âLing-Ge⦠Iâ¦â A fleeting look of confusion appeared in Ye Lianâs eyes, but she quickly reverted to her previous state, lowering her head as she said, âXia Na and the others⦠are also taking actionâ¦â
âYes, indeed,â Ling Mo nodded, giving her a gentle glance. Although Ye Lian appeared different from usual, it was not unexpected for him.
After breaking through to the dominant level, Ye Lian began to recall more memories from her human past. However, how much she had truly regained, and whether she felt those once-human emotions, were things Ling Mo had never been quite sure about. He had tried broaching the topic, but every time Ye Lian would just smile and refuse to elaborate. Her response, ironically, gave Ling Mo a sense of comfort-it showed that her Intelligence had correspondingly increasedâ¦
As for that unfulfilled curiosity⦠well, if sheâs not willing to talk about it now, surely that day will come eventuallyâ¦
Though Ye Lian remained silent on the matter, through patient observation, Ling Mo vaguely sensed a hint of something amiss.
Some things about Ye Lian⦠seemed a bit offâ¦
More specifically, it was as if some kind of metamorphosis was occurring within her. It wasnât apparent at first glance, but upon careful observation, it wasnât hard to notice she was in a somewhat unstable state.
Currently, Ye Lian was like a balance. When she tilted to the left, her Zombie instincts would completely take over, allowing her to unleash tremendous power and achieve a high level of synergy with her âKaleidoscopeâ and physical capabilities. When the balance tilted to the right, her psychic activity would intensify, but the combat abilities she displayed would be disproportionate to her evolution level. In other words, at such times, her control over her body would decrease by a level.
This situation was inextricably linked to her mental state.
As Ling Moâs earliest established deep connection Zombie Puppet, Ye Lianâs relationship with him had reached an extremely close level. Whether it was her evolution or the abnormalities within her, Ling Mo could generate a faint Sensing of these aspects. He could feel Ye Lian searching for the balance point of the balance and also sense her occasional confusion and reflections on herself.
Perhaps she was trying to comprehend those memories from her human times, or maybe she was developing some doubts in the comparison⦠Regardless, this was a critical step for Ye Lian. While it was unclear if taking this step equated to opening the door to regaining human emotions, Ling Mo still placed great importance on it. After all, it was a sign, and no matter how small the sign, it represented a glimmer of hope. As long as there was hope, he would do whatever it took to turn it into reality.
Xu Shuhan was a relatively successful example, while Old Lanâs presence was set to become his aidâ¦
âThe reason this situation has arisen must be because sheâs been with me for so long. Living continuously among humans has had some subtle effects on her Zombie nature. When her evolution level was still low, this influence wasnât apparent. But once she reached the critical point of dominant level, these influences began to surface with the increase in memories and Intelligenceâ¦â
During those three days at the Oil Depot, Ling Mo spent considerable time adjusting Ye Lianâs mental state. Now she was able to control the balance more autonomously, but achieving equilibrium would still take some time. And once that balance was achieved, that step would be considered taken⦠Tonight, it was her first practical exercise.
Ye Lianâs current state clearly represented when the balance tilted to the left. However, she would exhibit this instability every time she disengaged from combat, but it was merely due to her lack of practice and didnât pose a significant issue.
âThis personâ¦â Ling Mo mused, looking thoughtfully at Zhang Xiâs corpse, then crouched to lift the edge of his jacket. As the ammunition bag was exposed, a hint of delight appeared on Ling Moâs face.
âGrenades! No wonder he wanted to take me down with himâ¦â Ling Mo didnât hastily take out the grenades, but instead carefully removed the ammunition bag. These grenades had a somewhat peculiar appearance, perhaps having been modified in some way. However, Ling Moâs knowledge of weapons was admittedly lacking, so after examining them, he set them aside for the moment.
âThere are three in total⦠I should find an opportunity to test them.â
He continued to search Zhang Xiâs corpse, eventually placing a handgun and a bag of bullets on the floor next to him. There were also some rations, cigarettes, and even a Communicator.
âThis gun doesnât seem like itâs the original, and these bulletsâ¦â Ling Mo took out the bullets from his pocket to compare, pondering, âHave they been polished? Or has something been added inside?â
After thinking for a moment, Ling Mo processed the weapons, ensuring their safety before storing them in his backpack: âIâll save these for future tests⦠I obtained quite a few bullets from those Falcon members earlier, but who knows if that Glasses Man carries anything better?â
As he was about to stand up, Ling Mo inadvertently noticed Zhang Xiâs head. Zhang Xi had died in sheer terror, his face still frozen in a frightful expression even after his last breath. Ling Mo felt a slight discomfort but then focused on Zhang Xiâs eyes.
âRed⦠although not as red as a Zombieâs, itâs getting closeâ¦â As Ling Mo leaned down, he caught a faint scent of the virusâ¦
âIs it the superhumanâs virus thatâs been activated?â Ling Mo looked at Zhang Xiâs hands, and from those traces of blood, he could even detect someâ¦
âSo thatâs it⦠The surge of adrenaline just before death caused the virus to spread from a localized area throughout the entire body, even reaching the eyes⦠If he hadnât been killed, I wonder if he would have succumbed to Infection or perhaps strangely benefited from itâ¦â Ling Mo mused, stroking his chin. Å
The Young Man in Yellowâs Superpower caught Ling Mo by surprise. As he walked to the windowsill for a glance, he remarked, âIt seems heâs an Elemental Ability user, but I wonder how exactly he manipulates these substances remotely⦠Since heâs able to set traps using this kind of Superpower, it indicates that prior preparation is involved, right? Even in a life-or-death situation, he needs a second or two to prepareâ¦â
Ling Mo took a closer look at where the Young Man in Yellow had stood and muttered, âAs I suspectedâ¦â
The floor tile had slightly bulged, and with a bit more pressure, it could completely explode. The fragments would become highly lethal projectiles at high speed. Even if they couldnât kill an enemy, they could at least buy him some timeâ¦
âHis Superpower is quite like that of a goblin engineer⦠a shame his clothes arenât green.â
Just as Ling Mo was musing, he heard a disgruntled voice from outside the door: âWe still havenât found that guy! I have no idea what his Superpower is, but Yalin and I took care of the people around him, yet we still canât see him. We donât even know where he is nowâ¦â
âHis Superpowerâ¦â Ling Mo looked up at Xia Na and asked, âIs it that heâs invisible, or is it that heâs seen but unnoticed?â
Another head popped out from behind Xia Na, as if she were hugging Xia Na tightly⦠âProbably the second one. If you rely only on eyesight, youâll overlook him directly. But if you lock onto him with psychic power, you can see him briefly. However, if he talks, this effect diminishes quite a bit,â Nana said with a frown.
âI see, it aligns quite well with my speculationâ¦â Ling Mo couldnât help but say.
âHumphâ¦â Nana glared at him âresentfullyâ before slowly merging into Xia Naâs body, becoming one with Black Na. At the same time, one of Xia Naâs eyes began to change color, blinking into a special state of one red and one black.
And that previous âresentfulâ feeling seemed to emanate again from one of her eyesâ¦
âYalin is looking for him now⦠As for everyone else, theyâve either been killed or knocked out. In the whole building, heâs the only one left⦠Ling-Ge, what do you plan to do?â Xia Na asked.
Though her tone was neutral, one eye bore a mischievous grin while the other looked serious, with a stark contrast in color and emotion, making her appear somewhat eerieâ¦
âHeâs already injured and has used up a lot of his psychic power⦠Isnât it obvious? We just need to wear him out!â Ling Mo suddenly chuckled and said.
âGood idea.â Xia Naâs lips curled into a grin as well, and at that moment, her gaze unifiedâ¦
âSqueakâ¦â
In the dim Corridor, a door was gently pushed open. As the door revealed a crack, a pair of eyes appeared behind it. Through the lenses, the Glasses Man cautiously observed the outside, then slipped out sideways. He tugged at his collar and quickly ran along the wall in one direction. As he moved forward, his eyes repeatedly flashed with terror.
âI thought even if they came, they wouldnât be able to make much of a splash, but I didnât expect them to take out my people so quickly and easily! Whatâs with those three girls? I didnât think they were that impressive during the day, but now⦠Howeverâ¦â The bitterness on Glasses Manâs face was quickly replaced with fierceness, âEven if youâre hiding something, thereâs no way youâre getting out of here alive. Although I have a mental ability, catching me wonât be that easy, and Iâve prepared some contingencies!â
He secretly tightened his right hand, revealing a small remote control in his palmâ¦
âLing Mo, I said Iâd make you suffer more than I did, and Iâll definitely keep my word!â