Chapter 77: The Evolved Zombie and a Desperate Fight

Under Duan Yulan’s precise guidance, Qiao Xia’s movements had become increasingly refined. Gone were the flashy, ostentatious techniques he once employed.

Now, each swing of his blade was executed with pinpoint accuracy, intent on inflicting the most efficient damage.

However, Liu Ge’s helmet and armor provided an impenetrable defense around his neck. Qiao Xia’s strategy of aiming for that vulnerable spot had, regrettably, failed.

He needed to strip away this cumbersome outer layer of armor first; only then could he hope to achieve anything more.

Alas, aside from chipping away a few plates from Liu Ge’s arm armor, the protection around his neck remained remarkably robust. It was clear that far greater effort would be required.

After once again evading Liu Ge’s attack with an undignified somersault, Qiao Xia couldn’t help but gasp for air. Sweat rapidly streamed down his forehead, leaving faint traces on the ground before quickly vanishing.

Unlike the other zombies Qiao Xia had encountered, Liu Ge seemed to have undergone a strange transformation. This made him far more agile and endowed him with a greater variety of attack methods.

He appeared to retain some semblance of consciousness, though it was far from his original mode of thought. His intellect was akin to that of a low-level animal, capable of understanding only specific commands.

For Liu Ge, Ding Ce’s instructions were much like a master’s orders to a pet, which he would execute without hesitation.

“Not bad, not bad at all. No wonder you managed to evade my attacks before; you actually have some skill. However, the warm-up is over now. It’s time to get serious! Ugly brute, use this to beat him to death!”

Just as Qiao Xia felt a flicker of confusion, Ding Ce suddenly spoke. A baseball bat was thrown directly in front of Liu Ge, who swiftly picked it up and brandished it in the air before charging straight at Qiao Xia.

A single thought, ‘You motherf—,’ flashed through Qiao Xia’s mind as he narrowly dodged the iron bat’s strike.

His body twisted into an incredibly flexible posture, pushing him beyond his physical limits.

The whoosh of the iron bat, wielded by Liu Ge, whistled past Qiao Xia’s ear, making him realize that if he were truly hit by that blow, he would undoubtedly be sent straight to the afterlife.

‘This is absolutely insane!’

“Qiao Xia, this zombie consumed a mutated creature’s crystal core, which caused its transformation. It has evolved beyond the state of a low-level zombie and is progressing towards becoming a special zombie, vastly different from others.”

As Qiao Xia and Liu Ge fiercely battled, Duan Yulan, who had remained behind him, did not intervene. Instead, she chose this moment to share the information she possessed, dispelling Qiao Xia’s confusion.

‘No wonder I always felt Liu Ge was different from other zombies. So, he ate a red crystal core.’

However, mutated creatures were far more formidable than ordinary zombies. He couldn’t help but wonder how Liu Ge had managed to defeat one.

“Well, little lady, you certainly know a lot! So that big rat was called a mutated creature, huh? It was indeed quite formidable, but its weaknesses were also rather obvious. Its intelligence wasn’t quite up to par, and it walked right into the trap I set. It died a truly miserable death, but the ugly brute seemed to really enjoy eating the rat’s corpse… What a shame. If I had known that rat had a crystal core, I would have taken it out immediately.”

Duan Yulan’s voice had not been hushed, and the office space was small enough that Ding Ce, upon hearing her words, couldn’t help but interject.

His gaze towards Duan Yulan was anything but benevolent. Faced with such a captivating beauty, the sordid thoughts in his mind stirred incessantly.

In the current chaotic situation, he believed no one would stop him, no matter what he did. It was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and the victor reigned supreme.

Possessing strength meant having the right to enjoy resources and beautiful women, setting him apart from the weaklings. Once the ugly brute killed Qiao Xia, he would simply dispose of everyone else, deeming them useless.

However, Ding Ce, having found his new favorite ‘plaything,’ immediately altered his initial plan of brutally killing a few people, deciding to dedicate his extra time to Duan Yulan.

Duan Yulan, however, paid him no mind. Her eyes remained fixed solely on Qiao Xia.

Should Qiao Xia find himself in danger, she would immediately intervene.

Upon witnessing Liu Ge’s abnormal speed, Duan Yulan had considered acting. Yet, knowing Qiao Xia had not asked for help, she understood she couldn’t make that decision arbitrarily.

Qiao Xia possessed his own pride, though not the kind he would sacrifice his life for. Thus, upon reaching his breaking point, he would abandon his stubborn pride and choose the quickest method to escape danger.

Therefore, she could only wait.

Fortunately, her previous instruction had paid off, significantly enhancing Qiao Xia’s evasion abilities. For the time being, there was no need to worry about his immediate safety.

However, if things continued as they were, and no other unforeseen circumstances arose, Qiao Xia would not be able to defeat the zombie. He would simply exhaust his stamina and eventually fall.

Qiao Xia was still too naive. Moreover, his original ice ability had been replaced by a healing ability, drastically reducing his combat effectiveness.

Duan Yulan didn’t believe the current trajectory favored Qiao Xia; it would only needlessly drain his energy. Still, it presented an excellent opportunity for him to train.

For Qiao Xia to truly grow, learning through combat was the fastest path.

“Qiao Xia, you might as well stop dodging. No matter how much you try to evade, you’ll eventually be eaten by that ugly brute! Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t leave you a complete corpse. I’ll make sure you die with a face full of agony, then cut off your head to kick around like a ball.”

As Qiao Xia struggled against Liu Ge, Ding Ce, seeing Duan Yulan completely ignore him and instead show such concern for Qiao Xia, immediately spewed threats at Qiao Xia, seething with resentment.

‘What’s so great about a callow youth like Qiao Xia? Why does he have so many people helping him? First that old geezer, and now a beauty by his side. What a fortunate life!’

‘But the more fortunate he seems, the more miserable his death will be! Why should he get all the good things?’

“Shut your mouth, old man! You’re always blabbering on, as if you’re the only one with a tongue!”

Just as Ding Ce’s internal imbalance reached its peak, Qiao Xia, who had been too bothered to deal with such a person, finally couldn’t help but curse back.

Liu Ge, now a zombie, was already difficult enough to handle. Yet, Ding Ce kept incessantly spouting nonsense, like a swarm of flies buzzing endlessly overhead, making him incredibly agitated.

This caused Qiao Xia’s blade swings to become frantic. In a moment of carelessness, his Tang blade struck Liu Ge’s iron bat directly, sending a rapid shower of sparks flashing and disappearing between them.

Subsequently, the Tang blade in Qiao Xia’s hand was knocked loose by the iron bat, falling swiftly to his right. There was no time to bend down and retrieve it.

Seeing Liu Ge’s iron bat swinging down towards his head, Qiao Xia’s heart lurched. He instantly wondered if he would be smashed into an idiot.

“Qiao Xia, move a few steps to the left.”

However, at that precise moment, the Fat Police Officer’s voice suddenly rang out. As a powerful shove came from his right, Qiao Xia shifted several steps with the momentum, narrowly avoiding Liu Ge’s swinging iron bat.

He then turned his head to see the Fat Police Officer raising his hand and injecting a syringe directly into Liu Ge’s exposed arm.