Chapter 1021: Chapter 784: Are There Zombies as Cowardly as You?

Time always flies when traveling…

While Niepan was still focused on rebuilding, Ling Mo had already led his group to the outskirts.

If Xu Shuhan weren’t about to wake up, he might have kept on and completely left the borders of Heishui City…

Even though he decided to stop for a night in the suburbs, Ling Mo didn’t take the risk of staying on the main road.

Relying on his navigation map, he took a detour and found a rather secluded area.

This was clearly an old district waiting for redevelopment: desolate, eerie streets, old houses on both sides, and even the roadside shops exuded a musty smell.

After about ten minutes, Ling Mo and his group finally found a small motel.

The sign reading “accommodation” was already teetering, and beneath it was a pitch-black staircase that looked rather creepy.

However, the inside was relatively clean, not many dead bodies, and only two zombies.

After clearing it out, several rooms became available. Ling Mo, after giving some instructions, eagerly took Xu Shuhan into one of the rooms.

The moment Xu Shuhan was set down from Li Yalin’s back, her eyelids started to flutter.

Lan Lan wanted to sneak a peek, but Ye Lian stopped her.

“Aren’t you curious? We’ve been tired all day…” she gossiped.

But Ye Lian just shook her head and, after a slight sway, blocked her way again.

“Fine, I’m not looking,” Lan Lan conceded, pouting and reluctantly walking away, turning back with every step.

Not far down the hallway, she saw Mu Chen standing by another door.

Unexpectedly, the man was also staring at that door, his expression appearing somewhat complex…

“A bunch of weirdos,” Lan Lan summed up.

Meanwhile, Old Lan eagerly took over the kitchen and brought out that mutation koi fish.

Listening to him hum a tune while working with his knife, the temperature inside seemed to drop a bit…

Inside the room, Ling Mo was already seated in front of Xu Shuhan, carefully observing her.

She was still in a state between waking and sleeping, leaning against the chair without any sense of threat. However, in Ling Mo’s eyes, she had already undergone significant changes compared to before.

Firstly, her skin color. A normal person’s skin always had a hint of blood color to it, but the skin of a zombie was extremely pale.

Moreover, as zombies evolved, their skin’s defensive capabilities would gradually increase. Externally, this usually manifested as a process of becoming more delicate and smooth. However, depending on the direction of the zombie’s mutation, the characteristics could vary, and the skin was no exception.

At this moment, Xu Shuhan was still in the initial stage, looking quite similar to a common zombie.

Additionally, under the flashlight, it was clear that Xu Shuhan had some bluish-purple veins on her hands and arms. As Ling Mo continued to observe, more veins gradually surfaced. This phenomenon indicated that her body was about to wake from its “dormant” state, as the blood flow had already started to accelerate.

Once fully awakened, the vein color would return to normal.

Meanwhile, her hands also showed some changes.

Her previously not-so-long fingernails had now grown considerably, curling slightly inward at the tips. They seemed no different from ordinary female manicures at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they gave off a very dangerous vibe. Her fingers remained slightly curled inward. At first glance, it was not obvious, but those familiar with zombies would know that most common zombies maintained this posture when inactive. This could be understood as a ready-to-attack stance…

“It’s basically confirmed that the mutation was successful. It’s just the eyes I’m not sure about…” Ling Mo reached to lift Xu Shuhan’s eyelids. Only he had this deep understanding of zombies. Other survivors, even research enthusiasts like Old Lan, wouldn’t have the opportunity to observe all the details.

One lived with zombies, while the other tied them up for research-how could it be the same?

But just as Ling Mo was about to pull them apart, her eyes suddenly opened.

A field of red…

Including what should have been the whites of her eyes, everything had turned blood red.

Although she still looked human, just the look in her eyes already suggested she no longer viewed him as a fellow being.

Xu Shuhan’s eye color, however, was much darker than that of a commonly mutated zombie.

Her red resembled a pool of coagulated blood, giving off a deep, almost blackened hue.

“Judging by her psychic light cluster, she’s still a common zombie…”

Last night, under Ling Mo’s continuous stimulation, Xu Shuhan practically completed her bodily mutation in a fully conscious state. This abnormal mutation might have caused her current uniqueness. However, whether that state of consciousness from last night could be maintained today, Ling Mo wasn’t sure.

The moment she stared at him, he felt as if he were being locked onto by a predator.

“Host Xu?” Ling Mo called tentatively.

Xu Shuhan didn’t respond immediately.

It took a full several dozen seconds before her pupils moved, her gaze towards Ling Mo showing the faintest sign of change.

“There’s a reaction, which means she does have consciousness…” Ling Mo thought, calling out again, “Host Xu?”

“Ack…” a raspy noise came from Xu Shuhan’s throat. She stared intently at Ling Mo before suddenly parting her lips, “You… you…”

“Ling Mo, remember?” Ling Mo reminded her.

A glimmer of joy flashed in his eyes. Being able to speak meant retaining human memories…

“Ling…” this name seemed to stir something in Xu Shuhan, causing her to suddenly leap up.

The room was small, and with that jump, she reached the windowsill in a single bound.

“Not good!”

Ling Mo also sprang up, staring at Xu Shuhan in surprise.

She crouched on the windowsill, her eyes gleaming faintly with red glimmer in the darkness.

“Quick reaction, and she chose her landing spot precisely… Could her superpowers still be in effect?” Ling Mo’s mind raced.

But there was little time to ponder Xu Shuhan’s condition. This motel had no protective barriers, and the window was already shattered. If she took another step back, she would fall straight down…

“I was only prepared for her to attack, not for her to flee… What kind of zombie is this!”

Ling Mo stood still, but his psychic tentacle had already quietly extended: “Hey, don’t move.”

“I… I want to eat…” Xu Shuhan continued to stare at Ling Mo, mumbling.

“If you want to eat, come to me,” Ling Mo beckoned.

His psychic tentacle was already wrapped around Xu Shuhan’s waist, ready to pull her back the moment she made a move.

But to Ling Mo’s surprise, as soon as he said this, Xu Shuhan let out a sudden “Ah!” and leaped down.

Her speed was astonishing. Ling Mo only saw a blur, and in the next second, the window was empty.

“Damn it!”

Ling Mo hurried to the window, propping himself up and jumping out.

Down on the street below, a figure stood there, looking somewhat bewildered.

When Ling Mo looked down, Xu Shuhan seemed to sense it and raised her head.

“Don’t… don’t come…” she mumbled.

Her voice was faint, but in the eerily quiet street, it was easy to hear.

“Why are you running away!” Ling Mo said, frustrated.

He glanced back at the doorway to make sure no one was coming, then turned back and said, “Stay put, I’ll come down to get you.”

“No… I don’t want… to eat you…”

She took a couple of steps back, then turned and jumped onto an abandoned car. She seemed to have a look of fear on her face…

This action took Ling Mo by surprise. In terms of instantaneous speed, Xu Shuhan was absolutely powerful!

Having just mutated and already possessing such abilities, once she undergoes further evolution, her strength would likely skyrocket…

However, her reaction was rather odd, and Ling Mo also noticed that her psychic light cluster was almost indistinguishable from that of a normal person, meaning she was almost impossible to control.

“Looks like I’ll have to play the emotional card… Since she said she doesn’t want to eat me, it means there’s still a trace of humanity left. If I communicate well enough, I should be able to manage this…” Ling Mo thought for a moment, then paused on the windowsill and said, “I won’t move, you stay where you are, okay?”

“Don’t… don’t come closer.”

His emotional card was quite straightforward…

A piece of virus gel silently appeared above Xu Shuhan’s head and slowly dangled in front of her eyes.

“Do you want to eat this?” Ling Mo asked from above.