"Ding, currently signing a contract with S-class beast [Abyssal Black Dragon]."
"Ding, contract successfully signed."
"Creature Name: Abyssal Black Dragon (Juvenile)"
"Creature Level: S-class (Tier 1)"
"Creature Attributes:"
"Strength: 20"
"Agility: 25"
"Constitution: 20"
"Willpower: 30"
"Creature Skill 1: [Dragon Shadow] - The Abyssal Black Dragon, even from a young age, possesses flight and darkness abilities. Can temporarily double its agility for a short burst, consuming stamina. (This skill will evolve into Death Wing after maturing from juvenile to adolescent stage.)"
"Creature Skill 2: [Dragon's Presence] - Temporarily transforms into the next stage, gaining +5 to all attributes and mastering the next stage's skill. (Stages: Juvenile - Adolescent - Young Adult - Mature - Full Grown - Royal)"
"Creature Skill 3: [Devour] - An innate talent of the Abyssal Dragon lineage, can devour any creature or item containing spirit energy to accelerate its progression to the next stage. When it devours an excessive amount of spirit energy, it will enter a petrified state and sleep. (Current stage: Juvenile 90/100)"
"Creature Trait: [Dragon Soul] - As the ruler of the abyss, the Black Dragon tribe is immune to mental attacks up to three times their own mental attribute and can absorb mental shocks to convert into their own mental energy."
Only Tier 1?
Lin An was surprised after reading the Black Dragon's attribute sheet.
He had thought the Black Dragon was at least Tier 3!
It wasn't entirely Lin An's fault for the misjudgment.
After all, the Black Dragon previously demonstrated power enough to contend with a presumed Tier 3 Red-clad Mutant.
And most importantly, its burst speed indeed reached at least Tier 3 under its innate talent's effect.
25 * 2 is 50 agility points, right?
Even faster than a Tier 3.
As for ignoring the Red-clad Mutant's mental shock.
With the Dragon Soul trait, not only would it be immune to Tier 3 Mutant's mental attacks, but even Tier 4 might struggle to affect it.
With this innate ability, it essentially nullifies any mental attribute attacks.
If Lin An encounters awakened beings or mutants specializing in mental attacks in the future, releasing the Black Dragon would make defeating them a breeze.
Awakened beings or mutants without mental attack means are just tough punching bags.
However.
This also answered many of his doubts.
Why did the Black Dragon, with at least Tier 3 power, let the mutant escape?
Although the Black Dragon's attributes were at the peak of Tier 1, with willpower and speed surpassing Tier 1.
It was still much stronger than Lin An.
But it was indeed Tier 1.
If the Red-clad Mutant had higher intelligence or used pure physical attacks.
Lin An and the Black Dragon might have been killed instantly.
The Red-clad Mutant was likely confused by the Black Dragon's speed.
As a mutant specializing in mental attacks, it naturally used its most adept attack against a strong enemy.
Lin An couldn't help but marvel, the Black Dragon, despite being a juvenile, knew how to deceive.
An S-class existence indeed couldn't be underestimated.
Although the Black Dragon was only Tier 1, this disappointed Lin An somewhat.
The idea of signing a contract with the Abyssal Black Dragon and dominating the apocalypse game seemed shattered.
But it didn't matter much, if the Black Dragon were that powerful.
It would be unlikely to form a contract with Lin An.
Such an existence, like a deity.
Lin An still didn't understand why this creature wanted to sign a contract with him.
The only explanation he could think of was that the Black Dragon sensed the aura of [Hand of Skull Crusher] on him and wanted to "trick" the Red-clad Mutant's necklace and then merge the equipment with him.
As for other reasons, he would have to wait until the Black Dragon awakened from its petrified state to ask.
There was something bizarre about this whole affair.
But still.
The Black Dragon lived up to its title as the abyssal royalty, a favored child of the heavens.
A beast compared to a human, a source of envy.
Lin An looked at the now-petrified Black Dragon on his wrist, feeling a pang of bitterness.
He casually twisted the neck of a zombie that was gnawing at him, trying to bite his mouth.
Handling two things at once, Lin An slowly cleared out the zombies while contemplating.
Even as a juvenile Tier 1, the Black Dragon had maxed out attributes.
Plus, it had three skills, one innate ability, and immunity to mental attacks.
Compared to the Black Dragon's [Dragon's Presence] - temporarily transforming to the next stage, gaining +5 to all attributes and mastering the next stage's skill.
His previously proud S-class talent "Power Burst" seemed like a knock-off compared to the real deal.
Superspeed, transformation, attribute boost +5, this combination was simply overwhelming.
Lin An had no doubt that with the Black Dragon's current strength, it could easily defeat a typical Tier 2 mutant or awakened being.
Did this mean he had a Tier 2 awakened being as a bodyguard?
And one with unlimited potential!
If the Black Dragon could wake up before they killed the [Stitcher], he would be fully confident in completing the task!
Lin An smiled broadly, though he didn't know when the Black Dragon would wake up from its sleep.
It shouldn't take too long.
Most likely, the Black Dragon fell asleep to digest the power of the [Soul Devouring Hand]...
Wait!
Lin An instinctively looked at the [Soul Devouring Hand] in his hand, his expression suddenly turning grim.
...
In the pharmacy.
Zhang Tie looked at the package on his back, then at the bandaged girl on the ground, suddenly feeling a bit troubled.
Captain Lin had ordered him to rendezvous with him immediately.
After hearing my description, he only said "Damn," and didn't say anything else.
So it seems like Captain Lin didn't say not to save "people," right?
Hmm.
If there was a real problem, Captain Lin would definitely have said more than just swearing!
Self-consolation.
Zhang Tie still felt a bit inclined to save the bandaged girl in front of him.
After all, from her age, she seemed to be about the same age as his sister, making it really hard for him to abandon her.
Zhang Tie wasn't stupid either.
He carefully thought it through.
If the bandaged girl really was a mutant, there wouldn't be much reason for her to pretend to be unconscious to trick him.
After all, she didn't know what he was there for.
If she really was a mutant, she would have killed him already.
Without being able to transform into a bear temporarily, Zhang Tie's strength was actually just at the limit of an ordinary person.
At most, he could take a few more hits.
Having figured it out, Zhang Tie no longer hesitated.
Here we go!
He quickly picked up the bandages on the ground and tied a knot, securing one end to the bandaged girl and the other end to the bag full of medicine.
Then, like carrying a yoke, he lifted both the girl and the supplies onto his shoulder.
His right hand, the only one left free, held the spine of a corpse snake.
His broken left arm supported the "yoke" to keep it from wobbling.
From a distance, he really looked like a scavenger.
So light...
With his current strength, he could hardly feel the weight of both the girl and the supplies.
Zhang Tie walked briskly, with the potion Lin An gave him held in his mouth, heading straight for the inpatient building.
...
The pharmacy wasn't far from the inpatient building, and perhaps due to the noise Lin An and he made in the emergency building earlier, the zombies in the building didn't come out and remained on the second floor.
Zhang Tie, wielding the bone whip, occasionally lashed out at stray zombies blocking his path, the whip cracking loudly.
As an awakened being, his speed was much faster than that of an ordinary person.
Rushing at full speed, he reached the inpatient building where Lin An was in just a minute.
However, the scene before him was devastating.
I...
I seem to be late!?
In a panic, he bit into the potion, swallowing it along with the glass shards.
"Captain Lin! I'm here!"
Zhang Tie's eyes were bloodshot as he roared.
In his eyes.
Lin An was surrounded by zombies, seemingly heavily injured and covered in blood.
Unable to resist.
Occasionally, zombies would pounce on him, and Lin An remained motionless, allowing them to bite him.
"Captain... Lin!"
"How are you!?"
Zhang Tie's eyes instantly turned red, his voice trembling.
Having swallowed the potion, he still had some strength to fight off small groups of zombies.
Zhang Tie threw down the bag and the girl behind him and charged madly towards Lin An.
The zombies were biting, but Lin An remained indifferent.
Even if Captain Lin wasn't dead, he was likely already infected...
Zhang Tie was heartbroken, wishing he could slap himself twice.
Captain Lin had saved his life.
And he hesitated about saving an outsider, delaying his support for Lin An.
He deserved to die!
Filled with self-loathing, Zhang Tie charged into the horde of zombies, disregarding the danger of being infected.
No matter what, at least he had to retrieve Captain Lin's body!
In the center of the zombie horde, Lin An lay motionless, his body falling backward.
His sunken chest looked severely injured, blood occasionally oozing from the corner of his mouth.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Die, you scum!"
Zhang Tie roared angrily, transforming into a bear at all costs.
The little mental energy he had recovered was instantly drained, his head feeling like it was about to explode.
"Roar!"
His giant paw swept through the zombie horde, crushing them.
"Captain!"
"Lin!"
With a full burst of power, the surrounding zombies were turned into a pile of flesh in just a few seconds.
Zhang Tie's voice was filled with tears and regret as he grabbed Lin An with his huge bear paw, trying to catch his "body."
"I'm sorry!"
"I'm too late!"
The cold wind howled; it was now afternoon, the sky dark and gloomy.
Lin An slowly woke up.
But when he saw the glove on his right hand again, he couldn't help but feel a wave of anger.
"Damn it!"
Zhang Tie's crying instantly stopped, his face full of embarrassment.