Tien Thuong warily watched the man before him.
The other person gave him a very dangerous feeling.
It was like a demon whispering in the darkness, tempting its chosen target.
Tien Thuong knew this.
But he couldn't help but start to imagine. The other person was right; he truly wanted to be stronger, to be stronger than Thoi Tieu Phi. Every time Thoi Tieu Phi appeared before them.
He would always lecture them with a high and mighty tone.
This made Tien Thuong very displeased.
The man who had appeared maintained an incredibly calm expression, taking in every change on Tien Thuong's face. If he hadn't been certain what kind of person Tien Thuong was, why would he have appeared before him?
"Headquarters has discovered your potential," the man said.
"My potential?"
Tien Thuong's heart burned with excitement. No one disliked hearing praise from others, and he was no exception. It was just that he was skeptical about whether his own potential was truly that high.
"That's right, your potential is very high. You were an Awakened before, and you were also injected with the serum. Haven't you noticed that ever since the injection, your body has been undergoing dramatic changes every so often?"
It was indeed just as the other person had said.
His physique was gradually bulking up, and his own strength was growing stronger. These were things he had felt himself. In contrast, his other companions who had been injected with the serum at the same time did not experience such changes.
Tien Thuong remained silent, secretly clenching his fists, feeling the reassuring power within his body.
The man continued, "I'll ask you one last time, are you truly willing to submit to Thoi Tieu Phi?"
As he spoke these words.
Tien Thuong's expression changed slightly, and then he said firmly, "I am not willing. I have never believed I am inferior to him. It's just that my evolution time has been too short. If I were given enough time, I could definitely surpass him."
"Very good. The organization values this kind of self-confidence in you," the man nodded with great satisfaction.
As expected, his judgment was not wrong.
This guy was inherently rebellious.
Thoi Tieu Phi was truly a tragic figure. He had brought a group of students from the Vo Giao, intending for them to be injected with the serum and gain the power to survive in the apocalypse, but he never expected a traitorous subordinate to emerge. If he knew, he would surely be heartbroken.
To have a junior he valued so much thinking of replacing him, anyone in that position would probably be heartbroken.
Tien Thuong knew that the person from the organization had come to find him for more than just praising him to his face. If that was all it was, it would be utterly meaningless.
"Although you say I have great potential, in my heart, he is still an obstacle I cannot overcome. It will be extremely difficult for me to surpass him."
Tien Thuong said, shaking his head. It wasn't that he had self-awareness, but that he wanted to put on a show for the other person, to make him understand that all this talk was useless; at the very least, he needed to offer some tangible action.
"No, it's not difficult at all. The organization is willing to cultivate you, so naturally, we have made ample preparations. The path of evolution is not one where whoever starts first can forever stay far ahead," the man said.
"What do you mean?"
Tien Thuong feigned surprise as he looked at the other person, but in his heart, he was filled with anticipation. Could it be that the organization had developed something good that could rapidly advance one's evolution path?
The man took a serum from his pocket. The liquid was blue. "This is a high-quality genetic modification drug extracted by headquarters from the body of a Creator. It can bring you even more powerful changes. You are the first person to receive this drug. I hope you won't disappoint the organization."
Learning that the serum was extracted from the body of a Creator, Tien Thuong's gaze towards the serum was filled with greed.
Good stuff. This was definitely an unimaginably good thing.
"Really for me?"
"Yes, it's for you."
Tien Thuong took the serum from the other person's hand as if he had found a priceless treasure. If the man wasn't standing right in front of him, he would have definitely laid bare all the ambitions in his heart.
For example: "Now that I have the serum, my strength will rise to an even more terrifying level. What Thoi Tieu Phi, what organization? I, Tien Thuong, will truly establish myself in the apocalypse, become the king of the apocalypse, and no one can stand in my way."
However, he currently buried this thought deep in his heart.
The man reached out and gently patted Tien Thuong's shoulder.
"Keep it up. The future is promising."
After speaking, the man turned and left, disappearing into the distant dust in an instant.
Tien Thuong lowered his head, looked at the serum in his hand, and couldn't help but let out a sinister laugh.
"I will definitely surpass all of you."
He put the serum away carefully, turned, and walked back into the building. Now was not the best time to inject the serum. Once injected, his body would surely undergo a massive transformation. If the commotion attracted the attention of others, it would be truly disastrous.
In the distance.
The departing man was also sneering coldly.
"Who on earth killed Nguy Ung? He had already been injected with the Creator's genetic modification drug, yet he was still killed so easily."
The organization naturally knew about Nguy Ung's death.
Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done. The dead were dead and could not be revived. They could only choose a new person to cultivate. The other Perfect Mutators were gradually wanting to break away from the organization.
Especially Thoi Tieu Phi, who had already begun to defy the organization's control.
This was what the organization least wanted to see.
Therefore, Tien Thuong was meticulously chosen by the organization. The change in his mentality was not due to the serum, but simply the inflation of his ego after gaining power.
Unearned wealth drives people mad.
Those who can maintain their original heart are few and far between.
...
On a desolate, lonely highway.
Lam Pham, with Frostmourne on his back, moved the overturned vehicles to the side of the road. Left abandoned until now, many of these cars were from the very beginning of the apocalypse.
The living survivors had tried to escape by car, but the road conditions were terrible. Many people suddenly turned into zombies while driving, causing them to crash and block the road.
This prevented the cars behind them from getting through.
If there were still survivors now, trying to drive to Hoang City with zombies chasing them from behind, they would be unable to escape because the road was blocked, and would be caught by the zombies, dying a desperate and tragic death in their mouths.
Although this possibility was small.
It was not impossible.
If something like that really happened, it would be a great regret, just because the road was blocked.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
One by one, the cars were thrown to the side by Lam Pham with his bare hands. A moment later, looking at the clear highway, a happy smile appeared on his face.
He pretended to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
This was the fruit of hard work.
"I hope this highway can truly bring hope to the living."
Lam Pham looked back, then continued forward alone.
In the vast land centered around Hoang City, the number of zombies had become very small. Most of them had been cleared out by him. If any survivor could reach the cleared area, they would definitely find this place unusual.
Before, zombies were everywhere.
Suddenly, they had vanished without a trace. It was extremely difficult to even see a single zombie.
Passing by a service station.
Lam Pham felt the urge to pee and headed towards the service station. Although there was no one outside, and he could relieve himself anywhere without being seen, Lam Pham felt that if he had to pee, it was better to do it in a toilet.
Otherwise, the impression it gave would be a bit bad.
If a zombie were to suddenly appear, it would be easy to get startled.
The unmanaged service station was severely damaged. Weeds were everywhere, and the sign above the door was covered in dust, making the words hard to read clearly.
The glass at the entrance was shattered on the ground, with broken glass everywhere.
Looking inside.
It was incredibly dilapidated. Garbage was scattered everywhere. Even the ceiling panels were broken, revealing a large hole. Broken wires hung down. There was no lighting, only a few rays of sunlight shining in.
It still made the environment here seem much gloomier.
"Sigh, this service station used to be bustling with people. To think it has become like this."
Lam Pham shook his head, expressing his helplessness.
The arrival of the apocalypse had stolen too many beautiful images from people's hearts.
"Ooh ooh."
"Ooh ooh."
In a dark corner, two zombies were wandering. Staying here, it was difficult for them to see any living people, but out of a kind of protection for their territory, they had not left, remaining here all this time.
At this moment.
They craned their necks and looked towards the entrance.
They spotted a human.
Their desire for delicious flesh and blood was thoroughly ignited. Like mad dogs, they charged towards Lam Pham at high speed. Even though a table blocked their path, causing them to trip and fall, they still got up, wanting to completely devour the human before them.
"Terrifying."
As the zombies approached, Lam Pham didn't even bother to draw Frostmourne. He simply waved his arm, his five fingers swiping through the air.
Pfft!
Pfft!
They were clearly still several meters away from Lam Pham.
Their bodies were torn apart by an invisible force, instantly ripped in two.
Thick blood splattered all over the ground. Lam Pham felt helpless about this act that affected the environment, but he knew it had nothing to do with him.
He had just encountered danger and had no choice but to act.
He entered the toilet.
As soon as he stepped through the door, the smell in the toilet was incredibly pungent, the result of not being cleaned for a very long time.
He held his breath, walked to a urinal, and unzipped his pants.
Sshhh...
In the quiet toilet, there was only the sound of splashing water.
Two minutes later.
Lam Pham came out of the toilet and went to the sink, wanting to wash his hands. He found there was no water. He could only go to the unattended supermarket, grab a bottle of mineral water, and guzzle down more than half of it, then use the remaining water to wash his hands.
This way, nothing would be wasted.
The environment of the service station grew even darker. The light at the exit, seen from a distance, gave a very strange feeling, creating a very stark contrast.
Just then.
A whooshing sound tore through the air.
In Lam Pham's vision, within the dark environment, the sharp tip of the approaching object glinted with the white light of polished metal.
Lam Pham calmly turned his head. With a thud, it turned out to be a weapon, shaped like a crescent moon, connected by an iron chain. It was extremely sharp and struck directly into a nearby cement pillar.
"Huh?"
A surprised sound came from the distance, as if wondering, what's with this zombie? It can actually dodge? This situation made him feel it was quite incredible.
"I am human."
Lam Pham felt that the other person might have mistaken him for a zombie, which was why he had suddenly attacked.
As expected.
After Lam Pham identified himself as a human, the other person pulled his weapon back and said nothing, feeling so embarrassed that his toes were about to dig a hole in the ground.
"Sorry, I thought you were a zombie."
The other person's apologetic voice came from the distance. Judging by his voice, it was very deep and resonant, the kind of voice that had been tempered by the years. Even without seeing his face, Lam Pham was sure he was a middle-aged man.
Walking forward.
He saw the person who had just spoken clearly.
It was indeed a middle-aged man, holding a weapon in one hand and a cup of instant noodles in the other, with a bottle of a sports drink tucked under his arm.
"Uh..."
Lam Pham was a little surprised by the other person's look.
He looked so carefree.
It felt as if the apocalypse wasn't so terrifying for him.
While Lam Pham was observing the other person.
The middle-aged man was also observing Lam Pham. That move just now, though it seemed ordinary and casual, was not something an ordinary person could do to dodge so easily.
"Hello," Lam Pham said with a smile on his face.
"Hello."
The middle-aged man came to his senses and replied.
"My name is Lam Pham, from the Hoang City Sunshine Shelter."
Lam Pham took the initiative to introduce his origin and name. This made it easier for strangers to let down their guard, allowing for deeper communication with him.
The middle-aged man's expression was one of shock, his eyes wide. "You... you are Lam Pham."
"Yes, you've seen the 'Zombie Illustrated Guide,' right?" Lam Pham said with a smile.
He had met another survivor who had seen the 'Zombie Illustrated Guide'. This feeling was really good, a kind of indescribable pride.
The middle-aged man said, "I've seen it. It left a deep impression. I really didn't expect to meet you here. I'm really sorry about just now. I didn't know you were human. After all, zombies are everywhere now, and it's hard for ordinary people to survive."
Although he knew about Lam Pham from the 'Zombie Illustrated Guide,' in his eyes, the other person was definitely truly strong, not the kind of person who was just hyped up for no reason.
"It's understandable, don't take it to heart. Anyone in that situation would have made the same decision as you," Lam Pham said, not minding at all.
"Brother Cao, why aren't you back with the water yet?"
At this moment, another voice came. Not far away, a young man was walking this way. To that young man, Brother Cao's spicy beef noodles were indeed a bit too spicy, and he had gone to get a bottle of water to drink.
This was a very normal thing.
It's just that Brother Cao had been gone for so long, which made them a little suspicious. What was he doing? Why was he taking so long?
Could he have run into danger?
Of course, they trusted Brother Cao's strength. Even if he encountered an evolved zombie, he could handle it and wouldn't have any problems.
"We have other people with us. I came to get some water," Cao Chiem said.
"Oh, could you introduce me so I can get to know them?"
Lam Pham sensed that this person before him was a very strong Awakened.
And he had other companions.
Clearly, this was a team.
He also wanted to get to know them. Survivors who could still survive in the apocalypse and travel around were truly not easy to come by.