Chapter 33: The Apocalypse Savior’s Substitute (10)

It seemed that these energies, compared to spiritual energy, were more primitive and thus should be easier to absorb. Yet in reality, it was much like comparing milk to enoki mushrooms—both are foods, but while the former is easily digested, the latter is not. For humans, these energies were akin to enoki mushrooms: indigestible, though they could be harnessed through other means. Conversely, harnessing spiritual energy was not so simple for humans, unless they engaged in cultivation or possessed advanced technology.

But these zombies were peculiarly able to absorb these energies. Otherwise, without humans to feed on, most zombies would perish, since they did not eat their own kind and the number of humans was limited—not to mention people were not merely prey at their mercy.

According to the original heroine's actions, she spent nearly her entire life, only in her old age managing to eradicate the zombies from the world. This was largely because zombies could not reproduce. Though they eventually evolved—some even gained a measure of intelligence—it seemed something had gone awry in their genetic evolution. No matter how far they progressed, they remained incapable of reproduction, and this was ultimately why they were wiped out.

Yet after the zombies were cleared, mutated animals proved even more troublesome. After the revival of spiritual energy, these creatures also evolved, and it appeared the ordeal was far from over. However, by then, humanity had already adapted to the new post-apocalyptic society—survival of the fittest, and the resurgence of spiritual energy brought transformation not only to animals but to humans as well.

So, the question of whether eradicating zombies would restore humanity to its former society was moot. Technological advancement had led to physical decline, but Mu Yin was unconcerned.

Such thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Soon, they confronted the zombies directly. Mu Yin wielded her pistol, clashing head-on with them, only to discover these zombies were even more formidable than the evolved ones they had encountered before.

Their strategy was to attract all the zombies, so at first they refrained from using supernatural abilities, relying instead on firearms. The gunfire was meant to draw the zombies toward them. Once the horde was sufficiently attracted, they fought while retreating.

As they lured the zombies away, the rest could seize the opportunity to enter the hospital. Of course, not all zombies could be drawn away, so caution was still necessary. Mu Yin did not linger; her abilities were unique but not overwhelmingly powerful, and she had little to contribute in this particular endeavor.

Her instructions had already been given. How well things turned out depended on them. If, after her warnings, they still failed, then it could only be attributed to fate, and she would have to devise another plan.

As they fled, they did their best to lure the zombies farther away, attracting numerous other low-level zombies along the way. Fortunately, their objective was accomplished, so there was little need for further concern.

Mu Yin remained vigilant throughout, and she noticed the covert manipulations of people from the Congxia Base. On the surface, it appeared the people from Shanghang City Base were in peril, but Mu Yin, ever watchful, realized it was the Congxia group acting in secret. They were very discreet; without careful observation, it would have gone unnoticed.

Since she had discovered this, she felt compelled to intervene. Moreover, because she had previously provided protective symbols, none of their enemies’ plots succeeded. This made them anxious, and when one of the plotters slipped up, the people from Shanghang City noticed, and instantly, both sides—previously united against the zombies—became clearly adversarial.

"You people from Congxia, are you trying to betray humanity?" the hot-tempered soldier barked angrily.

"Watch your words. What do you mean by betraying humanity?" the Congxia Base members denied the accusation.

"If not betrayal, then do you hold a grudge against Shanghang City Base?" The Shanghang City members were no fools. Once suspicion arose, they began to question everything they had overlooked before.

"Of course not. It's all a misunderstanding," the Congxia group insisted.

"Is that so? You’ve tried to harm us several times, and you call that a misunderstanding? If I were to kill you all right now, would that also be a misunderstanding?" The Shanghang City member sneered.

"You misunderstand. It was merely an accident earlier," said one from Congxia, but as he spoke, he suddenly raised his gun and fired. The others from Congxia Base followed suit.

For a moment, the Shanghang City group was caught off guard—no one had anticipated such sudden violence. Fortunately, Mu Yin’s prepared symbols were of the automatic defense type; at the critical moment, their protection was triggered, thwarting the attacks. So, even though few managed to react, no one was injured.

The Congxia Base attackers were stunned that their assault had failed. They had carefully orchestrated a distraction, intending to strike with a weapon guaranteed to kill in one blow, yet it achieved nothing. Not only did their targets escape unscathed, it was as if they possessed impervious bodies.

As the attackers hesitated, Mu Yin spoke: "Take action." Her words had barely left her mouth when the Shanghang City group immediately counterattacked, without a moment’s hesitation—an instinct Mu Yin had instilled in them over the past few days. Though she played a supporting role, she was also an adept leader.

Thus, at the sound of Mu Yin’s voice, everyone instinctively coordinated their response. Ironically, the Congxia Base, who had hoped to catch their foes off guard, found themselves ambushed instead. With Mu Yin’s “cheat” on their side, the Shanghang City group was at a clear advantage. Three Congxia members were killed on the spot, the rest dodged fatal blows but were wounded.

The blood attracted the nearby zombie horde.

Yet, at that moment, both groups ignored the zombies converging upon them, focusing instead on their skirmish. The Shanghang City members had protective symbols; though not truly invulnerable, their defense was greatly enhanced, rendering the enemy’s force largely ineffective. Mu Yin had anticipated this—her greatest advantage with the symbols was physical defense.

Once this became clear, the Congxia Base survivors found cover and switched to supernatural attacks. Their abilities were somewhat stronger than those of Shanghang City, thanks to the spiritual spring water provided by Yu Xinling, which accelerated their enhancement.

But after the initial advantage, it quickly dissipated. The symbols’ effects were time-limited; if not attacked, they could last three hours, but under assault, the duration shortened according to the intensity.

Still, there was a marked difference between the two groups. The Shanghang City members were battle-hardened soldiers, accustomed to missions before the apocalypse and only more formidable since. Compared to the Congxia Base, whose members were ordinary people newly awakened to their powers, the Shanghang City group had far superior combat instincts.