Chapter 113: Left Embrace, Right Embrace
“Holy shit—!”
The man by the window, seeing the head behind him, felt his strength drain away. He hadn’t felt this terrified in a long time, not since joining the Voodoo Cult.
“Crack—”
The head’s bone spikes pierced his neck, the tendrils spreading through his body, draining his life force in an instant.
As his flesh withered, the head rapidly regenerated, a neck and shoulders forming.
Consuming a single human wasn’t enough for a full recovery, but the dozen or so grams of blood crystals in the man’s waist pouch would restore some of its abilities.
“Shhh—”
Two bone blades, connected by tendrils, replaced some of the bone spikes previously used as legs, now functioning like arms.
This type of zombie wasn’t naturally suited for walking; the bone spikes had been a temporary adaptation, a result of consuming numerous bone-type zombies.
But with these blade-like arms, its agility and offensive capabilities had increased significantly.
“Bang, bang, bang—”
“Rat-tat-tat-tat—”
“Whoosh—Boom—”
Gunfire and explosions from the opposite building, a rocket slamming into the window.
But before the rocket detonated, the blonde head had already smashed through the floor and dropped to the level below.
“Holy shit—What’s happening?!”
“Why are they shooting at us?!”
“The lasers… that monster is above us!”
Two Voodoo Cult warriors, hiding in a room on the third floor, shouted over the gunfire and explosions.
“Boom—”
A massive explosion shook the entire building, dust and debris raining down on them.
“Are they fucking insane?! We’re still inside!”
“Fuck! Let’s jump out the window!”
Just as they were discussing their escape, a frantic knocking came from the door, accompanied by terrified shouts.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
“Holy shit—! Holy shit—!”
The two froze, then one of them reacted.
“That’s Xiao Jiu! He was on the floor above us! He made it down!” The younger warrior dropped his rifle and went to open the door.
He and Xiao Jiu were close friends, sharing… similar interests… he instantly recognized the voice.
His friend was in trouble; he had to help.
But the other warrior stopped him, raising his rifle and aiming it at the door.
“Identification! Name! State your designation!” he shouted.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
“Holy shit—! Holy shit—! Holy shit—!”
The person outside seemed not to hear, just repeating the same terrified phrase, the knocking continuing.
And each shout… was identical in tone and volume, like a broken record.
Listening to the monotonous cries and the explosions outside, the younger warrior realized something was wrong.
They both swallowed hard, raised their rifles, aimed them at the door, and slowly backed away.
Suddenly, the knocking stopped.
Whatever was outside seemed to know they were on alert.
“Crack—”
A gleaming blade pierced through the wooden door, tearing away a large chunk of wood.
Seeing the tendril-covered blade, they could no longer maintain their composure and opened fire.
“Rat-tat-tat-tat—”
The bullets ripped through the door, seemingly hitting whatever was outside.
But they only saw a flash of blood, and then, their last sight, a blonde woman with black eyes, staring at them, her expression blank.
They felt countless tendrils, like blood-red threads, piercing their hearts, and then… darkness.
The process wasn’t painful. The rapid blood loss created a strange euphoria, and then their consciousness faded.
“Gurgle—”
The blood-red tendrils, fueled by the flesh and blood, rapidly repaired the blonde zombie’s body.
It seemed to know this wasn’t enough for a full recovery, focusing only on the essential parts.
Like its bones.
A skeletal figure, its skull still attached, materialized.
Although clearly human, the bones were streaked with blood, sharp barbs at the joints.
These bones allowed for agile movement and powerful attacks.
And its arms weren’t bones, but two massive blades, disproportionately large for its body.
Truly… putting all its points into offense.
It now had its previous agility and offensive capabilities, though its defense and blood crystal reserves were low.
A weaker version of its original form.
But enough.
“Boom—”
As soon as its bones regenerated, the head-skeleton jumped out the window, hooking its bone spikes onto the windowsill.
Looking down, it saw Wu Hejun below, her eyes glowing with electricity, her face contorted in rage.
“Thump, thump, thump—”
Ignoring her, it climbed rapidly upwards.
“Zzzt—”
“ZAP—”
A massive bolt of red lightning struck the wall above, blocking its path and electrocuting several Voodoo Cult members who’d been about to lean out and shoot.
Seeing the… freshly cooked meat, the head-skeleton didn’t hesitate. The moment the lightning dissipated, it entered the building through the now-shattered window.
Inside the room, only a few charred corpses remained, their blood crystals untouched.
Its tendrils extended, instantly absorbing the crystals.
With its strength slightly replenished, it took a few running steps, smashed through the floor, and, its body a blood-red projectile, launched itself towards an Awakened in the opposite building, the one who had been targeting it with a laser pointer.
Mid-flight, the blades on its arms shifted and reshaped, becoming massive claws, three times the size of its face.
Its body arced through the air, a perfect parabola of crimson, its blood-red eyes fixed on the terrified Awakened.
“Swish—”
Reaching the window, its claws slashed downwards, tearing through the glass and the wall, the person inside instantly dismembered.
Seeing this, the other laser pointers, different colors, quickly switched off, most losing track of the zombie.
But it was too late.
During its flight, it had already calculated the locations of everyone who had been targeting it with lasers.
“Retreat! Everyone retreat! Behind me!!!” A lone figure shouted from the street below, her voice strained.
Despite her immense power, she couldn’t defeat this C-rank zombie and had been reduced to this… undignified display.
Other C-rank Awakened had tried attacking, but their attacks were either too slow, or ineffective.
Even bullets barely harmed it; it regenerated faster than they could inflict damage.
It was frustrating, having so much power, yet being unable to use it.
She could only watch as her men were slaughtered, one by one, her heart pounding with helpless rage.
The zombie was now among them; if she used her ability now, she risked harming her own people.
She might even kill more of her own men than the zombie.
This was why B-rank Awakened were usually deployed alone, with only one or two subordinates for support and communication.
Gathering her men had initially prevented the spread of the fungal infection, forcing the tendrils out of their bodies.
But it had also made them easy targets.
Now, she could only hope they could escape before too many were killed.
“Aagh—”
“Boom—”
“Rat-tat-tat—”
Explosions and screams echoed from the surrounding buildings, then silence.
What happened?
Had her men somehow… injured it?
“Searchlights! Searchlights!”
Following her command, several beams of light shone from the rooftops, converging on a spot on the ground floor.
The zombie was there, motionless.
But then, one laser switched off, then another, and another, a chain reaction.
“Boss, we’ve lost it…”
One of the C-rank Awakened, the last to switch off his laser pointer, looked at their Boss cautiously.
He could see the rage simmering beneath the surface; he didn’t want to be the target of her wrath, but he had to report.
Losing track of it meant the zombie had escaped.
They had been played. A zombie, controlled by some unknown Awakened, had invaded their territory, slapped them in the face, pissed on them, and then simply… left.
A humiliating defeat. More humiliating than being killed.
The authority she’d built through years of ruthless efficiency and precise command had been undermined; some might even start questioning her Guangdong purge plan.
The consequences of letting that zombie escape were significant; it depended on how she handled the situation.
Meanwhile, the blonde zombie, now wearing a new black sweatshirt and sweatpants, its body showing no signs of injury, its skin even paler and smoother than before, was running through the city.
It seemed unconcerned by the earlier battle, the fight only a means to an end, to heal its injuries.
As soon as it had recovered, it had retreated.
It ran with incredible speed, reaching the outskirts of Chongyu City within an hour, stopping in front of a luxurious villa.
Its eyes quickly scanned the vehicles parked in the driveway, searching for a usable one. It opened a dusty toolbox and began rummaging.
Zombies had already appeared in the suburbs; even inside this villa, several Sprinters were lurking.
Seeing the zombie’s actions, the small, doll-sized Huayibai, clinging to its hair like a vine, lowered itself to its ear and asked curiously, “Mommy, are you going to drive?”
“Yibai can drive!”
A4: “…”
Five minutes later, four Sprinters were pulling a convertible sports car down the highway, sparks flying.
…
Feeling the sunlight on her face, Lin Jiayao’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
She shifted slightly, feeling… soft, fragrant pillows on either side of her head.
And it was morning.
“Mm…”
A sudden, sharp pain in her head, as if someone were drilling into her skull, jolted her fully awake.
The constant strain of logging into zombies, the increasingly long sessions, were taking their toll.
Even Lv.2 Vigor wasn’t enough; her mental state was deteriorating.
Unless she found an evolution that significantly boosted her mental fortitude, this would become a vicious cycle.
Weak mental strength meant shorter login times, shorter login times meant fewer evolutions, and fewer evolutions meant weaker mental strength.
A dead end.
“Yao?”
A gentle voice from above, and a warm hand gently massaged the back of her head.
The familiar touch eased the pain slightly.
“Still feeling drained?” Lin Xiwan asked softly, seeing her sister’s furrowed brow.
“Mm…” Lin Jiayao nodded against the “pillows.”
“It’s okay… it’s all over now,” Lin Xiwan said, hugging her sister tighter, seeing her exhausted expression. “They’re gone, they didn’t find us…”
It seemed she had mistaken the departing insect for the Voodoo Cult giving up their search.
“Okay…” Lin Jiayao snuggled against her sister for a moment, then, suddenly remembering something, looked around.
“Where’s Yibai?”
“Mommy!”
Huayibai’s cheerful voice, surprisingly loud, startled Lin Jiayao.
She turned and saw Huayibai standing in a shadowed corner of the room, waving at her. Seeing Lin Jiayao look at it, it ran towards them excitedly.
Ignoring its white dress and stockings, Huayibai knelt beside Lin Jiayao, its white hair gleaming in the sunlight, its eyes shining.
Waiting for praise, clearly.
Even without seeing its expression, the series of system warnings and red alerts told Lin Jiayao that something had happened while she was half-conscious.
She patted Huayibai’s head and then leaned back against her sister, closing her eyes and opening the system interface.
「Warning, warning」
「Warning, warning」
A barrage of warnings flashed before her eyes, indicating her zombies had been attacked.
「[Login] ②」
「[Hideout] ①」
A red “②” on the Login interface, a “①” on the Hideout.
The Hideout alert was likely the Zombie Loot Box; she wondered what had happened with the login.
Hadn’t she just started the plan to transport A4 to the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters last night? Why the alarm now?
Feeling her sister’s fingers gently massaging her scalp, she opened the Login interface.
A red dot hovered not only over A4, but also over the fifth zombie.
Something had happened to the fifth as well.
The fifth was the purple-skinned, healing-type zombie, its massive size a result of being force-fed.
It had provided her with a useful evolution, allowing her to heal her sister.
But she wasn’t concerned about the fifth right now. She clicked on the red dot above A4.
「-Warning-」
「-Zombie is being transported-」
「-Warning-」
「-Zombie is far from the extraction point-」
「…」
A long list of notifications.
Lin Jiayao scrolled through them, her confusion growing.
A4… had been transported to Chongyu City, 1200 kilometers away, within a few hours?
She looked at Huayibai, blinking.
How… how had it done that?
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Huayibai puffed out its chest, a proud look on its face, as if expecting praise.
Lin Jiayao scratched its chin, like petting a cat, and then continued reading the notifications.
Its waist pierced… its head blown off… its body torn to pieces…
Such severe injuries? Had it reached the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters? Encountered a B-rank?
A4, with its ability to evolve and regenerate by consuming enemies, could only be injured like this by a significantly stronger opponent.
The further she read, the more incredulous she became.
A4, even while being pursued by a B-rank, was still regenerating?
Although constantly injured, its wounds were healing rapidly.
She could almost visualize the chaotic battle.
Knowing A4, it was probably fighting within a horde, constantly consuming zombies to heal, a tenacious cockroach, impossible to kill unless completely obliterated.
Reaching the end of the notifications, she saw that A4 was now moving towards… her.
It had already left Chongyu City? And at this rate, it would be back within three or four days.
Is this the power of the system’s autopilot? Escorting a C-rank zombie through a B-rank Awakened’s territory and escaping?
She would have to seriously consider transporting the second zombie, the Building-Tree Guardian, to the Voodoo Cult’s headquarters.
That would definitely cause some chaos.
And she needed to ask Huayibai how it had transported A4 so quickly. If she mastered that method, she could use her zombies to eliminate distant threats remotely.
And it wasn’t her who would be doing the work, but the system.
Lin Jiayao exited A4’s log and looked at the fifth zombie.
There was a simple warning message.
「Detected a large amount of residual blood crystals within No.5 [Unnamed]. Do you wish to proceed with evolution?」
Residual blood crystals within its body?
Had someone been feeding it?
It seemed the fifth zombie was safe in Japan. She clicked “confirm evolution.”
The fifth slot went into a six-hour cooldown.
After checking these notifications, she opened the Hideout and looked at the Zombie Loot Box.
The Loot Box, now open, glowed with a golden light, as if containing something valuable.
And the zombie slot beside it was empty; the suit-wearing, tumor-faced zombie was gone.
Lin Jiayao opened the Loot Box.
[Obtained: Blood Crystal Stone x5, Blood Crystal Enhanced Machete x1, XL Suit x1, Men’s Underwear x1, Platinum Ring x1…]
「Please retain your evolution」
「1、【Hemophagy (Purple): Allows you to analyze the abilities of a blood sample and mark it for tracking】」
「2、【Faceless Hunter (Purple): Greatly enhances your sense of smell at the cost of sight and hearing】」
「3、【Behavioral Mimicry (Gray): Allows you to mimic the behavior of your prey, disguising yourself from a distance】」
Five blood crystals… not bad.
And the other items…
Had the system looted everything from that zombie, down to its underwear?
So ruthless.
Lin Jiayao transferred the five crystals and the machete to her warehouse, then looked at the evolution options.
Number 3 was useless, just a basic zombie disguise. Number 2 would disable Blood Crystal Vision, not a good trade-off.
That left only number 1.
Although not a great evolution, at least she’d gained some blood crystals and a free evolution without expending any mental energy.
And she could keep repeating this process.
Without giving the [Zombie Loot Box] any downtime, after selecting the first evolution, Lin Jiayao put the machete into the Loot Box slot.
Confirm.
The machete dissolved into dust, and in the display box beside it, a muscular Sprinter appeared, the extraction time below it: two hours.
It seemed the machete wasn’t very valuable, the assigned zombie also weak, but the extraction time was correspondingly short.
She left the underwear and suit, letting them disappear with the Loot Box.
At least let the zombie have some clothes; it had, after all, done some work for her.
After all, Lin Jiayao wasn’t a heartless capitalist.
She opened her eyes and looked at her sister.
Their current position… was rather suggestive.
Lin Xiwan was leaning against the wall, her left hand on Lin Jiayao’s waist, her right hand gently massaging her head.
And Lin Jiayao was lying against her sister, her head resting comfortably on her chest, her right arm around her sister’s waist, her left hand absentmindedly scratching Huayibai’s chin. Huayibai was sitting on the floor to her left, leaning against the bed, its eyes half-closed, a blissful expression. If it had a tail, it would be wagging furiously.
“Hungry?” Lin Xiwan asked, looking down at her sister, a smile on her face.
Lin Jiayao nodded.
“Let’s go find something to eat.”
After playfully rubbing her sister’s face, Lin Xiwan lifted her, looked at Huayibai, who was now also standing, staring intently at Lin Jiayao’s left hand, and said, “Yibai, let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Seeing that Huayibai was following, Lin Xiwan glanced at the still-burning vehicle below.
It was daytime now, most of the zombies having retreated to the shadows; she could check the wreckage now.
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