S-Class Mutant Beast

"Beep, signing a contract with the S-Class Mutant Beast Abyssal Black Dragon."

"Beep, contract successfully signed."

"Creature Name: Abyssal Black Dragon (Juvenile)"

"Creature Rank: S Grade (Tier 1)"

"Creature Attributes:"

"Strength: 20"

"Agility: 25"

"Physique: 20"

"Will: 30"

"Creature Skill 1: Dragon Shadow—The Black Dragon from the Abyss, born with mastery over flight and the power of darkness. Instantly bursts forth at double the Agility Attribute speed for a short time, consuming stamina. (After growing from juvenile to adolescence, this skill will transform into Death's Wing.)"

"Creature Skill 2: Dragon Advent—Briefly transforms into its next-stage form, gaining +5 to all attributes and mastering the next stage's skills. (Juvenile—Young—Adolescent—Mature—Complete Form—King Rank)"

"Creature Skill 3: Devour—An innate talent unique to the Abyss Dragon, capable of devouring any living creature and items containing spiritual energy to accelerate progression into the next stage. When too much spiritual energy is devoured, it will enter a Petrification state and fall asleep. (Current Stage: Juvenile 90/100)"

"Creature Trait: Dragon Soul—As rulers of the Abyss, the Black Dragon Clan is immune to mental damage within three times its own Mental Strength and can absorb corresponding Mental Shock to convert it into its own Mental Strength."

It was only Tier 1?

Lin An was somewhat shocked after reading the Black Dragon's status panel.

He had thought the Black Dragon was at least Third Order!

It was no wonder Lin An had misjudged it.

After all, the strength the Black Dragon had displayed earlier was enough to directly contend with the Red-Clad Mutant, which seemed to be Third Order.

More importantly, the speed it had unleashed had indeed reached at least Third Order under the boost of its talent.

Wasn't 25 times 2 equal to 50 points of Agility?

That was even faster than Third Order.

As for how it had ignored and even mocked the Red-Clad Mutant's Mental Shock.

With the Black Dragon Clan's Dragon Soul, let alone a Third Order Mutant's Mental Shock, even a Fourth Order Mutant might not be able to do anything to it.

With such a talent, it was practically immune to all mental-type attacks.

If Lin An encountered an Awakener or Mutant skilled in mental attacks in the future, releasing the Black Dragon would make killing them absurdly easy.

An Awakener or Mutant without mental attacks was nothing more than a durable punching bag.

Still.

This answered quite a few of his doubts.

Namely, why the Black Dragon possessed at least Third Order strength yet had let the Mutant escape.

Although all of the Black Dragon's attributes had reached the Tier 1 Limit Value, and its Will and speed had even surpassed Tier 1.

It was much stronger than the current Lin An.

But no matter what, it truly was only Tier 1.

If the Red-Clad Mutant had been a little smarter, or had simply used pure physical attacks.

Lin An and the Black Dragon would probably have been instantly killed with a casual strike.

The Red-Clad Mutant had likely been misled by the Black Dragon's speed.

As a Mutant that clearly specialized in mental attacks, it would naturally use what it was best at when facing a powerful enemy.

Lin An could not help sighing. He had not expected the Black Dragon to be merely a juvenile, yet already know how to play tricks.

An S Grade existence truly could not be underestimated.

Though the fact that the Black Dragon was only Tier 1 left Lin An somewhat disappointed.

It seemed his hopes of signing a contract with the Abyssal Black Dragon and then dominating the Doomsday with its help had been shattered.

Still, it was nothing.

If the Black Dragon really possessed such overwhelming strength.

It probably would not have signed a contract with Lin An.

Such an existence was like a god.

Although Lin An still had not figured out why this fellow had signed a contract with him.

He could only think of one possibility. The Black Dragon had probably smelled the aura of Skull Crusher's Hand on him and wanted to "trick" the Red-Clad Mutant's Necklace out of it before finding him to fuse the equipment.

As for any other reasons, he would probably have to wait until the Black Dragon woke from its Petrification state to ask.

Something about this matter felt deeply strange.

But then again.

The Black Dragon truly was Abyssal royalty, a favored child of heaven and earth.

Comparing beasts to people was enough to make anyone furious.

Lin An stared blankly at the Black Dragon on his wrist, now transformed into a Stone Statue, and could not help feeling bitter.

He casually snapped a Zombie's neck. The thing had been chewing with great enthusiasm and had even tried to bite his mouth.

Multitasking, Lin An slowly cleared the Zombies while thinking.

The Black Dragon was only a Tier 1 juvenile, yet all its attributes had already reached the Limit Value.

It even possessed three skills, one talent, and immunity to mental attacks.

Compared to the Black Dragon's Dragon Advent—briefly transforming into its next-stage form, gaining +5 to all attributes, and mastering the next stage's skills.

His S-Rank Talent, Strength Burst, which he had once been so proud of, was like a counterfeit compared to the genuine article.

Super Speed, Transformation Enhancement, and +5 to all attributes—put together, that combination was simply outrageous.

Lin An had no doubt that with the Black Dragon's current strength, ordinary Second-Order Mutants or Awakeners would be instantly killed upon encountering it.

Did this count as carrying a Second-Order Awakener around as a protective charm?

The kind with limitless potential, at that!

If the Black Dragon woke before he killed the Stitcher, he would be completely confident of completing the mission!

Lin An smiled broadly, though he had no idea when the Black Dragon would wake again after falling asleep.

It should not take too long.

If nothing unexpected happened, the Black Dragon had probably fallen asleep because it was digesting the power of Soul-Devouring Hand...

Wait!

Lin An instinctively looked at the Soul-Devouring Hand in his hand, and his expression suddenly turned ugly.

Inside the Dispensary.

Zhang Tie looked at the pack on his back, then at the Bandaged Girl on the floor, suddenly feeling troubled.

Team Leader Lin had told him to hurry and meet up with him.

After hearing his description, he had only said, "Fuck," and nothing else.

Going by that, Team Leader Lin did not seem to have said he could not save "her," right?

Mm.

If there really were a problem, Team Leader Lin surely would not have merely cursed!

He consoled himself.

Zhang Tie still wanted to save the Bandaged Girl before him.

After all, judging by her age, she was about the same age as his younger sister. He truly could not bring himself to abandon her.

Zhang Tie was not stupid either.

He carefully thought it through.

If the Bandaged Girl really was a Mutant, there was not much reason for her to pretend to be unconscious and deceive him.

After all, she had no idea why he had come here.

If she really were a Mutant, she would have killed him long ago.

Zhang Tie, who could not use Bear Transformation for a short time, was actually only as strong as the limit of an ordinary person.

At most, he could take a few extra cuts.

Having figured it out, Zhang Tie no longer hesitated.

Here goes!

He swiftly picked up the bandages scattered all over the floor and tied them into a dead knot, binding one end around the Bandaged Girl and the other to the pack full of medicine.

Then, as though carrying a shoulder pole, he hoisted both the girl and the supplies onto his shoulder.

His remaining right hand held Corpse Snake Spine.

His broken left arm steadied the "shoulder pole" so it would not sway around.

From a distance, he looked exactly like a scavenger.

So light...

Even carrying both the girl and the supplies, he could barely feel any weight with his current strength.

Zhang Tie moved quickly, a Potion Lin An had given him clenched between his teeth as he rushed toward the inpatient building.

The Dispensary was not far from the inpatient building. Perhaps because the two had caused too much commotion in the Emergency Building earlier, the Zombies inside did not emerge when he passed by. They remained on the second floor.

Zhang Tie wielded Bone Whip, its crackling lashes occasionally bursting apart scattered Zombies blocking his way.

As an Awakener, he was far faster than an ordinary person.

Rushing at full speed, he charged his way to the inpatient building where Lin An was in barely a minute.

Yet the sight before him made him collapse.

I...

Was I too late!?

In his panic, he bit down and shattered the Potion, swallowing it along with the glass shards.

"Team Leader Lin! I'm here!"

Zhang Tie's eyes split wide as he roared.

In his eyes.

Lin An, in the distance, was surrounded by Zombies. Lin An in the middle seemed badly injured and covered in blood.

Unable to resist.

Zombies constantly lunged at him, but Lin An remained motionless, allowing them to gnaw on him.

"Team Leader Lin..."

"How are you!?"

Zhang Tie's eyes instantly reddened, his voice trembling.

Having swallowed the potion, he still had the strength to fight against a small group of Zombies.

Zhang Tie threw down the pack and the girl behind him, then charged madly toward Lin An.

The Zombies gnawed at Lin An, yet he did not react.

Even if Team Leader Lin was not dead, he had most likely already been infected...

Zhang Tie was heartbroken and wished he could slap himself twice.

Team Leader Lin had saved his life.

Yet because he had hesitated over whether to save an outsider, he had delayed going to support Lin An.

He deserved to die!

Filled with fury, Zhang Tie ignored the danger of being infected and charged into the Zombie Crowd.

No matter what, he had to at least retrieve Team Leader Lin's body!

At the center of the Zombie Crowd, Lin An's eyes were tightly shut as his body fell backward.

His sunken chest made his injuries appear extremely severe, while blood occasionally spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Ahhh!"

"You bastards, die!"

Zhang Tie roared and activated Bear Transformation at all costs.

The little Mental Strength he had just recovered was instantly drained dry, and his head felt as if it were about to burst apart.

"Roar!"

A massive palm slammed into the Zombie Crowd, crushing everything in its path.

"Lin!"

"An!"

With his full strength unleashed, the surrounding Zombies were reduced to a field of flesh within seconds.

Zhang Tie's voice carried a sob and deep regret as his huge bear paw wrapped around Lin An, trying to catch his "corpse."

"I'm sorry!"

"I came too late!"

The cold wind howled. It was already afternoon, and the dark sky looked bleak and desolate.

Lin An slowly woke up.

But when he saw the Glove on his right hand again, his face filled with grief and indignation.

"Fuck your mother!"

Zhang Tie's sobbing stopped instantly, and his face turned awkward.