Chapter 145: Biochemical Monster

"Hiss..."

Wu Yue gasped, a deep sense of dread washing over him.

At that moment, a mimic charged right at him. With lightning-fast reflexes, Wu Yue raised his fist and shattered its skull with a single blow.

Yet, there was no explosion of flesh and blood. Instead, white fungal filaments were exposed, and countless spores burst into the air.

"This is not human at all!"

Horror washed over Wu Yue's face. He looked toward the little mushroom girl, only to see the corners of her lips curl up into an extremely creepy smile.

It was a trap!

She wasn't a member of the Black Scorpion organization either.

"Quick! Go take back the serum!"

"Yes!"

Several awakened individuals behind him chimed in hastily, leaping forward.

With a flick of her wrist, the little mushroom girl tossed the metal case far away. The case carved a parabolic arc through the air, about to land in the shadowy depths.

The awakened ones fixed their eyes on it and instantly changed their trajectory, sprinting directly toward the landing spot.

Just as they were about to reach it, a slender hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, catching the alloy case mid-air with a sharp *snap*.

"Stop!"

Following a startled cry, everyone froze in their tracks.

At the same time, expressions of utter terror washed over their faces. A slender figure had materialized before them, clad in a crisp white shirt, his handsome face utterly detached and indifferent.

"When was a gift ever taken back?"

Lin Dong's low voice echoed in the space.

"You..."

Their eyes widened in extreme terror. Fear seized their souls, making them tremble, for they recognized him instantly: the strongest Corpse King of Jiangbei City!

Wu Yue's eyes split with fury.

Was that a gift? Wasn't it blatantly robbery?

"Run!"

Wu Yue roared in panic.

Facing Lin Dong, they were like mice before a cat. Their courage shattered completely, they no longer cared about any virus; saving their own lives was paramount!

Without the slightest intention to resist, the awakened ones turned and fled.

Yet behind them, a terrifying corporeal domain rolled outward, rapidly enveloping them all. The incomparable pressure felt like being submerged in the deep sea, freezing their movements instantly.

Two of the weaker ones had their bones crackling under the sheer pressure. Unable to withstand even the oppressive aura of the corpse domain, they spasmed and collapsed to the ground.

A female awakened one gritted her teeth, sweat beading across her forehead, as she fought desperately to hold her ground.

Scanning her surroundings, she saw Lin Dong approaching step by step.

Terror reached its zenith in her heart.

"Water Veil!"

Pouring every ounce of her remaining energy into the spell, a pale blue light radiated outward. The surrounding water vapor condensed into several sheets of water walls, blocking Lin Dong's path in a desperate attempt to halt his advance.

Unfazed, Lin Dong did not slow his pace in the least.

As those water veils neared him, they were instantly shattered by the crushing pressure, bursting apart without serving the slightest purpose.

Frowning deeply, the female awakened one continued to force out her energy.

"Such a persistent human..."

Lin Dong murmured softly. With a flicker, he sped past her. In an instant, a flash of razor-sharp light swept through the air, cleanly severing her neck as her head went flying...

Having long since abandoned his teammates, Wu Yue was already far ahead, about to vanish into the dark.

With a blurred shadow, Lin Dong immediately gave chase.

Within seconds, Wu Yue felt a majestic pressure rolling heavily from behind, approaching with the speed of an oncoming tempest.

"Damn it!"

His heart skipped a beat as he realized he couldn't outrun it.

Then, the crushing force struck. His body crackled, and feeling as though he had stepped into a quagmire, he froze in place, utterly unable to move.

Forcing his head around, he saw Lin Dong walking toward him.

Just like all the other awakened ones he had killed—there was simply no way to resist!

A deep sense of helplessness washed over Wu Yue, plunging him into absolute despair.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a purple vial—the G-virus!

When he went to retrieve the viruses earlier, he had purposely pocketed an extra one.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

"Oh?"

Lin Dong tilted his head, genuinely pausing in his tracks.

Wu Yue felt a glimmer of hope flare up in his heart, mistaking it for a chance at survival. He pressed the G-virus vial directly against his neck.

"If you take one more step, I'll inject the G-virus! That won't do either of us any good!"

"Then hurry up."

A flash crossed Lin Dong's eyes. He thought this was a brilliant idea; he had just been wondering what kind of effect the G-virus would have on humans, and now this fellow was about to put on a live demonstration. Such initiative deserved praise.

"......" Speechless, Wu Yue realized the man wasn't scared at all, but rather looked as though he were spectating a show... Was he treating him like a monkey in a circus?

Either way, if things continued like this, death was certain.

Injecting the G-virus might just grant him a sliver of hope.

With that thought, Wu Yue hardened his resolve and jammed the G-virus needle straight into his carotid artery. Pressing his thumb down, the purple liquid vanished into his body.

He was about to become the first human in Jiangbei City to inject the G-virus!

"Crack, snap, crunch!"

Wu Yue felt a wave of searing heat flood his body, followed by violent spasms. The bones throughout his frame cracked loudly.

His cellular structure began merging with the virus, expanding wildly as he morphed into an entirely new form.

Simultaneously, his skin burst open and rapidly shed, exposing scarlet muscle fibers that quickly hardened into a new layer of keratinous armor.

"Roar—!"

Letting out a agonized roar, Wu Yue grew rapidly in size, towering over five meters tall within a breath.

His thick, muscular arms hung past his knees, and his human features were completely warped into a grotesque monster's visage. His snout and jaw pushed forward, revealing a mouthful of jagged, bared fangs.

Two yellowish, bloodshot eyes bulged from the sides of his head, rolling wildly.

The resulting appearance was utterly bizarre, far more terrifying than any ordinary zombie.

"Too ugly..."

Lin Dong couldn't tell if everyone turned out like this after injecting the G-virus, or if every mutation was unique...

Still, Wu Yue's aura had intensified dramatically. A ferocious, violent pressure radiated from his entire body. His original B-plus tier strength was surging toward A-plus tier—a full tier leap!

"Roar—!"

With his physical anatomy altered, Wu Yue lost the capacity for human speech. Opening his mouth, he unleashed a deafening roar that shook the entire subway tunnel, causing a shower of dust to rain down.

Even trapped within the corpse domain, Wu Yue had recovered his mobility. He felt as though his current strength could shatter a mountain with a single punch.

Taking a few heavy strides forward, he hurled a ferocious punch straight at Lin Dong.

That massive fist plunged downward like a falling star, carrying with it immense, destructive force.

*Die!*

Choosing not to meet the blow head-on, Lin Dong flashed backward.

"Boom!"

The fist slammed into the ground ahead, instantly creating a huge crater as dust and shattered rock exploded outward.

Protected by his corpse domain, Lin Dong remained completely unharmed.

Yet at that moment, the searing heat of the punch radiated outward, igniting fierce, blazing flames that burst in all directions.

"Boom!"

Lin Dong retreated further, placing distance between himself and the blast radius.

It seemed...

Even after transforming into a biochemical monster, humans retained their awakened elemental attributes.

Although he could no longer speak, Wu Yue felt a surge of elation in his heart... So what if he was the strongest Corpse King of Jiangbei City? Didn't he still have to dodge? This was all brought on by you yourself!!!

Yet Lin Dong remained calm, even looking quite satisfied.

"Mm, not bad..."