Chapter 86: Join the Glorious Evolution

Inside the train carriage, Zhao Kuo was video chatting with Gu Shan.

In the video, Gu Shan looked rather miserable. The right side of his face was covered in a bloody mess, with a large chunk of flesh missing.

Zhao Kuo frowned deeply and asked, "So, you're saying you encountered a more advanced zombie monster and almost died at its hands?"

Gu Shan nodded. "It's a mutated zombie called a Screamer. Its abilities are slightly stronger than a first-tier professional but weaker than a second-tier one. It can unleash a scream attack. If you're hit directly by the scream, you'll be stunned. That's how I got injured."

"Are you okay? Could you be infected by the virus?" Zhao Kuo asked.

In most bioweapon-themed works, being bitten or scratched by a zombie leads to infection, turning the victim into a new zombie.

But Gu Shan shook his head. "I just lost some health. There's no infection. That's good news. And…"

As he spoke, Gu Shan pulled out a pulsating, heart-like spherical object and displayed its properties.

[Screamer's Heart: M Virus Essence (Tier 1)]

[Can be consumed directly to gain Bio-Mutation Points. When points reach a certain level, it can trigger the mutation of an organ.]

Mutation? Looking at the pulsating flesh ball in Gu Shan's hand, Zhao Kuo pondered for a moment before saying, "Don't consume it yet. Let's see how others react in the world chat. But I doubt many players have gotten their hands on this."

The rich rely on technology, the poor rely on mutation.

The biggest advantage of mutation is that it has almost no barriers to entry. But the biggest downside is that the direction of mutation is uncertain.

No one can guarantee that this so-called M Virus will mutate organs in a beneficial way. If it mutates into a zombie, it'll be too late to cry about it.

Gu Shan nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought too. That's why I called you. If you encounter a Screamer, don't miss the chance. With your abilities, you should be able to take them down easily."

Gu Shan knew how formidable Zhao Kuo was, not just because of his profession but also because of the items he possessed.

Although Screamers were higher-level zombie mutants, they were still carbon-based life forms. Earlier, Gu Shan had managed to take one down with a burst of AK bullets.

For ordinary players, as long as they had sufficient firepower, there was still a chance to hunt Screamers and obtain M Virus Essence.

However, the process would be much more dangerous than hunting regular monsters.

Zhao Kuo nodded. "Brother Gu Shan, you should be careful too. If you need anything, just let me know."

Gu Shan smiled. "Don't worry, I won't hold back. The zombie horde has retreated. I'll check if the train carriage needs any repairs. You should do the same, especially for critical parts like the wheels. The subway world is only going to get weirder. Stay alert."

With that, Gu Shan ended the call.

By now, the zombie horde outside the carriage had retreated, but the stench still lingered in the air.

Zhao Kuo got off the train with Xiao Bai and Nash.

After devouring a significant amount of zombie virus genes, Nash's body had grown larger. For Nash, this zombie horde had been a feast of nutrients.

Although the horde hadn't managed to board their train, the carriage was still covered in rotting flesh and blood. Some of the wheels were clogged with flesh and bone fragments.

Suppressing his disgust, Zhao Kuo cleared the rotting flesh stuck in the wheels to prevent it from affecting the train's speed.

As for the blood and flesh on the carriage itself, there wasn't much he could do. While Zhao Kuo wasn't short on water, he wasn't extravagant enough to use it to wash the train. He'd have to wait until the next station to see if there were any car-washing services available.

After inspecting the train and confirming there was no damage, Zhao Kuo got back on board.

Once the zombie horde had retreated, the train's automatic propulsion system returned to normal.

Tang Yingying had already prepared breakfast—a pot of porridge with strips of meat. The meat, of course, was monster meat, which had almost negligible negative effects.

"These zombie hordes seem to appear at random intervals. What a hassle," Tang Yingying sighed as she looked at the blood-stained windows.

Whenever a zombie horde appeared, the automatic propulsion system would fail, requiring someone to quickly operate the control panel. Otherwise, if the speed dropped, there was a risk of zombies boarding the train.

Tang Yingying didn't want the train carriage to be covered in blood and zombie parts.

As he ate his porridge, Zhao Kuo asked, "Can't your puppet operate the train?"

Tang Yingying shook her head. "You think I haven't tried? The puppet isn't that advanced. But I have a feeling these zombie hordes aren't as simple as they seem. We'll have to see if we can find some patterns."

Zhao Kuo agreed with Tang Yingying's observation. The zombie hordes weren't that straightforward.

The appearance of ​**[Screamer's Heart: M Virus Essence]** would undoubtedly tempt players who hadn't become professionals. After all, this was their chance to strengthen themselves.

It was worth noting that players who had made it this far without becoming professionals were all tough individuals. They wouldn't miss this opportunity to enhance themselves, even if it meant risking turning into monsters.

Was the appearance of zombie hordes a mechanism in the subway world to balance player strength? Or was there some other purpose?

Zhao Kuo shook his head. In his view, the subway world seemed to possess some kind of will that transcended humanity. His thoughts weren't entirely impossible.

Meanwhile, in another tunnel, Ye Fan, covered in blood, lay in his own train carriage.

He was lucky to have survived the recent zombie horde, thanks to the Desert Eagle pistol in his hand.

But he was down to less than 100 health. If another horde came, he would surely die.

As a non-professional player, only Ye Fan knew how hard it had been to make it this far.

Every time, it felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, struggling and struggling just to grasp a sliver of hope for survival.

If only he were a professional. If only he were a professional.

After a long while, Ye Fan slowly got up from the pool of blood and walked toward the control panel.

But just then, his foot seemed to kick something.

Ye Fan looked down and saw a round, pulsating flesh ball rolling forward, stopping next to the corpse of a dead zombie.

"What… is this?" Ye Fan muttered dazedly. The intense battle had left him physically drained.

He moved mechanically, bending down to pick up the flesh ball.

"Licker's Heart, can cause… mutation…"

The moment he saw the properties of the ball, Ye Fan's lips trembled. Then, a look of desperate longing flashed in his eyes.

Mutation, mutation. He didn't know if it would be a good mutation or a bad one, but if he didn't get stronger, he'd either die in the next zombie horde or somewhere else.

In a desperate situation, as long as he could get stronger, he was willing to pay any price!

Without hesitation, Ye Fan swallowed the Licker's Heart.

The M Virus entered his body almost instantly.

[Player's Mutation Points have reached the threshold. Welcome to join this glorious evolution!]

In that instant, two spider-like red appendages grew from his ribs, waving wildly in the air.