Zhao Tianlei

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhao Tianlei (赵天磊)
Alias(es)	Host Number 0; Brother Lei; Boss 26 287 361
Species/Race	Human; Evolver
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Leader of a survivor team; works with the military base's rescue and soldier-training efforts 361 641 694
Occupation/Role	Evolver, survivor-team captain, rescue commander, and trainer of enhanced soldiers 361 700 713
Status	Active; participates in an armory infiltration operation 825
First Appearance	Chapter 2: “The Activated Host Number 0”

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Second Class Soldier	26 27	After infection and use of Virus Evolution Fluid, the system identifies him as a Level 2 Evolver. He gains enough power to one-shot ordinary zombies and dent a water tank with an incomplete punch.
First Class Soldier	99	Upgrade raises his attributes to Strength 26, Agility 23, Defense 24, Recovery 11, and Storage Space 4 m³.
Corporal	363	Reaches Strength 37, Agility 31, Defense 31, Recovery 16, and Storage Space 5 m³. Receives a skill slot, though activation requires Crystal Cores.
Sergeant Major	562	Advances to Strength 45, Agility 38, Defense 39, Recovery 20, and Storage Space 6 m³; later exchanges two white Crystal Cores to raise Strength to 47.
Second Lieutenant	707	Advances during the battle with the Mutated Bull. His displayed attributes become Strength 72, Agility 63, Defense 63, Recovery 33, and Storage Space 9 m³.
Major	781	Levels up while surrounded by Lickers, then activates Intermediate Strength and Intermediate Agility to overpower the remaining creatures.

Background

Zhao Tianlei lost his parents young, grew up in an orphanage, and supported himself through college work. Despite this, he was routinely ridiculed and beaten by wealthier classmates. Lin Mu assaulted him after learning that Zhao had feelings for their classmate, Shen Xinyu. 2 174

When the apocalypse began at Huazhong Business College in Yuzhou City, Zhao led Wu Bin out of the dormitory and risked his life to save students trapped on the zombie-filled playground. He drove a car to lure zombies away so survivors could reach the library, only to be refused entry afterward. 5 174

His near-death experiences changed his formerly timid behavior. Armed with a fire axe, he openly confronted Lin Mu's group in the library and split a stair handrail with a single swing to force them to back down. 11 After becoming an Evolver, Zhao began actively searching for survivors, building a team, and using the Virtual Main God system to develop his strength. 26 27

Personality

Zhao begins as a poor, insecure student accustomed to humiliation, but the apocalypse turns his fear into resolve. He repeatedly risks himself for classmates and teammates, including students who had mistreated him before the outbreak. 5 174

He is intensely protective of people he considers his own. He takes responsibility for his team's security, delegates trusted members to guard their home, and repeatedly leads rescue operations despite the danger. 193 361 358 His loyalty can become ruthless: Cheng Yao's murder drives him to pursue Yamada with single-minded vengeance, while threats to Shen Xinyu, Ye Sitong, or his companions provoke extreme anger. 83 193 519

Zhao is also pragmatic and controlling. He demands obedience from anyone joining his team, uses resources and conditions to gain leverage, and has used Zheng Bingyan's concern for her employees to pressure her into an agreement. 78 734 In negotiations, he avoids becoming bound to factions while insisting on full command authority when he accepts responsibility for a mission. 543

Abilities & Skills

Evolver Physiology

Zhao's evolution enhances his Strength, Agility, Defense, Recovery, senses, and stamina. His early feats include denting a water tank, bending an iron rack, and treating a fire axe as lightly as a kitchen knife. 26 46

• Can kill ordinary zombies with minimal effort and sustain prolonged combat without exhaustion after rank increases. 27 99 371
• His physical power allows him to defeat groups of armed bodyguards and elite soldiers in close combat. 353 525
• Has fought evolved creatures including Lickers, Earth-diggers, mutated chameleons, a Mutated Bull, and a three-headed dog. 374 384 653 689 724
• His durability has limits: a Tier 2 Licker's claws remain dangerous, and the three-headed dog successfully bites and injures him. 374 724

Virtual Main God

The Virtual Main God identifies Zhao as “Host Number 0” and manages his Evolver progression. It grants abilities not available to ordinary Evolvers, including a unique Storage Space. 26 596

• Awards Experience for killing zombies and mutated creatures; accumulated Experience produces rank upgrades. 27 562
• Displays Zhao's attributes, rank limits, skills, and Storage Space capacity. 99 363
• Scans other people and can reveal their Evolver data or evolutionary condition. 410 596
• Collects Crystal Cores and allows them to be exchanged for attributes, Experience, weapons, skills, and other resources. 183 417 724
• Zhao's energy can assist others' evolution, a capability he considers dangerous if exposed. 410

Storage Space

Zhao can store supplies, weapons, food, water, Crystal Cores, and other equipment in an internal storage space. Its capacity expands with his rank. 99 151 363

• Uses the space to conceal supplies and retrieve weapons during combat. 151 586 781
• The Virtual Main God states that this ability is unique to Zhao and cannot be possessed by other Evolvers. 596

Beginner Strength

Zhao's first activated skill increases his Strength by 10%. He chose it over Agility, Defense, Recovery, and Critical Rate because he considered raw striking power his immediate priority. 417

• Raises the force of his melee attacks. 417
• Can be activated alongside Beginner Agility in battle. 724

Beginner Agility

Zhao awakens Beginner Agility after surviving an explosion and collapsing structure caused by Chou Xing's trap. 673

• Increases his speed by 10%. 724
• Lets him evade attacks and reposition rapidly against stronger enemies. 673 724

Intermediate Strength and Intermediate Agility

Upon reaching Major rank, Zhao activates Intermediate Strength and Intermediate Agility against a group of Lickers. 781

• Greatly improves his close-range speed and offensive power beyond his beginner skills. 781
• Allows him to reverse a surrounded position and intimidate the remaining Lickers into retreating. 781

Saber Qi

Zhao can channel internal strength through a saber strike. While demonstrating this ability to the military base, he split a transport vehicle in half with a single slash. 635

• Requires a bladed weapon; he used a Deluxe Tang Saber for the demonstration. 635
• Significantly depletes his internal strength after use. 635

Combat Leadership

Zhao combines frontline combat with tactical command. He organizes rescue missions, controls team composition, assigns defensive responsibilities, and develops specialized Evolver soldiers. 361 695 700

• Prefers coordinated teams consisting of melee fighters, snipers, a demolition expert, and machine gunners. 695
• Uses terrain, explosives, vehicles, and supporting fire rather than relying solely on personal strength. 294 653 689
• Trains base soldiers through dangerous practical tests and oversees their evolution into specialized roles. 700 701 713

Equipment

• Fire axe — Zhao's first signature weapon; used to confront Lin Mu, kill zombies, fight Lickers, and test his evolving strength. 11 27 374
• Plain Tang Saber — Given to Zhao by Fang Siting after he saves her in the valley; becomes one of his primary melee weapons. 411 558
• Deluxe Tang Saber — A stronger saber acquired through the system's weapon exchange; used after he reaches Major rank. 573 781
• Level Six Serrated Hunter Blade — Exchanged with Crystal Cores during his battle against the three-headed dog. 724
• Firearms and grenades — Carries pistols, ammunition, grenades, and other military equipment when fighting high-risk mutated creatures. 364 586
• Crystal Cores — Used as currency for attribute upgrades, skills, weapon exchanges, and Virus Evolution Fluid-related processes. 183 417 562

Relationships

• Shen Xinyu — Former classmate and Zhao's longtime crush; later becomes his wife. Zhao repeatedly risks himself to rescue and protect her. 2 291 519 624
• Zheng Bingyan — Former senior classmate, survivor-group chairwoman, and later Zhao's wife. Their relationship develops after an initially coercive and unequal encounter. 71 78 174 624
• Ye Sitong — Zhao's class monitor. He protects her from Lin Mu early in the outbreak and later promises to keep her safe after finding her frightened and hungry. 11 213
• Wu Xuan — Zhao's trusted right-hand man and sniper-support partner. Zhao helps him understand and develop as an Evolver. 426 596 824
• Li Xuyang — Zhao's first follower and a core team member entrusted with guarding their home during rescue operations. 361
• Tong Le — Former soldier recruited permanently into Zhao's team because Zhao values his courage and refusal to abandon comrades. 641
• Lin Mu — Zhao's former school bully and rival over Shen Xinyu. Zhao's early defiance of Lin marks his transformation from victim to leader. 2 11
• Chen Fei — Military ally whose rescue mission Zhao is appointed to command; later supports Zhao's standing at the base. 358 361
• Fang Siting — Gives Zhao the Plain Tang Saber after he saves her while trapped below a cliff. 411 558

Major Arcs

• College outbreak and library survival — Saves students during the initial outbreak, is shut out of the library, and confronts Lin Mu's group with a fire axe. 5 11 174
• Evolver awakening — Survives infection, receives Virus Evolution Fluid, discovers the Virtual Main God, and begins gaining Experience through zombie kills. 26 27
• Formation of the survivor team — Protects Zheng Bingyan's group, gathers allies, establishes authority, and turns his companions into a tightly bound survival unit. 105 122 174
• Rescue and revenge against Lin Mu's forces — Learns that Shen Xinyu and Ye Sitong are in danger, commits his team to a rescue operation, and later reunites with Shen Xinyu. 193 213 532
• Military base rescue mission — Battles the base's soldiers, earns the military leader's respect, and becomes overall commander of an operation to rescue Chen Fei and hundreds of survivors. 353 355 358 361
• Defense of the base and military cooperation — Demonstrates Corporal-level strength against a zombie horde, becomes recognized as a major defender, and works with the base's soldiers. 371 423
• Conflict with Guo Linhao — Pursues Shen Xinyu's kidnappers, defeats Guo Linhao's bodyguards, and returns with Shen after challenging the Second Zone's authority. 519 525 532
• Super Evolver training program — Uses Virus Evolution Fluid and Crystal Cores to create specialized Evolver soldiers, then develops military squads for the base's long-term defense. 694 700 701 713
• Later operations — Continues leading missions against high-level mutated creatures, works alongside allied teams, and infiltrates dangerous facilities with Wu Xuan's support. 724 794 824 825

Notable Quotes

“I don't care who it is, if anyone dares to come and destroy our home, or bully your sister-in-law, deal with them ruthlessly.”
— Zhao Tianlei to Li Xuyang and Ye Chenfeng 361

“I'm a free spirit and don't want any entanglements with any faction.”
— Zhao Tianlei, rejecting Lu Heng's offer of business shares 543