Chapter 14: A Rollercoaster of Events

Lin Feng, clutching his laser gun, charged into the swirling smoke and dust. Squinting through the haze, he spotted a figure battling an unusual zombie. The zombie held someone tightly in its grasp.

As Lin Feng approached, he realized the figure fighting the zombie was none other than Takashi Komuro, while the person in the zombie's grip was Rei Miyamoto. Not far away, he noticed Saya Takagi and Shizuka Marikawa huddled in a corner, trying to stay out of sight.

"Let her go, damn it! Give Rei back to me!" Takashi roared, leaping an incredible three meters into the air. He aimed a punch at the zombie's head, but the creature swatted him away with one arm, sending Takashi flying into a wall, which crumbled on impact.

"Spirit, what's Takashi Komuro's current stats?" Lin Feng was startled—Takashi had become superhuman in just a few days.

A reluctant voice echoed in Lin Feng's mind. "Ugh, such a hassle. Fine, take this exploration skill and figure it out yourself." The spirit's sleepy tone suggested it had just been roused.

Lin Feng muttered "Explore" under his breath, and Takashi's stats appeared in his mind.

Character: Takashi Komuro

Evolution Stage: Level 2

Strength: 260

Intelligence: 150

Stamina: 300

Evaluation: A mid-stage evolution that shouldn't exist this early. With his current condition, overpowering you would be a breeze.

Lin Feng gasped in disbelief. Although Takashi's stats screen differed from his own, it was clear that Takashi's interface was far simpler to understand. What shocked him even more was the realization that the detoxifying serum had boosted Takashi's abilities to nearly 20 times his original strength.

Seeing Takashi flung aside, Lin Feng immediately aimed his laser gun at the zombie's arm, which was still holding Rei. A pale blue beam shot from the gun, hitting its mark, but Lin Feng's hopes were dashed—it left no visible wound. Still, the zombie howled in pain, involuntarily releasing Rei.

As Rei began falling, Lin Feng rushed forward to catch her, but the zombie refocused on him, charging like it intended to rip him apart. Just as Rei was about to hit the ground, a figure darted in, scooped her into a princess carry, and spun gracefully to safety.

It was Busujima Saeko.

Seeing Lin Feng venture into the smoke without a word for so long, Saeko followed because she was worried. She arrived just in time to see Rei falling and rushed to intercept her.

"Saeko, get out of here!" Lin Feng yelled.

He fired at the zombie, providing cover for Saeko to escape with Rei. Understanding the cue, Saeko dashed away. Meanwhile, Lin Feng kept shooting while retreating. Soon, the gun ran out of energy. He discarded it and unsheathed his ink-black sword, Momei, sprinting backward.

The zombie, however, had no intention of letting him go. It stomped the ground with such force that it launched itself forward like a car barreling down a road.

Realizing escape was futile, Lin Feng turned to block with his sword. Just as the zombie lunged, Takashi emerged from the rubble. He leaped in front of Lin Feng, bracing himself against the charging zombie.

Neither of them was ordinary—Takashi, a Level 2 Evolutionary, and Lin Feng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Together, they pushed the zombie back, forcing it into a temporary retreat.

But the zombie wasn't finished. Its chest sprouted a dense array of spikes, each 3 to 4 centimeters long, which it launched toward Lin Feng and Takashi like a deadly rain.

Caught off guard, Lin Feng panicked. Just then, a mechanical voice rang in his mind.

"Ding~!

The unique zombie has undergone another mutation. Activating Possession Card: Host will now embody Ji Ning."

A surge of power filled Lin Feng, and as if guided by instinct, he swung Momei effortlessly. The sword seemed to come alive, tracing five shimmering silver afterimages in the air.

The spikes collided with these afterimages, disintegrating like paper tossed into molten lava. Although most spikes were neutralized, a small fraction slipped past. Fortunately, they were too weak to pose any real threat, and Lin Feng and Takashi easily evaded them.

Lin Feng then channeled his energy. "Five Elements Sword Technique!" he murmured.

The five afterimages transformed, each radiating a distinct color. "Go!" With a command, the afterimages shot forward like bullets, piercing through the zombie's body. The creature let out an anguished roar as five gory holes appeared in its chest, and it collapsed.

Exhausted, Lin Feng and Takashi slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. But the zombie wasn't done. It sat up abruptly, firing another round of spikes. Whether it was out of strength or near death, the spikes flew harmlessly overhead.

Lin Feng sighed in relief—until he heard a muffled cry. Turning, he saw Saeko tripping over a corpse while carrying Rei. They fell to the ground as the spikes hurtled toward them. Saeko smiled bitterly at Lin Feng, tears streaming down her face.

"Nooo!" Lin Feng roared, summoning strength from some hidden reserve. He sprinted toward them, shielding Saeko with his own body just as the spikes rained down. Saeko struggled, trying to stop him, but Lin Feng held her tightly.

Strangely, the spikes melted into Lin Feng upon contact, causing only a mild, ant-like sting.

"Ding~!

Warning! Host is poisoned. Analyzing toxin…" The system's voice echoed in Lin Feng's mind as the battle took yet another unexpected turn.