After extracting the crystal core, Li Xuan returned to room 1901. He thought for a moment but decided not to keep the crystal core for his urban counterpart. Instead, he chose to consume it immediately.
His counterpart in the urban world wasn't in life-threatening danger, nor did he have such an urgent need to lose weight. Right now, it was Li Xuan in the apocalypse who truly needed to strengthen himself.
He locked the doors and windows, barricaded the entrance with heavy objects, and swallowed the crystal core in one go.
Ten seconds later...
A wave of intense heat surged from his chest, spreading to his limbs. Li Xuan's body turned red once again. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire body felt as though it were being torn apart by pain. However, the level of pain was much lighter than the previous day—it wasn't enough to make him faint. He could endure it, and the pain stayed within his limits.
He could even feel his adrenaline surge as his muscle cells and tissues rapidly split and regenerated. It was as if his body was evolving under the influence of some unknown virus, and it was desperately craving nutrients to sustain this process.
A hunger unlike anything he had ever felt before surged through him.
Like a starving beast, Li Xuan began to devour food in a frenzy. Fortunately, he had enough food this time.
Only by eating relentlessly could the pain subside slightly.
He ate enough to satisfy the hunger of a grown man for five days, and finally, the feeling of hunger eased. The pain receded like the tide, replaced by an overwhelmingly comfortable sensation. His entire body felt clear, as if he had boundless energy.
Li Xuan decided to test his current physical state with some exercises.
Push-ups—500 in one go. He was doing 100 per minute and still hadn't reached his limit.
Squats—2000 in one go.
Sit-ups—2000 in one go.
Punch speed—380 punches per minute.
Pull-ups—50 in one go.
Running speed—This couldn't be tested in the apartment, but Li Xuan believed he could probably run 100 meters in under 9 seconds.
In just two days, the zombie crystal core had completely transformed his physical abilities. It seemed to have broken the human limit for physical training, causing a genetic-level transformation.
Most astonishingly, the grayish space in his mind had expanded, now holding about 2 cubic meters. This meant he could store twice as much as before.
Just as he was processing this, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
Li Xuan immediately became alert. He grabbed two mountain cleavers, ready for anything. Was it a zombie, or had human survivors found him?
Whatever the case, it meant that his hideout was no longer safe.
"If... anyone's there?" A young girl's voice came from the other side of the door. Her voice was clear and soothing, like a spring.
Li Xuan moved the heavy objects blocking the door and peered through the peephole. A girl, probably around 20 years old, with delicate features and a slender figure, was leaning weakly against the door. Her eyes seemed somewhat numb, as if she had made some kind of decision.
"Who are you?" Li Xuan asked coldly.
"My name is Gu Sisi, I live in 3002. Three hours ago, I saw you kill three zombies outside 3001." The girl's voice was calm.
"I haven't eaten in three days. Can you give me something to eat? You're capable of killing zombies, so you must be able to scavenge for supplies!"
Li Xuan vaguely remembered the name "Gu Sisi." Before the apocalypse, she had been the campus goddess at Nandu University. She was the ideal beauty for countless otaku and also came from a wealthy family that owned a jewelry business.
But in this post-apocalyptic world, no matter how noble one's former status, they were all reduced to mere survival.
"Why should I give you food?"
"Just leave!" Li Xuan's voice remained cold.
But Gu Sisi seemed to catch on. Did he really have food?
"I can trade. If you give me one meal, I'll give you anything in return. Whatever you want!"
She quickly added, "Don't worry, I haven't been touched by anyone. I'm still a virgin!"
Li Xuan hesitated for a moment, then opened the door.
"Come in."
Gu Sisi stood at around 168 cm tall, with a slender frame, fair skin, and a natural, unadorned beauty. Even without makeup or fancy attire, she was stunning. Her presence radiated youth and vitality.
Upon entering room 1901, she was overjoyed to see food—though not much, just enough for about three days. With rationing, it might last five days, but it was heaven for her in this situation.
Li Xuan looked her up and down, his eyes landing on the necklace she was wearing.
"Give me the necklace around your neck, and you can take two days' worth of food."
"Ah! You just want this?" Gu Sisi pointed to the necklace around her neck, clearly shocked.
She had prepared to offer herself, but now this man only wanted the necklace?
The necklace, named Haoyu Blue, featured a massive sapphire that was one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world. A year ago, it had been worth a fortune and was the prized possession of the Gu family jewelry business.
However, after the apocalypse, such jewelry was utterly worthless. No one cared about ornaments in a world where survival was paramount.
"Deal!"
Gu Sisi quickly removed the Haoyu Blue from her neck and exchanged it for two days' worth of food—three packs of instant noodles, two bags of bread, and a box of chocolate.
After she left, Li Xuan smiled to himself.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a top-tier blue diamond, a rare gem. Such a large blue diamond could be worth at least 200 million!"
"Exchanging a few packs of snacks for a 200-million-dollar gem... that's a huge win!"
"200 million in the urban world would be enough for me to eat for 3000 years!"
After barricading the door again, Li Xuan took out the stored supplies from his space. He began cooking fresh ribs and beef.
Once he was full, he lit a cigarette and enjoyed a moment of satisfaction.
"Gu Sisi might be beautiful, but in the apocalypse, no one can be trusted. Until I'm strong enough, women will just slow me down when I need to act quickly."
He glanced at the time. It was almost 9 PM. He was exhausted from the day's events.
After securing the doors and windows again, he lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
As Li Xuan drifted into sleep, his counterpart in the urban world woke up.