Chapter 100: The Light of Evolution

Brother Zhao is truly formidable!

Bai Qi watched Zhao Kuo dodge and weave between tables and chairs, evading the Licker's attacks, his heart filled with admiration.

But he didn't forget his duty. Using the tables and chairs as cover, he stealthily approached the Licker's position.

However, Zhao Kuo wasn't feeling entirely at ease. The Licker's tongue attacks were incredibly fast, and although the boning knife had successfully hit the target, it clearly hadn't caused much damage.

After all, it was a zombie. Apart from decapitation, other physical damage could basically be ignored, especially for an evolved species.

Moreover, the Licker's tongue had a strong regenerative ability. It seemed to sense the danger, and even though its tongue was injured, it didn't reduce the frequency of its attacks.

Fortunately, Zhao Kuo's attributes were solid, allowing him to stand firm under the Licker's storm-like attacks.

Bai Qi wasn't slow either. Taking advantage of the Licker being completely distracted by Zhao Kuo, he quickly closed the distance, hiding behind a sofa chair.

By now, he was less than five meters away from the Licker!

But the Licker was constantly moving while attacking, making it difficult for Bai Qi to pinpoint its exact location.

Bai Qi knew he only had one chance to ignite the gas cylinder and burn the Licker. If the Licker detected him, this intelligent evolved species would surely flee.

If it escaped, exploring the mall afterward would become even more dangerous.

Bai Qi felt his palms sweating slightly. It was like he was back in the college entrance exam hall—not exactly nervous, but unable to fully calm down.

Zhao Kuo also saw Bai Qi's position. This distance was enough.

So Zhao Kuo stopped playing the back-and-forth game with the Licker. Instead, he swiftly grabbed the incoming tongue.

The barbs on the tongue instantly pierced Zhao Kuo's palm.

But Zhao Kuo just smirked disdainfully. Only 89 points of damage? Even if he took a direct hit, it probably wouldn't exceed 200.

Although it caused a bleeding effect, it was only 3 health points per second.

So Tang Yingying was mostly acting earlier, huh? Zhao Kuo couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.

The Licker, suddenly having its tongue grabbed, was clearly stunned. Its not-too-bright zombie brain couldn't comprehend—how dare this human? It was a zombie, covered in the M virus!

How disrespectful to the undead!

So the Licker grabbed the ground, trying to use brute force to drag the human who had grabbed its tongue over.

Let it taste the power of an evolved zombie!

But it never expected Zhao Kuo's 40-point strength attribute to be no joke. With a squat, Zhao Kuo actually managed to drag the Licker.

Bai Qi, watching from behind the sofa chair, was wide-eyed.

Brother Zhao is just too badass. At this rate, could he handle this thing alone without me?

No, no, Brother Zhao must be doing this to prevent it from escaping.

Clearly, this Licker had evolved from an ordinary zombie. If it escaped, who knows what it might evolve into tomorrow.

Seeing the Locker struggling against Zhao Kuo, Bai Qi didn't hesitate. He opened the valve of the gas cylinder in his hand.

Then he lit the lighter in front of the valve.

The flame instantly illuminated the entire western restaurant, and the roaring fire quickly spread from the gas cylinder's mouth to the Licker's body.

The Licker let out a mournful cry and was immediately set ablaze.

Human bodies are flammable, but they don't catch fire that easily, right? Bai Qi blinked, then chased after the Licker with the gas cylinder, continuing to burn it.

Faced with the flames, the Licker gave up its struggle with Zhao Kuo, bit off its own tongue, and fled in panic.

There was a fountain on the first floor of the mall with water.

But Zhao Kuo wasn't about to give it that chance. He closed the distance and swung a machete over 30 centimeters long at the Licker.

Too bad, he had originally aimed for the head.

The Licker let out a mournful cry and was pinned to the ground by the machete.

The flames roared, and Zhao Kuo, looking at the Licker in front of him, exerted force and chopped it in half.

But it was still a zombie. Even cut in half, the upper body continued to move. So Zhao Kuo decisively chopped off the Licker's head.

At the same time, Bai Qi brought over a fire extinguisher.

After all, they were in a restaurant. If they let the Licker burn and started a fire, it would be bad.

It would be too ridiculous to die in a fire after surviving the zombies.

As the white foam sprayed out, the flames gradually died down. The Licker on the ground had been chopped into three pieces, its body charred from the burning.

"Brother Zhao is amazing!" Bai Qi sincerely praised. Zhao Kuo's final moves convinced him that even without him, Brother Zhao could have handled the Licker alone.

As long as it was a direct fight, the Licker wouldn't stand a chance!

Moreover, like Sister-in-law, Brother Zhao wouldn't mutate either. This kind of physique in a zombie-infested world was practically a bug.

Bai Qi was a straightforward kid and couldn't hold back his questions for long, so he simply asked, "Brother Zhao could handle it alone, so why bring me along?"

Zhao Kuo glanced at him, then bent down to pick up a ball-like object, explaining, "To deal with zombies, especially evolved species, besides your own abilities, experience is also indispensable. To survive in this world for long, fighting is unavoidable."

Zhao Kuo's meaning was simple: after he and Tang Yingying left the mall, they would return to the subway world.

But Bai Qi was different. He was a native of this world, and his future path wouldn't be any easier than his or Tang Yingying's.

Rather than having him die in a fight with a higher-level evolved species later, it was better to start cultivating Bai Qi's experience now. While it couldn't guarantee he wouldn't die, at least it could help him survive longer.

Bai Qi was indeed a good kid.

What Zhao Kuo held in his hand was the essence dropped by an evolved species in the subway world, but this ball now had a new name.

[True·M Virus Essence]

[When combined with 5 ordinary essences, it allows a first-stage mutant to undergo another mutation. The mutation effect is uncertain.]

Allowing a first-stage mutant to undergo another mutation! Zhao Kuo's eyes instantly lit up.

No wonder, even after consuming 3 virus essences, Bai Qi still showed no signs of mutating or evolving. He was missing the key ingredient.

The ordinary virus essence from the subway world had gained a "True" prefix in the mall. It was all so confusing, the line between real and fake blurred.

Zhao Kuo handed the ball to Bai Qi, saying, "This thing can help you evolve again, though there's also the risk of mutation. Whether you want to continue evolving is up to you to consider."

"However, the zombies are starting to evolve. The days ahead will only get tougher."

Zhao Kuo looked into Bai Qi's eyes and saw determination and hope shining back at him.

...