These two special abilities come from different categories.
The first one is from the Mystical Category: Light Manipulation!
Chen Chao is currently at the F-level evolutionary stage, controlling light within a range of approximately three meters. While the range isn't vast, it's more than enough for close-quarters combat. Within this range, he can manipulate light at will!
What can light do?
Invisibility, flashbangs, illumination, and more—all rely on the manipulation of light!
The second ability comes from the Combat Category: Speed Amplification!
Speed Amplification enhances Chen Chao's movement speed by twofold. Given his current physical capabilities, this means he can achieve speeds ten times that of an average human!
What does ten times mean?
A distance of ten meters takes only 0.5 seconds to cover!
In the Combat Category, speed is an exceptionally powerful offensive capability. Combined with Chen Chao's proficiency in close combat, the synergy is flawless.
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
At this moment, his stomach growled loudly. Hunger struck him hard, and the churning acid in his stomach felt like it was dissolving his body. Every cell in his body seemed like a tiny, sharp mouth gnawing at his flesh—an agonizing sensation.
Chen Chao quickly headed to the kitchen in search of food.
Grabbing a handful of raw rice, he swallowed it down. The hunger subsided slightly, and he immediately started cooking.
After eating, he left some food for Chen Shiyu. His little sister had been locked in her room for days, tinkering with something. Judging from her heartbeat, she seemed exhausted.
Chen Chao didn't pry. Instead, he returned to his room and pulled out a small black box from his pocket.
The box had a keyhole.
Since Chen Chao didn't have the key, he relied on his B1-level lock-picking skills, using tools like wires and screwdrivers to attempt unlocking it. However, after several tries, he failed.
He decided to use Plan B.
Smash it open!
However, Chen Chao quickly gave up. Even the iron bar he used for smashing was bending, but the black box remained intact, surprisingly sturdy.
"With my B1-level lock-picking skills, I should be able to unlock almost anything from the old era, except for top-tier safes or nuclear vaults. This simple keyhole lock should've been easy."
"Unless this box isn't from the old era."
A thought crossed his mind.
If it's not from the old era, there's only one possibility.
It's an artifact from a relic!
"If it's a relic artifact, then I'll need the key, or I'll have to level up my lock-picking skill to A-level. Otherwise, there's no chance of opening it. But the bigger issue is... this dangerous creature must've entered a relic! That means there's a relic entrance somewhere in this city!"
Chen Chao's eyes sparkled with excitement.
After the virus outbreak, numerous relics appeared worldwide. These relics are located in a different spatial dimension, with hidden and unpredictable entrances. Sometimes, you might see ripples in the air while walking down the street, only to find yourself in an entirely unfamiliar place.
Relic entrances are random and time-sensitive.
At times, they appear here, but after a while, they might shift to another location. Some relics have their locations change six or seven times within a decade.
Each relic is unique. Some are death traps, filled with mechanisms and dangers that guarantee death upon entry. Others are treasure troves, containing incredible items like ultra-modern weapons, genetic modification serums, and peculiar skills.
"If this dangerous creature managed to enter and exit alive, the relic is probably not a death trap. It must hold numerous treasures. I've never seen a box like this before, which suggests this relic didn't appear in the Chinese region a century later but somewhere overseas!"
"And now, it's opened for the first time!"
Chen Chao's eyes glimmered.
Entering a relic for the first time is like being the first to harvest fresh fruit—the rewards are unparalleled.
"However, this city is too large. Even as an evolutionary, I can't search every corner. I need to narrow down the range."
Chen Chao began analyzing.
The biological scanner's range was thirty kilometers, with a two-day sweep duration. Since the dangerous creature didn't appear within two days, it likely originated beyond the thirty-kilometer radius, possibly between thirty to fifty kilometers away.
Considering the creature's speed and feeding habits, Chen Chao estimated that its original activity range was likely within that twenty-kilometer band.
The relic is somewhere within this twenty-kilometer range!
"It'll take me about three days to search this area thoroughly with my current speed."
Chen Chao didn't hesitate to act.
He took only an iron bar and several throwing knives, leaving a note for Chen Shiyu before heading out.
Upon reaching the residential area, Chen Chao walked straight ahead without bothering to avoid the zombies.
A few zombies lingering under an eco-tree in the neighborhood immediately caught the scent of human flesh emanating from him. They turned their heads excitedly, howling as they lunged toward him.
Chen Chao kept moving forward nonchalantly. Zombies that once seemed swift to him now appeared to move as sluggishly as snails.
As they were about to reach him, Chen Chao suddenly exerted force, swinging his iron bar with a fierce whistle.
Bang!
The iron bar swept across, shattering the skull of the leading zombie instantly. Its sturdy skull broke apart like brittle ceramic.
Roar! Roar!
The remaining two zombies, completely devoid of fear, continued clawing and lunging at him.
Chen Chao's expression remained indifferent. With a casual flick of his iron bar, he shattered their skulls effortlessly, his enhanced physique giving him an overwhelming advantage.
The growls of these zombies attracted others nearby. Many more caught the faint scent of his sweat and swarmed in his direction.
From above, the view revealed a horde of zombies converging like an army of ants around Chen Chao, pouring in from the surrounding buildings.
Chen Chao stood his ground, swinging the iron bar with unrelenting precision. Any zombie that approached him was instantly struck down, its skull crushed under his sheer strength.
With his overpowering force, none of the zombies could get close to him. Chen Chao stomped on the skull of one zombie snapping its jaws, the heavy force flattening the skull into pulp. A mix of brain matter and bone fragments stuck to the sole of his shoe.
Bang! Bang!
He moved forward, killing as he walked.
These grotesque zombies lunged at him one after another, but none got close enough to touch him. Their skulls were smashed open by his iron bar long before they could reach him. By the time Chen Chao reached the entrance of the neighborhood, over a hundred zombies lay dead around him. Severed heads were scattered like soccer balls, and the blood and headless corpses formed a gruesome trail. The gory path extended in a straight line, all the way to the gate.
Blood dripped steadily from his iron bar, but Chen Chao's body was spotless, not a trace of brain matter or gore on him. He wiped the iron bar clean on a zombie's tattered clothes before speeding off.
The zombies in the neighborhood were near his home, so Chen Chao didn't mind clearing them out. But the streets outside were crawling with far too many zombies—he had no time to deal with them all.
Whoosh!
His figure blurred, moving like a swift and silent leopard. Within moments, he covered a hundred meters, startling a few wandering zombies along the way. Before they could react, Chen Chao had already vanished beyond their senses.
Left behind, the zombies could only stagger after the lingering trace of his scent, aimlessly wandering in the direction he had disappeared.