Mu Chen was stunned when he saw Shen Le being dragged back like that.
Captured just like that? Wasnât she acting all arrogant just a moment ago?
When Mu Chen came back to his senses, he felt a surge of relief.
Serves you right for being such a freak, for being so arrogant!
Now, he found Ling Mo much more agreeable to look at. Although not long ago, he was still preoccupied with how to outsmart this person, but now there was a faint sense of camaraderie, as if they were both friends and foes.
At least compared to Xia Zhi and Shen Le, who would turn hostile at the drop of a hat, it was somewhat more relaxing to deal with someone like Ling Mo, who had clear stances.
âPtui ptui ptui, how did he just get better!â Mu Chen suddenly snapped out of it and shook his head vigorously, only to receive an idiotic look from Shana.
Ling Mo glanced towards the intersection and noticed that the monster was still engaged with the two female zombies.
The two female zombies took turns drawing its attention, constantly provoking it. As soon as it lashed out, they would already have retreated to the side, leading the monster around in circles.
Their speed was originally not much less than that of the monster, and since its condition was worsening, Ye Lian and her companion were having an easier time leading it on.
As time went on, the two of them seemed to have found a new form of entertainment, and it looked like they were actually enjoying themselves.
The monster was just unlucky. If it had encountered ordinary zombies, they would have engaged in close combat with it, fighting to the death.
In any case, the monster would have at least gotten something for its trouble, like a piece of flesh or, with some luck, tearing off an arm or two from its opponent.
And if it were a regular human, they would definitely not stand off like this against it.
Risking their lives as bait to play a game of eagle catching chicks with a frenzied monster was a crazy act that very few people could do.
This way, it wasnât reduced to being a monster being played around by two girls.
Watching this scene, Shen Le finally lost the last bit of hope he had been clinging to.
The dire situation of Number 1 was simply too much for him to bearâ¦
*Thump!*
During the frantic run with Li Ya Lin, Number 1 finally collapsed, signaling that its stamina had completely run out.
After Number 1 collapsed to the ground, Ye Lian quickly arrived at its side and, lifting her foot, delivered a heavy kick to the back of its head.
âWhatâs going on?â Mu Chenâs eyes widened in surprise.
By the time Ye Lian had dragged the creature over, both Mu Chen and Shen Le were completely bewildered.
It turned out that the goal wasnât to kill it but to capture it alive!
But⦠what would they do with such a monster? If it were peacetime, they might put it in a cage for an exhibitionâ¦
However, Shen Le was thinking even deeper. He suddenly felt that he had seen through Ling Moâs intentions.
Having a purpose made things easierâ¦
âSpeak,â Ling Mo said, immediately interrupting Shen Leâs daydreaming.
Shen Le hesitated for a moment before he gritted his teeth and admitted, âYes, it is indeed not an ordinary zombie.â
âNot just extraordinary,â Ling Mo commented.
âRight, actually⦠it wasnât a zombie to begin with,â Shen Le continued, nodding.
âWhat?!â
Mu Chen had just regained his composure, only to be shocked once again.
Shana, showing a trace of interest, flipped Number 1 over with her foot and took a light sniff. She looked at Ling Mo with a hint of confusion.
Her confusion was understandable. There was the smell of the virus, and it looked just like a zombie on the outside.
To all intents and purposes, a creature like Number 1 would be considered a zombie. However, Ling Moâs observations suggested that the situation was not that simple.
Even Shana herself had mentioned that the virus Xu Shuhan was infected with was not the ordinary kindâ¦
âIt is an experimental product from the headquarters, and itâs one of the closest to being a fully complete specimen. Its predecessor was actually a Psychicâ¦â
Shen Leâs revelation left everyone present stunned.
This was originally⦠a Psychic?
âHavenât you realized it already?â Shen Le asked Ling Mo.
Seeing Shen Le still trying to draw information from him, Ling Mo found it somewhat amusing, but he didnât hide the truth: âIts attack methods are not like what an ordinary zombie is capable of, and every time it enters that state, it depletes its stamina. This situationâ¦â
âThis is indeed something a Psychic would experience, using up energy while displaying their powers,â Mu Chen murmured thoughtfully.
âRight,â Ling Mo nodded.
Shen Le looked at Ling Mo with a complex expression. Just from that one point, he was actually able to guess the truthâ¦
Zombies, to humans, were still a very mysterious new species. Even if one encountered some strange and bizarre zombies, there was nothing too surprising about it.
This was, after all, a peculiar groupâ¦
But how could this man have thought of such an inconceivable possibility right away?
Think about it â headquarters probably thought this type of biological weapon would definitely produce some miraculous effects. If they found out that the monster they valued so highly was exposed on its first real battle, would they be so angry that theyâd cough up bloodâ¦
Ling Mo didnât know what Shen Le was thinking; although the point he made was the most obvious, it wasnât the only thing he had observed.
And these situations, indeed, would not be noticed by ordinary people. Even if they felt something was off, they would most likely assume it was just another new variety of zombies.
But for Ling Mo, who had been living with zombies from a low level, accompanying them as they evolved step by step to the present, he was uniquely perceptive to these changes.
However, these observations, of course, he would not discloseâ¦
âTurning a Psychic into a zombie⦠this sounds somewhat familiar,â Ling Mo mused for a moment, then said with some surprise, âThat Jian Qi, isnât he researching this?â
âJian Qi? Oh⦠the Level Nine you took downâ¦â Mu Chen nodded in realization, then shook his head, âNo way, he was researching how to make Psychics stronger, ideally to have physical qualities on par with zombies, I think it was called whatâ¦â
âPerfect body,â Ling Mo added.
âHow can you compare the two?â Shen Le said dismissively, âHis project basically had no chance of success, and even if it did, what good would it do for Niepan?â
âThatâs true, if it werenât for Number 0 being injured by you, we might not have bothered with it at all,â Mu Chen agreed.
Ling Mo was initially a bit lost, but after giving it some thought, he quickly caught on.
The perfect body experiment targeted individuals, with the individual being the one to benefit in the end.
While this could help boost Niepanâs overall strength, it also introduced many unstable factors.
But Number 1 was different. It was powerful, obedient, and from the sounds of its code name and Shen Leâs implications, there seemed to be a possibility of mass productionâ¦
That was a bona fide biological weapon!
What they didnât know was that Jian Qiâs experimental theory was actually viable.
And the only successful case was Ling Mo, standing right before their eyesâ¦
âGet to the point, how was this Number 1 created?â Ling Mo asked, furrowing his brow. He found Niepanâs actions repulsive, using their own kind as experimental products was horrific.
âIâm not clear on the details of the experiment, but I know it involves a mother body,â Shen Le said.
âWhat mother body?â The term immediately piqued Ling Moâs interest.
The watery corpses he had encountered in the underground mall also had a mother body, only it had left.
And the Spider Queen, that should also count as a type of mother bodyâ¦
âThe virus extracted from the mother bodyâs interior is what allows them to safely mutate,â Shen Le nodded.
Mu Chen snorted coldly, âMutate and be safe?â
âYes, this process is much slower than typical infection, and their mental state changes gradually.â
Shen Le glanced at Xu Shuhan and said, âBut in her case, sheâll turn into a monster in a matter of minutes. Iâd advise you to deal with her sooner rather than later, donât push your luck. She couldnât possibly be uninfected; Number 1âs fingernails are full of blood. If you donât act now, watching her turn into a monster will be even more distressing, wonât it?â
âDistressing?â Mu Chenâs eyes widened as he suddenly struggled to lift his knife and lunged at Shen Le, âYou say it so lightly! Isnât it all your fault? Damn it, Iâll kill you!â
âWait.â Ling Mo quickly pulled Shen Le to the side, and Shen Le narrowly escaped harm, his face completely changing color.
Mu Chenâs face turned red as he looked at Ling Mo, but eventually, he put down the knife.
âDonât say anything more that you shouldnât,â Ling Mo turned his head and gave Shen Le a cold glance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Sweat broke out on Shen Leâs forehead. He nodded in response to Ling Moâs warning, but still tried to defend himself, âWeâre just team membersâ¦â
âShut up. Iâm asking you, is there no way to save her? Similar situations must have appeared during your experiments. How did you deal with them?â Ling Mo questioned.
âHow would I know? Iâm not part of the experimental team⦠Donât look at me with Number 1; Iâm merely its handler,â Shen Le said.
Upon hearing this, Mu Chenâs expression instantly filled with disappointment.
Xu Shuhan seemed oblivious to their conversation, leaning against the wall with a vacant stare.
The feeling of death inching closer must be what truly breeds despair.
Shana occasionally looked at Xu Shuhan with a somewhat strange expression.
Ling Mo furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, âThat mother body, itâs a zombie like this, right?â
âIt seems⦠yes,â Shen Le nodded.
âI understand now. There might be a way to try, but it probably can only buy us some time,â Ling Mo said.
âWhat way?â Mu Chen asked in shock.
A method to even buy time in this situation?
At this point, even if it was just for a few more minutes, it would be a blessing!
âYou have a way?â Shen Le asked incredulously.