Chapter 194 – The Human Decoy Vs. the Spider Queen

“Hoo!”

Ling Mo exhaled deeply, feeling significantly more at ease.

Instead of recklessly tussling with the Tentacle Monster, it was a wiser choice to use her to cause trouble for Zhao Zhi and his group.

This way, they would be forced to restart the power supply and use the elevators to escape if they wanted to survive.

“Let’s go and wait for them by the elevator.”

Even if this plan failed, Ye Lian could still pick the lock, so it wasn’t a big problem.

The main issue now was that everyone needed rest, so lying in wait was the best strategy.

But before leaving, Ling Mo couldn’t resist glancing back at that door.

The Tentacle Monster girl’s strength was formidable, and she would likely grow stronger as she absorbed and fused with more of the Virus.

Zhao Zhi and his group had neither guns nor suitable long-range weapons…

The Superpower that could stir one’s blood and energy was indeed strong, but Ling Mo thought that affecting so many people at once must consume a huge amount of energy.

Whether Zhao Zhi had recovered or not was still a big question.

“Let them suffer for their own deeds,” Ling Mo said with a cold smile.

While Ling Mo’s group headed toward the elevator, Zhao Zhi was sitting in a Laboratory on B3, massaging his temples.

When that muffled sound came, everyone in the room couldn’t help but look in the direction it came from.

“The fight upstairs seems pretty intense…” Zhang Teng murmured as he played with the Dagger.

Zhao Zhi lifted his head, revealing a face as pale as a sheet.

“It’s not a big deal. It might even encourage their further evolution,” Zhao Zhi’s voice was calm, showing no signs of urgency.

Zhang Teng frowned and said, “They have guns…”

“But thinking you can kill them all is unrealistic. Aside from limited bullets, do you really believe a couple of guns can take them down? Perhaps focusing on severely injuring one of them might be possible, but it doesn’t matter. My goal is to promote their further evolution, even if only one of them does. It’s the natural law of survival of the fittest.”

Zhao Zhi shook his head with a smile. His voice was extremely soft, as if he was trying to conserve his energy.

At this moment, Mo Da Hai suddenly raised his hand to gesticulate, his eyes sharp and his movements agitated.

“Why abandon Old Luo and Stella… Da Hai, don’t you understand yet?”

Zhao Zhi sat up straight and pulled out a small sealed test tube from his pocket. It contained a semi-transparent red liquid. “Look at this. This is the source of our strength! In this world now, we can’t survive without power. But the monsters providing us with this serum, they need food! And aren’t we planning to leave here? Do you think it’s easier to deal with a well-fed monster or a starving one?”

“Old Luo is too old to endure this serum, not even if it’s diluted twice over. And Stella… give me a break, she’s full of ridiculous ideas, thinking she’s some kind of genius…”

“It’s not that I abandoned them; it’s natural selection.”

Zhao Zhi brought the test tube close to his eyes, and a gleam of excitement flashed in his gaze, as if he were looking at his newborn child.

Mo Da Hai looked conflicted as he stared at Zhao Zhi, but finally, he sighed and stopped gesticulating.

“Weren’t you all reluctant to join initially? It wasn’t until you saw me getting stronger and yet not mutating or losing my sanity like a monster that you decided to join.”

Zhao Zhi’s gaze swept over Mo Da Hai and Zhang Teng. Smiling, he said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m glad to have like-minded friends. Those strangers are pitiful, but this is reality. It’s a world where monsters prey on humans. You heard what they said, X City was completely wiped out. And after all this time, there’s been no lockdown, no rescue, nothing. This can only mean one thing: nationwide… or even worldwide, things have become like this! In such circumstances, we can’t afford to be merciful anymore.”

Zhang Teng’s cold eyes lingered on the test tube in Zhao Zhi’s hand. “Mo Da Hai wants strength to go back and find his family. I want to find my son, even if he’s turned into a monster… Or… Zhao Zhi, what’s your goal? I’ve never heard you mention your family…”

“My goal is simple: I want to survive. This is a brand-new era. Missing out would be a real shame.”

Zhao Zhi smiled as he spoke.

Just as he was about to continue, a muffled thud echoed through the room once again.

“Is it my imagination, or did that sound come from B3 this time?”

Zhao Zhi was just frowning when an even louder noise came from not far away.

“Damn!”

Zhang Teng jumped up from his chair, quickly placing the small Dagger in front of him.

Mo Da Hai, his face ashen, stared at the door, then began looking around frantically.

How many useful weapons could there be in a Biological Research Institute? Ultimately, Zhang Teng took off his police baton and handed it to Mo Da Hai.

“Thanks.” Mo Da Hai gestured.

Zhao Zhi, utterly shocked, stared at the door, and for a moment, the room was silent, with only three pairs of eyes fixed on the tightly closed door.

“Thump!”

“Thump!”

The muffled thuds drew closer and closer, resounding like heavy drumbeats striking directly at their hearts.

Suddenly, the sounds ceased. Then, a red thread-like object began to probe through the bottom of the door.

Watching the thin filament gradually snake through the gap, Zhao Zhi couldn’t help but swallow.

“Back… back off…”

Zhao Zhi slowly moved backward, but just then, the door began to shake violently.

Watching as the gap in the door widened and plaster dust fell, making the whole room seem to tremble, Zhao Zhi tucked the test tube into his pocket and slowly closed his eyes.

The moment he snapped them open, the door crashed to the ground!

“It’s…”

At the doorway stood the Tentacle Monster, also known as the Spider Lady. But now, she had completely transformed.

Her body was enveloped in thin, hair-like tentacles, suspending her in mid-air. Her pale skin was only vaguely visible.

Her long black hair cascaded down her back, and when she lifted her head, her blood-red eyes were revealed.

Gone was the Frenzy; instead, her expression was one of cold, calculated killing intent.

There was a natural indifference, like a human looking at meat on a chopping block.

Though her face was still that of a human, her essence had completely diverged from humanity.

“Evolved…”

Zhao Zhi muttered under his breath, his gaze locked onto the Tentacle Monster.

“Zhang Teng, get the power back on. We’re getting out of here! We can’t take her head-on; we need to trap her in here!”

“Come on, let’s see how much value this feeding has brought.”

The words sounded more like he was trying to bolster his own courage. Zhao Zhi’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

Countless red tentacles surged toward Zhao Zhi. Just as they neared, he swung his hand forcefully.

The tentacles rebounded as if hitting an invisible wall, immediately thrown back.

Then he reached out and grabbed abruptly, causing some of the tentacles to be pulled toward him again.

In that instant, a Pocket Knife appeared in Zhao Zhi’s hand.

He slashed fiercely, and the tentacles were sliced cleanly, falling short by a length.

“Ah!”

The Spider Lady—or rather, the Spider Queen—let out a piercing scream that made their eardrums ache!

Zhao Zhi felt an immense sense of danger; his pupils contracted, and his entire body seemed to erupt in an invisible force field!

Countless tentacles immediately gravitated toward Zhao Zhi, but at the same time, he swiftly retreated.

In that moment, the Spider Queen’s skin began to turn a shade of red, similar to when Ling Mo and the others were ambushed. It was evident that Zhao Zhi was now giving his all.

He seemed like a human magnet, making the blood in the Spider Queen’s veins rush faster due to his influence.

When people get too excited, they can faint or even die on the spot. While the Spider Queen wouldn’t die, her energy was depleting rapidly, and she was starting to feel dizzy.

“Run!”

By now, Zhao Zhi was reaching his limits. His stamina hadn’t fully recovered, and although he’d developed various uses for his Superpower through self-exploration, without physical strength, it was all in vain!

Mo Da Hai took advantage of the situation to sever many tentacles, but their regenerative abilities were overwhelming—they kept growing back.

In the chaos, he landed a strike that caused some Venom to spurt out, splashing directly onto his arm.

“Argh!”

He screamed silently, while Zhang Teng grabbed him and ran towards the next room.

At this point, the power had been activated, but it would take some time for it to fully restore.

Zhao Zhi couldn’t hold out any longer. He slowly backed toward the door, then suddenly rushed forward and slammed it shut.

“To the elevator! Quickly!”

During the escape, Zhao Zhi tightly clutched the test tube in his pocket.

“I just took one a couple of days ago; supposedly you’re supposed to wait seven days…”

Hearing the loud crashes behind them, a fierce determination flashed in his eyes.

“No choice! Otherwise, I’ll end up like those people! I’ve made it this far; there’s no way I’m dying now! This is it!”

Despite his outward appearance as a frail intellectual, Zhao Zhi had a ruthless streak.

He swiftly pulled out the test tube, yanked off the stopper, and with a steely gaze, downed its contents.

“Thud! Thud thud!”

As the incredibly bitter and nauseating taste filled his mouth, the cool liquid traveled down his esophagus to his stomach.

“Thud thud!”

After nearly ten seconds, a faint red glow appeared in Zhao Zhi’s eyes.

The Virus was taking effect…