Tang Jianming's remarks conveyed a deep sense of caution regarding Zhang Yang. After all, to date, within the vicinity of the neighboring shelters, no one had ever encountered a corpse king with such an extraordinary rate of evolution and unparalleled strength. It had left everyone else far behind—so far, they couldn't even see the taillights.
This warranted serious attention.
An S-Class Threat.
Shelters and base cities alike had developed a classification system to measure the individual strength and group size of mutated creatures and the level of threat they posed.
The scale ranged from F-Class—manageable by a small group of ordinary humans—to S-Class, the highest level of danger, where conventional methods of combat became futile. Confronting such threats required heavy artillery or elite evolvers, and even then, success was never guaranteed.
Every S-Class threat was essentially a ticking bomb, capable of wreaking catastrophic destruction upon entire regions. As of now, S-Class threats within Honglian City could be counted on one hand—and Zhang Yang was one of them.
Another critical concept was the Disaster Zone, a classification for regions based on the severity of destruction. Ranging from safe zones to dangerous areas, high-risk zones, disaster zones, and, theoretically, super-disaster zones. No super-disaster zone had ever been officially declared, making disaster zones the highest level of destruction.
Regions designated as disaster zones became uninhabitable for humans, overrun by swarms of mutated creatures, resembling hellish landscapes. There had once been a shelter that amassed a large army to reclaim a disaster zone. However, the effort enraged its ruler, resulting in the army's annihilation and a massive corpse tide that wiped the shelter off the map. The incident, now known as "418," served as a grim warning.
Shelters have since abandoned any hope of reclaiming disaster zones, unwilling to cross such boundaries.
At present, Zhang Yang controlled three blocks, commanded thousands of zombies, and possessed unrivaled strength. His territory could undoubtedly be classified as a disaster zone—a forbidden zone for humanity.
In the conference room, the shelter's leaders bowed their heads, sighing deeply. A sense of helplessness filled the air, as they placed their last hopes on reinforcements from the distant base city. They prayed for a powerful evolver to turn the tide, even just slightly. Otherwise, there seemed to be no hope.
Unbeknownst to Zhang Yang, the shelter's leaders had already deemed him a living nightmare.
Meanwhile, back in his villa, Zhang Yang was indulging himself. Piece by piece, fresh flesh appeared from his spatial panel, and he devoured it voraciously, relishing the raw power that surged through him. Between meals, he occupied himself with solitary games, movies, leisurely strolls in his living room, and gazing into the distance. It was a tranquil rhythm he fully enjoyed.
Had his heart not ceased beating long ago—replaced by the golden energy crystal within—it might have been hard for Zhang Yang to believe he had become a zombie. Not just any zombie, but a formidable corpse king.
Time ticked by, from dusk to a beautiful starry night. A glass of "red wine" swirled in his hand as he downed it. By dawn, his energy bar was nearly full.
Finally, as he consumed the last piece of premium wagyu steak, his energy hit its maximum.
Energy Value: (500/500)
A familiar sensation surged through his body, strengthening every fiber of his being. The icy energy flowed from his limbs, converging into the golden crystal within his heart, making it even more lustrous and noble. His mental strength rose alongside his physical fortitude, advancing him from the fourth to the fifth tier.
Zhang Yang, now bursting with power, summoned his status panel:
[Host: Zhang Yang]
[Race: Zombie]
[Potential: King-Class]
[Level: Tier 5 (0/600)]
[Abilities: Devour, King's Potential]
[Mutation: Psychic Power]
[Storage Space: 1 Billion Cubic Meters]
Although it seemed only a slight improvement from before, Zhang Yang understood the terrifying strength he had accumulated since his initial transformation. At Tier 5, his power was already overwhelming in the early apocalypse—and this was only the beginning. With levels like Elite, Overlord, and Calamity ahead, Zhang Yang couldn't imagine the heights of power he might reach.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Blade, one of his loyal subordinates, entered respectfully and knelt. "Boss, I bring news—both good and bad."
"Speak."
Blade began. "The good news is that the treasure both Ghostface and Flame were eager for has been located. It's a high-purity energy crystal in the nearby subway station, containing immense power."
"And the bad news?"
"The crystal has drawn countless mutated creatures, including a Tier 3 Venomous Scorpion, which has already absorbed much of the crystal's energy. It guards the area fiercely, and none of our zombies have been able to break through."
Blade lowered his head. "This is my failure. Please punish me."
Zhang Yang stood, adjusting his appearance. "Failure due to lack of strength can only be resolved by getting stronger. Punishment alone is meaningless."
"Take me to it," he said firmly. "I wanted to test my strength anyway."
Blade's eyes lit up with relief. "Yes, Boss!" He rose immediately, ready to lead Zhang Yang to the battlefield.
The hunt was about to begin.