Ling Mo chose a small family-run hotel as his temporary refuge, which was reasonably clean without a strong smell of blood, crucially situated in a good location. He purposefully poured several bottles of disinfectant at the entrance, nearly getting rid of any zombie's notice of the place.
However, such a tactic might only work in less zombie-infested areas. In urban areas teeming with zombies, it would probably attract their attention instead...
After having a bit of food and thoroughly checking the doors and windows, Ling Mo then sat down in front of Ye Lian and took out that piece of Gel.
Not sure if it was because it had been exposed to the air too long, the originally faint irritating scent had become much stronger. Just taking it out made Ye Lian's eyes redden. If it wasn't for the strong Spiritual Connection between Ling Mo and her, she might have wanted to resist.
But for Ling Mo, this odor was simply torture. He didn't immediately stuff the Gel into Ye Lian's mouth because he found its color was just too bizarre; it looked just like a real chunk of blood, vibrant and alive. Unexpectedly, the virus even had a preserving effect...
By now, the need from Ye Lian's instincts was really strong, and Ling Mo didn't want to continue to stimulate her, so he reached out and put the Gel to her mouth.
Ye Lian's lips were cold, and when she opened her mouth to swallow the Gel, her warm tongue lightly swept across Ling Mo's fingers, making his heart skip a beat. Watching Ye Lian's eyes gradually calm down, Ling Mo even had the impulse to kiss her...
However, as Ling Mo was slowly cradling her face, the expressionless Ye Lian suddenly closed her eyes, and her brows slightly furrowed.
This startled Ling Mo, as it was the first time he'd seen an expression on Ye Lian's face since her mutation. Although Ye Lian had her eyes tightly shut, the dangerous aura emanating from her made Ling Mo feel as if the temperature around them had dropped.
At the same time, Ling Mo was encompassed by an alternating sensation of cold and heat throughout his body, shivering all over, and then felt every pore on his body radiating unbearable pain, as if his head was about to explode.
"Ah..."
Unable to suppress a pained groan, Ling Mo curled up, while Ye Lian, who he had let go of, fell backward into the bedcovers.
Indescribable pain emanated from every cell in Ling Mo's body; he felt as though his body was being torn apart bit by bit, then reassembled together again. Merely being affected by the Spiritual Connection caused him such agony, not to mention Ye Lian, who was directly enduring it.
With bloodshot eyes, Ling Mo kneeled on the bed, shivering uncontrollably, yet his eyes remained fixed on Ye Lian.
Ye Lian could endure it; as a man, there was nothing he couldn't bear...
It took a full half-hour for the intense pain to finally subside, but to Ling Mo, it felt like three days and nights had passed.
Luckily, the subsequent relief was immense, greatly alleviating the aftermath of the pain. He could feel the subtle changes he had accumulated over time being consolidated and elevated through this bout of agony, as if he had undergone a complete transformation. The hidden strength in his muscles and an unprecedented clear-headedness thrilled Ling Mo.
Like the Mutated Zombie, he had acquired a sort of Evolution... While it wasn't visible on the surface, Ling Mo could distinctly feel it. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that because he had consciously endured this pain, the evolution he obtained in spiritual power was even greater than that of his body.
Whether that was the case or not could only be determined through practice.
Ye Lian, on the other hand, did not awaken for the entire night. In her unconsciousness, her brows were consistently creased, and she shivered occasionally. Meanwhile, Ling Mo remained by her side, feeling both pity and anticipation in his heart. Having absorbed the Gel from the Mutated Zombie's brain, to what extent would Ye Lian evolve...
"I'm dizzy, I actually fell asleep by accident..."
The extreme fatigue on his body allowed Ling Mo to finally fall into a slumber after a night of vigilance. However, due to the special abilities developed in the apocalyptic world, Ling Mo woke up just a few minutes later.
This unique way of sleeping is probably mastered by everyone surviving in the apocalyptic world. An almost instinctive sense of strong alertness, even in their sleep, constantly reminds them to stay vigilant, and a few minutes of deep sleep is enough to relieve the tense nerves.
However, as a Puppet Master, Ling Mo rarely enters deep sleep because he needs to maintain the Spiritual Connection with the Corpse Puppet. This is the first time...
After opening his eyes anxiously, he discovers a terrifying truth: Ye Lian is gone!
Could it be that in those few minutes, Ye Lian broke free from his control?! But after calming down, Ling Mo suddenly realizes that this isn't the case. After Evolution, his Spiritual Ability had become very strong, changing from deliberate control to effortless manipulation—a qualitative transformation.
Although Ye Lian isn't in sight, Ling Mo can clearly feel that his spirit is still connected to her.
But since being controlled by him, Ye Lian hardly ever acts independently, except during combat and outings, so why did she suddenly...
Thinking this, the puzzled Ling Mo quickly switched his perspective to see through Ye Lian's eyes...
Fortunately, Ye Lian is still inside the hotel, but her behavior is a bit strange. Normally, outside of attacking and eating, Ye Lian would virtually not perform any actions that exhibit self-awareness, but now she's wandering around the hotel.
And from time to time, she stops at places and quietly looks around for a while.
What's going on? Ling Mo hastily rushes out, and quickly finds Ye Lian in the corridor downstairs.
Upon seeing Ye Lian, Ling Mo almost exclaims in shock. The morning sunlight shines through the window, and Ye Lian, standing in the sunlight, turns her head to look at him, her face showing a hint of bewilderment. It's this slight emotional expression that makes Ling Mo's body tremble with excitement.
"Ye Lian!" Ling Mo quickly rushes to Ye Lian's side, grabs her shoulders, and shouts with immense joy.
He didn't expect her to regain consciousness so quickly...
No... After shaking Ye Lian a few times, Ling Mo suddenly feels a cold splash of water pour down on him. In Ye Lian's eyes, he only sees flashes of bewilderment and the same indifference as usual.
Perhaps the virus's Evolution has loosened the imprisonment of Ye Lian's rationality, but it is still far from a full recovery. Or maybe, as a result of the virus's evolution, Ye Lian, who is in a blank state, has developed a new consciousness...
"Ye Lian?" After calling out a few more times with no success, Ling Mo finally accepts the fact that Ye Lian has not fully recovered.
However, at the very least, Ye Lian has started to show some emotional expression and begun moving on her own. Whether this is a sign of her recovery or a brand-new evolution of the virus, it at least signifies that there is still hope for Ling Mo's expectations to come true.