Category: Sickly Girl Doesn’t Die in Zombie Simulator

Chapter 124: Tactical Base Swap

Lin Jiayao, after Goldie’s extraction, didn’t leave the settlement space immediately but lingered, fiddling with something.

In the black void, Goldie’s holographic projection, still absorbing blood crystals, its tentacles growing, hovered beside the safehouse and warehouse, their remaining slots displayed above.

Huayibai, despite having clung to Goldie tightly, hadn’t been brought into this space. A pity.

If she could bring this version of Huayibai back, even if it took up all 100 slots, she would; it was a powerful asset.

But Huayibai wasn’t here, so Lin Jiayao didn’t dwell on it. She arranged the backpacks by size, took out the blood crystals, and lined them up.

Even after seeing so many before, 109 blood crystals was still an impressive sight… like a pile of gold bars from before the apocalypse.

And they were all hers.

Almost… surreal.

She quickly dismissed these thoughts and began arranging the items.

First, she checked the size of each backpack in the safehouse grid.

Most occupied 2×1 or 2×2 spaces, a few 3×2 or 3×3.

And a single 4×3 travel bag, which she discarded; it wouldn’t fit in the safehouse.

She tested a 3×3 backpack, how many blood crystals it could hold.

Thirty or so, stretching the backpack to its limits, not just nine as the grid size suggested.

And this overstuffed backpack still fit neatly into a single safehouse slot, without “overflowing.”

Then, she tried something else. She filled a 2×1 backpack with five blood crystals, put it in the safehouse, and then dragged a 3×2 backpack into the same slot.

The larger backpack “absorbed” the smaller one, nesting it within.

And after nesting the smaller backpack, she could still add more crystals and smaller bags inside the larger one.

It worked!

This safehouse bug… it was like a space-folding technique.

Normally, you couldn’t put a partially filled backpack inside another partially filled backpack.

It would just… explode. Space was finite.

But in the system, these rules didn’t apply.

The safehouse grid was 3×3, but a backpack within that grid could have a 4×4 or even 5×5 internal space.

And smaller backpacks could be nested within, each occupying only its corresponding 2×1 space within the larger backpack.

The system seemed to ignore the actual physical volume of the items.

Of course, she couldn’t nest them infinitely; even the smallest item still occupied at least one grid.

Using this method, Lin Jiayao managed to fit ninety-five blood crystals into a single 3×3 backpack.

The bulging backpack sat neatly within the safehouse grid. Taking it out would cause it to… well, explode.

But as long as it fit inside, that was all that mattered.

After packing the crystals, she put the remaining fourteen blood crystals in the warehouse and then exited the settlement space.

A slight wave of fatigue, but nothing compared to logging into a B-rank.

Huayibai, with its “flying car,” had already reached Fuzhou City. All she had to do was coordinate Mask’s extraction, have Huayibai feed it the crystals, and trigger its evolution.

And once it started evolving, she would have Huayibai transport Mask to A4, also feed A4 crystals to trigger its evolution, and then transport both evolving zombies to Chongyu City.

A solid plan.

Just as she was about to log into Mask, she felt a slight tremor.

“Screech—”

Lin Xiwan, also sensing the tremor, slammed on the brakes.

Enemies?

Lin Jiayao opened her eyes. Everything was dark. Lin Xiwan had turned off the headlights and the engine, the jeep now concealed in the shadows, listening intently.

Lin Jiayao activated Blood Crystal Vision, scanning the surroundings.

Nothing.

What was that tremor?

An earthquake?

Her glowing red eyes in the darkness alerted Lin Xiwan that she was awake.

Lin Xiwan, in the darkness, reached out, felt her sister’s waist, and lifted her into her arms.

She also brought Huayibai closer, her arm shielding both of them, and listened.

“Do you see anything, Yao?”

“No blood crystal entities around us.”

“Mm…”

The tremors continued intermittently, then stopped.

Like a normal earthquake.

“…Just an earthquake,” Lin Xiwan said, placing Lin Jiayao and Huayibai back in their seats after the tremors had stopped, and restarting the engine.

They would reach Kun City in about seven or eight hours; any unusual sound or movement put her on edge.

Thankfully, it had just been an earthquake.

As they drove on, Lin Jiayao was lost in thought.

If she hadn’t been to Japan, she might have dismissed it as a normal earthquake.

But after experiencing the tsunamis and the tremors caused by those massive creatures colliding with the continental shelf, she was more sensitive to such things.

Could there be such creatures along the coast of Guangdong and Southwest Province?

Hopefully not…

But she didn’t think the massive typhoon and the prolonged rain in Guangdong had been a coincidence.

Perhaps there were deep-sea monsters attacking the land…

This thought made her feel a sense of urgency.

I have to become stronger, faster…

Eliminate the Voodoo Cult quickly, so I can focus on evolving…

Having seen the devastation along the coast, she knew the Voodoo Cult might not be their biggest threat. Many other powerful blood crystal entities, after five years of evolution, were now emerging…

But first, the Voodoo Cult…

After reassuring each other, Lin Jiayao looked at the evolution retention screen.

Goldie, having just evolved, wasn’t ready for another evolution yet, but she still offered a few options, likely mental enhancements.

And that was exactly what she needed.

「Please retain your evolution」
「1、Command: Control Lv.1 (White): Allows you to transmit more complex commands through pheromones.」
「2、Vigor Lv.3 (Gray): Slightly increases your mental strength.」
「3、Elastic Skin Lv.1 (Gray): Increases the elasticity and flexibility of your skin, allowing you to store more brains within your body.」

Seriously?

Not even a single blue option?

Pure garbage.

She immediately dismissed the third.

She’d seen this trait in both the “green fatty” and the “corn cob,” and the head-Hive zombie in the sewers. Their skin, like overinflated water balloons, was indeed elastic, capable of storing countless brains…

But what good was that to her?!

Disgusting.

Without hesitation, she chose the second evolution.

At least it directly increased her mental strength, which was what she needed now.

After selecting the evolution, she felt a warm sensation in her head.

And then, a sense of clarity, her mental fatigue from the earlier logins fading.

She felt invigorated, even capable of several more logins.

Silence had fallen in the car.

Her sister had turned on the radio, hoping to find some information about Yun Province and Kun City.

“Sister,” Lin Jiayao said, “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up if anything happens.”

Hearing that it would take about six or seven more hours to reach Kun City, she relaxed.

Once they reached Kun City, the building-trees would protect them, as long as they didn’t provoke them, and she even had the ability to communicate with them.

Now, she could finally log into Mask.

…

“Say that again.”

Inside a slightly dilapidated, boarded-up building in Chongyu City, Wu Hejun spoke to someone in the darkness.

“Boss… only one of the planes returned… the other… is missing…”

“Get out.”

“Yes, Boss!”

Hearing the dismissal, the woman breathed a sigh of relief and hurried out.

Wu Hejun paced for a while, then also left the building.

“Damn it…” She looked up at the night sky and cursed.

Out of the four painstakingly cultivated flying insects, only one had returned; the others were missing.

And the one that had returned was the one she’d sent to burn the plantation…

And she didn’t even know how they’d been lost!

One disaster after another…

She took a deep breath and looked towards the roof of the building.

“Anan.”

“Yes, Boss?”

A man on the roof jumped down, landing lightly.

In the light of the Voodoo Cult’s searchlights, they could see that his mouth and hands were stained black, a metal skewer in his left hand, a dark red heart clutched in his right.

“Enough with the barbecue, get ready, we’re leaving.”

Wu Hejun frowned slightly at the sight of the heart in his hand, then turned and walked towards the plaza two blocks away, where the remaining aircraft had landed.

“Leaving?” Anan, hearing this, discarded the skewer, swallowed the heart whole, and hurried after her. “Shouldn’t we… consult the oracle first, Boss?”

Usually, before any major operation, the Boss would switch to her cowardly personality and consult the oracle, but this time, she hadn’t.

Hearing his question, Wu Hejun’s finger twitched. She stopped, turned, and looked at him coldly.

“What, don’t you trust me? Or do you want me to die?”

Her voice was icy, unlike any of her usual personalities.

Not cowardly, not enraged, not composed, just… cold, menacing, and unpredictable.

“No… of course not, Boss…” Anan didn’t dare question her further; she seemed… different.

He followed her silently. Even like this, he would still follow her.

He believed she was the only one in this world who understood him; he had to protect her.

He didn’t realize this devotion was the result of years of brainwashing; he was beyond saving.

Wu Hejun’s mood remained dark as she walked.

She wouldn’t use her precognitive ability again.

The personality that had used it had been driven to the brink of madness, which was how she had been able to take control.

If she used it again, the mental strain might cause her to lose control again.

And being suppressed was worse than being imprisoned; she wouldn’t go back there.

That personality had already seen the vision; all she had to do was follow it, take Anan to that jungle city, and eliminate the threat.

The vision: her, holding a blurred head, standing on a battered, scratched jeep.

Two B-ranks, an unstoppable force.

No one could withstand their combined power, especially with Anan’s ability…

After eliminating the “blood crystal destroyer,” she would rapidly expand the Voodoo Cult’s territory.

All those fleeing survivors, ripe for indoctrination and recruitment.

And then, with their new recruits, they would continue their northward expansion.

Survivor’s Light had blocked their advance; the north remained uncharted territory.

Her goal was all of China, and now, it was within reach.

Just one obstacle remaining…

And she would eliminate it today.

“Zzzt—”

A smile on her face, red lightning crackling around her body, she fired a bolt of electricity, connecting it to Anan behind her.

“Boom—”

Their combined forms, a twisting streak of red lightning, accompanied by a deafening crack of thunder, instantly appeared in the plaza two blocks away.

“Click, clack, screech—”

At the center of the brightly lit plaza, a giant insect, seeing the lightning, clicked its mandibles, the sound of bone against bone.

And a figure jumped down from its open abdomen and ran towards Wu Hejun.

“Boss, you called?” the female pilot asked, smiling, glancing around.

The absence of the other “planes” puzzled her, but she knew this was likely an urgent mission; she must have been the last to arrive.

After all, she had been the furthest away.

“Kun City,” Wu Hejun said curtly. “Quickly.”

“Kun City? Quickly?” The woman repeated the words, stunned. “That’s too far, even at full speed, it would take at least six hours.”

“Then fly,” Wu Hejun snapped her fingers, and one of her subordinates brought over a box of blood crystal stones. “Feed it.”

“Oh, okay.” The woman took the box, her hands trembling slightly; it contained about ten blood crystals.

“Do I need to… transport anything?” she asked cautiously.

The last time someone had been given so many blood crystals for an urgent mission, it had been that man with the ornithopter-like insect, transporting some kind of bomb.

And he had been… strangely reluctant to accept any more urgent missions after that.

She was worried she would also be transporting a bomb… and these insects couldn’t fly very high; she would be caught in the blast.

“Transport me, and Anan,” Wu Hejun said, walking towards the giant insect. “Let’s go.”

“Huh?”

The C-rank control-type Awakened, after a moment of stunned silence, hurried after her, carrying the box, her legs trembling.

Transporting two B-ranks?

Holy shit, this isn’t… a suicide mission, is it?

Even a stray shockwave from a B-rank battle would crush her and her insect.

But she couldn’t disobey the Boss.

If she did, Anan would kill her before she even reached the battlefield.

The Voodoo Cult’s “plane” took off. And at the same time, in Fuzhou City, another strange, insect-like creature, a wrecked car dangling beneath it, also rose into the air.

And within this insect’s abdomen, a zombie, encased in a bone cocoon, a terrifying energy building within.

Six hours later, two new B-rank zombies would be unleashed, both targeting the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters.

And the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters… its two B-rank Awakened… had just left.

A simultaneous, unknowingly coordinated… base swap.

Chapter 123: Everything’s in Place

A thumb-sized figure peeked out from behind the blood crystal clutched in Lin Jiayao’s tentacles.

“Mommy?” the tiny white figure whispered, after a moment of hesitation, recognizing the familiar presence.

“Mm,” Lin Jiayao nodded, gently nuzzling Huayibai’s face with a tentacle tip. “Eat this.”

“Really?”

“Yes, there’s more where that came from.”

“Eh?” Little Huayibai blinked, confused.

But it obediently lowered its head, its face pressing against the blood crystal, its form dissolving into tendrils that enveloped the crystal, rapidly absorbing its energy.

It was still confused, not because its head was… gone… but because Mommy had brought it to this strange place.

First, Mommy had taken some of its… reproductive parts… and put them on a blood crystal, and then it had lost contact with that spore.

And then it had been transported somewhere else, and then Mommy had told it to… sprout.

Although confused, after confirming it was indeed its Mommy, it had obeyed.

And then Mommy, using her magic, had produced another blood crystal, and a tiny spore on its surface was sprouting.

Is that… Mommy?

When the tendrils emerged, Huayibai was certain; it was Mommy’s tendrils.

Looking at the small, writhing, red tendrils on the blood crystal, Huayibai felt a warmth spreading through its own tendrils.

Mommy’s tendrils… Mommy’s tendrils…

So… enticing…

Lin Jiayao, oblivious to the effect her fungal form had on Huayibai, was mentally reviewing her plan.

29km to the extraction point, three hours… enough time.

She was currently on top of the ruins of a luxury hotel, a block away from where she’d encountered the Voodoo Cult.

The hotel had collapsed at some point, her zombie army was gone, but Goldie was still here, intact.

The system’s doing, clearly.

She didn’t know how the system had managed it, but it seemed that even when outmatched, her zombies could still extract safely.

Impressive.

Dismissing her curiosity for now, she summoned her insects and started severing Goldie’s tentacles.

“Mommy… mmm?”

Huayibai, just materialized, hadn’t even had time to form clothes before it was filled with blood crystal fluid, its body rapidly expanding, its power surging as it began to spread its fungal carpet.

Lin Jiayao, with the experience from the Training Grounds, worked quickly and efficiently, like a speedrunner.

Leaving one tentacle for her spore clone to form a human body and clothes, she waited for Huayibai to absorb the blood crystal fluid, while also using the remaining blood crystals to create a large number of small, green insects.

About thirty minutes later, Huayibai, engorged with energy, exploded into the familiar blood-red fungal carpet.

But this time, it quickly reformed, materializing beside Lin Jiayao’s spore clone.

“Mommy, what do you need Yibai to do?” It was starting to understand that Mommy had a plan; otherwise, she wouldn’t have spent so many blood crystals to restore it.

No, not restore, but recreate. This new body was far stronger than the one she had been using.

Perhaps even its strongest form; absorbing more blood crystals wouldn’t increase its power much, only its size, and even that had a limit.

Further enhancements would require evolution.

“Just follow my instructions and… charge,” Lin Jiayao said, patting Huayibai’s head with a tentacle.

Then, controlling the swarm of green insects she’d created, she sent them towards the head-Hive zombie’s territory.

The green swarm circled the area, a wide perimeter.

After about five minutes, the ground began to tremble.

Countless zombies roared, and a swarm of insects emerged from the ground, rising into the air, circling briefly, and then attacking the green insect swarm.

It seemed the head-Hive zombie was more concerned with the invading insects than the fungal carpet encroaching on its territory.

It saw the insects as a more immediate threat, a challenge to its dominance.

As the insect swarm flew away, Huayibai, watching the sky, received a mental command from its Mommy to move.

Towards… the insects?

Although slightly apprehensive, Huayibai obeyed; Mommy’s commands were absolute.

The head-Hive’s insects, distracted by the green swarm, hadn’t noticed the encroaching fungal carpet. By the time they realized, the tendrils had already reached the nearest sewer entrance.

A classic diversion tactic. Lin Jiayao had tried it in the Training Grounds, but the insects had returned too quickly, and she hadn’t been able to reach the Hive Zombie before being intercepted by the golden insects.

But this time was different. She had experience and Huayibai’s help. As long as Huayibai could reach those tentacles, it was game over.

This battle… it hadn’t even begun… a true speedrun.

“Shhh—”

Huayibai’s tendrils pierced the retreating tentacles, and fueled by the blood crystal fluid within, rapidly spread throughout the network.

Within seconds, the sewer tunnel beneath Lin Jiayao was covered in the familiar red carpet.

“Is it under control?” Lin Jiayao asked.

“Almost…” Huayibai closed its eyes, then opened them. “It’s done, Mommy.”

“Kill it.” Lin Jiayao had Goldie extend a tentacle, pierce one of the head-Hive’s tentacles that had reached the tunnel, and drain it.

Simultaneously, swarms of Little Green Bees emerged from the hives in Goldie’s eyes, as if blood crystals were infinite.

She had no desire to see that grotesque head again.

Her only task now was to collect blood crystals.

“Mommy, it’s dead,” Huayibai reported, having crushed the head-Hive zombie’s brain with its tendrils.

The moment she spoke, a series of pops and crunches echoed through the sewers as the tentacles burst and the insects fell from the sky, their bodies shattering.

“Collect the blood crystals. You take the ones underground.” Lin Jiayao didn’t waste any time, sending Goldie’s green insects swarming out of the sewer maintenance hole.

And Huayibai, after a moment of hesitation, dissolved into the fungal carpet, its tendrils collecting the blood crystals in the sewer.

The more it collected, the more amazed it became.

So many… blood crystals…

And not just underground, but also from the fallen insects above.

Blood crystals everywhere, surrounding her.

She had never seen so many, not even in Survivor’s Light.

Did Mommy bring me here to help collect blood crystals?

Mommy is so amazing…

Huayibai didn’t even question how she’d been transported here; in her eyes, Mommy was now omnipotent.

Powerful, mysterious, with countless clones scattered across the world.

And this… this was Mommy’s way of giving her combat experience.

After all, Mommy could have just brought her own spores and done this herself.

But she had brought Yibai along, to help her learn. So thoughtful, it made her want to cry.

And the battle itself, under Mommy’s guidance, had been so easy.

She had to study hard, become as smart as Mommy, so she could also use clever tactics to defeat powerful enemies.

This battle had further solidified Mommy’s position in Huayibai’s mind, her adoration almost overflowing.

Collecting the blood crystals took much longer than the battle itself.

Since the green insects couldn’t enter the water, Lin Jiayao had Huayibai collect the ones in the sewer, while she used her swarm to gather the crystals from the fallen insects on the surface.

After about an hour, they had collected all the crystals, a small mountain of them.

Lin Jiayao quickly counted them, her eyes narrowing slightly.

One hundred and fifty-four blood crystal stones…

A true fortune…

But her safehouse was only 3×3, her warehouse 10×10. Even emptying the warehouse, she could only carry 109.

45 left over…

This… presented a problem.

After a moment of thought, she set aside twenty-five for Huayibai. “These are yours.”

And she would use the remaining twenty for Goldie’s repairs and upgrades.

“Yibai doesn’t want them.”

To Lin Jiayao’s surprise, Huayibai, looking at the mountain of blood crystals, shook its head. “Yibai already has a lot.”

By “a lot,” it meant the blood crystal fluid Lin Jiayao had fed it earlier.

It felt it hadn’t contributed much, so it didn’t deserve any reward.

“Uh…” Lin Jiayao patted Huayibai’s head, then said after a moment, “Then Mommy will keep them for you.”

“Okay, thank you, Mommy,” Huayibai nodded happily.

Lin Jiayao, of course, wouldn’t deny Huayibai its share. She couldn’t carry them all, but she could store them in Goldie’s tentacles and then… harvest them later.

After putting nine crystals in the safehouse, she had Goldie consume one hundred of them, one by one.

While Goldie ate, Lin Jiayao turned to Huayibai, patted its head, and then, pointing at the fungal carpet, asked, “Yibai, can Mimic Fruiting Body mimic… non-human forms? Like… that flying insect you can control?”

Time was running out; without another mode of transportation, she had to ask.

If Huayibai could transform into the giant insect, it would significantly reduce their travel time, even allowing her to scavenge for backpacks in this city.

After all, she needed something to pack all these crystals.

Hearing her Mommy’s question, Huayibai nodded, and the fungal carpet beneath them began to rise, lifting them both.

Soon, a massive, twenty-meter-long insect stood, carrying Lin Jiayao and Huayibai.

It resembled the Voodoo Cult’s “ladybug” she’d had Huayibai hijack earlier, its back a rounded carapace.

This type, less drafty and noisy, was better suited for carrying passengers.

An opening appeared on the insect’s back, allowing Lin Jiayao, the blood crystals, and Goldie to enter, then seamlessly closed.

“Buzz—”

The insect spread its wings. Huayibai, having the complete flight memories of two insects, expertly controlled it, flying towards the extraction point as instructed by Lin Jiayao.

And as they flew, Lin Jiayao’s Little Green Bees scouted below, searching for backpacks and other containers.

Before reaching the extraction point, she’d already found more than a dozen, some even damaged.

And during this time, she received a message from Huayibai:

The Huayibai in Guangdong had transported A4 to its extraction point and was ready to fly to Fuzhou City to find Mask.

By the time she reached her extraction point, Huayibai would have reached Mask.

Everything’s falling into place…

This time, the Voodoo Cult would pay dearly…

…

Chapter 122: Making Bank!

Lin Jiayao tossed two more blood crystals into the [Zombie Loot Box] and “rolled” a familiar “friend”: a Nest Zombie, its extraction time three hours.

Seeing the familiar form, Lin Jiayao felt a sense of… inevitability.

Although not as strong as some other mutated zombies, probably just peak D-rank, not quite C-rank, Nest Zombies had a habit of… hoarding blood crystals. Their nests were usually filled with crystals and rotting corpses.

This meant that her investment of two blood crystals was unlikely to be a loss.

She could at least loot its nest, right?

Lin Jiayao was still experimenting with the optimal blood crystal investment strategy, like figuring out the perfect alchemy or crafting recipe in a game.

But she had no guide, no walkthrough, only trial and error.

She put the remaining nine blood crystals in the safehouse and then returned to the Training Grounds.

With a clear goal in mind, her motivation was higher.

Back in the familiar virtual space, looking at the head-Hive zombie’s territory across the street, she expertly materialized a blood crystal stone.

Blood crystals used in the Training Grounds weren’t actually consumed, so there was no cost.

She had Goldie’s tentacles crush the crystal, and something within it began to absorb the energy, rapidly expanding.

Guided by her will, the growing fungal mass climbed onto one of Goldie’s tentacles, its tendrils burrowing into the flesh, drawing nutrients.

Huayibai’s form slowly materialized.

“Mommy!” As soon as it appeared, it lunged at Goldie’s tentacle, hugging it and nuzzling it affectionately.

Although she knew it was just a simulation, Lin Jiayao still instinctively reached out with a tentacle and stroked its head.

She had simulated numerous attacks and infiltration attempts with Huayibai, but none had been successful.

Activating the head-Hive zombie would unleash an overwhelming swarm of insects, a numbers game she couldn’t win.

That head-Hive seemed to have converted most of the zombies in the area into… nutrients… a level of efficiency she hadn’t seen before.

But then again, considering its diverse and numerous insects, it made sense.

No wonder there hadn’t been as many zombies in that area as she’d expected.

But at least she had mapped the area, identified a less guarded entry point.

Perhaps because of its numerous tentacles and hives, the head-Hive wasn’t very sensitive to the tendrils at their extremities. That’s how she’d been able to infiltrate the sewer earlier.

Looking at the small Huayibai clinging to her tentacle, Lin Jiayao thought.

Her previous strategies had all involved Huayibai as support, Goldie as the main attacker, focusing on infiltration and decapitation. But they had all failed.

She hadn’t tried… giving Huayibai the ball.

Could it be trusted?

She used a tentacle to gently stroke Huayibai’s chin.

Huayibai’s only flaw was its… unusual thought process; its combat abilities, however, had always been reliable.

No, not just reliable, it had successfully completed every task she’d given it.

Should I… let Huayibai take the lead?

It was just a simulation; it wouldn’t hurt to try.

“Yibai, ah—” she said to the simulated Huayibai.

“Ah? Mmm—”

Huayibai looked up, and then its mouth was full.

A single tentacle was too slow.

Lin Jiayao wrapped a tentacle around Huayibai’s waist, pierced its belly, and injected the contents directly into its stomach.

Even with its body torn open, Huayibai wouldn’t be hurt; it didn’t even have the concept of pain, its entire body just… fungus.

Even if splattered on its skin, it could absorb it.

Then, she summoned her insects and severed almost all her tentacles, spraying the fluid onto Huayibai.

The viscous fluid coated Huayibai, the tendrils within rapidly absorbing the nutrients, seemingly without limit.

Soon, every tendril within Huayibai’s body was saturated, but the absorption continued.

Its back and body swelled grotesquely, blood-red mushrooms erupting from its skin like grotesque buds.

Similar swellings appeared on its face, threatening to bloom into more mushrooms.

Overloaded with energy, it could no longer maintain its human form.

But this… transformed Huayibai… radiated a terrifying aura.

“Mommy…”

“Pop—”

Before it could even finish the word, Huayibai’s body, unable to contain the excess energy, exploded.

The fungal tendrils spread uncontrollably, rapidly covering the entire hotel, a blood-red carpet as far as Lin Jiayao could see.

“Holy shit…” Lin Jiayao stepped out of the hotel, looking back. The first two floors were no longer recognizable, now resembling the maw and fleshy walls of a giant creature.

The pulsing fungal carpet reminded her of the building-trees.

Could she, evolving further, also cover a large area like that?

Suddenly, the fungal carpet began to writhe, the tendrils splitting and spreading, reaching Lin Jiayao’s feet.

And then, converging in front of her, they formed Huayibai’s upper body.

It looked the same as before, except its lower body, from the calves down, was now a mass of blood-red tendrils, connected to the fungal carpet on the ground.

“Let’s try this.” Lin Jiayao patted Huayibai’s head with a tentacle.

“Okay, Mommy.”

Huayibai nodded and crawled towards the street, the fungal carpet trailing behind it like a massive cape.

Lin Jiayao wanted to follow, using her four remaining tentacles, but tendrils extended from the carpet, wrapping around her and carrying her along.

At least the system’s simulation of Huayibai was accurate, its actions… disturbingly plausible.

Huayibai’s transformed state was intimidating, but it wasn’t exactly stealthy.

Several mutated zombies patrolling the perimeter noticed the movement from a distance and roared.

The roars echoed, and the ground and manhole covers in the area began to vibrate.

Lin Jiayao knew that within ten seconds, swarms of insects would emerge. If they couldn’t reach the head-Hive zombie before that, the battle was lost before it even began.

But she didn’t intervene, didn’t even give Huayibai any commands.

She wanted to see how it would handle this.

Huayibai, in this form, looked more powerful than even a B-rank.

Seemingly oblivious to the tremors, it continued towards the nearest manhole cover.

And the approaching zombies, the moment they stepped onto the fungal carpet, were instantly consumed, their bodies dissolving from their feet upwards, like sinking into quicksand, their forms disappearing into the blood-red mass, becoming nutrients.

Its devouring ability had been greatly enhanced…

With this enhanced ability, could it handle the insect swarm?

She didn’t have to wait to find out.

Looking at the insects swarming from the sky, Lin Jiayao set her pain receptors to 0% and watched.

“Buzz—”

A deafening roar as countless insects filled the sky, blocking the sunlight.

And the “sea of blood” beneath Huayibai began to churn, countless tendrils rising from the fungal carpet, writhing and twisting.

“Buzz—”

Led by a three-meter-long, gray insect, the swarm descended, like a wave crashing down.

“Splat—”

And then the fungal carpet below Huayibai reacted.

The edges of the massive carpet began to rise, like a rolled-up cloth unfurling, forming a giant, funnel-shaped maw.

Lin Jiayao and Huayibai were inside this maw, the tendrils within interweaving, like a net.

The insect swarm, diving downwards, slammed into the “net,” their bodies instantly dissolving as they were pulled into the fungal mass.

The giant funnel, instead of shrinking, expanded as more and more insects were consumed, those that missed the opening landing on the carpet and being absorbed.

Having consumed a significant amount of blood crystals, Huayibai’s devouring and transformation abilities were now incredibly potent.

The insect swarm, diving into the fungal carpet, like moths to a flame, only made the “fire” grow stronger.

“WOOO—”

The head-Hive zombie, sensing the unusual activity above, emitted a loud, mournful wail from the sewers.

The swarm stopped its attack and returned to the sky.

The Queen had realized its attacks were useless, just feeding the enemy.

“WOOO—”

With another earth-shattering wail, the swarm began to circle rapidly, forming a massive vortex above Lin Jiayao and Huayibai.

And then, dead insects began to fall from the sky, their bodies absorbed by Huayibai.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Huayibai froze, its movements ceasing.

And the fungal carpet around Lin Jiayao also stilled, the “fleshy walls” as if paused.

A second later, the walls began to vibrate intensely. Lin Jiayao quickly scanned the surroundings, but found nothing unusual.

Then, a small, purple insect corpse, a red mushroom sprouting from its head, fell to the ground in front of her, and she realized.

Pheromones!

Although Huayibai seemed like a cute little girl, it was still a zombie, a mutated fungal entity, vulnerable to synergistic pheromones.

And after prolonged exposure to the head-Hive’s pheromones, Huayibai would become its puppet.

Are you seriously trying to NTR me right in front of my face?

Lin Jiayao took a few blood crystals from the safehouse and shoved them into her mouth. With a buzz, several red insects emerged from her eye sockets, their wings beating as they helped her spread her own pheromones.

No… not enough…

Goldie’s pheromones, both in quantity and potency, were no match for the head-Hive’s; she couldn’t wrest control of Huayibai.

She was glad this was just a simulation.

She didn’t know what effect the pheromones might have on Huayibai’s main body in China.

How do I counter this?

Lin Jiayao frowned, her mind racing, as the vibrating fleshy walls began to consume her remaining tentacles.

Huayibai was about to lose control…

Wait, which command had higher priority for a fungal zombie like Huayibai: synergistic pheromones, or its “mother”?

Time to test this.

She took another blood crystal from the safehouse. She didn’t have any of her own spores on her, but in the Training Grounds, she could… cheat.

She would pretend she had brought her spores.

A single spore, attached to the blood crystal, began to absorb its energy, growing rapidly. Soon, a smaller version of her main body, a miniature Lin Jiayao, materialized.

Being purely fungal, this clone only had her basic tendril abilities, none of her other evolutions.

And, crucially, it wasn’t crippled; it could stand.

The moment her spore clone appeared, the vibrations in the fleshy walls stopped.

And the vacant-eyed Huayibai, not far away, dissolved into the “pool of blood” beneath it.

Then, tendrils rose from the blood-red carpet, reforming into Huayibai.

“Mommy—” Huayibai, tears in its eyes, lunged at the miniature Lin Jiayao, its gaze now focused.

Perhaps because hugging like this was uncomfortable, it shrunk even further, now small enough to fit comfortably in her arms.

So… her presence and her pheromones could counter the head-Hive’s control…

Next time, I’ll have to bring my spores.

“It’s okay,” Lin Jiayao said, patting the simulated Huayibai’s back. “Let’s go underground.”

Fighting a Hive Zombie’s minions was pointless; she had to target the Queen itself.

“Okay!”

Huayibai, cradled in Lin Jiayao’s arms, controlled the pool of blood, carrying them towards the nearest sewer entrance.

The blood reached a manhole cover, pried it open, and then, carrying Lin Jiayao’s spore clone and Goldie, flowed into the sewer.

“Buzz—”

Seeing them enter the sewer, the insect swarm above descended like a frenzied cloud.

But Huayibai’s method of movement made them miss.

The fungal carpet moved like any other fungal mass.

To move forward, it retracted the tendrils at the back, concentrating the nutrients towards the intended direction, and then extended tendrils forward, covering the new ground.

“Splat—”

A large mass of fungal carpet, carrying Lin Jiayao’s spore clone and Goldie, landed at the bottom of the sewer. The soft landing cushioned the impact.

The translucent tentacles in the sewer tried to coil around the fungal mass, but their main function was storage, and upon contact, they were infected by the spores.

The red tendrils spread rapidly through the sewer, like ink on wet paper.

The uninfected tentacles retreated frantically, revealing the countless black holes lining the sewer walls.

But their retreat was too slow.

The infected tentacles remained, forming a red carpet beneath Lin Jiayao’s feet.

And Huayibai, materializing from the fungal mass beside Lin Jiayao, extended its hands and took both its mommies’ hands: Goldie and Lin Jiayao’s spore clone.

Holding both her “mommies” by the hand, Huayibai led them along the red carpet, through the twisting tunnels, towards the central chamber.

“Gurgle…”

Water still flowed through the sewer, but the previously translucent tentacles were gone, replaced by tendrils, the entire network stained red.

Emerging from the tunnel, Lin Jiayao looked towards where the massive head had been.

The bloated head, its gelatinous skin now covered in pulsing red tendrils, looked even more grotesque.

But…

It worked?!

Lin Jiayao was surprised by how easy it had been.

If Huayibai had faced the head-Hive alone, it would have been enslaved.

But with her support, countering the pheromones and decimating the swarm, Huayibai had easily infected it.

“Blood crystals…”

She murmured, then, squeezing Huayibai’s hand, said, “Kill it.”

“Shhh—”

The moment she gave the command, the head-Hive zombie’s eyes bulged and then exploded.

From the ruptured eye sockets, a flood of gore and brains, and two large, blood-red mushrooms, which began to grow rapidly.

“Pop—”

As if triggered by a chain reaction, the translucent tentacles throughout the sewer burst, their blood crystal fluid forming crystals of various sizes, which fell into the water below.

And the insect swarm above, having lost its leader, fell from the sky, a rain of corpses.

The insects, hitting the ground and the buildings below, shattered, their bodies dissolving into blood crystal fragments.

A true rain of blood crystals…

It worked!!!

Even the usually calm Lin Jiayao couldn’t contain her excitement. She hugged Huayibai and kissed its cheek. “We’re so strong!”

Although Huayibai had done most of the work, Lin Jiayao had also contributed.

She had…

Well…

She had provided the initial spores and… her body.

A significant contribution, nonetheless.

Pelted by the rain of blood crystals, Lin Jiayao exited the Training Grounds.

Perfect, the plan was viable. Log in as Goldie, transfer all the blood crystal fluid to Huayibai, and let it do its thing.

Just remember to keep a small amount of blood crystal fluid for her own spore clone.

Although not very powerful, her spore clone, like Huayibai, was essential.

Lin Jiayao opened her eyes. The sky outside was dark, the jeep’s headlights illuminating the road ahead, their speed reduced to about 80km/h.

Any faster, and they wouldn’t be able to see the obstacles in time.

She reached out, her left hand going behind her back, her fingers touching Huayibai’s lips.

“Ah? Mmm—”

Huayibai opened its mouth slightly, confused, feeling Mommy’s finger inside, a gentle tickle.

Even in the darkness, Lin Jiayao could see a few highlighted spores on her finger.

Then, a blood crystal appeared in her hand for a split second, long enough to collect the spores.

She repeated the process with her own spores, transferring both crystals to the safehouse.

The preparations for her “smuggling” operation were complete. Now, just a few more things…

“Sister, will we be passing through any cities?” she asked.

“Yes,” Lin Xiwan nodded, thinking her sister was worried, and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Sister will protect you.”

“Thank you, Sister.” Lin Jiayao leaned forward and kissed her sister’s cheek, then settled back in her seat. “I’m going to rest for a bit.”

“Oh, okay…” Lin Xiwan touched her cheek where her sister had kissed her, slightly dazed. It seemed her sister was already sleepy.

“Such a sleepyhead…” she murmured, then continued driving, her earlier driving fatigue forgotten, replaced by the warm fuzzies from her sister’s kiss.

She didn’t know that her sister was about to make bank.

And breed two B-rank zombies.

Chapter 121: The Plan to Annihilate Voodoo

Lin Jiayao had intended to use the spores to communicate; they had implanted spores in each other for easier “private messaging.”

But the spores could only transmit simple phrases, feelings, and fragmented thoughts, often difficult to understand.

Like now, Lin Jiayao, frowning slightly, was trying to figure out what Huayibai meant by “flying car.”

Unable to explain clearly, Huayibai shared a few images, like snapshots, not enough to overload Lin Jiayao’s mind.

And Lin Jiayao saw a giant insect with a red mushroom on its head, a car dangling beneath it.

A flying car tour?

This was what Huayibai meant by “driving a flying car”?

“Uh…” Lin Jiayao, after a moment of speechless contemplation, patted Huayibai’s head.

She was getting used to this.

Huayibai’s words and actions always surprised her, its thought process clearly different from a human’s.

“Still feeling carsick? We might be driving all night. We should reach Yun Province tomorrow,” Lin Xiwan asked, looking at her sister interacting with Huayibai through the rearview mirror, a smile on her face.

Seeing them getting along so well pleased her; she’d been worried her sister wouldn’t accept this new addition.

Of course, Huayibai’s cuteness and sweet-talking might also be a factor.

After five years of isolation, her sister had become increasingly withdrawn, rarely showing warmth towards anyone but her.

She’d worried it might affect her sister’s mental state.

But now, with Huayibai, who seemed only a few years younger, to keep her company, there was no need to worry about her being lonely.

“It’s okay, I feel much better after that nap.”

Lin Jiayao stopped petting Huayibai, but the little girl’s chin, still resting on Lin Jiayao’s hand, followed as she withdrew it, its eyes fixed on her expectantly, as if wanting more.

Like a clingy kitten.

“That’s good.” Lin Xiwan, steering with one hand, looked at the orange sunset and sighed softly. “I wonder how Sister Wanzi is doing… if she managed to escape…”

Although their time together had been short, Wan Zi and the Qingzhou University Camp had left a good impression on her.

She still remembered the peaceful evening on the viewing platform, watching the moon with her sister.

Except for the mosquitoes, of course.

If not for the apocalypse, perhaps their lives would be like that, spending summer evenings at their old home, looking out at the rice terraces in the distance.

If only there were no apocalypse, no Voodoo Cult…

“I hope they’re alright,” Lin Jiayao said softly after a moment.

There was nothing they could do; they were too weak to help.

And her only B-rank zombie, the fifth, was in Japan.

If it had been in Guangdong Province, she would have sent it to deal with the Voodoo Cult; even a smaller B-rank could cripple them.

5…

Thinking about the fifth zombie, an idea sparked in Lin Jiayao’s mind.

She remembered that the fifth zombie hadn’t evolved while she was logged in, but after she extracted, the system had given her the option to retain its evolution.

Could she feed a zombie blood crystals even while not logged in?

Then she could give Mask and A4 a few crystals now!

They had both been in battles recently, A4 especially.

Mask might not be ready to evolve yet, but A4 was probably close, just needing more blood crystals.

Evolving while not logged in wouldn’t waste time on extraction, wouldn’t risk the zombie dying, and wouldn’t drain her mental energy.

Perfect.

Before, she couldn’t have done this, not across hundreds of kilometers.

But she had Huayibai now.

Huayibai could deliver the crystals for her.

This realization opened up new possibilities.

“System, are evolving zombies… immobile? Can I log in while they’re evolving?” She asked a seemingly obvious question, receiving the system’s predictable, concise answer.

「No」

“And what about you?”

「The system will not interrupt evolution unless absolutely necessary. If interrupted, compensation will be provided.」

“Oh?”

「…」

The ellipsis suggested the system knew what she was planning.

Lin Jiayao smiled faintly, seeing the system’s hesitation.

“What’s so funny?” Lin Xiwan, who’d been glancing at her sister, noticed her smile and asked.

“Nothing, just… thought of something amusing.”

“What is it?” Lin Xiwan was curious.

Nothing amusing had happened recently.

“There’s a Coca-Cola factory in Kun City,” Lin Jiayao said.

“How do you know that?” Lin Xiwan blinked, her foot easing off the accelerator as she looked at her sister, surprised.

“I read it somewhere,” Lin Jiayao said, gently pushing her sister’s face back towards the road. “Safe driving, please.”

“Read…?” Lin Xiwan then remembered all the books she’d brought for her sister, perhaps it was mentioned in one of them, or on a map.

She quickly dismissed the thought, but her sister’s desire for Coca-Cola… she made a mental note of it.

After five years, only canned cola would still be… somewhat drinkable, though long expired.

Just sugary water, not very sweet, but it wasn’t about the taste or the nutritional value, but the memories, a taste of the pre-apocalypse world.

Like the satisfying hiss of the opening can, a small sound, but still… a reminder.

That sound was truly… satisfying.

But then she noticed her sister was lost in thought again, her hand still resting on her face.

“Nom—” Lin Xiwan playfully nibbled on her sister’s hand, pretending to bite.

The sound instantly brought Lin Jiayao back to reality.

But instead of pulling her hand away, she paused, then placed her finger in her sister’s mouth.

“Mmm?” Lin Xiwan slowed the car again, looking at her sister, bewildered.

“Hmm?” Lin Jiayao also looked at her, puzzled by her sister’s surprised expression.

And Huayibai, in the back, watched them, its eyes wide with envy.

Yibai wants to eat Mommy’s hand too…

“Ah… I thought you were sleepy and wanted to… suck on my finger…” Lin Jiayao said, slightly embarrassed, withdrawing her hand and wiping it with a tissue.

“What?” Lin Xiwan stopped the car completely.

She couldn’t follow her sister’s logic.

Why would she suck on her sister’s finger if she was sleepy while driving?

Oh, right, her sister’s entire body had healing properties now… but…

Why was she so… casual about it? No hesitation, as if willing to do even more… if asked…

This… this lack of boundaries was dangerous!

Then, realization dawned.

Besides trusting her completely, it was also… a matter of education, or rather, the lack thereof.

She’d never really given her sister “the talk,” not even basic sex education, let alone about… this. Her sister had learned everything from books.

I have to teach her… explain that even her older sister can’t always be trusted.

Especially when under the influence of drugs or… other things.

Otherwise, something like the warehouse incident might happen again.

“Hoo… it’s fine, but don’t do that again,” she said, her tone now serious, adopting an older-sisterly tone. “If I really… need something… I’ll ask you first.”

“Okay.” Lin Jiayao nodded, watching her sister restart the car.

Lin Jiayao hadn’t been thinking about any of that. She’d been planning.

A plan that required Huayibai’s cooperation.

Every zombie, under certain conditions, after consuming enough blood crystals, would enter an evolution state, and the duration varied.

For her, thanks to the system, any evolution outside a login session was fixed at six hours.

Whether E-rank to D-rank, or C-rank to B-rank, always six hours.

Mask’s initial blood crystal evolution had only taken an hour or two.

So, for lower-level zombies, evolving outside a login session was a disadvantage, but for higher-level zombies, six hours was… a bargain, even an advantage.

And most importantly, the system wouldn’t interrupt a zombie’s evolution unless absolutely necessary, and even then, compensation would be provided.

This meant…

She could have Huayibai transport A4, while it was evolving, to the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters…

Even time it so that A4 arrived right as it was breaking through to B-rank…

A C-rank A4, under the system’s control, had been able to infiltrate and escape the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters; what could a B-rank A4 do?

The thought made her smile.

But there were two major obstacles: the blood crystals needed for the evolution, and transporting them.

She had a plan:

1. Continue using the Zombie Loot Box to acquire evolutions.

2. Put all nine of her remaining blood crystals in the safehouse. After Huayibai delivered A4 to the extraction point, she would log into Mask and have Huayibai take Mask to A4.

3. Have Huayibai use the giant insect to protect Mask while it collected blood crystals in Xin City.

4. Have Mask consume the blood crystals and try to evolve. If it failed, have Huayibai take the remaining crystals to A4. If it succeeded, have her take the evolving Mask to A4.

5. Have Huayibai’s insect transport both Mask and A4 to Chongyu City.

A good plan, but difficult to execute.

Firstly, Mask might not be ready to evolve, and secondly, she might not be able to gather enough blood crystals in time.

Her sister had used three blood crystal stones to reach C-rank. How many would she need for B-rank…?

Even selling Goldie wouldn’t be enough for both A4 and Mask to reach B-rank.

I need more blood crystals…

Lin Jiayao considered her options.

Goldie could collect some; there were plenty of blood crystals in the sea creatures along the coast of Japan.

But controlling a B-rank zombie during a battle was mentally exhausting; she might faint afterwards, wasting valuable time.

Another option was to eliminate the head-Hive zombie with Goldie. If she could defeat it, the blood crystals would be more than enough.

If that failed… well, she could always harvest Goldie’s tentacles; they should be worth quite a bit.

As for transporting the blood crystal stones, that was easier.

She could use the safehouse, seemingly limited to nine crystals at a time, but she could exploit the system’s “space folding” glitch, nesting bags within bags, and transfer them to Mask.

If this worked…

She could airdrop two system-controlled, powerful zombies into the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters…

And then have Huayibai… “accidentally” start a fire…

That might be enough to cripple them.

Blood crystals, blood crystals… I need more…

The last Zombie Loot Box had yielded three blood crystals, bringing her total to eleven… not nearly enough.

Focus on the simulations, hopefully, she could defeat Goldie’s nemesis; with her rapidly improving combat skills, she was confident she could conquer this “dungeon.”

Chapter 120: Let’s Fly!

“Buzz—”

The giant dragonfly, its four large, blood crystal-veined black wings beating, dove towards the sputtering sports car below.

Its wings created a downwash of wind and dust, its massive body crushing the four Sprinters pulling the car.

The sports car, its momentum carrying it forward, slammed into the giant insect’s head, its own hood crumpling like paper, the insect unharmed.

“Pathetic…”

Having easily dispatched the four controlled zombies, the man inside the dragonfly looked into the car through its red compound eyes.

He could now see the occupants clearly.

A blonde woman in the driver’s seat, eyes closed.

A small girl with white hair and blood-red eyes, sitting in the woman’s lap, staring up at him with an unsettling intensity.

He felt a flicker of unease, watching the blonde woman and the little girl in her arms.

Encountering such a seemingly vulnerable pair on this deserted highway, devoid of even zombies… it didn’t feel right.

Especially the little girl, her eyes devoid of fear, filled with a disturbing… excitement, like a child with a new toy.

Something’s… not right…

Although he enjoyed playing with his prey, he wasn’t an idiot.

If either of them had shown even a hint of fear, he wouldn’t have felt this unease.

Thankfully, he hadn’t stopped the insect’s wings. He quickly pulled up.

“Buzz—”

The high-frequency beating of the giant wings created a deafening roar. Feeling the insect ascend without resistance, the man inside breathed a sigh of relief.

They hadn’t reacted.

“Damn it… I should just go back to Chongyu… no more messing around…” He muttered, closing his eyes and, through the insect’s vision, glancing down.

At this height, even if they reacted now, it would be too late.

Just… wait… where’s the car?

He froze.

The sports car, its dented hood, was gone from the highway below.

It had vanished in the blink of an eye?

Good thing I left quickly…

He’d just started to congratulate himself on his quick thinking when the insect’s screech made his heart clench.

No… that’s impossible… that speed… at least B-rank…

If it had been a B-rank, he wouldn’t have even had time to take off.

He quickly brought the insect to a hover, its segmented body curling slightly.

And its compound eyes, clicking and oozing fluid, rotated downwards.

He slowly opened his eyes, a buzzing in his ears.

What… was he seeing?

The sports car hadn’t vanished. It was…

Stuck to the insect’s abdomen.

The four Sprinters, crushed moments ago, were now clinging to the insect’s underbelly, their “corpses” connected by thin, blood-red threads to the sports car, which was now dangling precariously.

And the blonde woman inside… her eyes were still closed… the little girl… she was the controller!

“Clack, clack, clack—”

The insect’s mandibles snapped shut repeatedly, a series of clicks, as if in pain.

Something… was wrong…

Through the insect’s senses, he felt something… burrowing into its body.

And he was losing control.

What was happening?!

If another control-type Awakened was trying to wrest control of the giant insect, it would be a mental battle.

Why hadn’t he felt anything, and yet the insect was already losing control?

“Crack, clack, clack—”

The insect’s wings slowed, and then it crashed to the ground, the impact shattering the asphalt beneath it.

“Fuck!!!” He lost control completely as the insect crashed. “What the fuck just happened?!” He’d been flying towards Chongyu City, just a few hours away.

Why were there non-Voodoo Cult people near Chongyu? And they were coming from the direction of the Voodoo Cult’s territory.

Were they allies? The Boss’s personal guards, perhaps?

He kicked at the insect’s carapace, but it didn’t open to let him out.

“Clang—”

Nothing.

“Fuck…”

He assumed they were with the Voodoo Cult, a case of friendly fire, a misunderstanding.

“Hey, sisters! It’s me! Don’t attack! I didn’t mean to! I just wanted to say hello!” he shouted, trying to pry open a plate with his hands.

With considerable effort, he managed to widen a gap slightly.

He could only plead, hoping they wouldn’t kill him.

“Splat—”

He heard something and, through the gap in the plates, looked down.

He was near the insect’s neck; looking down, he could see its thorax and abdomen.

Thin, blood-red tendrils were extending upwards through the gaps in the bone plates.

Tendrils…

Holy shit! Mushrooms! Holy fuck!

His eyes widened in horror, and he frantically tore at the plates beside him, creating a hole just large enough for him to squeeze through.

He didn’t hesitate, pushing his body through the opening, and then he saw her, the little girl, standing near the insect’s abdomen, looking up at him.

“Sister! Mommy! Daddy! I’m with the Voodoo Cult too! It’s me! It’s a misunderstanding!” He waved his right arm, half of his body outside the insect now.

And the little girl, hearing the words “Voodoo Cult,” reacted.

“Voodoo Cult?” it asked in its childish voice, blinking at him.

“Yes! I’m with the Voodoo Cult!” He excitedly pulled out the gold key from around his neck. “See? One hundred percent Voodoo Cult! We’re on the same side! Daddy!”

He dangled there, half in, half out of the insect, holding up the key, and then he realized something was wrong.

He couldn’t… breathe…

He struggled, but he was trapped.

Hearing the words “Voodoo Cult,” the insect’s bone plates had begun to close…

“No… no, no, no… no!!! You’re not friendly! No… No… NO!!!”

The plates pressed inwards, his chest and back crushed, his body contorted.

Only his C-rank Awakened physique prevented him from being bisected.

And the plates were now closing on his face, crushing his nose.

Blood trickled from his lips, his breath trapped in his lungs.

He couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Crack—”

The sound of his skull cracking was the final straw.

His eyes lost focus, and he exhaled his last breath.

And with that exhale—

“Snap—”

Like cutting meat with scissors, his body was cleanly bisected by the closing plates, his internal organs and brain matter spilling out.

“Mm…” The little girl, watching this, nodded in satisfaction.

Mommy had said not to kill anyone.

But the Voodoo Cult… they were an exception.

So, after hearing his confession, she had acted without hesitation.

Initially, she had only wanted the giant insect as compensation for crushing her Sprinters.

“Mommy, we have a plane now!” Huayibai turned to the woman in the car, a bright smile on its face.

But the woman, her eyes still closed, didn’t move.

“Hmm…”

She seemed to be… unresponsive again…

Huayibai hesitated, then, using its tendrils, made the insect stand up.

It climbed back into the car, sat on its Mommy’s lap, and fastened the seatbelt.

Taking her Mommy’s hands and placing them around its waist, it controlled the insect.

The massive dragonfly zombie slowly lifted off the ground, its abdomen dragging a wrecked sports car, attached by a thick tendril.

“Whee—”

With a delighted shriek, Huayibai steered the insect towards Fuzhou City.

The dangling car swayed beneath them, more thrilling than any roller coaster.

“Yi—bai—can—fly—a—car—now—”

It would tell Mommy this good news when she woke up.

…

Six hours.

Lin Jiayao exited the Training Grounds on time.

Despite the numerous simulated battles, her mental strength, instead of being depleted, had recovered considerably.

Although not as effective as sleep, it had allowed her to gain valuable combat experience.

Of course, she couldn’t rely on the Training Grounds indefinitely; this was just a temporary solution.

Exiting the Training Grounds, she didn’t open her eyes immediately, but checked the Zombie Loot Box.

She’d been in the Training Grounds not just for practice and mental recovery, but also to wait for the Loot Box.

Killing two birds with one stone.

A golden glow emanated from the Zombie Loot Box.

Gold?

The first Loot Box had also glowed gold, yielding five blood crystals.

A substantial reward, mostly due to the rare and valuable bone necklace from the B-rank Awakened.

Slightly hopeful, Lin Jiayao opened the Loot Box.

[Obtained: Blood Crystal Stone x3, Rotten Fish Meat x4]

Three blood crystal stones?

She’d put in two, so a small profit, and there was also an evolution.

She looked at the evolution options.

「Please retain your evolution」
「1、【Shallow Water Breathing Lv.1 (White): Allows you to extract small amounts of oxygen from water for survival】」
「2、【Parasitic Spawn Lv.1 (Blue): Allows you to lay eggs that parasitize other blood crystal entities】」
「3、【Neurotoxin Lv.1 (Blue): Grants your blood paralytic and hallucinogenic properties】」

Hmm…

Looking at the options, Lin Jiayao frowned.

Although the deep-sea parasitic zombie hadn’t been highly evolved, the rewards were decent, at least covering the cost of the two blood crystal stones.

She immediately dismissed the first option; she had no plans to live underwater.

Even if she did, her sister couldn’t survive there.

That left the second and third.

The second… laying eggs?

Like… giving birth?

But she already had Huayibai, whose spore infection was far more potent than this blue evolution; it was redundant.

That left only the third: Neurotoxin, giving her blood paralytic and hallucinogenic properties.

Perhaps this could counteract the… “Tang Sanzang effect” of her healing ability?

After all, besides enemies, no one would be drinking her blood.

And even if her sister or Huayibai accidentally came into contact with her blood, it would just paralyze them, and as for the hallucinations…

They should be fine, right? They were strong blood crystal entities.

After selecting the evolution, Lin Jiayao exited the Zombie Loot Box interface and then noticed a red “①” on the Login entry.

What now? Had something happened to the fifth zombie? Or A4?

She opened her eyes and checked on her sister and Huayibai.

It was almost dusk. Her sister was driving, and Huayibai was looking at her with an excited expression.

So, it was probably A4 then; Huayibai wouldn’t be this excited otherwise.

“Mommy,” Huayibai said, its small fists clenched, its eyes shining with anticipation. “Yibai can drive a flying car now! Can Yibai drive?”

A flying car?

“Awake? How are you feeling?” Lin Xiwan, noticing her sister was awake, slowed the jeep and asked.

“I’m fine.” Lin Jiayao rubbed her temples.

I need to find out what happened while I was in the Training Grounds.

She first looked at Huayibai.

The little girl seemed eager to tell her something.