C24 Beyond Expectations

Crack!

The sound of shattering crystal echoed through the air.

The crystal barrier that stood between Chen Yu and Cui Yingying was obliterated in an instant by Chen Yu's thrusting right palm.

Cui Yingying's once-prized crystal defense failed to impede Chen Yu's movements in the slightest.

In the blink of an eye, while Cui Yingying's arm hung suspended midair, her neck was seized by a strong, unyielding grip.

Her throat constricted, her breath caught, and her complexion swiftly turned an abnormal shade of red.

Unfazed, Chen Yu hoisted her up with a firm lift of his arm.

Cui Yingying's legs flailed as she struggled against Chen Yu's grasp.

Chen Yu's intention was merely to teach Cui Yingying a lesson, not to end her life. He released his hold before her eyes could roll back.

Gasping for air, Cui Yingying collapsed to the ground, her breaths coming in heavy pants.

Looking up, she saw Chen Yu's back turned to her. Her eyes, devoid of resentment, shone with a mix of fear and admiration.

Without another glance at Cui Yingying, Chen Yu turned his attention to Bai Zijian.

His instincts whispered that Bai Zijian was on the brink of awakening.

Sure enough, as the lingering sensation in Chen Yu's chest had yet to fade, Bai Zijian's body quivered, and the concrete beneath him began to tremble violently.

Under Chen Yu's silent watch, the solid concrete morphed as if it were pliable dough.

At times, it spiked sharply; at others, it formed a protective wall, among other bizarre configurations.

Bai Zijian possessed Earth Mastery.

He could manipulate the physical state of soil, rocks, and stones, adept in both offense and defense—a trait Chen Yu found highly satisfactory.

Upon witnessing Bai Zijian's powers, Chen Yu's first thought wasn't to maximize his combat potential but rather to ensure Bai Zijian's considerable talents were utilized in future camp construction projects.

Lastly, Liu Xingzhong awoke.

His ability was the most unexpected for Chen Yu...

An attribute amplification ability!

Simply put, he could enhance the powers of other Evolvers. More alarmingly, Liu Xingzhong's gift had a range effect.

A flawless support ability for team battles—enhancing attributes with BUFFs.

Chen Yu believed that Liu Xingzhong's power was nearly on par with Chu Chenhao's gravity enhancement, and perhaps even more crucial in team battles.

This revelation thrilled Chen Yu.

He also realized why they had managed to survive the zombie siege. The trio's combined abilities had easily facilitated the escape of a few from the mall.

Liu Xingzhong's subsequent formation of a thousand-strong team was a testament to their synergistic powers.

Regrettably, five years prior, during their rescue by the government forces, Chen Yu had only heard of Liu Xingzhong and the others. They had never actually met; he was merely a survivor, while Liu Xingzhong's group was honored by the military.

This explained Chen Yu's unfamiliarity with the abilities of Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, and Bai Zijian. Had he known, he would have been ecstatic upon entering the X Supermarket.

Chen Yu's memories spanned five years post-apocalypse, focusing on combat tactics, superpowers, humanity's elite, and key apocalyptic events.

He was immensely pleased with the trio's abilities. With three new superpowered awakeners and twenty-eight Evolvers Chen Yu had trained—stronger than average—zombies stood no chance against the mall.

Only an onslaught by over ten awakened zombies or an attack by the formidable awakened mutated beasts from the zoo could threaten their stronghold.

After delegating tasks, Chen Yu hurried back to his district. His priority was to have Liu Xingzhong distribute crystal nuclei among the survivors to enhance their vitality and prevent zombie infection during the upcoming secondary mutation.

On his way back to the residential area, Chen Yu made the decision to take a longer route towards the zoo. Let's be clear, he wasn't planning to tackle the awakened mutated beasts inside the zoo. Chen Yu was well aware of his limitations. With the Mutated Wolf King and a pair of awakened mutated wolves to contend with, he needed to tread carefully, and that was before even considering the formidable creatures lurking within the zoo.

His intention was purely precautionary. He aimed to scope out the situation en route and acquaint himself with the awakened mutated beasts inside the zoo, to better prepare for any encounters. The mutated beasts residing there posed the greatest threat to his current camp's security, particularly the notorious double-headed crimson-eyed tiger. It demanded Chen Yu's full attention.

The zoo was roughly five to six kilometers away from the residential district in a straight line. However, the journey from X Supermarket required a significant detour, almost ten kilometers in total. As Chen Yu neared the zoo, his combat instincts kicked in, tensing up reflexively at the presence of numerous formidable auras. A few of these were so intense that they sent a shiver down his spine as he drew closer, signaling the presence of truly fearsome creatures.

Roar!

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Even before reaching the zoo's vicinity, the air was filled with the terrifying roars and cries of beasts. The sound waves were so powerful they could shatter glass from a distance. Chen Yu caught sight of a black shadow taking flight from the zoo, its massive body resembling a private plane.

A mutated golden eagle beast!

Chen Yu's eyes darted as he quickly ducked into the shadows of the street, avoiding the searching gaze of the golden eagle beast overhead. This creature had undoubtedly reached its awakened state and its power far exceeded that of a high-level Evolver.

Fixated on the golden eagle beast soaring through the sky, Chen Yu struggled to steady his emotions. It was beyond belief. The apocalypse was only in its second day, and already such a monstrous beast had emerged! He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for not having spent more time during the five years of the apocalypse gathering information about Rorerin. If he had, his mind wouldn't be limited to the scant details he possessed now—like the City of Desolate Beasts, the double-headed crimson-eyed tiger, and the Spear Emperor Shen Yu, among others.

Truth be told, Chen Yu couldn't be held responsible.

Initially, when he was rescued, he was just an average Joe. By the time he had grown into a formidable Evolver, Rorerin had long been forsaken by humanity. What followed was a siege of corpse and beast tides, along with the incursion of extraterrestrial conquerors.

Back then, Chen Yu was constantly in battle, either en route to the front lines or actively engaged in combat.

It never crossed his mind that he would one day revisit the dawn of doomsday.

"The mutated golden eagle beast is already a nightmare..."

"And the double-headed crimson-eyed tiger that reigned supreme over the City of Desolate Beasts, Rorerin—how much more fearsome must it be?"

For a fleeting second, Chen Yu contemplated retreat, debating whether to pull his team out of Rorerin.

But that notion was ephemeral, quickly dismissed by Chen Yu.

Acquainted with the harshness of the apocalypse, he understood all too well.

There's no retreat when facing the end of the world.

To back down now would only lead to an endless cycle of retreats.

"To retreat now, how would that differ from humanity's ultimate surrender after five years?"

"The end result would be the same—a world in silence, a civilization extinguished."

A steely glint flickered in Chen Yu's eyes as he clenched his fists.

He looked up at the vast black shadow spiraling away in the sky.

Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Yu pressed on, resolutely making his way toward the zoo.