Chapter 203 – The Layer That Needs to Be Broken

“No… It seems like there’s still something missing…”

Xia Na’s eyes had almost returned to their usual state, but they still had a slightly reddened look. Staring at them for too long could make someone feel somewhat dazed.

Perhaps this was a lingering aftereffect…

But what exactly did Xia Na mean by “something missing”?

Could it be… Ling Mo immediately thought of Senior Sister’s advancement process.

However, Xia Na gave Ling Mo a half-smiling glance and then shook her head, “No, I feel like there’s still a layer of something in my mind that hasn’t been pierced through…”

A layer? Ling Mo couldn’t help but glance at a certain part of Xia Na, but he quickly shook his head.

Could it be that Senior Sister had corrupted him? Probably, given how she kept making advances on him, even having forced herself on him…

Thinking of this, Ling Mo quickly glanced at Li Yalin, only to be distracted by her perky buttocks.

“So, can I help you break through this layer? With my Psychic Tentacle?” Ling Mo asked quickly.

Xia Na looked at Ling Mo nervously, “No, that place… if you go any deeper…”

She trailed off, but Ling Mo almost understood.

Forcing it might not only injure her but could also be harmful to him.

Matters in the psychic realm are the most complicated; one wrong move could turn both of them into idiots.

This was indeed a risk they couldn’t take.

But at least after this attempt, Xia Na’s psychic level was already very close to Leader-Level.

Judging by the aura she just displayed, she might not be much different from Ban Yue when they met her.

Thinking back now, Ban Yue might have also been just a bit shy of breaking through some layer, not having reached the true Leader-Level.

Regardless, Xia Na’s strength had seen significant improvement.

Those eyes just now clearly had the ability to affect the mental realm.

To confuse enemies with just her eyes, combined with Xia Na’s own combat skills…

On the other hand, Xia Na’s physical abilities hadn’t seen much of an improvement.

Ling Mo didn’t know enough about the virus. He only knew that Virus Gel would evolve into a Viral Hive, but he couldn’t quite explain how the virus turned zombies into what they were.

Maybe someone would eventually figure it out… Perhaps some research institutions that hadn’t been completely destroyed had the capability, but it was hard to say.

As long as humanity wasn’t extinct, there would always be efforts to understand it. However, this process might take a long time.

“It’s okay, evolving in the mental aspect is also good,” Ling Mo said, nodding with satisfaction. “As for that layer, we’ll find a way to deal with it. You can’t become an expert overnight; we’ll take it slow.”

In Ling Mo’s view, Leader-Level was the true starting point of zombie evolution.

This step was naturally difficult to take. Li Yalin had managed to take the final step through making love, but Xia Na was a different case.

Moreover, it was impossible to predict what level they would reach in the future.

Maybe during future evolutions, Xia Na’s shortcomings would be compensated for, turning her into a truly formidable zombie.

This applied to Li Yalin as well.

For instance, the Toxic Monster and the Spider Queen were still quite vulnerable to some human weapons.

The Toxic Monster was shot dead, and the Spider Queen was shredded by a fan…

Their strength was against individual targets, but the information gathered from the Military District indicated that there was still organized resistance after the disaster broke out. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have had the time or resources to issue those notices.

Zombies were getting stronger, and humanity was desperately resisting. What other terrifying monsters would emerge from the billions of zombies was anyone’s guess.

The path of evolution was still long…

At least it wasn’t in vain that he risked his psychic power getting hurt and the danger of being torn apart by Xia Na for this attempt.

Once he helped Xia Na deal with that layer, Ling Mo could start helping Ye Lian with her advancement.

Perhaps with the experience of helping two others take the final step, Ye Lian could undergo a complete transformation in one go.

Ling Mo had a feeling that Ye Lian’s development was the most balanced. After her enhancement, she might very well be the strongest in terms of individual combat power.

At the same time, Ling Mo could also sense that he greatly benefited from Li Yalin’s complete enhancement and Xia Na’s significant improvement.

On one hand, his body had become more agile, his movements quicker, increasing his chances of escaping danger. On the other hand, his Psychic Power might have received a substantial boost.

However, due to the significant consumption, it was hard to say to what extent his Psychic Power had improved until he fully recovered. Nonetheless, it was quite promising.

As Ling Mo excitedly grabbed Xia Na’s arm, Ye Lian, who had been quietly watching, finally couldn’t hold back any longer. She walked over and asked softly, “Ling-Ge… aren’t you going to… put on some clothes?”

“Ahem, of course, we need to get dressed! And Li Yalin, come over and put your clothes on too!”

Ling Mo pulled Li Yalin over. Although her figure seemed to have become even more voluptuous, it wasn’t appropriate for her to walk around naked.

Before getting dressed, Ling Mo checked his wounds and found that they weren’t infected, but they also hadn’t fully healed.

However, Li Yalin’s juices did have some effect on him, possibly due to some variation in the virus within her.

After some thought, he poured a bit of medicine on his wounds, feeling an immediate sensation of tingling and numbness.

The “medicine” was actually just diluted virus. If he used too much, Ling Mo might get infected.

So, he used a very small amount. Then, he took a small sip, instantly feeling a cool sensation spread throughout his body.

“Wow, this is invigorating…”

Not even a puff of a cigarette felt this refreshing!

Afterward, Ling Mo felt his wound slightly wriggling. When he pressed his hand against it, he could faintly feel it.

Sure enough, it could promote wound healing. His shoulder would probably be fully healed in no time.

By dinner time, Ling Mo’s arm could move freely. Although wielding the Tang Sword was still a bit challenging, he could easily swing the Short Knife.

“If I could control the Spider Queen and bring her along, wouldn’t she be a mobile medicine cabinet?”

Ling Mo couldn’t help but think. But then he imagined the appearance of the Spider Queen and quickly shook his head.

Better not. If he really brought her along, he’d be too embarrassed to face anyone.

The large living room on the first floor had been converted into a dining hall, with a long table, two rows of benches, and various foods.

There were plenty of green vegetables. According to a survivor, they had risked their lives to harvest them from nearby fields. These had become true wild vegetables after being left unattended for so long.

Additionally, there was a large pot of stew, and the aroma of cured meat filled the entire room, making Ling Mo’s mouth water.

After her enhancement, Li Yalin seemed to have gained better control over herself. Although she still looked at the survivors with cold eyes, at least she didn’t need to stay far away from them anymore.

Meng Jiayu stood in a prominent position. The moment she saw Ling Mo, her face turned bright red.

But under the watchful eyes of the surrounding survivors, she still walked over and took Ling Mo’s hand. “Ling Mo, come sit here.”

“You… you sit here.”

Meng Jiayu had now become the new captain of the Survival Base. She was already very capable, kind-hearted, and enthusiastic, making her a well-deserved captain.

Ling Mo’s status as her cousin also added to her prestige.

Seeing Meng Jiayu insist on giving her seat to Ling Mo, some of the survivors immediately started to tease, “Just sit together!”

“Are you looking for trouble? Don’t you see his sister-in-law is right there!”

Meng Jiayu’s face turned so red it seemed like juice would drip from it. She forcibly pushed Ling Mo into the seat. “Today, you should sit here.”

Laughter and applause filled the room. Ling Mo felt it would be too much to refuse, so he reluctantly sat down.

Ye Lian and the three girls were seated beside him. It was clear that this Survival Base treated Ling Mo and his group with great respect.

“I’d like to say a few words,” Meng Jiayu said, picking up a wine glass. The rice wine brewed at this Food Production Base was quite good. “It’s been tough for all of us to make it this far. We’ll probably be staying here for a long time. Fortunately, we can be self-sufficient and have enough stored food to last us until next year, or even the year after, when we can hope for a good harvest. Though, our initial yields might not be high…”

“Ha ha…” Some people immediately laughed. Most of them were city dwellers with no farming experience.

The first year, they hadn’t planted much, so the yield was bound to be shockingly low. But this was a necessary learning process.

Ling Mo couldn’t help but smile. Meng Jiayu had a knack for lightening the mood.

“But most importantly, we need to thank Ling Mo, Ye Lian, Xia Na, and Li Yalin. Without them, many of us would have died on the way here. Even those who made it might not have been able to establish a foothold. To them, I offer my toast!”

After saying this, Meng Jiayu turned towards Ling Mo and then gestured to Ye Lian and the three girls, before downing her drink in one gulp.

Ling Mo dared not let the female Zombies drink alcohol, having learned from past experiences.

So, they all toasted with water, while Ling Mo filled his glass to the brim.

“Thank you, and thank you all. I only have one thing to say: I hope we all make it to the end.”

Ling Mo kept his speech short and sweet, then downed his drink in one go.

The sweet wine slid down his throat, making Ling Mo shiver slightly.

All eyes were on Ling Mo. The phrase “make it to the end” sounded simple, but for these survivors who had walked the edge of life and death, it carried profound meaning.

“Make it to the end!”

With a unified shout, everyone stood up, raised their glasses to Ling Mo, and drank in one gulp!