Questions

Lu Heng was hidden in the shadows of the distant ruins, his body almost blending into the surrounding broken walls and rubble.

He did not approach rashly, but calmly scanned the firepower configuration of the military base below.

The battle of attack and defense had been going on for about half an hour.

Gunfire and explosions mingled together, shaking the very air. The crisp crack of rifle fire was interspersed with the muffled roar of heavy machine guns, and occasionally, the deafening boom of mortars.

But Lu Heng could see very clearly that the military technology of this world did not seem to be top-notch.

There are no high-end heavy weapons, no energy shields, and none of the destructive equipment that only exists in science fiction movies. The firepower here is that of a crippled, conventional combat force in a post-apocalyptic world—sufficient, but not enough to crush hordes of zombies.

At the same time, he noticed a crucial detail.

Military artillery fire is never indiscriminate. All heavy firepower and shells are precisely targeted at the larger, more unpredictable, higher-ranking Zombie within the horde.

Prioritize eliminating high-threat individuals before suppressing ordinary zombie hordes.

The tactics were very sophisticated.

Lu Heng narrowed his eyes slightly. To maintain such calm tactical discipline in this apocalyptic environment, this military force was clearly not a rabble.

Even so, their defenses were being gradually eroded by the dense, endless Zombie of zombies below.

Lu Heng's gaze grew increasingly serious.

Ordinary, scattered Zombie have no intelligence whatsoever; they only charge blindly, like a group of mindless zombies driven by instinct.

But this massive horde of zombies is different.

They advance and retreat with measured steps, building up layer by layer. After the Zombie in the front fall, the Zombie in the back will immediately step on the corpses of their own kind to continue advancing. They even know how to pile up corpses to fill trenches and concentrate their attacks on weak points in the defense line.

Such well-organized and unified group control is something that low-level Zombie could never achieve.

A great doubt arose in Lu Heng's heart.

What level of Aberrant is the mastermind behind such a terrifying horde of zombies, hiding in the shadows?

Bronze? Or even Silver?

His gaze swept across the battlefield, a scene of carnage and piled-up corpses, and a sudden thought struck him.

The entire area was filled with the aura of blood, so thick with the smell of death that it was almost tangible. Zombie died in droves, but their blood and qi did not dissipate; instead, they permeated the air, forming a thin layer of bloody mist.

This continuous, high-intensity killing field is the perfect breeding ground for the Blood-Devouring Vine.

As long as the vine seeds are planted here, the continuous flow of corpse blood and death energy will nourish the vines. Before long, they will grow into a terrifying barrier of Blood-Devouring Vine, completely dominating this area.

Lu Heng silently noted the thought down, his gaze continuing to wander.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a blind spot in another abandoned building to the side.

Song Yunzhong was huddled in the shadows.

He remained discreet and hidden throughout, observing the battle from a distance just like I did, without showing his face or making any unusual moves.

Lu Heng sighed inwardly.

He didn't approach her or say hello.

There was only one thought in my mind--

I just hope Song Yunzhong doesn't lose his mind and doesn't rush to help in a moment of passion.

This kind of large-scale zombie horde battle, where the military is holding out to the death, is completely beyond the scope of individual combat power. Song Yunzhong rashly enters the fray, he will only be instantly swallowed up by the zombie horde and will not be able to play any role at all.

The battlefield remained a stalemate, with artillery fire relentlessly tearing apart the hordes of corpses.

Large numbers of Zombie collapsed and scattered. The blood and qi of a normal death should have dissipated with the wind, but Lu Heng's mental strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, and he clearly captured the abnormal details.

The lingering, bloody aura of death emanating from all the Zombie after their demise has not dissipated.

Instead, it was slowly pulled, gathered, and silently swallowed up by an invisible, hidden force.

All the death energy within this blood and flesh millstone is being quietly absorbed by an unknown entity.

Lu Heng held his breath and stared intently into the depths of the surging horde of corpses.

The military's artillery fire remained fierce, and the defensive line was temporarily secured.

But from the very beginning, this battle was not a simple zombie horde siege.

There is a commander lurking in the shadows, possessing a strange and unknown power that absorbs blood essence. The entire battlefield, from beginning to end, is a sacrifice manipulated by someone.

Lu Heng's eyes were cold and clear, completely certain.

This fierce battle of offense and defense was merely a behind-the-scenes reaping of resources.

Night fell completely.

The daytime gunfire had ceased, replaced by a deathly silence and a nauseating stench permeating the air.

Lu Heng emerged from the shadows, his steps extremely light, like a weightless ghost, slowly approaching the mountain of Zombie corpses.

Up close, this battlefield is even more shocking than during the day.

Limbs and severed arms lay piled upon each other, the dark red blood long since congealed, gleaming dullly in the moonlight. Lu Heng crouched down, used the tip of his knife to pry open the chest cavity of a Zombie, and examined the wound—bullet holes pierced through, bones shattered, indeed the work of the military's artillery fire during the day.

His gaze swept over the half-covered manhole cover next to him.

During his daytime observations, he noticed an abnormal flow of blood and energy in the area. All the energy dissipated from death eventually converged in a certain direction underground.

The sewer is the most reasonable entry point.

Lu Heng reached out and grabbed the iron ring on the edge of the manhole cover, preparing to pry it open.

Just then, a blinding white light suddenly swept over from a distance.

It's a searchlight above the military camp.

Lu Heng reacted extremely quickly, almost instinctively letting go and instantly collapsing to the ground, his body pressed tightly against the half-eaten Zombie corpse, suppressing his breathing to a minimum.

A white light swept across his back, lingered on the pile of corpses for two seconds, and then slowly moved away.

Lu Heng remained motionless, like a real corpse.

A few seconds later, he heard a series of hurried footsteps.

Several soldiers in protective suits walked from the direction of the military camp, carrying iron buckets. They walked to the pile of corpses and poured the liquid in the buckets—which looked like some kind of accelerant—on the Zombie corpses.

"Hurry up, we're being pressured from above," a deep voice said.

"This stuff smells really strong when it burns," another soldier complained, striking a match.

Flames erupted instantly, their orange-red light illuminating half the sky.

Lu Heng lay prone amidst the pile of corpses, feeling the rising temperature behind him, his eyes cold and piercing.

The military wants to cremate the body.

This means they realized there was something wrong with the corpses, or that they didn't want anyone to benefit from them.

We can't wait any longer.

Taking advantage of the firelight and thick smoke drawing everyone's attention, Lu Heng slid silently down into the sewer opening like a snake.

He lifted the manhole cover, and an even stronger stench of decay hit him.

Without hesitation, Lu Heng flipped over and jumped down.

The sewer was pitch black, with only the faint sound of dripping water coming from afar.

Lu Heng switched on his tactical flashlight, the beam piercing the darkness and illuminating the narrow passage ahead.

The walls were covered with dark green moss, and the sewage underfoot was ankle-deep, emitting a suffocating stench.

He walked about fifty meters along the passageway, then suddenly stopped.

Something is moving in the darkness ahead.

Lu Heng turned off his flashlight, held his breath, and stared intently ahead.

In the darkness, eight sharp, metallic claws slowly emerged from the shadows.

That was a spider.

It is about the size of an adult domestic dog, and its entire body is covered with gray-black carapace. The most eye-catching feature is its forelimbs—the pair of chelipeds are as sharp as knives, gleaming coldly in the dim light.

Just then, the terminal on Lu Heng's wrist vibrated slightly, and a pale blue light screen quietly unfolded in the darkness:

[Name: Steel-Claw Spider]

[Rank: Bronze Tier]

[Description: Its chelipeds are as sharp as knives, capable of easily cutting through steel; it is agile and adept at ambushing in confined spaces; its body contains potent venom, and a bite can kill an ordinary person within three minutes.]

The light screen lingered for three seconds before disappearing.

Lu Heng's gaze darkened.

Bronze Tier, higher than he expected.

The Steel-Claw Spider seemed unaware of Lu Heng. It was perched on a Zombie corpse that had somehow fallen into the sewer, using its razor-sharp claws to slowly slice through the flesh.

Lu Heng gripped his weapon tightly, crouched slightly, and assumed a fighting stance.

Narrow sewers, Bronze Tier Steel-Claw Spider.

This encounter was unavoidable.