C15 Tongtong

Despite Tongtong being a zombie, Jiang Loong felt somewhat uneasy under her persistent gaze.

"Hey, Tongtong, stop staring at me like that. Can you look away, please?" Jiang Loong implored.

Tongtong's blank stare continued. Jiang Loong read her expressionless face as if she were saying, "I don't know how."

So, Tongtong kept her eyes fixed on him, unmoving.

Jiang Loong had no choice but to act nonchalant and carry on with his bath.

Once he was done, he addressed Tongtong again, "Come here, Tongtong. Let me help you get cleaned up."

Tongtong was dressed in a princess gown, marred by a conspicuous hole in the middle. Jiang Loong also recalled a hole at her waist when he first encountered her.

But after several rounds of synthesis and upgrades, Tongtong, now a mutated zombie, had her waist hole neatly patched up.

Jiang Loong stepped over to help Tongtong out of her princess dress and submerged it in the river.

Lacking laundry detergent or soap, he knew the bloodstains on her dress, set in from long ago, would be stubborn. His plan was to let the dress soak for a bit.

As Jiang Loong scrubbed away, Tongtong's gaze remained fixed on him, standing still as a doll, her eyes locked onto his every move.

With a smile, he coaxed her again, "Come on, Tongtong. Let's get you bathed."

Tongtong showed no reaction.

Jiang Loong hadn't really expected one.

He gently lifted Tongtong into the water and began to bathe her with patience.

In the moonlight, Tongtong could have passed for any little human girl.

He caressed her small arm, noting the silky smoothness of her skin, albeit cold to the touch.

In the veil of night, he couldn't discern any difference between her and a human child.

In daylight, however, Tongtong's differences from humans would be apparent. Jiang Loong figured she'd need to advance another two levels before her zombie traits could be fully erased.

Jiang Loong meticulously bathed her until Tongtong was squeaky clean.

"Now, Tongtong, I'm going to wash your hair. Dip your head down, let's get your hair nice and soaked," Jiang Loong instructed.

But Tongtong couldn't grasp what Jiang Loong was saying.

With no other option, as he didn't expect Tongtong to willingly dunk her hair in the water, Jiang Loong gently pressed her small head beneath the surface, ensuring her hair was thoroughly saturated.

He then proceeded to wash her hair.

"There we go!" Jiang Loong declared, having scrubbed Tongtong to a pristine state.

He pondered whether he should offer to bathe Ke'er the following day.

Subsequently, he kindled a fire on the bank and went to great lengths to dry Tongtong's princess dress.

Dressed in her fresh, clean gown, Tongtong looked even more endearing.

"You look just like a doll!" Jiang Loong exclaimed, affectionately tousling Tongtong's hair.

Exhausted from the day's labors, Jiang Loong settled beside the campfire and soon drifted off to sleep.

He wasn't concerned about his safety; he had deployed all the remaining zombies from his space as sentries. Although not particularly strong, they were on high alert, ready to signal him at the slightest disturbance.

While Jiang Loong slept, Tongtong kept vigil.

In the dead of night, the previously still Tongtong stirred.

She crept over to Jiang Loong, resting her head on his arm. Seeking more comfort, she snuggled into his embrace, nestling against his chest, and, mimicking him, she closed her eyes.

Jiang Loong slept deeply.

Come morning, he awoke to find something in his arms. Looking down, he was greeted by Tongtong's close presence.

"Tongtong?" he murmured.

She looked up at him with her large, dark eyes.

Aren't zombies supposed to be sleepless?

Why then was Tongtong cradled in his arms?

Jiang Loong was puzzled, his gaze returning to Tongtong.

"Tongtong, if you understand me, just nod," Jiang Loong instructed.

Tongtong remained still, offering no response.

Despite the lack of reaction, Jiang Loong couldn't help but feel a sense of joy. Tongtong's proximity suggested that he held a special place in the child's perception.

A surge of determination welled up in Jiang Loong!

He was intent on enhancing Tongtong's abilities.

"I wonder if Ke'er has made any progress," Jiang Loong mused as he accessed the Synthetic Space and tapped an icon. A scene of densely packed zombies filled his view.

He counted three to four thousand zombies.

"How can there be so many?" Jiang Loong marveled, a mix of astonishment and delight washing over him.

Just one night had passed, and Ke'er had accomplished so much!

Next, Jiang Loong selected a different mutated zombie icon and was greeted by yet another horde of zombies.

This group was smaller than Ke'er's, numbering over two thousand.

They were all mutated zombies, yet they paled in comparison to Ke'er's prowess.

Jiang Loong was thrilled to have Ke'er on task.

The girl, a genius in life, remained a prodigious mutated zombie in death!

Indeed, the capable proved formidable, even in zombified form!

It was clear now that his decision to retain Ke'er had been a wise one.

A premonition struck Jiang Loong. Ke'er would be instrumental to his future, bound to bring him astonishing surprises.

In total, there were six thousand zombies.

That amounted to a quarter of the force that had besieged Dongning Base City!

Beyond the level 1 zombies, Jiang Loong discovered some level 2 zombies among them.

What had transpired with the zombie tide? How had so many been left behind?

Jiang Loong pondered, though it did not conflict with his plan to assimilate this vast swarm of zombies.

"Tongtong, we're off!" Buoyed by the news, Jiang Loong eagerly led Tongtong towards Ke'er's location.

Ke'er and her zombie contingent were stationed in a small hollow at the village's outskirts.

Upon Jiang Loong's arrival, the zombies stirred into a frenzy. They growled and shrieked at him, some even charging wildly in his direction.

Jiang Loong spent nearly half a day merging this batch of three to four thousand zombies.

"My hands have gone numb, but the payoff is huge!" Jiang Loong exclaimed, unable to contain his elation.