The temporary shelter Ling Mo chose was a family inn. The room was quite clean without too strong a bloody smell. Most importantly, it was situated at a good location. He deliberately poured some disinfectant at the entrance, so almost no zombies noticed this place.
However, this method could only have some effect in areas without high zombie density. If it was in a city full of zombies, it might attract the zombies' attention instead…
After eating something and carefully checking the doors and windows, Ling Mo finally sat in front of Ye Lian and took out the gel from his pocket.
Probably because it had been exposed in the air for too long, the faint pungent smell had become even stronger. As soon as he took it out, it made Ye Lian's eyes turn red. If the spiritual connection between them was not stable enough, Ye Lian might have tried to resist.
But for Ling Mo, this smell was simply torture. The reason why he didn't immediately stuff it into Ye Lian's mouth was that he realized the color of the gel was too strange, just like a real blood clot, and it looked very fresh. He didn't expect the virus to have preservative effects…
By now, the desire originating from Ye Lian's instinct was very strong. Ling Mo did not tease her further, but reached out and placed the gel near her mouth.
Ye Lian's lips were cold. When she opened her mouth to swallow the gel, her warm tongue lightly brushed Ling Mo's fingers, making his heart skip a beat. Watching as the look in Ye Lian's eyes gradually calmed down, Ling Mo even had the urge to kiss her directly…
However, just as Ling Mo slowly lifted her face, the expressionless Ye Lian suddenly closed her eyes and frowned slightly.
This shocked Ling Mo greatly. It was the first time he saw an expression on Ye Lian's face after her mutation. Although Ye Lian had her eyes closed tightly, the dangerous aura emanating from her made Ling Mo feel that the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped.
At the same time, a feeling of alternating cold and heat swept Ling Mo's whole body. He shuddered involuntarily, then felt a burst of pain from every pore of his skin. His head felt like it was about to explode.
"Ah…"
Unable to help groaning in pain, Ling Mo immediately curled up while Ye Lian, released by him, fell back limply on the bed.
The indescribable agony came from every cell in Ling Mo's body. He felt like his body was being torn apart little by little, then pieced back together. Just the influence through their spiritual connection was so painful, let alone what Ye Lian was enduring directly.
With bloodshot eyes, Ling Mo knelt on the bed, shaking all over uncontrollably. But his eyes remained fixed on Ye Lian intently.
If Ye Lian could endure it, he as a man could certainly endure it too…
It took a full half an hour before the excruciating pain finally began to subside gradually. But to Ling Mo, it felt like going through three days and three nights.
Fortunately, the comfortable feeling that followed greatly relieved the after-effects of the agony. He could feel the subtle changes that had been accumulating in his body finally being integrated and sublimated through this bout of pain. It was as if his whole being had molted. The strength hidden in his muscles and the unprecedented mental clarity both excited Ling Mo.
Like the mutated zombies, he had also obtained some kind of evolution… Although there were no visible changes in his appearance, Ling Mo could clearly feel it. He didn't know if it was his illusion, but Ling Mo felt that because he had endured the agony consciously, the evolution he obtained mentally was even greater than from mating.
Whether it was really so could only be verified through practice.
Ye Lian remained unconscious throughout the night, frowning slightly from time to time as she trembled. Ling Mo kept guard by her side, feeling distressed yet full of anticipation. After absorbing the gel from the mutated zombie's brain, how much would Ye Lian evolve…
"I can't believe I accidentally fell asleep…"
The extreme physical exhaustion made Ling Mo finally fall into slumber after keeping guard for a night. But the special skill he had honed in the apocalypse allowed him to wake up after just a few minutes.
Such a unique sleeping pattern was probably grasped by all survivors in the apocalypse. The strong vigilance that could almost be considered instinct would remind him to stay alert even in his sleep. The deep sleep lasting just a few minutes was enough to relieve his strained nerves.
But as a puppeteer, Ling Mo rarely entered deep sleep in order to maintain the spiritual connection with his puppets. This was the first time…
When he opened his eyes nervously, he discovered a shocking fact – Ye Lian was gone!
Could Ye Lian have broken free of his control just in those few minutes? But when he calmed down, Ling Mo suddenly realized things were not so. After evolving, Ling Mo's mental abilities had become very powerful. From deliberate control to effortless manipulation was a qualitative change.
Although Ye Lian was not in sight, Ling Mo could clearly feel that his spirit was still connected with hers.
Ever since he started controlling her, Ye Lian barely took action on her own except when fighting or going out. Why would she suddenly do so today…
Puzzled, Ling Mo quickly switched his vision to Ye Lian's perspective…
Fortunately, Ye Lian was still in the inn, but her behavior was a bit strange. Usually aside from attacking and feeding, Ye Lian basically did not make any actions showing self-awareness. But now she was wandering around the inn.
Not only that, she would stop at certain places and stare blankly for a while.
What was going on? Ling Mo rushed out the door and soon found Ye Lian in the downstairs corridor.
Seeing Ye Lian for the first time, Ling Mo almost cried out in surprise. The morning sun shone in through the window, and Ye Lian standing in the sunlight turned to look at him with a somewhat bewildered expression. Just this tiny display of emotion made Ling Mo's whole body tremble with excitement.
"Ye Lian!" Ling Mo hurriedly rushed up to Ye Lian and grabbed her shoulders, overjoyed as he shouted.
He didn't expect her to regain consciousness so quickly…
No… After shaking Ye Lian a few times, Ling Mo suddenly felt doused by cold water. In Ye Lian's eyes, all he saw was occasional bewilderment and the usual indifference.
Perhaps the virus's evolution had loosened the shackles on Ye Lian's trapped sanity, but it was still far from full recovery. It was also possible that the evolved virus gave rise to new consciousness in the blank slate that was Ye Lian…
"Ye Lian?" Still unwilling to give up, Ling Mo called out to her several more times before finally accepting that Ye Lian had not completely regained herself.
But at least Ye Lian was showing a hint of emotion and starting to act on her own. Whether this was a precursor to her recovery or a completely new evolution of the virus, it at least meant Ling Mo's hopes still had a chance to be realized.