Carline Smiled Too!

"Carline, you're becoming more and more beautiful!" Maxwell said.

Carline's eyes shifted slightly, as if she understood his words.

Maxwell walked up to Carline, stopped in front of her, and looked down at her, "Carline, do you remember who I am?"

Carline looked at him too, but without any response.

"Carline, your eyes are really beautiful now. But I remember your eyes used to be blue," Maxwell continued to reminisce.

Still, Carline gave no response.

Undeterred, Maxwell kept talking.

Finally, after he recalled many past scenes, Carline's lips curved into a slight smile.

Carline... smiled!

Maxwell felt a surge of excitement, cradling Carline's delicate face and planting a firm kiss on her smooth cheek.

"Carline, you can smile! Carline, can you smile again for me?"

Carline's smile faded.

Another smile seemed impossible.

Soon, Carline returned to her previous expressionless state.

Maxwell, adhering to his policy of never giving up, continued his efforts for a long time, until a new wave of zombies was brought back. Eva and Carline remained expressionless, as if the previous smile had been just Maxwell's illusion.

"Well, maybe the cooldown is a bit long, but there's a first time and there will be a second. I'll just wait a bit longer!"

Maxwell had to give up for now, as eliminating zombies was the priority.

This wave also consisted of five hundred zombies. After he merged them, something seemed to have been stirred.

Because on the screen before Maxwell, he could see two mutant zombies running out from the interior of the castle, where the Level 8 female zombie was wandering.

"Have we been discovered?" Maxwell wondered.

Previously, when gathering zombies in the plaza, there was no resistance, but as soon as they started gathering zombies on the streets inside the buildings, it disturbed the mutant zombies within the castle!

It was unclear what level those two mutant zombies were.

Even if they were just two Level 1s, Maxwell's only mutant zombie would definitely not be a match for them.

Therefore, Maxwell quickly directed the mutant zombie inside the castle to leave rapidly, and then sent a Level 7 female zombie to rush towards the castle.

Fusing a Level 1 zombie requires a thousand Level 1 zombies, and any damage to this Level 1 female zombie would be distressing for Maxwell.

The Level 1 female zombie quickly climbed over the high wall and left the Red Fortress.

Soon after, the two mutant zombies arrived at the plaza and, seeing the empty square, were visibly frustrated and screeched wildly.

"These two must be at least Level 2!" Maxwell estimated.

Then, Maxwell instructed the two Level 1 mutant female zombies outside the castle to retreat back, and noticed that they encountered no resistance when passing through the forest.

"What's going on? These trees and vines completely ignored them, even though the mutant zombies inside had already spotted them! Could it be that these trees don't attack female zombies at all?"

Maxwell was puzzled.

Moreover, it wasn't just the female zombies; it seemed that these plants only targeted males.

"Maybe I should test this theory!" Maxwell couldn't help but think.

He then Fused the small group of zombies brought back by the three female zombies together, obtaining several Level 6-8 female zombies. He then combined these with those he already had, and a brand new Level 10 female zombie emerged.

The previous wave had also allowed Maxwell to create a Level 10 female zombie. By eliminating these two, a new Level 1 mutant female zombie was born!

So now, Maxwell had four Level 1 mutant female zombies, which he could eliminate together to transform into a Level 3 female zombie.

After creating this Level 3 zombie, Maxwell gave her a katana that had come from a beginner's pack he had previously opened.

After receiving the sword, she was directed by Maxwell to head back towards the Red Fortress.

Along the way, they encountered no resistance, and the two irritated mutant zombies inside the castle did not come out.

The re-deployed Level 3 mutant female zombie, under Maxwell's command, climbed over the high red wall and immediately spotted the two mutant zombies.

They stood on the empty plaza, seemingly waiting for something.

The Level 3 female zombie climbed down from the wall's vegetation and appeared within the sight of the mutant zombies, who immediately charged at her, screeching.

She brandished the katana to block an incoming claw, but unexpectedly, the blade snapped with a crack. This left the Level 3 female zombie momentarily at a disadvantage.

She found a gap, discarded the handle of the now-useless sword, and regained her footing, managing to hold her ground against the onslaught of the two mutant zombies.

"Damn..." Maxwell was somewhat speechless; his well-intentioned act had backfired.

The katana, which he had obtained from the beginner's pack, was not very durable and had broken immediately.

He then reflected on the situation and came to terms with it.

At the time he had received the beginner's pack, he was just a novice himself, a complete rookie. The items he obtained were only slightly stronger than him, meant merely to ensure his survival.

The katana dropped from the beginner's pack was clearly no match for a Level 2 zombie.

"I need to adjust my thinking. I can't take things for granted anymore! Some zombies, especially those specialized in abilities, might fear this kind of blade, but those with enhanced physical bodies definitely won't," Maxwell thought.

It's not that they aren't afraid, it's more that Maxwell continued to observe their fight and understood why the katana was so easily broken. The attacking zombie had specifically strengthened its claws.

Its claws left deep grooves even in the bluestone slabs on the ground, showing how formidable they were.

"One is Level 3, the other is Level 2."

After observing for a while, Maxwell gauged the strength of the two zombies.

"Let's pull back for now and see if the plants outside react."

For Maxwell, securing the Red Fortress was a must, and he knew that haste wouldn't help—careful planning was essential.

Thus, he ordered the Level 3 female zombie to swiftly climb over the high wall and run outside.

Inside the castle, the newly dispatched Level 7 female zombie quietly watched everything unfold.

"Those two mutant zombies didn't follow?"

Maxwell, using the vision of the Level 7 female zombie, watched everything happening inside the castle. The two zombies were just howling in frustration, showing no intention of chasing beyond the castle walls.

Meanwhile, Maxwell's Level 3 female zombie smoothly passed through the dense forest outside the Red Fortress and returned to Maxwell's side without any obstructions or attacks along the way.