18 – Germinating

The sun was rising in the sky, bringing a lot of warmth to the city that had fallen into coldness.

“…” Lu Qiu was a Vampire, yet he still was walking under the sunlight without any discomfort.

It was mainly the system’s credit.

As long as there was skin contact, it was possible to manipulate the ‘direction’ of all kinds of known forces and change completely the direction of the known vectors within the limits of computing power. The computing capacity and computing power were only capable of refracting light because the skill was merely at level-2.

Requirement: 70,000 Despair Points.

This was currently Lu Qiu’s highest leveled superpower.1

This superpower could even affect earth’s rotation when reached level-5.

But Lu Qiu would have to spend up to 100,000,000 Despair Points in exchange for this superpower to reach level-5 …

That would be one eightieth of this world’s population.

Therefore, Lu Qiu could only consider this extremely strong superpower in the distant future.

But as a Vampire, his lineage was his root.

Lu Qiu checked his current Despair Points.

Wenhan City wasn’t regarded as a big city in New China Federation and it’s permanent population was around 600,000 people. After all, the city was surrounded by mountains. Without the dam, the city would have long ago been flooded by the river.

Its geographical location fundamentally left people with the feeling that this wasn’t a good place for a long-term residence.

On the second day of the spread of Blacklight Virus, the city had already one fifth of its population infected and turned into zombies.

Level-2 infected were already in the three digit numbers, reaching up to 120 odd infected.

Level-3 infected had yet to appear.

In the end, it was the result of the level-A Esper genes accelerating the evolution of Blacklight Virus.2

The evolution speed of the infected was neither fast nor slow. Stronger infected would be more and more common with New China Federation’s huge population as the basis.

But even the low-level infected, no matter how weak, after their numbers reached a certain extent; then no matter how strong the Exorcists or Espers were, they would still be in a pinch.

But it was quite a pity.

The several people of the Exorcist team with whom Lu Qiu was currently traveling didn’t seem to realize that they would kill corpses with every slash … how terrifying!

Because the zombies were quite weak …

Perhaps even if their limbs were chopped off, their hearts pierced and their bodies bloodied, they still could go all out and kill humans.

But in front of human’s firearms, they were really quite weak.

A bullet …

As long as a bullet pierced their heads, then the functions of their body’s would cease.

Even ordinary people, they also could kill those zombies as long as their marksmans.h.i.+p was accurate.

Not to mention these Exorcists.

“It’s so sad, ah. Where this city’s civilians turned into Ghouls after being infected? What had actually happened?”

With a rapier in his hand, Stein nimbly beheaded a zombie rus.h.i.+ng at them.

His strength and speed were estimated to belong to the physical enhancements of a level-C Esper.

Exorcists were humans chosen by G.o.d.

At least that was how they described themselves.

The rapier in Stein hand was wrapped in a dim blue l.u.s.ter. This power was characteristic of Exorcists and was fundamentally different from those of Espers.

To this day, no one in the world was able to decipher this mystical power.

Probably only G.o.d could have bestowed it.

Therefore, Exorcists believed themselves to be superior.

The same was true for Espers.

They had powers that gave them an edge over ordinary people … then why would they care about ordinary people?

As a result, the road that the Exorcist team had chosen was exceptionally dangerous!

They walked in the open, in the middle of the streets, without taking any measures to conceal themselves.

It had been nearly two days since the spread of the preliminary infection and the order in the entire city had thoroughly crumbled under the terror of the Blacklight Virus.

The streets were littered with vehicles that had rammed each other, gla.s.s shards, blood and human corpses as well as zombies devouring said human corpses.

This scene could be spotter everywhere.

“Captain Daren, we can’t go on like this.” Stein once more killed a zombie rus.h.i.+ng recklessly at them.

This was already the third one.

“Perhaps that Vampire was already eaten by those Ghouls.”

“Corpses.” The young woman was walking in front of the procession. She emitted awe-inspiring cold air, freezing all the approaching zombies. 

The zombies would be frozen into ice sculptures the moment they came near the young woman.

“Stein Daren …” Yuriy was walking at the end of the procession. He had been scared speechless by that scene, to the point that he was momentarily unable to budge after seeing the zombies rus.h.i.+ng over.

“What?” Stein glanced back at Yuriy.

“According to what I remember form the mission’s intelligence-report, whe should be able to see the target’s home around the corner past this intersection.”

Yuriy raised his hand and pointed fearfully in front of Stein.

My home? Lu Qiu lifted his head absentmindedly and sized up his surroundings. As a Vampire, Lu Qiu didn’t enjoyed to go outdoors; therefore, he didn’t remember the surroundings of his temporary residence.

However, it really seemed to be around here.

“Well done Yuriy. After we go back, I’ll make sure to mention your accomplishments in the report! Civilians, we’ll be leaving this city after completing our mission.

Stein seemed to be quite convinced by Yuriy’s statement.

“We can finally leave this city!” The eyes of the female reporter Dana immediately lit up after hearing the word ‘leaving’, before rocking her cousin’s hand standing beside her.

Yet the expression of the young american man was getting more and more grave.

Had he realized? Lu Qiu looked at the somewhat desolate streets.

He understood …

Zombies moved in groups. If there was a pocket with fewer zombies, then that was definitely very strange.

In short, it definitely wasn’t a good thing for humans!

“Exorcist Daren, please hurry and take us out of this city.” Lu Qiu used a very flattering tone to ‘implore’ Stein: “I’m certain that with Your formidable strength You can protect us from the claws and teeth of those monsters.”

“This is a meritorious service to G.o.d. Captain, it’s about time that we pick up some pace.”

Lu Qiu’s ‘flattery’ was very useful against Stein.

Thus the procession moved faster!

Gradually, the ordinary people in the procession begun to have some difficulties in keeping up with the pace.

But then the situation became unpredictable.

At first, there were only a few zombies rus.h.i.+ng at the moving food.

Those that weren’t easily killed by Stein’s rapier were instead frozen into ice.

But gradually …

Ten …

Hundred …

Thousand …

“How could those guys keep on increasing in numbers despite being killed?!”

Stein was already somewhat out of breath.

The Captain was the same.

Finally, after paving their way with the corpses of killed zombies.

They … went around the corner.

The moment they went around the corner.

The zombies there numbered … more than 100,000!

“f.u.c.k! How could there be this many Ghouls?!” The rapier in Stein’s hand finally trembled and he was unable to maintain the leisurely smile on his face after seeing this scene!

Corpses! Walking dead! zombies! Ghouls!

There were many ways to address these creatures …

They had died once, but then they came back to life …

Now they had appet.i.te for only one thing; that is, the flesh of living humans.

The street around the corner … had already become a territory of zombies.

When looking from a vantage point, the street was filled with … their skin was withered with some exposed patches of meat and their paled eyes didn’t had any l.u.s.ter.

These creatures only craved for one thing!

And that was the human fles.h.!.+

“Uhahhhhhh!!!”

The zombies growled after catching sight oh the humans, with their roars nearly shacking the entire city.

“f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k! What’s happening here?! Ghouls? Those are only Ghouls! Then why?!”

Stein was unable to keep his smile and started retreating. He was unable to grasp tightly the rapier with which he originally was easily killing those zombies.

Too many …

Too d.a.m.n many!!

It was like falling into an ant colony, everywhere one looked was packed with those creatures.

“Run!” Only the young woman known as Captain could still keep her calm. She emitted large amounts of extremely cold air, before creating a huge ice wall in front of the intersection.

Shortly after, the cold wind swept through the people that had fallen into fear and shock.

The zombies covered in scarlet veins started to crazily strike at the ice wall.

Human flesh … human smell! Consume … human! Consume all!

These were the thoughts filling the heads of these monsters. They opened their blood-stained and utterly mottled mouths and bit at the ice wall.

The ice wall began to crack.

Frigid air along with an outrageously putrid stench pervaded everyone’s lungs and minds!

“Hurry and run!”

Everyone started moving.

The human survival instinct urged them to run away.

The female reporter Dana was so scared that her legs were trembling, but her cousin had grabbed her hand and started running away.

“Motherf.u.c.ker!”

Stein had no intentions of ​​fighting and therefore also chose to escape.

“Do not leave me here!” Yuriy was frightened to the point that tears were spilling from the corners of his eyes, his fear urging him to follow everyone else as quickly as possible.

That’s it …

Lu Qiu was also fleeing.

Why are you running?

The zombies were very weak, truly weak. They would die if their head was shot or chopped by a sword …

Exorcists might be capable of disposing off hundreds or even thousands of zombies …

What about then thousands?

And hundred thousands?!

The ground was littered with skeletons. Everywhere, there were traces of those creatures!

Such wretched deaths! No matter how formidable the Exorcists were nor how much they exerted themselves …

Their deaths would also be so wretched!

Without dread and without fear, the perfect killing machines! If one falls, then there would be another one to take its place. Their only goal was to devour human flesh.

That was the real power of the zombies!

The endless zombie tide was finally unleashed!

Humans, you had committed a great blunder.

Lu Qiu was following closely behind the Exorcist team.

A putrid stench of death followed the noises from the ice wall crumbling and the growls of zombies, engulfing Lu Qiu.

A truly great blunder!

You the prey, so brazenly appearing before the hunter, ah!

Humans are the zombies’ prey!

1 – Power, as in Esper’s Power, was changed to seperpower

2 – Power User was changed to Esper