man in his twenties. This was deduced from the conversations he continuously listened to between Alvin and the mastermind on the surveillance recordings. Besides that, he knew nothing about the person.
Nevertheless, Duane didn't give up. He knew that after Alvin's death, the mastermind would continue to search for people like Alvin to do their bidding. So in recent days, he had been wandering around the city, trying to find people who seemed suspicious. However, most of the people he encountered were either zombies or ordinary individuals without any supernatural abilities.
After looking at some paper maps, Duane decided to go to a community called QS. Yesterday, an ordinary person had told him that a rat clan called the Murder God Gang had risen in the QS community. Overnight, they had practically taken over half of the city and killed many of their opponents.
This made Duane sense something abnormal, so he decided to investigate the Murder God Gang today. After studying the streets near the QS community, Duane prepared to leave the base.
"Captain, how about I go with you this time? I'm so bored here by myself. Don't worry, I won't hold you back. After all, I'm a Level 4 esper!" Shirley stood up quickly as she saw Duane preparing to leave. While speaking, she picked up her dagger, leaving no room for Duane to say anything.
Seeing this, Duane smiled helplessly. He knew that this girl had been feeling bored all alone at the base for the past few days and had wanted to go out for some fresh air. After considering it for a moment, he thought that it wouldn't hurt to take her along on this opportunity.
It would also help alleviate the suppressed emotions they both had been feeling these past couple of days. So Duane nodded at Shirley, and the two of them headed towards the QS community.
Along the way, they encountered several scattered zombies, all of which Shirley dispatched with a single slash of her dagger.
Soon, they arrived on a street near the QS community. Shirley was about to walk into the community when Duane pulled her back.
"Don't move, there are people at the entrance," Duane whispered. Shirley quickly crouched down and looked towards the community entrance. Indeed, two individuals were standing there, each holding a large machete. They appeared to be the gatekeepers.
"Captain, I can handle those two weaklings!" Shirley didn't even consider them a threat, drawing her dagger and preparing to charge over.
"Don't alert them!" Duane once again stopped Shirley.
"We're here today to gather information. If we alert them, it won't be good." From the ordinary person, Duane had learned that the two leaders of the Murder God Gang were quite powerful; otherwise, they wouldn't have subdued all the rat clans in the city overnight. Even some espers had died at their hands.
The purpose of Duane visit today was to see if there was any connection between the members of the Murder God Gang and the mastermind behind the scenes. If they were to alert them, not only would they not obtain any information, but they might also put themselves in danger. At that moment, one of the individuals at the entrance yawned and said something to the other person before walking to the nearby duty room and lying down, apparently falling asleep.
"Shirley, go and fetch that guy over there without alarming the other one," Duane said to Shirley as he looked at the remaining person.
Shirley nodded and stood up, walking confidently towards the gatekeeper. The man took a cigarette from his pocket and just lit it, holding it in his mouth. As he looked up, he saw Shirley striding towards him. Although Shirley had recently come of age, her figure had already developed beyond the ordinary.
Combined with Shirley's lively and charming aura, the man couldn't help but stare. Before he could say anything, Shirley approached him gently and said, "Big brother, my feet are hurting. Could you take me home? It's not far ahead."
As Shirley showed a pained expression, she looked at the man with a pitiful gaze. This caused Duane, who had been observing from a distance, to involuntarily twitch at the corner of his mouth. However, the man instantly succumbed to temptation!
"Don't worry, little sister. Big brother loves helping others! Why don't you come inside with me first, and I'll take a good look at your ankle?" The man stared at Shirley with a lecherous smile, his gaze fixed on the two bulging buns that couldn't be concealed by her clothes, eagerly rubbing his hands together. He never expected such a fortunate encounter today; he thought he should make the most of this opportunity and indulge himself.
"You're so kind, big brother! But you're not even worthy of licking my feet!" Shirley stared at the man with disdain, her tone suddenly becoming ice-cold.
The man was taken aback and then felt Shirley's knee strike his abdomen. His vision darkened, and he fell to the ground. When he opened his eyes again, he found his hands and feet bound, and Shirley and Duane standing before him.
"You little bitch! How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am?" the man said angrily, looking at Shirley.
"Smack!" Duane raised his hand and slapped the man's face hard. "Watch your mouth!" Duane's slap was forceful, and the man saw stars in front of his eyes.
"Tell me about the situation with your boss, or else..." Duane drew a chin-high dagger from his waist, its cold blade gleaming.
"You're dreaming! I advise you to release me quickly. Otherwise, when my boss finds out, you'll all die! You've provoked the Murder God Gang, and no one can escape!" The man, relying on Eamonn and Augu's power, began to become reckless.
Duane shook his head and glanced at him disdainfully. "you refuse to answer, you'll have to taste the penalty." In the next moment, Duane plunged the dagger into the man's thigh, and blood immediately flowed out. The man grimaced in pain, his face turning pale. ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐ค๐
"Will you talk now?" Duane raised the dagger again and asked.
"Big brother, big brother! I'll talk, please don't stab me anymore!" The man immediately surrendered, losing his previous arrogance. He then revealed what little information he knew about Eamonn and Augustus. As a low-ranking member, he wasn't aware of much known by the two bosses. He only knew that they hadn't awakened their esper abilities before and somehow became Level 6 espers.
"Level 6 espers?" Duane was surprised. He didn't expect these two guys to have such a high esper level, surpassing even him. He immediately speculated that they must have received assistance from the mastermind behind the scenes. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for them to become espers so these thoughts, Duane furrowed his brow.
If Duane's speculation was true, and the Murder God Gang was a puppet of the mastermind, then Duane believed that the Second red Light incident might happen again. The other party's goal was not only to bestow powers upon these individuals.
It could be about ruling the apocalypse, which immediately made Duane nervous. He knew what that meant for all espers and ordinary people in the apocalypse.
"Big brother... , I've told you everything. Can I go now?" Due to excessive blood loss from the wound on his thigh, the man's face became increasingly pale, and his voice trembled slightly.
Duane didn't have time to think about it. He waved his hand, signaling the man to leave quickly. His mind was now filled with speculations about the mastermind behind the scenes,It's too late to pay attention to this little brother.
"Thank you... Thank you, big brother! You're a good person!" The man said excitedly to Duane. Shirley then swiftly cut the ropes binding his hands and feet. He hurriedly got up from the ground, ignoring the pain in his thigh, and ran towards the community, afraid that Duane might change his mind.
"Quick, someone's causing trouble!" As soon as the man reached the gate, he abandoned his meek demeanor and shouted loudly inside.
Upon hearing his cry, twenty or thirty members of the Murder God Gang immediately rushed out, each holding a weapon.
"It's those two people! They were prying for information about our boss and even stabbed me! Brothers, capture them and claim the reward from our boss!" The man pointed at Duane and Shirley viciously. Consequently, the dozens of gang members wielding pipes and knives charged towards the two.
Realizing the situation, Duane immediately realized that he shouldn't have let the man go. Looking at the swarm of people, he reached into his treasure box and pulled out a neatly folded paper doll. As he threw it on the ground, the paper dolls suddenly came to life. Each one transformed into the size of a doll and charged towards the approaching gang members.
"Quick, let's get out of here!" Duane said to Shirley, taking this opportunity to leave the scene. They weren't afraid of these gang members; their concern was their Level 6 esper boss. If he appeared, Duane and Shirley would likely be no match for him. In this situation, it was better to retreat using different tactics.
The paper dolls rushed into the crowd of gang members, latching onto their legs and biting into their flesh. The gang members howled in pain, brandishing their weapons and striking the paper dolls.
Before long, the paper dolls that Duane had used as an escape plan were scattered on the ground, having been slashed and beaten. Nonetheless, a few of them continued launching surprise attacks, even with broken arms and legs.
"Boss, these two people don't want to live, daring to cause trouble on our Murder God Gang's turf." In front of a large French window in the QS community, Eamonn and Augustus stood there, watching Duane and Shirley escape.
"Leave them be. Alexander instructed us not to provoke any conflicts until David returns. During this time, focus on practicing the Rotten Blood. When David comes back, we'll have a meeting with that guy." Eamonn said in a deep voice.
Today, the two brothers had just met with Alexander and learned that David was not here these days. Alexander specifically instructed them to focus on practicing their abilities during this period and that they would "pay a visit" when David returned.
"Hmph! Just David? Is he worth making Alexander so afraid? If you ask me, we brothers should gather our men and charge into his lair. Even with random knives, we can kill him!" Augustus said disdainfully.
"Don't forget this was Alexander's order!" Eamonn's tone suddenly turned icy upon hearing Augustus's words. He glared at Augustus, causing him to immediately shut his mouth.
"Go and investigate the information about those two people we just encountered. Once we've dealt with the trouble that David presents, we'll find out more about them." Eamonn said once again.
"Leave it to me, I'll handle it." Augustus disappeared on the spot, turning into a streak of blood-red light as he chased after Duane and Shirley.
"Captain, they didn't follow us." Inside an abandoned convenience store, Duane and Shirley hid behind a shopping rack, continuously observing their surroundings. Seeing that no one was following them, Duane breathed a sigh of relief.
"Captain, those guys clearly aren't good people. Why didn't we take care of them? It's been a while since I've had a fight. My Flowery will rust soon," Shirley said with disappointment, her hand resting on the knife at her waist. Flowery was the name of her knife, and complementing Shirley's awakened water-based ability.
"They have a large number of people, plus two Level 6 awakened espers. It's too risky to confront them directly. I won't gamble with our lives, mine and yours," Duane replied, emphasizing that their lives were not to be risked in a direct confrontation.
Just then, a streak of crimson light suddenly exploded in Duane's peripheral vision!
"Watch out!" Duane immediately realized the danger, pulling Shirley and leaping in the opposite direction of the convenience store. "Boom!" The shelf they had been hiding behind moments ago was struck by the crimson light, creating a loud noise. The light vanished, and Augustus slowly appeared in front of them.
"I heard... you two were looking for me?" Augustus looked at Duane with a smile, and then his gaze shifted to Shirley. He licked his lips, a lecherous grin forming on his face.
Although Eamonn instructed him to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Augustus, who had long lost his restraint, didn't listen. Combined with Shirley's enticing figure that made him drool, he was determined to indulge himself today.
Seeing Augustus, Duane stood up, furrowing his brow. He knew that this man was likely one of the leaders of the Murder God Gang, which immediately made him cautious. Shirley also seemed to sense the danger, her right hand firmly gripping Flowery, ready to draw the knife at any moment.
"We're just passing through. You've mistaken us for someone else," Duane calmly stated, while constantly seeking an opportunity to leave the convenience store. However, there was only one door, and there was no other way out.
"I advise you to be honest. The Murder God Gang is not open for inquiry by just anyone. If you provoke me, believe me, I will have my way with this little girl right in front of you and then dismember you and feed dog," Augustus said casually, his eyes also growing more intense as he looked at Shirley.
192 The First Battle
Looking at the extremely arrogant Augustus, Duane stared at him cautiously, his face showing a hint of seriousness. It was evident that the opponent's strength surpassed his own, and engaging in a direct confrontation wouldn't be a wise choice.
Furthermore, Shirley was by his side, and if anything went wrong, she would be in danger. It was clear that something was off about the way Augustus looked at Shirley. After a moment of thought, Duane spoke to Augustus, "We have no grievances or disputes with you; we're just passing through."
Unexpectedly, Augustus burst into laughter upon hearing Duane's words. "Hahaha! No grievances or disputes? Just passing through? Then how do you explain injuring my subordinate? Don't think a few words can deceive me. Today, you must give me an explanation!" As he spoke, a corruptive blood erupted from Augustus's body, continuously swirling around his palm. Subsequently, the corruptive blood formed a black blood sphere in his hand, continuously rotating and emitting an extremely violent aura.
Seeing the blood sphere, Duane slowly reached for the treasure box at his chest, while Shirley immediately placed her hand on Flowery. Duane knew that this guy wouldn't let them go today, and the only thing they could do was to fight him.
At this moment, Augustus lowered his head, fixating on the blood sphere in his palm, his face showing a bloodthirsty expression. Seeing this, Duane furrowed his brow and said to Shirley, "Take action!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Shirley didn't hesitate to draw Flowery from its sheath! Just as Flowery was unsheathed, faint sounds of flowing water could be heard, as if an underground spring flowed through the blade, emitting flickering starlight.
Duane immediately took out a paper doll from the treasure box and threw it on the ground. The paper doll instantly grew in size. He then grabbed an ax and charged towards Augustus behind the paper doll.
Seeing that they were actually making the first move, Augustus smirked and disdainfully looked at their approaching figures. He viciously threw the blood sphere in his hand towards the paper doll! Boom! The blood sphere exploded instantly amidst the paper doll! The huge explosion shattered the paper doll into fragments.
At the same time, Duane and Shirley also reached Augustus's front. "Aqua Wave Slash!" Shirley raised Flowery and executed a diagonal slash towards Augustus. A blue ripple burst forth from Flowery's blade, directly rushing toward Augustus's chest.
"Hehe, a petty trick. How dare you wield an axe before me! You really underestimate me," Augustus sneered, raising his arm and using the corrosive blood that burst forth to instantly break through Shirley's Aqua Wave Slash.
In that moment, Duane's axe also swung down towards Augustus's head. The axe struck Augustus's sleeve, producing the sound of metal colliding.
Duane focused his gaze and discovered that his body was covered in a layer of black blood that he didn't know when it had appeared. When the axe struck it, its power was instantly absorbed.
Duane was shocked! He didn't expect this guy's control over blood to be so powerful that he could use it as a defensive layer. While Duane was pondering, a blood sphere once again formed in Augustus's palm and flew towards Duane's chest.
"Bad move!" Duane inwardly exclaimed, swiftly opening the treasure box and taking out a black iron block! The iron block instantly expanded into a shield over one meter tall. At the same time, he threw a smoke bomb on the ground with force. Boom! The blood sphere exploded on the shield, creating a strong sound. The white mist inside the smoke bomb instantly diffused, completely obstructing Augustus's vision. When the dense fog dissipated, Duane and Shirley had already escaped the area.
"Heh, useless!" Augustus, sensing the direction in which the two were fleeing, sneered contemptuously. Taking advantage of the smoke bomb, Duane immediately grabbed Shirley and ran far away.
Inside an abandoned gas station,Duane and Shirley crouched inside a room, observing the commotion outside. When they realized that the person hadn't caught up with them, Duane finally relaxed.
"Cough, cough!" Suddenly, Duane began coughing continuously, and a trace of fresh blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Captain, are you injured?" Shirley asked anxiously upon seeing this.
Although the shield appeared in time to absorb most of the impact from the blood orb, the tremendous force still struck Duane. He felt intense pain in his chest. After catching his breath for a moment, Duane regained his strength.
"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Seeing Duane's complexion improving, Shirley finally felt relieved.
"Who exactly is that person? How can they be so powerful?" Shirley expressed her confusion, recalling Augustus's attack. Despite being at Level 4, her swordsmanship with the "Flower " sword was exquisite. However, her signature move, the "Water Ripple Slash," was effortlessly countered by the opponent.
"That person's strength has reached Level 6. We are simply no match for them." Duane realized that only David could completely defeat that person.
However, David had already taken the team out for training, so even if Duane wanted to seek his help, he wouldn't be able to find him. Additionally, considering the large number of subordinates the other side had, Duane understood that engaging in a direct confrontation was not a wise choice. To defeat that person, comprehensive preparation was necessary.
From Augustus's moves earlier, Duane deduced that he was definitely connected to the mastermind behind the scenes. Otherwise, his every move wouldn't carry such a strong ominous aura, just like the aura emitted by Alvin in the past.
This realization strengthened Duane's determination that the other person must know the identity of the mastermind. After resting for a while, Duane returned to the base with Shirley. He planned to wait for David's return and discuss a strategy with him.
"David went to D Town. Send some people to entertain him. Remember, during this time, focus on practicing the Decay Blood ability. When David returns, let them witness your strength," Alexander suddenly appeared before Eamonn and Augustus, who respectfully nodded.
After a while, Alexander's ethereal figure turned to Augustus, causing him to shudder. "Remember, don't cause unnecessary trouble. Those two individuals are just small fry at Levels 4 and 5. Don't worry about them,"
Augustus paused for a moment, immediately understanding Alexander's unspoken message, and hastily nodded. "Alexander, rest assured, we, the two brothers, will never cause trouble for you."
"That's good to hear. Make sure to arrange this matter quickly and make their journey more entertaining," Alexander finished speaking with a cold laugh, then vanished from the spot.
At this moment, David continued leading the team on their way to D Town. Along the way, they encountered several zombies, all of which were crushed into a pile of flesh by David's modified off-road vehicle. The vehicle, after modifications, was extremely powerful in combat. ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๐๐
David acted as the point man, and the two vehicles behind him didn't encounter any danger. Glancing at the map, David realized they still had over half an hour until they reached D Town.
"How about we stop and have some food? Everyone hasn't eaten all day, and I'm sure we're all hungry," Sally, sitting in the passenger seat, suggested, patting her rumbling stomach.
After a brief moment of consideration, David glanced at the sky outside the car window. It was around 3 PM, the sun hadn't set yet, and the outside was still bright. Thinking that they would reach D Town in about half an hour, he decided to let the team take a break. They could replenish their energy and relieve the tension from driving for so long.
David nodded to Sally and prepared to signal the two vehicles behind him. Just as he rolled down the car window, he suddenly heard Arnold honking the horn loudly. "Honk! Honk!" The two crisp horn sounds instantly rang in everyone's ears.
"Danger!" Upon hearing these two horn sounds, David immediately realized that it was a danger signal from Arnold. He quickly turned his head to observe the surroundings. As expected, in a thicket of bushes, he saw two towering and immensely tall zombies. They were approximately three meters tall, with decaying muscles clinging to their bone-white bodies, which was still unsettling to behold.
These two zombies had been staring fixedly at them for some time, and there seemed to be traces of blood on their mouths, as if they were in the midst of eating something. Sally also noticed these two zombies and was immediately startled by their imposing appearance.
However, with David by her side, she quickly calmed down. David decisively stepped on the brakes, stopping the vehicle about thirty meters away from the towering zombies. Arnold and Charles, seeing the situation, also parked their vehicles behind the off-road car.
"David, these two look different," Arnold approached and stared at the zombies, commenting.
"They seem to be holding something in their hands. I saw them repeatedly stuffing it into their mouths," Charles joined the conversation.
David assessed the two zombies. Although their towering height was intimidating, they were merely ordinary high-level zombies. He also noticed that the two zombies were holding green, sturdy objects, each dripping with fresh blood.
"Roar! Roar!" The two zombies had long noticed David's team and were now emitting low growls, seemingly warning them not to approach. They once again forcefully bit into the green, sturdy objects in their hands. Blood trickled down their mouths, making their already decaying bodies appear even more eerie and horrifying.
Observing the two zombies, David spoke to the others, "These two seem to have some strength. It's a good opportunity for you all to practice."
Having understood David's intention, Sally nodded and reassured her not to be afraid. Since they all knew what David meant, they confidently stepped forward. Their purpose for going out on this training mission was to hunt and kill zombies to improve their level and strength. Now that prey had come to their doorstep, they couldn't waste the opportunity.
Sally nodded and followed the three others as they approached the two zombies. Meanwhile, David leaned against the off-road vehicle, watching with interest. As someone approached the zombies, the creatures instantly became more aggressive, continuously emitting deafening roars, seemingly trying to drive them away.
"Heh, are these beasts afraid of us? They will obediently meet their death right there!" Arnold sneered and immediately activated his werewolf mode, pouncing towards the two zombies. Duke also promptly activated his shadow manipulation ability, attempting to control the bodies of the two zombies. Sally steadfastly waved her arms, triggering bursts of lightning.
With the support and assistance of Sophie and Charles from behind, a well-formed battle team quickly emerged before the two zombies. Arnold, who led the charge, was brimming with fighting spirit. Among all the team members, he was the most determined to improve his strength.
Having been defeated by Augustus not long ago, he vowed to significantly enhance his abilities during this training mission, so that he could seek revenge against Augustus. Thus, he maximized his werewolf form, continuously leaping back and forth between the two zombies. During his jumps, he swung his sharp wolf claws fiercely across their bodies.
At the same time, Sally directed two lightning bolts directly at the zombies, striking them forcefully. Sparks flew, and a thick white smoke instantly rose from the bodies of the zombies.
It was evident that the sudden assault by Arnold and Sally had inflicted significant damage on the zombies. However, the team did not show any signs of stopping. Their attacks grew increasingly fierce with each wave. Within five minutes, with their relentless combined assault, they managed to kill the two high-level zombies right on the spot.
Silently nodding his head as he observed their coordination, David recognized the embryonic form of their team's combat skills. During the recent battle, he realized that their team had begun to display the combat prowess they should possess. This reassured him that their hard work during this period had not been in vain.
As they looked at the lifeless bodies of the two zombies that slowly fell to the ground, Arnold examined the green, sturdy objects they held in their hands. He then discovered that they were actually a large python, which had been split in half by their attack. This revelation made him recall the feeding behavior of the zombies earlier. He immediately understood that they had encountered these unexpected guests while enjoying their feast.
David approached the two zombie corpses, looking at the mangled python that had been partially devoured. He was silently surprised as he realized that the snake was at least ten meters long, with a body as thick as a water barrel. However, after being gnawed on by the two zombies, its body had gradually diminished in size.
"Is there even a mutated python here?" David furrowed his brows and said. He also came to the realization that there were likely many zombies in this area.
After all, in the post-apocalyptic world, mutant creatures coexisted with zombies. The fact that such a large snake existed indicated that there must be a significant number of zombies in the vicinity. While David was contemplating this, the voice of the system suddenly sounded in his ears.
194 Windfall
[DING! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a Beast Pill!]
"Beast Pill!" David raised an eyebrow upon hearing the system's voice, showing a hint of excitement. He hadn't expected to obtain a Beast Pill from the remains of the mutated python, so it was an unexpected gain. A pale green Beast Pill appeared in his consciousness.
With a thought, David stored the Beast Pill in the warehouse system.
[DING! Congratulations, Host, for triggering a hundred-fold critical strike!]
[DING! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a hundred Beast Pills!]
As David looked at the hundred pale green Beast Pills in the warehouse, he silently nodded. Although they were of no use to him, they were a treasure trove for Cola and Little Black to enhance their levels and strength.
However, David didn't plan to feed the Beast Pills to them right away. The most important thing at the moment was to reach D Town before nightfall. Otherwise, the road to D Town would become even more dangerous in the dark.
Thus, David called out to everyone to eat some genetic fruits on the spot. Once their physical and mental energies were restored to a satisfactory level, they got back into the vehicles and continued driving towards D Town.
Finally, after over half an hour, the Ember Squad arrived at D Town. As they drove into the small town, an extremely chilling aura greeted them. Even though they were sitting in their vehicles, they could still sense the thick atmosphere of gloom.
"Such overwhelming Yin energy. There must be many zombies here," Sally said with a serious expression as she looked at the visible Yin energy.
David continued to survey the surroundings. Before coming, he had researched some information about D Town. Compared to other towns, it was considerably larger, with a permanent population of over ten thousand. This led to a vast area with numerous houses, providing good hiding places.
At that moment, Charles, who was in the rear supply vehicle, suddenly honked the horn twice. Before David could inquire about it, he heard a commotion around them. He quickly turned his head and saw that, at some point, more than a dozen zombies had appeared amidst the Yin energy. These zombies, as if they hadn't encountered humans for a long time, rushed towards them in a race.
Seeing this, Sally immediately held onto David's arm tightly. "Why are there suddenly so many zombies?"
David chuckled lightly and then decisively stepped on the vehicle's accelerator. The massive engine roared to life! The off-road vehicle emitted a plume of black smoke as it charged into the horde of zombies. To David, these zombies were mere ants; there was no need for him to get out of the vehicle to hunt them. The modified post-apocalyptic vehicle alone was enough to crush them under its wheels.
Witnessing David's actions, Arnold and Charles followed suit, driving their vehicles into the horde of zombies. Soon, a chorus of agonized screams echoed from outside the vehicle windows. Amidst these screams, there was a trace of maniacal laughter.
"The more joyfully they laugh, the more tragic their deaths are." David smiled faintly and turned the steering wheel once again.
Within three minutes, the dozen or so zombies that had suddenly appeared were completely flattened into mush by the three vehicles. Only then did David open the car door and slowly step out of the war vehicle. The stench emitted by the zombie corpses on the ground was nauseating.
David furrowed his brow and paid no further attention to those zombies. He parked the vehicles in an open area with Arnold and Charles, and the six of them started making their way deeper into D Town.
"There might be zombies appearing in the town at any time. Stay alert, everyone," David reminded them, recalling Charles' earlier prediction. Each team member nodded in agreement, cautiously surveying their surroundings.
Roars of zombies echoed in the distance, catching their attention. They looked up and saw dozens of zombies emerging from the darkness, their greedy expressions evident upon seeing the group.
David remained composed, his expression unchanged. Before he could give any orders, Arnold and Duke charged ahead without hesitation. Sally and Charles protected Sophie, forming a defensive line around her.
Observing his teammates' actions, David decided to once again watch the show. Fortunately, these were just dozens of low-level zombies, posing no significant threat to the team members. In just a short time, they eradicated the entire group.
The voice of the system continued to sound in David's ears.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a primary crystal!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundredfold critical strike, obtaining a hundred primary crystals!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining one...]
Just after arriving in D Town, David effortlessly obtained over a thousand primary crystals. Although primary crystals had limited use for David, he still wore a satisfied smile on his face. In the post-apocalyptic world, no one could afford to overlook any resources. Even seemingly insignificant items could determine life and death.
With no zombies in sight, David led the team members to continue their journey towards the center of the town. Cola and Little Black followed closely by David's side, projecting a mighty and protective aura.
Soon, they reached the central square of D Town, surrounded by various abandoned shops that had turned into ruins. After spotting David, the rats in the ruins squeaked incessantly. However, what surprised everyone was the absence of the chilling aura they had encountered when entering the town.
Logically, there should be a larger concentration of zombies in this area, and the absence of the ominous aura seemed unusual. Could Charles have miscalculated? David entertained this thought briefly but quickly dismissed it. He had great faith in Charles' abilities. Curiosity piqued, David instructed the team to disperse and search in different directions.
"Damn it! I thought D Town would be my chance for a comeback, to grow and prosper. Who would've thought there's nothing here except zombies and mutant rats!" A chubby man in the northeastern direction of the town, shaking the blood off his large cleaver, expressed his disappointment. It was the same man who had stolen the gene fruits from David's greenhouse earlier. At his feet lay the lifeless body of a zombie, clearly dispatched by his cleaver.
Chapter 195 performing in a play
The town was quiet at this moment, and a crescent moon in the sky intermittently appeared and disappeared among the clouds. The members of the Embers squad continued to search for any signs of activity in the middle of the town.
David felt that the atmosphere here was unusually silent, indicating that something was amiss. Based on Charles's speculation, Town D was likely a place densely populated by zombies. The constant encounters with zombie hordes along the way confirmed that this was a dangerous gathering place. Why did it suddenly become so quiet?
"Everyone, stay alert. There must be something unusual going on," David instructed the others. They nodded in agreement and cautiously surveyed their surroundings. After crossing the square, they came across a massive building. There was a stage on top of the structure, with numerous open-air benches below.
As David carefully observed, he noticed that it was a theater, albeit long abandoned and in a dilapidated state. Just as his gaze was about to shift away from the theater, he suddenly spotted something peculiar on the stage.
David quickly focused his gaze and saw a head popping out from behind the tattered curtains. It was examining the benches below the stage as if they were occupied.
"There's something happening on the stage!" David furrowed his brow and informed the team members. Upon hearing David's words, everyone turned their attention to the ragged curtains. Indeed, they saw the eerie head, which startled them.
It appeared to be the head of a child, with a bloody hole on top, blood oozing from its eye sockets. A pair of decaying hands gripped the curtains, revealing nothing but bare white bones. It seemed unaware of David and the others, still stretching its head to observe the benches below the stage, like a performer readying for a show, observing the audience.
"Wow, this little one turned into a zombie already?" Arnold stared at the child and remarked, preparing to approach.
"Whether it's a child or not, once it becomes a zombie, it's our target to hunt. Better to die early and be reincarnated sooner. Uncle is here to lend you a hand!" As Arnold prepared to take action, David quickly reached out and stopped him.
"Don't act rashly. Let's observe first." David said this because he noticed that this child zombie wasn't immediately attacking them like the other zombies they had encountered. He also found the behavior peculiar. There was no one below the stage, so why was it continually staring?
"Thud!" Just as David was contemplating, a sound suddenly rang out.
"What was that?" Sally asked, startled. Everyone looked up at the stage again and found that the child zombie had disappeared, replaced by a relatively young zombie standing on one side of the stage. He held a drumstick and was forcefully striking a large drum.
"Thump, thump, thump!" The drumbeat grew increasingly intense. As if responding to the rhythm, the moon in the sky slowly emerged from behind the dark clouds. Its pale, blood-red light instantly cast upon the town. ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ๐
Then, a horrifying scene appeared before everyone's eyes. The previously empty benches below the stage were suddenly filled with all sorts of zombies. They sat quietly, heads lifted, gazing at the young zombie on the stage. It seemed as if they were waiting to witness a captivating performance. This stunned the group, prompting them to quickly retreat.
Just now, David casually scanned the seats and counted more than a hundred of them. And all these seats were filled to the brim. In other words, there were more than a hundred zombies right in front of them. Duke couldn't help but inhale sharply at the sight of the densely packed zombies.
"Are they watching a play? Why are they motionless? They haven't even noticed us," Sophie asked, puzzled.
After observing for a while, David nodded. Based on the current situation, it seemed that these more than a hundred zombies were waiting to watch a show. However, he didn't understand why these ferocious zombies suddenly became so quiet, as if under control. So he once again turned his gaze to the stage. He felt that the answer might lie there.
After a moment, the drumbeat suddenly ceased, and the young zombie looked toward the other side of the stage, as if waiting for something. Suddenly, the child zombie from earlier reappeared before everyone's eyes. It glanced at the zombies below the stage, then performed a series of consecutive backflips from one side of the stage to the center. After completing these moves, the child zombie raised its head and looked at the zombies below, seemingly waiting for applause.
The young zombie struck the drum heavily once again. "Thud!" With that drumbeat, the more than a hundred zombies below, as if manipulated, raised their hands and applauded, creating a resounding noise. Each zombie mechanically clapped its hands while staring at the two individuals on the stage.
Upon hearing the drumbeat, David, unintentionally, wanted to clap his hands as well, but he quickly suppressed the impulse. The other team members also experienced the same thing, looking at their own hands in confusion.
"What's going on? Why did I feel the urge to clap? Yeah, I almost couldn't resist when the drumbeat started!" Everyone realized what had happened and asked in astonishment.
Furrowing his brow, David immediately understood that there must be something mysterious about the drumbeat of the young zombie. Otherwise, the more than a hundred zombies wouldn't suddenly appear with the sound of the drumbeat, nor would they feel the urge to clap.
Mind control? This speculation immediately crossed David's mind. However, he continued to observe and saw the child zombie, listening to the applause, with a smug expression on its face. At the same time, its eyes drifted towards David and the others, and a hint of extra blood appeared in its eye sockets, while its mouth revealed an indiscernible but infuriated anger.
The young zombie struck the drum again, and the child zombie slowly walked to its side, continuing to silently observe one side of the stage.
"Is there more?" Seeing the synchronized actions of the two individuals, David immediately made a guess.
Sure enough, a zombie dressed in the attire of an old opera character suddenly appeared before his eyes. This "old opera" zombie had bones exposed on its face, but it wore theatrical makeup. Its clothes were tattered, unable to conceal its exposed internal organs. Nevertheless, it opened its mouth, and fragmented lines of dialogue floated out.
"Behold, my lord, irresistible tears... tears flow down my face. In my heart, it feels as if thousands of arrows pierce through. Look at me, my lord, my black hair is tied up together. Look at me, my lord, the red embroidered shoes on my feet are wearing thin." These lines sounded especially desolate from the old opera zombie's mouth, evoking faint cries from the zombies in the audience.
Chapter 196 to show one's power
๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐ฐ๐
The old opera character became more and more engrossed in singing, waving the tattered sleeves of his robe in the air, his expression filled with intense was taken aback. He didn't expect this guy to be able to speak like a normal person, albeit intermittently. Compared to the zombies that only sneered, he was like a bug. This immediately made David understand the opponent's strength. Combined with the eerie and miserable aura emanating from him, David felt that his power was even more terrifying than a typical esper.
At that moment, the old opera character opened his mouth again. "Look at my face, changed by the torment. Look at me, wrongly accused, when will justice be served? From now on, sever the ties between us. I'll wait for you at the gates of the netherworld after I die." His voice became increasingly mournful, and blood started flowing from his eyes.
With each line he sang, the young zombie on the side of the stage struck the drum, and the more than a hundred zombies below began to restlessly stir. It was evident that they were being controlled by the sound of the drum.
"Wuwu..." At that moment, David suddenly heard sobbing beside him. He quickly turned his head and saw that Sophie and Sally's faces were now covered in tears. Arnold, Duke, and Charles also remained motionless, gazing at the old opera character on the stage, their expressions filled with pain.
"This is bad!" David muttered to himself, his expression turning serious. He didn't expect his team members to be manipulated by the drumbeat. Meanwhile, Sophie and Sally's footsteps began to slowly move, attempting to approach the stage.
Upon seeing this, David immediately took out a Gene Fruit and broke it into two pieces, stuffing them into the mouths of the two. As the Gene Fruit turned into juice and entered their stomachs, the two gradually regained their senses.
"What happened to me? Why did I suddenly burst into tears for no reason?" Sally wiped the tears from her face and asked in confusion. The modified Gene Fruit helped enhance their focus, freeing them from the control of the old opera character and the drumbeat.
"Quick, give them the Gene Fruit!" David instructed the others.
Arnold and the others also slowly snapped out of it, their faces filled with horror as they looked at the old opera character on the stage. If it weren't for David's timely intervention, they would have likely ended up sitting among the zombies, becoming one of them.
At this moment, David focused his gaze on the more than a hundred zombies below the stage. He noticed that some of them hadn't begun to decay, and their clothes remained intact. It was evident that they had recently become zombies and had been manipulated by the individuals on stage. Zombies capable of manipulating normal people, and even espers?
David looked at the three individuals on stage with a cold expression. At that moment, the old opera character finally stopped. After scanning the zombies, he inadvertently glanced at David and the others, revealing a trace of malice in his eyes. However, he quickly walked to the side of the child zombie and continued to look towards the other side of the stage.
"Is there more?" David furrowed his brow.
Soon, a remarkably melodious voice came from behind the curtains. Then, a woman wearing a bright red opera costume and embroidered red shoes suddenly appeared before his eyes. Just as he glanced at her, David suddenly felt a trance-like sensation, but he quickly regained his composure.
However, when the other team members' gazes met the woman, their bodies froze, and they began walking towards the vacant seats in front of her. Their speed was so fast that it didn't give David any time to intervene. In the blink of an eye, the five of them were sitting among the crowd of zombies, becoming their members. Cola and Little Black also lay on the ground, beginning to fall into a deep sleep.
David initially wanted to rush over and pull his teammates out, but the woman on stage burst into laughter once again and then began singing, just like the old opera character before.
"Heartless man, how miserable I am! You abandoned me, how cruel you are! In this life, you shall not die peacefully! In the next life, you shall become an ox or a horse!" Similar to before, the atmosphere instantly turned tragic. Tears welled up in Sally and Sophie's eyes once again, and Charles and the others were the same.
David knew that the woman's manipulation was much stronger than that of the previous three. She was likely the most powerful among them. However, this kind of manipulation seemed to have no effect on David.
After all, David had awakened three different sequential abilities, and one of them was the Mental series. Even though his Mental abilities were not powerful before Level 10, with David's level, he could easily resist the manipulation. The woman stopped singing this time, raised her head, and looked at sneering a few times, she suddenly asked, "Are you that heartless man? Why do you disregard us like this?"
As she spoke, the other three individuals on the stage also stood up, staring intently at David. David remained calm, looking back at them without saying a word, but the Space Blades slowly appeared in his hands.
Enraged, the child zombie pointed at David and roared, "Why didn't you applaud earlier? Was my performance not good enough?"He seemed as if he wanted to devour David right now. The old opera character also took a step forward, pointing his broken fingers at David and saying, "Was my acting not good enough? Wasn't my suffering enough?"
As he spoke, the young zombie struck the drum heavily once again. David continued to watch their performance with cold eyes. The woman then moved her footsteps, waving her water sleeve towards a dilapidated house in the distance. "Boom!" Amidst her mocking laughter, the house suddenly collapsed into a pile of rubble. Rising dust floated in the air, obscuring the dim moonlight.
David merely glanced at it and shook his head. "A show of strength?" He didn't even consider the woman a threat. Now he only wanted to rescue his teammates. He looked at Sally and the others, then walked towards them without hesitation. He first reached out and pulled Arnold, but Arnold remained motionless, staring blankly at the woman on stage with an expression of sorrow. No matter how David pulled him, he didn't budge.
"You, so fond of watching plays, I'll let you have your fill when we get back." David said with a bitter smile.
However, at that moment, the child zombie was completely enraged by David's actions. "You're a bad person! You're not allowed to harm our audience!" As soon as he finished speaking, he flew towards David with a fierce expression!
David couldn't be bothered to draw his sword against such weak opponents. He simply tore them apart with a spatial rift. Glancing at the pool of flesh and blood on the ground, David continued to shake Arnold.
No matter how hard David tried, Arnold remained motionless, his expression still fixed on the three individuals on stage.
This made David realize that the only way to awaken his teammates was to kill those three individuals completely. So he stood up and looked at them.
Seeing the child zombie being killed by David with a single strike, the three individuals on stage showed expressions of grief. The old opera character trembled as he stood there, blood seeping out from his skin. The drumming zombie tightly clenched the drumstick in his hand, gnashing his teeth as he stared at David.
"You killed our child! You... shall die!" The woman in the opera costume glared at David, and her water sleeves billowed with the wrath emanating from within her.
Seeing their angry expressions, David smiled faintly and extended his finger towards themsaying, "or all together? Don't waste my time."
As soon as he finished speaking, the young drumming zombie leaped into the air, and the drumstick in his hand instantly grew to over two meters long. The drumstick exuded a ferocious and brutal aura, causing the zombies in the front row to cry out in pain.
The young zombie raised the oversized drum without hesitation and swung it down towards David's head, shouting, "You killed our child, and now you won't live!"
David looked at his soaring figure, clenched his right fist, and fiercely punched his head. "Splat!" David's punch struck his head forcefully.
Instantly, his head was smashed to pieces by David's powerful punch, and various fluids splattered in the air. Without a chance to cry out, the headless body of the young zombie fell heavily to the ground, motionless. David shook off the blood and flesh from his fist, feeling disgusted. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐.๐ค๐๐ฎ
"How dare you! Our troupe cannot tolerate your unruly behavior! You shall pay for your crimes with your life! I shall send you on your way!" Saying this, the old opera character's face revealed a touch of sorrow, and he started singing the previous lines again.
"As this old servant dies, are you at peace? A vengeful ghost, destroying your homeland! Lead me and the little ghost, making you suffer!" With the old opera character's lines resounding, the zombies sitting in the front row suddenly began to revolt. They slowly stood up, revealing their long fangs, and turned their heads to fix their gaze on David.
Under the manipulation of the old opera character's singing, these zombies changed their previous dull appearance and activated their fighting ability. The old opera character continued singing, his hunched body undulating like a blowing fan. David could even see his lung lobes expanding and contracting. These activated zombies kept baring their fangs and claws at David, exuding a much stronger aura than ordinary zombies.
David immediately understood that the old opera character's voice not only attracted the zombies but also increased their combat power. It was a kind of battle empowerment. The old opera character on stage continued to sing in agony, and more blood seeped out from his body, forming a pool of blood at his feet. In his lines, he seemed to be accusing someone who had killed him, vowing not to let him go even in the afterlife.
then,these zombies began to rush towards David, leaving large pits in the cement ground wherever they passed. Their combat power seemed to be off the charts! Looking at these ferocious and menacing individuals, David shook his head. He had no intention of explaining himself to those who underestimated his strength. After all, battle prowess often made things clearer for them.
Without further thought, David raised the spatial blade in his hand and charged towards them like a gust of wind. With just one charge, David passed through the zombie horde and reached their rear. Waving the spatial blade, he turned to face the zombies.
"Boom! Boom!" Suddenly, the zombies started to violently explode! The spatial blade's 20% critical hit attribute instantly killed them. David disdainfully looked at the old actor on the stage, wondering what else he had up his sleeve.
The old actor's face turned even darker after David's attack. He stopped and looked at David resentfully, while the blood pool at his feet began to bubble.
"You... You'll pay!" The old actor pointed at David again, his voice hoarse.
David had no interest in continuing to tangle with these trash. He charged onto the stage and swiftly slashed the spatial blade across the old actor's neck. "Gurgle... Gurgle." The old actor's head rolled on the ground like a watermelon. The blood pool on the floor slowly disappeared.
Next, David turned his gaze towards the woman. As soon as David charged onto the stage, she took a step back, keeping a distance of four to five meters between them. Witnessing the death of her family at David's hands, the woman couldn't bear the pain any longer and let out a mournful cry.
"Damn it! Damn it! You killed my grandfather, my brother, and my child! I will make you pay with your own blood!" The woman screamed in anguish, her entire demeanor becoming ferocious. Floating in mid-air, her crimson robe appeared even more sinister and terrifying under the cold moonlight.
"I will kill you and make sure you never rest in peace!" The woman hovered in mid-air, frantically waving her water sleeves towards the vast stage.
Suddenly, streams of black light burst out from her water sleeves, fiercely rushing towards the stage. As the black light touched the stage, it instantly collapsed into ruins, accompanied by a deafening explosion!
The woman's strike had actually blasted the entire stage into ruins! Laughing excitedly at the falling beams and stones, she exclaimed, "Hahaha! Whoever provokes me shall die!"
With a resentful gaze at the ruins, she seemed to believe that the human from earlier had been buried beneath the rubble.
"Are you looking for me?" Just as she reveled in her triumph, David's voice suddenly came from behind her. Startled, the woman quickly turned around, intending to continue waving her water sleeves. However, David wouldn't give her the chance. The spatial blade flashed with a cold light as it moved through his hand!
"Ah!" A cry of pain echoed through the air! David's strike had directly slashed her neck. Clutching her neck in agony, the woman's face contorted. Without giving her a chance to react, David threw a punch towards her chest, his fist tearing through the air and landing directly on her chest...
The woman in the robe was directly smashed through the chest by David's punch. David's powerful spatial ability allowed him to generate spatial fluctuations when throwing a punch, delivering a force far beyond what a zombie could withstand.
Wide-eyed, the woman in the robe fell to the ground in disbelief. In the instant she fell, her body began to decay slowly, and a swarm of golden-shelled insects suddenly flew out from her decaying corpse.
Not only her, but the three zombies killed by David earlier had the same outcome. As these golden-shelled insects emerged from their bodies, the flesh turned into black, unidentifiable objects. The insects then flew northeast toward the town.
Watching these disappearing insects, David looked puzzled. However, the most important thing at the moment was his teammates. He walked over to Arnold, who had already regained consciousness and no longer had a vacant expression. It wasn't just ArnoldโSally, Sophie, and the others were also gradually returning to normal.
"David, what happened just now? Why was I crying? Where are those actors?" Arnold touched the tears on his face, puzzled.
David didn't have time to explain to them because the commotion from the audience below was getting louder and louder. After David hunted down the actors on stage, more than a hundred zombies in the audience completely lost control. They recovered one by one, glaring fiercely at David and his group.
"Hiss, hiss." The sound of more than a hundred zombies hissing became piercing, as they surrounded David and the others, poised to charge.
"Oh no! How did we alert so many zombies?" Arnold exclaimed in surprise, immediately activating his werewolf mode. The others also assumed combat postures, cautiously watching these creatures.
"This is the purpose of our training this time, everyone listen up, it's time to fight!" David smiled faintly, drew out his alloy dagger, and led the charge into the horde of zombies. They had come such a long way this time to seek out zombies and improve their own strength. Now, with so many zombies right in front of them, it was a perfect opportunity! Seeing David charging in and starting the slaughter, the others didn't hesitate and began a gratifying massacre.
In the northeast direction of the town, "Fatso, I've had a huge loss today! It's been a whole day and there's nothing valuable? This poor town, from now on, I'll curse it!" Fatso rummaged through a room, hoping to find some useful supplies.
But from daytime until now, all he found was a dagger and a few boxes of compressed biscuits. Other than that, there were no other gains.
As an ordinary person without awakened abilities in the apocalypse, Fatso had always played the role of a scavenger, as the name suggestsโcollecting items left behind by others during the apocalypse. Unlike the Rat Tribe, scavengers never actively plunder others' belongings, let alone kill others for resources.
Of course, except for the time when Fatso was attracted by David's plentiful gene fruits, which was the first time he broke the scavenger's rules. This time, Fatso came to Town D because he heard that there were abundant supplies here, and he thought he could simply carry a sack and leave with plenty of goods. But in reality, he only found a pitifully small amount. ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ๐
"From now on, I won't trust others' words, what a waste!" Fatso plopped down on a couch, dejectedly muttering to himself. At the same time, he couldn't help but think of the large quantity of gene fruits in David's tent. It made him feel even more regretful. Finally obtaining something, only to be discovered by David and obediently putting it back.
If it weren't for the fact that David was not an easy person to mess with, Fatso would have tried to snatch a few for himself. Although Fatso was not an esper with awakened abilities, he was skilled in martial arts.
Upon entering D Town, he had already killed three or four zombies with his knife. Not only that, this guy had a sharp mind and knew well how to navigate social situations, which allowed him to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. Now, after sighing, Fatso walked out of the house.
He planned to explore other places and if there were no gains, he would quickly head back. "If all else fails, I can always go to that guy's greenhouse later and help myself to a few fruits! As a wanderer, I deserve some respect, right?" Fatso contemplated.
Just as Fatso was about to open the door to another room, he suddenly heard sounds of fighting coming from the center of the town. Among the clashes, there were also pitiful cries of agony.
"Zombie sounds? And human voices too?" Fatso immediately recognized that the cries were made by the zombies, while the faint shouts belonged to humans. This made him furrow his brows. When he came in, he had already confirmed that there were no people in D Town, and certainly no one had entered. So how could humans suddenly appear?
After a moment of consideration, Fatso decided to go and investigate. Perhaps he could take advantage of the situation and find a couple of powerful weapons. He swiftly moved towards the direction of the fight.
David, leading his team, was enjoying the thrill of hunting in the midst of the zombie horde. He considered these low-level zombies as weak and fragile ants. He effortlessly sliced through them, as if cutting vegetables. The sound of the system constantly echoed in his ears, and in no time, he had acquired a large number of low-level crystals. The other team members had similar experiences, exerting their full combat abilities against the zombies.
Even Sophie floated in the air, using her newly acquired Stellar Fall to kill the zombies. Although its power was low, whenever she hit a zombie, Arnold would immediately pounce on it and tear it apart. Their coordination was seamless, turning the once silent town into chaos. The air was filled with the stench of decaying flesh.
At this moment, Fatso climbed onto a rooftop and observed the situation from there. "Oh my god! Is this a zombie convention? Why are there so many zombies?" The densely packed zombies widened his eyes. He swore that he had never seen so many zombies in his life, let alone witnessed them collectively attacking humans. He spotted the members of the Embers squad. Soon, his gaze locked onto David.
"Huh? Isn't that the guy?" Fatso muttered in a low voice, feeling puzzled. He hadn't expected to encounter David here, and it seemed he was leading his own team.
"What is he doing here?" With questions lingering in his mind, Fatso continued to observe.
In front of David, the low-level zombies couldn't pose any threat at all. In the blink of an eye, dozens of zombies surrounding him fell to the ground, becoming rotten corpses.
Watching from a distance, Fatso couldn't help but sigh with emotion. He felt that it was a wise choice not to confront this guy head-on. Otherwise, he would probably have suffered a lot. Not only David, but the other members of the team quickly killed the remaining zombies cleanly.
"That was satisfying!" Arnold exclaimed excitedly towards the moon. In this slaughter, not only did each of them significantly improve their strength, but their coordination among the team also became seamless. Even Little Black and Cola managed to kill many zombies on their own.
Looking at the zombie corpses on the ground, David nodded in satisfaction. Then, he looked towards a rooftop in the distance and signaled Arnold with a glance. The moment Fatso appeared, David sensed his presence. Arnold nodded, leaped up lightly, and pounced on Fatso .
"Oh no! I've been spotted!" Seeing Arnold leaping towards him, Fatso tried to run away. But Arnold's speed was too fast; he appeared right in front of Fatso in an instant.
"Big brother, I'm just passing by. You guys continue with your business!" Fatso forced a smile when he saw Arnold. After speaking, he was about to flee again.
"Where do you think you're going?" Arnold didn't give him any face, grabbing his shoulder and lifting him into the air.
"Big brother, I'm afraid of heights. Take it easy!" Fatso said in panic. Soon, Arnold brought him in front of David.
It was then that David recognized the guy who sneaked into the greenhouse to steal the genetic fruit. He couldn't help but laugh, "It's you?"
Fatso opened his eyes at this moment and saw David. "Big brother, who else but me? I never thought we'd have such fate to meet here. I told you, even though the world is vast, we could still run into each other."
Fatso started chatting with David, trying to distract him while continuously surveying the surroundings, attempting to leave as soon as possible. Not to mention the espers here, just the layers of zombie corpses under his feet made him nauseous and almost vomit. David had experienced this guy's glib talk before and looked at him somewhat helplessly.
David didn't know how this guy without awakened powers ended up in the zombie-infested town of D. So he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Hearing David's question, Fatso sighed, "What else can we scavengers do here? Aren't we just looking for some supplies? But damn, this place is so damn poor, not even a hair to be found!" Recalling his miserable experiences today, Fatso complained again.
This time, David understood the guy's identity. However, he was somewhat surprised. With so many zombies around, how could this ordinary guy dare to venture in alone? Then he glanced at the knife at the guy's waist and suddenly understood โ this guy must have some strength.
After a moment of contemplation, David said to him again, "It's too dangerous here. Follow us, and we'll protect you if there's any danger." After thinking it over, Fatso nodded. After all, there was probably no hope left in this scavenging trip, and going back would also require a whole day's journey. Instead of returning empty-handed, he'd rather hitch a ride with David and have some other gains along the way. He couldn't bear to go back with nothing.
" I'll comply then. Thank you, brother!" Fatso performed a martial arts salute towards David, and he also smiled at the other members of the team. Seeing this familiar guy, the others nodded in acknowledgment.
Next, David led the team to move forward, but the formation changed, with Fatso and Sophie in the center. Along the way, Fatso told David about the general situation of D town. After all, since he arrived here, he had explored every corner of the town and was very familiar with the terrain. David casually asked him some specific details, hoping to gain useful information.
"This town is full of zombies, and there's nothing else. If I hadn't reacted quickly when I arrived, I would have been done for! Luckily, I learned a few moves before, so dealing with them was a piece of cake," Fatso said with a somewhat proud expression.
Arnold, however, looked at him disdainfully. He felt that Fatso's mediocre skills were like acrobatics in the eyes of the espers, utterly unimpressive.
Fatso naturally noticed Arnold's expression, but he just smirked and didn't say anything.
"By the way, are there any mutant beasts around here?" David remembered the green giant python he saw on the way, as well as the inexplicable golden hard-shelled insects from earlier, so he asked.
"Mutant beasts?" Fatso pondered for a moment and then said, "When I was in the north of the town, I saw a message left on the wall by some survivors."
"What did the message say?" Charles asked curiously.
"It was written there: "Bugs... " Fatso tried to recall what he had seen.
"Bugs?" David frowned instantly. It reminded him of the group of golden hard-shelled insects. He thought this might have been a warning left by people who had encountered danger before entering D town, so they wanted to inform others. He quickly asked Fatso to lead the way to the wall where the writing was.
Soon, Fatso brought them there. They saw a wall with the words "Bugs Run" written in red material, just as Fatso had described. It seemed like the person who wrote it hadn't finished it, but it was clear enough to read "Run." It appeared that the person was suddenly attacked while writing.
David carefully observed the surroundings of this message and quickly discovered an arrow that seemed to have been deliberately erased. The arrow pointed towards a forest in a nearby park.
"I guess someone played a prank here, intentionally scaring people," Fatso said to David.
David shook his head and turned to look at the forest in the park. The forest didn't seem to be very large originally, but it had become overgrown due to neglect, and the area appeared to be more than twice its original size, filled with various weeds. It was eerily silent in the forest, not even a bird could be heard. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ๐๐.๐๐ง๐
David stared intently at the forest and then suddenly turned to look at Fatso, which startled him.
"Don't scare me like that, big brother." Fatso Seeing David's sharp gaze, couldn't help but shiver. David didn't say anything but just smiled and glanced at the arrow that could erase people.
"Captain, what should we do next?" At this moment, Charles walked up to David and asked.
David pointed towards the forest in the park and said softly, "Let's go there. Perhaps there might be some surprises."
Seeing that David wanted to go into the forest, Fatso hesitated for a moment. A barely noticeable trace of nervousness flickered across his face, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Big brother, it's pitch-dark in there, and it's not good to get lost. You guys go, I don't have any abilities, so I'll keep watch here." Fatso said, preparing to find a concealed spot to hide. At the same time, he glanced at the silent forest, and his right eyelid twitched suddenly.
"Scared? I thought you were fearless, a tough guy who fears nothing. I didn't expect a small forest to scare you. Well, forget it, you stay here and take it easy. Your courage can't match Little Black's." David squatted down and patted Little Black's head, and the latter happily wagged its tail.
Upon hearing David's words, Fatso couldn't sit still anymore. Him, scared? No way! He had survived the apocalypse alone, relying on his extraordinary courage. So he stopped in his tracks, put his hands on his hips, and said, "Who's scared? Whoever backs down is a coward! I've traveled all over, through thick and thin. When have I ever been scared? Not to mention this small forest, even if it were the Gates of Hell or the Mountain of Knives, I wouldn't even bat an eye! Let's go, I'll personally lead the way!"
Saying that, Fatso drew a large machete from his waist and leaped over the railing, heading towards the park.
Seeing this, David smiled faintly and gestured for everyone to follow. The park was quite simple in structure, with a small pond in the middle, a fitness equipment area to the east, a small square to the west, and a garden to the south. The north side was the small forest, but due to neglect, the fitness equipment had already turned into a pile of scrap metal, and the water in the pond emitted a foul smell. Fatso crossed the garden that had long lost its flowers and gradually approached the small forest.
David and his team followed closely behind. As they were about to reach the small forest, Fatso couldn't help but tighten his grip on the machete. Only now did he realize that David had used reverse psychology to goad him, and unexpectedly, he fell for it. ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ
" I'm no coward! I've traveled far and wide, braving danger at every turn!" Fatso wiped the sweat from his palms and encouraged himself.
With that, Fatso led the remaining members of the Ember Squad into the small forest. As soon as they entered, an extremely foul smell permeated the air. Unlike the smell of decaying zombies they were accustomed to, this odor seemed to emanate from some kind of insects.
David also noticed the smell at this time, constantly scanning the surrounding environment. Besides weeds and trees, there was nothing else around. Not even a single insect could be seen. Normally, such a damp forest would be a paradise for all kinds of insects, so why didn't they see any here?
David frowned in confusion, and Fatso tightly held his machete, continuing to move forward. After walking for about five minutes, his back was already soaked in sweat. He now deeply regretted following David; otherwise, he wouldn't be in this situation.
Fatso hesitated for a moment, stopped, and said to David, "This smell is terrible. How about we retreat? What if it's poisonous gas or something? If any of us die here, it'll be on your hands." As he spoke, he kept glancing in the direction of the exit.
"What are you afraid of? Just keep going forward. If there's any danger, I'll protect you." David directly dismissed Fatso's idea of leaving and gestured for him to continue forward.
This made Fatso wear a bitter smile. Helplessly, he could only grit his teeth and continue forward. After walking for another ten minutes or so, they reached the middle of the small forest. Here, the trees were denser, and various weeds became more abundant, making the foul smell in the air even stronger.
"I can't go on, can't walk anymore." Fatso sat down on the ground. His visibly overweight body was sweating profusely, and the hot and humid environment of the small forest had drained all his energy.
David was about to say something when suddenly Sally, who was standing beside him, grabbed his hand tightly and shouted loudly, "Bugs!"
David quickly turned around and saw a group of insects scurrying around Sally's feet. They were the same golden hard-shelled insects that had flown out of the corpses of the singing zombies earlier. Now, these insects were gathered together, seemingly discussing something.
Duke immediately stomped on them, causing the insects to explode, releasing an even more unpleasant smell that spread around the group.
Seeing this scene, fear immediately surfaced on Fatso's face. He quickly stood up from the ground and shouted loudly to the others, "Run!" Without hesitation, he dashed away, completely ignoring David and the rest.
"What's there to fear about squashing a bunch of bugs?" Arnold sneered, looking in the direction where Fatso ran.
However, the next moment, an inexplicable vibration suddenly came from deep within the forest. It sounded like something was vibrating its wings. David took a step back and stared intently in the direction of the vibrating sound. The noise grew closer, and the frequency of the vibrations increased.
Suddenly, the trees in front of David broke without any warning, and a huge golden hard-shelled insect, as big as a rhinoceros, appeared before him! Its whole body emitted a golden glow, and its wings were constantly vibrating on both sides of its body. It had a pair of bulging eyes on its head and two long fangs below its eyes, giving it an incredibly eerie appearance. It rotated its eyes, curiously inspecting the group.
"Oh my gosh! Such a huge insect!" Arnold exclaimed in astonishment. He now understood why Fatso had panicked and fled earlier. Anyone who saw this creature would be scared stiff. Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from the giant insect, Arnold knew that it was something to be feared.
David didn't hesitate and repeated the words Fatso had just said: "Run!"
