The Absolute Favorite in the Apocalyptic Rebirth

At midnight, Lou Ling suddenly awoke. A peculiar sensation washed over her, like a voice calling from within her mind, urging her to leave, to keep moving forward. Five years of apocalyptic survival had honed her vigilance. She woke instantly, filled with unease, suspecting she might be under the influence of a psychic zombie. She immediately shared her concerns with Lou Dian, who also sat up.

Lou Dian appeared alert, as if he hadn't been sleeping at all. A glint of light, predatory as a wild beast's, flashed in his eyes before quickly fading. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissed her lips, and soothed, "Don't overthink it. You're probably just tired."

Lou Ling was speechless at his blatant lie. She rolled her eyes at him and lay back down. There were people keeping watch outside, so sleep was a precious commodity. There was no telling when she'd get another chance to rest properly. She should take advantage of the opportunity. And speaking of which, she was grateful to Feng Shaohuang for his care, though she didn't understand his motives. But hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Lou Dian gently stroked her shoulder-length hair until her breathing deepened. Only then did he look out the window, a chilling, bloodthirsty smile playing on his lips.

The next morning, after a meager breakfast of dry rations, the group set off to explore the National Security Bureau base.

Before their departure, Feng Shaohuang had divided the fifty or so people into ten teams of five, appointed team leaders, and instructed everyone to safeguard their communicators. They were to report any situation immediately. The search was to last three days, and everyone was to return to the rendezvous point regardless of their findings.

The communicators were developed by the Capital Base Research Institute to facilitate communication. Adapted to the chaotic magnetic field of the blue planet, they also possessed functions to detect zombies, mutated animals, and plants. This advanced technology far surpassed that of previous mobile phones. At this rate of technological advancement, it was likely that personalized terminals and DNA-linked identity chips would soon emerge. Then, even if zombies evolved into human forms, humans would have the means to distinguish them.

The apocalypse's greatest contribution was ushering the blue planet into a new era of rapid technological and ability development.

Lou Dian, Lou Ling, Lin Baobao, Tan Mo, and Qiu Dongping, an ability user from the Southeast Base, formed one team. Zhang Chufeng, originally from the Northwest Base, was assigned to another team. The goal was to ensure each team had at least one ability user above level six to increase their chances of survival.

Lou Dian pulled out a map. The others, except for the indifferent Tan Mo, leaned in to examine it.

Pointing to a specific area on the map, Lou Dian said, "Our search zone is here." After they'd all seen it, he folded the map and continued, his voice gentle, "This is a gamble, a gamble between humans and zombies. We'll see who wins in the end. Don't underestimate the intelligence of evolved zombies. Failure means death."

Lou Ling and the others remained silent. Only Qiu Dongping, who had joined them midway, was deeply shaken. He was a man in his early thirties, with ordinary features and level-five fire abilities. He was considered a strong individual in the Southeast Base, even holding his own against level-six ability users. However, he always felt pressured in Feng Shaohuang's presence. He had thought Feng Shaohuang exerted the most pressure, but facing Lou Dian, he felt an overwhelming, almost suffocating force, like a mountain or an abyss.

Strength always had a voice, standing at the very top.

Due to Lou Dian's intimidating presence and Qiu Dongping's pragmatism, their team progressed smoothly. Upon reaching their designated search area, Lou Dian surveyed the surroundings and led them towards a large building.

As they entered the building's lobby, a grating screech echoed from the ceiling chandelier. Their vision blurred, and a gust of fetid air rushed towards them.

"Roar!"

Tan Mo roared, his body arching like a wild beast as he charged forward, exchanging blows in a matter of seconds.

"Tan Mo, come back!"

At Lin Baobao's command, the beast-like man ceased his pursuit and returned to the entrance, standing with the others, his expression sullen from the interrupted fight. A pat on the shoulder from Lin Baobao calmed him. Years of training had finally paid off; he was obedient now.

Now they could see their attacker: a small zombie resembling a normal seven or eight-year-old boy. He had a childish, innocent face and wore dirty blue overalls. His skin was slightly bluish, like that of a malnourished child, but his blood-red eyes betrayed his true nature.

Before his transformation, the small zombie had been just a child.

Though heartbreaking, the child was now a level-six zombie, locked in a life-or-death struggle with humanity, destined to devour or be devoured, forever unable to coexist peacefully.

Everyone present was a battle-hardened ability user. Though the small zombie evoked memories and sadness for the world before the apocalypse, the conflict between humans and zombies was irreconcilable. Dwelling on it was futile. Lou Ling, Lin Baobao, and Qiu Dongping joined forces, finally killing the small zombie. Qiu Dongping incinerated the body with his fire and collected the crystal nucleus.

"Good. Keep it up," Lou Dian said with a smile, pleased with their efficiency.

Though Lou Dian hadn't participated, no one objected, tacitly acknowledging him as their leader. Since they could handle these opponents, it was best for Lou Dian to conserve his strength until a critical moment. He was their trump card. They noticed he killed zombies with ease; level-six zombies were like children before him, utterly defenseless.

What level ability user was he?

Suddenly, a cold gaze swept over them. Qiu Dongping realized he had been staring at Lou Dian and Lou Ling, and he broke out in a cold sweat. The man had probably thought he was staring at Lou Ling and was giving him a warning.

For his future's sake, Qiu Dongping decided to keep his distance.

His gaze shifted to Tan Mo, who was happily gnawing on dried meat. Initially, like the others, he had considered Tan Mo a brain-damaged fool, albeit with unique abilities. He was like a wild beast with astonishing destructive power, unafraid of zombie attacks. But his destructive power was even more surprising. Many zombies were killed by his thin blade, sliced a thousand times.

These people were strong!

Reaching this conclusion, Qiu Dongping felt reassured, believing he would return safely. What could be better than survival?

While Qiu Dongping felt comforted and optimistic about the future, the other nine teams suffered casualties. More than ten level-five ability users had died, and the scent of blood attracted more zombies from the shadows.

On the afternoon of the third day, Lou Dian felt the communicator against his skin vibrate. He took it out and saw an emergency signal from Feng Shaohuang.

"Zombie King sighted."

Lou Dian's expression was unreadable. He smiled faintly. With such casualties, the Zombie King had finally been lured out. It hadn't been easy. The Zombie King possessed human-like intelligence. It knew their purpose and coveted the ability users' crystal nuclei. So it had sent out many underlings to harass and eliminate them. However, even with human-like intelligence, zombies couldn't overcome their bloodthirsty instincts, drawn uncontrollably to the scent of blood. The Zombie King was no exception.

Upon hearing the news, the other four perked up and looked at Lou Dian.

Lou Dian put away the communicator, grabbed Lou Ling's hand, and said, "Follow me!"

The others glanced at his blatant protectiveness of Lou Ling, then silently followed, dealing with zombies that sprang from the shadows. It took them an hour to reach their destination.

The faint scent of blood hung in the air. As they arrived, they saw a dozen people battling a group of level-six zombies.

Qiu Dongping's pupils constricted. So many level-six zombies. He was once again reminded of the terrifying speed of zombie evolution. If they weren't eliminated, humanity's true doomsday would arrive. Zombies were widespread, not just here. Many formerly densely populated areas also had numerous zombies, likely including many level-six ones. This meant humanity had a long road ahead. True peace wouldn't come until every last zombie was eradicated.

Besides zombies, there were also man-eating mutated beasts and plants. Humans were no longer at the top of the food chain…

While Qiu Dongping's thoughts raced, Lou Ling, Lin Baobao, and the others, seeing the battle ahead, automatically grabbed their weapons and joined the fight.

Lou Dian casually killed a zombie and scanned the surroundings with his psychic power. His psychic level was exceptionally high, likely unmatched among humans. Everything was within his psychic grasp. But it wasn't omnipotent. If something deliberately concealed its presence and suppressed its aura, even his psychic power couldn't detect it.

So, after scanning the area, he couldn't find the Zombie King or Feng Shaohuang.

With combined effort, they finally killed the zombies after some time.

Lou Dian and his team looked relatively clean and energetic. In contrast, the other group's clothes were damaged and bloodstained, and they looked exhausted, as if they hadn't slept in days.

Naturally, Lou Dian's team's appearance shocked them. Not only were all five members unharmed, but their energy levels were incredibly high. Had they not encountered any zombies in their assigned area? Or had Feng Shaohuang shown favoritism and taken special care of them? Remembering their fallen comrades and the relentless fighting with only two hours of rest in two days, they looked at the five with resentment, especially Lou Ling. Their gazes implied she was a promiscuous woman, vying for the attention of two powerful men.

Lou Ling remained expressionless, feeling wronged. They had encountered plenty of zombies, but they had eliminated them preemptively. The journey had been dangerous. It was all thanks to Lou Dian's presence, not because of the chosen search area or special treatment. This world was so unfair to women, only seeing the surface and not her efforts. She wasn't just hiding behind a man.

"Major Feng went ahead," a female ability user said grimly, glancing at Lou Ling. "You shouldn't go. It's best to avoid…"

Though she didn't finish her sentence, everyone understood her implication as she stared at Lou Ling.

Lin Baobao suddenly smiled brightly. "Auntie, if you're too old and tired, don't take on these missions. Next time, just stay at the base and have babies."

"You—"

Lou Dian's gaze sharpened. He flicked his finger forward. A deafening boom erupted. As everyone watched in shock, a building collapsed. Several figures leaped out, their gaunt, terrifying faces visible amidst the dust and smoke. Lou Dian flicked his fingers again, and the figures' heads exploded mid-air, their bodies falling to the ground with a thud.

"…"

Besides the lingering echoes, an eerie silence fell.

Lou Dian gave the remaining people a chilling look, a bloodthirsty smile on his face. "That's all it takes."

That's all it takes…

All it takes…

It takes…

After Lou Dian and his team left, the remaining people's faces flushed red, but their eyes held a strange fear. In that instant, they had felt the overwhelming power of destruction at his fingertips. It was terrifying.

Lou Dian's sudden display of power reminded them of the earlier incident outside. With such a powerful leader, their teammates could indeed be protected. There was no favoritism from Feng Shaohuang. Realizing this, the others glanced at the woman who had made the sarcastic remarks, then ignored her livid face and hurried after Lou Dian's group.

Since they knew his strength, it was natural to stay close to the powerful for safety.

They hurried on, unknowingly arriving at a warehouse-like area.

The place was eerily quiet.

Everyone stopped with Lou Dian. As they exchanged uneasy glances, a flurry of flapping wings erupted from the warehouse. A flock of zombie crows flew out, their sharp beaks aimed at them.

Lou Dian extended his hand, and invisible psychic power formed a net, trapping the zombie crows. With a twist of his hand, the crows turned into a pile of mush, emitting a strong, putrid odor.

"Quickly, hide in the building ahead!" someone shouted.

They ran towards a building in the opposite direction, about a thousand meters away. The journey was fraught with attacks from zombie crows, adding to their difficulties.

Just as they reached the building, a loud boom resonated. The warehouse exploded. Amidst the dust and smoke, two figures leaped out, landing on the warehouse's damaged roof.

An immense pressure descended, making it difficult to breathe. Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads.

"Roar—"

A beast-like roar echoed from the roof. Countless flapping wings filled the sky, making their scalps crawl. Not only that, but they sensed zombies converging from all directions, high and low level, along with many zombie animals. It was as if they had heard the king's call, all rushing towards this location.

Their faces paled. They had stumbled into a zombie nest, completely surrounded. With so many zombies, their group of twenty or thirty, even as strong ability users, couldn't withstand the onslaught of high-level zombies. Their abilities would eventually deplete. What then?

They retreated into the building as quickly as possible, using the doors and windows as barriers. Everyone began using their abilities to kill the approaching zombies.

As the zombies surged forward, Lou Ling noticed someone carrying another person running towards them from a corner. Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly recognized the man as Li Chuan, whom she had met a few times. The person he carried was Liu Ji, his face covered in blood.

Lou Ling immediately directed her mutant vine, extending a tendril to wrap around Li Chuan's waist, pulling him and Liu Ji towards them. Those guarding the window quickly dragged them inside.

Liu Ji was unconscious. Li Chuan was also in bad shape, but he held on, quickly telling them, "That Zombie King is too cunning. It ambushed us from the shadows. Several team members died. Only the captain can handle it. It was hiding in the warehouse earlier. There are many weapons there. We didn't expect it to know how to use them…"

Everyone looked towards the two figures fighting on the warehouse roof. They looked like two human men, with no discernible difference except for the blood-red eyes of one, revealing his true nature as a mutated zombie.

After receiving an antidote, Liu Ji quickly regained consciousness, but he couldn't move. He said anxiously, "Major… Major Feng…"

Li Chuan dragged him further inside for protection. Outside, zombies began slamming against the walls, and zombie animals dug at the ground, attempting to breach their defenses. There were too many to defend against. Lou Dian enveloped the entire building with his psychic power, repelling the zombies and mutated beasts. However, none of them left, all eyeing them hungrily.

Suddenly, a boom echoed from the distance, drawing their attention.

"Who lost?" Liu Ji asked anxiously.

The others remained silent. Li Chuan swallowed, fear flashing in his eyes. His expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, "Major Feng…"

As they watched, Feng Shaohuang was blasted to the ground by the Zombie King, his body creating a large crater upon impact. Zombies and zombie beasts surrounded the crater. Feng Shaohuang coughed, spitting out blood mixed with flesh, his expression haggard. The Zombie King jumped down from the roof and lunged towards Feng Shaohuang, raising its hand towards his head.

The hand's skin looked human, only the black nails glinting ominously in the sunlight. It was about to grab Feng Shaohuang's head, aiming to extract his crystal nucleus.

Feng Shaohuang dodged, but as he did, several earth spikes erupted from the ground, piercing his thighs.

"Ah—"

It was a brutal massacre. Everyone watched with bated breath, their hearts pounding. If Feng Shaohuang lost…

With his limbs impaled and pinned to the ground by earth spikes, Feng Shaohuang braced for another attack. Suddenly, a whooshing sound cut through the air. The Zombie King's fingers were severed at the base.

"Roar—"

Its blood-red eyes glared towards the ability users. Only then did they see clearly that it was a handsome man with skin so pale it seemed he had never seen the sun. He was impeccably dressed in a neat suit, exuding an imposing aura, looking nothing like a grotesque zombie.

Lou Dian suddenly pushed the wary Lou Ling towards Lin Baobao. As Lin Baobao instinctively embraced her, Lou Dian calmly walked out of the house, shielded by his psychic barrier. A protective film seemed to surround him, parting the zombies as he passed. Any zombie that attempted to attack had its head explode.

The Zombie King watched him warily, but seeing its severed fingers, it roared in fury. Yet, for some reason, it retreated as Lou Dian approached.

Lou Dian looked down at the battered man on the ground, smiled coldly, and pulled him up, tossing him towards the doorway, just within the range of his psychic barrier.

As Feng Shaohuang was dragged into the house, his wounds were jostled, causing him to cough up more blood and flesh, indicating severe internal injuries. He looked weak, but his eyes were bright, fixated on the battle outside, oblivious to those tending to his wounds.

Liu Ji's gaze shifted from Feng Shaohuang to Lou Dian outside, then to Lou Ling, who stood with Lin Baobao and the others. His eyes flickered. Only when the usually indifferent Tan Mo turned and bared his teeth at him in warning did he reluctantly avert his gaze, lowering his head.

Li Chuan, who had also been watching the fight, noticed Liu Ji's actions. His eyes narrowed, and he pressed Liu Ji's head down, hissing, "Don't try anything funny. Major Feng will kill you."

Liu Ji protested weakly, "That woman is no good. Help me get rid of her. Major Feng won't be bothered by her anymore…" He wasn't a fool. He had noticed Feng Shaohuang's actions.

"Slap!"

Li Chuan slapped him, gritting his teeth. "How dare you speculate about Major Feng's affairs? What business is it of yours? Just focus on staying alive! Mind your own business!" Seeing his continued defiance, he hissed, "Don't you know how much Major Feng cares for her—Forget it. After this mission, you won't cross paths again anyway. Give it up!"

Liu Ji wanted to say more, but Feng Shaohuang, who had been watching the battle, suddenly turned his gaze towards the woman in the crowd. His expression was complex, filled with pain, love, loss, tenderness… Finally, it all melted into acceptance, as if her survival was the most precious thing to him.

Seeing this, Liu Ji fell silent. Feng Shaohuang was his idol, his hope for the future. He didn't want anyone holding him back. But if he had let go, then so be it.

Lou Ling stared intently outside, her palms sweating. She worried Lou Dian would end up like Feng Shaohuang. Even though Lou Dian seemed to have the upper hand, she couldn't shake her anxiety. But when she saw Lou Dian punch a hole through the Zombie King's stomach, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone relaxed slightly.

But their relief was short-lived. The hole in its stomach didn't faze the zombie. As long as its head and crystal nucleus were intact, it wouldn't die.

The still-active Zombie King made their hearts clench again.

Lou Dian lowered his eyes, concealing his emotions. He swept his leg, kicking away the charging Zombie King. To the Zombie King, his and Feng Shaohuang's crystal nuclei were irresistibly alluring. If he didn't kill it today, it would kill him. He flicked his fingers, sending spatial blades flying, slicing off layers of the Zombie King's flesh.

The fight moved back to the warehouse roof. Lou Dian used teleportation to create distance, unleashing his immense psychic power to bind the Zombie King. He then flicked his fingers repeatedly, aiming for the trapped Zombie King's head.

Boom—

A powerful explosion rocked the ground below. Lou Dian coughed up blood from the impact, but he maintained control of his spatial blades, causing the Zombie King's head to explode.

Before its death, the Zombie King had triggered an explosion with earth spikes, causing the warehouse to collapse. The shockwave rippled outwards, affecting the summoned zombies, zombie animals, and the people inside the building. Everyone reacted instantly, using their abilities to their fullest to shield themselves from the blast.

When the explosion finally subsided, half the building was destroyed, and everyone was covered in dust and debris.

Lou Ling coughed up blood, scrambled to her feet, and rushed outside.

"Lou Dian—"

Outside, smoke and dust filled the air. The explosion's power had been immense, sending countless zombies flying, their bodies mangled. Even those still alive couldn't immediately attack.

Lou Ling commanded her mutant vine to clear a path, wielding her gray staff, striking down any zombies that attacked through the smoke. She was like a force of nature, unstoppable. Behind her, Lin Baobao, Tan Mo, Qiu Dongping, Zhang Chufeng, and the others followed, clearing a path for her and searching for Lou Dian amidst the debris.

"Lou Dian—Where are you?" Her voice was thick with emotion, no longer caring if it attracted zombies. She searched the warehouse ruins for any sign of him, the lingering smoke stinging her eyes, but she didn't dare blink.

"I'm here!"

His gentle, clear voice, just like before, accompanied by an embrace.

Two days later, after clearing the remaining zombies, they finally left the battlefield.

They had arrived with over fifty people, but only twenty-five returned, having lost more than half their number.

Before leaving, they looked back at the abandoned base, the stench of decay lingering in the air, knowing this was just the beginning.

When zombies were eradicated from the blue planet, humanity would usher in a new era.

Author's Note:

Today's Goal:

Lou Ling's Goal: Finish, finish!

Lou Dian's Goal: Alright, it's finished!

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