Chapter 106: Third-Level Evolution

"Using the chance to revive just like that, don't you feel a bit regretful?" In the kitchen, Tang Yingying tilted her head as she looked at the silent Zhao Kuo.

Zhao Kuo sighed, "A little, but as you said, Bai Qi is a good kid."

Tang Yingying smiled, walked over, and gently touched Zhao Kuo's face. She said earnestly, "From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were a man with a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

"Maybe one day I'll have a soft tongue and a sharp heart," Zhao Kuo chuckled, but before he could finish, his lips were met with a warm touch.

Tang Yingying looked at him with curved eyes, "You'll never have a sharp heart, but your lips are as soft as tofu, hehe."

Zhao Kuo embraced Tang Yingying and let his tongue explore.

Regret? Perhaps a little, after all, it was a chance to cheat death once. But to watch Bai Qi die in front of him—he couldn't do it.

Sigh, I decided not to be a saint, so why did my heart soften at the critical moment?

Zhao Kuo buried his head in Tang Yingying's ample bosom and sighed.

Bai Qi's eyelids twitched slightly. He felt as if he had been in a long dream.

In the dream, the world hadn't been ravaged by a zombie apocalypse. That day, he had been happily playing with his roommates.

Two years later, he graduated from school and found a decent internship. At work, he met a girl who always smiled. She often called him silly, but Bai Qi knew he wasn't stupid—he was actually quite clever.

Later, he married the girl and moved into a modest two-bedroom apartment. Though small, it was warm and cozy.

After that, they had a child, a daughter who looked just like her mother, with big eyes that seemed to hold the starlight of the entire universe. His career also took off; he got promoted, received a raise, and earned the trust of his superiors.

Life was peaceful. Their daughter grew up, and he and his wife grew old together.

Later still, their daughter found her soulmate. As he stood at the front of the crowd during her wedding, Bai Qi secretly wiped away his tears.

A few more years passed, and their daughter had a child of her own. The moment he saw his grandchild, it felt like he was back in the days when his daughter was just born.

He felt that he was already happy, happier than anyone else.

"Bai Qi, it's time to wake up."

Bai Qi slowly opened his eyes. The gentle dream was gone, replaced by the familiar, slightly shabby kitchen of the Western restaurant.

Zhao Kuo and Tang Yingying stood beside him. Zhao Kuo, as usual, had an expressionless face, while Tang Yingying was beaming with joy.

"Bai Qi, you're awake!" Tang Yingying's voice was filled with excitement. "You really scared me yesterday."

Bai Qi struggled to sit up and touched the left side of his body, which should have been blown to pieces but was now completely intact.

He looked at Zhao Kuo and Tang Yingying in astonishment, his eyes filled with confusion.

"I… I'm not dead?" Bai Qi's voice trembled, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Tang Yingying smiled and nodded, glancing at Zhao Kuo beside her. "Bai Qi, you should really thank your Brother Zhao. He used a very precious item to save you. Otherwise…"

Bai Qi was stunned. He looked at Zhao Kuo, his eyes filled with gratitude and guilt. "Brother Zhao, I…"

Zhao Kuo patted Bai Qi's shoulder. "What's done is done. No need to say more. Just be careful in the future and don't let me down."

Bai Qi took a deep breath and nodded firmly. He looked at the two of them and said, "Brother Zhao, Sister Ying, I feel like I've mostly recovered. I want to evolve!"

Having brushed with death, Bai Qi had come to fully understand the cruelty of this world and the preciousness of life.

He knew that from this moment on, his life no longer belonged solely to him. For Brother Zhao, for Sister Ying, and for many others, he had to fight with all his might to survive.

Seeing the determination in Bai Qi's eyes, Zhao Kuo nodded.

Though they hadn't known each other for long, Zhao Kuo truly admired this young man before him. He believed that Bai Qi's future would be a bright one.

The [M Virus Core] and five [True M Virus Essences] were placed in front of Bai Qi.

Bai Qi took a deep breath. Without the hesitation he had shown the previous two times, he swallowed them directly.

An unprecedented surge of power rapidly coursed through his body. He could feel his cells madly dividing and reorganizing, as if his entire body was undergoing a monumental transformation.

Pain and torment accompanied the awakening of this power, but Bai Qi clenched his teeth and endured it stubbornly.

He knew this was the necessary path to becoming stronger. Only by enduring such pain could he truly transform.

At the same time, Bai Qi's body underwent another mutation. Blood-red hands emerged from his back, twisting and changing until they intertwined, forming a pair of wings made entirely of blood-red hands.

[Flesh Angel]—a new name appeared above Bai Qi.

Just like the Bloody Frenzy, Bai Qi had stepped into a new stage, gaining some indescribable and miraculous powers.

As time passed, the pain in Bai Qi's body gradually subsided, but a powerful aura began to emanate from him. His eyes became sharp and penetrating, as if they could see through everything in the world. His body also became more robust, with defined muscles and a sense of immense strength.

Coupled with the blood-red wings on his back, he looked particularly sinister, exuding a powerful presence.

"I… I succeeded!" Bai Qi stood up excitedly, waving his fists and feeling the surging power within him.

What surprised Zhao Kuo even more was that under Bai Qi's control, all the mutations on his body retracted at the same time. From the outside, Bai Qi looked no different from an ordinary person, except that he was taller and stronger!

Third-level mutants could hide their mutated organs! This was something Zhao Kuo hadn't anticipated. Did this also mean that he and Tang Yingying could undergo mutations through the M virus?

But the rules of the mall were indeed different from those of the subway world. He wasn't sure if they would be able to retract these abnormalities upon returning to the subway world.

Well, it's better to be cautious.

Bai Qi, having returned to his normal state, was undoubtedly excited. After all, as a human, his mutated body didn't exactly align with aesthetic standards.

Moreover, after reaching the third level of mutation, Bai Qi had gained a new ability.

According to him, the blood-red wings could transform ordinary zombies and even evolved species into his minions, much like a vampire, and they could be controlled by him.

When necessary, he could even absorb the power of his minions for his own use, making it an incredibly powerful ability.

Coupled with his skyrocketing attributes, Zhao Kuo tested him and found that in terms of pure strength, Bai Qi was now no weaker than himself.

Now, it was time to consider leaving this godforsaken place.

...