Chapter 5 – Virus Evolution

Ling Mo was abruptly awakened in the early morning by a sudden jolt.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Ye Lian still sitting in the corner.

Having cleaned herself up and changed into fresh clothes, Ye Lian looked no different from before… the only difference being those eyes that now flickered with an eerie red glow…

The strange feeling Ling Mo had just experienced came from Ye Lian’s instinctive craving. If Ye Lian could speak, her first words right now would likely be: “I’m hungry.”

And the food she craved was the special gel found in the brains of zombies.

Judging by Ye Lian’s behavior, that special gel could cause further mutations in the virus within her, and the effects were quite obvious. Since she had this craving, it was his duty to satisfy it.

It was indeed a complex feeling. Ordinary survivors couldn’t avoid zombies fast enough, yet he had to actively seek them out. Most importantly, he had a Mutation Zombie by his side.

After packing some food, Ling Mo took out a brand-new Sharp Knife from his backpack. The Boning Knife was already worn out and could affect him in combat, so it was no longer usable.

He tried feeding Ye Lian a sausage, only to find that she had no interest in it. It seemed that the only food she needed was that gel.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you out to find something to eat.” Ling Mo said, pulling Ye Lian up and leading her downstairs.

The city was now completely dead, lacking everything except zombies. However, places where many zombies gathered were still very dangerous for Ling Mo, so he could only take Ye Lian to find those that were “alone.”

As he carefully searched, Ling Mo couldn’t help but ponder a question. For the zombies roaming outside now, their only source of food was survivors who risked their lives to find supplies. And while most survivors, if careful enough, might not find much food, they could at least manage to stay alive.

Would these zombies, like Ye Lian, start to cannibalize each other when they couldn’t find food? Perhaps in some places, Mutation Zombies like Ye Lian had already been discovered.

This would be an additional blow to the survivors…

After strengthening the Psychic Link, Ling Mo found it noticeably easier to control Ye Lian compared to yesterday. Additionally, after a night of exploration, he had also grasped the knack of controlling her.

Unlike ordinary Zombies, Ye Lian, besides her instincts, had a strong desire to attack and could communicate her needs to Ling Mo. Given her considerable strength, full control would only hinder her performance and provoke resistance. Thus, Ling Mo maintained the Psychic Link to ensure she wouldn’t attack him, without restricting her free movement.

Due to their Psychic Link, even though Ye Lian could move on her own, she stayed within Ling Mo’s sight and even closely followed him.

Fortunately, they were in the suburbs, where the population density was low. Ling Mo soon found a few Zombies wandering at an intersection.

As soon as Ye Lian saw the Zombies, she eagerly lunged at them with lightning speed and fierce attacks. Ling Mo, snapping out of his daze, charged forward with his Sharp Knife.

In just a minute, the Zombies were taken down, and Ye Lian, after consuming the Gel, seemed even more agile and alert.

Simultaneously, Ling Mo felt his own Psychic Power grow stronger and his strength increase. Though the changes were subtle, it was a gratifying progress for him.

During Ye Lian’s combat, Ling Mo could increasingly sense the Frenzy she experienced.

They spent the morning hunting in the vicinity, taking down dozens of Zombies before Ye Lian’s hunger was finally satiated.

However, to Ling Mo’s surprise, after consuming the Gel from dozens of Zombie brains, Ye Lian appeared extremely fatigued, and her emotions became very unstable. If not for the ever-tightening Psychic Link between them, she might have broken free from his control.

Sensing the precarious situation, Ling Mo quickly found a residential building and led Ye Lian to an unoccupied apartment.

By this time, Ye Lian was clenching her fists in agitation but seemed too weak to move, collapsing entirely. Ling Mo carried her to the bed and noticed her body felt like it was about to burn up, her temperature alarmingly high.

Could it be that consuming too much at once had destabilized the Virus within her?

As Ling Mo worried, a wave of Frenzy swept over him, clouding his vision with a blood-red haze.

Clearly, the mutation of the Virus within Ye Lian was affecting him through their Psychic Link.

The pain was excruciating… If he severed the Psychic Link, he could escape from this Frenzy, but a rampaging Ye Lian might harm others. Ling Mo could only grit his teeth and endure it.

His body felt increasingly hot, his forehead drenched in cold sweat, as if he were about to explode. The pressure in his head felt like something was trying to burst out. If not for his strong willpower developed from controlling Zombie Puppets, he might have fainted by now.

Ye Lian, on the other hand, was gasping for breath, her once pale cheeks now tinged with an abnormal flush. The blood-red in her eyes grew brighter. Under Ling Mo’s watchful eye, she finally closed her eyes without a sound and collapsed onto the bed.

Ling Mo was initially startled but soon calmed down. He had no understanding of this unique Virus, let alone its mutations. Worrying wouldn’t help. At least through their Psychic Link, he could sense that Ye Lian’s vital signs were normal. The growing power within her was too much for her to handle, so her body had activated a self-protection mechanism, causing her to temporarily pass out.

As he waited for Ye Lian to wake up, Ling Mo endured the physical torment…

Hours later, Ling Mo finally felt the heat spread throughout his body and then subside. The power left in him seemed to permeate every cell, making him feel refreshed. He clenched his fist and felt significantly stronger. Other changes would likely reveal themselves in combat.

At that moment, Ye Lian slowly opened her eyes, and Ling Mo was stunned. After this mutation, her eyes had returned to looking like a normal person’s!

Specifically, her eyes had changed from that eerie blood-red to a clear black, making her look more profound and colder. However, the dangerous aura was now concealed. Anyone unaware of her strength might mistake her for an ordinary Survivor girl, never guessing she was a Mutation Zombie!

The mutation in her Virus seemed more like an evolution, achieved through devouring other Zombies!