Dragon Transformation in the Apocalypse

Chapter 42 Linhai City

The Dawn Base is located on the outskirts of Linhai City, only 16km away from the city center to its southwest. However, Li Chenglong was only scouting the area, so he wouldn't go that far. The group didn't encounter any zombie hordes along the way; the few stragglers were dealt with by Wang Bing and Yang Liu.

Their first destination was the Second People's Hospital of Linhai City. According to intelligence reports, someone had contacted the hospital a week prior, but then lost contact. Li Chenglong, considering the potential for heavy losses from a hasty attack, didn't send anyone. Their second destination was Linhai No. 1 Middle School, 3km from the Second People's Hospital. The reason for going there was that escapees from the high school had mentioned a giant mutated tree. Having learned from their previous experience with the mutated apple tree, Li Chenglong wanted to see if they could find anything new.

At first, the group acted rather casually, following the map step by step, avoiding several areas marked with a large number of zombies. Yang Liu quickly walked ahead to catch up with Li Chenglong: "Captain, we can't just barge into Hospital 1 like this, can we? What if there are a lot of zombies inside?" Li Chenglong laughed: "Of course not. I checked the map, and there's a 12-story HSBC Hotel about 200 meters from the hospital, and it's a five-star hotel. We'll settle down there first, and then do some reconnaissance. Besides, going to the hospital is imperative this time. Our base's medicine stockpile is running low. Although Li Xue and you, with your healing abilities, can treat patients, you're better at external injuries or expelling zombie viruses. Some patients with chronic illnesses still need medication." Yang Liu nodded: "That's true. However, thanks to the nourishment from the alien beast meat, many people's physical condition has improved, even diseases like high blood pressure and gout have improved a lot. But some people can't get much alien beast meat."

Li Chenglong smiled helplessly: "There's nothing we can do about it. There's a limited supply of mutated beast meat to begin with. With eight or nine thousand people in the base, even if we kill all those mutated pigs, each person will only get two or three kilograms. That's why the exchange rate for mutated meat is higher now. There's nothing we can do about it. Besides, even if we don't need a lot of medicine, we can still trade with other bases. Since we have the Dawn Base, there must be other bases as well. We should collect resources whenever we can."

To avoid being discovered by zombies and to improve their combat skills, Li Chenglong strictly ordered the group not to fire their weapons except in emergencies. Even the youngest, Chen Xiaoke, had already reached level three, and ordinary zombies posed no threat to them. Along the way, anything usable by the base—whether it was fuel tankers at gas stations or various goods from supermarkets—was stored in Li Chenglong's storage space. However, anything too large wouldn't fit; after all, the space was only about the size of two football fields, divided into a natural area and a high-tech area, and it already contained a considerable amount of stuff.

The group continued their slow advance. Meanwhile, inside the HSBC Hotel, a dozen or so people were eating in the central hall on the second floor. A short, thin young man with a pointed chin and monkey-like features handed a bag of bread and several cartons of milk to a middle-aged woman. The woman said disdainfully, "What is this for lunch? How is our Ying'er supposed to eat?" Nevertheless, she took a piece of bread from the bag and handed it to a pretty woman next to her. Another man, burly and fairly handsome, immediately smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, we ran out of gas today. We can't cook anything. We'll go to the gas station on South Street this afternoon to get some." The middle-aged woman was about to say something when the woman stopped her, "Alright, Sister Liang, they've worked hard too. Let's just make do with this." She then began to eat.

The skinny man immediately put on a pitying expression, thinking to himself, "Zhao Liying truly is my goddess; she even cares about me. I must get her something delicious today." Suddenly, the burly man slapped his thigh: "I've got it! I still have a self-heating hot pot. I'll get it for Liying right away." He then scurried up to the third floor. Indeed, this woman was none other than Zhao Liying, the superstar of China. Their film crew was shooting an urban drama in Linhai when they were resting at a hotel when a zombie outbreak suddenly occurred. To accommodate Zhao Liying, several floors of the hotel had been emptied, so there weren't many people there to begin with. However, because the hotel was so close to a hospital, it was almost instantly surrounded by zombies. Fortunately, two superhumans arrived on the third day and helped them reinforce the hotel. They even volunteered to find food for them, which allowed them to survive for so long.

The two superhumans were the skinny man and the burly man, named Zhang Shan and Zhou Chuan respectively. They had originally fled from a horde of zombies and ended up at this hotel by chance. Upon discovering that their idol's film crew was there, they immediately began to fawn over them, searching for food to feed the dozen or so people every day. Originally, there were over forty people in the hotel, but many left with the main group the next day. However, Zhao Liying was ill and couldn't make it back, so only a dozen or so members of the film crew remained.

Zhou Chuan placed a pre-heated self-heating hot pot on Zhang Liying's table, while Zhang Shan handed him a pack of wet wipes. The two then went to eat bread by the window, smiling broadly. At this moment, a henchman whispered to them, "Bosses, you're both superhumans, you can find beautiful women anywhere. Why are you so nice to her? She's just a celebrity." Zhou Chuan immediately retorted in a low voice, "If you dare say that again, I'll kill you! Zhao Liying is our goddess. How can other women compare to her?" The short, thin Zhang Shan chimed in, "That's right, don't compare those ordinary women to our goddess." The henchman, terrified, fell silent and began eating his bread.

Just as Zhang Liying was about to start eating, a sudden thumping sound came from the window. The group rushed to the window and saw a gigantic Titan zombie destroying the hotel entrance. Zhou Chuan rolled up his sleeves and patted his chest, "Don't worry, Miss Zhao, watch how we take down this blind zombie." Zhao Liying asked, "It looks terrifying, you have to be careful." Zhou Chuan was immediately moved to tears, "Thank you for your concern, Ying'er. We'd rather die than let it touch you." With that, the two of them opened a second-floor window and jumped out.

Titan zombies are usually special level-three zombies, but this Titan zombie today is clearly different from the usual ones. Its skin is not the usual blue-green color of Titan zombies, but red, and the zombie's right hand has turned into a huge round meat hammer. Zhou Chuan looked at this zombie that was more than three meters tall, activated his own superpower and rushed over. Zhang Shan immediately activated his fire superpower and threw several fireballs at the Titan zombie.

At this moment, Li Chenglong and his group were standing on the rooftop of a three-story building, 100 meters from the hotel. Li Chenglong activated his True Dragon Eye and slowly said, "The short, skinny guy is a level three fire-type ability user, and the slightly stronger one is a level three strength-type ability user. Their attributes..." Yang Liu stared at Li Chenglong's right eye, which had transformed into a golden vertical pupil, and exclaimed in surprise, "Captain, your ability is amazing! Then look at me now!" Li Chenglong then glanced at Yang Liu again: "Yang Liu, level three wood-type ability user, attributes: Constitution 40, Strength 37, Agility 33, Spirit 53." "Her skills are Healing Spell Level 3, Plant Communication Level 1, and Vine Binding Level 2." Li Chenglong described Yang Liu's attributes and skills, leaving Yang Liu even more amazed. She continued, "Can I see anything else?" Li Chenglong nodded and continued, "Her stamina is 94% remaining, and she's accumulated 45% on the third level of the Tower of Martial Power. She had fried dough sticks and soy milk for breakfast today, and I think she also ate a chicken leg. She's wearing..." Li Chenglong didn't finish his sentence, at which point Yang Liu blushed, "So amazing! Does that mean we have no privacy in front of you?"

Li Chenglong laughed and said, "Actually, the Qi and Power Tower functions are pretty useless. They can only be used on those lower level than yourself; they don't work on those of the same level. Besides, I wouldn't just randomly look at your attributes. Speaking of eyes, Captain Yunlan's eyes are even more powerful, but you probably haven't seen her use that move yet. You'll find out when you have the chance." Yang Liu was still a little shy, but then Li Chenglong's voice came: "Do you think the two of them can beat the other one?" Chen Xiaoke thought for a moment: "Sister Yunqian told me that Titan zombies are all level three. Now, two level three ability users are fighting one, they should definitely be able to beat them, right?" Wang Bing also spoke up: "I don't think it will be easy, but they can beat them, but someone will definitely get injured." Yang Liu had been a reconnaissance soldier in the army for several years. After observing for several dozen seconds, she said: "They can't beat them. Their movements and ability releases aren't as sharp as before." Li Chenglong nodded: "They really can't beat them, because that's not a level three Titan zombie at all, but a level four Giant Hammer Zombie."

The Giant Hammer Zombie, a relatively powerful type among Level 4 zombies, evolved from the Titan Zombie. It boasts high defense, and its giant, fleshy hammer in its right hand can easily flatten a small car. Wang Bing was eager to try: "They can't handle it, so can Yang Liu and I go together?" Li Chenglong shook his head: "You're a speed-type ability user, your damage isn't enough. Yang Liu is a support type, and Xiao Ke is a semi-support type. If you coordinate well, you can outmaneuver it and wear it down, but we still need to find a place to stay tonight, and I don't want the hotel to be destroyed by zombies." With that, Li Chenglong took out the Demon-Slaying Bow and handed it to Wang Bing: "This bow is called the Demon-Slaying Bow. It's extremely powerful, but it also consumes a lot of ability energy. Based on your stamina, you can only fire it once. The three of you go together and work together to kill that zombie. I'll observe from above, but I won't attack. Do you understand?"

The three nodded, then jumped from the rooftop to the second-floor balcony, and then directly to the ground. After landing, Yang Liu and the other two huddled together for about ten seconds to discuss their plan, before rushing towards the giant hammer zombie. Wang Bing activated his speed ability, rushing directly to the streetlamp, then nimbly climbing up it and leaping onto the canopy of a nearby tree. He then began to use all his abilities to activate the Demon-Slaying Bow. The Demon-Slaying Bow was currently only at level two, allowing for a maximum of two shots per day, but with Wang Bing's strength, he could only fire one.

On the other side, Zhou Chuan and Zhang Shan fought for a while, but Zhou Chuan gradually felt exhausted. Zhang Shan threw a fireball and said to Zhou Chuan, panting, "I don't think it's a Titan zombie at all. We've hunted Titans before, and none of them were this tough." Zhou Chuan then used all his strength to lift a small car, but it was smashed away by the giant hammer zombie's right hand halfway up. Zhou Chuan quickly dodged and shouted, "That's strange! Let's hold on a little longer. Ying'er is watching upstairs. We can't let her down." With that, Zhou Chuan charged forward again, but was knocked away by the zombie and fell to the ground. Zhang Shan quickly threw two fireballs and ran over to check on Zhou Chuan. Zhou Chuan coughed a few times, "Luckily, I activated my special ability for defense. I'm not seriously injured."

Just as the two were at their wits' end, two women, one large and one small, suddenly appeared in Zhao Liying's eyes. Chen Xiaoke moved into casting range: "Rapid Water Flow Impact" instantly released high-pressure water jets from his hands, directly hitting the zombie. The giant hammer zombie, which had just exhausted some of its strength, was suddenly struck by the high-pressure water jet and staggered back a few steps. Yang Liu immediately stepped forward and cast Vines Binding, instantly sending two thick green vines bursting from the ground and binding the zombie's right hand and right foot. However, the zombie reacted quickly and immediately began to struggle violently, trying to break the vines.

The onlookers upstairs gasped in amazement, surprised by the two women's bravery, especially since the girl who used water to attack the zombie was clearly underage. Zhao Liying's eyes also gleamed with a strange light as she stared intently at the two women. The zombies were growing stronger, and although Yang Liu continued to infuse her powers into the vines, they still emitted a series of cracking sounds. Yang Liu shouted, "Wang Bing, why aren't you shooting the arrow?" Her voice was loud enough for the people on the second floor to hear. They all looked around to see who had a bow and arrow. Zhao Liying's eyes were sharp, and she immediately located Wang Bing: "Look at that tree 50 meters away." Everyone looked in the direction Zhao Liying pointed, and there stood a young man in a tree, holding a longbow. The arrow in his hand emitted bursts of golden light, and the light was gradually growing stronger.

Wang Bing was also somewhat speechless with frustration. Captain Li had said this bow consumed a lot of his energy, but he hadn't expected it to consume so much. He had already poured in 50% of his power, and the bow was still warning of insufficient energy. At that moment, Yang Liu's urging voice rang out again. Wang Bing gritted his teeth and unleashed his full power: "Die!" Instantly, a golden light pierced the air with a whistling sound, striking the zombie directly. Yang Liu immediately withdrew her power and ran, shouting, "Get down!" The moment the arrow pierced the zombie's body, a huge explosion occurred, followed by a series of explosions centered on the point where the arrow had struck. Chen Xiaoke was momentarily stunned, not having time to lie down, when the giant zombie hammer, blasted away, hurtled towards her. Zhao Liying hurriedly shouted, "No!" But to her astonishment, a tall, handsome man suddenly appeared in front of the girl, picked her up, and vanished in less than a second.

Zhang Shan and Zhou Chuan had just stood up when they were knocked down again by the shockwave, looking disheveled. As the smoke from the explosion gradually dissipated, Wang Bing, carrying the yellow crystals he had just collected, walked up to Li Chenglong with Yang Liu. Wang Bing looked a little unwell: "Captain Li, this is my fault. I didn't control the force and position well, almost causing a disaster." Yang Liu quickly added, "It's also my fault for not instructing Xiao Ke clearly, and I didn't expect the Demon-Slaying Bow to be so powerful." Chen Xiao Ke, still shaken, clung to Li Chenglong: "It's not Wang Bing's or Yang Liu's fault, it's my fault for not reacting quickly enough." Li Chenglong said seriously, "The battlefield is not child's play. You must always maintain focus. A moment of carelessness could cause huge damage to yourself and the team." However, he then softened his tone: "But your performance was already quite good. The three of you haven't fought together before, so some coordination problems are understandable." As he spoke, Li Chenglong put Chen Xiao Ke down and then put the Demon-Slaying Bow back into his storage ring.

Yang Liu smiled and said, "Captain Yunlan showed us this bow during training before, but we haven't used it yet. Wang Bing, what do you think?" Wang Bing's legs trembled slightly. "It's good, but it consumes too much energy. I feel like I can't use any of my superpowers right now." Li Chenglong nodded. "The Demon-Slaying Bow does consume a lot of superpowers, but its power is truly impressive." The group summarized their experience and then slowly walked towards the hotel.