Chapter 39: Evolution

After looking at the armor, Wang Zhi and the others began to review the tools. Tools were also indispensable. They bought a variety of items, such as claws, windproof lighters, flashlights, transparent steel wire, first aid kits, water purification tablets, military water bottles, binoculars, compasses, and more.

“Take a look and see if there’s anything else we need. I think I’ve picked out most of the essentials,” Wang Zhi said.

“Nothing for now. We’ll see when we get the next mission, but right now we can’t be sure,” Lao He responded after glancing at the items Wang Zhi had selected.

Wang Zhi had picked out quite a few tools, but none of them were expensive. In total, they cost 120 points.

“Fatty, your gunshot wound hasn’t healed yet. For the next mission, just stay here and rest up,” Wang Zhi said, noticing the bandage wrapped around Fatty’s waist.

Fatty knew he couldn’t engage in intense physical activity yet, and going out would just be a burden. So, he nodded without objecting.

After eating, the four of them went to the first floor. Ever since Wang Zhi and the others had killed someone on the second-floor arena, it had caused quite a stir. Their team had inexplicably been promoted to a Tier 3 team, which left many people scratching their heads. Even though they had gained points from taking down another squad, accumulating 10,000 points in such a short time seemed too fast. This issue puzzled the other teams.

This time, Wang Zhi was there to find Captain Jie Xi.

At the headquarters, the guards didn’t stop Wang Zhi when they saw him. After he explained that he was there to find Captain Jie Xi, the guards immediately let him through. Wang Zhi walked into Jie Xi’s office. He asked the other three to wait in the lounge since there were things Jie Xi could only share with him.

Knock knock, Wang Zhi knocked twice on the door and then entered. Inside, he saw Jie Xi staring blankly at the screen. Wang Zhi walked over.

“What’s going on, Captain Jie Xi?” Wang Zhi asked, now much more relaxed and sitting down across from her.

“Nothing much. Why? Looking for me?” Jie Xi snapped out of her daze and asked.

Wang Zhi casually replied, “I just wanted to ask about the situation of other teams’ expeditions recently.”

“Things aren’t looking good. A total of 50 teams have gone out. Thirty of them have returned without casualties, fifteen have suffered losses, and five teams have been completely wiped out,” Jie Xi said, rubbing her forehead as she briefed Wang Zhi on the current situation.

Wang Zhi was shocked when he heard this. In just a few days, five teams had been completely annihilated.

“This shouldn’t be. The members of the squads here are all elites. Why are the casualties so severe?” Wang Zhi asked, confused.

“Yeah… that’s the problem I was thinking about. According to the teams that have returned, what they described is different from what you’ve described. The zombies they encountered are faster, stronger, and have better sensory abilities. Moreover, most of them seem to have a pack mentality,” Jie Xi explained.

“Could they be evolving?” Wang Zhi speculated.

“It’s highly likely they are. Let me show you something. And call your team members in as well,” Jie Xi said.

After Wang Zhi called in the others, Jie Xi pulled up a video on her computer and projected it onto the screen. It was a first-person perspective, showing someone running at high speed. After running for a while, they glanced behind and saw at least thirty zombies chasing them, with many more following. The zombies were crazed, like wolves. The person in the video was running fast, even faster than Wang Zhi had when fleeing from the school, but the zombies kept closing in.

Just as the person was about to be caught, they yanked a teammate backward, causing them to fall. The video didn’t show what happened next, but it was clear that the person had sacrificed their teammate to survive. Not long after, they managed to escape from the zombies. Jie Xi fast-forwarded the video, and the scene switched to an unfamiliar house. The person suddenly collapsed to the ground, and it was evident that they were no longer alive. The video captured the killers—two middle-aged men. Before the attack, they hadn’t even exchanged words.

When Wang Zhi saw this, he stood up and said, “Survivors!”

“Yes, there are many survivors out there. This video is from a team that was wiped out. We used special methods to attach a recording device to their helmet. What do you think after watching this?” Jie Xi said slowly.

“The zombies are crazier, and it’s hard to tell friend from foe among the survivors,” Wang Zhi said, reflecting on the video.

“So, what caused these zombies to evolve?” Su Mu Ying asked.

“That’s also what I’ve been thinking. What do you think?” Jie Xi asked.

“We don’t know either. When we were out before, the zombies weren’t this fast,” Wang Zhi replied.

“Right. So, you need to be careful next time. Your intel is crucial for the Dawn Tower as well,” Jie Xi warned.

“Thank you for the reminder, Captain Jie Xi. By the way, what about Zhao Yan’s death? Didn’t it cause a stir in the first floor?” Wang Zhi asked, feeling that someone as famous as Zhao Yan wouldn’t die without a trace. He found it strange that no one had been talking about it recently.

Upon hearing Wang Zhi’s question, Jie Xi chuckled lightly and said, “The Tower Master decides who lives and who dies. If the Tower Master doesn’t want something to be known, it just won’t be. But don’t worry, the Tower Master despises evil and only punishes those who deserve it.”

Afraid Wang Zhi might misunderstand, Jie Xi added, “I’m just explaining how things work.”

“Alright, then we’ll head back,” Wang Zhi said. After that, he and the others left the room.

Once they were outside, Wang Zhi’s face darkened. The video had given him a lot of information—more than it appeared at first glance. The zombies were not only faster and stronger, but their numbers hadn’t decreased. In fact, they seemed more energized. Wang Zhi felt that they were hungry, but whether that was the case or not, it needed to be observed and verified.

If they were evolving, would there be higher-level zombies emerging? If zombies gained intelligence, the consequences would be unimaginable. Moreover, Dawn Tower had sent out 50 teams, and 5 had already been wiped out. If this continued, the remaining teams would likely dwindle, and without anyone bringing back resources, Dawn Tower wouldn’t be able to keep operating. Eventually, everyone would be forced to return to the surface.