Dark Apocalypse

Episode 29

The virus has successfully fused!? Instant kill!

Ling Ao felt like a complete fool! Despite his usual caution, he had made a colossal blunder today, something he had never anticipated.

He had always harbored a secret affection for Miss Shangguan Ya, but in the face of danger, he abandoned the one he loved most to save his own life. In that moment, he couldn't understand what he had been thinking; all he felt was a sudden wave of relief.

Pursuing the boy who had fled, Ling Ao followed closely behind. Though he was carrying a woman on his back, his stamina was leagues ahead of the boy he chased. As a former elite soldier, his skills remained sharp despite years away from the battlefield, a testament to his extraordinary training.

Those skills were his greatest asset, enabling him to protect two women who were otherwise defenseless.

He wasn't quite sure what to do with Miao Yunyao, the beautiful woman slung over his back. Truth be told, he had often indulged in fantasies involving both Shangguan Ya and Miao Yunyao, imagining the mother and daughter lying beneath him, completely exposed.

But back then, he was merely a bodyguard. Even as the most capable among them, he was still just a guard, easily dismissed. Miao Yunyao's disdainful attitude made that clear; she had never spoken to him as an equal, only ever giving commands.

When the apocalypse came suddenly, Ling Ao saw it as his opportunity to possess both women. If he could just get them to safety, he would reveal his dark desires.

Alas...

"D*mn it! D*mn it! D*mn it!" Ling Ao swung his machete and military-grade dagger with all his strength.

When it came to combat, he was far superior to Adam, a mere amateur. His prowess had once taken him to the finals of his unit's hand-to-hand combat championship—a reputation well earned.

If it weren't for the risk of being scratched or infected by the zombies, the dozens of slow-moving corpses would have been no challenge for him.

Yet now he found himself struggling, fighting for his life. The crash had left him with injuries, and carrying someone as he fled had drained his stamina. Now, desperation consumed his remaining strength even faster.

Desperation made his movements clumsy, nowhere near the fluid grace of a master fighter. His combat style had devolved into the panicked flailing of a street thug.

Did he want to escape? Of course he did! But where could he go? The only exit was swarming with zombies. He could force his way out, but one injury meant certain death.

At this point, protecting the unconscious Miao Yunyao lying on the ground was the last thing on his mind. The boy's fate, uncertain and dire, mattered even less. Ling Ao could barely keep himself alive.

No one noticed the subtle change in the first-floor lobby...

...

Adam was no fool. Though not a genius strategist, he had his own plans. Learning that his success rate was only a mere fraction, he had made some preparations.

What preparations?

Do you remember the antidote he exchanged for earlier, just in case? The one that cost him 10 points, effective only against mild infections within ten minutes?

He wasn't sure if the antidote would work, but when he swallowed that capsule containing the virus essence, he had the injection device ready in his hand.

It was a form of self-reassurance, or perhaps self-hypnosis...

As expected, he failed. It wasn't surprising; the odds were stacked against him, favoring only the protagonists of stories who defy fate. And Adam was no such hero.

But he had a plan. With his last ounce of consciousness, he injected the antidote into his neck, without hesitation.

After the injection, his body suddenly stopped convulsing—only to start trembling violently moments later, far more intense than before.

The convulsions lasted about ten seconds before his body went still, slumping lifelessly on the ground, as if he had failed and died...

One second... Two seconds...

Nearly ten seconds passed before Adam's fingers twitched. Slowly, he struggled to his feet, swaying as if he might collapse at any moment...

He looked like a reanimated corpse, blood-red eyes filled with rage and a terrifying killing intent.

In an instant, Adam vanished. At the same time, Ling Ao was in grave peril, surrounded by three zombies. His machete was long gone, and his dagger was lodged in the skull of a zombie.

Two other zombies were within a meter of him, their decaying, foul-smelling hands already reaching for him.

My life is over!

Ling Ao had given up, but death did not come. The zombies' heads suddenly exploded, as if kicked apart by something unseen, and their lifeless bodies collapsed onto him.

Though he was drenched in the putrid fluid, he knew he wouldn't be infected as long as it hadn't entered his eyes or mouth. Ling Ao was dazed, the brush with death leaving him in stunned disbelief.

"Don't just stand there if you don't want to die!" A cold voice snapped him out of it. He looked up to see Adam, whom he'd thought incapacitated, transformed. Like some superhuman, Adam was tearing through zombies with his bare hands and feet.

His speed, his agility, his strength—it left even the battle-hardened Ling Ao in awe. These were feats beyond the limits of a human body.

How many kicks can an ordinary person land in a second? How many punches? How far can they move, or how quickly can they react?

In three seconds—or perhaps even less—seven zombies lay dead at Adam's feet, their heads obliterated.

Adam's appearance, though, was unsettling. His crimson eyes and labored breathing made it clear something was very wrong, as if he were battling some inner torment.

"Adam... you..." Ling Ao pushed the fallen corpses off himself, retrieved his dagger, and looked at Adam with a sense of unfamiliarity.

He had watched Adam fight zombies before. The man was smart, fighting efficiently, but still human. Yet now...

Moments ago, Ling Ao hadn't even been able to see Adam's movements, only a blur followed by destruction.

"Move!" Adam commanded, turning and hoisting Miao Yunyao off the ground with one hand. He ran for the emergency elevator they had confirmed was locked, wasting no time.