Chapter 22: Simba

The moonlight grew stronger.

While Wu Yu rested with closed eyes.

Inside Jiangbin Park.

The once beautiful park was now unrecognizable, covered only with limbs and dark brown bloodstains. Human and animal remains were scattered throughout the park.

Despite this hellish scene, the interior of the park remained eerily quiet, devoid of zombie moans or mutant beast roars. It made one feel as if they were in a realm of death.

Amidst countless bloodstains and severed limbs, a dark figure slowly stood up. Under the dim moonlight, its 3-meter-tall figure resembled a small mountain.

As the moonlight spilled over this dark figure, the terrifying creature revealed its true form.

It was a lion.

As the only male lion in Jiangbin Park, Simba, once tamed by humans, had lost all domestication. It used to live a simple life—eating, sleeping, and reproducing.

Simba never felt that anything was wrong.

Simba, a name given by its caretaker.

In reality, Simba found this life to be truly wonderful. It had lived this way since childhood, and in Simba's consciousness, this was the entire daily life of a lion.

However, when the apocalypse arrived, everything changed.

A tremendous sense of killing intent and hunger surged, rapidly filling its heart, overwhelming its reason.

The first target for release was the females of its kind nearby. The power difference left them with no room for resistance. In less than five minutes, many of Simba's companions lay dead at its feet, becoming its food.

Simba felt its body continuously growing, strength surging. Under this immense power, Simba suddenly understood a truth.

I should have the power to control the lives around me. I should stand at the top of the food chain. I should have no reservations.

Smoke constantly billowed from Simba's mouth, feeling a burning sensation in its throat. Then it opened its mouth, spewing a burst of flames.

Inferno Burst (A-grade): The power of flames surges, causing devastating damage to enemies.

Simba naturally didn't quite understand why it could breathe fire, but it didn't hinder the fact that it could use flames to eliminate enemies.

In fact, there were no real enemies. The entire Jiangbin Park was its hunting ground.

Including the bear to the east, which was a bit tricky. It seemed larger than last time and could emit a sharp gust of air. But it didn't matter; a breath of fire turned the bear's head into ashes. Although it was a pity for the meat on the head, there were plenty of other food sources in the park.

The crocodile in the water wasn't easy to deal with either. But that didn't matter either; its teeth seemed sharper than before, claws more pointed, and skin harder. The crocodile meat was quite tender.

This crocodile had a warm taste; after eating it, Simba felt its body grow larger again. Its skin became even tougher than before. Its claws, when scratched, felt like when it used to scratch that long, hard thing it was confined in.

Steel Armor (B-grade): The power of steel protects you, greatly enhancing the body's defense capabilities.

Though growing larger was good, Simba felt hungrier. The burning sensation in its stomach gradually made Simba lose its reason.

Thus, Simba's hunting began.

For all the creatures inside Jiangbin Park, a second-tier mutant like Simba was a nightmare.

As a result, nothing that could move escaped from this not-so-large park—whether human, mutant, or zombie.

Similarly, many zombies invaded the park, providing Simba with more food.

Gradually, the zombies surrounding the park sensed the terrifying presence within. Simple instincts prevented them from entering the park actively, yet they didn't move away from this impending volcanic eruption.

Until today, until now.

Simba felt hungry. In three days, Simba had killed every moving thing in the park and had a hearty meal.

However, as the active targets dwindled, its body grew larger, appetite increased, and Simba was no longer satisfied with the leftovers.

The tremendous power allowed Simba to regain the pride of being a king.

"There should be more to eat outside."

Simba thought so.

Then, Simba left the place it had lived for a lifetime.

With the strength of a third-tier mutant beast.

And the pride of being at the top of the food chain.

...

The loud noise outside woke Wu Yu from his nap.

Quickly reaching the window, Wu Yu knew the awaited opportunity had come.

The first thing that caught Wu Yu's eye was a massive zombie horde.

Numerous first-tier zombies agilely climbed onto this spherical object. Their simple intelligence told them that there was an incredibly delicious food inside. Eating a bite would lead to evolution.

As a result, the number of zombies on the large ball increased, becoming more bloated, and their speed slowed.

Then, the massive zombie horde stopped.

"Tsk tsk tsk, could it be that someone drove a bus in? That's really impulsive."

One of the characteristics of zombies was that they were not afraid of death. Driving a car in would be tightly blocked by a huge zombie tide, and the claws of the first-tier zombies inside would easily penetrate ordinary metal.

The worst part was that they would call for reinforcements.

In Wu Yu's eyes, it was a plan that led to certain death.

Just by seeing the zombies around the park rushing madly, it was clear that whatever was inside was doomed.

Even an armored vehicle would be firmly trapped by countless zombies.

Wu Yu couldn't help but feel disappointed. If they could rush through, Wu Yu would have done it long ago.

"It seems like this isn't the opportunity I've been waiting for."

Just as Wu Yu was thinking of carefully examining the miserable outcome of the bus, suddenly, the interior of the massive zombie horde emitted a dazzling red light and then exploded.

The tremendous force made Wu Yu involuntarily shrink his head. The farthest flying zombie was even blown away 10 meters high. Wu Yu couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

"This, this is... This is Simba!"

Wu Yu opened his mouth wide, staring in astonishment at the creature below.

It was a massive lion. Powerful physique, light yellow mane, eyes the size of lanterns, sharp claws, and a blood-filled mouth. Magma-like substance constantly flowed from its mouth.

Although its size was much smaller than when Wu Yu first saw it in the previous life, the same body proportions, fierce aura, and the distinctive Inferno Burst skill made it absolutely unique.

"This time, the joke's on a whole new level."