Chapter Sixteen: Awakening Abilities

Soon, the ground at the entrance was breached.

A thunderous roar erupted from Tank as he was the first to squeeze through, hefting a block of granite and hurling it straight into the crowd. The stone, bearing crushing force, instantly knocked two people to the ground.

“Hehehehehe~~~”

As the female zombie entered, one of the hired thugs seized his chance, swinging his machete at her head. But her speed was extraordinary; with a swift gesture, her razor-sharp nails tore through his forearm.

“Aaah—” The thug screamed in agony, dropping his blade from the sheer pain.

The female zombie snatched the machete in mid-air, her twisted smile gleaming, and with a flick of her wrist, she slashed at the thug’s neck.

“Damn!” The thug was terrified—this was the first time he’d seen a zombie wield a weapon!

Trained as she was, the female zombie’s strike cut through his neck as easily as slicing tofu.

The people around were just as stunned.

“This zombie can use a knife!”

“What the hell—are we seeing ghosts?!”

“What do we do now?”

But things grew even more bizarre.

As they debated their options, a crossbow bolt flew across the room, piercing a man’s skull.

A glance revealed the Doctor zombie, holding a crossbow and loading a second bolt.

“Holy shit!”

Those who’d planned to fight suddenly lost all resolve. They were completely outmatched.

This was a massacre.

The survivors dropped their weapons and fled deeper inside.

By the time Lin Dong entered, the battle was essentially over; bodies lay strewn throughout the fortress, blood everywhere, the place resembling a slaughterhouse.

Lin Dong walked further inside, his three zombie underlings trailing obediently behind, no longer killing. They could still sense the presence of living people within.

He entered a room and found a cold heap of ashes where a fire had died, beside which lay a pile of bones bearing teeth marks—human teeth, not those of zombies.

He needed no further explanation.

Lin Dong understood what had happened here.

From the corner of the room came the faint sound of weak breathing.

“Roar!” Tank growled fiercely toward that direction.

When Lin Dong approached, he found a woman lying naked on the ground, her legs sawed off. The wounds were bound with rubber bands and rag strips to staunch the bleeding and keep her from dying outright—because when a person dies, prion viruses are produced in the body.

So...

The woman’s face was pale, her breath weak, hovering on the edge of death. Hearing the commotion, she slowly opened her eyes.

She saw Lin Dong and the zombies. There was no fear in her eyes; instead, a glimmer of relief—a longing for release.

Lin Dong understood her meaning.

She wanted him to kill her.

In her eyes, Zhao Peng’s group was far more cruel than the zombies before her.

Tank, ever the gentleman, kindly fulfilled her wish.

The fortress had only one exit.

At that moment, Zhao Peng, Xing Tianlong, and the others hid in the last room, with nowhere left to run.

“Boss Zhao, what do we do? The zombies will be here any moment!” Xing Tianlong was at a loss.

Zhao Peng remained calm.

“These zombies can use weapons and operate machinery—they must possess human intelligence. Maybe... we can negotiate with them!”

“Yes, yes!” Xing Tianlong nodded repeatedly. If negotiation was possible, there was hope for survival.

Hope flared anew.

Zhao Peng continued, “Besides, I had some dealings with Lin Dong before the apocalypse. Maybe he’ll spare us.”

“That’s great!” Xing Tianlong was impressed. Zhao Peng’s connections were vast—even after the end of the world, they might still prove useful.

Just then, Lin Dong and his zombies appeared in the corridor, their footsteps growing closer, radiating an oppressive presence.

Gulp.

Zhao Peng’s lips went dry; he swallowed nervously, his anxiety soaring.

“Wait, Lin Dong, don’t kill me! You remember me, right? I’m Zhao Peng!”

He shouted from ten meters away.

Lin Dong approached, studying him—of course he recognized that face.

“Oh,” Lin Dong nodded.

His three underlings didn’t attack immediately.

Zhao Peng felt hopeful.

Things were looking up.

He pressed on, trying to build rapport.

“Lin Dong, remember? I bought your farm back then, and even lent you a fair bit of money...”

“So you’re my creditor...” Lin Dong mused, then quickly realized, “All the more reason to kill you.”

“Ugh!” Zhao Peng nearly spat blood, realizing he’d said the wrong thing.

Xing Tianlong was anxious, thinking, Why bring that up now?

Zhao Peng tried to explain, but it was too late.

Lin Dong’s three zombie underlings surged forward and devoured them.

In the entire fortress, not a single survivor remained.

...

Lin Dong gathered anything useful, then led his underlings out.

At that moment, Su Xiaorou was still waiting in the cargo van.

She’d heard the shrieks from the building—unceasing, frenzied—she could only imagine the horrors inside, far more dreadful than anything she’d seen at the school.

Now Lin Dong approached, his white shirt spotless as ever, as if nothing had happened.

“Boss… Where are we going now?”

“Home,” Lin Dong replied simply.

The cargo van started up and soon returned to Lin Dong’s residence.

...

With Su Xiaorou’s arrival, she was assigned the house next to Lin Dong.

Every day she washed his clothes, cleaned the house, scrubbed the dishes—diligent and conscientious, for any lapse might cost her life.

Lin Dong didn’t treat her badly.

Each day, he provided her with human food—rice, flour, and sometimes, if he was in a good mood, frozen steak or fish.

After a few days, Su Xiaorou gradually adapted.

Compared to the survivors outside, she had food and water every day, shelter in the building, and no need to brave the elements—she considered herself fortunate.

During this period, Lin Dong consumed vast quantities of meat; as his evolution progressed, he could digest more and more. Conservatively, he’d eaten at least a hundred tons of beef—not counting chicken blood and other things.

Lin Dong could feel himself growing stronger daily.

How strong, exactly, he wasn’t sure...

Until ten days later, he underwent another evolution—a qualitative leap. Within his skull, a crystal core formed.

At the same time, a crimson gleam flashed in his eyes.

“My head itches... I’m about to awaken a new ability...”

...