WebNovels

Chapter 39 - Evolution

  After reviewing the armor, the five of them also bought some tools, including Grappling Hooks, windproof lighters, flashlights, transparent wire, first-aid kits, water purification tablets, military canteens, binoculars, compasses, and so on.

"Take a look and see if you need any other tools. I think I've selected most of what we need," Wang Zhi said.

"Nothing for now. We'll see once we receive a mission; we can't be sure yet," Old He replied after looking at the items Wang Zhi had chosen.

This pile of tools wasn't very expensive; all the miscellaneous items totaled 120 Survival Points.

"Fatty, your gunshot wound hasn't healed yet. Don't go on the next mission; just stay here and recover properly," Wang Zhi said, looking at the bandage wrapped around Fatty's waist.

Fatty himself knew he couldn't engage in strenuous activity right now and would just be a burden if he went out, so he didn't argue and nodded in agreement.

After eating, Wang Zhi and the other three came down to the first floor. Since they had killed people in the arena, this incident had caused a huge stir on the first and second floors. Furthermore, their team had inexplicably been promoted to a Level Three Team. This left the other survivors utterly confused. Even obtaining the Survival Points from another squad wouldn't allow them to accumulate 10,000 Survival Points this quickly. This issue had become a puzzle among the other teams for a time.

This time, Wang Zhi came to look for Captain Jie Xi.

Upon arriving at headquarters, the guards saw them but did not stop them. Wang Zhi explained the purpose of his visit, and the guards immediately granted them passage.

Wang Zhi, familiar with the way, went straight to Jie Xi's office, first asking the other three to wait in the lounge outside.

After knocking twice, Wang Zhi pushed the door open and walked in.

At that moment, Jie Xi was staring blankly at a screen.

"What are you busy with, Captain Jie Xi?" Wang Zhi was no longer as reserved as he was at first and sat directly across from Jie Xi.

"Nothing much. What is it? What do you need me for?" Jie Xi snapped back to attention, vaguely replied, and then immediately shifted the topic to ask.

"I just wanted to ask about the recent external mission status of the other teams," Wang Zhi said.

"It's not optimistic. A total of 52 teams have gone out so far; 32 teams returned without casualties, 15 teams suffered casualties, and 5 teams have been completely wiped out."

Jie Xi supported her forehead while explaining the current situation. Wang Zhi was also startled upon hearing this; five teams had been completely destroyed in just a few days.

"That shouldn't be the case. These teams were also trained; how could the casualties be so heavy?" Wang Zhi asked, puzzled.

"Hmm... that's what I was just thinking about. According to the descriptions from the teams that have returned, the situations they encountered were quite different from yours.

They described that these **Zombies** are fast, strong, have heightened senses, and most of them exhibit a herding effect," Jie Xi narrated.

"Could it be that they are undergoing **Evolution**?" Wang Zhi guessed.

"It's highly likely they are mutating. Let me show you something, and call your team members in as well," Jie Xi said.

After Wang Zhi called everyone over, Jie Xi pulled up a video from the computer and projected it onto the screen.

The image was a first-person perspective. The person was running at full speed, looking back while fleeing. Within their line of sight were at least twenty to thirty **Zombies**, and it was impossible to estimate how many more were behind them, obscured from view.

Each of them was as frenzied as a wolf. The running speed of the person in the video was not slow; one could say it was much faster than Wang Zhi's escape speed at the school back then.

However, the Zombies behind him relentlessly pursued, and compared to the Zombies they encountered a month ago, these were indeed much fiercer. Just as he was about to be caught by the Zombies, the person in the video violently yanked their teammate who was fleeing with them backward!

That teammate instantly lost balance and fell to the ground!

The video footage from behind did not turn back, but the outcome could easily be imagined.

After sacrificing his teammate, this person indeed got a chance to escape and quickly shook off the Zombies.

Following this, Jie Xi fast-forwarded the video significantly. The scene shifted, and the camera moved into an unfamiliar room.

Immediately afterward, the camera inexplicably fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless. After a moment, the camera shifted slightly. In the frame were two middle-aged individuals. Before the attack, they had no prior connection; they had just met and hadn't exchanged a single word.

"They are survivors!" Wang Zhi said while looking at the two people who had killed that team member.

"There are still quite a few survivors outside. This video is footage from a team that was completely wiped out. We installed a recorder on his helmet using special means. After watching this video, what are your thoughts?" Jie Xi said slowly.

"The Zombies are crazier, and it's hard to distinguish friend from foe among the survivors," Wang Zhi replied, recalling the video they had just seen.

"What caused those Zombies to undergo **Evolution**?" Su Muying asked.

"That is also what I am pondering. What are your thoughts?" Jie Xi inquired.

"We don't know about that either. When we were outside before, those Zombies weren't this fast."

"Yes, so you all need to be careful next time. Your intelligence is also vital to the **Dawn Tower**."

"Thank you for the reminder, **Captain** Jie Xi. By the way, did Zhao Yan's situation cause any uproar on the 1st Floor?"

Wang Zhi felt that a famous figure like Zhao Yan shouldn't die without any news. The fact that he hadn't heard anyone discussing Zhao Yan recently struck Wang Zhi as strange.

Hearing Wang Zhi's question, Jie Xi chuckled softly and said, "Whoever the **Tower Master** wants dead, dies. If the **Tower Master** wishes for nothing to happen, then nothing happens. But don't worry, the **Tower Master** only punishes those who deserve to be killed."

Fearing Wang Zhi might misunderstand the **Tower Master**, Jie Xi added another sentence.

"Alright, we will take our leave now." Saying this, Wang Zhi and the other three left the room.

Outside the door, Wang Zhi's expression grew heavy. The information from that video, while not overwhelming, wasn't insignificant either. The Zombies, in terms of both speed and strength, were much stronger than the last time they encountered them, and their numbers hadn't decreased. In one month, not only had these Zombies not starved to death, they seemed even more agitated?

This made Wang Zhi feel as if they were desperately hungry, but whether this was the reality required further observation and evidence gathering.

If this was **Evolution**, would higher-level Zombies appear? If the Zombies developed intelligence, the consequences would be unthinkable.

But now, Dawn Tower had already suffered five total team wipes. If time dragged on, the remaining number of people might drastically decrease. If no one went out to gather resources, Dawn Tower would not be able to function, and everyone would be forced to return to the surface. 

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