《Blood Warlock: S.u.c.c.u.b.u.s Partner In The Apocalypse》


 Chapter -1 - Glossary

    Important information (contains some spoilers).


    Will be updated as the world-building develops along with the progress of the story.


    * * *


    Treasures Grades:


    Red Orb = Normal grade Treasure.


    Orange Orb = Rare grade Treasure.


    Yellow Orb = Magic grade Treasure.


    Green Orb = Epic grade Treasure.


    Cyan Orb = Legend grade Treasure.


    Indigo Orb = Semi-God grade Treasure.


    Violet Orb = God grade Treasure.


    * * *


    Soul Record.


    The only thing that is known to date is that its main function is to make the mana of the world, which was in a non-latent state for countless years, finally start moving and pushing the living beings to their evolution.


    It is unknown if there are other motives for these actions.


    * * *


    Evolution and Soul Power.


    When defeating an enemy, it is possible to acquire an orb containing Soul Power from the defeated enemy.


    This Soul Power boosts the basic stats of the winner, pushing them beyond, making the winner''s body more powerful, and boosting their evolution more and more.


    The amount of Soul Power depends on the level difference and the type of defeated enemy. In addition, once too much Soul Power of the same type of enemy at the same level has been absorbed, one''s soul power begins to acquire a certain immunity so that it is no longer possible to acquire extra stats in this way, forcing living beings to fight against stronger beings.


    Apart from acquiring stats by defeating powerful enemies, when leveling up each human being acquires 2 status points to distribute freely.

 Chapter 1 - Soul Records

    In a room belonging to the male dormitory of Beijing University.


    "This weather is really killing me..." Bai Zemin complained lightly as he looked at the world through the window.


    The rain was falling as if a deluge had beaten down on the world. The sound of the water drops hitting the window pane was soothing, but he could not appreciate the benefit.


    For the past year, the world''s weather had become absurd from one day to the next. Deserts were suddenly flooded with all kinds of storms and the earth''s poles began to defrost due to high temperatures. However, this was not all.


    Even when icy places like Antarctica began to thaw overnight, the next day temperatures plummeted again, freezing everything over.


    Scientists simply had no way of explaining the phenomenon. However, as a consequence of this, the major nations of the world practically forced the rest of the smaller countries to be careful with pollution, attributing everything that happened to malfunctions in the planet''s protective layer.


    Now even if the sun shone brightly people always carried umbrellas in their hands, fearing a sudden storm.


    "As if this wasn''t enough, I have to go to work in this damn storm..." Bai Zemin sighed to himself and turned around to look for warmer clothes from the closet.


    Bai Zemin was just a normal 20-year-old student. His father was a small civil employee with no power and his mother taught English at an elementary school.


    On the other hand, when he was still 12, his mother brought home a pretty girl who was three years younger than him; her name was Meng Qi. Her parents had passed away, leaving her alone since no other family member wanted to take care of her.


    His mother, being the best friend of Meng Qi''s mother, decided to take care of the girl. Since then, the four of them had been living together and currently, Meng Qi was a student at a prestigious high school in the capital; she would be attending the same university of Bai Zemin next year.


    As Bai Zemin was rummaging through his clothes, the whole world seemed to shudder fiercely as many things began to move from their places. Quickly he held on to the closet tightly, preventing it from collapsing on top of his body and crushing him.


    Bai Zemin felt something strange inside him as if he had been punched hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. His face turned pale and he had the urge to vomit, barely restraining himself.


    After about ten seconds, everything seemed to return to normal.


    The choking and suffocating sensation that Bai Zemin had felt a moment ago disappeared and the cold coming through the broken windows embraced his body. However, he could no longer worry about the cold, the rain, or the previous earth-shaking.


    [The Soul Records has arrived on Planet Earth. You can now view your status window whenever you wish. The first time, the window will open as a test].


    "...What is this...?" He muttered to himself as he read the strange green message that had appeared on his retina.


    [Bai Zemin -


    Level: 0


    Race: Human


    Job: None


    Title: None


    Strength: 12 (10) / Agility: 11 (10) / Health: 10 (10) / Stamina: 10 (10) / Mana: 109 (0) / Magic: 109 (10)]


    Bai Zemin''s body was slim, but under his clothes were hidden very nice muscles due to his constant work as well as training. Considering that the number in parentheses shown in his status window was the base for a normal human being, the condition of his body was quite decent.


    "Magic...?" He looked at the word magic with wide eyes.


    Magic! A classic element of fantasy movies and light novels! Now, not only had a strange window appeared that seemed to display his physical talents, but the attribute magic had also appeared on him!


    "Interesting... To think that I would meet a human with a high aptitude for magic as soon as I arrived in this lower world."


    A seductive, playful, and even a bit innocent voice sounded from behind him, blocking him from thinking any further about the events that had occurred.


    Bai Zemin turned around only to be stunned.


    A beautiful woman capable of provoking wars between nations was there when clearly no one was there before. Her skin was pale white with no imperfections and seemed to glow in the light, contrasting with her black hair that fell like a waterfall to the bottom of her back. Her eyes were a striking red that shone like two beautiful rubies. A black one-piece dress hugged her seductive curves, clinging to her body tightly, exposing only her two slender arms and two long, slender legs that could make even a saint drool.


    Bai Zemin had never seen such a beautiful woman in his entire life. The woman before him not only had a seductive and charming aura but also had an innocent expression that did not seem to match with her body.


    However, before he could even ask for anything, several sounds and cries coming from outside made his body instinctively move to the window to see what was happening.


    Outside, the whole world he knew had changed and what his eyes saw now was no longer the same thing he had seen just a minute ago.


    "Help!"


    A pretty girl was running for her life as she looked behind her, getting as far away from one of those strange people as possible. In an oversight, she tripped against a stone and fell to the ground.


    "Watch out!" Bai Zemin unconsciously shouted.


    Unfortunately, it was already too late.


    One of those strange people, with its bloody mouth, caught the girl who had fallen and fiercely bit one of the young girl''s arms, making her cry out in pain.


    "Save me!" The young girl screamed painfully as she tried to free herself. Her expression was truly pitiful, unfortunately for her, none of the people running could be bothered with her as they were too preoccupied trying to save their own lives. Soon, her body stopped moving.


    However, a few moments later, the girl stood up and began to stagger slowly as she chased after the noise.


    Seeing this, Bai Zemin''s complexion turned pale as he suddenly realized that these strange creatures were practically identical to the zombies from the Resident Evil movies.


    "Ah! What''s that!?" Bai Zemin was shocked when he saw a bee the size of a human fist suddenly buzzing toward a zombie.


    The zombie didn''t even react to the attack when the bee''s huge stinger pierced its head, directly crushing its brain and killing it on the spot.


    The bee opened the zombie''s head and began to eat something. After a few moments, its body seemed to grow a few more inches before it stopped.


    As if sensing something, the bee left the zombie''s corpse and shot straight towards the male dormitory.


    Bai Zemin''s face changed when he saw that strange bee charging towards him. The bee''s speed was really fast and in just a few blinks it had crossed the broken window, aiming its sharp blood-stained stinger at his face.


    Bai Zemin reacted on instinct. His right hand reached out and grabbed a wooden chair next to him. Without even taking a second to think, he struck forward with all his strength.


    The wooden chair impacted hard against the bee, sending it flying against the adjoining wall.


    Seeing that the bee had fallen to the ground but was still moving, Bai Zemin raised the chair above his head and struck the bee''s body fiercely three times before the creature stopped moving.


    A white energy orb shot out of the giant bee''s body and entered his body.


    [You gain level 5 Big Bee''s soul power. Agility +2, Strength +2]


    [You have reached level 1. You acquire two status points to distribute freely].


    Two messages flashed before Bai Zemin''s retina. He was surprised to discover how that strange energy seemed to nourish his muscles and bones, making his body more powerful quickly.


    "What is this?" Bai Zemin quickly stepped forward to pick up what was next to the bee''s corpse.


    [Blood Manipulation (First Order Skill) Level 5: You can control the blood flow of your body or the blood of your enemies to some extent. The effect of the skill depends on the user''s magical power, mana, and imagination]


    A strange red-colored scroll with an ominous aura emanating from it now lay in his hands.


    "That''s a really powerful skill!" A somewhat surprised exclamation brought him out of his thoughts.


    Because of everything that happened and because he had almost lost his life a few moments ago, Bai Zemin had forgotten the woman who had suddenly appeared in his room.


    He turned around and looked at the beautiful woman cautiously. Even if she was beautiful, with all the strange things going on he didn''t care.


    "Who are you?" Bai Zemin asked in a deep voice as he gripped the chair in his hands. Temporarily it was his only weapon, there was no choice.


    "Hehe~" The beauty giggled softly, her face changed from innocent to charming like a seductress. "My name is Lilith, a Sixth Order s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s belonging to the Demon Faction."

 Chapter 2 - Blood Manipulation (Part 1)

    Bai Zemin was confused when he heard the beautiful woman''s unusual introduction to him. However, although confused, he came to accept it rather easily.


    "I see." Bai Zemin nodded. His expression was indifferent and his guard was still up. Even if he couldn''t win, at least he didn''t want to be slaughtered without fighting for his life. "So, what are you doing here?"


    Lilith blinked her beautiful ruby eyes and her long eyelashes fluttered for a split second. She looked at the human in front of her with growing interest and said a little surprised, "You''re not surprised by what I just told you? You believe me so easily?"


    "Believe you?" Bai Zemin smiled bitterly and pointed towards the window before looking at the fist-sized bee he had just killed as he said, "The world outside is already a mess. A bee that should normally be the same size as two or three human fingernails is now the size of a grown man''s fist... As if that wasn''t enough, these strange messages keep flashing before me in a strange way. Why wouldn''t I believe you?"


    "Even though you are just a lower existence, I like you... A person who knows how to accept reality as it is, the sooner the better. You can probably live a long time, human." Lilith''s lips curved into a charming smile. She looked at Bai Zemin as if she was a maiden in love and said with an innocent expression but in a seductive tone, "How about you become mine? I promise to take good care of you~"


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t want you to suck my life essence to death." Bai Zemin said indifferently. But only he knew that saying those words had cost all his willpower. The woman before him was simply too beautiful; every gesture, every word, every frown, and smile was fatal to any man.


    However, his life was the most important thing at the moment.


    Lilith wanted to say something but soon realized that Bai Zemin was ignoring her, his gaze fixed on the red scroll in his hands.


    "You only have to wish to learn it and you will naturally learn it." Lilith pointed out as if she knew about his doubts.


    Bai Zemin nodded slowly before closing his eyes. He wished to learn the scroll in his hands and as if by magic, his brain seemed to receive a flood of information as a strange deep red rune appeared in his conscience.


    Bai Zemin felt the blood inside his body circulating rapidly as a result of his agitated emotions. He could even hear the blood inside Lilith''s body rushing normally, showing how calm she was. At the same time, he indistinctly felt that if he wanted to, he could affect the movement of his own blood; as for Lilith''s blood, he didn''t feel that he could do anything to it at the moment.


    [You have learned an external active skill. You can learn 4 more external active skills].


    As he opened his eyes again, green letters flickered on his retina and the blood-red scroll that was in his hands just a moment ago disappeared as if it had never been there.


    Bai Zemin frowned trying to understand the meaning of the message, but it was impossible for him to comprehend it unless he sat there to study everything carefully. Unfortunately, he didn''t have that time.


    Bang!


    The banging continued uninterrupted and the grunts coming from the other side of the door made it obvious that at least one zombie was trying to break through and, seeing how hard the door was being hit and how the hinges seemed about to give way at any moment, he knew he didn''t have too much time to stand around without doing anything.


    His brain worked quickly and without hesitation he rushed to the TV, ripping off the wire forcefully. He then tied one end of the long black wire to the bed and the other end to one of the desk legs.


    After that, he walked over to the bee and started poking at something.


    Lilith watched his movements curiously with no intention of commenting on it and silently so as not to disturb him.


    Bang!


    The wooden door finally could not withstand the constant assault and burst open with a small explosion. Immediately after the door was kicked down, two students who had turned into zombies staggered in.


    Their blood-stained faces looked grotesque. Bai Zemin could even see several bite marks where the flesh had horribly sloughed off.


    If it were him a few minutes ago, it would probably be hard for him to bear the urge to vomit from the sickening odor given off by the two moving corpses. However, after learning the skill Blood Manipulation, everything was different for him.


    It was well known that emotions affect the cardiovascular system of the human body to a certain extent. The greater the stress, the greater the amount of blood pumped by the heart, thus increasing circulation as a consequence. Then, Bai Zemin came up with a slightly crazy idea... Was it possible that in some sense the blood circulation inside the body could affect the emotions a bit?


    The two zombies advanced rather slowly in Bai Zemin''s direction. Although the creatures'' eyes were completely white as if they were blind, they seemed to be able to smell life emanating from his body since their movements had a fairly clear direction.


    Just as they advanced, the two mindless zombies suddenly tripped over the wire that Bai Zemin planted a few centimeters above the ground. The bed creaked and moved slightly due to the strong pull, but it was enough for the two zombies to fall flat on their faces.


    Bai Zemin''s eyes flashed as he shot forward at full speed unwilling to pass up the opportunity. Reaching in front of the first zombie, he mercilessly stabbed the head of the now helpless creature with the sting of the bee he had killed not long ago.


    The mutated bee''s stinger had a length of two human fingers and a width of at least three fingers; so it easily pierced the zombie''s head, crushing the brain and killing the creature.


    Before the second zombie could react, Bai Zemin quickly stabbed its head ruthlessly, killing it in a second as well.


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 4. You get +4 Stamina].


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 3. You get +1 Stamina].


    [You have leveled up to level 2. You get 2 status points to distribute freely].


    Before Bai Zemin could sigh in relief and relax his nerves, two more zombies staggered into the room while growling in his direction.


    However, Bai Zemin did not panic and quickly concentrated. With a thought, he mobilized the mana within his body according to the instructions of the skill Blood Manipulation.


    After spending twenty mana points, Bai Zemin used the blood of the two zombies killed by him earlier and, just as the two new zombies passed by the corpses of their kind, two arrows of red bloodshot out at full speed towards the back of the creatures'' heads.


    The congealed blood arrows were extremely sharp after being controlled by Bai Zemin and easily pierced through the head of the two zombies, crushing part of the brain and killing the two creatures easily.


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 3. You get +1 Stamina]


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 3]


    "Strong!" Bai Zemin''s eyes flashed as he looked at his hands. However, he soon noticed that from the corpse of the second zombie, he did not gain any stamina boost or other attribute.


    Seeing his frown, Lilith, who had been silent, patiently explained: "The more creatures of the same type and level you kill, the less benefit you will get as your soul power acquires some resistance against them. Only by killing other creatures will you be able to acquire more benefits... Of course, you can still level up by killing those low-level zombies, but you will only get two status points when you level up, no extra benefits."


    Bai Zemin looked at her gratefully which his doubts were cleared. However, he soon asked again, "Why are you here?"


    Only now that his nerves had calmed down a bit did he finally dare to ask more questions. If he had done so earlier, he might have died in a zombie''s mouth or been killed by the giant bee from before.


    Lilith puckered her lips and giggled playfully as she pointed to the door and said, "I''ll explain everything later. For now, don''t you think it''s better for you to look for a safe place?"


    Bai Zemin looked at the broken-down door and finally nodded. In fact, this was not the best place to ask questions so he quickly said, "You''re right. Let me pick up a few things and then we''ll leave this place."


    He quickly grabbed a mountain backpack and stowed the cable he had used earlier, two large bottles of pure water, and some snacks he had bought earlier. He had nothing else of use there.


    Then, Bai Zemin looked out the window and couldn''t help but complain, "Really me and my bad luck..."


    Bai Zemin''s room was on the fifth floor. It was impossible for him to climb down through the window. With no other option, he had no choice but to walk to the door to get out of the building.


    Lilith''s beautiful ruby eyes had a strange glint in them as she looked at the head wound of the two zombies that Bai Zemin had killed with his Blood Manipulation skill. Her full red lips curved into a charming smile before slowly following him out.

 Chapter 3 - Blood Manipulation (Part 2)

    As he walked down the hallway of the guys'' dormitory complex, Bai Zemin had the nerves in his body tense and his muscles bulged slightly due to the tension.


    Because today was Saturday, most of the guys in the dormitory had gone out to enjoy the good life. Most of them could have fun during the times when studying was not necessary as their families supported them from behind. Unfortunately, Bai Zemin''s life was not so good.


    The salary of his father and mother together could only afford to pay for the college expenses of one of them; Bai Zemin or Meng Qi. Because of this, Bai Zemin strongly refused to accept his parents'' money and started working in a repair shop near the university. That way, he could study and his younger foster sister could study as well. Although she felt guilty, there were not many options for a poor family.


    Lilith, who was following him step by step, suddenly said in a casual voice, "How about using the four free status points you have?"


    Bai Zemin did not look back and replied while he shook his head, "No. If I use them casually now, I might regret it later. Right now I don''t know which attribute could save my life in times of need and a sudden impulse might be my only hope."


    Lilith was silent for a few seconds before nodding in understanding. She licked her lips as she looked at his back with glittering eyes and purred, "I like you more and more~"


    Bai Zemin''s breathing became slightly heavy as he heard that charming tone of voice and it took all his willpower not to turn around to rip the clothes of the beauty behind him. Something told him that if he tried to do something like that, he would probably regret it for the rest of his life.


    Besides, even though she seemed to be helping him, Bai Zemin was a careful person by nature. Therefore, he was still with his guard slightly up against Lilith.


    Suddenly three male zombies appeared at the end of the corridor, crawling towards him with trembling steps. Although these creatures gave the feeling that they might fall at any moment, their steps never missed and they held steady as they walked slowly but surely.


    Bai Zemin could feel himself becoming somewhat anxious at the appearance of the three threats and quickly used his skill to f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y calm himself. He knew that losing control over his emotions at such a crucial moment could be the cause of his death.


    Lilith looked at his back with a smile. She was really curious to see how he would come out of this situation.


    Currently, there was no trap set up nor was there any blood in the vicinity to use. While Bai Zemin could turn around and go back to his room to make use of the corpse of the zombies he had killed earlier, that would leave him exposed to more zombies coming out of the locked rooms as the sound of banging could be heard uninterrupted. Obviously, at this rate, many zombies would soon come out and seal the way out.


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath and slowly walked forward while watching the movement of the zombies. They moved really slowly, but that didn''t stop them from being terrifying in their own right and, as far as Bai Zemin had seen so far, a scratch meant death.


    He tried to make use of his Blood Manipulation skill only to discover to his consternation that it seemed to have no use against these zombies.


    Lilith felt the flow of mana and knew what he wanted to do so she quickly explained: "Although your skill is really strong, dead creatures are practically your nemesis during the initial stages as these zombies feel no pain. Try to warm their blood and then guide it to the eyes!"


    Bai Zemin''s eyes flashed and he quickly understood what the s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s behind him meant. With a thought, he spent fifteen points of mana fiercely reheat the blood inside the zombies'' bodies and guided it to the eyes.


    The eyes of the three zombies exploded due to the internal heat and blood began to gush out like a fountain. Bai Zemin did not pass up the opportunity and spent another thirty points of mana to create three frozen blood arrows from the blood the creatures spilled, killing the three zombies at the same time.


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 3].


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 3].


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 3].


    [You have leveled up to level 3. You get 2 status points to distribute freely].


    Bai Zemin had killed 2 other zombies after reaching level 2 in his room, one of them was level 4. With the acc.u.mulation of three other level 3 zombies, he leveled up again.


    The only regrettable thing was that he could not acquire benefits from these level 3 zombies other than experience.


    Every time Bai Zemin leveled up, his stats would recover to the maximum point immediately. In short, even though he had spent 20 mana points in his room and another 45 just now to defeat the zombies, his mana recovered because he had leveled up.


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zemin took out a bottle of water and emptied its contents on the ground. Enduring the urge to vomit from the foul smell and bad appearance of the dead zombies, he walked over to the corpses and filled the bottle with blood.


    Previously he was forced to spend fifteen points of mana to force the zombies'' blood out. This kind of consumption was one he could not afford. After all, he was now leveling up fast but he knew that things would not always be so easy.


    * * *


    Bai Zemin''s hunting became much more efficient as he went down floor by floor.


    Making use of the blood he had saved, he created small strings by spending only two points of mana, binding the movement of the zombies for a moment. Bai Zemin would take advantage of that brief moment to approach and stab the zombies'' brains with the mutated bee stinger.


    So far, Bai Zemin had killed a total of 33 zombies from the moment he left his room.


    A thin strand of blood slid silently across the floor, catching one of the legs of a zombie, causing its body to almost fall and stopping it in place.


    Taking advantage of his 13 points of agility, which made him almost 50% faster than a normal person before the apocalypse, Bai Zemin quickly circled around and stabbed hard at the back of the zombie''s head, raising the sum to 34.


    [You have acquired soul power of Normal Zombie level 4].


    [You have leveled up to level 5. You get 2 status points to distribute freely].


    Reading the green message flashing on his retina, Bai Zemin let out a sigh of relief. To climb from level 4 to level 5 he was forced to kill about 16 zombies, which had drained his stamina quite a bit and several mana points.


    Upon reaching the 1st floor, Bai Zemin''s footsteps stopped and he looked at the zombie blocking his path in shock.


    This zombie had two grotesque and powerful arms the size of a grown man''s t.h.i.g.hs. It was also taller, at least 2 meters tall.


    Obviously, this zombie was a more dangerous species.


    The hulking zombie also sensed Bai Zemin''s life source less than five meters away and moved toward him.


    Although this particular zombie was slower than Bai Zemin, it was at least twice as fast as normal zombies. Taken by surprise, Bai Zemin panicked and quickly moved his head to the side, dodging the zombie''s fist by a notch.


    Bang!


    The zombie''s fist caused a hole in the wall behind Bai Zemin and his face turned white as he realized that if that attack had hit him his head would have exploded like a watermelon falling from a tenth floor.


    In the moment of crisis, Bai Zemin kicked with his 14 strength points forward, forcing the burly zombie back a few steps.


    Before the zombie could attack again, Bai Zemin threw a wave of blood into the air and directly spent 40 mana points to create four blood chains.


    Unlike the small strings of frozen blood, these blood chains looked much more robust and sturdy. After all, Bai Zemin only needed two or three mana points to create a blood string, but for these chains, he had used ten points each.


    Under his control, the blood chains tightly wrapped around the corpulent zombie''s body, throwing it to the ground.


    Seeing his opponent incapacitated, Bai Zemin advanced and stabbed with the mutated bee stinger. However, to his surprise, the stinger that was even sharper than a knife had only managed to pierce a few centimeters before being stopped by the zombie''s flesh.


    The strange zombie began to struggle in an attempt to break free, but the chains of blood clung tightly and would not allow it to break free.


    Still, Bai Zemin dared not relax and stabbed nonstop at the same spot over and over again. It was only after nearly twenty stabs with all his strength that he finally managed to crush the zombie''s brain into a bloody mess.


    [You have acquired soul power of Strength Zombie level 15. Strength +6, Health +5].


    [You have leveled up to level 6...].


    [You have leveled up to level 7...].


    [You have leveled up to level 8. You get 2 status points to distribute freely].


    Bai Zemin felt his body become much more powerful than before in a matter of seconds and the tiredness he felt after stabbing with all his might twenty times disappeared completely.


    "Ah! What is this?" Bai Zemin advanced and picked up a strange orb that had fallen from the corpse of the Strength Zombie.

 Chapter 4 - Xuanyuan Sword

    The orb was about the size of a baby''s fist and orange in color. Just by grasping it, Bai Zemin immediately knew how to use the orb naturally as if it had been something he had known all his life.


    Squeezing his palm tightly, the orb flashed slightly, and when the brightness dimmed a new object appeared in Bai Zemin''s hand.


    [Xuanyuan Sword: Its power is enough to pierce through the defenses of almost any creature below level 40 and its edge capable of piercing through the defenses of an armored car. When equipped, Strength +20].


    The sword was dark golden in color with countless engravings along the blade and hilt, giving it a truly mysterious appearance. It measured just over a meter in length and its width was approximately four fingers of an a.d.u.l.t''s hand.


    Bai Zemin slashed a couple of times and nodded in satisfaction. Although he was not at all skilled with a sword since he had never wielded one, with this Xuanyuan Sword he could finally kill enemies without having to get too close, risking his life in the process.


    Moreover, just by wielding the sword, his strength had directly increased by twenty points. He could feel terrifying strength circulating in his body and felt that he could crush a stone with a single fist.


    Curious about his current attributes, he called up his status window and soon several green letters flashed in his retina.


    [Bai Zemin -


    [Status Points: 16]


    [Level: 8]


    [Race: Human]


    [Job: None]


    [Title: None]


    [Strength: 20 (+20) / Agility: 13 / Health: 15 / Stamina: 16 / Mana: 109 / Magic: 109]


    With his current forty-strength points, Bai Zemin was basically as strong as four people combined before the apocalypse. The feeling of growing step by step and seeing his progress before him was so intoxicating that even in such a setting he couldn''t help but smile.


    Thanks to the fact that there were no more zombies on this floor, Bai Zemin allowed himself to rest for five minutes. Although he was not physically exhausted, his mental fatigue was there. Five minutes might not be much, but it was better than nothing.


    Because he had used more than half of the blood he had stored against the Strength Zombie earlier, Bai Zemin refilled the bottle with blood and walked to the exit.


    Students were rushing about in a disorderly manner while being chased by zombies, oversized insects, and animals of terrifying size.


    These strange creatures were also killing each other. The defeated were being devoured by the victors, becoming nothing more than sources of power for others to become stronger.


    Many students were also bleeding while screaming and crying, constantly asking for help.


    Seeing this, Bai Zemin could not help but tighten his grip on the Xuanyuan Sword. Even if he was normally indifferent, even if he wasn''t a social person with too many friends, seeing his own kind being devoured wasn''t exactly pleasing to the eye.


    "Humans kill pigs, sheep, cows, goats, and many other species to consume them and live." Lilith''s voice, who had been silent all this time, echoed next to him. "Now that the world has changed, humans are no longer the only ones who will hunt to survive. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you."


    Bai Zemin just continued to be silent. Even if he knew that Lilith''s words were the truth, it was not so simple to change his mind in a matter of minutes. However, he also knew that his number one priority was to survive.


    Even if he had to crawl out of the hell he would definitely survive and search for his family.


    A rather pretty girl was running while a brown dog that was almost five feet tall was chasing her at an outrageous speed. In a matter of seconds, the giant dog pounced on the girl and threw her to the ground.


    The girl''s eyes flashed with terror as she saw the terrifying monster open its jaws wide. Just when her throat was about to be ripped in half, there was a sharp flash that flickered for a second.


    The giant dog''s movements stopped completely and a second later its head detached from its body. Warmblood fell on the girl''s body, but after living through so many things, she did not scream and looked at the person who had just saved her life.


    This person was, naturally, Bai Zemin.


    [You have acquired Mutated Dog level 9 soul power. Agility +4, Stamina +4].


    "Stand up and follow me if you want to live! Quickly!" he urged. Without waiting for an answer, he quickly moved towards another student who was being attacked by a big bee and cut it in two with his sword.


    The girl quickly stood up, scared. She didn''t dare to linger as she began to follow him knowing that he was her only hope of living.


    The other male student also followed in Bai Zemin''s footsteps without delay as he thanked him.


    Bai Zemin moved across the campus in the direction of the gymnasium. That was probably the only place that could currently be safe since there were no glass windows for the mutated monsters to get into.


    Although he urgently wanted to go find his family, he first needed to understand the situation he was in. Bai Zemin knew perfectly well that rushing things in such a crisis situation would only hasten his steps towards death.


    Along the way, Bai Zemin helped and saved the lives of more than fifteen students; these students were all chased by animals or insects. As for those who were caught by the zombies, there was no hope for them.


    The zombies were not as fast as the mutated animals nor did they have unpredictable attacks like the giant insects; on the contrary, they were extremely slow and their movements were clumsy. However, a small scratch meant death.


    A group of five students ran while a group of ten zombies chased behind. They didn''t even dare to look back and just concentrated on running with all their might. Unfortunately for them, just as they turned the corner, another group of five zombies suddenly appeared and started staggering towards them.


    One of the students panicked and his movements froze, being scratched hard by one of the zombies. The pain seemed to wake him up as he quickly turned to flee as did his companions only to see that they were surrounded.


    Five zombies ahead and ten blocking the retreat.


    Just as they were wailing and crying, there were several sword flashes and in just over ten seconds all ten zombies were decapitated.


    "Strong!" Zhang Ming, a tall student couldn''t help but exclaim as he saw Bai Zemin charging towards the front five zombies and killing them as if he was slaughtering chickens.


    "There was a student this strong in our university? Look at all the people he saved!" another student muttered in stupefaction as he watched the fifteen people Bai Zemin brought in.


    Although Bai Zemin knew nothing about the way of the sword and simply cut using pure strength, his current agility was 17 points, almost double that of a normal person before the apocalypse. In addition, his Xuanyuan Sword was incredibly sharp which allowed him to decapitate zombies as if it were nothing.


    After making quick work of beheading the fifteen zombies, Bai Zemin felt a little tired. He had killed about sixty zombies since the moment he left the male dormitory and added to that he had also killed about ten giant insects and three mutated dogs.


    All those kills had only allowed him to level up once, currently being level 9. But even if he was much stronger than before, his stamina was slowly depleting and if he wasn''t careful he might die if he was surrounded.


    The three mutant dogs gave him a total of nine points of agility and eight points of stamina, making him more powerful.


    Bai Zemin walked towards the group of students and even before they could say thank you he pointed at the student who had been scratched earlier and said in a firm voice, "You can''t stay. You must leave."


    Upon hearing his words, the group of five friends had a drastic change in their expressions. However, the fifteen people who were saved by Bai Zemin said nothing and simply stood behind him, looking at the surroundings in fear.


    "What!? Why do I have to leave!?" The pointed student shouted indignantly.


    "You were scratched by that zombie, I saw it before." Bai Zemin said coldly. "You must know what will happen too, don''t you?"


    The student''s face turned pale. However, he was not willing to die so he denied the reality by saying, "What do you know!? What do you know if those damn creatures are zombies or not!?"


    The students looked at him with sympathy.


    Bai Zemin looked at him coldly and said nothing more, but turned around and started walking towards the gymnasium with firm steps.


    The students quickly followed him; including the student who had been scratched earlier.


    Bai Zemin, who had been paying attention, turned around and in a matter of seconds appeared before the student. With a heavy punch in his stomach, the student was forced to kneel on the ground as he struggled to breathe.


    "I told you that you can''t follow me." After saying those words, he turned around and walked away.


    The students did not dare to say a word; not even that student''s four classmates.


    Currently, Bai Zemin''s mood was terrible and after killing over a hundred zombies, the smell of blood surrounding him was thick, giving him a savage aura that no one wanted to provoke.


    "I like this human more and more every minute hehe..."


    Lilith looked at his back with flashing eyes and her lips curved into a beautiful seductive smile capable of enchanting any man''s heart. However, no one seemed to be paying attention to her.

 Chapter 5 - A closed battle

    Beijing University, being one of the most prestigious universities in all of China as well as one of the most important universities in the world that even foreign students attended, was extremely large.


    The campus was several acres in size and the university was like a small city by itself; supermarkets, karaokes, there were even some restaurants inviting students to stay on the premises without going out too much.


    The distance between the male dormitory and the gymnasium was only about four hundred meters, but because all the roads were plagued with dangers in the form of zombies, evolved insects, and animals that seemed to have turned into beasts, crossing that distance had become a challenging feat.


    Bai Zemin dashed relentlessly and slashed with his sword again and again.


    Along the way he had saved the lives of five others, increasing the number of survivors at his side to nearly twenty-four.


    A man with gold-rimmed glasses and a rather handsome appearance was chatting with a female student who was looking at him with an obvious crush. This man''s name was Lian Xun and he was the vice president of the university''s student association.


    Before the apocalypse, Lian Xun was a model student with excellent grades and in addition to his good looks he had many female suitors; even now that the world had changed there were some surviving girls who looked at him with strange glints in their eyes.


    Lian Xun had also dared to fight since at that time he had no other options if he wanted to survive. He was currently level 3 and could handle two or three zombies by himself. When he encountered Bai Zemin''s group he was about to be surrounded by six zombies, which meant death for him.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly, a green shadow appeared in the distance charging towards the group of over twenty people at astonishing speeds.


    Bai Zemin had just killed a mosquito that was almost twenty centimeters long and before he could react, that green shadow had already passed beyond his defense perimeter, appearing in front of Lian Xuan.


    Lian Xuan''s face turned pale and he took a step back.


    If he faced a few zombies he was still fine, but if a big bee or a mutated dog with above average speeds appeared, then there was no way he could even react!


    Because Lian Xuan had only killed zombies so far, he only obtained extra attributes during the first four or five zombies and only gained stamina. Lian Xuan had also used the six status points he had gained from leveling up in strength, so his speed was merely average.


    Lian Xuan grabbed the girl who was chatting with him and didn''t even hesitate when he threw her in front of that strange shadow, taking cover in the process.


    The green shadow suddenly flashed and in the next instant, the girl''s body was split in two. Her blood splattered everywhere and a look of shock and incredulity shone in her eyes before she died. Even in her wildest dreams, she would never have expected that the normally cultured, polite, and gentlemanly Lian Xuan would actually not hesitate to make such a cruel move.


    The survivors panicked and a few began to flee in all directions in a disorderly manner. Others did not move due to fear, and some smarter ones just walked away while trying to get closer to Bai Zemin as he was the only hope they had of survival.


    As for Lian Xuan''s selfish act, no one noticed... No one except the beautiful and seductive but at the same time innocent Lilith. Though such a move was impossible to be missed by someone like her, there was no disdain or disgust in her gaze; she had seen people do worse things than what she had just seen just to survive one more day.


    The green shadow was so fast that no one could react to its speed. This strange creature suddenly seemed to realize something as it shot off at terrifying speeds toward Bai Zemin.


    Clearly, the creature had realized that he was the best tonic for it to evolve.


    Bai Zemin felt his scalp go numb and unconsciously raised his sword horizontally.


    Clang!!!


    The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed loudly. The green shadow was forced to stop its movements as its strength and Bai Zemin''s were quite similar.


    Only now could Bai Zemin distinguish the appearance of the monster that was attacking him.


    The green shadow was actually a huge mantis that was almost two meters tall. Its terrifying eyes stared at him with killing intent flickering inside. Its two large scythe-like forelegs were pressing hard on the Xuanyuan Sword, trying to force Bai Zemin back.


    If it was Bai Zemin before obtaining the Xuanyuan Sword, he could have been seen to retreat. However, thanks to the twenty strength points the sword granted him, he could barely stand on equal footing.


    "Be careful! That mantis doesn''t specialize in strength at all! Its current speed must be almost twice as fast as yours!" Lilith''s voice rang in his ear, giving him vital information.


    Bai Zemin grunted as he pushed forward with all his might, pushing the mantis back. Then, without even a second''s hesitation, he added all his saved status points into agility.


    In just a split second, he felt his muscles become stronger but at the same time softer. Bai Zemin felt as if lightning flashed in his body, giving him a slight itch that soon disappeared.


    Swoosh!


    The nearly two-meter mantis disappeared and in the next instant appeared before Bai Zemin again, slashing downward with its scythe-like legs.


    However, the current Bai Zemin could finally see its movements clearly.


    Clang!


    Bai Zemin and the mantis engaged in close combat with the intention of slaying the other. To survive, to evolve, to become stronger.


    From the other people''s point of view, they could only see two silhouettes flickering constantly and hear the constant sound of metal clashing against metal. For them, it was hard to think that a human being could actually fight in such a way against such a terrifying creature without losing ground. It was only then that they realized Bai Zemin''s strength.


    Although Bai Zemin''s combat experience was average and his sword skill deficient, the Xuanyuan Sword was a rare grade treasure capable of piercing through the defenses of almost any creature below level 40. The mantis obviously had not yet reached that level as its scythes had small cracks that slowly spread with each collision.


    Each had their own advantages and for an instant, the battle was deadlocked in what appeared to be a stalemate.


    Several zombies, apparently attracted by the sound of battle as well as the strong smell of life, began to stagger over.


    Bai Zemin quickly spotted them and knew that at this rate not only would all the survivors die, but even he would also fall when they surrounded him. After all, the mantis might not be afraid of infection, but he was.


    Strengthening his determination, Bai Zemin surveyed the battlefield and slowly backed away, luring the mantis to a specific spot. Upon reaching that spot, Bai Zemin spent sixty points of mana and created six bloody chains using the blood of the dead zombies.


    The mantis was clearly taken by surprise and the chains wrapped tightly around its body. Its movements were stalled and its two scythes were stopped in mid-air by two bloody chains. The beast struggled fiercely trying to free itself and the chains restraining its scythes began to stretch taut as if they would break at any moment.


    Bai Zemin''s face changed slightly when he saw this and he quickly rushed forward and slashed towards the creature''s head with all his strength.


    After a flash of sharp light, the mantis'' movements stopped for a moment before its head fell to the ground followed by a fountain of blood shooting out of its neck.


    [You have obtained the soul power of Great Fast Mantis level 25. Agility +14, Strength +10, Magic +10, Mana +10].


    [You have leveled up and reached level 10. You get 2 attribute points to distribute freely].


    [You have leveled up and reached level 12...].


    [You have leveled up and reached level 13. You get 2 attribute points to distribute freely].


    A huge orb of soul power came out of the Great Fast Mantis'' body and entered Bai Zemin''s body, nourishing him and taking his power to higher levels. In addition, he also directly gained four levels as a result.


    Besides, the mantis had dropped other things after its death. Next to its corpse was 1 red orb, 1 orange orb, and 1 scroll.

 Chapter 6 - Elites

    Fighting against high-level creatures was really risky. A single mistake was enough to send anyone on their way into the underworld and pay a greeting to the legendary God of Death.


    In fact, even fighting a level 3 zombie during the first few minutes of the apocalypse was extremely difficult; one touch, the slightest scratch, and it would all be over right then and there. It didn''t take a bite or too much contact for a life to end.


    In truth, if it weren''t for Bai Zemin''s luck, he would probably be dead by now.


    At that time, because the window of his room was small, the level 5 Big Bee had no choice but to fly directly that way, which made it much simpler for Bai Zemin to attack it since he knew where the assault would come from. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to defeat such a fast and unpredictable monster.


    It was also thanks to that single kill that he obtained his skill Blood Manipulation. If it wasn''t for this skill, Bai Zemin wouldn''t even have been able to leave his room successfully and would have become zombie food by now.


    However, although fighting high-level monsters was risky, the rewards of being victorious were far superior to the rewards one would get from defeating monsters at the same level; just the extra stat points alone were equivalent to two or more levels considering the fact that each person only got two stat points per level.


    Not to mention the drops.


    Bai Zemin took a step forward and quickly put both orbs and the scroll into his backpack before standing up again. Immediately and without even a moment''s rest, he stomped hard on the ground beneath his feet and charged towards the zombies staggering in his direction.


    A minute later, the remaining zombies had been purged by Bai Zemin.


    "Teacher Jia. What happened to everyone else?" Bai Zemin asked with a frown as he looked at a female teacher in her thirties that he had rescued earlier.


    "Student Bai... The rest... I''m afraid they ran away when they saw things were getting ugly. As for the direction... I''m sorry, I''m afraid I don''t know." The teacher replied with a bitter smile.


    This teacher''s name was Jia Jiao and she was a teacher of the third year students so she knew Bai Zemin. Her personality was quite kind by nature and in the past, she had treated Bai Zemin quite well even though he came from an ordinary family.


    "I see." Bai Zemin simply nodded as he looked at the twelve people who remained.


    About half of them had fled upon seeing the zombies approaching from all directions. These people would most likely die unless they dared to fight for their lives; but even then, the chances of dying were much higher than living.


    As for this, Bai Zemin could do nothing about it. Currently, it was already difficult for him to survive and a single Great Fast Mantis had forced him to use all the status points he had been saving for times of crisis. If he were to encounter two of those monsters, then Bai Zemin would most likely die unless the battlefield conditions favored him greatly.


    Since those people fled, then they no longer had anything to do with him. He simply saved them earlier because he was just in passing and didn''t want to see his kind become food for other species.


    "Let''s go. We need to move towards the gymnasium. Only then can we get some rest." He said and turned to leave.


    The twelve survivors followed him not daring to stay behind. Their eyes filled with fear for the future looked intently in all directions for dread that a strange mutated creature would take away the life they had been protecting for so many years.


    * * *


    A group of about twenty people moved in the direction of the gymnasium. This group of people was mainly composed of women, but there were also seven men among them.


    However, no matter whether it was the women or the men, they all looked at the back of the woman who was leading them with respect, admiration, or love.


    A group of five zombies stumbled toward the crowd of survivors. Seeing their distorted expressions and their blank eyes, many of them could not help but shudder along with the small sound of choked sobs.


    The woman leading the group and carrying the lives of nearly twenty people on her shoulders had beautiful silver-colored hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was as white as milk and as smooth as the purest silk, giving her an appearance similar to that of a real fairy. However, her expression was as cold as eternal ice with no apparent emotional flow. Yet, although her expression was as cold as ice, her body was as hot as fire, filled with curves in the right places and extremely charming.


    Upon seeing the five zombies, this young woman of only 22 did not panic, her gaze did not change in the slightest. She waved her hand and five ice pikes appeared floating above her head. With another wave of her hand, the five ice pikes shot towards the incoming zombies.


    With great precision, the five ice pikes struck the heads of the five zombies that were moving at embarrassingly slow speeds, creating a hole the size of a small fist in the head of each target. However, no blood came out of the wounds as a small layer of ice sealed them.


    When the rest of the survivors saw this, their expressions changed for the better and their idolatry towards this woman increased several folds immediately.


    On the other hand, the woman''s expression was still as cold and indifferent as ever.


    * * *


    This group had about thirty people, so the strong vital smell attracted many zombies as well as other grotesque creatures that intended to devour them in order to evolve.


    Two zombies suddenly appeared from inside a building and staggered towards the survivors. However, before the survivors could even scream in terror, two arrows flew and struck the brains of the two infected, cutting them lifeless immediately.


    The survivors looked at the young man holding a bow, wearing sports clothes, and carrying a quiver behind his back, with admiration and envy. This young man ignored them and picked up the two arrows he had used before, wiping the blood on them with a rag of torn clothing.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly a mutated dog appeared charging at a speed three times faster than a normal person. The big brown dog opened its jaws wide with the intention of biting the young man''s head off. With the jaw strength of this level 9 mutated dog, the young man''s head would be shattered in a single bite.


    However, what greeted the dog was a huge hammer.


    Bang!


    The dog''s head popped off in pieces. The dog''s brain matter, blood, and flesh flew everywhere, making a bloody mess. The animal collapsed on the ground completely lifeless.


    "Even if you are fast, if you don''t attack me first you are too weak, stupid dog!" A burly man with a beard on his face spat on the dog''s corpse.


    The group continued to advance towards the gymnasium.


    * * *


    Of course, Bai Zemin did not know that apart from him, there were other people who had the same idea and the same temporary goal.


    However, even if he did know, he probably wouldn''t be too surprised. After all, the gymnasium was located right in the center of the university campus so it was accessible from all directions. Moreover, the gymnasium was also one of the few facilities that could be considered comparatively safe.


    Apart from Bai Zemin, there were other people who also dared to fight or simply had no choice but to fight if they wanted to survive. As a consequence, there were several people who had their own fortuitous experiences, gaining powerful skills and treasures that did not belong to this world.


    Twenty minutes later, and after making several detours to the area in order to find the easiest and least difficult path for the survivors he had saved, Bai Zemin was finally only fifty meters away from the gym and reached his first goal.


    However, things seemed to be a bit complicated.


    "Student Bai, now what do we do...?" Jia Jiao asked with a pale face as she watched the scene in front of her.


    Bai Zemin frowned slightly as he crouched in a corner and saw the dense group of zombies wandering near the gymnasium. There were over fifty zombies, all of them too close together for him to pass. Even for someone like Bai Zemin it was no easy feat to fight against fifty creatures that could defeat him with just a scratch.


    What stupefied him most was that these zombies didn''t seem to have any intention of leaving.

 Chapter 7 - Clearing the path

    As Bai Zemin watched the movement of the group of zombies several meters ahead, he quickly noticed that some of them were banging on the doors in an attempt to break them down. However, these doors were completely metal so it was absolutely impossible for these zombies to break through no matter how hard they tried.


    The sound of bangs from the metal door had attracted other zombies, causing that the group of a few more than fifty soon reached eighty. This coupled with the sinister atmosphere of the surroundings caused that the disordered emotions of the students and teachers that Bai Zemin had saved to become even worse.


    Could it be that there are people in there? Such a thought flashed in Bai Zemin''s mind and the more he thought about it the firmer that idea became.


    In order to survive another day, Bai Zemin had not only been casually swinging his sword back and forth decapitating enemies; he had also been paying attention to the behavior of the creatures as much as possible. Since zombies were the largest quantity temporarily, they were the type of enemy he knew the most about.


    From what he had observed so far of the zombies, these slow but fatal creatures could sense the presence of any kind of life as well as notice the smell of blood from about twenty meters or so of distance and even if that wasn''t exactly the limit, it was certainly accurate enough.


    "There are definitely people in there." Bai Zemin finally concluded. If not for that reason, then he couldn''t think of anything else why the zombies would be so intent on not moving anywhere else.


    He looked back and saw the people he saved looking at him, which gave him a headache... If it wasn''t for these people being here, Bai Zemin would have already taken out the treasures he obtained after defeating the Great Fast Mantis and, among those treasures, maybe there was something that could help him get out of the difficult situation he was in.


    However, he did not trust these people enough to bring out such treasures in front of them. It was precisely because he did not want to reveal his strength completely that he merely used his Blood Manipulation for a moment in order to defeat the mantis before stopping as quickly as possible.


    As if she knew his thoughts, Lilith, who was standing next to him, smiled and said casually, "How about you just abandon them? Everything will be much easier for you if you leave behind these burdens that could stab you in the back at any moment."


    Bai Zemin looked at her with a frown without saying anything.


    "Don''t look at me like that~ Just saying." Lilith shrugged her shoulders and didn''t say anything else.


    She knew it was impossible for Bai Zemin to do something like that. After all, it had only been about an hour since he had been forced to fight for his life wielding a sword. There was no way he could change that much without experiencing the cruelty of the world.


    However, Lilith was sure that he would adapt soon. Otherwise, then he would just die unless he had the strength to back up such a mentality.


    Just when Bai Zemin did not know what to do, the group of now more than eighty zombies suddenly became hectic.


    One arrow flew from a distance, accurately striking a zombie''s forehead. Before the zombies could react, another arrow shot out from the same direction and another zombie collapsed.


    "Strong!" Bai Zemin was a little surprised. He didn''t know who the attacker was since there were several buildings blocking his view, however, that person''s archery skill was really top-notch.


    Unfortunately, after five arrows, the assault was temporarily stopped. Apparently, the attacker was quite close and the zombies were surrounding that person.


    "All of you wait here!" leaving those words behind, Bai Zemin jumped out from his hiding place like a tiger and charged towards the zombies.


    In a matter of seconds, the distance of fifty meters separating him and the zombies had been crossed. Bai Zemin slashed with his sword twice at lightning speed and the heads of two zombies flew into the air.


    [You have acquired level 4 Normal Zombie soul power].


    ...


    Within five seconds, seven zombies had been decapitated by Bai Zemin.


    Liang Peng, who carried a huge two-meter hammer, swung it at a zombie, sending it flying ten meters. The zombie fell to the ground with the upper half of its body deformed and its head completely crushed. However, he soon noticed a man several years younger than him slaughtering zombies like ants and his eyes widened.


    "F*ck, d*mn it! What''s wrong with that insane speed!" Liang Peng cursed.


    Bai Zemin''s current agility had already reached 54 points. This meant that he was more than five times faster than the average person before the apocalypse. His movements were extremely fast so when Bai Zemin had killed five or six zombies, Liang Peng had only killed one that was close to him.


    On the other hand, Bai Zemin also noticed Liang Peng with his huge hammer and was surprised. Wasn''t that the university security guard? At what point had he become so strong as to carry that hammer? However, just as his mind was beginning to wonder, another change swept the battlefield.


    "Ice Bullets."


    A cold but pleasant-sounding voice echoed. Immediately afterward, ten tiny spheres of ice floated into the air and shot out towards ten different zombies, hitting them in the head with accuracy and taking their lives.


    "Oh? That woman''s control over mana is greater than yours... As if that wasn''t enough, her current magic power is only slightly less than what you had when the Soul Records reached this lower world... How strange..." Lilith''s surprised and somewhat confused voice sounded next to Bai Zemin.


    Since the time he had saved other people and these people didn''t even look at Lilith, Bai Zemin had come to the silent conclusion that she was invisible to others and only he could see her; therefore, he wasn''t too surprised to see her casually strutting around the place.


    Bai Zemin looked at the woman who had joined at the fray and his eyes could not help but light up. What a beautiful woman! Her silver hair and blue eyes had made her look like a snow lotus but at the same time, she was like an ice fairy... However, although he appreciated her beauty, that was all. After all, Bai Zemin had already seen the incredibly beautiful, seductive, and innocent Lilith.


    Bai Zemin''s movements did not flinch in the slightest as he continued to decapitate zombies and for every second that passed one or two fell at his feet.


    As if the arrival of the silver-haired woman marked a new beginning, the arrows resumed their slaughter. However, for some reason, the shooter''s speed increased without losing accuracy in the slightest.


    The group of more than eighty zombies was terrifying; anyone would be overwhelmed by them and even an evolver would die if surrounded. The danger from these creatures was further heightened as the gymnasium was enclosed by buildings, making it a bad place to launch an attack but a good place to defend. In this case, since the humans were the attackers, they had no choice but to suffer.


    However, no matter whether it was Bai Zemin, the silver-haired woman, Liang Peng, or the archer hidden among the buildings; they all had their own qualities of which they could be proud and could be considered the cream of the crop among the students and professors of the university... Thus, less than two minutes later, all the zombies, including the most separated of the group, had been annihilated.


    Blood had formed several puddles and flesh was scattered randomly all over the place. The smell was extremely repulsive and the sight could scare anyone. However, the people who fought this time had to fight against death and crawl from dozens or even hundreds of corpses to make their way here; therefore, none of them had too much of an overreaction.


    The three fighters in sight looked at each other with a hint of caution in their eyes. Now that the world had changed, it was hard to tell if people''s hearts had not. In consequence, none of the three trusted each other too much.


    The silver-haired woman with the ability to control ice looked at them coldly. In her gaze, there was even a hint of disgust that was hard to notice.


    The atmosphere had become somewhat strange, neither of them seemed willing to speak.


    At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the distance caused Bai Zemin''s gaze to turn in that direction.

 Chapter 8 - Stronger and stronger

    A handsome young man of 22 or 23 in blue sportswear, with a bow in his left hand and a half-empty quiver on his back, hurried over.


    ''So that guy is the archer from before.'' Bai Zemin thought silently.


    When the young archer saw the silver-haired woman, his eyes lit up and as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he smiled, "Bing Xue, I''m glad you''re okay..."


    Bing Xue? Bai Zemin blinked before he finally realized the reason why this woman looked familiar.


    Shangguan Bing Xue, a fourth-year student, and current student association president. She was not only the most beautiful woman on campus, but also the number one person in grades.


    Bai Zemin knew a little about her because he had met her a couple of times when she, as student president, organized student assemblies to report important information and events. However, since she was not important to him, he had simply forgotten about her existence.


    "I''m glad you''re okay too, Chen He."


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s cold and indifferent gaze did not change very much when she saw the young man. However, Bai Zemin noticed that the strange glint of hatred or repulsion had dimmed greatly when she looked at him.


    Anyway, since the zombie problem was fixed, Bai Zemin did not stay to listen to this group''s conversation and turned around, walking away quietly.


    "Wait a moment, little brother!" Liang Peng quickly shouted when he saw him walking away. His words had attracted the attention of the other pair.


    Bai Zemin stopped and turned around to look at him silently, waiting for his next words.


    "How about you stay here with us?" Liang Peng offered. "With the strength of the four of us together, we can easily wipe out those creatures and live a better life."


    Bai Zemin had a strange glint in his eyes. He simply turned around and as he walked away said casually, "I am simply going to look for a dozen students and teachers whom I saved earlier. I didn''t go out of my way to clean up this place to casually leave."


    "Eh?" Liang Peng was puzzled.


    On the other hand, Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him coldly before turning around and walking away as well. The young archer, Chen He, quickly followed her as they chatted with each other.


    Ten minutes later, the group of survivors rescued by Bai Zemin, Liang Peng, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Chen He, joined together to form a large group of about seventy people.


    Because the storm was still raging with no apparent intention of stopping soon, the blood and metallic smell it gave off were washed away by the rain in a few minutes. This could prevent other creatures from approaching this place in search of food.


    However, it also had its disadvantages. One of these disadvantages was that everyone''s clothes were completely wet. Unfortunately, they could only hold on like this for now.


    After arguing for five minutes, the people hiding inside the gymnasium were forced to open the doors regardless of their fear. Although none of them were willing to open the doors and risk letting danger in, after Liang Peng threatened that if they did not open the doors he would break it down by force, they had no choice but to give in.


    Bai Zemin was surprised to discover a total of approximately thirty people hiding inside the gymnasium. Among these thirty people, there were men, women, and some teachers. They all looked at them with apprehension and suspicion.


    As for this, Bai Zemin ignored it. He separated from everyone and walked around the premises, making sure that there was no hidden danger of any kind.


    There was a large indoor basketball court, a sports equipment room, and a cafeteria. The cafeteria was Bai Zemin''s target on this occasion.


    Bang! Bang!


    The metal door was closed tightly. Bai Zemin, who had moved away from the group, could hear the sound of banging coming from inside.


    He could not help but frown slightly as he thought. Since the cafeteria had glass windows, some insects probably managed to get in; as for bigger creatures, that was impossible since there were metal bars on the windows. Unless a monster with a lot of strength or sharp weapons like the Great Fast Mantis appeared, there was no way they could get in.


    Therefore, that sound could only be from zombies.


    Bai Zemin looked to the left and right to make sure no one else was there. After making sure, he opened his backpack and took out the two orbs he had obtained earlier as well as the scroll.


    "How does this color thing work?" Bai Zemin thought aloud, forgetting that there was another existence there who could hear him.


    "It''s the colors of the rainbow." Lilith pointed out with a beautiful smile. Seeing Bai Zemin''s questioning look, she explained, "From lower rank to higher rank, treasures are divided as follows; Red orb is equivalent to a normal grade treasure. An orange orb equals a rare-grade treasure. A yellow orb is equivalent to a magic-grade treasure. Green orbs are equivalent to epic-grade treasures. Cyan color means legend-grade treasure. Indigo-colored orbs are equivalent to semi-god grade treasures. Finally, violet-colored orbs mean god-grade treasures."


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth constricted several times and he couldn''t help but complain, "You should have stopped your explanation on magic-grade or epic-grade treasures... Now that I look at this red orb suddenly I don''t think it''s worth much."


    "Mmm... I think you''re misunderstanding something." Lilith smiled and reminded him of something important, "Even a red grade treasure is more valuable than a high-tech machine gun... Let me explain something to you."


    "When you defeat a creature, you absorb its soul power. When that creature''s soul power is much higher than yours, the Soul Record concentrates all the power you were unable to absorb in the form of treasures. The higher the level of your enemy, the higher the chances of getting a higher quality treasure, and the higher the remaining soul power, the higher the probabilities go up even more... Therefore, even the red colored orb in your hands is more valuable than you think at the current stages." Lilith concluded.


    Hearing her words, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but feel better. Although he felt like asking more questions, he first wanted to finish what he was about to do; the questions could be asked later.


    After squeezing the red orb hard, it broke and a new treasure appeared in front of Bai Zemin.


    [Velocity Boots (Normal grade treasure): Extremely light, easy to wear, and automatically adapts to the body. When equipped, Agility +10].


    Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up and his heart filled with joy. It was just a normal treasure but these boots increased his agility by +10 points. This was equivalent to 1/5 of Bai Zemin''s total agility!


    He quickly equipped the boots and immediately felt his body become much lighter than before. Now, with his 64 agility points, Bai Zemin was more than six times faster than a normal person before the arrival of the Soul Record on planet Earth!


    Repressing his latent excitement, he did the same with the orange orb.


    [Full Coat (Rare Treasure): A jacket that covers from the upper body to the knees. It can stop anything from light shotgun shells to 9mm caliber bullets. When equipped, all attributes +5].


    Bai Zemin held the jacket in his hands and almost wanted to roar at the sky to say thank you. With this treasure, he was now impervious to several types of firearms! Even if medium caliber bullets were too strong, with this treasure his survivability had skyrocketed another level.


    He didn''t even have to fear being scratched by zombies! As long as he protected his head and from the knees down, there should be no problem with his safety.


    Without delay, Bai Zemin took off the wet jacket he was wearing and put on the Full Coat. He immediately felt his attributes improving once again, much to his delight.


    "That treasure is good. Among the best quality within the rare grade just like your Xuanyuan Sword. Congratulations!" Lilith smiled cheerfully at him.


    Bai Zemin was surprised when he realized that she actually looked genuinely happy for him, puzzling him.


    "Lilith, why are you nice to me?" He asked feeling a little suspicious.


    Lilith bit her lips and blinked her long eyelashes as she said in a soft voice, "I already told you... I want you to be mine~"


    Bai Zemin rolled his eyes and wisely decided to stop asking. Although his appearance wasn''t bad, he wasn''t a handsome guy either. Much less so handsome that the biggest beauty he had ever seen in his entire life would fall in love with him at first sight.


    Without delay and fearing that someone else was coming to this place, Bai Zemin turned his attention to the remaining scroll.


    [Special Forces Soldier (Unranked Passive Skill) Level 5: By learning this passive skill you will automatically become a person with the same level of combat experience as Special Forces troops. At the same time, your control and knowledge of your world''s firearms grow exponentially].

 Chapter 9 - Fast and scary

    "Special Forces Soldier?" Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up when he saw the name of the skill. After seeing the vague but concise information available on the skill scroll, his gaze became even brighter.


    Currently, Bai Zemin was countless times more powerful than any human being before the world changed. His strength had reached 55 points thanks to the Xuanyuan Sword and the Full Coat that he had just obtained, his agility had reached 69 points and the rest of his stats were also at least twice that of an ordinary person.


    However, although he could currently dominate his enemies by overwhelming them due to his stats, treasures acquired, and his Blood Manipulation skill, Bai Zemin was very clear that if he faced an enemy on equal terms with him but with real combat experience, the one who would be unlucky and meet a fatal fate would probably be him.


    What Bai Zemin lacked the most at this moment was combat experience, control of different martial arts, etc. But with the skill scroll in his hands, this problem could be solved immediately. He only needed to wish for it and he would immediately become an experienced person as an elite soldier with years of training and battle experience.


    However, Bai Zemin hesitated.


    "Unclassified skill...?" he muttered under his breath.


    Although he didn''t know how the level of skills and their rankings worked, Bai Zemin, who obtained a skill ranked as ''first order skill'', couldn''t help but feel that this skill Special Forces Soldier wasn''t that good in the long run.


    Before he could think any further, the beautiful and charming Lilith interrupted him with a sweet smile, "You don''t need to worry. Although in fact, in the long run that skill might not be so good, it''s a passive skill."


    Listening to her, Bai Zemin''s eyes shone brightly as he realized that the word ''passive'' was the key in this matter.


    Even after facing so many dangers, Bai Zemin had not forgotten about the warning he received when he decided to learn his Blood Manipulation skill. That warning was reminding him that he could only learn four more external skills.


    "External active skills are those skills that need mana movement to function and that you didn''t learn on your own throughout your life." Lilith explained patiently. "Before, you were just a normal human with no training and yet, nevertheless, you were able to learn a terrifying skill in just a few seconds."


    Bai Zemin did not dare to miss any words and focused all his attention on her.


    Lilith continued, "Although it might be fine now, if you learn too many external active skills, in the long run your brain will be overloaded by all the acc.u.mulated information and your body cannot support such a stress... That''s precisely why you can only learn five active ones at first. I''ll explain more about this when we have time, as I prefer not to rush things. However, you don''t need to worry at all. The passive skills you can learn through skill scrolls are endless!"


    That was all he needed to hear.


    Bai Zemin looked at Lilith with a rare smile and slowly said, "You really are my lucky demon, Lilith."


    Without waiting for a reply and without seeing her reaction, he closed his eyes and wished to learn the contents of the scroll in his hands.


    The scroll in his hands turned into countless particles of light that flowed into his body. In the depths of his soul, a bronze-colored rune appeared with countless engravings on it.


    Bai Zemin immediately felt a slight prickling in his mind that instead of being painful, was uncomfortable.


    Martial arts of self-defense, fighting skills to kill the opponent in the shortest amount of time possible depending on the circ.u.mstances, control over bladed weapons, knowledge about firearms as well as the correct way such weapons worked and the optimal way to use them.


    So much information flooded Bai Zemin''s brain, it was so much information that for several seconds his mind went blank not knowing how to react.


    He looked at his hands in disbelief and couldn''t help but mutter, "That''s how strong the elite soldiers were before the world changed...?"


    At this moment, only he himself knew how horrible his strength had become. His stats had not changed at all, but Bai Zemin was confident that if he met the Great Fast Mantis again, he could finish it off in less than three seconds even without using his Blood Manipulation skill.


    "Well, you gained the combat experience of the best elite soldiers in the history of your world, so it''s understandable that your strength took a big step forward." Lilith smiled. Her voice was extremely pleasant to listen to, "Although you were strong by human standards before, your combat experience was simply too lacking. Now, you can barely consider yourself a novice."


    Bai Zemin looked at her doubtfully. A novice? He didn''t think so.


    Lilith looked at him with a smile that didn''t seem very friendly and said slowly, "In your world, you could consider yourself an elite among humans... But that is limited to your world. There are countless other worlds with countless other fighters and different cultures. In my eyes, you are similar to a baby just learning to walk."


    In the end, Bai Zemin raised both hands in surrender and his emotion cooled. Although being proud and arrogant was good, Lilith was right; currently, he had merely just begun to take his first steps. Too much arrogance or confidence could end up killing him, and he definitely had no intention of dying.


    Lilith also noticed that Bai Zemin had put his feet back on the earth and could not help but smile. If he became too proud just because of something so small it would be too disappointing for her; fortunately, it didn''t turn out to be like that.


    Bai Zemin looked at the metal door in front of him. He could still hear the frenzied banging of the creatures inside, trying to forcefully break down the door.


    "If the floor gets too stained it will be a headache to clean it up later." Bai Zemin said casually and opened the door without even hesitation.


    Immediately, like wild beasts released from their confinement, zombies staggered out from inside the cafeteria. Their hands trying to capture their target as quickly as possible and their blood-stained faces gave them an extremely horrible appearance.


    Bai Zemin did not even unsheathe his sword. He took a big step forward and raised his right foot, directly striking the first zombie in the throat.


    The struck zombie flew several meters away, hitting the zombies behind it in the process. When it hit the floor, it was no longer moving.


    The zombie was still alive since the brain was intact. However, Bai Zemin''s kick had destroyed the jaw and crushed the upper bones of the spine. Therefore, although its brain still functioned, it could no longer use its mouth to bite nor could it move its hands or feet; the zombie was no different from any other zombie killed by Bai Zemin before.


    No. If there was a difference; there was no blood flowing like water from a fountain.


    In total, there were more than fifteen zombies inside the cafeteria.


    With almost 70 agility points, Bai Zemin''s body was constantly flashing, appearing and disappearing amidst the group of zombies.


    The sound of bones breaking into pieces along with the sound of the zombies'' bodies falling to the ground after being hit was extremely clear in the place.


    Sometimes he used his fists, sometimes he used his palm or the side of his hands, his feet, his knees, and sometimes he used his elbows. Bai Zemin''s entire body had become an extremely robust, sharp, and formidable weapon capable of claiming the life of any enemy.


    Less than ten seconds later, all fifteen zombies lay on the ground; alive, but no different from those who were actually dead.


    Some had all four limbs broken, others had their jaws snapped and their spines separated into countless pieces, and the heads of others had been turned at an impossible angle, disconnecting the brain from the rest of the body.


    Bai Zemin''s expression stayed impassive at the horrifying sight. With his Blood Manipulation skill coupled with the experience of humanity''s strongest elites, his heart could no longer be shaken by such a thing.


    However, the sound of bones breaking, the sound of bodies hitting the walls and tables, naturally attracted the attention of other people.


    Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Liang Peng appeared outside the cafeteria. They had obviously come to see what was going on after hearing the commotion.


    Chen He, who was holding his bow and an arrow ready to be shot at any moment, could not help but suck in a breath of fresh air when he saw the miserable condition of the corpses on the ground.


    Even the usually wild and strong Liang Peng had a distinct change of expression. He looked at Bai Zemin standing amidst the corpses and could not help but mutter, "Is he still human or not?"


    On the other hand, Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful but cold face had slight frown. Her cold gaze switched back and forth between Bai Zemin and the zombies on the ground. She had noticed that, apart from the miserable condition their bodies were in, there were no bleeding wounds there; even the creatures'' heads were practically intact.

 Chapter 10 - Calling home

    The basketball court was quite large and the stands had enough seats to fit a few thousand people without any problem. Currently, sitting in different seats, students and teachers looked in the direction of the cafeteria with fearful eyes.


    "Big sister Shi, do you think something bad happened...?" A small-built female student asked in a low voice as she hugged her knees and cuddled tightly in an effort to give herself warmth.


    "Xiulan, don''t worry. You also saw how strong big sister Bing Xue is. Even if some zombies appear they won''t be a problem against her." Wu Shi said in a firm tone, trying to sound as confident as possible not only to convince her friend, but also to convince herself.


    Zi Xiulan bit her lips tightly as her body trembled constantly. In the end, she could not hold back her tears and began to sob, "Big Sister Shi... I... I am so scared... Song Qing turned into a zombie suddenly and Zeng Na was bitten to death... Many people died and I won''t be able to talk with them anymore..."


    Wu Shi, who was barely containing her own emotions, finally couldn''t help but start to cry. She had just tried to communicate with her family, unfortunately, she got no response; she already feared the worst.


    "I''m cold... I want to wear dry clothes... I want to feel warm... I want to hear my mother''s sermons again..." Wu Shi whispered in tears.


    This kind of conversation could be heard everywhere inside the gymnasium. The students were terrified waiting for a dark and unknown future.


    A few hours ago, they were all laughing and chatting happily; worrying about what kind of clothes they should buy to look their best. However, now all they wished for was dry clothes to relieve the bone-chilling cold.


    Even the teachers, who were the responsible a.d.u.l.ts, were in no position to relieve others when they themselves did not know if the next moment a strange creature would walk through the doors and claim their lives.


    * * *


    "What happened here?" Shangguan Bing Xue''s cold voice was the first sound to break the silence of the place.


    Bai Zemin did not answer immediately, instead, he gathered several tablecloths on the floor and tied it end to end, thus forming a huge square of cloth. Then, he began to carefully move the body of the immobile zombies on top of the cloth square while slowly explaining:


    "There is enough food in this cafeteria to sustain about a hundred people for approximately a week. Besides, I don''t feel comfortable in crowds either, so I''m planning to make this place my temporary resting area... So, I''ll take care of these zombies."


    "You took care of these zombies, you say...?" Shangguan Bing Xue muttered in a strange voice as she watched Bai Zemin work.


    Except for the initial glance, he had not looked back at them again and simply continued to work tirelessly. Many thoughts were constantly flashing in Shangguan Bing Xue''s mind, making it extremely difficult to comprehend her.


    Chen He was not thinking as many things as she was, he simply looked at Bai Zemin''s back and asked, "May I ask how... Right, we still don''t know your name. You are...?"


    "Bai Zemin." He casually replied. Bai Zemin wasn''t trying to act cool, this was his real personality. Even before the world became chaotic he was not good at dealing with many people due to certain past incidents.


    "I see, Bai Zemin. It''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you." Chen He said politely with a smile.


    Chen He was extremely handsome, his archery skill allowed him to become the best in his club and his grades were in the top ten every semester. All these excellent qualities together with his unknown but powerful family made him the prince charming of countless beautiful girls; even among the boys, he was popular because of his kindness.


    "Same here." Bai Zemin replied without much interest.


    His top priority now was to fully ensure his safety, then make a call home to check on his family''s safety, and finally understand the rules of the new world better. Therefore, he was not interested in making friends with anyone just as he had not been in the past.


    Chen He''s expression became a little uncomfortable at Bai Zemin''s clear coldness and a bitter smile appeared on his handsome face.


    "How did you deal with them?" Shangguan Bing Xue asked.


    "They are not dead. They are still alive." Bai Zemin replied, finally finishing dragging the fifteen bodies.


    "What?" Shangguan Bing Xue''s cold and indifferent expression broke for a moment when she heard his words.


    Bai Zemin began to drag the large square of cloth towards the exit with a bit of difficulty but with steady steps. Although his strength was 55 points in total, he had not yet reached a level where he could drag fifteen a.d.u.l.t people casually.


    As he walked, he replied, "These zombies are still alive. It''s just that I destroyed all the connecting bones of the body, so even if the brain is intact, they are no different from dead zombies since they can''t do anything... I didn''t want to stain the ground where I will sleep with blood."


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes lit up and she finally understood the reason why the zombies'' bodies were in such a terrible condition... Previously, she had assumed that Bai Zemin was simply a barbaric and violent person, but after listening to his explanation she understood that she had been wrong.


    Although she somewhat admired his strength, that was all. From her point of view, there was no trustworthy person in this place. To Shangguan Bing Xue, the only person she could trust a bit was her childhood friend Chen He; as for the rest, they were all useless.


    Especially the men.


    * * *


    Currently, Shangguan Bing Xue was surrounded by both men and women. Lian Xuan, the vice president of the student association, and Chen He, the skilled archer, were constantly trying to engage her in conversation.


    After carrying the fifteen zombies out of the place and dragging them to a nearby building, Bai Zemin returned to the gymnasium. He simply ignored the stares he was receiving and walked away quietly with no intention of chatting with anyone.


    Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Bai Zemin used his Blood Manipulation skill to remove the blood that stained the floor, sending it through the broken window to the outside.


    Because the glass was broken, rainwater was constantly pouring in and the areas near the windows were soaked. In addition, the cold was really unbearable.


    After a few minutes of consideration, Bai Zemin ripped the legs off several tables and used the tops to cover the windows one by one. To prevent the wood from falling off, he used several cabinets and refrigerators inside the room, thus sealing out rain, wind, and decreasing the chances of an insect getting in.


    Then, Bai Zemin closed the door and locked himself inside the cafeteria.


    He turned on a dim light and sat on a chair away from the window and door to rest. Five minutes later, he took his cell phone out of his backpack and, with trembling hands, called his mother.


    ...


    "The number you wish to reach is out of service or out of battery. Please try again later."


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath to calm himself, not wanting to think about the worst-case scenario. With lingering fear, he dialed Meng Qi''s number.


    "The number you wish to reach is out of service or out of battery. Please try again later."


    Receiving the same message again, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but put down the cell phone and leave it on the table. He slumped gently onto the chair and, as he listened to the steady sound of lightning, his eyes flooded slightly with tears.


    Although he did not want to think about it, it was clear to Bai Zemin that the probability that his family had died was very high indeed. After all, many people had turned into zombies without warning, zombies had started attacking ruthlessly, insects had evolved and even domestic animals had turned wild.


    However, he really wasn''t willing. The only real thing he had was his family after all.


    Barely resisting the urge to cry, Bai Zemin picked up his cell phone again and dialed his father''s number.


    ...


    Sitting in a nearby chair, Lilith felt a bit sad for him as she watched him act like a small child about to cry.


    Even when he was forced to fight for his life, even when he had no choice but to raise a sword and bathe in blood, even when his entire life was collapsing in front of him, Bai Zemin was always decisive and did not hesitate. He fought when it was necessary to fight and used his brain to perfection to survive.


    However, in the face of his family''s possible death, his calm had flown out the window.

 Chapter 11 - Mana consequences and hope

    The reason why Lilith felt a little sad about Bai Zemin''s situation was because she had decided to trust and believe in him since she currently had her own problems.


    However, it could not be said that Lilith felt pain for seeing him like this. They had only known each other for about two or three hours and the amount of interaction they had with each other was not much either... Besides, Lilith had seen many things worse than the loss of a family during her lifetime; to her, even the fall of an entire race where tears of blood were shed was not such a strange sight either.


    Now, she could only hope that his family was safe and had not experienced any accidents. Otherwise, if he fell and did not get up again, his death was a matter of time; this was something Lilith hoped would not happen.


    Unfortunately, people''s fate sometimes turned out to be extremely cruel.


    "The number you wish to reach is out of service or out of battery. Please try again-"


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin didn''t even wait for the message to end when he smashed the cell phone against the wall in front of him, completely destroying it with no way of salvation.


    Without even waiting for all the parts of his phone to fall to the ground, Bai Zemin grabbed the chair he was sitting on and slammed it with all his might against the floor. The wood broke into countless pieces and splinters flew everywhere.


    As if he had gone mad, Bai Zemin grabbed everything near him and destroyed it without caring about the quantity of noise he was making or if his attitude could scare the people outside the cafeteria.


    Now that he could not contact any of his three family members, he had assumed the worst. How could he care about other people''s fear at this point?


    After destroying more than twenty chairs and several tables, Bai Zemin''s stamina began to drop rapidly due to the misuse of his strength, exhausting him faster than usual. He slumped on the floor, leaning his back against the wall, and covered his face with one hand.


    Lilith looked at him silently and waited for him to vent all the frustration, sadness, anger, and pain he felt.


    The cafeteria fell silent and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of thunder coming from outside. The faint distant light that acted as illumination, could barely provide a scarce source of heat practically nonexistent in the midst of such a gloomy environment.


    Bai Zemin did not cry. After venting in an illogical but realistic manner, he simply became silent and motionless.


    He had once been betrayed by people he trusted from the bottom of his heart in the past. At that time, he had felt as if his world had collapsed before his eyes and he no longer felt like doing anything; even leaving his room was a challenge every day... In the midst of all that sadness, pain, and desolation, his family was there for him; just as they had always been but he hadn''t noticed.


    From that moment on, Bai Zemin had changed drastically. He stopped going out with friends, didn''t spend time worrying about having a relationship with a woman, and devoted all his time to studying and working hard to give his family a better life.


    However, in about three hours, everything he had been fighting for many years was gone. His family, the only source of warmth that made him feel comfortable, had probably died.


    Every time he imagined his father, his mother, or his adopted younger sister crying and asking for help before they died, his blood boiled furiously as if a volcano was about to burst.


    Twenty minutes later, Lilith finally spoke, "Bai Zemin, your family is probably still alive."


    His body shuddered softly, but he did not respond. He stayed silent, longing to hear her next words. Although Bai Zemin did not know how strong Lilith was, even after becoming much more powerful than he was in the past, he felt that a snap of her fingers was more than enough to erase his existence if she really wanted it. Therefore, her words at this moment were very important to him.


    "When the Soul Record arrives in a new world, the mana that was always in that world but was inactive finally begins to move... Now, imagine you spend twenty years in bed and suddenly you abruptly get up and start running at full speed, what do you think will happen?"


    Bai Zemin raised his head softly and looked at her. In a slightly hoarse voice, he replied, "Everything would collapse... The muscles can''t support the weight of the body, the ligaments can''t withstand the pressure, and the heart can''t pump enough blood after beating so smoothly for so long."


    "Right. It would all come crashing down." Lilith nodded softly and continued, "That is precisely what is happening now. After countless years of silence and tranquility, the mana of this world finally began to move everywhere, causing the world order to fall into a mess."


    As Lilith explained, Bai Zemin struggled to stand up and looked for a healthy chair to sit on. He kept his senses focused on her, not daring to miss a single word.


    "Humans have a weak body by nature, so most of them failed to withstand the shock of the mana wave, turning into those mutated creatures; stronger and with unlimited stamina fueled by the world''s mana, but without any intelligence. On the other hand, animals possessing a more resilient body and plants with superior life expectancy are much more likely to adapt to the mana, evolving and growing to become terrifying creatures."


    Bai Zemin finally understood many things after listening to Lilith''s explanation. From the initial function of this strange entity called Soul Record to the reason why so many humans turned into zombies and why previously harmless insects and animals had suddenly changed so much.


    At this moment, however, he couldn''t care less about all of that.


    "So, what about my family?" he asked in an apathetic voice.


    Although Bai Zemin''s voice was practically impassive, Lilith, who had seen countless lives throughout her wandering, could notice the waver in his gaze when he asked that question. Obviously, although he was trying to act calm, his heart was in chaos as he tried to cling to any hope.


    "In addition to living beings, there is also the possibility that electronic objects will suffer from the mana wave... Then, it''s not impossible that the communication devices would be damaged or the distance reached by the signal would have been infinitely shortened." Lilith pointed out.


    Bai Zemin''s eyes glinted as he listened to her explanation. Indeed, Lilith''s words made quite a bit of sense if one carefully observed the illogical world outside the window.


    Seeing the change in his expression and his eyes regaining their color, Lilith quickly added, "Besides, don''t forget that during the chaos your family might have also lost their cell phones or simply didn''t have time to pick it up."


    Bai Zemin finally couldn''t help but stand up. His previously dull gaze had flared up once again, burning with hope.


    Previously, he had been too overwhelmed with emotions, unable to think of even something as small as what Lilith had just mentioned. In fact, it was very plausible that his family simply hadn''t had time to pick up their cell phones or they simply broke during their escape.


    He advanced with a big step to the chair where Lilith was sitting and hugged her gently as he said softly, "Thank you..."


    Unconsciously, he couldn''t help but be amazed at the exquisite scent of roses that Lilith''s body exuded. Her soft dark hair lightly c.a.r.e.s.sed his face as if it were his lover''s c.a.r.e.s.s.


    After experiencing hell and then being ascended back to the heavens, even his First Order Blood Manipulation could do nothing to calm his heart. With unstable emotions, he simply wasn''t thinking with complete rationality.


    Lilith knew this perfectly well, so she didn''t bother to push him away. To her, Bai Zemin was a little boy. On the contrary, she joked, "If you really want to thank me, how about taking me right here~?"


    As if he had received an electro-shock, Bai Zemin quickly backed away from her and looked at her suspiciously as he said, "You can forget about it."


    In fact, if it wasn''t for the heat of the moment and the emotions clouding his judgment, Bai Zemin would definitely not dare to approach Lilith; her whole being was too charming and every action of hers was brimming with seductiveness. Even he, who was usually quite calm, didn''t have the slightest confidence in resisting if she really wanted to.


    "Oh come oooon~ Don''t be a spoilsport!" Lilith pouted extremely cute, which was a great counter to her seductive body. "With this cold weather, I''m sure if we hug each other affectionately our bodies will be happy!"


    Bai Zemin rolled his eyes and was about to respond when the metal door was knocked softly.

 Chapter 12 - Meeting and plans

    Hearing the sound coming from outside, Bai Zemin and Lilith stood in silence for a moment before he walked to the door and opened it without saying a word.


    Standing on the other side was a female student who, though not a great beauty, was considered quite pretty. However, her expression at the moment was rather haggard and the fear in her eyes made her look quite miserable.


    The student seemed surprised at the sudden appearance of Bai Zemin, who had opened the door with a bang. She unconsciously looked inside the room and when she saw the mess inside was shocked; the place was a mess with splinters of wood everywhere as if a hurricane had hit there.


    "Do you need anything?" Bai Zemin asked as he looked at the girl one or two years younger than him.


    "Ah! Sorry!" The girl apologized for something that Bai Zemin didn''t understand and continued quickly, "Big Brother Bai, some of the teachers, Big Sister Shangguan, Big Brother Chen, and the rest are about to have a meeting to decide what to do next therefore they would like you to participate as well."


    This student''s name was Cai Jingyi and before the world changed she was a student of international relations. She was very smart about human relationsh.i.p.s and emotions. Now that everything changed, Cai Jingyi was also clear that she would be more likely to survive by following someone powerful; at the same time, it was essential to be careful not to offend anyone, because the rules would not necessarily remain the same as before.


    Hearing her words, Bai Zemin was silent for a moment before nodding: "Alright. Thank you for informing me... I''ll be there in a moment."


    He was not surprised that the girl in front of him knew his name. After all, he had worked, it was only natural that someone would start spreading his name around; especially those people whose lives he had saved.


    Cai Jingyi quickly excused herself and left. She could sense that the young man''s mood before her was not particularly good so she was worried about saying the wrong word.


    Before Bai Zemin could say anything, Lilith advised: "Bai Zemin, remember that the world you live in has changed and will no longer be what it once was. Although it might not be so obvious now since it is only the beginning of a new era, gradually people will change... Be careful of the people around you or your death might not be caused by a monster or mutated plant."


    Bai Zemin looked at her silently, pondering her words. After several seconds, he nodded slowly and thanked, "Thank you for your advice. I will remember it."


    Lilith threw him a flying kiss and gave him a charming smile in response.


    Bai Zemin didn''t dare look at her for too long and quickly closed the door behind him as he walked away in the direction of the basketball court.


    At his reaction, Lilith giggled softly, causing her ample b.r.e.a.s.ts to sway invitingly... Fortunately or unfortunately, there was no man to witness such a wonderful but at the same time dangerous spectacle.


    * * *


    After Bai Zemin''s nerves calmed down and the tension he felt on his body due to the constant dangers and seemingly endless battles, he finally paid more attention to the people around him and easily noticed many things on his way to the basketball court.


    Most of the people, regardless of whether they were male or female, teachers or students, had eyes filled with apprehension and looked at their surroundings with constant vigilance. Some of them even had signs of insanity; clutching their hair tightly and muttering incoherent things before they started laughing out loud as if something funny had happened.


    Seeing all this, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but agree with the advice Lilith had given him before. Unconsciously he lifted his guard a notch higher, not wanting one of these people to stab him in the back.


    Bai Zemin had no intention of dying, let alone dying by the hands of another human.


    As he approached a corner far away from the rest, Bai Zemin saw Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Peng Liang, as well as four teachers; three men and one woman.


    The woman was Jia Jiao, whom Bai Zemin had rescued earlier.


    Seeing him approaching, the group of seven people stopped their conversation and looked at him with different emotions; gratitude, curiosity, indifference, kindness, mistrust, and many other emotions coming from different people.


    When he finally joined the group, Liang Peng smiled carelessly and greeted him casually, "Yo! Little brother Bai Zemin."


    "Hey." Bai Zemin greeted him back with a brief nod. Although Liang Peng possessed terrifying strength, his thoughts seemed to be too simple.


    "Now that teachers with the ability to think without being affected by the fear as well as people capable of fighting are here let''s start this meeting." Shangguan Bing Xue did not dawdle and immediately went to the point. She also did not give another glance to Bai Zemin nor did she say anything about him keeping a room for himself.


    Many people were naturally dissatisfied with him taking such a large place for himself; it was just that no one dared to express it after witnessing his strength or hearing about it.


    As for Shangguan Bing Xue, she simply didn''t care.


    "Wait a moment." Bai Zemin stopped her before she continued.


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned slightly but said nothing and simply looked at him silently, waiting for his next words.


    "If you want to gather people with the courage to fight and some ability, Vice President Lian Xun should be here too." Bai Zemin pointed out.


    "Oh?" Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful blue eyes had a strange glint in them when she heard his words. She looked in the direction of where Lian Xun stood and seeing him smile charmingly at her filled her heart with disgust.


    "I don''t think that''s necessary." Shangguan Bing Xue said coldly. Her tone contained a hint of mockery and disdain as she said, "He even hid from me that he could fight those creatures, which means he is a coward. Such a person, instead of helping will only become a burden in times of need."


    Bai Zemin simply shrugged his shoulders and did not comment any further.


    "Then, let''s continue." Shangguan Bing Xue frowned and explained her concerns, "Currently, the storm is quite fierce. As each of us headed in this direction, saving other people in the process, it was inevitable that we and the others would get wet."


    Even Shangguan Bing Xue''s white dress was soaked and clung tightly to her seductive body. This had attracted the attention of the local men regardless of whether he was a teacher or a student; even the handsome and kind Chen He could not help but sneak several glances at her secretly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue continued, "At this rate, the arrival of illnesses like influenza and fever is only a matter of time. At this moment we don''t even know exactly the situation of the world outside the university, I tried to communicate with my family but apparently there is some kind of problem with the signal."


    Chen He nodded, "I also tried to communicate with my family but got no results."


    Hearing their words, Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up imperceptibly. Since they had the same problem, Lilith''s words were probably real and, although he didn''t know if his family was alive, hope burned fervently.


    "Then, I would like to form different teams to perform different tasks." Shangguan Bing Xue finally pointed out her real purpose: "One team will be in charge of searching for clothes from the male dormitory and the female dormitory, saving the people who are still alive in the process. Another team will be in charge of going to the university pharmacy in search of cold medicine, fever medicine, and whatever else is possible."


    Chen He added, "In the cafeteria, Bai Zemin found enough food to feed more than a hundred people for a week. Even if we add more people, the rations should be able to last about three days... That''s more than enough time for the army and police to make their move."


    Hearing his words, almost everyone let out a small sigh of relief. Even if the zombies were many, or even if those strange mutated creatures were powerful, in the face of the power of modern firearms they were nothing to fear.


    Only Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue had indifferent expressions and kept their own thoughts to themselves.


    Seeing that no one had anything against her words, Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and continued, "Now we should form teams and divide tasks. The teams should be formed in the best possible way to avoid unnecessary losses."


    "Wait a moment. I''d like to move alone."

 Chapter 13 - New skill: Stone Heart

    So far, Shangguan Bing Xue''s speech and explanations were extremely logical. It was precisely for this reason that no one had interrupted her until now and even the teachers only watched from the sidelines without saying anything about it.


    She was truly worthy of being the student association president of one of the most prestigious universities in the whole country.


    What no one expected, however, was that a voice would abruptly interrupt.


    "Wait a moment. I''d like to move alone."


    Everyone''s eyes automatically turned to the person who had just spoken with different expressions.


    Chen He had an expression that looked unsure whether to cry or laugh, Liang Peng looked too stupefied to react, and the teachers had different kinds of thoughts that their expressions gave away.


    On the other hand, Shangguan Bing Xue gave Bai Zemin a slightly weary look and said coldly, "You want to go alone? Are you crazy?"


    Bai Zemin remained unperturbed and did not care about the expression of the beautiful woman in front of him. Calmly, he slowly said, "Whether I am crazy or not, you need not worry about my mental health, Miss Shangguan."


    Jia Jiao, Bai Zemin''s teacher, could not help but try to persuade him: "Student Bai, why don''t you consider it a little more? With the strength of the four of you together you should be fine against anything and the chances of survival would certainly be higher."


    Bai Zemin shook his head and said nothing more. Obviously he had already made up his mind. It was a pity that none of these people knew him, otherwise they would know that once Bai Zemin took a decision it was practically impossible to make him change his mind.


    "You... You''re just acting selfishly and risking your life pointlessly. Do as you please." Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him coldly. In fact, her gaze was so cold that it seemed to have the capacity to pierce into people''s souls and freeze them completely.


    "Then that''s what I''ll do." Bai Zemin nodded calmly and turned to leave as he said, "Considering the current time, I guess this task will be left for another time. Tomorrow you can tell me what my task is. Good night everyone."


    Without another backward glance, Bai Zemin left and disappeared to the end of the corridor.


    Bai Zemin was the first man Chen He had met who was able to remain completely indifferent to Shangguan Bing Xue. Even Chen He himself, who was considered an outstanding man by countless people regardless of whether they were men or women, had fallen for her charms even though she never had that intention in the first place.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s heavenly beauty, her icy personality and otherworldly aura coupled with her mysterious family background undoubtedly made her the greatest beauty not only in the university; even in all of Beijing it was hard to find another woman who could compare to her.


    "Forget it. Let''s continue then." Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin''s slowly disappearing back and said coldly before withdrawing her gaze.


    She simply had good intentions and did not want anyone to die in vain. However, if that man wanted to act alone, she could do nothing about it and could only let him go to die alone.


    * * *


    "Why do you seem so distant with those people?" Lilith questioned when Bai Zemin returned. Even without being present, the group''s conversation had been heard clearly by her.


    Bai Zemin picked up a chair and sat down across from her. As he looked at her, he smiled slightly and remarked, "Who was it that told me to be more careful of the people around me?"


    Lilith had a strange glint in her eyes. She narrowed her gaze at him and said slowly, "No no. Although in fact, I did tell you to be careful around other humans from now on.... Your attitude towards that group and the rest of the people has been strange to begin with."


    An idea flashed in her mind and Lilith couldn''t help but point out, "Especially towards that woman named Shangguan Bing Xue. Your attitude towards her is cold and distant... Suspicious."


    A person''s past was the foundation upon which the present rested and where the future was built.


    Slowly, he opened his eyes again. At that moment, several green letters flashed across his retina.


    [Pain from the past, caution in the present, defiant towards the future. You have acquired passive skill: Stone Heart].


    Bai Zemin was taken aback when he read the message that had appeared out of nowhere. How had he suddenly acquired a skill?


    Seeing him dumbfounded, Lilith frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Is something wrong?"


    Bai Zemin immediately snapped out of his daze and quickly shook his head as he said, "Forget it, Lilith. Why don''t you tell me more about the skills and about the Soul Record?"


    Lilith looked at him deeply before finally sighing lightly, "Alright, since you don''t want to talk about it... Let me explain a bit about the Soul Record then."


    Bai Zemin immediately sat up straight and focused entirely on her, pushing the matter about what had just happened to later.


    "The Soul Record is an unknown entity that no one has ever come to fully understand. This seemingly formless entity reaches out to different worlds, setting in flux the mana that exists in these worlds, and pushing the different races and species towards the path of evolution." Lilith explained slowly, choosing her words carefully, "As you have already seen for yourself, when defeating enemies an orb of light comes out of their bodies and yours absorbs it."


    "Those orbs contain Soul Power within them. The Soul Record concentrates a small part of the defeated enemy''s Soul Power and grants it to the winner; the defeated one becomes a source of evolutionary power for the victor, pushing the winner beyond.


    In addition to this, as long as the enemy''s Soul Power is strong enough, the winner will not only get part of their power in the form of stats, there is also the possibility of getting treasure orbs or skill scrolls... That would basically be a fairly general and simple summary of the function of the Soul Record. As for what its true motive or purpose is, no one knows." Lilith paused and looked at Bai Zemin in silence.


    If she continued to talk about it, even one or two years would not be enough to explain everything.


    Bai Zemin took a few moments to assimilate the information before slowly asking, "Is there another method of acquiring skills other than skill scrolls obtained from different enemies?"


    "There is." Lilith nodded and explained, "Aside from defeating enemies, you can also acquire different active or passive skills depending on your lived experiences or qualities."


    Seeing him look at her with clear confusion, Lilith deepened her explanation, "For example, a person who practiced martial arts from a young age would awaken a passive melee skill and its level will depend on that person''s technique... Hehe~.. On the other hand, if a man had problems with his s.e.x.u.a.l orientation, he would awaken a passive skill that makes him immune to female charms." She smiled playfully at him and pointed out, "I know someone like that, so if that happens to you don''t worry. I won''t discriminate against you~"


    Bai Zemin had finally understood many things that were unclear before. Although there were still many questions in his mind, there was no way he could ask them all together and process all that information at once. Therefore, it was better to go step by step in order not to make mistakes or get confused later on.


    However, when he heard Lilith''s final words he almost fell to the ground.


    "My s.e.x.u.a.lity has no problems. You don''t need to worry!" He said with a grim face.


    Her rose scent entered Bai Zemin''s nostrils and his eyes couldn''t help but be drawn to that small patch of white skin. He swallowed audibly and his breathing became slightly agitated as he began to lose control over himself.


    "Mm! It looks like there''s really no problem with your s.e.x.u.a.lity." Lilith stopped toying with him and returned to her seat before looking at him with a smile that was hard to comprehend.


    Bai Zemin bristled with embarrassment and stood up. He moved away from her and lay down against the wall in the corner.


    Seeing him act like that, as if he was a child who was wronged by his parents, Lilith couldn''t help but chuckle as she said, "Oh~ Don''t be angry! I was just making sure you weren''t lying!"


    But Bai Zemin didn''t answer her. He focused his attention on the green letters flashing in his retina.


    [Stone Heart (Third Order Passive Skill) Level 5: It becomes extremely difficult for people not close to you to move your heart and shake your emotions. This effect is especially strong against the opposite s.e.x. As a side effect, your love and affection for those close to you grow exponentially].

 Chapter 14 - Evolution requirements

    Looking at the description of the skill, it would be a lie to say that Bai Zemin was not surprised. However, the surprise was not so much after hearing Lilith''s explanation earlier.


    The Soul Record clearly creates skills depending on the qualities of each person, further adapting that person to evolve and paving his or her path.


    Any strength or any personality characteristic of a person was categorized as a skill as long as the trait interfered in any way with the possessor, regardless of whether it was a positive or negative trait.


    Due to certain past events, Bai Zemin''s personality had become very indifferent towards people and to some extent, he only cared for those close to him. However, he had not reached the point of possessing a stone heart where even a drop of water would find it difficult to enter.


    Obviously, this strange entity called Soul Record could also enhance a person''s traits and take them to a higher level than normal.


    Bai Zemin estimated that this could also be one of the side effects of mana.


    However, from his current point of view, it did not seem to be a very useful skill. It did not contribute strength in any way nor was it an active skill that would allow him to make use of supernatural powers such as his Blood Manipulation.


    After hesitating for several minutes, Bai Zemin asked, "Lilith, between an unclassified skill and a First Order skill which one is better?"


    "Eh?" Lilith, who was silent, was surprised to hear his voice again and even more surprised to hear his question. However, she soon seemed to understand something when she softly exclaimed, "Ah! You ask this because of your skill Blood Manipulation and your passive skill Special Forces Soldier, right?"


    Bai Zemin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, however, the next instant he regretted it and simply said, "That''s right."


    Although Lilith had helped him a lot so far, Bai Zemin could not trust her completely. Even if he didn''t know how strong Lilith was, at least hiding one or two things from her, especially skills that appeared without warning, temporarily might be better from his point of view.


    When the trust between them grew, he might tell her about his private issues if she didn''t do anything to betray him. For now, it was better to be safe early than sorry later.


    "Skills are separated into five levels, from level one to level five," Lilith thought for a moment before slowly explaining: "When an unclassified skill reaches the highest level, in other words, level five, that skill acquires the right and the possibility to evolve into something more powerful. Bai Zemin, focus on your Blood Manipulation skill for a moment."


    Bai Zemin quickly did as she told him and the results showed immediately. A window with many green letters flashed in his retina, displaying a message.


    [Collect one hundred liters of blood from fifty enemies level 5 or higher: 0/100].


    [Collect ten liters of blood from five First Order enemies: 0/10].


    [Collect one liter of blood from one Second Order enemy: 0/1].


    "This... This is what it says here..." Bai Zemin was surprised before he began to describe in detail everything the status window described.


    "...Although I was already expecting it, really how horrible." Lilith whispered with a bitter smile after hearing the requirements needed to evolve the skill Blood Manipulation.


    Hearing her words filled with bitterness, Bai Zemin''s heart couldn''t help but sink when he asked, "Is something wrong?"


    "Bai Zemin, your Blood Manipulation skill is much, much more powerful than you imagine." Lilith took a deep breath before speaking in a serious voice, "After defeating an enemy for the first time after the arrival of the Soul Record, depending on the level, the qualities of the defeated enemy, as well as luck, a skill roll will definitely drop no matter what."


    From the corner where he was sitting, Bai Zemin stared at her. His eyes from the darkness looked exceptionally bright, a proof of how focused he was currently.


    "The qualities of a normal human, at their maximum, definitely did not exceed ten stat points before the advent of the Soul Record... However, due to your high magical power, your body and physical conditions were slightly higher than normal." Lilith revealed and after thinking for a moment continued, "A normal level 2 monster is generally twice as powerful to a normal person, so unless that person is very lucky or knows and possesses some means to defend themselves, that person will definitely die."


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but nod unconsciously. If it wasn''t because all the circ.u.mstances were in his favor, as well as a stroke of luck back then, he definitely couldn''t have killed that level 5 Big Bee.


    "Due to the characteristics of the normal bee, when evolving the bee needed blood to evolve and you, by defeating such a monster with a significantly lower level, naturally acquired a very strong skill." Lilith said.


    "Although I know that my Blood Manipulation is strong, I don''t think it''s as terrifying as you describe it, no?" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but point out. If his skill was as strong as Lilith made it sound, then shouldn''t he be invincible? After all, Lilith''s tone was truly surprised even now, several hours after seeing the Blood Manipulation skill scroll.


    "You say that because right now you can only use that skill to do small things without great effect. When your skill starts to evolve..." Lilith''s eyes lit up with a hint of joy indiscernible to Bai Zemin before continuing, "In my entire life, you are the first person that I know managed to acquire a First Order skill at its peak level. Even the leaders of the various higher existent factions were unable to do such a thing before they got to where they are now."


    When he heard this, Bai Zemin felt excited and couldn''t help but ask while complaining, "Lilith, what is this lower existences and higher existences you''ve been talking about all this time? To be honest, it''s a bit annoying to hear you refer to me as a lower existence all the time."


    Lilith blinked her two beautiful eyes slightly in surprise before shaking her head and saying, "I apologize for that. No offense, it''s just habit. I had no bad intentions, nor was it my intention to make fun of you... As for what the higher existences are, you don''t need to know it temporarily. For now, just worry about reaching level 25 as quickly as possible."


    Hearing her sincere apology, Bai Zemin felt much better. At the same time, he couldn''t help but think once again that this Stone Heart skill really didn''t seem so useful.


    Since Lilith didn''t say anything else, Bai Zemin also had no intention of asking any more questions temporarily. Instead, he closed his eyes wanting to sleep.


    However, his mind was filled with thoughts that impeded him from sleeping comfortably.


    Beijing was a very big city, even bigger than some countries in the world. Even in normal times, it took many hours by car to get from the university to his home, not to mention now that the outside world was filled with chaos.


    God only knew how many roads had been blocked with all kinds of transports, zombies, and other wandering creatures. In the midst of such conditions, even a month of travel was not necessarily enough considering that he would have to fight countless battles to make his way through.


    Therefore, Bai Zemin had no choice but to restrain the growing urgency to venture out in search of his family. After all, if he died, nothing would make sense.


    At the thought of his family, his eyes filled with tears again and he could only barely restrain himself from crying a second time. Bai Zemin looked at his Stone Heart skill and couldn''t help but inwardly groan: ''Damn thing, you''re no good with this seductive woman but you affect my heart now?''


    As the rain poured down like a torrent and the sound of thunder made the walls of the building tremble softly, exhaustion slowly overcame him and before he knew it he fell asleep.


    ...


    ...


    "I will wait until you trust me, boy." Lilith whispered with a complicated smile as she watched him sleep on the floor.


    Although she did not know what kind of skill he had acquired, it was impossible for Bai Zemin, inexperienced and only twenty years old, to easily mislead Lilith, who had experienced countless hardsh.i.p.s and met all kinds of people throughout her life.

 Chapter 15 - Going out alone

    Lilith''s explanation of the skills was very helpful to Bai Zemin. This was because although she had not explicitly told him that a Third Order skill was better and more powerful than a First Order skill, he could easily draw conclusions based on what he currently knew and could observe.


    Apparently, his recently acquired passive skill was a more powerful skill than it appeared at first glance.


    Although it was temporarily impossible for Bai Zemin to be sure how powerful the passive Stone Heart was, considering that it was a Third Order skill and at its maximum level, it should not be a useless skill.


    The problem with passives was that, unless the exact circ.u.mstances were present that were necessary for a passive skill to shine and show its brilliance, it was extremely difficult to know whether it was useful or not unless the description of the skill was extremely clear and simple about its function.


    Because Stone Heart did not seem to have any use against Lilith, Bai Zemin had gone to sleep thinking that it was a skill without much value in battle or other aspects.


    * * *


    After several hours of comforting sleep, Bai Zemin opened his eyes once again and slowly stood up. Although his Stamina was almost full before he went to sleep, the mental fatigue he had acc.u.mulated throughout the day was nothing to scoff at. After all, he had experienced a constant up and down of emotions while fighting practically without rest.


    "Sleeping on the floor really isn''t the best option." He complained with a bitter smile as he felt his bones creaking one after another.


    "Good morning~"


    A lovely voice sounded next to him, startling him momentarily.


    Looking to his right, Bai Zemin saw the beautiful seductress Lilith sitting on a chair two or three meters away, looking at him with a smile apparently natural.


    "Good morning to you too..." He replied a little dazed and couldn''t help but think that sleeping on the floor wasn''t so bad if such a beautiful woman greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes.


    He was about to ask if the higher existences, as she referred to herself, needed to sleep or not when a soft knock on the metal door interrupted his words.


    Followed by the knock, a gentle and caring voice continued, "Big Brother Bai, Big Sister Shangguan and the rest would like to distribute breakfast..."


    Bai Zemin recognized the source of the voice easily; it was the same girl who had talked to him yesterday.


    Without saying anything, Bai Zemin opened the door and said slowly, "I understand. You can go and tell Miss Shangguan that she can bring the students now."


    Cai Jinyi nodded hurriedly and went to retransmit his words.


    * * *


    The cafeteria was big enough for a hundred people to eat inside if they squeezed in a little.


    Because there were not enough tables and chairs as a result of the destruction caused by the zombies and Bai Zemin yesterday, many students had no choice but to sit on the floor while eating their breakfast with fervor.


    Most of them had not eaten anything since yesterday afternoon and really felt as if they were going to starve to death at any moment.


    The atmosphere inside the room was extremely gloomy and if it weren''t for the electric light still being on, many people probably couldn''t help but cower in fear. Add this to the rain lashing the woods that covered the windows and the terrifying creatures roaming outside, no one dared to speak too loudly for fear of attracting unwanted attention.


    Since Bai Zemin didn''t like being around people too much, when everyone went to the cafeteria, he moved to the basketball court and sat quietly while eating a piece of cake.


    The current situation was bad, to say the least.


    Beijing University had approximately 1 to 2 million students in the past and, although they did not all attend classes at the same time as there were two rotations, such a large number of students was proof enough to show just how big the campus was.


    If a person wanted to travel from the center of the campus to the exit, a thirty to forty minute walk was not unusual. It was for this reason that 90% of the students traveled via bicycle or other transport.


    However, riding a bicycle in this new world was no different from courting death. Even a normal vehicle was not a good choice.


    As he ate his meal with a frown, thinking of countless matters, a series of footsteps in his direction momentarily distracted him.


    Looking towards the source of the sound, Bai Zemin saw the handsome and skillful Chen He, the beautiful and powerful Shangguan Bing Xue, as well as the strong and seemingly simple-minded Liang Peng, walking towards him with varying expressions.


    "Good morning." Chen He was the first to greet him.


    Bai Zemin had to admit that with how handsome Chen He was, as well as his dexterity, good demeanor, and kindness, being a magnet for women was only natural.


    "Good morning to you all as well." Bai Zemin returned the greeting. After taking a last bite of the cake and finishing it in one mouthful, he asked, "Is something wrong?"


    From Shangguan Bing Xue''s slightly frowning expression, Bai Zemin felt that something must have happened for this cold and indifferent woman to show a worried face.


    Bai Zemin frowned as well when he heard her speak.


    After spending a whole night with their clothes and body completely wet from the freezing rain water, getting sick was just natural. It was just that he didn''t expect that only one night later, more than thirty people would present problems.


    If it continued like this, it would be hard for when everyone wanted to leave to take even weaker students than they already were by nature.


    Although Bai Zemin was indifferent, he was not a bad guy, much less a cruel person. There was no way he would casually let other humans die in the mouth of a mutated dog or a huge mosquito. If he was that kind of person he wouldn''t have rescued more than a dozen people on his way to the gym.


    After thinking for a moment, he stood up and picked up the sword lying next to him.


    "What are you going to do?" Chen He asked dumbfounded.


    "I said yesterday that I would move by myself." Bai Zemin replied as he arranged his meager belongings. "Going to the male dormitory and then traveling to the female dormitory to save people is a task that a large group like the three of you together can do better than me. In that case, I''ll go to the pharmacy to get medicines now."


    Although the sooner the medicines were obtained the better it would be for everyone, Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but remark, "Are you really going alone now? The storm is still raging and dangers lurk everywhere. I still think it''s better if we form teams or if we all move together."


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue didn''t particularly like Bai Zemin, she still didn''t want him to die just like that. Not only was he a human just like all of them, but he was also brave enough to fight and his strength was something that could not be ignored either. Precisely for these reasons, she insisted that he should not move alone.


    Bai Zemin naturally knew this as well. He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head and slowly saying, "Miss Shangguan, I know you don''t like me... To be honest, I don''t like you very much either. Still, I know you mean well, so I thank you for that. However, you don''t need to worry about my safety..."


    Bai Zemin walked towards the exit and finished his sentence in a low voice: "At least until I find my family I have no intentions of dying in the mouth of some dog or any cat."


    As to whether Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Peng Lian heard him or not, he neither knew nor cared.


    The wind hit him fiercely as he opened the metal door leading to the exit and the rain fell on him like a wild torrent. Only a few seconds were enough for his head and the front of his body to be completely covered in it.


    Bang!


    With a loud bang, Bai Zemin closed the door behind him and disappeared into the thick fog.


    However, with the loud sound of thunder, the sound he had just caused did not attract the attention of any particular creature.

 Chapter 16 - First life or death battle (Part 1)

    "How cold..." Bai Zemin shivered fiercely when he felt the cold temperatures of the outside world.


    Although the interior of the sports center wasn''t particularly warm, the building insulated the strong gusts of near-freezing wind and protected the body from the constant fall of water coming from the clouds.


    While it was true that Bai Zemin''s body had gone through many improvements since the day before, the day the world had become a mess, his Stamina and Health were his two lowest stats so far in regards to the cold, he wasn''t much different from a normal person just slightly above comparatively.


    "While your strength increased exponentially, hardening and boosting the power of your body''s muscles, if you want to become more resistant to different environments as well as to prevent possible diseases among other issues, your Stamina and Health stats are the most important." Lilith explained as she walked beside him.


    Unlike Bai Zemin, who was already completely soaked beyond salvation, there was a small barrier covering Lilith''s body completely so she was as beautiful and sensual as ever; not even a single drop of rain had touched her body.


    "Lilith, can''t you cover me too?" He asked with a bit of envy. The water and wind really were too strong! His body temperature had plummeted only after several minutes and his Stamina was drying up much faster than normal as a result of the strong winds.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that." Lilith shook her head with a bitter smile and explained, "To be honest with you, except for giving you some information it will be better for you if you assume as if I''m not here... Unless someone attacks me directly, I cannot use my power in any way to help anyone or harm anyone in this world or the Soul Record will revoke most of my soul power immediately as punishment."


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth twitched several times when he heard it. Although from the beginning he had not expected to receive Lilith''s help, hearing her directly say that she could do nothing but act as a source of information still surprised him.


    "You''re basically useless, aren''t you?" After so long of being teased and tempted by her, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but counterattack taking advantage of the moment.


    However, who was Lilith? An existence with countless experiences!


    She nodded and made a sorrowful face as she said in a regretful voice: "That''s right... I''m just a pitiful useless woman who has nothing else to do but provide information that would sooner or later be discovered by you... Got it! How about I use my body to redeem myself?"


    Bai Zemin''s face turned pitch black when he heard Lilith''s words.


    With no intention of replying to her, knowing that it would only end in his loss, he advanced and casually decapitated two zombies wandering under the storm. The two zombies were decapitated with such ease and in two extremely fluid movements; it was as if Bai Zemin was venting his powerlessness on them.


    Seeing the dark expression on his face and seeing how he was clenching his teeth while killing the zombies, Lilith couldn''t help but point out, "Oh? Could it be that you have opened your eyes to violence?"


    With agile movements and as if he had done this for countless years throughout his life, Bai Zemin claimed the lives of five other zombies that had come out of a nearby building as he replied, "That''s right! Violence is fun!... One day I''ll kick your a.s.s too."


    "Kya!" Lilith let out a delighted yell and her face flushed as if she was a woman who knew nothing about life. She looked at Bai Zemin through her long eyelashes and whispered, "Instead of kicking me, I would rather you spank me with your big hands~"


    He, who was killing zombies like that as if it was nothing, lost his balance and almost fell to the ground when he heard the words of the seductive woman beside him. In his mind, an extremely depraved scene flashed and he had to shook his head fiercely to bring himself back to reality.


    Wisely, he decided to stop teasing her and continued moving forward.


    Seeing him silently admit defeat, Lilith giggled out loud, causing her big assets to show off their beauty and charm to the world.


    * * *


    The university pharmacy was located in a westerly direction from where the gymnasium was located.


    Normally, a ten-minute walk was enough to get there. After all, the pharmacy that contained most of the medicines and healing measures was most needed by people who played sports and were susceptible to injuries during training.


    But, if a normal person wanted to reach the pharmacy under such environmental conditions and with so many dangers, he or she would definitely die miserably without even knowing what had happened to him or her.


    Even Bai Zemin did not dare to act rampantly.


    The fog was so dense that it was difficult for him to see more than five meters in front of his eyes and this was already amazing on its own. A normal person without as many upgrades as Bai Zemin probably couldn''t even see their own nose at this moment.


    His left leg had turned into a whip-like weapon; his 69 Agility points cut the surrounding mist in two and his 55 Strength points completely blasted out as he felt his leg hit something hard.


    Roar!


    The enemy roared in pain and was sent flying several meters away.


    Although it was only for a split second that the surrounding mist was forced back by his strong and swift movement, Bai Zemin managed to see the silhouette of his enemy before sending it flying, causing it to disappear into the mist again.


    The enemy turned out to be a cat the size of a leopard.


    "That cry of pain sounded more like a tiger''s roar than a cat''s meow." Bai Zemin was stupefied. His movements stopped completely and he concentrated on the movement of the surrounding mist as his eyes were not too useful under such conditions.


    If it was before he learned the passive skill Special Forces Soldier, Bai Zemin would have already been killed by the earlier attack of the leopard-sized cat. After all, his combat experience was deficient, and losing most of his vision would make it incredibly difficult for him to sense and dodge such a surprise attack.


    However, now not only could he sense the attack, but instead of dodging, he managed to make a last second counterattack.


    The strange huge cat was even faster and more agile than the mantis that Bai Zemin had killed yesterday. Adding to the surrounding mist, he had no way to use his Blood Manipulation skill since he didn''t even know where the enemy was.


    Swoosh!


    Almost five minutes after standing in the same place without moving, a practically imperceptible swooshing sound was covered by the sound of the storm, however, Bai Zemin''s battle instinct had taken a quantum leap after learning the Special Forces Soldier skill so such a sound did not manage to escape him.


    In a split second, two blood-red eyes appeared in front of Bai Zemin and a pair of coldly glowing claws pointed towards his head with the intention of slashing his neck.


    Swoosh!


    Boom!


    A sharp flash shone, followed by a mighty thunderclap that illuminated the surroundings and shook the ground slightly before everything returned to normal.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Great Mutated Cat level 23. Agility +17, Stamina +12, Magic +10, Mana +10].


    [You have leveled up and reached level 14. You get +2 status points to distribute freely].


    [You have leveled up and reached level 15. You get +2 status points to distribute freely].


    From a certain point of view, this leopard-sized Great Mutated Cat was even more fearsome than the Great Fast Mantis as its agility was superior and the environment played in its favor. However, Bai Zemin needed only one swing of his sword to end with its life.

 Chapter 17 - First life or death battle (Part 2)

    While it was true that the Great Mutated Cat was faster, and the mist, the sound of thunder, as well as the constant rain, blocked Bai Zemin''s senses, except for its speed and sharp claws the terror of this mutated beast could not compare to the Great Fast Mantis level 25.


    The Great Fast Mantis possessed two forelegs that were like two huge scythes capable of holding Bai Zemin''s Xuanyuan Sword, which was a Rare grade Treasure, for a certain period of time. In addition, the battle instincts of the Great Fast Mantis were much greater than those of the Great Mutated Cat.


    Furthermore, the Bai Zemin at that time was much weaker than the one who fought against the Great Mutated Cat. As if all of the above were not enough, the Great Mutated Cat had been seriously injured by Bai Zemin''s earlier kick. After all, the cat was a creature that specialized in agility but whose defense was lacking so when Bai Zemin''s 50+ strength points came into contact with the beast''s weak body, several internal organs probably suffered the consequences, lowering the creature''s threat by a considerable margin.


    After making sure there was no danger nearby, Bai Zemin crouched down and picked up a red orb that had fallen from the monster''s body before quickly putting it away in his backpack.


    Bai Zemin did not delay and continued moving towards his destination.


    After another five minutes in which more than twenty zombies perished by decapitation at Bai Zemin''s hands, he finally saw the small building where medicines and other medical-related items were kept.


    Bai Zemin kicked open the door and a shadow shot out towards him.


    The shadow''s speed was slightly above a normal person before the world changed and would probably be the doom of any other human being. Even an evolved person could fall as the attack was too sudden.


    However, Bai Zemin was currently eight times faster than a normal person before the arrival of the apocalypse. His reaction speed had become simply dreadful and his guard was always up so in the face of the sudden attack he did not panic.


    Taking a step back, Bai Zemin kicked forward with all his might. His foot struck the shadow''s c.h.e.s.t, however, surprisingly, the shadow was not sent flying after being hit and only retreated a couple of steps.


    Bai Zemin was astonished. With his 55 Strength points, that previous kick could easily kill a person after being hit in the c.h.e.s.t.


    The shadow was actually a huge zombie.


    The zombie was over 2 meters tall and its body was surrounded by fat that acted as a protective layer. Its two bloodshot eyes glared at Bai Zemin with fury as if it could feel pain and quickly charged towards him.


    The giant zombie''s fist was slow in Bai Zemin''s eyes. He took a step to the left at the same time as he kicked the zombie''s front foot.


    The giant zombie, losing its supporting foot and with its forward momentum, fell heavily creating a small bang when its body hit the ground.


    Bai Zemin advanced quickly and instead of decapitating the creature, he stabbed with his sword directly into its brain. That way, although blood would flow out of the wound, it would not shoot out like a fountain.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Zombie Wall Breaker level 20. Strength +10, Stamina +10, Health +10].


    [Health Boost (Unclassified passive skill) Level 3: After learning this skill, it permanently increases Health by +20 points].


    "Oh! This is good!" Bai Zemin was excited and quickly decided to learn the skill scroll in his hands.


    A passive skill that increased stats was no different from obtaining Soul Power from another living being. Moreover, considering that the boost was of 20 points, not just any insignificant creature would give such an amount of Soul Power.


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but wonder if Liang Peng had obtained a similar skill to boost his strength stat. Although he did not believe that his strength was in any way weaker and, in fact, he was confident in surpassing him, it was truly amazing that in such a short time Liang Peng could lift and wield a hammer that clearly weighed over 200 kilograms as if it was nothing.


    The pharmacy was a multi-story building. However, Bai Zemin had no intention of inspecting the entire building.


    The first thing he did was to fill his backpack with fever medicine, cold medicine, medicine to relieve stomach pain, even medicine for muscle pain, and some vitamin pills. Ten minutes later, his backpack was filled with boxes containing all kinds of basic but essential medicine for any human being.


    Next, he found several plastic bags and then began to inspect the shelves one by one.


    As Bai Zemin searched for gauze, band aids, alcohol, and other types of first aid utilities, he even kept a syringe and some doses of morphine that could be useful in emergencies. But, suddenly, a wild idea that he had been ignoring until now flashed in his mind.


    "Lilith... Don''t tell me... Don''t tell me that viruses also evolve with mana..."


    Fortunately, Lilith''s next words eased his worries.


    "You need not worry. Single-celled organisms such as viruses cannot resist mana and their evolutive process is extremely limited so the world''s mana directly ignores them."


    Bai Zemin unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. If the case was as he had assumed, then he would have no choice but to find his family quickly and help them evolve so that their bodies would become more resilient.


    As for the rest of the people, Bai Zemin did not think about it. He did not even notice this fact and acted as if his thoughts were normal.


    Unknown to him, the effect of the skill he still considered useless was changing his perspective of the world little by little.


    After filling several bags with all sorts of items needed to provide first aid, Bai Zemin took out the red orb to see what it contained.


    [Piercing Glove (Normal Treasure): Attacks performed with this weapon allow the user to pierce through the defense of almost any enemy below level 25. When equipped, Strength +5].


    This gauntlet was odd in that a thirty centimeter spike protruded from the tip where the knuckles should be by default. Although +5 Strength points was not as amazing as the increase of other items he had acquired so far, it was free power increase so Bai Zemin equipped the glove with p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    Suddenly the ground began to shake slightly and Bai Zemin quickly realized that this was not caused by the storm.


    As he approached a window, the fog seemed to be disappearing in some parts. However, the strangest thing of all was that instead of fog, a dense cloud of vapor was slowly ascending into the sky. Also, as if a giant was slowly advancing, the ground was constantly vibrating and the buildings were shaking lightly.


    "Bai Zemin."


    As he watched the environmental change outside the window and prepared to leave the building for fear of its collapse, Lilith''s serious voice sounded beside him.


    When Bai Zemin turned around to look at her and, for the first time since he met her, he saw a grave and even a little anxious expression on her face.


    Lilith looked out the window and warned: "You''d better get ready because this could be your first life and death battle... If you win, you will undoubtedly become stronger... If you lose, then your path can only end here."

 Chapter 18 - The cruel path of evolution

    Since Bai Zemin met Lilith, only about a day had passed. Although it was not a long time, his mind had already formed a small idea of the kind of person she was most of the time.


    Playful, charming, even a little mischievous. As for kind, Bai Zemin restrained himself from thinking about that possibility since he didn''t believe Lilith was helping him out of pure kindness.


    Still, it was undeniable that she had helped him on many occasions by providing him with information that, while he might have discovered on his own after some research, it was also true that time was precious in eras of chaos.


    However, this was the first time Bai Zemin had seen such a serious expression on her face and, although he was not so sure, there even seemed to be a touch of anxiety in her voice.


    "I won''t die... At least I have no intention of dying yet." Bai Zemin replied as he shook his head.


    Lilith was a little surprised to realize how calm he sounded when he said those words. She looked at him as he took off his backpack and left the plastic bags containing medicines hidden in a corner and her eyes couldn''t help but glint with a hint of praise and even a small glint of unfamiliar satisfaction.


    "You know, you really are a weirdo." Lilith pointed out as she walked beside him in the direction of the exit.


    "You think so? Well, I''ve been told that many times." Bai Zemin shrugged and held on tightly to his sword as his eyes flashed with a hint of resolve.


    "I am afraid to die. Of course I''m scared." Bai Zemin nodded impatiently and continued, "But what I''m afraid of is not death itself, what I''m afraid of is not being able to see Meng Qi and my parents again... What I''m scared of is not being able to help them when they need me... But I am not afraid of death. For me, death is no different than eternal sleep and you know what? I love to sleep!"


    "You..." Hearing that he even dared to joke in such a situation, Lilith didn''t know whether to laugh or cry and a look of helplessness shone in her beautiful eyes.


    "My God..."


    As the heavy rain poured down on his body and lightning lit up the sky quite frequently, Bai Zemin looked at the scene in front of him and his heart squeezed slightly.


    The dense fog in the surroundings had disappeared and a ring of at least a hundred meters around was now visible. However, what surprised Bai Zemin was that in the middle of the building, there was a monster as big as an elephant.


    This monster had various parts of its body surrounded with yellow flames that danced at high temperatures, which erased the surrounding fog. Its body was about three and a half meters long and was surrounded by a thick kind of armor that glowed as if it were metal. Its six legs were as thick as a door and it had a powerful horn nearly two meters long protruding from its mouth.


    "Since when did elephant beetles get so big and have flames around them...?" Bai Zemin felt his hair stand on end as he saw the giant insect slowly advancing towards him while looking at him with its two eyes filled with murderous intent.


    "Stop joking!" Lilith struck him gently and warned, "That''s a monster that has already gone through its first evolution, that is a First Order monster. Besides, as you also realized, that insect already noticed you so it will chase you no matter how much you run away."


    Bai Zemin nodded silently as he rushed towards another building nearby. With a heavy stomp, the ground beneath his feet shuddered softly, and using his 70 Strength points he jumped over three meters with relative ease. Such a feat would be impossible before the advent of the Soul Record and without the aid of Soul Power, but with the power of evolution available to all, the rules of the past were no longer written in stone.


    Lilith tried to help him in every possible way so that he could survive and pass this test so she quickly explained, "Upon reaching level 25, all living beings acquire the ability to choose a job or class. As you advance in Order, the power of each living being becomes tremendously higher and the difference is not as simple as adding 1+1... The difference between level 24 and level 25 is as big as the difference between level 1 and level 24, if not bigger!"


    An even bigger difference? Bai Zemin could not help but gasp when he heard this. He was very clear about how big the difference was between the current him and a level 1 person; it was like comparing a small ant to a shark. There was no comparison to begin with.


    "Then what about yesterday''s mantis?" Bai Zemin quickly asked.


    In his battle against the Great Fast Mantis, Bai Zemin had been in danger several times and a single mistake would have cost him his life. However, he never at any time felt such immense pressure as he was feeling right now as he came face to face against the giant elephant beetle.


    According to what Lilith had just said, the level 25 Great Fast Mantis should already be a creature of the First Order as well. But he wanted to know why the difference was so great.


    "To obtain said class and then evolve to become a First Order existence, every living being needs to overcome a test and fulfill a challenge. Until said challenge is not overcome, all Soul Power received will be stored, and leveling up will not be possible. That mantis you killed yesterday was still just an evolved creature but it had not yet taken the first true step on the path of evolution." Lilith cleared his doubt quickly. "However, that giant beetle is definitely a First Order creature. Those flames around it must be its special skill acquired after successfully obtaining its job!"


    Bai Zemin finally understood everything. He nodded and thanked her before half-closing his eyes towards the incoming creature.


    The giant elephant beetle was currently less than twenty meters away and strange roars came out of its mouth as it stared at him intently. The murderous intent exuding from its body was so great that even its own flames seemed to grow stronger.


    Obviously, this creature could sense the Soul Power inside Bai Zemin''s body and was eager to devour him.


    If the giant elephant beetle could absorb it, it could definitely evolve even further.


    However, the giant elephant beetle was not the only one who thought like this.


    Bai Zemin licked his lips and a flash of wildness flashed in his eyes for a split second before disappearing and hiding under that cold gaze.


    From the first moment he defeated that Big Bee, Bai Zemin felt drunk at the pleasant sensation of feeling his body and soul growing stronger.


    The feeling of his muscles hardening, his ligaments strengthening, his flesh becoming tougher and his brain capacity becoming higher... Bai Zemin could feel it all!


    Humans were creatures that sought power by instinct. The history written in books was proof of this.


    Bai Zemin wanted power too... To survive, to live a better life, to protect his loved ones, to not have to bow his head to anyone, and to take revenge on those who dared to hurt his loved ones.


    Lilith thought he was silent because he was nervous or thinking about his next action. Therefore, she stood there, trying to give all her moral support at least.


    "I wonder..."


    A big smile graced his face which, although for someone like Lilith was not particularly attractive, at that moment was very striking.


    "I wonder how much I''ll grow after killing this beetle!"


    He exclaimed.


    The surrounding mana moved at his will and the magical power within his body burst forth completely without holding back as he focused on his enemy only ten meters away.

 Chapter 19 - A hard-fought battle

    Bai Zemin''s body currently had a mana reserve of 134 points and his magic points were equal. Before the Soul Record showed up on planet Earth, activating the world''s mana and displaying each person''s status window, it was precisely his Magic stat that caught the attention of the beautiful and charming s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s Lilith.


    Until now, Bai Zemin had never used all of his magical power to the fullest since he never found himself in need of it. However, in the face of the approaching giant elephant beetle, he had no choice but to give his all if he wanted to survive.


    With a single thought, Bai Zemin spent his 134 Mana points immediately and pushed all that mana with his 134 Magic points towards the giant beetle. When the mana under his control flowed into the creature''s body, Bai Zemin immediately activated his First Order Blood Manipulation skill.


    His face turned as pale as a sheet and his whole body felt weak after the abrupt loss of his mana reserve. However, he endured and began to make the blood burn inside the monster while using all his magical power.


    The results were immediately evident.


    Roar!!!


    A sound similar to that of a wounded beast roaring came from the mouth of the ten-foot elephant beetle. When it was only five meters away from being able to attack with its giant horn, its movements stopped and it raised its head to the sky while writhing uncomfortably as if it was suffering the most terrifying pain of all torments.


    Bai Zemin''s Blood Manipulation skill was indeed powerful, just as Lilith had mentioned earlier. It was just that until now, Bai Zemin had only faced mainly dead creatures that did not feel pain nor did they know the meaning of the word scared.


    By controlling his mana to get inside the enemy''s body, Bai Zemin could make use of all his magic to activate his Blood Manipulation. The problem with this was that the cost was too heavy, much heavier than Bai Zemin thought.


    Before the apocalypse, humans had no mana inside their bodies. However, with the intervention of the Soul Record, Bai Zemin''s Mana points were especially high. Now that he had used all his mana to execute a powerful attack, he felt as if he had lost all the sugar in his blood and his body felt extremely weak.


    However, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and hold on.


    His pale face without a trace of blood looked at his enemy and a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth when he saw the three-meter elephant beetle stand up again.


    Roar!!!


    The monster glared at him with murderous intent and its two eyes seemed to spit flames of rage as it headed towards him with somewhat unsteady steps. Its body was stained with blood and its armor-like shell had small cracks through which boiling blood seeped.


    When the blood came in contact with the yellow flames on its body, the liquid began to evaporate at astonishing speeds rising in a gaseous cloud into the sky.


    Seeing this, Bai Zemin inwardly felt happy not to use external blood attacks or else he would only be wasting mana. After all, flames could be considered the perfect counter to his Blood Manipulation skill.


    The wounded elephant beetle reached the building Bai Zemin was standing on and slammed its horn forward with all its might.


    Bai Zemin''s face changed when he saw the creature''s intentions and he hurriedly jumped off the building to the ground and rolled to the side.


    As if a demolition machine had hit it mercilessly, the three-meter-high building collapsed immediately and soon joined with the building previously demolished by the elephant beetle.


    Stones of all sizes flew everywhere and, although Bai Zemin had rolled to the side at the first possible moment, he was still hit by a considerably large block of stone.


    "Ugh..."


    His body was sent flying two or three meters as he grimaced in pain and a small trail slid silently from the corner of his mouth. If it wasn''t for the fact that his muscles were much stronger than in the past, that cement block would have left him half dead if not severely injured.


    Without giving him time to rest, the elephant beetle turned and rushed in his direction while the fury in its gaze seemed to want to consume him alive. Although its defenses and attack power were quite high, its internal body was weak like that of any other living being; Bai Zemin''s previous attack had damaged its organs, its flesh, and much of its blood disappeared due to the high temperatures of its flames.


    As a monster that had already passed its first evolution, successfully becoming a First Order monster, the elephant beetle could be considered a small overlord in this area. Now that a weaker creature had injured it to such an extent, it was naturally furious.


    After seeing what the elephant beetle did to the building with its horn, Bai Zemin did not dare to fight it head-on. Taking advantage of the fact that his speed was superior to that of the wounded creature, Bai Zemin endured the feeling of weakness he felt after the abrupt loss of mana and gritted his teeth fighting against the pain as he ran in search of another building he could quickly climb.


    One running and turning into different streets while the other relentlessly pursued and crushed everything in its path, Bai Zemin and the elephant beetle sought to end each other''s lives in different ways.


    It was clear to Bai Zemin that he simply could not win in a face-to-face battle against the elephant beetle. All of his body stats were below the creature except for his Agility. Therefore, to survive and win, he had to make use of his intelligence.


    The constant loss of blood was something the creature could not bear and, although its flames were a powerful defensive skill, the elephant beetle could not use it to attack and therefore only served to keep its enemies away from its body. However, to keep its skill active at all times, the elephant beetle had to expend too much Mana and after so many powerful attacks, its Stamina was also quickly running out.


    Bai Zemin also noticed the change of pace in the creature''s steps and hurriedly jumped towards a nearby building hoping to end this battle as quickly as possible. His own Stamina had dropped by more than half and he had only recovered a bit more than 20 Mana points.


    After reaching the top of the building, Bai Zemin looked up to see the elephant beetle prepare to strike with its powerful horn once again. However, instead of jumping to the side, Bai Zemin jumped with all his might towards the giant beetle.


    Boom!


    Another building fell. However, its previous attack had created a big opening in its defenses and the elephant beetle could not prevent its hated enemy from landing on top of its shell.


    Bai Zemin had just landed on the mutated insect''s upper body when a wave of fire assaulted his lower body at once.


    "It hurts! It fu*king hurts!" he couldn''t help but scream in pain as his face constricted horribly at the sensation of being burned alive. He felt as if his lower body was suddenly submerged in a pool of burning lava and such a feeling of pain was driving him crazy.


    Although his defensive cloak protected his body, from the knees down he had nothing capable of fighting off the elephant beetle''s fire. Bai Zemin could feel his legs starting to burn little by little and the only reason why they had not yet completely caught fire was thanks to the Treasure Normal Velocity Boots he was equipped with; however, he could clearly feel the boots melting rapidly without being able to withstand the heat.


    Gritting his teeth and fighting the urge for his tears to fall involuntarily from the overwhelming pain, Bai Zemin ran at full speed until he reached the creature''s neck.


    However, the junction between the head and the rest of the body, the creature''s neck, was not surrounded by that shell. After all, this would limit its natural movements.


    Bai Zemin raised his sword and slashed fiercely downward, tearing off a large chunk of flesh in the process. Blood splattered everywhere and fiery steam caused by the struggle between the liquid and the flames surrounded him.


    The elephant beetle sensed danger of death and its body began to shake violently as roars of pain escaped from its mouth.

 Chapter 20 - First Order Blazing Beetle

    For safety reasons, Bai Zemin immediately held his breath as the blood evaporated after coming into contact with the heat of the flames. He had no way of knowing if this monster''s blood had obtained poisonous attributes of some kind after eating different organisms to evolve to where it was currently.


    In any case, with his current Stamina he could endure several minutes without breathing for several minutes without experiencing any kind of problem.


    Enduring the overwhelming pain that enveloped the lower part of his body and slowly began to affect the other parts, Bai Zemin raised his sword and fiercely slashed the neck of the huge creature again!


    Another large chunk of flesh was cut in half and an even larger wave of blood than the previous one came out of the monster''s body. The pain was so great that the giant elephant beetle began to run while roaring in pain.


    Boom!


    The huge sturdy body of the elephant beetle hit a building, knocking it down in the process.


    Several stones of all sizes flew everywhere and Bai Zemin was hit by several of them. His face constricted even more in pain and a big stone struck his head making him feel dizzy.


    He felt his whole world spinning and had to bite his lips with all his strength to the point of breaking them to fight the drowsiness that had suddenly overwhelmed him. A thick line of blood slid silently from his forehead to his left eye, partially covering his vision. Because the rainwater could not overcome the flames of the elephant beetle, the blood over his left eye acc.u.mulated until everything within his left vision range turned crimson red.


    Using the pain and hatred he felt after being injured to such an extent, Bai Zemin not only did not stop his attacks; on the contrary, he began to slash more and more ferociously! The Xuanyuan Sword in his hands had become a whirlwind of blades that cut large chunks of flesh per second!


    The giant elephant beetle was very strong. Its defense was powerful and its horn was strong enough to knock down minor buildings. However, its mobility was its greatest weakness. With Bai Zemin on its upper body, the giant elephant beetle had no way to reach that area so it could only do its best to force him down from it.


    Like a beast that had gone completely berserk, the mutated beetle began to writhe ferociously as it slammed against every nearby building in sight. Some of these buildings collapsed immediately while others held firm even after being hit several times.


    Bai Zemin felt his head spinning and the weakness his body and mind felt was slowly overwhelming him to the point where even his right eye began to see his surroundings blurred. With his left eyesight practically blocked by the blood dripping from his head and his right eyesight failing due to exhaustion, Bai Zemin had turned into something similar to a machine; with the glove''s protruding thorn firmly stuck into the monster''s flesh to prevent himself from falling, he slashed with his sword relentlessly knowing that stopping meant the end of his path.


    The thought of not falling to his death was the only thing that kept him steady!


    Both living beings fought for several minutes for their own survival, trying to defeat the other for a higher evolution.


    The sound of constant explosions caused by more than twenty buildings collapsing from the giant elephant beetle''s mad charge had defeated the sound of rumbling thunder. The area surrounding the pharmacy had become a dead zone.


    Crushed zombies with their deformed bodies and countless cement blocks were scattered everywhere. Some of them with their brains intact struggled with all their strength, tearing their legs away from the rest of their bodies as they crawled towards the source of the sound.


    The blood of over two hundred zombies in conjunction with the huge amount of blood lost by the giant monster had acc.u.mulated to the point where even the fierce storm had no way of washing it away as easily as before.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the wild movements of the elephant beetle stopped and its charge stalled. After the constant loss of blood, after being attacked again and again in such a delicate and deadly area by Bai Zemin, the beast finally lost all its energy and collapsed to the ground.


    Boom!


    A heartbreaking cry of pain slipped out of his mouth as he felt the bones of his left hand cracking.


    To hold himself steady, Bai Zemin had no choice but to rely on his left hand as well as his Piercing Glove. However, suffering from such a sudden and abrupt impulse, his wrist that was not so flexible had bent backward.


    The flames on the giant elephant beetle''s body had stopped as the beast could not withstand the energy consumption and the new pain made Bai Zemin''s mind clear for a moment.


    Making use of the sudden surge of clarity, Bai Zemin wielded his sword and slashed at an even faster speed than before. After cutting more than fifty times, several green letters flashed in his retina.


    Since the birth of all the chaos after the arrival of the Soul Record, Bai Zemin had never felt so happy to see those strange messages. His mouth opened and closed several times as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he was so exhausted that he did not manage to utter any words.


    Before the whole world went out of control, Bai Zemin was just a normal student who lived his daily life striving for a better future. Although he was still striving to secure a better future, everything had changed.


    The bones of his left hand had broken, his left eye had closed due to all the acc.u.mulated blood running from his forehead, some of his dark hair had turned crimson red, his feet hurt and burned horribly, and his single open eye could hardly take in any information from the outside world.


    When had he ever suffered so much?


    Bai Zemin had once heard in the past that when the pain reached a certain point the brain turned off those receptors as an automatic defense mechanism so that it was no longer possible to feel pain. Before he was not so sure about this, but now he had confirmed it.


    The flames surrounding the elephant beetle''s shell were extinguished after its death and the rain began to fall on the area once again after losing the burning heat that suppressed it.


    Standing over the three-plus meter creature, Bai Zemin could not help but lifted his face to the sky as he felt the raindrops falling on him. Although the battle was already over, his grip on the Xuanyuan Sword had not loosened as this sword was the only way he had to feel safe at the moment.


    Tired, his feet wobbled and he could not help but fall downward. In fact, he was so exhausted that he didn''t even notice he was falling to the ground. All he felt was the wind in his surroundings and that was it.


    However, fortunately for him, someone caught him just as he was about to hit the ground and make his already horrible condition even worse, an extremely soft body held him gently.


    The sweet scent of roses so familiar but at the same time so unfamiliar to him enveloped his exhausted body and as if it was the best medicine to relieve his situation he couldn''t help but breathe a bit more as if he was intoxicated.


    "Good job, Bai Zemin."


    A soft and innocent voice like that of a baby without impurities reached his ears. However, he could no longer distinguish what was what.


    " That was a wonderful victory... You can rest now..."


    As if they were the words of his mother and most beloved being, Bai Zemin obediently closed his eyes as exhaustion finally defeated him and a smile rose unconsciously on his face.


    [You have leveled up and reached level 16. You get +2 status points to distribute freely].


    [You have leveled up and reached level 17...]


    [You have leveled up and reached level 18...]


    [You have leveled up and reached level 19. You get...]


    [You have leveled up and reached level 20. You get +2 status points to distribute freely].

 Chapter 21 - Serious injuries and new enemy

    Lilith looked at the not so handsome face resting shamelessly on her bosom and a strange smile appeared on her lips as she recalled the entire process of the previous battle.


    Just one strike from the First Order Blazing Beetle was enough to kill Bai Zemin or, at the very least, knock him out and render him helpless like a fish out of the ocean. However, Bai Zemin managed to evade the most dangerous attacks and was only hit by the aftermath of those attacks.


    Whenever his life was in danger, Lilith could only clench her fists and look on helplessly, wishing that his path would not end here. But, Lilith knew very well that Bai Zemin''s enemy this time was too strong; even if his stats were overwhelmingly higher than a normal level 15 evolved due to his constant absorption of Soul Power from stronger enemies, the difference between a normal evolved and a First Order monster was simply too difficult to overcome.


    Unlike humans who acquire stat points to distribute after each level, monsters don''t get any of that. However, in return, they get a powerful boost in their overall stats after successful class advancement.


    She led him towards the pharmacy building which, coincidentally, was just a few meters away. The corpse of the First Order Blazing Beetle lay dead surrounded by all sorts of debris with almost the entirety of its huge head separated from the rest of its body.


    Lilith pointed towards the monster''s body and some things floated towards her. After a glance, she simply put them away.


    "At least I can do so much."


    * * *


    Bai Zemin couldn''t rest for long.


    Although his mental fatigue was very great, he was feeling tearing pain and itching similar to that of thousands of red ants crawling all over his body.


    When he opened his eyes, he couldn''t help but grimace at how horrible his current condition was.


    He felt his heart bleed when he saw that the Velocity Boots had already melted to the point of no return. Even if it was just a Normal Treasure, +10 Agility points was an improvement too great that he had suddenly lost.


    Moreover, looking at his practically destroyed wrist, Bai Zemin didn''t know whether to feel happy or sad.


    Happy because he "fortunately" fractured a hand and not a leg, which would practically render him an invalid in this world, Being an invalid in a world where dangers lurked around every corner was no different from being dead.


    "You finally woke up, sleepyhead."


    A soft, honey-sweet voice brought him out of his thoughts. Looking ahead, he saw the beautiful Lilith looking down at him with a smile that, for the first time to him, looked real and not faked.


    "Good morning... No no no no! How long did I sleep?" Bai Zemin suddenly became anxious about something and quickly asked as he tried to stand up. Unfortunately, he failed miserably as he felt burning pain from his feet.


    Only now did he realize that he had suffered burns of varying degrees. Moreover, the stinging he felt in that area was especially annoying!


    "It''s only been about thirty minutes, don''t worry." Lilith''s words calmed him once again.


    Gritting his teeth and with his forehead now beaded with sweat, Bai Zemin growled, "What''s wrong... What''s wrong with all this itching I feel?"


    Bai Zemin, curious, couldn''t help but call up his status window to see how high his stats were now so he could draw his own conclusions.


    [Bai Zemin -


    Status Points: 22


    Level: 20


    Race: Human


    Job: None


    Title: None


    Strength: 55 (+30) / Agility: 71 (+5) / Health: 85 (+5) / Stamina: 75 (+5) / Mana: 199 (+5) / Magic: 179 (+5) ]


    "These stats are mine? Level 20?!" He couldn''t help but be surprised to the point of asking a meaningless question.


    "Hehe... Your stats right now are really scary for someone of your level" Lilith giggled softly and looked at him with glittering eyes: "I have high expectations and a lot of hope in you, I hope I wasn''t wrong."


    Bai Zemin looked at her deeply before closing his eyes and saying casually, "You don''t need to worry. I will do my best to repay you for the help you have given me so far."


    He already knew from before that there was no way an existence like Lilith was helping him out of the goodness of her heart alone. All intelligent beings generally acted with a goal in mind and she had lived for who knows how many years so far, so it was natural not to act casually and waste her time pointlessly.


    However, it was better for him as well. That way, Bai Zemin didn''t need to feel indebted to her either.


    "You know, men who are too smart are not very well liked!" Lilith pouted charmingly, acting like a little girl. Soon, however, she smiled softly and assured him, "You don''t need to worry, though. After all, my goals and your ultimate goal will align perfectly, you''ll see~."


    "If you say so." He replied rolling his eyes. His only two current goals were to survive and find his family, as for the rest of the goals, they were only secondary goals.


    Suddenly, several zombies appeared at the entrance of the building, staggering around with their white eyes showing no sign of life. Thanks to the heavy storm, the blood on their bodies had mostly been washed away and they currently did not look as terrifying compared to before.


    Bai Zemin tried to stand up but the pain he felt in his feet had reached the point where he could not move. With no other choice, he expended some of his mana and activated his First Order Blood Manipulation skill.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    The eyeballs of more than ten zombies exploded and blood began to flow uncontrollably from the sockets. However, that blood turned into twenty centimeter long thorns and fiercely stabbed the brains of the ten zombies.


    Before Bai Zemin could let out a sigh of relief, another five zombies appeared at the entrance and began to slowly slide towards him.


    Just like before, he had no choice but to spend some of his mana to end the lives of the incoming zombies. Although the drain was fewer thanks to the blood of the zombies he had killed earlier, at this rate all of his mana would be depleted and, with his current condition, he would end up dying miserably.


    Under normal conditions, even a group of two hundred zombies was nothing in his eyes. However, he was currently unable to move and if those weak level 3-4 zombies scratched him or bit his skin, no matter how high his level and stats were, he would definitely not be able to survive another day.


    Lilith also noticed the current problem and frowned. Previously, the reason why she was able to help Bai Zemin just as he was about to hit the ground was because the battle had already ended and did not count as her interfering. However, the current situation was completely different and she could not interfere in any way or she would be punished.


    But there was something that was disturbing Lilith. She was sure there was no way these zombies could get here so fast. After all, most of them had lost their legs or had been incapacitated after being crushed by the debris of the collapsed buildings during the battle between Bai Zemin and the First Order insect.


    Suddenly she looked at a particular place and saw a person running under the storm in the opposite direction of the gymnasium.


    This person was clearly not part of the group of survivors of Bai Zemin and the rest or else Lilith would remember it. However, she understood that this person was an enemy.

 Chapter 22 - Shangguan Bing Xue

    Soon, Bai Zemin had taken the lives of the second group of walking corpses almost effortlessly. The only problem was the consumption of Mana. Currently, Bai Zemin faced the difficult problem that he did not have good control over his own Mana; after all, he had never used or had control over such power.


    If he wanted to use his Mana to perform an all-out attack without caring about the consequences, then there was no problem since he did not need to worry about Mana consumption just as he had done against the First Order Blazing Beetle. However, if his goal was to make many weak attacks and with less consumption, then the problem appeared.


    To end the lives of those fifteen weak zombies, Bai Zemin had spent approximately 40 Mana points, which was quite considerable since currently his total Mana was 204 points.


    Unfortunately, Bai Zemin did not seem to be in luck today as after finishing off that group of five zombies, another group of ten appeared at the entrance and started walking towards him. Some zombies stumbled over the corpses of their own kind and struggled to get back on their feet, while others got stuck in the doorway from trying to enter in a group, blocking the path of entry for those behind them.


    Bai Zemin spent a total of 15 Mana points to end the lives of those who had successfully entered and left alive those who got stuck at the entrance blocking the way.


    "Although I can temporarily make use of those zombies, if a mutated beast or an evolved zombie appears and lets this group of endless zombies start charging towards here, my little life might be in trouble." Bai Zemin frowned and felt incredibly frustrated.


    Lilith, who could only look on without being able to act, was about to give Bai Zemin something when a playful smile rose on her lips and she slowly said, "Apparently you''re more appreciated than you thought."


    He looked at her confused and with questioning eyes. However, the answer he was looking for came not from Lilith, but from the outside.


    The temperature seemed to drop several degrees suddenly and the already cold atmosphere due to the raging storm became even colder. The sound of zombies growling and bodies falling to the ground one after another could reach Bai Zemin''s ears even with the ongoing storm.


    After about five minutes, the zombies that were stuck were hit by something and their bodies fell limp on the ground to never get up again. On the back of their heads was a small wound the size of a baby''s fist completely frozen by a thin layer of ice.


    Seeing Shangguan Bing Xue dressed in white slowly walk into the building like an ice goddess, Bai Zemin''s expression became a bit complicated.


    She looked at him silently for several seconds and observed his condition carefully.


    Bai Zemin observed all this in silence. The reason he wasn''t afraid that she would want to do something to him was because at the first strange move he could end her life by destroying her from the inside out with his First Order Blood Manipulation; even if she was powerful, she definitely couldn''t have higher stats than him.


    However, the facts proved that his precaution was not necessary. She crouched down beside him and without a word supported him to stand up.


    Bai Zemin quickly picked up the backpack and the few plastic bags with his healthy hand; he put the backpack on his right shoulder and held the bags with his right hand. With Shangguan Bing Xue''s help, he slowly stood up. However, he had to grit his teeth to the point where his mouth began to bleed from the embracing pain and the uncomfortable itching under his feet.


    When Shangguan Bing Xue moved his left arm around her slender gooseneck to support him, her rain-soaked body shivered slightly and her eyes trembled softly. However, she did not say a word and slowly led him towards the exit.


    After reaching the outside again, Bai Zemin was shocked to see over a hundred corpses scattered everywhere. All of these zombies had been killed with a clean shot and their heads only had a small wound that had been frozen with a small layer of ice preventing the blood from escaping from inside.


    Obviously to save him Shangguan Bing Xue had no choice but to end the lives of this huge group of zombies by herself. However, one thing Bai Zemin could not understand was why she was alone here and the other two were not? After all, Bai Zemin knew that she didn''t like him.


    Another thing that was bothering him a bit was why she was here to begin with. After all, the agreement was that he would look for the medicines alone and not join her, Chen He, and Liang Peng''s group. So, it didn''t make much sense for her to show up at this place when she should be waiting in a relatively safe place where the freezing water wouldn''t be able to reach her.


    However, the truth was that Shangguan Bing Xue''s appearance had gotten Bai Zemin out of a big trouble that in the long run could have cost him his life.


    However, seeing that she had no intention of speaking, he also said nothing and focused on supporting the pain he felt with every step he took.


    The two walked and the raging storm attacked them mercilessly. Neither of them said anything as they both seemed to be fighting for different reasons and all the willpower they had seemed to be focused on the single goal of moving forward.


    The only good thing about all this was that fortunately, the fog had receded quite a bit thanks to the wild charge of the First Order Blazing Beetle and its flames so they could see much better than in the past.


    Suddenly a group of fifteen zombies rounded a corner and appeared before the group blocking the way. However, Shangguan Bing Xue casually waved her free hand and fifteen ice pikes appeared.


    As if they had a mind of their own, the fifteen ice pikes flew swiftly and the next second they had appeared before the fifteen zombies. The mindless creatures were struck in the head with precision and collapsed lifelessly a moment later.


    The group of two had not even taken twenty steps when a mutated dog with brown fur appeared out of nowhere and charged towards them furiously.


    The mutated dog''s speed was very high, at least 30 or 40 points. A normal person would not even have time to cry out before their throat was ripped to shreds.


    However, Shangguan Bing Xue said only one word to end its charge.


    "Freeze."


    Following the fall of her cold voice, the mutated dog''s body stopped dead in its tracks. Using the water under its feet, the beast''s body began to gradually freeze until it became a lifeless ice statue.


    However, he was so focused on how powerful and precise her attacks were that he didn''t notice how her voice, for the first time since he met her, quivered slightly. She immediately gritted her teeth again as if that simple word had cost her all her energy and continued to support him slowly.


    * * *


    No matter whether it was Bai Zemin or Shangguan Bing Xue, both of them were soaked from the tips of their hair to the tips of their toes, and if it wasn''t because they were both evolved humans with much higher stats than their respective levels they would have definitely gotten sick as a result.


    Due to Bai Zemin''s injuries, Shangguan Bing Xue had no choice but to move forward at a snail''s pace, and by the time the two returned to the gymnasium it had been a little over an hour since they had left the pharmacy.

 Chapter 23 - Different gazes, different attitudes

    The atmosphere inside the building was extremely gloomy.


    The sound of stifled sobs along with whispers containing words of fear and worry could be heard almost everywhere.


    Some men were comforting beautiful women and vowing to protect them with their lives, thus gaining the favor of those helpless women who had no one else to trust. However, how could those men who did not have the courage to pick up a weapon to fight defend them? But, with the condition the world was in, sometimes even false hope was welcomed with open arms.


    Among these men was Liang Peng.


    As one of the few men within this group who not only had the courage to fight, but also possessed the ability to protect others, Liang Peng, who was l.u.s.tful by nature, was surrounded by a group of five female university students.


    Liang Peng''s appearance was not brilliant and, in fact, he was slightly ugly rather than handsome. However, what the naturally weaker women needed was to survive in this new world; this was something they had realized after a day of witnessing their friends dying before their eyes like flies.


    Chen He could also be surrounded by beauties if he wanted to; even more than Liang Peng. However, he simply stood in a corner as he looked at Liang Peng with a casual glance.


    Bang!


    Suddenly the door opened with a loud bang, drawing everyone''s gaze. Each of them praying to God or any saint that no more enemies had appeared.


    At first, when they saw Shangguan Bing Xue and Bai Zemin, they unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. However, after seeing her supporting him and seeing his staggering footsteps, their expressions were filled with disbelief; especially those people who had been saved by him.


    "He... He was injured?"


    "What creature could have been able to injure him to the point of taking away his capacity to move on his own?"


    "How could this be possible..."


    The group of surviving students and teachers began to murmur and their gazes were filled with terror and apprehension.


    If there was an existence out there capable of causing Bai Zemin, one of the strongest people in this group and one of the few who actually had the courage and ability to fight, to be left in such a miserable condition where he couldn''t even move on his own, then how were they going to survive? Dread and worries about the future overwhelmed their weak minds once again.


    Liang Peng also had a slight change in his previously smiling expression and for a moment forgot that he was apparently living the best moment of his life.


    As for Chen He, he was stunned for different reasons. Seeing Shangguan Bing Xue supporting Bai Zemin, Chen He could not believe what he was seeing and for a moment even doubted whether his eyes were working properly.


    "Bing Xue you... Are you okay?" with eyes wide open and full of disbelief he asked.


    "I''m fine." Shangguan Bing Xue''s reply was short and cold as usual.


    As for Bai Zemin, he couldn''t help but look at Chen He as if he was an idiot. The injured person here who couldn''t even move properly was him, not her. Who was he asking then? However, he didn''t care too much and the next second he forgot about it.


    "I won''t say thank you since currently that word is even less valuable than it was in the past." Bai Zemin looked at the beautiful woman beside him, who was once again completely soaked because of him, and said in a deep voice, "Today, it could be said that you got me out of a trouble that could have cost me my life. In the future, I will definitely return the favor to you until I''m even."


    Without waiting for a response, he gritted his teeth and removed the arm he was using as support on her. Feeling embracing pain under his feet, pain that even freezing water could not alleviate, he began to walk to his place away from everyone.


    Every step he took was heavy and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead even though his body was cold.


    Seeing this, it didn''t matter if it was Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Liang Peng, or the rest of the survivors; they all realized the pain he was feeling at that moment was too great for words to describe.


    "He..." Chen He seemed to want to say something but as he looked at Shangguan Bing Xue he preferred to remain silent.


    As for Shangguan Bing Xue, she watched his back slowly disappearing at the end of the corridor and although she really didn''t like Bai Zemin, she accepted that at least, he was a man with courage and bravery; unlike others.


    She looked at Liang Peng and her eyes flashed with disgust, hatred, and disdain as she coldly whispered, "You piece of sc.u.m."


    In fact, the reason why Shangguan Bing Xue was alone when she went to find Bai Zemin was because Chen He had to stay behind to see to it that Liang Peng didn''t do something stupid since when she invited the two of them to go find him, Liang Peng was the first to immediately refuse saying that Bai Zemin had wanted to go out alone on his own.


    While Liang Peng''s words were true, Shangguan Bing Xue had received the highest education in society. Apart from personal talent, she had worked very hard to become what she was today. She, intelligent, could see the bigger picture and knew that Bai Zemin''s help would be needed in the long run because regardless of his negative points he was a good fighter.


    Therefore, when Liang Peng refused and upon discovering the almost n.a.k.e.d l.u.s.t in his eyes, Shangguan Bing Xue had no choice but to leave Chen He here to take care of him and prevent him from doing anything stupid. As for why she didn''t stay and let Chen He go find Bai Zemin, it was because even with her self-control she had no confidence in putting up with the strongman''s stupidities and might end up turning him into an ice statue.


    "Bing Xue, are you really okay?" now that they were finally a little further away from the rest of the people, Chen He looked at her worriedly and asked.


    "..."


    Shangguan Bing Xue did not answer and, as if tired, closed her eyes as she sat down in a corner. Her white dress was completely wet, hugging and outlining the curves of her body making her even more charming than she naturally already was.


    Even the gentlemanly and kind Chen He couldn''t help but let his eyes run wild and secretly stole a glance or two before closing his eyes to avoid looking anymore.


    Countless gazes fell on her and seemed to want to eat her with their eyes. But she had no intention or energy to pay attention to them... She had gotten used to this a long time ago anyway, to the looks of d.e.s.i.r.e, l.u.s.t... etc.


    * * *


    "F*ck its mother!" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but curse as he gritted his teeth and dropped to the ground like a broken rag without caring about anything but relieving the pressure on his feet.


    A person could never imagine how horrible the pain of feeling their own skin peeling off and their flesh tearing after being burned by the fire was. Bai Zemin had never in his life experienced such dreadful pain like this and he never wished to experience it again if possible.


    "Hehe... That''s what you get for acting all proud!" Lilith teased him mercilessly. Still, she reached over and helped him lean back more comfortably against the wall with careful movements.


    "Leave me alone." Bai Zemin rolled his eyes and grunted. His c.h.e.s.t rose and fell as he took deep breaths, fighting the pain he felt. "I already owe that woman and I am truly grateful for her help. Whatever her reasons, the fact is that she helped me in my weakest moment... But I do not wish to owe her anything more."


    "You and that woman have known each other before?" Lilith asked as she sat down beside him.


    "No. Before the world became this hell, she and I had never interacted and probably never in our lives would have." Bai Zemin closed his eyes and replied quietly, feeling exhausted.


    "Then why seem to be so wary of her?" Lilith had noticed that while Bai Zemin kept his distance from everyone, he seemed especially guarded against Shangguan Bing Xue.


    While all the men were enchanted with her in some way or another, Bai Zemin was doing his best to stay away; the more the better. This was something that had confused her until now so she decided to ask around to get to know him better since there seemed to be a backstory. That was the reason why Lilith had thought that they had known each other before.


    Bai Zemin, exhausted, unconsciously replied, "All of you... Women... Are not a good bird."


    "Eh?" Lilith was surprised by his words. She wanted to ask him what he meant, but when she looked at him she realized that he had already fallen asleep.


    The pain was so great that Bai Zemin had immediately fallen asleep as soon as he was in a relatively safe place. After all, he was not only in physical pain; his mind was exhausted beyond words as he had not yet had a proper rest after fighting a battle in which his life was about to end on several occasions.


    In fact, he was so tired that he didn''t even notice what he had said at the end before he fell unconscious.

 Chapter 24 - Magic Grade Treasure

    Although it had only been five or six hours since he had awakened, the battle to the death against the First Order Blazing Beetle, his first enemy who had actually taken a step on the true path of evolution, Bai Zemin felt as tired as a person who had not slept for two days in a row. Therefore, after his exhausted mind and aching body forced him to sleep after reaching a relatively safe place, he was not allowed to wake up until the next day.


    The world had changed drastically. To say that the previous society had completely collapsed was not an exaggeration in the least, and what all the survivors inside the sports center were hoping for was to get out of this place and get back under the protection of the government and the military; only then could they feel a little more at ease.


    None of them knew the situation in which the army equipped with modern weapons was in... The reality was that none of them knew the situation of the outside world. However, for the sake of their own mental health, none of them dared to speak words of despair and even tried not to think of the worst possible situation.


    When Bai Zemin opened his eyes again, the second day since the beginning of the change had ended and the third day had officially begun.


    "The rain stopped,,," He muttered with still slightly sleepy eyes as he concentrated on the noise outside.


    The sound of thunder, the illumination of lightning flashing between the small cracks in the window that the timbers could not cover, as well as the fierce sound of water lashing the world as if it were a punishment from the heavens; it had all stopped.


    "A few hours ago the storm stopped. The reason behind the strange weather in this world was because the sleeping mana could sense the approach of the Soul Record... Now that the Soul Record has finally reached this world, things will slowly return to normal."


    A soft, charming, playful, but also kind voice sounded a few meters away from him.


    "Angel?" Still half asleep, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but mutter.


    "I''m not an angel. I''m a demon~" Lilith gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in all his life. "Good morning."


    Although her smile was beautiful, to Bai Zemin it was extremely dangerous. As if he had received an electric shock, he flinched and looked away as he responded, "Good morning to you too..."


    Lilith''s eyes had a strange hint flashing within them. She blinked for a few seconds before shaking her head as if dismissing an idea.


    "How about your body?" She asked as she approached him with soft steps like a spring breeze.


    "Now that you mention it..." Bai Zemin ignored her as she sat down next to him. He inspected his condition and was pleasantly surprised to find that the wrenching pain he felt yesterday was at least half gone. Although still painful, it was no longer unbearable for him.


    But what was most surprising was that, after the flesh burned by the beetle''s flames fell off, new flesh had begun to grow and skin was slowly forming on the less affected parts.


    "This... What is this all about?" Bai Zemin was dumbfounded.


    "Didn''t I tell you already?" Lilith didn''t know whether to laugh or cry seeing his expression. "Your health is currently several times higher than that of a normal person. If it used to take a person three or four months to recover from such injuries, you can do it ten times faster!"


    "At this speed, I only need a couple more days to fully recover." Bai Zemin felt excited and let out a complicated sigh.


    He felt happy since by recovering quickly he would finally not have to fear. After all, if another monster similar to the First Order Blazing Beetle appeared, with his current physical condition only death would await him. However, in the midst of that happiness, there was a complex emotion as he had finally realized that nothing would be like before.


    Bai Zemin shook his head softly and looked at Lilith as he stretched out his arms.


    She raised an eyebrow and teased, "You want me to hug you~?"


    He rolled his eyes and replied, "Give me my damn orbs already."


    "How do you know?" She looked at him with wide eyes.


    "Even though I had fallen unconscious at that moment, I know that you won''t let go of anything that could help me grow." Bai Zemin said indifferently. "After all, the faster I grow up, the better it will be for you too. Right?"


    "Tsk.. You really have no good sense of humor." Lilith clicked her tongue and scolded him while pouting cutely. However, the glint in her eyes was one of mirth as the smarter he was, the greater the odds of surviving and becoming more powerful.


    "Here, I''ll give them back to you, boring man." She waved her hand and three objects floated towards him before falling gently into his l.a.p.


    Bai Zemin looked at her with jealousy. He too wanted to wave his hand and make things float easily, but it didn''t seem to be something that would happen anytime soon.


    "Where did you get this?" he asked as he looked at her in confusion.


    She stretched out her right hand gracefully and without needing to say anything, Bai Zemin''s gaze was drawn to a beautiful gold colored ring with silver runes similar to a wedding ring like the ones Earth people wore.


    "You''re engaged?" he teased.


    "Idiot." She rolled her eyes charmingly and replied, "This is a space storage ring. Inside there''s a big space where I can save my stuff."


    "Just like in the novels." Bai Zemin nodded with understanding. "How can I have one of those?"


    How could he not want one? After all, with a ring like Lilith''s, he wouldn''t need to carry a backpack everywhere and his general life would become much simpler in this world.


    "If you want one with a large spatial size like this, then forget it." Lilith softly shook her head as she casually said, "This is a Legend grade Treasure. Even for you, it''s impossible to acquire something of such a level yet."


    "Oh." Bai Zemin couldn''t help but be slightly discouraged. Forget Legend Treasures, he had yet to even see a Magic grade Treasure, and his two strongest and most precious items were only Rare grade.


    "But." Seeing him depressed, Lilith continued, "If you''re lucky, you might be able to get one of lesser quality. You can also get a Green Orb, and maybe, just maybe, if your luck is really high... Maybe you can get one."


    "Forget it... I''ll make do with what I have for now." Bai Zemin no longer entertained the matter of the ring. Such things seemed too far away from someone like him yet.


    Turning his attention to the objects in his l.a.p, Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up with delight, and all the previous bad thoughts completely disappeared without a trace.


    The First Order Blazing Beetle had dropped three objects.


    Two orbs and one skill scroll.


    One of those orbs was orange in color, representing a Rare Treasure... Surprisingly, the other orb was deep yellow in color. In other words, Bai Zemin had before him an orb that contained a Magic grade Treasure!


    This was his first Magic grade Treasure! Although he had just heard something incredible like Legend grade Treasures, he had not been discouraged at all since after seeing how precious his Xuanyuan Sword and Full Coat were, he was definitely looking forward to seeing what this orb before him contained!

 Chapter 25 - The first in the universes history

    Before seeing the contents of the orb, Bai Zemin felt mischievous and anxious as if he were a small child about to open his Christmas present. However, he fought the d.e.s.i.r.e and turned his attention first to the orange orb.


    "Let''s save the best for last hehehe..."


    "You''re acting like a child, you know that don''t you?"


    "Don''t distract me."


    In the midst of light conversation as if the outside world was still peaceful and as if the danger of death did not lurk around every corner, Bai Zemin squeezed the orange orb with a bit of strength and after a flash of light, a new object appeared before him.


    Honestly, what Bai Zemin was looking forward to was another pair of boots that could replace his previous boots that were destroyed by the flames of the First Order Blazing Beetle... Unfortunately, things didn''t always turn out as one expected.


    [Blazing Ring (Rare Treasure): A ring that contains the power of burning fire within it. When equipped, Magic +10 points. Once per day it can release a flare of fire that can be used to attack or defend].


    Seeing the deep red ring, Bai Zemin''s face turned a little strange. He looked at the beautiful woman a short distance away and slowly asked, "Miss Demon Race, what is this all about?"


    "Mm? What do you mean?" Lilith blinked at him and looked at him blankly.


    "What do you mean by what do you mean?" Bai Zemin didn''t know if she was playing innocent or really didn''t understand, therefore he asked patiently; "Why would a Rare Orb possess a Treasure with magic like this ring?"


    "Uh? Who said that objects with magic could only come out of magic-grade orbs?" Lilith looked at him with amus.e.m.e.nt and softly explained; "While it''s true that the chances are low, from Rare grade Treasure onwards, objects like the ring in your hands can appear... It''s similar to the case of my space storage ring. Even an Epic Treasure can contain one, but its grade will be much lower."


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth twitched severely upon hearing her explanation and this time it wasn''t because of pain.


    With a much more open mind and much more expectant than before, Bai Zemin turned to the deep yellow orb and crushed it.


    A bronze-colored light flashed, forcing him to close his eyes for a second. When he felt that the brightness had disappeared, Bai Zemin opened his eyes expectantly and looked at the object in his l.a.p. However, when he saw the appearance of the object, his expression turned a little ugly.


    A bronze-colored pocket bell lay in his l.a.p. This bell was dented in several places and there was even a part that had been f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y torn off or had fallen off due to how old it was. Basically, it looked exactly like a useless bell.


    However, even though the appearance was extremely ugly, Bai Zemin was never one to judge a book by its cover; although his expression was not very good, his hopes had not been dashed in the slightest and he picked up the object to inspect it.


    [Broken Bronze Bell (Magic Treasure): An ancient bell that was broken and whose current defensive power is practically non-existent. When worn it automatically increases magic power and mana by 20 points. Effect: When the user is attacked, the Bronze Bell automatically releases a shield that protects the user from imminent danger. The amount of damage received affects the duration of the effect and after exhausting all its energy it takes 24 hours to recharge its power].


    Bai Zemin''s expression was a bit erratic and difficult to describe. On the one hand, he felt happy, but on the other hand, he felt confused.


    Practically non-existent defensive power... Well, just by looking at the appearance of the Bronze Bell he didn''t expect much but that description...


    "Forget it... 20 Magic points and 20 Mana points is great..." He spoke aloud to himself as if to lift his own mood.


    Curious, Lilith picked up the broken bell, and green letters flashed in her retina with the object''s information. She handed it back to Bai Zemin and assured him, "Although this bell is broken and its description says that its defensive power is almost non-existent, in reality, it is probably the best treasure you could ever possibly obtain!"


    "Oh?" His ears twitched gently and his interest piqued. He looked at her with sparkling eyes waiting for her next words.


    "While the defensive power of this item might not be as strong against evolved beings, against other humans it will be your best ally." Lilith smiled, her eyes glittering strangely. "Currently, this world is not especially advanced in technology like other worlds. Therefore, it is likely that,,, Forget it, you will see for yourself when the time comes."


    Although she had not finished her words, Bai Zemin felt that he understood what she meant. His mood lifted once again and he carefully put away the Broken Bronze Bell in the pocket of his Full Coat.


    His life had now acquired another layer of protection, which in this world was more than appreciated.


    "Finally, let''s see what this is." Bai Zemin picked up the skill scroll and the information immediately appeared.


    [Elephant Skin (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5: Increases Stamina by +50 points].


    To say he wasn''t a bit disappointed would be a lie considering he was expecting a much stronger skill. However, 50 Stamina points was a huge amount of boost to his strength; even after so many battles and so many upgrades, Bai Zemin''s Stamina was only 75 points not counting the extra 5 from his Full Coat.


    Moreover, since it was a passive skill and did not take up space among the few available ones he possessed to learn active skills, this skill was welcome.


    With a thought, the skill scroll disappeared and several particles of gray light entered his body. Deep within his soul, a dull gray rune formed and Bai Zemin felt his entire body suddenly become much harder and tougher than in the past.


    However, before he could think of anything else, several green letters flashed across his retina.


    "This,,, Woah!" Bai Zemin was dumbfounded.


    What happened?! He hadn''t even done anything and it hadn''t even been two seconds since he learned the skill but it could already be evolved to the next level?


    "Lilith... Looks like I can evolve a skill." He said in a weird tone.


    "You probably fulfilled some relatively easy requirement?" Lilith wasn''t sure either. "Focus on that skill and look at the evolution requirement to confirm it."


    Bai Zemin nodded and quickly looked at his newly acquired skill.


    [Elephant Skin (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5: This skill is at its maximum level and can evolve to the next level if the following requirements are met -


    [Stamina stat above 100 points naturally without external support: 125/100]


    [Requirements met. Do you wish to evolve the skill Elephant Skin to the next level?]


    Ah... Apparently, each skill had different difficulties to evolve. At least for Bai Zemin, it didn''t seem difficult at all to reach 100 points in a stat.


    However, when he told Lilith the evolution requirement, she didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when she said, "You little brat, do you think it''s easy for a person of your level to reach and surpass 100 points in stats? While there have been more people who have achieved that, there aren''t many... Besides, you are the first living creature I know in the universe''s history who is able to evolve a skill so fast!"


    Bai Zemin felt happy at her words, but he did not let that happiness go to his head.


    While he might be the first to evolve a skill so fast according to Lilith''s knowledge, it was just an unclassified passive skill so Bai Zemin did not believe that his act was something incredible.


    Of course, Bai Zemin had no idea that Lilith was comparing him to monsters like the God of the bible that Christians worshipped, or else his thoughts would not be so simple.

 Chapter 26 - S.e.x machine

    The real reason why Bai Zemin did not feel that such an achievement was a big deal was mainly because he was only evolving an Unclassified to First Order skill; it was not as if he was evolving a particularly powerful skill by any stretch of the imagination.


    Furthermore, while it was true that Bai Zemin''s Stamina had reached 125 natural points without external support, the reality was that almost half of those points came from the Elephant Skin skill itself... Of course, even with all the aforementioned, the fact that he could achieve so many Stamina enhancements in just over two days was the real achievement.


    Lilith had never met or heard of another existence capable of improving so quickly.


    With a single thought, the Elephant Skin skill began to evolve.


    The dull gray rune that was engraved deep within Bai Zemin''s soul lit up. Countless flashes of lightning flickered from deep within him and his entire body began to heat up as a strange tickle-like but not so unbearable feeling was transmitted through every millimeter of his skin.


    After several minutes, the lightning flashing inside his body receded and was absorbed by the rune from which it came before. However, the once dull gray rune had now become a deep bronze rune.


    [Elephant Skin (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5 ¡ú Bronze Skin (First Order Passive Skill) Level 1].


    [Bronze Skin (First Order Passive Skill) Level 1: Your skin becomes much tougher than that of any living being on Earth before the awakening of Mana. Increases Stamina +100 points].


    Bai Zemin was grinning from ear to ear as he looked at his 180 total Stamina points. He could feel practically unlimited energy from his body and the feeling of becoming stronger once again excited him to the point of forgetting about his injuries.


    "You should be careful now that you have such monstrous Stamina." Lilith said out of nowhere, dragging Bai Zemin out of his daydream.


    "What? Why?" he looked at her with some alarm.


    Could it be that there was really something bad? Maybe it was because his stats were a little off balance? After all, Bai Zemin''s Stamina stat was his current highest physical stat and by a wide margin.


    Maybe the body needed to balance itself somehow?


    Lilith looked at him with a serious expression and slowly said, "Well... Your current Stamina is almost twenty times higher than that of a normal man and woman. Imagine what would happen if you suddenly decided to unleash your libido wildly on a woman''s body? The poor girl would probably be devastated~".


    "..."


    Bai Zemin''s face rotted when he heard her words.


    She thought he was a s.e.x machine or something like that?


    With his face as black as coal, Bai Zemin gritted his teeth and bellowed, "I swear I''ll kick your a.s.s someday..."


    "Hahaha!"


    This was the first time she thought that a lower existence was so interesting!


    * * *


    Three days later, the sixth day since the Mana was awakened by the Soul Record.


    During these three days, Bai Zemin did not leave the cafeteria and closed the door firmly, isolating himself from the rest of the people. Except for eating and drinking, Bai Zemin''s only entertainment was chatting with the beautiful and charming s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s Lilith... Fortunately, due to constant evolutions, his digestive system was no longer as problematic as that of a normal person.


    In this time, he focused on recovering from his injuries without doing anything else. In addition, to avoid any kind of trouble, Bai Zemin had talked to Chen He and asked him to take all the food out of the cafeteria, leaving only what he needed for himself and a bit for emergencies.


    This way, he did not have to be in contact with people he did not know and did not trust while he was still injured.


    Bai Zemin stood up and stomped on the ground several times as if checking something.


    "Em. The wounds on my feet and legs healed completely." He nodded in satisfaction and relief.


    Now, even if a second monster similar to the First Order Blazing Beetle appeared he was confident that at least his chances of victory weren''t practically non-existent like when he was injured and unable to move.


    Bai Zemin estimated that he would need at least another seven days for his wrist bones to fully recover. Although seven days was quite a long time and his Strength would be affected as a result of not being able to use both hands at the same time, this result was already good enough considering that in normal cases a person would need two to three months to recover from a bone fracture.


    "Let''s see how things are going outside... Besides, I have a debt to pay." His eyes flashed coldly as he opened the cafeteria door for the first time in three days.


    "When you act mad you look hot~" Lilith, as beautiful and charming as ever, walked behind him as if she was his shadow.


    * * *


    Unlike three days ago, the mood inside the gymnasium had not improved in any way,... On the contrary, the hope of many students and teachers began to flicker.


    The cold and fever medicines that Bai Zemin had obtained from the pharmacy had already been distributed by Shangguan Bing Xue and the help of other teachers; therefore, those who were sick had improved a lot and those who were about to get sick were able to avoid illness successfully.


    Each one of the survivors had been well fed and, while it was true that the food was no longer as luxurious or extravagant as in the past, at least all of them were able to have three meals a day without fail.


    However, even under such conditions countless times more luxurious than that of who knew how many people who at the moment could only hide in some dark corner without food, the hope of all the survivors in the gym was shaken.


    The reason? They, who were waiting for the arrival of the military army or, at the very least, the support of the police forces, had not yet even heard the sound of a siren.


    Bai Zemin caught the erratic eyes of the people and when they saw him appear walking some sighed in relief that the group''s strength was rising while others had no apparent reaction.


    However, the most surprised of them was Shangguan Bing Xue. She looked at him and her beautiful blue eyes had a strange glint in them.


    "Are your wounds okay now?" She asked with clear surprise in her usually indifferent voice.


    This shocked Chen He to the marrow of his bones and his eyes widened in astonishment. In fact, his surprise was no less than when the Soul Record displayed his status window the first time.


    She was worried about him? But how could such a thing be possible...? Didn''t they just meet? Didn''t they dislike each other? Chen He''s head was full of unanswered questions.


    While the handsome Chen He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue with surprise and Bai Zemin with caution, he actually did not know that the reason she asked that question was not that she cared about him; it was because she had seen how severe the burns on his feet were!


    With such dreadful burns, Shangguan Bing Xue had figured that it would at least take him two months to walk completely naturally again, after all, Bai Zemin''s level was obviously not low; although he had not said anything and she had not asked, Shangguan Bing Xue was almost 100% sure that that three-meter tall beetle had been killed by him.


    A person capable of killing such a hideous monster could not have a low level.


    However, what Shangguan Bing Xue did not expect was that only four days later, Bai Zemin would appear again as if his previous wounds had never existed.

 Chapter 27 - Bai Zemins first change

    "My wounds are fine now. Thank you for asking." Bai Zemin took a moment to look at the faces of the people in front of him before looking at Shangguan Bing Xue and replying.


    Hearing that he was indeed fine and confirming it through his natural voice, Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes had a strange glint in them after confirming that his wounds had effectively healed.


    "I see." She only nodded before looking at Chen He silently.


    The talented archer understood the intention behind her gaze and slowly began to explain to Bai Zemin the situation.


    "During the past three days when you were recovering, the condition of the sick due to the low temperatures of their bodies improved with the help of the general calefaction. Thank you for that." He honestly thanked on behalf of the rest of the survivors. Soon, however, he frowned and continued, "But there is another problem at present."


    Bai Zemin was not surprised. He nodded slightly and finished his words instead, "The food is running low, isn''t it?"


    "That''s right." Chen He sighed and scratched his head in frustration. "Currently, because we didn''t want to make the situation any worse than it already is, we let everyone eat their fill. The problem is that now the reserved food finally ran out. We can only last until tomorrow."


    Liang Peng, who had been silent with his big hammer, interrupted, "Then why don''t we just go get some more? Those zombies are slow as hell and those dogs and cats may be fast but they''re too dumb. I don''t think we''ll have a problem if we all move together."


    "In fact.. I''m afraid we have no choice but to go out and forage for food at the university restaurants." Chen He had no choice but to say yes.


    Food was an indispensable resource that could not be missed. Even the strongest evolvers had no choice but to eat to provide nutrients that the body needed but did not produce naturally. Without food, everyone would weaken to the point where lifting a single finger would be a challenge. Moreover, the chaos resulting from starvation was something no one was willing to let happen.


    "Besides..." Cai Jingyi, the same girl who had met Bai Zemin at the beginning of the apocalypse, suddenly seemed to gather the courage to speak. Although she felt a little self-conscious under everyone''s gaze, she continued, "If possible it would also be good if we can get clothes... Actually, since there are male and female changing rooms for showering, hygiene is not much of a problem. However, after almost a week of wearing the same clothes, it is starting to become a bit unbearable."


    "We will definitely get more clothes." Shangguan Bing Xue was the first to agree as she frowned slightly. Although her clothes were free of dirt stains and her white dress along with her silver hair made her look like an angel, the truth was that after not being able to change even once in six days, her mood was not the best.


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth twitched a couple of times but he said nothing. Even he did not feel comfortable with the current situation, not to mention the women who were by nature beings who constantly worried about cleanliness.


    Seeing that no one disagreed with her words, Cai Jingyi couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    "By the way..." Taking advantage of the momentary silence, Bai Zemin looked at Chen He and casually asked, "The army, the government, the police forces... No word on this?"


    Hearing his question, Liang Peng, Cai Jinyi, and the few teachers present looked at Chen He waiting for his answer.


    "Nothing..." Chen He shook his head to no one''s surprise.


    "But." A bespectacled teacher interrupted with an anxious expression. "Young master Chen, your Chen family is a big family with power in the army and your father a Regimental Commander? Shouldn''t they send someone for you at least?"


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. Family with military backing? Regimental Commander? He hadn''t expected Chen He to have such a background.


    To think that this handsome guy''s father was actually a veteran soldier with military rank Colonel. Bai Zemin had a strange glint and his gaze could not help but shift slightly towards Shangguan Bing Xue... Then, her background should be similar or superior to Chen He''s.


    Chen He''s face changed slightly but soon returned to normal. He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue for a moment before sighing: ''''Indeed... I was hoping that my family would get here soon, but apparently the situation is far worse than we all thought."


    "How can that be possible...?" The teacher who had spoken earlier looked desperate and his face lost all color.


    If even an important person like Chen He had been practically abandoned to his fate by his own family, how could they, people with no real backing, expect support from the government or the army? It was nothing but wishful thinking!


    They all looked desperate for a moment. The only two people whose expression remained unchanged were the indifferent Shangguan Bing Xue and Liang Peng who was casually looking around.


    Even Bai Zemin''s expression turned a bit ugly. Not because of the lack of military or governmental response; but because of his family... The worse the situation was outside, the less likely it was that his family would survive amidst such chaos!


    They have to be okay. No matter what, definitely nothing could happen to them... Bai Zemin clenched his fists, ignoring the pain in his left hand. Every time he thought about his family, his heart squeezed hard as if a giant stone was pressing down on it.


    However, no matter how much he wanted to see them and run out to find them, he couldn''t do that. As strong as he was, Bai Zemin did not know what kind of dangers dwelled outside this place and he was not arrogant enough to believe that his strength was enough to overcome them all.


    "Then, let''s go find the food we can." Bai Zemin said coldly. His tone of voice lacked emotion, "However, there should be some changes from now on."


    Everyone looked at him in surprise, noticing the change in his eyes and his indifferent voice seemed to hold a higher weight than in the past. While Bai Zemin was previously indifferent, his current indifference contained several degrees of coldness that was not there before.


    "What do you mean?" Shangguan Bing Xue furrowed her eyebrows slightly, also secretly surprised by the abrupt change.


    Bai Zemin looked at her and slowly explained, "From now on, those who are unwilling to help in any way will only be able to eat enough to not starve. To be honest, I have no time to waste with leeches here. If no one is willing to move to advance and get out of this damn place, then I will start moving on my own with people who really want to get out of this hellhole. But I definitely won''t get dragged down by anyone!"


    From a certain point of view, it could be said that this was the first major change in Bai Zemin after the world had changed. He had already saved many people out of kindness, but if they wanted to keep him using that kindness, then he would abandon them without even a second thought; to him, his family was everything.


    As long as he had such an impulse, then he would not be held back by anything... Lilith''s only worry was that if Bai Zemin''s family did not survive, it was probable that he would not be able to rally a motive to fight for; therefore, she had to think of countermeasures.


    No matter what, she couldn''t just let him fall in this place.


    "Wait, wait a moment!" Liang Peng raised his voice and looked at Bai Zemin with wide eyes, "Are you crazy?!"


    Bai Zemin casually looked him up and down before looking him in the eyes and asking coldly, "And you are what? My previous words were not a question. What I said is what will happen, whether you like it or not you don''t have a choice here!"

 Chapter 28 - Cowardice & Courage

    Bai Zemin''s words stunned everyone present. Regardless of whether they were teachers or students, the people able to participate in this small meeting and express their opinions stared straight ahead with blank expressions.


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned and suddenly felt that there was something wrong with this situation. Her brain was like a supercomputer, remembering what had just happened and soon her eyes flashed softly as if she had finally understood everything.


    Chen He, who always had a calm expression on his face, could not help but gasp in a breath of cold air as he looked at Bai Zemin as if he was an unidentified alien.


    Until now, although the time they spent together was not much, Chen He had identified Bai Zemin as a person who enjoyed loneliness more than the company of others and was usually quite calm. Therefore, now that he saw him go crazy and say such arrogant words, he did not know how to react.


    Moreover, Chen He had seen how terrifying Liang Peng''s strength was during the first day of the apocalypse after the arrival of the Soul Record to this world. A single blow from his hammer was enough to turn a zombie''s body into a pile of meat paste!


    "What arrogance, brat!" Liang Peng''s eyes opened as wide as those of an enraged bull. His beard quivered and he looked at Bai Zemin as if he was going to jump on him at any moment.


    Liang Peng had seen Bai Zemin''s speed back then when he decapitated zombies. Although he was fast, Liang Peng believed that at such a distance he only needed to stretch out a hand to crush him like an ant; such was the confidence in his physical strength!


    Bai Zemin''s eyes flashed with a hint of coldness as he looked at the man who was like a small giant.


    His current mood was gloomy to say the least. As if that wasn''t enough, his left hand was still hurting, his family might be suffering from hunger or who knows what kind of hardship... Since this person does not understand in a good way and words could not reach him, a bit of pain might make him understand the meaning of the word terror...


    Bai Zemin took a step forward and was about to make his move when a cold but beautiful voice stopped him.


    "Okay, let''s do as you say."


    Everyone looked at Shangguan Bing Xue in surprise and disbelief. Even Bai Zemin himself was surprised that this woman agreed with his words so easily and without argument.


    "Bing Xue, you... Are you sure of what you are saying?" Chen He looked at his childhood friend in shock. It was no secret to anyone that he had been in love with her for years; therefore, he knew very well that she was an intelligent woman. However, he did not understand why she had accepted such an idea that was clearly not good at the moment.


    Shangguan Bing Xue gently shook her head but did not explain anything. Among those present, only she had noticed that Bai Zemin''s mood was on the floor and if it wasn''t for her interrupting just in time, it was likely that things would have gotten out of hand. Right now, the last thing they needed were internal battles.


    "While I agree with what you said, I need you to explain better what you have in mind. Otherwise no one will accept such a wild idea like that." Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin indifferently and slowly explained, "At this point, everyone''s mood is not good. The situation of the unknown world is getting worse and worse. If we suddenly tell them that their meals will be cut off, no one will accept it willingly."


    Bai Zemin looked at her and took a deep breath to calm down a bit before speaking slowly, "Of course, what I want is not for everyone to suddenly have the courage to fight. I know something like that is illogical."


    Noticing that things had calmed down, the teachers present, Cai Jingyi, and Chen He secretly let out a sigh of relief. As for Liang Peng, he only snorted and remained silent as he listened to what Bai Zemin had to say about it.


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and indicated with her eyes for him to continue explaining his idea. If Bai Zemin had asked everyone to fight in order to eat, then even if the strength of the group fell she would have no choice but to ask him to left alone. After all, very few people were willing to risk their lives and the human mentality had not yet completely changed to adapt to the new world.


    Bai Zemin continued: "My idea is simple... After we find food, the students and teachers who are unable to fight will carry it. In addition, when we look for clothes or other useful items, these people will also help... I also think it would be good to get some beds. In short, whatever is logistical support and does not require risking life and death, all those who want to eat their fill should cooperate."


    After a moment of silence, the handsome Chen He was the first to open his mouth, "I agree. That idea is good enough."


    "I agree as well." Shangguan Bing Xue finally nodded in perfect accord.


    In the end, everyone accepted Bai Zemin''s suggestion. While some of them might not be satisfied, three of the four fighters in the group had already made up their minds so those without fighting ability could only accept their fate.


    When the new rules were announced, many people complained loudly and some of them even began to curse. However, when Bai Zemin said that those who disagreed and all those who continued to make a fuss should leave the group, all the "courage" of these people disappeared completely and no one else was willing to complain for fear to be kicked out of the group.


    What a joke! As weak as they were, being expelled from the group and the protection of those with real power was no different to courting death!


    Bai Zemin looked at the more than a hundred people present and an idea flashed in his mind. It was a bit annoying, but in the long run, it might be his best help in finding his loved ones.


    With this in mind, he stepped forward and said aloud, "I know many of you are afraid of being scratched by those zombies as most of you here have probably seen the aftermath... However, you don''t need to be so scared! Those zombies are even slower than a normal person like you, so imagine how slow they are for people like me and everyone else who have leveled up by absorbing the enemy''s Soul Power!"


    The eyes of several people had a strange glint in them upon hearing this. Indeed, zombies were slow and if one was careful, even a normal person could kill a zombie. However, it was not easy to overcome the fear, let alone knowing that zombies were not the only danger.


    But Bai Zemin''s next words changed things: "I will personally hunt zombies, cut off their legs and arms, even crush their jaws! You just need to have the courage to pick up a weapon and finish them off to gain Soul Power and level up!"


    People began to murmur and stare at each other as they argued amongst themselves. Clearly, there were many tempted by the offer. After all, without their hands, legs, and without their teeth; the zombies were nothing to fear.


    None of them were really willing to die and there were many of them who didn''t want to do more embarrassing jobs for fear of fighting. However, at the end of the day, fear was one of the strongest human emotions.


    While Bai Zemin''s words were tempting, no one was willing to risk their lives just like that. Even if the zombies were incapacitated by him, there were still terrifying insects and other horrible beasts that could emerge from anywhere at any time. Asking them to pick up a weapon to fight after living almost twenty years or more in a peaceful society under the protection of rules, laws, and their parents. was no different than asking them to walk n.a.k.e.d down the street in broad daylight; it might sound easy, but no one in their right mind was willing to do something like that.


    However, these people forgot that sense had already disappeared and that the mentality of the past no longer applied in this new world. Unfortunately, by the time many of them realized this fact, it would be too late to regret it.


    Liang Peng folded his arms and looked at the scene with a mocking expression.


    Chen He was casual, unconcerned about what was happening in front of him.


    Shangguan Bing Xue had a strange glint in her eyes and looked at the women present seemingly thinking about something.


    "Since you are unwilling, then you can continue to be trash for the rest of your lives." Bai Zemin looked at the crowd coldly and snorted. However, just when he was about to turn around and leave, a soft voice took him by surprise.


    "I''ll go with you."


    Bai Zemin looked to the side and saw the pretty but normally shy and fearful Cai Jingyi looking at him with a serious expression.


    She gritted her teeth softly and continued, "Please let me go with you to kill zombies."


    When a rock fell on a silent lake, waves always appeared no matter how small they were.


    "Let me come with you, I want to kill zombies too!" A young man around 19 years old, wearing glasses and whose body was thin stood up and took a step forward.


    "I also want to level up. Let me go with you please!" Another young man in his 20s stood up and looked at Bai Zemin with determination.


    "I''ll go with you." A pretty female student with some freckles also stood up while gritting her teeth. Although her body shivered with fear, she still decided to step forward.


    Only four of them huh... It will do for now. Bai Zemin thought silently and a smile raised softly on his face as his eyes scanned the four people who had the courage to step forward.


    Sometimes, human beings just needed a little push to dare to do things they normally would have never even thought to do.

 Chapter 29 - Fu Xuefeng

    "There are even two women here who had the courage to stand up but you, who call yourselves men, don''t have the courage to take a step forward?" Bai Zemin looked at the male students and even the male teachers with undisguised disdain.


    Hearing his words, all the men on the scene who did not dare to step forward blushed so much that it seemed like all the blood in their bodies had rushed up to their heads. However, none of them dared to look him back and, of course, none of them dared to step forward.


    On the other hand, the two male students who had the courage to step forward could not help but straighten their backs a little more. Even the glasses-wearing and slightly skinny student had more courage than men with bulky bodies.


    Bai Zemin no longer wasted his time with these people. They themselves would soon regret the opportunity they had just missed.


    "Is it alright with you guys if we go out to look for food now?" Bai Zemin looked at the other three leaders and asked.


    "Fine with me." Chen He nodded and picked up his bow as he looked at the woman beside him.


    Shangguan Bing Xue simply stood up and walked towards the exit without saying anything.


    As for Liang Peng, he just snorted as he picked up his hammer and followed the other two without saying a word. Clearly still upset about what had happened earlier.


    Bai Zemin looked at the four people who decided to follow him and slowly said, "You four follow me. You don''t need to carry anything, but you should mentally prepare yourselves for what''s coming."


    The four nodded quickly indicating that they understood. Seeing this, Bai Zemin turned around and walked out with the four students behind him.


    "Everyone, please follow closely behind President Shangguan''s group and the rest. I hope we all contribute a little bit of each other to improve everyone''s lives." Teacher Jia Jiao clapped her hands and tried to raise everyone''s spirits.


    The group led by Bai Zemin, Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Liang Peng walked slowly and with looks full of precaution as they escorted over twenty male and female students.


    Taking out over a hundred people and protecting them all was an incredibly difficult task to accomplish. After all, unknown dangers lurked around every corner and slow zombies were the least of the worries of people who had been absorbing the enemy Soul Power and constantly leveling up; but the danger of high-level mutated animals or evolved insects was much higher and was something that even they dared not take easily.


    Therefore, to prevent unnecessary losses and to make the job simpler for themselves, the four of them had decided to bring a few more than twenty people to carry the food on this occasion.


    Of course, the pretty and shy freshman, Cai Jingyi, had registered all the people who were willing to go out and work but did not have the opportunity this time; these people could eat freely and would be mobilized in the near future... As for those who were not willing to work, they could only eat what was necessary to not starve.


    The world had changed and the old rules no longer applied. Slowly but surely there would be necessary changes that would be implemented over time. This was only the first of many more to come.


    The four evolved people were divided into four parts, each protecting one side of the rhombus in which the more than twenty people were enclosed.


    Liang Peng, whose strength was monstrous, was in charge of the front. When the zombies approached, he would charge forward and needed only a swing of his hammer to turn that zombie into a bloody mess.


    Although his hunting method scared many students, the reality was that it worked well.


    Shangguan Bing Xue, whose ability to control ice and move it at will was incredibly strong, was in charge of protecting the right of the diamond. Whenever a zombie came too close, an ice spike would appear above its head and pierce its brain silently.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s hunting method was extremely beautiful. Not even a drop of blood fell to the ground and the ice fragments floating in the air were extremely charming. Not even a single zombie managed to show any signs of breaking through her defenses.


    Chen He, who was at the back of the group, was probably the most relaxed person at the moment. His right hand was holding an arrow and his left hand was tightly gripping his bow.


    When a zombie escaped Liang Peng''s range due to his normal speed, Chen He casually shot an arrow and the walking corpse fell to the ground with a wound on its forehead.


    Bai Zemin, who was in charge of protecting the left side of the group, silently looked on as a zombie slowly crawled out of a building dragging its feet and approached towards the group.


    "They really are slow..." He couldn''t help but shook his head softly. After so many upgrades to his Agility stat, zombies were like moving turtles from his point of view.


    However, although to Bai Zemin they were slow and not much of a challenge, from the point of view of the other survivors they were extremely terrifying creatures.


    When they saw the zombie''s dead eyes and the amount of bloody wounds on its body, as well as its yellowish teeth full of human flesh or any other living thing stuck in between, it didn''t matter if it was male or female; they all shuddered in terror. Many of them even began to sob silently.


    In fact, the sound that could be heard most in the group was the restrained cries of the people. They, who had been living safely for six days without having to see such creatures, were again forced to remember that the present world was no longer the world they knew.


    "Who wants to go first?" Bai Zemin looked at Cai Jingyi and the other three students as he spoke in a deep voice, "I''ll hunt them down for you. You just need to give them the final strike and enjoy the benefits, easy. Don''t let me be disappointed, opportunities like this won''t always come."


    Although the four of them gathered the courage to move forward at that time, when facing the zombie face to face it was natural to feel fear. Therefore, after several seconds, none of them spoke.


    Just as Bai Zemin''s face was beginning to turn ugly, one of the students slowly raised his hand and in a trembling voice asked, "L-Let me do it first."


    It was a bit of a surprise for Bai Zemin to see that the first person was actually the thin student with glasses. This guy was average in every aspect and his body was even weaker than that of a normal young a.d.u.l.t without evolving through Soul Power absorption. However, his courage was commendable.


    "What''s your name?" Bai Zemin looked at him for a moment and asked.


    "I-it''s Fu Xuefeng!" The glasses-wearing student quickly announced. His eyes looking at the zombie that was slowly but surely approaching and, though his weak body quivered in fear, he took a step forward and asked in a low voice, "Big brother Bai... I wonder if I can ask you something?"


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes. He was already doing everything he possibly could, but this person wanted more? However, he didn''t immediately burst out and asked slowly, "Tell me. What is it about?"


    Fu Xuefeng took a deep breath and, while looking at the zombie said words that surprised Bai Zemin, "I hope you will lend me your sword and let me kill that zombie with my own hands. No help, just me!"


    Although his voice was quite low, the group was not big therefore many heard his request. Most looked at him in shock and disbelief, others looked at him with indifference, and others looked at him with pity as if they were already looking at a dead man.


    You''re as thin as a bamboo pole but you want to show off? Many of the men who had been mocked by Bai Zemin''s words felt that they could finally vent the bad smell and secretly sneered.


    "Okay. Since you have so much resolve and courage, you can do it all by yourself." Bai Zemin''s eyes flashed strangely and without another word, he handed the Xuanyuan Sword to Fu Xuefeng silently.


    "This... Incredible!" Fu Xuefeng immediately felt the huge boost of Strength rushing through his body after the sword ringed by strange runes touched his hands.


    Under the surprised and scared gaze of many, Fu Xuefeng took a deep breath and while observing the zombie less than ten meters away he tightened his grip on the wielding hilt of the sword.


    Although his Strength stat had gone up dramatically thanks to the treasure in his hands, all of his remaining stats were even below average and average at best.


    Besides, the fact that one scratch was all he needed to receive for his life to be over was something he knew perfectly well.


    Nevertheless, Fu Xuefeng gritted his teeth until his lingual gums bled before stepping forward.


    Bai Zemin watched all this with flashing eyes. He was going to give the sword to the four students after hunting the zombies, but Fu Xuefeng''s request was something he did not expect.

 Chapter 30 - Mind manipulator

    Fu Xuefeng was scared? Of course, he was obviously scared.


    However, he fought against the panic and f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y suppressed his instincts to retreat. His whole body, every cell seemed to be begging him not to do so and to step back where he knew he would be protected.


    Fu Xuefeng could feel the stares of the other survivors prickling his back; pity, mockery, disdain, wonder, disbelief, surprise, and many other looks with different meanings. However, he endured.


    The reason he endured all this? In reality, it was a very simple reason and for many, it might not be anything special... The only thing he wanted was to be able to raise his head at least once in his life.


    Since he was young, due to his weak constitution and as a consequence of his below-average appearance, he was always ridiculed in different ways. Fu Xuefen, who came from a hard-working family, also wanted his parents to be proud of him.


    Now that the world had changed, he longed to be able to change his life and, if they were still alive, to be able to give his parents a source of security on which they could rely in times of need. Now that a powerful person like Bai Zemin had stretched out a helping hand to him, Fu Xuefeng was willing to do anything to hold on to it.


    As the zombie slowly approached, Fu Xuefeng could feel his legs trembling. Still, he too advanced slowly and began to circle around the zombie, studying the creature''s movements carefully.


    Due to Bai Zemin''s actions, the whole group had no choice but to stop momentarily and everyone''s attention had been focused on what was happening on the left side of the small human rhombus.


    "And now what?" Liang Peng asked in frustration as he surveyed the scene.


    Chen He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw Bai Zemin''s reckless actions. His move practically forced everyone to stop in a place where they could be attacked at any moment.


    However, the only person present other than Bai Zemin himself who knew the reason why he was so calm, was Shangguan Bing Xue. She, who had practically saved his life three days ago, knew that very close to this place was the battlefield where the huge beetle lay dead.


    All the dangerous creatures nearby had been crushed by the beetle, decapitated by Bai Zemin, or had their brains crushed and frozen by Shangguan Bing Xue herself. Therefore, the only temporary danger was some straggling zombies that definitely did not reach a hundred.


    After nearly two minutes of circling the zombie, Fu Xuefeng finally calmed down a bit and realized that Bai Zemin''s words were completely true... These apocalyptic creatures were incredibly slow!


    Fu Xuefeng raised his sword high in the air and slashed down with all his might, shouting to shake off his fears. Unfortunately, he couldn''t concentrate due to his fear, so the sword sliced off one of the zombie''s arms instead of falling on its head.


    However, he was not sad or disappointed; on the contrary, he was delighted. Because he had finally realized that as long as he was a little careful, these mindless zombies were not as dangerous as he thought!


    Taking advantage of the zombie''s weakened side due to the loss of a limb, Fu Xuefeng silently slipped behind the zombie and with a strong slash without much skill, he easily hacked off the infected creature''s head.


    [You have acquired the soul power of Normal Zombie level 3. Stamina +3.]


    [You have leveled up to level 2. You have received 2 status points to distribute freely.]


    As the zombie''s body fell forward and blood stained the ground, Fu Xuefeng was surprised when several green letters flashed in his retina.


    In the end, the 19-year-old was so shocked that he stood there in a daze.


    "Congratulations on officially entering the path of evolution." Bai Zemin''s voice snapped him out of his surprise. He looked at him and asked, "I did?"


    Bai Zemin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry seeing the guy''s dumbfounded face. In a serious voice, he said, "If it wasn''t you who did it, then who was it?"


    "I did it... I did it! Hahaha! I finally killed my first zombie!" Fu Xuefeng shouted without caring whether he attracted another monster or not.


    Bai Zemin simply looked at him but did not stop him. This guy was not only expressing his joy, but he was also shouting to shake off the lingering fear that still remained in him. After all, it wasn''t easy to step forward to battle against death when you know that someone else was willing to do it for you.


    Moreover, none of those present mocked Fu Xuefent''s childish attitude. On the contrary, they all looked at him with astonishment and disbelief while the looks of ridicule and disdain were long gone.


    Fu Xuefeng suddenly ran forward and picked up a white scroll that had fallen from the zombie. Although he hesitated for a moment after knowing what it was, he gritted his teeth and walked toward Bai Zemin as he said, "Big brother Bai, this skill, I give it to you."


    "You give it to me?" Bai Zemin picked up the scroll in a daze. He definitely did not expect this move.


    [Stealth (First Order Active Skill) Level 1: Erases your presence to some extent while weakening your body smell and the sound of your heart. It costs 10 Mana points to activate and takes 4 Stamina points per minute to keep activated. After deactivation, it has a cooldown time of 20 minutes].


    "I give it to you. You use it." Bai Zemin handed the scroll back to him and shook his head. He looked at him with appreciation and said, "Anyway, I never thought of taking what rightfully belonged to you. However, I like grateful people like you. I just hope you can continue to be like that and not get carried away by the emotion of the moment."


    "Don''t worry, big brother Bai. Although my family may be poor, my parents taught me values. Favor with favor is repaid, and this favor is so great that I will never forget it!" Fu Xuefeng clenched the skill scroll tightly and looked at Bai Zemin with eyes brimming with gratitude.


    Not only had Bai Zemin given him the courage he needed to fight, but he also spoke to him with respect and had even allowed him to keep a supernatural skill like the one in his hands. In this world where the strong devoured and fed on the weak, a skill, as useless as it seemed, was no different than possessing another life-saving source in times of need.


    "Go get some rest for now. Also, I advise you to add your status points to Agility and Stamina. That way, with your Stealth skill, you could become a terrific assassin." Bai Zemin gently patted his shoulder and advised honestly.


    Now that his initial fear was gone, as long as Fu Xuefeng maintained that courage and as long as he was on good terms with one of the four main leaders of this group, his strength would only increase more and more. No one was foolish enough to look for trouble where there was none against such a person.


    "You''re a mind manipulator~" Lilith sneered beside him. However, even though it seemed like she was mocking, her eyes glittered with appreciation as she said, "Inflict fear first, then embarrass him with your previous talk to push them forward, finally give him power and respect... Kya~ Little Zemin, big sister loves you more and more!"


    Bai Zemin smiled slightly before turning around and walking back.


    Indeed, Lilith was right. What he was doing was manipulation.


    Right now, Bai Zemin might be much stronger than most. However, even he was not able to fight against thousands of zombies; his Stamina would be drained sooner no matter how high it was. Therefore, he urgently needed people able to follow him willingly, people able to become his sword.


    Lilith was also delighted that Bai Zemin had understood this so soon. After all, even she herself was not invincible, let alone he who had barely taken his first steps in this new world of evolution and death... Besides, Bai Zemin''s move also suited what Lilith needed and was a first step to what she hoped he could one day become.


    The group of people soon left the corpse of the zombie decapitated by Fu Xuefeng; their first of many to come.


    Other zombies appeared along the way, but all were appropriately dealt with by the main fighters, placating some of the survivors'' fear. Soon, however, they saw several buildings collapsed and crushed as if an earthquake had struck the earth during the night and their gazes were filled with horror and shock.


    What kind of creature could do such a thing?

 Chapter 31 - Soul Stone

    Not to mention the powerless survivors; even Chen He and Liang Peng had changes in their expressions when they saw the debris of different sizes scattered everywhere. The entire place looked as if several bombs had blown up the foundations of nearby buildings and demolished them in the process!


    "What... What happened here?" Chen He muttered dumbfounded. Although his words were uttered unconsciously, everyone heard him clearly due to how awfully quiet the atmosphere was.


    "No need to worry." Bai Zemin broke the silence and continued to move forward.


    "No need to worry..." Chen He looked at Bai Zemin''s back and wondered if this person had gone crazy. If there was no need to worry about this, then what were they going to worry about? However, another person spoke up just then:


    "Let''s continue. It should be fine." Shangguan Bing Xue gently shook her head and also slowly moved forward.


    "This..." Chen He did not know what to say. Her childhood friend had also gone crazy? Since the world changed, Shangguan Bing Xue''s attitude had changed a little compared to his memories; this was something confused for the talented archer.


    Actually, it wasn''t that she had changed; Shangguan Bing Xue was simply adapting to the new world and learning the new rules for survival. Simple as that.


    Being forced by the fighters who protected both sides of the diamond, Chen He and Liang Peng had no choice but to move forward. As a consequence, all the survivors were forced to walk whether they wanted to or not, after all, they could not survive alone as they lacked the power to do so.


    "My God..."


    "What... What is that creepy thing...?"


    "Beetle? How can there be such a big beetle?!"


    When the group of more than twenty people arrived at the place where the body of the First Order Blazing Beetle lay inert, it didn''t matter if it was Chen He and Liang Peng or if it was a powerless survivor; they all gasped and took a step back.


    Seeing the creature''s body that was over three meters tall and looked similar to a small flesh building, they were all shocked beyond words. Moreover, when they looked at that mighty horn and its long legs, they all felt as if their hair stood on end just imagining having to face something like that.


    "What other monster could have been able to kill this terrifying beast?" Liang Peng couldn''t help but slowly reach out and touch the elephant beetle''s shell only to be surprised to realize that it felt like he was touching cold metal.


    "Apparently the monster that fought this elephant beetle cut off a large part of its head." Chen He noticed a large amount of dried blood running down the creature''s slashed neck and quickly came to the conclusion.


    Shangguan Bing Xue simply stood silently as she stared at the giant beetle. Only she knew that the cause of all this was probably the man who was even younger than her and the person who had had the least interaction with the rest of the group.


    "I wonder if the big monster that defeated this First Order beetle is also a monster in bed~" Lilith joked as she listened to the humans'' conversation. She would never miss a chance to tease him as she loved his reactions.


    As for the "monster" that had ended the life of the First Order Blazing Beetle, Bai Zemin, he almost spits out two liters of old blood when he heard the words of the beautiful s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s beside him.


    This woman really didn''t know when to give up! Bai Zemin secretly gritted his teeth, trying not to imagine wild scenes.


    Ignoring everyone''s gaze and not caring about their comments, he walked towards the head of the giant elephant beetle and jumped approximately three meters with a loud stomp.


    Seeing this scene everyone was amazed and astonished. A three-meter high jump was something that in the past would be taken as superhuman, but now it was happening before their very eyes.


    Fu Xuefeng clenched his fists tightly as he secretly vowed to become powerful enough to perform such feats. Cai Jingyi and the other two students also had resolute looks in their eyes, further reinforcing the idea of becoming stronger.


    "Are you sure it''s here?" Bai Zemin whispered softly as he approached the giant beetle''s forehead.


    "Little Zemin, are you doubting big sister?" Lilith folded her arms, emphasizing her already big attributes even more.


    Cough... Bai Zemin quickly turned his gaze away as he secretly cursed her.


    Without further ado and under everyone''s confused gaze, Bai Zemin wielded the Xuanyuan Sword and using the tip easily pierced the beetle''s flesh. He cut several centimeters deep until he reached about half a meter before finally stopping.


    Bai Zemin stuck his right arm in as he put the sword down for a moment and rummaged around before finally pulling his now blood-filled arm back out. However, his attention was on the dark yellow rock the size of a baby''s fist in his hands.


    "That''s a First Order Soul Stone fire element." Lilith nodded and slowly explained, "I had previously overlooked it as it is not valuable to me, but to the current you, it is. Soul Stones are used to evolving skills, boost the power of spells cast from the same element, and can even boost treasures as long as you find a person with the Blacksmith class and enough ability. In short, Soul Stones have many other uses that you will slowly learn about."


    Bai Zemin''s eyes glittered when he heard her words. Such a treasure had almost been overlooked and fortunately Lilith remembered it or else he would have no tears to cry later.


    The more time passed, the more he realized how valuable the help that Lilith was giving him was. While he could learn all of this on his own as time went by, the truth was that it was an extremely big advantage in the beginning.


    Without saying a word, Bai Zemin took out a plastic bag from his backpack and carefully put away the First Order Soul Stone before putting it back into his backpack. Then, he took out an empty bottle and began to draw blood from the beetle.


    He had not forgotten the requirements to evolve his Blood Manipulation skill to Second Order. It was so difficult to defeat the First Order Blazing Beetle and his life was close to ending on so many occasions that Bai Zemin couldn''t even imagine defeating nine other similar or more powerful creatures... Worse yet, he also needed to defeat a Second Order monster!


    One step at a time... One step at a time. Bai Zemin sighed as he continued his work.


    While everyone was dumbfounded, Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful eyes glittered and without saying a word to anyone, she walked away from the group.


    "Bing Xue? Where are you going?" Chen He called out to her but was completely ignored.


    A few seconds later and just when Bai Zemin had finished filling several bottles of blood just in case, Shangguan Bing Xue came back walking like an ice goddess.


    "That woman is smart." Lilith praised as she looked at the silver-haired woman. "She went back to look for the body of the mutated dog that was frozen to death three days ago to obtain its Soul Stone."


    "What, those creatures have too?" Bai Zemin was dumbfounded.


    "Not all of them." Lilith shook her head and slowly explained, "Even evolved creatures don''t necessarily form a Soul Stone. Besides, the value of an unranked creature is far less valuable than a Soul Stone from an officially evolved creature... But still, it''s valuable to you."


    F*ck its mother... Looks like I should go find the mantis corpse when I get the opportunity. Bai Zemin sighed and after washing his hands with some water he climbed down from the giant beetle''s body.


    Bang!


    Suddenly a bang sound forced Bai Zemin to look in that direction and when he saw the scene his face became a little strange. Not only he had that strange reaction; Chen He, the rest of the survivors, and even the cold and indifferent Shangguan Bing Xue had strange looks plastered on their faces.


    Lilith looked at the scene with a touch of amus.e.m.e.nt as well, waiting to see what would happen next.

 Chapter 32 - Bai Zemins Strength

    No one knew exactly how it happened as everyone''s attention was completely fixed on the mysterious actions of Bai Zemin and the disappearance and appearance of Shangguan Bing Xue. However, at this moment, the little giant Liang Peng was lying on the ground, sitting on his b.u.t.t while looking at the giant beetle in surprise.


    "What happened?" Shangguan Bing Xue broke the awkward silence and asked with a small frown.


    Liang Peng didn''t answer her and instead jumped off the ground as he shouted loudly, "Damn it! This beetle''s shell is so hard that even with my strength and hammer I can''t break it!"


    Those survivors who were enduring the urge to laugh when they saw Liang Peng on the ground turned pale when they heard this.


    Liang Peng had been unconsciously considered as the person with the most physical strength in the whole group because of his huge hammer and the ease with which he wielded it. However, as one of the strongest in the group, even he could not break through this beetle''s defenses.


    What did it mean not to be able to break through the enemy''s defenses? It meant that in the event of a battle, it was only a matter of time before he would have to retreat in defeat or be killed.


    Then, if a creature on the level of this giant beetle appeared, Liang Peng might have a chance to flee. However, they were all weak people with average stats; if they were left to their fate it would only be a matter of time before they died miserably.


    Many young female students could not help but burst into tears again, realizing how dangerous the world was now and how little life was worth.


    "That big man looks like he graduated from a fool''s college." Lilith couldn''t help but giggle softly as she played with her hair.


    Bai Zemin frowned slightly at the growing fear of the survivors. At this rate, all his plans would fly out the window before they were even put into action.


    After hesitating for a moment, Bai Zemin slowly walked towards Liang Peng and stretched out his right hand as he calmly said, "Can you lend me your hammer for a moment?"


    "What do you want it for?" Liang Peng looked at him suspiciously. His impression of Bai Zemin was not very good at this point after what happened earlier in the gymnasium.


    "Just to see if I can break through the beetle''s defenses. Don''t worry, I''ll get it back to you right away." Bai Zemin looked at him seriously and assured him.


    Liang Peng looked at him as if he was an idiot and was about to say something when suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. With a strange smile, he raised his hammer and handed it to Bai Zemin, "Here."


    "Thank you." Bai Zemin nodded and stretched his hand forward.


    When Bai Zemin''s hand came into contact with the hammer''s handle, Liang Peng scoffed and released his grip. However, the scene of Bai Zemin being sent to the ground by the weight of the hammer did not happen, unlike what Liang Peng was imagining in his mind.


    "Uh?"


    "Look! Bai Zemin can also hold Liang Peng''s big hammer!"


    "Not only that, he''s doing it with one hand!"


    Some people began to whisper softly amidst the sound of sobbing.


    Chen He also blinked in surprise at Bai Zemin''s physical strength. On the other hand, Shangguan Bing Xue''s blue eyes flashed as if she had finally confirmed her earlier theory.


    Skull Breaking Hammer (Normal Treasure): A hammer over 2 meters long created by a metal called Atium. It weighs 300 kilograms and is capable of crushing a medium sized vehicle with ease if its wielder has enough power to wield it. When equipped, +20 Strength.


    The hammer was bright blue in color and while it brought the same amount of Strength as Bai Zemin''s Xuanyuan Sword, it was obvious from reading the description and seeing the difficulties of lifting the hammer that his sword was superior in every aspect.


    The weight of the hammer together with Bai Zemin''s total Strength being equivalent to almost nine normal people before the evolution caused a loud bang as a result of the sudden movement.


    Boom!


    After a loud boom and a small shockwave, several students could not help but fall to the ground as they lost their balance when the ground beneath their feet shook from the great weight of the weapon and the force with which it was used.


    Everyone could not help but suck in a breath of cold air at the thought of what would happen if that strike landed on them. Wouldn''t they be crushed into meat paste? Forget about them, even a normal house would collapse!


    Bai Zemin looked at the cracks in the giant elephant beetle''s shell and nodded seemingly satisfied. He turned to look at Liang Peng, who was stunned looking at the cracked shell and said casually, "It really is tough. It looks like I can''t break it. Here, thanks for your hammer."


    After picking up the hammer, Liang Peng couldn''t help but reach over and touch the place where Bai Zemin had just banged.


    Crack... Crack... Bang!


    As if that was all that was necessary, when Liang Peng''s hand came in contact with the shell, over fifty centimeters of the shell dropped to the ground, revealing the flesh and bloody cracks inside.


    "This... Wasn''t Bai Zemin supposed to be an evolved Agility type? Besides, his Strength is even superior to Liang Peng''s?" Chen He was dumbfounded as he looked at the ground split by the weight of the beetle, the weight of the hammer, and the heavy blow Bai Zemin had just made.


    "Who knows. Even I haven''t shown everything yet. Come, an idea occurred to me," Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head slightly before walking towards Bai Zemin and Liang Peng,


    "I guess everyone hides their own secrets." Chen He nodded. He followed Shangguan Bing Xue and as he looked at her back he couldn''t help but think under his breath, "Although I wish you trusted me enough to not have secrets..."


    ...


    "Then..." Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and said with a somewhat surprised tone, "You want us to use the beetle meat as food?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded indifferently and continued, "The energy called Mana empowers the living beings in the world. Then, it is likely that the giant beetle''s meat also contains some remaining Mana. I assume that the probabilities that it is beneficial to the human body are high and it is also a good source of food."


    Apart from the four main leaders, Cai Jinyi was also present as she had demonstrated good ideas during the early days of the evolutionary apocalypse. Meanwhile, the other survivors were inside the pharmacy looking for and storing as much medicine and medical utilities simple to move; in this world where unwanted surprises awaited in every corner, it was unlikely that social order would be established soon and the laboratories in charge of producing medicine would not be in operation either. Therefore, it was best to get as much as possible now that they had the opportunity to do so.


    "I think it''s a good idea." Chen He agreed without hesitation.


    Bai Zemin secretly sneered. As Shangguan Bing Xue''s suitor, it was natural for Chen He to agree with whatever she said.


    Liang Peng and Cai Jingyi also agreed with her suggestion. Not only could they obtain a source of food, but they could also fortify the body by consuming the monster''s meat. After all, the reason for the apocalypse was not a virus; the reason why everything changed was caused by the Mana!


    After some discussion, the five people finally came to the conclusion that they should first secure the surroundings and get some tools to take care of the elephant beetle''s flesh: in the meantime, the monster''s body could only stay here. No one was worried about the meat suddenly going bad because as an energy booster, the Mana was doing a good job.


    The next point the group was aiming for was a nearby restaurant in search of food, being this place not only the closest but also the one that was relatively less ringed by buildings in comparison, facilitating the vision of the surroundings, mobility, and preventing them from being trapped in case a large group of zombies appeared without warning.


    * * *


    Inside a three-story building that used to hold classes in the past, two people were hiding next to the window looking out at the restaurant fifty meters distant.


    This building that had previously been used to hold classes had now become a hellhole. Blood stains were everywhere, tables and chairs turned carelessly over, doors broken... The whole place was as if a hurricane had swept through it during the night and the only two people alive were these two hidden people.


    Three days had passed since the last time they had eaten something and finally, hunger was beginning to overcome their sense of fear.

 Chapter 33 - Arrogant and vicious Qiao Long (Part 1)

    "He Yuhan, are you sure you want to do this?" asked one of the two surviving students hiding in the building.


    "Xu Fen, do we have any other choice?" He Yuhan, a tall and fit young man in his twenties replied helplessly. "It''s been almost seventy-two hours since I last tasted a bite and my stomach roars as if a monster is hiding inside. If we don''t take the risk now to get some food, when our energy runs out it will be difficult to even move a single muscle."


    Xu Fen''s face was filled with helplessness. When had he ever had to go through such suffering? Going hungry was something he had never expected to happen to him. In the past, if he wanted something to eat, a call to a restaurant or a visit to a food center was all he needed to satiate himself, but now all this had disappeared so abruptly that it was hard to digest it all casually.


    "I knew it. If we had stayed with the group, none of this-"


    "Don''t say any more!"


    Xu Fen was muttering some reproachful words when He Yuhan''s voice stopped him with a shout that startled him. He Yuhan didn''t seem to care if the zombies or some other creature had heard his scream as he looked at his fellow survivor with eyes full of fury as he growled, "You want to go back to that place? What for? Do you want to become Qiao Long''s bitch? Eh?!"


    Xu Fen''s face turned purple when he heard this and his heart filled with regret after remembering everything Qiao Long had done during the three days they were in his group.


    "Poh..." He Yuhan spat on the ground as he cursed, "I''d rather starve to death or be eaten by a zombie than stay with that wild dog surnamed Qiao! It had only been three days but his humanity was already eaten by beasts!"


    "Hey, look! Look over there!" Xu Fen suddenly interrupted his companion and quickly tugged at his clothes to urge him to look out of the window.


    With a face full of anger, grief, and helplessness, He Yuhan forced himself to calm down and peeked his head out of the window. However, what he saw shocked him greatly and he could not suck in a breath of cold air.


    "Who... Who are these people? Are they still human or are they ghosts?"


    * * *


    The group of more than twenty survivors led by Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Liang Peng, and Bai Zemin finally arrived at the nearby street where the restaurant they aimed for this time was located. The walk was slow due to the survivors'' fear so it had been another ten minutes since they left the place where the First Order Blazing Beetle''s corpse lay.


    "How will we do it?" Bai Zemin asked casually as he looked at the surrounding two hundred plus zombies.


    "It''s impossible to avoid a confrontation against them." Chen He surveyed the surroundings before pointing. "I think the best idea is to let me lure them out slowly. That way we can annihilate them all much easier after splitting them into smaller groups."


    Because there were few buildings nearby, the zombies were quite scattered if compared to other places and the odds of being ambushed by a creature were much lower as well. However, the downside was that due to the lack of buildings when one zombie was alerted, the others would also notice the nearby life force and they would start moving in that direction.


    "I get your idea though... Wouldn''t it be easier if we just move forward and crush them all?" Liang Peng couldn''t help but point out.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him as if he was an idiot, however, she nodded to express her agreement, "Underestimating the zombies is not good. But I also feel that it would be easier to simply charge in and finish them off with a single strike to avoid attracting too much attention for too long. Anyway with the strength of our group a few hundred zombies shouldn''t be any problem."


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue did not agree with Liang Peng''s attitude of underestimating the enemy, she also felt that there was no need to give them importance when they did not deserve it. It was precisely for this reason that she accepted the proposal of the man with the hammer.


    "Then let''s get it over with." Bai Zemin didn''t even wait for the others and charged forward like a whirlwind. In less than three seconds he had already closed a distance of several meters and found himself in front of the first zombie.


    His right hand shook gently and the Xuanyuan Sword flashed with sharp light for a split second. In the next instant, the zombie''s head flew up and created a beautiful arc in the sky as red blood spurted out like a fountain.


    However, Bai Zemin had already left that place a long time ago so he could not even smell the scent of blood, let alone see it.


    [You have acquired level 4 Normal Zombie soul power].


    [You have acquired level 4 Normal Zombie soul power].


    ...


    Even after losing his Velocity Boots during his battle against the First Order Blazing Beetle, Bai Zemin''s Agility was still far superior to that of a normal person and most evolved people. With 76 Agility points and being almost eight times faster than a normal person, Bai Zemin''s current speed had reached a point where he could move at approximately one hundred kilometers per hour.


    Unlike most automobiles that needed some time at first to get up to speed, making use of his 85 Strength points to push himself with his legs, Bai Zemin could reach a speed of 0-100 kilometers per hour in just one second!


    His body flickered through the crowd of zombies at astonishing speeds while small explosions sounded every time one of his legs stomped the ground to propel himself forward.


    In less than five seconds, ten zombies had fallen to the ground decapitated and their blood was slowly beginning to acc.u.mulate.


    "No matter how many times I see it, that speed is insane..." Chen He couldn''t help but force a smile as he looked at the ongoing massacre. Was the help of the three of them even necessary here to begin with?


    "Let''s go." Shangguan Bing Xue said indifferently as she took a step forward. Her body moved like an ice butterfly and, although her speed was not as high as Bai Zemin''s, she was definitely not slow as even Chen He and Liang Peng were quickly left behind.


    With a smooth wave of her hand, ten small ice bullets appeared out of nowhere, and with another smooth movement gracefully the ten ice bullets silently pierced the heads of ten zombies almost at the same time.


    While it was true that Bai Zemin was not using his Blood Manipulation skill, the reality was that Shangguan Bing Xue''s ice bullet penetration ability was much higher. In addition, her control over Mana was truly spectacular. Therefore, when she joined the battle she had soon claimed the first place in kill count with Bai Zemin following closely behind.


    Chen He sighed before drawing three arrows from the quiver on his back and placing them in his bow. With a simple pull and release of the bowstring, the three arrows soared through the skies like dragons and found themselves hitting three different targets at exactly the same time. The next instant, another three arrows shot out and three more zombies fell lifeless with an arrow stuck exactly in the middle of their foreheads.


    Although his killing speed was not as high in comparison to Shangguan Bing Xue, it was only slightly lower than the speed at which Bai Zemin without using any skills cleared enemies.


    Chen He''s skill was Professional Sniper and as long as he had the necessary weapon, even a fly two kilometers away could not escape his shots.


    Liang Peng snorted and seemed to take the zombie clearing as a competition. With a fierce growl, his body suddenly swelled up and several parts of the clothes he was wearing cracked,


    Bang!


    With a mighty stomp that left a crack in the ground beneath his feet, Liang Peng made use of his monstrous strength to boost himself forward and with a ferocious blow, a zombie was smashed to pieces as flesh and blood splattered everywhere. With another heavy stomp, his body moved in a straight line towards the next target.


    The survivors who had quietly stood by Chen He, who was constantly shooting arrows while Fu Xuefeng hurriedly picked them up, looked at the scene unfolding before their eyes with fervor and hope.


    Being part of a group with four such powerful evolved ones and with others rising in the near future, the chances of survival were undoubtedly much higher and the lifestyle they could lead would undoubtedly be a lot better than those without power. Of course, with the new rules in place today, they all knew that they had to work hard to get a better living; but as long as they didn''t have to fight a zombie or any other creature, it was okay for them to do any job. That was precisely why these survivors had the courage to go out to carry the food.

 Chapter 34 - Arrogant and vicious Qiao Long (Part 2)

    After about five minutes, all the zombies, even the farthest one in sight, had been completely annihilated by the group of four.


    Bai Zemin looked on indifferently as the blood of over two hundred zombies had acc.u.mulated to form a large pool of blood. Although his expression was casual, several thoughts flickered in his mind as he looked at his own status window.


    The battle had lasted only a few minutes but Bai Zemin had consumed five Stamina points. While it was true that five points were not much compared to his one hundred and eighty total points, the reality was that this small scuffle against the zombies had made Bai Zemin realize even more that even if he was strong he had not reached the point of being able to take on an army of inexhaustible creatures that knew neither the meaning of the word fear nor the meaning of the word pain.


    A few hundred zombies was fine, but if there were several thousand of them, then even Bai Zemin himself would have no choice but to retreat before his Stamina was completely consumed, or else he would end up becoming zombie food.


    Liang Peng was panting slightly, obviously his Stamina stats were not particularly high and he had probably consumed even more than Bai Zemin, whose body had evolved steadily and more evenly.


    Chen He was picking up some arrows while rubbing his fingers softly, seemingly numb. Moreover, his c.h.e.s.t was rising and falling smoothly; even if he hadn''t had to run all over the place, the optimal concentration he had to exert to shoot three arrows at the same time with total accuracy was not a simple thing and the pressure was immense for him.


    As for Shangguan Bing Xue, she was as indifferent as ever and it was simply impossible to know what was going through her mind.


    Soon, the group of survivors entered the restaurant and began to inspect what they could and could not take. As they passed by the blood-filled corpses, the smell of iron assaulted their nostrils and many of them had to be supported by others in order to move forward as their legs had softened to the point where they could fall to the ground at any moment.


    * * *


    "What do we do?" Xu Fen whispered quietly as he looked out the window of the small building.


    He Yuhan was silent for more than a minute before finally saying somewhat hesitantly, "I think we should try to contact them..."


    "What?! And what if they also end up being just like Qiao Long and abuse of their power?" Xu Fen didn''t seem very willing. Although he had previously asked what to do, he actually hoped not to have to leave this place.


    Fear and the things he had seen over the past week had turned Xu Fen into a frightened person who would rather starve to death than take the slightest risk.


    He Yuhan also hesitated a little when he heard this. However, he shook his head and said resolutely, "No, I don''t think they are the same as that bitch surnamed Qiao! The president of the student association Shangguan Bing Xue was with them and she is known for her impartiality. Besides, as a woman, she definitely won''t allow such atrocious acts like Qiao Long committed to happen before her."


    Xu Fen could not help but nod. He had also recognized Shangguan Bing Xue among the survivors, she was an extremely strong and capable fighter with the ability to create ice at will and control it as if it was something she had been doing all her life.


    Considering that Shangguan Bing Xue was known to be extremely righteous in her decisions in the past, Xu Fen believed that she would not turn into a beast with human skin so soon.


    "Besides, if we don''t go with them, we''ll die like starving dogs here... Worse yet, a zombie might appear at night and eat us without us noticing!" He Yuhan shook his head and slowly stood up, fighting the dizziness that struck him as a result of not having eaten anything for three whole days.


    * * *


    The group of more than twenty survivors found plenty of food in the restaurant. The only unfortunate thing was that most of the food was not durable as canned food was not particularly popular here.


    Even so, over thirty kg of rice, noodles, flour, and other miscellaneous items were found that did not need any particular care except to be kept away from moisture. This type of food could last a long time without too much specific care which was a good thing.


    Apart from plain food, they also found white meat and red meat, but because the gymnasium''s refrigerator was not particularly large, they could only take a few kilos before they had to leave the rest there since defrosted meat would not last long before going bad anyway.


    After filling approximately sixty backpacks with all kinds of food and drink, the group that had found enough food to feed a hundred people for at least another two weeks was about to leave when two people came into view.


    "Other survivors?" Chen He was surprised and moved forward. However, before he could go too far, Shangguan Bing Xue stopped him and gestured for him to stay in his place.


    She looked at the two people cautiously and asked, "My name is Shangguan Bing Xue, may I know who you are?"


    "Sh-Shangguan president... M-My name is He Yuhan, a third year student." He Yuhan could not help but stammer nervously before introducing himself.


    However, the other young man did not introduce himself and instead stared dazedly at Shangguan Bing Xue with wide eyes.


    Her cold face was like that of an ice angel and the curves of her body were so lovely that even her dress could not fully cover them. Xu Fen felt all the lack of energy he felt before disappear just by seeing her.


    Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows slightly and a look of disgust flashed in her eyes. Although she was already used to such looks, such impudence to stare at her undisguisedly was still unbearable.


    "Hey, didn''t anyone teach you politeness?" a cold voice snapped Xu Fen out of his daze and he was startled when he saw Chen He staring at him with icy coldness.


    Bai Zemin secretly raised an eyebrow. To think that this handsome and kind guy was actually capable of speaking in that tone and giving that kind of look... Interesting, he thought.


    "I-I''m sorry!" Xu Fen blushed fiercely and quickly apologized before introducing himself.


    The atmosphere became extremely awkward after what happened earlier and after the introduction of the two newcomers, everyone fell silent.


    "So..." Bai Zemin broke the silence as he looked at the two men around his own age and questioned, "What do you guys want? Join our group?"


    He Yuhan''s eyes lit up and he nodded hurriedly, "That''s right! We would like to join your group! Although we can''t fight, doing jobs like carrying food should be easy!"


    He Yuhan was a smart guy. Previously he had seen how the survivors worked with the food while the four fighters and three other people did nothing; therefore, he had come to the conclusion that this was a group with certain tactical rules.


    "That''s good." Bai Zemin nodded with a small smile. "As long as you are not leeches, you guys are welcome."


    "Even if they are leeches we can''t just let them die casually." Shangguan Bing Xue pointed out.


    Bai Zemin looked at her briefly before saying lightly, "Well, you''ll have to give them some of your food in that case. Personally, I am not anyone''s father here. This group was formed to survive and live better, not to drag burdens."


    "Aren''t your words a bit rude?" Chen He couldn''t help but frown. To him, Shangguan Bing Xue was the most important person in the world, even more than his family. Therefore, he always cared about everything related to her.


    "Hehe..." Bai Zemin chuckled before looking at him with a touch of sympathy as he said, "Let me see how far you go with your kind-hearted mentality. When your kindness and hesitation become an obstacle, your life won''t be the only thing at risk here."


    Saying that, Bai Zemin''s gaze momentarily paused on the silver-haired woman before turning his attention away from this pair of strange friends.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Chen He and then looked at Bai Zemin who looked casual. She sighed in her heart.


    While it was true that Bai Zemin''s words were not pleasant to listen to and Chen He was helping her, the reality was that in this new world Bai Zemin''s words were far more logical. Moreover, while Chen He''s personality was almost perfect, this was in the world before the Soul Record came to this planet; in this new era, such a personality would only attract troubles.


    It was just that for her it was not simple to abandon people. She was raised in a very powerful government family and Shangguan Bing Xue felt it was her responsibility to protect others when in fact it was not.

 Chapter 35 - Arrogant and vicious Qiao Long (Part 3-Last)

    While He Yuhan and Xu Fen looked at the people who were apparently the leaders, upon more careful observation they realized that the union of this group was not particularly good. In fact, He Yuhan had subtly noticed that except for Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He, both famous people on campus, the guy with the sword whose name was unknown to them and the leader of the team in charge of maintaining guard Liang Peng were not particularly close to any person present.


    Bai Zemin did not bother too much with useless introductions. While these people claimed to be able to do some jobs without danger, what he lacked most now were fighters. As for the matter of Chen He, he didn''t even think about it for a second before forgetting that.


    Shangguan Bing Xue saw that Chen He''s expression had turned a little ugly. As for Bai Zemin''s expression... He was so indifferent that he seemed to be competing with her. Not wanting the group to have more problems than they already had, she looked at the two foreigners and asked suspiciously, "You two, would you mind telling me how you were able to survive for a whole week? Not only are you not evolved people who absorbed Soul Power from the Soul Record, neither are there any particularly safe places here to casually rest for six days without food."


    Bai Zemin''s ears twitched softly upon hearing this and he focused his attention on the two people again. If it wasn''t for Shangguan Bing Xue''s sharp mind he really wouldn''t have cared about something as small as that; but now he really was curious.


    Besides, he was still hoping to get information about the person who had conspired against him three days ago.


    While Bai Zemin was recovering from his most severe wounds, Lilith had told him that a man who did not belong to the group he was part of had lured many zombies to surround him after he finished his battle to the death against the First Order Blazing Beetle. Back then, if not for Shangguan Bing Xue''s timely appearance, Bai Zemin might have actually died in that place.


    It was precisely for this reason that his attitude towards her had become slightly more tolerant as he knew he was in debt. Bai Zemin was always a person who remembered favors... But he also remembered enmities.


    In the past, a person close to him betrayed him in the cruelest way. As revenge, when Bai Zemin recovered from his depression, he secretly sneaked into that person''s bedroom and broke his legs as well as his arms with a metal pipe during the night.


    How could he forget about someone who intended to turn him into zombie food?


    Although Bai Zemin did not expect to find such a person from the mouths of these people, pleasant surprises still happened even in hell.


    He Yuhan''s eyes flashed with anger, reproach, sadness, and many complex emotions when he heard Shangguan Bing Xue''s question. In a low voice, he began to narrate the events that he and Xu Fen had witnessed the first few days that the world changed.


    Before everything became chaotic, He Yuhan was escorting his girlfriend back to the women''s dormitory after they had been together most of the day when the storm broke out without warning. Not long after, He Yuhan felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, forcing him to stop his steps in his tracks as he knelt on the ground.


    The pain only lasted a few seconds, however, when he looked to his side, he was shocked and startled to realize that his pretty girlfriend was standing under the rain in a daze. He Yuhan tried to call out to her, but when he saw her dying white eyes he was so frightened that he couldn''t help but turn away... It was then that chaos erupted.


    Qiao Long was a person who had trained hard in some kind of martial arts since childhood so he somehow managed to kill several zombies, absorb Soul Power, and evolve. However, his lucky break came when he encountered two high-level mutated dogs seriously injured after fighting each other; taking the opportunity, Qiao Long killed both mutated dogs and directly evolved to level 15.


    However, Qiao Long was actually a cruel snake who hid his fangs behind his facade of a handsome man. After gaining power, he understood and accepted very quickly that the world and the rules of the past were no longer valid; the only valid rule in this new world was that all rules were written by whoever had the strongest fist.


    Having understood the whole situation, Qiao Long showed outstanding adaptability. However, he also unleashed all his darkest d.e.s.i.r.es without caring about anything but enjoying the new life.


    Within his group, Qiao Long had forced everyone to call him ''King''. As ''King, Qiao Long naturally had his own harem which was composed of a total of eight beautiful female students and two beautiful female teachers. Among these ten women, only four of them were happy as they could eat the best food and have the backing of someone strong; but the other six were unwilling.


    Unfortunately, these women were weak and Qiao Long simply forced himself on them.


    Qiao Long not only forced the women to serve him, but also ate the best food and enjoyed the best treatment available within the group of survivors he had rescued. This had naturally aroused the discontent of many people for which a group consisting of five hot-blooded students stood up to confront him.


    Too bad, these warm-blooded students were just normal people. How could five normal human beings even compare to Qiao Long, who was not only versed in martial arts but had even absorbed a vast amount of Soul Power higher than his own? Qiao Long broke the legs of the five male students and threw them into a group of zombies while laughing loudly as he watched them crawl with their hands and the slow zombies chased after them at similar speeds.


    In the end, due to the zombies'' infinity Stamina, the five students were eaten alive when they exhausted all their strength. After this event, no one dared to oppose Qiao Long anymore and he has been living a life of debauchery and uncontrolled while the rest were living the life of cats and dogs.


    After finishing narrating the story, He Yuhan explained that the reason why he and Xu Fen managed to flee was because three days ago Qiao Long had returned frightened for some reason and vented all his fear having physical relations with several of his ''imperial concubines''. Making use of this opportunity, they both fled during the night.


    When the group of survivors heard about Qiao Long''s actions most of them could not help but suck in a breath of cold air. The women shuddered in terror at the thought of leading a life worse than death and their eyes were filled with pain at the suffering those people were experiencing.


    He Yuhan''s words also served to make everyone realize how fortunate they were. After all, while the group had its own problems, at least everyone was relatively decent and the four strongest leaders kept their sanity seemingly intact; even the lecherous Liang Peng had not forced anyone to do anything o.b.s.c.e.n.e.


    Suddenly the temperature of the place seemed to drop several degrees all at once and the survivors could not help but recoil as they looked at the beautiful and usually indifferent Shangguan Bing Xue with surprise and trepidation.


    Even Bai Zemin, Chen He, and Liang Peng had to move several steps away as they looked at her with different reactions.


    A part of the ground under her feet had frozen completely while her eyes seemed to burn with fire as she looked at He Yuhan. Very slowly, she uttered word by word, "You... Lead me to the place where Qiao Long is."


    Her voice was as cold as millennial ice that had been cut off from all warmth and seemed to have forgotten all about emotions.

 Chapter 36 - Bone-chilling coldness

    -In a building north of the university campus, fourth floor.


    This place was previously used as an important meeting room by the teachers and directors of the university, therefore, the decoration was quite elegant, the glass windows were almost two meters high; which provided a beautiful view from the fourth floor to the outside. However, while the view was beautiful, the danger was also high because in this new world such a place without any protection was definitely not a good place to stay too long.


    A young man of about 21 or 22 whose face was quite handsome and whose body was very fit was sitting in a leather chair while drinking a glass of whiskey.


    While students were not allowed to drink alcohol within the university grounds regardless of their age, the teachers had their own stocks so it was not easy for him to find several bottles.


    On the young man''s l.a.p was a beautiful female student about the same age as him. This young woman smiled every time the young man said something and was clearly trying to curry favor with him in any way possible.


    This young man was Qiao Long.


    "That little dog Su Min sure is arrogant." Qiao Long spat as he clung tightly to the woman''s slender waist in his embrace. "Does he think that just because he''s a teacher he can give me orders? Let''s see if now that I''ve broken his legs he''ll learn to be more careful next time!"


    The girl in his embrace shuddered imperceptibly at his words. With a flattering smile, she kissed him and praised, "King Qiao, why bother with little flies? Who doesn''t know that your power is the only reason we are still alive?"


    "Hahaha... My little Xiao Xiao is still the best!" Qiao Long laughed approvingly before giving the beauty a deep kiss.


    He loved the feeling of dominating the life and death of others. Even the women he had slept with had to call him ''King'' or else they would have to suffer his anger.


    The girl''s name was Xiao Xiao and she was a fourth year student. She was one of the few women who was willing to give herself to Qiao Long of her own free will; she just wanted to survive and lead a better life. Moreover, although she was scared of Qiao Long and his wild acts, Xiao Xiao had also become accustomed to giving orders and looking down on others with arrogance after only six days of apocalypse.


    Bang!


    The office door was opened with a bang and one of Qiao Long''s cronies walked in with a pale face as he urgently shouted, "King, those two little bitches Xu Fen and He Yuhan are back!"


    Qiao Long was about to curse this student for interrupting his moment of happiness, however, when he heard his words, his eyes flashed viciously.


    "Those two puny ants finally couldn''t stand the hunger? Just wait until I get my hands on them and let me watch them run away again!" Qiao Long gently pushed the woman he was about to have a good time with and stood up as he walked to the exit.


    The student buddy was surprised and quickly followed him as he hurriedly said, "King, those two puny ants are not alone! There is a group of survivors of about twenty or thirty people and among them is the number 1 beauty of our university!"


    Qiao Long''s footsteps stopped abruptly and he looked at the student with red eyes, "Is that right?"


    The student naturally understood the meaning behind that question. After so many days of seeing Qiao Long''s arrogant and confident attitude, this student knew that he was not afraid of crowds.


    "It''s really her. I saw her with my own eyes! Shangguan Bing Xue was together with that pretty face Chen He and two other guys I don''t know!"


    A huge smile appeared on Qiao Long''s face and he walked out taking long strides as he daydreamed about delighting with the body of the arrogant woman that countless men were dreaming about; even teachers were secretly looking at the beauty Shangguan Bing Xue.


    As for Chen He and the other two strangers, Qiao Long ignored them completely.


    Chen He came from a powerful family, this was something that everyone knew well and it was also for this reason that no one dared to touch Shangguan Bing Xue, thinking that he was her safeguard. However, few knew that she never trusted the protection of anyone but herself.


    But what good did it do to have a powerful family now? Weren''t they all in the same situation? Qiao Long was confident that as long as he did not meet that monster who killed the beetle there was no one capable of defeating him in this university!


    ''However, that guy should be dead or at least seriously injured right now.'' Qiao Long thought as he headed for the exit of the building.


    That night three days ago, Qiao Long was terrified when he saw the giant elephant beetle; his whole being was screaming to run away and not to appear before that creature. However, to Qiao Long''s surprise and horror, one person actually dared to face that beetle and actually emerged victorious... Qiao Long did not even dare to think about what would happen if that person appeared before him one day as his enemy.


    Therefore, taking the opportunity of the fact that this person was injured after defeating the elephant beetle, Qiao Long attracted a large number of zombies to surround such a person. In fact, Qiao Long was so scared at that time that he did not even dare to approach and left after attracting more than a hundred infected undead.


    But Qiao Long did not believe that that unknown person would have survived and even if he survived his injuries should be critical considering that fierce battle in the middle of the storm.


    * * *


    Bai Zemin and the rest of the survivors advanced under He Yuhan''s guidance.


    Although He Yuhan was scared and did not want to see Qiao Long again for the rest of his life if possible, under the death stare Shangguan Bing Xue was giving him he did not dare to say no and could only lead the way obediently.


    "Bing Xue, why don''t you calm down a moment?" Chen He walked beside his best friend and at the same time the only woman he had ever loved, trying to appease her with a soft voice.


    Unfortunately, all his efforts failed miserably.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s gaze was fixed on the road before her and every time a zombie dared to appear in her vision it was miserably slaughtered even before it could growl twice.


    Bai Zemin was quite surprised. Although in the past he was indifferent to everyone and did not pay attention to anyone in particular, the reality was that it was impossible not to know Shangguan Bing Xue unless one was not a student or teacher of this university.

 Chapter 37 - Having power but being held back by her own allies

    Sensing Shangguan Bing Xue''s extremely bad mood, none of the survivors dared to say a word and continued carrying the heavy backpacks and bags full of food and drink.


    "It''s here..." Hesitantly, He Yuhan pointed to a four-story building one street away and everyone stopped after hearing his words.


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, Shangguan Bing Xue nodded indifferently and slowly walked forward with Chen He following close behind.


    Liang Peng also followed a little behind. After all, as a member of this group, Shangguan Bing Xue was an important asset and Liang Peng was not willing to see her die as it would mean his own life would be harder from then on.


    As for Bai Zemin, he mingled among the survivors and in a low voice that no one could hear, he whispered, "Hey, Lilith... Is this the guy who tried to kill me three days ago?"


    "Indeed, he''s the one who attracted that crowd of zombies." Lilith nodded with a casual smile as she floated several meters above the ground. With eyes full of curiosity, she looked at Bai Zemin and asked, "What will you do?"


    "Just wait and see." Bai Zemin replied indifferently. However, his eyes flashed with a hint of coldness imperceptible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    You dare to try to kill me using the zombies? I will show you the consequences of having failed then!


    ...


    "Oh! It''s really you, Shangguan Bing Xue!" Qiao Long exclaimed ecstatically as he opened his arms wide. His eyes glittered with n.a.k.e.d d.e.s.i.r.e as he gazed at the curves of the beautiful woman before him.


    Shangguan Bing Xue was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life! Only such a woman was truly worthy of being his queen!


    "You are Qiao Long, the leader of this group who calls himself King?" Shangguan Bing Xue''s voice was bone-chilling as she looked at him coldly.


    "That''s right." Qiao Long did not contradict and confirmed as he nodded. He inspected first Chen He and then Liang Peng before saying, "I see that you are also good fighters, how about joining this King? I can promise you the best treatment and the best looking women. Above all and only below one, me!"


    Chen He looked at him as if he was an idiot. This person surely lost his brain just like the zombies.


    Liang Peng seemed tempted by the offer when he heard the word women, but finally sighed as he muttered ''what a pity'' over and over again.


    Shangguan Bing Xue was clearly not in the mood to listen any nonsense. She waved her right hand gently and two ice pikes appeared floating above her head before shooting out towards Qiao Long''s arms; she clearly intended to disable him immediately.


    "Since you won''t agree to be mine for good, then I''ll make you my personal bitch when I get my hands on you!" Qiao Long snorted in response. He was already expecting things not to go his way so he was secretly on his guard.


    "Break!" Qiao Long shouted and punched a fist forward.


    Bang!


    Qiao Long''s punch seemed to be strong enough to make the air in front of him bang noisily. As if an air cannon had formed after that blow, Shangguan Bing Xue''s two ice pikes were shattered by the strong pressure.


    With a stomp, Qiao Long''s body shot forward at full speed while staring at Shangguan Bing Xue and having identified her as a ranged fighter.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s expression remained unchanged. With a wave of her hand, ten ice pikes appeared above her head and shot towards the enemy.


    Seeing the ten ice pikes approaching at full speed, Qiao Long''s face changed slightly and he was forced to jump to the side. He had barely rolled on the ground and dodged three pikes when the other seven changed course and continued to pursue him.


    In response, Qiao Long clenched both fists and launched a flurry of punches forward.


    Bang...Bang...Bang...Bang....


    In retaliation, Qiao Long clenched both fists and fiercely punched forward while glaring at Chen He and Liang Peng. The air blasted noisily and two air cannons shot out toward the two men who apparently had no intention of participating.


    The two men were stupefied. Neither of them expected that this person would suddenly attack them when he was fighting another person.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s face finally had a slight change upon seeing this. Without delay, she waved both hands and two thin walls of ice appeared in front of the two men.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    The two thin walls of ice were crushed by the force of the air cannon, but they managed to stop the sneak attack successfully. Unfortunately, Shangguan Bing Xue had spent a lot of mana to create those two ice walls; after all, her Ice Maker skill was a First Order skill and she did not have perfect control over it.


    "Hehehe..." Qiao Long laughed and charged forward as he took the opportunity of lack of attacks.


    "Damn bastard!" Chen He blushed in embarrassment and couldn''t help but curse. If it wasn''t for Shangguan Bing Xue he might have been seriously injured or even killed by the previous attack! But worst of all was that because of him she had to face incoming troubles.


    With swift and expert movements, Chen He pulled out three arrows from the quiver on his back and with fiery anger shot the three arrows towards Qiao Long.


    "Are you still trying to be soft? You trash!" Qiao Long looked at Chen He and sneered. With a strong punch, the three arrows aimed at his limbs were easily torn apart.


    Shangguan Bing Xue crafted twenty ice bullets and shot them all forward at the same time. She no longer seemed to care about her enemy''s life as many attacks targeted areas like the head and heart.


    Qiao Long also noticed the change in the pattern of enemy attacks and immediately realized that, to his frustration, he was actually weaker than her. With no other choice, he was forced to change his strategy.


    While Shangguan Bing Xue thought that Qiao Long would continue charging towards her, he suddenly turned his body and charged towards Chen He, who was still shocked by the ease with which his attack was crushed.


    "Chen He, watch out!" Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but exclaim as she built up a wall of ice in front of him.


    "HAHAHAHA. You fall little beauty~" Qiao Long laughed out loud like a lunatic whose plan succeeded. A whirlwind of wind appeared under his feet and his speed soared to new heights.


    Under everyone''s dumbfounded gaze, Qiao Long dashed toward Shangguan Bing Xue once again. However, she had no time to create more attacks this time since she was still dazed by what had just happened. Powerless, she could only watch as his hand stretched forward in an attempt to catch her.


    "How dare you, you damn brat!" an enraged roar sounded from the side followed by a loud pressure.


    Qiao Long''s face turned pale when he saw a huge hammer just a meter away from his head. If that blow reached him, forget about being seriously injured; his head would undoubtedly explode into several hundred pieces!

 Chapter 38 - Killing without remorse (Part 1)

    Surprisingly, instead of backing away, Qiao Long gritted his teeth and punched his fist forward.


    Boom!


    A powerful air cannon collided with the huge hammer, stopping the attack and giving Qiao Long time to retreat and change direction. At the same time, Liang Peng''s timely interruption ended up buying Shangguan Bing Xue the necessary time.


    Among the crowd of survivors, Bai Zemin looked at everything coolly.


    "What a surprise..." Lilith''s voice sounded beside him. "To think that human actually has a skill as strong as your Blood Manipulation."


    "No. His skill is weaker." Bai Zemin shook his head softly and replied in a whisper.


    "Good. It''s true that in advanced stages your skill is stronger... But how do you know?" Lilith looked at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for his answer.


    "Instinct." Bai Zemin smiled slightly.


    "Bah." Lilith rolled her eyes.


    Qiao Long was really strong. Although not as much as Shangguan Bing Xue, he was powerful. His skill had already been discovered by Bai Zemin and was indeed very strong; however, it was strong in the initial stages, Bai Zemin knew that his Blood Manipulation skill was going to become extremely horrifying in the future. On the other hand, Qiao Long''s skill would only become more and more insignificant in comparison.


    "Why don''t you go and finish him off?" Lilith was getting a little bored and apparently wanted to see some blood.


    "Although I know I am strong, in my battle against the Blazing Beetle the reason I survived and emerged victorious was because of my intelligence and not my strength as I was clearly weaker." Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and a strange glint flashed deep inside it. "Now, we are all in the same group, but in the future, it won''t necessarily be like that."


    Lilith''s eyes widened and she looked at him with noticeable surprise as she asked in amazement, "You... Are you studying the strength and weaknesses of each of them?"


    Bai Zemin smiled faintly but did not reply, instead, he focused on the movements of Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Liang Peng.


    Know what you are capable of doing, learn about your enemy, plan, and you will emerge invincible in every battle. This was a proverb that Bai Zemin had been fond of since he was young.


    Although he and they were currently allies, Bai Zemin had already suffered an assassination attempt from a person he did not even know. Bai Zemin had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be stabbed in the back ever again in his life, once in the past was enough.


    "Better safe than sorry." He whispered to himself.


    As she looked at Bai Zemin acting as if he was a computer, Lilith couldn''t help but feel even a bit of pity in the midst of her happiness. She was happy that he thought that way since his survival would be much smoother and the probability of him dying would be much lower... However, she also felt pity as he was changing too fast. Compared to that young man she had seen for the first time, that young man who had been scared when he saw his first zombie and even screamed when he saw the level 5 Big Bee, the current he was a lot more cold and cold-hearted.


    What skill did he acquire? Lilith was going crazy trying to find out but she couldn''t get to the answer she was looking for.


    It was simply impossible for him to change so much in just six days. Therefore, he must have acquired a powerful passive skill but with side effects as a consequence.


    As Lilith looked at him with complicated emotions, while Bai Zemin analyzed the movements of each evolved, the battle continued,


    Shangguan Bing Xue was clearly stronger, but Qiao Long was extremely cunning and used Chen He''s safety to force her to stop her ice attacks and erect defensive walls, which was causing her to expend a large amount of Mana.


    Qiao Long naturally knew that the two of them were friends since they were young, after all, Shagguan Bing Xue and Chen He were both well-known characters before the apocalypse. Therefore, he used this against them.


    Chen He was strong, but his forte was in ranged attacks. However, every time he wanted to move away, Qiao Long would appear before him at higher speeds than him so he was completely and utterly suppressed.


    As for Liang Peng, although he possessed the power to threaten Qiao Long''s life, his Agility was simply too low to catch up with him. Therefore, Liang Peng stood beside Shangguan Bing Xue without allowing Qiao Long a chance to get close.


    "Bai Zemin, what are you doing? You still don''t plan to move?" Shangguan Bing Xue finally couldn''t help but get frustrated and shouted out loud while looking back.


    She really intended to kill Qiao Long, but he was like a slippery c.o.c.kroach running around. As if that wasn''t enough, she had exhausted almost all of her Mana protecting Chen He and her mood had turned extremely ugly at this moment.


    Qiao Long''s face changed when he heard Shangguan Bing Xue''s words and he hurriedly retreated while making use of two air cannons under his feet. Currently he was already in huge trouble, if another evolved appeared then it was likely that he would have no choice but to retreat.


    "Sure. I just thought you wanted to do it by yourself." Bai Zemin walked out with casual steps as he looked at Qiao Long with a smile that wasn''t a smile.


    "It''s you!"


    When Qiao Long saw him, his pupils contracted to the size of a needle and he couldn''t help but gasp. In fact, he was shocked to the point where he couldn''t help but yell out.


    Although it was dark that night and Qiao Long had not been able to make out Bai Zemin''s appearance, the black coat and the sword in his hand were something Qiao Long would never forget no matter what.


    "I''m glad you remember me." Bai Zemin nodded with a smile, as if greeting an old friend. Since Qiao Long wasn''t playing dumb, it was easier for him to not have to beat around the bush.


    "You know this sc.u.mbag?" Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin cautiously and walked away from him.


    Bai Zemin looked at her and instead of answering, he asked, "That stormy night three days ago, the reason those zombies surrounded me was because of him. Do you think I know him or not?"


    At first, she was surprised. However, she soon let out a small sigh of relief. Since Qiao Long had planned to kill him, that meant they were not friends; if Bai Zemin and Qiao Long were friends and joined forces, then things would be difficult.


    Bang!


    Qiao Long''s face turned pale and without even a moment''s hesitation, he turned around to flee. The ground under his feet cracked slightly due to the air cannons and he sped away.


    The people in Qiao Long''s group were shocked to the point of not being able to believe what they were seeing. He, who was arrogant as hell and called himself ''King'' was actually running away like a cowardly chicken?


    But how could Bai Zemin allow him to come and go at will?


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    Suddenly, Qiao Long''s footsteps stopped abruptly. A moment later, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and knelt on the ground while clutching his stomach growling lowly.


    Bai Zemin approached step by step and without haste. At this point, he didn''t mind showing off a bit of his main skill... Anyway, it was unlikely that anyone would be able to identify it with such little testing.


    Arriving next to Qiao Long, Bai Zemin squatted down and with his healthy hand grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head up and to look directly into his eyes.


    "Ugh..." Qiao Long couldn''t help but grimace in pain. However, when he looked into Bai Zemin''s eyes, he was so startled that for a moment he forgot the pain he was feeling.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes were cold by nature and it was as if all her life she had had that frozen gaze with no sign of emotion. But the coldness emanating from Bai Zemin''s gaze was brimming with a cruelty that seemed to come from every fiber of his being.


    "A little bird told me that you like to play with zombies? Sounds interesting!"

 Chapter 39 - Killing without remorse (Part 2-Last)

    "A little bird told me that you like to play with zombies? Sounds interesting!"


    Hearing the words that Bai Zemin had just spoken, the crowd of people inside the building who were silently observing the battle and the survivors who were guided by He Yuhan could not help but gasp.


    What did Bai Zemin mean by ''play with zombies''? Of course they all understood! How could they not understand the intention behind those words? After all, while the group of survivors led by Qiao Long had seen him throw live people to the zombies, the group led by Bai Zemin and the others had heard the story of the events less than an hour ago!


    Chen He''s face turned a little ugly when he heard this. Even now he couldn''t just casually go and kill a person. Being raised in a family with a military background, Chen He always believed and still now did believe that criminals should face the law.


    "This person is crazy? He''s joking, isn''t he?" Chen He asked dumbfounded.


    "Who knows..." Shangguan Bing Xue replied absently and without much interest. Currently, her thoughts were on something else.


    What happened just now? Why did Qiao Long, who was acting all powerful just a moment ago, suddenly become as weak as an insect and coughed up a mouthful of blood? Shangguan Bing Xue was trying to find answers to these questions while looking at Bai Zemin with eyes filled with doubt.


    ''''Bing Xue, are you okay with this? Your family won''t accept it either if they find out... Considering how many witnesses there are here..." Chen He hesitated for a moment before pointing. From his point of view, while it was true that the world had changed, it was impossible that the army could not defeat the zombies considering how slow they were.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him a little exasperated. She knew that Chen He was saying those words to stop Bai Zemin out of kindness, but that kindness in this world without rules was somewhat annoying.


    "Then you want me to kill him?" she asked casually, as if killing a person was not difficult at all. "With my family backing me up, even if I kill him in front of so many people it should be fine."


    "What? That''s not what I meant and you know it!" Chen He couldn''t help but look at her as if she was crazy.


    "Anyway, that sc.u.m will die in one way or another." Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head before looking at Qiao Long with disgust and hatred. "Such a sc.u.m of a man.... That''s why they shouldn''t exist to begin with."


    Chen He was slightly dumbfounded as he heard her final words. In the end, he could only sigh as his eyes flashed with complex emotions.


    * * *


    On the other hand, while the survivors were looking at him with terror and while Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue had different thoughts about the current situation, Bai Zemin was dragging Qiao Long on the ground as if he was a broken rag.


    "Let me go, you f*cking bastard!" Qiao Long roared furiously and tried to activate his skill to free himself. However...


    Cough!


    Qiao Long felt all his internal organs clench, it was as if they were about to break into pieces. In the end, he couldn''t help but cough out a mouthful of blood for the second time.


    "What... What''s going on?" Qiao Long was scared. The pain was so great that it was about to become unbearable!


    "You can''t activate your Air Manipulation skill right?" Bai Zemin questioned indifferently as he continued to drag Qiao Long on the ground.


    Bai Zemin''s hand was like a pair of unbreakable iron pincers that clung tightly to Qiao Long''s head unwilling to let go.


    "What... How do you know the name of my skill?" Qiao Long looked at him as if he was looking at a ghost in broad daylight.


    "Hmm... About that..." Bai Zemin replied unhurriedly as he stopped and smiled slightly at the group of ten zombies slowly approaching.


    Due to the sound of the previous battle, some creatures were attracted so Bai Zemin hadn''t even walked thirty meters before a group of zombies came into view.


    "While you were fighting before I noticed that you were trying to hide your skill by using your fists." Bai Zemin explained as he released his grip on Qiao Long.


    Qiao Long wanted to take the opportunity to run away, but before he could react, Bai Zemin had already struck with his right leg.


    "Arghhh! You damn bastard! I''ll kill you! I swear to god I''ll kill you!!!" Qiao Long cried out in pain as he felt the bones in his leg breaking into pieces. His eyes widened as he glared at Bai Zemin as a bloodthirsty demon.


    Bai Zemin did not even react to his threat and kicked his other leg again with all his strength. The bones of Qiao Long''s other leg were also crushed into countless pieces and his sharp cry of pain echoed everywhere.


    "As I was telling you before." Bai Zemin looked at him with a smile and explained, "Although you were hiding your skill well, you made a very big mistake when you boosted your speed. That''s when I realized that your skill was similar to mine."


    Bai Zemin ignored the look of hatred, fear, and surprise on Qiao Long''s face. Instead, he looked at Lilith with a smile and said casually, "You see? Even if there is air in the entire atmosphere and this trash''s skill is stronger than my Blood Manipulation at the beginning, what good is it if he can''t activate it?"


    "You..." Lilith looked at him as if he was a monster.


    Not only was Bai Zemin many times stronger than his actual level, but he did not get carried away by that strength and instead analyzed each situation carefully in detail before stepping forward. This was extremely alarming!


    Because the Higher Existences were precisely superior beings to the Lower Existences, everyone disdained them and gave them no importance. However, Lilith opened her eyes again as she looked at the glint of indifference in Bai Zemin''s gaze.


    "Bai Zemin, what skill did you obtain back then?" She finally couldn''t help but ask.


    "That''s a secret for now." He replied as he looked at the zombies approaching step by step.


    "You do realize that your behavior isn''t normal, right?" Lilith frowned a bit worriedly. "If I''m not mistaken, this should be the first time you''re going to kill a person but your hand didn''t even flinch for a second and your gaze doesn''t even have a wave in it... Do you think that the past you would act like this?"


    Bai Zemin was a bit surprised when he heard this and frowned as he realized that Lilith was a bit right.


    Indeed, he did not feel that he was doing anything wrong nor did he feel fear for what he was about to do. Was this the effect of the Stone Heart skill? Bai Zemin analyzed the situation. However, he shook his head gently and replied indifferently, "It doesn''t matter. This person wanted to kill me and separate me from my loved ones. Therefore, I will kill him. Is it wrong?"


    "No... It''s not that it''s wrong..." Lilith didn''t know what to answer.


    Was it wrong? Of course it wasn''t wrong and she was happy that he understood that. However, her happiness couldn''t help but be dampened by the realization that at this point he was beginning to look more like a machine calculating advantages and disadvantages than a human being... From this point of view, the current Bai Zemin was not much different from the Higher Existences.


    Qiao Long screamed in terror when he felt the zombies'' closeness and their growls. He tried to activate his Air Manipulation skill but all his tries were crushed by the sickening pain he felt every time Bai Zemin activated his Blood Manipulation skill.


    "As long as it is for my sake and the sake of my loved ones, even if I have to kill hundreds of people I can kill without remorse." Bai Zemin said indifferently and slowly walked away while muttering to himself as if to reinforce that thought even more.

 Chapter 40 - Differences & Similarities (Part 1)

    "D-Don''t come close to me, you damn creatures!" Qiao Long crawled backwards with his hands as he activated his Air Manipulation skill, demonstrating that the use of his fists earlier was only to hide the true nature of his skill, just as Bai Zemin had said before.


    Bang!... Bang!... Bang!


    Three air cannons blew off the heads of three zombies and the ground soon became a bloody mess. Immediately afterwards, three other oversized air cannons exploded the heads of three other nearby zombies.


    However, to Qiao Long''s horror, when he wanted to create another three air cannons he realized that he had no more Mana left!


    In their previous battle, Shangguan Bing Xue had not been the only one who had consumed a lot of Mana; Qiao Long was the same. Due to the sharp and dangerous attacks that she was making with the intention of killing him, Qiao Long was forced to push his skill to the maximum possible and unfortunately to him, Shangguan Bing Xue''s Ice Maker skill was his perfect counter as she could create walls of ice to defend against his cannons and ice bullets or ice pikes to keep him away from her.


    Qiao Long''s Air Manipulation skill allowed him to control the air near him, but unlike Bai Zemin''s Blood Manipulation skill, Qiao Long could not control the air inside people; each skill had its pros and cons. However, both were very powerful.


    "The Mana consumption of powerful skills is also much higher than normal." Bai Zemin''s voice getting farther and farther away reached Qiao Long''s ears.


    Under his terrified and panicked gaze, a zombie reached forward and grabbed his head before taking a sharp bite on his face.


    "Aaargh!!! It hurts!!!! It hurts so much!"


    Another zombie knelt down beside him and bit onto his arm, tearing off a large chunk of flesh in the process.


    "Help me! I''m sorry for what I did before!"


    "I''m willing to be your dog! I''ll work like a mule to death for you!"


    ...


    Qiao Long''s desperate screams echoed everywhere causing his voice to bounce between the nearby buildings, creating a great high-pitched echo that shook the eardrums of all those who heard it.


    Under the care of four zombies, Qiao Long was bitten all over to the point where his body had become a mess of blood and flesh. His screams of pain and agony stopped when one of the zombies bit his throat.


    The survivors shuddered in fear as they witnessed such a horrific scene with their own eyes. Something that should only happen in movies, novels, or fantasy books was actually happening before them without any censorship and leaving nothing to the imagination!


    Everyone''s gaze was unconsciously directed at Bai Zemin, who was about twenty meters away. However, none of them dared to look at him for more than a few seconds before hurriedly looking away as if they were afraid that he would suddenly throw them into the zombies. Even the teachers inside the building where the group rescued by Qiao Long was in the past were looking at Bai Zemin with surprise and trepidation.


    Who would have thought that this young man could actually be so cruel! But the most surprising thing was that his expression was so indifferent as if what he had just done was none of his business!


    However, there were some people who looked at Qiao Long''s death with endless hatred, and when their gazes fell on Bai Zemin''s back that hatred turned to gratitude; these people were the women who had suffered from Qiao Long''s tyranny.


    After being abused and objectified for almost a week, these women were willing to do anything to get revenge. Too bad, they were too weak to do anything about it. But Bai Zemin''s appearance was similar to the sun rising after such a long time of darkness.


    "How ironic, this guy, who could have been one of the strongest powers of the mankind in the future to fight against the different races, actually ended up dying at the hands of another human less than a week after acquiring his powers," Lilith commented with a casual smile as she watched Qiao Long being slowly devoured. She was obviously already used to such sights.


    In fact, Qiao Long was destined to be someone great and with his skill Air Manipulation as his mainstay, as long as he didn''t encounter monsters of a higher Order, surviving shouldn''t be much of a problem for him.


    "That bright destiny vanished that thunderstorm night three days ago when he tried to kill me." Bai Zemin finished as he took a step forward.


    Swoosh!... Swoosh!... Swoosh!... Swoosh!


    Making four slashes at lightning speed, four heads flew through the air right before falling to the ground and rolling a couple of times before finally stopping.


    Ignoring the approaching zombies, Bai Zemin crouched down next to Qiao Long''s shattered corpse and couldn''t help but frown slightly at the incredibly gruesome and disgusting sight. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he began to rummage through the body before finally finding some interesting things.


    [Hurricane Necklace (Rare Grade Treasure): Contains great wind-like elemental power inside. Once a day it can release a hurricane in a straight line and send nearby targets flying. When equipped, Magic +10].


    [Draughtbane Dagger (Normal Grade Treasure): An easy to conceal and easy to carry dagger created with a metal called Harbenite. It is harder than steel and lighter than cork. When equipped, Strength +5],


    Although there were only two treasures in Qiao Long''s body, they were two new items for Bai Zemin.


    By defeating human powerhouses, it was not only possible to acquire Soul Power and experience just like with monsters, but also to obtain all the items that the loser had gathered and acc.u.mulated. Of course, while it was true that the higher the level of the enemy and the greater the number of treasures they possessed turned a person into a walking treasure trove, the reality was that defeating such beings was also proportionally difficult.


    However, just because Bai Zemin thought that way did not mean that everyone thought that way. There would definitely be people who would hunt humans to take their belongings.


    Bai Zemin''s face suddenly changed, but he soon relaxed.


    Swoosh!


    An ice bullet shot out from the distance and accurately hit the head of Qiao Long''s corpse. Surprisingly, after penetrating the brain, the ice bullet released a terrifying amount of frost that froze practically the entire head in and turned it into an ice cube.


    "Even though that sc.u.m''s life was over after being devoured by those zombies, he could still become one of them." A light voice sounded a few meters away.


    Raising his head slightly, Bai Zemin saw Shangguan Bing Xue approaching. Behind her, Chen He and Liang Peng were looking at him with different emotions but both shared one thing; a touch of fear and wariness.


    Clearly what Bai Zemin had just done had shocked the two men too much and his figure had been etched in their minds as someone dangerous.

 Chapter 41 - Differences & Similarities (Part 2-Last)

    In fact, one of the main reasons why both, Chen He and Liang Peng, were furious with Qiao Long other than his inhumane mistreatment was because he had thrown several people alive to the zombies. To commit such a cruel act only six days after the world changed one needed to be extremely vicious and have a heart with no feelings for anyone in particular.


    So what about what Bai Zemin had just done? They had personally seen him throw Qiao Long invalid to be eaten alive by the zombies. They heard his screams of terror and heart-wrenching pain every time a zombie scratched or bit him.


    However, even when they were all shuddering in fear in the back, Bai Zemin had always been watching everything with indifference... From Chen He and Liang Peng''s point of view, only a cruel person who had probably already killed in the past could kill another living being without compassion and without flinching. Of course, there could be other reasons as well... But it was always easier to think of the worst in people; this was a human quality after all.


    While it was impossible for Bai Zemin to know the thoughts of the two men in front of him, considering that their eyes were somewhat erratic just like the look that 90% of the survivors were giving him at the moment, Bai Zemin could judge and get an idea of what they were feeling.


    However, what surprised him remarkably was that the gaze in Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes had not changed as she looked at him. There wasn''t even a hint of fear in those bright blue eyes... In contrast, there was even less disgust in her gaze.


    Bai Zemin stood up and dusted off his knees before looking at her and asking with a raised eyebrow, "You''re not scared of me?"


    "Scared? Of what?" Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him dubiously before looking at Qiao Long''s lifeless corpse and asking rhetorically, "I should be afraid of you for killing this sc.u.m? It''s not like you killed an innocent person and just... You took out the trash. Is there something wrong with it?"


    Bai Zemin was really shocked by her words. However, soon he shook his head softly before chuckling lightly and walking away, Unfortunately, before the thought ''this woman is interesting'' appeared in his mind, Shangguan Bing Xue''s voice stopped him.


    "Wait a second."


    With a dubious look, he turned around and looked at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. However, all Shangguan Bing Xue did was stretch a hand forward and stared at him.


    Bai Zemin looked at her without imperfections white hand and then looked into her eyes as he asked with a slight frown, "What''s wrong?"


    For the first time in his life, Bai Zemin saw Shangguan Bing Xue smile when he asked that question. Her smile was beautiful to the point where it seemed to have the ability to freeze the entire world as no one would be willing to miss the chance to see it; in fact, all of Shangguan Bing Xue''s overall beauty had easily increased by 100% just by smiling.


    Unfortunately, Bai Zemin did not have much time to appreciate such a beautiful sight as the following words pronounced by Shangguan Bing Xue completely destroyed it.


    "Don''t you think you owe me a treasure? For better or worse, the reason you were able to take care of this Qiao Long trash was because I exhausted most of his Mana. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been so easy and with his skill he could have run away."


    Bai Zemin''s face soured when he heard her words and that beautiful smile suddenly seemed to have transformed into the smile of a cunning little fox.


    Indeed, what Shangguan Bing Xue had just said was true. If it wasn''t because she drained most of Qiao Long''s Mana and entertained him, Bai Zemin might never have discovered the true nature of his skill and if Qiao Long made any unforeseen attacks or wanted to flee it was very likely that Bai Zemin would not be able to stop him; after all, although Bai Zemin''s Agility was high, with his Air Manipulation skill Qiao Long could exploit astonishing speeds for a short period of time.


    To Shangguan Bing Xue''s surprise, Bai Zemin also smiled back at her. He stretched his hand forward and said ''kindly'', "Sure. Here you go."


    Shangguan Bing Xue took the dagger with a frown and looked at Bai Zemin bitterly. The dagger was a good item, but what she wanted was the necklace; even without knowing what it was, everyone knew that the accessories were especially valuable.


    Without waiting for an answer, Bai Zemin went into the building under everyone''s scared gaze. Every time he passed next to a survivor, that survivor would flinch and turn their eyes to the ground in fear.


    "Tsk..." Shangguan Bing Xue clicked her tongue but still kept the dagger to herself. As she was preparing to enter the building and organize the remaining survivors as well as the supplies that were controlled by Qiao Long before, she noticed that Chen He was looking at her in a state of shock.


    "Chen He, are you okay?" She asked with a frown.


    "... I''m fine," Chen He forced a smile and nodded slightly.


    "Is that so...?" Shangguan Bing Xue realized that something was wrong but her mood was not the best so she simply nodded and walked into the building without giving the matter too much thought.


    Although Qiao Long had died and she had acquired a treasure for her efforts, the reality was that Chen He''s lack of courage had bothered her a little. She knew that if he had not hesitated and really given it his all, Qiao Long might not have casually toyed with them; however, Chen He did not have the courage to shoot to kill, which gave Qiao Long the opportunity to capture her and, if not for Liang Peng, she might have been in trouble.


    It was also for this reason that Chen He did not tell her what he was thinking and simply followed her with a gloomy face. After all, how could he not know about his mistakes?


    However, what was bothering the talented archer more than his own personality was that the woman he loved since he was a child actually smiled at another man. To other people, this might not be a big deal, but Chen He knew that Shangguan Bing Xue''s smiles were more valuable and scarcer than diamonds. The fact that she smiled, even if it was a smile with hidden intentions, was a big surprise to him.


    Gradually, Chen He began to realize the differences and similarities Shangguan Bing Xue had with each core member of the group and, to his dismay, after recalling past events, Chen He realized that Shangguan Bing Xue and Bai Zemin, regardless of how much they disliked or doubted about each other, were the most alike from a certain point of view.


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 Chapter 42 - Request

    The twenty or so survivors that Bai Zemin and the other three leaders had brought out of the gymnasium to help with the food issue joined the group that was previously led by the dead Qiao Long.


    Because Qiao Long had rescued the girls who were in the female dormitory when the chaos fully erupted, most of the group members were women. The total number of survivors was approximately one hundred and sixty people of which approximately 70% were women.


    Currently, Bai Zemin was sitting at a table on the fourth floor together with several people such as Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Liang Peng, Cai Jingyi, and others discussing some important matters about what to do next. After all, no one really wanted to stay in this university forever; each of them had their own goals but most of them hoped to reunite with their families.


    Most of the survivors feared Bai Zemin after seeing what he did, therefore, no one dared to try to disrespect him and in fact, his words were beginning to become slightly heavier than those of Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Liang Peng.


    "Excuse me..."


    As they were discussing going back to the restaurant for more imperishable food now that the number of people had increased, a somewhat trembling voice came from the door and interrupted the meeting.


    Chen He saw that the person was a young woman who was scared so he smiled kindly and said in a soft voice, "You don''t need to be afraid. None of us here are like Qiao Long. What is your name?"


    At the door, a rather pretty little young girl cringed in fear as everyone turned in her direction. Fortunately, Chen He''s appearance and voice actually helped calm her nerves a bit as the girl nodded and spoke hesitantly, "M-My name is Ming Shui Shui. This... If possible... Could you please go to the female dormitory? There are people in there and they''re probably starving right now."


    "Isn''t Qiao Long supposed to have already cleared that area?" Shangguan Bing Xue asked, her gaze full of surprise.


    If what this girl said was true, then those people would probably be experiencing a lot of hunger right now! After all, it had already been six days since the world changed, and considering that no one kept too much food in the dormitories they should have exhausted everything at least four days ago.


    Ming Shui Shui shook her head and quickly explained, "No. Actually, King... Actually, Qiao Long was only able to reach the third floor before he was forced to retreat. Before we left, it was only by accident that I caught a glimpse of a strange zombie whose skin was blue with glowing green eyes..."


    Hearing the girl''s explanation, Bai Zemin''s face changed slightly and he couldn''t help but think in the First Order Blazing Beetle. If this zombie was also an officially evolved creature, then it would be really troublesome to fight it and honestly Bai Zemin was not 100% confident in defeating it.


    Shangguan Bing Xue had especially sharp eyes and noticing the change in his expression. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Bai Zemin, do you think that strange zombie is also a monster on the same level as that beetle you killed back then?"


    Hearing Shangguan Bing Xue''s question, Liang Peng and Chen He''s disbelieving gaze fell on Bai Zemin immediately.


    "Wait, wait a moment!" Liang Peng slammed the table and jumped to his feet as he looked at Shangguan Bing Xue with wide eyes, "You''re saying that giant scary beetle from earlier was defeated and killed by Bai Zemin?"


    Liang Peng could not believe it. He himself had felt the overwhelming power emanating from the body of the dead giant elephant beetle. Then he couldn''t even imagine how dreadful it was alive! However, Bai Zemin had defeated it alone? Liang Peng was incredulous.


    "Bing Xue, are you sure about that..?" Chen He also hesitated before asking, "I mean... You saw him defeating the beetle yourself?"


    Chen He''s words were clear; are you sure he killed it and didn''t lie? From a certain point of view, Chen He''s doubts were just as valid as those of Liang Peng. However, Shangguan Bing Xue did not have time to answer since the current situation was simply too bad and she hoped that Bai Zemin would shake his head at her earlier question.


    Unfortunately for her, wishes were not always granted and even less so in a chaotic world.


    After some hesitation, Bai Zemin nodded and said in a deep voice, "I''m at least 80% sure that zombie is a First Order creature."


    "First Order?" Shangguan Bing Xue quickly asked, noticing new words.


    Then, Bai Zemin began to slowly explain the name of the beetle that appeared in his retina when he defeated it and its level. Then he used some interesting theories to express his thoughts regarding evolution in a way that did not reveal too much or raise doubts from others.


    The atmosphere turned extremely heavy and everyone''s face became extremely ugly after listening to Bai Zemin''s explanation and hearing how horrifying the strength of the First Order Blazing Beetle was.


    Everyone''s gaze toward Bai Zemin had changed again, adding another layer of fear and respect. After all, if everything he had just said was real, then his current stats were probably far higher than his actual level.


    Seeing everyone''s expression and taking advantage of the silence, Bai Zemin said in a serious voice: "I''ll be honest. I have no intention of going to risk my life to save people I don''t know and who probably won''t even thank me properly."


    "What? How can you be so selfish?! There could be dozens or even hundreds of women in that place!" For the first time, Shangguan Bing Xue raised her voice upon hearing Bai Zemin''s words.


    "What about me?" Bai Zemin looked at her indifferently and slowly replied, "To be honest, my only goal currently other than surviving is to find my family."


    During his battle against the First Order Blazing Beetle, the reason why Bai Zemin managed to win and survive was because of various reasons; the beetle was slower than him, its mobility was limited, its attack pattern predictable, and so on. However, fighting a First Order evolved zombie was something completely different compared to fighting against an insect.


    If the First Order evolved zombie could match Bai Zemin''s speed, then Bai Zemin''s life could be at real risk since a small carelessness or mistake would cause the zombie to manage to scratch him. Unlike Bai Zemin, who needed to finish off the enemy''s brain to win, the zombie only needed a light hit to cause its enemy''s death.


    Since Bai Zemin had no reason to move he would not do so no matter how selfish it was.


    Suddenly Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes glittered and just as her improved perception towards Bai Zemin was vanishing, an idea flickered in her mind. With narrowed eyes, she questioned, "Didn''t you say before that you owed me a favor and would do your best to save my life once as payback? Then come with me. Or what, are you so low man that your word and your promises are empty?"


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 Chapter 43 - A hard life

    Shangguan Bing Xue''s words cooled the atmosphere even more than it already was and the eyes of the few present, including the newcomer Ming Shi Shi, unconsciously turned in Bai Zemin''s direction waiting for his response.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s gaze was fixed in Bai Zemin''s eyes. She wanted to wait and see what kind of answer he would give after she said those words. However, she figured that considering how indifferent Bai Zemin had been so far, he would refuse.


    After all, who would risk their own life for a mere worthless word that was mentioned in the past? Let alone considering that he was a man. Honestly, Shangguan Bing Xue was already mentally prepared to hear his negative response.


    However, Bai Zemin surprisingly nodded calmly and slowly said, "Good. Since you put it that way, then I''ll help you rescue those people... At the very least, I promise to do my best."


    Bai Zemin''s father was a severe man who rarely expressed his emotions and did not get so involved in Bai Zemin''s education because he knew that his thoughts were outdated. However, there was only one thing he always reminded Bai Zemin since he was a little kid: ''A man''s word is more valuable than gold itself. If you can''t even keep your own promises, then you are not worthy of being called a man''.


    Bai Zemin might have countless flaws, but he always kept his word and respected his parents, who sacrificed everything to raise him and give him the best life possible. Poor? Yes. But never a coward or a liar.


    Shangguan Bing Xue clearly did not expect this response from Bai Zemin, partly due to her disdain and hate for men. Therefore, when she saw him nodding his head and saying such words without even hesitating for more than a few seconds, she was surprised and for a moment did not know what to say.


    She looked at him as if she were looking at an alien and asked with some disbelief, "What did you say?"


    Bai Zemin ignored her question and stood up as he said, "We should plan some things first. My left hand is currently practically broken as a result of my battle against the First Order Blazing Beetle three days ago and I will need some time to fully recover."


    Saying that, Bai Zemin moved his left arm in various angles and everyone quickly noticed that, indeed, the hand that was covered by a strange glove was moving erratically as if it were jelly.


    "Why not wait until you recover then?" Chen He looked at him with some concern and proposed, "If you fight without being at your peak you are likely to die. After all, that zombie might be just as strong or even stronger than the Blazing Beetle you faced before."


    "But if we wait too long those girls in the female dorm might actually end up starving to death." Liang Peng pointed out the problem.


    "That''s just the way things are." Bai Zemin looked at everyone one by one, studying the reaction of certain people and trying to understand what they were thinking.


    Chen He looked at him with some surprise, jealousy, a hint of fear, and another hint of worry.


    Liang Peng looked at him with complex eyes. After all, not long ago the two of them had had a verbal confrontation that had almost turned into a confrontation of muscle and, considering what Liang Peng had seen so far from Bai Zemin, it was simply impossible for him to win.


    As for Shangguan Bing Xue, she was still seemingly stunned by something Bai Zemin did not understand.


    "Then, listen carefully as I will need your help for the odds of success to increase. Otherwise we only have at most a 50 to 60% chance of getting out of that place alive." Bai Zemin began to explain each person''s role as well as his idea for dealing with the evolved zombie.


    * * *


    In the female dormitory.


    Inside a room on the fourth floor, several items were stacked in front of the door to block it. Four girls were crowded on a bed, eyes filled with fear and exhaustion.


    Silence reigned throughout the room, as if there was no one living there. The atmosphere was extremely depressing. The 4 girls clearly understood that the zombies could tell where they were by the sounds. Therefore none of them dared to speak too loudly.


    A girl whose stature was quite small whispered a question in an extremely low voice, "Gao Min, I''m hungry, is there anything left to eat?"


    Gao Min, with a wry smile, said, "Li Na, that last packet of dry cookies left wasn''t finished this morning by all of us?"


    "Gao Min, are you saying that we are going to die?" Suddenly, another girl whose face was extremely adorable like that of a baby called Fan Wu


    Gao Min looked at her friend and comforted, "Don''t worry, Fan Wu. I''m sure someone will come soon to rescue us."


    "But.. The whole place is plagued by zombies and although one person killed several of them a few days ago and seemed to be extremely strong, in the end he even had to retreat." Li Na recalled the scene where Qiao Long slaughtered zombies apparently invincible.


    At that moment, as the four girls peeked out of the window in hiding, they thought they were safe. However, even that man with strange powers was forced to flee miserably after going up a couple of floors.


    The atmosphere became much heavier and even Gao Min could not utter words of comfort this time. To be honest, even she had no hope of getting out of this place alive; the world had already become a mess and here they were, locked up without daring to lift a finger... So why would anyone risk their lives to save them? However, that little hope was the only thing that kept these four girls together and sane after not eating properly for almost a week.


    "I don''t care who it is... If someone saves my life and gets me out of this hell, I''m willing to be his woman." Said suddenly the only one of the four friends who had remained silent.


    Finding the opportunity, Gao Min joked softly, "To be our Princess Charming''s boyfriend, I wonder who will be so lucky."


    "Bah." The girl from before rolled her eyes and giggled softly. Her name was Wu Yijun, she had long black hair, a charming oval face, a beautiful pair of bright eyes, and her body was impressive; the bosom area was especially well fleshed out.


    Wu Yijun was actually the second most beautiful woman in the entire university, right after Shangguan Bing Xue. Therefore, the number of men who courted her daily before the apocalypse were countless, and probably many of them would be willing to take the risk if they knew what she had just said.


    After the room was silent for several minutes, Wu Yijun asked somewhat worriedly, "You all think Bing Xue is safe?"


    "She is definitely fine." Gao Min didn''t even hesitate this time and responded with certainty. Although she had only met Shangguan Bing Xue in the university, they had become quite close and she knew that Shangguan Bing Xue was not a woman who gave up easily.


    "You''re right..." Wu Yijun sighed. She and Shangguan Bing Xue had been friends for many years so it was clear to her that although her friend could be arrogant at times and her indifferent attitude could be a bit annoying to most, due to her family''s strict upbringing and because of past problems, Shangguan Bing Xue would definitely not sit around and wait for death, unlike the four of them.


    Since Shangguan Bing Xue''s life had already been hard and sad enough in the past, this new world would not be able to break her. This was what Wu Yujin firmly believed.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the sound of something crashing in the distance rang out amidst the silence.


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 Chapter 44 - Empowering

    The four girls approached to the window carefully, their eyes were filled with fear but at the same time there was a small glimmer of hope in the midst of that terror; hope to be rescued and released from this building that had now become a prison, a prison that kept them safe but at the same time was slowly killing them.


    "Look, it''s a person!" Gao Min couldn''t help but exclaim in delight as she tried to keep her voice under control.


    "Could it be that help finally arrived?" Li Na observed as the zombies in the surrounding area began to move due to the sudden sound.


    These creatures that had been surrounding the place silently and without moving were the reason why none of the girls had tried to escape through the window even with the hunger they felt. However, the sudden noise that broke the silence successfully lured them in.


    Wu Yijun and Fan Wu also looked at the scene with shining eyes, longing to be rescued from hell once and for all.


    * * *


    Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, Liang Peng, and Chen He were standing on top of a four-story building as they watched the zombies moving in their direction with trembling footsteps.


    "That kid sure got braver now." Liang Peng couldn''t help but point out as he looked ahead in slight surprise.


    Several meters away, on the ground, Fu Xuefeng was destroying the windows of the nearby buildings by hitting them with whatever he found in the middle of the road. In his hand, the Xuanyuan Sword was responsible for decapitating any zombies that came too close and the Full Coat that Bai Zemin lent him temporarily had practically eliminated 70% of the risk of being infected by the creatures.


    With stats at least two to three times higher thanks to the gear equipped, Fu Xuefeng no longer feared the zombies and after killing a few dozen of them he had already absorbed enough Soul Power to become a level 6 evolver.


    Fu Xuefeng also decided to follow Bai Zemin''s advice and assigned his acquired status points to Agility and Stamina every time he leveled up. With each time he felt his power increase, his gratitude to Bai Zemin only grew and at the same time, he began to realize how big the difference in power was between himself and others.


    More than two hours had passed since Bai Zemin and the others had finished discussing the matter of rescuing the people locked in the female dormitory. During the meeting, a plan was formulated which consisted of four parts.


    The first part of the plan was to lure all the zombies or any other creature in the vicinity by making noise. That way they could avoid having to face other enemies and practically cut off the chances of being surrounded; at the same time, it would also open a path in case it was necessary to retreat.


    "Cai Jingyi, it''s your turn." Fu Xuefeng approached the pretty Cai Jingyi and took off the Full Coat and handed her the Xuanyuan Sword.


    Cai Jingyi nodded and took a deep breath before stepping forward and slowly approaching as she looked fearfully at the group of zombies whose limbs had been hacked off by Fu Xuefeng earlier.


    More than twenty zombies lay on the ground writhing in their own blood that kept pouring out of the wounds as they constantly growled in her direction. Although their expressions were extremely atrocious and the smell of blood extremely repulsive, Cai Jingyi gritted her teeth and raised the sword high before fiercely slashing downwards.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Normal Zombie level 4. Stamina +4].


    [You have leveled up to level 2. You acquire two status points to distribute freely].


    Due to the spectacular edge possessed by the Xuanyuan Sword, a Rare Grade Treasure with the ability to pierce through the defenses of almost any level 40 monster or enemy, the zombie''s head split off as easily as if it were a hot knife cutting through butter.


    Cai Jingyi was clearly surprised as she did not expect to end the zombie''s life so easily, precisely for this reason she had used so much strength in her previous cut and if it wasn''t for the sickening sensation of cutting flesh that traveled from the blade of the sword to her hands she might have even cut a part of the ground.


    Still scared but at the same time feeling a bit braver and curious, she carefully walked towards another zombie and seeing that there was really no danger she cut again.


    Suddenly a mutated dog appeared in a corner and attracted by the sound and smell of blood charged forward while looking at Cai Jingyi with eyes filled with murderous intent.


    Cai Jingyi''s face turned white as a sheet and her brain seemed to stop working as all she could do was watch in fright as the mutated dog approached. The current situation was very different from the incapacitated zombies! Besides with Cai Jingyi''s average person''s speed she could never escape from the mutated dog that was at least three to four times faster than a normal person!


    Three high-pitched hisses sounded from the distance and the next thing that the scared Cai Jingyi saw was how the mutated dog fell down to the ground without even a growl of pain.


    An arrow had pierced the beast''s head, another arrow had pierced its neck, and another arrow was firmly buried in its stomach. Red blood began to pour out of the holes slowly, forming a small puddle around the now lifeless body.


    Cai Jingyi looked at the mutated dog that had been killed in a split of a second before turning around to look at the building across the street and quickly remembered that she wasn''t really alone. Breathing a sigh of relief and smiling in thanks, she began to kill the rest of the zombies and level up; each time she leveled up she added a point in Agility and a point in Stamina just like Fu Xuefeng since in the beginning these two stats were the most important for survival.


    With enough Agility one could evade attacks and flee as well as give the possibility to fight, but Stamina was needed to withstand the exhaustion or otherwise nothing would make sense.


    Chen He sighed softly and lowered his bow.


    Currently, Chen He''s bow was not a treasure; it was just a normal bow just like his arrows. Therefore, to pierce through the mutated dog''s fur he needed to imbue some Mana into the tips of the arrows using some magic power. However, because he was not yet good enough at controlling this new power energy, the consumption was quite high in the long run.


    "We should start with the third part of the plan soon." Bai Zemin said and jumped out of the building without waiting for a reply.


    The second part of the plan was precisely to take advantage of the opportunity to empower those people with the courage to fight, and currently there was little time left to finish. Therefore, it was time to implement the last two parts that represented the real beginning of the real battle.

 Chapter 45 - Kang Lan: Lesser Healing

    "Fu Xuefeng!" Bai Zemin shouted loudly without worrying about attracting other creatures or more zombies; in fact, that was the idea.


    Fu Xuefeng approached him quickly and with a look filled with adoration and gratitude asked, "Big brother Bai, do you need anything?"


    "That''s enough for now. Have Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, and Kang Lan return to rest." Bai Zemin ordered in a deep voice.


    Zhong De was the other man who had decided to follow Bai Zemin. His body was in good condition due to being part of the university''s substitute basketball team in the past.


    As for Kang Lan, she was the girl with glasses who also stood up, being the last of the only four who dared to accept Bai Zemin''s tempting but dangerous offer. In the past she was very studious and generally did not distinguish herself in anything, however, beneath her quiet appearance was a very brave and tenacious woman.


    When the four of them returned, Kang Lan handed the Xuanyuan Sword and the Full Coat to Bai Zemin. She had been the last of the four to kill zombies.


    "What levels are each of you?" Bai Zemin asked as he received the skill rolls they had obtained after hunting their first zombies. In order to have the people under his command more under control, he had requested that before using a skill they should be shown it to him; this was an idea he had come up with after what had happened with Fu Xuefeng.


    "My level is 5. I distributed equitably my points in Agility and Stamina." Cai Jingyi announced while staring at him.


    "Level 5. My choice was Strength and Agility." Zhong De responded in a serious voice before remaining silent.


    "My level is also 5 but..." Kang Lan seemed to want to say something but hesitated. However, in the end, she slowly explained, "I haven''t distributed my status points yet, I have ten free."


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin looked at her a little confused and slowly asked, "Why is that so?"


    "If you look at the skill I got you''ll understand." Kang Lan pointed to the scroll she had handed to Bai Zemin.


    Bai Zemin said nothing and nodded silently before he began to inspect the skill scrolls.


    [Agility Boost (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 3: After learning this skill increases Agility by +20 points permanently].


    [Power Boost (Unclassified Skill) Level 3: To activate this skill you need to consume 3 Mana points. After activation, it increases Strength by +35 points for 5 minutes. After the effect is finished, the skill has a cooldown time of 20 minutes].


    [Lesser Healing (First Order Skill) Level 1: To activate this skill, 10 Mana points must be consumed and the user must possess at least 5 Magic points. It can heal minor wounds and its constant use can accelerate the healing of bone fractures. Magical power influences the healing. It can be used twice a day and after that it goes into cooldown for 12 hours].


    Agility Boost had been acquired by Cai Jingyi.


    ... And Lesser Healing had been acquired by Kang Lan.


    For the first two skills, Bai Zemin''s reaction was quite casual. However, upon seeing the skill obtained by Kang Lan he could not help but be surprised.


    Even when Fu Xuefeng had incapacitated the zombies, Kang Lan actually obtained such a good skill, this was something Bai Zemin did not expect.


    According to what Lilith had told him a few days ago, even if they hunted stronger monsters they would get the same as they would get in case of killing a zombie since the Soul Record seemed to be able to distinguish when a person received outside help and when they did something on their own.  It was for this reason that Bai Zemin did not bother looking for more powerful monsters.


    Little did he expect that Kang Lan would obtain a skill of such quality. Although she wasn''t useful in combat by any means, with this skill, as long as someone protected her she could take care of healing from behind! Of course, for such a thing to be possible Kang Lan needed to have a lot of Mana, and the more Magic the better.


    Although there was still a long way to go, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but look at the girl with glasses as if she was some kind of treasure.


    Perhaps sensing the change in his gaze, Kang Lan couldn''t help but squirm a little as she blushed slightly.


    "Kang Lan, what are your current stats?" Bai Zemin asked after thinking for a moment.


    "This..." Kang Lan''s eyes moved as she looked at the personal status window that only she could see and carefully said, " Strength 4 / Agility 5 / Stamina 8 / Mana 20 / Magic 35... That''s what it says here."


    Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up and Lilith''s voice sounded beside him, "Oh? This girl has a decent amount of magic power."


    In fact, while she was not that impressive when compared to Bai Zemin and while the rest of her stats were average at best, Kang Lan possessed at least twice as much Mana as a normal person would obtain after the advent of Soul Record and her Magical power was also at the level of a human genius.


    "I see." Bai Zemin outwardly remained calm without letting the surprise he felt show on his face and slowly said, "Allocate all your points in Mana and Magic. You decide the distribution."


    "Alright." Kang Lan nodded immediately before allocating the ten points to both stats.


    She also understood Bai Zemin''s intention and was secretly delighted. While it was true that her battle power would be extremely low compared to Cai Jingyi and the rest, if she managed to get her hands on an active magic skill then her power would also skyrocket through the roof, becoming a fish that jumped through the dragon gate. Besides, as long as Bai Zemin was there, Kang Lan knew that her safety and well-being would definitely be guaranteed.


    As for if Bai Zemin died? Then Kang Lan would have no hope of surviving against an enemy capable of defeating him; therefore she also did not worry about problems about which she had no solution.


    "Each of you learn your respective skill." Bai Zemin handed back the skill scrolls before looking at Kang Lan and commanded, "Kang Lan, use your skill on my left hand."


    The scroll in her hands turned into countless white light particles that entered her body. Deep within her soul, a transparent colored rune with strange white lines formed.


    Kang Lan stretched both hands forward and as if she had done it all her life, she activated the skill. A faint pale white light flashed in her hands and enveloped Bai Zemin''s broken hand.


    Kang Lan''s face turned a little pale after the abrupt loss of half of her Mana reserves. However, seeing Bai Zemin still staring at her, she gritted her teeth and activated her skill once again, thus expending all her Mana in a matter of seconds.


    Bai Zemin felt the changes immediately as he could clearly feel his broken wrist being repaired and the sound of bones clinking together once again was extremely clear, sending a shiver down everyone''s spine.

 Chapter 46 - Preparations are ready (Part 1)

    Bai Zemin felt a great amount of pain coming from inside his wrist. The pain was such that he was forced to grit his teeth to prevent a grunt from escaping his mouth. However, that excruciating pain soon began to turn into itching, extremely uncomfortable itching! Fortunately, that feeling was also short-lived, probably thanks to Kang Lan''s skill.


    Kang Lan''s face turned completely pale and her previously red lips began to lose their color as if she was suddenly suffering from some kind of illness. She staggered slightly at the sudden dizziness that hit her mercilessly, fortunately, Bai Zemin had already expected something like this to happen due to the fact that he himself had experienced the same feeling during his battle against the First Order Blazing Beetle after spending all of his Mana abruptly.


    "Good job, Kang Lan." Bai Zemin smiled slightly at her and nodded as he gently supported her while keeping her from falling.


    "No... It''s nothing." She forced a smile. Although she was exhausted and felt somewhat nauseated as a consequence of using all her Mana in such a short time, she actually felt extremely satisfied since receiving such praise from Bai Zemin, who was usually indifferent and casual with others, meant that he really appreciated her previous act no matter how small it was.


    He looked at Cai Jingyi and said in a deep voice, "Cai Jingyi, support Kang Lan and help her rest."


    Cai Jingyi nodded and quickly stepped forward to support her and they both retreated inside the building.


    After freeing himself, Bai Zemin looked at Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De in front of him and began to give a series of simple orders and instructions about what they were to do next.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, Liang Peng, Chen He, and Shangguan Bing Xue were preparing to start and implement the third part of the plan to defeat the zombie. Although they weren''t 100% sure if it was a First Order evolved creature or not, in this new world where death was only half a step away it was best to prepare as best as possible to even fight the weakest enemy.


    "This should be enough." Shangguan Bing Xue retracted both hands as she panted softly. Her c.h.e.s.t was rising and falling steadily as a small bead of sweat slowly slipped down from her beautiful face that now looked sickly white instead of perfect white as before.


    In front of her was an ice stake about half a meter long. Along the length of the ice stake were ice spikes about five centimeters long that pointed outward. It was a weapon with great piercing power, capable of entering the target''s body with ease and, because of the spikes along the body in the opposite direction, it would be extremely difficult for anyone who was pierced by it to break free easily.


    "Are you okay?" Chen He asked as he patted her back.


    "You don''t need to worry. I''m fine." Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head gently and took a step forward to pick up the ice stake to take a better look at it.


    Not only had Shangguan Bing Xue concentrated practically all her Mana into this small half-meter ice stake, but she had also packed every bit of her magical power into it and had focused every cell of her brain into her creation. To say that this ice stake was the strongest and most enduring weapon she had created so far with her ice skill was by no means an exaggeration.


    To test her theory and to check the strength of the object, she asked Liang Peng to hit the ice stake with his hammer while using all his strength.


    "If this thing breaks don''t blame me later." Liang Peng couldn''t help but scratch his head as he looked at the small stake.


    "If it can''t resist at least that much, then the plan we came up with earlier will never work in the first place." Shangguan Bing Xue replied coldly.


    Liang Peng shrugged his shoulders and raised the hammer high. With loud roar, he struck downward with all his might as he made use of the weapon''s weight to the perfection.


    Bang!


    With a mighty bang, the ground shuddered as if it would collapse at any moment and several cracks appeared extending over a meter long. However, to Chen He''s surprise and Liang Peng''s disbelief, the ice stake under the hammer that had taken the brunt of the impact actually didn''t even splinter since it still released that bone-chilling coldness that seemed to be able to freeze everything.


    "Impressive!" Chen He praised honestly.


    That earlier strike should have been able to knock down an entire wall but the ice stake that Shangguan Bing Xue crafted withstood it like it was nothing!


    "I see you guys are done here," Bai Zemin returned, directly jumping to the upper floor and entering through the window. Although such a thing was impossible in the past, with his current stats such a thing was no longer a big deal.


    "All done here." Chen He replied as he looked at him curiously and asked, "The things on your side, finished?"


    "Finished." Bai Zemin responded and sat in a corner while checking his left hand.


    Before, Bai Zemin estimated that he would need at least one more week for his fractured wrist to fully recover. However, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that he now only needed approximately five days to fully recover.


    The reason for this was, naturally, the Lesser Healing skill used by Kang Lan on him.


    Of course; Kang Lan''s Lesser Healing skill alone was not the reason for Bai Zemin''s quick recovery. The other important reason was his overwhelmingly high Health stat which, compared to a normal person, was speeding up his healing process almost tenfold!


    With 90 Health points and Kang Lan''s skill along with his high magic power compared to a normal person, the speed at which Bai Zemin was recovering was simply astonishing. Bai Zemin estimated that, with treatment twice a day for three days, his broken bones would be reattached and repaired.


    A small smile appeared on his face as he thought about how incredibly great the difference in power was between the past him and the present him. Bai Zemin couldn''t wait to see what the future held for him.


    Of course, first he needed to survive the next battle in which a scratch meant death. Only then was it possible to think about a possible future. However, if he couldn''t survive even that much, then it meant that somewhere along the way, sooner or later, he would end up falling.


    Moreover, occasionally, she looked in his direction with complicated eyes; there was hatred, but there was also gratitude; there was approval, but there was also rejection. Complex and opposing emotions were constantly mixed together.

 Chapter 47 - Preparations are ready (Part 2-Last)

    Shangguan Bing Xue was a wary person by nature. Moreover, such wariness was especially high against men as throughout her life she had received different looks and treatment from men based on her appearance.


    However, the fact that Bai Zemin kept his word even when he clearly had little to gain and might even end up dying on this mission had caught her off guard. At the same time, it made her realize that maybe, just maybe, not all people or even all men would look or act the same way towards her.


    Of course, such a thought was still in its infantile stages and was just that, a fleeting thought. As to whether that thought would turn into something more, such as confidence, it was too early to say.


    * * *


    After staying inside the building for three whole hours, Shangguan Bing Xue''s Mana had recovered enough to influence the battle to come.


    During these three hours none of the four especially did anything, with only Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue chatting occasionally and Liang Peng''s sudden interruption by saying something not too meaningful and inconsequential.


    As for Bai Zemin, he just sat quietly in a corner while looking at a small picture with a longing look that no one could see except Lilith, who was silently sitting beside him.


    There were four people standing in the picture, with an a.d.u.l.t couple behind a little boy and girl of barely eight or nine years old. In the background was the beautiful green view where the trees spread out in the distance like an endless sea.


    This picture was a family photograph of Bai Zemin''s parents, his little sister, and himself. At that time he had just had his birthday and his mother decided to go with the whole family to visit the Great Wall of China and other beautiful places with history.. This was a treasured memory that Bai Zemin always took everywhere with him since due to the distance between the university and his home he could not see his family often.


    "Family?" Lilith asked even though she already knew the answer. After all, this was the first time in six days that she had seen such an expression on his usually stone-hard face.


    Bai Zemin nodded in response. Although he and Lilith did not talk a lot, Bai Zemin knew that she was there for him and, strange as it was, deep in his soul he trusted that she would not betray him.


    Although he and she were usually silent, Bai Zemin felt very comfortable since he had never been a person of many words even before the arrival of the Soul Record to this world.


    The silence that usually surrounded them was in no way uncomfortable, on the contrary, it was extremely relaxing.


    "My Mana recovered almost completely."


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s icy voice brought Bai Zemin out of his thoughts. When he lifted his face, his longing gaze could no longer be seen anywhere and that face that practically let nothing be seen on him ruled once again.


    "If you are ready, we can start now." Shangguan Bing Xue stared at him with an expression just like his and pointed.


    "... Then let''s start now. There''s no point in wasting more time and further delays might make things more difficult than they already are." Bai Zemin stood up and let out a small sigh inaudibly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and the other two nodded to express that they thought the same way he did and also stood up.


    Bai Zemin seemed to want something but after a moment''s hesitation he decided to simply shook his head and walked towards the window without another word.


    Before he could leave, Chen He''s voice rang at his back, "Hey, Bai Zemin!"


    Bai Zemin turned around and looked at him with questioning eyes.


    "Be careful. If you think the zombie is too hard just run. We can try another day." Chen He nodded and looked at him with a serious expression.


    After a slight surprise, Bai Zemin nodded and said in a clear voice, "I''m relying on you for the next part."


    Chen He gave him a thumbs up as if telling him to leave it to him. Seeing this, Bai Zemin no longer dawdled and jumped out the window before turning into a gale of wind charging towards the building a few streets away; the female dormitory.


    When Bai Zemin left, Liang Peng looked at Chen He with raised eyebrows and laughed: "I thought you didn''t like that guy very much? Aren''t you two rivals in love or something? Hahahaha!"


    Chen He frowned and looked at him with some anger as he slowly said, "The reason why I don''t like him too much is because of his previous cruel act, he is not my rival in love. Besides, just because I don''t like Bai Zemin too much because of his cruelty doesn''t mean I hate him. Isn''t it natural to wish him good luck? At the end of the day he''s still our ally."


    "Tsk, what a boring guy." Liang Peng, who expected Chen He to blush in embarrassment after having his feelings exposed, in the end ended up shrugging his shoulders and cl.i.c.k.i.n.g his tongue when he saw that the handsome archer''s reaction was normal and calm.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him coldly and said in an icy voice, "If you have time to talk nonsense why don''t you prepare yourself as well?"


    Liang Peng snorted and walked towards the exit with his big hammer on his shoulder. With such a weight he didn''t dare jump out of the window or he might end up breaking both his legs trying to show off.


    After Liang Peng disappeared, Shangguan Bing Xue picked up what appeared to be a string and tied it to the tip of the ice stake before freezing it and joining the string and the stake together.


    This string was actually carbon fiber and was taken from gym exercise machines. It was especially resistant to weight and extremely durable under pressure as well as being a very good flexible material capable of withstanding sudden pulls. It was usually used in the creation of boats, cars, airplane parts, bicycle hoops, etc. Although the quality depended, the carbon fiber cable Shangguan Bing Xue was using was very strong and flexible.


    Seeing that the two of them were alone, Chen He decided to break the silence: "Bing Xue, about what Liang Peng said earlier... About rivals in-"


    "Focus." Shangguan Bing Xue interrupted him before he could continue and while looking out the window reminded him, "Your help is crucial here. You can''t afford to lose focus no matter what."

 Chapter 48 - Unusual situation

    Seeing Shangguan Bing Xue interrupting him without letting him continue, Chen He smiled bitterly and shook his head before sighing and getting to work.


    Obviously, she knew what he was going to say. However, Shangguan Bing Xue not only had no interest in anything romantic, but even though she trusted Chen He enough to call him a friend, he was just that; a friend.


    At the end of the day, his friendship was what Shangguan Bing Xue cherished, but if he was looking for more than that, at this moment he would only get hurt if he listened to her answer.


    As for the future? That no one knew. It was just that considering how many years Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He had spent together but even then he failed to get into her heart, it would be difficult for such a friendship to turn into something more than friendship.


    * * *


    In the female dormitory.


    "Great, this time we are saved!" Li Na exclaimed as she used both hands to muffle the sound of her voice overflowing with excitement and joy.


    "We will be saved!" Gao Min and Fan Wu hugged each other as they sobbed emotionally moved to the point of tears.


    Even the generally positive Gao Min was beginning to lose all hope after so many days without a proper meal and locked up in a place that was like a prison to them.


    "Girls, look!" Wu Yijun quickly noticed a young man charging toward the female dormitory. However, when she wanted to point him out for her friends to see, he had already disappeared with lightning speed.


    "Fast!" Wu Yijun was surprised and secretly glad.


    The more powerful this person proved to be, the better news for the girls as the hopes of being rescued would increase exponentially as well!


    Trapped in the girls'' dormitory, seeing no chance of survival where if they didn''t die of starvation or thirst, they would die of being eaten by a zombie. With such a cruel and devastating reality, if it hadn''t been for the girls cheering each other on, they all would have gone crazy right now.


    The girls really couldn''t take it anymore!


    At the same time as they were celebrating to lift their moods, the zombies outside the door headed towards the girls'' dormitory and began to violently attack the door.


    The four girls shut their mouths without daring to make another sound, not even daring to move, standing together in silence. Staring at the door in fear; in their eyes, the door represented a prison that contained them trapped here, but at the same time it also represented their escape and survival.


    If the door fell, they all knew there would be no chance of survival.


    Bang!


    Suddenly there was a loud bang coming from somewhere in the building and the zombies pounding on the dormitory door stopped.


    The girls sighed in relief as they felt the beasts growl and move away with shaky steps in the opposite direction. The four girls looked at each other with fear and a touch of hope as they sat on a bed all together facing the door.


    Now, all they could do was wait.


    * * *


    Bai Zemin appeared before the firmly closed front door of the female dormitory and kicked it open. The bang of the metal door opening wide resounded everywhere and the echo traveled among the nearby buildings.


    Because the zombies in the vicinity had already been eliminated earlier by Fu Xuefeng and the rest, no creature appeared. However, Bai Zemin was not satisfied and frowned tightly.


    Why doesn''t this zombie come out? Bai Zemin thought silently.


    Until now, as long as there was a certain amount of noise, the zombies would definitely advance in that direction. However, even after making such a commotion, the strange zombie that this Ming Shui Shui girl had seen before leaving here did not show itself.


    Bai Zemin''s wariness increased another notch as he walked towards the inside of the building with slow and cautious steps.


    Although Ming Shui Shui had said that Qiao Long had cleared the first two floors before having to retreat on the third floor, Bai Zemin did not trust anything but what he saw with his own eyes at the moment.


    The smell of rancid blood and rotting flesh embraced Bai Zemin''s nostrils as soon as he had taken a step inside. Zombie corpses and people lay everywhere, creating a catastrophic scene scary enough to scare the most macho man in the world.


    However, after experiencing and seeing with his own eyes so many people dying, Bai Zemin felt that he could bear at least that much. Therefore, after stopping for a moment he continued to move forward slowly.


    The lower floor was devoid of any sign of life; only corpses and death was what could be seen in that area.


    Upon reaching the second floor after carefully climbing the stairs, what greeted Bai Zemin was exactly the same sight he had seen on the fist floor and if it wasn''t for the different clothing on each body or the position they were in after dropping dead he might have thought that he was still on the previous floor.


    It was upon reaching the third floor that Bai Zemin finally saw signs of movement.


    More than fifty zombies were slowly advancing down the corridor in the direction of the stairs. All of these zombies were women who had been infected after being scratched or bitten or who simply became mindless creatures after the arrival of the Soul Record and the Mana movement.


    While fifty zombies were no challenge at all for someone like Bai Zemin, when you put those fifty zombies in an enclosed space where there was hardly any room left to move properly things were different and the difficulty was multiplied by countless times.


    Fortunately for him, thanks to his Rare Grade Treasure Full Coat things were not as complicated as they seemed to be. Moreover, unlike zombies and unintelligent animals, humans could think of countermeasures to adapt to whatever situation they had to face.

 Chapter 49 - A v.i.r.g.i.n s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s?

    After a moment''s thought and considering that there was a creature capable of threatening his life, Bai Zemin decided to play it safe instead of trying to show off before Lilith.


    He retreated towards the stairs until he reached the second floor and waited for the zombies there. His back was almost touching one of the walls and the left side of his body was against the corner where the staircase wall and the wall of the lower floor met; this way, he could prevent being attacked from behind, he could avoid receiving attacks with his damaged hand, and at the same time he would be able to react with his right hand immediately in case someone tried to attack him from the only possible angle there was.


    The first zombies soon reached the stairs and began to descend. However, as expected, they fell on their faces as they rolled down to where Bai Zemin was waiting for them. Because the zombies could not control their own bodies properly and because they only knew how to advance in a straight line, the steps of the stairs became their doom.


    Bai Zemin swung his sword relentlessly up and down again and again. The zombies'' heads rolled on the floor constantly and blood had begun to acc.u.mulate after the escalating slaughter forming a small red pool under his own feet.


    But it wasn''t just Bai Zemin who was killing zombies.


    Zombies coming from behind were often stomping other zombies to death and many other zombies were falling head over heels, breaking their necks after hitting the floor hard.


    Two minutes later, all fifty zombies had been completely obliterated by Bai Zemin. Not a single zombie could even react after falling before their heads rolled on the ground.


    "You''ve gotten a little better with the sword." Lilith smiled slightly as she looked down at his crotch and said in a playful voice, "I wonder if you''re also so good with that sword down there."


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth constricted a couple of times. However, instead of remaining silent as usual, this time he decided to ask a question that had been bothering him for several days now.


    "Lilith, since you''re a s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s, you''ve probably slept with many men throughout your life, no?"


    "You..." Lilith opened her eyes slightly surprised by the rather daring question. However, she felt no shame and responded in a flat voice: "You humans have an imagination that is too wild."


    "What do you mean?" Bai Zemin asked as he climbed the stairs again. He decided to talk with Lilith to calm the nerves he felt and to lure the creature that was hiding.


    In fact, Lilith''s jokes often relaxed Bai Zemin''s heavy mood and she was undoubtedly one of the reasons why he was still able to stay completely sane.


    "Even though I''m a s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s, that doesn''t mean I have to sleep with a man to gain power." Lilith followed him a few steps behind and rolled her eyes as she slowly said, "Isn''t it obvious? Just like you, to evolve further and become more powerful I need to defeat powerful enemies and absorb massive amounts of Soul Power."


    "Em?" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but look back with slight surprise on his face and asked the stupidest question of his entire life: "But, aren''t you a s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s?"


    "For the love of the devil! Are you dumb?" Lilith couldn''t help but smack him upside the head and say in a serious voice, "While among us succubi there are some who are promiscuous, I''m not like that. Do you think that just because I joke with you I have slept with many men? Hard as it may be to believe, in my entire life I have never allowed a man to even see my n.a.k.e.d body, let alone sleep with one!"


    Bai Zemin''s footsteps stalled and he stared at her with eyes filled with disbelief.


    "V.i.r.g.i.n?"


    "What''s wrong with that?" Lilith looked at him with a seductive smile and said in a whisper, "Could it be that you want to take my purity now? Kya~ Little Zemin you are such a bad guy~"


    Bai Zemin''s breathing became somewhat ragged upon hearing the demon''s whisper and he quickly shook his head, regretting asking that.


    Lilith also stopped joking knowing that Bai Zemin''s life was on the line here and started to explain some things slowly: "What you humans imagine and the stories you create are not exactly correct. For example, we succubi are beautiful by nature, and our s.e.x appeal incredibly high. But that''s just it, our charm is higher... Well, although I am probably one of the most beautiful women in existence and even among the Higher Existences I have yet to meet a woman capable of exceeding me. Feel honored, little Zemin."


    "Woah... Your humility is truly incredible." Bai Zemin joked as he decapitated a group of three zombies that came out of a room whose door had been kicked down.


    "Hey! I''m serious!" Lilith began to act like a little girl who had been bullied. Her innocent act was extremely cute and attractive creating a beautiful contrast to her seductive body.


    "Yes, yes." Bai Zemin casually nodded as he continued slaughtering zombies. "Whatever you say, your majesty Beautiful Queen."


    "Tsk." Lilith knew that Bai Zemin didn''t believe her so she simply clicked her tongue and her eyes glittered with a hint of hesitation. However, in the end, she shook her head softly and decided not to do what she was thinking or things might get out of hand.


    On the other hand, Bai Zemin had already finished off over thirteen hundred zombies that were scattered all over the third floor. The female dormitory was huge, as was the male dormitory; after all, the university was extremely large and the number of students simply too many to count.


    While it was true that not everyone stayed on campus, at least 40% did. The men''s dormitory and the female dormitory were large buildings only four or five stories high but stretching for several yards around.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Normal Zombie level 5].


    [You have leveled up to level 21. You have acquired two status points to distribute freely].


    "Phew... Good timing." Bai Zemin was starting to feel a bit exhausted, however, after killing the five hundredth zombie the sweet message telling him that he had leveled up appeared in his retina, relieving that exhaustion immediately.


    According to the story told by Ming Shui Shui, Qiao Long had been repulsed by a strange zombie upon reaching the third floor and, so far, almost everything matched as Bai Zemin could not see corpses destroyed by the air cannons of Qiao Long''s skill.


    But... Where was that zombie then?


    Bai Zemin''s answer came soon enough, because as soon as he stepped on the top step of the staircase that led to the fourth floor of the building, a horrifying pressure enveloped his body as if it wanted to devour him in one piece.


    This pressure was so strong that Bai Zemin had only felt something similar once in his life so far.

 Chapter 50 - Adrenaline and Blood Manipulation!

    The pressure Bai Zemin felt when his feet reached the fourth floor of the building was very great and although he did not know how it felt to have a waterfall of water hitting him from several meters high, he estimated that surely it should feel similar to what he was feeling at that moment.


    However, the corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth turned up into a small smile instead of twitching.


    "I really have become stronger haha!" Bai Zemin laughed out loud and took a step forward as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the Xuanyuan Sword.


    Right! The current Bai Zemin was no longer the same Bai Zemin of the past!


    The current him was no longer the same level 15 Bai Zemin who could only run and plan to barely have a slim chance of victory against the First Order Blazing Beetle! He was currently a powerful level 21 evolver who had absorbed massive amounts of pure Soul Power; including the Soul Power of a First Order monster!


    Bai Zemin stopped hesitating when he realized that while he might be unable to win in one-on-one, he wouldn''t necessarily lose either!


    It would all depend on what kind of skill the evolved zombie possessed.


    With a steady gaze, Bai Zemin activated his First Order Blood Manipulation skill and cast it on himself. Of course, his intention was not to hurt himself; his aim was different from all the previous times.


    ...


    What was adrenaline?


    Adrenaline was a hormone and could also be considered a substance. The substance possessed the ability to constrict the blood vessels, dilate the airways and increase the heart rate.


    But when did this substance show itself?


    The body begins to secrete adrenaline when it feels threatened or in danger and this substance travels through the blood as a means to reach every part of the body.


    In addition, adrenaline had great benefits, some of them being the improvement of reflexes, increased reaction speed, and many other effects... So, what would happen if Bai Zemin increased his own blood flow and made the adrenaline start traveling at faster speeds?


    Would it enhance those characteristics even more?


    "You''re crazy..." Lilith''s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Bai Zemin as if he was an unknown beast.


    Honestly, Bai Zemin was not the only existence capable of manipulating blood to some extent. Lilith knew someone who was even more powerful than her who possessed a similar natural skill... However, that other existence had clearly never thought of using such a skill in a self-destructive manner on himself when he was still weak.


    The reason? Using one''s own skill on one''s own body was extremely dangerous unless such a skill was a blessing or benefit of some sort. However, Bai Zemin''s Blood Manipulation skill was a skill intended for attack and not to be used on himself.


    Even less so when he did not even possess initial mastery over his own skill!


    Although it was risky, Bai Zemin''s situation was already dangerous to begin with. Besides, in this world, if one did not take risks in the early stages when everything was simpler then one could only expect death in the later stages.


    Bai Zemin had understood all this very well and that was precisely why he decided to gamble... And his gamble along with his high magical power proved to be right.


    He could feel his heart rate increasing after activating his Blood Manipulation skill and the blood throughout his body began to move twice as fast as normal; Bai Zemin did not dare to force it any further than this.


    His pupils dilated, improving his overall vision of his surroundings.


    Due to the faster circulation of adrenaline, blood glucose increased and Bai Zemin could feel how his body seemed to have more energy than in the past.


    Doing this was extremely dangerous and consumed Mana constantly as Bai Zemin had to keep his Blood Manipulation skill constantly activated. However, at this point, as long as the battle ended as quickly as possible, it was a good thing.


    Bai Zemin stomped the ground beneath his feet and shot forward at full speed, flashing between the unfamiliar corridors in search of the strange zombie. Due to his high speed and how small the corridors were in comparison, from a certain point of view it seemed as if he was blinking short distances constantly.


    The fourth floor was practically undisturbed unlike the first two floors which were littered with corpses and blood. There was also no sign of zombies or any other strange creature, so Bai Zemin correctly assumed that all the zombies on the fourth floor had probably gone down to the third floor and joined the zombies there, explaining why there were so many of them.


    Bai Zemin took out several bottles of blood from his backpack and due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins he almost didn''t feel the pain when he opened the bottles with his still half-broken hand. Then he began to spread blood on the ground.


    For every corridor he went through, Bai Zemin spread a two-liter bottle of blood on the ground.


    Finally, after more than twenty bottles of blood and leaving himself with only ten in reserve for emergencies and leaving aside the First Order Blazing Beetle blood needed to evolve his Blood Manipulation, Bai Zemin stopped dead in his tracks and waited patiently there.


    Although he could not sense where the horrendous pressure was coming from exactly, he could sense that the creature was rapidly approaching him.


    Suddenly Bai Zemin felt a gale of wind charging towards him and without hesitation, he jumped to the side while slashing with his sword diagonally.


    Clang!


    The sound of two clashing metals echoed throughout the corridor, traveling through practically the entire fourth floor as proof of how powerful the clash between the two was.

 Chapter 51 - 1 vs 1: Dangerous hand-to-hand battle!

    Feeling the sudden rush of air approaching his back at breakneck speeds, Bai Zemin did not even hesitate for a moment as his body reacted before his brain did.


    Doing a 180-degree turn and raising his sword high, Bai Zemin''s 85 Strength points completely burst out as he slashed downward ferociously as if he wanted to split his enemy into two pieces.


    CLANG!


    The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded loudly and Bai Zemin felt his right arm go very slightly numb. However, his Strength stat was not low at this point so he was not forced to retreat.


    "You finally came out, you damn zombie!" A smile rose on Bai Zemin''s face as he looked at his expected enemy.


    Indeed, Ming Shui Shui''s description was lacking but accurate.


    The beast was undoubtedly a zombie. However, unlike normal zombies or any other zombie Bai Zemin had encountered so far, this zombie had completely deep blue skin. The zombie''s eyes were wide open and unlike the rest of the zombies, the greenish glow in its eyes showed that its sight was there, unlike normal zombies that could not see anything... But the most striking thing was that its body seemed to be extremely agile and instead of two arms it had two strange, sharp-looking sword-like blades as limbs.


    "Scram!" Bai Zemin shouted as he pressed the full weight of his body forward while applying all his strength on the sword that had collided with one of the zombie''s blades.


    Surprisingly, the zombie was forced back several steps. This showed that its strength was undoubtedly inferior to Bai Zemin''s!


    Grrr...


    A strange grunt came out of the zombie''s mouth and suddenly its body leaned forward, disappearing from the place where it was standing a moment ago.


    Fast! This zombie was incredibly fast!


    Bai Zemin''s pupils dilated even more and while gritting his teeth he immediately slashed towards its right side with all his might.


    CLANG!


    After a powerful metallic clang, the zombie that was fast but obviously did not possess particularly high Strength was sent flying and slammed hard into the opposing wall.


    However, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but be a little scared.


    If it wasn''t for his earlier experiment making use of his Blood Manipulation skill to somewhat control and increase the adrenaline outflow, then his normal reflexes would not have been enough for him to be able to react in time to the earlier attack... This meant that he would have been dead by now!


    Dead after just one trade!


    That''s how terrifying the creatures that had officially taken a step on the path of evolution were! Even more so this zombie that only needed one cut to turn Bai Zemin into one of its comrades!


    Bai Zemin seized the opportunity when the evolved zombie was sent flying and activated his skill Blood Manipulation. The blood he had spread in this corridor suddenly turned into ten blood chains and under his control they flew towards the evolved zombie.


    The evolved zombie''s greenish eyes glowed coldly and it jumped up before it began to move in strange patterns. Due to its speed, the creature managed to evade six blood chains, but four of them managed to surround it to the point where no matter where it tried to escape it would be impossible.


    However, what happened next was something Bai Zemin did not expect.


    Swoosh!


    A strange magical energy surged out from the evolved zombie''s body and a semi-transparent colored barrier whose shape was similar to that of an egg surrounded the infected''s body. The four blood chains slammed against the energy barrier, creating metallic sounds before falling to the ground.


    "What?!" Bai Zemin''s eyes widened in shock. However, the evolved zombie suddenly disappeared from its position without giving him time to think too much about what had just happened,


    "Dammit!" Bai Zemin quickly turned around and raised his sword in a defensive stance to defend against the unexpected attack.


    Clang!


    This time, because he had been taken by surprise, Bai Zemin was forced back approximately five meters as his feet dragged on the carpet that adorned the floor.


    Swoosh!


    The evolved zombie advanced and slashed twice using both blade-like arms.


    Clang!... Clang!


    Bai Zemin was forced into defensive mode as he tried to process what had just happened.


    Wasn''t the acquired skill of this evolved zombie the two blades on its body? Bai Zemin was dumbfounded and again realized the reason why Lilith had told him before that he had been one of the few beings in the history of the universe capable of successfully defeating and slaying an enemy of a higher Order.


    If the evolved creatures of the First Order were already this powerful, then how strong were the ones of the Second Order? Even worse...  How strong was Lilith? And all those Sixth Order existences like her?


    Only now did Bai Zemin understand the reason why people like Lilith differentiated people like him and her into different categories; Lower Existences and Higher Existences. The difference between the two of them was simply colossal...


    Since you have that strange skill, then I will cut off your head with my sword! Bai Zemin gritted his teeth and slashed forward with all his strength.


    The evolved zombie was sent flying and rolled across the ground several meters before leaping to its feet. However, before it could even take a step forward and burst out with its ghostly speed, Bai Zemin had already appeared before it and was attacking again, forcing the evolved zombie to raise both of its blade-like arms to parry the blow.


    BANG!


    Again, the evolved zombie was sent flying and this time its body hit the wall twenty meters away, making a powerful bang and cracking the wall in the process.


    Swoosh!


    Bai Zemin, who had started dashing immediately after sending the evolved zombie flying, appeared in front of the creature at lightning speed and slashed diagonally again with the intention of cutting off its head.


    "I don''t believe I can''t kill you!" His eyes flashed with infinite coldness as he looked at the beastly eyes of the zombie in front of him.

 Chapter 52 - Death Dance

    Bang!


    Bai Zemin had swung the Xuanyuan Sword with such power that the evolved zombie was forced to kneel on one knee while crossing both limbs in an X-shape to parry the blow.


    Even the ground had cracked slightly due to the powerful impact!


    But that wasn''t all that happened...


    Crack...


    A very small sound that would normally go unnoticed rang out in the middle of the silent corridor where two beings were struggling to survive and evolve into something superior.


    The evolved zombie''s greenish eyes twitched softly and a strange growl escaped from its mouth as it looked at the tiny crack that had appeared on both blades.


    The Xuanyuan Sword was not a normal Rare grade treasure, it was a Rare grade treasure that was at the peak! With its ability to pierce through almost any defense below level 40 and even being able to pierce through an armored vehicle, even the two blades of the evolved zombie could not withstand being hit with such power by such a weapon!


    "Damn zombie!" Bai Zemin spat and taking advantage of the superior position turned his body and kicked the evolved zombie in the ribs, sending it flying over twenty meters.


    The evolved zombie rolled across the floor until it hit the wall of the opposite corridor.


    If it were any other level 21 living being facing this zombie, that person would undoubtedly die immediately or end up being infected. However, Bai Zemin had been constantly fighting against existences stronger than him and upon defeating them his stats received a certain power boost, so his actual strength was much more than that of any other level 21.


    In addition, the current Bai Zemin was under a strange effect in which his reflexes and reaction speed had increased at least two or three times more than normal due to the rapid circulation of adrenaline through his skill Blood Manipulation.


    If only one of these factors were not present, Bai Zemin would have already been defeated because although his Strength stat was at least twice higher, his Agility was inferior so he would not even have time to react before being killed.


    Clang!


    Bang!


    Why isn''t this zombie using that strange skill it used earlier to parry my attacks? Bai Zemin frowned tightly as he collided with the evolved zombie.


    The evolved zombie''s blades had small cracks that slowly but surely began to spread wider and wider with each collision. However, the beast was not using that strange barrier that had stopped the blood chains.


    Could it be that it could no longer use it? Such an idea flashed in his mind and he immediately activated his Blood Manipulation skill again without worrying about lack of blood as his previous preparations by spreading blood over most of the corridors had made everything simpler for him.


    Swoosh!


    After spending more than thirty Mana points, six huge blood spears floated in the air and shot at full speed towards the evolved zombie that was struggling to stand up after being sent flying.


    However, that strange barrier appeared again, causing Bai Zemin to frown. Before discovering the weakness of that skill, he was unwilling to waste any more Mana.


    In the end, Bai Zemin once again entangled with the evolved zombie in a fierce dance to the death where a single mistake could cost anyone their death, slowly forcing the creature to retreat to one of the marked rooms where the final phase of the plan would come into play.


    * * *


    In one of the rooms on the fourth floor.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sound of metal clanging against metal followed by bangs could be heard inside the room. Four friends were sitting in the corner of the room, moving as far away from the door as possible while looking with fearful eyes in that direction.


    "It''s been almost five minutes but the sound of fighting still persists." Li Na whispered quietly like the buzzing of a mosquito.


    The group of friends had been waiting in hope for the arrival of a person with enough strength to save them from this hell they were locked in. However, while the person who had entered the building had gotten farther than the man who had snuck in several days ago, it seemed that this new person had also encountered an obstacle powerful enough to hold him back for so long.


    "It seems we can only pray." Gao Min replied in a whisper as she joined both hands together and began muttering prayers.


    The moment all hope disappeared and one could only hope for a supernatural miracle, even the least believing person would start praying to some kind of almighty God in search of salvation.


    "If this person is also forced to leave? I don''t think I can endure another day..." Fan Wu could not stop her tears from sliding down her beautiful face. She had already reached the breaking point and was probably the worst of the four friends.


    Wu Yijun frowned tightly and a hint of worry glittered in her eyes. She had been the only one of the four girls who had glimpsed for a second the person who had charged into the building.


    Even such a fast person was forced to stop? Wu Yijun thought inwardly, horrified.


    Only now did Wu Yijun realize how lucky they had been to continue alive so far and, for the first time in six days, she was silently grateful to be locked up in this place she had previously called hell.


    BANG!


    As the group of four friends prayed for the safety and victory of whoever was fighting whatever was out there, the door of the room was suddenly sent flying alongside a body the height of a human being.


    "Ah! The door collapsed!"


    "Monster!"


    "It''s a zombie!"


    "Oh my God, it''s over!"


    ...


    The girls screamed in terror and drew energy from where they didn''t know they had it to stand up and run to the other corner as they looked at the blue-skinned zombie getting to its feet with staggering steps.


    The evolved zombie opened its mouth and looked at them with eyes filled with murderous intent before taking a step forward.


    Seeing the greenish eyes of the zombie staring at them with a bloodshot gaze, the faces of the four girls paled with fear.


    Swoosh!


    A shadow flashed before the eyes of the four girls before a powerful metallic bang made their ears buzz. When the shadow was forced to stop by the two strange blade-like arms of the strange blue-skinned creature, they finally caught a glimpse of the possible savior of their lives.

 Chapter 53 - Two sides of a coin

    Bang!


    The floor cracked and the window panes were crushed by the shockwave caused by the collision between the Xuanyuan Sword and the two sharp blades of the evolved zombie.


    Finally seeing the man who had dared to enter the female dormitory and who had killed who knew how many dangerous creatures to reach this place, the group of four friends was a bit surprised by the fact that he was actually a person two or three years younger than themselves.


    However, the biggest surprise was when they saw that this young man actually had the strength to fight on equal footing against a monster so strange and horrifying as that zombie with blue skin and greenish eyes... No, in fact, from the expression on his face he seemed to have the upper hand.


    Remembering that terrifying speed at which he crossed the gate and that horrifying strength that was powerful enough to slightly crack the ground without even touching it, Wu Yijun and her friends could not help but be amazed.


    Of course, what the four girls felt the most was hope; hope to survive, hope to finally be released from this prison that was heaven but at the same time was hell for them.


    But in fact, Bai Zemin had the upper hand in this battle... Almost to the point of overwhelming his enemy.


    "Isn''t this thing a bit weak?" While clashing swords against the evolved zombie, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but whisper such words under his breath.


    He hadn''t paid attention to the four friends in a corner as although he currently had the advantage one slip up would be the end for him.


    "It''s not that that creature is weak, in fact, that zombie is very strong," Lilith replied lazily. "The problem here is you. After defeating the First Order Blazing Beetle you got a great boost of power... Besides, among the evolved existences there are also differences in power and type as well as a combat style."


    Bai Zemin nodded before kicking the evolved zombie and making it almost fall out of the window. He had finally reached his target, now he just had to wait a moment there.


    Of course, such a thing was not easy since the evolved zombie was constantly moving and with its Agility was giving Bai Zemin a headache.


    "Besides, Bai Zemin..." Lilith''s voice sounded again. "Your current condition... You are likely to suffer the consequences for manipulating the way your own body works."


    "Wh-" Bai Zemin was about to ask what she meant by those words when suddenly his expression changed and he growled slightly.


    A small trickle of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth, leaving him dumbfounded.


    What is this all about...? The evolved zombie hadn''t even been able to hit him once, how was he suddenly bleeding? Furthermore, his veins suddenly began to feel extremely hot as if instead of blood, burning lava was running inside it!


    "I told you." Lilith frowned and a hint of worry flashed in her eyes. "You''re currently close to creating an active skill thanks to your natural knowledge of human physiology and your Blood Manipulation skill, but apparently you''re still missing something.,. You should stop manipulating the adrenaline rushing through your veins by controlling your blood or the pain will only get worse and you could get seriously hurt."


    While adrenaline was mostly beneficial, this was so when it was flowing at normal speeds and the body could respond to such stimulation. Bai Zemin''s body had been enhanced many times over after absorbing so much Soul Power, therefore, the "normal" speed at which his adrenaline naturally moved was also many times faster than a normal person... However, by manipulating his own blood, Bai Zemin had forced that speed to double.


    Bai Zemin did not respond but his eyes glittered and a hint of resolve appeared in them.


    If he stopped controlling his adrenaline now that he could through blood flow, then that adrenaline would soon disappear since the initial fright he felt had disappeared after beating up the evolved zombie. If the substance that enhanced his reflexes and reaction speed disappeared, Bai Zemin had no confidence in being able to stop the evolved zombie''s attacks.


    The speed of the evolved zombie was simply too high for the current Bai Zemin and if he could not defend himself from its attacks then his superior strength was useless.


    Besides he had another motive... Bai Zemin secretly sighed inwardly as he looked sideways at Lilith.


    Everything had consequences, and he was willing to suffer some of them to achieve his goals. Sometimes, life was like that; losses and gains being two sides of the same coin.


    Meanwhile, in a building a few dozen meters away from the female dormitory.


    Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue were standing near a large broken window on the top floor of the building. Chen He was holding his bow with his left hand and had put on a pair of rubber gloves on his right hand to hold the icy stake that Shangguan Bing Xue had crafted; even though she was controlling the temperature it was possible to see that his hand was shivering slightly due to the coldness.


    The carbon fiber cable attached to the ice stake was falling out of the window and a few meters away on the ground Liang Peng could be seen holding the other end of the cable with both hands.


    The three of them were staring at the fourth floor windows of the female dormitory as although Bai Zemin had said he would lure the zombie to one of those windows it was impossible to tell which one it would be.


    "Over there." Shangguan Bing Xue suddenly noticed something strange and raised her pristine hand to indicate the location to Chen He.


    "Got it." Chen He nodded and quickly put the ice stake on his bow as he took a professional shooting stance that he had grown accustomed to and had perfected over the years.


    Shangguan Bing Xue glanced at him for a moment before stepping forward and leaping out the window to prepare to fight. While she could attack from afar, the more distant her target was the longer she would need to control her ice creations in the air, and due to the fact that she had no telekinesis, she needed to expend astronomical amounts of Mana. Therefore, she had no choice but to get as close as possible.


    Chen He''s gaze wandered from the target for a moment and looked at Shangguan Bing Xue, who seemed to be floating in the air and hovering like an immortal ice fairy.


    In the end, he shook his head and quickly focused.


    "Don''t move..."


    He muttered as he narrowed his eyes. In his line of sight several meters away Chen He could make out the back of the strange blue-skinned zombie just as Ming Shui Shui had described. He could also see Bai Zemin''s body flashing constantly, entangled in what appeared to be a tenacious fight where swords were constantly clashing.


    "I got you." Chen He whispered again for no one in particular and his eyes flashed coldly before releasing his grip on the bowstring.


    The ice stake had turned into an arrow that traveled at astonishingly high speeds and in a matter of a second or two it had already hit its target.

 Chapter 54 - Realization

    Swoosh!


    The piercing sound of the howling wind reached Bai Zemin''s ears from the first moment the ice stake had left the bowstring''s bow. Immediately and without delay he pressed the blades of the evolved zombie down with all his might; instead of sending it flying like the previous times, this time his aim was to do his best to keep it firmly in place without allowing it to move.


    The ice stake that had been used as an arrow hit the back of the evolved zombie hard and easily went all the way through its body until the tip protruded into the c.h.e.s.t area.


    Roar!


    A strange roar similar to that of a wounded lion erupted from the evolved zombie''s mouth as its green eyes widened and it began to struggle frantically in an attempt to free itself from the strange object that had pierced its body. Unfortunately for the beast, the ice stake created by Shangguan Bing Xue had been shaped in such a way as to make it easy to pierce through flesh but extremely difficult to get out due to the small sharp spikes protruding in the opposite direction.


    Realizing that it might be in real danger of death, the evolved zombie began to struggle frantically trying to flee.


    The smell of rotting flesh and dried blood assaulted Bai Zemin''s nostrils; obviously, the evolved zombie had been delighting in other creatures and other humans slowly over the past few days. However, although the smell was foul, he gritted his teeth and stopped breathing to firmly hold the zombie in the window area without letting it escape.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s ice skill is extremely powerful and amazing, but Chen He''s marksmanship is really great considering he was only using a normal bow to shoot this ice stake. Bai Zemin silently thought.


    "Liang Peng, pull the cable! With all your strength!" Bai Zemin shouted out loud.


    The girls in the dormitory were shocked, but they soon realized that this young man was not alone as from the floor a deep voice echoed everywhere.


    "I''m on it!"


    Immediately afterwards, along with a war roar coming from outside the building, the evolved zombie suddenly howled in pain. The ice stake firmly stuck into its flesh stabbed with far stronger thrust and tore the inside of the creature''s body as the carbon fiber cable was fiercely pulled taut.


    Due to the great strength used by Liang Peng, the evolved zombie flew out of the fourth floor window and began to plummet towards the ground.


    "You girls stay away from the door and wait here."


    Without looking back, Bai Zemin said those words and jumped out of the window while using one foot to propel himself forward.


    The group of four friends looked at each other and quickly began to move the beds toward the door to act as obstacles that could buy time in dangerous moments, drawing strength from where they didn''t know they had it after so many days without good food.


    * * *


    Outside the building.


    "Jaaaaaaaah!" Liang Peng screamed at the top of his lungs as the muscles in his body expanded to twice their normal size.


    "Go to HELL!"


    Seeing the blue-skinned zombie falling towards him, Liang Peng raised his huge hammer and swung it behind his body before swinging it with all his strength forward.


    The surrounding air seemed to blast due to the amount of Strength used and because the evolved zombie was squirming in pain in the middle of the air and unable to control its body it had no chance to dodge.


    BANG!


    The infected was hit hard and its body that was falling in a curved line was sent flying in a straight line as if it was a meteorite.


    Bang!


    The zombie''s body hit the wall of the nearby building hard and a pile of rubble collapsed onto it.


    "Phew... It wasn''t so much in the end, was it?" Liang Peng looked at Shangguan Bing Xue who was several meters away and relaxed.


    The Strength he had used along with the powerful blow of his hammer was enough to bring down an entire house. Liang Peng did not believe that a creature whose body was so thin as a stick could survive after being hit by such a blow.


    "Retard! It didn''t die yet!" Bai Zemin shouted after falling to the ground and immediately broke into a sprint at full speed.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly the dust cloud opened up completely and the rubble was cut into countless pieces at lightning speed. Before Liang Peng could react, the evolved zombie charged forward and raised its blade as it fiercely slashed downward.


    Liang Peng''s face turned white like a cartoon ghost. Seeing those bloodshot eyes staring at him with murderous intent brimming over, Liang Peng''s last thought was that his life was over.


    In fact, it should have been. Fortunately for him, Shangguan Bing Xue did not believe that a creature similar in level to the giant elephant beetle would die so easily even if her reasoning told her that it was impossible to survive such a powerful attack.


    "Ice Wall!"


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s hurried voice rang out and less than a second later a meter-thick wall of ice appeared before Liang Peng, separating him from the evolved zombie just before it managed to deal the killing blow.


    A tearing sound echoed through all the nearby buildings as the blade of the evolved zombie sliced through the thick wall of ice as if it was made of soft, thin cotton.


    "Ice Bullets!" Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but let her expression change when she saw how easily her defensive wall was knocked down and quickly gritted her teeth, spending a quarter of her current Mana to create twenty small ice bullets and launch them forward.


    The ice bullets looked like real bullets as they moved at speeds difficult to track with the n.a.k.e.d eye. However, to Shangguan Bing Xue''s disbelief, the evolved zombie''s greenish eyes glowed and the bullets were deflected by the same strange energy barrier that had stopped Bai Zemin''s blood chains and blood spears.


    Swoosh!... Swoosh!... Swoosh!


    The wind howled and the evolved zombie quickly turned its body before starting to cut with its only intact blade as one of them had been destroyed by Bai Zemin''s constant attacks and Liang Peng''s powerful final blow with his hammer. In less than a second, the creature had managed to make three different cuts, showing that even if it was wounded its speed was still as scary and horrifying as ever!


    Clang!.... Clang!... Clang!


    After three metallic sounds, three arrows fell to the ground a close distance from the evolved zombie. The evolved zombie looked towards the distant building and its eyes glowed ominously as it glared at Chen He, who was stunned to see the power demonstrated by the zombie in front of him.


    In fact, it was not only Chen He. Shangguan Bing Xue and Liang Peng were shocked and frightened after realizing the reason why Bai Zemin had previously refused to fight this creature.


    Was this the power of a First Order creature? The blue-skinned zombie''s power was too strong! In just two seconds it had shown enough power to prove to them that no one could really stop it!

 Chapter 55 - The battle is over and the debt is settled

    Shangguan Bing Xue, Liang Peng, and Chen He''s confrontation against the blue-skinned zombie had been brief, only two or three seconds in total. However, those two or three seconds were enough for each of them to realize how strong the enemy in front of them was.


    In fact, only Liang Peng had managed to successfully hit the strange zombie once and the only reason he had managed to do so was because the zombie was in the air unable to defend itself and suffering great amounts of pain.


    It had only been a few seconds but during that short and scarce time, the life of one of the strongest evolved fighters of the group was close to perishing.


    Too strong and too terrifying! That was the general thought of the three of them.


    Swoosh!


    The blue-skinned zombie saw Bai Zemin running towards it and quickly took off running. Clearly, the infected creature seemed to know that confronting him would put it in danger, so it tried to take the opportunity to run away.


    Does this damn creature already have a basic level of intelligence? Bai Zemin felt his scalp stand up at the thought of such a fast zombie lurking in the nights waiting for the opportunity to attack.


    "Stop it! We can''t let it slip away from us!" Bai Zemin gritted his teeth and pushed his speed to the limit. Although he still had status points free and could add them to Agility at any time, unless extremely necessary he wasn''t willing to waste them so casually.


    The evolved zombie that was trying to flee was running in the direction where Shangguan Bing Xue was, so when it arrived in front of her and saw her blocking the way, the creature howled strangely and slashed downward with its blade.


    Chen He''s face turned pale at the sight of the zombie''s intentions and his legs felt weak as he realized that he not only had no time to react but also could do nothing more than watch as the life of his loved one was at risk.


    Even Bai Zemin who was the fastest of the group did not have the ability to close such a large distance in such a short time as he would need at least a second or two more.


    But what everyone saw was not Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful body being cut into two halves.


    After a sound of metal clanging against metal, everyone saw the ice beauty raising a small curved dagger to the level of her head. The blade of the evolved zombie was large but Shangguan Bing Xue had actually used such a small bladed weapon to parry its attack!


    Moreover, from her grip on the dagger and the cold expression on her face, even a fool could tell that it wasn''t luck and she was definitely a trained person skilled in close combat!


    "Perfect! Shangguan Bing Xue hold it there!" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but praise loudly. In the next instant, he reached for the zombie''s back and quickly raised his sword high before performing an oblique slash.


    The evolved zombie tried to turn around to stop Bai Zemin''s attack but Shangguan Bing Xue did not allow it to do what it wanted. She leaned her body forward and used all her Strength to oblige the zombie to stand in place; thanks to the zombie''s strength not being especially high, she was not forced to retreat and seemed to be able to stand her ground in a close battle.


    Slash!


    At the last instant and just before losing its head, the evolved zombie tilted its body at a strange angle, causing Bai Zemin''s slash to miss. However, the creature was by no means unscathed.


    Yowl!


    A high-pitched howl escaped uncontrollably from the evolved zombie''s mouth. Its left arm had been completely hacked off along with a portion of its ribs. Blood had begun to gush out like an endless fountain and from the distorted expression, it was obvious that unlike normal zombies that did not fear pain or death this zombie could feel great amounts of pain.


    Shangguan Bing Xue took the opportunity when the evolved zombie was writhing in pain and with her free hand, she used all her Mana to make an ice sword. Her face turned as white as a sheet and she felt her world spinning around her; even so, she bit her lips making them bleed and stabbed forward.


    The ice sword created with all her Mana pierced the evolved zombie''s body with ease. The creature''s stomach split open before it began to freeze from the inside out, hindering its movements immensely!


    The beast roared ferociously trying to break free, but that was its last fight.


    Bai Zemin used the momentum of his previous attack to make a full turn and made a horizontal slash. This time, thanks to Shangguan Bing Xue''s support, the evolved zombie had neither the ability nor the luck to avoid the attack.


    The zombie''s head shot up into the sky before falling to the ground with a thud and rolling two or three times. Soon after, the body of the now headless evolved zombie fell to the side and dark colored blood began to spurt out uncontrollably, staining the ground completely in just a few seconds.


    Four orbs of energy came out of the zombie''s body and each orb entered each person''s body. Chen He and Liang Peng''s were similar, Shangguan Bing Xue''s was about two or three times brighter, and Bai Zemin''s was several times brighter than theirs.


    Chen He finally sighed in relief and his heart that seemed to be about to burst out of his mouth managed to settle down.


    Liang Peng was still frozen, apparently unable to react. This was also natural considering that the entire battle had lasted less than five seconds and his life was a hair''s breadth away from being over if not for the timely intervention of his party members.


    Shangguan Bing Xue still seemed to be in combat mode as she was still clinging tightly to the dagger in her hands; this dagger was precisely the Normal grade treasure that Bai Zemin had given her earlier. Her generous c.h.e.s.t rose and fell as she looked forward with her eyes wide open and her sickly pale face made her look extremely pitiful.


    On the other hand, Bai Zemin finally managed to relax his tense muscles and secretly let out a sigh of relief. While it was true that throughout the fight he was superior, the reality was that his life had always been on the line since the slightest of mistakes for him meant ultimate death.


    Cough!


    "H-Hey..." Shangguan Bing Xue finally seemed to wake up and realize that victory was theirs. However, seeing the drops of blood escaping down the seam of his fingers, she couldn''t help her eyes from widening a little.


    Bai Zemin gritted his teeth in an effort to endure the pain of his blood vessels shaking nonstop and looked at Shangguan Bing Xue with calm eyes.


    He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and with his dark eyes fixed into her blue eyes he calmly said, "Now you and I are equal. I don''t owe you anything anymore."

 Chapter 56 - Differences between the past and the present

    "Eh? Sorry, I didn''t hear you." Shangguan Bing Xue furrowed her eyebrows slightly and leaned forward a little closer.


    She wasn''t pretending that she hadn''t heard anything, the problem was that she really hadn''t heard! Because Bai Zemin had spoken in a tone of voice that was too low due to the pain that he was feeling and because Shangguan Bing Xue herself was experiencing mental exhaustion as a result of losing all her Mana all at once, it so happened that there was a blip in what one wanted to express and what the other was going to hear.


    Bai Zemin looked at her for a moment before shaking his head and calmly saying, "It''s nothing."


    There was no need for him to say anything anyway. She probably already knew that too considering how smart she was.


    "By the way, are you okay?" Shangguan Bing Xue did not continue with the previous matter and instead looked at the blood dripping from his hand and pointed.


    "No need to worry, it''s no big deal." Bai Zemin waved his hand and dealt with it as if it was nothing.


    In fact, except for the pain that he felt coming from his blood vessels, as long as he was careful and didn''t force his blood flow for a day or two he should be fine.


    "I see." Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and didn''t ask any more questions either.


    "Hey, both of you!" Chen He walked up at that moment and looked at the two of them. "Are you both okay?"


    Bai Zemin looked at him and seeing how his eyes lingered on Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but chuckle.


    This person is quite obvious...


    Although Chen He was asking the two of them, he was doing it out of politeness and the fact that they were all a team. But Bai Zemin could see that the handsome expert archer''s real concern was the icy beauty dressed in white.


    "Except for exhausting my Mana, there is no problem with me at all." Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head softly and couldn''t help but look at the red blood on Bai Zemin''s hand again with a frown.


    "I am alright too." Bai Zemin gave the same reply and turned his attention away from them to look at Liang Peng, "Hey, big boy. Are you all right?"


    Liang Peng, who was standing silently as if frozen, seemed to wake up at Bai Zemin''s words. He looked at everyone before looking at Shangguan Bing Xue with a complex look.


    In the end, the hammer man sighed and left without saying anything.


    The place remained silent as if each of the three were immersed in their own thoughts. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of awkwardness, Chen He looked at Bai Zemin, who was casually standing there as if deliberating something and asked, "Bai Zemin, the giant beetle from before... Did you really defeat it single-handedly?"


    "Yeah... Although it was harder back then. That beetle was stronger and the me from back then was weaker." Bai Zemin replied lightly without paying too much attention to him. He leaned against the wall and began to read the messages with green letters in his retina that no one but him could see.


    Hearing his casual words, knowing that the giant elephant beetle was even more hideous than the decapitated zombie on the ground, and remembering Bai Zemin''s deplorable condition three days ago, Chen He couldn''t help but sigh as his eyes glittered with a hint of bitterness and jealousy.


    Chen He had always been praised since he was young as an outstanding talent. It didn''t matter if it was grades, sports, attitude, personality, appearance, status... Chen He basically had it all.


    Before the Soul Record reached planet Earth, Chen He did not even know that there was a person named Bai Zemin in this world. But this was also natural, after all, the person named Bai Zemin was nothing special.


    A third-year student who barely got the necessary grades to enter this university, from a middle-class family, an employee of an automobile workshop that also functioned as a blacksmith shop, and whose appearance was just average.


    Bai Zemin also had no one close to him, while Chen He was always surrounded by all kinds of people like stars surrounding the moon.


    The difference between the two was abysmal, as great as the distance between heaven and earth.


    But what about now? After the Soul Record came to this world, Chen He realized that except for his appearance and his background that he still didn''t know whether it continued in existence or not, Bai Zemin was overwhelmingly superior.


    This was something he already knew but unconsciously ignored or did not want to accept. However, after today''s fight against Qiao Long and after the final battle against the evolved zombie, Chen He finally accepted the reality.


    This world really had changed and the past was just that, past.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at her childhood friend, who looked bitter and sad but at the same time, a touch relieved, unsure of what he was thinking. In the end, she just said the first thing that came to her mind, "Chen He. That was a good shot."


    He looked at her for several seconds, appreciating every inch of her face as if to burn every detail into his memory. Finally, he smiled and nodded, "It was."


    With nothing more to say, Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin and frowned as she saw that he still seemed to ignore the surroundings completely... In fact, he seemed to have forgotten about the existence of the two of them as he currently seemed to be talking in a low voice to himself.


    Had this person gone crazy? Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but let that thought flash through her mind before f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y shaking it off.


    In the end, she looked at the orbs beside the zombie corpse before turning her gaze towards him again, "Bai Zemin, are you really okay?"


    "Uh?" Bai Zemin blinked and looked at the two people blankly.


    He naturally hadn''t gone crazy. It was just that he was currently having a small talk with Lilith about what to do next and was so secretly excited that he ended up forgetting about Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He''s existence; in fact, he had even forgotten about something very important as well!


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him for a moment and at his confused face, she couldn''t help but shook her head. In the end, she pointed to the ground and said in an indifferent voice, "What shall we do with these things? I mean the distribution."


    A Red Orb equivalent to a Normal grade Treasure, a Orange Orb equivalent to a Rare grade Treasure, and a Yellow Orb equivalent to a Magic grade Treasure.


    Three orbs that contained treasures!

 Chapter 57 - Mutant Plant (Part 1)

    Because Liang Peng had left a bit dejected and apparently with a lot of things to think about, there were only three people left present; exactly the same amount of orbs that the evolved zombie had dropped this time.


    This had made things easier as it would otherwise be difficult to start distributing the loot. Although it was likely that Liang Peng would give up his share in order to feel less indebted, it was also not certain that such a thing would happen.


    After all, the human heart was unpredictable.


    Besides... Bai Zemin did not know whether Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He knew about the existence of the orbs and how they were distributed according to their colors. Wouldn''t it be good to take advantage of that as much as possible then?


    However, that was merely a fleeting thought as Bai Zemin knew that it was not easy to deceive the two people in front of him; Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue were two extremely smart people, especially her, who was not only smart but also cunning as a fox.


    Indeed, as he looked at her he saw that she was also staring at him.


    "I like the color yellow." Bai Zemin said out of nowhere.


    Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue looked at each other strangely before she turned to look at him and said with a smile, "I love yellow too."


    Bai Zemin was already immune to her cunning little fox smile. Instead, he gave her a friendly smile and continued, "Well, too bad. Considering that my contribution is the highest, I guess I''ll be shameless and take the Yellow Orb."


    Want to play games of cunning with me? You''re still too imm.a.t.u.r.e! Bai Zemin secretly sneered.


    Indeed, Shangguan Bing Xue''s smile disappeared in the blink of an eye and she looked at him with the same indifferent look as always while secretly cl.i.c.k.i.n.g her tongue and muttering something that probably only she could understand.


    With nothing more to say, Bai Zemin stepped forward and picked up the Yellow Orb with delight. This was his second Yellow Orb and thus his second Magic grade Treasure, how could he not be secretly excited? After picking up the orb, Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He and slowly explained: "Red Orb contains a Normal grade Treasure and Orange Orb a Rare grade Treasure. Although I think it''s quite obvious but the Normal Treasure is inferior to the Rare Treasure... Still, both are good stuff, you two decide who gets what."


    Hearing Bai Zemin''s explanation and after remaining silent for a moment, Chen He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and waved his hands as he said, "Bing Xue, you take the rare treasure. I couldn''t do much during the battle and except for shooting the ice stake that you created my contribution is even inferior to Liang Peng... At least he managed to break one of that creature''s blades."


    Shangguan Bing Xue did not stand on ceremony and nodded without saying a word. At a certain point, she and Bai Zemin had the same main goal; to survive. In order to survive and not fall and then be devoured by some strange creature, she needed power and treasures were undoubtedly a good way to acquire such power. Even if it was external strength, the treasures could help them defeat more powerful enemies which would allow her to absorb a greater amount of pure Soul Power.


    Without saying a word, each of them kept their respective loot of victory to look at and study later.


    "Let''s start inspecting the female dormitory." Bai Zemin frowned and said with some confusion, "I think there''s something weird in there."


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him strangely but said nothing and nodded indifferently before starting to walk towards the nearby building.


    * * *


    The survivors were left in a nearby building under the protection of Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, and Zhong De; although none of the three had treasure-level weapons, any iron pipe or wooden stick was enough to deal with the zombies considering that they all possessed a skill and a stat at least two or three times higher than that of a normal person.


    A careful search was conducted in the female dormitory and the ones in charge were Bai Zemin, Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Liang Peng who had already recovered a bit from his negative thoughts.


    On the third floor, approximately thirty female students were found who were still alive. However, the biggest surprise was that on the fourth floor there were over one hundred female students alive!


    Although all of them were weak and some of them seemed to have become a bit mentally ill with all that was occurring, at least they were still alive and had a chance to lead as good a life as possible unlike those who had been eaten alive.


    In a room on the fourth floor.


    "Bing Xue!"


    Gao Min jumped into Shangguan Bing Xue''s arms and began to sob like a little girl releasing all her grievances with her parents after being bullied by someone bigger.


    Gao Min had been practically the pillar of her group since Li Na and Fan Wu needed constant mental support in order to overcome the mental pressure and hunger that threatened to drive them crazy; after all, it was not easy to go through such an abrupt change overnight.


    On the other hand, Wu Yijun was generally quiet and silent so it was difficult to know what she was thinking or if she was well. Therefore, Gao Min could only take on the role of the pillar by herself unless she wanted to see her friends dying in front of her eyes.


    "It''s okay... Everything will be fine now." Shangguan Bing Xue gently stroked the girl''s back in her arms and let out an inaudible sigh.


    It wasn''t just Gao Min, Shangguan Bing Xue was also assaulted by Li Na and Fan Wu so she had to take some time to calm her friends down. Although they had only met three or four years ago, they had become very close to each other and Shangguan Bing Xue was really happy that they were safe.


    "Yijun, it''s good to see that you''re okay." Chen He looked at the stand-up beauty and sighed. "If anything happened to you, your father and grandfather would go crazy later."


    "All thanks to you guys who arrived on time." Wu Yijun smiled slightly and nodded. Even though she was not in her best condition due to not being able to eat properly for almost a week, her clothes were clean and the smell of her body was sweet as roses thanks to the shower in the dormitory.


    Every day, the girls showered very carefully and without making too much noise every time they stepped into the hot tub to avoid attracting zombies. So, they were comfortable in that sense at least.


    At first, they were reluctant out of fear. But hunger, confinement, and the discomfort of not being able to take a hot shower were making everything more difficult for them. So, after two or three days of deliverance, the four decided that if they were going to die at least they might as well release one of their sorrows.

 Chapter 58 - Mutant Plant (Part 2)

    Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Wu Yijun were the three friends who had known each other since childhood due to their family ties. The three were about the same age, with Wu Yijun being the youngest of the group by one year.


    The reason why Chen He had previously said that if anything happened to Wu Yijun her father and grandfather would go crazy when they found out was because, in fact, her status was not at all normal, even surpassing Chen He''s military family''s status by a large margin.


    She was actually the granddaughter of the current Prime Minister of China Wu Jianhong, being known as one of the eight most powerful men in the whole country. Her father Wu Keqian was the current Mayor of the Changping District of Beijing City which consisted of a total of ten localities.


    Wu Yijun''s Wu Family was not only one of the most terrifying and politically powerful families in all of China but in recent years had also begun to expand into the military field since one of Wu Yijun''s uncles had quickly risen through the ranks of the army.


    Basically, Wu Yijun''s status was that of a little princess in the past and it was precisely because of her powerful backing that no one had dared to lay a finger on her although there were countless outstanding young men drooling to court her and all those who had dared to try had disappeared without alerting anyone.


    If she, the most beloved granddaughter of the second most powerful man in all of China, suffered any backlash; if the army managed to overcome this tribulation and the Central Government remained standing, the whole country would probably be shaken by the wrath of the Wu Family... Even launching nuclear warheads on the zombies was not impossible!


    * * *


    Bai Zemin had stood outside the room for several minutes observing the group''s friendly reunion from a corner. The tears of pain and relief as well as the muffled sobbing of the three girls surrounding Shangguan Bing Xue... He looked at all of this with a complicated expression before shook his head softly and turned around to leave quietly.


    As he walked silently down the corridor, a silence where even his footsteps could not be heard, the beautiful woman walking beside him tilted her head and asked curiously, "Could it be that you are jealous?"


    "Hah?" Bai Zemin looked at her with raised eyebrows and asked in return, "Could it be that you''ve gone completely mad, Beautiful Queen?"


    "Don''t be shy, just admit it~" Lilith said in a playful voice before suddenly jumping on him as she said cheerfully, "This beautiful big sister will spoil you a lot, come here~"


    "You! Let go of me you perverted s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s! If you want my life energy you''ll have to fight a lot harder than this!" he began to push trying to break free.


    "I told you it''s not like that!"


    Fortunately, no one was present, or else they might see the amusing scene of a young man struggling against seeming nothingness as if he had gone completely insane.


    * * *


    After calming down the Gao Min trio and allowing them to eat something light to open their stomachs, Shangguan Bing Xue approached Wu Yijun who was drinking boxed milk along with a bread bun, and gave her a rare genuine smile, "I''m glad you''re safe and healthy, Yijun."


    Wu Yijun reciprocated the genuine smile and looked at her with a relieved but somewhat complex look as she said, "Although I knew you would definitely be fine since it''s you, I didn''t expect you to become this strong."


    Earlier, after slightly ensuring the entrance to the room, Wu Yijun could not help but approach the window so she had witnessed with her own eyes the short but dangerous battle of the group of four against the strange blue-skinned zombie. She had seen how Shangguan Bing Xue created and controlled ice as if she was a Goddess so she couldn''t help but feel a touch of envy of her.


    After all, while Shangguan Bing Xue had obtained the ability and power to defend herself, Wu Yijun herself could only hide in this small room in order to survive.


    Shangguan Bing Xue seemed to know what her good friend''s thoughts were. But she shook her head and sighed lightly as she explained in a somewhat sad voice which was in stark contrast to her usually cold and immovable tone: "No. Actually, I was just lucky... At that time, Xiao Bai turned into a strange creature but before it could move it seemed to be frozen... I take the opportunity and stabbed it with a knife."


    Xiao Bai was actually the little white rabbit that Shangguan Bing Xue''s mother had given her and she really loved it very much. Xiao Bai was a rather old rabbit that had been with her for over five years, but the Mana had affected it as its body was mutated and, seizing the moment as she noticed something was wrong, she killed it, thus gaining her Ice Maker skill.


    "I see... Sorry about that." Wu Yijun finally understood and looked at her with a tinge of sympathy.


    "By the way..." Trying to change Shangguan Bing Xue''s somewhat subdued mood and wanting to ask this for quite some time now, Wu Yijun looked at the surroundings and asked in confusion, "The guy with the sword and black coat from before is not with you? He left with the man with the beard and that big hammer?"


    Hearing her question, Gao Min, Li Na, and Fan Wu looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He waiting for a response.


    Because Bai Zemin had stayed outside the room in a corner, the four girls had not seen him so they had thought he was doing another task. While it was true that they were happy to see their friends, especially Wu Yijun since they had been friends since childhood, and while it was true that they were surprised to see that Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue seemed to have become more powerful people, the person who had left the biggest impression on the minds of the four girls had been the one who had sneaked into the dormitory and killed his way here.


    This was especially true for Wu Yijun. She had seen how Bai Zemin was the only person capable of fighting in the upper hand against that blue-skinned zombie, so her impression of him was the greatest. Therefore, not seeing him here she couldn''t help but wonder.


    Considering his strength, he definitely had to be one of the leaders. But where was he then?


    "Uh? Now that you mention it..." Chen He blinked and looked at the surroundings dumbfounded as he said, "Wasn''t he just behind us a few minutes ago? How did he suddenly disappear?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue was also speechless. After looking around the surroundings and not finding him anywhere, she couldn''t help but grit her teeth as she complained in a low voice: "This person... He really is like an uncontrollable horse. Didn''t we all agree to move together before?"

 Chapter 59 - Mutant Plant (Part 3-Last)

    "Oh?" Wu Yijun looked somewhat surprised and asked curiously, "It seems that you guys aren''t a very close group?"


    "Well... It''s not that we don''t get along badly either." Chen He replied with a forced smile, "It''s just that he''s a bit... special. He usually stays alone in a corner and doesn''t seem particularly willing to talk to anyone. Therefore, it''s hard to get close to him..."


    "Even with our Princess Bing Xue there that guy can stay away?" Wu Yijun joked as she looked at Shangguan Bing Xue.


    They were both beautiful women in their own right. It was just that the beauty of both of them was different. If Shangguan Bing Xue was a beautiful ice goddess who seemed pure and remote, then Wu Yijun was more of a beautiful ardent goddess with a more playful and gentle attitude.


    Shangguan Bing Xue had been ranked as the number one beauty in the entire university while Wu Yijun had been ranked second. However, this was because Shangguan Bing Xue had more suitors and admirers, but Wu Yijun was also courted by countless men who thought she was more beautiful.


    "This..." Chen He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue for a moment before hesitantly responding, "Actually, he doesn''t seem to look at Bing Xue in any particular way... Maybe he has a girlfriend? Or maybe he''s just not attracted to her? After all, before the whole world changed he was an unknown person to us so we don''t know much about him."


    "Mmh... Who knows." Wu Yijun smiled mysteriously and did not pursue the matter further.


    "We''d better go find that guy." Shangguan Bing Xue sighed exhaustedly before turning around and walking towards the exit without waiting for an answer.


    Chen He and the group of four friends quickly walked after her and so the group of six began to inspect the fourth floor, room by room.


    * * *


    On the other hand, in one of the rooms on the fourth floor, the person who Shangguan Bing Xue''s group was looking for was currently looking at the scene in front of him with a curious look.


    Earlier, the reason why Bai Zemin had suspected that there was something wrong with the blue-skinned evolved zombie''s behavior was because the creature''s behavior was too different from the rest of the zombies he had encountered so far.


    Normal zombies had no vision, only instinct, sound and smell to find prey to devour. Whenever a living being appeared within their detection range, the zombies would definitely advance towards that place regardless of whether the other party was strong or weak and with the only thought of eating their flesh and drinking their blood.


    However, the blue-skinned zombie had contradicted all of this almost completely.


    Phase one of the plan was not only to make noise to attract normal zombies and other creatures from the surrounding area, it was also to lure the evolved zombie out of the building and attack it together. However, the evolved zombie did not come out no matter how many glass windows they broke.


    In fact, even when Bai Zemin entered the female dormitory after kicking the front door loudly, the blue-skinned creature had not yet moved from the place where it was and only when Bai Zemin reached the fourth floor did it move.


    Considering the speed of the evolved zombie, if Qiao Long wanted to run away then it would be difficult if he was chased by it. However, the evolved zombie had not hunted him down after expelling him and simply stayed inside the building.


    But Bai Zemin did not expect something like this....


    "What is this supposed to be?" he asked in confusion with a frown as looked at the plant in front of his eyes in detail.


    This was a small plant, small enough to be carried in his pants pocket as it barely reached the height of a palm. Its leaves were a natural green color but the strange thing was that there were tiny light green and red orbs hanging from some of the leaves.


    The green orbs were small, only the size of half a fingernail at most and there were barely five of them. On the other hand, the red orbs were a bit bigger, about the size of a full fingernail and they were also scarcer as there were only two of them.


    "That''s a mutant plant." Llith approached him and touched the plant with the tip of her perfect finger as she patiently explained, "After the arrival of the Soul Record on different worlds and with the Mana movement or the appearance of said power source, different organisms will be pushed into evolution. This is something you already know, isn''t it?"


    "You had explained it to me before, yes." Bai Zemin nodded and stared into her eyes, seemingly lost in that red wine glowing like rubies.


    Lilith continued, "Good. However, there are different forms of evolution and not all organisms are able to withstand the pressure of Mana entering their bodies... Let me explain it this way;


    Those zombies that are rampant in the streets are organisms that did not manage to adapt and overcome the Mana that entered their bodies and the union of different viruses... These viruses, in order not to be killed by Mana, united to form a new infectious virus. As for how something like that happened, I don''t know since each world is, precisely, a different world of possibilities and as I mentioned before, it is not known exactly what is the functioning or the reason of this existence called Soul Record... In fact, it is not known whether there is a purpose to begin with or not."


    Bai Zemin lowered his head in contemplation and stood silently for a couple of minutes to digest and comprehend the new information before raising his head again to look her in the eye and nod gently.


    Seeing him nod, Lilith finally got to the point for which this conversation had begun: "With plants something similar happens. Some plants manage to adapt to the Mana and can become terrifying monsters, and other plants, like this little one here, just mutate differently just like the zombies out there... Some of these plants can bear fruits that are beneficial to the body, and others can bear fruits that can make a living being''s body blast into a thousand pieces after consuming it."


    "I see." Bai Zemin finally understood and his gaze fell on the small plant, deep in thought.


    Currently, he was 80% sure that this small, exotic-looking mutant plant was a good treasure. The reason for this thought arose from the fact that the evolved zombie definitely did not want to leave this place because of the existence of this plant and, since zombies had not yet acquired enough intelligence, the creature never thought of uprooting the plant and moving it to another place.

 Chapter 60 - Plans to go out of university

    While it was true that the blue-skinned evolved zombie had tried to flee after realizing that if it confronted the entire party of Bai Zemin it would end up dying, this did not necessarily mean that it was an intelligent creature. It was probably just a battle instinct in that the evolved zombie could sense which wars it could win and which ones it had no hope of victory in.


    Since the world had become a kind of wild jungle, it was easy to assume that the evolved zombie, as an officially evolved creature, was capable of commanding zombies to some extent but only in relatively small numbers. This was natural, just as the a.d.u.l.t lions were the leaders of the pack and led the smaller or weaker lions.


    Probably, the evolved zombie did not want other zombies to be on the fourth floor because of the existence of this mutated plant as it was a treasure to it and it was probably worried that the plant would be taken away from it.


    But there was a problem with this little plant and that was that while Bai Zemin was about 80% sure that it was a good treasure for the body, the other 20% was what was holding him back from eating one of its fruits.


    80% versus 20% was a considerably higher amount, however, that 20% was not 0% and if Bai Zemin''s guess was wrong then, just as Lilith had said, it was likely that his body would end up bursting into a blood mist and that was an idea he was not too pleased to imagine.


    Wouldn''t it be ridiculous to die from eating something he didn''t know what it was instead of dying fighting? Of course, it wasn''t as if he had any plans to die; but if he really had to die he didn''t want a pathetic death like that.


    "Lilith, don''t you have a way of knowing if this mutated plant is good or not?" Bai Zemin looked at her and scratched his head not knowing what to do.


    Lilith shrugged her shoulders and said in a helpless voice, "I am not an all-knowing existence. Bai Zemin, as I told you before, each world means a different world of probabilities and I can only help you with knowledge shared from other worlds... As for things specific and native from this world, that is something you will have to discover by yourself."


    Bai Zemin was dumbfounded for a moment before forcing a smile and shook his head softly.


    Forget it, I''ll find a way. Bai Zemin thought as he took out an empty bottle and put in the earth from other plants in the room. Then he carefully removed the roots of the small mutated plant and moved it to its new home.


    Bai Zemin pierced several holes in the plastic bottle using the sharp point of the treasure glove on his left hand and then stored the bottle with the plant inside into a separate small pocket of his backpack, making sure to leave a small part open to let the air and rays of sunlight penetrate.


    Until he reached a safe place, this was all he could do temporarily.


    "Bai Zemin, didn''t we say we would all move together?"


    Just as Bai Zemin had finished putting away the small mutated plant, a cold and indifferent voice containing a hint of reproach sounded from the entrance of the room.


    Even without turning around Bai Zemin already knew to whom that cold but at the same time tranquilizing voice belonged.


    He slowly stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder before turning around and said with a smile, "Well, I saw that you all seemed to know each other, and I didn''t want to interrupt your heartwarming meeting."


    "You..." Shangguan Bing Xue wanted to say something but the reality was that it was in fact they were the ones who had dawdled for too long.


    Seeing her silently admit defeat, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but feel a little better about himself and without another word walked towards the exit.


    "This! Wait a moment please!"


    He wanted to leave as he had something important to do but apparently more people wanted to hold him back.


    Bai Zemin turned around with a frown and looked at a girl whom he didn''t know who was looking at him gratefully.


    "Do I know you?"


    "No... Well, you saved me before." Li Na walked over and bowed profusely as she thanked him through tears, "Thank you very, really very much for today earlier! If it wasn''t for you killing all those horrendous zombies and getting that blue-skinned zombie out of the building... I''m afraid I could only starve to death locked in that room."


    Bai Zemin saw that it wasn''t just one girl, there were three more nodding and looking at him with eyes filled with gratitude. After a few seconds, he finally remembered that these girls were the ones in the room whose door was smashed down by him when he sent the evolved zombie flying with a kick.


    "Ah, that? It''s nothing." Bai Zemin smiled slightly and pointed at Shangguan Bing Xue while slowly saying, "If you want to thank someone, thank the president of the student association over there. I owed her a favor in the past and she used that favor to request my help or else it is unlikely that I would have risked fighting that evolved zombie."


    Bai Zemin did not take credit he thought undeserved and directly pointed to the real "hero" here. However, the gaze of the four friends towards him did not change... Although Bai Zemin wondered if that look of gratitude would remain on their faces when they learned that he had thrown a person alive into the zombies to be eaten a few hours ago.


    That was none of their business anyway and it wasn''t like it hurt him either. Everyone was free to do as they pleased and even more so in this new world.


    "By the way, Shangguan Bing Xue." Bai Zemin turned around to leave before he remembered something and paused for a moment as he said, "Tomorrow, I''ll start clearing the path in a southerly direction to leave the university."


    Shangguan Bing Xue knew what he meant even without him saying anything else. She remained silent for quite some time, apparently considering a few things before raising her head again to look at him and slowly saying, "Why don''t you wait another day or two?"


    "Oh? And why?" Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow slightly confused but not angry since from what he had seen of her so far, Shangguan Bing Xue was a woman who 90% of the time was rational and clear thinking. Therefore, he was willing to listen to her opinion and ideas.


    "Remember the giant beetle? We still need to take care of that and while clearing the path to the exit will take some time at least we need a day or two to find someone willing to taste the meat first." Shangguan Bing Xue paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, where Qiao Long was staying were the keys of the school buses so we can use them to leave as long as we make our way to the parking lot. But even then we need to make some adjustments to the windows."


    Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up slightly upon hearing Shangguan Bing Xue''s reason as he had heard something that mattered more to him than the beetle''s meat at the moment.

 Chapter 61 - Reaching Level 25: Choosing Job & Evolution Requirements! (Part 1)

    Do not unlock this chapter yet and wait 30 minutes - 1 hour please. This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    Sorry to keep you waiting, but it''s only 30-60 mins!


    Well... Not so alone.


    "Lilith, come, look at this."


    No one objected to the idea and everyone nodded to express their consent on the matter. Bai Zemin also nodded as this move corresponded to what he had planned to do so it was more than he could expect.


    #


    #


    "He completely ignored me..." Chen He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at Bai Zemin''s back disappearing at the end of the corridor. "For better or worse I''m also one of the main fighters, no? Why did you only say that to Bing Xue?"


    #


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    When they arrived at the gym again there was a lot of work to be done so even though the sun was about to set a conference was held to discuss important things.


    "We can''t go on like this." Bai Zemin frowned and looked at the people in front of him as he leaned against the wall.


    #


    #


    #


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    #


    #


    #


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    #


    #


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    "We can''t go on like this." Bai Zemin frowned and looked at the people in front of him as he leaned against the wall.


    #


    #


    #


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.This is a test.


    #


    #


    #


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    #


    #


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    #


    #


    #


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    #


    #


    #

 Chapter 62 - Reaching Level 25: Choosing Job & Evolution Requirements! (Part 2)

    Do not unlock this chapter yet and wait 30 minutes - 1 hour please. This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    Sorry to keep you waiting, but it''s only 30-60 mins!


    Well... Not so alone.


    "Lilith, come, look at this."


    No one objected to the idea and everyone nodded to express their consent on the matter. Bai Zemin also nodded as this move corresponded to what he had planned to do so it was more than he could expect.


    #


    #


    "He completely ignored me..." Chen He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at Bai Zemin''s back disappearing at the end of the corridor. "For better or worse I''m also one of the main fighters, no? Why did you only say that to Bing Xue?"


    Gao Min, Li Na, and Fan Wu looked at him strangely.


    #


    #


    #


    When they arrived at the gym again there was a lot of work to be done so even though the sun was about to set a conference was held to discuss important things.


    "We can''t go on like this." Bai Zemin frowned and looked at the people in front of him as he leaned against the wall.


    #


    #


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    #


    #


    #


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    #


    #


    #


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    "We can''t go on like this." Bai Zemin frowned and looked at the people in front of him as he leaned against the wall.


    #


    #


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.This is a test.


    #


    #


    #


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    #


    #


    #


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This was the first time he had touched her skin directly of his own free will as the only two previous times were beyond his power of decision; once he had fainted and today she had jumped on him.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    This is a test.


    In case you unlock this chapter, don''t worry as the word content will be between 1200-1300 so the price will be exactly the same.


    #


    #


    #


    Liang Peng and Zhong De even carried two huge freezers on their shoulders in order to store more food and to make it last longer. Because of this, the already slow speed of the group was further reduced as Zhong De needed to rest for twenty minutes after his Power Boost skill went into cooldown time; after all without this skill Zhong De''s strength was insufficient. Even Liang Peng needed to stop to rest occasionally and the freezers were slowly loaded by other male students in groups of four or five.


    #


    #


    #

 Chapter 63 - Reaching Level 25: Choosing Job & Evolution Requirements! (Part 3-Last)

    After taking a deep breath and calming his emotions that seemed to want to get out of control, Bai Zemin looked directly into Lilith''s eyes again and nodded, "Please continue."


    "Good." Lilith smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with his attitude, and continued, "As I was telling you before, the Berserker job is very strong and the power boost that such a human obtained allowed him to become an existence to what is called a World Power since upon reaching the Fourth Order even the weakest existence possesses the power to protect a race or devastate one."


    "..." Bai Zemin did not know what to say about this so he simply continued to listen.


    Possess the power to wipe out an entire race? Something like that was too difficult for the current Bai Zemin to even minimally imagine. Even nuclear bombs, which were mankind''s strongest weapon, did not have the ability to wipe out an entire race.


    Something of such magnitude was too distant for the current him.


    "However, you obtained a job called Blood Berserker so it is undoubtedly more powerful than that other Lower Existence''s, or at least it will be as it progresses since your job even has a distinctive word in it." Lilith looked at Bai Zemin with a serious expression, the most serious he had seen so far, and warned, "If what you d.e.s.i.r.e is power and a path that will likely lead you to a better destiny, then you know what to choose. However, be very careful."


    "Careful? Careful of what?" He asked confused but alert.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this job appeared as a consequence of your way of using your Blood Manipulation skill. Remember what I told you before? It seemed like you were about to create a new skill during your battle against that First Order zombie?" Lilith furrowed her eyebrows slightly and upon seeing him nod she continued, "It''s likely that this unique job is the answer to what you were missing. You''ll probably gain a powerful active skill but at the same time, you''ll have to pay the price for it... It is also likely that you will have to face an extremely hard trial to advance!"


    Bai Zemin closed his eyes and paused to think carefully.


    It would be a lie to say that he didn''t feel a touch of worry, after all, he was just a human and until six days ago he was nothing more than an ordinary student working part-time to pay for his day-to-day life.


    However, it was just that, a touch of worry.


    Bai Zemin opened his eyes again and smiled slightly as he said, "It has been six days since the world changed and society collapsed. In those six days I faced thousands of dangerous creatures, I had three battles in which I almost lost my life, in one of them I won with relative ease, in the second I was critically injured, and in the third every second I spent swinging my sword was the same as being one second closer to being infected or decapitated... If it were before all this, maybe, just maybe, I would worry about difficulties or personal losses. But at this point, what difference does it make?"


    Besides, there was something else that Bai Zemin didn''t say out loud... If he didn''t choose a strong job, how could he repay Lilith in the future for all she had done for him so far? And what if, because of his caution, he reached a breaking point where he no longer had the ability to care for the safety of his loved ones? Bai Zemin would regret it for the rest of his life if such a thing happened.


    The advantage? Lilith had said it before; a unique job and one with a distinctive word in it would definitely be stronger than a normal one.


    However, there were also disadvantages, for example; no one knew what awaited ahead until you got there.


    "Still..."


    [You have chosen Blood Berserker as your First Order job].


    [Berserkers are the existences that fight to the end in every battle without retreat and without fear in the face of death. The path of the Blood Berserker is a path that one who wishes to become the God of War must traverse, a path where defeat is not allowed. This is a job that has only been given to you, who has never retreated from battle and who has never been defeated after facing enemies far stronger than you. To advance to First Order and show that you meet the necessary qualifications to become a Blood Berserker you must meet the next requirements].


    [Kill Unranked enemies using Blood Manipulation with a single attack. 0/100].


    [Kill First Order enemy using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 0/2].


    [Kill First Order enemy with a single attack using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 0/1].


    "What?!" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but exclaim as his face turned as pale as a sheet.


    The second requirement was naturally more difficult than the first requirement, but the current Bai Zemin was confident that he could accomplish it. After all, he was no longer the same Bai Zemin who could barely defeat the First Order Blazing Beetle; the current him was two or three times more powerful than the him back then as he had absorbed vast amounts of Soul Power purer than his own.


    However, the third requirement was simply insane.


    Insane to say the least.


    To kill a First Order enemy in a single attack? Even irrationality should have limits.


    What sense did it make to ask someone whose level was 25 and had not even advanced to the First Order to kill a First Order existence with a single attack? To instantly kill an existence that had officially begun to evolve.


    Against the First Order Blazing Beetle Bai Zemin was almost killed and against the First Order Anti-Magic Zombie, he managed to win after a tough battle, and even then he received some help.


    But now he needed to kill one of those existences instantly?


    Lilith was also surprised and could not help but hold her breath. Even she who had her fair share of experience in life had never seen something similar.


    Skipping levels to defeat and kill existences of a higher Order was rare and probably only less than 1% of all creatures in the universe could realize such a feat since the difference between the Orders was like a natural rift.


    All Soul Power received by him would be stored in the records of the Soul Record and unless he managed to fulfill the evolution requirements he would also not be able to acquire stats by defeating other creatures so he would stagnate without being able to become stronger.


    In short, the risk and loss were immeasurable.

 Chapter 64 - Beyond God: an unparalleled existence!

    Both Bai Zemin and Lilith remained in absolute silence as they continued to stare at the green message flashing in his retina, it was almost as if they were waiting for the message to change as a roadside promotional message would. Too bad, reality was what was before them and it could not be changed.


    "Hey, Miss Higher Existence." Bai Zemin couldn''t help but look at Lilith and ask with a frown, "What''s up with this? How can I possibly be given a crazy mission like that?"


    Asking an unranked existence to defeat and kill a First Order creature was already crazy enough but this was another level!


    Lilith took a deep breath, causing her already prominent b.r.e.a.s.ts to puff out even more as if they wanted to break free from the thin piece of silky cloth that cruelly contained them. However, Bai Zemin, who was the only person capable of witnessing such a sight, was in no mood for such a thing.


    "This is the first time in my entire life that I''ve ever seen anything like this." She answered honestly and looked at Bai Zemin with complete sincerity as she said, "Forget about seeing something like that, I''ve never heard of anyone having to face such a cruel challenge in their first job advancement."


    "Ha Ha... I knew it." Bai Zemin laughed dejectedly and his shoulders slumped slightly as he leaned his head against the wall, sighing in exhaustion.


    Now that he couldn''t absorb any more Soul Power or level up he could only somehow manage to try to meet those absurd evolution requirements or else only death would await him when his level and Order fell behind the evolved creatures and humans.


    "Do you regret choosing that class?" she asked as she stared at him and at the same time gently squeezed his hand, which still clung to hers without letting go.


    Bai Zemin did not even hesitate and shook his head, "No... I don''t regret it. It''s just that... I didn''t expect something like this." In the end he smiled bitterly.


    Regret? He had no regrets whatsoever as he knew this was the best possible path to choose. But the difficulty was simply abysmal and that was what was giving him a headache.


    "Let me tell you something that will perhaps lighten your spirits,"


    Lilith turned his face gently with the palm of her hand to look at her, causing his eyes to shudder slightly before returning to normal.


    He was inwardly cursing this seductively beautiful woman and at his useless skill. How was it harder for the opposite s.e.x to affect his heart? He could barely control himself from blushing like a teenager.


    Little did Bai Zemin know how incredible it was to manage to remain calm with her touching his body directly and how rare it was for an existence to maintain sanity after smelling the rose scent of her body as well as how difficult it was not to get lost in the depths of her red eyes; worse yet, all this was even more difficult for the male s.e.x.


    "It is true that the test the Soul Record imposed on you to advance to First Order is hard, probably the hardest in the entire history of the universe." Lilith narrowed her eyes and a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of her beautiful lips as she slowly said, "However, Bai Zemin, don''t you think that such a high challenge was imposed on you because the reward you will get is worth it?"


    Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up slightly as he listened to her words... Indeed, the test was difficult to the point where it could be considered an impossible one. But wouldn''t the amount of power obtained be equivalent to that difficulty? Even in role-playing games or in real life it was like that; the best paying jobs were often the ones with the most responsibilities.


    An airline pilot earned a lot of money, but in their hands were the lives of hundreds of people.


    An anesthetist earned a lot of money, but they had to study for dozens of years and a small overdose was enough to kill a patient and go to prison for many years.


    A person had to be willing to risk if they wanted to win or else they could just be someone normal with no right to complain.


    "Go on." He nodded.


    "Besides... Let me tell you a secret." Lilith moved closer to him, making him for a moment think she was going to kiss him. However, she moved beyond his face and stopped by his ear, whispering softly, "From what I''ve heard and from what I''ve learned over the years... Even the God of the bible didn''t have to face such an extreme test at the beginning of evolution... Do you know what this means?"


    Her warm breath c.a.r.e.s.sed his ear and he could feel the sweet scent of her lips, however, Bai Zemin''s brain could not revel in any of this as it was currently processing what Lilith had just told him.


    Who was the God of the Bible? While it was true that there were several religions in the world and many different gods were worshipped, Christianity was the most popular religion among human beings.


    The God of the Bible was a divine existence, worshipped by hundreds of millions if not billions of people.


    What did this mean? It meant that Bai Zemin had the potential to surpass him!


    What the Soul Record was telling him by imposing such a harsh and cruel test on him was basically that in order to reach a level where he would be peerless and without paragon, Bai Zemin needed to prove that he was worthy of such a thing.


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath and had to remain silent for more than a full minute to calm his agitated heart. After all, who wouldn''t want power? Power enough to stand at the absolute top and dominate myriad races, rule and enforce their voice!


    "Heh... Lilith, you sure know how to lift people''s spirits." He shook his head and looked at her, surprised to realize how close her face was and how perfect she was from this distance.


    "... How about giving me a reward?" She looked up at him with innocent eyes and blinked several times.


    Unconsciously he looked at her lips, but something inside him told him that if he gave in here he would probably regret it much later in the future.


    "Tsk... Get off me, you perverted woman." He pulled away slowly and clicked his tongue.


    "Eh?" Lilith blinked and her eyes had a strange glint in them. After a moment of silence, she looked down at Bai Zemin''s crotch and muttered, "Mmh... Considering how big that bulge is down there, there doesn''t seem to be a problem with your manhood... Could it be that my charm is waning?"


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but follow her gaze and when he noticed the small tent between his pants he blushed slightly.


    "I swear, someday I''ll make you regret for teasing me..." He gritted his teeth and spoke softly as he looked at her as if she was his worst enemy.


    Lilith puckered her lips and said with some seductive expectation, "Don''t make me wait for too long then. I can''t wait for you to make me regret~"


    Kill a First Order existence with a single attack? Leave it to me! Bai Zemin felt his blood boil to the brim as he thought this.

 Chapter 65 - Rejection Ring

    "Now let''s see what this is."


    After calming down, Bai Zemin took the Yellow Orb out of his coat pocket and looked at it with a touch of joy, "I almost forgot about you, baby."


    "Why do I feel you like that orb more than me?" Lilith didn''t know whether to laugh or cry seeing the warmth in his eyes as he looked at the treasure orb.


    "Hmph, you just wait and you will see what is good for you." Bai Zemin merely snorted before forcefully crushing the orb in his hands.


    How could he not be excited? This was a Magic grade treasure after all!


    Flash!


    After a deep yellow flash of light, a new object appeared on the table in front of Bai Zemin. The object was actually a bronze-colored ring with many strange-looking engravings on it and at first glance, it didn''t seem to be anything too special.


    "Another ring...?" Bai Zemin was slightly surprised before grabbing inquisitively at the object.


    [Rejection Ring (Magic Grade Treasure): Possesses the power to reject elements created by matter. When equipped it automatically increases Magic +15 and Mana +15. For five minutes every day, you can use the active skill Reverse Trajectory. Reverse Trajectory: Creates a barrier that blocks, repels, and returns any object shot to you towards the launcher regardless of the distance. The power of the barrier depends on the magic power of the user and the object blocked. It has a cooldown time of 12 hours].


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow somewhat puzzled.


    The item itself was good as it not only granted a total of thirty stat points but also had a skill attached to it... But the skill was a bit strange so Bai Zemin had no way of knowing how strong it was until he tried it.


    Well, we''d better go get something to eat. When this thought flashed in his mind he couldn''t help but stop to look at Lilith, but when he was about to ask if she didn''t need to eat he suddenly felt a bit stupid so he decided to leave quietly.


    She was too distant an existence, how could she possibly need to eat? He hadn''t even seen her feel thirsty during these six days together.


    * * *


    When Bai Zemin came out of the cafeteria, some people began to whisper in low voices while looking at him with a touch of fear and caution. However, in the midst of these people, there were also many others who looked at him with gratitude and relief.


    While it was true that many feared him after seeing how he unhesitatingly threw a live person into the zombies and the rumor spread with several alterations, many others were grateful that with someone strong like him and the rest here everyone''s life was a little more secure.


    In addition, when the female dormitory students were rescued, all the other survivors who had been rescued at the beginning of the apocalypse realized that compared to them, there were people who were starving to death out there.


    Seeing that the food was being prepared, Bai Zemin stood silently on the side as he thought of ways to become stronger and how he could overcome the challenge that the Soul Record imposed on him.


    After he calmed down, he realized that while the mission was difficult, it was not impossible. If it were someone else it would probably be impossible, but for him who had already faced, defeated, and killed two First Order creatures, it was not an insurmountable abyss.


    All he had to do was come up with a plan that would allow him to kill his enemy with a single attack and since the mission did not give a clear specification of the method, Bai Zemin could think of ways to achieve that goal.


    While he was thinking and deep in thought, a sweet jasmine-like scent approached him followed by a gentle breeze.


    "Do you mind if I sit here?"


    "Um?" Bai Zemin raised his head and looked at the person who had just spoken to him. "You are...."


    "You must not know my name yet, do you? My name is Wu Yijun." She smiled politely and seeing him move to the side to make room she sat down with grace. "During the day I didn''t have time to thank you properly for earlier. I would like to give you my thanks."


    Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and couldn''t help but remark, "I think I said it before but if you want to thank someone you should thank Shangguan Bing Xue, not me."


    Wu Yijun chuckled and shook her head, "While it may be true that the idea was hers and she used that unknown favor you owed her, the reality is that you could have refused and Bing Xue couldn''t have forced you. Besides, it''s not like saying thank you to the person who cleaned up a zombie nest is a bad thing, is it? That''s the least I can do."


    Bai Zemin shrugged and didn''t comment anymore.


    Seeing that he remained silent and didn''t try to engage her in conversation, Wu Yijun couldn''t help but raise her eyebrow slightly in surprise.


    Before the apocalypse, all men regardless their age would try to chat with her; either because of her beauty or because of her family background. Now that the gates of the apocalypse were opened, men were still trying to court her even under these conditions as since she came to this place no less than sixty male students approached her.


    Therefore, Wu Yijun could not help but be slightly surprised as she could tell that the young man of the same age beside her was not trying to act interesting or mysterious to get her attention, but really had no interest in her beauty or any kind of side interest.


    What an interesting man... Now I understand why Chen He, who was always proud of himself suddenly feels so cautious hehe. Wu Yijun secretly laughed and her impression of him couldn''t help but improve a notch.


    "Uh? Come to think of it..." Bai Zemin suddenly stood up and his eyes shone brightly.


    "This... Are you okay?" Wu Yijun couldn''t help but ask with a frown and unconsciously looked towards the door, fearful that it would be knocked down by some creature.


    "No... It''s nothing." He answered vaguely and sat back down. However, his mouth curved into an almost invisible smile.


    Maybe... Just maybe, if I do it that way I can really complete this damn mission! Bai Zemin was excited as his thoughts seemed to have paid off.


    His mood improved to the point where he didn''t care about anything and started to chat with Wu Yijun informally while waiting for the food to be ready.


    If his idea really was valid and worked, then all his worries could be completely ignored! Of course, he had to do a lot of work first and get certain things needed to carry out his plan but having a clear path to follow was good enough considering that an hour ago he was getting desperate.

 Chapter 66 - Effects of the new rules

    "Oh?"


    In another corner of the basketball court; Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue, Gao Min, Li Na, and Fan Wu were sitting chatting quietly while waiting for the food to be ready.


    "Yijun said she was only going to thank him but apparently she stayed chatting... And seeing how she is currently smiling despite the situation we are in it looks like she is having fun." Chen He said casually as he looked towards the corner where Bai Zemin and Wu Yijun were sitting together.


    Gao Min, Li Na, and Fan Wu looked at each other with complicated eyes. The three of them had heard the rumors about Bai Zemin''s actions during the day but the difference was that they knew the reality of the matters after Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He told them the truth. Still, it was difficult for them, who had not seen human cruelty yet, to understand how someone could do such a thing.


    Of course, it was only a matter of time before they learned that not only zombies and animals had turned into wild creatures.


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned slightly as she gazed at the scene of the two people chatting and a moment later she sighed, "I hope Yujin isn''t playing around as she did in the past... I don''t think Bai Zemin is a person to play with."


    Chen He chuckled and said with a touch of speculation, "Who knows, maybe the two of them will end up together? While Bai Zemin''s personal background may not be anything special, his personal strength in this world is enough to be respected. Even Yijun''s family might accept him, don''t you think?"


    "... Who knows." Shangguan Bing Xue replied without much apparent interest and closed her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Chen He was secretly overjoyed. Wu Yijun was a beautiful, charming, and intelligent woman; he didn''t think any healthy man could resist her for too long as long as she wanted him to.


    That way, his worries about the woman he loved would not be necessary.


    ...


    Dinner was served and consisted of rice with saut¨¦ed vegetables as well as a piece of meat. However, the differences, dealings, preferences, and rules established by the group showed up immediately.


    In a slightly secluded corner of the basketball court, a group of about five friends had gathered and were currently looking at the food in their hands with a hint of discomfort.


    "Why can they eat meat but we can only eat rice?" A student complained as he mashed the white rice in his bowl with his chopsticks.


    These people''s food bowls consisted of pure white rice and nothing else. There wasn''t even a vegetable in their bowls, let alone precious, nutrient-rich meat.


    "Isn''t it all because of that stupid rule?" Another scoffed as he put the white rice into his mouth and chewed without much d.e.s.i.r.e. "That Bai Zemin guy already said it, those who aren''t willing to go out to fight or look for food can only settle with leftovers."


    "Going out to fight those zombies? Only a stupid person would do something so risky." Another student who was almost six feet tall couldn''t help but curse as he said, "Since there are some retards playing super heroes then let them be. Who in their right mind would leave the comfort and convenience of this place to go looking for food too?"


    "Xiong Wang is right." A glasses-wearing, cold-eyed student who had remained silent pointed out, "Bai Zemin is too full of himself. But people are unlikely to tolerate this kind of difference for too long."


    The group of friends looked around and realized that there were indeed several people who were receiving the same treatment as them unhappy with the difference in food distribution. This discontent was only growing more and more with the scornful looks the people eating white rice were receiving from those who had vegetables and a piece of meat in their bowls.


    Although the food was now not especially scarce and was enough to feed the group of now over four hundred survivors for two weeks if they were wasteful and for a month if they were careful, the rule that Bai Zemin had suggested f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y implementing still took place. Therefore, before distributing the food, each person was questioned as to whether they were willing to do logistical work to support those who were actively fighting on the front lines.


    Those who were willing to work could eat better food and even satiate themselves, unlike those who were not willing to leave the safety of the gymnasium.


    Of course, those who fought could eat the best food available and could eat at will as well as control supplies.


    For example; Gao Min, Li Na, Fan Wu, and Wu Yijun currently brought nothing special to the group, however, with the support of Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue all four could enjoy the treatment of one person who did work.


    Such differences in treatment naturally caused a small commotion among the survivors as it was the first time such a thing had happened since the beginning of the apocalypse.


    "If you don''t want to eat don''t eat, stop talking big."


    When they turned around they saw two girls looking at them coldly and carrying a bowl of white rice in their hands.


    "You girls are also just eating white rice but you support that guy?" The student who had spoken first looked at them as if they were crazy.


    "We were saved from the female dormitory by big brother Bai, big sister Shangguan, big brother Chen, and big brother Peng. Unlike you, the two of us know the meaning of not biting the hand that feeds us." The same girl looked at them in disgust.


    "Nice tone you got there for a coward!" The glasses-wearing student snorted and raised his voice.


    The girl was about to get angry when her friend pulled her arm gently and stopped her.


    The second girl looked at the group of five and sneered coldly, "You guys really don''t know what''s good. If you guys knew how scary it is to feel hungry for almost a whole week I''m sure you''d be crawling like dogs to beg for a bowl of white rice like the one you''re disdaining right now."


    The first girl''s name was Ling Ming and the second girl''s name was Xiao Rong. Both were freshmen and in the past, they also had their share of suitors as they were quite pretty. However, when the world changed, they were stuck on the third floor of the female dormitory, and when they called for help through the window during the first day all those men who swore to protect them fled like chickens.


    After starving for almost a whole week and having realized that beauty and empty words were no longer as important as actions and true strength, Ling Ming and Xiao Rong had m.a.t.u.r.ed a lot to the point that even as new students they were wiser than this group of third-year male students.


    The argument slowly began to get out of hand to the point where more people began to join the fray and the voices that were previously a whisper now began to turn into shouts of anger and shaming.

 Chapter 67 - The strongest is the King (Part 1)

    "What did you say you little piece of crap?!"


    "I said you''re a coward! That''s why you''re eating what you''re eating while I''m getting better stuff than you!


    "You''re just turning into a show-off dog but you''re still a dog!"


    "Better to be a dog that can show off instead of just being a dog!"


    The verbal brawl spread from the two freshmen and the group of five friends to the surrounding area and it was getting more and more out of control. Those who ate the best things began to show their superiority to those who ate the worst and those who ate the worst began to mock those who ate the best.


    Since the world had changed six days ago, all these people had been locked up practically without seeing any sunlight except the rays that passed through the small windows with metal bars. The confinement coupled with the occasional distant roar of some mutated beasts and the fear of knowing that death was constantly lurking over their heads had caused all these people who didn''t even have a comfortable place to sleep to acc.u.mulate massive amounts of stress to the point where it only took a small drop for the glass to overflow.


    Now that a small flare of conflict had finally been ignited, everyone began to argue over insignificant matters in an attempt to release all the pent-up frustration and shake off the fear that was weighing on their shoulders.


    Bai Zemin observed everything silently from his place and continued to eat his dinner as if he was not concerned about anything that was happening.


    Wu Yijun raised an eyebrow at the sudden disturbance and looked at Bai Zemin before carefully asking, "Won''t you stop them?"


    "No need." He shook his head before pointing forward and said lightly, "The charming prince and the beautiful princess will do it anyway."


    The charming prince and the beautiful princess? Wu Yijun followed Bai Zemin''s gaze and finally understood what he was talking about.


    "You... You''re pretty funny hehehe." She couldn''t help but shake her head and giggled as she saw Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He walking towards the center of the conflict.


    Funny? He is? That is something new. Bai Zemin shook his head and continued eating his dinner while looking ahead.


    ...


    Shangguan Bing Xue had a deep frown on her face while Chen He looked somewhat worried at what was happening.


    Both of them came from big families so they knew very well that in times of crisis, internal disputes were the beginning of the end. If at this point they could not stand together then it was unlikely that humanity could overcome this challenge as they would not only be attacked from the exterior but would also collapse from inside.


    The scandal had reached a point where the intermingled voices made it impossible to understand what the others were saying and so no one noticed the duo approaching either.


    "EVERYONE! SHUT UP ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!"


    A deep voice thundered like lightning in the middle of the night and the voices that seemed too loud before were squashed as if it was nothing. The tympani of the people closest to the shout began to ache and they could feel a slight whistling sound as a result.


    The person who had shouted was, of course, Chen He. As someone whose level was considerably high and had been constantly evolving and fighting, his entire general body was at least five or six times more powerful than that of a normal person.


    "I-it''s Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue..."


    "I think we went a little overboard..."


    Seeing the dark expression on Chen He''s usually gentle face and the even colder than usual expression on Shangguan Bing Xue''s face, some people couldn''t help but be scared after realizing what they had just done.


    Seeing that everyone was silent, Chen He swept through the crowd of survivors with a sullen expression and said in a loud voice, "You are all idiots?! Don''t you realize that all this commotion caused by you could attract powerful creatures from the surrounding area?! We haven''t even cleared all the surroundings and only the northern area of this place is relatively safe!"


    Since they had only moved to the pharmacy and the restaurant in search of supplies, only the vicinity of those two places were considered safe. However, the south, west, and east of the gym were still surrounded by all kinds of creatures and tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of zombies.


    Chen He had already witnessed with his own eyes how terrifying a First Order existence was and knew that if two or more of those creatures appeared then most if not all of the survivors in this place would be slaughtered without being able to defend themselves.


    They all lowered their heads in fear not daring to protest. Although many might turn savage and disagree, none dared to say it out loud.


    "Someone want to explain to me what happened here?" Shangguan Bing Xue finally asked the core question of the matter as she looked at people''s faces one by one waiting for an answer.


    "Big sister Bing, it all started because of this ungrateful person!" Xiao Rong stepped forward and pointed at the first student who complained.


    Ling Ming also stepped forward and supported her friend, "That''s right, this person and his friends are ungrateful. Not only do they talk behind others'' backs like cowards, but they also don''t know how to appreciate the kindness given to them selflessly!"


    "You!"


    "Is that true?" Chen He asked with a frown and looked at the group of five sternly, "You''d better tell the truth. Currently we have too many external problems to tolerate internal problems as well. Tell me what your name is and explain how all this fuss happened so we can try to find a solution."


    The young man gritted his teeth and looked at Bai Zemin, who was still keeping his head down and eating with a beautiful woman beside him. Eventually, gathering his courage, the young man looked at Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue and said in a straight voice, "My name is Pei Feng, a third-year student in the economics department... The reason for all this commotion is because of the rule he put up earlier!"


    Shangguan Bing Xue sighed internally and even without Pei Feng saying more she already knew what the core of all this trouble was. She looked at him and said indifferently, "Are you talking about the rule masterminded by Bai Zemin in which supplies are distributed based on contribution?"


    Pei Feng seemed to have calmed down after the initial fear and nodded without hesitation. He looked at everyone present and said loudly, "That''s right! That nonsense rule! I''m sure everyone here is secretly upset about the whole thing! I mean, come on! Who in their right mind would be willing to go out there where a mutated mosquito could suddenly appear and dry us to death? Even those who agreed to go out there for the sake of eating their fill surely agree with me but agreed to do it for obligation!"

 Chapter 68 - The strongest is the King (Part 2-Last)

    Some people lowered their heads and others began to whisper to each other after hearing Pei Wang''s words. No one could deny that the words he had just said were true to some extent. After all, who was really willing to risk their lives unless it was extremely necessary to do so? In fact, most of the students who had died so far had died because they had not dared to fight even when the zombies had cornered them and left them with no way out.


    Even among the people who had agreed to go out to do logistical work, there were some who only did it so that they could eat their fill and not for any other special reason. If they had to choose, they would naturally prefer to stay in the safest place possible.


    "That was all you wanted to say?" Shangguan Bing Xue nodded slowly after Pei Wang finished his speech and looked at him with the same indifferent expression that made it difficult to know what her thoughts were.


    "That''s right." Pei Wang nodded, now feeling more confident seeing that no one was refuting his previous words. "We would like to receive the same treatment as everyone else. After all, if no one present wants to work it''s not as if we can be forced, is it? Or what, are we going to be left to starve?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue sighed exhaustedly and looked at Pei Wang as if he was dumb: "I don''t think anyone here is starving. In the past, people worked and earned salaries depending on their efforts, and now that society fell into chaos people still have to collaborate to make things work somehow. Since money is worth little in our current situation, food is the best currency. You want to eat better'' Then work and earn it."


    Saying that, Shangguan Bing Xue turned around and was about to leave but suddenly stopped and looked at Pei Wang coldly.


    "Just one more thing... If any of you dare to speak anything bad behind the backs of us who keep your young skins healthy, then you''d better prepare yourself for the consequences."


    Chen He looked at everyone present and added, "If any of you disagree with our rules then you can leave. No one is holding you against your will! I''m sure you''ll come back begging for mercy when you meet a zombie out there."


    After saying that, Chen He turned around and followed Shangguan Bing Xue not before looking at Bai Zemin, who continued to eat his dinner without caring about the opinion of others.


    If it was before, Chen He would not say such words. But he was gradually adapting to this new world and, although it was not easy, he knew it was necessary if he wanted this group to have some kind of order. Otherwise, if everyone did what they wanted, everything would become a disaster before they knew it.


    Pei Wang''s face turned pale as he realized that his words carried no weight in this situation. Even if the other survivors agreed with him, so what? No one would ever be willing to support him no matter what since they needed the main fighters to survive.


    "Now do you understand? Know your place!" Xiao Rong looked at him like a clown before turning around and walking as far away from the place as possible.


    "Even a dog doesn''t bite the hand that feeds it. Are you still human or what?" Ling Ming gave him a look of disgust before snorting and following her friend with no intention of staying close to such a person.


    Before they belonged to the same group who were displeased and dissatisfied with the new food distribution rule, but now that even Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He had sided with Bai Zemin without hesitation, none of these survivors dared to stay by Pei Wang''s side for fear of being labeled as ungrateful people and the treatment they received would get even worse.


    To Pei Wang''s horror, even his close group of friends looked at him with a touch of shame before turning and walking away with their bowls of rice.


    The place fell silent under a strange and slightly heavy atmosphere for a few seconds before a casual and indifferent voice broke the silence.


    "Em. This meat sure is good."


    Everyone followed the source of the voice and saw how Bai Zemin set his bowl aside before slowly standing up.


    He looked at Pei Wang with a slight smile and without saying anything turned around and walked away silently.


    What else could he do? Continue the matter when everything had already been made clear? Wasn''t that lowering himself to the level of a cowardly and insignificant ant? Bai Zemin had better things to do and Pei Wang''s little act could never affect him in any way.


    A moment later, Wu Yijun''s voice reached everyone''s ears: "Just a reminder to you, as you seem not to realize the current situation. The rules no longer exist here, the society has really fallen and even the central government of China does not respond since even I, the granddaughter of the Prime Minister is in these circ.u.mstances... I advise you out of kindness not to provoke the limits of patience of a person whose strength is probably the highest among us all. Believe me, you are all very lucky to be able to have food in your stomachs and you should appreciate and be grateful for that."


    After saying those words, Wu Yijun looked at Pei Wang coldly before walking towards Shangguan Bing Xue and her group.


    At first, everyone was astonished and dumbfounded to learn of Wu Yijun''s true identity. Soon, however, that astonishment and surprise turned to horror because if what she said was true and she really was the granddaughter of the Chinese Prime Minister, the fact that she is here and even had to starve for almost a full week meant that the central government was really in big trouble or otherwise her family would already be here looking for her.


    Besides, Wu Yujin''s words had another implication and that was that Bai Zemin had already thrown one person into the zombies before, another one probably wouldn''t make a difference to him; therefore, it was better to be obedient and not cause trouble unnecessarily.


    * * *


    "Humans really are despicable." Lilith giggled disdainfully as she rocked her dainty feet gently.


    Currently she was sitting on a large marble table, watching Bai Zemin''s actions curiously.


    "Indeed. But not just humans... I think any intelligent race would be just as greedy."


    "Not all. I have known races to act for a single general purpose. Though it is rare."


    "Damn aliens."


    "By the way, Bai Zemin, what are you doing?"


    "You mean this?" Bai Zemin took off the Blazing Ring and the Hurricane Necklace, leaving them on the table, and as he inspected them a smile appeared on his face, "These two objects are the first two keys that will open the door of evolution for me."

 Chapter 69 - Hard to control mana

    The night of the sixth day since the beginning of the apocalypse ended without too much noise and nothing of note except for the occasional terrifying roar of some distant creature.


    With the descent of the first ray of sunlight, the seventh day since the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth finally officially began, being a week since the world had changed and society had fallen.


    When Bai Zemin met with the other group leaders and his subordinates, the survivors were being awakened by the teachers one by one.


    Without too much delay and wanting to make the most of the light that the day provided, a simple breakfast was prepared consisting of a steamed bun for those who were not willing to work, two buns for those who were willing to work, and two buns along with a carton of milk for the fighters.


    Wu Yijun looked at the milk carton in her hands and could not help but feel bitter inside. In the past, she would never taste packaged milk in China because cases of people getting cancer were common and she absolutely never drank anything but imported milk. However, after six days of experiencing hunger, this little princess had learned that the world of the past no longer existed and with pain at the changes, she drank the milk with p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    Whoever adapted the fastest was most likely to live, and Wu Yijun was not willing to die no matter what she had to do to survive as long as she could maintain her dignity as a woman.


    After breakfast, Shangguan Bing Xue Liang Peng, and Chen He chose a group of about fifty or sixty people from among the survivors willing to work and cautiously set off for the pharmacy to start removing the First Order Blazing Beetle''s shell and arranging the meat not before checking whether it was ingestible or not.


    "Let''s go. It''s time to get to work." Bai Zemin glanced as the group of survivors disappeared around the corner of a building before looking at the three people beside him.


    Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, and Zhong De were standing as they looked at him with hidden reverence. The three of them had witnessed how horrifying the First Order evolved zombie was and among the four strongest evolved people in the group only Bai Zemin was able to suppress it while Shangguan Bing Xue could barely contain it after the zombie had lost one of its blades.


    Currently, Bai Zemin''s four subordinates were approximately level five or level six, and the more they leveled up and the more stats they obtained, the more they realized how immense his strength was and the more the respect they had for him increased as well as the gratitude they felt towards him for allowing them to safely obtain such power.


    The three nodded with determined expressions and Bai Zemin also nodded in satisfaction before turning around and walking in the opposite direction from where the large group of survivors led by Shangguan Bing Xue had left.


    While Shangguan Bing Xue''s group worked on the flesh of the First Order Beetle, Bai Zemin and his group would take it upon themselves to start clearing the path to the south of the university, eliminating the zombies and other creatures that might appear in the vicinity.


    As for Kang Lan, Bai Zemin left her in the gymnasium to taking care of the supplies since he did not trust any of the survivors. He assured her that tomorrow someone else would take her place and she could level up as well to avoid unnecessary discontent.


    Fu Xuefeng together with Cai Jingyi and Zhong De separated from Bai Zemin and began to move as a group in the western area. Fu Xuefeng was using two large kitchen blades as he really wanted to get used to handling dagger-like weapons, on the other hand, Cai Jingyi and Zhong De both had iron pipes that had been polished at the ends so it was extremely sharp to pierce through the low defenses of the zombies.


    Even if a level 9 or 10 mutated dog appeared, with the three of them being level five or six teaming up, they could easily buy time for Bai Zemin to arrive on the scene so as long as an agility based monster or a high level creature didn''t appear they should be fine on their own.


    The three of them did a wonderful job as when one of them exhausted much of their Stamina another person would take the place of the exhausted one to allow them to rest. Slowly and surely, the zombies in the southwest area began to be annihilated one by one by three people who were previously no more than normal survivors but thanks to their bravery and courage were given the great opportunity to become evolved human beings.


    Meanwhile, Bai Zemin was taking care of annihilating any enemy living beings on the southeast side of the gymnasium, slowly moving towards the south of the university.


    Although he could do a much faster task if he wanted to, currently and taking advantage of the rare opportunity when there was no one around, Bai Zemin was practicing with his Blood Manipulation skill and trying to control the Mana inside his body as optimally as possible.


    Three zombies sniffed the air and their ears seemed to twitch before their lifeless white eyes looked forward. With three growls similar to that of a hungry beast, the three zombies began to advance towards the source of life a few meters away regardless of who was stronger or weaker.


    Bai Zemin made no effort to hide his presence nor did he try to silence his footsteps, letting the zombies notice him. Seeing the three zombies a bit more than ten meters away approaching, he stopped his steps and slowly took out a bottle of blood from his backpack.


    After dropping about 3/4 of the bottle on the paved ground, he stopped and took a deep breath before concentrating entirely on the blood, ignoring the zombies.


    He imagined three thin but powerful piercing spears at the tip as he began to circulate the Mana inside. A few seconds later, three red spears of approximately one meter were lying on the ground and the liquid blood was nowhere to be seen.


    The three red spears looked like real spears that were forged by the hands of a blacksmith and it would be hard for anyone to think that a few seconds ago they were just a puddle of liquid blood because although they had no special decoration, they were really well formed.


    With a wave of his hand, the three spears were enveloped by a wave of Mana and floated in the air before shooting out towards the zombies, stabbing their heads with precise aim.


    However, the problem was the time.


    Bai Zemin had taken almost twenty seconds to move his Mana carefully while imagining the process of creating the spears, and that was too long. Under this circ.u.mstance, it was fine since the zombies were only three and slow, but in real combat, he could not afford such a thing.

 Chapter 70 - Beginning to clear the exit path

    No, the time is not the only problem. Bai Zemin shook his head and the frown on his face deepened as he realized that things were even more complicated than they appeared to be at first.


    The time was the main problem since currently his enemies were only three low-level zombies that moved at the speed of a turtle. But even if they were moving slow, if the number of zombies was overwhelmingly high to the point where while Bai Zemin took care of killing some others would have already closed the distance then nothing would be meaningful.


    But another problem that Bai Zemin almost overlooked was concentration.


    In this situation, it was fine as he knew the weaknesses and strengths of the enemy he was facing. However, was it possible to do something like this against enemies unknown to him? The answer that Bai Zemin got after considering every detail carefully was a resounding no.


    How could he, while striving to keep his body intact and without suffering as many injuries as possible, even have time to focus on creating and imagining the shape of a weapon or object and then mobilize his Mana carefully while moving around the battlefield? Doing so many tasks at the same time was not only extremely difficult but could also cause him to lose focus on his own safety for an instant and in that instant, his life could be over.


    "It really is hard." He sighed as he scratched his head before continuing to move forward in a southeast direction.


    Whenever small groups of zombies appeared, Bai Zemin used them as guinea pigs to practice his control over Mana to reduce the amount of concentration he needed to optimally mobilize it. At the same time, he was trying to figure out the best way to imagine the formation of blood spears; instead of constantly changing the weapon''s form, Bai Zemin had come to the conclusion that it was better to master one form first before focusing on others.


    His First Order Blood Manipulation skill was powerful against living enemies capable of feeling pain. However, while it was possible to use it to shape and control blood from liquid to solid state, the difficulty was very great as it depended 100% on Bai Zemin''s imagination.


    During the conversion process, he needed to imagine the process of creating the weapon to shape it and doing that in the middle of combat was not easy. In fact, the reason he was able to do it more easily was probably thanks to his work before the apocalypse broke out or the difficulty would be several layers more.


    As Bai Zemin advanced, occasionally groups of zombies formed by several dozens would appear and there was even a larger group formed by a hundred zombies that had gotten stuck in one of the paths but when they sensed his presence they began to attack him. In such cases, Bai Zemin wielded the Xuanyuan Sword as he moved in and out of the group of zombies, separating the heads from their bodies and forming pools of blood.


    Even after he filled several two-liter bottles with blood there was still blood everywhere he passed by and the decapitated corpses of the zombies began to acc.u.mulate very fast.


    On the other hand, while Bai Zemin was having a headache trying to multitask, Lilith was watching everything sitting on top of a building.


    Her beautiful face had a small smile on it and her lazy eyes looked at the human who occasionally kicked the lifeless corpses to release some frustration.


    "Even to me it took me a full year to get used to the existence of Mana back then but you already have an initial idea of how to control it and use it at will... Yet you still have the nerve to complain? Big sister is really, reeeaaally looking forward to punishing you little Zemin hehe~" She whispered to herself before chuckling secretly.


    * * *


    The beetle''s shell was tough to the point that even Bai Zemin wielding his sword that was capable of piercing through the defenses of almost any creature below level forty would need time to break through it. However, now that the First Order Blazing Beetle had been dead for several days and its defenses had dropped tremendously after Bai Zemin absorbed some of its Soul Power, the shell was no longer as attached to the flesh as in the past.


    Using the hole that Bai Zemin had made the day before when he struck hard using Liang Peng''s heavy hammer and taking advantage of the cracks that extended through the creature''s armor, the survivors began to use knives, iron pipes, and any other object that could be used as leverage.


    They lifted the shell slightly and using the small space created, the others quickly cut the flesh, thus splitting the shell apart.


    On the ground there was a large pile of metal-like objects already forming a small mountain about a meter high; this was, of course, the remains of the shell that had been successfully pulled off.


    As the survivors worked, standing on the third floor of the pharmacy, Wu Yijun, Gao Min, Li Na, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Liang Peng looked down. Some of them with curious looks, others with indifference, and others inspecting the surroundings just in case.


    "So... Do you want to use this monster''s shell to do something special?" Wu Yijun asked while narrowing her eyes with a mischievous glint in them.


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded slightly and slowly explained, "During breakfast today, Bai Zemin told me to keep the shell instead of throwing it away since when we leave here he could put it to good use. Besides we can also use it as metal plates to protect the buses when we clear the exit road."


    "Oh? Bing Xue, could it be that you had some private meeting with him?" Wu Yijun held back laughter and asked in surprise, "At what point did something like that happen?"


    "Private meeting?" Shangguan Bing Xue furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head as she said in bewilderment, "No. We only exchanged a couple of words before we went our separate ways, with him going south and us going north. But, Yijun, why do you ask that?"


    "A-Anyway, that meat sure looks tender and soft!" Chen He suddenly interjected the conversation and pointed to the beetle meat that looked delicious even when uncooked.


    The people inside the building looked at him with strange eyes and Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but ask, "Chen He, I didn''t know you were a lover of beetle meat."


    Chen He''s face froze and began to blush furiously as he felt as if everyone''s eyes were poking him while Shangguan Bing Xue''s words were the final stab.


    "Pffft- Ha- Hahaha!" Wu Yijun finally couldn''t hold back the laughter anymore and started laughing while saying through tears and laughter, "Chen He, you''re too obvious!"

 Chapter 71 - Guinea pigs

    When Wu Yijun burst out laughing, Liang Peng finally started laughing while looking at Chen He as if he was an idiot.


    Eventually, after being dumbfounded for a moment, the handsome young archer finally understood that his other childhood friend had played a bad joke on him.


    Since Wu Yijun knew perfectly well that Chen He saw Bai Zemin as a potential enemy for the affection of his childhood crush, but she said such words to tease him, it was obvious what her intentions were.


    "Yijun you...." He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he secretly looked at Shangguan Bing Xue. Unfortunately, he was only disappointed to notice that her expression was as cold and indifferent as ever.


    She looked at the scene with a hard-to-read expression and secretly shook her head. Shangguan Bing Xue knew that Wu Yijun was a person who when the atmosphere was bad liked to joke to ease the tension, even so, the joke was indeed a bit awkward.


    "Is there any change with the test subject who ingested the flesh of the First Order Beetle?" Shangguan Bing Xue asked, not dwelling on the matter from before and immediately forgetting about it.


    "For now, there is no change at all." Wu Yijun''s face finally became serious and she looked towards the small enclosed room as she said, "It''s already been four hours but there hasn''t even been any change in those people... Do you want to wait more time just in case, Bing Xue?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and said indifferently, "That''s right. Let''s wait until nightfall and if there are no negative changes, then we''ll let them go right away as promised."


    Liang Peng looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and could not help but secretly shudder as he realized that under that cold and indifferent face was actually a cruel woman.


    The test subject she was talking about was actually three of Qiao Long''s lackeys who had also abused other people by making use of their position as bootlickers. However, after Qiao Long was defeated and killed by Bai Zemin''s group, those three lackeys became prisoners of war.


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue wanted to kill them all, she was a pretty smart woman capable of seeing the big picture of the world. Therefore, after deliberating with herself, she came up with the idea of using these people as guinea pigs to test the flesh of the First Order elephant beetle and see if any kind of mutation or malformation happened in any of the three subjects.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s idea was approved by Bai Zemin and Liang Peng without hesitation, and although Chen He still felt it was not right, he finally agreed.


    When they told the three male students that they had abused of Qiao Long''s power, naturally none of them agreed to become guinea pigs and taste the beetle''s flesh. After all, who in their right mind would be willing to eat something that could kill them or turn them into some kind of weird creature?


    Unfortunately for the three guys, none of them had too many options to choose from as Bai Zemin threatened to throw them alive into the zombies if they didn''t want to do the job. Seizing the opportunity, Shangguan Bing Xue had promised that as long as nothing bad happened to them she would let them go and no one would stop them.


    Under the cold stare of Bai Zemin, who did not seem to be lying when he said he would throw them into the zombies just as he had done before with Qiao Long, and under the "allied hand" extended by Shangguan Bing Xue, the three male students obediently became guinea pigs.


    Seeing her cold and indifferent expression remain unchanged, Liang Peng finally realized that the woman in front of him had never intended to let those three men live from the beginning.


    Bai Zemin was cruel and ruthless enough to throw a living, sentient person into the midst of the zombies while he watched them being eaten alive with an impassive expression... However, Shangguan Bing Xue was not necessarily inferior to how cruel he was.


    The people in the room looked at her in different ways; some with fear, some with concern, some with understanding, and various complex emotions. However, Shangguan Bing Xue seemed unconcerned by all this and continued to supervise that the survivors did not slack off and work properly while protecting them from danger.


    ...


    Time passed quickly and on the side where the survivors were working on the beetle''s shell and flesh nothing worth special had happened. Not even a single zombie had appeared in the vicinity as they had all been slaughtered by the main fighters of the group after so many battles and walks back and forth between this area and the gym.


    At about three o''clock in the afternoon, the survivors began to slow down the speed at which they were moving their hands, so the work began to fall behind time.


    "Gao Min, Li Na, Fan Wu, sorry to bother you but could you go call the people who are working? Tell them the food is ready and they can all eat their fill." Wu Yijun noticed the change immediately and asked her friends to take care of informing the fifty survivors who were working.


    "All right."


    The three girls nodded naturally and stood up without hesitation. Now that things had changed, they knew that they needed to at least do simple tasks if they didn''t want to be despised by everyone.


    Wu Yujin herself even went downstairs and headed to the temporary kitchen that had been set up on site to check how the other work was going; there a group of about ten female students and teachers, who had temporarily become the group''s cooks, were making lunch.


    "I''ll go tell Bai Zemin that the food is ready." Shangguan Bing Xue walked towards the window as she said, "It''s been about seven hours since he''s been killing zombies and he probably needs to replenish his energy as well or he won''t be able to sustain himself for the rest of the day."


    "Bing Xue!"


    Chen He called out to her and she stopped before looking back with doubtful eyes.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Hearing her voice as cold as ice, Chen He hesitated to say that he would go for her to look for Bai Zemin. In the end, he shook his head and said with a worried look, "You... Be careful."


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him for a few seconds before turning around and saying in the same voice as always, "Don''t worry. I''m not as weak as I may seem."


    With nothing more to say and without waiting for a response, she jumped out of the window and floated like a butterfly until her feet touched the ground before her speed burst, disappearing from everyone''s sight within seconds.

 Chapter 72 - Completing initial evolution requirements

    On the other hand, Bai Zemin spent all morning, noon, and two or three hours of the afternoon eliminating zombie after zombie without rest. The same was true for Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, and Zhong De, who were taking care of the opposite flank that he was dealing with.


    However, while Bai Zemin was doing well due to his high Stamina which had reached a horrendous point being his highest body stats, the same could not be said for Cai Jingyi and the other two.


    After fighting constantly for several hours, the Stamina of the group of three could not keep up with their pace as even taking turns and slowing down the charge was difficult for them. Although they had killed a few zombies and had advanced in level to approximately level 8 or 9, mental fatigue was causing everyone''s Stamina to drop at higher rates than normal.


    With no other choice, Bai Zemin''s three subordinates abandoned the separate hunt and walked towards the southeastern area, following the traces of blood and zombie corpses to find him and get some rest as they really needed it, or else they might end up suffering unnecessary injuries or even worse, getting scratched by a zombie and getting infected in the process.


    After walking and searching for several minutes, the three finally felt the sound of several zombies growling as well as the thud of bodies and heads constantly falling to the ground.


    The three looked at each other before rushing forward and after running for two blocks and rounding a corner, their footsteps stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the scene before them.


    Bai Zemin''s body was like a leaf swaying in the wind of a raging storm as he ran through a wave of over five hundred zombies. For a second he was on one side but in the next instant, his body seemed to become a blur before he appeared in a different place followed by dozens of zombie heads flying through the air.


    Swoosh!... Swoosh! .... Swoosh!....


    Bang!... Bang!... Bang!... Bang!....


    The sound of the wind being cut in two by the blade of the Xuanyuan Sword as well as the bangs caused by Bai Zemin''s kicks connecting against the skulls of the zombies and turning them into minced meat echoed throughout the block and the echo traveled through the nearby buildings.


    Because Bai Zemin mostly used his sword, few people actually knew the fact that he was actually extremely skilled in all kinds of martial arts, and only Shangguan Bing Xue, Liang Peng, and Chen He had seen him in the cafeteria the first day they arrived at the gym. But the reality was that currently, every part of his body was a deadly weapon capable of taking the lives of his enemies in a matter of seconds and that thanks to his nearly 100 Strength points, a kick from him was not something that a normal living being could handle.


    Under the frightened and shocked gaze of Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, and Zhong De, the small horde of about half a thousand zombies was completely decimated and crushed in five minutes. In fact, if it were not for the zombies being so crowded together and hindering Bai Zemin''s ghostly mobility the zombies would have been eliminated far quicker as they could not even catch Bai Zemin''s shadow and his movements were too explosive since before the zombies could react their heads had already been crushed with a kick or gone flying through the air after a slash from his sword.


    "Phew..." Bai Zemin let out a loud and exaggerated exhale as he thought that it would be better not to attract so many zombies in close quarters as his mobility was greatly affected and until he could control Mana properly and gain some mastery over his Blood Manipulation skill his Agility was his strongest weapon against numerous but weak enemies.


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin turned around and was a bit surprised when he saw the trio standing several meters away. "Guys, what''s wrong?"


    Cai Jingyi was the first to react to Bai Zemin''s call. She walked forward and began to explain why they had come, being followed closely by Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De.


    Bai Zemin listened to her words as he casually nodded and told them not to worry too much and congratulated them on their good work. However, his attention was focused on the steps the three of them were taking. Regardless of whether it was Fu Xuefeng, Zhong De, or Cai Jingyi; the steps of the three of them were steady and from the way she spoke without trembling, it seemed that she was not scared or fearful of anything in particular.


    To many, this might be insignificant, but to Bai Zemin, who had acquired the experience of the best Special Forces soldiers on Earth, seeing three people who were previously just normal students going through a pool of blood and hundreds of corpses without flinching was something to be praised. If it was in the past, just seeing the bloody scene before them would be enough to scare them to death. Yet here they were, walking among decomposing corpses as if it was no big deal.


    Of course, Bai Zemin knew that such a thing was possible only because the three of them had been fighting zombies constantly ever since he granted them the opportunity to absorb Soul Power and opened the gates of evolution for them. Therefore, after killing so many zombies, after seeing so much blood and so many deaths, Cai Jingyi and the other two had grown accustomed to the iron smell of blood in the air and their eyes contained a hint of steadiness that was not present before.


    Bai Zemin was naturally secretly delighted as the more prominent they were, the better it would be for his long-term plans.


    Suddenly a furious roar echoed through the surroundings, startling the four people present.


    "Be careful and stay close to me!"


    Bai Zemin''s face changed slightly but Cai Jingyi''s face and his other two subordinates turned pale while their legs grew weak threatening to fall down at any moment.


    "That''s definitely a First Order creature." Lilith, who had been watching from afar in boredom, seemed to perk up a bit as she floated several meters into the sky while looking down.


    Bai Zemin, now you''ll see that if it''s you, the Soul Record test isn''t as impossible as it seems... The scarlet eyes of the beautiful s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s glittered with a hint of anticipation as she observed a shadow move between the buildings in the direction of the group of four.


    Without hesitation, Bai Zemin activated his Blood Manipulation skill on himself as he imagined the terrifying scene of his family being killed.


    Adrenaline was a substance that the body secreted on its own and was not something he himself could control. Therefore, because Bai Zemin was no longer scared of low-level First Order existences, he had no choice but to improvise in order to somehow control how to produce that substance that he so badly needed to fulfill the requirements of evolution and at the same time improve his battle ability for a short period of time. Therefore, although it was unpleasant and he did not even want to think about his family being killed, at this moment they were the only trigger capable of triggering his fears to extreme levels enough to spiral out of control.


    Fueled by anger and fear, he gritted his teeth as his organism began to secrete large amounts of adrenaline, a substance which was carried at twice the normal speed by the accelerated blood and moving through every part and nerve of his body by the blood vessels that pulsed like the heart of a living being after swelling to match the wild bloodstream.


    [Kill Unranked enemies using Blood Manipulation with a single attack. 100/100].


    [Kill First Order enemy with a single attack using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 0/1].


    The simplest requirement had already been completed and Bai Zemin was aiming for the second and third. Since in both cases the activation of Blood Manipulation on himself was required, he did so without hesitation.


    His pupils became half their normal size, amplifying his range of vision. His body became lighter and more flexible, making it easier for him to move in risky situations. His whole being seemed to be in a strange condition ready to face any kind of danger that threatened his existence.

 Chapter 73 - First Order is no longer a challenge

    Cai Jingyi, Fu Xuefeng, and Zhong De had no idea what was happening but after the previous roar, every cell in their body seemed to have gone crazy as fear had almost completely overwhelmed them. This alone was enough to let them know that whatever roared at that moment was definitely not something they could currently stand against.


    What the group of three did was to approach Bai Zemin and stand only a step or two away just behind him as they looked around cautiously, raising their weapons in an effort to make themselves feel better.


    Unlike them, Bai Zemin seemed much more relaxed. His body was in a calm posture and even his sword was not on guard to defend against any imminent attack. He just stood there, his tiny pupils absorbing more information about the surroundings than any normal person could imagine.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly there was a minuscule sound of wind, it was as if the wind had been cut by an extremely swift object. Bai Zemin turned his head slightly to the left and caught a glimpse of a silhouette rounding the corner of the nearby building before charging towards the group at surprising speeds.


    This creature was even faster than the First Order''s evolved zombie and even after absorbing so much Soul Power and with a speed comparable to that of 12 people, Bai Zemin still could not keep track of the incoming enemy.


    However, while speed was one of the most powerful weapons in existence, it was not necessarily impossible to fight against.


    Swoosh!


    Surprisingly, the unknown First Order creature''s first target was not to attack Bai Zemin, but aimed at Zhong De probably due to the fact that he was the closest to the corner from which the creature appeared.


    Without moving his head, Bai Zemin''s eyes moved to the left and for less than a split second his cold gaze met a pair of golden eyes filled with murderous intent.


    The First Order creature quickly realized that if it continued on its current path it would be seriously wounded by the enemy blade, so without hesitation it tilted its body to the side, evading the enemy slash by just a few inches.


    However, Bai Zemin already expected something like this to happen given the creature''s fast movement speed and his sword movement was just a feint. The real attack was in the turn he had just completed during that small fraction of second when the creature stopped its movements to avoid being cut.


    After completing a ninety degree turn, Bai Zemin''s body was now right in front of the First Order creature and because the creature had just twisted its body to dodge his sword, Bai Zemin''s leg connected fiercely with the enemy''s abdomen.


    Bang!


    After being ferociously hit by the 96 Strength points that kick contained and not expecting such a thing, the unknown creature was sent flying ten meters before impacting against the wall of the adjacent building.


    Howl!


    Amidst the collapsed rubble, Bai Zemin and his subordinates finally caught a glimpse of the body of a tiger that was over five feet tall with grayish-black fur. The beast could not help but raise its head and howl painfully as it squirmed to its feet.


    Obviously Bai Zemin''s previous kick had caused a fair amount of damage to the mutated tiger''s internal organs.


    Bai Zemin knew that the enemy''s speed was faster than his so he rushed forward like a whirlwind. In less than a second the short distance of ten meters was completely closed.


    The mutated tiger ignored the pain and jumped to the left, successfully evading the slash. However, before its golden eyes, the elbow of Bai Zemin''s left arm grew bigger and bigger until it finally connected against its head.


    Bang!


    The tiger''s body was buried in the ground next to Bai Zemin at the same time as some bones of the skull cracked due to the blow. However, the First Order creature did not even have time to react to the pain before the next attacks came.


    Slash! Slash!


    With two clean slashes, the two front paws of the mutated tiger were almost completely hacked off. Immediately after, Bai Zemin jumped into the air and positioned himself on top of the tiger''s body that was howling in pain. Following this, he stabbed with the tip of the sword and pierced the monster''s skull, successfully destroying the brain.


    However, although it was already dead, the tiger''s body was shaking from nerves and its almost completely severed front paws struck the empty air in front of it. This was precisely the reason why Bai Zemin had positioned himself behind the enemy before killing it or else he would have been hit and probably injured unnecessarily.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Shadow Tiger level 38. You cannot level up or obtain additional stats before you get the First Order job].


    A message similar but at the same time different from the ones he had received in the past flashed in Bai Zemin''s retina. However, he was dumbfounded and paid no attention to it.


    ... Is it over? The Shadow Tiger, a creature of First Order and with such a high level had died just like that? Bai Zemin could not believe it.


    High in the sky, Lilith had a bright smile on her face and her eyes shone like stars in the night sky.


    "Little Zemin, big sister loves you to death~" She whispered to herself.


    A First Order creature was nothing in Lilith''s eyes and just one look was enough to wipe out an entire army. However, when she was still an Unclassified existence, she could not do what Bai Zemin had just done... No, not only she could not; probably no one in all recorded history was ever able to kill an enemy who was in a higher Order in less than three seconds.


    Less than three seconds. That was the time it took Bai Zemin to end the life of the First Order Shadow Tiger.


    So, if he really gave it his all and gave up the defense to attack, who said it was impossible to slay a First Order existence with a single attack?


    Lilith looked forward to it. She looked forward to his growth and couldn''t wait to see how far he would go in the future if he didn''t fall before he was fully grown.


    Bai Zemin was the greatest genius she had ever known in her entire life and most likely the greatest in history. However, Lilith had seen countless outstanding geniuses falling from the sky like shooting stars before they were fully grown.


    Therefore, it was better to be careful because even the biggest ones could fall by a mistake or carelessness.

 Chapter 74 - "Now that you mention it..."

    Cai Jingyi, Fu Xuefeng, and Zhong De stood a few feet away with expressions that openly showed how dumbfounded and shocked they were by the way the events unfolded.


    Seeing Bai Zemin standing over the body of the First Order Shadow Tiger, none of the three knew how to react to what had just happened.


    To Cai Jingyi and the rest, the battle between Bai Zemin and the First Order Shadow Tiger was simply a battle between gods since from the point of view of the three of them the speed and force displaced by both existences were things they could not comprehend even now that they had become evolved humans.


    The Shadow Tiger''s ghostly speed was undoubtedly astonishing, but what was more astonishing to the three of them had been Bai Zemin''s ability to react. He suppressed the Shadow Tiger''s speed completely just by relying on three factors.


    Reaction ability, strength, battle instinct.


    Little did they actually know that Bai Zemin had not even given his 100% in the previous battle.


    Slowly, Bai Zemin climbed down from the corpse of the Shadow Tiger and sighed secretly.


    Multitasking while he was concentrating on the battlefield and the enemy''s movements was really a challenge. If he could get used to his Blood Manipulation skill and Mana, he could not only use the skill on himself, but he could also create weapons to bombard the enemy and restrain them and attack them from inside to outside. Unfortunately, doing such a thing while he was in the middle of a fight was not at all simple and definitely not something that could be learned in a week''s time.


    Forget it, I''ll get better at it little by little. My strength and control over Blood Manipulation have already improved tremendously compared to the first day of the apocalypse. Bai Zemin stopped lamenting and decided to be a bit more optimistic as he made a small but deep cut on the beast''s abdomen and began to collect the blood inside.


    He even emptied some bottles that had blood from normal creatures and exchanged it for the blood of the Shadow Tiger since although he wasn''t sure, Bai Zemin guessed that the blood of a First Order creature should be better than that of an Unclassified existence in some manners.


    While he was on that, he decided to check his two most important evolution processes so far.


    [Kill Unranked enemies using Blood Manipulation with a single attack. 100/100].


    [Kill First Order enemy using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 1/2].


    [Kill First Order enemy with a single attack using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 0/1].


    Indeed, he only needed to fulfill one and a half more requirements to advance successfully.


    The next thing he decided to check was the progress in the evolution process of his Blood Manipulation skill.


    [Collect one hundred liters of blood from fifty enemies level 5 or higher: 68/100].


    [Collect ten liters of blood from five First Order enemies: 6/10].


    [Collect one liter of blood from one Second Order enemy: 0/1].


    A week ago, such requirements were far from possible and it seemed that it would take a lifetime to fulfill all of them. However, today, a week later, except for the last requirement the other two were only a matter of time before they were completed.


    After collecting a good amount of blood from the Shadow Tiger, Bai Zemin picked up the two orbs from the ground with a complicated look.


    When he killed the Blazing Beetle he acquired a skill scroll and three orbs of which one of them was Magic grade. After defeating and killing the Anti-Magic Zombie the beast dropped three orbs and one of them was Magic grade as well. But now that he had killed the Shadow Tiger he only got two orbs and the highest grade was Rare.


    Slowly and gradually as he became progressively stronger and capable of defeating First Order existences, the treasures he obtained became less and less in quantity, and the quality also steadily decreased.


    After holding on to the treasure orbs, Bai Zemin began to search for the Mana Stone in the head of the Shadow Tiger.


    This would be his fifth Soul Stone in case this monster had one; 1 came from the Blazing Beetle, 1 from the Fast Mantis, 2 from two of all the Mutated Dogs he had killed. Bai Zemin had picked them up today while cleaning up the area.


    "Em?" Suddenly the sound of footsteps attracted his attention and he looked back without stopping his movements in search of the Soul Stone.


    At a short distance and approaching with regular steps, Shangguan Bing Xue was walking through the zombie corpses with an indifferent gaze. The stark contrast between her white dress, silver hair, and her blood-stained surroundings was an exotic sight that could not be appreciated every day.


    Her attention went between him and the completely lifeless body of the Shadow Tiger, her eyes had a strange glint in them but due to her icy expression, it was hard to tell what was going on in her head. After she reached a few steps away, she stopped and watched his actions silently.


    Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up and his attention was stolen by the hard object he was touching inside the Shadow Tiger''s skull. With a soft tug, he pulled out his blood-covered hand; however, this was ignored by him and he focused on the dark colored stone in his palm.


    His mouth curved slightly into a satisfied smile and he stored his second First Order Soul Stone in a plastic bag next to the rest. He wasn''t worried about separating them as the difference in size and shape made it too obvious to identify the differences between each grade.


    "Did something happen?" he asked after he stood up and looked the woman in front of him directly in the eyes with confusion.


    She stopped looking at the Shadow Tiger''s body and looked at him before slowly explaining, "Lunch was delayed to give the others time to work with the Blazing Beetle. Currently, the process is going smoothly but because it''s been several hours the survivors are starting to get hungry so everyone is preparing to eat now."


    "I see." He nodded, finally understanding what she meant even if she didn''t say it explicitly.


    "That''s okay, thanks for coming all this way to keep me informed." He smiled before turning around and grabbing the Shadow Tiger corpse by a paw before looking back at her and saying. "Let''s go?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at his actions and raised an eyebrow. She pointed at the monster''s body and asked, "You want to eat that too?"


    "Eh?" Bai Zemin blinked in surprise and said in a low voice, "My idea was to use this monster''s skin as protection at some point, but now that you mention it... I''ve never tasted the meat of a tiger in my life."

 Chapter 75 - Successful experiment

    Bai Zemin, Cai Jingyi, Fu Xuefeng, and Zhong De followed Shangguan Bing Xue back to the pharmacy building where the group of survivors was.


    When the group of five arrived at the site, there were already many people sitting casually on large rubble rocks eating in wide mouthfuls and others coming out with their food from inside the building before sitting down and starting to eat just like the rest.


    Bai Zemin could notice the look of surprise on the students'' faces when they saw the black-furred tiger being dragged by him with one hand.


    "Look, they even hunt a tiger."


    "Isn''t it a panther?"


    "Idiot, it''s obviously a tiger that mutated!"


    "Shut up and eat before you have to go back to work."


    He ignored all this and left the Shadow Tiger''s body near where the Blazing Beetle was.


    Currently, the Blazing Beetle had lost much of its protective shell and the survivors had also begun cutting up the meat and were packing it in plastic bags to be taken to the refrigerators later.


    Although it was still uncertain whether the meat was edible or not as it had not yet been long enough for everyone to feel safe enough, Shangguan Bing Xue decided that it was better to work on it beforehand to save time and, since the survivors were not doing anything productive, her idea was immediately approved by everyone.


    Bai Zemin received his bowl of rice as well as a large piece of red meat, a smaller piece of white meat, and a steamed bun.


    After nodding to the people in the kitchen he simply went to the roof of the building and sat there with the beautiful Lilith a short distance away. However, this did not last long as Wu Yujin soon appeared on the spot and started chatting with him.


    As she didn''t seem to have any bad intentions nor did she seem to want to ask him for anything, Bai Zemin casually chatted with her about insignificant things during the slightly late lunch.


    After finishing his meal, he excused himself and returned to the place where he was before to continue cleaning the area. This time he told Fu Xuefeng and the other two that one of them would switch places with Kang Lan and take her to level up.


    * * *


    The whole day passed exactly the same way as it started.


    When the sun went down, he finally decided to call it a day and returned to the gym, casually meeting up with Chen He''s group and the rest who had returned several minutes earlier.


    Surprisingly, Shangguan Bing Xue''s group had also not been dawdling while the other survivors worked as they had brought even more mattresses and clothes from the female dormitory. Now, thanks to the large movement of female students the day before, practically everyone had a place to lie down to sleep and while it was not as comfortable as a bed it was countless times more comfortable than the cold hard ground.


    Little by little the living conditions of the survivors improved, which made the heavy and gloomy atmosphere slowly lighten thanks to the new comforts as well as the power demonstrated by Bai Zemin and the other evolved ones.


    ...


    "From about 7:30 in the morning until now more than fourteen hours have passed but there hasn''t been the slightest sign of adverse effect on the three sc.u.m who ate the beetle meat." Shangguan Bing Xue was sitting on a chair next to a table inside the cafeteria and began to announce the results of the experiment conducted today.


    "Basically... Can meat be eaten or not?" Liang Peng asked in confusion.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him before looking at the rest and continuing, "During all this time, if something bad were to happen, at least there should have already been a minor indication. However, there is no change in skin color, no fever, the pupils did not dilate in any way nor does there seem to be any kind of mental change... I think it is correct to assume that the flesh of mutated monsters is not harmful to the human body."


    Bai Zemin chuckled and said in a considerably cheerful tone, "That means that from today onwards we have another source of food, doesn''t it?"


    "That''s right." Shangguan Bing Xue nodded as she looked at everyone. Even her icy attitude was somewhat warmer at this moment, which proved how cheerful she was.


    Bai Zemin and the rest still didn''t know how the Mana had affected the land of the world in general, but Lilith had told him that it was possible for the crops to stop growing as it was not something strange by any means. Therefore, if that happened, every meal they consumed was one less meal that could not be replenished.


    With the current situation in the world, the production factories would naturally cease to function, so they could not count on that kind of food either. Therefore, the most natural food was the meat of other species.


    Now that it had been confirmed that the meat of the First Order Blazing Beetle was edible, the joy and relief they felt was simply too great as a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.


    Without food people would not be willing to work, would not obey, and chaos would soon break out everywhere; which considering the current situation of the world would mean the destruction of the human race. But now that they knew they could get a safe food source from other animals, the problem had at least been alleviated a little more and while it was not a long term solution at least for the moment it was better than nothing.


    "By the way, what happened to those three guys?" Bai Zemin asked casually.


    "As promised, I let them go." Shangguan Bing Xue replied indifferently.


    Bai Zemin looked at her and asked in a strange tone, "... They left at this time?"


    "That''s right. Any problem?" She looked at him and asked in confusion.


    Any problem? Bai Zemin didn''t know what to say so he simply shook his head as he sneered at the three poor pitiful guys.


    But even if they survived the night danger, considering that there was no food around it was only a matter of time before they died in one way or another.

 Chapter 76 - Buses

    Today Bai Zemin had also made sure that Kang Lan spent the two daily activations of her Lesser Healing skill on his left hand and although she had again exhausted almost all of her Mana, the results were as surprising as the first time since his wrist had recovered between 80% and 90%, which meant that he only needed to be treated for 1 or 2 more days before fully recovering.


    Less than a week to recover from such a serious bone fracture... In the previous world, such a thing was simply unthinkable even with the most advanced medical treatments. But now, thanks to Bai Zemin''s constant evolution, Kang Lan''s high magical power and her Lesser Healing skill, it was something that was happening before everyone''s eyes.


    ...


    After a sleepless night, there was still a lot of work to do so everyone woke up very early in the morning as soon as the first ray of sunlight came out.


    Just like the day before, after breakfast, the group of evolved fighters split into two; one group led survivors to work with the flesh of the Blazing Beetle and the other smaller group began to clear out the larger zombie waves blocking the way to the exit.


    The only difference was that this time the formation of the groups was different.


    The day before, because they were still unsure of the effect of the mutated insect meat, Shangguan Bing Xue, who was the person who had come up with the idea of eating it and conducting an experiment, had to be present all day. However, now that the doubts had been cleared up and they finally realized that the area around the pharmacy building was relatively safe, there was no longer any need for such protection. Therefore, Shangguan Bing Xue had also begun to clear the road leading to the parking lot where the school buses and other cars that in the past belonged to students or teachers were located.


    After a full day, the group went back to rest, and when they woke up the next day they split up again to continue working.


    * * *


    Tenth day since the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth.


    After a little more than three days of cleanup, Shangguan Bing Xue, Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, and Zhong De had finally wiped out all the zombies in the southwestern area north of the university.


    Moreover, after being constantly healed by Kang Lan and thanks to his high Health, Bai Zemin''s broken hand had finally recovered completely and he could move it so normally that no one would believe him if he said that a week ago his bones had almost turned to dust.


    ...


    "Oh! This will make the trip so much easier!" Chen He exclaimed happily as he looked at the more than ten buses and hundreds of cars neatly parked.


    Because the parking lot was underground, the zombies in this place were very few and after some easy work, the area was cleared. If it weren''t for the lack of amenities that prevented a human being from wanting to live here, this place could be considered the most suitable in the entire university.


    "In fact, this solves a big problem." Bai Zemin nodded in agreement and sighed with secret relief.


    In order for his long-term plans to work properly, Bai Zemin needed help from other people. Besides, if he didn''t help human beings whenever possible, then who was going to run the factories, water dams, and power plants as well as many other systems when the world recovered? He couldn''t do that; therefore, even if the safety of other people was not especially his concern, it was a task he had to accomplish.


    So far, the group of survivors rescued by Bai Zemin and the rest numbered around 500 or 600. However, getting them all out of the university would be too great a challenge. But with the addition of this fleet of buses, this problem had been almost completely solved.


    "Hey guys, bring those things and the tools!"


    Liang Peng waved his hand and shouted toward the other corner. His loud voice echoed everywhere and if there was a zombie hiding it would undoubtedly have been attracted.


    Under his call, a large group of men dragged several metal pieces over a meter long that contained other smaller metal pieces inside. These metal pieces were, naturally, the shell of the First Order Blazing Beetle; after several days of work and effort, the more than three meters tall and more than five meters in length of the beetle had completely disappeared.


    Its flesh was being properly preserved, the shell had been saved and even the large legs had been taken to the gymnasium to be turned into weapons later.


    As for the meat, everyone was surprised the first time they tasted it. The mutated elephant beetle meat was not only delicious and tender, but when they consumed it everyone received some stat points increasing their natural Health by a couple of points; even Bai Zemin received 1 Health point back then. Although it was a pity that it only worked once, as they ate more of that meat a normal person''s body would become much healthier naturally, which was amazing.


    Seeing the amount of shell parts, Bai Zemin stretched his body and his bones thundered as he said, "All right, time to start working!"


    More than twenty male students nodded and began to inspect the buses together with Liang Peng and Bai Zemin; this group consisted of people with some experience in mechanics and all of them came from working backgrounds.


    "I think we should remove the front bumper which is practically plastic and exchange it for a metal one."


    "No, why don''t we better create a pointed platform that covers the front and leave just the front window uncovered?"


    "But that would waste too a lot of material and I''m not sure it would be enough with the shell we have now."


    "Mmh... Not only that, the gears could come loose if we take the whole carcass apart."


    ...


    "This..."


    As he looked at Bai Zemin and Liang Peng fervently arguing with the other male students and naming words unknown to him, Chen He couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable.


    Before the world suddenly changed, Chen He was a model student who aimed to become someone important in the government in the future. In addition, because his family had enough money, he also didn''t need to get a job so he didn''t have any knowledge about mechanics or automobiles.


    In the past, he drove a car that cost over two million Chinese yuan and if it needed to be repaired Chen He would take it to the best service. How could he understand what they were talking about then?


    In China, a mechanic was a job generally chosen by unschooled people and people generally did not look favorably on them. However, in this new world, knowledge of mechanics was countless times more valuable than the political knowledge Chen He had acquired.

 Chapter 77 - Modification completed and troubles

    Wu Yujin seemed to be able to understand the thoughts of her childhood friend but in this case there were no words that could lift anyone''s spirits. After all, Chen He had always been outstanding in everything and now that he was completely overshadowed naturally it was too abrupt a change for him and it would take time for him to get used to it.


    In fact, many of the girls who previously seemed to have some sort of feeling or admiration for him could not help but look at him again and compare him with Bai Zemin unconsciously. If it were ten days ago, Bai Zemin would not even be worthy of a second look from the several beautiful women among the survivors, but now everything was different.


    Many could not help but wonder; in a world where death is as natural as breathing, is it better to pursue a handsome man or a man of greater capability?


    Chen He was, of course, skilled. It was just that Bai Zemin was too overpowered.


    "I''ll go scout the exit path to the south." Chen He said before turning around and leaving the scene, deciding that it was better to do what he asked to do. He too had his own strengths and it was better to appreciate them rather than demean himself.


    * * *


    Time passed quickly, the morning was over and the afternoon was half over but the sound of hammering, drilling, grinding, welding, as well as the sound of wheel nuts and screws falling to the ground could be heard everywhere in the university''s subway parking lot.


    The group of about 22 people worked almost without rest and only stopped to eat when they were hungry because the sooner they finished the job the sooner they could leave the university grounds and finally get to know what the situation was like in the outside world.


    Apart from the 22 experienced in mechanics, there were also many more people helping to hold the metal parts in place or reaching for the objects and tools pointed out by any of them, which sped up the work process a lot more.


    One thing worth noting was that when they started working, Bai Zemin, Liang Peng, and the other twenty students received the following message but with some differences, in the case of Bai Zemin in particular it was this: [You have learned the Unclassified Passive Skill Repair level 5].


    The Soul Record was an unknown entity that recorded all the experiences in the soul of each existence and converted it into statistics and skills capable of being evolved and studied in greater depth, therefore, as people with experience in the field of mechanics they naturally acquired a corresponding skill.


    Something similar had happened with the female students and male students who had helped in the kitchen, they acquired the passive skill Cooking and the level of the skill depended on the personal ability of each of them.


    The amazing thing about the Soul Record was that each person''s ability could grow much faster compared to the past thanks to the existence of Mana. The more they cooked, the more the Cooking skill of those in charge of the kitchen grew steadily and the more they hammered the more the Repair skill level of those they were modifying increased; this was another wonder of this strange unknown entity known as the Soul Record.


    ...


    The appearance of the current buses was quite different when compared to the classic buses that were parked several hours ago.


    In the past the vehicles were much safer from a certain point of view as they were made of almost pure iron while today''s vehicles were made mainly of plastic and even fiberglass in some cases, which improved the appearance and comfort.


    Therefore, to better adapt to this new world and to everyone''s needs, the front part of the buses had been almost completely removed and replaced by a large metal plate that left only the window and the headlights uncovered. In addition, all the other glass windows of the buses had been removed and replaced with a Blazing Beetle shell plate on each side.


    "Finally done."


    Bai Zemin looked at their work with a touch of satisfaction. Even though they didn''t have all the necessary tools it had turned out really well and the ten luxurious looking buses now looked like ten steel monsters.


    "Good job."


    Wu Yujin approached with a small bottle of water and handed it to him with a charming smile.


    "Thank you." He thanked her and smiled politely back before he began to survey the surroundings as he sipped water slowly.


    Bai Zemin saw that it wasn''t just Wu Yujin; Gao Min, Li Na, Fan Wu, and many other students were handing out small closed bottles of water to each of those who helped modify the buses. At this point, everyone knew that they had to help in any way they could not only to exponentially increase their chances of survival and improve their lives but also not to be expelled from the group.


    Even those who were unwilling to leave the safety of the enclosed places worked as long as it wasn''t something that required going out in the open


    "Now we can finally get out of here."


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s voice sounded from behind and when Bai Zemin turned around he saw her slowly approaching as she looked at the buses before looking back at him.


    "Good job."


    Although her voice was cold, at least she sounded sincere and it would be a lie to say that Bai Zemin wasn''t secretly surprised. This was the first time he had heard her say small words of praise, or at least towards him. While it wasn''t much, it was a breakthrough as a group. It was what Bai Zemin believed.


    "Yeah." He replied briefly and before the conversation had a chance to progress, a roar from outside silenced all sound underground.


    Roar!


    "Not good!" One of the survivors in charge of standing guard near the entrance shouted in fright, "Chen He is fighting an ape over ten feet tall! They are currently heading this way!"


    Hearing the student''s scream of terror and remembering the earlier roar, the survivors'' faces turned pale as a sheet and they quickly ran to the back and deeper part of the subway. Some of them fell to the ground and a few were even stomped by those behind, being seriously injured and even dying in the process; after all, a stampede of over 500 people was no joke and most of them had thought that Chen He was an invincible existence, but since an ape forced him to retreat to this place it meant that he was weaker, which made the survivors think that they were going to die.


    Liang Peng, Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, and Kang Lan quickly began to help those who could help and to beat up those who became disobedient or wanted to incite chaos in any way; this had been one of the rules and ideas that had been put forward not many days ago and for the first time it was being implemented to avoid major panic.


    An ape of more than ten feet? Chen He?


    First Order! Bai Zemin''s mind flashed with that thought and only now did he realize that the handsome archer was nowhere to be seen.


    Whoosh!


    Although he was surprised, he also charged towards the exit.


    Like Shangguan Bing Xue, Bai Zemin was clear that it was absolutely impossible for Chen He to cope with a First Order existence on his own. Although the archer had become more powerful after absorbing some of the First Order Anti-Magic Zombie''s Soul Power and defeating other enemies over the past few days, it was still not enough for him to survive against such a confrontation.

 Chapter 78 - Absolute Regeneration!

    The sound of roars and bangs was the first thing Bai Zemin could make out as he approached the exit of the subway parking structure. Furthermore, although it was barely distinguishable due to the overwhelming sound of what he assumed were the mutated ape''s attacks, Bai Zemin could also faintly feel the sound of the wind being pierced by what he thought were Chen He''s arrows.


    A split second later, Shangguan Bing Xue''s cold voice reached his ears followed by a roar from the mutated ape. Obviously her attack had managed to inflict enough damage for its roar to change.


    Two seconds later, Bai Zemin finally reached the surface and his footsteps paused for a moment to take in the surrounding situation. After all, he didn''t want to die shamefully by rushing into battle without knowing what exactly was going on.


    The first thing that came into his line of sight was an ape that was clearly taller than the previous survivor had announced. Instead of three meters tall, the mutated ape easily reached four meters and its muscles were explosive enough to crush a house with its fists. In addition, the mutated beast was covered in a large amount of silver-colored fur that glistened in the rays of the evening sunlight, giving it a majestic appearance.


    However, the ape''s body was wounded. There were at least a dozen arrows firmly stuck in the beast''s abdomen, c.h.e.s.t, arms, shoulders, and legs, causing blood to flow constantly from those small holes.


    Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and noticed that those arrows were not normal. A faint light of light blue shone on the outline of the arrow, which kept them steady and undestroyed by the fierce movements of the mutated ape.


    It must be the treasure Chen He obtained. Probably something that boosts his attacks in some way. Bai Zemin thought as his sight moved at lightning speed to the semi-frozen limbs of the giant ape.


    Bang!


    The giant ape brutally slammed the floor right in front of him and Chen He hurriedly jumped to the side almost getting crushed in the process. He stood up instantly after and ran several meters before pulling out an arrow from the quiver behind his back and firing it at full speed.


    When the arrow touched the bow, its dark brown color turned the same as the other arrows that were stuck in the mutated ape''s body, confirming Bai Zemin''s theory about boosting power. As for whether it was a treasure or a skill, he didn''t know.


    "Freeze."


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s voice attracted his attention and Bai Zemin arrived just in time to see a small golden colored stick shooting out a blast of icy air.


    Roar!


    The ape roared and its wild movements slowed a little but still noticeably. Around its fur, Bai Zemin could see from a distance how some parts had frozen or were still in the process of freezing due to the icy air from before.


    A magic wand? Bai Zemin had that idea as he looked at the small stick in Shangguan Bing Xue''s hands. He assumed that instead of increasing Strength like his Xuanyuan Sword, the magic wand should definitely increase Magic and Mana or one of both stats.


    Instead of interrupting, Bai Zemin watched the battle unfold as he also wanted to see how strong Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue had become over the past few days.


    The battle was quite close.


    The giant ape was pretty fast and seemed to be completely focused on hunting Chen He who was shooting arrows every time the opportunity presented to him instead of going after Shangguan Bing Xue who was the person that really threatened its life.


    Bang!... Bang!... Bang!


    Several one or two-story buildings in the surrounding area were crushed under the giant ape''s heavy and powerful fists or its agile kicks that seemed to contain the flexibility and speed of a whip but the power of a giant mace. Bai Zemin was sure that even he would be seriously injured if he received one of those blows directly.


    Chen He might not be able to compare with Bai Zemin, but he was certainly not weak by any means. The damage from his strange arrows was little but slowly acc.u.mulated and the giant ape was losing more and more blood; moreover, when it seemed that he was about to be crushed, he somehow managed to escape at the last second by using the terrain to his advantage.


    Of course, the reason why Chen He could stand his ground and fight without having to run away as he did before or without being killed was all thanks to Shangguan Bing Xue''s timely support. Otherwise he would definitely not be able to do as much against the giant ape considering that he was currently already at his limit even with support.


    The giant ape''s movements had slowed down by at least 60% and great parts of its body had been frozen with small icicles of ice. In addition, Shangguan Bing Xue occasionally set up small ice traps to restrain the monster or shot sharp ice pikes, creating small wounds and freezing the blood inside little by little.


    Unfortunately, Bai Zemin knew that it was not so simple to end the life of a First Order existence... Because the giant ape had yet to show any skills!


    Indeed, Bai Zemin''s thoughts proved to be true not long after.


    Roar!


    The ape stopped its movements and raised its head to the sky as it roared fiercely. Its silver fur that had been soiled with its own blood and the areas frozen by Shangguan Bing Xue''s magic spells were surrounded by a strange white light that flashed with such fervor that it seemed to want to compete against the sun, forcing anyone who looked directly at it to close their eyes.


    When the bright flash calmed down and everyone was able to open their eyes again, Chen He could not help but take several steps back as Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes widened slightly in disbelief.


    "I see... So that''s the skill this ape obtained when it advanced to First Order." Bai Zemin muttered to himself and couldn''t help but secretly feel a bit of fear as he realized what the giant ape''s skill was.


    The giant ape''s skill was very simple. It didn''t increase its strength, nor did it increase its speed or defense, nor did it give it any kind of elemental control... It was a skill that could only be used on itself.


    Regeneration!


    What was worse than a strong enemy? A strong enemy that could recover from the wounds you had inflicted on it after working so hard and risking your life so many times to do so!


    The silver fur that was covered with blood and ice patches now looked perfect as if it had never faced any enemy in the first place. However, Bai Zemin noticed that the beast was breathing erratically and the madness in its eyes seemed to have dimmed, being replaced by tiredness.

 Chapter 79 - Becoming stronger Bai Zemin

    Although the active skill of the giant mutated ape was undoubtedly powerful to the point that it could make an enemy despair after a close and hard battle, it was also a skill that consumed a great deal of Mana and probably Stamina as well. At least this was the conclusion to which Bai Zemin himself had come to after studying every sign shown by the beast after the activation of the skill.


    The monster''s body was no longer firmly standing, its limbs trembled slightly, its breathing was agitated to the point where steam was coming out of its nostrils, etc. These were all signs of exhaustion.


    However... Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and realized that Chen He only had about three or four arrows in his quiver, which meant that he could no longer continue fighting. Furthermore, Shangguan Bing Xue herself had exhausted quite a bit of Mana and although she could still stay in battle, her c.h.e.s.t was also rising and falling somewhat erratically with each of her breaths.


    Although they could not defeat the mutated giant ape, if it were another beast the odds of being victorious would probably be higher or lower depending on the type of enemy and its skill. The problem with First Order creatures was that you never knew what you were going to face until you faced it.


    The giant ape suddenly turned and began to run south. Considering its height and its human-like and even more flexible mobility it was only a matter of time before it disappeared from everyone''s sight.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s face turned ugly as she saw her prey about to flee. She had expended 70% to 80% of her Mana but she was confident of overcoming; however, if the giant mutated ape wanted to flee she had no confidence in being able to stop it.


    "Chains."


    An indifferent voice sounded from the back, near the entrance to the subway parking area.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...


    Suddenly, the blood that the giant mutated ape had lost during the battle moved strangely and as if they were snakes with a will of their own they rose from the ground and began to surround the beast''s limbs.


    Two red chains that glowed like rubies coiled tightly around the upper limbs while four chains clung tightly around the lower limbs of the giant mutated ape, sealing its movements.


    Roar!


    The beast looked towards the source of Mana''s movement required for magical activation and roared with bloodshot eyes as it struggled with all its strength, causing the blood chains to begin cracking violently.


    However, the current Bai Zemin was no longer the same Bai Zemin from before who barely had any knowledge about Mana and his skill.


    "Reinforce." Bai Zemin muttered under his breath and the blood on the ground merged with the already formed bloody chains, repairing the cracks and making them stronger.


    For the past few days, Bai Zemin had been practicing control over Mana and his Blood Manipulation practically non-stop, only stopping to sleep and to eat his daily meals. The rest of the time was spent by him using zombies as a source of training.


    At first, it was difficult and extremely frustrating to see how his efforts were worthless. Then, he couldn''t help but think in Shangguan Bing Xue and noticed that every time she created something out of ice she would say the name of her creation out loud or when she sent the ice bullets flying she would wave her hand.


    After approximately three days of virtually non-stop training, the fruits of his efforts began to slowly manifest and at this point he was shining.


    Seeing Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He fighting, Bai Zemin realized that both of them, especially her, were strong; strong to the point of being geniuses. But in fact, the difference with him was still quite large... With such a difference in power, there was no need to hide his power so much, and the more he showed the better it would be as the less they would dare to plan against him in the future.


    He threw a bottle of blood into the air and stretched his hand upward as he slowly said: "Spear."


    Bang!


    The bottle exploded and the liquid blood was surrounded by a wave of Mana. In less than a second the blood coalesced and hardened, taking the shape of a firm, pointed spear over two meters long. This spear even had a faint red glow around it since he had consumed over 80 Mana points to make it; one could imagine the hidden power of the weapon.


    When the blood spear fell into his hands after descending, Bai Zemin brought his right hand with the spear as far back as possible just above his shoulder and with his left foot he took a big step forward, turning his body 360 degrees and after finishing the turn the spear shot forward at full speed. However, before the spear completely left his hand, the Blazing Ring in his right hand flashed and a crimson flame covered the spear in its entirety.


    Boom!


    With almost 100 Strength points and having expended almost the same amount of Mana, the spear created with the Shadow Tiger''s blood raised a small boom as it went beyond what the surrounding air pressure was able to withstand.


    A crimson line filled with burning heat closed the distance in a second and before the giant ape could react the spear had firmly penetrated its head. But that was not all.


    The spear filled with fire-like energy blasted and the beast''s head exploded into countless pieces. The pieces of burnt flesh and the smell of blood floated in the air.


    The blood chains holding the beast upright vanished and the practically headless body fell noisily to the ground, collapsing onto a pile of rubble and raising a cloud of dust in the process.


    Chen He''s eyes and mouth were wide open comically and the disbelief in his gaze expressed how great was the shock he had received.


    Tap... Tap... Tap...


    Shangguan Bing Xue turned her head slightly towards the source of the sound of light footsteps and her blue eyes shivered for a moment as she saw the relaxed smile on the face of the young man behind her.


    Bai Zemin had a casual smile and even rested his free hand comfortably inside his pants pocket as if what he had just done was no big deal.


    He became stronger in this week! Was the thought of Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He as they recalled what they had just witnessed, both feeling complicated emotions.

 Chapter 80 - Critical hit

    Indeed, Bai Zemin had become stronger than he was several days ago.


    His physical or magical stats had not changed in any way and he had not leveled up either since he was currently in a vortex which once completely overcome he could evolve into a more powerful existence but in the meantime, he could not acquire any power boosts. In fact, he had not even used his available status points in any way to boost his natural stats.


    However, in this world there were many ways to become stronger without leveling up, without acquiring Soul Power or stats; even without treasures or obtaining skill scrolls.


    One of those ways was to learn and use what one already had in the most optimal way possible. Bai Zemin was training precisely to become stronger in this way and although he still had a long way to go, it was undoubtedly a breakthrough compared to the past.


    In addition, Bai Zemin had also been practicing other types of attacks using the skills he had along with his treasures, creating amazing effects. In fact, the previous attack was just an improvised Blazing Blood Spear... But he had planned something much more powerful by making use of those two skills and adding something else as an intensifier.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Platinum Ape level 37. You cannot level up or obtain additional stats before you get the First Order job].


    [You have learned Unranked Passive Ability level 5 Throwing].


    Three glowing orbs filled with Soul Power came out of the lifeless body of the First Order Platinum Ape and went into the bodies of Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Chen He respectively, the size of the orbs being quite similar to each other with barely any almost indistinguishable difference.


    In addition, another message flashed in Bai Zemin''s retina. Although he was somewhat surprised, the surprise was not that great since he had somehow expected something like this to happen. The reason? Of course, the beautiful and seductive Lilith; she had explained to him more about the world of skills, and thanks to that now Bai Zemin''s knowledge had increased as a consequence.


    A person could not only learn skills by training, but could also learn through skill scrolls after defeating enemies and skills could evolve. However, there were exceptions to this rule.


    [Throwing (Unclarified Passive Skill) Level 5: When throwing an object with your b.a.r.e hands you have a 20% probability of dealing a critical hit to the enemy. This skill has reached its maximum point and cannot evolve on its own].


    To some extent, it was also something that he already expected. However, the impossibility of evolving alone was something that surprised him and now he finally understood several things that Lilith had explained to him about the Soul Record and the skills.


    Apart from the individual stats, there were also other stats that were not displayed in the window of each person or intelligent creature. An example of this was the critical hit statistic, defense, attack damage, etc. To acquire these stats one needed to obtain certain skills or certain items that were usually not formed after the defeat of an enemy and the intervention of the Soul Record in the Soul Power of the loser.


    For example, a blacksmith or artifact maker could create weapons, armor, accessories, which increased physical damage or defense but did not increase stats such as Strength or Stamina and Health that treasures created from Soul Power could increase.


    Lilith said that the Higher Existences referred to these statistics as ''tracking statistics'' as they could only constantly track these statistics by looking at one''s skills and equipment.


    This was precisely the reason why such works were considered a rarity and prized on all worlds since the Soul Record was a righteous entity that allowed anyone who had talent and used it in the right way and with the right materials to become powerful; even someone who did not have the courage to fight powerful enemies could become empowered as long as they knew or possessed a class of artifact crafting or blacksmithing and similar.


    Bai Zemin sighed as he realized how many things he had yet to know and how many other things he had yet to come into contact with. Although he might seem extremely strong, even though it was true that Lilith''s advance information was very helpful to him... The reality was that all this also had a counterproductive side effect and that was that he started to realize early on that what weighed on his shoulders was bigger and bigger than he had imagined at the beginning.


    "Bai Zemin, are you okay?"


    "Em?" Bai Zemin snapped out of his daze and looked back with a casual smile, "Why wouldn''t I be? I didn''t even face that ape head-on and all I did was deal the final strike."


    "...Is that so...?" Shangguan Bing Xue furrowed her eyebrows slightly before nodding, "If you say so."


    For a moment she had seemed to see him depressed, which had struck her as peculiar considering the overwhelming strength he had just demonstrated and how easily he had claimed the life of the First Order Platinum Ape; even if it was true that the beast had been largely exhausted by her and Chen He previously, a First Order existence was still a First Order existence tired or not. But she soon rejected that thought after hearing his reply and took it as a wrong thought of hers.


    Bai Zemin bent down and picked up the three objects dropped by the Platinum Ape. Surprisingly, the First Order beast had dropped three items; a skill scroll, a red orb, and a orange orb.


    "Chen He, is it okay if we divide these three treasures and then tell us what happened?"


    "Yes." Chen He nodded with a serious expression and said in a deep voice, " Leaving the university might be more difficult than we thought, and those three treasures regardless of how weak they are we will certainly need them."


    Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Chen He with a frown.


    Apparently, things were much more complex than they had previously expected...


    "A normal treasure, a rare treasure, and a skill scroll. Let''s see what kind of skill it is." Bai Zemin put the victory loot on a large pile of rubble that had collapsed and grabbed the skill scroll to see what skill it was before passing it to the rest.


    [Regeneration (First Order Active Skill) Level 5: Regenerates Stamina according to the Mana consumed. Every 2 Mana points regain 1 Stamina point].


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but frown hard at the sight of the skill that had formed after the sublimation of the Platinum Ape''s remaining Soul Power. This was something he definitely did not expect and honestly, the skill looked quite weak compared to his Blood Manipulation even though they were skills of the same level and Order.


    After two small squeezes, the two orbs burst into flashes of orange and red light before two new objects appeared on the pile of rubble.

 Chapter 81 - Human and Demon (Part 1)

    The objects that had appeared after the disappearance of the two flashes of light were two treasures that until now Bai Zemin had not seen appear from orbs and therefore did not possess.


    The treasure that came from inside the orange orb was a kind of dress that looked more like a robe such as the immortal women wore in light novels but not as extravagant.


    Curious, Bai Zemin touched the tip of the deep blue dress and, apart from the softness of the material, the information of the object flowed into his retina automatically.


    [Combat Robe (Rare Grade Treasure): Full body dress capable of blocking normal edged weapons and even smaller caliber bullets. When wearing it all stats +5 automatically].


    Basically, the Combat Robe was a somewhat similar extension of his Full Coat except that it was more geared towards women in this case. Although there are some differences in the description of the treasure, Bai Zemin thought that the differences were probably not that big.


    The second treasure was, surprisingly, a crossbow that glowed with a metallic hint at the sun''s rays that bathed the material this treasure was created from whatever it was.


    [Quick Crossbow (Normal Grade Treasure): A crossbow that can load up to 5 bolts or arrows in the chamber and shoot twice per second. When equipped it automatically increases Agility by +5 points and Strength by +2 points].


    "So..." Bai Zemin looked at the two people beside him and asked while scratching his head with one hand, "How do we divide these things...?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He looked at each other for a moment before looking at the three objects on the pile of rubble, falling into a deep state of contemplation.


    After several minutes, Chen He shook his head and pointed at the crossbow, "I really need a better weapon at the moment... Even if I know I will change it sooner rather than later, I need to survive until then, or else what sense would everything else have?"


    Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and noticed that she was looking at him with narrowed eyes. More precisely, she was not looking at him; she was looking at his coat.


    "Cheap for you, Bai Zemin." Shangguan Bing Xue sighed and pointed at the Combat Robe, "As Chen He said, although I really want that skill since as weak as it looks it definitely can''t be that simple, I need to survive first to then have a chance to find out, and although it''s frustrating, I still don''t possess enough power to feel 100% confident."


    In fact, both Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue were tempted to choose the First Order skill max level Regeneration. After all, the reality was just as Shangguan Bing Xue had said; a skill of such a level and Order definitely could not be simple in any way no matter how useless it seemed and it was most likely that in higher Orders it would shine and show its splendor. Unfortunately, neither of them felt comfortable with their current strength and their confidence in surviving greater challenges was not very high as it was still difficult for them to kill First Order existences, and every time they compared themselves with Bai Zemin they felt worse; this was especially true for Chen He.


    By acquiring the Combat Robe, the stats obtained by Shangguan Bing Xue would be the equivalent of 5 levels considering that each level up granted 2 status points and, more importantly, safety from smaller caliber bullets and bladed weapons such as knives and the like. Meanwhile, by acquiring the Quick Crossbow, Chen He would not only get a weapon much more suitable for combat but would also receive a total of 7 stats; especially his Agility stat, a stat which was technically one of the most important for him.


    "Then I''ll be rude." Bai Zemin nodded with understanding and took the scroll to himself with an indifferent expression.


    "Good for you, little Zemin." Lilith, who floated a short distance away, congratulated him. Her gaze was fixed on the scroll in Bai Zemin''s hands and her eyes had a strange glint in them.


    Bai Zemin said nothing and after wishing the scroll disappeared from his hands and a rune began to form deep in his soul. The rune was yellow in color and had strange cracks that he could not understand what they meant. Soon, the rune had fully formed and Bai Zemin had finally acquired his second active external skill since the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth.


    The Regeneration active skill was extremely weird. At least, what Bai Zemin expected from a skill with that name was that it would grant the ability to heal wounds or increase Health considering that was its function when the Platinum Ape used it. Obviously, the skill scroll had nothing to do with the Platinum Ape''s skill except, perhaps, the name.


    Regenerating Stamina was actually extremely useful because if a battle between two existences went on too long due to identical or too equal strengths, the winner would be the one who could stand for the longest amount of time without faltering in their attacks. However, temporarily it was something that Bai Zemin did not need and even less so considering his high natural Stamina which, in fact, was his highest body stat leaving aside stats like Mana and Magic.


    I''ll look at the evolution requirements of this skill later. Bai Zemin thought before looking at Chen He and saying, "Let''s go to the parking lot and talk there. From your words earlier it seemed to be serious."


    Che He nodded with a serious expression, "I agree."


    With nothing more to say, the trio walked underground again.


    * * *


    When Bai Zemin returned to the subway parking lot together with Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He, none of the three expected to see such chaos.


    Liang Peng, Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, and Kang Lan were moving all over the place beating up several people and throwing them aside before moving on to the next person to perform the same action.


    "What...?" For a moment, Shangguan Bing Xue looked so shocked that she didn''t know what to think about it.


    Especially seeing the more than five obviously lifeless bodies that had been trampled beyond recognition that looked like they had been stampeded by a pack of wild beasts.


    Bai Zemin didn''t understand what was going on either... It had only been five minutes at most since he had left but how did things turn out like this...?


    "At the end of the day, humans are animals too, Bai Zemin." Lilith appeared beside him and spoke in an indifferent voice: "In the face of the fear of death, even cats are willing to fight dogs, let alone beings with intelligence who are even more aware that death means the end. The fact that this Lower Existence named Chen He showed himself incapable of defeating that ape caused many people to fear for their future and they began to cause chaos, letting out their inner demons..."


    "What will you do now?"

 Chapter 82 - Human and Demon (Part 2-Last)

    Hearing Lilith''s words, Bai Zemin''s expression changed several times as he looked at the scene in front of him until finally, a flash of resolve shone in his eyes.


    He began to step forward slowly and Shangguan Bing Xue as well as Chen He called out to him a few times but he ignored them both, completely focused on the sight before his eyes.


    A male student suddenly grabbed the arm of a female teacher and threw her to the ground harshly. The woman in her early thirties screamed in terror but her cries for help and pleading were ignored amidst the chaos where similar scenes were constantly happening.


    The male student jumped on top of the woman and began tearing at her clothes with an ominous grin. His eyes seemed to be bloodshot as he shouted and cursed, "Even that stupid dog Chen He was defeated! It''s only a matter of time before we''re hunted down too! At least I''ll have some fun with you before I get killed by some monster hahaha!"


    Earlier, when the survivors heard that Chen He was in danger of being killed and saw the look of dread on the face of the student who was standing guard near the entrance, most of them thought they were going to die. As for those who were naturally calmer, they were swept away by the fear caused by seeing the behavior and hearing the cries of others.


    Only about five minutes had passed since then but there were more than twenty people who had been killed in some way or another and at a glance, Bai Zemin could see that there were at least fifty to sixty wounded.


    Even with Liang Peng and the rest here it was impossible to stop more than five hundred people completely. This only got worse when the survivors who were instigating the chaos realized that even if they were caught they would just be beaten and thrown aside; considering they were going to die soon anyway, why not do whatever they wanted in the meantime?


    As he slowly approached the male student who had malicious intentions towards the female teacher, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but remember his first meeting with Lilith ten days ago. Back then, when she told him that she was a s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s, he immediately raised his guard against her even more than usual. After all, she was a demon.


    As the days progressed, Bai Zemin''s guard against her gradually eased and he no longer viewed her with such wariness after hearing her explain to him how what the bible quoted and humans knew was not exactly correct. However, that slight guard he had against her had almost been completely relieved just now.


    What was the first thing that came to everyone''s mind when they heard the word "demon"? Those who were arrogant, greedy, envious, l.u.s.t-filled, and angry, an embodiment of pure evil that would try to lure good souls to the side of darkness with their sweet words.


    But... How about the word "human," then? Those who were annoying, nasty, horrible, rude, arrogant, immoral, confusing, disdainful, violent, threatening, rule-breaking, harming, and hurting others out of greed.


    Weren''t humans even worse than demons from that point of view? At least that was the answer Bai Zemin had reached for when his hand touched the male student''s shoulder.


    "Wait for me to finish and it will be your turn then!" The male student grunted in annoyance, straining to remove his pants to begin his act.


    Sensing that the hand still remained firmly on his shoulder, the student turned around angrily and began cursing, "You bastard! I told you to wait until-"


    "You... Bai..." The student''s teeth clicked against each other and his face went pale, unable to finish a single sentence properly. His face became even worse when he saw Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He standing unharmed a short distance away.


    Before the male student had a chance to try to say anything or utter another word, Bai Zemin''s right hand shot forward and with a sharp squeeze his trachea was crushed and his head fell heavily to the side.


    Bai Zemin casually threw him to the ground without giving another glance, but if he looked at him again he could see the male student''s eyes wide open before his death filled with horror.


    Swoosh!


    His body turned into a shadow and the next instant he appeared before a second student who was violently beating another fiercely.


    As in the previous case, the student''s neck was completely broken and he fell forward. Before the student who was being beaten could clearly see what was happening, Bai Zemin had already disappeared.


    Swoosh!... Crack...


    The sound of gusts of wind followed by the terrifying sounds of fragile bones being mercilessly crushed rang out several times but were suppressed by the screams of fear, cries of despair, and laughter of madness coming from the survivors.


    Gradually, however, more and more survivors began to notice that something was not right as people, one after another, fell to the ground with broken necks.


    "W-What''s going on!" One burly student stopped in his tracks and looked around as he shouted in an attempt to shake off the fear he felt, "Come here if you''re a man!"


    Crack!


    The burly student''s neck cracked and the man died pathetically without knowing what had happened even until the last second.


    Bai Zemin''s Agility had currently reached 126 points in total, which made him 12 times faster than a normal person. With such speed, his movements in a closed environment were limited but at the same time explosive. Therefore, in a matter of seconds, more than thirty people were slaughtered by his hands.


    The wild movements of the crazed survivors began to cease quickly as the more intelligent ones noticed that only those who caused chaos were dying. However, even after they stopped, the scythe of death came down harshly and firmly on their necks and claimed their lives without mercy.


    A minute later, all the survivors who were trying to assault female students or female teachers, all those who were physically attacking others or committing some kind of act considered vandalism had been slaughtered. Among them, forty-two were male and six were female.


    The now less than five hundred survivors looked apprehensively at the person standing amidst a pile of corpses whose expression was as nonchalant as if he had not killed nearly half a hundred people but as if he were ordering takeout at a restaurant before the apocalypse.


    Bai Zemin looked at both of his hands and was a little startled to realize that he felt nothing; he felt no sympathy or fear or pity for the people who lost their lives under his hands.


    This was the first time he had killed directly and it wasn''t just one person... It was dozens at the same time.


    The right thing to do would be to at least, at the very least, feel a touch of sorrow... Bai Zemin felt nothing but calm and even thought that what he did was the right thing to do. As to whether it was the right thing to do or not, everyone could have different opinions about it.

 Chapter 83 - Cowardly but obedient lambs

    What did make Bai Zemin feel just, very slightly uncomfortable, was that even if he did not know these people before this and even had no idea that they were among the survivors, when he killed them he did not have the right to choose whether he wished to know them or not.


    The reason? It was because every time Bai Zemin broke a survivor''s neck, the following messages appeared in green letters flashing in his retina:


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Chen Luochen level 0].


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Mei Xiao level 0].


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of...].


    [You have acquired...].


    Again and again, a small part of each person''s Soul Power was absorbed by him and Bai Zemin was able to learn their names and some simple things like how old each one was. As for getting some kind of power from them... Considering they were just normal survivors, Bai Zemin naturally didn''t expect something like that.


    People often said that the eyes were the window to the soul and that a look said more than a thousand words, he confirmed it at this moment. Raising his head, Bai Zemin saw that everyone was looking at him with different expressions; some were looking at him with fear, others with gratitude, shock, disbelief, and many other emotions or thoughts that were difficult to decipher.


    "Who was the first person to cause all this mess?"


    Amidst so much silence and uneasiness, his voice was the only thing that could be heard inside the subway with the occasional roar of some distant creature.


    Bai Zemin also did not press the matter too much and nodded: "I see. Since none of you want to talk, then I guess you don''t need to eat anymore."


    His words seemed to have some effect as many people''s faces changed slightly; this was especially so for the female students who had suffered almost a week locked up in the female dormitory.


    "I don''t think that among so many people present not even one of you can remember anything." Bai Zemin shook his head and waited patiently while looking towards no particular point.


    The place was silent for a few seconds and Chen He looked like he wanted to step forward to say something but Shangguan Bing Xue stopped him. He also looked at Wu Yijun for help but she just shook her head. With no other option, he had no choice but to remain silent.


    After almost a full minute of silence, a female student stepped forward, attracting everyone''s attention.


    "What is your name?" Bai Zemin looked at her and smiled slightly, a smile that was somehow calm but also contrasting sharply with the current situation.


    Hesitantly, the female student spoke softly, "I... My name is Nie Yue."


    "Nie Yue? I see." Bai Zemin nodded and asked once more, "Nie Yue, did you see something? You don''t need to worry about any kind of consequences or much less. I assure you that if anyone dares to verbally assault you, give you unkind looks, or even try to touch a hair on your head after this, I will personally make sure that person or persons regret not letting themselves be eaten by zombies."


    Some people''s expressions changed for the worse while the expression on Nie Yue''s face eased noticeably. After a deep breath, she turned away from the crowd of people and began to point at some survivors while saying in a serious voice:


    "I remember when big brother Bai and big sister Shangguan went to help big brother Chen, these people started pushing and shouting. Some of them even beat up some people before mingling with the crowd!"


    "It''s a lie!"


    "Big brother Bai, that girl is a liar! You can''t believe her!"


    "How could I beat up someone? Can''t you see that I''m injured too?!"


    ...


    Among the more than six survivors who were pointed out by Nie Yue, some of them immediately turned pale and started shouting words of injustice.


    While it was true that Nie Yue might be lying, Bai Zemin''s reasoning was simple; did she gain anything by lying? She had absolutely nothing to gain and on the contrary, she would be risking being marked by the other survivors, which would lead to Bai Zemin potentially killing her or expelling her from the group, which was basically the same as ending her life.


    "Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, Kang Lan! Take them out and bring those ungrateful dogs here!" Bai Zemin''s voice thundered and his calm expression finally disappeared, being replaced by fury.


    Hearing the clearly angry tone of voice from him, the four named people did not dare to delay and using their superior stats and levels easily pulled the targeted people out of the group of survivors, dragging them out by force; even the weakest of the four of them, Kang Lan, was at least two to three times stronger than a normal person so any resistance or attempt to resist was futile.


    As the survivors were pulled out of the crowd, Shangguan Bing Xue narrowed her eyes and took a step forward as she looked at an old acquaintance.


    "Lian Xuan?" She stood a short distance away from Bai Zemin and looked at the past vice-president of the student association with coldness.


    Lian Xuan was a level 3 evolved person, so among the survivors, he was basically invincible. However, when he tried to resist, Cai Jingyi easily reduced him thanks to her overwhelmingly superior Agility.


    "I- I didn''t do anything! I really didn''t do anything! Bing Xue, haven''t you known me for several years? D- Don''t you know what kind of person I am?!"


    At this moment Lian Xuan had lost his past polite and glorious demeanor. He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and began to yell and beg with a pale face, clearly knowing that death was the only thing that awaited him.


    Seeing such behavior, Lilith could not help but chuckle. This Lian Xuan had sacrificed a girl''s life during the first day of the apocalypse to survive and had not even thought twice about it when he threw her before the blade of the Fast Mantis, yet now he looked like a fish jumping on a chopping board awaiting his inevitable fate.


    Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and announced indifferently, "Even if he is your friend he is not being spared from this."


    Since all these people still did not understand the cruelty of this world and the danger of the monsters running rampant outside was not enough, then he was going to show them all that if they did not behave in obedient lambs then only death awaited them!


    Since they wanted to be cowardly lambs, he was going to turn them all into cowardly but obedient lambs! Obedient to the point where his word was more valuable than God''s decree!

 Chapter 84 - Killing: Determination / Regret

    "You don''t need to say it. I''ll take care of him myself." Shangguan Bing Xue did not even look at Bai Zemin, but her words startled him noticeably.


    "You will take care of him?" Bai Zemin frowned and looked at her with a hint of mockery as he said coldly, "What? Could it be that you have the courage and determination to end his life?"


    The reason for his mocking tone stemmed from the fact that he did not believe she would dare to dictate the punishment he would sentence and carry out. From Bai Zemin''s point of view, Shangguan Bing Xue was just a spoiled little princess who threw tantrums by acting cold and untouchable.


    She turned her face and looked at him so coldly that her cold looks in the past seemed like child''s play in comparison, "You don''t know anything about me."


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but his eyes widened slightly more than usual and under his incredulous gaze, she took a step forward. Her delicate white hand shimmered and the temperature began to plummet as a wave of frost formed around it before turning into a dagger of ice.


    "Bing Xue?" Chen He opened his eyes wide and muttered in shock.


    Wu Yujin''s face also changed and her expression became complicated as she looked at her friend slowly moving forward. Still, she didn''t seem to have any intention of stopping her.


    Unlike most people, due to her status, Wu Yujin had also seen many cruel things in the past and knew that even the previous society was just a jungle with rules; but after all, a jungle was a jungle no matter how much it was decorated.


    "Hey... This must be a joke, isn''t it? Bing Xue!"


    Lian Xuan bellowed and tried to back away in fright. However, under Bai Zemin''s intense gaze, Zhong De kept him on his knees even if he was also scared of what was about to happen.


    During the past few days, Lian Xuan''s mental condition was becoming more and more unstable to the point that several times wild and crazy ideas appeared in his mind but he f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y restrained them. However, when the slightest opportunity presented itself, he did not even hesitate for a second and took it gladly.


    Too bad, that was one of his biggest mistakes.


    Shangguan Bing Xue stopped a step away and shook her head as she said coldly, "We risk our lives, we scavenge for food, we rack our brains trying to think of the best way to keep you all safe... But what do we get in return? Nothing. Everything would be easier if we left you behind because honestly all of you are a heavy burden... However, instead of doing that, we support and feed you while keeping you safe."


    Her words were not just for Lian Xuan to hear; they were for everyone present.


    The survivors who had done nothing wrong nodded and looked at the people who had been dragged out with anger-filled gazes. Many of them even couldn''t help but raise their voices as they cursed them and complained. However, when Shangguan Bing Xue''s voice sounded again, the rest of the voices were immediately silenced.


    "We ask for nothing in return except that everyone behaves themselves... That you don''t add more weight on our shoulders and that you don''t make things more complicated than they already are." She looked at Lian Xuan and her eyes flashed with a chill as she said, "Approximately twenty people died because of your selfish acts and you still want to live...? Go to hell, you sc.u.m."


    Under the terrified look of Lian Xuan, the shocked look of many survivors, and the disbelieving look of Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue raised her slender arm and swiftly struck downward.


    The ice dagger was extremely sharp and easily penetrated the center of Lian Xuan''s skull, ending his life just like that. What was most remarkable was that even as his corpse slumped to the side, not even a drop of blood came out of the wound as the ice dagger had become a natural insulating layer, sealing everything tightly inside.


    The place fell into a stony silence and even Bai Zemin himself could not help but stare at Shangguan Bing Xue. After several seconds, he admitted, "I guess you''re right and I don''t know anything about you."


    Daring to kill a person took some courage, but it was possible for anyone who set out to do so and even more so in this world where death was practically easier to obtain than a piece of bread... But the hard part was to keep calm after doing it.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s expression was cold and indifferent as always and her hand did not even quiver as she performed the act nor did she flinch at the end. Although she had just taken the life of a human being, it was as if it was nothing otherworldly to her.


    Obviously, she was also someone who had her own past and her own story to tell.


    Seeing that she said nothing, Bai Zemin simply shook his head before looking at Fu Xuefeng. He asked in a deep voice, "You dare to kill a person?"


    Fu Xuefeng''s face changed greatly and a frightened expression shone in his eyes. He was brave, brave enough to fight and kill enemies of other races... But killing humans whose sins were not worthy of death was hard for him to do.


    Bai Zemin also seemed to realize his answer without having to hear it from his mouth. He nodded and silently took out a strange looking knife from his backpack as he said, "This dagger is a rare grade treasure, on the same level as my sword but slightly inferior. If you kill him this dagger is yours then."


    [Agarth Dagger (Rare Grade Treasure): A dagger focused to finish off the enemy at lightning speed. Can cut metal with ease. When equipped, it automatically increases Agility by +12 and Strength by +5].


    The dagger was the item that came out of the Orange Orb he obtained when defeating the First Order Shadow Tiger. Bai Zemin already had his Xuanyuan Sword and felt more comfortable wielding it compared to the Agarth Dagger; therefore, instead of keeping it, he decided to give it to one of his direct subordinates, which in a way meant increasing his own power.


    Fu Xuefeng''s gaze lingered on the dagger. He knew that what Bai Zemin was doing was tempting him and it was indeed working. However, he took too long to decide and his chance was snatched away by someone else with greater determination.


    "I''ll do it."


    A female voice rang out.


    "I dare to kill people."


    Bai Zemin looked at the pretty Cai Jingyi, who had a slightly pale face but whose eyes glittered with determination, and nodded with a smile as he casually pointed at a survivor, "Here. Take this dagger and kill him, it will be yours from then on."


    Cai Jingyi took a deep breath and nodded, walking towards him and taking the dagger in his hands. The resolve in her eyes burned even more fervently as she saw the weapon''s stats; she was determined to seize every opportunity to become stronger no matter how vicious it was.


    That was precisely why she was willing to take the risk of fighting and took Bai Zemin''s hand at that time. Besides, Cai Jingyi was a smart girl and knew that facing other human beings would only be a matter of time considering that within this group alone there were already so many problems.


    Her thinking was simple: Since sooner or later I will have to kill if I want to survive in this world and still retain some dignity, then better sooner than later.


    If it was about courage, perhaps Cai Jingyi was slightly inferior in comparison to Fu Xuefeng... But if it was about determination to accomplish goals, she definitely surpassed him by far!


    Seeing the dagger in Cai Jingyi''s hands, Fu Xuefeng could not help but regret and quickly exclaimed: "W-Wait! I will do it!"


    "Too late." Bai Zemin coldly refused and remarked, "If you want to become stronger, you will have to take the chances I give you when I give them to you. Otherwise you''ll have to manage on your own to get power."

 Chapter 85 - Chen Hes shocking discovery (Part 1)

    Was there really anyone who, even in their unconscious, did not wish to be stronger?


    In the past, human beings would try to acquire more money and when they finally had that money, they would want more. When they had enough money to make their lives as luxurious and comfortable as possible, human beings would seek political power or military command... The human mind always wanted more and was never really satisfied even after achieving its past goals.


    This was even more so in this new world after the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth.


    In this new apocalyptic world, the possibilities of becoming stronger were literally everywhere; all one had to do was to pick up any weapon and go out into the streets to fight zombies or any other existence that would allow them to evolve regardless of whether they were weak or strong.


    However, while the possibilities of being stronger were everywhere, this rule also applied to the possibilities of dying. A person had to be mentally prepared for the fact that, at the moment of leaving, he or she might never come back.


    While everyone wanted to be stronger, while everyone wanted power, to receive respect, to eat the best food, and to enjoy the praise and longing gazes of beauties; very few were willing to take the risk involved in attaining such successes.


    Just now, Bai Zemin had given Fu Xuefeng the opportunity to become far stronger, but he failed to appreciate it and missed out.


    Acquiring a weapon, especially a rare grade treasure, was far more important than even having food or safe shelter; because with a weapon of such caliber, even a normal human being would acquire the power to fight zombies or other creatures, evolve, and acquire food or shelter with their own hands.


    Fu Xuefeng was not willing to kill? Sure, Bai Zemin would not force him. But even if he knelt down and begged crying tears of regret, it was too late. Such opportunities were not easy to obtain and since he chose his morality above all else, then he had to take responsibility for his own choices and consequences.


    Feeling Fu Xuefeng''s envious and regretful gaze upon her, Cai Jingyi gritted her teeth and raised the dagger with trembling hands.


    "W-Wait! I beg you not to kill me!"


    The student''s eyes were wide open and the terror in his face was so great that he seemed on the verge of going mad. But how could he not be terrified? This was about death! His death!


    "Just imagine what would have happened if you didn''t have strength." Bai Zemin''s voice sounded behind her, encouraging her and giving her bravery, "If your luck was bad, maybe you would be dead. If your luck was... shall we say, good? You might have been abused by sc.u.m like him."


    Hearing his words, Cai Jingyi bit her lip and stopped hesitating. Under the terrified gaze of the student and the shocked look of the others, her arm waved at a speed difficult for normal people to follow.


    The young student felt pain in his c.h.e.s.t and as he looked down he saw blood begin to ooze from a small puncture; right into his heart. He looked up and momentarily met the eyes of his killer before the light in his gaze faded and his lifeless body collapsed on the ground.


    Cai Jingyi''s face lost all color and she brought a hand to her mouth as she looked at the red blood staining the ground. She took several unsteady steps backward, but two firm arms clung to her and kept her from falling to the ground.


    "Good job. Now you have not only avenged those who died for his act of selfishness but also gained strength. Isn''t that good?" Bai Zemin praised and encouraged her.


    "Y-Yes... That''s true..." Cai Jingyi could barely speak and nodded. While it was true that Bai Zemin''s words were laced with all sorts of manipulations, the reality was that she was willing to hold on to them at this moment.


    After calming his subordinate and under the watchful eyes of everyone, Bai Zemin took out another item from his backpack.


    The object was a pair of gloves with pointed knuckles that seemed to be able to break a rock with their hardness. This pair of gloves was actually the second item he obtained from the Shadow Tiger''s final orb; obviously, Bai Zemin was out of luck since he possessed better gloves.


    [Power Gloves (Normal Grade Treasure): Able to break through the defenses of any enemy below level 15. When equipped, it automatically increases Strength by +3].


    "Zhong De, do you want them?" Bai Zemin waved the gloves and asked as he looked at the big man.


    After a second of hesitation and seeing Cai Jingyi stroking her new weapon now more calmly than before, Zhong De nodded and took a step forward.


    He said nothing and directly punched on the c.h.e.s.t of another survivor who had incited the chaos, destroying his heart into pieces directly along with several bones. The male student spat blood and with eyes filled with disbelief collapsed lifelessly just like his previous companion.


    Unlike Cai Jingyi, his face turned pale but his reaction was much calmer. He picked up the gloves and equipped them before falling silent again.


    Seeing that he was a man of few words, Bai Zemin chuckled and praised, "Well done, Zhong De."


    "Kang Lan, the next opportunity that comes your way will be for you as long as it is something that suits your style of evolution." He did not forget about his last subordinate and the only healer in the group.


    Kang Lan took a deep breath and nodded firmly. She felt a little jealous that she didn''t have the opportunity to acquire a treasure but at the same time she was relieved that she didn''t have to kill a person. Such conflicting feelings caused her to unconsciously feel a little relieved to have more time to adjust to all the sudden change.


    After the death of two more survivors, the other four who had caused trouble were naturally terrified. However, before they could utter a single word, a shadow appeared before them and crushed their necks in a second, ending their lives without hesitation and without unnecessary explanation.


    After finishing off the main source of the problem, Bai Zemin looked at the survivors and this time he did not care in any way about the looks he was receiving.


    "All of you, let me say this for the first and only time to you..." His voice as cold as his eyes echoed in the subway: "From this damned second on, if any of you dare to cause the slightest trouble or disobey, you will be whipped until you feel your flesh fall off your bodies! Don''t you want to work? Don''t you want to help? Sure! Then stay obediently in the corner and don''t stand in my way!... If any of you dare to obstruct me even once, depending on the level of trouble caused, I will personally take it upon myself to end your dog''s lives!"


    Seeing everyone nodding obediently, Bai Zemin casually concluded, "If any of you are dissatisfied then you can get the hell out of here right now. Neither I nor anyone else will stop you."


    Some people seemed hesitant to hear his final words. Especially some hot-blooded male students who were not willing to be treated like dogs. However, the hot blood of these people cooled down as they remembered the danger outside and obediently swallowed all their disaffection.


    Seeing no one saying anything and no one standing out to leave, Bai Zemin coldly sneered before looking at Chen He and the rest.

 Chapter 86 - Chen Hes shocking discovery (Part 2-Last)

    After the previous matter settled down, the survivors moved the bodies to a corner by direct orders from Bai Zemin himself; even those who were disgusted or afraid of blood as well as scared of seeing the lifeless bodies were forced to work this time.


    Because everyone knew that the mood of this new God of Death was not good at this very moment, they all obediently swallowed their complaints and dragged the bodies deep into the subway parking lot in groups to avoid attracting other creatures.


    Bai Zemin looked at the corpses with some regret. Actually, he wanted to use one of those guys as a test specimen to experiment with the mutated plant to make sure it was a real treasure and not a time bomb; however, in the end, he decided not to do it.


    The reason was simple: he did not want Shangguan Bing Xue and the others to know about the existence of the plant; at least not yet. If he took the plant out at that time the secret would be revealed and if he dragged one of the subjects away it would be suspicious. Therefore, his hands were temporarily tied as far as this matter was concerned.


    ...


    "So, can you explain what happened? I hope you have a good reason for having gone out alone or otherwise..."


    After walking far enough away from the other survivors without any combat capability, Bai Zemin looked at Chen He and narrowed his eyes.


    All the chaos before, from a certain point of view, was closely related to Chen He. Therefore, if he could not give a good explanation now it was highly probable that Bai Zemin would not be able to restrain himself and would end up, at the very least, beating him for being irresponsible.


    Chen He wanted to talk to Shangguan Bing Xue about what had just happened, but he could also feel strong pressure coming from Bai Zemin''s body so he wisely decided to leave the matter for another time.


    He took a deep breath and felt, for the first time in his life, small. Small as if he was a little puppy being observed by a hungry and wild lion.


    "The reason I went out was to explore the road. Although during the past few days we tried to clear most of the surrounding strong creatures, if one sneaked into the perimeter casualties could happen and the chaos could become fatal." Chen He explained carefully.


    After a moment of silence, Bai Zemin relaxed slightly and nodded. If that was the motive, then it made perfect sense; after all, a zombie did not represent a danger, but a mutated cat or dog did represent extreme danger due to its fast movement speed.


    If even one of those creatures managed to sneak in among the survivors, even Bai Zemin himself would have a hard time preventing human deaths. No matter how strong he was, at the end of the day he was only one person and could not take care of nearly five hundred people. Even with the addition of the other evolved ones in the group it would be an incredibly arduous if not impossible task.


    "So? How do I end an exploration trip in a four meter tall ape beating you up?" Bai Zemin asked casually.


    Chen He blushed slightly and couldn''t help but reply, "It didn''t beat me up, it didn''t even touch me!"


    "Whatever." Bai Zemin waved his hand and rolled his eyes. The giant ape didn''t beat you up but it sure made you run all over the place like a chicken in a barnyard. He thought secretly.


    "Anyway." Chen He coughed and secretly looked at Shangguan Bing Xue before continuing. His expression turned extremely serious and there was even a tinge of fear in his eyes as he said, "At first, there was no problem. Just some normal zombies that were stuck inside some buildings and the like... However, after approximately two hours passed and just as I was approaching the exit, I noticed that the atmosphere was starting to change."


    "The atmosphere... was starting to change?" Shangguan Bing Xue remarked uncertainly and looked at her childhood friend strangely.


    Bai Zemin also frowned and for a moment thought that perhaps Chen He''s head really had been hit by the giant ape after all. However, he soon realized that this was not the case.


    Chen He''s expression was terribly serious as he said firmly, "Not only had the mood suddenly become much heavier, but even the surroundings were no longer the same! The buildings from before were surrounded by tall grass to the point of almost reaching my knees, the trees seemed to have grown at least two or three times the normal size..."


    The more they listened, the more Bai Zemin and the rest were surprised. Everything Chen He was mentioned seemed to be something out of a fantasy or science fiction movie and if it were in the past anyone would treat it as a joke.


    However, what was not possible in this world? Each person even had a status window where they could see their personal stats and even become monstrously powerful by defeating other existences and learning magical skills. Talking about common sense in this new world wasn''t necessarily a smart thing to do.


    "Besides, I think I might have found the source from which all those damn bugs and weird mutated monsters come from." Chen He concluded and in the end couldn''t help but curse under his breath.


    Bai Zemin''s face finally changed and he took a step forward as he hurriedly urged, "What did you see?"


    Ever since the appearance of the Blazing Beetle, he had realized that First Order creatures were not existences that mankind could casually face. To defeat monsters such as those possessing strange skills, probably only a properly armed army could defeat them.


    However, in this place alone, Bai Zemin and his group had already faced four such existences; five if one counted the Fast Mantis that was in the process of evolving.


    If the university alone was already like this, then wouldn''t the outside world be in an even worse catastrophic situation? But from Chen He''s words, the situation seemed to have an explanation and a logical reason.


    "Out of curiosity and to get some information, I went a little deeper into the forest." Chen He explained slowly, narrating the events that happened a few hours ago, "At first I was surprised that there was no danger at all... But when I got to what I think must be the center of the place, I saw a large number of terrifying monsters next to a... A strange creature that appeared to be a silkworm. I think that silkworm is the main problem here since they all seemed to be protecting it."


    Terrifying monsters? A silkworm-like creature? Bai Zemin looked at each other and noticed the same confusion as well as shock and fear.


    "Chen He... Those terrifying monsters you speak of, could it be that they are..." Shangguan Bing Xue looked worried about something and didn''t even finish her question properly. Still, everyone understood what she meant.


    "They are." To the horror of most, Chen He nodded firmly and slowly said, "Just from the aura alone, they are definitely First Order. All of them!"

 Chapter 87 - Moving towards the exit

    Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Liang Peng''s faces turned extremely ugly upon hearing Chen He''s words.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Liang Peng had experienced the power of a First Order creature first hand so they knew how terrifying those beasts were. While it was true that both of them had since become far stronger after absorbing the Soul Power of the Anti-Magic Zombie and other creatures, the fear still lingered.


    Although Chen He had not said how many First Order creatures there were in that strange forest he mentioned having found in the middle of the university, only three or four of those monsters were enough to cause problems for the current group... As for if there were more than that amount and they attacked all together, then it would be difficult to survive.


    Even Bai Zemin himself had no confidence in facing many First Order existences unless he himself completed his own evolution.


    If it was two or maybe three at the same time, then he could somehow manage if he put his life on the line during combat. However, more than that number was beyond his ability, which made him feel helpless.


    It''s still not enough... I really am still too weak. If only I could kill several tens or several hundreds at the same time, how good would it be? Bai Zemin secretly sighed.


    If Lilith knew his thoughts she might die due to anger. He was already the biggest anomaly she had ever seen in her entire life or heard of since the appearance of the first intelligent being, but he still seemed to be unsatisfied.


    "How many of those creatures did you see? Even if you don''t know the exact number you should have a rough idea, shouldn''t you?" Bai Zemin asked after a moment''s consideration.


    While knowing the truth could sometimes become demoralizing, if a person sank into fantasies of lies then it was only a matter of time before they died in this world.


    To survive, Bai Zemin understood that not only strength was needed but also to be realistic and accept things as they were no matter how difficult they were. Otherwise anyone could end up being devoured not by an enemy but by oneself.


    Chen He took a deep breath and looked at everyone present before saying with a tinge of fear in his voice: "At the very least... there should be about seven creatures of the First Order... As for the maximum number, my estimate is around a dozen."


    "Seven minimum and a dozen maximum...?" Liang Peng muttered in disbelief, remembering the speed and combat prowess of the Anti-Magic Zombie that nearly cut him in two.


    Everyone held their breath and looks of despair flashed in the eyes of some of them.


    Although Fu Xuefeng and the rest had no idea how strong a First Order creature really was, they could remember the oppressive feeling coming from the dead body of the giant beetle and the blue-skinned mutated zombie. Besides, it didn''t take a genius as the expressions on the faces of those who had faced such beings said enough to make words unnecessary.


    After several seconds of uncomfortable silence and under an oppressive atmosphere, Bai Zemin''s voice called out:


    "It seems we need to prepare a few things before we leave if we want to get the other survivors out of this place. Otherwise, the chances of even one of them surviving will be practically 0%."


    If Bai Zemin wanted to leave alone then he was confident that except for Agility-based First Order creatures like the Shadow Tiger, no other creature or existence could really stop their footsteps unless one of them had a strange skill. However, if he wanted to go off on his own he would have tried it long ago instead of staying here trying to raise a power by himself.


    Shangguan Bing Xue also calmed down after a deep breath that accentuated her perfect body even more. She nodded and spoke calmly, "That''s right. It looks like we need to adjust a few things."


    Even without Bai Zemin saying anything, she had already understood a few things and various ideas were constantly forming in her mind.


    After a brief discussion, the group called the survivors together again and a group of them began to set to work on the task assigned by Bai Zemin.


    While the survivors were doing their part, Bai Zemin met with Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Liang Peng, and the rest to discuss some final outlines of the plan. If the plan succeeded then they could probably retreat without casualties, but if the plan failed then it would be difficult for the vast majority of them to survive.


    * * *


    Because Bai Zemin and the rest were somewhat tired after working all day modifying the ten buses and because the sun had already begun to descend on the horizon, they all went to sleep after dinner.


    With the start of day number eleven since the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth, the ten buses were fully loaded.


    The end seats were removed and the freezers were filled with meat and all kinds of perishable food. On top of the freezers were placed the bags of food, and the survivors who now numbered just over four hundred after the previous day''s massacre, were able to settle in with ease and comfort.


    One of the buses carried only three things; the corpse of the Shadow Tiger, the headless body of the Platinum Ape, and the body of the Fast Mantis. Although it was somewhat problematic to carry the Silver Ape''s body inside, on top it was easy and with Liang Peng and Zhong De working together they managed to lift the beast''s body without any problems.


    In fact, there was even enough space left over to carry all the clothes they had obtained from the male and female dormitory earlier as well as other types of utilities.


    Two days ago, when Bai Zemin and the rest arrived at the male dormitory, the doors had been broken down and the survivors inside had already turned into zombies or had simply been eaten by other zombies or some other creature.


    The buses were started by their respective drivers and slowly and orderly began to move. The engines roared in sync, attracting the attention of the distant zombies who with overwhelmingly slow speeds began to stagger toward the scene.


    The small convoy of ten vehicles circled the main street on the north side of the university that connected to the south side and the only exit from the facility that allowed buses to pass.


    Although the road had already been cleared once for the most part, it was impossible to wipe out all the zombies considering their numbers unless one was willing to spend several days searching and hunting; therefore, occasionally a few zombies would appear in the middle of the road. However, the drivers, who were normal survivors, did not bother with them and simply continued to push on without altering the course in the slightest.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...


    The buses, which had been modified and reinforced using the First Order Blazing Beetle''s shell, viciously hit the zombies and sent them flying several meters.


    Some zombies had their skulls directly crushed by the heavy collision while some luckier ones got back on their feet with some ignored bone fractures or simply crawled on their hands after losing mobility in their lower bodies.

 Chapter 88 - Mutated forest

    "It really changed everything." Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but let her eyes widen in shock.


    "This is nothing. Just wait until you get more to the center and you''ll see the difference." Chen He, who had sat beside her, remarked with a serious expression.


    Even though he had expected it after listening to Chen He explaining the situation the day before, Bai Zemin could not help his face from changing slightly as he scanned the surroundings while the bus he was riding on slowly moved forward.


    The familiar buildings, built with the best materials available and whose plans were designed by the best architects in the country, were now cracked while some suspicious-looking tangles surrounded the walls. Some areas of the road had been cracked by long roots of trees or other extremely strange plants growing everywhere, forcing the drivers of the vehicles to slow down their speed even more.


    But the most striking thing was that even from a considerable distance, Bai Zemin and the rest could already see the tops of several trees that had previously been only a few meters high, now silently rising up several tens of meters as if they wanted everyone to see them, announcing their growth.


    The faces of the survivors changed and their expressions varied. But for the most part, they were all surprised and scared at the same time as they huddled together and began to whisper softly.


    Although they were frightened at the strange and unfamiliar sight, no survivor present dared to make too much noise. This was so not only for fear of the unknown dangers that might lurk nearby but also because Bai Zemin''s exhibition of cruelty and decisiveness in the killing had been deeply engraved in the minds of all of them.


    Those with malicious intentions or ulterior motives had basically been slaughtered yesterday and those who still had some kind of wild thoughts did not have the courage to do anything for fear of having their necks destroyed without warning. Therefore, although the atmosphere was oppressive, no one made too much noise apart from the inevitable and everything went quite smoothly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue, being the observant woman that she was, also noticed the change inside the bus she was riding. She could not help but look out the front window at the bus in front of her with complex eyes.


    The buses stopped next to the back of a six or seven-story building that was formerly used as the main library and the survivors began to deboard in an organized manner under the watchful eyes of the eight fighters of the group.


    Bai Zemin along with Chen He went into the building and made a quick job eliminating the zombies from the first three floors of the building to let the survivors enter. This would only take them ten to twenty minutes as the library was not usually a crowded place; less so on days when the internet had everything that was needed.


    While the two of them were in charge of the temporary shelter in which the survivors would stay when the stronger ones went deeper into the mutant forest to try to open an exit to the outside world, Shangguan Bing Xue, Liang Peng, Cai Jingyi, who were currently the three strongest of the group, stayed behind to protect approximately three hundred survivors.


    As for the remaining few more than a hundred, they were currently carrying out a different task under the guidance of Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De.


    In front of the group of survivors who were walking densely packed together to lessen the possibilities of death or infection in case a mutated creature or zombie appeared, Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De were advancing silently while cautiously observing the surroundings. Because they were both men of few words, regardless of their motives, and due to the danger of the environment, neither of them tried to initiate a conversation and simply walked in silence.


    After walking for about five minutes, Zhong De stopped and while observing the surroundings noted, "I think this place should be fine."


    Fu Xuefeng also stopped and the survivors walking a few steps behind immediately stopped as well. He carefully observed the surroundings and noticed that the green grass that was neatly clipped in the past was now so tall that it passed his knees.


    "All right." Fu Xuefeng nodded, still feeling a little depressed about missing the opportunity that Bai Zemin presented to him yesterday.


    Zhong De looked at him and tapped him on the shoulder as he said with a rare smile: "Why the long face? Has big brother Bai treated us unkindly? From the time we started following him, he not just gave us the best food, but also gave us the right to express our ideas, opinions, and even continues to give us the opportunity to become stronger by giving us valuable treasures. I believe that as long as we follow him honestly we can have a better future and the opportunities to become stronger will come naturally."


    Fu Xuefeng was surprised as this was the first time he heard Zhong De speak so many words at the same time. However, his companion''s words lightened his pessimistic mood and he nodded firmly, "You are right. We just have to follow in his footsteps and he will lead the way as he has always done so far."


    Zhong De nodded silently and raised a thumbs up at him.


    Neither of them was dumb or else they wouldn''t have been able to get into a university as prestigious as this one. Moreover, their adaptability was also higher than that of normal survivors, allowing them to notice things that others might overlook. Therefore, both Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De knew that as long as Bai Zemin did not die suddenly, he was destined to achieve great feats in this new world.


    Currently, Fu Xuefeng was level 15 and Zhong De level 13; however, even at this point, they could not even see Bai Zemin''s back. They both knew that with their current stats even facing a few dozen people was no challenge at all, yet neither of them could even comprehend Bai Zemin''s strength.


    They both knew that the world had changed and society would never be the same again, even if humans regained control of the world things could not go back to the way they were. New powers would arise and with the possibility of evolving, the government, military forces, everything would be restructured.


    The world was far, infinitely more dangerous than in the past; however, opportunities came hand in hand with danger. Zhong De and Fu Xuefeng had decided to change their destinies and, in case they were still alive, those of their families as well.


    How? Betting everything on Bai Zemin.


    Since he had managed to rise to such an extent so quickly and was even able to terminate First Order existences so easily, Bai Zemin''s future would be resplendent and as part of the initial group of his followers, Zhong De and Fu Xuefeng, as well as their loved ones, would naturally be able to take a small part of that resplendence.

 Chapter 89 - The true terror of the mutated forest (Part 1)

    "Shall we begin?" Fu Xuefeng looked at Zhong De and asked with a somewhat excited smile.


    The corner of Zhong De''s mouth twitched a couple of times but he still nodded, "Let''s begin."


    Fu Xuefeng turned around and looking at the survivors tried to speak in an authoritative tone, "Start spreading the oil and gasoline on the nearby plants and grass. Remember not to go too deep and only focus on the outer perimeter!"


    Little by little, that young man with little self-confidence was beginning to acquire some attitude. Thanks to the wonderful opportunity provided by Bai Zemin back then, Fu Xuefeng was gradually becoming a person worthy of leadership; this was a great contrast if compared to his past self who was shy and reserved to the level that even having a normal conversation was difficult for him.


    The survivors nodded and began to move with careful steps. These hundred were mostly men and there were only a few women among them; each had been carefully chosen the day before and all were brave enough to face danger indirectly.


    Fighting was still out of the question but if it was a matter of taking a little risk without having to face any mutated creatures they were still okay. That was precisely why these hundred or so survivors dared to come to this dangerous place.


    Each survivor carried a two liter bottle and a few of them carried five liter jerry cans filled to the brim. The bottles contained oil and the jerry cans contained gasoline that had been extracted from the cars parked in the subway parking lot the day before.


    Although it was a shame to have to waste a resource like fuel, everyone knew that the plan devised by the group''s leaders was the best option to wipe everything out.


    The survivors moved carefully and started pouring the oil and gasoline everywhere; some fallen tree trunks or branches, dry or dead leaves, on the grass, on some bushes, basically everything in the outer perimeter of the area where the survivors were had been sprayed with flammable substance.


    Right... Step number 1 was to set the forest on fire.


    Although it was not possible to go any deeper since the survivors would be slaughtered without even knowing how they died, after listening to Chen He''s explanation some realized that the reason why the First Order creatures did not come out of the forest was probably to protect that strange silkworm-like monster.


    As for the rest of the First Order creatures leaving the forest, Bai Zemin and the rest couldn''t be sure but it was probably because they were on the outer perimeter rather than the center.


    "Done!" Fu Xuefeng exclaimed quietly as he gestured for the survivors to return.


    "Let''s report back." Zhong De looked at the mutated forest one last time before turning around and starting to walk back the way they had come.


    * * *


    At the top of a five-story building directly across from where the group of one hundred survivors had sprayed the oil and gasoline, Bai Zemin stood silently as he gazed at the mutated forest stretching as far as the eye could see.


    The gentle breeze of wind that c.a.r.e.s.sed his face carried the strong smell of fuel that was intoxicating but in a way also had a touch of attraction in it, constantly reminding him of what he should do next.


    Beside him, Lilith was sitting up in the mid-air with one leg crossed over the knee of the other and lazily resting her face on one hand. However, though she looked casual, if one paid special attention to her striking red eyes one could easily notice the glint of excitement and exhilaration that was constantly flickering like a naughty child.


    "So, will you do it now?" Lilith asked curiously.


    "Em." Bai Zemin nodded without averting his gaze and said slowly, "Currently I did everything I could do. I improved my control over Mana, I also learned to get a better control over the amount of Magic I can use, and I even trained for more than fifteen hours every day practically without a break for three whole days with my Blood Manipulation."


    He paused and closed his eyes, trying to feel the Mana around him as he said in a low voice: "I even devised an unstoppable attack... My strongest attack at this point. If I can''t kill a First Order existence with my b.a.r.e hands after all this, then I might as well start thinking that such a task really is impossible to accomplish and this unknown entity called Soul Record is insane."


    "Well, I''m sure you''ll be able to do it." Lilith rolled a lock of her dark hair on her index finger and said with a smile, "Your growth so far has been the most terrifying but at the same time wonderful I have ever seen. If you can''t make it, then no one can."


    Bai Zemin chuckled and did not comment on it.


    In fact, even if Lilith did not say those words he was 99.9% confident that his attack would definitely succeed in claiming the life of his enemy. As for the remaining 00.1%... That was reserved for contingencies beyond what the current him could handle.


    Soon after, Bai Zemin slowly opened his eyes and looked down the building. There, Shangguan Bing Xue was coming out from inside the facility along with Chen He and Liang Peng; they seemed to be discussing the second phase of the plan.


    As if sensing his gaze, Shangguan Bing Xue stopped the conversation and looked up. Her indifferent sky-colored eyes met a pair of dark and cold eyes like a winter night.


    Without saying anything, Shangguan Bing Xue started walking towards the mutated forest. On the other hand, Chen He jumped a couple of times and climbed onto a building next to Bai Zemin''s before aiming his pre-loaded crossbow towards the forest.


    As for the burly Liang Peng, he held tightly to his big hammer and planted both feet firmly on the ground as he narrowed his eyes towards the unfamiliar but danger-ridden forest.


    Before Shangguan Bing Xue got too far away, Bai Zemin shouted loudly, "Hey, Shangguan Bing Xue!"


    She stopped and half turned around to look at him just in time to see him throw something at her. With a nimble and easy movement, the object he threw was caught by her.


    After seeing what it was, her small mouth opened slightly and her indifferent eyes for the first time in a long time had a wavelength of emotions that even she herself couldn''t comprehend.


    "I''ll lend it to you. When you come back you give it back to me!" Bai Zemin''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    In the end, she looked back toward the top of the building and said the first word that came to her mind, "Thank you."


    "Em." Bai Zemin nodded and smiled casually as he said, "I''m relying on you!"

 Chapter 90 - The true terror of the mutated forest (Part 2-Last)

    Chen He and Liang Peng observed the strange interaction between Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue but had no idea what was going on or why she had thanked him. However, due to the fact that they were on high alert for what was about to happen, neither of them dared to even look away from the mutated forest.


    After saying words of thanks for the first time in so long that even she could not remember when it had been the last time, Shangguan Bing Xue put away the object that Bai Zemin had given her carefully and marched into the mutated forest alone.


    Bai Zemin looked at her thin, small back that seemed as fragile as a glass window slowly disappearing from his sight. Then, he knelt down on his left knee and took out two bottles of Blazing Beetle''s blood from his backpack.


    He carefully scattered the blood in front of him until a bright red pool formed and then closed his eyes. Although he looked calm on the outside, his mind was working overtime imagining a spear as he began to move the Mana inside his body, this time without worrying about saving.


    At the same time as his Mana began to be consumed at astonishing speeds, Bai Zemin began to use his Magic to control as much magical power as possible while the image of the best possible spear shone in his mind.


    The tip had to be sharp to be able to pierce through any defense and destroy any impediment.


    The sheave to be sturdy enough to not be easily destroyed by the enemy; to be easy to hold for throwing but difficult to withdraw.


    Every line of the weapon flickered in his mind as Bai Zemin imagined himself wielding a hammer and pounding metal on an anvil using fire at high temperatures. Even without the tools, with Magic and Mana, he could create objects by adding his Blood Manipulation.


    While it wasn''t the same, creation was still creation.


    What Bai Zemin was creating was not a normal spear, it was specifically a trident.


    His face began to pale and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as his 273 Mana points ran wildly outward as if a water dam had broken. If Bai Zemin''s plan was successful then there was no need to hold anything back as he would be rewarded with far more!


    * * *


    Meanwhile, Shangguan Bing Xue advanced through the mutated forest, moving deeper and deeper, closer and closer to the center of the place.


    The first thing she noticed was the purity of the air around her; the air was so pure that she could feel as if her lungs were being purified of all the polluted air she had breathed throughout her life. However, she soon realized that what she was breathing was not exactly the same air she had known since birth.


    Mana! Such a thought flashed in her mind as she kept running deeper.


    The air was charged with Mana and the closer she got to the center the denser the amount of Mana became. If the air outside this place, the air breathed by humans, was a composition of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, and others; then the air Shangguan Bing Xue was breathing in right now also contained Mana as its main component!


    Due to her agile speed, Shangguan Bing Xue was not paying attention to the beauty of the place or she would be surprised to notice how harmonious everything around her looked.


    A few butterflies the size of basins flapped their wings gently while bees the size of a.d.u.l.t human fists rested comfortably on flowers that reached almost a meter in height. There were even a few dogs sleeping peacefully with a few mutated cats beside them.


    About a minute later, Shangguan Bing Xue could not help but stagger slightly and her face changed completely as she realized that her blood began to slowly boil as if a volcano was about to erupt and she felt like vomiting due to the sudden discomfort.


    The feeling was similar to the one she felt during the first day of the apocalypse just seconds before that strange message flashed in the retina of her eyes, signaling the beginning of a new era.


    Humans were different from animals, bugs, or plants. Humans could not just casually absorb the Mana of the surroundings at will and that was precisely the reason why everyone had a small part of the world''s Mana within their soul.


    If that amount went beyond what was bearable by the user''s soul, zombie-like mutations would begin to appear as the body would try to adapt to the change as best and as quickly as possible to avoid total death.


    That was what she was experiencing at the moment.


    She stopped breathing hurriedly to substantially slow down Mana''s absorption and pushed her speed to the limit.


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue was more focused on the path of magic, her melee prowess was by no means deficient. Even before the appearance of the Soul Record on Earth she was already a genius when it came to martial arts and thus she possessed the unranked passive skill level 3 Combat Expert.


    Moreover, every time she leveled up, she added both points to Agility. As for the reason, perhaps only she knew exactly.


    The reality was that she had currently reached level 24 the day before after acquiring a large amount of Soul Power from the Platinum Ape and was currently close to being able to start her first real evolution.


    While she could not compare to Bai Zemin who had almost 130 Agility points even though he still had 32 status points reserved and a lot of Soul Power to be absorbed due to being stuck at level 25, her Agility was outstanding compared to most.


    A few seconds later, she finally arrived at what seemed to be the center of the place, and even with her calmness she couldn''t help but be terrified at the sight.


    At that time, Chen He probably hadn''t had time to look at the situation around him cautiously, or else he wouldn''t have said that there should be at most a dozen First Order creatures.


    Just by looking around a couple of times, Shangguan Bing Xue had already counted more than twenty!


    After absorbing the Soul Power of the Platinum Ape, Shangguan Bing Xue had received a huge boost in her stats. Precisely because of that, she was confident in fighting one-on-one and killing a First Order creature below level 45; however, if they all joined forces to attack her and managed to surround her, then she wouldn''t even be able to resist for a second before being killed!

 Chapter 91 - Blood Berserker: First Order Bai Zemin & New Skill! (Part 1)

    Shangguan Bing Xue quickly hid behind a giant tree beside her and crouched down as she carefully observed the scene before her eyes in wonder.


    In the center of what appeared to be a clear patch of grass was a small lake of crystal clear water; a lake that if she remembered correctly was only a small island where there was a small rose and tulip garden.


    Next to the lake, there were at least thirty or forty beasts of all kinds. Some of them had several legs, some others were standing on two legs, and others were just casually crawling on the ground.


    Strange-looking snakes whose bodies stretched almost fifteen meters, giant elephant beetles, fat bees measuring more than thirty centimeters, dogs, cats, all kinds of creatures were there without a fight.


    Even though they occasionally looked at each other with fighting d.e.s.i.r.e and eyes filled with murderous intent none of them took the first bite; therefore, the place was in peaceful silence where the sound of an occasional growl or the rippling water of the lake was the only thing that could be heard along with the wind blowing through the treetops.


    Suddenly, a strange creature that was surrounded by several other First Order creatures slowly crawled from its position to the shore of the lake. The other First Order creatures began to move carefully allowing the strange creature to pass but everyone''s eyes remained fixed on the beast as if they were its guardians or its captors and feared it would slip out of their sight.


    Shangguan Bing Xue could not help but feel a surge of disgust when she finally caught a glimpse of the appearance of the creature which Chen He had described the day before.


    The creature was actually a huge worm. Its more than three-meter-long body left a trail of disgusting-looking sticky liquid every time it crawled everywhere. Its stomach moved strangely as if there were millions of living objects moving inside it.


    For a moment Shangguan Bing Xue had thought that perhaps the huge worm was pregnant and perhaps about to give birth. However, she soon realized that this was not the case.


    The giant worm was extremely slow so even though it was relatively close to the shore it still took a couple of seconds for it to reach the water to start drinking. After a few gulps, the giant worm suddenly stopped its movements and its mouth opened wide revealing a terrifying-looking set of teeth inside.


    Howl!


    The creature let out a high-pitched howl that caused ripples and raised some waves in the previously calm lake. The previously calm forest suddenly became agitated and Shangguan Bing Xue thought she had been discovered.


    However, soon everything calmed down again and what happened next was something she could never forget.


    The giant worm''s puffed-up stomach began to shrink at a speed visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye as a thick cloud of sapphire-colored air came out of the creature''s mouth. The sapphire-colored air soon spread to the surrounding area and began to blend in with the forest.


    The trees began to become more alive, the plants began to grow slowly, and the animals and insects began to suck in deeply.


    Mana! Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes lit up and she finally understood everything, solving the mystery that none of them could solve before.


    Why were there so many First Order creatures in this place? How was it possible that the small front garden of the university suddenly turned into a forest that looked like something out of a prehistoric movie? Why weren''t all these monsters fighting each other to evolve?


    It was all caused by that giant worm!


    Apparently, the giant worm had the ability to create and produce Mana inside its body to evolve. However, the amount was so much that it had no choice but to release much of it or else it would die; the other beasts simply took advantage of the situation and began to slowly grow!


    Shangguan Bing Xue suddenly felt a bad premonition and hurriedly turned around. Her expression froze as she saw what seemed to be hundreds of tiny leeches crawling towards her and slowly surrounding her.


    If she fought the leeches naturally she could kill them all easily. However, if she fought here she would attract the attention of the other creatures and that wasn''t exactly part of the plan.


    "I have no choice."


    She gritted her teeth and shot out of her hiding place. Her speed burst into full gear making wonderful use of all her Agility and in no time she had almost completely closed the distance between her and the lake.


    Because Shangguan Bing Xue was focused on reaching her target, she could not afford to stop to defend herself or avoid the attack because if she did that she knew that the entire previously devised plan would fail. Therefore, she could only continue to move forward independently.


    "Ugh..."


    Her face turned slightly pale and her steps faltered for a moment, giving her a frail and pitiful appearance; however, she endured the dizziness she felt and bit her lips fiercely. Her cold eyes had a look of resolve and she continued to charge forward.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly the wind seemed to be cut in two by an object moving at high speed and Shangguan Bing Xue felt a horrifying pressure from her back. However, she ignored that attack and continued forward without stopping.


    What was behind her was a snake that was almost twenty meters long and was currently swinging its heavy tail at her! If she was hit directly by that attack, even if she survived it was unlikely that she would be able to get up for quite a while!


    However, just as she was about to be whipped, a small ragged-looking bronze bell came out of the pocket of her Combat Robe and floated above her head releasing a yellow glow that soon surrounded her completely.


    Bang!


    The one-meter-thick tail ferociously slammed into the yellow barrier creating a thunderous explosion that echoed throughout the forest.


    This small bell was precisely the object that Bai Zemin had given her just before she entered the mutated forest. It was his Magic Grade Treasure that he had acquired when he killed his first First Order beast and that treasure had saved her life, preventing the plan from collapsing and making everything more dangerous!


    Due to her speed and lightness, Shangguan Bing Xue sprinted a few meters above the water of the lake and just before she started to submerge the water under her feet froze into small ice plaques.


    She stopped her footsteps abruptly and kicked hard as she made a full 360-degree turn.


    A wave of water several meters high rose as consequence and before the wave of water fell on the giant worm Shangguan Bing Xue pointed her magic wand and shouted, "Freeze!"


    A cloud of frost came out from the tip of the wand and she fed it with her own Mana. When the frost cloud touched the giant wave of water it froze it completely, creating a beautiful ice sculpture almost twenty meters high.


    Moreover, the most impressive thing was that apart from the beauty of the ice wave, it was curiously pointed at the giant worm that was howling furiously at her.


    At this point, she had already done her best to pinpoint the main target that needed to be eliminated, thus fulfilling her main part in this whole business.


    "Now it''s your turn to play your part, Bai Zemin."


    Shangguan Bing Xue muttered as she ran in the opposite direction, being fervently pursued by the snake that had attacked her earlier and was now crawling through the water as it hissed with its tongue and glared fiercely at her.

 Chapter 92 - Blood Berserker: First Order Bai Zemin & New Skill! (Part 2)

    As Shangguan Bing Xue went into the mutated forest to fulfill her most important part of the whole plan that had been worked out for part of the evening and most of the night, the atmosphere outside the forest was considerably quiet.


    The survivors were in the library several streets away, anxiously awaiting the triumphant return of the four main leaders of the group.


    While Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, and Kang Lan had stayed with the survivors to protect them since with their current strength they had no chance against a First Order beast, they all knew that if Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Liang Peng were defeated then it was extremely improbable that the rest would be able to survive.


    After all, if even the four of them could not defeat the beasts in the forest then it was only a matter of time before they were all devoured since they would have no way to safely leave the university.


    On the other hand, Chen He and Liang Peng held on to their weapons tightly while their eyes remained fixed and focused on the trees and bushes several meters away. If a mutated animal or insect appeared they were both prepared to attack immediately.


    Unlike the two of them, Bai Zemin was apparently more relaxed. Standing on top of one of the tallest buildings in the area, he stared ahead for several seconds in silence before asking in a low voice:


    "So... You''re sure it''s not a Second Order beast, right?"


    Lilith chuckled and said lightly, "I already told you it''s not... The creature inside that forest has a strange ability but it''s only at the top of the First Order. It hasn''t been able to advance yet... But if it''s left as it is, then it could be problematic in the future."


    Bai Zemin secretly sighed in relief. As long as his enemy was not in the Second Order, even if it was a level 49 or 50 First Order existence he was confident of coming out victorious regardless of what kind of skill his enemy had.


    "What a pity... If only the death of that Platinum Ape yesterday had counted at this point I might have successfully evolved to First Order by now." He couldn''t help but scratch his head with his free hand and sighed a little regretfully.


    "You think the Soul Record is that simple?" Lilith couldn''t help but roll her eyes charmingly and pointed out, "Countless beings tried to circ.u.mvent the Soul Record and tried to explore or find some sort of loophole when it came to fulfilling evolutionary requirements but they all failed miserably."


    "Tell me more about it please." Bai Zemin''s ears perked up immediately and he felt curious about the story.


    "Whenever the Soul Record presents an evolution requirement, that requirement must be completed correctly and only by the person who wishes to evolve." Lilith responded briefly but concisely, "Outside help is not allowed in any way. Also, if you use weapons of mass destruction or long-range weapons that you did not create with your own hands you are likely to fail as well."


    Bai Zemin frowned and said hesitantly, "This... So, let''s say I shoot a First Order creature in the head..."


    "Hahaha..." Lilith couldn''t help but laugh. She looked at him with amus.e.m.e.nt and questioned, "You think Mana. an energy capable of forcing all existences to evolve or die, is that simple? Bai Zemin, except against zombies or other animals without evolving properly, normal firearms do not have the power to pierce the natural Mana surrounding a First Order beast. To kill one, you''ll probably need missiles or battle tanks... Maybe heavy machine guns will also do the trick."


    "In fact, if you had used a firearm to kill your first enemy back then, there is a possibility that the Soul Record would deny you the loser''s Soul Power depending on the circ.u.mstances." Lilith shrugged her shoulders and her voice was a bit bitter before concluding, "As for how this works, don''t ask me. The Soul Record is an entity that is still being studied even to this day."


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but gasp when he heard this and his eyes trembled with fear.


    Humans were weak by nature and most of them didn''t even have the courage to fight. If firearms lost their effect, then how was humanity going to survive this apocalypse?


    As if she knew his thoughts, she reassured him with her soft voice: "But don''t worry too much... First Order creatures are not so normal since it''s only been eleven days since the Soul Record reached this galaxy. As for Second Order... Let''s hope there aren''t any yet or humanity in that area would be annihilated unless they had truly outstanding military might."


    Bai Zemin smiled bitterly and shook his head. He only knew the world inside this university, how was he to know the situation outside? The only thing he hoped was that his loved ones or otherwise... He didn''t even want to think about that.


    At least now he knew that the Soul Record was not an entity to be played with casually. Although it was pretty obvious if he thought about it more carefully. After all, just like Lilith said before; how could an entity capable of causing so many changes in the blink of an eye be simple?


    It was probably for the reasons Lilith mentioned earlier that those driving the buses did not receive any experience even though they killed several zombies by crushing them mercilessly.


    As Bai Zemin was lost in thought, a terrifying howl coming from inside the mutated forest caused his face to change and his expression turned serious.


    "It''s finally starting." He muttered as he raised the blood trident that glowed like a ruby over his shoulder, leaned his arm as far back as possible, and used Blood Manipulation on himself, focusing all his power and ability to perform a single strike!


    With his right foot behind and his left foot forward, Bai Zemin leaned his body slightly backward. His bright eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of frost as he looked up slightly in search of the accorded signal.


    Bang!


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth curved upward slightly and he could not help but praise, "What a beautiful sculpture."


    The right foot behind him suddenly stepped forward, overtaking the left foot by a wide margin, and the muscles of his right arm expanded to the maximum extent possible. Without delay, his right arm became like a whip that shot forward at full speed and after reaching its maximum extension he released his grip on the blood trident.


    A split second before the blood trident left his hand, the Blazing Ring on his finger glowed and immediately a crimson radiance surrounded the trident covered by a layer of Mana, raising the temperature of the surroundings to impressive heights. However, that was not all.


    Bang!


    The Hurricane Necklace resting on Bai Zemin''s c.h.e.s.t shone with a green glow and a tornado of wind perpendicular to the ground shot forward, reaching the blood trident surrounded by crimson flames in less than a second.


    BANG!


    With the strong wind impulse added to the great force with which Bai Zemin had launched it, the blood trident containing over 240 Mana points broke the sound barrier, disappearing from everyone''s sight and leaving several mach cones behind.


    [You have learned the Third Order Active Skill ''Crimson Blood Judgment'' level 5].

 Chapter 93 - Blood Berserker: First Order Bai Zemin & New Skill! (Part 3-Last)

    Inside the forest, Shangguan Bing Xue was engaged in a death match with the First Order mutated snake.


    In her left hand was the magic wand, boosting her Mana and Magic stats by a large margin. In her right hand was an ice sword that had cost over 50% of her mana to make. Her beautiful angelic face was quite pale but her eyes were as cold as the sword she wielded.


    Although the mutated snake''s scales were incredibly tough and Shangguan Bing Xue could not pierce them, her physical and magical attacks contained a large amount of freezing power inside so every swing of her sword or every time she crafted different ice weapons to attack a part of the snake''s body over twenty meters long was frozen.


    The mutated snake hissed and its bloodshot eyes looked at its enemy with murderous intent. Its body shook and the layers of ice that were beginning to form broke into countless pieces that slowly fell to the ground. However, its blood was slowly beginning to cool and its movements were becoming increasingly stiff.


    Shangguan Bing Xue suddenly felt overwhelming danger of death after seeing how the mutated snake had its maw wide open. She didn''t even think about it for a second as she immediately erected a thick wall of ice several meters high between her and the creature.


    A green cloud came out from inside the mutated snake''s mouth a second later and clashed against the ice wall. The seemingly super sturdy ice wall began to erode at astonishing speeds visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    Bang!


    Suddenly there was a powerful explosion a few kilometers away and the next thing Shangguan Bing Xue could see out of the corner of her eye was a bright crimson flash approaching at speeds impossible for her to comprehend.


    BANG!


    The mutated snake was distracted for a moment and stopped its skill. The beast seemed to notice something wrong and quickly began to slither towards the lake where the rest of the First Order monsters were.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Followed by two whistles of wind, two ice spears pierced the beast''s two eyes crudely. The mutated snake stopped dead in its tracks and began to shake its body all over the place in pain.


    Shangguan Bing Xue hurriedly backed away while keeping her gaze fixed on the beast. The snake that was over twenty meters long slammed into some trees that were on fire in the process of constantly writhing and knocked them down with ease.


    She knew the crimson flames would soon reach her position but instead of retreating she decided to rely on the Bronze Bell and charged forward, launching attack after attack at the now sightless First Order creature.


    As the victory drew closer and closer, she could not help but marvel and be frightened by the earlier attack. She had no idea what it was that Bai Zemin had fired before but the destructive power of that attack did not lose in the slightest to the destruction that a couple of missiles could cause.


    However... She knew there were no missiles here, let alone ways to use them even if there were!


    * * *


    Third Order Active Skill? Bai Zemin''s mind rushed at the speed of light as he saw the green message flashing across his retina at the same time as he marveled at the trail of crimson fire blazing in the sky.


    [Critical Hit!].


    Bai Zemin''s lips curved upward. His face pale from all the Mana consumption recovered as if by magic and he could feel himself becoming much, terrifyingly much stronger than before...


    He had succeeded.


    He had completed a task that had been given to him alone in all recorded history as he was the only person with the qualifications to fulfill it.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Mana Embryo level 48...].


    [Kill Unranked enemies using Blood Manipulation with a single attack. 100/100].


    [Kill First Order enemy using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 2/2].


    [Kill First Order enemy with a single attack using Blood Manipulation on yourself. 1/1].


    [You have successfully evolved to First Order and have become Blood Berserker. Attack power increases by 20% when using axes, spears, swords, maces, or b.a.r.e hands. Your blood attacks become 20% more effective. When facing more powerful enemies, your attack power increases by 20%].


    [You have learned Second Order Passive Skill ''Blood Will'' level 5].


    [You have reached level 31 and get 12 status points to distribute freely].


    [All Soul Power acc.u.mulated during the evolution process has been calculated. You get additional stats: Strength +65, Agility +43, Stamina +43, Magic +40, Health +35, Mana +30].


    [You have fulfilled the necessary requirements to evolve two skills].


    [You have received the title ''One Hit to Kill''].


    After calculating the Soul Power of the Shadow Tiger, the Platinum Ape, the Mana Embryo, as well as that of a few thousand zombies, insects, and mutated animals, Bai Zemin obtained a stat boost of approximately 30% compared to his previous one before evolving.


    Because he had already hunted some First Order creatures, the additional stats he obtained from enemies within that category gradually became less as his own Soul Power began to adapt to that range of evolution.


    In fact, now that he had reached the First Order it was likely that the Soul Power he obtained from such enemies would become even thinner as he was also within the same category unlike in the past.


    However, a boost of approximately 30% in overall strength was something fearsome, not to mention that he was currently past level 30 and had several tens of status points reserved for times of crisis.


    The number of green-lettered messages flashing across his retina were too many, so Bai Zemin could not pay attention to them all at the moment as the battle had only just begun. After all, all he had done was to kill the central problem that had been marked with masterful accuracy by Shangguan Bing Xue but there were still more enemies left inside the forest.


    The level up that occurred in the process of the wall blocking his growth became completely ragged and that was all that mattered. His path was finally clear once again and he didn''t have to worry about stagnating!


    ROAR!


    The thunderous roars of dozens of mutated monsters echoed everywhere as the mutated forest began to burn increasingly out of control, fueled by the wind from the previous hurricane as well as the gasoline and infamous oil that had been spread by the group led by Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De earlier.

 Chapter 94 - Powerfull Bai Zemin!

    Although Bai Zemin''s previous attack, which transformed into a skill called Crimson Blood Judgment, had not come into direct contact with the forest floor, the temperature of the flame from the Blazing Ring propelled by the strong tornado from the Hurricane Necklace had enough power to ignite the grass several meters below.


    When the heat from the flame came in contact with the gasoline and highly flammable oil spread earlier, the ground automatically began to burn. In addition, due to the wind from the hurricane, all the flames began to spread southward, slowly burning the forest and getting closer and closer to the center.


    Suddenly, the ground began to shake and the earth rumbled as if an earthquake was shaking the world. However, it was clear to Bai Zemin and the other two men present that what caused the rumbling was not an earthquake.


    Roar!


    A giant elephant beetle roared with its head held high as it ran in a straight line directly toward the buildings. Its body was surrounded by yellow flames that protected it from the crimson flames; however, the creature was obviously expending a lot of Mana to keep its skill active at all times.


    Following right behind the giant elephant beetle, two mutated dogs whose fur looked like an iron plate, two black-furred tigers, three green-spotted cats, five huge snakes that were even bigger than a normal python before the apocalypse, and a fat bee with a two-meter stinger were rapidly approaching carrying murderous intent with bloodshot eyes.


    The blood disappeared from Chen He and Liang Peng''s faces at the sight of such a monstrous lineup of evolved beasts.


    "It''s the end!" Liang Peng couldn''t help but exclaim as he tightened his grip on his hammer and prepared to fight to the death.


    On the other hand, Chen He was not only scared by the sight but also for Shangguan Bing Xue... Did something happen to her? Considering the number of beasts that came out of the forest, the chances of her surviving were not very high...


    Soon we''ll join up again. He thought as he raised his crossbow and aimed at the flying bee with eyes filled with sadness.


    In the midst of all this atmosphere, only Bai Zemin had an indifferent expression.


    He looked at the First Order Blazing Beetle and couldn''t help but blank out for a split second, remembering his battle to the death against a creature of the same type.


    "Let me see how strong I''ve become." He muttered under his breath and narrowed his eyes as he placed one foot on the edge of the building before lunging forward with all his might.


    Bang!


    The edge of the building''s concrete roof tore into pieces and Bai Zemin transformed into a shadow hard to notice by the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    Still in the air and taking advantage of gravity''s momentum, Bai Zemin made a complete turn and while holding on to the Xuanyuan Sword slashed downward. Without skill and without any elegant style; pure strength and speed!


    Boom!


    The First Order beast did not even understand the situation and by the time it realized what was happening it was already too late.


    The Xuanyuan Sword, a treasure capable of piercing through the defenses of almost any creature below level 40, might have difficulty piercing through the Blazing Beetle''s defenses in normal times; after all, it was a mostly defensive beast. However, the current Bai Zemin was capable of raising the sword''s power to new heights due to his Strength.


    His attack struck firmly right on top of the giant horn, causing a thunderous explosion. His eyes filled with murderous intent met the beast''s disbelieving gaze for a moment before something terrifying happened.


    Crack... Crack... Crack... Bang!


    Small sized cracks began to appear from the point of impact before spreading throughout the horn. However, that was not all.


    ROAR!


    The Fiery Beetle''s eyes quivered in shock and it staggered back several steps as it roared in pain. Not because of the loss of its main weapon, but because its shell was cracking as well!


    Under the surprised gaze of the two men behind, cracks spread across the entire metal armor of the Blazing Beetle before bursting into pieces!


    The creature roared again in pain and the yellow flames that belonged to it were extinguished as crimson flames were expelled by the shockwave of the previous attack.


    There was a sharp flash and the next instant the roars of the Blazing Beetle came to a complete stop... Right in the center of the beast''s head appeared a red line from which blood began to flow slowly.


    Splash!


    The head split in two and blood splattered everywhere, staining the cracked ground and attracting the attention of the other First Order creatures that were using the Blazing Beetle as a front charge to escape the crimson flames setting the forest ablaze.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of the First Order Blazing Beetle level 31. Mana +24, Magic +15, Health +12, Stamina +8, Strength +5].


    Standing over the now collapsed body of the Blazing Beetle, Bai Zemin''s gaze was indifferent and he couldn''t help but sigh.


    Who would have thought that a little over a week ago he had almost been killed by a monster of the same type he had just slain so easily? Back then, Bai Zemin was on the verge of death countless times, and even though he won it was a miserable victory.


    Moreover, something that surprised him was that he also received another message.


    [Blood Will activated. For the next five minutes, increase your overall attack power by 1% for each enemy killed and 0.1% for each surrounding enemy alive up to a maximum of 50%. Current status: 2.3%/50%].


    Too bad, he didn''t have time to study things too much since he was in the middle of a battlefield.


    Suddenly the wind swooshed and Bai Zemin couldn''t help but let his expression change slightly. Without delay he hurriedly jumped forward, barely escaping from danger.


    Right at the place where he was standing before, several green orbs struck the flesh of the Blazing Beetle and under Bai Zemin''s astonished gaze the flesh began to be corroded quickly.


    With narrowed eyes, he saw the five snakes looking at him coldly. A strange green liquid was still coming out of their mouths and every time a drop reached the ground the earth steamed and small holes formed.


    Bai Zemin identified the snakes as a dangerous target and quickly charged forward. The snakes were not idle either as they began to bombard him spitting acid-laden green orbs.


    Bai Zemin did not dare to take the giant mutated snakes'' attacks head-on as he was not confident that his Full Coat would be able to withstand the acid corrosion so he quickly began to move in a zigzagging motion.

 Chapter 95 - Fighting the First Order! (Part 1)

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...


    The five mutated snakes blasted acidic orbs nonstop at Bai Zemin. If just one of those orbs hit him, even with his Full Coat he would not necessarily be able to escape unscathed and if he received a direct attack on his hands, feet, or worse yet his head, then that part of his body would undoubtedly begin to corrode.


    However, for such a thing to happen, the mutant snakes needed to somehow be able to match Bai Zemin''s Agility or at least be able to see his movements somewhat in advance.


    Bai Zemin''s body flashed across the battlefield like a ghost as he skillfully dodged the acidic orbs flying in his direction, trying to close the distance between him and the five far-off mutant snakes he had identified as the greatest present danger to his life.


    With nearly 17 times the speed of a normal human before the apocalypse, a few hundred meters was a distance he could close in a couple of blinks. However, the mutated snakes were not his only enemy, and activating Blood Manipulation from so far away would not give him the result he was looking for.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly, one of the two Shadow Tigers charged forward and lunged at him with its mouth wide open, revealing sharp teeth with dried bloodstains on the inside.


    Bai Zemin advanced instead of retreating and slashed with his sword diagonally.


    A split second later, after a sharp flash where the Shadow Tiger and he crossed paths, the beast''s head came off its body cleanly and rolled on the ground as blood splattered everywhere.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Shadow Tiger level 37. You have acquired +17 Agility, +15 Stamina, +10 Strength, +6 Health].


    [You have reached level 32. You gain 2 status points to distribute freely].


    [Blood Will: 3.2%/50%].


    However...


    Roar!


    The First Order Shadow Tiger roared painfully as more than a dozen blood spears rose up from the blood of the dead Shadow Tiger, piercing its body all over from the bottom up and stopping it in mid-air.


    The beast did not manage to give a second roar of pain as Bai Zemin turned 360 degrees and decapitated it with ease, sending its head flying into the air.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Shadow Tiger level 38. You have acquired Agility +10, Stamina +6, Strength +4, Health +1].


    [You have reached level 33. You gain 2...].


    [Blood Will: 4.1%/50%].


    Without delay, Bai Zemin jumped to the side to evade the snakes'' attacks while his mind quickly processed the previous Mana expenditure.


    Approximately fifteen blood spears had consumed about 40 Mana points. If it were in the past, the amount would probably be double or more, proving how useful his previous training had been. If Bai Zemin had trained alone without enemies, the results would not be as good as they were currently.


    "F*ck!"


    It had only been less than five seconds since Bai Zemin had engaged in combat with the mutated First Order beasts but three of them had already been killed. Even the naturally well-spoken Chen He couldn''t help but curse.


    That kind of power... It was simply insane! The terrifying evolved beasts in his hands seemed to be as weak as a newborn puppy!


    Chen He raised his crossbow and instead of shooting at the giant bee, he aimed at the five snakes slithering all over the battlefield. He was smart enough to know that he did not have the ability to pierce through those glowing scales, therefore, he aimed for the eyes.


    Since the mutated snakes were the biggest problem, then... Chen He half-closed his eyes and relaxed his breathing before pulling the trigger.


    His right hand moved strangely and the crossbow shuddered. If anyone saw it they would think it was due to nerves, but they couldn''t be more wrong.


    The five arrows imbued with mana sliced through the air, moving at speeds almost on par with a bullet. But the most surprising thing was that the five were not moving in a straight line and slowly separated from the trajectory they were traveling.


    The five snakes opened their jaws just as the two mutated dogs charged toward Bai Zemin. However, just before they could fire their skill, their eyes blasted out in a bloody mist.


    The five snakes involuntarily canceled their skill and hissed in pain as they writhed furiously all over. Their scales were one of the strongest defenses among First Order creatures, yet their eyes were the weakness of any living thing!


    As they writhed in pain, four of them collapsed the walls of some nearby buildings while one of them viciously struck one of the green-spotted mutated cats that were also charging towards Bai Zemin, blowing it away and sending it crashing into an adjacent building.


    The wind howled and the two mutated cats that charged towards Bai Zemin suddenly stopped and began to attack the mutated snake that had killed the other mutated cat, becoming entangled in a battle to the death.


    The mutated snakes had high defense and great strength; a single blow was enough to end the life of a green-spotted mutated cat. However, the mutated cats were not easy prey either.


    One of the cats leaped forward and its claws glowed with a pale green glow. The beast slashed viciously and tore through the mutated snake''s defenses with ease, tearing a large chunk of flesh and causing the snake to howl in pain.


    The snake hissed painfully and attacked with its tail again. But the mutant cat had already seen the miserable fate of its companion so it hastily jumped to the side, avoiding a certain death by a hair''s breadth.


    In addition, the other mutant cat also joined the fray and between the two of them began to slowly wear down the mutated snake.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Spiny Dog level 35. You have acquired Magic +10, Mana +10, Strength +5, Agility +2].


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Spiny Dog level 36. You have acquired Magic +5, Mana +4, Strength +2].


    [Blood Will: 5.8%].


    "Nice!" Bai Zemin ended the lives of the two mutated dogs and couldn''t help but praise when he saw the mutated snakes that were giving him a headache writhing all over the place with one of their eyes covered in blood.


    He couldn''t get close before because the five snakes were extremely cunning and surrounded him, attacking from places that made it difficult for him to reach. However, thanks to Chen He''s timely intervention, that problem was now gone.


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin stomped on the ground and cracks spread everywhere before he disappeared from his position.

 Chapter 96 - Fighting the First Order! (Part 2-Last)

    After disappearing from his position and without having to change his course consistently after losing the harassment of the mutant snakes, Bai Zemin''s terrifying speed, now unimpeded, was on full display.


    With nearly two hundred Agility points, the distance between him and one of the mutated snakes was closed in a moment. The beast hissed in pain and upon seeing him immediately retaliated by spitting out an orb of acid.


    Bai Zemin leaned at an unnatural angle to the left as if his body was made of rubber, avoiding what could be certain death. Taking advantage of that same movement he swung his sword from above downward and fiercely slashed the mutated snake''s body.


    Clang!


    Surprisingly, the mutated snake''s scales could not be cut and for the first time since he obtained the Xuanyuan Sword, he failed to break through his enemy''s defenses. Not only were the snake''s scales extremely tough, but Bai Zemin could also feel a strange slippery liquid that when he cut earlier caused the sword blade to slip and lose a great deal of its power.


    The mutated snake swung its tail like a whip and struck forward with a look filled with murderous intent. The power of its tail was terrifying enough to slay another First Order creature with a single strike, which was proof enough of how dreadful it was.


    However, Bai Zemin secretly sneered, and instead of dodging, he stepped forward as he slammed his left fist fiercely.


    Bang!


    When the human''s small fist and the beast''s tail with a thickness of over a meter collided, the normally expected scene of the human being crushed did not happen.


    The mutated snake hissed painfully once again and its body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string before thunderously slamming into a building and collapsing it in the process.


    Bai Zemin did not give the creature time to prepare and lunged forward while sheathing his sword. After arriving next to the snake he sat on top of its head and clamped his legs tightly around it before beginning to strike mercilessly with both fists.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The difference between the previous Bai Zemin and the current one was not small by any means. After evolving to First Order and successfully acquiring his Berserker Blood job, he gained a great increase of power not only in the stats scrolling on his status window.


    As a Berserker, Bai Zemin''s attack power increased by 20% when he used certain weapons or his b.a.r.e hands; therefore, his strikes at this time were actually several times more powerful than normal and, as if this wasn''t enough, he was also receiving a boost of almost 6% thanks to his new passive skill not yet observed by him.


    The mutated snake opened its single eye wide and howled in pain. The beast began to writhe endlessly but failed to shake Bai Zemin in any way. Even when it hit other buildings in the process it failed to shake him off its back. Its scales split and blood began to flow but Bai Zemin''s blows did not stop and in less than two seconds he had already struck a few dozen times.


    The mutated snake''s wild movements slowed down noticeably and the sparkle in its eyes slowly faded, showing that its life was coming to an end.


    Swoosh!


    Bai Zemin sensed danger from behind but he didn''t need to turn around to know who the attacker was this time. Just judging by the sound of the wind it was obvious that it wasn''t any of the other three mutated snakes, it was the giant bee!


    He laughed coldly and as his fists blasted against the mutated snake''s head he said nonchalantly, "Wall of Blood!"


    Surprisingly, a two-meter-high wall rose from the pool of blood acc.u.mulated from the death of so many sizable beasts, separating him and the giant bee.


    Mana''s expenditure this time had been considerable, 20 points to raise the wall. But this was also normal since he had not yet mastered this new energy in any way and like Shangguan Bing Xue had only an initial understanding.


    However, what happened next was most surprising.


    When the giant bee''s sting hit the wall, it seemed to pass through it as if it were a puddle of water; without any difficulty whatsoever. In fact, it even formed ripples as if the wall of blood was not in a solid-state!


    The giant bee''s body began to glow slightly and gradually its size began to increase. It was obviously absorbing enemy blood to become more powerful!


    However, how could Bai Zemin have forgotten about the mutated bee he killed on the first day of the apocalypse? Back then, the Big Bee had absorbed some of the zombie''s body to become stronger.


    Berserkers were known as a melee class with an attack power even more powerful than that of warriors in most role-playing games. However, Bai Zemin was actually a Blood Berserker.


    What was the difference? Magic.


    "Blood Spears!"


    Bai Zemin''s voice echoed throughout the battlefield.


    The wall of blood suddenly opened and two huge red spears shot out like a torpedo. The giant bee did not even have time to retreat when its two wings were sliced wide open by the two spears that pierced through its weak defense with ease.


    The creature let out a strange yell and fell to the ground unable to do anything but shake its body. Without its wings, the giant bee did not have enough power to move as it would like since its weight was too great for it, which had evolved by absorbing Mana and not by absorbing Soul Power.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Jiao-Lao Snake level 45. You have acquired Strength +4, Stamina +2].


    [You have reached level 34...].


    [Blood Will: 6.7%/50%].


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Bee level 39. You have acquired Agility +5].


    [Blood Will: 7.6%/50%].


    Gradually, the Soul Power he received from First Order creatures became thinner. The evolution experience was still corresponding, but the additional stats were less; as to whether it would stop or not he didn''t know yet.


    Bang!


    Suddenly there was a bang on the battlefield and Bai Zemin arrived just in time to see Liang Peng hitting one of the mutated cats with green spots and sending it flying with his hammer.


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and was surprised to see that while he was killing, Chen He and Liang Peng hadn''t been slacking off either.


    Apparently, at some point, one of the green-spotted mutated cats had been hit by the mutated snake, getting seriously injured.


    The mutated snake was still locked in a battle to the death with the other green-spotted mutated cat so it could not break away and Liang Peng took the opportunity to finish off the second cat.


    As for Chen He... He was currently moving all over the place while shooting arrows at the last mutated snake that was chasing him.


    Although his arrows did not possess the power to pierce through the snake''s defenses as they were just normal arrows empowered by a bit of Mana, they did cause enough pain to make the creature enraged.


    The mutated snake was faster, but Chen He was cunning and jumped from building to building without getting caught; every time a building was demolished he jumped to another and continued.


    Moreover, the mutated snake did not dare to stop to cast acidic orbs as it seemed to remember the consequences by feeling the pain in one of its now empty sockets.


    Thanks to the two of them, Bai Zemin had not been disturbed for a couple of seconds and was able to finish off two more First Order beasts.


    As for the last mutated snake, apparently, the beast realized that things were not looking good and quickly turned to flee. When Bai Zemin noticed it he barely caught a glimpse of the beast''s tail disappearing into the crimson flames in the direction of the forest.


    Using that liquid as a protective layer, the mutated snake might have a chance to flee in another direction; but if it stayed it would definitely be slaughtered sooner rather than later.

 Chapter 97 - Shangguan Bing Xue in danger?

    The green-spotted mutated cat that was facing the mutated snake was breathing heavily and the glow on its claws had dimmed considerably. Its speed had slowed by at least 50% and its entire body was bathed in sweat and dust.


    On the other hand, the mutated snake was riddled with slashes across the length and breadth of its body, revealing red flesh and gushing blood. The red glow in its eyes had dimmed and its movements had become heavier than normal.


    Although the battle between the two creatures had only lasted a few seconds so far, both had given 101% of their total in order to end the life of the other. A single mistake could cost anyone their life so during those few seconds they had activated their innate skill countless times, depleting Stamina and Mana without reserve.


    To grow stronger, to evolve, to take a step beyond.


    Each existence might have different motives but they all wanted to stand victorious. Unfortunately, the destiny of the green-spotted mutant cat and the destiny of the Jiao-Lao Snake was not to advance.


    Swoosh!


    The wind whistled noisily and all the green-spotted mutant cat could see out of the corner of its eye was the metallic l.u.s.ter of a blade approaching its neck.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Gale Cat level 40. You have acquired Agility +3]


    [Blood Will:: 8.2%/50%]


    The creature''s head shot skyward and the bright red blood of the Gale Cat was reflected in the eye of the Jiao-Lao Snake. That was the last the beast could see before its head was severed from its body as well.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Jiao-Lao Snake level 43]


    "No more extra stats from the Jiao-Lao Snake Soul Power, eh?" Bai Zemin sighed as he shook the blood off his sword.


    Since the Jiao-Lao Snake was weakened and riddled with wounds, killing it was easier than usual. Although it was a pity not to get more stats like that, it was something Bai Zemin expected to happen sooner or later.


    He stomped the ground beneath his feet and shot forward, following the booming sound a few hundred meters away.


    It only took him a couple of seconds to circle around the collapsed buildings to see the last living First Order beast chasing after Chen He and demolishing every building in its path with its tail.


    Such a scene was worthy of a science fiction movie, but now it was happening in reality right in front of his eyes. Even the most skeptical would be forced to accept that the world would never be the same in the face of such a horrifying view.


    The Jiao-Lao Snake seemed to be able to sense Bai Zemin''s overwhelming Soul Power as its head turned in his direction and looked at him coldly before lunging towards him as it constantly shot out acidic orbs.


    "That won''t work if you''re alone." Bai Zemin muttered and suddenly disappeared from his previous position.


    His speed burst completely and in the next instant, he appeared right under the beast''s body, right under its jaw.


    BOOM!


    With a boost in his attack power of almost 30%, Bai Zemin''s fist fiercely connected with the Jiao-Lao Snake''s jaws, sending it flying.


    However, to his and Chen He''s surprise, the creature did not stand up again and two orbs of light entered their bodies soon after, indicating the death of the enemy.


    [You have reached level 35...]


    [Blood Will: 10%]


    Apparently, Bai Zemin''s blow had succeeded in destroying the brain from the outside, killing the creature with a punch.


    Bai Zemin gave Chen He a thumbs-up before bending down to pick up the red-colored orb that had fallen next to the Jiao-Lao Snake''s death. In fact, not only had this snake dropped a treasure orb... For to Bai Zemin''s delight, all the First Order creatures had dropped at least one red orb!


    Could it be that after the First Order there is always treasure? Bai Zemin would have to ask Lilith later.


    "Hey, Bai Zemin!" Chen He approached agitated and tired but his eyes were filled with worry as he anxiously asked, "Bing Xue? She''s still not back?"


    "Shangguan Bing Xue?" Bai Zemin blinked before looking around.


    Between the excitement of successfully evolving to First Order, acquiring a powerful initial job, and the bloody battle against a dozen First Order existences, Bai Zemin hadn''t had time to think too much about anything so he only now realized that Shangguan Bing Xue was nowhere to be seen.


    "She... Could she have been killed by those First Order beasts?" Chen He asked in a low voice as he clenched his fists tightly.


    Bai Zemin remained silent and looked up at a building that was still intact in the midst of so much destruction.


    There, standing at the top, an incredibly beautiful woman to the point of taking the breath away from anyone who saw her was looking at him with a bright smile. Her hair waved in sync with the wind and her ruby eyes made her look like an angel from heaven if it weren''t for the enchanting aura of a demon that surrounded her.


    As if she knew what he wanted to ask just by his gaze, Lilith''s voice reached his ears, "You have made this big sister veeery happy, little Zemin. This is the first time I see or hear about a First Order existence capable of wiping out a dozen in less than a minute and practically single-handedly... I wonder what you will become when you advance further in the Order? Will you be able to satisfy this big sister in bed~?"


    Bai Zemin almost spat out two liters of blood when he heard her last sentence. However, to his surprise, she sounded genuinely pleased and joyful; as if seeing his previous performance was a great delight to her.


    "That aside..." Lilith looked at the burning forest and said lazily, "That Lower Existence called Shangguan Bing Xue is not dead. She''s still alive but you''d better hurry if you want to get her out of there."


    He nodded imperceptibly and looked at Chen He before saying indifferently, "You wait here. I''ll go get her out. Go with Liang Peng and take care of the treasures until I return."


    "What?" Chen He blinked and looked to his side only to realize that Bai Zemin had already disappeared and was now several dozen meters away.


    His face turned pale as he realized how horrifying Bai Zemin''s speed was and unconsciously glanced at the First Order Jiao-Lao Snake''s body. However, Chen He soon processed what he told him before and his eyes shone.


    His legs felt weak and he had to force himself forward. He had to protect those treasures or if Liang Peng did something stupid then no one would be able to stop Bai Zemin if he went crazy.


    Let alone now that he had seen what Bai Zemin was capable of actually doing during this battle to the death!

 Chapter 98 - Close contact

    The reasons why Bai Zemin decided to help Shangguan Bing Xue were varied.


    One of the reasons was because she still had his Bronze Bell in her hands. The Bronze Bell was a very important Magic grade Treasure for Bai Zemin as it was currently his safest defense and he could not afford to lose such an item casually as he did not know if he would be able to obtain another one anytime soon.


    In fact, the only reason he lent the Bronze Bell to Shangguan Bing Xue at that time was because his breakthrough to First Order and the acquisition of his Blood Berserker job depended largely on whether she succeeded in pinpointing the location of a First Order creature.


    That way, he would be able to prepare his strongest attack from a distance great enough for his killing intent to be sensed by his enemy or he might end up failing miserably... and if he failed even he would have to flee poorly or be killed by the army of First Order creatures.


    As for the other reason he decided to help her was to make her owe him a favor just as he owed her in the past.


    Shangguan Bing Xue had mysterious origins and even if the world had changed her family had not necessarily collapsed. She was a proud woman and would certainly do her best to return the favor of saving her life even if he did not ask for it.


    Besides, she was currently an important asset to the group of survivors as there was no way Bai Zemin''s eyes and arms could cover nearly five hundred people; he needed survivors or else the difficulty of reaching his family would become a thousand times harder!


    In the current group of survivors, not only Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, and Kang Lan had the courage to fight. In fact, there were several male and female students who joined later who had enough courage to fight as long as they were given a appropriate weapon.


    When they finally left the university, things would be completely different than they were now and Bai Zemin wanted to take advantage of that.


    * * *


    Arriving at the edge of the forest practically covered by burning crimson flames, Bai Zemin stopped and frowned under contemplation.


    After all, even powerful beasts with high defense like the Blazing Beetle and the Jiao-Lao Snake were forced to flee from the flames, let alone him.


    After considering the problem for several seconds, he finally gritted his teeth and pulled out several bottles of blood before starting to spray his entire body from head to toe.


    In a few blinks of an eye he had become a red person and only the color of his eyes differed. The rancid smell of blood was truly foul but his options were too tight at this point.


    Bai Zemin activated his Blood Manipulation skill and the blood on his body shimmered under the stimulus of the Mana. Soon, the blood that constantly collated hardened forming a thin insulating layer that separated him from his surroundings.


    "Just close your eyes and move forward, I will guide you." Lilith appeared beside him and patted his shoulder lightly.


    Bai Zemin nodded and wordlessly stomped hard on the ground beneath his feet, lunging forward and stepping into the sea of flames.His current speed with an Agility of over 190 points was equivalent to almost 20 times faster than a person before the apocalypse! This meant that at his maximum he could overtake a supercar with ease before the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth!


    Bai Zemin''s body flashed through the flames under the guidance of Lilith, who followed closely unaffected by the surroundings.


    The embracing heat seemed intent on devouring his existence completely and the solidified blood covering his body would have long ago evaporated already if it weren''t for Bai Zemin constantly feeding the layer of blood with Mana.


    However, even with his over 300 Mana points it was a terrifying expenditure that he could not sustain for too long.


    After all, the crimson flame was the remnant of a Third Order skill! While it wasn''t as strong now after the skill was cast, it still wasn''t something that some blood of a First Order beast could casually endure!


    Knowing that time was running against him like every passing second since the beginning of the apocalypse, Bai Zemin focused on Lilith''s guidance and exploiting his speed to the maximum extent possible.


    The muscles in his legs tightened to the point where if it weren''t for his high Stamina and Health they would have been torn long ago.


    About half a minute later, Lilith''s voice sounded magically in his ears, "Right in front of you is a lake. That woman is inside."


    Bai Zemin didn''t even think about it and jumped in, entering the water that was evaporating at terrifying speeds. He canceled his Blood Manipulation skill and the blood on his body was immediately washed away by the water.


    When Bai Zemin finally opened his eyes under the crystal clear water, the first thing he saw was the beautiful Shangguan Bing Xue submerged underwater, looking at him with her blue eyes wide open; it was as if she was asking him what he was doing there and why he had come.


    Too bad, Bai Zemin couldn''t talk underwater and neither could she or else he would have told her, "Nothing, I just came shopping."


    He approached to her and saw that her face was starting to get redder and redder as a result of the lack of air. Holding her breath for a minute or two was fine since even if she didn''t possess high physical stats she wasn''t weak either.


    The problem was that considering the time of the explosion and release of the flames so far, a couple of minutes had already passed and she had been forced to hide under water!


    Bai Zemin quickly pointed to the Bronze Bell and fortunately she seemed to understand what he meant as she immediately nodded and passed it to him.


    He naturally had no intention of kissing her like in romantic movies to share his oxygen with her. Bai Zemin turned around and pointed to his back while looking into her eyes, indicating her to jump up on his back.


    Shangguan Bing Xue secretly gritted her teeth and did not hesitate as she climbed on his back, riding him like a horse. Moreover, to his surprise, she did not doubt to wrap both arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, easing the burden on him immensely.


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin stepped onto the bottom of the lake fiercely and taking advantage of the momentum jumped upwards. While normally it would be difficult for a human''s strength to fight against the pressure of the water on the body, for him it was a matter of effort.


    In just an instant his body together with Shangguan Bing Xue, who clung to him tightly, broke the surface of the lake that was struggling uselessly against the crimson flames.

 Chapter 99 - Blood Will

    Upon returning to the surface, crimson flames immediately began to assault them both. However, before they could even touch the corner of their clothes, the Bronze Bell flew out of Bai Zemin''s pant pocket and floated above his head, releasing a faint glow that surrounded the two of them.


    Bai Zemin began to run madly forward without stopping, surprising Shangguan Bing Xue by his frightening speed but at the same time easing her worries.


    She unconsciously sighed in relief and the tension in her body disappeared, causing her to relax on his back as she looked at the crimson world around them; no matter where she looked all she could see was a blazing fire.


    Earlier, after killing a First Order beast alone for the first time, Shangguan Bing Xue noticed that the fire had surrounded the forest from the south to the east and then spread to the northern area, practically sealing off the exit. With no other choice, she remembered the water lake and returned to the place to seek cover.


    Although the Bronze Bell had power remaining, with her current Agility it was impossible to close the distance between the center and the exit of the forest in less than a minute and she would be stranded halfway.


    Fortunately, Bai Zemin''s Agility was just enough to get out unscathed with the support of the magic barrier.


    * * *


    Outside the flaming mutated forest, Chen He waited anxiously beside Liang Peng.


    After collecting the treasure orbs and also a few skill scrolls that had been transmuted by the Soul Record from the Soul Power of the First Order creatures killed earlier, Chen He had not stopped looking in the direction of the burning forest.


    "Damn it, can you stop moving?" Liang Peng couldn''t help but curse as he looked at Chen He, "You''ve been walking back and forth and it''s only been two minutes since you came here. You''re getting on my nerves!"


    Chen He did not respond to him nor did he seem to listen to what Liang Peng said. He was only worried about Shangguan Bing Xue and no matter what anyone else said it was not going to change by mere words.


    "Tsk." Liang Peng clicked his tongue and muttered something that only he could hear but they were obviously not too nice words.


    Bang!


    Suddenly there was a bang from within the flames and when the two men looked over they arrived just in time to see two people surrounded by a thin layer of yellow energy in the air.


    "They finally came out!"


    Liang Peng looked at him and wanted to say something seeing how close those two seemed but in the end, he swallowed his words not wanting to ruin the mood. After almost two weeks of living together and working as a team, everyone was starting to get closer to each other.


    Bang!


    The ground broke out and dirt flew everywhere as Bai Zemin fell back down from over ten meters high, planting both feet firmly on the ground. His face was slightly pale and his forehead was covered with sweat as his agitated breathing constantly made his c.h.e.s.t rise and fall.


    "Bing Xue, are you okay?" Chen He hurried over and looked her over from head to toe, still not noticing by the close contact they were having.


    "You don''t need to worry, I''m fine. But he..." Shangguan Bing Xue got off Bai Zemin''s back and looked at him with a frown before asking, "Are you okay?"


    Bai Zemin waved his hand without replying and walked with heavy steps over to the corpse of one of the Jiao-Lao Snakes to sit on it.


    Why... Why am I so tired? Bai Zemin was dumbfounded.


    With his Stamina, he should be able to fight for several hours without tiring and although the battle to the death against the small army of First Order beasts was fierce, it had not been to the point of consuming so much Stamina as to leave him in such a miserable state.


    [Bai Zemin -


    Level: 35


    Race: Human


    Job: Blood Berserker (Blood Will mode)


    Title: One Hit to Kill


    Strength: 150 (+30) / Agility: 186 (+5)/ Health: 158 (+5) / Stamina: 202/282 (+5) / Mana: 292 (+40) / Magic: 249 (+60)


    Skills: Blood Manipulation (First Order) Lvl 5 / Special Forces Soldier (Unranked passive skill) Lvl 5 / Stone Heart (Third Order passive skill) Lvl 5 / Health Boost (Unranked passive skill) Lvl 3 / Bronze Skin (First Order passive skill) Lvl 1 / Throwing (Unranked passive skill) Lvl 5 / Regeneration (First Order) Lvl 5 / Blood Will (Second Order passive skill) Lvl 5 / Crimson Blood Judgment (Third Order) Lvl 5 ].


    In fact, he still had a lot of Stamina. However, Bai Zemin frowned and realized that he had lost 80 Stamina points in a matter of four or five minutes, which was completely unnatural.


    The reason he suddenly felt so tired was precisely because of such an abrupt loss of almost 1/3 of his total Stamina in such a short time!


    Bai Zemin''s status window had practically changed completely after evolving to First Order as he had finally made the first little big step. However, what caught his attention the most was the words ''Blood Will mode'' next to his job Berserker Blood.


    Bai Zemin sighed and finally understood the reason why he had lost so much Stamina abruptly.


    "Don''t get so depressed." Lilith tapped his shoulder and smiled brightly, "Blood Will is an incredibly powerful skill to be just classified as Second Order, of course it would have some side effect or it would be nonsense. You should know that even I don''t have a skill that increases my power by 50%!"


    Bai Zemin nodded and said nothing to avoid being looked at as if he had gone mad but looked at her with grateful eyes. If it wasn''t for Lilith''s moral support, he might not be able to stand as firmly as he did now.


    Besides, even though Blood Will had an annoying side effect, it wasn''t as if he had no way to fight it. Although he could not solve the problem in its entirety, he could lighten the consequences to a great extent.


    After all, Bai Zemin had acquired the First Order Regeneration skill. This skill allowed him to consume Mana to obtain Stamina in return, which was perfect for cases where he had to fight to the death and did not need to use magic skills or the effects of magic were not as efficient as was the case with the First Order Anti-Magic Zombie.

 Chapter 100 - Waiting anxiously

    As Bai Zemin sat down to get some rest before returning to important business he didn''t even feel like looking at his newly acquired skills nor did he feel like looking at which two skills he could evolve.


    The battle against the First Order beasts had not drained his Stamina to dangerous levels even when Blood Will had been draining much of it. However, the mental exhaustion had been considerable; especially before the battle fully erupted.


    After all, before launching the blood trident enveloped by flames, Bai Zemin was very clear that if he failed to kill a First Order creature with a single shot the odds of survival would plummet immediately. Therefore, although he appeared serene on the surface, he was actually under great mental pressure.


    Meanwhile, Shangguan Bing Xue was looking at him with a frown and her eyes seemed hesitant about something. However, soon her attention was drawn by the person beside her.


    "Bing Xue, are you really okay? What happened inside that forest?" Chen He asked still not feeling calm.


    "Thanks to the treasure Bai Zemin gave me earlier, I''m fine." She nodded softly and observed the surroundings as she slowly explained what happened inside the forest.


    "What, several dozen First Order beasts? And... Bing Xue, you''re already level 25?!" Chen He exclaimed in fright and looked at her with wide eyes when he heard that she had killed a First Order creature single-handedly. But even more so, he was frightened to hear that there were so many terrifying beings inhabiting the mutated forest.


    Only now did Chen He realize how lucky he was to get out of that place alive yesterday.


    "Yes..." Shangguan Bing Xue nodded a bit distractedly. She looked at Bai Zemin who was resting with his eyes closed, and couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Currently, she had already reached level 25 and had also received the message from the Soul Record in which she received a number of options to choose her job. Shangguan Bing Xue naturally knew that advancing was not easy.


    However, seeing the destruction of the surroundings, the corpses of the First Order beasts scattered on the ground and some of them in miserable conditions, Shangguan Bing Xue finally fully accepted that the young man before her was simply a monster in human skin.


    Bai Zemin opened his eyes and sighed as he pulled out a chocolate bar from his backpack. However, before he began to eat it, he took out three more bars along with four cans of soda.


    He threw a bar and a can to each of them as he said with a somewhat exhausted smile, "Good job, everyone."


    Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Liang Peng looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders. The three of them casually sat or simply stood and began to replenish their energies with bright expressions.


    No matter how small it was, everyone did their part today, being able to overcome the most difficult challenge since the apocalypse broke out and the world changed. A single mistake could have ended the whole group and the annihilation of nearly five hundred people as well as the hope of many others. Therefore, they were naturally happy even if they did not say anything.


    Shangguan Bing Xue even thanked Bai Zemin for trusting her enough to lend her such a valuable treasure, to which he responded with a casual smile. As for the matter of saving her life earlier, she said nothing and he did not mention it either; they both seemed to understand each other''s mind tactically, so words were unnecessary.


    After properly resting for nearly thirty minutes, Bai Zemin began to replenish his blood supply under the watchful eyes of the others. Although it was unpleasant, there was no choice in the matter and he didn''t want to die just because he didn''t want to do some dirty work.


    * * *


    The survivors were waiting anxiously inside the first floor of the library building under the care of Cai Jingyi and the rest.


    The atmosphere in the place was extremely heavy and there seemed to be a black cloud over everyone''s head as no one dared to speak and even those who spoke did so quietly in extremely small whispers.


    Occasionally, the eyes of the four hundred plus survivors would unconsciously turn to the entrance of the building with hopeful eyes. However, each time their eyes receded in disappointment at not finding the people they were looking for, increasing the worry they felt even more.


    "How do you think the battle ended?" A male student asked quietly as his eyes drifted to the door.


    "I don''t know... There''s been no roaring and no explosions anywhere for a while now." Another survivor whispered back as he looked at Fu Xuefeng and the others before continuing, "I bet the battle is already over. Besides, even the four of them are moving anxiously and looking towards the door so obviously what the group leaders are doing is not simple."


    "How could it be simple?" Li Na, who was sitting nearby, overheard the conversation and couldn''t help but raise her voice scared, "They are facing an army of dreadful beasts that are as strong or stronger than that strange blue-skinned zombie!"


    Li Na, just like the rest, was incredibly scared; no... She was even more scared! Because she was aware of the danger the four leaders were facing this time. Therefore, she couldn''t stop some words from slipping out of her mouth unconsciously.


    "Blue-skinned zombie?"


    "What do you mean?"


    The surrounding survivors became agitated upon hearing those words and looked at Li Na for responses.


    In order to keep the chaos as controlled as possible, one person had proposed not to reveal the existence of the First Order beasts or monsters until the group had enough power to safely deal with them.


    Otherwise, letting the survivors know that there were even more terrifying enemies on the outside could cause some of them to go crazy and start losing their minds, making things difficult for everyone.


    "Li Na!" Wu Yijun called out, startling her friend. She had been the person who had planned the idea and it was approved by Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Liang Peng right away as the four of them were aware of something so basic.


    Seeing Wu Yujin''s serious and angry look, Li Na realized that she had spoken too much and quickly lowered her head in embarrassment but still frightened.


    Seeing Wu Yujin intervene, none of the survivors pressed the matter further as they knew that she was technically like a sister to Shangguan Bing Xue so no one dared to offend her. However, Li Na''s words had already aroused the alertness of some people and the atmosphere quickly began to worsen.


    Although no one did anything stupid or wild as yesterday''s massacre was still firmly etched in everyone''s mind, they all began to look towards the entrance in fear, waiting for the final verdict of their fates.


    Wu Yijun also looked towards the entrance of the building and her beautiful big eyes glittered with slight apprehension; not only for herself but also for the safety of those who faced danger out there.

 Chapter 101 - Treasures

    "So, how about we take care of our loot of war here?" Bai Zemin proposed as he gazed with impossible-to-hide excitement at the objects before him.


    "I agree." Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and even her natural cold expression had largely melted due to the heat in her eyes.


    Chen He and Liang Peng didn''t even think about it when they nodded.


    In front of the group of four, on a table inside a building that had not been demolished during the previous battle against the First Order, several objects lay there; some glowed and attracted attention as if they wanted to be taken immediately, while others released a special magical aura around them.


    These objects were twelve treasure orbs among which there were two rare ones and there were also two skill scrolls, all the loot of war obtained after being victorious.


    While it was true that the danger of First Order creatures was overwhelming, even more so when they were in groups, if an existence managed to overcome that danger and emerge victoriously then it was highly plausible that they would become rich overnight as the number of treasures that could be acquired were in massive amounts.


    Thirteen treasure orbs! Even Bai Zemin himself had not had that many orbs in his hands despite all the dangers he had faced since day 1!


    The four took an orb in each hand and squeezed it tightly causing bright flashes of light to be released as the orbs disappeared and new items appeared on the large table. A few seconds later, the thirteen orbs had disappeared, and in their place were thirteen items.


    Before anyone stepped forward, Chen He looked at Bai Zemin and offered, "I think you should be the first one to choose... Although we all helped and did our part, the reality is that the final major part was done by you."


    Shangguan Bing Xue said nothing about it and Liang Peng sighed before waving his hand to indicate that he too did not object even if the greed was there.


    Seeing that no one objected and were at least as sensible, Bai Zemin nodded and stepped forward, "Then I won''t hold back."


    Bai Zemin looked at the treasures on the table one by one and after touching them briefly the information of each one flashed in his retina one after another.


    There were some treasures that he already possessed, such as; Piercing Glove, Hurricane Necklace, Blazing Ring, there was even another Xuanyuan Sword.


    But there were also some treasures that Bai Zemin currently lacked.


    [Earth Bracelet (Rare Grade Treasure): When equipped it automatically increases Magic by +10. Once per day you can use the skill ''Earth Spike''. Earth Spike: Raises from the ground a two-meter-high earth spike capable of piercing the defenses of a small armored vehicle].


    The Earth Bracelet was a Rare grade item that increased an equivalent of 5 stat levels just by equipping it and at the same time granted the wielder the ability to activate an attack skill capable of turning the tide of a battle if used correctly.


    Bai Zemin was not polite and took it for himself before observing the rest.


    [Velocity Boots (Normal Grade Treasure): Extremely light, easy to wear, and automatically adapt to the body. When equipped, Agility +10].


    Now he could finally wear a pair again and increase his Agility by another notch.


    In order not to break the balance and harmony that had grown in the group after several days of living together and shoulder-to-shoulder battles, Bai Zemin decided not to be greedy and take the other rare treasure. Besides, he already had a Xuanyuan Sword so there was no point in taking it for himself anyway.


    However, Lilith appeared with a wild idea and pointed out as if she was excited, "You can be like Kirito and wield two swords at the same time. Look, you even wear black and everything!"


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but look in her direction.


    He looked at her with his eyes wide open as if he was looking at an alien and if it wasn''t for the circ.u.mstances he would have definitely asked her if demons watched anime too.


    Even so, he couldn''t help but say, "Aren''t you afraid of copyright?"


    Lilith replied, "Copyright? Bah... We can just say that we''re using a set of words and that''s all~ Besides, there are shameless readers who even steal the authors'' work and even more shameless ones who support the thieves. The fact that this beauty mentions that name should be a high compliment, don''t you think?"


    Unconsciously, Bai Zemin nodded and ignore the joke not-so joke at the end.


    The shameless of the thieves and even worse, the shameless of those who claimed to be fans of a person but instead of supporting that person they supported the thieves was truly disgusting to the point of making him want to vomit. If he were an author, he would never accept those people as his readers; just a bunch of faceless thieves.


    But... Seriously, Lilith knew that anime? Bai Zemin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at the revelation.


    "Bai Zemin, what are you talking about?" Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him dumbfounded.


    "... Forget it." He shook his head and continued to look at the treasures.


    Bai Zemin, being the biggest contributor, also picked up a normal treasure dagger and a small pearl that slightly increased the Mana. He would use those two treasures for his direct subordinates in the future.


    Besides that, he did not pay attention to the two skill scrolls since one of those skills he had already learned and the other one did not suit his fighting style. However, he remembered Kang Lan and hesitated.


    One of them was Elephant Skin, the passive skill before First Order Bronze Skin.


    The other scroll was a First Order level 1 skill called Poisonous Cloud.


    [Poisonous Cloud (First Order Skill) Level 1: Releases a cloud of toxic gas with a width of 3x3 meters in front of the user. Uninfected enemies of level 15 and below will die immediately after inhaling the poison and those above level 20 are completely immune. It needs to consume 5 Mana points to activate].


    Kang Lan currently lacked an active magic skill that would allow her to better defend herself as she only possessed a healing skill at the moment.


    "Take it." Shangguan Bing Xue interrupted his thoughts and looked at him with clear eyes as she said, "Chen He is right in saying that 60% of the entire plan was completed by you anyway. Even if you take a little more I don''t think it''s necessarily wrong."


    Bai Zemin looked at her a little surprised and couldn''t help but have his impression of her improve slightly.


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue was boorish and sometimes even a nuisance, she was also a smart, capable, and strong woman. Moreover, she was also not shameless, and even with her hatred or annoyance for men, she did not hesitate to praise someone or point out their achievements when they deserved it.


    In the end, Bai Zemin gave her a natural smile and also picked up the skill scroll to hand it to Kang Lan later. After all, he still remembered his earlier promise to her, and if he wanted to form his own power he needed his subordinates to trust his word.

 Chapter 102 - Fantasy world

    "It''s been almost an hour since the sounds outside stopped." Gao Min whispered as her worried eyes occasionally turned in the direction of the front door.


    To avoid any trouble, after Bai Zemin and Chen He killed all the zombies on the first three floors, the survivors actively moved wooden shelves along with tables, chairs, and all sorts of things that could serve as an obstacle; blocking the stairs and the back entrance of the building.


    This meant that when the group of four returned they would definitely use the front door, so that place became the central focus of everyone in this moment of anxiety and apprehension.


    Fan Wu and Li Na bit their lower lip when they heard the worried tone in the voice of the usually optimistic Gao Min. If even she, who had managed to keep her mind clearer than anyone else after going almost a week without eating properly, could not keep calm, how could Fan Wu and Li Na feel calm?


    "Don''t worry." Wu Yijun''s voice attracted the attention of the three friends as well as some closer survivors, "Think carefully. If something bad had happened then those beasts would already be running towards us considering the number of people alive in here, don''t you think? Then, since we haven''t faced even the slightest of dangers even after so long, it is most likely that Bing Xue and the others have come out victorious!"


    Her words contained belief and also great attractive power as they made a lot of sense, causing the eyes of many nearby survivors to shine again.


    Her three friends also perked up noticeably and looked at her with a hint of admiration as they thought that the daughter of a high-ranking politician really was different; her talent for controlling the masses with her sweet and tender words was outstanding to say the least.


    "But... Then why haven''t they come back yet?" A survivor who had been rescued from Qiao Long''s tyrannical leadership pointed out in a still unsure voice, "I mean, if everything really went well, then why are the four leaders still missing?"


    People began to mutter under their breath when they heard those words. Some of them even felt that they had been abandoned but did not dare to say it out loud as even they themselves did not want to admit or think about such a fearful idea.


    After all, it was clear to everyone present that if the people with proper weapons and enough courage to fight left without them, then 90% of those present would easily die and the other 10% would have a small chance of surviving a while longer if luck was on their side.


    Immediately everyone looked at Fu Xuefeng and the rest without taking their eyes off them. It was as if they were afraid that the next second the four of them would disappear too and abandon them.


    Wu Yijun was smart, so she was already expecting someone to notice that little loophole. However, before she had the need to say anything, the door that was firmly closed creaked softly and opened wide.


    Under everyone''s surprised eyes, Bai Zemin, Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Liang Peng walked in one after another. Some of them were carrying weapons that they did not have before, while others seemed to be unchanged at least on the surface.


    "Thank god..."


    "They really are back!"


    "Wu Yijun was right after all. They won!"


    ...


    Bai Zemin and the others did not know how to react to hearing the excited murmurs of the survivors. Moreover, seeing some of them collapsing on the floor with weak knees and some even shedding tears of joy and relief, the four had no idea what was going on.


    Not knowing what was happening and not caring too much about the others, Bai Zemin clapped his hands once and silenced everyone before saying with a stern expression, "Everyone, listen carefully!"


    "We have completely annihilated every living creature that is considered an enemy within at least five kilometers with this place as the center. We have also taken care of the forest blocking our path to the exit and the creatures inside it! Now, you guys have to get to work collecting the meat of some mutated beasts and carrying the rest of the useful corpse to the buses!"


    The survivors couldn''t help but smile delightedly and their eyes shone brightly as they listened to Bai Zemin. However, Chen He''s next words encouraged them all even more.


    "The sooner you finish, the sooner we can leave the university and start seeking shelter from the government and the army. I hope all those willing to work will give their best effort this time!"


    Although most of the survivors said nothing, many of them hoped to return to the embrace of the government and be sheltered by the rules of society. After all, no one was really willing to work hard for a small bowl of rice or a piece of bread.


    Lilith watched everything from the side and her eyes glittered with a tinge of amus.e.m.e.nt, "This Lower Existence Chen He, sure is smart to give everyone motivation to work faster."


    Bai Zemin secretly sneered and said nothing. Who knows if Chen He was just trying to do what Lilith said or if even he himself still believed that the government and the army were standing firmly against the zombies and the other mutated creatures.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at her childhood friend out of the corner of her eye and her eyes glittered strangely. No one knew what she was thinking.


    ...


    More than three hundred survivors started working immediately while the other more than a hundred were made up of those who were unwilling to yield to Bai Zemin''s regime or who had been injured the day before during the chaos caused by some people when the Platinum Ape appeared.


    These injured people had received some auxiliary treatment but without doctors and the necessary equipment only so much could be done. As for Kang Lan''s Lesser Healing skill; Bai Zemin was not willing to let her waste the only two daily uses on useless people since in cases of need he would need it.


    At this moment, one of the reasons why Bai Zemin wanted to leave the university once and for all was to find firearms and other assets.


    What he needed most were people willing to fight! Although workers were certainly necessary since there was no way he could do everything by himself, Bai Zemin lacked courageous people... No, instead of courageous people, he lacked an incentive great enough for that courage to awaken.


    Just like now; the majority of survivors willing to work hard were mainly those girls who were rescued from the female dormitory or those who were saved from the hands of Qiao Long.


    As for the initial group of survivors who had not suffered greatly or had not seen the true cruelty with which the strong treated the weak, they were the ones who were still living in a fantasy world.


    A fantasy world from which they would soon be forced to wake up by the hard way.

 Chapter 104 - Past: Origin of the Stone Heart skill

    Bai Zemin decided to stop joking around and Lilith gave him a slightly worried look before moving slightly back without looking directly at him for fear of turning him into a toy.


    After a few seconds, she quietly asked, "Are you okay?"


    She felt a little bad as for the first time he was fighting back at her teasing, which she found amusing and interesting and caused her to slightly lose control over her own natural charm.


    Feeling slight guilt in her voice, Bai Zemin acted as if nothing had happened and smiled refreshingly as he said in a somewhat complex voice, " Everything''s fine... Although I must admit that you''re really awesome, Lilith."


    Lilith''s attention was drawn by his words and seeing him acting calm, neither looking at her with strange eyes nor raising his guard against her, she secretly sighed in relief.


    "I know I''m awesome, didn''t I tell you that several times?" She jokingly boasted before asking curiously, "But... What part of me do you find amazing?"


    Bai Zemin thought for a moment before deciding it was okay to show her. His absorbed and earned records quickly slid back. Soon, he reached what he was looking for and stopped.


    "This is..." Lilith''s eyes widened slightly before they flinched unnoticed as she saw the message before her eyes and the information of the contents.


    "That is the skill I acquired several days ago." Bai Zemin responded honestly as revealed to her and showed off his Stone Heart skill.


    "Now I understand." Lilith sighed and shook her head softly. "Regardless of how you think about it, it''s not natural for your behavior and attitude to remain calm and indifferent after killing a person for the first time... But with a passive Third Order skill entering the scene things are different."


    "What do you mean?" Bai Zemin asked, sensing that there might be important information for him regarding his Stone Heart skill.


    "Before that, I need you to be honest with me." Lilith stared at him and asked in a soft voice, "Bai Zemin, why does this skill especially target the opposite s.e.x? The Soul Record literally visualizes and utilizes the lived experiences of every existence, storing everything in something similar to a separate file as if it were a supercomputer. Each existence has its own file and within that file everything lived is recorded, giving form to incredible skills and powers depending on the records acquired through training, experiences, or simply by absorbing records from other living beings."


    After a brief pause, Lilith continued, "According to this record, your Stone Heart skill was born from a past trauma that transformed and created your current personality... So, surely a woman was involved, wasn''t she? Otherwise, this skill wouldn''t especially focus on protecting your heart against women."


    Bai Zemin looked to no particular point and his memory went back to the past. His voice was casual and without any particular emotional fluctuation as he slowly narrated, "In the past, there was a girl two years older than me that I really liked a lot. The me at the time was barely a teenager, and I didn''t have enough courage to confess my interest in her."


    He paused and couldn''t help but laugh as he slowly said, "You know what I mean, don''t you? The innocence of a young boy... However, my best friend, another young man my age who was in my high school, pushed me several times urging me to ask that girl for a chance. In the end, under his constant prodding and moral support, I decided to try my luck. I mean, why not? It wasn''t like I was losing anything anyway... To my surprise, she agreed to give me a chance to know her."


    Lilith paid attention to his words but mostly in his eyes and in his voice. However, he really seemed indifferent as he recounted the past as if it really wasn''t something important to him anymore. This made her feel relieved as the first step one had to take to get better was to overcome past traumas, otherwise one would always be stuck without being able to move forward properly.


    "She and I started dating... Ah, but we weren''t boyfriend and girlfriend by any means... I was just head over heels for her, after all, she was my first crush as a teenager." Bai Zemin pointed out before continuing, "Time passed and everything was going well until almost a year later during which we were getting to know each other and having good chemistry, I decided to ask her to officially go out as boyfriend and girlfriend."


    Here, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but shake his head and said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "The answer I got back then I can never forget... That girl teased me mercilessly and told me that she and I were two people from different worlds since her family had considerable power while my family was just a small family of common workers."


    The sarcastic tone in his voice disappeared and now returning to that casual indifference he continued, "Well, I was crying in the corners for a long time after that. However, eventually I came to learn that this girl was actually my best friend''s fianc¨¦e... Apparently, they were both engaged by their families and were just enjoying themselves laughing behind my back. When I found out about this and came out of the shadow of depression, finally getting over this girl, I snuck into the male dorm one night, and well... My one time best friend had to spend several months in the hospital after that. Since no one knew about me or saw me and the male dorm was crawling with men, no one could point the finger at me, the depressed guy."


    "As for the girl, to be honest I didn''t care about her and simply learned my lesson." Bai Zemin shrugged and concluded before looking at Lilith. "Although I don''t care about the past anymore, I did become very cautious and don''t trust women easily. So what do you think?"


    "Mmh..." Lilith closed her eyes softly and after about a minute seemed to come to a conclusion. She looked at him and said calmly, "I think I know what happened."


    Bai Zemin nodded, waiting for her to continue. Their hands were still close together as he still needed to see two more records and she also wanted to see his progress up close so they simply remained seated in the same manner.


    "Heartbreaks are normal and while not everyone does, almost everyone experiences one throughout their lives." Lilith slowly explained, "Judging by your voice, I don''t sense that you hate this girl nor can I sense any trace of positive feelings towards her. She''s simply someone transitory in your life, isn''t she?"


    "Em. That''s right."


    Lilith continued, "However, as a consequence of your high magical control and large reserve of natural Mana, the Soul Record probably gave special importance to the natural records that were deep in your soul. The wound in your heart was so deep that, when united with the Mana in movement, that record was magnified and resulted in this skill called Stone Heart."

 Chapter 105 - Skill evolution (Part 1)

    "The mana of the world constantly generates magic." Lilith continued slowly, "That magic, like mana, floats everywhere constantly and without special purpose. Your Magic stat was too high from the first moment the Soul Record came to this world called Earth since your body was able to support a higher amount of Mana inside it thanks to your especially abnormal soul."


    Bai Zemin listened carefully and finally understood many things, resulting in him finally accepting that his Stone Heart skill was probably born as a consequence of his past records and his soul itself.


    The world was similar to a gigantic vessel and inside it there was magic and mana floating in the air, occupying most of the space but being energy without matter it was as if it was not there.


    Each being or existence had a statistic called Magic when the Soul Record reached the different worlds. This statistic allowed that existence to come into contact with the magic that roamed the world and the higher the statistic the greater the amount of magic to which they could have access.


    In short, Magic and Strength were not the same as Magic Damage and Attack Power; all four were similar and interconnected but at the same time different. Even so, Magic and Strength did influence the Magic Damage and Attack Power that a being could inflict on their enemies because the greater the Strength or the greater the amount of magic to which a being could access through their Magic stat, the greater the damage the enemy would receive upon receiving an attack.


    Sometimes, the Soul Record would make small mistakes during the first week of reaching a world because, as Lilith had mentioned repeatedly, each world was an infinity of possibilities and different rules.


    It was most likely that when reading Bai Zemin''s life records and as a consequence of his soul being able to contain a vast amount of mana and his ability to access greater magical power of the world, the Soul Record gave special importance to his most traumatic record.


    "How ironic." Bai Zemin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and said in a peculiar tone, "To think that girl and that idiot would eventually end up helping me several years later haha..."


    "... Bai Zemin, what are the requirements to evolve Stone Heart?" Lilith furrowed her eyebrows slightly and asked in a funny tone of voice.


    "Let me check."


    [The Stone Heart skill has reached its maximum level and can evolve to the next Order. To evolve, the following requirements must be met -


    [Trust wholeheartedly in another being outside the comfort zone: 0/1].


    [Falling in love: Incomplete].


    "W-What the f*ck?!" Bai Zemin almost fell backward when he saw the requirements needed to evolve the skill.


    Ironically, among the three requirements, the third one was the most easy in this case... Even though he was not confident in defeating a Second Order existence unless he could launch a surprise attack with his strongest skill, Crimson Blood Judgment... Even though he wouldn''t necessarily be able to obtain a Soul Stone after killing the enemy.


    Wholeheartedly trusting another being outside the comfort zone? This requirement was probably as difficult as killing a First Order existence in one hit while he had not yet evolved and without some control over the world''s mana!


    As for falling in love... Wasn''t that crazy?


    "Well, I''d be lying if I said I didn''t expect something like that." Lilith shook her head softly and sighed, "To evolve skills, it is often necessary to overcome the obstacles that the same skill imposes on us..."


    In the end, Bai Zemin sighed and waved his free hand, "Forget it. It''s not something necessary right now anyway."


    Stone Heart was a good skill currently as it was a protective measure for him in this new world. If someday the humans regained some peace, then he could start striving to evolve the skill.


    [You have met the requirements to evolve skill Bronze Skin level 1 to level 4].


    [Evolution Requirements -


    [Bronze Skin (First Order Passive Skill) Level 1 ----> Level 2: Stamina +240 naturally (Complete)].


    [Level 2 ----> Level 3: Stamina +260 naturally (Complete) / Soul Stone: 1/1].


    [Level 3 ----> Level 4: Stamina +280 naturally (Complete) / Soul Stone: 3/3].


    Currently, Bai Zemin had reached 282 natural Stamina points and also had a couple of unclassified Soul Stones that he had obtained from different creatures.


    "That''s good." Bai Zemin smiled and concentrated on the skill, accepting the evolution.


    Four normal Soul Stones flew out of his backpack and were soon enveloped by a bright bronze colored light. The mana of the world surrounded the four stones and the magic began to transform everything into a strange energy that was different from anything Bai Zemin had felt so far.


    "This is what happens when the Soul Record comes in contact with a skill and Soul Stones or different objects with Soul Power inside, Bai Zemin." Lilith also looked at the glowing light with interest and pointed out, "Myriads of races and countless beings have tried to understand what is that strange energy that is produced during the evolving process, believing that it could be the greatest secret towards the real and absolute supremacy."


    The Soul Record was an entity that had existed since time immemorial; even when the God of the Bible, Lucifer, and different supreme existences rose in power, the Soul Record was already there and it was only because of it that these beings were able to go beyond.


    To this day, no one had managed to surpass what the Soul Record was capable of.


    Bai Zemin looked at the bright light and could not help but feel amazed. It was just a light, but for a moment he couldn''t help but feel that even the beauty and charm of the beautiful Lilith beside him paled in comparison.


    Curious, Bai Zemin looked at the Bronze Skin evolution requirements as his current Stamina was really high.


    [Level 4 ----> Level 5: Stamina +300 naturally (Complete) / Soul Stone: 4/9].


    "At this rate won''t I end up having skin as tough as hell?" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but wonder dumbfounded.


    Although he was complaining on the outside, the truth was that he was delighted on the inside as the higher his Stamina, the crazier he could become now that he had acquired the Blood Berserker job!


    However, Lilith was thinking about something else. She couldn''t help but shudder as she said, "Your current Stamina could be compared to a Third Order human or a Second Order savage beast... Could it be that you want to punish me in bed so badly~?"


    The corner of Bai Zemin''s mouth constricted several times and he looked at her with a dead expression as he said in a low voice: "You just wait, you damn perverted s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s... You just wait..."


    While it was true that his Stone Heart skill had helped keep Bai Zemin sane and not lost in power thanks to his family, the one who had helped and supported him the most with her jokes and fun personality was undoubtedly the beautiful demoness at his side.


    Something he, perhaps, would never be able to thank her enough for.

 Chapter 106 - Skill evolution (Part 2-Last)

    Bronze Skin was not the only skill that had met the necessary requirements to evolve as Bai Zemin clearly remembered that the Soul Record informed him that he had two skills that could move to the next level or even to the next Order depending on whether the other skill was at the maximum level or not.


    After searching through his skills for a moment, Bai Zemin found that the next skill was actually Health Boost, another Unclassified passive skill.


    [Evolution Requirements]


    [Health Boost (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 3 ----> Level 4]


    [+100 Health points naturally: Complete]


    [Soul Stone: 1/1]


    Bai Zemin did not hesitate and evolved Health Boost to the next level. However, he did not stop as immediately after checking the skill he realized that he had the necessary materials to evolve the skill again and met the requirements perfectly.


    [Health Boost (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 4 ----> Level 5]


    [+120 Health points naturally: Complete]


    Bai Zemin looked at the evolution requirements and couldn''t help but point out in puzzlement: "What''s wrong? These requirements are quite a bit tougher than Bronze Skin''s considering Health Boost isn''t even ranked yet."


    "Different skills, different paths." Lilith reminded him in a casual voice. "Although they are both skills that influence your stats passively, they are two different skills and the final path they will reach will probably be completely different."


    "True." Bai Zemin nodded and accepted the evolutionary process.


    A similar view to the previous case during the evolution process of Bronze Skin occurred with Health Boost. Bai Zemin could clearly feel how his entire body seemed to intangibly improve after the skill upgrade and even the air entering his body seemed to be slightly purified.


    The rune engraved deep within his soul became significantly more vivid and clear than in the past, slowly acquiring a faint light greenish glow.


    [Health Boost (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5: Permanently increases Health by +60].


    Bai Zemin took a casual glance at the skills to see approximately the evolution requirements. After all, if he ended up dying because he didn''t know how and when to grow his own power then it would be pathetic and lamentable. Even in death he would not be able to forgive himself.


    In the beginning, everything was fine, some skills had strange or complex requirements and some were relatively simpler in comparison. However, Bai Zemin''s eyes almost fell out when he saw the evolution requirements of a particular skill.


    [Special Forces Soldier (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5 - Evolution Requirements]


    [Kill First Order enemies: 15/100]


    [Kill Second Order enemies: 0/10]


    [Third Order Soul Stone: 0/1]


    Bai Zemin: "..."


    Lilith: "..."


    ...


    The room remained deathly silent for what seemed like an eternity. The silence had reached such a magnitude that from a distance one could hear the constant crackling of the flames still burning over the mutated forest.


    After a minute of silence, Bai Zemin asked quietly, "So, what is this all about?"


    His voice was soft, as gentle as the spring breeze. However, only he knew if he was so calm as he appeared on the outside.


    Lilith cleared her throat slightly and responded calmly, "As I said, each skill is a different world. Some skills might have simpler requirements as there are several upgrades ahead and the difficulty scales slowly. However, there are also skills that reach maybe First Order or Second Order before stopping completely making the difficulty of evolving between each Order incredibly hard."


    After a somewhat awkward silence, Bai Zemin sighed and shook his head before standing up to stretch his body.


    The first requirement was already completed, the second was simpler since he had the strength but where was he supposed to find so many First Order monsters?


    As for Second Order, Bai Zemin didn''t dare to say that he could kill an enemy of that level with his current strength. But he had to kill 10 as a third requirement? To make matters worse, he even needed a Third Order Soul Stone.


    With his current strength, a Third Order enemy could slap him to death with one finger. But even if he hypothetically managed to kill one with his life at stake, what were the chances of him obtaining a Soul Stone?


    "You don''t need to worry too much about such things." Lilith stood up and walked past him. While looking out the window, she slowly said, "It hasn''t even been two weeks since the Soul Record reached this world. You will have time to achieve different goals and when the world''s mana starts to evolve, the strength of your enemies will also increase accordingly so you will be able to hunt at your leisure."


    "Hahaha... That''s supposed to make me feel better?" Bai Zemin chuckled and shook his head before heading for the exit, "Forget it, Lilith. I''ll just do what I can do right now. If I think too much about tomorrow, today might devour me before the day is over."


    * * *


    The remaining two floors of the library were cleared and the zombie corpses were all moved upstairs before being locked in several rooms with the door firmly sealed.


    The sun fell and after nightfall, the survivors who were dealing with the flesh of the First Order beasts or the still useful parts of their bodies returned to the library which would be the temporary place where they would be staying.


    As long as the flames burned, they had no way to leave the university. However, the atmosphere was very lively at the moment.


    Those who worked hard looked with shining eyes at the Blazing Beetle''s meat being cooked and swallowed silently.


    As a reward, the group leaders had agreed to let them eat as much meat as they wanted, which motivated them to work harder and made them even more excited. After all, the fact that First Order meat improved the body and gave stats was something Wu Yijun had purposely spread among the survivors to make them work harder.


    Praise for the four main leaders could be heard from every corner of the main floor. The windows had been sealed with large wooden bookcases and the still functioning electric light was shining in all its splendor.


    Thanks to the efforts of the evolved fighters, all the creatures within a few kilometers had been wiped out. Therefore, they did not have to fear that a zombie would suddenly sneak in and threaten their lives.


    Compared to life in the gymnasium where they were cramped and restricted, this was certainly a great improvement.


    While some were silently delighted and others had shady expressions about the different treatment; Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Liang Peng, and Wu Yijun were in a separate second floor room having an important meeting about the next move for when the crimson flames were finally extinguished.


    Moreover, the current Wu Yijun was no longer the same as before.

 Chapter 107 - Wu Yijuns skill

    Wu Yijun was a beautiful woman but by no means a vase that only served to display her beauty as an ornament; she was also a very intelligent and capable woman in her own right.


    While she had not been useful in combat, from the first moment she was rescued from the female dormitory along with the rest of the survivors, Wu Yijun had demonstrated that even without the care or recommendation of Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He she also had certain credibility that allowed her to participate in important meetings and contribute to decision making.


    So far, the ideas Wu Yijun had put forward that had been implemented as a rule or as a push to increase work effectiveness, maintain order, or even to inflict fear and keep troublemakers at bay had not been just once or twice.


    Precisely for that reason, no one was particularly against her getting a little special treatment. After all, although she wasn''t contributing physical labor, she was constantly coming up with brilliant and innovative ideas that were necessary for this new world where conventional thinking wasn''t necessarily correct.


    However, under the astonished gaze of Bai Zemin, Liang Peng, and Chen He, Wu Yijun demonstrated that she was now not only a beautiful woman with a brilliant mind, but also able to stand up for herself.


    While standing in the center of the room and under the gaze of the four most powerful people in this group, Wu Yijun pointed to a plant in the corner of the room and the approximately one-meter tall plant shuddered.


    After receiving a stimulus of some kind, the plant that was standing still suddenly shook fiercely and a leaf covered by a strange pale green aura shot out at full speed towards the opposite wall.


    Bang!


    The hard and firm concrete wall of the university library, which had been standing unshaken for so many years, was pierced by a plant leaf as if instead of a leaf it was a bullet.


    Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and walked over to check, but before he could get too close the pale green energy disappeared and the small leaf gently glided through the air before falling to the ground, leaving a small hole in the wall along with tiny cracks that stretched for an inch or two with the impact site as the center.


    "This..." Liang Peng was dumbfounded and quickly ran forward to pick up the leaf. He looked at it several times and even threw it against the wall as if to check that it really was a normal leaf.


    Chen He looked at Wu Yijun and said in surprise: "That was great! Yijun, when did you obtain such a powerful skill?"


    Wu Yijun''s face was slightly pale and some beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead. However, she had a beautiful smile that seemed to blossom happiness as she looked at her best friend with grateful eyes and slowly said, "It came from Bing Xue. She didn''t come back right away back then to defeat a First Order beast and obtain a skill scroll for me."


    Liang Peng looked at Shangguan Bing Xue with a bearish face and snorted, "So you didn''t come back to obtain a personal loot? And if things had gone wrong because of that what? You can take responsibility?"


    Bai Zemin also looked at Shangguan Bing Xue, waiting for her next reply.


    Just when Chen He wanted to say something, she indifferently remarked, "The one who risked her life was me, not you. I don''t want someone who is practically useless telling me what is right or wrong..." She paused momentarily and pointed out, "Besides, wasn''t Bai Zemin there?"


    "I didn''t know you trusted me so much?" Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and commented casually.


    "It''s not about trust or distrust." Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head and looked at him with indifferent eyes before recalling, "It''s about facts. Until now, even though you are sometimes a brute, you always stood your ground and have never once lost. Back then, when we came up with the plan to wipe out the mutated forest and the First Order beasts, your voice seemed indifferent but you were brimming with confidence. Not confidence based on arrogance, but confidence in your own intelligence coupled with your personal strength."


    The room fell silent after those words and different glances fell upon her. After all, her previous comment was really strange.


    Lilith''s seductive voice sounded next to Bai Zemin: "Looks like someone has paid quite a bit of attention to you hehe~"


    Bai Zemin secretly shook his head.


    In fact, Shangguan Bing Xue had not only been observing him; she had been observing everyone carefully since day number 1; costumes, habits, skills, weaknesses... Everything.


    To know how to move according to possible consequences... Really a very impressive and terrifying woman...


    "Forget it." Bai Zemin waved a hand and did not linger on that topic. After all, it was true that the person who had risked her life to obtain that scroll was Shangguan Bing Xue herself and the plan did not include her in the battle against the First Order beasts so she had not broken any rules of the group.


    "Wu Yijun, you are currently level 0, aren''t you?" He asked as looked at her face slowly regaining its color after an abrupt expenditure of mana.


    She blushed and said somewhat embarrassed, "Yes... Level 0... With my current Mana, I can use my skill only twice because the consumption is too great for my current self."


    Although Wu Yijun had obtained a powerful skill scroll, her level was too low and control over mana was simply deficient. However, as long as she had a little courage, it would only be a matter of time before she rose to become a powerful evolved fighter capable of contributing not only with her brain and ideas but also her personal combat strength.


    "I see... Well, congratulations." Bai Zemin smiled slightly and nodded, "I hope with all my heart that you will become stronger."


    He did not ask what skill she had as it would be extremely impolite and to some extent break the balance that had formed in the group after living together for almost half a month. Besides, if he asked that question, he would also have to reveal information about his own ability, which was not profitable from his point of view.


    Still, Bai Zemin was really happy and did not say those words casually. After all, if Wu Yijun became stronger, the more help he would have to start moving when they left the university once the sea of crimson flames was extinguished.


    Chen He took a step forward and with a serious face proposed, "How about now we start discussing what we will do when we leave here?"


    Everyone''s gaze changed slightly, as this was a giant checkpoint and too important.


    Currently, they had all formed a group to increase the chances of survival and to not let their own race be wiped out by the other races. However, upon leaving the university, they would not necessarily all take the same path, and the chances of splitting up to walk different pathways were very high as well.


    The only person who was 100% calm in reality was Bai Zemin.

 Chapter 108 - Fourteen days, Two weeks & Taking separate paths (Part 1)

    Beijing was a very large city and the number of inhabitants amounted to approximately thirty million in total.


    The city itself was composed of 16 major districts and 2 smaller counties while the population was evenly distributed in a large number of cities and even smaller towns or villages.


    Beijing University was located in Yanqing District, which was composed of 3 large cities or sub-districts, 11 towns, and 4 villages or rural townsh.i.p.s; just northwest of the capital of China. Accurately, the university was located in one of the three large subdistricts, Rulin Subdistrict.


    "I will head south." Bai Zemin broke the silence and said with determination glittering in his eyes, "Specifically speaking, I am heading in the direction of Changping District."


    Yanqing District bordered Huairou District to the north and Changping District to the south.


    He continued, "My family is in Yangfang and I have to get there as soon as possible."


    Another reason why Bai Zemin still harbored hope for his family was that Yangfang was a small town with just over fifty thousand inhabitants. This meant that even if many people mutated into zombies, it was still better than in densely populated places and the chances of survival would undoubtedly be much higher in such cases.


    Chen He shook his head and looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun before pointing at their targets, "Bing Xue, Yijun, and I are moving south as well but we are aiming for Haidian District. That''s where our families are located."


    Bai Zemin was by no means surprised because from the time he learned about Chen He''s military background he had made his own guess regarding Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun.


    Although he did not know exactly what their backgrounds were, just based on the fact that they were Chen He''s childhood friends, he could easily assume that they belonged to the government or the military. In that case, it was natural for the three of them to head south since Yanqing District was a bordering district of Beijing and beyond that, one would leave the capital.


    "I guess we''ll be temporary traveling comrades then." Bai Zemin smiled slightly and looked at the three people without his expression revealing his inner thoughts.


    "We''ll be in your care until then!" Wu Yijun smiled brightly and two pretty little dimples formed on her cheeks as her eyes narrowed into a crescent shape.


    Seeing her sweet expression in contrast to her seductive body, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but look at Lilith out of the corner of his eye and secretly thought that both women were like little foxes.


    As for Shangguan Bing Xue, she said nothing for several seconds until she finally sighed and slowly said, "I wonder if it will be that easy..."


    "Uh?" Chen He looked at her puzzled and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    "...It''s nothing." She shook her head and did not continue the matter, but Bai Zemin knew that her thoughts were exactly the same as his.


    In any case, everything would be proven when they found the first human campment. At that time it would come to light if China''s army was able to put up a fight against the zombies, animals, and mutated plants, or if they were barely holding out with pitiful strength.


    "I will split up and head north." A deep voice interjected.


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin and the rest looked at Liang Peng, who had been silent until now, with a hint of surprise.


    "Is there anything that will take you north? Family perhaps?" Chen He asked hesitantly.


    "It''s not that... My close family died in a car accident four years ago... As for the rest, I don''t care if they''re alive or not." Liang Peng sighed and shook his head before looking out the window and continuing, "Before the world changed I was just a soul in sorrow wandering around this world and without any special purpose. But, now that the world has changed, I would like to look for myself... Or at least a reason to exist other than just breathing."


    After hearing his words, everyone remained silent for a long time before they nodded in understanding.


    Although they knew that separations were highly probable to occur, after almost half a month of continuous living together, after countless battles against zombies or other evolved creatures in which they risked their lives shoulder to shoulder, it was inevitable to feel a slight tinge of reluctance to say goodbye.


    Bai Zemin clapped his hands and said with a smile, "All right, everyone. Let''s work hard to get out of here once and for all!"


    With clear objectives, the group of five left the room and began to organize several survivors for tomorrow''s work as well as patrolling the buildings around the library to avoid major problems.


    * * *


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Today, after the arrival of the first ray of light from the sun, the 14th day since the arrival of the Soul Record officially opened.


    Two weeks ago and just based on the percentage of students, professors, and other university staff, approximately 70-80% of humanity had been turned into zombies just like the ones in horror movies; fictional movies that in the past were fun but now everyone had been forced to be characters in a movie in which everyone was a secondary character.


    Fourteen days ago, going to bed and getting up the next day was normal; everyone considered these simple actions obvious and natural.


    Two weeks ago, opening the refrigerator and eating or going to a restaurant to eat was the most natural thing in the world for everyone; dates, outings with friends, meetings, dinners...


    However, for the past fourteen days, one could go to bed but would not necessarily wake up the next day.


    For two weeks now, food had become scarce and was now an asset more valuable than gold itself for which countless starving people would be willing to kill for a small piece of dry bread.


    In the once prestigious and lively Beijing University, zombies wandered and growled purposelessly while many survivors sobbed in some corner, fighting against fear and driven mad by the hunger that slowly ate away at their senses threatening to drive them insane.


    A few kilometers from the southern exit, a large patch of what in the past seemed to be a forest crackled with small crimson flames that a few seconds later were completely extinguished, leaving only ashes that with the passing of time would be swept away by the wind and forgotten in the river of time.


    ...


    Inside a room on the second floor of the library, lying on a mattress placed on the floor and casually covered with a pair of sheets, Bai Zemin slowly opened his eyes and yawned as he stood up.


    "Good morning."


    A soft, sweet voice sounded a few feet away, a voice he had grown accustomed to hearing over the past fourteen days.


    Looking toward the source of the sound, he saw the most perfect being he had ever known in his entire life. Even though it had been two weeks since she had appeared in his life unannounced, even though he thought he had grown accustomed to her; every time he saw her when he woke up he could not help but be amazed.


    Sitting by the window frame and holding a book with the cover of a big full moon in her hands, a beautiful woman was looking at him with her enchanting ruby eyes and a small smile.


    Bathed in the rays of dawn, her body that was as elegant as the sculpture of a goddess, her skin as delicate and white as porcelain seemed to glow as if small diamonds were covering her completely... She seemed to have stepped out of a work of art as her beauty had broken all parameters.


    "Good morning." Bai Zemin replied before straightening up completely and smiling back at her.


    It had been fourteen days, two weeks, half a month since he and she had met. However, even though their strength was as great as the distance between heaven and hell, a Lower Existence and a Higher Existence were comfortable with each other as if they had known for several lifetimes ago.


    **********End of Volume 1!**********

 Chapter 109 - Fourteen days, Two weeks & Taking separate paths (Part 2)

    Bai Zemin approached the window and looked outside. A look of relief flashed in his eyes momentarily before he inadvertently sighed.


    "It''s finally over."


    The crimson flames were flames that came from a Third Order skill. While they did not have the power of a Third Order skill since they were only remnant flames, they definitely could not be considered normal flames by any means.


    Back then, when Bai Zemin launched the blood trident enveloped by crimson flames and empowered by a hurricane of wind, the flames surrounded the mutated forest slowly while the gasoline and flammable oil had greatly helped to increase the power of the fire.


    Therefore, even after more than two days had passed, the forest still continued to burn fiercely and during the night the crimson blaze could be seen glowing in the sky while the constant crackling sound of the flames could be heard even from the distance.


    Because the wildfire was still there, the group of over four hundred survivors had no way of leaving the university. While it was true that they could have circled the site using the areas that had already burned completely, that would be risky as the tires of the buses would ignite when they came into contact with the still-hot ground due to the high temperatures.


    However, apparently it had all ended sometime during the night or just before Bai Zemin woke up.


    "Time to enter the real stage, little Zemin." Lilith stood up and gently closed the book in her hands as she looked at him with glittering eyes.


    Bai Zemin nodded with a grave expression and walked toward the door as he replied, "It''s time."


    * * *


    The initial floor of the library.


    It was a little after seven in the morning and the survivors had just finished their breakfasts.


    Some of them had satisfied smiles, others appeared to be semi-satisfied and often looked at the supplies hungrily, while others looked at the remaining small grains of white rice with discomfort.


    After eating only rice for so long, many were naturally dissatisfied. However, these were those who were unwilling to work to earn the right to receive better food.


    Moreover, no one dared to utter a single complaint as their somewhat frightened eyes occasionally glanced to the front where that black-haired demon who killed without batting an eyelash stood.


    None wanted to die now that the hope of being embraced by the government was just around the corner. A few even believed that the heinous acts committed by Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue when they killed people would be punished by law.


    Suddenly, everyone''s attention was attracted by Chen He, who was walking towards the stairs before stopping to look down with a straight expression.


    The voices and murmurs stopped immediately as everyone''s eyes focused on him, waiting for the new announcement.


    After a few seconds of silence, Chen He began to speak slowly: "As everyone probably already knows, the mutated forest beasts were eradicated by us, and the forest was set on fire by Bai Zemin''s skill... After three days of constant burning, the mana of the mutated forest was finally consumed by the flames and all signs of mutation were turned to ashes during the last night."


    The expressions on the faces of the survivors froze before the murmuring began.


    "The mutation was turned to ashes..."


    "That means the way is clear?"


    "We can finally get out of this damn place?"


    ...


    Surprise and joy as well as hope; these were the emotions that could be felt in the voices of all those who began to murmur helplessly.


    Most of them had worked hard for the past three days so the flesh of the mutated First Order animals had been properly cared for, leaving only the flesh of the Blazing Beetle that had been corroded by the acid of the five Jiao-Lao Snakes untouched. Therefore, they were somewhat exhausted and the good news was certainly a good way to regain energy even if it was only momentary.


    With a smile that delighted dozens of female students and even female teachers, Chen He announced, "Start boarding the buses in an orderly manner... We are leaving the university!"


    Ten buses marched in a straight line down the ash-strewn road, carefully circling the areas that were still hot and moving through safe zones.


    Although the buses moved slowly, the sound of the engines was especially loud. Still, no zombies appeared in the vicinity nor could any animal or mutated creature be seen charging to attack.


    Five buses were being used to move the more than four hundred survivors while the other five were being used to move supplies. While the survivors were a little cramped, temporarily there was no other option so they had to hold on; still, no one was unhappy as this was a normal occurrence in the past.


    On the roof of four of the five buses carrying supplies were four beasts over twenty meters long being loaded as their long tails dragged along the ground.


    These four creatures were the Jiao-Lao Snakes that had not yet been cared for due to the lack of working tools. Their tough scales were simply too resistant and although Bai Zemin could tear them off one by one with his Xuanyuan Sword it would take him days if not a week to finish them off completely.


    It was precisely for that reason that he did not work on the body of the beasts. That was the job of those who did not fight, not his. The most important thing for him was to level up and absorb the Soul Power of those who were stronger!


    After approximately twenty to thirty minutes of driving at slowly embarrassing speeds to prevent tire problems, the goal was in sight.


    "The exit!"


    Inside one of the buses at the front, Wu Yijun exclaimed joyfully as she covered her mouth with both hands.


    It wasn''t just her, everyone was excited even if they restrained themselves from shouting out loud. Even Shangguan Bing Xue sighed lightly as if she was unconsciously relieving herself of a heavyweight that was weighing on her shoulders.


    While the outside world could be dangerous, with hundreds of thousands and millions of zombies as well as countless mutated creatures running rampant; the university was a place where bad memories of the beginning of the end and to which if possible no one wanted to return.


    Today, two weeks after the apocalypse hit this world following the arrival of an unknown entity called Soul Record on Earth, they had finally managed to overcome the first major obstacle and had entered the real world stage on which they could shine... or perish.


    Sitting in one of the front seats of the first bus, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but let a small smile rose on his face as he thought in his loved ones.


    Although nothing was certain, hope was something that could not be lost no matter what. For without hope he would have no reason to strive and continue to move forward.

 Chapter 111 - Gunshot

    "Same here, pretty boy." Liang Peng chuckled before remarking in a playful tone, "By the way, I honestly think you should forget about that ice girl and find yourself a hot girl. Don''t you think it''s better?"


    Chen He blushed in embarrassment and kicked him, "Go to hell man."


    Liang Peng laughed loudly before looking at the indifferent Shangguan Bing Xue, who didn''t seem to have any kind of reaction to his previous words.


    She nodded slightly and said nothing more. That was her farewell greeting.


    "Well, I guess that''s already good coming from you." Liang Peng shook his head and said without knowing whether to laugh or cry, "If you had said some nice words to me I would have thought you were actually secretly cursing me."


    Without another word, Liang Peng turned around and walked back to the bus he had gotten off, which also had seventy to eighty survivors inside.


    Three days ago, when the group learned that they would not all be going the same way, Bai Zein and the rest made an announcement that some would be traveling south while others would be going north.


    The survivors with family in the northern part of Ruilin City quickly stood up and expressed that they wanted to follow Liang Peng in order to find their families, which amounted to just under a hundred. As to whether their families were alive or not, that was unknown but hopes were not particularly high.


    In addition to the bus with survivors, a second bus loaded with supplies such as meat, mutated beast meat, rice grains, noodles, pure water, and some small luxuries such as milk, also started its engines.


    As one of the main leaders who had been fighting constantly since day one and who had obtained a large amount of supplies, Liang Peng naturally had the right to take a considerable share and Bai Zemin was not so cruel to take everything from a person with whom he had fought shoulder to shoulder.


    Soon, the two buses departed with one behind and one in front, slowly moving away in a northerly direction.


    As the two buses disappeared from his line of sight, Bai Zemin announced, "We should start moving too. We have a lot of work to do yet."


    Soon, the engines of the eight buses started up and the now smaller caravan began to move in the opposite direction from where the previous two buses had left, directly moving south of Ruilin City.


    As to whether the bus leaders would ever meet again, that was still unknown. In this new world, it was difficult to know if people would have the opportunity to meet again someday.


    * * *


    The streets near the university were a total mess, with crashed cars and collapsed light poles along with various building debris. Therefore, even after riding for half an hour, the buses had not made much progress.


    On several occasions, the group had to stop the engines to move obstacles out of the way such as moving cars off the road. As for this, Bai Zemin also made sure to have a group of survivors get off the buses under the protection of Fu Xuefeng and the rest before starting to empty the gas tanks, thus filling bottles and gallons of fuel.


    At present, with work at a complete standstill, fuel was as valuable a commodity as the food. One drop less of fuel meant that there was one drop that could not be recovered in any way, and while it was already a non-renewable energy, this had worsened by thousands of levels with the coming of the end of the world.


    After traveling approximately fifty kilometers south, the eight buses stopped at the roadside, right in front of four convenience stores and a large trucking company.


    "Cai Jingyi, Kang Lan, take a group of people to collect anything you find useful or that may be useful in the future inside the convenience stores." Bai Zemin ordered before telling Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De to stay outside guarding the survivors and guarding the buses.


    The two women nodded and quickly went to delegate the job.


    The buses were good for transporting people, but they were definitely not good for carrying supplies. Besides, the snakes hanging from the roof were too conspicuous and could attract unwanted attention or trouble that could easily be avoided.


    The group searched for about half an hour as the place was really big, with all kinds of trucks; tanker trucks, small cargo trucks, ladder trucks, etc.


    Occasionally groups of zombies dressed in blue with hats and name tags on their c.h.e.s.ts would appear, indicating that when the Soul Record arrived on Earth, these people were at work and could not withstand the wave of mana entering their bodies, turning them into mindless mutations that only knew how to wander everywhere.


    Even before these zombies could get too close, Chen He did a great job with his crossbow, killing almost all of them. The reason he left some alive was because they all wanted the beautiful and seductive Wu Yijun to level up so she could become more powerful and use her skill properly, becoming a great asset to the group as a whole.


    Gradually she killed and killed zombies, slowly increasing her level. Over the past three days, Shangguan Bing Xue had taken her hunting around the university, which helped her raise her level to 8. Although she was still weak, she was many times more powerful than in the past and with a little effort and time she could catch up, or at the very least, strong enough to not be a burden, as she referred to herself.


    "This one will do." Bai Zemin nodded in satisfaction as he arrived in front of a huge cargo truck with a giant box in the back.


    Not only was the box firmly closed by two large doors, but the front had a powerful bumper capable of withstanding the constant impact of zombies that came across the road.


    Although some changes had to be made and modified so that it could circulate like the buses, temporarily this Dongfang truck was the best there was in this place.


    While they were at it, a gunshot sound suddenly rang out from outside and everyone''s face abruptly changed.


    "Damn it!" Bai Zemin cursed and rushed towards the exit like a whirlwind.


    Clearly, something was going on! If one of the people he was nurturing died when they were not yet fully grown it would be a great loss to him!


    Especially Kang Lan! Her Lesser Healing skill was something that Bai Zemin needed because even though he was strong, in a battle to the death he knew perfectly well that injuries would be inevitable!


    Shangguan Bing Xue and the rest quickly followed from behind.

 Chapter 113 - Confrontation and Death

    The apprehension that Zhong De and Kang Lan felt and that soon spread to the rest of the survivors proved to have a valid reason after all.


    Four 4x4 pickup trucks followed by two modified jeeps raced by at full speed before noisily braking, stopping in front and at the rear, blocking the buses'' path to impede their escape.


    Immediately after, fifteen men with all kinds of weapons descended from the vehicles and surrounded the eight buses. Several of them had hair dyed yellow, green, blue, and other bright colors while others were wild-looking middle-aged men.


    At the sight of the fifteen new arrivals who clearly had no good intentions, the survivors inside the buses and convenience stores became frightened. None of them dared to make the slightest sound for fear of attracting too much attention and looked at Cai Jingyi and the rest with hope; they were what the survivors could rely on at the moment.


    "Everyone! Get off the damn buses!" A fat man with several acne marks on his face approached one of the buses and shouted loudly as he swung his bat at the shell of the Blazing Beetle that protected most of the vehicle.


    Seven other men approached the other buses and began viciously beating the vehicles with the weapons in their hands as they bellowed and cursed, terrifying the survivors even more.


    Zhong De frowned and was about to step forward but the burly man pointed the bosal of his gun, forcing him to stop immediately.


    "I''d advise you not to play the hero here, big guy." The burly man named Nie Hu sneered, "I know several of you are strong enough to be able to hunt these monsters here and we probably won''t be your opponents. However, I don''t think you can dodge a bullet, can you?"


    Even if the people in this group had the strength to hunt those terrifying snakes, they were still human. A bullet was enough to end the life of any of them or injure them; at the very least, a gun was enough to keep them at bay. This was what everyone thought and in fact, it was not wrong.


    Although Zhong De and the rest were much stronger than a normal human, a shot in the head meant the end of the game. Even Bai Zemin would die if he was shot in the head or heart.


    With Zhong De forced to stop, another armed man approached Cai Jingyi and Kang Lan. The man looked at both women with obvious o.b.s.c.e.n.e d.e.s.i.r.e in his eyes and licked his lips as he said with a hint of regret, "Too bad I won''t be able to play with any of you, little beauties... At least not until the bosses get bored of your bodies hehe."


    The gunman stretched a hand forward with the intention of grabbing Kang Lan''s c.h.e.s.t while two other gunmen watched the scene with amus.e.m.e.nt, pointing their guns at the two girls as if to intimidate them with their presence.


    Kang Lan''s face changed as she did not expect these people to be so brazen and bold. She took a step back, evading the man''s grip before pointing her index finger at him, "Don''t touch me, you filthy pig!"


    Before the man could react, a magic circle appeared on the tip of Kang Lan''s finger and a dark green cloud completely enveloped him and one of his colleagues.


    The green cloud only lasted a second before it vanished completely. However, the two men who were previously standing with smiles on their faces were now lying on the ground on their backs. Their previously smiling and confident faces were now filled with disbelief and the color of their skin had a strange-looking greenish tint on it, giving them a terrible appearance.


    The man who, fortunately for him, was a meter or two behind and managed to escape the range of Kang Lan''s magical skill, turned as pale as a sheet, and raised his gun, "Bitch!"


    Seeing this, Cai Jingyi immediately lunged forward and pushed Kang Lan to the ground. Only a split second later, there was an explosion that echoed everywhere.


    The survivors inside the bus screamed in fright and Kang Lan''s face turned pale with fear as if it wasn''t for Cai Jingyi''s quick reaction she might have died.


    "Ugh..." Cai Jingyi frowned and looked at her left arm with pain in her eyes. Although she had managed to avoid a fatal injury and had saved Kang Lan, the bullet still impacted against her left arm and pierced it from side to side.


    The gunman took aim again, preparing to fire. However, to his utter disbelief, he felt a sharp pain in his c.h.e.s.t that forced him to stop his movements. There, he saw a weak-looking hand holding a knife, stabbing right into his heart.


    With wide eyes filled with panic, the gunman raised his head and saw that, at some unnoticed moment, a young man with glasses as thin as a matchstick had appeared. A second later, the life disappeared from the man''s eyes and he fell heavily backward.


    Of course, this person was precisely Fu Xuefeng, who had hidden with his level 5 ''Stealth'' skill as soon as he noticed trouble.


    Fu Xuefeng took a deep breath and looked at his first human kill with complicated eyes. Although he knew it would end up happening since he decided to follow Bai Zemin, it felt strange to know that his once innocent hands now carried the life of a person and his own Soul Power contained the Soul Power of another human being.


    The events happened in a matter of seconds and the other men couldn''t even react when three of them had already died at enemy hands.


    "Little bastards!" The burly man, Nie Hu, who was aiming at Zhong De, shouted to shake off the fear he felt and took aim with his gun, before firing two shots in a row.


    However, Nie Hu was so scared that both shots missed miserably. Before a third shot could be fired, Zhong De activated his ''Power Boost'' skill and rushed forward.


    "Go to hell!"


    Bang!


    With a strong punch charged with over fifty Strength points, Nie Hu''s head popped into meat paste and his body hit the ground noisily.


    In less than five seconds, four of the five gunmen were dead at the hands of a group of four students who two weeks ago would not even have had the courage to resist a single Type 54 pistol.


    Just when they thought they had the upper hand and were about to begin a counterattack, a lazy, arrogant voice sounded from inside one of the pickup trucks.


    "Really crap. Four loaded guns and they can''t control a couple of kids? They better be dead or this old man would shove a stick up their asses until they scream like mules!"


    Yang Pei, with pierced ears and dyed red hair, walked lazily and looked at the guns on the ground. As long as the weapons were there, the death of the gunmen was no problem. At the base there were dozens if not hundreds of people willing to fight if given a weapon.

 Chapter 114 - Summons!

    "Little beauty, you sure are dangerous." Yang Pei looked at Kang Lan, ignoring the rest, and scanned her body up and down as he said, "How about you become my woman? Not only will I respect you, but you will also have the right to participate in important decisions with your strength."


    Without waiting for a reply, he looked at Cai Jingyi and nodded, "You seem to be quite quick and your reaction is good. You can also be mine."


    "Are you retarded?" Zhong De barked tired of so much nonsense and abruptly rushed forward with the intention of putting an end to the whole charade.


    The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly due to his explosive power and taking advantage of the strength on his feet his speed exploded for a moment.


    Yang Pei snorted and quickly stepped back while muttering some strange words. A second later, two magic rings appeared on the ground in front of him, and in a flash of light two creatures came out.


    One was a wild-looking brown bear that was over two meters tall even on its four legs. Its eyes were blood red and its front paws looked especially formidable; as if it could crush a rock with one swipe.


    The other was a white wolf whose fur was as pure as snow except that its nose was spotted with black. Its eyes were blood red like the bear''s and its teeth were as sharp as razor blades giving the illusion of being able to cut through any defense.


    When Zhong De saw the two beasts he was surprised, but because he was in the middle of a charge had no way to stop. Therefore he exploded with more strength and punched fiercely forward with both fists.


    The brown bear roared ferociously and stood up on its hind legs before dropping down with all its weight.


    When Zhong De''s two fists connected with the brown bear''s two front paws there was a small explosion before the winner of the clash was decided.


    Although Zhong De had already reached level 16 and his Strength was incomparable to the past, he was still slightly below Yang Pei''s summoning. He was forced to retreat five steps back before he finally regained his balance and looked at the brown bear in surprise.


    However, the brown bear did not give him too much time to think as it immediately charged forward and attacked again.


    "Damn it!" Zhong De gritted his teeth and began to fight against the brown bear, engaging in a fierce melee using his fists and legs to attack.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly, the air behind Yang Pei shook slightly and Fu Xuefeng appeared with his knife still stained with blood. Now that he had already killed once and given the circ.u.mstances he didn''t mind adding one more kill to the count.


    However, the wolf suddenly howled and looked in his direction as its nose twitched before lunging at a speed that rivaled his own.


    If Fu Xuefeng continued his attack then the wolf would be able to injure him and while it was true that Yang Pei was the prime mover, which meant that his death marked the vanishing of the summons, Fu Xuefeng had no real combat experience and the fear of pain and death was still present.


    With no other choice, he stopped his attack and quickly began to fight with the summoned wolf. Both were fast, blinking constantly and trying to take the advantage. However, Fu Xuefeng was just a notch faster, which allowed him not to lose against the savage beastliness of the white wolf.


    She obviously intended to end her enemy''s life and had not even hesitated for a second before doing so!


    Yang Pei''s face turned ugly as he did not expect this group of people to be so powerful that they could resist his summoning for so long. Although his summons were strong, Mana''s consumption was terrifying! He could only sustain both beasts for a couple of minutes at most before losing his Mana completely!


    "You really don''t leave me any more options little bitches!" Yang Pei pulled out a Type 54 pistol from his waist and aimed it at Kang Lan. Although he wanted to keep her to himself, he had no choice but to kill her for him to survive!


    It wasn''t like it was the first time he had done something like killing women anyway.


    Cai Jingyi''s face changed and quickly turned around, wanting to rescue Kang Lan once again. However, although her Agility was high, she didn''t have time to get there!


    Bang!


    The sound of the gunshot thundered out and Cai Jingyi turned pale as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight. She knew that in terms of value, Kang Lan was the most important to Bai Zemin since she had the ability to heal; if something happened to her, who knew how he would react when he returned...


    However, what happened was even more surprising.


    Right in front of Kang Lan, who was also as pale as a sheet, a wall of ice rose up. The low-caliber bullet hit the wall and left a small white mark without being able to do anything else before falling to the ground with a clink.


    "Lucky..." Kang Lan muttered before sitting down on the ground in fright. She could no longer stand upright.


    Cai Jingyi also sighed in relief and unconsciously relaxed, which caused the pain in her left arm to increase several notches.


    Yang Pei''s face changed completely when he saw the ice wall and realized that the gunshots surely alerted the people who were still inside. He had thought that the people outside were the real deal, but when he saw how hard the ice wall was he was terrified to discover that he might have made a mistake.


    Hastily he ordered his summons to return to protect him. However, how could Zhong De and Fu Xufeng let him do whatever he wanted?


    "Now you are really dead you son of a bitch!" Zhong De shouted as he forced the brown bear to stay in place, not letting it go to help its master.


    Fu Xuefeng did the same to the white wolf, suffering a few scratches in the process but firmly enduring.


    While Zhong De was fighting the brown bear, suddenly a magic circle appeared on the ground and an earthen spike rose up. The tip of the spike pierced the bear''s body and lifted it into the air two meters above the ground before the beast let out a roar of pain and disappeared as if it had never been there.


    On the other hand, the wind whistled and two mana arrows struck the white wolf that was entangled with Fu Xuefeng. The wolf howled in pain and just like the brown bear''s body, it burst like an air balloon and disappeared from this world.


    The two summons were connected to Yang Pei himself, so after being killed he also suffered a hard backlash and ended up coughing out two mouthfuls of fresh blood.

 Chapter 115 - Four Big Bosses Camp (Part 1)

    Yang Pei staggered slightly and his face turned pale due to the aftershock of his skill.


    His First Order Summoning skill level 2 was powerful, powerful enough to allow him to take on several evolved ones at the same time. This was obvious from how he alone was able to fight the group of three.


    Summoning allowed him to currently summon up to two creatures that had the same level as him, consuming 1 Mana points per summon every five seconds. Therefore, it was a skill that Yang Pei could not keep active for a long time, one or two minutes at most; but this time was enough for him to slaughter most of his enemies, as he had done until today.


    However, his skill was a double-edged sword as when one of his summons was completely overwhelmed he received the remaining damage as a consequence; just as had just happened.


    Yang Pei saw two women and a man with a crossbow approaching from inside the facility. Although the women were incredibly beautiful, Yang Pei was not in the mood to joke around like before. But to his utter terror, a voice rang out from just behind him.


    "Jingyi, are you okay?"


    As he hurriedly turned around, was startled to see that at some point he didn''t notice, a young man in his early twenties had appeared a few meters away.


    "I-I''m fine... Thank you." Cai Jingyi nodded and accepted Bai Zemin''s help to sit comfortably on one of the bus steps.


    Although there were still ten or eleven hooligans surrounding the buses, they only had bladed weapons and had no power to do anything. Even though some of them had evolved they were only level 2 or 3 at most and without any striking ability, so in the previous battle, they could only watch from the side.


    When Bai Zemin approached with Cai Jingyi, they all stepped back with a pale faces and did not dare to say anything. After all, not only was the current situation extremely unfavorable, but the young man in front of them had appeared out of nowhere as if he was a ghost.


    Bai Zemin ignored everyone around him and gently stroked the shy Cai Jingyi''s hair and praised, "You did a great job."


    Although he had not seen the unfolding of events, he was smart enough to judge that the girl beside him had been injured to protect someone weaker; considering that the survivors were covered and Zhong De was fighting the bear, only Kang Lan remained. After all, Kang Lan had focused 100% on the path of magic, unlike Shangguan Bing Xue who could use her ice skill to fight in different ways.


    Kang Lan timidly approached and lowered her head in embarrassment, "Jingyi, I''m sorry... Because of me you..."


    Cai Jingyi smiled sweetly ignoring the pain, and shook her head gently, "It''s okay. An arm wound is nothing compared to the death of a friend. Besides, the bullet went in and out so it''s no big deal."


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but pat the shy but brave girl on the head. "Kang Lan, heal Jingyi with your skill."


    Kang Lan didn''t even hesitate and immediately cast her skill twice on Cai Jingyi''s injury, just that this time her face didn''t turn pale like in the past; after all, the current Kang Lan had already reached level 15.


    The blood immediately stopped flowing and the tissues began to regenerate at frightening speeds. Although the wound was still there as well as the pain, two or three days would once again leave the skin on her arm as perfect as it always was.


    Bai Zemin turned around and looked coldly at Yang Pei before he began to walk step by step in his direction without saying a word.


    To him, his subordinates were valuable to the extent that he was nurturing them with treasures and skills. However, in a matter of minutes, they were all close to being killed.


    While it was good for them to experience life and death battles like this to gain experience, if just one of them was killed it would be a great loss for Bai Zemin. Especially Kang Lan; even now he had not seen a second person obtain a healing skill like her and with such high Magic and Mana stats compared to a normal person.


    Although Bai Zemin did not speak and only walked, Yang Pei could feel as if a wild beast was watching him and immediately raised his gun to shoot. This was because his Summoning skill could not be activated again until ten minutes after the summonings were killed!


    However, before he could pull the trigger, the wind whistled and the gun in his hands was sent flying by an arrow. When Yang Pei stepped back in fright, he saw the young man with the crossbow looking at him indifferently.


    Just as the young punk was about to look forward again, a hand shot out at full speed and grabbed him by the throat before slowly lifting him off the ground.


    "B-Bastard..." He barely managed to mutter those words between his teeth as he struggled with all his strength.


    Yang Pei''s fists and kicks landed hard on Bai Zemin''s body, making small bangs. However, to the young punk''s terror, none of his blows caused his enemy''s expression to change in any way, let alone being able to break free from his grip.


    Suddenly, Bai Zemin kicked twice without warning, and the sound of bones breaking echoed everywhere followed by a painful choked scream.


    Thud


    Yang Pei''s body was casually thrown to the ground and the young punk writhed in pain as he howled at the sight of his legs twisted at an impossible angle.


    "Don''t worry, I will soon continue to entertain you." Bai Zemin spoke for the first time before punching and knocking him out easily.


    Without his Summoning skill, Yang Pei was simply crap in front of Bai Zemin. In fact, even with his skill, the difference would not be noticeable due to the difference in power between the two sides.


    Bai Zemin looked at the approximately eleven gang members with bladed weapons and picked up the Type 54 pistol that previously belonged to Yang Pei.


    "Everyone on your knees, now." He ordered in a deep voice as he pointed the gun forward.


    Kang Lan, Fu Xuefeng, Zhong De, and even Cai Jingyi had picked up the other four guns and aimed at the enemies coldly. The four of them had already killed humans and had witnessed how if not for timely help they might all be dead; this convinced them even more that what they were doing was the right thing to do.


    Bai Zemin looked at a middle-aged man with a shaved head and asked coldly: "Who are you? Why did you target us? Where did you come from?"


    "Pei!... Do you want me to talk and rat on the others? Forget you little bitch!" The middle-aged man spat on the ground and looked at him defiantly.

 Chapter 116 - Four Big Bosses Camp (Part 2-Last)

    Wu Yujin could not help but look at the middle-aged man who had just pronounced those words with a hint of sympathy. It wasn''t just her; practically every survivor present knew that Bai Zemin was by no means a saint.


    Bai Zemin looked at the phlegm on the ground for a second before looking the bald man straight in the eye.


    "How honorable of you."


    He didn''t even hesitate and with a ''bang'' the head of the militant exploded. Pieces of broken skull along with chunks of flesh and blood flew across the ground, causing the timid survivors to let out groans of terror as they looked at the scene from the buses and from inside the convenience stores.


    Chen He could not help but frown. Even now he could not completely agree with Bai Zemin''s methods as he had a strong sense of justice from the way he was raised since childhood. However, although he was relatively fair, he was neither pedantic nor stupid. Since before the apocalypse he already knew that society was rotten.


    There were even cases in which he knew about politicians, policemen, or military officers who, as long as it did not cross a certain threshold, were willing to carry out certain assignments or orders that went against the established rules.


    Seeing the militant''s death, the rest of the gang was shocked and could not help but look at the young man in front of them in a new light. Although he was only in his early twenties, he hadn''t even blinked when he pulled the trigger!


    Bai Zemin pointed the gun at another militant and asked coldly, "Who are you? Why did you point at us? Where do you come from?"


    "I will speak! I''ll f.u.c.k.i.n.g speak! Don''t shoot me!"


    Bai Zemin''s target this time turned out to be Luo Cheng, who had been monitoring the group from a distance with binoculars.


    Luo Cheng was already sweating cold bullets seeing the deaths of the other militants so when he felt the gunmetal right above his head he didn''t even hesitate and agreed to speak all he knew. He was not a heroic warrior by any means and feared death.


    The burly man who had been monitoring the group from a distance next to Luo Cheng suddenly shouted loudly, "Luo Cheng! None of the bosses have treated you badly but you are going to betray them?! Aren''t you afraid that they will throw your younger sister to the soldiers to have fun with her?!"


    Bai Zemin didn''t even let him continue saying another word before he changed his aim to the head of that burly man and pulled the trigger.


    Seeing the death of the burly man who had stood up, the other gang members did not dare to utter the slightest sound for fear of being next and having their heads blown off by a bullet.


    "If any of you want to continue to be loyal and honorable to your good bosses, then come out now. I will give you all the opportunity to continue to be loyal until the last moment and die a death worthy of a brave warrior."


    None of them dared to stand up or highlight and quickly lowered their heads like timid chickens. There was not even one of them who wanted to be the next target of the Type 54 pistol.


    Bai Zemin ignored them and pulled Luo Cheng away from the group before putting the barrel of the gun back on Luo Cheng''s head, "Now you can start to speak. If you dare to lie to me, if you dare to hide information, if you dare to give even one wrong name, I will bang your brains out. I have eight others like you here and I don''t think all eight of you are willing to die for honor."


    Luo Cheng nodded quickly as he sweated and began to spill the beans one after another without stopping. Although he was worried about his younger sister''s future, he had to survive to protect her first or else nothing would make sense; now that his life was in someone else''s hands, he had to adapt to the rules of the other person''s game. That was the way the world worked now.


    ...


    Luo Cheng and the rest were part of a gang called Four Big Bosses Camp. At the beginning of the apocalypse, there were too many zombies and chaos had broken out everywhere when people''s pets suddenly turned on their owners and started slaughtering them all.


    Zombies did not fear bullets and did not know the meaning of pain while many evolved animals were even more terrifying as many were impervious to bullets, ferocious beyond belief, and aggressive in nature. Compared to zombies and evolved beasts, normal humans were simply too weak.


    These four people were; Ye Qigang, Lei Su, Du Meng, and the currently out of action Yang Pei.


    At first, the four acted somewhat restrained and although they abused their powers also protected the weak. They cleared a small village of zombies and killed several evolved animals, creating a relatively safe area for the currently over seven hundred people to get some rest.


    However, when no police or government support showed up after almost a week, things began to change. The four bosses began to feel the pressure due to the lack of food and in a fit of anger began to abuse several women no matter how much they screamed or cried.


    The four bosses gathered several men willing to do anything to get some food in their stomachs and raided the local police station, obtaining a small supply of weapons. After arming approximately fifty men, they began to clear the surrounding area, killing zombies and obtaining some supplies in the process.


    With the firearms and supplies under their control, the other survivors could only obey no matter how cruel the four bosses'' orders were. Currently, the village was living under total oppression and there was no hope at all in that place.


    According to Luo Cheng, the target they were aiming at this time was these four convenience stores and they only came across them by accident. The reason they raided them was not only to steal the supplies but also because there were many young and beautiful women, which could become a great merit if they presented them to the bosses. Yang Pei himself drooled over them.


    "So, you''re telling me that for four small convenience stores, one of these four bosses personally moved in?" Bai Zemin shook his head and laughed coldly.


    "It''s the truth! I swear! I don''t know anything else!" Luo Cheng was scared and cried out in terror as his body shook nonstop.


    Bai Zemin looked at him indifferently before saying in a deep voice, "Zhong De, Fu Xuefeng. Take two of these guys away and see if you can get some information."


    If what Luo Cheng was completely true it would soon come out and in case anything didn''t match, any of the three who lied would be executed immediately.

 Chapter 117 - Surrender

    Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De casually dragged two other militants and took them to separate locations. Although the two hooligans were frightened and tried to resist unconsciously, with the strength of two evolvers they had no way to break free.


    In fact, the two militants were so scared after seeing the death of their comrades that Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De did not even have to pressure or beat them to make them speak as immediately spilled out all the information they knew.


    After a conversation lasting several minutes, Bai Zemin and the rest came to the conclusion that none of the three seemed to be lying. Although there were slight changes in the words they said for obvious reasons, the core of the information remained the same.


    Bai Zemin approached the frightened Luo Cheng and threw his Xuanyuan Sword to the ground before pointing to another militant, "If you want to live then kill him and I will allow you to join us."


    Luo Cheng''s face changed slightly upon hearing his words as he clearly understood what the young man in front of him meant.


    If he killed a member of his group, then it meant that he was willing to leave the Four Big Bosses Camp. After all, it would be impossible for him to return because he would be branded as a traitor immediately since he would not even be able to explain how he alone managed to survive in the face of a calamity but Yang Pei did not.


    In short, if Luo Cheng killed the militant it really meant that he would be joining Bai Zemin''s group completely and without return.


    In the end, under the terrified eyes of the militant singled out by Bai Zemin, Luo Cheng gritted his teeth and picked up the sword. Before the militant could have a chance to say anything, Luo Cheng mercilessly slashed and decapitated him.


    Blood flew everywhere and the militant''s head rolled on the ground. His eyes were still wide open filled with disbelief and hate.


    The hidden survivors cried out scared and some of the militants directly peed their pants without being able to control their own bodies. Wu Yijun and Chen He, who still had no blood on their hands, quickly turned around with pale faces.


    Even Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, and Kang Lan, who had killed before, could not help but turn slightly pale at the bloody scene. Only Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue remained without noticeable changes in their facial expressions.


    Luo Cheng put the sword on the ground and knelt down before bowing, "Luo Cheng is willing to work for you. Just... I just hope you will help me take care of my little sister. She''s only 9 years old and can''t protect herself..."


    Bai Zemin waved his hand and said indifferently, "As long as you are honest and don''t give me trouble on purpose you will naturally be treated as a subordinate with rights. I will personally take care of protecting your family and if anyone dares to even harm a strand of your little sister''s hair I will make that person regret it in hell."


    "Thank you...thank you..." Luo Cheng bowed profusely and thanked from the bottom of his heart. Although the fear was lingering and the insecurity towards the future was still there, he had no choice but to believe and wait to see if the young man in front of him would keep his word.


    The rest of the militants looked at Bai Zemin fearfully before one suddenly stood up slowly, "Boss, I, Xiao Min, am willing to work for you!"


    Bai Zemin looked at him before casually pointing to another militant, "If you want to follow me then kill him."


    Xiao Min did not hesitate as he picked up the sword and decapitated his former comrade, bathing in his blood as if he were a demon from hell.


    In the end, Bai Zemin gained a total of 4 more subordinates. The rest of the militants were decapitated on the spot and their blood pooled together with their corpses, forming a small pool of blood on the road.


    The reason why Bai Zemin had no qualms about killing these people was because they were all not good birds. If his group had been on the losing side, all of these men would probably have started beating or killing men while physically abusing female students and teachers. It was also for this reason that Shangguan Bing Xue did not try to stop him and for the same reason, Chen He did not complain even though he did not agree with his methods.


    "Only those who are willing to die have the right to kill." It was a phrase that Bai Zemin was quite fond of and applied in this case. Since the militants had bad intentions towards them, then they had to bear the consequences for failing.


    Because he still did not trust the four new recruits, Bai Zemin left them under the care of Fu Xuefen and the rest. With guns in their hands and being considerably high-level evolved, they would have no problem handling four people even if they wanted to go wild.


    ...


    The survivors continued to empty the convenience stores since work had been interrupted by the arrival of the militants. On the other hand, Chen He looked at the Type 54 pistol in his hands with fondness because although it was not his preferred choice, with that firearm he felt thousand times more comfortable.


    With Chen He''s marksmanship and ability, a small-caliber pistol could be even more terrifying than a heavy machine gun in the hands of a novice!


    As for Bai Zemin, he was currently inside a small bungalow a few streets away. If something happened, with his Agility he would be able to arrive on the scene in a matter of seconds to provide support.


    The reason he moved away was that he needed some privacy for what he was going to do next.


    Bai Zemin crouched down and looked at the unconscious Yang Pei for a moment. He made a deep cut on the c.h.e.s.t of the young man who was about the same age as him and seeing that he still did not wake up he threw a handful of salt into the wound.


    The result was immediate.


    Yang Pei''s eyes opened immediately, as big as two saucers. His face distorted like that of a terrifying monster and a roar of pain broke through his throat, bursting through the walls and going beyond.


    He looked at Bai Zemin and barked like a wounded beast: "You bastard!!! I''ll cut you into a thousand pieces and feed you to the pigs!!!"


    Two magic circles flashed on the ground and two white wolves came out from inside. The two summoned beasts seemed to be able to sense their master''s pain as they howled ferociously and lunged at Bai Zemin with their jaws wide open.


    "You really don''t know what''s good for you." Bai Zemin coldly snorted and took a step forward before striking out with both fists.


    When his two fists collided with the two summons, the beasts exploded on the spot without even being able to howl in pain, disappearing from this world completely.


    "Let''s see what you do, little baby." Bai Zemin opened the small pocket on the side of his backpack and carefully pulled out an object.

 Chapter 118 - 24 Hours

    The object that Bai Zemin took out was actually the small mutated plant that he had found about a week ago in the female dormitory after successfully hunting down the First Order Anti-Magic Zombie.


    So far, Bai Zemin was practically 100% sure that this plant was a treasure. However, that small percentage remaining to reach 100% was holding him tightly and he did not dare to eat its fruits. After all, Lilith had already made it clear to him that if it was a harmful mutated plant his body could end up exploding in a mist of blood.


    Just imagining the scene made his hair stand on end.


    The small mutated plant was still the size of a palm but there was a big difference in its overall appearance. This was because in the past there had been five small green fruits and two slightly bigger red fruits; now, however, there were four green fruits and three red fruits.


    During the time of one week, the small mutated plant had been watered by Bai Zemin every day with great care and every time he went to sleep he made sure to leave his backpack near the window at an angle where the moonlight would illuminate it.


    During the day, he made sure that the little plant received enough sunlight and also checked periodically to make sure that the holes in the plastic bottle were large enough so that there would be no problems.


    Now the time had come to see if his efforts were worthwhile or if they were in fact a total waste of time.


    "Lilith, do you think I should use a red one or a green one?" Bai Zemin looked at the plant unsure so he couldn''t help but ask the most important question.


    "Wh-" Yang Pei seemed to have forgotten the pain he felt when the most beautiful being he had ever seen in his entire life appeared out of nowhere like a ghost. His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth moved as if he wanted to say something but in the end no words came out from inside it.


    Lilith didn''t even give him a look and directly treated him as if he was even more insignificant than the air that was everywhere. She stood next to Bai Zemin and looked at the mutated plant before looking at him and responding, "I think you should try the red fruit."


    Bai Zemin nodded with a frown, "Indeed. I was thinking the same thing as you. If it''s something bad, the red fruit will have the worst possible effect... But if it''s something good, then it will be my loss since I will have wasted a fully m.a.t.u.r.e fruit."


    "Loss and gain go hand in hand just like life and death." Lilith shrugged and pointed. This was an irrefutable truth even before the Soul Record arrived on Earth, but after the arrival of this unknown entity, such truth became much more accentuated and evident.


    After listening to Lilith and realizing that they both thought alike, Bai Zemin nodded silently before looking at Yang Pei but seeing his current condition he couldn''t help but laugh.


    "You seem to have him enchanted even without looking at him, Lilith."


    "That''s why men are so boring." She rolled her eyes before looking at him with a seemingly shy slight smile and whispered, "But you look interesting to me."


    Bai Zemin didn''t dare look at her too much at this point. He really couldn''t understand how a being could be so seductive with such an elegant body but at the same time have attitudes that a small, imm.a.t.u.r.e girl who had not yet been contaminated and corrupted by the outside world would have.


    Seizing the opportunity, he took one of the three red fruits carefully before stepping forward and throwing it into Yang Pei''s mouth. The young man who was part of the four leaders of the Four Big Boss Camp had not closed his mouth from the moment Lilith had shown herself.


    Yang Pei''s face changed completely and hurriedly tried to spit out the mutated fruit. But how could Bai Zemin let him do as he pleased? With a strong punch, Yang Pei was forced to swallow the small red fruit along with a few teeth in the process.


    "*Cough!* You bastard! *Cough!* *Cough!* What did you feed me?!" Yang Pei coughed fiercely and barked curses. However, suddenly his face turned completely red and his eyes rolled back before he fainted on the spot.


    Bai Zemin frowned and when checking he realized that in fact, Yang Pei''s temperature had risen and he was now suffering from a high fever.


    "And now what''s wrong?" Bai Zemin scratched his head at a loss. "His body didn''t explode but something good didn''t happen either."


    "Hehehe~ That''s because good always comes hand in hand with bad. Haven''t you understood that yet?" Lilith giggled softly and disappeared from sight not before pointing out, "Tomorrow will probably show the effects of the fruit. Look forward to it."


    Left alone once again, Bai Zemin sighed and picked up the unconscious body while muttering, "At least he didn''t explode in a mist of blood."


    * * *


    The group continued moving in a southerly direction until dusk, traveling approximately thirty kilometers before stopping as the sun was beginning to set and riding through the night was not a good idea.


    Along the way they encountered several obstacles that made the speed of the eight buses and the Dongfang truck extremely slow. After all, all nine were large vehicles so to avoid accidents the drivers had no choice but to exercise caution.


    As Luo Cheng pointed out, the Four Big Boss Camp was only twenty kilometers away from this place in a southeasterly direction. Therefore, before starting to move, Bai Zemin and the rest decided to take a proper rest for the night.


    Inside a five-story hotel.


    Five zombies staggered along the corridor. Their pale faces and white eyes devoid of the sparkle of life along with their blood-stained teeth gave them a grotesque appearance that no one in their right mind would want to approach.


    She opened the palm of her delicate hand and looked at the small seeds lying silently before activating her First Order Plant Empowerment skill.


    Five small seeds glowed and under her command shot out at full speed, breaking the air that tried to slow them down. Before the five zombies could react, a finger-thick hole appeared in the head of each of them, killing them with ease.


    Li Na, Gao Min, and Fan Wu looked at their friend with envious eyes. They too wanted to be able to kill zombies like she did. Too bad, they didn''t have the courage to fight.


    Within half an hour, the five floors of the hotel were cleared of all standing zombies and the survivors dragged the bodies to the rooms on the top floor before locking the doors firmly from the outside.


    Soon, night descended and an important conference was once again underway.

 Chapter 119 - Lili

    The main floor of the hotel was separated into different sections; reception, kitchen, a huge general lounge or shared living room, a restaurant, bathrooms, etc.


    Actually, the group had separated into two parts within the initial floor.


    The first group consisted of almost four hundred people and was formed by all the survivors regardless of whether they were workers or non-workers. Seated at several tables in the area that had been designated as a restaurant in the past, the group was currently eating their respective dinners with enthusiasm.


    However, although those who were unwilling to work and those who did work were together, the differences were obvious if one looked at their bowls. While the leeches or parasites had a bowl filled with white rice, those who did any kind of logistical work enjoyed rice, vegetables, and even a small piece of fresh meat.


    This was the main rule of the group. Those who did not want to work would definitely not starve, but they also had no right to complain and could only eat 3 bowls of white rice or gruel a day with an extra steamed bun at breakfast and in the evening.


    Even if some were unhappy, they knew that complaining would not bring anything good. Today a dozen people had been killed by Bai Zemin and his subordinates so obviously it was better not to provoke them; moreover, seeing how some female students who were rescued from the female dormitory after almost a week of starvation ate with delighted expressions the white rice which they abhorred, some smarter ones realized that perhaps they were more privileged than they thought.


    On the other hand, the second group was far smaller and consisted of just over ten people.


    In the living room of the hotel, separated by a double door from the restaurant, was a large wooden table that had been moved to the center of the room. On the table were all kinds of delicious dishes; fried evolved beast meat, vegetable and meat soup, rice, noodles with different sauces, saut¨¦ed vegetables, baked fish, there were even five big bottles of soda for everyone to help themselves at will.


    The difference between what this group of people ate and the food of those outside the hall was so great that there was no comparison to begin with.


    Sitting at the head end of the table, Bai Zemin looked at the people present one by one; Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Wu Yijun, Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Zhong De, Kang Lan, even Gao Min, Fan Wu, and Li Na were present.


    Although the latter three had no right to be present, because they were good friends with Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun, no one said anything about it. After all, it was natural that as leaders they had privileges and bringing a couple more people was not a problem considering their current rations.


    For example, if Bai Zemin wanted to bring a couple of friends for dinner here, no one would say anything about it since it was his right as someone who fought at the front and as the group''s main fighter.


    "I''d like to hear what opinion you have about the information we got today from the mouths of those road thieves." Bai Zemin finally broke the silence, initiating tonight''s main topic.


    "I think we should try to communicate with them somehow and cooperate." Chen He proposed in a serious voice, "I''m sure if we show the strength of our group those guys who call themselves four big bosses will have to change their attitude toward the survivors."


    "Chen He, are you crazy?" Wu Yijun looked at him in shock and shook her head without hesitation, "Those men abused several women as far as we know until now and have even killed innocents just because of the slightest disturbance or discomfort. How can we cooperate with people like that?"


    Cai Jingyi also shook her head and disagreed with his proposal, "Not only that... Today we killed several militants of the Four Big Bosses Camp group. I don''t think they will take the matter casually."


    Hearing the reasoning of the two women, Chen He became silent and fell into deep contemplation as he somehow realized that the passive and friendly encounter he wanted would not work so easily.


    Finally, Shangguan Bing Xue also expressed her opinion: "I think we should sneak in... Pass ourselves off as normal survivors and study the place before deciding what to do."


    Kang Lan nodded in agreement and pointed out, "Although our group is strong, we can''t forget that they have over fifty men armed with modern firearms while we only have five Type 54 pistols with less than forty rounds of ammunition in total. It would be better to be a little cautious to prevent major problems."


    Bai Zemin tapped his finger on the table softly as he fell into deep contemplation before looking at the person standing behind him as if she were his personal servant.


    "What does it look like to you, Lili?"


    Everyone''s strange gaze fell on the woman of seemingly average appearance but with a bombshell body that could not be hidden by her baggy dress.


    This person was, of course, Lilith. She had suppressed her charm as much as possible and her beautiful face had been changed to that of a slightly above average woman before showing herself to everyone.


    The explanation was simple and Bai Zemin said that she was a solitary survivor who had hidden herself in the hotel''s storeroom, where there were a few food reserves. However, everyone found the closeness with which the two acted very strange considering that they had only met a few hours before.


    Still, no one mentioned anything about it and no further questions were asked despite the suspicion.


    Although Lilith had the appearance of an average European woman, her charming aura as a Higher Existence could not be completely suppressed. Therefore, no matter whether it was Chen He or any other male survivor, everyone secretly stole glances at her.


    "Before I answer your question, may I know if you, master, intends to take control of the Four Big Bosses Camp or simply try to cooperate with the three leaders?" Lilith, who was currently acting as a survivor named Lili, asked in a respectful voice.


    Bai Zemin almost choked while drinking a glass of sprite when he heard the way she referred to him. The others couldn''t help but give him strange looks and Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him as if he was a pervert.


    Secretly gritting his teeth and ignoring the strange looks he was receiving, he replied in a normal voice, "I want to take control of the entire camp. From firearms to supplies and survivors. Everything!"


    Everyone''s face changed slightly, the exception being Wu Yijun and Shangguan Bing Xue, who had a look that suggested saying, "It turned out that way in the end."


    On the other hand, Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De looked at each other and could not help but smile while sighing in relief. Since Bai Zemin decided to conquer the place, once he tasted the feeling of ruling it was highly implausible that he would surrender to the old Chinese government.

 Chapter 120 - Infiltrating into the human camp

    "I see." Continuing in her role as Bai Zemin''s personal servant, Lilith thought for a moment before explaining her idea, "I think the two ladies'' words are correct and the best option is to infiltrate. Pretending to be an ordinary survivor you can not only get information about the important checkpoints that need to be attacked first, but you can also gather manpower from the inside."


    "That idea is great!" Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes glittered and looked at her appreciatively, "If what that man named Luo Cheng and the rest said is true, then many survivors must be unhappy due to the way they are treated by the camp leaders but without receiving proper food. If we can bring them to our side they can certainly be of much help in case of need."


    Bai Zemin remained silent for a minute or two until he finally decided, "Then so be it. Tomorrow when the sun rises, Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De will come with me to the Four Big Bosses Camp and we will pretend to be survivors to study the area before finally launching an attack to take control of the village."


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned and asked in confusion, "Why only the three of you?"


    Bai Zemin looked at her for a moment and replied in a flat voice, "You, Wu Yijun, and Chen He are no good."


    "What do you mean?" Wu Yijun looked at him with a playful smile, apparently already knowing the answer.


    "You would attract too much attention." Bai Zemin shrugged and said casually, "You two are too beautiful women and Chen He is too handsome. On the other hand, Fu Xuefeng, Zhong De, and me are just average at best and won''t attract anyone''s attention after a few simple arrangements."


    Hearing Bai Zemin''s reply, Chen He unconsciously felt a little embarrassed but at the same time slightly proud because of his appearance. As for Shangguan Bing Xue, she finally silently accepted his reasoning and was secretly a little surprised as Bai Zemin was not praising her on her appearance; he was simply stating facts with complete indifference.


    Even if she didn''t particularly care about her appearance, Shangguan Bing Xue was a very smart woman and naturally knew that to men she was beautiful to the point where she sometimes appeared to be dazzling. Therefore, it was a rarity for someone not to praise her or actively try to court her. For a split second, she even thought that maybe they could be friends.


    "You think so?" Wu Yijun stared at him and said with an honest expression, "I think you''re quite handsome if we''re talking physically... Especially lately."


    Bai Zemin chuckled and shook his head, reluctant to comment on the matter. He knew better than anyone that his appearance wasn''t dazzling by any means, but it wasn''t bad either; it was just that he didn''t think a beauty like Wu Yijun, who had seen handsome men like Chen He since she was a child, would think he was handsome.


    Lilith looked at him from behind and secretly laughed. Bai Zemin might not notice it himself and even for the people around him, it would be different to notice it as the gradual change was hard to see. However, she could notice how very slowly, his appearance improved little by little; the more he leveled up, the more it improved.


    The reason Wu Yijun said that especially lately was due to Bai Zemin''s jump to First Order, a great milestone for any existence.


    During dinner, they discussed a few more details and when everyone had eaten their fill they went to sleep comfortably. For the first time in half a month, everyone had beds to sleep in so practically every survivor went to sleep with a smile.


    Something that used to be normal could now bring them so much joy... This was another proof that human beings really didn''t know how to enjoy the small details.


    * * *


    After a refreshing night''s sleep after such an eventful day of riding in which they were even threatened by a group of militants with guns, all the survivors inside the hotel woke up and the people in charge of food began to prepare breakfast.


    Since the site was approximately twenty kilometers away from the village where the Four Big Bosses Camp was located, all activities that required going out were ceased to avoid being noticed.


    As for Bai Zemin; he was currently sitting in the back seat of a pickup truck that had been taken yesterday from the militants.


    All three wore tattered clothes with dusty faces and disheveled hair. The stink was so unbearable that they looked like someone who hadn''t bathed for at least a week and if it wasn''t for the fact that the three of them had already gotten used to the nauseating smell of blood and organs every time they killed zombies, they couldn''t have endured it for that long.


    No matter how much one looked at them, they definitely looked like wanderers; survivors who managed to evade being eaten by sheer luck and coincidence.


    After about thirty minutes, Bai Zemin looked ahead and ordered, "Zhong De, stop the pickup truck here."


    Without hesitation, Zhong De stopped the pickup truck at the edge of the road next to a small building.


    Bai Zemin got out, followed by the other two, and they entered the building. He hid most of the contents of his fat backpack before taking a large plastic bag and putting in a small bag with 300 grams of rice and a carton of milk before stepping out again and continuing the ride south.


    Ten minutes later, Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and saw that a hundred meters ahead there were several wooden fences surrounding a small village as well as what appeared to be a watchtower about five meters high constructed with wood.


    Two militants who were joking with each other without much concern seemed to be the custodians of the gate. Hearing the sound of the approaching engine, the two immediately became alert and raised their guns.


    "Stop the vehicle and get down slowly or else we will shoot!" One of the militants shouted loudly.


    Zhong De looked at Bai Zemin and seeing him nod slightly stopped the vehicle gradually until it came to a complete stop about ten meters far from the entrance to the village.


    "Fu Xuefeng, you talk with them." Bai Zemin ordered and got out without waiting for a reply. As he got off the vehicle, he narrowed his eyes slightly and realized that the firearm in the militants'' hands was actually two Type 79 submachine guns.


    Although it was an old weapon that began to be mass-produced in the year 1983, it was a relatively powerful gun as it was capable of shooting up to 1000 rounds per minute... Of course, this would only be possible if it were not for its 20 round magazine capacity.


    Still, with two Type 79 submachine guns at the forefront, even Zhong De and Fu Xuefeng could die if they were not careful.

 Chapter 121 - Luo Ning

    "Four eyes, are you f.u.c.k.i.n.g deaf?!" The militant who warned before yelled when he saw that Fu Xuefeng still didn''t get off the pickup truck and stepped forward, "If you don''t get off the damn car in five seconds I''ll fill you with holes and feed you to the pigs!"


    Fu Xuefeng finally reacted and quickly got off the vehicle. Being pointed at by such a weapon, his legs trembled and his face turned pale with fear. This was a Type 79 submachine gun, it was a completely different gun compared to the Type 54 pistol with which the militants assaulted them yesterday!


    "Move." Bai Zemin whispered softly and walked forward followed closely by the other two.


    "Damn, wasting our time." The militant from before grumbled again before looking the three up and down with a frown, "Where did you three come from? What are you coming to this place to do? This territory belongs to the Four Big Bosses!"


    Fu Xuefeng looked at Bai Zemin subtly before he began to explain stammering, "W-We three are survivors from Beijing University. we escaped by fortune a few days ago and went into hiding..."


    The reason Bai Zemin made Fu Xuefeng speak was precisely because of the nerves he felt. The militants could tell something was wrong if he or Zhong De spoke too much, after all, neither of them was actors and were too calm by nature.


    As Fu Xuefeng answered questions, Bai Zemin scanned the surroundings subtly and was secretly surprised.


    The wooden fences were useless for defending the village as a single evolved beast could easily tear them out of the ground. However, for normal low-level zombies that had no strength, these wooden fences were a major obstacle that could buy some time for the survivors.


    In the streets, there were occasional people passing by wearing somewhat dirty and tattered clothes. The expressions of almost everyone were dark and their eyes glittered with fear as they cautiously looked around.


    Most people were sitting outside their homes, staring at nothing with dead faces. Occasionally someone would squirm on the ground clutching their stomach hungrily, which was a clear sign that all these people had eaten too little or even nothing for quite some time.


    "Hey! What are you bringing inside that bag!" The other militant seemed to be bored when he noticed the plastic bag in Bai Zemin''s hands and immediately inquired loudly.


    "Damn, is this guy mute or something?" The second militant muttered and casually looked inside the bag without much expectation. However, when he and his buddy saw the small bag with rice and the milk carton, their eyes lit up.


    The first militant grabbed the small bag of rice and weighed it with his hand casually before exclaiming, "Damn it! It is more than 200 grams of white rice!"


    The second militant also looked surprised and snatched the bag of rice from him to check it by himself.


    In the camp, supplies were tightly controlled by the strongest of the four bosses, Ye Qigang. Normally, a person who did not work could only eat some rice made into mush diluted with water to form something similar to gruel but consisting mainly of water.


    Except for the militants with guns who went out to risk their lives to fetch supplies, everyone inside the village was slowly starving to death. The four bosses obviously had no idea how to lead so many people as they did not even delegate jobs to give the village some brightness and order.


    Even for these two militants guarding the entrance 500 grams of rice was small wealth. Working all day standing guard, they could at most earn 40 grams of rice each.


    Bai Zemin''s eyes glittered coldly. Although he already expected something like this, the brazen robbery still upset him. For the past half month, no one had dared to speak to him in such a tone, let alone try to steal from him, so naturally, his patience was wearing thin... But he endured and said nothing.


    The militants looked at each other before looking at the three of them. The first militant to speak said in a deep voice: "As we are magnanimous, we will not examine your belongings and you can leave with that milk carton. As a token of kindness, let me tell you that west of town there are a few free houses still, you can use those."


    Without waiting for a reply, the other militant waved his hand impatiently, "Hurry up and get out of here, you smell really gross!"


    "Big brother Bai, why don''t we just explode their heads and take over their guns?" Zhong De clenched his fists and cursed under his breath, "Damn those two dogs. A single blow from my fists is enough to make their heads explode into meat pulp but they dare to treat us like puppies?"


    Bai Zemin laughed coldly and replied as he walked towards the south of the village, "Don''t worry. When we get control of this whole place I''ll see to it that they spit out those five hundred grams of rice completely even if I have to make them work as mules!"


    Considering the rations they had, five hundred grams of rice could not be considered too much. However, no one would feel good if they were robbed and then acted as if nothing had happened; let alone Bai Zemin, who was slowly getting used to being in a power position.


    * * *


    The village was not very large and in the past, only about sixty or seventy families lived there. However, due to the search for supplies carried out periodically by the four bosses, the number of survivors had increased exponentially so that makeshift huts had to be built.


    Bai Zemin and the rest saw how a group of young children between eight and fourteen years old ran barefoot everywhere. They were all looking for small bugs that had not yet begun to mutate or tree bark to fill their empty stomachs. As the world changed, these children were also forced to change and leave their innocence behind to adapt to the new rules if they wanted to survive.


    After walking for about five minutes, the group of three stopped in front of an ordinary-looking small house. The door was firmly closed but from outside they could hear a sweet voice singing like a happy bird coming from inside, which was a sharp contrast to the scene outside.


    When Bai Zemin knocked softly on the wooden door and took a step back, the singing stopped and a sweet childish voice rang out, "One second please!"


    A moment later, the door opened and the head of a little girl peeked out who immediately looked at them with her big eyes filled with curiosity.


    "This... Hello! My name is Luo Ning, may I know what do you need?"

 Chapter 122 - Three Big Bosses!

    Bai Zemin looked at the girl in front of him with the same degree of curiosity she seemed to feel as she looked at them.


    She was small, her body thin and petite without any sign of maturity, which was completely normal considering she was only nine years old. Her hair was as black as ink and her face extremely pretty like that of a porcelain doll. But the most striking thing was her eyes.


    On the way here, Bai Zemin had seen other children and easily noticed that they all had cunning looks as they scanned the surroundings; like little foxes waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch an assault.


    However, the eyes of the little girl in front of him were like two shining gems free of any impurity, it was as if even when the outside world had turned into hell it was incapable of staining her heart.


    Just as she was happily singing a few moments ago inside the small house, it was as if the inside and outside were different dimensions,


    Apparently that Luo Cheng guy did a good job taking care of his little sister. Bai Zemin silently analyzed as he crouched down to be at the girl''s level.


    "You are Luo Ning? My name is Bai Zemin and these two are my friends Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De." Bai Zemin smiled for the first time in a long time, a real smile and not a fake or forced one. "Your big brother''s name is Luo Cheng, isn''t it?"


    Luo Ning''s eyes shone with a hint of caution and she unconsciously stepped back slightly before cautiously asking, "This... Elder brothers, you are people sent by the four big village bosses? My big brother left yesterday morning but he still hasn''t returned so..."


    Seeing the girl''s wariness, Bai Zemin took out the milk carton and held it forward as he said, "Actually, we are friends with your brother Luo Cheng. We met yesterday a few kilometers from here and we get along well."


    "Oh..." The girl looked at the milk carton and swallowed softly. She obviously wanted it but still shook her head, "Elder brother, where is my brother?"


    Bai Zemin didn''t insist and gave the milk carton to Zhong De to look after before saying, "I''ll take you to him tonight if you want. For now, how about giving me a walk around? I''d like to get to know the village more, if you''re not too busy."


    Luo Ning hesitated as she had heard her big brother Luo Cheng told her not to leave the house without him present. But it had been more than a day since he had left and there had been no news from him, so she was worried; after all, without her big brother she would not be able to survive alone in this world since he was her only source of dependability.


    Besides, she somehow knew that the person in front of her would not hurt her. As for how such a thing was possible when she had just met him, it was unknown.


    "Okay! Luo Ning will take you for a walk!" She closed the door and locked it with a small key she took out of her pocket before taking Bai Zemin''s hand with a sweet smile.


    The girl didn''t seem to mind the smell on his body and didn''t seem to be on guard either as she started walking pulling Bai Zemin''s hand while pointing out some places.


    "That''s the place where the village fighters gather every day before going out to look for supplies or people."


    "This is where Boss Lei Su lives. Big brother, don''t tell anyone but actually Boss Lei Su is a pervert with more than ten wives!"


    "This is the village square and the bosses often gather the other survivors to give orders. It is also used as a gathering point every night where a big pot of food is made and distributed to the survivors!"


    ...


    Bai Zemin walked hand in hand with Luo Ning, and the girl enthusiastically introduced the main places of the village. Her cheerful and lively attitude attracted a lot of attention as there were often survivors turning to look at her in astonishment, as if they could not believe that in such chaos there was a person who could act in such a way.


    Following them from behind, Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De were secretly surprised as this was the first time they had seen the normally cold and cruel Bai Zemin have such a gentle expression on his face.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, in the most luxurious villa of the village, an important discussion was taking place amidst a dark and heavy atmosphere.


    Sitting on a couch and enjoying the tender hands of a woman massaging his shoulders, a burly man of about 35 years old had a grim expression on his scarred face.


    This man was actually Ye Qigang, the strongest of the four camp leaders as well as the man with the most authority.


    On another couch, to Ye Qigang''s right, a middle-aged man was enjoying touching the b.r.e.a.s.ts of two pretty women who had barely entered their thirties. His appearance was quite decent in comparison to Ye Qigang''s deformed face, however, the truth was that this man was actually cruel and sadistic.


    This man was Lei Su and it was said that more than three women had already died at his hands because they could not tolerate his "games" in bed.


    At the left, on another small couch, a man between 25 and 30 years old with a monkey-like appearance was constantly looking around with cautious eyes. He was the only one without a woman accompanying him; this man was the third village boss, Du Meng.


    "What about Yang Pei?" Lei Su casually asked as he continued to c.a.r.e.s.s the two women''s b.r.e.a.s.ts. A strange smile formed on his lips and he laughed rampantly, "That idiot couldn''t have amused himself with some booty? Hahaha!"


    "I don''t think that''s it..." Ye Qigang ignored Lei Su''s jokes and shook his head.


    Although Lei Su was a bit perverted and somewhat crazy, he was brave and could fight well so Ye Qigang tolerated him to the extent possible.


    "I have a bad feeling." Ye Qigang muttered and the room went silent immediately.


    Even Lei Su stopped playing and his expression changed slightly.


    In the past, Ye Qigang had had several "bad feelings" and it was thanks to this that the three of them along with Yang Pei had managed to escape trouble. Even when the Soul Record came to Earth, it was thanks to Ye Qigang that the three of them were able to survive. Therefore, every time something happened, Lei Su and Du Meng knew that it was no time for jokes.


    Ye Qigang waved his hand and the woman behind him stopped massaging him. He stood up and said in a deep voice: "Du Meng, prepare your men and scout the surrounding areas but don''t go too far away. Lei Su, take twenty men and go up north... It is possible that Yang Pei has encountered problems and if that''s the case he might need help."


    Du Meng stood up without a word and went out the front door.


    As for Lei Su, he licked his lips and ran out anxiously since every time he went out if he found some pretty woman he could have fun first.

 Chapter 123 - Chen Hes determination and Lei Sus death!

    As they walked through the streets of the village, Bai Zemin noticed that little Luo Ning often looked back before quickly turning her eyes forward.


    At first, he was confused by the girl''s behavior but soon understood and could not help but laugh lightly.


    "Zhong De, give that to the little girl." Bai Zemin stopped his steps and gestured backwards.


    Zhong De chuckled as he too had seen Luo Ning''s eyes fixed on the milk carton so he took a step forward and gave it to her.


    Luo Ning blushed but took the milk carton. She nodded prettily and thanked him softly, "Thank you..."


    Although Luo Cheng had taken care of her to the best of his ability, with the change in the world it was impossible for Luo Ning''s life to go back to the way it was before. With the daily payment that Luo Cheng received she could eat enough rice to not feel hungry and also had access to some vegetables, but things like meat or luxuries like milk were not something he, a normal militant, could access.


    In the past, drinking a milk carton during breakfast or break time at school was normal, but Luo Ning had almost forgotten the taste after half a month of not even seeing a carton.


    Seeing the girl drinking with enthusiasm, the passing survivors looked at her with envy. Most of them were starving so Luo Ning''s situation was too good in comparison.


    Suddenly, the crowd became agitated as several armed men appeared running with a small man in the lead.


    "That''s Boss Du Meng." Luo Ning whispered softly and held onto Bai Zemin''s hand as she said, "My big brother told me that he is the most mysterious of the four bosses as he usually never speaks. But it is said that he is very fast, like a ghost that appears and disappears."


    Bai Zemin nodded silently and gently squeezed her small hand in thanks for the information. He narrowed his eyes as he hid in the crowd of survivors and observed Du Meng carefully.


    "Everyone! Starting today, a curfew will be put in place until further notice for everyone''s safety!" Du Meng shouted loudly. His voice was similar to two sandpapers clashing together, extremely uncomfortable to listen to, "Today''s meal will now be served and everyone will return in an orderly fashion to their homes!"


    The survivors looked at each other in confusion. It was barely after ten o''clock in the morning but they already had to return to their homes? Although some had complaints, none dared voice them and they nodded obediently. After all, for such measures to be implemented there were probably serious problems.


    Besides, no survivor had the courage to oppose the four village bosses. Those who had the courage had already been beheaded or cut into pieces and thrown into the pigs to be eaten.


    Du Meng nodded to himself as he heard no strange whispers and waved his hand. Behind him, a group of people came out carrying several carts and other cooking utensils along with a huge pot.


    One militant stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Line up to get today''s food! Whoever does not obey or does not line up orderly will be thrown to the zombies!"


    The survivors trembled in fear upon hearing the threat and began to line up orderly with their heads down. Even Luo Ning was scared and unconsciously clung to Bai Zemin''s arm tightly.


    As the survivors received their rations, which were basically a few grains of rice with water and nothing else, the sound of several engines roaring in the distance attracted everyone''s attention.


    Two buses, two trucks, and four pickup trucks sped past, disappearing in a short time in the direction of the exit. The survivors panicked, thinking the zombies were approaching, so they quickly began to eat before rushing to their homes and locking the doors tightly from the inside.


    Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and looked at the place where the convoy of vehicles had disappeared with a thoughtful look. A few seconds later he ordered, "Let''s go."


    Zhong De and Fu Xuefeng nodded before quickly following Bai Zemin,


    In the distance, Du Meng narrowed his eyes and looked at the milk carton in Luo Ning''s hands. His thoughtful gaze had a strange glint in it before he gave an order to a militant beside him.


    Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow in surprise but did not stop his steps and continued walking towards the house where Luo Ning and Luo Cheng lived. His lips curved into a cold smile that was impossible to detect.


    * * *


    Twenty kilometers away from the camp.


    Chen He was lying on the roof of a building. In his hands was a pair of binoculars they had taken the day before from the militants, looking off into the distance with a grave expression.


    Several hundred meters away, a convoy of vehicles that had barely been modified was rapidly approaching, raising a cloud of dust behind them like a wild beast.


    "It''s Lei Su!" Luo Cheng exclaimed in a grim voice, his body in the same position as Chen He and holding a pair of binoculars. "That man in front is one of the three camp bosses, Lei Su. He is even stronger than Yang Pei and bullets can''t penetrate his defenses when he activates his Steel Armor skill!"


    Lei Su was sitting in the passenger seat in one of the pickup trucks leading the way. Chen He could even see through the binoculars a wild smile filled with arrogance as if he was not worried about anything in the world.


    Chen He could not help but remember when at the beginning of the apocalypse Bai Zemin told him that his attitude would not only end up killing him, but would also end up hurting those he loved because of his insecurity.


    Every militant was armed and there were at least twenty men inside the different vehicles. If they continued on this path would definitely reach the hotel where the group was currently staying and with so many people it would be impossible not to be noticed unless they were given time to hide, something which considering the situation they lacked.


    The problem had arisen from the fact that none of them had expected the main leader Ye Qigang to be so cunning and clever, which made things difficult up to this point.


    Chen He sighed and pulled out the Type 54 pistol from his waist, "So, if he doesn''t activate his skill, that fellow is no big deal, isn''t he?"


    Luo Cheng lowered the binoculars and looked at him in surprise, "Yeah, well... No matter what, Lei Su is still just a human just like us."


    "Then it''s okay." Chen He nodded and aimed forward.


    300 meters


    200 meters


    Chen He sighed to himself and whispered, "Don''t blame me, I have no choice but to do it."


    Then, with a look brimming conviction, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    ...


    "Hahahaha!" Lei Su laughed jovially and tapped the board of the vehicle. In his mind, he was already imagining the scene of him having fun with several beautiful women and thinking about what kind of games he should try this time.


    The eyes of the militant driving the pickup truck flashed with disgust but he didn''t dare to show it openly and continued driving silently.


    Bang!


    Suddenly there was a sound of gunfire from the front and the front window of the vehicle cracked. But the militant driving was more concerned about the hot liquid that had splashed on his right cheek out of nowhere.


    The militant looked out of the corner of his eyes in a split second and his face turned white as a sheet at what he saw.


    Lei Su, who was laughing like crazy a second ago, had a bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead. Blood ran down his face uncontrollably and his expression had frozen while his lifeless eyes were wide open filled with disbelief even in the face of death.

 Chapter 124 - Confrontation!

    "Sh-Shit!" The driver of the pickup truck leading the convoy''s path panicked and pushed on the brakes with a thump.


    The wheels of the pickup truck stopped immediately but the vehicle continued to move forward due to the remaining momentum. The rear end swayed as the sound of the braking thundered through the clearing.


    The vehicles behind also heard the gunshot and upon seeing the lead vehicle come to an abrupt stop, the drivers also pushed hard on the brakes.


    The sound of braking echoed everywhere and some vehicles that did not have a great distance with the vehicle in front crashed noisily into each other. The street that had been silent several days ago when humans were hiding from the zombies had suddenly become noisy and chaotic like a movie scene.


    "Dead! Boss Lei Su died!" The militant in the first pickup truck got out in panic and started screaming in alarm as he crouched behind the vehicle, looking around in fear.


    The militants were frightened when they heard the gunshot, but upon hearing the news of the death of the main leader in this team they all began to panic.


    "A sniper!"


    "Take cover quickly!"


    "Damn it! Even boss Lei Su was killed how are we supposed to survive!"


    Clutching their guns, the militants began yelling as they were shooting at the buildings in front of them. Although none of them knew where the "sniper" was, they had heard roughly where the shot came from.


    With more than twenty men firing, the bullets seemed like a golden storm of metal hitting and destroying everything in their path. The windows of some houses or buildings were shattered into pieces, walls were filled with small holes, some vehicles were turned into sieves, etc.


    Type 89 submachine gun, Type 81 rifle, Type 54 pistol, etc. All kinds of guns were fired uncontrollably, wasting ammunition recklessly to shake off the fear of the unknown.


    From the top of a building just over a hundred meters away, Chen He and Luo Cheng sought cover while looking at the development with surprise.


    "What happened?!" Chen He asked aloud. His face was pale as a sheet due to his first kill but the adrenaline coursing through his veins kept him alert.


    He did not expect that just one shot would be enough to make the enemy group, which consisted of more than twenty men armed with all kinds of firearms and enough ammunition to wipe out the entire group of survivors in the hotel, collapse so easily.


    Chen He had only two Type 54 pistols with fifteen rounds of ammunition in total, one of which had already been used to kill Lei Su before. He was preparing to fight to the death but apparently, it was not necessary.


    "Although they all have guns, they are not soldiers with military training." Luo Cheng pointed out with a bitter smile. Because of the gunfire, he also had to raise his voice: "Each of them in the past was a farmer, businessman, journalist, and who knows what else. But when the apocalypse broke out, only by having a gun could they feel safe."


    The four bosses had recruited more than fifty men and armed them after raiding the police station near the village. These militants could fight zombies because they were slow and with guns, they didn''t need to get close to them at the risk of being infected.


    However, when facing other humans it was different. Especially when the enemy was able to kill one of the bosses so easily.


    With his Sniper skill, Chen He''s marksmanship was terrifying to the point where he was confident to hit a zombie in the head even from two hundred meters away with a pistol. However, due to the lack of a suitable weapon, he had not been able to show his strength properly in the first two weeks of the apocalypse.


    However, as his weaponry improved, he would naturally become more powerful.


    "Enemy!"


    "Fire!"


    ...


    Suddenly the militants roared and began to shoot all in the same direction. When Chen He looked towards the spot he realized in fright that Shangguan Bing Xue was running in irregular patterns dodging bullets while taking cover from different obstacles along the way.


    "Die at once you f.u.c.k.i.n.g monster!" A militant had bloodshot eyes as he fired in uninterrupted bursts. The fear of the unknown and seeing the enemy''s ghostly speed was driving him insane.


    Swoosh!


    Although she was fast and the militants could barely aim properly as she moved relentlessly, it was inevitable that a bullet or two would hit her. However, when those bullets did hit her they were stopped by her Combat Dress Rare grade treasure.


    It was precisely because of this treasure that she dared to charge into a hail of bullets. Otherwise, even she would not be crazy enough to do something that could definitely cost her life.


    Chen He gritted his teeth and raised the Type 54 pistol, aiming at a militant who seemed to have lost his sanity. With an extra ''bang'' sound. the militant''s brains were sent flying and stained the ground creating a bloody mess.


    Immediately after, a hail of bullets was directed in his direction as he had been caught, forcing him into a passive position where he dared not raise his head casually; although he too was quick and his aim terrifying, a shot in the head would give him the same fate suffered by Lei Su earlier.


    With a target now clear, the militants began to calm down a bit and one of them seemed to take the temporary lead as bullets began to be used wisely. Instead of firing relentlessly, steady bursts began to be fired every few seconds.


    Although the saving of ammunition was obvious, the pressure on the enemy would also become less strong as a consequence. Besides, even so, the ammunition would soon run out; after all, although Lei Su was one of the bosses he could not bring too much with him and they only had about two thousand ammunition in a total of which more than five hundred had been wasted when the battle broke out.


    Shangguan Bing Xue continued to dodge between the buildings and cars, constantly throwing weapons created with her Ice Maker skill at the enemy. After five minutes she had already claimed the lives of ten militants but even then her face remained impassive.


    Because she attracted the most attention, Chen He had managed to take out two other militants but in an oversight was shot in the arm.


    Seeing Shangguan Bing Xue charging like an unstoppable killing machine, the five militants on their feet knew they could not stop her so they immediately threw their weapons to the ground and knelt down.


    "We surrender!"


    "We are surrendering! Don''t kill me!"


    "We were just following orders to survive!"


    ...


    None of them wanted to die, it was in the DNA genetics of every living being. Therefore, seeing Shangguan Bing Xue being immune to bullets, using terrifying skills, and her frightening speed, the remaining militants seemed to wake up and without hesitation surrendered.

 Chapter 125 - Massacre (Part 1)

    Shangguan Bing Xue also did not continue massacring and reduced the five unarmed militants with ease.


    Soon after, Kang Lan and Cai Jingyi appeared on the scene.


    As the only healer, Kang Lan used her skill on Chen He''s wounded arm once. As for the second time, she did not dare to use it in case Bai Zemin or someone else needed help. No one said anything regarding this and Chen He thanked her with a polite smile, to which she responded by nodding calmly.


    As for Cai Jingyi, she along with Shangguan Bing Xue and Luo Cheng were asking questions to the five militants who had been tied with strings tightly. After all, the convoy''s appearance had been too sudden and everyone assumed that Bai Zemin might have encountered some problems.


    Unfortunately, the only one who might know something about it was Lei Su but his head had already been exploded by Chen He even before the battle fully erupted.


    Fortunately, just when Shangguan Bing Xue was about to suggest charging into the village and taking advantage of the fact that the enemy forces had been weakened, Fu Xuefeng appeared like a ghost in front of everyone before anyone noticed.


    "Big brother Bai also doesn''t know why there was such a big move suddenly." Fu Xuefeng looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and shook his head before saying confidently, "However, he sent me to say that tonight the village will be conquered by him."


    "Do he need us to do anything?" Chen He asked with a slight grimace of pain. Although the wound had stopped bleeding, it was still there and the pain persisted. This was the first time he had ever been shot or found himself in a crossfire with other humans so fear still struck his heart.


    Fu Xuefeng looked at him and said with a mocking smile, "Big brother Bai said that you just have to block the exit of the village. He will take care of cleaning up the trash."


    Cai Jingyi nodded and said confidently, "With his strength, he can easily take care of the whole village. Even if it''s thirty armed men."


    Kang Lan looked at her and chuckled under her breath, "Although your statement is quite bold considering it''s thirty machine guns and other guns against one unarmed human being, I can''t find words to refute what you said."


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at the two girls and shook her head, "Let''s prepare just in case."


    The chatter stopped and everyone began to prepare in case Bai Zemin needed help. Fu Xuefeng could easily return to the village unnoticed using his Stealth skill, but Bai Zemin had told him that it wasn''t necessary so he decided to stay and help out here.


    * * *


    Back at the Four Big Bosses Camp, Bai Zemin was looking over the house where Luo Ning and Luo Cheng had been living.


    It was a normal house, had two rooms, a living room that also functioned as a dining room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Although it didn''t have many luxuries and the TV channels were dead, everything was properly tidy and it was hard to find even a speck of dust on the furniture.


    "Luo Ning, you keep this place clean all by yourself?" Bai Zemin looked at her as she wiped a flannel cloth on the wooden table and couldn''t help but let his eyes light up with a hint of praise.


    "Mm!" The girl nodded happily and replied while humming a nursery rhyme, "Big brother is too busy killing zombies, so I cook what I can and clean the house too. I have nothing to do anyway and going out is dangerous so at least I can entertain myself like this."


    "That''s... Quite admirable for a girl your age." Bai Zemin stood up and began to help the girl as they chatted about casual matters. Suddenly, he felt it was a regret that he hadn''t brought more things with him or asked Fu Xuefeng to bring some cakes when brought his sword today.


    ...


    As night fell, Luo Ning prepared the dinner... Although it was actually simple.


    She looked at the white rice with half a sausage in Bai Zemin''s bowl and lowered her head as she whispered softly, "Elder brother, I''m so sorry... Currently, our family only has this."


    Actually, a meal with some meat was very luxurious and the sausage that Luo Ning had cooked was a rarity that Luo Cheng had obtained only because he discovered a storage cellar with provisions in the past and the four bosses "generously rewarded" him. That sausage was the best she could make at present and usually she only ate rice with some bread.


    Bai Zemin looked at the food on the table and his eyes had a complicated glint in them.


    For the past two weeks, he had eaten like a king. Meat, fish, vegetables, legumes... Basically, he had everything he would like to have. However, it was only when he saw the bowl in front of him that he really realized how lucky he was.


    "Don''t worry, little girl." He smiled softly and as he put the white rice in his mouth, he replied, "My family didn''t have much money before either so eating rice or noodles alone was an occasional occurrence."


    He wasn''t lying. He really wasn''t picky about food. It was just that sometimes one needed a small reminder in the present so as not to forget the past.


    The current Bai Zemin had already showered and Luo Ning had given him some of Luo Cheng''s clothes, so he did not feel uncomfortable. Under such an atmosphere, the two ate while occasionally saying a few words.


    As for Zhong De, he had another mission currently so he was not present.


    Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. Even more so in this new apocalyptic world.


    [Blood Will: 1.2%/50%]


    Bai Zemin lowered his chopsticks softly and looked out the window. However, all he saw was darkness.


    "Just in time... I really need to release some frustration." He muttered under his breath.


    "Eh?" Luo Ning looked at him and tilted her head in confusion, "Did you say something?"


    He stood up and under the girl''s confused eyes, he whispered, "Sleep for now, little Luo Ning. When you wake up, I''ll let you eat as much as you want until you go with a happy smile to bed."


    Before the little girl could respond, Bai Zemin pressed a specific point on her neck and she closed her eyes, falling unconscious seconds later. His Special Forces Soldier skill was truly incredible, as it had a lot of knowledge about different martial arts and about the human body. Therefore, it was easy for him to put a person to sleep without hurting her in any way.


    Four militants appeared at the windows with grenades in their hands. After removing the safety catch, they threw them inside without any hesitation.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The grenades exploded like thunder in the middle of the night and the small house collapsed completely after losing the support of several steel beams.


    Just as the militants stopped firing at the sight of the destruction, a shadow shot out like a whirlwind from within the cloud of dust and the pile of rubble.

 Chapter 126 - Massacre (Part 2-Last)

    A militant signaled and the shooting stopped immediately. Looking at the collapsed house turned into rubble covered by a thick cloud of dust rising into the night sky, he sneered:


    "Heh... Although I don''t understand why Boss Du Meng ordered us to kill that girl and that brat, it really is a waste of ammunition and grenades."


    The amount of ammunition the four bosses had managed to obtain after raiding the local police station had been about twenty thousand rounds along with a few grenades. However, after the constant confrontation against the zombies and the constant raids in search of resources, the arsenal had been greatly reduced and now there were just over ten thousand rounds of ammunition.


    After all, while it was true that zombies were slow and a shot in the head meant death, the militants were not soldiers with military training; they were just a random mafia gathering to fight.


    It was absolutely and utterly impossible that the militants, most of whom had never fired a gun before, could hit every shot. In fact, 99% of the time the bullets missed their target or hit other parts of the zombies'' bodies and only 1% of the time did a bullet hit the brain accurately.


    Therefore, the waste of ammunition was incredibly high. It was precisely for this reason that the militants did not understand why Du Meng had sent more than a dozen gunmen and even grenades to a little girl''s house.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the dust burst open and rubble flew everywhere. The militants panicked and quickly raised their guns again, but all they saw was a sharp flash of light shining in the middle of the starless night.


    The militant who had previously spoken felt his world spinning and was shocked to see his body standing headless with blood gushing from his neck. His life was completely over even before his head touched the ground.


    Right behind the corpse, Bai Zemin was holding his immaculate Xuanyuan Sword in his right hand. In his embrace and resting on his left arm, little Luo Ning who was only nine years old was sleeping soundly like a little angel.


    Even after the earlier shooting, the explosions of four grenades, and the collapse of the house, both Bai Zemin and Luo Ning were unscathed, and not even a fleck of dust had touched their bodies.


    "How sc.u.mbag do you have to be to target a little girl?" his cold voice rang out in the middle of the night and his indifferent eyes were demon-like from the militants'' point of view.


    "Holy sh- F-Fire!" A militant roared in fright and everyone began to shoot in a hurry.


    The muzzles of the Type 79 submachine guns spat bullet after bullet relentlessly in the direction of the two young people. No militant seemed concerned about the little girl or even the young man who was old enough to be the son of some of them. To survive such an earlier assault, it was obvious that the young man was not normal.


    Also, as a reminder, the militant''s head and body in a pool of blood reminded them of a possible fate that none of them wanted to experience.


    The Broken Bronze Bell flew out of Bai Zemin''s pocket and hovered over his head. Before the bullets could reach him, a thin yellow membrane surrounded him and consequently little Luo Ning as well.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!....


    The bullets hit the thin magic barrier and sparks flew everywhere. However, to the horror of the militants, all the bullets were easily repelled and the barrier did not even flinch.


    In fact, the barrier had weakened after being fiercely shaken by four grenades at such close range. However, it still had enough power to withstand normal bullets without any problem.


    "D-Damn monster! Kill him!" Another militant roared and shouted as he fired with bloodshot eyes. When he exhausted his magazine, scared he began to search for the second one in his clothes with trembling hands.


    However, before he could change magazines, Bai Zemin appeared before him and slashed horizontally.


    The militant''s body was cut off at the waist and his organs flew everywhere along with streams of hot blood. Because he had not yet died, the militant felt the most dreadful pain he had ever felt or imagined in his entire life.


    "Aaaargh! It hurts! Kill me! Please kill me!" he pleaded between cries that terrified his comrades.


    Bai Zemin ignored him and let him suffer until the last moment. His leg muscles swelled and with a loud ''bang'' the ground beneath his feet exploded as he disappeared from his position and appeared in front of another militant, slashing horizontally without mercy.


    "Monster!"


    "Run away!"


    "P- Please don''t kill me!"


    "We were just following orders to survive!!!"


    "Aaargh!"


    ...


    Bai Zemin defied the rain of bullets with a cold gaze and like a demon reaped the lives of his enemies one by one. No matter how many times the militants pleaded, none of them received even a shred of his mercy and were cut in two.


    Mercy? Compassion? Was he really a monster?


    It was clear to Bai Zemin that he had committed many cruel things since the apocalypse erupted with the arrival of the Soul Record on earth. However, even he had limits.


    They didn''t even know if she had done anything evil but as they received the order and in order to live more comfortably, without hesitation they raised their guns and threw grenades into the house of a defenseless girl.


    Who was the monster really? Bai Zemin believed that, at least in this case, he was not the bad guy.


    A few seconds later, the sounds of gunshots and pleading cries had completely stopped.


    The ground a hundred meters around the now collapsed small house had become a bloody mess. Twelve decapitated corpses cut from the waist down lay in disarray as they bathed in their own still-warm blood.


    [Blood Will: 12%/50%]


    Bai Zemin was standing surrounded by corpses. Regardless of whether he looked left or right, all his dark eyes saw was crimson red along with the reflection of the full moon in the pools of blood.


    His sword, his clothes, his body or Luo Ning''s; everything was in perfect condition in contrast to the situation around them.


    "Let''s get this over with and then go to sleep." Bai Zemin looked in the direction of the village center and his eyes flashed coldly.


    With steady steps, his lonely back soon disappeared into the surrounding trees. Behind him, twelve lifeless people and the destruction of the surroundings were the only proof of what had happened here.

 Chapter 127 - Ye Qigang!

    Inside the villa where Ye Qigang resided, he and Du Meng were standing together in front of the window as if they were appreciating the full moon high in the sky surrounded by thick dark clouds.


    Ye Qigang frowned and asked in a deep voice that only when he was worried about something he used, "Are you sure about what you said?"


    Today in the afternoon and after delegating approximately twenty men to protect specific checkpoints that would facilitate the defense of the central area of the village in the direction of the mansion, Du Meng arrived at this place and told Ye Qigang that he might have found the source of his anxiety.


    Du Meng was a quiet man and rarely said anything except when it was necessary. Therefore, Ye Qigang did not believe that he was joking or saying things without an important purpose or something to rely on.


    "I''m sure." Du Meng nodded. His rough but at the same time sharp voice was extremely strange and unpleasant to listen to. "That little girl had a milk carton in her hand. Where would a nine-year-old girl get something as valuable as milk from?"


    "... Indeed. That''s strange." Ye Qigang nodded.


    Milk was a luxury these days and even he himself couldn''t drink it every day at will, let alone a nine years old girl who couldn''t even fend for herself.


    Du Meng continued, "After asking some men I found out that this girl is actually the younger sister of Luo Cheng, one of our armed men. If the milk was stolen by him, then the girl''s death will be a punishment in the form of a warning. But if the milk was brought from outside by those two unknown young men then they should be dead in no time."


    Ye Qigang was silent before nodding appreciatively. Du Meng''s words were cruel, but none of them were good men to begin with; even before the arrival of the Soul Record, they had already committed several crimes and even killed some people.


    The sound of gunshots and explosions in the distance soon reached here and the two looked at each other. A few seconds later, the sounds stopped and all was silent again.


    "They should be dead." Du Meng concluded.


    However, Ye Qigang shook his head and frowned, "Du Meng, you left someone guarding the arsenal of weapons and ammunition?"


    "Only two men since the rest left with Lei Su and Yang Pei. Besides the rest are.. F.u.c.k!" Du Meng suddenly realized something and cursed before dashing towards the exit at full speed.


    Ye Qigang took a deep breath and soon heard the sound of gunshots in the distance, getting closer and closer. His eyes flashed coldly and he turned around, walking towards the exit releasing an aura of murderous intent.


    In a matter of seconds, Ye Qigang had turned into a steel giant that was over three meters tall. Without saying a single word, he proceeded to walk with heavy steps towards the main gate of the villa.


    * * *


    On his way through the village, Bai Zemin did not meet any resistance.


    The survivors were trembling with fear and had locked themselves in their houses while clutching their heads or hugging each other. The sound of gunshots, the cries of pain, and the four explosions followed by the collapse of something of considerable size had scared everyone so that no one dared to even poke his head out of the window.


    From the moment the four bosses arrived in the village and took control, all the survivors knew that life at this point was worth less than a piece of stale bread and anyone could kill without too much consequence.


    After all, considering the situation in the outside world, who was going to punish a murderer? On the contrary, it was likely that such a killer would be accepted among the militants for daring to fight instead of being punished. Therefore, no one even dared to squeak and they remained silent, praying to God for their fates.


    When Bai Zemin reached the center of the village, the first thing that caught his eye was a luxurious three-story building, surrounded by lights and extremely conspicuous in this place where everyone''s lights were off.


    Although they had not come this far today, little Luo Ning had told him that the strongest boss lived in the most luxurious house in the center of the village. Therefore, Bai Zemin easily identified it as his main and final target.


    [Blood Will: 14%/50%]


    The power boost provided by his passive Second Order Blood Will skill was triggered by an extra 2% and Bai Zemin didn''t even have time to react when a rain of bullets was directed in his direction.


    From the left, from the right, from the front, and even from behind. Placed at different points, twenty militants with machine guns or pistols fired mercilessly. Even without military training, with twenty machine guns firing at the same time, it was absolutely impossible to miss and not hit the enemy target; even a fly would be hit by at least a single bullet.


    However, Bai Zemin continued to walk undisturbed.


    When the bullets reached him, the Broken Bronze Bell did not fly out of his pocket and the automatic protection effect was not activated. However, the bullets were stopped in mid-air by a barrier that could not be seen with the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    "You can all go to hell." Bai Zemin muttered and the Reject Ring in his left hand glowed slightly.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!....


    The militants did not know that all the bullets they were firing had been magically stopped in mid-air and continued firing, piling up more and more bullets. Before they could react, the bullets that were their allies suddenly turned around and shot out at a speed no slower than before, back at the militants.


    "Aaaargh!"


    "Aaaah!"


    "Help me!"


    ...


    Amid cries of pain and despair, the militants were hit by at least a dozen shots each in different parts of the body. Arms, legs, abdomen, c.h.e.s.t, shoulders, head, heart, etc.


    Some bullets even curved in the air while searching for the man with the gun that fired them, turning the different militants into sieves filled with holes and covering the ground with blood, brain parts and even pieces of skull.


    [Blood Will: 32%/50%]


    The gunfire had not even persisted for three seconds and the twenty militants had been killed by Bai Zemin without even lifting a finger.


    Bai Zemin continued to move forward with the sleeping Luo Ning in his arms until he suddenly stopped when the ground beneath his feet began to shake softly and become heavier and heavier with every second.


    Soon, he understood the reason.


    "Are you Ye Qigang? The strongest boss in this place?" Bai Zemin asked indifferently as he looked at the metal monster that was over three meters tall about a hundred meters away.

 Chapter 128 - Bai Zemin that cannot be defeated

    The giant surrounded by layers and layers of metal looked like a sci-fi robot but with no technology and just pure strength. Its arms were the size of a grown man and its legs were so wide that only three people together could wrap their outstretched arms around it. Moreover, just the pressure emitted by its overall size was enough to make most enemies sink in despair.


    "That''s me."


    Bai Zemin heard the voice of a middle-aged man from inside the metal robot. Although it was a human''s voice, due to the sheets of metal surrounding it sounded like there were several people inside as the echo rang out all over the place.


    "And who are you?" Ye Qigang asked brimming with murderous intent.


    Even before the apocalypse, he had never been offended and all those who tried had paid the consequences. After evolving through constantly absorbing Soul Power and acquiring skills, his self-confidence had become a lot higher.


    Although he knew that the young man in front of him was strong enough to defeat and kill a group of nearly fifty armed men and even survive the explosion of four hand grenades, Ye Qigang had such an ability as well.


    "Me?" Bai Zemin stepped forward and coldly replied, "The person who took care of a small shrimp named Yang Pei. The person who slaughtered all the men who accompanied him. The strongest fighter in the group that killed the dog by the name of Lei Su. The boss of the man who is currently taking care of that little monkey Du Meng... But more importantly, the person who will kill you!"


    Ye Qigang''s heart shook in a whirlwind of churning emotions when he heard the young man''s declaration before him. However, he did not have time to think too much as his passive skill Danger Sense caused his entire body to tremble in fear and he unconsciously raised both of his mechanical arms in the shape of a cross covering in front of him.


    Bai Zemin appeared in front of the giant robot and swung his right fist forward without holding back in the slightest.


    Boom!


    Although Ye Qigang had managed to react quickly thanks to his passive skill Danger Sense and thanks to his own combat experience, even with the protection of layers upon layers of metal he was unable to withstand the power of Bai Zemin''s fist boosted 32% by his Blood Will skill.


    The metal giant was sent flying backwards uncontrollably, losing several pieces of armor in the process.


    Bang!


    The outer wall separating the main mansion from the rest of the village was noisily smashed as Ye Qigang hit it violently. He couldn''t help but cough out a mouthful of blood and his eyes flashed with disbelief.


    His First Order Metal Control skill allowed him to control metals almost at will so he moved the armor with his skill, not his physical body. With this armor, even bullets would not be able to harm him in the slightest and his total defense was simply terrifying!


    But even then, the aftereffects of the force resulting from the blow was not something his armor could withstand. Much less Bai Zemin''s strength which was greater than that of 20 grown men! This kind of strength was not as simple as 20 grown men hitting the same place with separate forces, all that strength was compressed into his body and the power behind his fists was simply dreadful!


    Bai Zemin was about to charge forward and even with little Luo Ning in his embrace, he was confident of ending his opponent''s life easily. However, a magic circle appeared on the ground below him and he hurriedly dashed to the other side just in time.


    Bang!


    A large earth stake two meters high rose out of nowhere and pierced skyward. If he had taken a fraction of a second longer, the magic earth stake could have pierced his body.


    Ye Qigang was strong, however, he was different from Bai Zemin; who had faced death countless times after so many clashes against existences more powerful than him.


    Before Ye Qigang could even stand up completely, Bai Zemin''s 201 Agility points carried him in a second right over the metal armor. With a gaze as cold as ice, he stomped down with all his might!


    BOOM!


    The ground caved in, and the metal armor''s c.h.e.s.t area sank down horribly unable to withstand the pressure. Inside, Ye Qigang felt his world spun around and began to cough blood uncontrollably at the same time as blood came out of his ears and eyes.


    "I heard that you like to mistreat people just to release your frustration? I also heard that you have abused several women in the same way that your three dogs have..."


    The demon''s voice rang in his ears and when he looked up to the sky he saw that Bai Zemin had already jumped more than five meters high and was currently pointing at him with his right hand.


    "Let your sins burn... In hell!" Bai Zemin sneered and the Blazing Ring on his index finger glowed with a crimson shade.


    Under Ye Qigang''s terrified eyes, a blaze of fiery crimson fire flew in his direction at full speed. Even from afar, he could sense death as his passive skill Danger Sense urged him to flee in a hurry!


    Unfortunately, the current him had already been mortally injured by Bai Zemin''s fierce attacks. His power and his speed and concentration to control his skill had been severely affected as a result.


    Crimson flames surrounded the three-meter metal armor completely and Ye Qigang''s howl coming from the flaming giant echoed throughout the village.


    Standing several meters away on the roof of a two-story house, Bai Zemin looked at the scene in front of him and listened to the cries and curses of his enemy with indifference. In his cold dark eyes, the crimson flames reflected like the representation of hell on earth but even then his emotions were not moved in the slightest.


    The metal began to melt from the magical flames coming from the Blazing Ring and even before they reached Ye Qigang inside it only the heat had begun to burn his skin and deform his body horribly. The feeling of being burned alive was so unbearable that even he, who had been tortured once in the past and had his face cut off, could not bear it!


    Because activating his Metalic Control skill required concentration, he could not send the metal armor anywhere else and could only cry out in pain as he writhed all over the ground.


    The dark starless night, with only the light of the full moon as witness, blazed with crimson flames as the piercing howl of a human became unbearably terrifying, scaring all the survivors who heard it.


    About a minute later, the flames were completely extinguished and the metal giant had melted into a liquid puddle. As for Ye Qigang, there was no trace of his existence.


    [You have obtained the Soul Power of Ye Qigang level 22]


    With his sword at his waist and a little girl sleeping in his embrace, Bai Zemin coldly snorted before walking towards the place.


    The strongest boss of the four had died just like that, with only two strikes from Bai Zemin and the activation of a treasure that made him suffer the horror of hell on earth.

 Chapter 129 - Death of the Four Big Bosses!

    "This entity called Soul Record really is terrifying." Bai Zemin looked at the three objects before him with a complicated look and sighed.


    Even after the metal armor was turned into a pool of liquid by the crimson flames coming from his Blazing Ring and even after an evolved person like Ye Qigang was turned into mortal remains, these three treasures still remained intact and resplendent.


    The three treasures were a bracelet, a pendant, and a skill scroll.


    Because Ye Qigang''s Soul Power was much weaker than his Soul Power, who had already reached level 35, Bai Zemin did not believe that after killing him he could obtain any loot. However, the two accessories were probably belongings that Ye Qigang had obtained throughout his hunts and battles.


    This was confirmed when Bai Zemin inspected the information on the bracelet and discovered that it was actually a Rare grade treasure Earth Bracelet, one exactly like the one he had. Because each person could use two bracelets and he did not have a different one, he also equipped this bracelet on his opposite hand which increased his Magic by another +10 points.


    [Spiritual Earring (Rare Grade Treasure): When equipped it increases Magic and Mana by +10. Automatically protects the user from three spiritual attacks per day. Current status: 3/3].


    Bai Zemin did not have this item so without hesitation he pierced his left ear and the small earring with a tiny emerald shone on it. Although it was not particularly his taste, becoming powerful was the main thing and he didn''t care too much about his appearance anyway.


    To his surprise, when he saw his reflection on the blade of the sword, he didn''t look bad at all.


    The last item was actually something that surprised and delighted Bai Zemin beyond words as he always wanted such a skill.


    [Danger Sense (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5: Warns the user by sending nerve signals to the body whenever his/her life is in mortal danger].


    His eyes glittered and without hesitation, he decided to learn the skill on the scroll for himself. The scroll disappeared from his hands in particles of light that soon entered his body and deep in his soul, a new rune of yellow color with reddish tones at the edges was formed.


    With this new skill, his survivability had skyrocketed immensely! While it was true that his Broken Bronze Bell could automatically protect him, the treasure energy was not infinite and in the event of losing its power, Bai Zemin would have to rely only on himself until he could use it again. Therefore, the passive skill Danger Sense suited him perfectly.


    Bai Zemin scanned the surroundings before looking at the girl sleeping in his embrace and a smile slipped onto his lips. If anyone saw him at this moment they would certainly not be able to associate him with that indifferent face that in less than five minutes had claimed the lives of more than thirty people.


    Unfortunately, there was no one to appreciate it.


    * * *


    Du Meng surveyed the scene before him with eyes filled with burning anger that he seemed unable to contain.


    Along one corridor were two corpses whose heads had been blown to pieces. Flesh pulp and blood had stained the white walls with red and the scared sobs of some kneeling maidservants could be heard clearly amidst the sepulchral silence.


    "Big brother Bai really is a genius." At the end of the corridor, in front of a wide-open door, Zhong De looked at the slender man across the corridor and smiled.


    "I wonder why no one knew him before all this chaos completely erupted." He continued as if talking to himself. "Even without his current strength, his intelligence doesn''t lose to President Shangguan''s or Chen He''s... He should have been able to stand higher on the boards."


    Du Meng looked at the Desert Eagle in the burly young man''s right hand and frowned. That was the only Desert Eagle they had obtained from the police station and it was one of the most powerful firearms they currently had with a 12.7mm caliber, but now it had fallen into enemy hands.


    Zhong De suddenly raised the weapon and shot without warning.


    The sound of the shot echoed through the walls and the maidservants in the place screamed in fright but none dared to move for fear of being shot dead. As for Du Meng, he had disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air.


    Zhong De was startled and before he could react he felt his right arm being severed by a sharp object. Hastily he took a step back, avoiding the cut for the most part but still being slightly slashed; blood flowed slowly from the wound, staining the ground and his clothes.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The wind howled and Zhong De suffered several bloody wounds. Although he managed to avoid fatal wounds, his arms and some parts of his body had slight cuts from a knife or other sharp object.


    Du Meng was undoubtedly stronger than him and in a one-on-one battle, it was impossible for Zhong De to defeat him. However, in this narrow corridor that Zhong De had chosen to fight in, things were different.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    "Ugh..."


    From his right side, a groan followed by a bloodstain immediately attracted his attention, and Zhong De without hesitation rushed forward, punching with all his strength.


    Bang!


    After being injured by a bullet, Du Meng was struck and sent flying before slamming into the opposite wall. His active First Order skill ''Invisibility'' was deactivated and with a hate-filled expression, he looked at the slowly approaching young man.


    Bathed in his own blood, Zhong De looked at the bullet hole in Du Meng''s abdomen and also noticed that his c.h.e.s.t had sunk at an odd angle after receiving his previous fist.


    If not for the close place, Du Meng would undoubtedly have been the victor. However, after Luo Ning told everything she knew about him, Bai Zemin easily found his fatal weakness and Zhong De defeated him after some difficulty.


    With such injuries, it was impossible for Du Meng to survive. Soon after, he coughed up blood along with several pieces of organs and died just like that, with his eyes wide open and filled with unreconciled hatred.


    Due to the difference in levels, Zhong De went straight up to level 18 and sighed as he leaned against the wall while slowly reloading the weapon in his hands and looked attentively at the maidservants of the place without saying a single word. Although his wounds were not serious, he was certainly losing a lot of blood so it would be best not to move too much.


    Soon after, Bai Zemin appeared and chuckled: "Looks like you took a beating, eh? Zhong De."


    Even with a little girl, he had killed all the enemy militants and had even taken out the strongest Ye Qigang... The difference was simply too great.

 Chapter 130 - New subclass: Lower Leader!

    After making sure that the injuries suffered by Zhong De were not serious, Bai Zemin looked at the few kneeling maidservants and said calmly, "All of you need not be so frightened. I don''t plan to do anything bad to you in any way. My targets were Ye Qigang, Du Meng, Lei Su, and Yang Pei, the four leaders of this camp. Now that they are dead, I will be taking control of the village in their place."


    The maidservants looked at him with a touch of fear but his words had managed to calm them down a bit. After all, the previous four leaders were not saints and had committed many heinous acts so even if Bai Zemin did bad things as long as he didn''t kill them, these women would believe it was normal since they had seen such behavior from those in power for a whole week.


    A voluptuous woman with a slim aura of elegance stood up and while looking at Bai Zemin lowered her head politely, "My name is Qin Ming. May I know the gentleman''s name?"


    "It is Bai Zemin." Bai Zemin replied in a deep voice as he looked at the woman about nine or ten years older than him. Not only was her body voluptuous, but her face could be considered a beauty if not for the small burn that had not yet healed at the edge of her lips; but even then, Qin Ming was a beauty in her own right.


    Before the apocalypse erupted with the appearance of the Soul Record, Qin Ming was a successful businesswoman within Ruilin Subdistrict with assets exceeding three million yuan. However, two days after the apocalypse, she fell into the hands of Du Meng during a raid on a small village several kilometers away.


    Because of her natural beauty, Lei Su had wanted to force himself upon her, but she refused and fought until Du Meng stopped him. However, before letting her go, Lei Su had taken it upon himself to brand her with a boiling match, thus damaging her beauty as a warning.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Qin Ming gritted her teeth and decided to bet everything: "Leader Bai, since this will be your new settlement, I think you should gather the survivors to make your rules known."


    "Oh?" Bai Zemin looked at her with a tinge of surprise in his eyes but quickly understood what she meant.


    Not only was it necessary to change the name of this camp but it was also necessary to make his face known among the survivors. In addition, Bai Zemin also needed to recruit men to arm them properly and start delegating tasks.


    Bai Zemin smiled and nodded in satisfaction: "Qin Ming, from today you will be my housekeeper. Gather the maidservants and the women of the leaders. Then take them to Ye Qigang''s villa, it will be my new home."


    Qin Ming was elated at the new position and quickly nodded hurriedly before looking at the rest of the women who looked at her enviously and began to give orders. Because of her previous job, it was easy for her to guide and take the role of a small leader so soon all the women began to move in an orderly fashion.


    * * *


    Shangguan Bing Xue and the rest drove the buses, the big Dongfeng truck, and the various pickup trucks through the camp.


    "Amazing!" Wu Yijun exclaimed as she looked at the corpses of the militants. "He alone really managed to fight and kill so many gunmen!"


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful eyes also had a strange glint in them as she looked at the scene. She had faced a group of just over a dozen men armed with machine guns and rifles so she knew that even with her constant evolution it was not simple to defeat an armed squad.


    However, Bai Zemin had managed to wipe out more than thirty by himself. The reason for her surprise stemmed from the fact that he did not possess a skill like her First Order Ice Maker, capable of defending and attacking at the same time; at least, she had not seen him use one. However, after remembering the Magic Treasure Broken Bronze Bell, it all made sense.


    ...


    After the students disembarked the buses they were ordered to stand up with the rest of the village survivors, so they all had no choice but to stand in the midst of people who were clearly not in a good situation.


    It was only then that several of them realized that from today on, their lives could take as big a turn as when the Soul Record showed up unannounced. Many even regretted it, but it was too late.


    Standing on a small stage made of wood, Bai Zemin looked at the thousand-plus people with an indifferent gaze. However, only he knew that he was not really calm at all.


    A step behind him, "Lili" watched the scene with a small smile as if she was having a lot of fun.


    "Now do you understand why I wanted you to conquer as many places as you can?" Bai Zemin heard the s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s'' seductive voice in his head like the devil''s whisper.


    [The number of living beings under your command have exceeded one thousand. You can now choose the ''Lower Leader'' Subclass]


    Subclass!


    Bai Zemin''s main class was currently Blood Berserker and while it was true that this would change once he reached the Second Order, the rest of his classes would remain somewhat similar to the current one but stronger. However, a subclass was something he hadn''t expected since Lilith had never mentioned it to him!


    A subclass was something that helped role-playing video game players to get some extra power without interfering with the main class or the player''s goals.


    Although generally a subclass was a lot weaker than the main class, the extra help was always good because if two beings with a class of the same type faced each other, the one with a better subclass would be the victor in the end.


    Bai Zemin did not hesitate and accepted the Lower Leader subclass right away.


    [You have successfully acquired the ''Lower Leader'' subclass]


    [A leader is one who leads his/her followers to success and victory. You still have a long way to go towards the path of a true King!]


    [Lower Leader: Increase the total power by 1% and another 0.1% for every 1000 people under your rule. You have the ability to name two people ''Loyal Follower''. Those who become your Loyal Follower will never be able to betray you and in life and death situations will be able to use 5% of your overall strength]


    Bai Zemin did his best to stay calm as he knew he was currently being watched by more than a thousand people. However, it was extremely difficult for him to do this as this new subclass had opened up a world of possibilities for him!

 Chapter 131 - Taking control

    With the new and unexpected acquisition of the Lower Leader subclass, to say that in front of Bai Zemin a new world with infinite doors representing countless possibilities had appeared was not an exaggeration in the least.


    The power that the Lower Leader subclass provided him at the moment was truly pitiful and could practically be easily ignored. However, this was so at this moment only because Bai Zemin had a total of just over 1000 people under his control.


    But what would happen when that number grew? What if at some point Bai Zemin came to control the entire Yangqing District? How about all of Beijing?


    How about all of China? Even more terrifying... How about the whole planet Earth?


    Bai Zemin''s subclass was currently at the lowest possible point, but when he had ten thousand survivors under his rule the subclass would evolve to the next level and the power provided would probably increase by a notch... But the real increase in power was with the survivors!


    For every 1000 survivors, Bai Zemin''s power would increase by 0.1%! Such an amount might not be too much, but if at some point he could once again unite all of China''s surviving inhabitants under his flag, the increase in power would undoubtedly be massive!


    Bai Zemin shuddered at the thought of such terrifying entities as the various leaders of the Higher Existences. They already had their own armies with hundreds of thousands and even millions of terrifying beings and at the same time received a great boost of power due to their positions as leaders and rulers.


    Seeing that time passed and he still remained silent, Shangguan Bing Xue and the rest who were standing on the stage a short distance away frowned wondering if there was something wrong.


    Forget it... Let''s focus on what we can fix and leave what is beyond our control for later. Bai Zemin sighed secretly and shook his head slightly before turning his attention to the survivors who were still staring at him waiting for his words.


    These people, as useless as some might be, were now a treasure in Bai Zemin''s eyes. If he wanted to help Lilith and achieve his own ever-higher ambitions, he needed power; and the survivors were the fuel that could give him power just by being there.


    "My name is Bai Zemin and I am the strongest person in this place." He began his monologue with a deep voice and a cold gaze, "I have already taken care of killing the four previous leaders of this place and now my people and I are claiming this village as our temporary base."


    Hearing that the previous village leaders had been killed, the survivors muttered under their breath but did not seem too surprised. After all, the battle between Bai Zemin and the militants as well as Ye Qigang had been heard by all.


    The gunshots and explosions had made it clear that there was a terrifying battle raging and since the unknown young man was on the stage but none of the previous bosses were anywhere to be seen, it was easy to assume what had happened in the end.


    "Starting from today, each of you will receive relief rations consisting of 3 bowls of gruel per day. If you want to eat better or if you want to be able to eat your fill, then you will have to work to earn it!" Bai Zemin declared coldly and narrowed his eyes, "I won''t let anyone starve, but I hate leeches... At the slightest case of disobedience, social disorder, r.a.p.e, street violence, or homicide... That person will be executed without mercy!"


    Although the survivors were a treasure to him, firm rules were needed and this was even more so in a world that was filled with chaos as Earth currently was. Therefore, Bai Zemin could not afford to waver with his attitude even if he had acquired a subclass.


    Although his words were somewhat cruel, none of the survivors seemed upset; on the contrary, they all had glints of joy in their eyes. After all, before they could barely eat a bowl of gruel under the rule of Ye Qigang and the other three bosses, but now that Bai Zemin was taking over they could all eat much more!


    "If anyone is dissatisfied, you can take your personal belongings and leave the village at will." Bai Zemin pointed out indifferently. "If you live under my protection and eat my food, then you will obey my orders! ... Now, you may all disperse and return to your homes. Tomorrow at sunrise all those who are interested in getting a job or becoming part of the new army troops should congregate at this very place."


    Leaving those words behind, Bai Zemin ignored the applause and even exclamations of joy and walked off the stage; everyone was ecstatic! Especially when they heard that everyone could get jobs to eat better and even had the opportunity to join the army troops of the village and get some firearms!


    In this new world, firearms were the easiest and most efficient source of protection for the survivors. Therefore, Bai Zemin''s words had tempted hundreds of men and women.


    * * *


    Under the leadership of his new housekeeper, Qin Ming, Bai Zemin was guided to the main village.


    On the other hand, Shangguan Bing Xue, Wu Yijun, Gao Min, Li Na, and Fan Wu, would be sharing Du Meng''s villa. As friends, it was natural to live together and since the villa was large enough to accommodate a dozen people there would be no problem.


    As for Chen He, he had Lei Su''s villa to himself.


    Different women had been prearranged as maids for the different villas. These women who had been forced by the different bosses or used and then thrown aside were delighted as they would not only be safer living under the same roof as strong people, but they could also receive better treatment and eat better food than the rest of the survivors.


    Because Luo Cheng and Luo Ning''s house had been destroyed by the militants who had raided during the night, a house closer to the center of the village had been quickly arranged for both of them.


    The girl had easily entered Bai Zemin''s heart as her innocence and purity reminded him of his younger sister Meng Qi. It was also for this reason that he wanted her to be closer to his grasp and fortunately the girl had been sleeping until now, so she was not too aware of the disaster or else who knows what her reaction would be.


    "Why didn''t you name me your housekeeper?" Lilith asked with an adorable pout as she bounced up and down on the comfy sprung bed. She had already returned to her original form and her overwhelming charm along with her two moving mountains was simply irresistible.


    Bai Zemin couldn''t help but let his eyes wander to her b.r.e.a.s.t for a moment before returning to her face and saying through gritted teeth, "You little minx! If I had appointed you my housekeeper wouldn''t you send me to my own death? What is all this ''master'' bullshit?!"


    Just imagining the seductive Lilith calling him ''master'' made his blood burn to the brim!

 Chapter 132 - Sad Bai Zemin and kind Shangguan Bing Xue

    The next day, in the center of the village square, several tables were set up with a group of people behind them.


    Gao Min looked at the nearly one thousand survivors surrounding the place and felt a little awkward. They all looked like hungry wolves ready to pounce on their prey at any moment. However, she gritted her teeth and endured as she shouted loudly, "From now on, everyone can approach a table and announce what kind of knowledge you have. From mechanics and blacksmithing to general medicine, anything that can help will be welcome and you will be rewarded based on your work!"


    Indeed, these survivors were hungry wolves. However, the reason why they did not dare to cause any disturbance was to be attributed to Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Kang Lan, Zhong De, Luo Cheng, and the other militants who had decided to follow Bai Zemin. All of them were holding a gun and observing the surroundings coldly; if anyone tried to be too rough, they had Bai Zemin''s order to punish the offender without hesitation.


    On the other side of the square, Wu Yijun stood in the center and announced in a melodious voice: "All those whose age is between 18 and 40 who wish to apply to join the new army troops come to me. You must announce your name, occupation prior to the arrival of the Soul Record, and your physique must be in good condition to fight at any time!"


    The crowd immediately became agitated and hundreds of people began to line up. Due to the sheer number of people, it was impossible for there not to be some disorder; even more so considering that everyone was clear that it was impossible to arm all of them so no one wanted to be left out because they were too slow.


    "All those who skip the line or push will be rejected immediately and will also have no chance of getting a regular job!"


    When Fan Wu shouted those words, the small chaos that threatened to spread immediately calmed down and the survivors began to move orderly with eyes filled with dread. None of them wanted to miss out on a golden opportunity like this.


    It was only then, when order settled down, that the first day of recruitment officially began.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, on a highway on the way east of the newly named Beginning Village, two modified buses, two tractor trailers, and a cargo truck moved forward as a lone unit, defying the dangers lurking everywhere.


    Sitting in one of the front seats of the first bus, Bai Zemin looked out the window with his face resting on one hand. As he watched the scenery pass by, his eyes flashed with a complicated glint.


    Sitting next to him, Lilith in her Lili form occasionally looked at him out of the corner of her eye with a small glint of concern. But even she didn''t know what to say, so she simply stayed silent trying to support him with her presence.


    Besides, he also wanted to obtain the blacksmithing tools from the old man if possible... That was precisely why he, Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue along with other survivors who would do the logistical work moved to obtain these resources.


    The fact that the three strongest leaders were moving showed how important this move was, after all, if they obtained the tools would finally be able to start working with the bodies of the mutated beasts and the evolved First Order beasts.


    Although Bai Zemin could not say that he and the other employees of the place were like family, he had a very good relationship with all of them. Especially with the old blacksmith elder who was the one who had introduced him to the job when he needed it.


    The man was over sixty years old but Bai Zemin could tell that he really appreciated him. He even taught him many things about blacksmithing and even when Bai Zemin didn''t understand or made many mistakes the old man always smiled and told him that everything was okay, that for the next one he could surely do it far better.


    It was precisely thanks to him that Bai Zemin had the option to obtain the main class Blacksmith in his evolution to First Order.


    ...


    Approximately twenty minutes later, the small convoy stopped in front of a single-story building with an extension of several hundred meters in length and width.


    The sound of the engines had attracted several surrounding zombies, totaling more than seventy beings carrying a deadly infection.


    Although they were only three people, the three of them had already defied hordes of hundreds of zombies and the number of enemies that had perished at their hands totaled at least tens of thousands if not more.


    After a quick two to three minutes'' work, all the zombies were decapitated with ease. Bai Zemin and the other two had firearms, but considering the shortage of ammunition as well as the various setbacks that the sound of gunshots could bring, the three of them eliminated the zombies with bladed weapons.


    Even Chen He wielded a Xuanyuan Sword to decapitate zombies and was surprisingly good with the sword. He had obviously not only trained his archery skills throughout his life.


    With a Type 79 submachine gun slung over his shoulder, a Desert Eagle and a Xuanyuan Sword at his waist, it could be said that Bai Zemin was armed to the teeth. He stared at the broken glass of the workshop for several seconds before he began to walk inside without saying a word.


    Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Lilith followed closely behind.


    Lilith ignored the strange looks she was receiving from Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He, focusing on the back of the young man in front of her.


    Bai Zemin walked without stopping, turning into some corridors and passing some doors. Anyone could tell that he knew the place well enough to move around as if it were his own home.


    But how could he not know the place? After all this had been the place where he had been working for almost three years...


    Along the way there were several bloodstains, torn clothes, and even some iron tools with bloodstains and human flesh stuck on the metal.


    Bang!


    Arriving in front of a sheet metal door, Bai Zemin kicked it noisily as if to announce that he was there. However, upon seeing the sight inside, he froze for a moment before sighing with slightly sad eyes.


    Bai Zemin looked at the old man''s lifeless and completely white eyes and he could not help but sigh inwardly again, and although he knew to some extent that something like this could happen, what he did not expect was that it would be more difficult to accept than he initially thought.


    Since the beginning of the apocalypse, Bai Zemin had danced hand in hand with death on many occasions and there were even several times when his life hung in the balance. However, with effort, he gritted his teeth and managed to defeat all his enemies.


    From normal zombies and evolved zombies to mutated and evolved beasts; even other humans! All that existence that somehow blocked his path was eradicated with his own hands.


    Therefore, seeing an acquaintance and even something dear to him having been turned into a zombie, the shock Bai Zemin received was greater than expected as it made him realize that although he was strong, he was still as weak as any other human being to cases like the one in front of him.


    Perhaps being able to sense his complex emotions and his declining mood, Lilith hugged him gently from behind and rested her head on his back. This surprised him and the others, but none of them had time to think too much.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin with complicated eyes as she naturally realized that the old man and he must have had a good relationship in the past. An idea flashed in her mind and raised both hands as she pointed forward.


    "Freeze." Her cold voice echoed off the walls and a blast of terrifying frost shot forward from her body. Her face turned slightly pale but her expression did not change.


    Under the eyes of Chen He, Bai Zemin, and Lilith, the old man''s infected body froze into a frost statue. From head to toe; completely frozen.


    She clenched both fists and with a soft pop, the frost statue exploded into tiny pieces of ice with a size and thickness similar to a hair.


    When all the flakes fell to the ground, Bai Zemin looked at her gratefully and nodded. After all, what she had done was actually very kind. Not only had she prevented him from killing a familiar person with his own hands, but she had also given the old man eternal rest in such a beautiful way.

 Chapter 133 - Reinforced Iron Boar

    Bai Zemin soon made some effort and pushed the whole previous matter to the back of his head. Although a bit of rest to clear his mind and think better about what to do next would be good for him, it was also very clear to him that stopping was the same as giving the opportunity for other existences to devour him.


    With no other option and now even more motivated to cross the Yanqing District and reach the Changping District to join his family. The previous case had not caused Bai Zemin''s faith and trust in his loved ones to waver, it only motivated him to work even harder to achieve his goal of reaching them as soon as possible.


    Under his orders, the survivors began to carry different tools to the cargo truck and tractor-trailers.


    The survivors of the Beginning Village knew very well that working for Bai Zemin and the others meant better meals and the possibility to eat their fill, so once the surrounding zombies were eliminated, they all began to work vigorously.


    Roar!


    Suddenly there was a thunderous roar in the distance that startled the survivors. The ground began to shake lightly and little by little the rumbling became more prominent, indicating the approach of something of considerable size.


    About two hundred meters away, several trees were knocked down and under the terrified eyes of the survivors, a boar over five meters tall that seemed to be made of iron charged forward fiercely. At the sight of the humans, the beast''s eyes turned red and it roared again as it charged forward with determination.


    The panicked survivors began to scream and dropped their tools in an attempt to flee.


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin shot into the air several times and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Stay where you are, dammit! If you stay away from here, by the time I kill this f.u.c.k.i.n.g pig you''ll all be thrown out of the village!"


    Chen He narrowed his eyes and raised his Type 85 sniper in the direction of the giant boar.


    The Type 85 sniper was an antique semi-automatic weapon from 1963, but even today it was sometimes used by the army because of its power. Although it could not compare to the power of some of the same type of more modern weapons, it was one of the weapons with the greatest penetrating power among those currently available in Bai Zemin''s group.


    Bang! Bang!


    In a second, Chen He opened fire twice. He was smart and knew that the giant boar''s defense would be amazing; one only needed to pay attention to the metallic sheen of its scales to come to such a simple conclusion. Therefore, he took special aim at the beast''s two eyes.


    However, what happened next was beyond everyone''s expectations.


    When the two 7.62x54mm armor-piercing bullets were just a few centimeters away from hitting the beast, a strange energy invisible to the n.a.k.e.d eye seemed to distort, decreasing the power of the bullets enormously and slowing their speed, which gave the giant boar enough time to close both eyes.


    Tink! Tink!


    Both bullets fell to the ground after a slight sound of metal hitting metal.


    "What?" Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes flashed with disbelief and her small mouth slightly opened in complete shock at what she had just witnessed.


    "I told you so." Lilith''s voice sounded inside his head. "First Order existences are almost immune to firearms developed with this world''s technology and probably only those with weaker defense are afraid of them. Only heavy weapons are a real threat to them."


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath and without warning burst forward with an astonishing speed that no survivor could understand or glimpse.


    As the giant boar charged like an unstoppable locomotive, an ant-sized existence flashed before their crimson eyes. With no intention of stopping, it charged even more ferociously.


    Unfortunately, while it was true that Bai Zemin was incomparable to the overall size of the giant boar, the power his small body possessed was no joke.


    He raised his Xuanyuan Sword high and slashed fiercely downward as if to cut the giant boar in two. When the sword blade connected against the beast''s body, a thunderous explosion reverberated everywhere and the ground shook fiercely.


    The giant boar roared painfully as it was forced to retreat. Right in the center of its forehead, its scales cracked and a great torrent of blood gushed out from the open flesh, staining its entire face and giving it a horrifying appearance.


    Bai Zemin himself felt his arms numb after the strike. But this was because the sword in his hands no longer had the ability to pierce through the enemy''s defenses before him; the only reason he had managed to wound the monster was because he had monstrous Strength. However, as a consequence, his arms suffered a bit.


    The giant boar''s eyes flashed strangely and its scales suddenly took on a slight glow that was stronger than before.


    "A First Order existence with a defensive active skill." Bai Zemin immediately concluded and was about to continue when a blast of frost flew past him.


    The giant boar''s body became much slower and if one looked closely one would easily discover chunks of ice on its legs, knees, back, even its tail.


    Looking out of the corner of his shoulder, he saw Shangguan Bing Xue gritting her teeth and relentlessly channeling her skill. These kinds of beasts were her nemesis as her ice skill did not have a destructive power high enough to break through a defense as strong as that of the giant boar.


    Without pausing to give the enemy time to react and seizing the opportunity, Bai Zemin jumped high into the sky and soared almost seven meters in less than a second. He united both fists and punched mercilessly downward.


    BOOM!


    After such a horrendous blow, a huge shock wave spread outward with the place hit by Bai Zemin as the center, and even some nearby trees were shattered by the aftershock of the attack.


    The giant boar''s eyes quivered and it opened its maw to howl in pain, but all that came out of its mouth was a large amount of fresh blood along with several pieces of flesh coming from its organs that had been fiercely shaken by the previous blow.


    As the creature fell to the ground, Bai Zemin raised the Xuanyuan Sword and began to slash as if he had gone mad.


    One, two, three... In just a matter of a second, he had already slashed more than fifty times with all his Strength!


    The giant boar didn''t even have time to cry out as its brain was turned to pulp from the outside and its skull sank inward with blood gushing out endlessly.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order ''Reinforced Iron Boar'' level 49. Health +20, Stamina +15, Strength +8]


    [You have leveled up and reached level 37. You have gained 2 status points to distribute freely]

 Chapter 134 - Government Transmission!

    When the Reinforced Iron Boar fell, the survivors who had sought shelter inside the building looked at the young man standing on the back of the huge creature with eyes filled with disbelief.


    Before this, the survivors had occasionally seen Ye Qigang, Du Meng, Lei Su, and Yang Pei activating their skills to make demonstrations of the supernatural power they possessed; in that way they would not only be able to urge more people to fight but also be able to show the difference in power, instilling fear in them.


    However, this was the first time they had seen someone so powerful.


    Everyone knew instinctively that if the Reinforced Iron Boar appeared in the village and launched a charge-type attack, then no one would be able to stop its wild madness. Even the four previous leaders would have to flee or die.


    When the survivors saw the skills and monstrous strength of the four leaders back then they felt fear. But when they witnessed Bai Zemin''s display of power, what they felt mostly was gratitude, surprise, and reverence.


    This was because when the power between two beings reached a point where it was simply impossible to comprehend, fear, envy, or hatred automatically turned into reverence and admiration.


    Humans were greedy and envious by nature, but didn''t they worship different gods? This was because the difference in power in their minds between them and those existences was simply impossible to compare so it made no sense to be envious.


    This was a similar case.


    Bai Zemin looked at the Xuanyuan Sword in his right hand and sighed. He really needed a new weapon since the strength of his current sword did not have the ability to pierce the defenses of enemies above level 40 and even when it managed to pierce their defenses he needed to consume large amounts of Stamina.


    Bai Zemin circled around the beast''s corpse several times and found a red orb and a skill scroll.


    [Piercing Glove (Normal Treasure): Attacks performed with this weapon allow the user to pierce through the defense of almost any enemy below level 25. When equipped, Strength +5]


    [Wild Charge (Unranked Active Skill) Level 5: Turn into a shadow capable of traveling 10 meters in a straight line within 0.01 seconds. This skill can only be used once every 2 minutes].


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zemin decided to learn the Wild Charge skill. The scroll in his hands disappeared into particles of light and a rune with the drawing of a bull formed deep within his soul.


    [You have learned an active external skill. You can learn three additional external skills].


    "Good job!"


    A cheerful voice brought him out of his inner thoughts and as looked ahead he saw Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Lilith slowly approaching.


    Bai Zemin smiled slightly and nodded to Lilith, who had praised him and was looking at him with a bright smile.


    Shangguan Bing Xue even raised an eyebrow at their exchange. Even a fool could tell that the relationship between the two of them was anything but normal.


    "Maid? More than that they look like a couple or close friends..." Chen He whispered under his breath.


    Although it was a small whisper, it was impossible for it to escape the ears of people strong as the others, let alone from such a close distance.


    Bai Zemin ignored him and threw the Piercing Glove to Shangguan Bing Xue since he had one and since she had done her part deserved something too.


    She took the treasure without saying a word and nodded towards him.


    * * *


    The survivors finished carrying the two tractor-trailers with mechanics'' tools and blacksmith tools that were used in ancient times. While there were modern tools for blacksmithing, the old man liked the ancient methods of forging as he always told Bai Zemin that by relying too much on technology one''s skill would begin to rust.


    Because Bai Zemin together with Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He had moved the giant corpse of the Reinforced Iron Boar to the Dongfeng truck, they had no choice but to look for two other trucks nearby to transport the rest of the stuff.


    Even with the three of them together it was almost impossible to lift the body of the beast and they had to do it bit by bit, taking them almost two hours as it was not only incredibly heavy, but they also had to be careful or the truck would be crushed by the size and weight of the First Order creature.


    ...


    When Bai Zemin and the rest arrived at the Beginning Village it was already past noon.


    "What is that?!"


    "My God..."


    "It looks like a mythological beast!"


    "They even hunted such a terrifying monster...?"


    Due to its size, it was impossible to hide the body of the Reinforced Iron Boar. When the few survivors who were walking around the village aimlessly or those who were in the square registering to try to get a job saw the four-meter beast being carried and the dried blood on its body they couldn''t help but be scared and shocked.


    The reverence, as well as the gratitude of being under the protection of such powerful people, added another notch.


    * * *


    Inside the villa that was used as a meeting hall, Bai Zemin was sitting on a sofa with a frown on his face as he looked at the radio in front of him.


    On the sides, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Wu Yijun who had temporarily stopped enlisting were looking at the radio and at him intermittently.


    "This is Mayor Bai Yong of Baiquan Subdistrict. I hope that you, who are listening to this broadcast, are safe and secure... In case you need shelter, food, security, the government in conjunction with the military troops of Baiquan Subdistrict have managed to establish a safe zone in the area between Ruilin Subdistrict and Baiquan Subdistrict of Yanqing District. The arms of the government are open to welcome you at all times..."


    Bai Zemin''s eyes had a strange glint in them as he secretly thought: So the government really did manage to set up a small base.


    Although he already expected it since it was simply impossible for humanity''s armed troops to fall so quickly when most of the enemies were slow and unintelligent zombies, the warning bells rang in his head noisily.


    I don''t think the person in charge of the place is unaware of the leader subclass. He thought with narrowed eyes as he gently tapped the wooden table with his finger.


    He had already discussed the matter with Lilith the night before and she had made it clear to him that a existence could only obtain a subclass upon reaching the Second Order. However, there was one exception to this rule; those who met occult requirements.

 Chapter 135 - Its harder to be a good leader than a good tyrant

    If it was in the past, as long as the government and the military gave him a good incentive and treatment, Bai Zemin might have been willing to work together with them. After all, the human race was in danger of being completely annihilated and if he received the support of the military and the government it might be much easier for him to reach Changping District where his family was located.


    The problem was that Bai Zemin alone simply did not have the ability to reach his family on his own. Yanqing District had approximately five million people before the apocalypse and because it was an ecological area the forests were numerous.


    How was he alone to face millions of zombies and countless mutated and evolved beasts? Even if he was strong, it was clear to Bai Zemin that overconfidence would only kill him sooner rather than later.


    However, all thoughts of joining the government and the military disappeared 100% yesterday when he gained control of over a thousand survivors and obtained the Lower Leader subclass.


    It was simply impossible for him to surrender such a large source of power and Bai Zemin was very clear that if he joined the government it would be impossible for him to keep his forces intact.


    Hand over the firearms, his treasures, rations, the survivors... These were all things that Bai Zemin could not afford to lose no matter what.


    However, there was a problem...


    He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Wu Yijun before sighing secretly. He was already starting to feel a headache coming on.


    "What do you all think about it?" Bai Zemin inquired in a deep voice.


    "This is a great thing!" Chen He exclaimed in relief, "If the Yanqing District government still remains on its feet, then it is highly likely that the rest of the country will have at least some kind of order established as well!"


    Wu Yijun shook her head and while looking at her friend pointed out, "He is just a Mayor, Chen He. Besides, this man Bai Yong can only barely represent the Baiquan Subdistrict and not the entire Yanqing District. The central government didn''t necessarily manage to hold its own."


    As everyone expressed their opinions and ideas on the broadcast heard, Shangguan Bing Xue had her head down seemingly deep in thought. It was only after a long time that she finally looked at Bai Zemin and asked, "What do you think about it?"


    Bai Zemin, who had also been silent, looked at her and calmly responded, "Even if we want to reach Baiquan Camp we need to cross half a sub-district so it is not something that can be accomplished in one or two days considering the current situation."


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and after thinking for a moment said quietly, "Besides, I would like to see the situation inside the camp before making a decision... I think it''s not necessarily a good thing to join the government."


    Wu Yijun furrowed her eyebrows tightly and seemed to realize something as she said, "That''s right... Who can guarantee that those at the higher-ups didn''t get corrected after acquiring real power and strange skills? Considering the current situation in which China and probably the whole world finds itself, relying too much on old agencies might be the first step to fall."


    Hearing this, even Chen He frowned and fell under deep contemplation.


    None of the three were ordinary people. They had lived or had some kind of close contact with the government and military forces since they were young so they knew well how high society worked.


    The higher up someone was, the higher they wanted to be and the less willing they were to take orders from another being. This was an irrefutable reality and now that society had collapsed, why would they have to be guided by the old rules and norms then?


    Bai Zemin was silent and after a moment''s consideration concluded: "Then we will infiltrate Camp Baiquan. We can decide after seeing the situation there."


    "... That''s the best idea." Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and the rest also agreed.


    When only Bai Zemin was left inside the room, Lilith entered through the door in her Lili form. Seeing him still deep in thought, she calmly asked: "Why do you still care about their opinion? Considering your current strength, even that woman Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t even survive ten seconds in front of you."


    Bai Zemin looked at her and could not help but secretly sigh. Lilith really was the most incredible woman he had ever met, not for nothing she was a Sixth Order existence after all. Even wearing a pair of black jeans and a white blouse and even when her appearance was slightly above average her innate charm was still terrifying.


    After appreciating the beauty in front of him for a few seconds, he closed his eyes and calmly replied, "Indeed, I could force them all. But that wouldn''t make me a leader, I''d be a tyrant."


    "You know? It''s harder to be a good leader than a good tyrant." Lilith pointed and sat down next to him.


    "Maybe." Bai Zemin nodded, secretly savoring her natural fragrance. "But if I lie and force them now, in the future I won''t be able to form my own faction with great powerhouses. Although I would love to move solo, to do that I need to be at the top and, unfortunately, I am only at the bottom of the food pyramid. To help you, whatever it is, I''ll probably need a lot of power."


    Lilith''s beautiful eyes glittered curiously and she pursed her lips into a charming smile, "I see you''ve thought a lot further ahead than I thought... In fact, many things would be easier for you if you simply use pure power. But in the long run, your losses would be astronomical and you would probably even perish halfway through."


    Bai Zemin chuckled and walked towards the exit while thinking that even an elephant could not defeat several million ants united.


    * * *


    After two days, different jobs were delegated to the survivors of the Beginning Village. Although not all were able to get a job and the vast majority still had to make do with the three bowls of gruel a day, none complained and happily ate what they were given.


    Since Bai Zemin had no experience in the military environment and Chen He was born into a military family, he had to go to him to learn a bit.


    In the end, the sixty armed troops were divided into three groups of twenty men each with a main leader at the head being; Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Wu Yijun.


    While rations were now plentiful, every grain of rice consumed was a grain of rice that was lost forever. Although some seeds had been planted in the surrounding fields, it would take time to see if they would germinate or not, and if they did not, it was necessary to know if this was the case in all the lands or only in some areas.


    There was still much to do and many things unknown about the Soul Record.

 Chapter 136 - First day & Before consuming the fruit: Loyal Follower!

    During the two days in which Wu Yijun, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and the rest were in charge of delegating labors and training the armed militia, Bai Zemin was busy with other important matters.


    * * *


    In the middle of the forest about two kilometers away from the Beginning Village.


    On the first day he took control of the village after killing the previous leaders, a few hours after he and the rest arrived from the workshop and blacksmith shop where he worked before the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth, Bai Zemin was sitting on the branch of a huge tree.


    In front of him, about fifty feet away, the apparently lifeless body of Yang Pei lay carelessly on the grass. Although the wind was blowing and some branches or dry leaves were falling on his face, he showed no signs of awakening.


    It had not yet been 24 hours since Bai Zemin forced Yang Pei to consume the fruit from the mutated plant, so until the exact moment arrived it was highly improbable that he would be able to wake up from the deep sleep he had fallen into.


    The fever had disappeared several hours ago but even then it seemed that his body was getting used to something because, according to Lilith, the mana inside Yang Pei''s body was unstable.


    According to her, he was probably just finishing digesting the effects of the fruit before finally opening his eyes again or bursting into a bloody mist. As to which of the two cases would happen, Bai Zemin was not sure but just in case he decided to stay away from the village to avoid problems.


    Time passed and Bai Zemin remained in place without getting down from the tree as from his position he had a wide view of the surroundings. That way, he could prevent himself from being surrounded by any kind of enemy and avoid surprise attacks.


    While it was true that his Blood Will skill seemed to activate when enemies appeared within a hundred meters of him as the center, Bai Zemin did not know how the skill worked yet so he did not dare to trust his life to it.


    Approximately three hours later, Bai Zemin slowly stood up on the thick branch he was sitting on and looked forward with an excited smile.


    "This sc.u.m is waking up and it didn''t explode? That means that plant is as I guessed, an incredible treasure!"


    Lilith, floating a few meters away from him, smiled brightly and nodded as she heartily congratulated, "Congratulations, little Zemin. Now you will be able to become more powerful than you already are and probably take a great leap forward."


    Bai Zemin nodded and rubbed his hands together eagerly as he waited for a great performance from Yang Pei. Just in case, he had brought along a couple of grenades as although he was confident in his strength, if that plant gave Yang Pei some strange power he was not willing to take any risks and would simply explode him into pieces.


    "Ugh! It hurts like hell!"


    Unfortunately, the first thing that came out of Yang Pei''s mouth was a groan followed by a loud curse.


    The only one of the four bosses alive looked at Bai Zemin from several meters away and his eyes turned blood red as he shouted, "Damn bastard! If my legs were healthy, I swear to god I would cut you into a million pieces! But before that I must let you suffer hell on earth!"


    The excited expression on Bai Zemin''s face disappeared completely and his face turned black as the bottom of a pot.


    "What''s that all about?" he muttered dumbfounded. "Wasn''t this little dog supposed to receive some strange power?"


    "Mmm..." Lilith descended and stood beside him as she looked at the man who was still cursing relentlessly. After a moment of consideration, she pointed out, "Some plants give stats, some confer skills, some even awaken the latent power of skills we already possessed or are even capable of upgrading treasures."


    "So...?" Bai Zemin urged her to continue, feeling anxious like a small child.


    Lilith looked at him with a smile and reminded him of something he had overlooked, "So, unless that plant was focused on treasures, that Yang Pei guy probably won''t be able to demonstrate the power he received since you broke his limbs."


    "..." Bai Zemin was dumbfounded and looked at her as if he was looking at an otherworlder, which, ironically enough, she was.


    "..." Lilith also looked at him silently, with a charming smile just as she always did.


    "Bastard!"


    It was only when Yang Pei''s enraged roar thundered through the forest that Bai Zemin finally reacted. He looked at Yang Pei''s squirming legs and sighed as he shook his head before leaping forward.


    He fell two meters away from where Yang Pei lay and looked at him coldly.


    "Really... I should have left you at least one leg unharmed." Bai Zemin shook his head and said words that scared the young evolver even more.


    Unfortunately, before he could say anything, Bai Zemin raised his foot high and then lowered it once more but with all his might.


    Bang!


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Yang Pei level 20].


    Yang Pei''s head banged into pieces, splattering blood and flesh everywhere. However, Bai Zemin''s foot not only pierced through the sturdy body of an evolutionary level 20 with apparent ease but continued further and made a small hole about thirty centimeters wide in the ground as well.


    Without Yang Pei''s constant cursing, the forest became silent once again until Bai Zemin''s voice rang out again.


    "Well, although I don''t know what benefit this plant confers, I at least know that it is a treasure capable of boosting a person''s strength."


    Lilith''s seductive voice followed right behind, "That means you can now consume the fruit by yourself and wait for the results~"


    Bai Zemin looked up at the blue sky for a few minutes, pondering what to do next as the cool breeze blew against his face. After nearly ten minutes of consideration, he began to walk away as he muttered:


    "Let me make a few final preparations before finally consuming the fruit."


    * * *


    After Bai Zemin left the forest and returned to the Beginning Village, the first thing he did was to look for Kang Lan and Cai Jingyi.


    -Inside the main village.


    Sitting on a couch, Bai Zemin looked at the two pretty women in front of him and asked in a deep voice, "So, what did you think of what I said to you just now?"


    The two girls looked at each other before standing up at the same time.


    Kang Lan was the first to kneel in front of him and as she looked down said with resolve and determination, "I am willing to become your Loyal Follower and follow you to the top or to the bottom of the abyss."

 Chapter 137 - Mutant plant effect: Lightning Movement!

    Immediately, not even a second after Kang Lan finished speaking, Cai Jingyi knelt on one knee just as knights did in the Middle Ages before the king, and solemnly swore:


    "Cai Jingyi is willing to be your Loyal Follower. If you shine and are admired by countless, your radiance will enlighten me. If the darkness devours you and you are hated by the world, I will accompany you so that you will not feel lonely."


    Bai Zemin looked at the two young women kneeling in front of him and his lips curved slightly upward.


    After leaving the forest after checking that the effects of the fruit coming from the mutant plant were not evil and ending Yang Pei''s life, Bai Zemin immediately returned and the first thing he did was to look for Kang Lan and Cai Jingyi.


    While he could have gone to look for Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De, the reasons why Bai Zemin chose Cai Jingyi and Kang Lan was to ask them if they wished to be his Loyal Followers after explaining the effects of the skill were varied. However, he had two main reasons.


    1) The first reason was that while Kang Lan could take the lives of numerous enemies after activating her Poisonous Cloud Skill, Cai Jingyi was fast enough to confuse the enemy and kill them quickly while protecting Kang Lan.


    In addition, Cai Jingyi''s speed was also perfect for leaving the range of Kang Lan''s skill since it did not differentiate between allies and enemies.


    2) The second reason was mainly based on Kang Lan. Although she was strong, her chosen path was pure magic, unlike Shangguan Bing Xue. Therefore, her physical stats, while more powerful than the average person, were also not outstanding or high enough. Therefore, Bai Zemin wanted to give her, who was his only healer, a means of preserving her life in times of need.


    Aside from these two main reasons, there was a third. This third reason was that the two girls seemed more willing to kill in order to maintain their lives and dignity.


    Because after consuming the fruit of the mutant plant he would go into a coma in order for his body to adapt to the changes his soul would undergo with the intervention of the Soul Record, Bai Zemin urgently needed people he could trust 100% without fear of being stabbed in his sleep to protect him.


    Therefore, Bai Zemin wanted to put a seal, something similar to a leash that would prevent this kind of problem and at the same time improve their confidence in each other.


    It was precisely because of this that he explained to the two girls the effects of the skill coming from his Lower Leader subclass.


    Seeing them accept without hesitation, Bai Zemin nodded in satisfaction as this meant that neither of them had intended to betray him at any point in time.


    From the beginning, none of them had even a distant thought of betraying him. After all, they were both grateful to Bai Zemin in many ways.


    He thought he had only given them power, but he had done much more than this.


    Bai Zemin had made the timid Cai Jingyi more confident, made the lonely Kang Lan gain friends she could trust.


    He saved their lives on numerous occasions, pushed them to quickly get used to the changing world in order to survive. He gave them strength and still continued to help them relentlessly...


    He had done so much for them.


    Therefore, when he told them about the skill of his subclass, none of them hesitated and accepted immediately.


    "Then let''s finish this." He did not hesitate and immediately activated the skill attached to his subclass.


    Bai Zemin felt a slight pain in his soul as if someone had pricked him with a needle, but soon that pain disappeared and the body of the two kneeling women lit up with a bright light of a faint reddish color.


    "Due to the activation of your subclass skill, these two women will never be able to betray you." The voice of Lilith, who was invisible and undetectable by all except him, sounded beside him, "This is because a small fragment of your soul is linked to that of these people. It is also for this reason that those who become a Loyal Follower can use a small part of your overall power."


    Bai Zemin nodded imperceptibly and the light illuminating the two girls disappeared completely at the same time as a message flashed in his retina.


    [You have chosen the Unclassified existences Kang Lan and Cai Jingyi as your Loyal Followers. 2/2]


    The two girls looked at each other blankly and slowly stood up.


    "This... This is all...?" Cai Jingyi asked in confusion.


    Neither she nor Kang Lan felt any kind of change in their bodies or thought processes. They had expected something different, but everything was seemingly the same as before.


    "That''s all." Bai Zemin stood up from the couch and said in a serious voice, "I will now begin to absorb a power coming from a mutant fruit so I will be out for 24 hours. During that time I will need you to protect me."


    The two girls nodded with serious expressions as they clearly understood how grave the matter was. After all, with all the things he had done, it was only natural that some people were unhappy with Bai Zemin.


    As he walked to his room on the top floor of the villa, Bai Zemin ordered, "During that time, if anyone is looking for me just tell them that I am busy with something important, no need to explain any further. If anyone tries to break in... Then just kill them."


    ""Yes!""


    The two women looked at each other and nodded with determination.


    * * *


    Sitting on the edge of his bed inside his room, Bai Zemin took out a red fruit from the mutant plant very carefully.


    Because he had used one on Yang Pei earlier to confirm whether the fruit was edible or not, now that he was going to eat another one he only left one remaining of the original three.


    "Go and hurry back." Standing beside the bed, Lilith looked at him with a beautiful smile.


    Bai Zemin looked at her and couldn''t help but laugh, "Hahaha... Lilith, why do you make it sound like I''m going to another world?"


    Without waiting for a reply, he leaned back on the bed and casually threw the mutant fruit into his mouth.


    His face scrunched up and he couldn''t help but curse inwardly. Unlike in fantasy novels or comic books where the divine fruits were incredibly sweet and tasty, the fruit he had just consumed was incredibly sour; so much so that eating lemon was only kid''s stuff in comparison.


    Seeing his breathing slightly uneven but calm and his c.h.e.s.t heaving gently, Lilith leaned forward.


    Her face rested only a couple of centimeters away from Bai Zemin''s face. She could even feel his breath c.a.r.e.s.sing her face softly as her black hair fell like a night veil down the sides covering both of their faces from the outside.


    Her red eyes glittered like precious gems and she pursed her lips, millimeters from his. She whispered softly, "Hurry up and wake up, little Zemin. This big sister is curious to see what you get~"


    Then, she took a step back and sat on the edge of the bed as she looked at him silently.


    * * *


    A day passed quickly and after the beginning of the second day since the fall of the previous four leaders, a great number of survivors had been given different jobs to do and the initial armed militia had finally formed properly.


    After 24 hours of silent agony, Bai Zemin''s eyelashes moved imperceptibly. However, this small movement could not escape the strong and sharp senses of the Higher Existence present.


    "Finally awake?"


    Hearing the most beautiful voice of the most charming and dangerous woman he had ever met in his entire life, Bai Zemin smiled and opened his eyes slowly.


    [Congratulations! You have learned Second Order Active Skill Level 5 ''Lightning Movement''!]

 Chapter 138 - Important information from Wu Yijun

    Bai Zemin blinked several times at the message flashing in green letters across his retina and the smile that had formed on his face after hearing Lilith''s charming voice widened.


    Noticing his face practically beaming with joy, Lilith couldn''t help but find it cute and amusing at the same time.


    "Seeing the excitement in your eyes I guess I don''t need to ask." Lilith smiled slightly and sat down next to him as she stretched her hand forward.


    Bai Zemin looked at her flawless hand and chuckled. If it was before he might not understand her intention, but after more than half a month of living together and practically never separating, it was easy for him to know what she wanted.


    Without saying a word in return, he took her delicate hand in his clearly larger one. His movement was so gentle that he seemed afraid of hurting her even though he knew such a thing was impossible.


    Soon, the description of the newly acquired skill flickered across both of their retinas.


    [Lightning Movement (Second Order Active Skill) Level 5: This is a skill capable of increasing the user''s movement speed and slightly utilizing the power of lightning. First activation: After consuming 40 Stamina points it increases Agility by +70 points for 5 minutes. Second activation: Consumes 5 Stamina points to make a lightning clone that can use 10% of the user''s overall power. In addition, it consumes 1 Stamina point per second for each clone. Currently, a maximum of 3 clones can be created].


    Seeing how powerful the skill acquired after consuming the mutant fruit was, Bai Zemin had to restrain the urge to want to roar at the sky!


    Seventy points of Agility! That was the terrifying amount of boost this skill granted him and for a total of five full minutes! Even with the consumption of forty Stamina points, it was nothing compared to the benefits. This skill had so many uses that Bai Zemin didn''t know where to start!


    Fleeing, dodging, chasing, killing, helping teammates, etc. Simply too many uses to describe them all!


    Furthermore, the second activation of the Lightning Movement skill was even more powerful than the first activation depending on how one used it.


    "Oh?" Lilith also raised an eyebrow and pointed out, "This skill is one of the most powerful skills that the Heaven''s Army''s Archangel Gabriel possesses... Of course, his Lightning Movement is far more advanced than yours currently."


    "Don''t worry, there will come a time when he will eat the dust I left behind." Bai Zemin stood up and said confidently.


    Lilith held back the urge to laugh and said excitedly, "That will be fun to see! But... Let me tell you just in case but, the Archangels are almost all in the Seventh Order."


    Cough! Cough!


    Bai Zemin began coughing viciously and nearly choked to death. He could even feel his face getting hot with embarrassment... Due to the enthusiasm of the moment, he couldn''t help but say words in a big way.


    Little did he expect that his own words would turn around to bite him so soon.


    "I''d better get going." Bai Zemin wisely did not comment further on the matter and walked towards the door." Lots of work to do."


    Lilith shook her head not knowing whether to laugh or cry and followed him as she calmly reminded him, "The Order an existence is in does not represent that they are more powerful. I think you already know that from how you were able to defeat beings way higher than you when you didn''t even have your main class yet."


    Still... Seventh Order. Bai Zemin thought silently. That was even higher than Lilith...


    * * *


    "We already said yesterday that he is busy and can''t attend to anyone." Cai Jingyi''s helpless voice rang out.


    "Busy?" This time it was Shangguan Bing Xue answering and she was clearly a little upset, "This is important. In fact, it could be said that he will benefit the most from all of this overall but you''re telling me he''s busy?"


    "We''re just saying what he told us to say in case anyone is looking for him..." Kang Lan sighed.


    Before anyone else could say anything, Bai Zemin came into the room and looked at Shangguan Bing Xue before calmly asking, "What''s wrong? Seeing that even you, who is usually calm, is agitated like this, it must be something really important."


    Not only was Shangguan Bing Xue present; there was also Chen He, Wu Yijun, Fu Xuefeng, Zhong De, and even Luo Cheng. They all seemed anxious about something and had it not been for Cai Jingyi and Kang Lan insisting on not letting anyone pass they would have gone looking for him.


    Shangguan Bing Xue rolled her eyes and couldn''t help but complain, "Where have you been? We''ve been looking for you since yesterday for a matter of grave importance."


    "I''m sorry, but it was something really important." Bai Zemin apologized honestly and gestured for everyone to sit down.


    As a leader, he knew that disappearing for too long was not a good thing. Much less now that his position was just consolidating properly and was still not a 100% sure thing. However, circ.u.mstances had forced him. After all, the sooner he consumed the fruit, the sooner he could become more powerful.


    "Let''s forget about that and do what''s really important here!" Chen He exclaimed with a serious voice and a touch of excitement. He spread a map of the Ruilin subdistrict on the table before looking at Wu Yijun.


    Bai Zemin looked at her for a few seconds before looking at the map which was mostly green due to the large number of wooded areas in the surrounding region.


    After about a minute or two of staring completely focused at the map on the table, Wu Yijun pointed to a particular area and said confidently, "In the past, I came to this place with my grandfather. At that time a military camp was being built in the area and because of his position in the government he personally inspected the task."


    "It''s been a few years since then but I still remember the area vividly. I''m sure there should be some military equipment and weapons in this place!" She concluded before looking at Bai Zemin with a smile shaping two beautiful dimples on her cheeks and left even Chen He stunned.


    Bai Zemin was dumbfounded at first but then the joy made his blood boil furiously.


    A military camp! His heart was beating like a wild horse at the thought and possibility of acquiring the weapons of a military camp.


    Just by raiding a local police station, Ye Qigang and the other three had managed to arm several dozen men without a problem and obtain many supplies and resources.


    If what Wu Yijun said was true and there really was a military camp stationed there, then Bai Zemin could start moving in a southerly direction immediately! The whole process of meeting his family again would become a lot easier!

 Chapter 139 - Royalty & Long-term contract

    It was only after hearing Wu Yijun''s announcement that Bai Zemin finally understood the reason why even the generally cold Shangguan Bing Xue was so agitated. At the same time, he also came to understand why she said that in the end, the one who would benefit most from everything would be him.


    After all, if there really was an armed camp stationed in that place, many things would be easier for him and, as a leader, it was natural to want his own power to grow and expand.


    Bai Zemin looked at the beautiful Wu Yijun and asked with a frown, "Although it''s none of my business but... May I know who your grandfather is? I know you come from a prominent family, but to think that even your grandfather has a high enough rank to know confidential information and even be able to take his granddaughter to such a place..."


    Wu Yijun smiled sweetly and answered in all honesty, "My grandfather is Wu Jianhong and my father is Wu Keqian... You probably already heard about my grandfather and since your family is resident of Changping District, I assume you already heard his name too."


    "Wu Jianhong...?" Bai Zemin muttered and his eyes grew wide: "You... Your grandfather is the Premier of China?!"


    When Wu Yijun nodded naturally, the place fell silent for a second before a series of gasps could be heard in unison.


    Except for Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue who already knew about Wu Yijun''s family background, everyone in the room gasped as they stared at the woman in front of them.


    Even Bai Zemin himself was shocked for a moment.


    Although the world had changed, it was hard to shake off twenty years of living in a normal family. For him, the Premier of China was a supreme and absolute existence but now, in front of his eyes, the beloved granddaughter of the second most powerful man in the whole country was looking at him with a charming smile.


    Besides, even if the world had changed, if Wu Yijun''s family did not collapse and her grandfather continued on his feet, it was only a matter of time before they would rise to power again.


    But rather than feeling relieved and joyful, what Bai Zemin felt was a severe headache... For it was highly probable that in the future he would have to fight the entire old regime unless he was willing to surrender his armed power; something that was simply impossible.


    How could he casually surrender to all their efforts? Bai Zemin shook his head and looked at her curiously without letting his inner thoughts reveal themselves, "I see. Then it makes sense that you would know such information... Also, to think that your father is actually the Mayor of Changping District... You sure are something eh?"


    Wu Yijun shook her head and smiled bitterly, "To be honest, sometimes I wish I was born in a normal family... Besides, I hope you can continue to treat me the same way you''ve done so far and my family won''t affect your way of thinking about me."


    Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and the others inside the room looked at Bai Zemin waiting for his reaction, but he simply nodded slightly and said with a casual smile, "Of course. You don''t need to worry about that. Although I''m surprised, that''s all... With today''s world, I don''t think the past matters much considering that practically the entire society fell down."


    "Hehehe..." Wu Yijun smiled sweetly and her eyes curved into a crescent moon shape. She looked at him and asked somewhat curiously, "Bai Zemin, do you have a girlfriend?"


    Bai Zemin was taken by surprise and for a moment did not know what to say. Not only him, Shangguan Bing Xue opened her beautiful eyes and looked at her friend in shock.


    "Yijun, you..." Chen He also couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "What?" Wu Yijun shrugged and said innocently, "I''m not asking him to go out with me. I just asked out of curiosity, that''s all."


    The corner of Chen He''s mouth twitched a couple of times as if he wanted to say something but in the end he shook his head and remained silent. Maybe Wu Yijun''s act could fool everyone here, but he and Shangguan Bing Xue knew her too well after all.


    "I don''t currently have a girlfriend..." Bai Zemin replied and closed his eyes before opening them again. Before anyone could say anything, he added, "But you could say that I have a long-term contract with a woman to whom I owe a lot."


    "Oh?" Wu Yijun looked interested and narrowed her eyes.


    In fact, everyone looked curious and looked at him. They wanted to know what kind of person she was to make even in this world he would remember her like that. Even though he had been forced to do so many things to survive and had gone through so many hardsh.i.p.s, there was still such a woman in his mind.


    You should know that there were actually dozens, if not hundreds of women of different ages who would be more than willing to become his woman but Bai Zemin never gave any of them a second glance. In fact, since the beginning of the apocalypse he was never seen to be too close to any woman except for occasional conversations with Wu Yijun or small contacts with Shangguan Bing Xue.


    Invisible and away from everyone''s sight, the woman who was the center of conversation watched and listened to everything with a bright smile that, fortunately or unfortunately, no one could see.


    "A long-term contract, eh...? I like how it sounds."


    * * *


    After more than an hour of deliberation, the group finally made the decision to start moving in a southerly direction as fortunately the armed camp was located in one of the forests about 150 kilometers away from where the Beginning Village was situated.


    This was a matter of utmost urgency, just as Shangguan Bing Xue had said earlier. Mainly due to the fact that they currently only had a little over fifteen thousand rounds of ammunition and the grenades did not even number twenty.


    With such low ammunition and considering the low hit rate that people without military training could have against zombie heads, out of those fifteen thousand rounds of ammunition it was improbable that more than a thousand zombies could be killed and this was already a generous estimate!


    The groups were as follows:


    Normal Citizens: They lived in the worst housing in the outer ring of the village so the security was also lower. It was composed of those who did not want to work or who simply did not have any useful ability or the courage to fight.


    Noble Citizens: They lived in the middle area of the village. Their living conditions were considerably better than those of the Normal Citizens as they were not only safer but also received better food. They were composed of those who did work and did not differentiate between doctor or animal keeper as all professions were important nowadays.


    Royalty: They lived in the central area of the village. Their houses were the best and their living conditions were far superior to those of the two previous groups. The Royalty consisted of those who actively fought on the front lines against zombies, evolved beasts, and any other enemy of the village. Because they were at the greatest risk, they could eat the best food and enjoy the best treatment.


    Unlike the first two groups, the Royalty members were differentiated as there were the militants and the main leaders as well as the top leader, who was currently Bai Zemin.


    This type of setup was incredibly simple and even rustic in a sense. However, the reason Bai Zemin openly praised Shangguan Bing Xue for thinking of such an idea was because since they only had a little over a thousand survivors, such simplicity made the divisions extremely clear and everyone''s work would be much easier.


    Furthermore, with this clear distinction, the survivors would slowly begin to realize that the world was no longer as it was before and that if they wanted better treatment they should not expect help from anyone but themselves since, unlike in the past, here there was no government to complain to.

 Chapter 140 - Working with the evolved beast bodies

    With the guidance of Wu Yijun, Bai Zemin visited the place where an important task was being carried out in order for him to advance and enhance his own personal power and that of his followers even further.


    A step behind the two, Lilith in her human form followed them silently as she looked around calmly.


    In a large walled courtyard which was being protected by a total of ten men armed with Type 79 submachine guns and three magazines of ammunition each, a group of survivors was huddled in different parts of the place working tirelessly.


    "Leader Bai!"


    Xiao Min, one of the first militants to surrender before Bai Zemin and one of the few to survive, quickly advanced and bowed respectfully when he saw him appear in the courtyard.


    Because of her beauty, Wu Yijun received several stares but she was already used to it so she acted as if nothing. Besides, after one or two peeks, no one dared to continue looking for fear of losing their heads.


    Bai Zemin nodded toward Xiao Min and asked in a deep voice, "How is the work going?"


    Xiao Min also focused on him and hurriedly replied while pointing to the different spots in the courtyard, "Thanks to the new rules, all the survivors are very satisfied. No one dares to slack off because they know that if they lose this job they will go hungry again and their families will return to indigence again."


    Bai Zemin nodded silently and watched the scene with satisfaction.


    More than two hundred survivors were surrounding different mutant beasts and taking care of their bodies without daring to be neglected.


    With one of the First Order''s evolved cat claws or a Shadow Tiger claw that Bai Zemin had killed before leaving the university, the survivors were tearing off the scales of the First Orders Jiao-Lao Snakes.


    Although it was difficult to do, with the evolved snakes dead, the survivors could put the hard, sharp claw between the small spaces between each scale and slowly pry it away from the flesh.


    Using metal pieces from the shell of one of the First Order Blazing Beetles, they were carefully cutting the skin and when the fur was completely removed from the body it was placed in large wooden bundles and tied with strings so that they were well stretched. In that way, the fur of the other beasts was slowly beginning to dry.


    "Looks good." Wu Yijun said cheerfully and looked at Bai Zemin with a cute smile, "Bai Zemin, follow me. I''ll take you there."


    Bai Zemin looked at her smile and his mood seemed to improve a bit. After following her and walking several meters he finally saw one of his main objectives for this visit.


    The four-meter tall and approximately seven-meter-long body of the Reinforced Iron Boar lay lifeless in a large open field. Surrounding it were several survivors with bitter expressions.


    Seeing Bai Zemin and the two beauties approaching, a middle-aged man with several parts of his hair already white quickly advanced and bowed, "Leader Bai!"


    The rest of the survivors surrounding the Reinforced Iron Boar''s body also bowed and quickly greeted.


    Bai Zemin nodded and looked at the middle-aged man, "Zheng Yang, I heard that you have problems with this boy?"


    Zheng Yang smiled bitterly and nodded. He pointed at the Reinforced Iron Boar Jabali as he said, "Leader Bai, this monster''s armor is too tough. Even with the beast claws you gave us it is simply impossible to break through the defenses!"


    Even with the Xuanyuan Sword Bai Zemin had not been able to break through the defenses of the First Order Reinforced Iron Boar, so he was not too surprised to hear such a statement. In fact, if it wasn''t for his terrifying Strength and Agility as well as the help of his Blood Berserker class he could never have killed such a terrifying monster.


    "It''s alright... Do you think you can handle it if I make a breakthrough?" Bai Zemin frowned slightly and asked.


    After all, it was impossible for him to stay too long here guarding the Iron Reinforced Boar. He still needed to expand southward and he couldn''t afford to waste time at the beginning of the apocalypse as it would kill him in the intermediate stages.


    Zheng Yang was silent for a moment and after careful reflection nodded, "I think it''s possible if we remove some extra flesh."


    "Then let''s do it like this." Bai Zemin nodded and waved his hand back.


    Wu Yijun, Lili, Zheng De, and the rest of the survivors quickly retreated, clearing the area around the giant monster.


    Bai Zemin took out a bottle of Blazing Beetle blood from his backpack and casually scattered it on the ground. Then, he concentrated fully, and under the astonished eyes of the survivors, the blood began to move slowly.


    Under his control, the gruesome-looking blood soon took solid form and turned into a long sharp ruby-colored sword that reflected the sun''s rays.


    Bai Zemin''s face turned slightly pale as to form this sword he had consumed 150 Mana points. If it were before such an action would be difficult, but with his 300+ Mana points, it was not too much of a problem except for a slight faintness that disappeared as soon as it appeared.


    The sword floated on its own and fell gently into his right hand. Then, under the eyes filled with envy, admiration, and trepidation of the survivors, Bai Zemin activated the skill attached to the Blazing Ring in his right hand.


    The temperature in the place rose explosively and everyone was forced to take several steps back with fear-filled eyes as they looked at the crimson flame that had appeared out of nowhere and danced softly on the blood sword.


    Bai Zemin advanced and with a slight jump, his body flashed and appeared above the head of the Reinforced Iron Boar. He observed carefully and after a moment''s consideration pierced the center of the monster''s forehead.


    Wu Yijun''s eyes glittered with a hint of disbelief as she noticed how the hard metal armor that even with her skill she could not damage even a little bit, began to slowly give way.


    The metal armor that came in contact with the tip of the blood sword began to gradually melt as the burning flames did their work. After the tip of the sword pierced and reached the monster''s flesh, Bai Zemin stopped trying to go deeper and began to walk upwards from the head slowly while dragging the blazing blood sword along with his movements.


    With great care and concentration, the metal armor began to slowly open under Bai Zemin''s attention; forming a long line that stretched from the forehead to the back of the creature''s body.


    As Bai Zemin finished the work, Wu Yijun looked at ''Lili'' and asked curiously, "May I know how long you have known Bai Zemin? I don''t think you have only known each other for a couple of days."


    ''Lili'' looked at her as if surprised by the sudden question and asked back, "May I know what is the reason why you think so?"

 Chapter 141 - First battle of the new armed militia

    Wu Yijun smiled slightly and replied composedly, "Actually, I''m not the only person who noticed the strange closeness between the two of you. I mean, Bai Zemin obviously doesn''t treat you like a maidservant or a normal assistant and he certainly cares about you and gives importance to your opinion when it comes to making important decisions. Who would do something like that unless they knew the other person well enough?"


    ''Lili'' simply smiled and didn''t comment on the matter. In fact, there was nothing to comment on and everyone could think or assume whatever they pleased.


    Seeing that she did not want to continue with that conversation, Wu Yijun shook her head and did not insist. If it were someone else they might fear her as her position in the group was quite high, but as someone who was under the direct care of Bai Zemin, Wu Yijun''s position was not something to be too afraid of and as long as she was given the necessary respect everything would be fine.


    After about five minutes, Bai Zemin wiped away the few beads of sweat that had formed on his face and took a deep breath as he cancelled his Blood Manipulation skill, which caused the crimson flame to evaporate the liquid blood and extinguish in mid-air.


    From the forehead to the back of the body on the beast''s back, a large gash could be seen as if it wanted to split the body in two. The metal armor of the Reinforced Iron Boar was incredibly tough and in order to cut through it Bai Zemin had to keep his Blood Manipulation skill active at all times, which had consumed a lot of his Mana.


    After getting off the body, Bai Zemin walked towards Zheng Yang, the person in charge of this group, and ordered, "Start working now. The sooner you finish this the better... In fact, if possible I would like you to finish within three days at the most."


    "Three days..." Zheng Yang frowned slightly but seeing the serious expression on his face he dared not refuse so he nodded hurriedly, "It will be difficult but we will give our best effort to finish as soon as possible!"


    Bai Zemin nodded in satisfaction and gave him a light tap on the shoulder before pointing to a pile of Jiao-Lao Snake scales that had been ripped off and said to Xiao Min, "When they are done with the scales have someone take them directly to my villa."


    "Understood!" Xiao Min nodded and sent the trio off before returning to work.


    On a road south of the Beginning Village, a convoy consisting of a modified bus, a Dongfeng truck, and three jeeps raised a cloud of dust as they moved forward without stopping.


    In the lead jeep, Bai Zemin sat in the passenger seat looking out the window. Trees whizzed by and he occasionally saw some zombies or broken corpses lying in the blood-stained grass.


    To reach Camp Baiquan they needed to travel a considerable distance, but before that Bai Zemin needed to clear the surroundings, collect as many resources as possible, find survivors, expand his power, and get the new armed militia used to battles slowly.


    Otherwise, should a battle break out between his group and the opposing camp, his troops would panic and flee at the first sound of gunfire.


    After driving carefully for about two hours and going through several obstacles blocking the road, Bai Zemin made a gesture and Luo Cheng stopped the vehicle at the roadside.


    Little Luo Ning was in the back seat chatting with Lilith happily. Feeling the vehicle stop the gear, she looked forward and asked curiously, "Big brother Bai, are we killing zombies?"


    "That'' s right." Bai Zemin nodded and got out of the vehicle without another word.


    "I can finally get stronger myself too!" The little girl jumped out of the jeep and looked at the surroundings with bright eyes.


    Luo Cheng looked at his little sister not knowing whether to laugh or cry as he saw the emotion in her eyes. This little girl had acted cuddly with Bai Zemin all afternoon and when she asked him if he could take her to hunt zombies he didn''t even hesitate and agreed.


    In this new world, power and, unfortunately, courage were needed. Fighting from a distance was fine for Luo Cheng, but unless he had some kind of protection against the zombie infection, it was impossible for him to muster the courage to fight head-on.


    Chen He got out of another jeep and stood next to Bai Zemin as they looked toward the town five hundred meters ahead. Behind, Fu Xuefeng and Kang Lan were giving some orders to the thirty armed men they had brought along this time.


    As for the rest, they had stayed in the Beginning Village protecting the camp.


    Bai Zemin looked at Fu Xuefeng and the latter nodded before charging towards the town at full speed. With him currently reaching level 19 and using his points in Agility and Stamina every time he leveled up as well as the sum of other stats gained, Fu Xuefeng was currently 5 times faster than a normal person who had not been nurtured by Soul Power.


    In a short time he arrived at the entrance of the small town and began to shoot noisily into the sky. The zombies in the area were attracted by the strong Soul Power emanating from him as well as the sound of gunfire and began to stagger in his direction.


    In a short time more than a thousand zombies gathered with the intention of surrounding him and after killing several of them Fu Xuefeng was forced to retreat or else even he would die pathetically.


    The newly recruited militants s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath of cold air as they saw the wave of a thousand zombies advancing towards them. Thirty untrained armed men against over a thousand zombies... They were naturally scared and everyone couldn''t help but take a step back.


    Just then, Bai Zemin''s voice resounded everywhere: "If any of you run away, your right as a Noble Citizen will be revoked immediately! Furthermore, if any of you dare to disobey my orders or those of your immediate leader you will be forbidden the opportunity to obtain any other jobs and will have to settle for relief rations for the rest of your lives!"


    At such a threat, the militants turned pale and did not dare to take another step. What a joke! Back to those days of suffering and hunger? No thanks! None of them were willing to lose the life they had just obtained!


    "Chen He, you watch them." Bai Zemin ordered and looked at Fu Xuefeng and Kang Lan before saying, "You two come with me."


    Without waiting for a reply, he rushed forward like a whirlwind.

 Chapter 142 - Against the zombies

    "Chen He, you watch them." Bai Zemin ordered and looked at Fu Xuefeng and Kang Lan before saying, "You two come with me."


    Without waiting for a reply, he rushed forward like a whirlwind.


    Before the newly formed armed troops could react to what was happening, Bai Zemin had already crossed a distance of three hundred meters in the blink of an eye.


    His body flickered like a flash of lightning and under everyone''s disbelieving gaze the head of a dozen zombies shot into the sky along with a torrent of blood.


    "Strong!" Fu Xuefeng exclaimed in shock. Although he was already infinitely close to level twenty but even he was unable to discern Bai Zemin''s movements distinctly before several zombies were decapitated.


    With 201 Agility points, Bai Zemin was simply a monster who was twenty times faster than a normal person in good physical condition before the arrival of the Soul Record on Earth. Although Fu Xuefeng was fast, there was still a great distance between him and Bai Zemin.


    Kang Lan''s beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of surprise and admiration as her idolatry towards him increased exponentially. No matter how many times she saw him, she never ceased to be amazed by the power of her leader.


    The two looked at each other and quickly charged forward to join the fray.


    Although not as monstrous as Bai Zemin, Fu Xuefeng used a meter-long claw from one of the First Order Gale Cats to claim the lives of his enemies.


    As for Kang Lan, she could not use her Poisonous Cloud skill against the zombies as it, unfortunately, had no effect. Therefore, very carefully to avoid being scratched she stood on the edge without being surrounded and casually decapitated the nearby zombies.


    As for the other militants... None of them managed to see anything before the zombies'' heads flew off.


    In just a matter of five minutes, more than five hundred zombies had been decapitated. Of these five hundred, most had naturally been killed by Bai Zemin since he was the only one with a treasure capable of protecting his body almost completely from infection. But even then he needed some restraint.


    "You two, go back!"


    After killing another hundred zombies, Bai Zemin called Fu Xuefeng and Kang Lan to retreat.


    The duo did not hesitate and quickly retreated. Fu Xuefeng was starting to get exhausted because even though less than ten minutes had passed, the amount of Stamina consumed had been especially high since although the zombies were only level 5 at the moment, the danger they represented was still present in all its splendor.


    As for Kang Lan, her Stamina was relatively low so her c.h.e.s.t was constantly rising and falling. Her light clothing had clung onto her body which was gradually becoming more and more charming as a result of the sweat, giving her a somewhat seductive but at the same time dangerous vibe due to the blood stains that had inevitably reached her.


    As the two safely retreated, Bai Zemin decapitated another twenty zombies before backing away at full speed, appearing next to Chen He again in an instant.


    As he raptly glanced at the thirty armed men, Bai Zemin noticed how everyone''s eyes were burning as they stared at him in n.a.k.e.d admiration.


    "F.u.c.k..." A militant whispered and tightened his grip on his gun as his whole body trembled uncontrollably.


    In fact, all the militants were trembling as they clutched their firearms. However, unlike before, this time it was not out of fear of the zombies but because of the excitement bubbling in their veins and the adrenaline coursing through the bloodstream of each of them!


    Such ghostly speed! Such an ability to take on an army of zombies by himself! Such strength and such an aura brimming with confidence!


    With such leaders what was there to fear!


    Bai Zemin nodded secretly satisfied with the result as he saw the morale of the armed troops soaring. In a battle, morale played an extremely important role; it was precisely for this reason that he entered the wave of zombies. To make a show of overwhelming power and let everyone see that there was nothing to fear!


    The remaining four hundred or so zombies approached slowly but surely. Their white eyes and deformed faces were incredibly terrifying, but seeing the firm back of the leader in front, no soldier feared.


    As the zombies reached a hundred meters range, Bai Zemin easily noticed how panic threatened to return to the militants'' eyes and knew that temporarily it was the best thing he could do.


    "Fire at will!" Bai Zemin ordered loudly and casually took aim with his Desert Eagle before pulling the trigger.


    A hundred meters ahead, a zombie fell noisily backwards, never to get up again.


    "Fire!" Chen He shouted, followed by Fu Xuefeng.


    The militants raised their guns and shouted to shake off the dread they felt as they unleashed a storm of bullets uncontrollably on the enemies.


    Type 54 pistols, Type 79 submachine gun, Type 85 sniper, all kinds of old firearms were fired by the thirty armed men and hundreds of bullets disappeared with every passing second.


    They were creatures that unless their brains failed to function never stopped and even those who lost mobility after being hit by some shots that damaged the bones of their legs made an effort to crawl before being crushed by those who came behind.


    Occasionally there were some zombies who were shot in the head and died but it was simply impossible for only thirty untrained men to stop four hundred monsters without fear of pain. Therefore, when a zombie fell, another one behind would advance and take its place; this gave the illusion of an inexhaustible troop that chilled everyone''s blood.


    Bai Zemin and Chen He never missed a shot. Within a distance as short as a hundred meters, Bai Zemin''s Special Forces Soldier skill and Chen He''s Sniper skill demonstrated their power to the fullest.


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin aimed and fired, killing a zombie. Without even a second''s delay, he took aim again and another zombie''s head exploded a split second later.


    Seeing the ease with which he aimed and fired without even securing the target, Chen He was speechless. This was the first time he had seen Bai Zemin use firearms in such a way so he was naturally surprised.


    This man is really scary. Chen He thought silently as he killed zombies without a break except for changing the magazine of his gun.

 Chapter 143 - Constantly evolving zombies

    Faced with the endless wave of bullets, the zombies were slowly beginning to fall. However, it was simply impossible for thirty inexperienced people to annihilate more than four hundred enemies who felt no pain and did not fear death when the distance separating them was only about a hundred meters.


    "Cease fire! Retreat one hundred meters!" Bai Zemin commanded deeply as the zombies approached fifty meters in front of them.


    The militants turned pale as a sheet when they saw for the first time in a long time so many zombies from such a close distance. Upon receiving Bai Zemin''s direct order, those who could barely contain the urge to flee as they remembered the consequences immediately turned around and began to run in disorderly fashion toward the second line of defense marked in advance.


    Seeing how disorderly the retreat was, Bai Zemin sighed secretly and also retreated after making sure that all the men had reached a safe point.


    "On my signal!" Bai Zemin shouted and while looking behind him ordered, "Fire in bursts! Don''t leave the trigger pulled like idiots and aim for the head!"


    As the now just over two hundred zombies approached, Bai Zemin ordered and the militants began to shoot in bursts. This caused the zombie kill rate to drop but the accuracy increased dramatically as the vibration of the guns was far less.


    The ammunition savings also became noticeable and gradually the zombies began to fall.


    After retreating a total of two hundred meters more than the initial one hundred meters, the group led by Bai Zemin had consumed 70% of the ammunition they had brought for this assault.


    "Cease fire!" Bai Zemin shouted again as the number of zombies amounted to just over sixty and the militants gradually stopped firing.


    The fearful look in everyone''s eyes had long since been nowhere to be seen and as they looked at the less than one hundred zombies approaching at a snail''s pace a bit of self-confidence began to be born naturally.


    "Luo Ning, are you sure you''re alright? "Bai Zemin approached the girl standing next to Lilith and asked carefully.


    "It''s okay, big brother Bai!" Luo Ning nodded with determination and looked at the zombies more than a hundred meters away without fear. Then, she looked at Bai Zemin and smiled in a cute manner as she said, "Besides, little Ning knows that you will protect her!"


    "Little girl, you..." Bai Zemin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at the confidence this little girl had in him even though he had barely known her for three days.


    What the hell man? After all you can act like that too. Chen He sighed secretly and a smile formed on his face as he watched the little interaction between the two.


    Bai Zemin took off his Full Coat and helped Luo Ning equip it. The treasure glowed and adjusted to the girl''s stature automatically, showing just how powerful the Soul Record really was.


    With all of her natural stats gaining a +5 boost, the nine-year-old girl had no problem lifting Bai Zemin''s Xuanyuan Sword and slashed a couple of times with relative ease.


    "Follow me and don''t be afraid." Bai Zemin took the girl''s hand and advanced to meet the zombies slowly.


    As he saw them walking away, Luo Cheng opened his mouth to say something but in the end, shook his head and sighed. His eyes filled with worry stared at the back of his only family as he silently prayed for her safety.


    "Don''t worry." Kang Lan stepped closer and pointed out the undeniable truth: "There''s no way a few level 5 zombies can hurt someone he wishes to protect."


    "Although I have my differences with him, I must say that at least he''s a man who keeps his word and so far hasn''t tried to bite off more than he can handle." Chen He reached over and lightly patted him on the shoulder.


    The two''s words calmed Luo Cheng a little, but it was simply impossible for the worry to disappear completely. However, soon all that worry disappeared almost 100% within seconds when he witnessed the scene before him.


    ...


    Bai Zemin waited for the zombies to approach and as he felt the small hand he held squeezing tightly with his own he looked at the girl beside him.


    "You stay behind me, I''ll take care of those zombies first and then you can level up just by giving the final hit. Okay?"


    "Mmh!" Luo Ning nodded with bright eyes and her eyebrows curved like a crescent moon.


    When the zombies were twenty meters away, Bai Zemin seemed to disappear from his previous position and the ground under his feet cracked slightly due to the strength of his legs.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Luo Ning could not follow his movements but she could hear the constant bangs and for each bang, a zombie fell to the ground with its four broken limbs.


    Of course, each bang she heard was actually at least four explosions but due to Bai Zemin''s speed, the time between each one wasn''t too long so they seemed like one.


    After a minute, the seventy or so zombies lay on the ground growling furiously. However, although their appearances were still as horrifying as before, the danger they posed had practically dropped to the lowest possible level.


    Luo Ning carefully approached under Bai Zemin''s guidance and noticed how each zombie had the bones of both arms and legs completely destroyed beyond recognition.


    The girl''s face turned pale at the bloody scene but she gritted her teeth and endured. Although she was a child, she was actually not as naive as she looked. Luo Ning was aware that the world she knew would never return; precisely because of this she desperately wanted strength not only for herself, but also to protect her loved ones.


    "Just take three small steps forward and cut off the head. You don''t need to get any closer than that." Bai Zemin pointed at the first zombie and instructed.


    Following his words, Luo Ning took three small steps forward and raised the Xuanyuan Sword high into the sky before slashing downwards as a faint battle cry came out of her mouth.


    With a blade over a meter in length, the sword''s edge easily severed the zombie''s head. Although it failed to hit the neck, the brain turned to mush and the life of the human who failed to adapt to the world''s mana was finally over.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Normal Zombie level 5. Stamina +3]


    As time passed, the level of the zombies also slowly ascended. At the beginning of the apocalypse, most of the zombies were level 2 or level 3 while level 4 zombies were relatively rarer. However, now all of these zombies were level 4 or level 5.


    This meant that mankind had to hurry up and become stronger if they did not want to be devoured by the other beings wandering the Earth.

 Chapter 144 - Summon Shadow Cat & Elite Troop

    In the past, Bai Zemin had once asked Lilith about zombies.


    What kind of path did they follow? How did they evolve?


    Her answer was very simple but extremely clear and without leaving any misunderstanding: "Zombies evolve by devouring other living beings. But they can also absorb mana from the world."


    The problem was that when evolving by f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y absorbing mana from the world, the evolution could not be chosen by oneself just as when absorbing Soul Power from another existence. This meant that the evolution was almost 100% of the time countless instances weaker and a Second Order existence that had evolved incorrectly did not necessarily possess the power of a true First Order existence.


    It was a similar case to the First Order Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Bee that Bai Zemin had killed after setting fire to the mutant forest; due to its bad evolution after absorbing the mana that the Mana Embryo expelled, the Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Bee had lost all mobility except for its wings due to its disproportionate body.


    However, this did not overshadow the fact that the zombies evolved relentlessly; which was incredibly frightening considering they were creatures that never slept and possessed seemingly infinite Stamina.


    While the zombies and other creatures were evolving, most humans were hiding in some corner and only the vast minority actually had the courage to come out and fight.


    ...


    Bai Zemin noticed that the girl''s hands were trembling slightly as she gripped the sword with all her heart. He walked over and calmed her down, praising her for her good work.


    "See, this is your skill." He pointed to the skill scroll that had fallen next to the slain zombie''s body.


    "My... My skill...?" Luo Ning followed his glance and her eyes shone. The girl seemed to forget her fears as she clutched Bai Zemin''s shirt tightly and said cheerfully, "That''s my skill? Just like big brother Bai, I can also have a cool skill?"


    Bai Zemin chuckled and nodded, "That''s right. It''s yours. Let me pick it up for you."


    "Hurry up, big brother. Hurry up!" The little girl jumped like a rabbit all over the place as she pushed him forward. She still didn''t dare to pick up something that was so close to the zombie''s bloodied and messed up body after all.


    After picking up the scroll under Luo Ning''s anxious eyes, the contents of the skill flashed in his retina.


    [Summon Shadow Cat (First Order active skill) level 2: Spend 5 Mana points to summon a Shadow Cat and consume 2 Mana points for every 5 seconds. The Shadow Cat can blend in and camouflage itself with the darkness to become almost undetectable to the enemy''s eyes, making it a perfect beast for surprise attacks. The skill is currently limited to 1 Shadow Cat]


    Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and handed the skill to the little girl.


    Little Luo Ning''s eyes shone with joy and under Bai Zemin''s guidance, the white scroll with dark speckles turned into particles of light that soon disappeared inside her body.


    "Luo Ning, let''s continue to raise your level to increase your Mana as much as possible, and later we can see what your skill can do." Bai Zemin gently ruffled her hair and the girl nodded excitedly before dashing forward like a little tigress, decapitating zombie after zombie.


    In fact, Luo Ning was so happy that she ignored the pool of blood that had formed around her and seemed unaware that her Minnie and Mickey cartoon boots had been dyed red.


    Because she had received Bai Zemin''s help, Luo Ning only rose to level 1 after killing 3 levels 5 zombies, which was noticeably lower than Bai Zemin.


    At that time he had directly risen to level 1 after killing the level 5 Big Bee. This meant that due to his assistance, Luo Ning was receiving about 1/3 of the Soul Power she could have gained if she had killed the zombies by herself.


    Seven more zombies took her to level 2.


    Fifteen more zombies took her directly to level 3.


    Luo Ning needed to decapitate thirty-one zombies of level five more to finally reach level 4. Under Bai Zemin''s guidance, the eight status points she had gained were used to boost her Mana stat only as her skill consumed large amounts of mana to work.


    With only about twenty zombies remaining, he and she knew that it was impossible to gain enough Soul Power to level up to level 5 so Bai Zemin decided to do something else.


    When Bai Zemin led Luo Ning back to where the troops were stationed, the girl ran to Luo Cheng to tell him the news.


    As for Bai Zemin himself, he looked at the militants and said in a deep voice, "Now I am giving you the opportunity to evolve almost without risk!"


    Everyone looked at him carefully and he pointed at the zombies in the distance as he said, "Approximately twenty zombies were disabled by me, so that means a total of seven people can go up 1 level and gain status points to become stronger. Are any of you interested?... Let me warn you in advance, those who step forward will have to fight with swords and blades without relying on firearms frequently from this day forward!"


    The thirty armed men looked each other in the eye. Most hesitated but in the end did not want to move forward. Fighting from long range was fine, but risking to die in a melee battle was still hard to accept. Although they were ashamed as they looked at the nine-year-old girl who had dared to fight, shame could not overcome the fear of death.


    Bai Zemin looked at the twelve men who stood out from the rest and nodded in satisfaction as he silently thought: ''After all, these people went through many hardsh.i.p.s. In thirty of them more than a third have the determination to fight while among hundreds of well-fed and protected students only a few dared''.


    "Since we are currently short of zombies, only seven of you will be able to level up. But don''t worry! You will all be raised by me and turned into an elite troop!" Bai Zemin promised honestly and saw the eyes of the twelve men glitter with fervor as they looked at him, Chen He. Fu Xuefeng, and Kang Lan.


    They all had seen the power that each of them had and those who were hot-blooded naturally hoped that they could acquire similar strength. Many present had lost their families during the course of the apocalypse and hated zombies and mutated beasts to the bone marrow.


    Now that someone had given them a chance for revenge, these men were naturally more than grateful and gladly stepped forward.


    Blades, iron pipes, wooden sticks, even with the b.u.t.t of the gun they had; seven of the twelve men who had stood out advanced, and after making sure that the only remaining danger in the zombies was their teeth, they began to bash their heads into a bloody mess.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Three times.


    After killing three levels 5 zombies each, all seven men received the same message in their retinas:


    A few meters away, Bai Zemin smiled slightly.


    Little by little, an elite troop was forming under his flag and there would come a time in the future when just hearing its name would be enough to terrify any being.

 Chapter 145 - Increasing the number of survivors

    After wiping out the thousand-plus zombies, the troop of thirty armed men led by Bai Zemin made its way into the small town.


    As the engine of the convoy entered the streets of the village, some straggling zombies that had remained inside the town began to move toward them while growling in a threatening manner.


    Chen He, Fu Xuefeng, and Kang Lan jumped out of the vehicles they were riding in and charged forward separately in search of remaining zombies. In a matter of seconds the approaching zombies were decapitated with ease.


    Inside the jeep leading the way, Bai Zemin was sitting in the passenger seat with Luo Ning sitting comfortably on his l.a.p.


    "All right, Luo Ning. Can you see that zombie? Right inside that house over there." Bai Zemin looked out the window of the jeep and pointed at a particular zombie that was stuck inside a house and could not move as some heavy objects were obstructing the passage.


    The girl looked to where he pointed and faintly noticed the zombie''s head through the broken glass of the window, "Big brother, I see it!"


    "Good." Bai Zemin nodded and as he patted her head he urged, "Let''s see what your skill can do then,"


    Luo Ning''s eyes flashed happily. She had been waiting for Bai Zemin to ask her to use her skill since she was also curious so she didn''t even hesitate and opened her palm while pointing forward.


    From the ground outside the jeep the shadows seemed to twist and soon a strange creature appeared.


    As Luo Ning jumped up excitedly and clapped her hands, Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow as he inspected the strange monster.


    Although it indeed looked like a cat, it was actually not a normal cat like the pets people had before the apocalypse. This cat was the size of a Siberian dog, its body was completely black as night while its eyes were as yellow as the sun.


    "Go!" Luo Ning pointed at the zombie and the Shadow Cat''s eyes flashed before charging forward without thinking.


    The Shadow Cat''s speed was very fast, about four times faster than a normal person. However, what surprised Bai Zemin and everyone watching most was that when the Shadow Cat jumped through the window and its body touched the shadows it seemed to have disappeared as if by magic.


    "Where is it? Disappeared?" Chen He was dumbfounded and couldn''t help but look everywhere looking for the creature summoned by Luo Ning.


    "No. It''s still right in front of us." Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and just barely, ever so slightly, he could see how the shadows seemed to have a life of their own as they moved towards the zombie.


    Swoosh!


    The zombie didn''t even have time to growl as the shadow of its own body suddenly distorted and the Shadow Cat jumped as it slashed with its claw horizontally.


    The zombie''s head flew through the air and the lifeless body soon collapsed on the ground.


    "What the hell..."


    "Strong!"


    Fu Xuefeng, Kang Lan, and Chen He were dumbfounded. The power of that summoned creature was truly horrifying!


    Luo Cheng looked at his little sister with wide eyes. Not only was he shocked that such power came from her, he was also incredibly happy! Now she would undoubtedly have a better chance of living and her safety would be much higher even if something happened to him!


    "Hehehehe! Big brother Bai, how do you like my cat?" Luo Ning laughed merrily and canceled her skill because the consumption was really high for the current her. In order to make full use of her skill, she needed to constantly level up.


    "Very strong! Little Ning, from now on you are an evolved person just like me." Bai Zemin ruffled her hair happily while secretly being surprised.


    Were the summons that strong? Bai Zemin wasn''t sure before since Yang Pei''s summons had been casually slapped to death by him. However, after seeing Luo Ning''s Shadow Cat power he had to rethink that thought.


    * * *


    Several zombies were locked inside some houses and were taken care of by the armed troops with relative ease. In addition, inside some cellars and some houses with iron doors were found some survivors who were starving after not having eaten anything for more than half a month.


    Two hours later.


    Sitting in the living room of a small villa inside the town, Bai Zemin listened carefully to Lilith''s report in her human form.


    "A total of 364 survivors were found inside the town, in addition, several rations were also found in some stores and inside some houses. The total ration equivalent is approximately two to three hundred kilos of food plus water and other beverages. There were also some packs of cigarettes and..."


    While listening to her melodious voice, Bai Zemin could not help but silently admire her. Dressed in a small police uniform that accentuated the curves of her body, Lilith looked like a brave warrior which was a new sight for him.


    "That''s all." She lifted her face from the sheet of doc.u.ments the little leaders of the different units had handed her and smiled sweetly towards him.


    Bai Zemin smiled back and thanked, "Thank you for the help, Lili."


    Although they were currently alone inside the room it was best to be careful, so he referred to her by her false name instead of the real one.


    "It''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to be of assistance to you." She replied and licked her lips playfully while looking at a certain part of his body.


    An armed man belonging to Bai Zemin''s troops entered along with a rather emaciated woman whose skin had begun to turn somewhat yellow due to the lack of light for so long as well as illnesses from not being able to access clean water and the starvation she had experienced.


    "Leader Bai, Miss Lili." The militant bowed respectfully to both of them.


    Bai Zemin nodded and looked at the woman curiously, "What is going on?"


    "This woman secured with her life that she has important information that might interest you, leader." The militant responded in a serious voice before looking at the woman and urging, "This is our leader. You can tell him whatever you have to say."


    The woman hesitated. She looked at Bai Zemin for several seconds before asking somewhat fearfully, "I... Hello, leader Bai. My name is Mu Yang Yang... May I ask how is the world now? What''s happening with the government and the army...?"


    She, like the rest of the survivors found in the village, had been locked inside her house and had not dared to stick her head out of the window since the first sign of chaos when the message from the Soul Record flashed in her retina.


    All of Bai Zemin''s troops were wearing police uniforms that had been acquired from the police station near the Beginning Village before. Therefore, Mu Yang Yang probably assumed that they were part of the government.

 Chapter 146 - Goblin: New Age Monsters!

    Bai Zemin looked at the woman before him for a moment. In his head, he was thinking of all kinds of important information that this woman named Mu Yang Yang might have but even after careful thought, he did not manage to come up with a clear answer.


    It was hard for him to understand how a person who had not left her home could have important information.??


    Still, he decided to be honest. Bai Zemin sat with his back completely straight and said in a deep voice:


    "The central government has not contacted anyone nor have they sent signals of any kind. The country''s military forces probably collapsed or are in a big trouble since even after more than half a month there is still no trace of them either... The sooner you accept that the old society no longer exists the better it will be for you as many things will be simpler that way."


    Mu Yang Yang''s face changed slightly and her eyes quivered with fear. Although deep in her heart she had expected something like this to happen from the moment that strange message appeared in her retina and the zombies began to devour the humans, the realization was still cruel.


    "So you all..."Mu Yang Yang looked at the police uniform of the armed man who had led her here and then hesitantly looked at the female police uniform Lilith was wearing before looking at Bai Zemin cautiously.


    Bai Zemin nodded and confirmed his suspicions, "We are a group of survivors who are facing the zombies and mutated and evolved beasts. Although in our group there are also members of the government and military troops."


    The reason why Bai Zemin said those last words was because although he was strong, it was natural for people who did not know him to trust someone with status and from a leading family. In any case, when Mu Yang Yang fully understood the new world she would realize on her own that such things were no longer of importance.


    "Evolved beasts? Mutated beasts?" Mu Yang Yang''s eyes widened in shock. She had only seen normal zombies, as for mutated or evolved beasts, she knew nothing about it.


    However, the words of the young man in front of her made her even more confident of what she had seen.


    "Due to the mana of the world, the animals mutated and gained terrifying strength and speed. Some of them managed to evolve into something completely new and gained the ability to use supernatural skills just like me."


    After saying those words, Bai Zemin made a small cut on his finger and activated his Blood Manipulation skill. Under the surprised gaze of the survivor, small strands of blood floated in the air and wrapped into a small red sphere.


    Swoosh!


    Under Bai Zemin''s control, the liquid blood hardened to terrifying levels and turned into a bullet that shot towards one of the walls.


    Bang!


    "My God!" The female survivor took a frightened step back as she saw that the concrete wall had been pierced by the blood of a human being. Such a thing was simply unheard of!


    Her look at Bai Zemin changed completely and even the militant''s eyes now had another small notch of respect in them. Only now he realized that earlier, Bai Zemin had not gone all out.


    Bai Zemin looked at the woman and said in a deep voice, "Mu Yang Yang, as you just saw, the world has changed. In our group we have strict rules as food, safest places, etc, are too valuable nowadays. Depending on how important that information you have is, I may let you enjoy the treatment of a Noble Citizen under my rule... Even a Royalty is not impossible."


    Mu Yang Yang might not know what a Royalty or a Noble Citizen was, but seeing the militant''s envious eyes when the word Royalty was named she understood that it was definitely a good thing.


    In the end, she gritted her teeth and nodded, "Okay, I''ll tell you."


    ...


    It turns out that when the apocalypse broke out, Mu Yang Yang had managed to survive because she had reacted at the first moment and sought refuge in her home. Because her house had a metal door and the windows had steel bars, the zombies had not been able to reach her.


    The problem was that after three days, Mu Yang Yang had exhausted all the rations she had in her house so that''s when the real hell began for her. The days of starvation were unbearable.


    Go out in search of food.


    For her, it no longer mattered if she ended up being eaten by the zombies. Hunger was simply driving her completely insane!


    However, just when Mu Yang Yang had consumed a great deal of energy as well as determination to stand up and walk towards the door, she heard something from outside that made her stop her movements completely.


    Mu Yang Yang trembled with fear and had it not been for the militant beside him he would have fallen to the ground. Bai Zemin told her to sit down and only then she continued:


    "That sound was very strange, it was like a human''s laughter but it was definitely not something a human being could make." Mu Yang Yang explained in terror, "As a precaution, I decided to look outside through the small porthole in the door... That''s when I saw that little green monster!"


    Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and upon seeing the slight change in Lilith''s expression his face became serious. He looked at the militant and ordered him to retreat. Moreover, he also told him that if a word of this leaked out his head would fly up in the air.


    After the gunman left in fright, Bai Zemin looked at the surviving woman who was trembling scared, and urged in a deep voice: "Continue."


    "That little green monster was ugly, just like the goblins that appear in fantasy stories!" Mu Yang Yang exclaimed in a high-pitched voice: "Its mouth was incredibly big just like its nose, long and sharp teeth, its size didn''t even reach a meter in height and its ears were long and pointed while its eyes were golden like gold. It was definitely a goblin like the one in fairy tales!"


    "That must be a New Age Monster." Lilith''s voice rang in his head and Bai Zemin looked at her with questioning eyes.


    She explained, "Mana is an energy that no one has managed to fully comprehend. In the different worlds that the Soul Record visits, it is normal for some never before seen species to start appearing on earth due to the influence of mana on the different species. Monsters that simply mutate or evolve are considered Original Monsters, in other words, those that already existed in this world before.


    As for the new species that are born under the influence of the Soul Record and mana, these are called New Age Monsters. These monsters are far more dangerous than the Original Monsters in the initial and intermediate stages of each world."

 Chapter 147 - Goblins appear: Assault in the middle of the road!

    Bai Zemin''s breathing stalled slightly as Lilith''s words reached him and for a moment it seemed as if his brain had stopped working.


    If due to mana and the Soul Record new life forms could form overtime didn''t this mean that the more time passed not only would zombies and animals mutate and evolve even more, but also other unknown creatures even more powerful would appear???


    So far, Bai Zemin had encountered mutated and evolved insects such as the Great Fast Mantis and the First Order Blazing Beetle. He had also fought dogs, cats, snakes, tigers, and other mutated and evolved animals.


    However, for better or worse, these monsters were creatures that, while they had become infinitely more powerful than in the past, some of their weaknesses were still present.


    For example; during his battle to the death against the First Order Blazing Beetle, Bai Zemin knew that the beetles could not turn their bodies and he took advantage of that weakness to kill it.


    But if other unknown beings appeared this small advantage of knowledge about enemy biology would no longer be present in most cases.


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath and looked at Mu Yang Yang with sharp eyes, "Are you sure about what you just said?"


    Mu Yang Yang felt a heavy aura hovering over her and with a pale face nodded repeatedly as she stammered, "I-I swear... It really was a small monster like a goblin. Besides... T-This goblin even took some survivors alive to the south. I saw the whole scene!"


    "... I see." Bai Zemin nodded and his expression returned to indifference. "The information you just provided is of utmost importance to me. I will arrange for you to be granted a villa in the center of the camp and you will be allowed to enjoy the privileges of a low-level Royalty. Someone will explain the rules and benefits of your new position to you soon."


    "... Thank you... Thank you..." Mu Yang Yang stood up and bowed as tears of pain, suffering, and joy spilled down her cheeks.


    While she didn''t know what was a Royalty, it was definitely a good thing. At this point, she just wanted to eat and sleep in a litter comfortably without having to fear the dangers lurking outside for at least one night.


    ...


    Soon, Mu Yang Yang was escorted by two armed men to a separate villa where several survivors in charge of meals prepared a table of dishes for her to eat at will.


    After taking a hot shower and changing clothes, while looking at the rice, chicken soup, vegetables, and fried meat as well as the different choices of drinks on the table, Mu Yang Yang again cried bitter tears and enjoyed from the depths of her heart what for her was the best meal she had ever had in her entire life.


    While Mu Yang Yang was being taken to rest and due to the sudden increase of survivors, Bai Zemin had sent a messenger to the Beginning Village to report the situation to Shangguan Bing Xue.


    * * *


    Three hours later, in the middle of a road about ten kilometers from Bai Zemin''s current location, a convoy of three buses and two SUVs were moving at a steady speed in a southerly direction.


    Inside the SUV leading the way, Shangguan Bing Xue was sitting in the back seat while looking out the window with an indifferent gaze.


    She had received Bai Zemin''s report and after discussing it with Wu Yijun, she decided to bring some men to pick up the survivors and take them back to the Beginning Village. After all, they could not currently afford to separate their meager forces into two villages.


    The young driver''s eyes occasionally looked in the rearview mirror and the man couldn''t help but sigh at the icy beauty. However, for fear of losing his mind, his glance did not linger for more than a second at a time before returning to the road.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly Shangguan Bing Xue''s face changed slightly and without hesitation she slammed the door before rushing out without flinching.


    The vehicle that was traveling at about 30-40 kilometers per hour due to the bad condition of the road continued to move forward for a few more meters before it suddenly began to split in two.


    Boom!


    Without warning, the car exploded in a cloud of fire; killing the driver in the process. The convoy traveling behind immediately came to a screeching halt, barely avoiding a car crash.


    "Nobody get out of the vehicles." Shangguan Bing Xue appeared in front of the buses and coldly ordered while looking towards the forest on their right.


    This meant that she was the only person with actual combat ability within this group of survivors.


    "Kii kikiki..."


    A strange sound similar to a person''s laughter but also similar to the screeching sound of two metal plates rubbing against each other came from between the trees.


    Shangguan Bing Xue did not stop on ceremony and unhesitatingly activated her most reliable skill as she pointed her wand forward:


    "Freeze."


    A thick white cloud burst out of her body and in the next instant surrounded the trees in front of her. The trees began to freeze bit by bit and less than five seconds later, everything ten meters ahead had turned into ice statues.


    The place remained silent and a gentle gust of wind made Shangguan Bing Xue''s Combat Dress dance in the breeze gently.


    Her face suddenly changed and as she gritted her teeth she created a large wall of ice in front of her before putting strength into both legs and jumping backwards.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!...


    Just as Shangguan Bing Xue touched down ten meters away, a shadow shot out from the forest.


    Bang!


    The thick ice wall that was capable of stopping even bullets from multiple guns was smashed into hundreds of pieces that flew everywhere. However, Shangguan Bing Xue was more surprised by the creature in front of her.


    Approximately five feet tall, a big belly, thick arms covered with fat, sharp pointed ears, huge nose, bulging yellow eyes, teeth that protruded in point, and in one of its hands it carried a huge white bone while it was completely n.a.k.e.d except for a brown colored rag loincloth that covered the lower half of its body.


    "Go- Goblin...?" Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful eyes flashed with disbelief and for the first time, she couldn''t help but stutter in shock.


    "Kii kikiki..." The fat goblin with a big bone stick laughed and while pointing at her shouted some strange words.


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned and soon, to her utmost surprise, twelve small goblins barely half the size of the goblin in front of her came out of the forest.

 Chapter 148 - First Order Shangguan Bing Xue: Charming Ice (Part 1)

    These twelve small goblins, about a meter tall, also wore loincloths made of tattered rags that barely covered the lower part of their bodies. However, the clearest distinction with the big goblin apart from the size and the big belly was their weapons.


    While the fat goblin wielded a large white bone, the smaller goblins had wooden crossbows in their hands and a small quiver with sharp bone arrows on their backs.??


    "All of you follow the road and look for Bai Zemin and the rest!" Shangguan Bing Xue ordered calmly and without waiting for a response from the convoy drivers dashed off into the forest behind her.


    Seeing her disappear into the shadows so quickly, the highest goblin shouted some sharp words and chased at full speed while the smaller goblins shouted and ran after quickly.


    The drivers didn''t linger to think things over and set the vehicles in motion in a hurry turning into a gust of wind and dust that soon disappeared in the horizon towards the village where Bai Zemin and the rest were currently stationed.


    * * *


    Due to the existence of the mana, the forests and plants had mutated.


    Shangguan Bing Xue ran for five minutes and all she saw was green, green, and more green. Knowing that it was not good for her to go too far into the great forests of China she stopped in the middle of a large clearing as she had noticed that the fat goblin''s aura was fixedly focused on her, which meant that due to their equivalent speeds she could not leave the monster behind.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!...


    Immediately after she stopped the wind swooshed and Shangguan Bing Xue swiftly retreated causing the bone arrows to miss their target and instead hit the ground and the trees behind.


    "Kekeke..."


    The fat goblin stepped out of the shadows of the forest and laughed loudly as it looked at her and licked its dry lips with its monstrous tongue.


    Although the goblins of the fantasy stories were not necessarily the same as the goblins born from the mana of the world, at least their l.e.w.dness was the same considering the l.u.s.tful eyes the little creatures had when they looked at the beautiful woman in front of them.


    Shangguan Bing Xue was never a woman of many words so after judging and identifying her enemies she immediately began to attack with no other intention but to end the other side''s life.


    "Ice Thorns!"


    Under her command, the ground in front of the fat goblin suddenly froze and several sharp-tipped thorns shot out without warning.


    The fat goblin snorted through its nose and without any strange act struck forward with its bone stick, destroying the Ice Thorns with utter ease before charging forward while laughing wildly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned slightly as the enemy''s physical strength was really annoying. Her Ice Maker skill was great for attacks, defenses, and even traps; but it wasn''t as destructive as fire-type skills or other attacking elements.


    The fat goblin swung its bone stick and hacked horizontally.


    Although the bone stick was not sharp, it was incredibly hard so if this attack hit her she could definitely break a rib or two. Shangguan Bing Xue jumped high into the air, evading the attack, and waved her hand creating several ice bullets before shooting them forward.


    The ice bullets hit the fat goblin''s body but all of them exploded on its tough skin and turned into water that ran down its body. The beast laughed out loud as if it was sneering.


    The twelve small goblins raised their crossbows while laughing like wild children and shot towards Shangguan Bing Xue who had not yet touched solid ground.


    Being in mid-air it was simply impossible to dodge, therefore, Shangguan Bing Xue created a small ice platform under her feet and hurriedly used it to propel herself to the side, barely avoiding the bone arrows.


    Just before reaching the ground, she pointed with her wand and coldly said, "Ice Arrow."


    Immediately over twenty ice arrows were crafted and with a wave of her hands were launched forward at astonishing speeds.


    Being level 25, just one step away from evolving, Shangguan Bing Xue was way more powerful than the small goblins. The small beasts could not even react when the more than twenty arrows pierced them in the head, c.h.e.s.t, heart, abdomen, and others parts of their bodies.


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Wild Goblin level 16].


    [You have acquired the Soul Power of Wild Goblin level 13].


    ...


    Twelve messages quickly flashed in her retina and Shangguan Bing Xue finally realized that these creatures really were goblins and not just identical in appearance. After all, the Soul Record possessed the power to read the very soul and source of every being in the universe.


    Right. From the beginning the goblins were aiming to injure and capture her, not kill her.


    As for the reason... She was clear about the purpose.


    Shangguan Bing Xue couldn''t help but chuckle coldly and her red lips curved into a strange smile.


    "Ice Vines!"


    From the ground, dozens of frozen but incredibly flexible vines shot out towards the fat goblin, successfully stopping its charge. The beast growled as the fat on its body seemed to vibrate, causing the ice vines to crack rapidly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue expended 60% of her remaining mana and crafted a small, delicate ice sword. She rushed forward in a hurry knowing that her time was limited as the vines definitely could not hold out for more than a second or two at most.


    Just before the vines exploded into thousands of tiny ice fragments, she managed to make a light slash at the fat goblin''s body before being forced to retreat as the large bone stick hit the ground where she was previously standing, shaking the earth hard.


    "Kii kikiki kekekeke!" The fat goblin touched the wound on its c.h.e.s.t from where some green blood was barely trickling out and burst out laughing.


    Shangguan Bing Xue noticed that the wound was too light and could not help but frown slightly. Although this ice sword had consumed practically all her Mana, she could barely pierce through the skin of the enemy before her.


    While Shangguan Bing Xue had great control over her own Mana, it was impossible to completely master it in such a short time. Even she, just like Bai Zemin, could not help but over-consume when she found herself in too tough a fight because a small mistake in activating her skill could make a big difference in energy consumption.


    The fat goblin licked its bloody hand and charged forward again. Its eyes flashed with unbridled madness and burning l.u.s.t; it was as if the beast knew no fear or as if it could feel no pain from the wound in its c.h.e.s.t.

 Chapter 149 - First Order Shangguan Bing Xue: Charming Ice (Part 2-Last)

    "What?!"


    Inside the main villa of the village recently recaptured by Bai Zemin and his troops, he abruptly stood up and his eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as he looked at the young man in front of him.??


    "Are you telling me that halfway there appeared a dozen of goblins?" He asked as if to confirm that he hadn''t misheard the previous report.


    "Y-Yes!"The young driver and the rest of the drivers in the caravan led by Shangguan Bing Xue nodded immediately.


    One of them exclaimed worried and frightened, "Leader Bai, one of those goblins was really big and looked powerful! Miss Shangguan Bing Xue told us to go ahead to report the situation to you but she was left fighting alone against those strange creatures!"


    "Damn it!" Bai Zemin couldn''t help but curse and quickly disappeared from his position charging towards the northern road.


    He hadn''t expected the goblins to suddenly attack someone in his group when he had only just learned that these creatures existed!


    * * *


    In the same clearing within the forest, Shangguan Bing Xue was engaged in a fierce battle against the fat goblin.


    Each of them had their respective advantages and disadvantages, so from an outsider''s point of view, it might appear that they were evenly matched. However, the reality was that Shangguan Bing Xue''s situation was quite complex at the moment.


    Swoosh!


    She slashed with the ice sword in her hands and a new wound appeared on the fat goblin''s back that was now riddled with light cuts from which green blood was constantly spurting out.


    "Kii kekekeke!" The fat goblin laughed and swung its bone stick backward causing the air around it to blast unable to withstand the pressure.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s beautiful face was as cold as the personification of the ice itself. She muttered a few words and a thick ice wall rose up between her and the fat goblin as she jumped backward in a hurry.


    Boom!


    When the white bone stick slammed into the ice wall, the force contained by the attack made by the fat goblin caused the mighty defensive wall to withstand no more than a second before breaking into thousands of tiny pieces of ice.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s silver hair danced disorderly with the shockwave resulting from the previous explosion. Her face was almost as white as a sheet and her ample bosom rose and fell steadily as a small bead of sweat slid silently down her small nose.


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s total Mana was just over 220 but even though the battle against the fat goblin had barely extended for about five minutes since it erupted, her total Mana had decayed to just over 70 total points.


    The constant activation of her First Order Ice Maker skill to make vines, thorns, bullets, ice pikes, and ice walls to contain the enemy''s explosive movements and attacks before her as well as the creation of the ice sword charged with mana and magical power had drained her Mana relentlessly.


    "Kiii kikiki kekekeke!"


    She looked over and saw the fat goblin laugh. Even though the creature''s body was plagued with cuts and blood had stained its entire body as well as the ground beneath it, it was still laughing loudly as it looked at her and licked its broken lips.


    She gritted her teeth and charged forward again, engaging in a dangerous hand-to-hand battle in which the slightest of mistakes could cost her dignity as a woman if not her life.


    Shangguan Bing Xue launched ice bullets, striking the fat goblin''s body again and again. Although her attacks clearly had no effect, she continued to perform the same action relentlessly.


    The fat goblin had a mocking smile and charged like an unstoppable locomotive as it defied the ice bullets and swung its bone stick fiercely in all directions.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Ice wall after ice wall were destroyed by the goblin''s fierce blows and Shangguan Bing Xue was forced to retreat repeatedly until finally her Mana fell dangerously.


    She looked at the enemy goblin and dropped the ice sword. With a pale face, she observed how the weapon she had created after consuming much of her Mana disappeared at the same time as she stopped losing Mana to maintain it.


    The goblin laughed out loud and took a step forward when suddenly its fierce and l.u.s.tful expression froze completely. For the first time, the monster''s eyes glittered with a tinge of fear as stared in front of it and its entire body quivered.


    "No! Wait!"


    Bai Zemin, who had traveled ten kilometers in the blink of an eye and had been searching for Shangguan Bing Xue through the forest, stopped his movements when he heard the delicate cry behind him.


    The Xuanyuan Sword shone coldly with the sun''s rays reflecting off the blade and a bead of sweat slid down the goblin''s face.


    The fat goblin could feel death, absolute death coming from the dark eyes of the human before it. It was like when the sun was covered by the moon and the night seemed to descend unexpectedly after the appearance of the eclipse that blocked the light.


    "What?" Bai Zemin jumped back to make distance between him and the monster and looked at Shangguan Bing Xue as if he were looking at a crazy woman.


    Did she want him not to kill the goblin? Her face was terribly pale and her breathing was irregular which clearly indicated excessive consumption of Mana and Stamina. Besides, Bai Zemin had arrived just in time to see the ice sword fall from her hands.


    "You''ll act arrogant even now?!" he couldn''t help but rebuke with a frown.


    Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head and looked at him with clear eyes, "It''s not that. This goblin is just what I need to evolve to the next stage. Just look carefully and you''ll understand."


    Bai Zemin frowned and nodded before jumping towards a tree behind him. His eyes fixed on the goblin, waiting to kill it in case she couldn''t do something about it. Though he hoped she would become stronger as that way she would be more useful, if she died nothing he had done so far would make sense.


    The fat goblin suddenly roared and charged forward. Its l.u.s.tful eyes had disappeared and turned bloodshot.


    Shangguan Bing Xue smiled. Her smile, though exhausted, was bright and warm like the rays of the sun that illuminated the entire world. For a moment, Bai Zemin could not help but even compare her to Lilith''s smiles; that''s how beautiful her current smile was!


    She raised her flawless right hand and whispered, "Burn."


    The Blazing Ring on her index finger glowed and a mighty burst of crimson flame shot out, enveloping the goblin completely.


    The creature roared in pain and the skin on its body began to vibrate. Surprisingly, after a couple of seconds, the crimson flames burst outward and disappeared into midair. The beast had managed to shake them off with its strange skill!


    The goblin''s body had some burns, but the most striking thing was the amount of hot steam coming out of its skin. This hot steam was burning the monster''s body little by little and its source was, surprisingly, all the water that had been left in its pores.


    Water that had formed from the ice bullets launched by Shangguan Bing Xue since the beginning of the battle!


    "What happens when something cold collides with something extremely hot?" Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin with her smile still imprinted on her exhausted face.  Then what happens when an extremely hot object comes into contact with something extremely cold?"


    "You..." Bai Zemin''s eyes flashed with realization and he couldn''t help but feel admiration towards the woman in front of him.


    Shangguan Bing Xue turned her eyes to the goblin in front of her and said indifferently as she pointed her wand at it, "Freeze."


    Spending her remaining 30 Mana points, a blast of freezing air struck the goblin''s body and encased it in a statue of ice. However, the beast did not give up and fought.


    Its body vibrated strangely and cracks began to spread through all the ice that was holding it back. A few seconds later, the ice broke completely and the goblin roared once more before stepping forward.


    However, just as it had just lifted its foot to move forward, the beast''s eyes widened.


    Crack... Crack... Crack...


    Tiny, minuscule cracks appeared on its right leg that in a matter of milliseconds spread throughout its entire body. Bai Zemin could clearly see how the goblin''s entire body was riddled with cracks as if it were a vase about to shatter into pieces.


    Indeed, the comparison was not too far from reality.


    Bang!


    At the same time as a big orb of Soul Power entered Shangguan Bing Xue''s body, several messages flashed in her retina. However, there was one in particular that fascinated her.


    [You have successfully evolved to First Order and obtained the unique class Charming Ice]


    It was then that her smile widened even more and as the sun''s rays hovered over her, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but think that perhaps, angels really did look that beautiful.

 Chapter 150 - Unique Class: Charming Ice

    [You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Heavy Hobgoblin level 47]


    [Freeze Unclassified enemies: 5000 / 5000]??


    [Kill unclassified enemies using the Ice Maker skill: 2000 / 2000]


    [Kill First Order enemies: 2 / 2]


    [Charm an enemy with your natural beauty: 1 / 1]


    [You have successfully evolved to First Order and acquired the unique class Charming Ice. Your innate beauty is worth contemplating and appreciating. As pure and unblemished as a flawless ice fairy. All Ice-type attacks inflict 20% more damage and increase the resistance of your ice creations by another 20%. Your Charm increases]


    [You have acquired Second Order Active Skill level 1 Charming Eye]


    [You have leveled up to level 32. You have gained 14 status points to distribute freely]


    [All absorbed Soul Power has been calculated correctly. You get additional stats: Strength +40, Agility +29, Stamina +25, Health +20, Mana +30, Magic +27]


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue had acc.u.mulated more Soul Power to level up than Bai Zemin by the time she successfully evolved, this was because he had advanced to First Order significantly faster than she had.


    With about a week more time acc.u.mulating experience, it was natural for her to level up a little more in comparison. However, even then, the amount of additional stats she had acc.u.mulated were far less than Bai Zemin''s at that time.


    This was because Shangguan Bing Xue had acc.u.mulated Soul Power from weaker existences, while Bai Zemin had fought and killed more than one First Order being before successfully evolving.


    But the most important thing for the present her was that after leveling up her Stamina regenerated to 100% immediately and the Mana gained due to the extra stats she had acc.u.mulated during the process of evolving to First Order had caused her completely pale face to gain some color again.


    "Congratulations on evolving to First Order."


    A lazy voice brought her out of her inner fantasy world and looking to the side she saw Bai Zemin waving his hand from a distance.


    "Seeing as there are no more goblins around and since you''re okay, I''ll head back to the village. That Chen He guy is probably out of his mind since I assume he heard that you were attacked on the way."


    Leaving those words behind, Bai Zemin stomped his foot on the ground and disappeared from his position leaving a gale behind him.


    Seeing this, Shangguan Bing Xue''s glance became a bit complicated and she couldn''t help but sigh as she sat down next to a tree as although her Stamina had regenerated mental fatigue was present.


    "Even though I just received a huge power boost, even though I can feel my Soul Power becoming infinitely purer than before I evolved, I still can''t even understand how strong you are." Shangguan Bing Xue muttered under her breath as she recalled that ghostly speed with which Bai Zemin disappeared as well as the look of fear in the Heavy Hobgoblin''s eyes.


    Shangguan Bing Xue was a competitive woman by nature and even more so against the opposite s.e.x due to certain past events as she wanted to prove herself that women could stand on their own and surpass men. However, the stronger she became, the more she felt that the distance between her and Bai Zemin increased.


    In the past, regardless of whether it was the talented and handsome Chen He or any other outstanding young man, Shangguan Bing Xue had been able to surpass them all; from school grades to combat ability, she was simply perfect in every aspect.


    But at some unknown moment, that normal-looking young man with an ordinary past with nothing to highlight simply shot into the sky, and now she could barely make out his shadow.


    "Forget it..." After a second sigh, her blue eyes turned to the shattered corpse of the Heavy Hobgoblin and her lips curved into a cold smile.


    She had taken a risk when she had chosen the unique class Charming Ice as the last requirement might be somewhat difficult. However, she knew she was beautiful and was confident in her beauty as well as her own strength.


    But after so many days, no human of the First Order had crossed her path, so her beauty had no use whatsoever. After all, the mutated and evolved monsters did not notice the beauties of mankind.


    Fortunately for her, goblins appeared, who were l.u.s.tful by nature.


    Unaware that there was someone floating in the sky hundreds of meters above, Shangguan Bing Xue stood up after resting for a moment and picked up the drop obtained from her victory.


    Above the white clouds, Lilith sighed before disappearing completely and without a trace.


    ...


    When Shangguan Bing Xue first entered the village, Chen He ran up to her with a face pale in fright and hurriedly asked, "Bing Xue! How are you? I just heard that a group of goblin-like monsters from the legends attacked you!"


    Seeing her childhood friend''s handsome face filled with worry and she couldn''t help but smile slightly, "Don''t worry. Nothing happened to me and Bai Zemin was also there in case his intervention was needed."


    "This..." Chen He seemed to ignore much of her words and looked at her dumbfounded. After a few seconds, he noted, "Bing Xue, you... Have you become more beautiful or something?"


    Although Shangguan Bing Xue was beautiful from before, when Chen He looked at her carefully now he couldn''t help but feel that she had suddenly become a little more beautiful than usual.


    "Ah... This is because of..." Shangguan Bing Xue gave him a brief summary of what had happened as he led her towards the main villa.


    On the way, the armed men guarding the important areas saluted respectfully and the survivors who had been ordered not to leave their homes temporarily looked out the windows at the scene, wondering what would become of their lives now.


    "So... You''ve already evolved to First Order?" Chen He was surprised. He was currently level 24 so he only now learned about evolutions and similar matters. Listening to Shangguan Bing Xue, everything felt strange to him.


    "That''s right." She nodded and a militant guarding the door to the hall inside the main villa quickly opened the closed door to allow them to pass through.


    Inside, Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He were greeted by the sight of Bai Zemin and Lili chatting with casual smiles. Occasionally she laughed at his jokes or he grunted in annoyance at hers.


    "These two definitely have something." Chen He cupped a hand over the side of his mouth and whispered.


    "Who knows..." Shangguan Bing Xue replied stepping into the room.


    "Bai Zemin, what''s wrong with those goblins?"


    Bai Zemin, who was chatting with Lilith to relieve some of the tension he felt due to the appearance of a new type of enemy, was attracted by Shangguan Bing Xue''s unmistakable voice.


    He looked at her and Chen He before pointing to the seat in front of him and saying in a deep voice, "Sit down. We need to talk."

 Chapter 151 - Military camp

    "So..." Chen He frowned deeply and looked at Bai Zemin with a completely serious expression, "What you are saying is that you think that because of this new energy called mana, it is possible for new life forms to slowly begin to emerge?"


    Bai Zemin nodded with a firm expression and asked back, "If you think about it carefully, it''s actually not too crazy, don''t you think? This thing called Soul Record can even grow us to monstrous levels where we can destroy and demolish houses with our b.a.r.e fists, obtain strange treasures out of thin air, and level up like characters out of a video game."??


    The room remained silent as everyone present seemed to sink into deep thought.


    Before, after Shangguan Bing Xue returned from the forest where she had faced the goblins, Bai Zemin gave them a simple but concrete summary of the information Lilith had given him previously. Of course, to avoid suspicion he simply said that it was an idea that had occurred to Lili, who was by his side.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Lili with narrowed eyes before turning her face towards Bai Zemin.


    "I think Lili''s thoughts are not crazy." She expressed with a slight frown and pointed out, "In this new world, anything is possible and we have no choice but to adapt to the circ.u.mstances and the new rules of the game if we want to survive."


    Chen He also nodded to express that he agreed as well. However, he soon noticed a major problem.


    "If things are really like this, then doesn''t it mean that humanity is in deep trouble? Just the zombies and some mutated beasts and a few evolved ones already cornered all human beings... If even more unknown species appear on the chessboard, won''t it increase the difficulty of the game to hell mode?"


    Bai Zemin sighed and nodded heavily, "Indeed... It could be said that the chess game became several levels more difficult now that the goblins appeared. Although we don''t know if their numbers are too much, if they are like the goblins in the human stories then we have to fear the reproductive ability of these little monsters."


    Shangguan Bing Xue brushed her hair and pointed out an irrefutable truth: "Thinking too much about this matter will get us nowhere considering that we hardly know anything about it. I think what we have to do hasn''t changed anyway, hasn''t it?"


    "That''s true." Chen He sighed and scratched his head a little tired with the whole sudden situation.


    Bai Zemin remained silent for a few minutes. The only sound inside the room was the breathing of the four people present.


    After about five minutes, under the watchful eyes of Shangguan Bing Xue and Chen He, Bai Zemin looked at Lilith and stood up.


    "I have decided." His eyes flashed coldly and his determined voice gave the final verdict: "We will continue charging in a southerly direction. We need to find the military camp as soon as possible!"


    If only he could get the equipment from a military arsenal, Bai Zemin was confident that, at the very least, he wouldn''t have to be hiding like a sewer rat for fear of zombies. After all, even for the current him, it was impossible to protect 1500 survivors from the claws of zombies or any other enemy 100%.


    No matter how strong he was, Bai Zemin was still only a human being who had just begun to take his first steps on the path of evolution. He did not have the ability to shake the heavens and the earth, nor was he capable of annihilating armies with a wave of his hands.


    First Order existences were still relatively scarce while Second Order ones were practically non-existent. Therefore, unless they were unlucky, their worst enemies were zombies and other types of Unclassified monsters.


    Against these types of enemies, modern firearms capable of placating entire armies were the best counterattack and defense.


    Light machine guns, heavy machine guns, IFVs, battle tanks, machine gun mounted vehicles, helicopters, fighter planes, and many other weapons capable of increasing the battle capability of the weak human race enormously against enemies that outnumbered them by a wide margin.


    Of course, there were also other factors such as having the ability to properly operate such weaponry. After all, the weapons were machines that needed to be operated by human beings, and depending on the use to which they were put the result could be a completely different one than the one expected.


    However, it was better to have than not to have. Therefore, Bai Zemin followed by Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, and Lilith in her human form began to delegate simple and quick orders immediately without even pausing to rest for a moment.


    * * *


    On a road heading south, two modified jeeps were speeding along in the middle of the night.


    The surroundings were silent up to the point where the faint whistling of the wind whipping the branches of the dark, unnaturally sized trees at the edge of the road. No matter where one looked, all was pitch black and the only source of light was the four headlights of the only two vehicles on the road.


    Inside one of the modified jeeps, the one leading the way at the front, Shangguan Bing Xue, Wu Yijun, and the driver rode in silence. Only when they came to an intersection would the vehicle stop, forcing the second to stop as well, and they would only resume driving when Wu Yijun pointed the way forward.


    In the second modified jeep, Bai Zemin, Chen He, and the driver rode in silence just like the women in the first jeep. The only difference was that, unlike the jeep in which the women were traveling, the silence inside the jeep in which they were traveling was heavier as none of the three said even a single word.


    Chen He was observing the surroundings with caution as traveling at night was incredibly dangerous.


    The driver was too nervous because of the gloomy night and the frightening environment as well as the respect he had for the two people beside him that made it difficult for him to even breathe. Therefore, the man only drove following the lead of the main jeep.


    As for Bai Zemin, like Chen He, he was scanning the surroundings with cold eyes. Besides, he was not a very talkative person to begin with and was not particularly close to any person present so he simply focused on the road while trying to imagine different scenarios.


    In these scenarios, different enemies and in differents numbers appeared while he projected different ways and efficient methods to obtain victory with the least possible losses in the least amount of time. That way he could better respond to different unexpected problems that might arise out of nowhere.


    In total, they traveled for more than eight hours without rest.


    It was eight hours of tension and exhaustion, but after so much effort it was finally time to see the fruits.

 Chapter 152 - Angel appears!

    "It''s just inside this forest."


    Outside the jeeps, Wu Yijun pointed to the dirt road just off the main road before looking at Bai Zemin and the rest.??


    "Even though it''s been several years since then I can still clearly remember the place. It''s definitely this way."


    Bai Zemin nodded silently and took a step forward as he carefully scanned his surroundings.


    The dirt road was not very wide and probably only one vehicle could pass without allowing a second to pull alongside it. Adjacent to the dirt road, the grass had grown dangerously knee-high making it difficult for anyone entering there to move and see while the trees stretched as far as the eye could not reach.


    The northern area of Beijing was known as a forested area and the Yanqing District was especially for being an ecological area. It was the district with the most green areas in all of Beijing as well as one of those with the least human population.


    As a result, it was natural for the government to hide military camps with weapons and logistics in such places where no human beings usually went. After all, no one in their right mind would venture into an unknown forest that was likely to be teeming with wild animals and creatures.


    However, this also had an incredibly important consequence.


    Being filled with forests, wildlife was naturally more prosperous. Therefore, beasts that had managed to mutate and evolve were probably lurking everywhere.


    Bai Zemin did not believe that the forest in front of him was an exception to this rule. In fact, he had been starting to feel a little uncomfortable for a while now, but he did not know why since there was no enemy of any kind in sight.


    In this operation, Bai Zemin had decided that the best option was to bring as few people as possible but with enough power to fight an army without any problems.


    This was because he did not know what kind of dangers they would encounter and in cases like this, an ordinary person without proper training would only be more likely to cause trouble rather than help solve it.


    Cai Jingyi, Kang Lan, Fu Xuefeng, Zhong De, Luo Cheng, Xiao Min, and all the other subordinates of Bai Zemin together with the armed militia moved the more than three hundred survivors who were in the second village to the Beginning Village. Bai Zemin ordered them several times to keep their guards up and to quell any kind of conflict with an iron fist.


    In this kind of dangerous situation, the last thing he needed was trouble in the backyard while fighting to keep the front line safe.


    After more than twenty minutes of observing the surroundings carefully and thinking a bit about the current situation, Bai Zemin turned around to look behind him and noticed that everyone was a bit tired.


    After a full night without sleep, coupled with how troubled the previous day had been, it was natural for everyone to feel mentally overloaded. Even if the Stamina stat had only decreased a little, the human brain was another matter.


    "Let''s rest for a few hours." Bai Zemin glanced at his digital watch before looking at everyone again and announced, "It''s currently a bit past 6 am. After we have some lunch at noon we''ll start exploring the area and head into the forest."


    Even Shangguan Bing Xue, who had recently evolved to First Order, couldn''t help but nod as she gently rubbed her eyes somewhat sleepily.


    "You don''t sleep?" Chen He asked as he saw that Bai Zemin did not move from his place.


    "Don''t worry about me." Bai Zemin smiled slightly and shook his head. "Just go and rest, we''ll have a lot of work to do soon."


    Chen He hesitated for a moment before turning and leaving.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun looked at him as if they wanted to say something but in the end neither of the two women said anything and left together to the jeep they had come in. They really needed to get some sleep.


    When they all returned to the vehicles to rest, Bai Zemin frowned and a small glint of doubt flashed in his eyes as he looked up at the sky.


    "Lilith, where did you go...?" he muttered to himself.


    The night before, Lilith had told him she would be gone for a few hours before disappearing. This was the first time she had left his side in twenty days, so Bai Zemin felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    Not hearing her voice or feeling her presence near him, for the first time in a long time, Bai Zemin could not help but feel a little lonely.


    * * *


    In a place far away from planet Earth, a beautiful woman floated silently in the sky.


    Her inky black hair fell down her back like a waterfall, swaying in the dancing breeze that embraced her lovely and seductive body covered by a beautiful dark colored dress. She had her eyes closed and her breathing was so calm that she looked as if she was sleeping.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly the space several hundred meters away seemed to twist as a silhouette appeared.


    This silhouette turned out to be an extremely handsome man, even more handsome than Chen He. The aura that his body unconsciously exuded was incredibly frightening, which was proof that he was not someone normal.


    But the most striking thing was the two white wings behind his back that gently swayed and held him in the air. These wings also represented his faction and the path he had decided to walk by evolving beyond all mortal limits.


    Indeed, this man was a Higher Existence.


    "Who are you?" the handsome man asked cautiously.


    "Who am I?"


    The woman''s lovely voice sounded in a whisper. She giggled softly and slowly opened her eyes that had been closed until now. Her two ruby eyes glowed faintly and her lips curved into a charming smile.


    "You are welcome to call me Lilith." She replied and her ruby eyes glowed slightly again.


    At the sight of her smile, the handsome man with angel wings was spellbound for several seconds before he awoke from his reverie, seemingly oblivious to what had just happened.


    "Lilith?" The man frowned before shaking his head, "Never heard that name."


    Lilith didn''t respond and simply remained standing in the void.


    "Why would a demon like you be in a Lower World?" the angel questioned and his hands flashed until a large spear of light formed, "Are you planning something?"


    "Planning?" Lilith played with her hair and nodded as she whispered, "Actually, I am planning something. You want to know what my plan is?"


    The angel frowned and couldn''t help but feel a bad premonition.

 Chapter 153 - Liliths power: Sealed world!

    When the angel belonging to the Army of Heaven heard completely what Lilith had planned he didn''t know how to react.


    His two wings flapped gently as his silver armor shimmered with the rays of light from the distant stars and his blond hair danced in sync with the breeze.  ??


    "How about, don''t you think it''s incredible?" Lilith clapped her hands as if she were an excited little girl and her eyes sparkled as if a million galaxies lived inside them.


    After a moment of silence, the male angel leaned his head back and began to burst out laughing.


    "Hahahaha!" His laughter echoed everywhere and anyone who heard it might come to think that Lilith had just told the best joke in history since the creation of the universe.


    Lilith simply curved her lips and waited patiently for the angel to stop his laughter. When he finally stopped, she asked in an innocent tone of voice: "But I''m curious, why were you roaming the Earth? Is the Army of Heaven so free that they can casually send their angels to spy on Lower Worlds?"


    "We, angels, are not as free as you, filthy demons who oppose the grace of the Lord!" The angel scoffed before swinging his spear of light and pointing it at Lilith, "I was just casually passing by as I seemed to sense a strange space rift but I didn''t expect to meet a lunatic woman like you!"


    "Kya~ Little pigeon, how do you suddenly get so aggressive!" Lilith exclaimed and took a step back as if she was scared while secretly letting out a sigh of relief.


    Previously she had sensed this angel prowling the vicinity of Earth so she immediately acted to intercept him. She feared that some faction of Higher Existences had noticed Bai Zemin and somehow sought to harm him. Fortunately her concerns were not valid or else everything would become much more complicated than it already was.


    "Hmph. Enough of your nonsense, demon." The angel snorted and charged forward as he shouted in a straight voice filled with holiness, "Even though you are a lunatic, the mere fact that you are a demon and that you claimed that a little Lower Existence would one day take the supreme throne that belongs to the Lord is enough to claim your head!"


    Lilith neither dodged nor moved from her position. Her ruby eyes glowed brightly and she calmly said, "We''ll see if I''m a lunatic or not... Though I don''t think you can live to see that day come~"


    "Wh-"


    Only an inch away from piercing her heart, the angel''s spear of light stopped abruptly. The eyes of the brave and holy warrior of one of the most important and powerful factions in the universe widened in shock as he stared into the red eyes of the woman in front of him. When he wanted to say something, his mouth abruptly closed with such loudness that his teeth almost broke in the process.


    "Do you really want to kill me?" Lilith whispered in a fearful voice as she trembled as if she was scared to death. Her ruby eyes glowed intensely, releasing her charm and activating one of her simplest but most terrifying skills.


    The angel''s face turned as pale as a sheet as he realized that his body was not obeying his brain and he was increasingly losing control of his own thoughts.


    He was a Fifth Order angel! In the past he had been a hero of his own world before ascending to divinity after receiving grace from the Lord and entering the arms of Heaven!


    But he was beginning to lose his mind because of the demon in front of him!


    "Bi-Bitch!" The angel barely managed to exclaim through gritted teeth.


    Lilith ignored him and with the tip of her finger casually pushed the spear of light away.


    She ignored the angel''s surprise and sighed, "You men really are boring. It only takes so much for you to turn into mindless puppets... Look, even you fell for it. Weren''t you angels free of impurity and l.u.s.t? Then why are you breathing heavily like a dog in heat?"


    She turned to leave and soon disappeared from the sight of the angel who not long after regained the mobility of his body.


    The angel descended to the ground and sat down in terror as he scolded himself for letting such nefarious thoughts cloud his judgment. However, a sweet voice with a slight tinge of coldness soon reached his ears.


    "Freeze everything: [Niflheim]!"


    The powerful Fifth Order angel turned pale and all he could do was whisper a few words as he felt the terrifying amount of Mana moving from outside this planet and the power of the skill activating: "Death does not exist... I will only return to the arms of the Lord..."


    BOOM!


    After a thunderous explosion that shook the entire world, a terrifying amount of freezing power descended and enveloped everything.


    From the earth and grass to the tops of gigantic trees ascending hundreds of kilometers high. The white clouds were frozen, the rivers of liquid and crystalline water became ice rinks, and the deserts with extremely high temperatures were transformed into an icy hell.


    Thus a world that had already gone through several stages since the Soul Record reached this part of the universe was sealed in ice without a trace of life.


    Surrounded by stars of different colors and galaxies, Lilith had an ice-cold gaze that if Bai Zemin saw could probably never associate it with her warm and playful smile that usually embodied her charming face.


    "I wonder what these white pigeons will do when the news that one of their worlds was destroyed by a demon? Surely Satan and that ''Lord'' will have a good time having fun so they won''t be able to divert their attention too much elsewhere."


    Her indifferent voice was the only thing that proved her existence since in an instant her entire presence had disappeared without a trace... Except for the obsidian-colored ice that sealed an entire planet and brimmed with dark energy.


    * * *


    Planet Earth, China, Beijing City.


    It was past noon when Chen He and the rest opened their eyes again. They all woke up at about the same time with slight differences and after about six hours of sleep they felt refreshed.


    "You didn''t sleep at all?" Shangguan Bing Xue approached Bai Zemin and asked with a frown as she saw him standing silently in exactly the same place where he had been when they had all gone to sleep.


    Bai Zemin remained standing looking up at the blue sky above his head and replied without much interest, "No."


    "You..."


    Shangguan Bing Xue frowned even more tightly and began to feel annoyed. Her annoyance was understandable considering that they would soon be going deep into a forest where there were probably many wild beasts running rampant but the leader seemed unconcerned as if they were going for a walk in the park.


    Swoosh!


    The wind whistled softly and as that gentle breeze c.a.r.e.s.sed Bai Zemin''s face, a rose fragrance distinctive to him greeted him. His lips curved upward slightly as he understood what this meant and his eyes turned toward Shangguan Bing Xue.


    "Don''t worry, ice princess. I''m perfectly fine."

 Chapter 154 - Shangguan Bing Xues curiosity

    "Don''t worry, ice princess. I''m perfectly fine." Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and now completely free of all worries smiled slightly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue stayed silent and looked at him with narrowed eyes. She felt that somehow there was something strange about him but even after thinking about it for a while she couldn''t tell where that strangeness was and considering that his face didn''t really look exhausted by any means she gave up.??


    "If you say so then it''s okay I guess." She shrugged and didn''t pursue the matter any further.


    "Yeah." Bai Zemin nodded. He looked at the surroundings and asked in confusion, "By the way, where are those two?"


    The two drivers were still fast asleep inside the vehicles, Bai Zemin was asking about Chen He and Wu Yijun, who were nowhere to be seen.


    Shangguan Bing Xue pointed to the forest and calmly responded, "Chen He went to secure the surroundings. As for Yijun, she is preparing lunch right behind those trees over there."


    Bai Zemin followed her eyes and noticed that indeed a person moving among the thick forage of the forest. He looked at Shangguan Bing Xue again and couldn''t help but joke, "The last time your prince charming went exploring he was almost killed by a giant monkey, aren''t you afraid that something might happen to him?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s calm face changed slightly and looked at him with a serious expression, "Stop joking about such nonsense. Chen He and I are friends. I don''t want his feelings to be hurt later because of your jokes."


    Bai Zemin was dumbfounded. He would hurt his feelings? Wasn''t she the one who refused to make everything clear here?


    He shook his head and decided to stop commenting on it. The whole thing was none of his business anyway.


    Without another word, he walked past her and went to help Wu Yijun with the lunch things. Soon after Shangguan Bing Xue joined in and several minutes later Chen He appeared saying that there was no problem at all.


    ...


    After a light and quick lunch, Bai Zemin ordered the drivers of the vehicles to wait here and not to move from the place to avoid attracting the attention of any enemies.


    Although the two jeeps had been hidden among the trees and grass in the forest after leaving the road, it was possible that some beasts might pick up the human scent if they wandered too far, leaving their scent everywhere, and track them down.


    The two men were pale when they heard Bai Zemin''s reasoning and quickly nodded in understanding. At this point, both men could only wait obediently.


    As for leaving on their own, that was simply madness since when they arrived back at the village they would be immediately questioned and slaughtered when their crimes came to light. But even then, it was possible that along the way they would encounter some kind of wild beast and be devoured by it, so obeying was the best they could do.


    Although a bit reluctant. the talented sniper agreed as he understood the greater scheme of the matter.


    * * *


    The forest was almost absolutely silent. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional swaying of branches when the wind was strong enough to move them.


    Trees that were previously five to ten meters tall at most, now reached heights of up to thirty meters. Grass that previously could be cut with a finger, now needed some force to pull it out of the ground.


    The effect that the awakening of mana had had on the world due to the influence of the Soul Record was truly immense. No matter where one looked it was easy to distinguish the physical differences; even the aura of calmness that surrounded the forest was now filled with murderous intent!


    To say that one could notice major differences within the forests was not an exaggeration by any means.


    Following the dirt road, Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Wu Yijun were advancing silently while observing the surroundings carefully.


    "The air in this place is so wonderful!" Wu Yijun exclaimed in a low voice to avoid attracting the attention of any kind of strange creature.


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and took a deep breath taking p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in how pure the oxygen was nourishing her veins and lungs.


    "Apparently, mana nourishes and makes plants stronger compared to other creatures." Bai Zemin guessed as he looked carefully to his sides. "While the Soul Record does something similar to injecting mana into our bodies when it first appears just like with animals, plants seem to suck the mana slowly assimilating it into their bodies. That''s probably why they adapt better."


    "Then, the zombie issue..." Shangguan Bing Xue noticed something on Bai Zemin''s words and her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him in shock.


    Wu Yijun seemed to notice and muttered, "Don''t tell me..."


    "That''s right." Bai Zemin nodded and did not hide it. In his own way, he explained his thoughts in conjunction with the information given by Lilith: "Probably the zombies are the result of those humans whose bodies failed to withstand the wave of mana that invaded their bodies due to the appearance of this thing called Soul Record.


    As you have seen, while it is true that most animals mutated and even some insects did, not all of them went through that wild mutation process. After all, in the village, there are a few living pigs and sheep that grew in size and became stronger but they are not wild and do not attack other animals or humans.


    As for plants... I haven''t had the opportunity to encounter plant-like enemies so I haven''t been able to draw many conclusions about them. But my theory is that the whole issue with mana and the secret behind the evil mutations lies within the souls of every existence." Bai Zemin concluded his analysis slowly before falling silent once more.


    Wu Yijun looked at him with her big dark eyes wide open. Her little pink mouth had opened slightly, revealing glimpses of her pearly teeth.


    "You... How come I never heard of you before?" Shangguan Bing Xue asked as she stared at his profile.


    "... What do you mean?" Bai Zemin asked in a low voice while looking back at her with a slight frown.


    Wu Yijun stepped forward and interjected as she pointed out, "You are a very perceptive person! Your analyses are also genuinely amazing, which shows that you are someone very intelligent!"


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and said perplexed, "With such cognitive intelligence it is simply impossible to remain unknown for a long time. In the exams, you should definitely have stood out from the rest of the students and gained a place among the top positions for honor students... Then why have I never heard of your name even once before?"


    Hearing the words of the two women beside him, Bai Zemin could not help but smile bitterly in secret as he silently sneered.

 Chapter 155 - Dangerous forest: Never underestimate an enemy!

    Beijing University was one of the most prestigious institutions in the country and even in the world before the apocalypse broke out and society collapsed. Therefore, it was natural to assume that most of the students who could access it were elites, people with high intelligence and analytical abilities.


    A high school student with average grades would never be able to pass the Beijing University admission exam considering the high standard of the school.  ??


    Of course, there were always exceptions and there was nothing that money or power could not solve. But that aside, only the best in their towns, villages, cities, sub-districts, and districts could actually pass the admission exam.


    Bai Zemin naturally was one of those people. However, things were a bit complicated. Since his family was relatively poor and in order to allow his younger sister Meng Qi to apply to a good university, he had to spend a lot of time working to pay for his own expenses.


    This resulted in Bai Zemin wasting a lot of time that he really should have invested to his studies and therefore his grades were naturally nothing worth mentioning and he was among what was average for such a great university.


    "Everyone has their own difficulties." Bai Zemin replied casually. He hadn''t wanted to say that, unlike them and Chen He, he had to fend for himself.


    After all, Bai Zemin was not a man who liked to say words that might sound like pathetic excuses. His grades were average and that was all. There was nothing incredible about having outstanding grades anyway.


    Look, wasn''t the current situation proof enough of that?


    Both Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun looked at each other and both women''s eyes glittered curiously. Even without him saying anything, they were both smart enough to draw their own conclusions from what they knew of Bai Zemin so far.


    After Shangguan Bing Xue''s question and Bai Zemin''s disinterested response, the group of three fell silent as they slowly moved forward. They might all have different thoughts but if there was one thing they had in common it was that the guard of each of them was up.


    ...


    Even then, Bai Zemin frowned sharply.


    "This too much... Quiet?" Wu Yijun whispered feeling a little nervous.


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded slightly with narrowed eyes.


    Except for the soft whistling of the wind and the movement of tree branches swaying gently or the occasional clash between green leaves, the entire forest was silent. There was not even the slightest sign of any kind of wild beast, which was extremely strange considering that they had already gone quite deep into the forest from a certain point of view.


    This calm caused Bai Zemin to feel a bad premonition and the thought of retreating flashed in his mind for a moment before he immediately forcefully withdrew.


    Currently, his party was in dire need of firepower. Not only because of the threat of the monsters but also because of Camp Baiquan. Until now, Bai Zemin did not know whether they would be allies or enemies, and for that, it was best to prepare for any possible clash between the two sides.


    After walking for another ten minutes, Bai Zemin''s face suddenly changed and his steps stopped abruptly so the two women walking one step behind him also stopped immediately.


    "How strange..." Bai Zemin frowned deeply and muttered to himself.


    "What thing is strange?" Wu Yijun whispered close to him.


    [Blood Will: 0% / 50%]


    His passive Blood Will skill had not changed... But Bai Zemin could sense the presence of something lurking in the shadows. Maybe it was his passive skill Danger Sense, he didn''t know exactly but he decided to rely on that instinct.


    Suddenly Bai Zemin turned his head to the right and just then there was a strange movement in the grass.


    Bai Zemin snorted and stretched his hand forward just in time to catch something that had been thrown at him from a distance.


    "A tongue?" Wu Yijun took a step back as she saw the clearly inhuman long tongue struggling to escape.


    "Come here!" Bai Zemin growled and pulled hard towards him.


    An object flew through the air in his direction. But the most surprising thing was that at first, this enemy was perfect green just like grass, however, it soon seemed to become transparent as it completely disappeared.


    "What?" Shangguan Bing Xue was even surprised by what had just happened. She really couldn''t sense where the enemy was!


    However, Bai Zemin still felt the tongue caught with his hand and could also feel how the enemy was still flying towards him after being forcefully pulled.


    [You have obtained the Soul Power of Elusive Chameleon Level 15]


    [Blood Will: 1% / 50%]


    Bai Zemin''s eyes widened in shock and he looked at the women beside him as he said dumbfounded, "That chameleon was actually only level 15... But it managed to make none of us feel it in any way..."


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun''s faces changed noticeably as Bai Zemin''s words were too shocking to believe. If that monster was a level 15 creature... Then it had the power to threaten Wu Yijun''s life since she was currently level 21.


    Although the Elusive Chameleon''s tongue would not be able to pierce through Bai Zemin''s body due to his high physical stats and his muscles compressed countless times, even Shangguan Bing Xue would not necessarily come out unscathed if she was hit by surprise in a dangerous spot.


    "Let''s proceed carefully and you two go behind me." Bai Zemin ordered in a deep voice and the two women immediately nodded.


    Even the proud Shangguan Bing Xue said nothing about it and walked behind him looking at his back in silence.


    The forest was incredibly dangerous, they already knew this fact even before they went into it. However, the appearance of the Elusive Chameleon made them realize that the forests were a lot more dangerous than they had initially estimated.


    Even a weak enemy could become a deadly one depending on the circ.u.mstances. Bai Zemin thought silently and reminded himself never to underestimate his enemy no matter how weak they were.


    Hadn''t he defeated enemies more powerful than him by using different tactics, planning against them, and using their weaknesses to his advantage? Bai Zemin did not want to become complacent because of his current strength and die from neglect.


    He believed that it had been several days since an enemy capable of threatening his existence had shown itself. But only now did he realize that his life was in constant danger!


    In this world, such a thing as safety never existed.

 Chapter 156 - Thousands of enemies & Collapse!

    Clang!


    "These damn creatures." Bai Zemin clicked his tongue loudly as he blocked the Elusive Chameleon''s tongue with his Xuanyuan Sword.??


    "Die." Shangguan Bing Xue casually waved one of her hands and an ice pike appeared in the air before piercing the monster''s body ten meters away in a flash.


    Behind Bai Zemin, Wu Yijun sighed in relief and looked at him gratefully. If it wasn''t for his timely intervention that attack might have cost her life.


    "I''m sorry to have to bring you in." Bai Zemin looked back and sighed, "But you are the only one who knows the exact location of the place, so we have no choice."


    Wu Yijun''s eyes flashed softly as she heard his words. She smiled beautifully and shook her head gently, "Don''t worry! With you being here somehow I feel safe and I know nothing will happen to me. Besides, we need those firearms for everyone''s sake, don''t we?"


    Bai Zemin smiled back and nodded slightly, "That''s right. Just stay in the back and don''t go too far away."


    One of Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes twitched a couple of times as she looked at Wu Yijun. Inwardly she was muttering, "Well, I''m sorry for not making you feel safe."


    Regardless of what Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun were thinking, Bai Zemin continued to move forward with no intention of stopping.


    After advancing for another ten more minutes and having killed another twenty Elusive Chameleons with different periods of time between each one''s appearance, Bai Zemin''s Blood Will skill activated properly when new enemies appeared within the effective range of the skill.


    [Blood Will: 50% / 50%]


    "Be careful! Many enemies are approaching!" Bai Zemin stretched a hand behind him to immediately stop the movement of the two women and warned. For a moment it seemed to him that he had touched something extremely soft but with Blood Will activating to its maximum level immediately, he didn''t have time to overthink things too much.


    This was because not only did the enemies number several hundred or even thousands, but he still didn''t know what kind of enemies they were!


    Wu Yijun and Shangguan Bing Xue looked at Bai Zemin''s left hand touching something it should not be touching and both had different reactions. The first one blushed and the second one''s face remained indifferent making it difficult to know what her thoughts were about what was happening.


    In addition, the current circ.u.mstances did not allow them to consider the situation too much either.


    "F.u.c.k its mother..." Bai Zemin''s face turned white as he saw countless spiders the size of a human face crawling through the grass, over tree trunks, over branches, among rocks.


    Huge black spiders moved their long legs rapidly crawling towards the group of three. Their endless numbers of red eyes stared at them as if they were their prey while some of them even had their mouths wide open revealing terrifyingly long fangs and sticky saliva.


    "S-Spiders..." Shangguan Bing Xue paled and took a step back while she shook her head.


    A spider fiercely leapted forward from the grass with the intention of biting Bai Zemin. However, he responded by swinging his sword diagonally and slicing the spider''s body in two.


    At least they are low level and except for their numbers, they don''t look too dangerous like the Elusive Chameleon. Bai Zemin sighed secretly.


    Seeing the red and green blood splattering everywhere as the two spider halves landed just inches away from her feet, Shangguan Bing Xue''s face paled even more and her eyes rolled before she fainted with a thud as she fell onto the dirt ground.


    "Bing Xue!"


    After cutting off a dozen spiders in rapid succession, Bai Zemin heard Wu Yijun''s frightened cry and quickly turned his face with a serious expression. Seeing Shangguan Bing Xue collapsed on the ground, his expression turned ugly.


    "What happened?!" he asked astonished as he crushed another Wolf Spider with a kick.


    Wu Yijun waved both hands and the grass on both sides of the dirt road seemed to come to life. After lighting up with a strong fluorescent flash, the previously harmless weed suddenly began to detach from the ground and the nearby Wolf Spiders were pierced in various parts of their bodies.


    "She has arachnophobia! In the past, during a camp in elementary school, a Tarantula walked on her face while she was asleep and when she opened her eyes she saw the spider staring at her so she developed terror towards spiders! She can''t tolerate them!" Wu Yijun replied through gritted teeth, her pretty baby face quickly turning pale due to the consumption of Mana.


    Her First Order Plant Empowerment skill turned Wu Yijun into a terrifying existence inside a forest like this. Her skill was powerful but to empower and control plants, size was an important factor as the bigger the size the higher the Mana consumption.


    Controlling small green weeds was simple, but she was not like Shangguan Bing Xue who seemed to be especially talented at controlling the mana within her body nor was she like Bai Zemin, who was able to learn extremely fast to this new energy. Therefore, her limited Mana in comparison to both of them was rapidly running out.


    "What? Arachnophobia?!"


    When Bai Zemin heard about Shangguan Bing Xue''s arachnophobia, he felt like cursing but in the end did not say anything. After all, it was natural for everyone to have their own weaknesses. It was just that he never expected that the cold and indifferent ice goddess Shangguan Bing Xue would actually fear spiders so much that she fainted.


    Ten spiders were only two meters in front of Bai Zemin and Wu Yijun when they swooped toward them both with the intention of devouring them as more Wolf Spiders relentlessly arrived.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!...


    Bai Zemin slashed ferociously at lightning speed and the ten horrifying-looking spiders were dismembered into countless pieces. However, he could not even breathe a sigh of relief when another twenty Wolf Spiders took the place of the previous ten.


    Seeing their grotesque appearances and how they seemed to be endless, Bai Zemin suddenly felt that he understood a bit the defenseless beautiful woman behind him.


    If he were alone, he could easily cut a bloody path through all these Wolf Spiders. However, with Wu Yijun here and Shangguan Bing Xue''s unexpected fainting incident, such a thing was simply impossible.


    Five minutes passed and the number of Wolf Spiders that Bai Zemin and Wu Yijun had killed together exceeded three thousand. The surroundings had been filled with dark blood belonging to the mutated spiders as their human face-sized bodies now began to endlessly pile up to form small mountains on both sides of the dirt road.


    "There is no other choice."


    Bai Zemin clicked his tongue and grumbled under his breath as he noticed how the beautiful Wu Yijun began to gasp heavily. She had killed so many Wolf Spiders that she had already leveled up once, but her Mana simply disappeared completely without a trace.


    *****************


    A/N:


    For every 150 Tickets I will publish 1 extra chapter. The chapters will be released in the next week

 Chapter 157 - Fighting alone against thousands of enemies

    "Set fire to the forest... Out of the question." Bai Zemin muttered as he swung his sword in a sharp, deadly whirlwind of blades.


    Wolf Spiders were spiders that did not hunt prey with webs, so they were not troublesome to deal with except for their numbers.  ??


    Although they were disgusting and the putrid smell their bodies gave off when they were hacked to pieces was unbearable, Bai Zemin had already stained his body with too much of his enemies'' blood to worry about anything like unpleasant smell or sight.


    Even just using his sword and natural attributes, Bai Zemin had not allowed any spider to break through his defensive line. It didn''t matter if it was in front, behind, left or right; any Wolf Spider that tried to advance beyond him or came too close to his body was torn into countless pieces of flesh.


    As the blood acc.u.mulated and a dark reddish river with green tints formed around him along with the acc.u.mulation of incomplete corpses belonging to the Wolf Spiders, Bai Zemin was calmly thinking of a countermeasure for while this was a simple task for him, the fact that the Wolf Spiders continued to appear relentlessly could become a headache if he did not solve it as soon as possible.


    Looking behind him, Bai Zemin saw Shangguan Bing Xue being hugged and pulled away from the blood-stained ground by an exhausted and panting Wu Yijun.


    "Hey, Wu Yijun. Are you okay?" Bai Zemin asked. His voice did not contain the slightest bit of concern for the apparently fatal situation they were in.


    "I-I''m so sorry, Bai Zemin." Wu Yijun gasped for air as she tried to stay as close to him as possible to avoid being reached by the mutated spiders.


    Due to the sweat acc.u.mulated after fighting for twenty minutes without rest and activating her Plant Empowerment skill constantly consuming her Mana, the female police uniform Wu Yijun wore had clung to her seductive body in a particularly tempting manner while some strands of her silky black hair attached to her face and the edge of her lips.


    Bai Zemin could not help but steal several glances at her secretly as even he was forced to admit that this woman was especially tempting due to her baby face and demonic body.


    "Don''t worry about it and rest for now." He half-heartedly replied as he swung his Xuanyuan Sword at speeds hard to notice with the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    The reason why he did not want to set the forest on fire was that the flames of the Blazing Ring were considerably strong flames and Bai Zemin did not know if the crimson fire would spread throughout the forest. If this happened then the entire military camp and the weapons inside would be covered by a sea of flames.


    What he wanted were the weapons intact, not a pile of unused liquid metal.


    "Then let''s do it this way." Bai Zemin nodded to himself just in time as a message flashed across his retina.


    [You have leveled up and reached level 38. You have obtained  two status points to distribute freely]


    Indeed. Thought Bai Zemin not knowing whether to laugh or cry as he realized that he had absorbed so much Soul Power from weaker enemies that he had even been pushed to the next level.


    After taking a deep breath, Bai Zemin swiftly waved his right hand and turned his body three hundred and sixty degrees while activating the crimson flame of the Blazing Ring.


    However, his aim was not to attack.


    The flames of the Blazing Ring could be used in two ways; to attack and destroy everything regardless of whether it was allied or enemy; to create a tiny barrier of flames meant to separate one area from another.


    Swoosh!


    "Bai Zemin, what''s going on?!" Wu Yijun asked in fright as she observed the terrifying scene of the Wolf Spiders leaping towards the flames relentlessly.


    Because she did not possess a Blazing Ring she was unaware of the uses this treasure possessed, therefore, suddenly finding herself surrounded by a burning blaze of fire, Wu Yijun could not help but panic and unconsciously sought an answer from the only person she could depend on right now.


    "Don''t worry."


    From outside the fire barrier, Bai Zemin''s soothing voice reached her delicate ears with clarity.


    "Just stay there for a moment, it will all be over soon."


    Just hearing the calm coming from his almost magnetic voice was enough to make Wu Yijun noticeably calm down and, as a consequence, she was able to observe the situation better.


    As the crimson fire barrier was thin, from the inside she could faintly see what was occurring on the outside. The terrifying face of the Wolf Spiders was reflected in the big dark pupils of the beauty but the most terrifying thing was that, just when the mutated spiders jumped into the air with the intention of penetrating the barrier, the fire immediately consumed them.


    Squeak!


    The Wolf Spiders that were surrounded by the crimson flame yelped in pain for a second before their bodies immediately curled up into a ball. The crimson flame continued to burn until the creatures were turned into a hard chunk of unrecognizable black charcoal.


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin stomped the ground beneath his feet with all his Strength and his powerful legs caused cracks to start appearing on the ground he was standing on. With another powerful bang that sent more than a dozen Wolf Spiders flying as a result of the shockwave, Bai Zemin''s body shot into the sky like a space rocket.


    The wind whistled tirelessly and everything around him became blurry due to the spontaneous speed. When he reached twenty meters high, his speed began to slow down but just as gravity threatened to drag him back to the ground, Bai Zemin fiercely kicked one of the giant trees beside him.


    Bang!


    The tree, over a hundred meters tall and with a trunk whose thickness was equivalent to more than five grown men linking their outstretched arms together, was split into two halves. The top half was sent flying while splinters of wood fell uncontrollably to the ground like endless drops of water.


    As for Bai Zemin, due to the new momentary support and his explosive Strength, he was currently almost fifty meters above the ground. An action that in the past would be considered as fantasy or science fiction tales could now be carried out quite easily by a person like him after constantly evolving.


    As he looked down to study the situation, Bai Zemin could feel all his hair stand on end and his face turned pale.

 Chapter 158 - Obliteration: Blood Manipulation skills terrifying power

    What was worse than a mutated spider whose size had reached the face of a human being and, at worst, the size of a washbasin?


    Well, a whole bunch of mutated spiders!??


    Bai Zemin could feel every cell in his body tremble; not out of fear, but due to disgust!


    "Fortunately this woman, Shangguan Bing Xue, fainted or she might have a heart attack if she saw this." Bai Zemin couldn''t help but laugh out loud as the wind shook his hair wildly.


    Even as he looked at the endless sea of Wolf Spiders crawling from afar towards his position like bees attracted to honey, there was no sign of worry in his words or in his actions and gestures.


    This was also natural considering that if he wanted to he could easily wipe out all of these spiders if given enough time. While it was not something that could be done in a day or two considering that there were definitely hundreds of thousands of hairy creatures crawling around on their legs, as a First Order existence Bai Zemin naturally had at least as much confidence in himself.


    However, he had no intention of waiting that long.


    He could also retreat, but then that would mean surrendering to the military camp; which was unacceptable. Instead, he decided to make a bloody mess.


    Standing on top of a tree several hundred meters high, Bai Zemin could see the almost endless black sea below him. On the ground, the small barrier of crimson flames held back the relentless assault of the Wolf Spiders, firmly protecting the two women inside.


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath and opened his eyes wide, preparing for what might be his first try at taking down an entire army single-handedly.


    In fact, he knew that with his current strength he could fearlessly take on an entire armed battalion. However, what Bai Zemin was about to do was completely different!


    The Mana inside his body began to buzz as it sensed his command. His breathing slowly began to become longer and deeper as his sight took in everything around him with clarity of detail.


    His Blood Manipulation skill was an incredibly powerful skill, otherwise, a existence as incredibly powerful as Lilith would never have acted so surprised the first time she saw the scroll fall into his hands.


    Of course, while it was true that the limits of the skill were in Bai Zemin''s own imagination, he needed to first control his own skill as an expert while slowly mastering his control over mana. After all, when learning a skill scroll, one only learned to use the skill in a basic and simple way, not to master it immediately.


    It was the same with cooking; one could know how to cook, but mastering the activity was completely different.


    From a distance, Lilith watched everything carefully. Her ruby-colored eyes had a strange glint in them and it was hard to tell what her exact thoughts were due to her calm and almost emotionless expression. However, only she knew how nervous she was secretly as what Bai Zemin was trying to do right now was incredibly challenging.


    "Imagine... Imagine..." As if in a trance, Bai Zemin muttered under his breath.


    His dark eyes were wide open trying to catch as many enemies within his line of sight as possible. The wind whistling in his ears, the situation of the two women below, even his own safety was 100% ignored as all his effort was focused purely and solely on his Blood Manipulation skill and the Mana within his body.


    While it was true that it was impossible to do any action with his Blood Manipulation skill nor could he give it all sorts of forms as he really wanted since it was still a First Order skill, Bai Zemin believed that he could do what he was about to test.


    Of course, the reason why he dared to try such a crazy thing as what he was about to perform was only partly due to the fact that his enemies were infinitely weaker than him. If they were enemies of level twenty or above, Bai Zemin would not waste his time with something that would definitely get him nowhere.


    Suddenly his eyes flashed and it was just at that moment of inspiration and momentary confidence that he activated his Blood Manipulation skill.


    BANG!


    His thought process seemed to stall completely and without understanding what was happening his mind went blank. He lost control over himself as his eyes rolled back in the back of his head and his eyelids closed while he began to fall unconscious towards the ground powerless.


    "The burden of such a crazy action is still too high even for you after all." Lilith whispered to herself and just as Bai Zemin was about to slam into the ground she caught him to greatly reduce the impact before immediately releasing him again.


    His body hit the ground noisily and a dense cloud of dust rose up with him as its center.


    With him losing consciousness, the barrier of flames coming from his treasure that protected the two beautiful women inside it gradually dimmed until a few seconds later it disappeared completely.


    "Bai-"


    Through the barrier, Wu Yijun had barely made out Bai Zemin''s body falling from the sky before she felt a loud bang a few meters away. When the barrier disappeared she immediately held onto Shangguan Bing Xue and wanted to run to help him as soon as possible and try to stop the mutated spiders from hurting him as although her Mana was practically completely exhausted, she had no choice but to do so.


    However, just as she stepped out of the flame barrier with Shangguan Bing Xue still unconscious behind her back, the words that were about to leave her lips got stuck in her throat.


    "W- What..."


    She babbled incoherently as she took a step back.


    Her black eyes widened and terror flashed in them as she viewed the scene not only in front of her, but also behind and to either side of her.


    Just before the barrier of fire surrounded her and Shangguan Bing Xue, Wu Yijun had seen the endless sea of Wolf Spiders charging forward like an unstoppable tide. However, before her eyes, there was no trace of any Wolf Spider.


    A dense cloud of blood slowly ascending into the sky in a gaseous state! The putrid iron smell of blood assaulted her nostrils with every breath and the barely distinguishable burning smell made it even worse!


    What happened! Wu Yijun was greatly shocked but no one could answer her doubts nor was there anyone present capable of calming her fears. Finally, the eyes of the beautiful Wu Yijun slowly turned in the direction where Bai Zemin had fallen earlier.


    The whole forest was in absolute silence while the previously green grass and trees were now dyed red.

 Chapter 159 - Extremely complicated feelings

    As Wu Yijun slowly approached toward Bai Zemin''s position, she had to grit her teeth to fight the urge to turn around and run away.


    The entire place was covered by what appeared to be a dense red mist and if it was not for  constantly evolving through the incessant absorption of Soul Power, Wu Yijun estimated that she probably wouldn''t be able to see more than a meter in front of her.??


    Her beautiful face and clothes now had small red moles on them; they were obviously tiny drops of blood that after coming in contact with her body immediately returned to a liquid state. Even the unconscious Shangguan Bing Xue was no different as her silver hair had some red strands mixed in with each other.


    Arriving next to Bai Zemin''s unmoving body, the first thing Wu Yijun did was to gently lower Shangguan Bing Xue''s body and lay it down next to his so that she could check his current state.


    "That''s good..." She sighed in relief as she felt that he was still breathing.


    Although his face was pale as a sheet with no trace of healthy red on it, although his heart seemed to be fluttering like a wild horse, and although his breathing was labored, as long as he was fine then everything was acceptable.


    Wu Yijun was not a doctor nor did she know much about human anatomy. After all, in contrast to Bai Zemin, she was studying International Relations; a career that could help her a lot in the future when she would have to take an important position in the Chinese government... Of course, all this would be like this if it weren''t for the appearance of the Soul Record and the change in society and the rules of the world.


    "Hurry up and wake up..." Wu Yijun whispered softly as she looked at the unconscious young man with her two big eyes filled with complex emotions before observing the surroundings with a hint of fear and lingering disbelief.


    Who had caused all this bloody mess? From where did all this blood come from? What had happened to the Wolf Spiders? These were all questions with answers that Wu Yijun already knew but somehow her unconscious refused to accept.


    Who had caused all this bloody mess? Of course, it was the young man whose eyes were closed a few inches away.


    However, how was it possible for a human being to do... All this. Wu Yijun couldn''t help but remember the seemingly endless sea of Wolf Spiders and, while she didn''t know the exact number, there should be at least a hundred thousand mutated spiders.


    She had seen Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, Kang Lan, and even she herself had participated in several battles against the zombies and other enemies until now after she acquired her First Order Plant Empowerment skill.


    Wipe out an army of a hundred thousand enemies in a second... Something as far-fetched as that was beyond any imaginative concept for the dark-haired, baby-faced beauty.


    "Bai Zemin... Who are you really...?" She muttered and questioned in a low voice as she pushed aside the black hair covering his face.


    Bai Zemin''s appearance in the past was nothing noteworthy and was at best a 5/10. However, at this moment, thanks to constant evolution, his appearance had surpassed the average by a small margin. Of course, if it came to physical body, Bai Zemin''s current body was perfection from a human point of view.


    But to Wu Yijun, his physical appearance was of no importance. She was curious about his very being, and not about his appearance per se.


    Excellent intelligence, incredible analytical ability, amazing adaptability, overflowing talent, and enough power to completely obliterate an army of enemies. His attitude was usually cold but he was not especially cruel and was even open enough to joke occasionally.


    The more she looked at him, the more she felt that the young man who had his eyes closed as if he were sleeping was unusually attractive at the same time as her heart was fluttering.


    A bitter smile appeared on Wu Yijun''s face as she realized that she and he had probably crossed paths many times in the past at the university. However, she did not even know that a person named Bai Zemin existed in the world... In fact, she probably had not even given him a glance.


    Wu Yijun believed that at some point she would become engaged to a handsome and talented young man. So how could she be interested in a young man who was average in every sense of the word like Bai Zemin?


    But now it was he who didn''t even give her an extra glance nor did he seem particularly warm or interested in getting close to her. In fact, when he said he had a complicated relationship with a woman, Wu Yijun knew she was jealous.


    Unfortunately, the once average young man who was "unworthy" of a glance from her now didn''t even consider her "worthy" of a second glance.


    "Whoever didn''t want it when they could and had the chance, won''t be able to do it or have it when they want it since the chance won''t be there..." Wu Yijun murmured a phrase that her grandfather liked very much and sighed.


    "Ugh..."


    A small groan beside her pulled her out of the strange knot of emotions she felt and she quickly turned around to see Shangguan Bing Xue slowly opening her eyes and struggling to sit up.


    "Bing Xue!" Wu Yijun exclaimed bursting with joy. Her face lit up and she quickly moved forward while supporting her to sit up gently as she said, "How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue gently shook her head and even without being aware of the situation due to the previous shock asked with a pale face, "Th-The spiders...?"


    Wu Yijun blinked a couple of times before pointing at the surroundings with an extremely complex expression, "Look... They were all slaughtered."


    "Slaughtered..." Shangguan Bing Xue repeated in relief. However, when her vision finally cleared and she saw the terrifying scene around her, her face froze and her thought process seemed to completely stagnate.


    Wu Yijun continued, "Bai Zemin... He... I don''t know how he did it. It was only a few seconds after he surrounded you and me with a fire barrier to protect us from the spiders... But when the fire barrier disappeared, the spiders were gone and the forest had become this bloody hell you see."


    Shangguan Bing Xue did not respond and turned her face slightly to look at the pale face of an unconscious Bai Zemin. Her blue eyes glittered unnaturally and she was silent for almost a full minute before finally closing her eyes sighing heavily as she plopped down on the ground.


    Her red lips moved softly and she murmured words that only she could hear, so they would remain a mystery for a good while longer.

 Chapter 160 - Worried Shangguan Bing Xue? Unexpected fortune?

    Feeling a great pain that seemed to come from deep inside him, Bai Zemin slowly and gently opened his eyes while making an inevitable grimace due to the pain that was barely tolerable even for him who had already received serious injuries once.


    [You have received the Soul Power of Wolf Spider level 8]??


    [You have received the Soul Power of Wolf Spider level 7]


    [You have received the Soul Power of Wolf Spider level 10]


    ...


    Countless messages flashed in his retina in a matter of seconds and for a moment Bai Zemin was astonished and did not know how to react. In fact, he could barely remember what had happened before he fainted. However, the number of messages and their contents soon refreshed his memory, recalling the events in their entirety.


    [You have leveled up to level 39. You have gained two status points to distribute freely]


    Did I leveled up again? Bai Zemin blinked in confusion. However, he soon understood the reason and realized that it would indeed be stranger if he had not leveled up at least one level.


    While it was true that the Wolf Spiders were low level monsters, their numbers were incredibly terrifying. Bai Zemin didn''t know how much Soul Power from that specific type of creature he had absorbed, but it was definitely over a hundred thousand orbs.


    This meant that he had completely slaughtered over a hundred thousand creatures in a flash...


    Bai Zemin slowly sat up and felt a stinging pain again. However, this time the pain was coming from his head; somehow it felt like his head was going to split in two halves. But he fought against it and looked at his surroundings.


    When he saw the blood hell around him, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but gasp in shock... He had caused all this?! Although he already knew the answer, such a thought made all his skin crawl!


    Even he himself felt scared in the face of such frightening destructive power!


    "Ah! You''re finally awake!"


    As Bai Zemin stared at his hands in shock, a sweet voice shocked him out of his inner thoughts.


    Looking to his right, he saw Wu Yijun and Shangguan Bing Xue sitting a short distance away. The person who had spoken before was Wu Yijun and apparently, she too had fallen asleep as her eyes had some laziness shining within them still.


    As for Shangguan Bing Xue... Bai Zemin didn''t even know what this woman was thinking. However, judging by how her blue eyes were as clear as the sky, she had definitely been awake for a long time and had probably been silently looking at him even when he woke up, watching his reactions.


    "How long was I out?" Bai Zemin asked softly as he gently rubbed his head. He still felt that constant sharp pain, probably due to forcing himself to do something he was not yet properly prepared for.


    Gathering information from so many enemies, sensing their presence and, even studying their Soul Power while imagining how the blood of each of them boiled and reached incredibly high temperatures was not easy at all. Much less when he needed to control his Mana and Magic carefully to avoid any kind of counterattack.


    "It is currently 6 o''clock in the evening." Shangguan Bing Xue was the one who answered. "From the time you fainted until now it has been approximately around four hours only."


    Hearing her words and seeing Wu Yijun nod, Bai Zemin secretly sighed in relief. Fortunately, it wasn''t more hours or even days as it happened in the novels to the main characters, or else he wouldn''t know what to do.


    "Are you okay?" Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and asked something not knowing whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the ice princess and pointed, "I''m talking about the spider matter."


    Surprisingly, the usually cold and indifferent face like an ice iceberg that had remained frozen for countless Eras of Shangguan Bing Xue blushed slightly. In fact, it was so slight that Bai Zemin even thought it had been an illusion of his due to the blood in the surroundings.


    "I''m fine." She replied as if nothing had happened and instead asked, "What about you? After performing a magical attack of such magnitude I don''t think you''re feeling perfectly fine, are you?"


    Wu Yijun also looked at him with worried eyes and asked softly, "That''s right, Bai Zemin. Just before, when I saw you fall from the sky and hit the ground so hard I thought you had died..."


    Bai Zemin looked at both of them and shook his head lightly before replying in a low voice, "I''m fine... It'' just this severe headache is becoming somewhat unbearable."


    "Should we go back to rest?" Shangguan Bing Xue furrowed her eyebrows slightly and proposed, "I don''t think it''s worth continuing if you''re not feeling well."


    "I agree." Wu Yijun nodded with a serious expression and pointed out, "If another such huge pack of enemies or a powerful enemy appears it will only be you and Bing Xue against it. My level and overall strength is still not enough to support you in the way I would like."


    "I don''t think you are weak." Bai Zemin stood up with staggered steps and looked at the dark-haired beauty with a small smile, "Earlier, you did great. If it were another woman... No, even a man would probably turn around to run away in panic at the sight of so many enemies."


    Wu Yijun blinked her big eyes a couple of times before smiling sweetly, "Thank you for being so kind!"


    Bai Zemin looked at her curved crescent-shaped eyes and the little dimples that appeared on her cheeks whenever she smiled like that and couldn''t help but think that she really looked like a little girl in these cases.


    "We should continue." Bai Zemin concluded.


    "Why are you so stubborn?" Shangguan Bing Xue frowned and stood up. She looked at him clearly annoyed and pointed out, "You are currently leading over fifteen hundred people. Many are depending on you. Even if that doesn''t matter to you, didn''t you want to find your family? Neither you nor I are aware of what lurks deeper in this forest. Is it so hard for you to wait one more day until your condition improves?"


    Was she worried for him? Or was it just natural reasoning of a person capable of staying calm and thinking clearly about the situation? Bai Zemin believed it was the second reason.


    "Bing Xue you..." Wu Yijun seemed to want to say something but hesitated.


    "What?" Shangguan Bing Xue looked at her in confusion waiting for her to continue, but in the end, she simply shook her head and said it was nothing.


    Bai Zemin looked at her and lightly replied, "It''s not about that. It''s just that currently time is really pressing on us."


    He walked a few steps forward and pointed, "It hasn''t even been a month since this whole mess broke out but there are already terrifying monsters running wild freely... If we don''t get stronger, all of humanity will be annihilated. You understand me too, don''t you?"


    Shangguan Bing Xue bit her lower lip hard upon hearing his words and was forced to admit that Bai Zemin''s words made a lot of sense.


    From terrifying First Order creatures that were basically impervious to normal bullets to terrifying hordes of zombies or insects and animals. Every possible scenario was a hellish nightmare for humanity.


    In fact, it was clear to Shangguan Bing Xue that were it not for the existence of Bai Zemin it was very probable that the entire group of students and teachers would still be stuck in the university unable to ever leave due to the existence of the mutated forest.


    But not everyone would be so lucky... After all, in this world there was only one Bai Zemin. Shangguan Bing Xue did not believe that so many people capable of doing the same thing as him existed, much less after knowing that he had single-handedly obliterated an entire army of enemies.


    "Ah! What is this?" Bai Zemin interrupted her thoughts when he stumbled over something while walking in the surroundings.


    "What''s wrong?" Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun asked simultaneously.


    Bai Zemin did not respond immediately and instead bent down to pick up the small object he had inadvertently kicked.


    "This is..." Bai Zemin''s eyes widened at the sight of the object in his hands and he couldn''t help but gasp as a crazy thought flashed in his mind.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun looked at each other and walked toward him. When they reached his side they looked curiously at the object in his hand and both looked surprised.


    The object was small, barely the size of a human fingernail. It was covered with imperfections and looked incomplete or chipped in several places so it was difficult to classify it according to its shape. However, its light blue color was incredibly beautiful and when the sun''s rays that managed to break through the leaves of the tall trees illuminated it, it shone beautifully.


    Of course, the object was a Soul Stone.


    "If this Soul Stone came from the Wolf Spiders..." Bai Zemin muttered to himself and stood up in shock. His eyes lit up intensely and his heart jumped wildly as he realized that he might have perhaps obtained unexpected fortune.

 Chapter 161 - Second Stage of Evolution

    Bai Zemin together with Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun quickly set to work. Without straying too far from each other, because while it was true that all the Wolf Spiders had been slaughtered, they did not know at what point more enemies might appear, so they began to search through the thick forage now tinged with red that covered the forest like a carpet.


    "Here is a Soul Stone!"  ??


    "Here''s one too."


    Not even ten seconds had passed when the two women called out from a distance.


    Bai Zemin bent down just in time and picked up another Soul Stone before placing it in his palm and looking at both stones. His eyes flashed and just as he was about to ask a question under his breath, Lilith''s beautiful and unmistakable voice sounded in his ears.


    "As I told you before, all monsters have chances to generate a Soul Stone. Even the weakest and lowest level monsters are no exception to this rule. In fact, even zombies will start generating Mana Stones with relative regularity when their levels reach ten or so."


    Bai Zemin nodded to himself and she continued, "You should hurry up and get that obsolete weaponry built by you humans. That way you can bring people to search for and gather as many Soul Stones as possible."


    "... Is something wrong?" Bai Zemin whispered in a voice that only he could hear.


    "Not much," Lilith replied calmly. "As you may have noticed, mankind''s firearms don''t affect the First Order too much so you''d better start manufacturing weapons from the material of the evolved monsters."


    Bai Zemin frowned tightly and after a quick thought realized that indeed, Lilith''s words were true. Fortunately, he had already made preparations, and currently, the survivors were working on dismantling the bodies of the mutated and evolved animals.


    "Besides," Lilith interjected again. "You don''t need to worry too much about the matter of the New Age Monsters. While it''s true that strange creatures will gradually appear, they won''t be able to reproduce with each other until this world enters the second stage of evolution."


    "What? Second stage of evolution?" Bai Zemin''s eyes widened and he could barely contain his voice low to avoid being overheard and potentially being considered a lunatic.


    Lilith''s voice was not heard again for a few seconds until he finally heard it again.


    "The mana of the world was sleeping for countless years, probably even from the first moment this planet was born. Now it''s like a newborn that learned to crawl thanks to the Soul Record... But it still needs to learn to walk, then to run and so on and so forth. In short, the sooner you form your own power and faction, the better it will be for you and your future."


    Bai Zemin took a deep breath and nodded without saying a word back to her. After all, second stage of evolution or tenth stage of evolution, such things were not something for him to worry about currently.


    His main focus had not changed and what he needed to do had not changed either. He just needed to become stronger, just as he had been doing since the first day the Soul Record arrived on Earth and awakened the sleeping mana.


    The sound of footsteps behind him made him turn around slowly only to see Shangguan Bing Xue walking in his direction with Wu Yijun beside her. Both women were carrying a pile of Soul Stones in their arms.


    "What do we do with this?" Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him before looking at the Soul Stones she was holding with a puzzled expression.


    She had already checked it out for herself in the past and indeed, Soul Stones can empower magic spells depending on the type of stone. As long as the Soul Stone was not focused on a particular element it could be used as an energy catalyst and increase the magical damage inflicted on the enemy to a great extent.


    It was precisely due to all this that Shangguan Bing Xue knew that Soul Stones were an incredibly valuable treasure at the moment. Therefore, she was worried about what to do with such a treasure.


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zemin decided: "Let''s just leave them here temporarily. After securing the military armament we can bring a large number of survivors to gather and move them."


    Wu Yijun nodded and remarked, "I agree with you. Otherwise it will take us years to find all the Soul Stones among all this thick grass."


    Shangguan Bing Xue hesitated for a moment before gently laying the Soul Stones on the ground again. However, she took several for herself and kept them in a small leather bag she wore tied around her waist.


    Wu Yijun did the same and Bai Zemin also kept some.


    Just as he finished storing several Soul Stones, he remembered something important and told the girls to wait a moment while he slipped through his records.


    [Evolution Requirements -


    [Bronze Skin (First Order Passive Skill) Level 4 -----> Level 5:


    [Stamina Stats over 300 points without external support: Complete


    [Do you wish to evolve the Bronze Skin skill to the next level?]


    Bai Zemin looked at the two women beside him before finally deciding to evolve the skill. In any case, the fact that skills could evolve wasn''t a secret; it was just that probably no one had done it yet.


    Nine Unclassified Soul Stones came out of his bag and floated in the air before they began to glow under the astonished eyes of Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun.


    When the evolution process finished, Bai Zemin looked at the new skill and noticed that now, instead of +140 Stamina points, Bronze Skin level 5 gave him a total of +160 Stamina points permanently. A solid twenty point improvement, which was equivalent to ten levels in stat points.


    "That was the evolution of a skill?" Shangguan Bing Xue asked in wonder.


    "Right" Bai Zemin casually responded with no intention of hiding anything before returning to surprise the women beside him with another evolution.


    [Evolution Requirements -


    [Health Boost (Unclassified Passive Skill) Level 5:


    [Health stat over 150 points without external support: Complete


    [First Order Soul Stone: 1/1]


    [Do you wish to evolve the Health Boost skill to First Order?]


    With a single thought, Soul Stones of different grades flew out of his bag and began to rotate, forming a strange diamond that abruptly entered his body. The rune representing the Health Boost skill flashed brightly and his entire soul seemed to become purer as his body felt a lot lighter than before.


    Just the evolution of a skill made Bai Zemin feel as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. That''s how incredible the Soul Record was!


    [Superhuman Health (First Order Passive Skill) Level 1: Increases the effects of healing skills on you by 20%. +120 Health points permanently]

 Chapter 162 - Five kilometers of annihilation

    Bai Zemin confirmed the evolution requirements of the new Superhuman Health skill but seeing that he needed First Order Soul Stones in addition to Unclassified Soul Stones he decided to stop temporarily.


    Although he still had approximately seven First Order Soul Stones left, Bai Zemin knew that such Soul Stones were currently precious. Unless the First Order creatures suddenly became normal like the other monsters or their numbers increased exponentially he was not willing to spend all his Soul Stones.??


    After all, he still needed equipment for himself, for his subordinates, even to evolve other skills.


    In fact, were it not for the current situation they were in it was improbable that he would expend one of the few First Order Soul Stones he had in his inventory.


    "You two should also check to see if any of your passive skills can be improved." Bai Zemin instructed as he looked at the two women beside him. "Before we go deeper into the forest we should take the opportunity to become as strong as possible."


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun nodded at the same time before they began to slide down their own records carefully.


    While Wu Yijun did not possess any skills before, after acquiring her Plant Empowerment skill she began to fight on the front lines regularly so by killing mutated zombies, mutated animals, and engaging in fighting against more powerful creatures, she was also gradually acquiring some useful passive skills.


    "In fact, with these Soul Stones I can level up some skills... Even evolving to the next Order is not impossible." Wu Yijun nodded before smiling bitterly and saying in a bittersweet tone, "Unfortunately, my natural stats don''t reach the necessary requirement so I can''t do anything about it."


    "I see..." Bai Zemin nodded with understanding.


    In fact, Lilith had already mentioned previously that evolving skills was by no means a simple thing and that he had been doing it constantly due to fighting beings more powerful than him relentlessly.


    As his life was constantly in danger, it was only natural that the rewards were juicier. That was precisely why his natural stats were overwhelmingly higher than those of someone at his own level. Otherwise, he would also not be able to level up skills continuously, let alone upgrade Orders.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!...


    The wind suddenly swooshed as several Soul Stones flew out of the leather bag on Shangguan Bing Xue''s slender waist.


    Flash!


    "This is..." Bai Zemin muttered to himself as he looked at the light flashing and enveloping the Soul Stones. The same wonderful effect of the movement of mana together with a strange feeling of closeness every time an evolution happened flooded him.


    The feeling they felt just by the mere fact of being close to the evolution process was so warm that it could not be described in mere words.


    Bang!


    With a burst of bright lights, particles of light filled with power surrounded Shangguan Bing Xue and as she kept her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of warmth within her soul, her skill finished evolving successfully.


    She opened her eyes and sighed softly before looking at Bai Zemin and Wu Yijun with a rare smile, "It''s done."


    Wu Yijun smiled back and congratulated her while Bai Zemin simply nodded towards her and urged, "Let''s get going... I''d like to at least get to see the camp before nightfall."


    His last words were spoken in a joking tone, but the three of them knew that if a situation like the Wolf Spiders happened again it was likely that they would not really reach the place even after hours of walking.


    * * *


    The group of three advanced through the forest for more than two hours. In fact, the amount of time they had to advance to leave the area covered with Wolf Spider blood totaled an astonishing 30 minutes in all.


    In those thirty minutes, they had advanced a total of almost 5 kilometers... That meant that all the low-level enemies within five kilometers had been slaughtered by Bai Zemin''s Blood Manipulation skill!


    Until now, Bai Zemin had only scratched the surface of the full potential of the Blood Manipulation skill. Just imagining how powerful this skill would be when it evolved and reached higher Orders made his heart pound.


    Along the path, they encountered several enemies. All of them were naturally wild animals that had mutated due to mana and were constantly evolving due to the endless absorption of Soul Power.


    After all, unlike intelligent beings who could argue with words other than killing each other, unintelligent animals spent most of their time fighting each other, devouring each other, and constantly getting stronger.


    This meant that their numbers were steadily decreasing, but as a consequence, the few that remained were becoming more powerful. This would continue until one of them rose into power, becoming a terrifying existence not only with overwhelming might but also with a capacity for reasoning and judgment of its own.


    Lilith had told him earlier that Second Order creatures could judge and have simple thoughts. Although they were not especially intelligent, neither were they incredibly dumb like those Unclassified or as suicidal as those of the First Order.


    Fortunately, no powerful beings crossed their paths.


    Nor were there any instances where large herds of insects or wild animals suddenly appeared and launched an attack against the group of three.


    "It''s only a short distance from here." Wu Yijun paused for a moment and surveyed the surroundings before pointing to a strange rock in front of them, "I remember back then I told my grandfather that this rock was shaped like an alien and less than forty minutes later we arrived at the military zone."


    Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue looked at her with peculiar eyes and then looked at each other silently before looking at the strange rock.


    "Indeed... It looks like a cartoon-like alien." Bai Zemin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of the rock that seemed to have a puffy head with bulging eyes and a small body.


    Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head and did not comment on it before she started walking forward. However, just then, several roars echoed from all sides and her movements stagnated to a halt.


    Rumble!


    The ground began to shake fiercely as if a high magnitude earthquake suddenly happened, destabilizing the three of them.


    "Ah!" Wu Yijun cried out taken by surprise as she almost fell and quickly clung to her best friend as she created several ice stakes from which they both leaned on.


    Bai Zemin''s face changed slightly and narrowed his eyes while looking ahead.


    Even for himself it was a bit challenging to keep his balance if he stood in the same place without moving. Therefore, he had no choice but to take small steps sideways to adjust to the terrifying shaking of the earth.

 Chapter 163 - Clash

    Just as they had reached what appeared to be the deep parts of the forest, an earthquake seemed to strike the earth... So much for coincidence. Bai Zemin secretly sneered and prepared to fight.


    In fact, it wasn''t just him who thought that way.??


    After losing her balance at first after being taken by surprise, Shangguan Bing Xue immediately recovered, and just like Bai Zemin did she began to move with short steps and delicate jumps on the ground she was standing on.


    Although it was relatively more difficult for her, Wu Yijun also managed to find her balance shortly after her childhood best friend.


    [Blood Will: 21%/50%]


    "Here they come. There are so many of them!" Bai Zemin announced gravely as his Second Order passive skill came into play.


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded and her eyes flashed with chilling coldness as she looked forward and stood in front of Wu Yijun to protect her in case of need.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Not only did the ground rumbled, but the surrounding giant trees were also knocked down. Some of them were even directly sent flying through the air before falling with a thunderous bang several hundred meters away.


    My Danger Sense skill didn''t activate until now so there shouldn''t be a Second Order existence. Bai Zemin thought silently as he drew his trusty sword from the scabbard strapped to his waist.


    Only a few seconds later, the enemies appeared in sight of the group of three.


    Just as Bai Zemin had said, there were many of them.


    There were mutated white wolves, wolves with blue fur, mutated dogs, mutated cats, there were even meter-high ants. However, the most striking were ten frontal charging enemies; two of them in particular.


    Two three-meter tall bulls whose skin was as red as lava, three nearly four-meter tall rhinos with a strange metallic black color shining all over their backs and a huge metallic gray horn just above their noses, three lions the same height as the two red-skinned bulls but whose fur seemed to be covered by frost and whose eyes were as blue as the sky, and two huge ten-meter tall elephants that looked like steel machines instead of living creatures with two bigs ivories sticking out of the sides of their mouths.


    It was relatively easy for him to defeat them, the problem was that except for the apparently weak fur of the three ice lions, the other seven monsters seemed to be focused on strength and defense. This meant that it would be incredibly difficult for him to finish them off with a single blow. After all, the edge of his Xuanyuan Sword was not enough to cut through the defense of monsters clearly infinitely close to level 50.


    Furthermore, aside from the ten First Order giants, there were also approximately two hundred other enemies that were not weak by any means and if they joined forces they would be a force to be considered.


    "I''ll take care of the two hundred small ones." Shangguan Bing Xue stood beside him and declared, "Although it is not something I like to admit, you are actually stronger. You can fight against the ten leaders. If you finish your work first, then you help me. If I finish my work first, then I help you. How about it?"


    Bai Zemin looked at her for a second and it was only then that he remembered that he was not alone. That fighting alongside him was another being who could not be ignored, let alone underestimated. Someone whose talent for controlling Mana was even superior to his own.


    "I''ll fight too." Wu Yijun stepped forward with determination, "Although I may not be of much help, I think I''ll be able to kill two or three of them."


    Although Wu Yijun''s level was only 23 and was still even far from the First Order, her skill Plant Empowerment could boost her power to new heights within a forest filled with greenery like this. Therefore, even fighting against several level 24 or 25 mutated beasts without evolving would not be an impossible feat for her.


    Bai Zemin sheathed his sword again and nodded with a smile, "Then I''ll go help you quickly."


    Shangguan Bing Xue secretly rolled her eyes upon hearing his brazen confidence but had no words to refute. Instead, her eyes glittered with competitiveness and she charged forward without waiting.


    "Ice Spear."


    Without even having crossed the first true stage of evolution, four mutated wolves, three mutated dogs, and three mutated cats whose specialization was Agility, did not even have time to react when their heads were pierced and frozen in a cube of ice that soon spread all over their bodies.


    [You have obtained the Soul Power of Dark Wolf level 23. Agility +4]


    [You have obtained the Soul Power of Speed Cat level 24. Agility +3]


    [You have obtained the Soul Power of Saber-toothed Dog level 25]


    ...


    Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes flashed brightly as ten messages crossed her retina in the blink of an eye. Her red lips curved into a charming smile that, unfortunately, only the beasts in front of her could appreciate.


    This was the first time she had fought since her evolution to First Order and seeing that she only needed to consume half the Mana she would need in the past to defeat enemies above level 20 she couldn''t help but get excited.


    Furthermore, they were all slaughtered with a simple wave of her hands, something that even for her was hard in the past as her level had been stuck at 25 with no possibility of advancing beyond that.


    Wu Yijun did not stand idly around either. She opened the leather sack around her waist and took out several dozen small seeds before pointing in front of her with one hand.


    "Catch them!"


    At her command, the vines among the thick fodder seemed to come to life as they crawled along the ground like snakes before coiling around the bodies of three mutated beasts.


    The creatures that  exceeded level twenty roared furiously and fought with all their might causing the Wu Yijun empowered vines holding them back to start showing signs of breaking into pieces.


    Just then, the more than forty small seeds glowed with a strong fluorescent green radiance and under Wu Yijun''s command shot out of her hand at speeds impossible for a normal living being to glimpse.


    Some of the empowered seeds struck the legs, back, ears, and other body parts of the mutated beasts. Blood began to spurt out seemingly uncontrollably as the creatures writhed in pain and fury.


    However, the monsters'' struggle only lasted a second as in the next instant several more seeds streaked across the sky and pierced their heads. Although they were small, the empowered seeds were really hard and powerful so the heads of the three mutated monsters were filled with holes and their lifeless bodies fell to the ground with a thud.


    Bai Zemin surveyed the situation unfolding at lightning speed and thought that the two women would probably be fine alone. Besides, with Shangguan Bing Xue present, Wu Yijun''s safety was practically assured so he could focus on the ten leaders of the pack of mutant beasts.


    The muscles in his legs tensed to the maximum as he leaned slightly down and forward. His blood began to bubble with the excitement of battle, probably an effect of his Blood Berseker unique class.


    BANG!


    With a bang that shook the earth several meters around him and with fine cracks that stretched for nearly ten meters in length, Bai Zemin seemed to disappear from his position.


    The next instant, he appeared right in front of one of the two robotic-looking elephants. Bai Zemin extended both arms forward and his two hands clutched tightly onto the creature''s two ivories.


    BOOM!


    At the same time that the bodies of both flattened the ground, creating a large hole of several meters in diameter with them as the center, the resulting clash between the robotic-looking elephant''s charge and Bai Zemin''s own charge caused a thunderous blast. The shockwave destroyed the trees two hundred meters around and many mutated beasts whose constitution was weaker exploded into pieces of bloody flesh.

 Chapter 164 - Blood Berserkers power

    BOOM!


    The gazes of Bai Zemin and the giant robotic-looking elephant met at the same instant their bodies clashed.??


    The futuristic-looking elephant stomped the ground heavily intending to send the little ant in front of it to fly, but to its utter surprise, its Strength was not enough to shake its enemy.


    So far, the two elephants whose body was covered with a strange metallic armor had always been able to send their enemies flying. Their terrifying charges represented total destruction and anything that got in their paths was immediately overwhelmed. Both creatures were two little overlords in this entire forest and even among the First Order beasts they were respected by the rest.


    However... One of those terrifying monsters had been stopped in its tracks without being able to advance another step!


    The giant elephant opened its mouth filled with the blood of some other creature it had probably recently eaten and roared.


    "Roar all you want..." Bai Zemin sneered as his hair shook at his enemy''s roar.


    Without warning, he too gave his own war roar and took a step forward as all his muscles swelled to the maximum extent possible.


    The giant elephant''s eyes widened in shock as he was forced to take a minuscule step backward. One of its hind legs recoiled so slightly that it was almost imperceptible, but it was something that happened.


    Bai Zemin smiled and took another step forward, forcing the giant beast back another short step and crushing a few Unclassified mutant beasts charging from the back of the herd.


    The second armored elephant roared angrily as it saw one of its fellow armored elephants being forced back and changed its charging course.  With a second thunderous roar that sent shockwaves capable of crushing the eardrums of a normal person, the creature lowered its head and pointed its two ivories to the front as it looked at Bai Zemin with bloodshot eyes.


    At the same time, the three house-sized First Order lions slowed their steps, raising a cloud of dust in the process and charged towards Bai Zemin at the speed of a whirlwind while freezing the ground with every step they took.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun could not help but feel their skin ruffled as they saw the giant monsters all running in the same direction with the intention of crushing on Bai Zemin whose size was that of an ant in comparison.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The eyes of the three First Order lions glowed with a blue flash, and with a fierce roar, several giant ice stakes shot out from the ground and pierced Bai Zemin''s body mercilessly.


    Just as he was about to be wounded, the Broken Bronze Bell flew out of his pocket and floated above his head releasing a yellow colored barrier.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sharp ice stakes over a meter thick hit the barrier and slowly cracks began to spread across the protective layer that threatened to collapse under the pressure soon.


    Bai Zemin half-closed his eyes and held his position without moving as the barrier protected him from the ranged attacks of the three First Order lions for a mere five seconds before the barrier finally broke into pieces and the Broken Bronze Bell flew back into his pocket without power.


    Just then the second robotic elephant headed forward and Bai Zemin laughed. He stopped pressing the robotic elephant he was holding tightly with both hands and activated his Unstoppable Front Charge skill.


    Swoosh!


    BOOM!


    ROAR!


    Just then, just a split second later there was a huge boom behind Bai Zemin and a terrifying roar that was filled with pain.


    It turned out that the second robotic elephant charging forward actually failed to stop its charge as it clearly did not expect its target to disappear without a trace in such a short time so its two brilliant ivories pierced through the apparently impenetrable armor of the first robotic elephant that Bai Zemin was contending with!


    But this was not all. When the first robotic elephant was deeply wounded in the abdomen by its companion of the same species, it was forced to walk to the left and as a consequence one of the black-armored rhinos hit it hard and sent it flying more than twenty meters forward!


    As for Bai Zemin... He had appeared right in front of one of the three First Order lions.


    The beast''s blue eyes looked astonished at the sudden appearance of a shadow that grew bigger and bigger in its pupils and just as it was about to open its mouth to bite, the enemy attack reached it.


    "Grit your teeth well, Jungle King!" Bai Zemin laughed out loud and pulled the Xuanyuan Sword out of its sheath as his whole body whirled like a spinning top before slashing with all his might diagonally.


    BOOM!!!


    When the metal blade of the Xuanyuan Sword impacted onto the First Order lion''s head, a deep bloody wound appeared. However, not even a flicker of time later, the entire head of the beast broke into thousands of pieces.


    The red blood and flesh of the evolved beast tainted the entire battlefield and the now headless three-meter body was sent flying straight backward, smashing into several trees in the process and destroying everything in its path.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Frost Control Lion level 44. You have obtained +10 Strength, +8 Agility, +4 Stamina, +4 Health, +4 Mana]


    If it were in normal times, Bai Zemin would definitely not be able to take out the life of the Frost Control Lion with a single attack and in such a simple manner. However, with the increased power that Blood Will currently granted him, as well as the 20% increased attack power from using a sword that his Blood Berserker class passively conferred upon him, the situation was different.


    The current him had almost 40% extra attack power!


    Roar!


    The nine First Order beasts raged and roared in unison as they looked at him with bloodshot eyes.


    Bai Zemin looked at them back and a torturous smile appeared on his lips as he stretched his hand forward and pointed at the injured elephant that was looking at him as if it wanted to devour him with its eyes.


    Too bad, the beast had no such ability.


    "Die." Bai Zemin declared and directly spent 100 Mana points.


    However, its uncontrolled charge did not last even two seconds as in the next instant its body shuddered and fell heavily forward as the glow of life left it while an orb of Soul Power was absorbed by Bai Zemin.

 Chapter 165 - Frightening speed

    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Armored Elephant level 48. You have obtained Strength +15, Stamina +10, Health +10]


    With the thin but terrifying strands of blood formed by Bai Zemin under the command of his Blood Manipulation skill, the inside of the First Order Armored Elephant''s already wounded body was torn apart and its heart was completely destroyed.??


    In fact, Bai Zemin did not care about anything but killing his enemy and that was precisely why he expended so much Mana all at once. Otherwise, the cost would have been considerably lower.


    However, the current situation did not allow Bai Zemin to rest as although he was strong, he was still facing several First Order existences at the same time.


    The two Frost Control Lions roared at the same time and expelled a powerful ice breath that seemed to be able to freeze everything in its path. In fact, although the frozen breath had not touched the ground and passed over two meters high, a thick line over five meters thick covered every part it passed through as if it were a laser beam of ice frost.


    Bai Zemin did not dare to take such a magical attack head-on when he saw the terrifying effect it had on the environment and quickly stomped on the corpse of the Frost Control Lion he had killed a moment ago to propel himself sideways.


    However, he still underestimated too much the speed at which the two frozen breaths flew. While the attack did not hit him directly, only the close aura that came into contact with his body caused a thin layer of ice to appear above him.


    "Damn it!" he couldn''t help but curse. His black hair now had a thin layer of light blue in it just like his Full Coat. His movements naturally became slower and after a quick analysis, Bai Zemin realized to his utter dismay that in fact. he had lost 15% of his mobility.


    Although I wanted to restrain myself just in case, I''d better finish this as soon as possible. Bai Zemin thought with a frown.


    He was afraid of mishaps happening, and that was precisely why he hadn''t been using his full power. However, the power of First Order creatures could not be ignored; especially their unpredictable skills!


    Roar!


    Just as Bai Zemin thought this, the two three-meter bulls with reddish skin let out a strange roar and their two eyes turned completely red. A strange reddish aura glowed over their bodies and the speed of the two beasts seemed to become faster at the same time as their bodies grew almost a meter taller.


    The three black-armored rhinos and the last First Order Armored Elephant lowered their heads in attack position and began to charge wildly towards him.


    The two Frost Control Lions also did not stop after their previous attack and immediately roared skyward again. Dozens of small, thin ice spears appeared above their heads and blasted towards Bai Zemin.


    From the left, from the right, and from the front; Bai Zemin was attacked from all sides except the back. However, instead of retreating, he snorted and activated for the first time a terrifying skill he had obtained a short while ago.


    In fact, this skill was from a certain point of view the most powerful skill in his arsenal.


    After directly spending 40 Stamina points, the rune in his soul that represented the active skill Second Order Lightning Movement level 5 flashed.


    In that instant, everything seemed to slow down.


    However, Bai Zemin knew that this was just his own perception of the world around him. It wasn''t that everything had become slower; it was that he had suddenly become explosively faster!


    Above his body, small blue lightning flashed constantly like mischievous snakes. All these lightning flashes disappeared inside his body and kept his whole body in a strange state of alarm.


    Bai Zemin''s eyes glittered and with a slight step forward his body seemed to shudder for a moment.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The magical ice spears that the two Frost Control Lions conjured hit the ground hard and a large frozen cloud slowly rose into the sky.


    Swoosh!


    With an almost imperceptible sound were it not for the tiny crackling lightning flashes on his body, Bai Zemin appeared right above the head of one of the Frost Control Lions.


    The beast didn''t even seem to be aware that its enemy was right on top of it as it was still casting ice spells towards the same area, just like its fellow of the same species.


    BOOM!


    Bai Zemin punched with both fists forward not once, but more than two hundred times in just one second! The result was a thunderous explosion even more powerful than all the previous ones and the head of the Frost Control Lion exploded into a thousand pieces just like the previous one!


    With now over 280 Agility points, Bai Zemin was like a ghost. The other First Order existences simply had no way of noticing his movements and before they could react, the head of the last Frost Control Lion exploded in a bloody mess as well, drenching the ground in red.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Frost Control Lion level 44]


    "No more stats, huh..." Bai Zemin''s voice rang out on the battlefield but his body could hardly be seen except for the trail of small blue lightning that he left behind wherever he passed by.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun had almost finished annihilating all the Unclassified enemy beasts, with only about a hundred remaining. Although Wu Yijun was panting slightly, she still showed no signs of running out of Mana, which was only natural considering that she had gone through a much more terrifying experience than this a few hours ago.


    However, both women''s movements stalled for a moment as they looked dumbfounded at the scene in front of them.


    Shangguan Bing Xue herself was a powerful First Order existence in her own right, and an extremely powerful one among the First Orders. But even she could barely discern even a trace of Bai Zemin.


    To her surprise, fear, and frustration, she realized that if he so wished, she would not be able to survive a single exchange!


    "What skill is that...?" She muttered in stupefaction as she noticed the lightning flashing steadily.


    Bai Zemin didn''t stop. He leaned forward and with a swing appeared right under the last remaining Frost Control Lion alive and swung the Xuanyuan Sword with all his might upwards.


    The body of the First Order Frost Control Lion was lifted off the ground over ten feet and roared in pain as blood spilled out of its mouth and spurted like a fountain from its stomach.


    "Blood Spears!" Bai Zemin charged towards the last living First Order Armored Elephant as he pointed behind him and bellowed.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The red blood with a slight chilling aura of the Frost Control Lion swished, forming dozens of bloody spears and with a wave of his hands pierced the body of the already wounded beast.


    The lion roared in pain and rolled on the ground, losing all battle power and dying a moment later.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Frost Control Lion level 45]


    Just as the Soul Record message flashed in his retina, Bai Zemin had jumped high into the sky and was currently running along the upper back of the Armored Elephant.

 Chapter 166 - Annihilation (Part 1)

    The last living Armored Elephant could feel its hated enemy standing over its body so it immediately began to shake as roars of fury escaped from its huge mouth.


    Bai Zemin was shaken hard but gritted his teeth and clung to the beast''s hard metal-like skin as it continued to make its way towards the head.??


    The Armored Elephant soon realized that its efforts were being thwarted so it without hesitation swung its tail and long nose to its back with the intention of either slapping the ant out of its body or crushing it to death.


    Fortunately, Bai Zemin was already prepared so under his control, four blood shields flew behind his back just above his body, one on top of the other with a small air gap in between.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    The beast''s tail and nose pierced through the first and second blood shields with ease, destroying them and splattering its back with the blood belonging to one of the previously slain Frost Control Lions.


    The third shield was also crushed into liquid droplets again, but the power of the monster''s two physical weapons clearly no longer had the same power as before as when they struck on the fourth and last shield, although succeeding in cracking it, did not manage to break through any further so the Armored Elephant had to withdraw its nose and tail to shake them once more.


    However, that was all it took for Bai Zemin to successfully reach the giant monster''s head and stab down at full power with his sword.


    Clang!


    Not to his surprise, the tip of the Xuanyuan Sword failed to penetrate in the slightest and except for a thin white dot, nothing else happened. Bai Zemin clicked his tongue in annoyance and began to strike furiously without any ability and just used the sword as if it were a baseball bat.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    With terrifying speed, the attacks acc.u.mulated rapidly until the metal armor covering the creature''s head cracked, revealing the tender red flesh inside. Bai Zemin took advantage and immediately spent another 100 Mana points to reverse the blood and make several bloody spears that pierced the monster''s brain, killing it immediately.


    The massive creature''s body fell downward raising a huge cloud of dust and causing the ground to shake violently.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Armored Elephant level 50. You have obtained Strength +10, Stamina +10, Health +5]


    In the air, Bai Zemin received the message from the Soul Record and was secretly surprised. His heart filled with fear as he realized that this Armored Elephant was an existence on the threshold between the First Order and the Second Order, just one step away from becoming a terrifying being!


    He had barely reached the ground when he was greeted by the enraged charge of the two First Order bulls. However...


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The wind howled and the two creatures continued their charge when suddenly their bodies were cut in two halves.


    Blood along with flesh and internal organs splattered all over the ground, joining the pool of blood that was beginning to form after the constant bloody acc.u.mulation of so many huge creatures.


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Impetus Bull Aura level 38]


    [You have received the Soul Power of First Order Impetus Bull Aura level 39]


    Bai Zemin stopped and looked back over his shoulder. The Xuanyuan Sword in his right hand dripped with the blood of the recently slayed enemies.


    Just the sight of such terrifying beings of overwhelming size was more than enough to scare any human. Even more so considering that the physique of humans was naturally weaker than that of animals, something that even the Soul Record could not change.


    Most of the time, when a human and a beast of the same level faced each other, the beast had a better chance of winning. These were innate qualities that could not be changed.


    Of course, there were also species that were not different from humans with terrifying physiques. However, this was something from other worlds and not the Earth where Bai Zemin was born.


    Bai Zemin advanced instead of retreating, engaging in close combat with the three black-armored rhinoceroses. The beasts possessed especially terrifying defense and their Strength was monstrous; however, Bai Zemin''s Agility under the use of his Lightning Movement skill was comparable to a Second Order existence! Therefore, the three beasts could not even touch him and the bloody wounds soon began to pile up.


    Shangguan Bing Xue clenched her pearly teeth secretly and her eyes glittered strangely. She pointed her delicate hand skyward and her cold voice rang out, "Ice Bullets!"


    Over a hundred ice bullets appeared several meters above the ground and with a wave of her hand they began to bombard the battlefield.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!....


    The Unclassified beasts numbering approximately about a hundred were now scattered, thus several ice bullets hit the ground and created small holes that were soon sealed by a thin layer of ice.


    However, Shangguan Bing Xue had launched a large-scale attack and had not focused on accuracy, instead her main goal was to wipe out as many enemies as possible in the shortest amount of time.


    Roar!


    ...


    Several Unclassified beasts were pierced in different parts of their bodies. The ice bullets heavily compressed with Mana and Magic created by Shangguan Bing Xue had pierced them from side to side and thumb-sized bloody holes began to appear on several of them.


    Even those that had been directly slaughtered by one or more ice bullets to the head were not spared from having their bodies brutally pierced several more times by Shangguan Bing Xue''s skill.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly, a silhouette appeared and with a punch, a mutated dog''s head was smashed.


    Shangguan Bing Xue sighed as she saw Bai Zemin start attacking the weaker beasts, as this meant that he had finished first. However, before she could think too much, her mind went blank as she saw two more Bai Zemin appearing on the battlefield and starting a massacre on the few beasts that had not yet died!


    "What?!" Wu Yijun exclaimed in shock as she witnessed the scene unfold.


    "Looks like I finished my work sooner."


    "You..." Shangguan Bing Xue''s eyes widened as she looked at Bai Zemin standing only a few steps away.


    Wu Yijun rubbed her big eyes several times and turned her head repeatedly to look behind her and then ahead. However, no matter what she did, the reality did not change.


    Indeed, there were four Bai Zemin.


    Behind the Bai Zemin who looked at them with a small smile on his face, the corpses of the three black-armored rhinoceroses lay on the ground with numerous wounds and their bodies in a bloody mess.

 Chapter 167 - Annihilation (Part 2)

    Seeing the two women in front of him looking at him with surprise impossible to conceal or hide, Bai Zemin naturally understood the reason.


    "That is one of my skills. Those three are my clones." He explained without giving too many details about it.??


    Shangguan Bing Xue blinked, causing her long eyelashes to flicker gently, and after a moment of hesitation simply nodded without commenting any further on the matter before looking at the three clones unleashing a massacre among the Unclassified beasts.


    Although she did not know what kind of skill it was, after looking carefully she easily noticed that although all three were clones of Bai Zemin, the overall strength of the three was infinitely lower than the real body. Occasionally there was a level 25 creature at the threshold of evolution that managed to survive one or two strikes from one of the clones before dying, which if it possessed 100% of Bai Zemin''s real power would never happen.


    This was also natural and allowed Shangguan Bing Xue''s beating heart to calm down a bit. After all, if a single Bai Zemin was already a monster, then four of him with such power would make him practically unstoppable; which made no sense considering that the Soul Record had arrived on Earth a little less than a month ago.


    Even monsters needed time to grow.


    "Woah! That lightning skill must be awesome!" Wu Yijun exclaimed like an excited little girl as she watched the blue lightning flashes appearing and disappearing on the surface of Bai Zemin''s body.


    He just smiled slightly and said nothing about it.


    Lightning Movement was a powerful Second Order skill at its maximum level, how could it be normal? Besides, Lilith even said that it was one of the strongest skills of one of the Archangels of the Heaven''s Army that the Bible God led.


    Given that the effect of the skill that boosted his Agility by +70 points still lingered, the lightning flashing on his body was too obvious to be ignored. As he did not consume extra Stamina by keeping the skill active, Bai Zemin did not think about deactivating it as it would be pointless to do that to begin with.


    As the clones made a quick work on the few Unclassified beasts, Bai Zemin lamented silently that he had not received any extra stats from the black-armored rhinos. Still, he managed to level up to level 40 and gain another two stat points to distribute freely.


    In short, he had to absorb the Soul Power of ten First Order existences, his own category, as well as the Soul Power of several weaker enemies, to raise just one level.


    [Bai Zemin (First Order) -


    Status Points: 62


    Level: 40


    Race: Human


    Subclass: Lower Leader


    Title: One Hit to Kill


    Strength: 199 (+30) / Agility: 197 (+15)= 212 ---> 282 / Health: 233 (+5) / Stamina: 371 (+5)= 376 ---> 321 / Mana: 297 (+50)= 347 ---> 160 / Magic: 249 (+90) ]


    Skills:


    Blood Manipulation (First Order active skill) level 5 / Special Forces Soldier (Unranked passive skill) level 5 / Stone Heart (Third Order passive skill) level 5 / Superhuman Health (First Order passive skill) level 1 / Bronze Skin (First Order passive skill) level 5 / Mechanic  (Unranked passive skill) level 3 / Throwing (Unranked passive skill) level 5 / Blood Will (First Order passive skill) level 5 / Crimson Blood Judgment (Third Order active skill) level 5 / Regeneration (First Order active skill) Lvl 5 / Danger Sense (Unranked passive skill) level 5 / Unstoppable Front Charge (Unranked active skill) level 5 / Lightning Movement (Second Order active skill) level 5 ]


    So many status points. Bai Zemin was secretly surprised as he took a quick glance at his status window.


    At some point he had simply stopped paying attention to the acc.u.mulated status points. He knew they were there and that in times of crisis he could rely on a powerful power boost, it was just that with so many things on his mind and so much work to do, even he himself was not aware that he had gradually acc.u.mulated a vast amount of points.


    In fact, the amount was so great that it was even equivalent to absorbing a large amount of Soul Power from a powerful enemy. The only difference was that he could use those points in any stat he wanted and improve a particular aspect depending on the situation.


    Just like in the situation against the Great Fast Mantis, if he encountered an enemy who was able to overcome his Agility by a wide margin, then Bai Zemin would use his status points to improve that stat and, at the very least, reduce that gap as much as possible.


    Thinking about what kind of reaction Shangguan Bing Xue and the rest would have if they knew that he actually still had so much power in reserve, Bai Zemin felt a little amused inside.


    Soon, the three clones of Bai Zemin finished off the rest of the enemies. Since the purge had been quick thanks to Wu Yijun, who still needed the Soul Power and extra stats, he had only consumed roughly six Stamina points from the appearance of the clones.


    [Blood Will: 48% / 50%]


    The three looked at each other and all saw relief in their eyes.


    From the first instant they set foot in this forest, the oppressive aura of mystery, the fear of the unknown, as well as the instinct of danger, had been constantly pressing on their shoulders.


    Now that the last wave of monsters had been wiped out, they could finally take the final few steps and reach the reward they had been working so hard for.


    In fact, except for the few hours they slept in the morning to make up for the sleepless night due to the overnight ride, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Wu Yijun had been fighting and scouting without even stopping to have a proper meal.


    As for Bai Zemin, he hadn''t even slept except when he lost consciousness after forcing himself too much.


    "Let''s let the survivors look over the bodies of the Unclassified animals later when we bring a team to collect the armed arsenal and the Soul Stones." Bai Zemin looked at the two women in front of him and remarked, "However, we''d better check if we can find First Order Soul Stones in those ten evolved beasts."


    If another beast appeared in the area and started eating the flesh of the killed First Order there was a possibility that it would eat the Soul Stones in case any of the corpses had one.


    Unclassified animals or insects rarely approached areas where the First Order lurked and even after their deaths, corpses overflowing with mana was enough to keep them away for several days. However, other First Order existences did not fear.


    In addition, although it was highly improbable, there was also the small possibility that some powerful human would dare to venture into the forest and if by coincidence they reached this battlefield and encountered the First Order Soul Stones, Bai Zemin and the rest would have nowhere to cry later.


    Therefore, to avoid all this, the three of them began to work together in search of the precious but scarce First Order Soul Stones.

 Chapter 168 - In the shadows

    After searching for a couple of minutes inside the giant skulls of the beasts, Bai Zemin sighed and approached the two women who were just walking in his direction with helpless expressions.


    "Looking on your faces, I guess there wasn''t so much luck?" Bai Zemin smiled bitterly and, although he asked a question, his voice sounded more like a certitude.??


    Wu Yijun opened her palm, revealing the bright glow of a deep blue rock the size of a baby''s fist with several imperfections and splinters.


    "I only managed to find this one inside one of the First Order lions." She revealed somewhat bitterly.


    Shangguan Bing Xue opened her two palms and shook her head, "I wasn''t so lucky either. I only found these two."


    "...Forget it..." Bai Zemin sighed and opened his palm, revealing a First Order Soul Stone as he said in a self-comforting voice, "At least we managed to obtain four First Order Soul Stones. That''s good enough, I guess."


    The two beautiful women exchanged glances with each other before shrugging and nodding. Then, they handed the three First Order Soul Stones they had found to Bai Zemin and he kept them together with the others in his bag.


    Out of a total of ten First Order creatures, the group of three had only managed to obtain a total of four First Order Soul Stones. This meant that less than 50% of the beasts had managed to form a Soul Stone in their bodies.


    "Shall we continue then?" Wu Yijun asked as she looked at Bai Zemin and leaned her face in a cute manner.


    Bai Zemin nodded with a serious expression and pointed at the bodies of the First Order beasts, "We should finish everything quickly to bring workers to this place. The bodies of the First Order existences are a treasure no matter which way one looks at it and losing even one of them would be a sorrow."


    Shangguan Bing Xue nodded in agreement and pointed out, "Indeed. Not only are their pelts and shells extremely tough and hard, some even like metal or surpassing it. The flesh of their bodies and the blood is extremely nutritious for the human body."


    The flesh and blood of First Order creatures were not only extremely delicious when it was properly cooked, but it could also grant free stat points to those who were weaker and even helped to cure illnesses such as colds.


    Fortunately, in addition to the four First Order Soul Stones, Wu Yijun had also found a skill scroll that was given to Bai Zemin.


    Soon, the three of them left the area and went deeper into the forest.


    * * *


    "Phew..." Bai Zemin loudly exhaled a sigh of relief when he finally saw the military camp a few meters ahead.


    All along the way, his muscles had been tensed to the max and he was on constant alert.


    This was because the appearance of the ten First Order creatures and the other Unclassified beasts was too abnormal. Generally, the beasts fought each other since they had no intelligence; they just followed the instinct to constantly evolve without stopping.


    Therefore, Bai Zemin had been waiting for the appearance of some monster or anomaly just like when they had not yet left the university grounds where the existence of the Mana Embryo had caused the creatures in the area not to fight among themselves, suppressing the fierce instinct within them.


    However, it seemed that his concerns were unnecessary as there was no trace of a creature capable of threatening the lives of the trio present.


    Shangguan Bing Xue also let out a faint sigh of relief, showing that he was not the only person present who was worried about the dangers that might lurk further down the path.


    From the terrifying appearance of the sea of Wolf Spiders to the pack of Unclassified beasts under the leadership of the ten First Order creatures, no matter which of the two situations it was, both were extremely dangerous. A normal human being or even an armed army would have been annihilated without a doubt under such attacks.


    In fact, if not for Bai Zemin''s irregular existence, Shangguan Bing Xue herself and Wu Yijun would have been killed by the sea of spiders. Even if Shangguan Bing Xue did not faint due to her arachnophobia, her Mana and Stamina would have been exhausted before she managed to get out of the arachnid ring.


    As for killing over a hundred thousand beasts single-handedly... It was not something a First Order being could accomplish just because they were a higher Order.


    Therefore, it could be said that only Bai Zemin''s group currently had the qualifications to reach this place and, perhaps, a few outstanding geniuses or lucky people who had their own fortuitous encounters.


    Unknown to Bai Zemin was that several hundred meters distance away, on a tree, a small ape with a head almost as big as its body was gazing at them coldly.


    The ape''s body was slender and about five feet tall. Its two bulging eyes flashed with intelligence that a normal monster should not possess, and the beast seemed to hesitate before leaping from the tree and fleeing in a southwesterly direction, disappearing into the dense forage of the forest.


    ...


    Bang!


    Bai Zemin kicked the double metal gate sealing the entrance to the military settlement, sending it flying several meters and causing a rather loud bang to echo everywhere.


    A group of zombies near the entrance turned their pale faces and their lifeless eyes fixed on the group of three that had just entered the facility. With growls that seemed to come from the depths of their throats, the twenty-plus zombies began to stagger toward them while waving their hands.


    Wu Yijun and Shangguan Bing Xue sighed at the sight of the military uniform the zombies were wearing. Although they had guns on their waists and a few of them even carried machine guns on their backs, the zombies did not know how to use weapons; they just moved forward and scratched or bit out of instinct.


    Therefore, without even hesitating, he pulled out the Desert Eagle he had hidden on the inside of his Full Coat and pointed it forward.


    A thunderous bang sounded and fifty meters ahead, a zombie in military uniform received a bloody hole right in the middle of its forehead before collapsing with a thud on the floor.


    With the skill Special Forces Soldier, Bai Zemin was comparable to the best elites of humanity before the apocalypse. Therefore, his shooting skill was almost perfect; in fact, he was confident of successfully hitting his enemy''s head as long as he was a maximum of 200 meters away from him.


    Attracted by the sound of the loud gunshot, more and more zombies were attracted by the noise and began to move towards the entrance of the military camp with staggering steps.

 Chapter 169 - Surprise attack

    Holding his Desert Eagle in his right hand, Bai Zemin aimed at the zombies and fired continuously.


    His expression was so nonchalant that he looked like a person playing a target shooting video game on a console rather than a person who was firing a real weapon to take the lives of "people" who in the past were the protectors of his homeland.??


    The zombies were constantly moving, which made it difficult to aim and greatly decreased the hit rate. However, this was only for a normal soldier.


    From a distance of less than a hundred meters, it was simply impossible for Bai Zemin to miss unless the zombies'' movement speed was infinitely higher than the current one. Therefore, each shot impacted powerfully on a zombie''s forehead, exploding their heads and staining the ground with blood and brain matter.


    After finishing the first magazine, Bai Zemin took out another one and calmly replaced it before resuming the one-sided slaughter. With each shot, a zombie would fall and Bai Zemin would step forward.


    Although he could simply decapitate them all, he wanted to improve his current marksmanship even more. While it was true that the Special Forces Soldier skill gave him a high level of hit rate, he himself could improve that marksmanship by practicing on his own.


    Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him for a moment before hesitating and pulling out a Type 54 pistol from her waist. She took a second to aim at a zombie more than thirty meters ahead and then pulled the trigger without changing her expression.


    Bang!


    A bloody wound appeared on the zombie''s head and the creature deprived of all reasoning fell lifeless to the ground. A small orb of Soul Power came out of its body and entered Shangguan Bing Xue''s body, however, the difference between the Soul Power gained and not having gained anything was not so big to the current her.


    Bai Zemin looked at her with indifferent eyes before continuing to shoot. However, he was secretly surprised by her marksmanship. Seeing her shoot in such a manner made his thought that she was part of a powerful family only increased even more.


    Although it was possible that she had obtained some skill scroll that granted her such marksmanship, his instinct told him that this was not the case here.


    Wu Yijun shrugged her shoulders at the sight of the two of them shooting zombies to death and stood in a corner as she surveyed the surroundings with her big eyes filled with curiosity.


    Because she had not trained in any martial arts or anything similar, Wu Yijun had been just an ordinary girl without any outstanding physical prowess before the intervention of the Soul Record on Earth.


    In fact, Bai Zemin was not much different from Wu Yijun in this respect. Although he was stronger and faster than the average person, he was completely within human limits and was nothing exaggerated.


    Furthermore, while it was true that evolved First Order creatures were almost completely immune to firearms, this type of existences were still relatively rare in comparison. Therefore, the firearms created by mankind were extremely useful and powerful against Unclassified enemies.


    Mastering marksmanship and increasing the hit rate of shots not only prevented Stamina from being consumed, but as a consequence, the chances of survival in different situations would also be higher.


    After Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue drew all the zombies after making a commotion with more than forty shots, he unsheathed his Xuanyuan Sword and rushed forward like an arrow.


    His right hand seemed to turn into a shadow and in the blink of an eye, the heads of several zombies flew through the air bringing with them seemingly endless torrents of blood.


    Shangguan Bing Xue was not far behind either as with a simple wave of her hand, several ice bullets appeared above her and in the next instant they shot out towards different targets.


    The zombies that were hit by the ice bullets died regardless of whether they were hit in the head or not. This was because they were all turned into frozen ice statues before exploding into pieces, filling the ground with tiny pieces of ice that looked like beautiful, delicate crystals.


    After eliminating the zombies, Bai Zemin in the company of the two women explored the military camp carefully to make sure that there was no hidden danger.


    When the group wiped out all the hostile beings inside the military camp that were moving freely, they divided into two groups.


    Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun went to check the parking area for heavy vehicles with military weapons.


    "So that''s how it is..." Bai Zemin muttered to himself.


    In front of him, a metal door that was firmly closed with several electronic security locks barred his way. The door was obviously made of extremely strong metal capable of resisting external firepower.


    "However, you can''t stop me."


    He unsheathed his Xuanyuan Sword and placed the tip on the metal door. Then he pushed inward, easily piercing through the door until half of the over a meter long sword blade had disappeared out of sight.


    Like a knife slicing  through hot butter, the Xuanyuan Sword''s blade easily cut the military security door open in half in a matter of seconds.


    The Xuanyuan Sword might not be able to pierce the defense of First Order creatures that exceeded level 40 by a wide margin. However, being able to pierce the defenses of an armored vehicle, cutting this metal door was not a challenge at all for Bai Zemin.


    Boom!


    The multi-ton heavy door fell heavily backward and the ground shook fiercely, causing several cracks to spread across the thick concrete walls of the vault.


    Bai Zemin took a step forward but just then his Blood Will skill activated and his expression changed slightly.


    A golden shower of bullets from inside the vault suddenly fell on Bai Zemin and his body was hit countless times!


    A dozen men dressed in military uniforms held Type 56 semi-automatic assault rifles in their hands and opened fire without hesitation while looking in the direction of the door with eyes filled with fear.


    Due to his Bronze Skin skill, which gave him a tougher and more resistant skin than any living being before the awakening of mana with the intervention of the Soul Record, normal bullets could no longer hurt Bai Zemin.


    Only armor-piercing bullets or heavy weapon bullets could actually pierce through his defenses. However, that did not mean that he was immune to bullets completely.


    Bai Zemin quickly raised both arms in a cross and hurriedly covered his face and head as pain flashed in his eyes.

 Chapter 170 - Fu Qigang

    Bai Zemin backed up several steps while raising both arms in front of his face, covering most of his head.


    The muzzles of the guns in the hands of the military roared in sync and covered his body with hundreds of shots in a matter of a second.??


    However, all those bullets simply ricocheted and flew to the ground falling with loud metallic sounds.


    Bai Zemin''s Full Coat was a Rare grade treasure capable of protecting him from smaller caliber bullets, but it did not protect him against intermediate caliber bullets, let alone high caliber bullets.


    Fortunately, with his passive Bronze Skin skill and his Full Coat working in tandem, 90% of his body only felt a slight tingle that was easily ignored by him. However, the same could not be said for the area of his legs below the knee and his b.a.r.e hand.


    Bai Zemin''s face wrinkled slightly due to the pain and for a moment the urge to slaughter all the people inside the armed arsenal consumed him; however, he fought against that d.e.s.i.r.e and f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y suppressed it.


    While these rather old vintage gun bullets did not have the power to really hurt him, his internal organs were as weak as they had always been in the past so it was extremely painful to receive such metallic impacts at such speed constantly.


    The Broken Bronze Bell was currently recovering its depleted power within the pocket of his Full Coat. After all, about an hour ago, the defensive barrier was completely crushed by the First Order Frost Control Lions'' magical attacks and it needed 24 hours to recover its power again.


    "Disappeared!"


    "He really is a monster!"


    "It''s over! We''re dead!"


    The soldiers began to wail.


    "Remember!" A middle-aged man with an average appearance but with a brave and stern expression, apparently the leader of this troop, shouted, "If the worst comes to the worst, then we will detonate this whole place and take this demon with us to hell!"


    Behind the wall, Bai Zemin rubbed his hands together, and seeing the white marks he couldn''t help but grimace as he cursed under his breath.


    He had not killed the military for two reasons.


    The first reason was because these military men had fired immediately out of fear of what was happening in the world outside the vault. Even with so many guns, they had not yet left the place, which meant that whatever they had seen outside had destroyed all their hopes.


    Such people were not necessarily their enemies... On the contrary, they could become one of his strongest allies in the early stages if Bai Zemin played his cards right.


    He lacked people with military training and skill in firearm control!


    Not only would it be good for him if these militias  obeyed him for a mere reason; if he could get them to become his subordinates, then Bai Zemin could get them to train more survivors under a strict military regime!


    Besides... Bai Zemin needed people who knew how to operate military vehicles.


    If Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun found armaments similar to tanks or even battle helicopters, Bai Zemin would need people capable of operating such machines. Something he currently lacked.


    "Don''t open fire! I''m human just like you!" He shouted in a deep voice from his temporary hiding place.


    "Nonsense!" A military man roared from a distance and spat on the ground, "A human immune to bullets from a dozen guns and capable to move at such speed? Hah!"


    Other military men echoed his words and did not let their guard down. They were still holding on to their weapons tightly and some of them were even preparing to throw hand grenades.


    Bai Zemin frowned and replied in a flat voice, "I really am human. Didn''t you see the status window? By killing zombies or other types of enemies with your own ability and without using forces that don''t belong to you, you can absorb an energy called Soul Power and grow. That''s how I became more powerful."


    Hearing his words, the military fell silent and looked at each other. Hesitation flashed in the eyes of many so after a moment they looked at their leader.


    "Platoon leader Fu, what do we do?" a bespectacled and somewhat thin man whispered to the middle-aged man.


    Platoon Leader Fu fell into deep contemplation. Seeing this, some of the military men became agitated and began to shout that they should fight to the death.


    "Platoon leader Fu, don''t believe him! You yourself saw how cruel people have become now!"


    "Platoon leader Fu, let''s fight! With all this  weaponry, even if we have to die we will drag him with us!


    ...


    Seconds turned into minutes and Bai Zemin finally began to lose his patience.


    Although he valued the bravery of being willing to die fighting in times of crisis where there was nowhere to run, he did not have too much time to waste trying to convince a group of people. There were still many things that needed his direct intervention before they could get going properly.


    "Too bad..." Bai Zemin sighed. His eyes grew cold and his body began to exude overwhelming murderous intent that made the military men''s faces turn pale.


    To survive, to become stronger, and gain the power needed to fulfill his promise as well as to find and protect his loved ones, Bai Zemin had killed tens of thousands of zombies, nearly thirty First Order beings, hundreds of thousands of mutated animals and insects.


    To say that he had walked over mountains of corpses and stepped on the bones of so many living beings while bathing in their blood was no exaggeration. His once white and innocent hands were long gone.


    Therefore, Bai Zemin''s murderous intent was powerful!


    Murderous intent was something a normal person could never feel. However, the military men inside the weapons vault were not normal people. Therefore, they could sense death coming closer and closer.


    "Wait a moment."


    The voice of the man called Platoon Leader Fu rang out and stopped Bai Zemin''s movements momentarily.


    "Platoon leader!"


    "Platoon leader Fu!"


    ...


    The military  looked at him in shock and exclaimed loudly. However...


    "Shut up! You all shut up for me!"


    The immediate superior''s reprimanding shout echoed through the thick walls and all the military men unconsciously shut their mouths. As soldiers, following orders was something that had already become deeply ingrained within them.


    The man the military referred to as platoon leader Fu looked towards the place where Bai Zemin''s voice came from and while taking cover behind a large metal box filled with ammunition said in a friendly voice:


    "Little brother, may I know what your name is? My name is Fu Qigang, leader of the tenth platoon of the fourth military company belonging to the second battalion of this base. I would like to chat with you."


    Hearing the words of the man named Fu Qigang, Bai Zemin secretly let out a sigh of relief. As long as they could chat, then he was confident in taking things to where he wanted them to go.

 Chapter 171 - Betrayal

    Bai Zemin really did not want to kill the group of soldiers inside the vault as he felt it would be a pity to lose men who certainly had enough courage to fight to the death.


    Therefore, he was relieved that Fu Qigang was not a small-minded person and managed to keep at least some logical reasoning in his head. After all, if Bai Zemin wanted it, he could end all of their lives in a second.??


    Fu Qigang probably also noticed this when he saw how Bai Zemin was fine even after taking so many direct shots so he decided to bet; bet that the person who had opened the vault was a friendly human and not a hostile one or some kind of strange monster.


    "It''s Bai Zemin." Bai Zemin replied in a deep voice.


    Seeing that there was still room to chat, Fu Qigang involuntarily let out a sigh of relief before regaining his composure and continuing, "Bai Zemin, how are you? I apologize on behalf of my men for what happened just now. But as you probably know better than I do, the world is no longer what it used to be in the past."


    "Forget about that." Bai Zemin waved his hand even though he knew he could not be seen and continued with a frown, "Do you know the situation outside? What happened here? From what I have seen outside, there are several parts of the military camp that were destroyed and there are several lifeless bodies lying all over the place."


    This was a question that Bai Zemin had hovering in his mind from the very beginning. The collapsed places might have been made by a beast, but the problem was that many military men had been massacred by gunfire! Such a thing was not something a beast could do.


    Before Fu Qigang could respond, the wind howled and Bai Zemin appeared like a ghost in front of him, only five meters away.


    "Now we can chat better." He smiled and nodded.


    The military men''s faces turned white as their eyes glittered with disbelief and fear. Involuntarily they took a step back and aimed their guns, but they didn''t dare fire and just eyed the young man before them cautiously.


    He is fast! Fu Qigang''s pupils contracted slightly and for the second time, he accepted that the world had indeed changed. After all, such frightening speed was not something a human from the past could possess.


    "Put down your weapons."


    Fu Qigang sighed and waved his hand behind him. However, seeing that the soldiers did not lower their weapons and still looked at Bai Zemin in the same cautious manner, his expression began to slowly sink.


    Seeing this, the soldiers slowly lowered their weapons and stopped aiming. But they still held on to them as if their lives depended on it.


    "So?" Bai Zemin insisted with a friendly smile.


    Fu Qigang sat down on a closed metal box and gestured for Bai Zemin to sit down, which he did. Then, Fu Qigang began to explain the situation of the military camp and what he knew so far.


    ...


    It turned out that in the past, this military camp had a total of five thousand armed men. It was not a particularly strong base as it was actually destined to store and protect vintage rather than modern weaponry and while there was some heavy weaponry, it wasn''t too much either.


    Hearing this, Bai Zemin couldn''t help but feel a little bitter inside. However, upon further thought, such a thing was only natural. After all, Yanqing District was not known for its large population, but rather for its forested areas and large mountains; therefore, it did not make sense to have so much firepower in such a place.


    Besides, even if it was vintage weaponry it was more than enough to deal with hordes of zombies and groups of Unclassified monsters.


    At first, while it had been a bit difficult to have to shoot at their zombie-turned comrades, the soldiers who managed to resist the wave of mana that entered their bodies managed to recapture the military camp.


    Because the military camp was deep in the forest, the military had to contend with several mutated animals arriving alone. With the weaponry present, this had been a fairly simple task.


    "However, everything changed after the first eight days." Fu Qigang sighed and his eyes seemed to flash with irreconcilable pain and hatred.


    He gritted his teeth and continued, "Three strange beasts attacked us on the ninth day. All three were wolves, but the size of those wolves was like that of a horse! Fortunately, in the hangar there were some battle tanks and with them we managed to kill the three wolves, but the cost was enormous. Over two hundred of our brothers were killed worse than rats and we consumed 1/5 of the ammunition to load the tank cannons."


    "Wait a minute, Fu Qigang." Bai Zemin interjected with a frown and asked worriedly, "Why do you say there were tanks? Tanks were destroyed?"


    Battle tanks!


    The absolute lords of the land, the true kings of the battlefield!


    Even First Order existences couldn''t resist the attack power such machines possessed and just one was enough to wipe out an army of zombies as long as it had ammunition!


    When he heard that there were war tanks, Bai Zemin felt his heart skipped a beat. However, the more he listened, the uglier his expression became.


    The military men behind Fu Qigang clenched their guns so tightly that their fists turned white. Their eyes were filled with anger and pain as they recalled events from the past.


    "It was the Commander- No, it was that dog surnamed Jin and named Shun!" Fu Qigang spat with hatred and even referred to his immediate officer by his name with a thirst for revenge.


    "Due to the attack of the giant wolves, Jin Shun wanted to take us all out of the forest, but several of us refused because we had received orders from the central government to protect and guard this area from any enemy attack. As soldiers, our duty is to follow orders from the highest." Fu Qigang said demurely before continuing.


    "At first, the conversation had apparently only been Jin Shun''s casual idea as he never mentioned the matter again. However, two days later, he along with more than fifteen hundred men left during the night, taking with them the tanks and most of the vehicles mounted with guns, leaving behind some five hundred who were unwilling to follow him. They even killed many brothers on their way out!


    The only thing they could not take with them was this weapons vault because when we sensed something was wrong, I and part of my platoon closed in and let no one into the place.


    In fact, the only reason we have managed to hold out so far is because there was some compressed food here or else we would have been forced to leave in search of food." Fu Qigang finished and his face sank even more.


    Bai Zemin looked at the empty plastic bags in the corner and understood the matter.


    It turned out that they were betrayed, abandoned, and due to the lack of heavy weaponry were forced to hide like rats since they did not have the power to fight the First Order beasts that ran rampant like the supreme lords of the forest.

 Chapter 172 - Armament

    "Fu Qigang, why don''t you bring your men and join me?" Bai Zemin proposed. His face was serious as he said word after word, "The world as we know it has fallen. The society of the past and the rules no longer exist. The whole globe is in chaos with zombies and mutated animals running freely in the streets while humanity hides in a corner like sewer rats, barely subsisting."


    Hearing Bai Zemin''s words, Fu Qigang secretly sighed and looked somewhat disappointed. However, Bai Zemin continued:??


    "Of course, I am neither a hero nor so naive as to want to save mankind. But I will do my best to create my own safe place. For myself and for my loved ones, I need to fight against enemies... And, while I''m at it, I wouldn''t mind helping other people as long as they are not a heavy burden to me."


    Fu Qigang felt relief in his heart and a small smile rose on his face.


    In fact, the reason why he had decided to have a serious conversation with Bai Zemin was mainly because the compressed food was running out; at most, the military would have food for another week, and if they took special care, maybe ten days.


    However, after that what?


    Fu Qigang knew that with the current firepower, it was impossible for his thirteen-man team to leave this forest safely. If one of those giant wolf-like creatures appeared, then the whole team would undoubtedly be annihilated.


    Therefore, he had wanted to bet on a strong person to get out of here. As for the future, Fu Qigang had not thought that far ahead; for him, the main priority was to leave this hell surrounded by warm-looking but secretly dangerous trees and flowers.


    However, when he heard the first words of the young man in front of him, Fu Qigang was disappointed and thought that someone young was really not good at leading.


    To be a hero? What Fu Qigang needed was a leader with his feet firmly on the ground, not a delusional hero who lived in an imaginary world. He could not simply leave the lives of his brothers in the hands of such a person.


    Fortunately, his fears turned out not to be correct.


    Fu Qigang nodded as if satisfied with his answer and looked at Bai Zemin calmly before saying, "We can decide once we leave this place?"


    Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and his mind rushed wildly as hundreds of thoughts flashed in his brain. After a moment, he smiled slightly and said, "Sure. I have a village set up with a perimeter of about ten kilometers around secured. You and your brothers can rest and eat something there before you decide."


    Fu Qigang was slightly surprised, expecting more resistance from Bai Zemin. However, since the other party was so affable, it was all the better for him.


    "Good! Then let''s do that!" Fu Qigang laughed out loud and made a military salute, to which Bai Zemin replied with a smile.


    Of course, he knew Fu Qigang''s thoughts.


    Before making a decision, Fu Qigang needed to check how strong Bai Zemin really was and what he was capable of. After all, he could not leave a hell to dive headlong into another even worse one.


    Besides, Fu Qigang probably also wanted to see what his leadership and ideas were like in the short or long term. Only then would he decide whether to join under his standard or not.


    But this is also fine. Bai Zemin thought secretly. He just had to do what he had been doing so far and everything would work out naturally.


    "Then..." Bai Zemin smiled slightly and pointed at the several closed metal boxes before saying, "Do you mind if I take a look at my spoils of war?"


    Although he wanted the soldiers to become his subordinates, Bai Zemin would definitely not give up the weaponry. He had gone through a lot to get this far and he was going to take it by hook or by crook.


    The face of one or two military men changed slightly upon hearing his words; after all, it was their mission to protect these weapons. However, Fu Qigang nodded and said matter-of-factly, "Go ahead, all yours."


    "Then, excuse me." Bai Zemin chuckled and took out a fiber cable from his backpack.


    Then, he walked over to one of the boxes and tied the cable to the top before walking away and pulling it tightly to him.


    Bang!


    The cover sealing the box fell heavily to the ground, revealing ammunition inside.


    Bai Zemin did not stop and opened all the boxes one by one using the same method. His greatest defense, the Broken Bronze Bell, was without power; therefore, Bai Zemin did not dare to act casually. If there were any booby traps inside the boxes, then his life could end just like that and he wouldn''t even have time to regret it later.


    Fu Qigang knew that he was being cautious and did not confide in them, that was why he was doing what he was doing. However, Fu Qigang did not feel upset; on the contrary, he was even happier because the more cautious the leader was, the less danger his subordinates would be in.


    After opening more than twenty boxes and finding several hundred thousand rounds of ammunition and even tank cannons, Bai Zemin looked at Fu Qigang and asked with a frown, "What about the guns?"


    "They are here. Follow me." Fu Qigang chuckled and led him to the back of the vault, revealing a hidden door in the wall.


    Seeing this, Bai Zemin was secretly glad he hadn''t killed everyone, or else it might take quite some time to find this door. From the outside, it looked like just another extension of the wall and there was nothing different to identify the hidden door.


    Upon entering the hidden room, Bai Zemin''s eyes lit up and he quickly approached one of the shelves filled with weapons.


    Even now, Bai Zemin himself would not be able to survive if a 7.62 caliber bullet hit him in the head!


    But this was not all.


    Hahahaha, I really won big this time! Bai Zemin laughed out loud inside as he rushed over to the bottom shelf and picked up a modified 88-type marksman rifle carefully.


    This type of rifle was similar to a normal sniper, but with the difference that it was capable of firing bursts like a semi-automatic weapon, being even more lethal as its scope allowed it to take out targets from over 1 km range!


    "Incendiary bullet and armor-piercing bullet!" Bai Zemin''s eyes sparkled as he saw the magazines next to the gun.


    Even his head would burst into a mess of blood if someone shot him with this kind of weapon capable of firing such horrendous bullets!


    "If you liked that toy, I think you''ll like this one here even more."


    Fu Qigang''s voice attracted Bai Zemin''s attention and he quickly walked over after putting the Type 88 rifle back in its place.


    "A Swiss AT4... Anti-tank rocket launcher with temperature tracking and target lock!"