A few minutes later, Ling Mo stood up, satisfied, and shook the bottle filled with blood before tidying up.
Although he had left a rather unprofessional and fierce wound on the back of 101, given the Progenitorâs recovery speed, it would likely be invisible in about an hour.
However, Ling Mo noticed another situation: as the blood flowed out, the muscle of the variation zombie also shrank slightly. The degree was small but did not escape Ling Moâs keen eyes. Even after the wound healed, this slight atrophy would remain in 101âs body. It was almost a classic case of a corpse transforming into a mummy⦠If it wasnât for the fact that 101 looked quite spirited, Ling Mo would have suspected that his days were numbered.
This was not something that could be explained by permanent damage, nor was it due to his skin wrinkling. It was more like a certain area had deflated due to a lack of blood.
âWhy are you staring at me?â Ling Mo asked with a smile as he tightened the bottle cap.
101âs eyes almost popped out: âYou⦠I⦠Bloodâ¦â
âDonât be so stingy. You let humans draw blood, but you wonât let your kin do it?â Ling Mo shook his head and said.
âI never said that.â 101 frowned. He felt there might be some issue at play, but couldnât figure it out immediately, nor did he know how to refute it.
âBy the way, you have the ability to self-recover, so why is your body like this? I mean, those indentationsâ¦â Ling Mo asked curiously.
When it came to himself, 101 got animated again: âThatâs because I can push large amounts of blood into my arms. My blood vessels are said to be like rubberâ¦â
âRubber?â Ling Mo began to understand. 101âs condition was due to being in a weakened state. If he were fully revitalized, even though his skin might not return to its original state, it would be much better than now. This was probably also a means for the Experimental Group to control him. After all, a variation zombie ranked between dominant level and King level would be quite difficult to controlâ¦
âYes, a white-haired human said that. Heâs fascinated by my body; he probably thinks my flesh tastes goodâ¦â 101 once again showed a proud expression.
âNo, no, heâs just interested in researching you. Humans donât eat zombies,â Ling Mo corrected. As a human, constantly hearing 101 boast about his edibility made Ling Mo feel a bit nauseous, especially while staring at the folds on 101âs body.
âWhy not?â 101 was taken aback. âDonât humans eat meat?â
âYesâ¦â Ling Mo replied.
âArenât zombies made of meat?â 101 continued.
âTechnically, yes⦠But your meat is toxic! Itâs more terrifying than any virus and would kill countless people,â Ling Mo said helplessly. This zombie really had an odd sense of vanity!
Seeing that Ling Mo had already cleaned and replaced the instruments, 101âs eyes grew eager.
âBefore I leave, let me ask you one more question. The main researcher on you, is he the white-haired human you mentioned?â Ling Mo asked, stepping back in front of 101.
âYes, he seems to be a high-level human here. He handles a lot of things and⦠he feels like one of us!â 101 showed a rare uncertain expression.
Ling Mo was initially stunned, then his main body stood up instantly, âOne of us?!â
How is that possible?!
âYes, I was taken to his place once and saw many advanced fellow zombies thereâ¦â 101 said, revealing a drooling expression, âIf I could move freelyâ¦â
âWhere is he?â Ling Mo asked urgently.
101 thought for a moment, then looked upwards, âUp there.â
âThe sixth floorâ¦â Ling Mo nodded.
âLet me go,â 101 looked at Ling Mo expectantly.
But at that moment, Ling Mo suddenly saw a hint of mockery on the face of this low-level fellow.
âThe moment I let you go, Iâll probably become your nutrient,â Ling Mo said as he slowly backed towards the door.
101 froze for a moment and then started to thrash around wildly. âYou tricked me!â
Itâs no wonder he was so agitated. In his dictionary, the word âdeceiveâ probably hadnât come up yet. He never expected to be duped by this Low-Level counterpart.
But Ling Mo was also telling the truth. 101âs escape would inevitably involve significant blood loss. Given his current physical condition and his hunger levels⦠it would be surprising if he didnât attempt to devour Ling Mo! It was his nature. Even if there were other Experimental Subjects just a few meters away, Ling Moâs Zombie Puppet would still be his prime target.
Yet, even 101 hadnât thought this through carefully. How had this low-level counterpart predicted it in advance?
These questions were irrelevant now. Consumed by rage, 101 was currently trying to open his mouth wide, roaring, âI will tear you apart⦠tear you apart!â
Ling Mo calmly retreated to the door and looked up toward the top of 101âs head.
This gaze caught 101âs attention, and he followed Ling Moâs line of sight upwardsâ¦
Splat!
A blood-red blob dropped directly onto his face. Before 101 could react, a tremendous suction power suddenly emanated from this small crimson object.
âAhhhhh!â
101 howled, frantically shaking his head in an attempt to dislodge the small creature, but it was firmly latched onto his face. Blood droplets oozed from his capillaries into the creature, and 101âs pale face turned crimson, not out of anger, but because all his blood was rushing to his faceâ¦
âThis Jellyfish is quite small but surprisingly lethalâ¦â Ling Mo watched the scene quietly, unable to resist a sigh.
However, the Jellyfishâs attack had significant limitations. Its attack only worked continuously if the target was immobilized. Otherwise, if someone yanked it hard, it would come off and might even get stomped flat. But when used appropriately, like in this scenario, it could have surprisingly effective results.
âThis is much easier than killing him myself. Even though my main body isnât here to devour, the Jellyfish can help me store psychic powerâ¦â
With the continuous feeding, the Jellyfishâs body began to glow brilliantly like a spotlight and also started to swell, resembling a balloon being inflated.
After several minutes, 101âs howls finally became indistinct. His eyes were still wide open, but they had lost their luster. Though he was still breathing, his intelligence had deteriorated to a level even lower than that of a newly-born Zombie. He lacked even the most basic instincts. His psychic light cluster had been entirely absorbed by the Jellyfish, and it was converted into pure mental energy.
âWe should be grateful to the Experimental Group for hiding him so discreetly; otherwise, his screaming alone would have attracted a crowdâ¦â Ling Mo couldnât help but think.
He extended his hand, and the now shrunken Jellyfish leaped up, landing directly in his palm.
âConsidering youâve shown your worth, Iâve decided to give you a name⦠Donât spin around; this is for your own good. If I let them name you, you might end up being called Lipstick or something, maybe even Periodâ¦â Ling Mo pondered for a while before saying, âIâll call you⦠Master Ball.â
âPlopâ¦â
The Jellyfish suddenly collapsed in the palm of the Zombie Puppetâs hand. Curled up like this, it did resemble a ball, though only half of oneâ¦
Ling Mo originally planned to postpone more activities until the next day, but encountering this Progenitor changed his mind.
Since he had already eliminated the Progenitor, there were some things he couldnât delay till tomorrow. Even if the cause of death wasnât apparent, increased management over the Zombies would be inevitable, and the number of night shift guards might even double. When that happens, his options will be limited.
If he had let 101 go, a furious 101 would undoubtedly inform the experimenters about what transpired tonight. Although what 101 described might sound bizarre to humans, the fact that Zombies canât lie would prompt the Experimental Group to take some action. The outcome would be the same: he wouldnât be able to make any more moves.
As Ling Mo thought this, his perspective shifted to Xia Na.
He needed to see how far her actions had progressed before making a final decision.
Xia Na had no idea that she was once again serving as Ling Moâs surveillance camera. At that moment, she was sitting next to Ye Lian and Yu Shiran, her eyes darting back and forth over their four towering breasts. She even craned her neck, attempting to peek into the deep cleavage.
As Ling Mo switched his perspective to her, he almost spat out a laugh. It would have been understandable if she was peeking at Ye Lian, but what on earth was interesting about the Zombie Loli, Yu Shiran?
âWeâve arrivedâ¦â Yu Shiran suddenly said.
Xia Na reluctantly withdrew her gaze, then tugged at her own collar and snorted, âTchâ¦â
âUh⦠the disparity is indeed quite big, but donât give upâ¦â Ling Mo chuckled awkwardly.
He decided to take a moment to rest. Simultaneously controlling both the Zombie Puppet and the master ball from several hundred meters away, especially with a two-stage control process, was quite taxing. But the most critical part was the strain on his concentration. His nerves had been tense for several hours, making even Ling Mo feel thoroughly exhausted.
The three female Zombies simultaneously dismounted from Xiao Baiâs back. Yu Shiran patted Xiao Bai on the head, âStay here.â
Xiao Bai shook its head and obediently retreated into the bushes, hiding itself thoroughly.
Using Xia Naâs vision, Ling Mo followed her line of sight through the sparse gaps ahead, focusing on a building not far away.
This was the very building where Xiao Bai had first encountered people coming and going during its reconnaissance.
Now, under the veil of night, the building was pitch dark inside. Apart from the chirping of insects from the bushes, the surroundings were eerily quietâ¦