Nighttime.
Balcony.
"This thunderstorm still hasn't ended."
He looked into the distance. Lightning tore across the sky, dispelling the darkness, illuminating the distant buildings, bringing a somewhat different feeling to the quiet Hoang city.
The sound of rain falling on the ground was interspersed with bursts of roars.
"The zombies seem to be rioting. Does this kind of thunderstorm have an effect on zombies?"
He pondered.
What he could think of was the sound of rainwater hitting the ground and the rumbling of thunder, making the zombies think there was movement somewhere, causing them to become violent. Besides this explanation, there was no other.
Sounds came from outside, not the zombies' usual "ugh ugh" sounds, but bursts of violent roars.
Lam Pham quietly watched.
Other survivors in Duong Quang Apartments similarly couldn't fall asleep. The rain and startling thunder, mixed with zombie roars, made this Hoang city, once familiar to them, seem gloomy and terrifying.
Residential area, inside a nearby shop.
Quan Hao huddled in a corner, covered with a quilt, trembling.
"So terrifying."
He could now hear the roars coming from far outside; those were like demonic sounds, causing a huge impact on his small, weak soul.
Thinking of Bro Sieu, also didn't know how Bro Sieu was doing on Lucky Star.
But with his understanding of Bro Sieu, that was a dare-to-fight, dare-to-risk existence. Maybe he really could achieve something on Lucky Star.
Private residence shelter.
Duong Vinh stood before the window, looking at the situation outside. Borrowing the brief illumination from lightning exploding in the night sky, found zombies over there roaring, running.
In an instant.
A black shadow appeared from a corner, tackled the roaring zombie to the ground, crazily gnawing.
"Zombies eating zombies? How can this be?"
Duong Vinh stared wide-eyed.
Extremely horrified.
He saw this was clearly an extremely unrealistic thing.
"Bro, still not asleep?" Duong Lo came over. The rain outside was somewhat heavy. Just now coaxed some frightened children to sleep. Thought of going upstairs for a look, then saw her older brother standing before the window.
Duong Vinh said gravely, "Can't sleep. This thunderstorm has been going from daytime until now without stopping. Outside, zombie roars occasionally transmit. Even situations of zombies eating each other appeared. For some reason, my heart is somewhat uneasy, always feel like something is about to happen."
"Bro, don't overthink. Perhaps zombies' hearing too sensitive, hearing rain and thunder sounds caused chaotic behavior," Duong Lo said softly.
However, her heart was similarly shocked.
Zombies eating each other?
That's impossible.
Duong Vinh was silent, quietly watching.
Early morning.
That rainstorm last night, also didn't know when it ended.
Hoang city after the rain, everything ended. The air filled with a fresh, moist fragrance. The city, unpolluted by exhaust fumes, gradually recovered its vitality. To the extent the air was so fresh, uplifting the spirits.
"A sudden rain, made the entire city radiate with new life."
Lam Pham stood on the balcony, sighing with emotion.
Until Manh Manh woke up, making "ee-ee ya-ya" sounds. He returned to the room and started getting busy. First, had to change Bao Bao's diaper, make breakfast, and other such things repeated daily in the past.
Although repetitive, but did it tirelessly.
Took good care of Manh Manh, handed her over to Sis Li for care, went downstairs to greet everyone. Early morning chats often could make people's mood joyful, thereby facing each day with a smile.
Left the residential area.
Passing by the shop, Quan Hao, holding soaked instant noodles, greeted Lam Pham.
"Big Brother! Good morning! Going far from home, I see."
The smile on Quan Hao's face was extremely brilliant. He felt the two big brothers were right; Duong Quang Apartments, you couldn't live inside, but the surroundings extremely safe, normally very hard to see zombies.
Initially, perhaps held a skeptical attitude, but now he truly believed.
"Good morning."
Lam Pham nodded in reply. Although the opponent's situation didn't meet requirements to live in Duong Quang Apartments, but when people amicably greeted, replying was a matter of course.
Quan Hao smiled satisfiedly, slightly excited. Being able to get a response was already a very good thing. Impression comes gradually; not like you think people will have a good impression of you, then they will.
Looking at Lam Pham's departing back.
Quan Hao clenched his fists, cheered himself on.
"Work hard! Must continue to work hard! I f***ing really want to be a good person!"
...
At this time, Lam Pham stood on the street, looking down at several zombie corpses before him. He found the situation of these zombie corpses somewhat strange. Not like crushed by heavy objects, or injured by sharp weapons, but as if gnawed on. Heads had traces of being gnawed.
"Last night during the thunderstorm, heard zombie roars. Could it really be the zombies were rioting?"
He had doubts about this.
Walking and looking, found the surrounding situation very terrible. Zombie corpse numbers gradually increased. Not the appearance of being killed by humans, but truly bitten and gnawed to death.
Rumbling sounds came from afar.
Went over, unexpectedly saw a Strength-type zombie moving a roadside sedan, aimlessly smashing it towards surrounding buildings.
"Luck not bad, actually met a Strength-type zombie."
Lam Pham's smile overflowed.
"Hey! Good morning!"
He greeted the Strength-type zombie.
At this time, the Strength-type zombie lifted the sedan, just about to throw it. Heard the sound from behind, suddenly turned its head. Unexpectedly saw Lam Pham standing there. In the zombie's eyes, that was delicious flesh and blood.
"Always feel this Strength-type zombie before me is a bit strange."
Lam Pham frowned, assessing. This Strength-type zombie before him exuded a somewhat different aura, just unlike other Strength-type zombies.
"Ugh ugh..."
The Strength-type zombie roared angrily, directly lifted the sedan, fiercely smashing it towards Lam Pham. Facing such a heavy object's crushing force, any other survivor would find it hard to withstand.
Conversely, Lam Pham reached out, easily caught the sedan, then placed it aside, "You damaging others' property like this is truly not good."
"Ugh ugh!"
The Strength-type zombie rushed towards Lam Pham at high speed. With every step down, the ground shook. Like a small mountain, the Strength-type zombie gave people a very strong sense of oppression. People without professional training, also without professional equipment, could only be crushed by Strength-type zombies.
"Finally know where you are different. It's physique. Your physique is much more robust than other Strength-type zombies."
Lam Pham, hands in pockets, murmured to himself.
As the Strength-type zombie rushed before him, swinging its fist in an instant.
Lam Pham leaped up on the spot, leg like a whip, leg like a scythe. Pfft! As if could see a sharp edge. Only saw the Strength-type zombie's head fly into the sky, spin in mid-air, finally bounce on the ground.
[Kill Strength-type Zombie]
[Points +6]
Indeed, just as he thought.
Points increased more, indicating this Strength-type zombie before him had received an unimaginable enhancement. This kind of strength increase was terrifying. He looked slightly grave.
As zombies continuously enhance and evolve.
Ordinary survivors, where exactly is their future?
Took out crystal, placed in bag, continued searching for zombies. His purpose was just continuously cleaning zombies, at the same time seeing what exactly the situation with other zombies was, what kind of changes last night's thunderstorm exactly brought to zombies.
At this time, far away.
Three survivors hid in a cargo van.
Someone stealthily lifted their head, looking at the distant situation. A group of zombies limped and wandered there. At the same time, saw zombies colliding with zombies. That relatively healthy-looking zombie would roar towards another zombie.
As if saying, You bumped into me! Don't get close to Lao Tzu!
And the roared-at zombie, as if feeling some kind of oppression, shrank its head, wandered elsewhere.
"Did you guys notice? After last night's thunderstorm, zombies showed some changes."
One survivor among them finished speaking.
The other two survivors looked at each other.
"What change can there be? Still so terrifying."
"Damn it! This group of zombies just like mad dogs!"
The survivor who just spoke said no more, quietly waited.
Suddenly.
Fireworks rose into the sky far away. Bang! Exploded in mid-air.
"Ugh ugh..."
Zombies hearing the sound raised their heads, looking at the distant situation, roared, madly ran towards that side at high speed. As zombies approached, the three survivors hiding in the cargo van felt the rumbling vibrations outside the vehicle, swallowed hard, appearing somewhat nervous.
Even though having survived since the apocalypse erupted until now, when facing zombies, still appeared very nervous. That was oppression between species.
They were coordinating. The one far away setting off fireworks, making noise to attract zombies. And they were taking advantage of zombies leaving, to collect surrounding supplies.
Always coordinated like this.
So in terms of collecting supplies, never failed.
Among the zombie horde chasing the sound, one zombie looked somewhat different. Its skin somewhat white, limbs long and slender, bald head, entire body without a single hair, wearing shorts, looked very unusual.
It was similarly attracted by the sound.
Yet as if sensing something.
Actually turned its head to look behind. Pale eyes moved, saw the speeding van, mouth opened wide, let out an angry roar. Its oral cavity had no teeth, sticky with fluid.
Zombies running towards the firework sound, hearing this special-form zombie's roar, instantly stopped, turned around, looked behind, actually ignoring that firework sound.
"Ugh ugh..."
"Ugh ugh..."
Zombies let out concentrated roars.
All madly ran towards that van.
The three survivors in that van, thinking what kind of harvest they would have later. When movement from behind transmitted, scared them until faces turned pale, as if seeing a ghost. Stared at each other, yet a kind of unspeakable panic. Clearly fireworks still exploding, why run towards this side?
"Holy crap! Drive quickly! What's the situation with this group of zombies?"
"Hurry and run!"
They panicked extremely, couldn't refute. Coordinated so many times, until now never lost.
How could think such a thing would happen.
That special-form zombie, like a general among a mighty army, watched the zombie horde chase after that van.
However, very dissatisfied with this group of underlings' speed. Roared savagely, then waddled its steps, like a Speed-type zombie, chasing that van.
Its figure slender, compared to other zombies, appeared completely out of place.
Soon, already threw off that group of zombies behind, distance to van closer and closer, as if not long before could catch up.
Inside the cargo van.
"Look! Behind us is a strange zombie! It runs really fast! Can you not drive faster?! Continuing like this will be caught up!"
"How possible?! We are driving a car!"
The survivor sitting beside, not believing at all. They were driving a car. Although zombies indeed ran very fast, but wanting to catch up to a car, that clearly most impossible thing.
But when seeing with own eyes.
He fell silent.
Heart terrified, entire body hair standing on end. That zombie chasing behind looked extremely bizarre. Slender limbs, bald head, like a perpetual motion machine, running tirelessly, as if thinking of always chasing on.
"Can we shake it off? If he always follows, we can only keep driving. But when car runs out of gas, we will surely die!"
As this survivor spoke these words.
The survivor driving the cargo van, hands on steering wheel, trembled unceasingly. That was danger descending; body's reaction.
Gradually.
The special-form zombie got closer and closer to the cargo van's rear. Directly climbed onto the van roof. Slender arm reached towards van roof. Pfft! Directly tore open a hole in the van roof's sheet metal.
"Ah..."
Tragic screams transmitted.
Blood mist splattered onto van's windshield.
Cargo van swayed, finally one head crashed into a nearby shop.
The only remaining survivor staggered, wounds crisscrossing, climbed out from cargo van.
"Help! Help!"
He shouted in fear, wanting to escape. Just that collision just now injured him. Suddenly fell to ground. Wanted to stand up, but vision grew more and more blurry, head dizzy, as if could faint at any time.
He turned his head to look at the cargo van.
A pale zombie, holding an arm, biting and tearing, walked towards him step by step. Scared him until his crotch was already wet. That feeling of fear already made him numb, entire body cold, without a trace of warmth.
"Don't come over! Don't you come over!"
He wanted to run, but his two legs seemed not to obey.
This special-form zombie somewhat strange.
If other ordinary zombies, seeing flesh and blood right before eyes, would have long pounced like mad dogs. Absolutely wouldn't be like now, so slowly, like toying with prey, watching prey tremble and feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"What kind of zombie are you?"
Just then.
A voice came.
In the living survivor's blurry vision, a figure vaguely appeared. Wanted to see clearly, finally head planted to ground, fainted.
The special-form zombie looked towards Lam Pham.
Lam Pham was somewhat puzzled. This zombie before him different from other zombies. Say it's an ordinary zombie, yet greatly different from ordinary zombies.
Limbs long and slender, entire body pale, also bald head, not a single hair, even holding a bloody arm, biting and tearing. Not like ordinary zombies, even evolved-form zombies, that, upon seeing humans appear before eyes, then become extremely ferocious.
The special-form zombie looked at Lam Pham, casually threw away arm in hand, savagely roared towards Lam Pham.
Toothless oral cavity, sticky with fluid.
"You are different from other zombies. Do you also have intelligence? How about answer my question: one plus one equals what?"
This made Lam Pham think of that floral-shorts zombie encountered before.
Could easily answer one plus one equals two, had very high IQ, at least already reached kindergarten child level. Later deliberately answered wrong; he then knew that IQ absolutely reached elementary school student level.
"Ugh ugh..."
The special-form zombie roared angrily, suddenly rushed towards Lam Pham.
Lam Pham thought of kicking it to death with one foot. But suddenly, he found this zombie's ability before him seemed somewhat strange. Dodged. Clearly very weak fist touched ground; cement ground actually cracked.
"Such strong power! Actually can fight against Strength-type zombie! Also its speed, not much inferior to Speed-type zombie! Could this be a new product type zombie?"
He could know the various abilities of the zombies encountered now.
But this zombie's situation before him somewhat unknown.
"Any other abilities?"
Lam Pham was very expectant. Retracted most of his strength, one kick sent it flying. Looked at the special-form zombie flying out, criticized: Looks weak, but resistance to beating very not bad.
"Comprehensive-type zombie, huh?"
Thought of Infant Cocoon Hybrid-type zombie encountered before. When he chopped it apart, arm extended from cocoon, just like current appearance.
Previously that was infant cocoon. Then this zombie before him, if truly one species, surely a zombie in development stage after breaking cocoon?
The special-form zombie, kicked flying by him, stood up, shrieked. Sound spread in all directions.
"Screaming-type zombie ability?"
He hugged that fainted survivor, leaped up, placed on rooftop, then landed, continued watching that special-form zombie's situation.
Movement sounded around.
Running sounds.
Ground vibrated.
Immediately after, densely packed zombies rushed over from all directions. Sure enough, same as Screaming-type zombie ability, can attract zombies. Only shortcoming is its voice unable to cause damage to people's eardrums.
"I have no interest in you."
Towards this group of zombies rushing from afar, he had not half a bit of thought.
Drew Frostmourne slung on his back. Under early morning sunlight's illumination, radiated silvery-white light. Reached out hand, suddenly swung towards zombies. As if sword qi swept horizontally.
That group of rushing zombies hadn't even gotten close to Lam Pham, then by invisible sharp edge cut in half at waist. Flesh and blood scattered all over.
This kind of situation explained before with scientific concepts.
Also not considered any profound, abstruse metaphysical means.
"If only you all had some rationality, not so irritable, I also wouldn't treat you like this. Just pity this environment. Beautiful morning environment after rain, again has to suffer pollution."
Swung sword.
Air before him as if torn apart like substance. Only saw those rushing zombies, pfft! Upper and lower body fiercely split apart.
Soon.
Attracted zombies all resolved.
"Stop shouting! Surrounding zombies already all called over by you!" Lam Pham shouted towards special-form zombie.
The special-form zombie, as if understanding it met an unbeatable enemy.
Actually waddled its feet, thinking of running away.
"Some rationality. Knows cannot win, wants to run. But perhaps also no intelligence."
Lam Pham drew his sword, instantly appeared before special-form zombie. One sword swing, directly decapitated special-form zombie. A bald head drew a perfect arc in mid-air, steadily landed on ground.
Thump!
Headless corpse rumbled and fell to ground. Sticky blood flowed all over.
[Kill Mature Stage Hybrid-type Zombie]
[Points +30]
"Terrifying! Higher than Tyrant I killed! Actually reached thirty points!"