Impostor

The night was quiet.

Or rather, the night was lifeless. The once-bustling streets had turned into desolate ruins, now a haven for monsters.

Zombies.

One such zombie stood before Chen Feng. Its skin was ghastly pale, as if it had been submerged in water for too long, and its body was covered in grotesque tumors, densely packed and revolting to behold.

Bronze Realm.

Unlike ordinary zombies, this one radiated a formidable power—clearly an evolved variant.

But something was strange. The zombie stood there motionless, as if it were fixated on something.

Chen Feng took a step to the side and looked past it. His pupils dilated in surprise.

A little girl.

A small girl in a floral dress crouched in front of the zombie, her head tucked into her arms as though terrified of the creature. But like the zombie, she had her back turned, her body trembling as if scared out of her wits.

Without a second thought, Chen Feng dashed forward.

His initial intention had been to test the power of the Flaming Sword. With a zombie right in front of him, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

Chen Feng's palm turned red, and a small flame burst forth, rapidly swirling into a blazing sword within seconds.

The sword, forged entirely from flames, radiated intense heat, making the surrounding air unbearably dry, as if all moisture had evaporated. Yet Chen Feng seemed oblivious, as if he couldn't feel the scorching presence of the flames at all.

The zombie seemed to sense something, suddenly turning around.

My God!

What a visage!

Its eyes had been gouged out, its nose sliced off, and its ears were sheared away. There were no facial features left—just a visage devoid of any recognizable expression, yet filled with an overwhelming sense of dread.

Zombies, unlike insects or beasts, come in many eerie and strange forms.

Sunken Corpses, Iron Armor Ghouls, Stalkers, Tongue Monsters, Blood Corpses...

Especially after evolving, zombies undergo drastic changes. Their forms become bizarre, their abilities strange and unpredictable. Take the Boomer Zombie, for instance—a bloated creature whose body fills with explosive gas after consuming flesh. When threatened or killed, it detonates, its blast comparable to that of five sticks of dynamite.

But this zombie was different. Its face had clearly been mutilated by someone. Would a Bronze-level zombie allow itself to be so disfigured?

Or was it mutilated before turning into a zombie?

Chen Feng's eyes grew cold. Whatever had happened to the zombie didn't concern him. All he cared about was testing the power of the sword in his hand.

He stepped forward.

With the Flame Sword in hand, Chen Feng exuded an unstoppable aura. There was no need for fancy moves; he aimed directly for the zombie's neck with a simple but powerful strike.

In this post-apocalyptic world, there was no need for complex techniques. Whether against man or beast, striking at vital points was the most effective combat strategy.

Eyes, neck, chest, groin.

Dirty fighting?

In this world, such concepts no longer held any meaning. In battle, the only thing that mattered was killing the opponent as quickly and effectively as possible.

"Raaaghh... graaahhh..."

The zombie let out a growl, its body hurtling toward Chen Feng like a massive boulder. Covered in tumors, it exuded a nauseating stench.

It raised a fist and swung it at Chen Feng's head!

Even without eyes, the zombie's movements were unimpeded. Having evolved to the Bronze level, it had developed a rudimentary sense of perception.

Chen Feng looked at the oncoming fist and grinned wickedly, revealing sharp, white teeth like those of a predator.

He raised his hand.

Shlunk!

The Flame Sword plunged straight into the zombie's chest. But that wasn't all. Upon contact, the zombie's chest turned pitch black, its internal organs scorched. Had it been human, it would have died instantly from the burn.

"Urrghh..."

The zombie, seemingly surprised by this, let out a low moan, its movements restrained.

"Too weak."

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed as he pressed down hard on the sword.

Shhhkkk!

The sword sliced cleanly from the zombie's chest to its lower body, spilling its entrails onto the ground. The strike was so sharp that the Bronze Realm zombie was cut in two with a single blow.

"What I hate most is scum like you!"

Almost simultaneously, Chen Feng leaped forward, thrusting the Flame Sword into the zombie's head!

The zombie had no time to react. Its skull split with a sickening crack, brain matter and blood spilling onto the ground in a crimson mess.

It was dead!

This Bronze Realm zombie, impervious even to bullets, was killed so easily by Chen Feng. It didn't even have the chance to use any of its abilities.

Like Awakened beings, evolved zombies have unique abilities. If Chen Feng guessed correctly, this zombie's power was related to the tumors on its body. These black and purple growths emitted a foul odor, likely filled with potent toxins. In battle, if the zombie had managed to detonate them, it would have been nearly impossible to defend against.

But now...

It didn't even have a chance to explode. Chen Feng killed it in just two strikes.

Bronze versus Silver—it was never going to be a fair fight.

Chen Feng glanced at the Flame Sword in his hand, a flash of realization in his eyes. The Balrog's blessing was even more powerful than he had imagined. The sword sliced through the zombie's body as if it were paper, making it a formidable weapon.

In a sneak attack, this sword would be devastating. Even opponents of the same rank, if not defensive Awakened, would have little chance of escaping unharmed!

Wait!

There was still someone else here. Folding away his thoughts, Chen Feng remembered the little girl and walked towards her.

In just a few steps, Chen Feng stood before the girl.

The little girl still had her back to Chen Feng, her body trembling with fear. She hadn't yet recovered from the terror. She seemed to hear his approaching footsteps and slowly began to turn around...

Her skin was pale, almost sickly. As she turned, her long black hair came into view, followed by her forehead. Soon, her face would be fully visible...

Wham!

Just as the girl was about to fully turn around, Chen Feng kicked her squarely in the head, sending her flying backward.

Shlunk!

But that wasn't the end. Chen Feng swiftly swung his sword, severing both of the girl's legs. The wounds instantly cauterized, not a drop of blood spilling out.

The girl lay on the ground in a twisted heap, her legs severed, her face buried in the dirt, motionless—like a corpse.

Chen Feng's face remained expressionless.

Crack!

There was a crisp sound as the girl twisted her neck, then shakily pushed herself up with her knees.

She slowly turned her head.

No!

To be exact, only her head turned.

Her body remained facing away from Chen Feng, but her head swiveled completely around. Her eyes were devoid of whites, entirely black like deep tunnels—dark, cold. Her face was already rotting, and within her nose and ears, one could see wriggling maggots.

This...

All traces of humanity in this creature had been utterly erased...