Research Progress

Xu Ruoxi sat to Li Chen's right.

Before long, Doctor Yang hurried over.

His face was flushed with excitement.

His steps seemed to float.

"Reporting to the Commander! We have made a major breakthrough in the application of Energy Cores!"

"Our researchers discovered that the energy inside Energy Cores is stored as a mixture of liquid and gas. Through biological waves, the energy within can be extracted and used!"

As he spoke, Doctor Yang opened his Smart Bracelet.

He sent the data over to Li Chen.

Then he continued speaking animatedly.

"So we made a bold hypothesis: perhaps Energy Cores can be absorbed by the human body!"

"To test this, our researchers experimented on themselves."

As he spoke, Doctor Yang took out an Energy Core.

He placed it directly in his palm.

A strange dark-red flush immediately appeared on his face.

Li Chen could clearly sense intense fluctuations coming from the Energy Core in Doctor Yang's hand.

But as Doctor Yang exerted force,

the energy did not enter his body.

Instead, it was drawn out and vanished into the air!

The Energy Core, once crystal-clear and translucent, had turned gray.

It looked like a glass object left somewhere for too long, covered in dust.

Doctor Yang could not help scratching his head.

"We still haven't found a way for the human body to use this energy."

"Our guess is that perhaps our researchers' bodies haven't reached the threshold, which is why they can't absorb it."

Before the apocalypse, Doctor Yang had already achieved remarkable accomplishments in both biology and energy.

One of Doctor Yang's published papers

had proposed a similar hypothesis.

Less than 10% of modern humans' brain cells had been developed and utilized.

Most of the remaining brain cells were dormant.

Only 1% of brain cells participated in the brain's functional activities at the same time.

If that was true of the brain, what about the body?

Many human gene fragments were also in an inactive state.

Doctor Yang believed this was the Gene Lock.

Once a certain threshold was reached, it could be unlocked.

Li Chen gave Doctor Yang an approving look.

He truly was a genius.

Then he said to Xu Ruoxi, "Take out an Energy Core and let Doctor Yang guide you on how to use it."

"Yes!"

Xu Ruoxi nodded, somewhat surprised.

She remembered that the Star-Level Shelter

had begun collecting Energy Cores long ago.

Did that mean Li Chen had known the purpose of Energy Cores all along?

At that thought, Xu Ruoxi was utterly shocked!

She took an Energy Core into her hand.

Following Doctor Yang's guidance, Xu Ruoxi cautiously tried to draw out the energy within, step by step.

Very quickly,

Xu Ruoxi succeeded.

However, she still failed to absorb the energy into her body, and it instead dispersed into the air.

All that remained in her hand was a dim gray, empty Energy Core.

"Try again."

Li Chen said calmly.

All of Xu Ruoxi's attribute points

had already reached the required level.

She was already at the point where she could unlock the First Layer Gene Lock.

There was no reason she should be unable to absorb an Energy Core.

"Yes."

Xu Ruoxi took a deep breath.

She took out another Energy Core and placed it in her palm.

Following the method from before, she carefully sensed it.

Crack—

Under Doctor Yang's excited gaze,

the Energy Core in Xu Ruoxi's hand split with crack after crack.

Then it crumbled into powder!

The energy within the Energy Core had already been absorbed into Xu Ruoxi's body!

At that moment, Xu Ruoxi felt a cool stream of Qi Strength constantly flowing through her body.

"It worked! Just as I thought, just as I thought!"

Doctor Yang happily circled around Xu Ruoxi.

He wanted to determine what made Xu Ruoxi different from the researchers.

"Continue the research, and expand it toward energy applications."

"Best if you can develop an instrument that extracts the energy from Energy Cores."

Li Chen nodded slightly.

Doctor Yang immediately pulled out a notebook and wrote it down.

He scratched his head, then looked at Xu Ruoxi with blazing eyes. "Commander, may I borrow her for a while?"

"You may."

Li Chen nodded.

Having received permission, Doctor Yang was as happy as a child who had been given candy.

But moments later, he opened his Smart Bracelet again and continued.

"There has also been progress in the research on the Zombie Virus."

"Our researchers discovered that the Zombie Virus evolves!"

"Under a microscope, even without a host, individual viral particles become independent entities. As long as they are continuously supplied with energy-rich substances, they will keep evolving!"

"If they lose their energy supply, the Zombie Viruses will devour one another to evolve."

"Their numbers roughly increase tenfold every thirty days!"

As Doctor Yang reported this research result,

his expression was extremely grave.

Xu Ruoxi immediately sucked in a cold breath.

Although she had long learned from Li Chen that zombies would evolve,

she had never expected it to happen so quickly!

At this rate, in at most another week or two, all of Donghai City would become the domain of Tier 2 Zombies!

And that was not all.

If they were allowed to keep developing,

Tier 3, Tier 4... zombies would soon appear.

"Do humans... still have a way to survive?"

Xu Ruoxi murmured to herself, her heart filled with despair.

She had already experienced the power of a Tier 2 Zombie.

They could tear apart a truck with ease!

If they kept evolving, could the shelter's defenses truly hold them back?

Seeing Xu Ruoxi's expression, Li Chen said calmly.

"Don't worry. Zombies can evolve, but humans can evolve as well."

"Who wins in the end is still uncertain."

Perhaps influenced by Li Chen,

Xu Ruoxi gradually calmed down.

Doctor Yang pushed up his glasses, his face grim. "Our research also found that the Zombie Virus can infect animals!"

Animals?

Xu Ruoxi could not help saying, "Enough suspense, Doctor Yang. Explain it clearly. What exactly is going on?"

"We call the Zombie Virus from the initial outbreak the Tier 1 Virus. It spreads through blood and saliva and only affects primates. Humans and monkeys are both hosts."

"However, after evolving, it continuously mutates. It can now infect across target cell types!"

"Before long, creatures that fly in the sky, walk on land, and swim in the water will all become members of the zombie horde!"

Doctor Yang's words brought unimaginable shock!

The Zombie Virus was terrifying,

but after humanity established shelters, things had gradually begun to stabilize.

As long as the walls were thick enough, they could resist most zombies.

But if even animals could be infected,

wouldn't that make them impossible to guard against?

In the past, a mosquito bite only felt a little itchy.

In the future, it might infect someone!

"However, the animals that can currently be infected are basically carnivores or omnivores. No cases of infection have been found among herbivores."

Doctor Yang took a deep breath before continuing.

"We currently believe it may be because carnivorous animals secrete certain special substances that break down and absorb meat. Herbivores do not."

"If we follow this direction, we should soon be able to develop a cure for the virus."