C7 The Thrilling Battle

Startled by Jiang Feng's sudden outburst, Urendir felt a twinge of fear. It was her first time facing such an incident, where someone yelled with what seemed like a fiery temper.

"Why get so worked up all of a sudden? Just talk," she said.

About to react with anger, Urendir caught sight of the tears brimming in Jiang Feng's eyes.

"What's wrong?" she inquired gently.

"Urendir, do you realize? The fate of our world rests in our hands," Jiang Feng implored, locking eyes with her.

"I... I..." Urendir struggled to grasp the full weight of his words, yet she sensed the resolve in him.

With a slight bow of her head and fists clenched, Urendir grappled with her inner turmoil. Was she to act for the world at large or for those close to her? A hero saves one, an emperor saves all. What decision would Urendir come to?

After a long internal battle, she finally shook her head and sighed.

"Alright, I'll heed your advice this time and not rush into things."

"So, are you prepared to embark on this path of kingship?"

"I have no desire to be a king. All I can say is that I've always seen every mission through to the end, and this occasion will be no different. I'll support you."

"Thank... Thank you," Jiang Feng managed to choke out, his head bowed as he remained standing.

The two stood there, facing each other, heads bowed, listening to the persistent vibration of their cell phones.

At 10:10 a.m., the vibration ceased.

Watching the tears stream down Jiang Feng's face, Urendir's understanding deepened. His tears were for Director-general Lee...

Letting go of Director-general Lee was far from easy for Jiang Feng. Over the past two years, Lee had become family to him, not by blood but in every other way.

Whether it was the swallowed funds or a promise made to his father, the care and attention he received from Lee over those years were etched in his memory.

A final text message lingered on Jiang Feng's phone: "Little Feng, take care."

By 10:30 a.m., an eerie silence had settled in Jiang Feng's room. The three of them sat on the couch, enveloped in the cacophony of distant cries, police sirens, and fire alarms.

Urendir slumped into the sofa, releasing a heavy sigh toward the ceiling. Her mind wandered back to the document's explanation about cyanofluorine gas and zombies:

Cyanofluorine gas carries super radiation that, upon entering an organism, stimulates genes and fortifies cells. It's the harbinger of humanity's apocalypse, yet paradoxically, it's the cradle of biological evolution and the cornerstone for merging with elemental powers.

Every living being would mutate. Initially, their hunger would intensify, then, through feeding and combat, they would steadily grow stronger and smarter. Essentially, it meant a global onset of genetic mutations and rampant evolution.

Human evolution, however, would bifurcate into two distinct paths: orderly and disorderly.

Initially, a low concentration of cyanofluorine gas seeped into Bluecliff City, triggering evolution in those with compromised immune systems and frail health. Ninety percent of those exposed to the radiation would undergo disorderly evolution, turning into what we commonly refer to as zombies.

Zombies are, in essence, still living beings, albeit stripped of memories and intellect, as if systemically reset to a primal state, driven solely by the instinct to hunt. Their skin would darken and gray, their bodies grotesquely mutating, rendering them a unique and terrifying lifeform.

Despite their diminished intellect, zombies possessed enhanced muscular strength and speed, far surpassing any ordinary human. Without firearms or ammunition, humans stood no chance against them, as helpless as mice before cats. And with each hunt, each kill, the zombies would only grow stronger. Over time, their intelligence would creep upward, though never surpassing that of humans.

Conversely, a select few affected by the radiation would experience orderly evolution, retaining their intellect while gaining strength and resilience akin to zombies through combat and predation. These individuals, unmarred by physical deformities, were dubbed the new humans or, by some, biochemical humans.

Within days, cyanofluorine gas had enveloped every corner of the globe, igniting frenzied slaughters worldwide. But the true downfall would come about a month later when the gas concentration in the atmosphere hit its peak. By then, even healthy humans and animals with robust immune systems would succumb to the gas, unable to escape its omnipresent grasp, even if they evaded the zombies' clutches.

At that moment, the entire world had succumbed. Those who had survived were the new humans, the ones who had successfully undergone ordered evolution.

Urendir shattered the silence in the room, taking the lead, "Jiang Feng, if the documents are correct and there's a 90% chance of turning into a zombie, does that mean only 800 million people are left worldwide?"

"You're oversimplifying it. The majority of transformations aren't due to gas but from being besieged by zombies. Imagine, if someone gets bitten, they might turn into a bio-human, but they'd still be devoured as prey."

"It's quite the irony, isn't it? Better to become a zombie and join their ranks than to be eaten."

"That means, ultimately, no more than 500 million people will become new humans globally, and in Chaudon, we're looking at about 200 million. After decades of civil war, we'll have fewer than 100 million left."

"So, even if we manage to unite Chaudon, can humanity stand against the other species? During the 20th year of the apocalypse, the Zerg forces alone numbered one billion." Urendir was overwhelmed by the gravity of their task, feeling utterly hopeless.

"It seems daunting, but it's not impossible. Here's the strategy I've been considering:

First: Unify Chaudon as quickly as possible to minimize war casualties. Ideally, we'd achieve this before the apocalypse's 20th year.

Second: Encourage reproduction to ensure a steady increase of new humans, aiming for a birth rate that surpasses the death rate.

Third: Alongside promoting population growth, we must bolster agriculture, fisheries, and hunting to secure our food supply.

Fourth: Offense as defense. Beyond training a standard biochemical army, we should prepare specialized suicide squads for early incursions into Zerg and Beast Clan territories. Their mission would be to sabotage their power and water supplies, along with key infrastructure, to hinder their progress and prevent them from developing undisturbed. Given their lower intelligence compared to humans, they're more prone to oversight and struggle with multi-front warfare."

"Strategy five: We need to build a navy. The Zombie Clan is weak at sea, so with a formidable naval force, we can intercept them on the waters and prevent their landfall.

Strategy six: We must fast-track our apocalyptic technology. The apocalypse has brought forth new energy sources and materials such as Profound Ice Iron, Concentrated Ore, Diamond Ore, and Crimson Black Ore. These resources are essential to crafting weapons capable of shattering the Zerg's tough armor."

"I hadn't realized you'd thought so far ahead. It actually sounds quite plausible."

Jiang Feng offered a wry smile in response. "These are merely idealistic plans, not much different from daydreams. The reality could turn out to be very different. What's crucial now is getting the first step right. If we falter at the outset, it's all over."

"What's the first step in your plan?"

"In a future I've seen, I spent over a month hiding in a supermarket, subsisting on its supplies, oblivious to the fact that I had become a biochemical being. Eventually, I was rescued by a passing military unit, but by then I was just an average new human. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up with them. This time around, I have to outpace them from the start and become a new human on day one of the apocalypse." Jiang Feng rose to his feet slowly, signaling his readiness to act.

"Are you sure about this? Exposing yourself to radiation on purpose—what if it doesn't work?"

"The documents from the future mention it's about genetics. Our DNA has a slight edge over most, allowing us to bond with radiation in an orderly fashion. This dictates our potential for structured evolution. If our future selves have evolved this way, we surely can too."

"Can we really trust that?" Urendir's frown deepened, her unease palpable.

Jiang Feng extended his hand toward her. "Trust me," he urged.

Looking into Jiang Feng's determined eyes, Urendir took a deep breath, clenched her teeth, and clasped his hand. Leveraging his strength, she stood from the couch. In doing so, she was staking her life on his conviction.

"Jiang Feng, have you figured out how we're going to get irradiated? I really don't fancy getting bitten on purpose. Even if I do transform, I'd be missing a big chunk of flesh – way too unsightly."

"Ha, I feel the same. Later, we'll find a way to isolate a zombie, take it down, and collect its blood in this little vial. Then we'll head home and use the IV setup we've prepared to inject the blood, just like getting a shot. No scars or anything."

"Hey, I've got an idea," Urendir said, struck by sudden inspiration.

"Oh?"

"You know how the guide says both the biochemical people and zombies are radioactive? What if we draw some of Jiang Wei's blood and inject ourselves with it? That way, after we transform, we'd be much safer when we go outside."

"The theory behind your idea is sound, but there's a risk. Jiang Wei's blood has the flame paranormal power factor. If we inject her blood into ourselves, we could be overwhelmed by the flame factor and reduced to ashes."

"Seriously? That terrifying?"

"We really shouldn't try it. I've already experimented with Jiang Wei's blood on animals in the future."

"And the results?"

"Ask Jiang Wei; she's familiar with the experiment." Jiang Feng turned to Jiang Wei.

Urendir followed suit, looking at Jiang Wei for an answer.

Lifting her head, Jiang Wei responded, "We tested 1,000 samples, and without exception, all were overtaken by the Flame Power."

"Sigh, okay, then we stick with zombie blood."

"Yeah, that's our only option," Jiang Feng said with a wry smile.

"Let's get moving. Arm your gun."

"Right." Jiang Feng pulled out his pistol, loaded it, attached the silencer, and headed for the door.

Seeing Jiang Wei following closely, Urendir expressed her concern, "Jiang Wei doesn't seem to have much fighting ability or experience. Isn't it too risky to take her with us? Maybe we should leave her at home."

"No, she needs to come. Remember, she's not just any biochemical person; she's a paranormal biochemical person. In the future, I was too protective, always keeping her safe at home, wasting her potential. We need to let her face combat. Who knows, she might even outdo us."

Urendir was slightly anxious, yet Jiang Feng's logic was sound.

Jiang Feng cautiously opened the door to find nothing but eerie silence. Once all three had exited, he locked the door behind them with equal care.

"The hallway's empty, not a single drop of blood. Could it be that the zombies haven't reached this floor?" Urendir murmured.

"That's precisely why I chose my place as our stronghold. The building has 30 floors, and we're on the 27th. The majority of zombies are likely on the lower levels. Before the apocalypse hit, most people had gone down to the grand party thrown by Heyday Corporation, leaving few behind in their rooms."

Moving with deliberate caution, they edged forward. Nearing the elevator, both Urendir and Jiang Feng tensed, gripping their guns firmly. The chance was slim, but they couldn't discount the possibility of an elevator arriving with a horde of zombies spilling out.

They reached the elevator bank unscathed. All four elevators were shut, their exteriors spotless, clearly indicating none had made it to the 27th floor.

Jiang Feng peered at the indicators: two elevators were stationed on the first floor, one on the third, and another on the sixth. One could only imagine the pandemonium, people cramming into the elevators, causing overloads, maybe even turning on each other. Once the elevators ascended, those on lower floors would've been desperate to get to their homes, making it unlikely for the elevators to reach the higher levels.

"Looks like these elevators are out of commission. We should head to the stairwell and hunt for any stray zombies," suggested Jiang Feng.

"Right, let's be quick about it. We'll have to pass by the elevators on our way back. If zombies emerge while we're in transit, we'll be trapped," Urendir agreed.

"Knock on wood, don't jinx us," Jiang Feng chided, trying to sound confident, but his underlying tension was palpable.