"Hmm?"
As Chen Chao was about to put down the binoculars, considering how to evade the Dangerous Species' counterattack, he suddenly saw the ground beneath it rapidly turning red. A large pool of fresh blood was flowing from beneath its body.
Chen Chao was stunned for a moment, then immediately abandoned the idea of escape and continued watching.
He saw the Dangerous Species crouching on the street, constantly howling in pain, its voice sharp and ear-piercing. It slowly crawled forward, leaving behind a trail of red blood.
Chen Chao immediately guessed that it had been severely wounded under its abdomen, which was great news!
He didn't act immediately, but continued to wait.
An excellent hunter must have enough patience to watch the prey struggle in the trap, waiting until it has lost all its strength before making the final move!
After losing a significant amount of blood, the Dangerous Species' movements were slow and sluggish. At that moment, a golden shadow suddenly sprang out from the entrance of the neighborhood. It jumped onto a car in front of the Dangerous Species, looking down from above.
Chen Chao froze for a moment.
That golden shadow was unmistakably the Golden Dog!
Chen Chao immediately realized that the Golden Dog had been attracted by the smell of blood from the Dangerous Species, clearly seeing it as prey!
If the Dangerous Species were in its prime, not even ten Golden Dogs would be a match for it. But now, the Dangerous Species was seriously wounded. If it couldn't defeat the Golden Dog and was killed, the massive amount of virus within its body would immediately fuel the Golden Dog's second evolution!
A juvenile Golden Dog in its second evolution would have killing power comparable to a Dangerous Species!
Chen Chao quickly strapped on his magazine wrist guards, armed himself, and prepared to take action. He wasn't going to let the hard-earned results be stolen by a dog!
Though the Golden Dog was bloodthirsty, it instinctively sensed that this Dangerous Species was different from ordinary prey. It didn't rush to attack but instead cautiously circled around the Dangerous Species, constantly assessing the situation, looking for an optimal angle of attack.
The Dangerous Species also felt threatened, growling angrily and baring its teeth, as if threatening the Golden Dog.
The Dangerous Species was a second-stage mutated corpse, and after the organs of its human body had rotted, new organs grew that were more suited to its body, making it stronger. Unlike regular zombies, it not only had a sense of pain and taste but also had a newly birthed consciousness in its brain.
Like a second personality in humans, this consciousness, after many evolutions, developed intellect almost comparable to that of humans.
Roar!
The Golden Dog was very smart, constantly circling the Dangerous Species, but it didn't attack, instead waiting for it to grow weaker before striking.
The Dangerous Species, anxious and growling, didn't seem to make much of an impact. Finally, it angrily decided to take the initiative!
With a human face twisting grotesquely, it hissed as sharp, snake-like fangs emerged from its mouth. Its body suddenly lunged forward.
The Golden Dog immediately jumped back a few steps to avoid the forceful attack, creating distance and quickly retaliating with a counterattack.
Roar!
The Golden Dog opened its mouth and bit down on the Dangerous Species' neck.
The Dangerous Species, however, was exceptionally agile. It swiftly dodged the bite and raised its forelimb to strike at the Golden Dog.
Bang!
The Golden Dog was hit in the waist with tremendous force, sent flying and crashing into a car window, shattering the glass.
Roaring in pain, the Golden Dog sprang out of the wreckage and pounced again.
The Dangerous Species raised its forelimb once more and struck it, sending the Golden Dog flying again. The difference in strength and speed was overwhelming—if the Dangerous Species were in its prime, it would have knocked the Golden Dog out with a single hit!
This early-stage Golden Dog's power was only slightly stronger than that of a special mutated corpse. The gap between them and the Dangerous Species was vast. If the Dangerous Species weren't wounded, one encounter would have been enough for it to kill the Golden Dog!
Chen Chao watched through his binoculars and immediately noticed a sharp piece of steel embedded deep into the Dangerous Species' abdomen. Blood was gushing from the wound, spurting out with every movement it made.
Chen Chao let out a sigh of relief. That was the vital point, no wonder the Dangerous Species was moving so slowly. With every step it took, the sharp steel scraped against its insides, inflicting unbearable pain.
The Golden Dog, after being knocked back twice, finally wised up. It stood up, shook out its fur, and stared bloodlustfully at the Dangerous Species, but didn't move in for the attack. Instead, it began to circle around it again.
The Dangerous Species, unwilling to give it any breathing room, growled and leaped toward the Golden Dog.
However, this time the Golden Dog didn't engage, but instead turned and ran!
The Dangerous Species gave chase for a few steps before stopping. The steel in its abdomen was being viciously twisted with every movement, causing unbearable pain.
But the Dangerous Species soon grew furious, realizing that the Golden Dog had also stopped running and was returning, making mock charges at it.
Chen Chao felt a strange expression cross his face. The Golden Dog seemed to be employing a war of attrition, clearly trying to exhaust the Dangerous Species.
He watched as the Dangerous Species crouched to rest. The Golden Dog immediately feigned an attack. As the Dangerous Species braced itself for a counterattack, the Golden Dog quickly retreated. This repeated cycle prevented the Dangerous Species from healing, keeping its wound constantly torn open.
After a long period, over ten minutes passed. The Dangerous Species was now nearly drained of blood, its abdomen almost completely dry. The street was stained with blood, and the creature's spirit was exhausted. It lay on the ground, unable even to growl, passively allowing the Golden Dog to feign attacks again and again.
After multiple tests, the Golden Dog saw that the time was right. It revealed its sharp fangs, growled, and pounced!
With its sharp teeth, a bite to the Dangerous Species' throat would be enough to sever its head!
Chen Chao's heart tightened as he immediately prepared to rush downstairs to claim the Multi-Evolution Energy. Such a valuable resource could not be stolen by a dog!
At that moment, something unexpected happened. The almost unconscious Dangerous Species suddenly leapt into the air, its twisted human face emitting an ear-piercing scream. It raised its forelimb and struck at the Golden Dog!
The Golden Dog, startled by the force, jumped back, trying to retreat. But the Dangerous Species' attack was too strong, and it couldn't stop in time. It was hit squarely by the Dangerous Species' claws!
Bang!
The Golden Dog was sent flying, its golden fur torn off in large patches, revealing its bloody flesh underneath. Three red claw marks raked across its side, exposing the meat beneath.
The Golden Dog yelped in pain, rolling across the road. Seeing the Dangerous Species pursuing it, it quickly turned and fled.
Once the Golden Dog had retreated, the Dangerous Species stopped, once again lying down. More blood spilled from its abdominal wound.
Chen Chao was shocked, witnessing this drastic turn of events. He had initially thought that the Golden Dog was cunning and ruthless, but the Dangerous Species' intelligence was also formidable. It had managed to pull off a feigned ambush. If it hadn't been so weakened, that final claw strike could have ripped the Golden Dog's insides out!
Looking at the Dangerous Species, which was now once again on the verge of death, Chen Chao hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth, grabbing the iron rod, and heading out with extra gasoline.
He quickly took the elevator to the first floor. As the doors opened, he saw that the building's entrance had been knocked down, with a pool of blood everywhere. Two or three mutated corpses lay at the door, their heads torn off.
The remaining corpses were nowhere to be seen, likely wandering off elsewhere.
Chen Chao quickly took the least dangerous route and soon reached the street. There, in between a few ruined cars, the Dangerous Species lay motionless. Its blood had dried and turned black under its abdomen. It lay with its eyes closed, seemingly lifeless.
Chen Chao didn't relax, though. The earlier ambush on the Golden Dog had left an impression on him, and he didn't dare underestimate these monsters' intelligence.
He picked up a bloodstained shoe from the ground and threw it at the Dangerous Species.
The shoe hit its head, and the Dangerous Species immediately opened its eyes, its grotesque human face staring toward Chen Chao's hiding spot.
Chen Chao knew that it couldn't hide from its keen sense of smell. Gripping the iron rod, he stepped out into the open, feeling tense. If the Dangerous Species still had the same speed and strength it displayed earlier, one strike could easily tear him apart!
He didn't approach but instead took out the gasoline bottle from his bag. He climbed onto the roof of a nearby car, six meters away from the Dangerous Species, and poured the gasoline all over its body.
At this close range, if the Dangerous Species were fully intact, it could have lunged at him with a single breath, and Chen Chao would have been torn apart in an instant! His palms were sweating, and he wasn't sure whether he could dodge in time, but he prepared himself to escape if necessary.
After pouring the gasoline, the Dangerous Species still glared at him with a vicious expression, showing no signs of movement. Chen Chao dared not relax. He quickly pulled out a lighter from his pocket and ripped off a piece of paper from his arm magazine guard, crumpling it up. After lighting it, he swiftly threw the burning paper at the creature.
The burning paper hit the Dangerous Species, but it didn't dodge, seemingly dismissing the small fireball as harmless.
However—
Whoosh!
The burning paper fell, like a stone dropped into a lake, immediately igniting the gasoline on its body. The flames, red and blue, spread quickly along the gasoline, soon engulfing the parts of its body soaked in the fuel. In no time, its entire body was covered in flames.
Except for special corpses immune to fire, most mutated corpses instinctively fear fire, and this Dangerous Species was no exception. The flames caused it to panic and suffer intensely. It shrieked in distress, rolling around frantically, not knowing how to extinguish the fire.
Chen Chao saw the fire had spread sufficiently and immediately smashed open a nearby wrecked car's gas pedal. He filled a bottle with the gasoline and continued to pour it over the creature's body.
Adding fuel to the fire!
The flames grew stronger, and the Dangerous Species continued to thrash about helplessly. Soon, the scent of roasted meat filled the air. The sharp steel inside its abdomen quickly heated up from the flames, and the metal, like a branding iron, seared into its insides.
The intense pain drove it nearly insane. It rolled and writhed desperately, but the gasoline clung to its body, preventing it from extinguishing the fire. With blood loss and its strength rapidly draining, its struggles soon weakened.
Chen Chao felt a sense of relief and continued to pour more gasoline on it.
Moments later, the Dangerous Species lay completely still, unmoving in the flames. Its scales turned black, and the coffee-colored curls on the woman's head were burned away, leaving her face disfigured beyond recognition.
Chen Chao continued to roast it for a while longer, ensuring it wasn't faking and that it was truly dead. Once he was certain, he slowly approached and withdrew a throwing knife from his leg, beginning to dissect the corpse.
The scales were so dense and tough that, after being charred, they became even harder. Chen Chao had no choice but to start from its lower abdomen, where the steel had punctured a large wound. After waiting for the steel to cool, he shook it slightly to widen the wound, then used the throwing knife to slice along the skin.
Soon, the skin on the Dangerous Species' upper body was peeled away, revealing its raw, red flesh. Blood vessels, resembling worms, were faintly charred and still instinctively wriggling, showing just how strong its life force was.
Chen Chao used his throwing knife to carve into the area where the creature's heart would be. Beneath the vague, bloodied flesh, a dark red crystal emerged, which could easily be mistaken for flesh if not looked at closely.
The Multi-Evolution Energy!
Chen Chao's heart leapt with joy. He immediately picked up the dark red crystal, ignoring the virus-infected blood on it, and quickly wiped it clean with his clothes.
The crystal was about the size of a thumb, and the Multi-Evolution Energy inside it flowed in dark red waves, like concentrated blood. The crystal's surface, a membrane formed by the virus-breeding flesh, served as protection.
Roar!
Just as Chen Chao held the Multi-Evolution Energy in his hand, a low growl came from behind him. He turned around in surprise to find that the Golden Dog had returned, circling back and now glaring at him with vicious intent.