A Legendary Figure

As Lin Chao trekked the roads, his gaze scanned the zombies, checking if he would chance an encounter with a special zombie.

He wanted to evolve again, from Level F to E, so he had to eat like a zombie, except his food was not humans but instead, the evolution nuclei found within zombies.

Lin Chao did not see even a shadow of a special zombie along his way. He could have seen one but he probably did not recognize them as special zombies looked no different to a regular zombie. It was honestly a little difficult to judge visually. It would be much easier if he were a Sensory Evolved — He would be able to identify a special zombie from a horde of them and even sense its speed, strength, physique, and whatnot.

Based on Lin Chao's super speed, he arrived at the northern tip of the thirty-mile mark in a blink of an eye. His plan was to search segment after segment on the compass so he would not miss anything.

Hoo!

Lin Chao sprung up with his two legs, reaching the second floor of a building and breaking the glass window with a kick before hopping right into the room.

It was an office in disarray. Documents were scattered across the floor like wastepaper, and some computers had fallen while some were still switched on with active windows blinking with messages crying for help left unsent.

There were a few pools of dried darkened blood too along with several corpses, both male and female. There were also three zombies meandering in the office right now.

When the glass broke, all three zombies saw Lin Chao and lunged at him with a low growl. Empty eyes with only the whites of their eyes looked grotesque on their grisly putrid faces.

Lin Chao was unfazed, bashing them hard and fast with the steel bar in his grip.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three heads fell onto the floor as the steel bar broke their spine, their mouths still gasping for air.

Lin Chao avoided the carcasses that fell forward from gravity and walked over a fallen skull to advance.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot was heard from the street farther away. Lin Chao's hovering foot halted before it was pulled back. He turned around to check out the source through the shattered window.

Is it a survivor? Probably looted a police station... I wonder how many guns he has. Lin Chao blinked, having the thoughts of snatching the weapon.

He was currently only an Evolved of the lowest Level F. Although his status as a Multi-Evolved rendered his basic physique to be on par to a Level E Special Evolved, having firearms would still be greatly favorable to him as he could consider hunting the Gold-class mutated beasts!

The Golden Hound in the residential estate was a Gold-class mutated beast. It was just that its level was too low, and it had yet to evolve the second time so its body did not produce Golden Blood.

Golden Blood was an incredibly precious material later on as it could permanently enhance one's physique while being an indispensable prerequisite to pass certain stages in certain ruins.

Lin Chao departed immediately.

.

About a dozen zombies were snarling as they made advances in a battered corner.

Bang! Bang!

The Type 54 Pistol in Chu Shanhe's grip was spitting sparks. Shooting two zombies in the head, he retreated swiftly soaked in sweat as he greatly expended himself.

"Brother Chu, what should we do? These monsters are too powerful and can only be killed with headshots. My bullets are nearly used up," a well-built short-haired young man spoke fearfully.

Chu Shanhe's gaze did not waver from the zombies that were storming toward them as he announced softly, "Little Song, take them and leave. Wait for me at the meeting point. I'll cover your retreat!"

There were three people behind him who were dressed in white coats, two middle-aged doctors and a young female nurse. A sliver of hope radiated from their hopeless faces when they heard Chu Shanhe's words and they looked quickly toward Little Song.

Little Song looked troubled. Gritting his teeth, he replied, "No, Brother Chu. You won't be able to overcome them alone if I leave. I've vowed to treat you as my elder brother, and I won't leave you to die alone!"

The doctors and nurse looked appalled when they heard him. The older doctor spoke hesitantly, "Officer Song, Captain Chu is incredibly skilled. He'll figure out a way to escape. We'll only be a hindrance to him here, why not…"

"Scram! This isn't your place to talk!" Little Song bellowed with eyes that were rimmed red, "If it weren't for saving the three of you, we wouldn't have drawn in so many monsters!"

The middle-aged doctor dared not retort despite looking offended.

"Enough!" Chu Shanhe spoke with a cold expression, "Have you forgotten your oath? As a soldier, your priority is to protect the people. Speak no more and leave with them immediately. This is an order!"

The short-haired man clenched his fist and with misty eyes, he replied, "Yes sir. I'll come back for you at once after I send them to safety. Promise me, you must hold out!" He pushed a round of ammunition in his back pocket to Chu Shanhe and told the other three people softly, "Follow me, move fast!"

The three white-robed medical officials were delighted, instantly tailing him.

Just as they were about to leave, Chu Shanhe suddenly announced, "Hold on."

The two doctors and the nurse were alarmed, confused as to why Chu Shanhe suddenly went back on his word as they turned back worriedly.

However, the muscular young man in short hair peered at Chu Shanhe in ecstasy. "Brother Chu, you…"

"Look." Chu Shanhe lifted his finger in a daze.

The gazes of the other four followed his finger after a momentary stupor.

"That's…"

"How is it possible!"

Four pairs of eyes widened, shock written across their faces as if they had seen a ghost.

A young man was somehow among the dozen of zombies now. He looked very young and was perhaps just past twenty. He wore casual clothes in all black and held a steel bar as he bolted into the pack of zombies like a wolf barging into a flock of sheep.

The petrifying zombies looked like fragile puppets in front of the young man. Every time his steel bar was swung, a zombie would get beheaded!

He was so swift, so strong!

While the handful of them was dumbstruck, the dozen of zombies had already been cleared in record time. The young man in black casual wear came before them, his stride a line of crimson footsteps, and behind him a peek of hell with corpses strewn haphazardly.

Lin Chao glanced at the survivors, a little disappointed when he saw that only two of them had guns but did not have too many bullets left. He asked anyway, "Are both of you soldiers?"

With a jolt, Chu Shanhe broke out of his trance. He looked at Lin Chao with shiny eyes. "Yes. I'm Captain Chu Shanhe and this is my brother, Song Guicheng. How do we address you?" his tone was laced with respect.

If he had not heard Lin Chao's voice, Chu Shanhe would question if what he had witnessed just now was a dream. The incredible speed and strength he witnessed did not belong to someone from mankind's ranks. Being in the army and rising to the rank of captain, he knew about certain confidential information which made him wonder — was this person a mythical rogue cultivator.

Chu Shanhe?

Lin Chao had been disinterested but he could not help being startled by the name. He studied the man carefully and asked, "How many Chu Shanhe's do you have in the army?"

"Uh…" Chu Shanhe was taken aback, not expecting Lin Chao's sudden question, and subconsciously answered, "I think… I'm the only one. I haven't heard of anyone sharing the same name as me up until now."

"Then I'm right," said Lin Chao with a gleam that flashed in his eyes.

"What's right?" Chu Shanhe was puzzled, asking curiously, "Do you know me?"

Lin Chao was hit by several emotions. Know him? His name had been recorded in post-apocalyptic history and most of the base cities had statues of him when he was a Level S Evolved. He was one of the most outstanding heroes in the history of the Dark Era!

Like most heroes, Chu Shanhe died early, but his short life contained too much glory and decoration.

He was one of the first pioneers — the first to have saved base cities more than ten times, the first to have killed a Level S monster, the first to have recouped cities of mankind from zombies and monsters, the first man to dare intrude the Area One Chasm alone…

His contributions to mankind were too much. A general once said that without him, Great China's overall combat force would be reduced by thirty percent!

His short life was legendary!

His death was equally grieving. He had too many merits but he disliked having the reigns to authority. He passed the command he had over the base cities that he had built to his closest brother and continued his battles, making conquests and exploring outside. His brother, a controversial figure who had equally made massive contributions to mankind, inevitably succumbed to the greed of power and plotted against him in the end.

Despite this fact, he who was disheartened did not resort to revenge. He chose to charge into the Area One Chasm before his death, to pour all his rage, anguish, and resentment into that terrifying existence. He has yet to return since that trip. Many years later, when someone entered the area again, his battle blade was retrieved and impaled before his grave.

As for that closest brother of his, he ultimately gave up on the power over the base cities and entered the chasm as well with remorse, choosing to die in combat.

Someone had said that the confrontation between these brothers would cause a massacre among their followers respectively if Chu Shanhe opted to retaliate in fury before his death. It would result in the population of Great China possibly getting reduced by as much half in the later crucial battles!

Yet he had chosen to carry his rage and grief and continue fighting for mankind at the brink of his death, doing his best to kill another monster in the last leg of his life!

His selflessness was unbelievable – It was why he was a legend. It was why he was commemorated and grieved by the people!

Lin Chao who lived in the apocalypse fought to survive every day. He had no time to remember these legendary figures but he had more or less heard of them. Now that he saw the legend alive before his eyes, it felt surreal.