Zhu Jiu and the fat man returned to the martial arts gym without incident.
Given their strength, it was clear that if they had encountered any ordinary infected, the ones in danger wouldn't have been them.
"The infected are getting harder to find," Zhu Jiu muttered, glancing around as he closed the gym door.
The route back had been eerily quiet, with not a single infected in sight.
"If this keeps up, I'll have to go to another neighborhood to farm points."
Venturing farther out would mean greater risks, and Zhu Jiu wasn't arrogant enough to think he could dominate the apocalypse unscathed.
For now, even a single handgun could pose a serious threat to him.
"First things first, I'll spend these 41 points."
He headed to his room and immediately upgraded Iron Shirt by four levels.
[Host: Zhu Jiu (Healthy)]
[Title: Novice Martial Artist]
[Martial Arts: Wing Chun (Level 9, maxed Tier 1), Bagua Blade (Level 7, Tier 1, 10 points to upgrade), Iron Shirt (Level 6, Tier 1, maxed Tier 1)]
[Points: 1]
[Warning: Dark energy outbreak detected. First wave of catastrophe has begun. Prepare to face it.]
Zhu Jiu gazed at his body in amazement after the upgrades.
His physique now looked as if sculpted by a master artist—every muscle and fiber perfectly defined. His skin took on a faint bronze sheen, resembling molten metal.
Pressing against his biceps, he noted how dense and firm his muscles felt.
"My muscles are as tough as forged steel," Zhu Jiu marveled. "A small knife probably couldn't pierce me now."
"Even if I'm hit by a crossbow bolt, as long as it's not a vital area, it wouldn't pose much of a threat."
"If Level 6 is this powerful, how strong will Level 9 be?"
Excitement surged through him as he left his room and stepped into the gym's main hall.
There, the fat man was fiddling with a pair of 20-kilogram dumbbells, lifting them as effortlessly as bottles of water.
"All done, bro?" the fat man asked, squinting at Zhu Jiu. "You look... different somehow."
Zhu Jiu figured the Iron Shirt upgrades had subtly altered his aura, but he wasn't keen on explaining it. He redirected the conversation.
"You're an evolver, aren't you? What abilities do evolvers have? How are you different from normal people?"
The fat man blinked in surprise. "Wait a minute. I didn't sense any energy waves from you. You're not an evolver, are you? How do you know about us?"
"I met one earlier," Zhu Jiu replied coolly.
"Really? Where are they?" the fat man asked excitedly. "Let's meet them!"
"Too talkative. I killed him," Zhu Jiu said flatly.
The fat man froze, his expression shifting awkwardly as if recalling an unpleasant memory. Forcing a laugh, he finally said, "Yeah, I'm an evolver. My ability is... well, it's pretty special."
Smirking, he raised his eyebrows and declared, "I can control metal."
He fixed his gaze on the dumbbells in his hands, his expression growing serious.
Moments later, the solid metal weights began to warp and twist in his hands, as if made of soft clay.
With dexterous fingers, he reshaped the metal into a sleek, one-meter-long staff, its polished surface gleaming under the light.
Adding a few decorative flourishes, he handed the staff to Zhu Jiu with a flourish. "Check it out! Not bad, huh? Fat Grandpa here takes his metalworking seriously!"
Ignoring his bragging, Zhu Jiu examined the staff closely, impressed by its quality.
"This staff's craftsmanship surpasses most weaponsmiths," he mused. "It's nearly as good as my dual blades."
Those blades had been custom-forged by a top-tier blacksmith, crafted from the finest materials, and had cost Zhu Jiu a small fortune—hundreds of thousands, in fact.
And yet, this staff had been an ordinary pair of dumbbells mere moments ago.
"This fat guy's ability is incredible," Zhu Jiu thought, realizing the potential.
In direct combat, the fat man's power had its limitations. Against non-metal-wielding enemies like the infected, it wasn't particularly effective. But as a support ability, it was unparalleled.
With someone like this providing a steady supply of high-quality weapons, Zhu Jiu could fight with abandon, no longer needing to worry about his gear breaking.
"He has to stay with me," Zhu Jiu decided.
The fat man, oblivious to Zhu Jiu's thoughts, continued to preen. "Not all evolvers are as gifted as Fat Grandpa here. I've met two others before.
"One could enlarge himself, boosting strength and speed, but it wasn't anything impressive."
"The other was more interesting. He could transform into a half-wolf, half-human hybrid—like a werewolf from the movies. No idea how strong he was, though."
Zhu Jiu nodded, contemplating the fat man's words.
"Enhanced physique, shapeshifting, metal manipulation... Evolvers have some fascinating abilities."
For the first time, Zhu Jiu felt a twinge of pressure. If he didn't improve quickly enough, these evolvers might surpass him.
"What other changes happen after evolution, beyond special abilities?" Zhu Jiu asked.
"A lot, actually," the fat man replied, counting on his fingers. "My vision and hearing have improved. I used to be near-sighted, but now I've got perfect eyesight."
His small eyes darted mischievously.
"Plus, my physical strength is several times better. I'd say I'm on par with elite boxers now."
"And there's one more thing: a sixth sense."
The fat man paused, searching for the right words. "It's like I can sense something... a kind of energy guiding my evolution. I can also feel it in other evolvers—it's really concentrated in them."
"Even the infected have it, though theirs is more chaotic. It's even present in the air, but it's too diluted to matter."
"I feel like if I keep absorbing this energy, I can evolve even further."
The fat man finished his explanation and grabbed a bag of chips, munching contentedly.
Zhu Jiu, meanwhile, sat in deep thought, piecing together the puzzle.
"The 'energy' he's talking about must be the dark energy the system mentioned."
"Humans originally had five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Evolvers gain a sixth sense: the ability to perceive dark energy."
Combining what he'd learned from the day's events with the fat man's insights, Zhu Jiu formed a clearer picture of the first wave of catastrophe.
"The first wave must be the dark energy outbreak."
"Humans involuntarily absorbed this energy. Some successfully evolved, gaining superhuman abilities and the potential for further evolution."
"Those who failed turned into infected, losing their minds and becoming monsters. They can infect others and grow stronger by devouring flesh."
"But where did this dark energy come from? And have other animals or plants evolved as well?"
Just as Zhu Jiu pondered these questions, the system's voice interrupted his thoughts.
[First wave of catastrophe has concluded.]
[Second wave of catastrophe will begin in 48 hours. Host is advised to prepare accordingly.]