Li Xuan’s Evolution Journey
Li Xuan exchanged the 21 zombie crystal cores he had obtained, adding them to the 5 he'd collected from killing zombies earlier, totaling 26 cores. He wiped one crystal core clean and consumed it on the spot.
Ten seconds later…
A familiar scorching sensation surged from his chest, spreading to every part of his body. Simultaneously, a warm current rushed straight to his mind.
He was fully prepared for the pain that usually followed. However, this time, he only felt a mild stinging and a burning heat throughout his body—
And that was it.
Recovery and Hunger
Half an hour later, Li Xuan returned to normal. All his fatigue vanished, but an overwhelming hunger quickly overtook him. It felt like he would starve to death if he didn't eat something immediately.
Panicked, he retrieved a whole roasted suckling pig from his mental storage space. It was a specialty dish from Shuangxi Restaurant—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, bursting with flavor, and surprisingly not greasy.
Li Xuan devoured it like a madman.
In no time, he had stripped the pig clean. Despite eating an entire pig, he only felt about 70% full.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a roasted chicken and continued feasting.
After finishing the entire chicken, he finally felt somewhat satisfied.
Realization
"It seems that consuming zombie crystal cores requires plenty of food. Otherwise, I'd end up starving myself!"
"The body's evolution demands a tremendous amount of energy, which must be replenished through excessive eating. If not, the energy deficit will trigger unbearable hunger."
Li Xuan hesitated for a moment before taking out another zombie crystal core and swallowing it.
Once again, the scorching sensation flooded his body.
This cycle continued—
Li Xuan devoured all the food he had stored, consuming a total of eight zombie crystal cores.
His mental storage space expanded to 11 cubic meters.
The Awakening of a New Power
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed in his mind, jolting his spirit.
It felt like he had been struck by lightning.
The next moment, something incredible happened.
Li Xuan's palm suddenly manifested an invisible blade made of pure spatial energy.
With a flick of his wrist, the space blade shot out, slicing through reinforced glass and cleanly cutting a stone lion ten meters away in half.
The stone lion, made of solid concrete, crumbled like tofu under the blade's power.
Li Xuan was shocked by his newfound ability
The space blade was invisible, weightless, and eerily silent.
The Team's Reaction
"What's going on?"
Hearing the commotion, the five evolved teammates—Zhang Qiang, Zhou Xiaoqian, Red Hair, Eagle, and Shadow—rushed outside.
Zhang Qiang led the charge.
They were stunned to see the neatly sliced stone lion at the villa's entrance.
"This… was fine when we arrived, right?"
"It's been cut clean in half? The cut is so smooth, like slicing through butter. If that hit any of us, we'd be dead before we knew it!"
"This could be the work of a Level 3 ability user or a Level 2 evolved with spatial powers. Either way, it means someone incredibly strong is nearby."
Zhang Qiang's face turned grim. Even as a Level 2 evolved, he felt uneasy facing such an unknown threat.
"But… why would such a powerhouse do this? Is it a warning? A demonstration of power? And where's the person? We haven't seen anyone!"
Shadow scouted the area swiftly but found no trace of the mysterious individual.
Such an expert was like a phantom—impossible to track, their strength far beyond the team's comprehension.
"Stop searching. If this person wanted to kill us, none of us would stand a chance."
"They likely meant no harm. Maybe it was just a warning."
"Wait—where's Li Xuan?"
Li Xuan's Condition
"Captain, I think Li Xuan passed out from hunger!"
"This guy consumed crystal cores without saving any food for himself and literally starved himself unconscious. What a rookie—hilarious!"
"Pour some rice soup down his throat. Let's not actually starve him to death. He's had pretty good luck since joining us—found a ton of food. Maybe he's got that 'lucky charm' effect. He might be useful later."
"Got it, Captain!"
Zhou Xiaoqian and Shadow fed Li Xuan two bowls of rice soup.
Afterward, the five evolved members returned to their rooms to consume zombie crystal cores.
They didn't lack cores—what they lacked was food.
Without enough to eat, they wouldn't dare consume cores, as the hunger would become unbearable.
Now that they were well-fed, it was the perfect time to evolve.
The Dark Apocalypse
The apocalyptic night was pitch black.
The city had no lights.
From time to time, the roars of zombies and mutated beasts echoed through the streets.
Compared to the vibrant nightlife of the past, darkness had become terrifying, capable of crushing the will to survive.
In this world, people struggled painfully, watching their loved ones die one by one.
Sometimes, survival itself felt like torture.
Li Xuan's New Life
9 AM.
Li Xuan woke up from his deep sleep.
With a thought, he summoned all the gold jewelry, gold bars, and the 13 remaining zombie crystal cores.
Yesterday's harvest had been bountiful.
If he guessed correctly, his apocalyptic counterpart had probably advanced to a Level 2 ability user—otherwise, it would've been impossible to develop a skill like the space blade.
Determined to Catch Up
Li Xuan picked up his phone and called Sun Xiaobiao.
"Boss, what can I do for you?"
"Xiao Sun, prepare food for 100 people—fresh vegetables, fruits, rice, and two boxes of snacks. Deliver them to Yucheng Jade Garden, Unit 501."
"Got it, boss. I'll get it done right away!"
Two hours later, the supplies were delivered to his doorstep.
Li Xuan took out a zombie crystal core and consumed it immediately.
The Evolution Continues
A burning sensation erupted from his stomach, spreading to every part of his body.
An hour later…
Li Xuan began eating like a man possessed.
After satisfying his hunger, he consumed another crystal core.
This cycle repeated over and over.
By the time he had consumed his ninth crystal core, his body weight had dropped to 150 pounds.
Despite his intense eating, he'd effectively "slimmed down."
His body was now pure muscle, with defined eight-pack abs and a perfect V-shaped physique.
Mental Space Expansion
"My mental storage space has increased to 20 cubic meters!"
"Now I can store an abundance of supplies!"
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed in his mind again, and an excruciating headache hit him like a sledgehammer.
Li Xuan fainted on the spot.
But before he lost consciousness, he noticed something extraordinary—
Even with his eyes closed, he could still see everything around him clearly:
A moldy apple on the table
Spider webs in the corners
Coins under the bed
Stray hairs in the bathroom
A smelly sock inside the washing machine
The Birth of Telekinesis
To his amazement, with just a thought, the moldy apple began to float in mid-air—
Suspended effortlessly, without any support.
And then, he completely blacked out.