After the shock, what Ling Mo felt was a surge of ecstasy!
Since his eyes could recover to normal, it means his guess could become a reality! As the virus evolves, maybe Ye Lian would gradually regain her sanity…
However, after her eyes regained normal function, the evolution speed of the virus in Ye Lian's body slowed down significantly. Even after hunting hundreds of zombies over three full days, it only made Ye Lian's strength a bit stronger. The mental changes Ling Mo anticipated did not happen at all.
What's worth celebrating is Ling Mo's own transformation. As his mental power grew stronger, Ling Mo tried controlling other zombies while semi-controlling Ye Lian. After several failures, he succeeded! The more he practiced, the more proficient his corpse-controlling ability became.
Not only that, his own combat power also increased. Although his movements weren't as swift as Ye Lian's, he could respond more flexibly than her with his sanity intact. Now he had confidence in keeping himself safe if Ye Lian broke free from his control.
But at this moment, Ling Mo discovered something speechless – his food reserve was used up…
Previously relying entirely on the zombie puppet to fight and forage, Ling Mo's own consumption wasn't high. But with his participation in combat, his stamina expenditure increased significantly, so did his appetite.
This was originally a suburb. When the apocalypse struck, much of the food was already gone. The remaining amount was very limited. After repeated scavenging by survivors, finding food here was difficult now.
After gaining nothing in two small supermarkets, Ling Mo finally decided to head downtown with Ye Lian.
Resources of all kinds were more abundant in city centers compared to rural-urban fringe like this. But with the massive population base, the zombie numbers there were surely horrifying…
Without Ye Lian, Ling Mo would retreat to the countryside or hills. But that way, Ye Lian might starve to death.
The zombie-infested city was the best place for Ye Lian and Ling Mo himself to continue evolving.
Still, preparations were necessary before going downtown – suitable transportation, portable food, and weapons…
He had food and transportation ready – a bicycle. But weapons gave Ling Mo a headache.
Ordinary household knives dulled or chipped quickly, useless. A proper blade was crucial.
"Oh right, the Wang Lin family makes handcrafted knives…"
Wang Lin was a girl living in the same building as Ling Mo. Pretty face, Ling Mo couldn't help but glance more when they occasionally met. But he hadn't seen her since the apocalypse erupted. Thinking of her now, Ling Mo felt somewhat complicated. A delicate girl like her, even if she didn't turn, barely surviving would be tremendously difficult…
Early morning, Ling Mo went to the Wang family knife shop with his packed luggage and Ye Lian.
Though deliberately picking safer routes, they still killed over ten zombies before reaching the completely desolate shop.
Blood-splattered glass display, shattered glass door, pitch-black interior…the common yet frightening apocalyptic scene.
Letting Ye Lian enter first was natural. She would attack zombies but not vice versa.
No zombies inside. They encountered no trouble entering.
Most knives were collectibles, unsharpened. But Ling Mo bought here before, knowing they had functional blades not openly sold.
"The workshop should be behind the counter…"
Reaching the security door behind the counter, something felt off when Ling Mo twisted the handle.
It should open easily, but this one was locked!
Did the people here flee into the workshop? If so, survivors might be inside! Maybe Wang Lin was alive, right here!
Thrilled by the thought, Ling Mo knocked lightly and whispered, "Anyone inside?"
"Thud!"
After a moment of silence, a muffled noise came from within, like something falling over.
"Someone's in there!"
Ling Mo knocked harder but only heard clattering. The door didn't open.
Starving without strength? The sounds hinted otherwise. Sensing trouble, getting inside was necessary, knives or not.
Ling Mo lacked strength to kick down the security door, but with Ye Lian's help, it was easy.
With a "Bang", the door burst open slightly. Before Ling Mo fully opened it, a hand reached out from inside.
Seeing the hand, Ling Mo's pupils contracted instinctively. Looked normal initially, but the faintly red nails, scraping sounds while clutching the metal door…identical to Ye Lian's!
A mutated zombie inside too?!
Despite guessing earlier, seeing one besides Ye Lian still shocked Ling Mo.
Judging by the size, a man's hand. Wang Lin's fate was probably doomed…
Imagining this hand's owner shredding and devouring Wang Lin, rage surged within Ling Mo. Raising his knife, he chopped down directly, severing half the palm. Blood sprayed as the door slammed fully open under the blow.
Inside the small workshop, nearly every surface – walls, floor, was smeared with blood, cloth shreds, and scattered human bones. Two intact corpses lay face down, posterior skulls wide open.
The only living one – a young man knocked down by the door. He leaped up lightning-fast and pounced at Ling Mo as a black shadow.
First time facing a mutated zombie's attack, the speed astonished Ling Mo. His former self would've been tackled and killed instantly. But the enhanced Ling Mo remained exceptionally calm.
Though fast, Ling Mo's reaction wasn't slow. Almost simultaneously with the zombie's movement, he reacted – retreating half a step and shifting his body sideways, slashing forcefully at the incoming zombie with his blade.
"Puchi!"
As they crossed, blood erupted loudly. Twisting his wrist ninety degrees mid-slash, Ling Mo lifted then hacked down powerfully with the knife lodged in the zombie's abdomen.
An ordinary zombie would be directly chopped by this seamless attack. But the mutated one was too quick – straightening to evade the hack then crashing into Ling Mo, clawing at his chest.
Grappled by those powerful fingers meant worse than surface wounds. Ye Lian couldn't intervene from this angle either.
"Seeking death!"
The life-or-death crisis provoked Ling Mo's innate ferocity. Instead of dodging, he slashed down again, simultaneously driving his knee up, jamming the zombie's chin briefly.
Even 0.1 second's opening during clashes could be fatal. In that fleeting moment, Ling Mo's knife stabbed deep into the zombie's nape.
"Ka!"
Hearing that soft click, the zombie froze. Ling Mo clenched his teeth, twisting the blade forcefully.
"Pa!"
With that crisp snap, the blade broke off, terminating the zombie's life.
Gripping the severed knife, Ling Mo gasped heavily, strength sapped.