Chapter 102: Sudden Evolution

The Berserker, with its limited intelligence, clearly didn't expect Bai Qi's sudden attack. The two bone spikes on Bai Qi's elbows, driven by momentum, pierced straight through the Berserker's face.

Yes, pierced!

The bone spikes that had been launched earlier had limited damage due to kinetic energy, but the spikes on his elbows were different.

In an instant, the Berserker let out a deafening roar and instinctively reached out to tear apart the hateful human in front of it.

But Bai Qi was prepared. The moment the bone spikes pierced the Berserker's face, he kicked off its body with his feet, using the momentum to dodge the attack.

Then, with a sharp tug on the threads connecting the bone spikes to his elbows, an even louder howl echoed through the mall.

Too bad it didn't hit the eyes, Bai Qi thought with regret. Due to not having full control over his body yet, his aim had been slightly off.

But it was fine. This was a good start.

The injured Berserker fell into an even more frenzied state. As it charged toward Bai Qi, it grabbed a nearby zombie and began tearing into it.

Small zombie: Bro, not cool!

Zhao Kuo, watching from the fourth floor, frowned.

However, Bai Qi's reaction was swift. He knew that comparing strength with this enraged monster would put him at a disadvantage. Even if he could win, he'd likely get injured, which wasn't worth it.

So, Bai Qi relied on his speed advantage and began leading the Berserker on a chase, his mind recalling the online games he used to play.

Who said you couldn't learn anything from gaming? Not only had he learned, but he was also putting it into practice.

The Berserker was utterly enraged but couldn't catch the annoying fly in front of it.

Every fierce punch and lunge it made was met with Bai Qi's nimble dodges, as if it were fighting air.

Shelves on the third floor were knocked over one by one, glass shards and merchandise scattering everywhere. Amid the chaos, Bai Qi moved like a ghost, using every inch of space as cover, constantly toying with the behemoth.

"Turn left, jump, roll…" Bai Qi felt like he was playing a game, silently reciting the commands in his mind. Every move was precise, turning the real-life battle into a dazzling performance.

His figure darted left and right, sometimes appearing in the Berserker's blind spot, sometimes using the mall's decorations for quick movement, keeping the Berserker exhausted but always just out of reach.

Zhao Kuo, watching from the fourth floor, felt a flicker of surprise and admiration.

He realized that Bai Qi wasn't just an ordinary survivor. He possessed extraordinary talent, and if nurtured, this kid could carve out a place for himself in this apocalyptic world!

As time passed, the Berserker's stamina gradually depleted, its movements becoming sluggish and clumsy.

The time had come! A glint appeared in Bai Qi's eyes. He deliberately slowed down, luring the Berserker into one final charge. Then, just as it was about to pounce, he sidestepped, using the Berserker's own momentum to send it crashing into a thick concrete pillar in the center of the mall.

"Boom!" A loud crash echoed as the Berserker's body slammed into the pillar, the sound of bones breaking clearly audible.

The Berserker's strength was formidable, but it was no match for a massive concrete pillar.

Seizing the opportunity, Bai Qi closed in, driving the bone spikes on his elbows into the Berserker's head once more. This time, it was a direct hit, piercing straight through the eye socket.

A pained howl erupted from the nearly exhausted Berserker.

Bai Qi picked up the boning knife, ready to decapitate the Berserker and end this disgusting creature once and for all.

But at that moment, a whistling sound came from behind, accompanied by Zhao Kuo's warning: "Watch out behind you!"

Without hesitation, Bai Qi performed a wild dog pounce, landing on the ground in a clumsy but effective dodge.

At the same time, a figure slowly appeared behind where Bai Qi had been standing.

[Lurker!]

This special evolved zombie could turn invisible, but only optically. Zhao Kuo had spotted its sudden appearance through the lighting and, without hesitation, threw his boning knife.

The split-second intuition and judgment proved correct.

The Lurker, now revealed, was actually smaller than an ordinary zombie, standing at only about 1.2 meters tall, with a malnourished, deformed appearance.

Once discovered, the Lurker tried to flee, but in the next moment, a large hand grabbed it.

It wasn't Zhao Kuo or Bai Qi—it was the Berserker, lying on the ground and now blind!

The Berserker's pierced eyes seemed to see everything. Relying on instinct and the remnants of strength from its pain, it miraculously locked onto the fleeing Lurker.

Its hand, twisted and deformed from the earlier collision, clamped down on the Lurker's throat like a vice.

The Lurker struggled in terror, its thin limbs flailing in the air, but against the Berserker's massive frame, all resistance was futile.

Its invisibility seemed so insignificant now, as true fear came from the threat to its life, not from visual concealment.

Bai Qi, lying on the ground, witnessed this sudden turn of events. Shocked but quick to seize the opportunity, he rolled to his feet, the boning knife in his hand slicing through the air as he aimed for the Berserker's back.

However, the Berserker seemed to sense the danger. At the last moment, it used its other arm to block the strike, the blade embedding deeply into its muscle but failing to penetrate completely!

Then, the sound of chewing filled the air as the Berserker shoved the Lurker's head into its mouth, gnawing on it.

The "crunch, crunch" sounds sent chills down Bai Qi's spine.

Suddenly, the monster's body began to mutate. Its wounds no longer simply bled but instead surged with a dark red glow, like polluted blood boiling.

Its muscles rapidly expanded, veins bulging beneath its skin, and its entire body exuded a sinister, terrifying aura.

The Lurker's body, consumed by this power, quickly withered, as if all its life force had been drained, eventually dissolving into a pool of blood that merged with the Berserker.

And the Berserker, in this horrifying process of absorption, underwent some unknown evolution. Its body grew even larger, its strength surging, and its destroyed eyes regenerated, now glowing with a faint crimson light.

"What is this… evolution?" Bai Qi muttered to himself. He realized that the monster before him was no longer the same opponent he could easily outmaneuver with speed and skill.

Its strength, speed, and even its awareness of its surroundings had reached a whole new level.

The air in the mall seemed to freeze. Zhao Kuo, on the fourth floor, also sensed the terrifying change below. His expression turned grave.

He knew that Bai Qi alone might not be able to handle this newly evolved monstrosity.

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