Ch. 701Impenetrable Defenses
Summary of Chapter: "Impenetrable Defenses"
1. Key Plot Points and Events
- Wang Cheng, thought dead, suddenly awakens with eyes full of resentment and kills a guard using a short blade.
- He reveals his newly awakened ability: [Grudge Devourer] — the power to absorb living beings' resentment and convert it into strength, with near-limitless potential.
- The guards' crystal-core attacks are useless against him; he slaughters them one by one, including the woman who previously used electricity, taking her crystal core.
- The chapter shifts to the heavily fortified laboratory entrance: drones, searchlights, high-ranking teachers, law enforcement, mechs, and layered psychic barriers surround it, waiting for the Zombie King.
- Hao Yun, head of the Hao Family, coordinates the defense from an aircraft, confident they can capture the Zombie King.
- Hordes of low-tier zombies swarm the defenses in synchronized waves, buying time for something more dangerous.
- SS-rank mental-type teacher Li, while scanning the battlefield, detects that the Zombie King has already appeared — and is approaching the Guard Corps.
2. Character Developments
- Wang Cheng: Undergoes a near-death transformation. His long-suppressed energy erupts, awakening the Grudge Devourer ability. He becomes cruel, vengeful, and empowered, embracing his new strength and killing without hesitation.
- Hao Yun: Shown as a strategic leader, prioritizing the Zombie King threat over minor problems like Wang Cheng, whom he dismisses as a pawn.
- Teacher Li: Demonstrated as an experienced, perceptive SS-rank mental awakener — the first to realize the Zombie King is not still hidden underground but already in their midst.
3. Significant Themes
- Awakening through crisis: Wang Cheng’s ability only manifests at the brink of death, suggesting great power is born from extreme pain or resentment.
- Resentment as fuel: The Grudge Devourer turns negative emotions into tangible power, implying emotional/psychic energy is a real force in this world.
- False security / overconfidence: Despite massive defenses, the Zombie King has already slipped past them, highlighting the limits of sheer force and preparation.
- Brutal survival: Both Wang Cheng and the zombies kill without mercy, reinforcing a world where life is cheap.
4. Character Interactions
- Wang Cheng vs. Guards: Guards fail to stop him; his resentment aura deflects their blasts, and he cuts through them, even executing the electric woman who harmed him.
- Hao Yun & subordinate: Discuss Wang Cheng’s threat but decide to ignore him temporarily, focusing on the Zombie King — a fatal misjudgment.
- Teacher Li & nearby young man: Tension builds as Li scans for the Zombie King; Li’s warning “He is approaching the Guard Corps” creates the cliffhanger.