If someone had been beside him, they would have let out a scream, because craters had formed on the surface of Shen Chen's skin. They were extremely uneven, having sunken in in certain spots, and bones were jutting out in others. There were also huge lumps.
If one looked closely at his skin, they would see a black-red liquid meandering under the surface of Shen Chen's skin, resembling a little snake. It left in its trail sunken pits or pulsing lumps, much like magma bubbling to the surface of the earth.
An expression of agony formed on Shen Chen's face as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The heart-wrenching pain tore through his entire body, as if there were ten thousand ants chewing on his bones and organs. His body shivered uncontrollably, like a fallen leaf in the autumn breeze.
Ever since he had drunk the fluid, he had undergone inhumane torture like this, allowing the evolution fluid to wreak havoc in his body at whim. The fluid had allowed him to achieve a miraculous breakthrough while on the fourth floor. At the peak of his powers, he had been able to kill many zombies with a single blow! However, there were also apparent side effects. Coming down from a high, his powers were in a state of rest, but traces of the fluid still remained in his body! His body couldn't cope with the copious amounts of evolution fluid in his bloodstream; as a result, his body was on the verge of a breakdown. Shen Chen knew that if his body did break down, he would become a terrifying mutated form of a zombie!
If that happened, he would undoubtedly become a threat to the people outside the room—no, to all of mankind! In the absence of weapons of mass destruction, he would become mankind's greatest nemesis! Having gone through rebirth, there was no way he would let something like that happen!
Shen Chen took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the cold tiles, occupied with his thoughts. In his past life, how had that person survived the same situation…
Shen Chen kept thinking back to that mysterious man, but he couldn't remember. His brows furrowed, and his eyes glinted.
That man in his previous life was someone who was obsessed with health. He supposedly spent huge amounts of money shipping bird's nest from Southeast Asia and ginseng from the zombie-ridden Northeast. This had gone on until Shen Chen's rebirth. There were a few others like this man, and it was rumored that these people had a couple of disputes over the tonics.
Could it be… related to the evolution fluid?
Ginseng, bird's nest, deer antler, tiger bone—they were all very nourishing… Maybe they would be good for a deteriorating body!
Shen Chen closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, there was a flash of determination in his eyes.
He had to give them a try, regardless of their efficacy. Tomorrow, he would go to the drugstore to acquire supplies.
…
The next morning, Shen Chen told Pan Di and Guo Yuan, "I'm going out. You guys should stay and rest."
Pan Di, who, together with Guo Yuan, was raring to go out and kill some zombies, widened his eyes and said with a huge grin, "Bring me too, boss! Bring me!"
Shen Chen couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "It isn't as interesting outside as you think."
Zhao Zhen tried to persuade him, saying, "Boss, bring at least one of 'em with you to put everyone's mind at ease."
After contemplating for a second, Shen Chen nodded. "You stay home with Pan Di. Guo Yuan will go with me."
Guo Yuan couldn't hide his sh*t-eating grin, whereas Zhao Zhen shook his head in resignation. "All right. Don't be too smug. Otherwise, Pan Di's going to wipe that smirk off your face."
Ye Xiaoyu, who was cleaning utensils, looked down shyly as she asked, "Shen Chen, could you bring me along as well?
"What's a little girl like you gonna do?" Pan Di said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
Ye Xiaoyu responded with a pout. "How dare you underestimate women! I'll have you know that I've killed zombies before!"
"You?" Guo Yuan laughed as well. How did a dainty little girl like her kill a zombie? The fact that she hadn't p*ssed herself like Lin Qianqian had was itself incredible.
Seeing that no one believed her, Ye Xiaoyu threw the dishcloth on the table. "Shen Chen, tell them whether or not I've killed a zombie."
Shen Chen rubbed his forehead and said with a shake of his head, "Guys, she really did kill one…"
"Really? That can't be right…" The three guys looked at each other.
Ye Xiaoyu stood next to Shen Chen, gleefully saying, "I've braved through the zombie swamp together with Shen Chen, so don't underestimate me!"
Guo Yuan and Pan Di reluctantly took back what they had said about Ye Xiaoyu's abilities, but Shen Chen said flatly, "That doesn't mean you're allowed to come along with me and Guo Yuan. You might become a hindrance to us."
Ye Xiaoyu responded calmly. "You're wrong. On the contrary, I believe I'll be of assistance. Firstly, I'm a medical student. We need lots of medicinal supplies in an apocalyptic situation like this, and I'm the only one who knows how to use them appropriately. Besides, I'm familiar with the area, and I know where the drugstores are located. Since we're venturing outside for once, we should bring back with us as many supplies as possible. Whaddya say, boss?"
Shen Chen's gaze fell on Ye Xiaoyu, who was looking extremely confident. She had a point. If she really did know where the drugstores were located, that would be particularly convenient.
"All right. Get changed, then. Pass your fire axe to her, Pan Di. Pack up. We'll be leaving in ten minutes!"
Ye Xiaoyu's eyes sparkled with excitement. After responding with an "aye," she ran back to her bedroom to get ready.
Once back in her room, she heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked up with shiny eyes. As a woman, if she didn't become an integral part of the team, who knew what fate would befall her! She had to work hard at proving her worth… She couldn't be like those ignorant women who only knew how to depend on men!
…
By the time the three of them set out, it was already sunrise. The skies were still as blue as ever, but the terrain was barely recognizable. It was literally a living hell, a huge contrast with the morning serenity. The entire city was enveloped in a deadly silence. There were no car horns being honked, no hustle and bustle on the streets. Even the bloodcurdling screams had stopped. It was virtually a ghost town, with the exception of roaming zombies…
Guo Yuan drew in a deep breath before saying, "Boss! Up until now, I didn't believe that the world as we knew it was truly gone…"