NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 45
Chapter 45: The Calm Before the Onslaught
Day 30 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Monday
After breakfast, Lu Ming headed outside to begin his training routine. As he approached the door, he was surprised to see Zhang Lixin bouncing around excitedly.
"Thanks for the medicine yesterday," Zhang Lixin grinned.
Lu Ming offered a small nod. "Glad it helped."
Spending a few days with Wang Xiong and his group had convinced Lu Ming they were good people. He genuinely wished them well.
"Actually," Zhang Lixin continued, jumping twice more despite his apparent discomfort, "it wouldn’t have mattered much yesterday..."
Lu Ming frowned. The man’s temperature had been high, but it wasn’t a fever. Confused, he looked at Zhang Lixin, who couldn’t seem to stop jumping.
"Do you want to join me for training?" Lu Ming asked, bewildered.
From a distance, he could hear Wang Xiong’s stifled laughter.
"Not a fever," Wang Xiong finally explained, "He’s awakened."
Lu Ming’s eyes widened in understanding. "So, the jumping and riddles, is that how you announce it?" he muttered, slightly annoyed.
He mumbled a congratulatory word and returned his attention to his training, ignoring Zhang Lixin’s bouncing enthusiasm.
Undeterred, Zhang Lixin leaned forward, his voice buzzing with excitement. "Brother Lu, this is amazing! Now I can finally contribute more! Feeling useless as a soldier while you guys protected me… it weighed on me. As an Awakened, I can finally be more helpful!"
He continued, "Speaking of which, Brother Lu, I plan to break through to Level 2 today. I’ll need you to cover me."
Wang Xiong still had a good supply of Level 1 corpse crystals, enough to push Zhang Lixin to the next level.
Lu Ming nodded. "No worries, I’ll keep you safe."
A Level 2 Awakened could develop superpowers. It was a significant leap compared to Level 1. Zhang Lixin’s advancement was definitely a positive development. Additionally, Lu Ming needed target practice to improve his skills, and the standard targets no longer sufficed.
"Just wait until I finish my morning exercise," Lu Ming added.
Zhang Lixin readily agreed. Everyone in the group knew Lu Ming’s unique power—his strength increased with exercise. His morning routine had become a top priority for the entire gathering place. Anything else took a back seat to his training.
Soon after, Zhang Chengcheng joined them.
Lu Ming, Wang Xiong, and Zhang Chengcheng dove into their daily training regimen.
11 a.m.
The exhausting but rewarding morning session came to a close. Lu Ming pulled up his attribute panel, meticulously examining his progress.
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 52.1 (53.5) ↑
Physique: 52.8 (54.2) ↑
Agility: 48 (49.4) ↑
[Skills]
- Fitness Lv9 (122/900)
- Slingshot Lv4 (241/1400)
- Archery Lv10 (222/1000)
- Gun Shooting Lv1 (2/100)
- Hand-to-hand Combat Lv7 (662/1700)
- Cold Weapon Combat Lv0 (0/1000)
- Throw Lv2 (26/200)
It had been a whole month since the apocalypse began. Lu Ming’s attributes were steadily approaching superhuman levels.
After securing food for Wang Xiong and the others, Lu Ming returned home. As he prepared lunch, he grumbled, “My appetite is getting ridiculous..."
He now consumed a week’s worth of rations in one sitting. Mealtimes were getting longer, and so was his cooking time. Thankfully, this wasn’t a pressing issue for the moment. The bigger concern was the increasing strain on resources.
Dinner settled, and Lu Ming reached a decision. “I need to go on a supply run.”
Truth be told, everyone else was already prepared for an outing. Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng regularly ventured out and were familiar with the situation outside. Zhang Lixin had even customized the military vehicle and stocked it with ammo for Lu Ming.
Over the past week, Yang Guan and the others had been diligently working on fortifying the area around Lu Ming’s house and the ‘Zombies Strike Formation.’ They’d constructed a basic defensive perimeter for their future colony. While not professional-grade, it was a commendable effort.
With Zhang Lixin newly Awakened and on the verge of reaching Level 2, the colony’s safety would be assured even in Lu Ming, Wang Xiong, and Zhang Chengcheng’s absence.
Revitalized after lunch with his attributes fully restored, Lu Ming ascended to the second floor and opened the window. He gave Zhang Lixin below a confirming nod, and Zhang Lixin eagerly popped the corpse crystals into his mouth, eager to break through.
Ten crystals down the hatch, Zhang Lixin squeezed his eyes shut, a warmth radiating from his body. His limbs contorted, stretching and shrinking like rubber.
Everyone remained focused on guarding against a potential zombie wave, oblivious to Zhang Lixin’s transformation struggles.
However, reality defied expectations.
One hour passed… then two, then three... By dinnertime, there was still no sign of a zombie horde.
Lu Ming let out a sigh as he lowered his slingshot. "They might not come today," he announced to the group below. "Seems like we’ve cleared out the nearby zombies."
The others murmured in agreement. It was the only logical explanation.
Atop a high building outside Good Hope Village.
Simba, drawn by the enticing aura emanating from the village, let out a low growl. All nearby zombies fell instantly silent, cowed by the mighty beast. It even sensed two Level 2 hunters!
After issuing a warning to his underlings, Simba turned his gaze towards Lu Ming’s house. A menacing grin spread across his face.
Foolish mortal, trying to lure Simba the Great into a trap! My intellect isn’t fooled! This is clearly bait!
Simba shuddered involuntarily at the memory of that terrifying night but quickly regained his composure and roared.
It’s never too late for revenge! The day I reach the next level—no, two levels—that village will be mine to slaughter again!
He could already feel the power surge, the impending evolution. Yet, despite nearing Level 3 and commanding a vast zombie horde, a deep-seated fear of the monster within Good Hope Village still lingered.
High-level zombie emotions were undetectable to humans but radiated outward. From their vantage point, the humans witnessed the unexpected retreat of the zombies from Good Hope Village, as if fleeing from an even more terrifying monster within its walls.
This, in fact, was the true reason why Zhang Lixin’s advancement didn’t trigger a zombie attack.
Finally, Simba cast a lingering, affectionate glance at Good Hope Village before letting out a triumphant “ho ho ho ho ho.”
With that, the zombie horde began its slow retreat from Good Hope Village and the city center.
End of Chapter 45