NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 71
Chapter 71: The Symbiotic Nightmare
The air in Linting Community crackled with tension as Bai Tianyu and his team stood their ground against the monstrous Lian Jie. The zombie's ragged breaths grew heavier, a symphony of impending violence.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Lian Jie's waist, halting his advance. A woman's voice, filled with desperation, cut through the silence, "Child! Child! Calm down, calm down!"
Xu Rufang, Lian Jie's mother, clung to her son, her presence momentarily diffusing the tense atmosphere. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "Lian Jie! Lian Jie! Even if you've become like this, you're still Mommy's good son. But we can't do things that are against the law, like killing people."
Bai Tianyu and his team watched in stunned silence, their weapons momentarily forgotten. Xu Rufang's words, though filled with love, seemed utterly misplaced in the face of the monstrous creature before them.
"They're good people, and so are we," Xu Rufang continued, her voice trembling. "If you attack them, we won't be good people anymore. Jie, listen to Mom's advice. Let's go, let's leave now. Let's stay far away from them, let's not engage with them."
Bai Tianyu could only stare in disbelief. What is going on now? he thought, his mind racing to comprehend the bizarre situation unfolding before him.
Xu Rufang reached out her hand towards Lian Jie's mouth, a desperate offering. "Jie, Mom knows you're hungry. Come, I'll give you something to eat. We're good people. We don't eat people. Come, be good..."
The stench of blood and decay filled the air as Lian Jie opened his mouth, revealing rows of jagged teeth that resembled a shark's. With a sickening crunch, he bit off his mother's arm, sending a wave of horror through the onlookers.
But then, the impossible happened. Xu Rufang's severed arm regenerated at an astonishing speed, leaving no trace of the gruesome injury.
Bai Tianyu's eyes widened in realization. Despite his imposing physique, he possessed a sharp mind, honed by the harsh realities of the apocalypse. He knew what he was witnessing.
"Awakened one!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with a newfound urgency. "Superpower of self-healing!"
The revelation sent a chill down his spine. While a self-healing ability might not be the most potent superpower, its combination with a ravenous zombie was a recipe for disaster.
Zombies fed on humans and Awakened ones, absorbing their flesh and blood to fuel their evolution. Unlike Awakened ones who required zombie crystals of the same level to advance, zombies only needed a sufficient amount of flesh and blood. This was their terrifying advantage.
Bai Tianyu’s gaze hardened as he looked at Xu Rufang, his mind already racing through the implications of this horrifying discovery. They were not just facing a single zombie; they were facing an endless cycle of evolution, a symbiotic nightmare fueled by a mother’s love and a monster’s hunger.
A chilling realization dawned upon Bai Tianyu. Awakened ones possessed far more "mysterious factors" in their flesh and blood than ordinary survivors, making them the perfect sustenance for high-level zombies. In essence, Xu Rufang, with her self-healing ability, was an endless buffet for Lian Jie, accelerating his evolution at an unimaginable rate.
Bai Tianyu cursed inwardly. Did Xu Rufang understand the monstrous consequences of her actions? It was highly likely she did, yet the unbreakable bond between mother and son compelled her to sacrifice herself, even if it meant nurturing a horrifying abomination.
As Lian Jie devoured his mother’s arm, the crimson glow in his eyes gradually faded, the zombie’s primal rage momentarily subdued by the act of feeding. A flicker of human rationality seemed to resurface.
With a lingering glance at Bai Tianyu, Lian Jie's tentacles wrapped around Xu Rufang, a grotesque display of affection. "Mom, I'll listen to you," he rasped, his voice a chilling echo of his former self. "Let's go."
Relief washed over Xu Rufang’s face. "Alright," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. "Let's go and stay far away from them."
The monstrous pair retreated, their tentacles clinging to the building's facade as they descended from the third floor. Bai Tianyu made no move to pursue them. Despite his Level 3 abilities and amplified combat power, he knew he was no match for the evolving horror that was Lian Jie.
Just as the battle seemed to be reaching its conclusion, Lian Jie abruptly stopped, his mouth salivating profusely like a grotesque waterfall. A twisted grin spread across his face as he turned to look at Bai Tianyu.
"Mom, since we’re leaving, let’s take some food with us," he declared, his voice dripping with malice.
With a deafening roar, Lian Jie’s tentacles lashed out, their movements accompanied by his chilling laughter. "Mom, I’m sensible," he cackled. "I’ll just eat one!"
Xu Rufang’s panicked cries filled the air as she desperately tried to restrain her son. But the inherent evil of the zombie nature was too strong, overriding even the powerful bond between mother and child.
The tentacles struck with devastating force, but Bai Tianyu stood his ground, managing to deflect one of the attacks. However, he knew he couldn’t withstand the onslaught of all seven tentacles alone. The situation was dire, and time was running out.
Another tentacle lashed out, striking Bai Tianyu with brutal force and sending him flying like a ragdoll. As he scrambled to his feet, a scream pierced the air. It was Lin Bai, ensnared by a writhing tentacle. Within seconds, the appendage transformed into a gruesome maw, its razor-sharp teeth grinding Lin Bai into oblivion, leaving no trace of the unfortunate Awakened.
Bai Tianyu’s eyes widened in horror as Lian Jie let out a satisfied belch, the taste of Awakened flesh igniting his insatiable hunger. "One more bite, Mom, just one more!" he gurgled, his gaze fixated on Bai Tianyu. This one is of a higher level, so he must be more delicious!
But before Lian Jie could act on his craving, a sharp pain erupted in his forehead. A sniper bullet, fired from over 10 kilometers away by Lu Ming atop a watchtower, had found its mark.
However, even the devastating power of an anti-material sniper rifle proved futile against the zombie's grotesque resilience. The bullet shattered Lian Jie’s skull and brain matter, but the wound healed with astonishing speed, leaving no trace of the damage within a second.
Lu Ming frowned, recognizing the daunting challenge they faced. The zombie's regenerative abilities rendered conventional firearms ineffective. Even his Tyrant slingshot, though more powerful than a sniper rifle, offered no solution.
"Then let’s try this," Lu Ming muttered, picking up an iron discus.
The projectile struck Lian Jie with a resounding clang, momentarily stunning the creature. But the zombie was unfazed, accustomed to the futile attacks of firearms. He ignored the unseen sniper and turned his bloodshot eyes back to Bai Tianyu, eager to resume his macabre feast.
Suddenly, an earsplitting boom echoed through the sky. The iron discus, propelled by Lu Ming’s superhuman strength, hurtled towards the Linting Community at supersonic speed. By the time the sound reached their ears, it was too late to react.
The discus slammed into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that sent debris flying and smoke billowing into the air. Bai Tianyu, just regaining his footing, was knocked off his feet once more.
As the dust settled, a scene of utter devastation unfolded before Bai Tianyu’s eyes. The impact had carved a massive crater into the ground, its edges scorched and blackened. Lian Jie lay sprawled at the center, his body mangled and broken. Xu Rufang, torn and bleeding, clung to her son, her cries of anguish echoing through the ruins.
But the most shocking sight of all was Lian Jie’s head. It had been completely obliterated, leaving only a gaping hole where his face once was. The regenerative abilities that had defied bullets and sniper rounds were no match for the raw power of Lu Ming’s discus throw.
The symbiotic nightmare, it seemed, had finally come to an end.
End of Chapter 71