Chapter 51: We Are Safe, For Now
The ordinary infected were almost entirely wiped out in the first volley of gunfire.
Corpses of the infected lay everywhere, the air thick with a foul stench, and the entire street reeked of death.
Four Tanks thundered across the ground, the lead one only a few meters from Li Changsheng.
The foremost Tank was over two meters tall even as it crawled, its muscles knotted and bulging as if cast in molten steel. Li Changsheng tried firing his pistol at it a few times, but the bullets barely penetrated an inch before being lodged in the dense muscle.
No wonder it was so troublesome to fight these things in my previous life!
With such strength and flesh, it was the ultimate meat shield.
There was no time to think further.
In a flash, the lead Tank charged forward, its arm as thick as an adult’s waist swinging violently. The air itself seemed to shatter with the force of the blow. The Tank’s punch carried explosive power, enough to crush a person’s bones.
“Good, come on!”
Li Changsheng faced it fearlessly, raising both arms to block.
Bang!
A deep, muffled impact sounded.
Li Changsheng was sent flying over ten meters, his shoes scraping along the ground for several more before he managed to stop.
“What incredible strength!” Li Changsheng’s arms hung limply—his muscles had been torn, and even the bones were damaged. Thankfully, the surge of adrenaline meant he felt no pain.
Nor did he feel any fear; every cell in his body seemed to tremble with excitement and joy.
Just like a genetically-engineered T-Rex in Jurassic World, eager to assert its dominance through combat.
His own G-cells were the same.
While providing energy, the G-cells were also rapidly repairing his body.
It seemed brute force wouldn’t work...
After a brief pause, Li Changsheng shook out his arms; they were fine now.
After all, it was just a muscle strain—enough time had passed for complete recovery.
Roar!
The Tank allowed no respite. In an instant, it closed the dozen-meter gap, arms raised high to smash Li Changsheng to pieces.
His eyes turned cold. With a forceful step, he retreated, narrowly dodging the Tank’s crushing blow. Then, with a sudden leap, he raised his axe with both hands and brought it down hard on the Tank’s head.
A flash of red light.
Crack!
With that strike, a chunk of the Tank’s skull—dense as refined steel—was cleaved away. Only a third of its face remained.
The Tank seemed stunned, stumbling in circles and letting out furious howls.
As expected, the head was every creature’s weakness.
Li Changsheng shook his head.
He walked forward, raising his axe high.
With a swift motion, the Tank before him let out a mournful wail, its massive body collapsing heavily to the ground.
“Hey, handsome, you forgot your speakers! Without them, you don’t stand a chance against me...”
Li Changsheng shrugged.
Just then, a cold wind swept by.
Suddenly, a car, a rock, and a corpse of a walker—all three hurtled toward him at incredible speed.
“Quick, get out of the way!” Zoe shouted from the bridge.
Li Changsheng smiled at her and, in a blur, moved over ten meters away.
That was the benefit of high agility and dynamic vision.
It was as if the movie had been slowed to a tenth of its speed; the incoming objects looked like drifting paper planes. He had more than enough time to react and dodge.
Then Li Changsheng pounced on the remaining three Tanks. Their close-combat tactics were nothing more than battering, slamming, and charging.
But they were clumsy, and though Li Changsheng was lightly built, he was fast enough. Even beset by three Tanks, he handled them with ease, every strike inflicting massive damage.
Close combat was nothing like a back-and-forth duel; the fight was over in moments.
The group watched the lone figure standing atop the Tank corpses.
Zoe, Francis, and Louis exclaimed in unison, “Isn’t he the real monster?”
They’d meant to help, but Li Changsheng’s movements were too quick. At first, they feared hitting him by mistake and could only watch anxiously from the sidelines. By now, it was clear he didn’t need their help.
“Maybe he knows martial arts!” Bill remarked in awe.
Francis scratched his head. “There was a Chinese martial arts school near my house before the outbreak. If I’d known, I would have taken lessons.”
“Oh, come on, Francis,” Louis teased, “with your scrawny frame, one punch from a Tank and you’d be flying.”
Bill lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before exhaling slowly. “Ah, we can finally catch our breath.”
Zoe leaned against the bridge, propping her head on one hand, her dark eyes shining. “Hey, should we invite him to go to the island with us?”
Francis laughed and ruffled Zoe’s hair. “Whoa, whoa—someone’s in love! Our little girl’s all grown up!”
“Get lost, Francis!” Zoe shoved him, but her gaze remained fixed on the solitary figure nearby.
Meanwhile, in the research lab—
Laut’s face had turned ashen.
“This is impossible! How could he possibly defeat my ‘darlings’?”
He roared in frustration. At first, he’d been full of confidence in his creations. His ultimate goal was to craft a super-creature with all the ‘pet’ traits. But if even a group of his ‘darlings’ couldn’t handle that man, what was the point of his research?
Soi stood by, utterly stunned.
Tanks, Hunters, Jockeys, Smokers—so many mutants with special abilities, appearing one after another like a Hollywood blockbuster. But what was even more terrifying was Li Changsheng, handling them all with ease. If even this horde of monsters couldn’t best him, wasn’t he the greatest monster of all?
Now, Soi was deeply intrigued by Li Changsheng, her eyes locked on his every move on the screen.
Perhaps humanity still had a future?
As Soi pondered, Laut slammed the table, his expression twisted. “Prepare the Sunflower for me—I’m initiating the final experiment.”
Soi frowned, puzzled. “Are you serious? The Sunflower is still in the experimental stage. The energy within is completely uncontrollable. Are you sure about this?”
A crimson glint flashed in Laut’s eyes. “No one can stop me. I’ll prove my masterpiece is superior to any human!”
“Madman!” Soi’s heart sank. “Just like the professor, just like you—you’re all mad.”
It seemed time to leave Rex Research Institute...
...
Li Changsheng was still unaware that, because of him, their destination—the Rex Institute’s evacuation base—was undergoing strange and unknown changes.
But even if he’d known, he wouldn’t have the strength to care.
He exhaled a long breath and collapsed onto the bridge.
The mental focus, the all-out attack—both had drained his stamina.
Behind him, Zoe, Francis, Louis, and Bill watched curiously, as if his face had grown flowers.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground.
No one spoke.
But everyone knew—
We’re safe.
For now.