âCome out!â Along with Ling Moâs shout, countless splatters of blood burst from Number 1 as it dashed forward.
Shen Le, who was hiding close to Number 1, was also driven out. Though unharmed, he was severely rattled by Ling Moâs commanding âCome out!â and got caught off-guard, taking a hit to the face.
He was simultaneously relieved that his head had dodged in time and trembling with fury.
To think someone dared to mar his faceâ¦
But before the young man could retaliate or even utter harsh words, two tentacles shot towards him. The sudden gust of wind they brought frightened him into a quick dodge, immediately seeking cover.
Although Number 1 did not fall easily due to the injury, its movements were slightly hindered.
Li Ya Lin and Ye Lian seized this small opening, the two female zombies working together to corner it in front of Ling Mo, engaging in a struggle.
This time, its defensive capabilities were clearly not as monstrous as before, confirming Ling Moâs suspicions even more.
The skin toughness and muscle strength of a high-level zombie are not gained through sheer fury but evolved over time as the virus gradually modifies the body.
Even if they are exhausted, such innate attributes do not simply vanish.
Destroying the corpse of a high-level zombie is no easy task, at least for a human without the right toolsâ¦
Yet this monsterâs condition kept changing, a trait certainly not typical of zombies.
Adding to this the burst of offensive power it had just shown, the answer was almost screaming out in Ling Moâs mindâ¦
âHiding wonât help you,â Ling Mo said as he launched dozens of tentacles once more, blasting Shen Le out of hiding again.
Shen Leâs expression turned unsightly as he sought cover once more, but his mood was one of extreme frustration.
Facing an opponent like Ling Mo, he felt somewhat powerless.
To cope with his indiscriminate attacks, Shen Le had intentionally hidden near Ye Lian, thinking Ling Mo would be hesitant to attack, thus rendering his assaults ineffective.
Yet, against all odds, he was still flushed out.
âIdiot, didnât you know mental power can turn corners?â Ling Mo said with a cold laugh.
Shen Le was so annoyed, his eyes rolled back in exasperation, âAre you using âidiotâ as my name now?â
But he knew this was Ling Mo intentionally provoking him to reveal himself or take action. So, anger aside, he still managed to hold back and continued to prowl around, looking for an opportunity.
Mu Chen, curious, asked Shana, âMental power can turn corners?â
âCommon knowledge, okayâ¦â Shana replied with a helpless shake of her head.
âSince when is that common knowledge?â Mu Chen was flabbergasted.
Shana gave him a sidelong glance, somewhat impatiently saying, âStupid humans⦠Since your brain canât turn corners, of course, you wouldnât understand such common knowledge.â
ââ¦â Mu Chen was stunned for a couple of seconds, then raised his hand to smack his own mouth, âThatâs for being a chatterboxâ¦â
Being looked down upon by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl was depressing enough for Mu Chen, but if he knew he was actually being despised by a zombie, he might have had a breakdown on the spotâ¦
As time ticked by, Number 1âs condition rapidly deteriorated.
Ling Mo was handling the situation more and more easily, and he became more talkative: âEh, you didnât run out beyond thirty meters, did you? Is it really okay to just abandon your companion like that? Itâs about to get mobbed to death.â
âYoung man, where did all that momentum go just now? Ah, I actually admired you for a moment there, being so fearless isnât easyâ¦â
âCome out, young man, letâs fight to the death. Uh⦠that sounded too embarrassing, forget I said it.â
âDamn it, damn it, damn it!â
Shen Le was driven to the brink of madness by the continuous taunting. He wanted to ignore it but didnât have the composure to do so.
In fact, he often taunted others himself, and it usually worked very well during battles.
With Number 1âs bravery and his own ability to appear and disappear unpredictably, combined with some sarcastic taunts and threats, the enemy would typically crumble in terror within moments.
But now that he was on the receiving end of his own tactics, he realized just how unbearable it felt!
And as his concentration wavered, he stumbled and inadvertently revealed himself.
âDamn!â
Shen Le was startled and just as he was about to hide again, he was hit head-on in the abdomen by a forceful blow.
A sharp pain surged through him and he was sent flying, landing on the ground with a loud âthud.â
âThatâs more like it,â Ling Mo said as he quickly accelerated and chased after him. Two tentacles shot down from above and directly penetrated Shen Le as he struggled to get up.
âAh!â
Shen Le let out a scream, but his mind was filled with shock.
Why was Ling Mo so fast? If it werenât for his own decent physical condition, how could he have withstood Number 1â¦
This was totally unfair. Where did this kind of mental ability user come from?!
However, as Ling Mo swung another tentacle that hit the crouching Shen Le, he suddenly heard a crisp sound.
âHuh?â
After a moment of haziness, Ling Mo realized he had only attacked a trash canâ¦
âAn illusion? No, but I was sure thatâ¦â
Ling Mo quickly turned his head and after scanning the area, he caught sight of a figure turning a corner some thirty meters away.
Shen Le, clutching his shoulder, was desperately trying to run forward.
And after making eye contact with Ling Mo, although he tried to speed up, he could no longer hide as he had before.
âPlanning to abandon Number 1?â
Ling Mo sneered and started running after him.
Shen Leâs heart raced with fear, but with his physical condition and the current situation, how could he outrun Ling Mo?
The only way was to hide as soon as Ling Mo got within thirty meters, then keep running before being discoveredâ¦
But Ling Mo clearly wasnât going to give him that chance. When he was about thirty meters away from Shen Le, several tentacles shot out, tripping Shen Le and sending him tumbling to the ground.
Before Shen Le could get up, he was suddenly dragged backward and in the blink of an eye, Ling Mo had stepped on his back.
Now there was no use in hiding; Shen Leâs face was pale and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Ling Mo crouched down, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled the red-haired young man to his feet.
âYou⦠just kill meâ¦â Shen Leâs lips quivered uncontrollably, and his voice trembled as well.
Ling Mo glanced at Shen Le, then, under Shen Leâs horrified gaze, he reached down to his leg and pulled out a tactical knife.
The gleaming blade flashed in front of Shen Le, and the young man couldnât take it anymore.
He opened his mouth and screamed, âDonât kill me! Please, I beg you, donât kill me!â
âKeep it downâ¦â Ling Mo said, still holding the knife, looking emotionlessly at the screaming Shen Le.
After yelling for a while, Shen Le seemed to realize something and slowly closed his mouth.
His expression was a mix of embarrassment and fear.
âYou⦠youâre not going to kill me?â Shen Le asked, a hint of hope in his voice.
âI need to clear something up,â Ling Mo said.
âIt wasnât me who wanted to kill you. Iâm not the one who gave the order; I was just sent to carry it out! If you kill me, more people will come after you. If you let me go, Iâll tell them youâre already dead. How about that?â Shen Le spoke hastily.
Ling Mo stared at him for a moment, then suddenly asked, âWas it just you and Number 1 who came?â
Shen Leâs expression froze for a second, but as Ling Moâs knife began to move again, he quickly shook his head and said, âWe came quickly⦠it was just me and Number 1.â
âSo Number 1 is indeed quite fast⦠Were you so eager to kill us to take the credit?â Ling Mo asked with a smile.
Shen Le didnât reply this time; that was something he dared not answer.
As Ling Mo dragged him back the way they came, he asked, âActually, thatâs not what I want to know.â
âWhat?â Shen Le was stunned. If he didnât want to know that, then what did he want to know?
And⦠wait, wasnât he inadvertently spilling all the information himself?
âWhat exactly is Number 1?â Ling Mo turned his head to look deeply at Shen Le.
Shen Leâs face changed color again, he opened his mouth and slowly shook his head, âItâs⦠a zombie⦠ah!â
Ling Mo remained still, but another bloody hole appeared on Shen Leâs shoulder.
âMy patience is limited,â Ling Mo said coldly.
In reality, it was time that was limitedâ¦
The intense fight that had just taken place had already lasted over ten minutes. And the next ten minutes could very well be Xu Shuhanâs last moments of clarity.
The only reason Ling Mo spared Shen Le for the moment was to find out the true nature of Number 1.
âItâ¦â Shen Le was dumbfounded; he could see in Ling Moâs eyes not a probing question, but certainty.
Ling Mo knew it wasnât a zombieâ¦
But how could he know that?!
Those eyes, that appearance, it looked every bit the part of a zombie!
Even the virus experts at headquarters wouldnât be able to tell without a thorough dissection of Number 1.
Moreover⦠in reality, Number 1 had become almost indistinguishable from the zombiesâ¦
But he never even considered Xu Shuhan, because in his mind, there was no way Xu Shuhan could have survived.
Maybe Ling Moâs inquiry about Number 1 was just out of curiosity?
âDonât beat around the bush,â Ling Mo said, slightly frowning.
Although Ling Mo wasnât threatening him, the sharp pain from his wound was a clear reminder to Shen Le.
He was extremely fearful. Dealing with someone like Ling Mo was terrifying because he never knew when Ling Mo might suddenly resort to torture. It was impossible to gauge how to handle himâ¦
âYou⦠you canât kill meâ¦â Shen Le said, his voice trembling.
âConditions?â Ling Mo squinted.
Shen Le nodded vigorously, then quickly added, âThat Mu guy, he wonât be in trouble either. I can let him go, just say heâs dead tooâ¦â
âWait, stop. Thatâs useless. Talk about Number 1 first,â Ling Mo said.
Shen Le wanted to hold out a little longer, but the cold light in Ling Moâs eyes made him swallow the words that had reached his lips.
If he didnât speak now, he might die immediately. He couldnât be sure whether Ling Mo cared about Mu Chenâs wellbeing or not, but judging from his current expression, it seemed he cared very littleâ¦