Chapter 42 – The Long Road Ahead

Ten minutes had passed…

Ling Mo couldn’t tell if it was just psychological or if he had indeed been affected, but he felt like his blood was boiling, and his heart was about to leap out of his throat. Strangely though, he remained very clear-headed, with no other changes happening.

Ling Mo’s mind was racing, trying to figure out a plan. He didn’t know if he would turn into something like Lu Xin or if he would become a real zombie. But until the very end, Ling Mo didn’t want to give up. At this moment, he deeply understood Xia Na’s feelings back then—the creeping sense of despair!

However, Ling Mo didn’t regret it! If he hadn’t just released his desire for Ye Lian, he might have already turned into a frenzied madman. That extreme pleasure and craving simultaneously washing over a person’s body and soul could easily drive someone insane.

And now… even if he turned into a zombie, at least before that, he had solved the issue of his first kiss, and it was with Ye Lian!

Should he, like Xia Na, swallow some Virus Gel? Or perhaps a more direct approach—drink some zombie blood…

Maybe in the end, like Xia Na, he would retain a sliver of sanity…

Thinking of this, Ling Mo turned his attention to the plastic bag he had thrown aside. There were still some remnants of Virus Gel inside, though not much.

Even in a fully conscious state, the idea of consuming such a thing caused Ling Mo great mental strain, despite his constant dealings with zombies.

This stuff was extracted from the brains of Mutation Zombies… Just a tiny bit of its toxicity was probably more than the entire virus content of an ordinary zombie.

But between completely becoming a zombie and retaining a shred of sanity, Ling Mo’s internal scales were gradually tipping towards the latter. Frowning, he reached out and slowly picked up the plastic bag.

As soon as he brought the plastic bag to his eyes, a pungent smell wafted out, making Ling Mo’s head throb painfully. However, he was not angry but rather relieved; his heavy mood lightened a bit. Since he still found the Virus Gel extremely repulsive, it meant he hadn’t started mutating yet.

The smell of the Gel was overwhelmingly pungent. Eating it without any mutation starting was a challenge; Ling Mo suspected that as soon as he opened his mouth, he’d vomit everything in his stomach. So he decided to wait. As soon as he showed signs of mutation, he would eat the remnants. Having a glimmer of hope was better than giving up completely…

“Thump thump thump!”

His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He felt as if his body was losing strength, similar to the feeling of being drunk.

Twenty minutes had passed… It should be soon. Xia Na started mutating around this time too.

Ling Mo sighed internally, nervously gripping the plastic bag. As soon as there was any sign, he would eat it! Taking a chance was better than waiting to die!

Though he had survived in the Apocalypse for so long, Ling Mo fundamentally did not want to die—he wanted to live! But when such a crisis loomed over him, he didn’t lack the courage to face it.

Most importantly, having lived among Zombies day and night, he didn’t have that deep-seated fear of them.

Becoming a Zombie meant erasing a living person’s rationality, turning them into a mindless killing machine. That was scarier than death, but still better than dying immediately.

But an hour passed by!

And not only did Ling Mo show no signs of mutation, his heartbeat gradually calmed down, and the lost strength returned bit by bit.

What was going on? Could it be that saliva isn’t contagious?

Originally resigned to his fate, Ling Mo’s spirits soared as he realized this possibility!

If it wasn’t transmitted through saliva, then maybe… Ling Mo’s gaze instinctively shifted to Ye Lian’s body, especially her tightly closed legs…

Not contagious! That’s great!

Ling Mo jumped up. If it weren’t for the fear of alerting the Zombies below, he would have laughed out loud! He had thought he was doomed, but it turned out saliva wasn’t contagious after all!

However, in his euphoria, Ling Mo failed to notice that during the long hour of waiting, his aversion to the contents of the plastic bag had gradually faded. He didn’t even realize that the once overpowering smell no longer bothered him… And after confirming he wouldn’t mutate, he tossed the plastic bag to the ground.

As Ling Mo laughed silently, Ye Lian’s eyes gradually returned to normal. When Ling Mo looked at her, she was staring back at him with a slightly bewildered expression.

This made Ling Mo’s heart skip a beat. He quickly rushed over, grabbed Ye Lian’s shoulders, and shook her forcefully. “Ye Lian?”

Ye Lian looked at Ling Mo, then suddenly reached out and touched his hand. She then furrowed her brows slightly, seemingly confused as she looked at her own hand.

This action was incredibly human-like, and Ling Mo’s heart started racing. He stared at Ye Lian, unable to utter a single word.

Usually, Ling Mo maintained the Psychic Link with Ye Lian without deliberately controlling her actions. So, Ye Lian’s current movements were entirely her own! As Ye Lian continued to evolve, her rationality was gradually being restored.

However, since Ye Lian didn’t seem inclined to speak, Ling Mo’s excitement slowly subsided. He knew that Ye Lian’s recovery wouldn’t happen overnight. Reaching this level was already a significant improvement.

Sure enough, after a brief moment of confusion, Ye Lian’s expression reverted to its usual blank state. However, the way she looked at Ling Mo now wasn’t as emotionless as before; there was a faint trace of… dependence!

Whether it was due to their Psychic Link or some other reason, Ye Lian’s perception of Ling Mo had subtly changed!

But knowing that Ye Lian’s saliva wouldn’t harm him, Ling Mo couldn’t help but hug her tightly and plant a firm kiss on her lips.

“I must be the first human to kiss a Zombie! Hahaha!”

The Psychic Link between Ye Lian and Ling Mo was very strong. Even though Ling Mo made such an intimate gesture, Ye Lian didn’t resist. Of course, she also didn’t react in any particular way.

Her human-like traits were only evident in the way her gaze toward Ling Mo had changed. As for everything else… well, Ling Mo wasn’t in a hurry. Meals should be eaten bite by bite, and the road should be walked step by step.

At least now, he could feel at ease having more intimate contact with Ye Lian! As long as he was careful not to get any blood on him… Thinking of this, Ling Mo suddenly showed a very awkward smile.

No blood contact? How on earth would he fulfill his wish to get close to Ye Lian then?!

Ye Lian… she was still a virgin!