Chapter 84: Gathering Clouds

Level eight—who could possibly stand against it? Rely on those fewer than a hundred level-seven Evolvers hastily cultivated by the Allied Forces? Could these few dozen level-seven Evolvers even put up a fight, or would they merely be a snack for an eighth-level zombie? Even setting aside the issue of the eighth-level zombie, how many level-seven zombies could these Evolvers actually withstand? Two? Three, perhaps? And that's being wildly optimistic. In reality, given the zombies' innate defensive advantages, it's questionable whether these dozen or so level-seven Evolvers could even break through that defense.

The Allied Forces did possess some advanced weaponry, but so far, it had only been used against level-six zombies. Even with high-end missiles, if the target was prepared, the fatality rate was no higher than sixty percent. That's against level-six zombies. According to previous expert estimates, even level-seven zombies would have a fifty percent survival rate if they faced those missiles head-on. So could eighth-level zombies really be dealt with by missiles alone?

When human Evolvers reach level nine, they would supposedly rival the immortals of legend—traveling a thousand miles in a day, soaring through the skies. Even if this is mere speculation, it already strains the bounds of human comprehension. An eighth-level zombie, then, would be a counterpart to a level-nine Evolver. The thought alone is terrifying. As for that mysterious master, he had practically become a legend himself.

All the Allied commanders had dispatched their elite squads to gather intelligence on the owner of that distant villa, still hundreds of miles away.

“Achoo.” These past couple of days, Ma Yi had felt odd. With his physical constitution, could he even catch a cold? Yet he kept sneezing, for reasons unknown.

Liu Wen, ever attentive, took the initiative to check Ma Yi’s temperature. Everything was perfectly normal—there was no sign of illness at all. Seeing her concern, Ma Yi could only smile wryly. He wasn’t about to claim invincibility, but not even lightning could kill him now. Every cell in his body brimmed with terrifying energy; how could a mere flu virus or bacteria infect him? Any microbe entering his body would be incinerated by the energy within his cells. Frankly, if he pushed himself to the limit, he could be described as a walking nuclear reactor.

“Maybe it’s because your mistress somewhere out there is missing you,” Liu Xue chimed in, always the troublemaker. Her words instantly put Liu Wen on alert, her gaze fixed on Ma Yi’s face, searching for any hint that her sister’s accusation might be true.

Ma Yi was momentarily stunned, then looked at Liu Wen with a helpless smile. “Don’t listen to Xue’s nonsense. You know me well enough—everyone I care about is right here.”

Yet even as he said it, Ma Yi felt a twinge of guilt—not because he actually had another woman outside, but because he suddenly thought of that little princess from the Shell Clan among the Sea People.

“Hmph.” Liu Wen rolled her eyes and snorted. If she hadn’t inexplicably fallen for him, she would never have given such a man the time of day.

Not only herself—Liu Wen had noticed lately that every woman who came into contact with Ma Yi seemed bewitched by him. The man wasn’t even remotely handsome, nor tall; even as a terrifying-level zombie, he only stood at 1.7 meters, and that was with shoes on. Next to her own height of 1.9 meters, he seemed entirely unimpressive. Even her father, who’d never evolved, was taller than this rascal. As for Ruhua, she and Ma Yi were both zombies, so Liu Wen refrained from judgment. Still, she couldn’t fathom why she herself, or even Li Li, who called herself a slave, cared so much for an ugly brute like him.

Don’t be fooled by Liu Xue always tattling on Ma Yi; Liu Wen could tell her little sister was growing increasingly attached to her man, almost obsessed, as if seeking more of Ma Yi’s attention through childish antics. Ever since the family had settled down in the villa, Ma Yi spent his days either with her and Ruhua or lost in silent cultivation. Even Li Li, who used to sneak off for raw food, now did so less and less. It showed Ma Yi’s devotion; Liu Wen hadn’t seen the outside world, but Li Li had, and often shared stories of it when they chatted.

Out there, every powerful Evolver had three or four wives, with countless mistresses on the side. By comparison, Ma Yi was remarkably loyal.

“Husband, lately you seem even more focused on cultivation,” Liu Wen said, leaning against Ma Yi. Even sitting down, she was much taller than he was, her long, elegant legs—clad in black stockings—stretching far beyond his.

She remembered a joke: How to instantly get your aloof boyfriend’s attention? Just mention you bought a new pair of stockings, and ninety-nine percent of men would respond.

“I haven’t felt at ease lately. Maybe there are real experts among those zombies. So I decided to concentrate on training—only by growing stronger can I better protect you all.” Ma Yi put down his tea. After more than a year since doomsday, all bottled drinks had long since expired. For the safety of the women in the villa, he’d decreed that, aside from a few freshly made juices, they weren’t to drink any of those beverages. The rule ostensibly applied to everyone, but it was mainly for Liu Xue’s sake. Liu Wen barely drank anything but plain water, hot or cold, all year round.

“Mmm, thank you for your hard work. Tonight I’ll…” Liu Wen’s cheeks flushed as she whispered in his ear.

“Really?” Ma Yi looked at her, elated. He’d been waiting for this for so long, but Liu Wen always found excuses, too shy to go through with it. Now, at last, his patience would be rewarded—after all, the first time was the hardest.

Meanwhile, the pregnant zombie woman in the basement was about to give birth. It had taken barely over a month for this new life to gestate inside her. Ma Yi, having seen her once, had a rough idea of what to expect, but he’d still tasked Ruhua with watching over her to ensure the new life would arrive safely into the world.

This would be the first new life Ma Yi had witnessed since the apocalypse. Perhaps elsewhere, babies were born every day, but among his subordinates—zombies, no less—it was truly an extraordinary event.

In recent days, Ma Yi felt a constant, oppressive weight on his mind. He chalked it up to the looming battle with the zombies and tried not to dwell on it, keeping up his daily regimen of training and cultivation. While his progress had slowed at his current level, the constant training helped him master his transformed body and wield his power more effortlessly. He was, after all, someone who found it hard to sleep in a bed.

Previously, when Ma Yi expended a portion of his strength, he could only display half its effect, still unaccustomed to his new, terrifying-level power. Even in the fight with the Sea People’s warrior, he’d barely gained an edge. Now, if he encountered that general again, he could subdue him in an instant, without resorting to any fancy techniques.

Tie Zhu and Erha were no longer as idle as before. The two often sparred, pushing each other to improve. Ma Yi would sometimes watch their matches. For him, every insight was a significant step forward—perhaps the key to protecting himself and his family at a critical moment.

“Husband, come quickly!” Ma Yi was watching Erha and Tie Zhu spar when Ruhua’s voice sounded in his mind—the only one who could communicate this way, as the rightful Zombie King.

“All right, that’s enough for today. I’ll check on the underground chamber,” Ma Yi said to Erha and Tie Zhu, knowing the pregnant zombie must be going into labor.

“Hey, boss, what’s up?” “Yeah, boss, what’s happening? I’ll come too,” Erha called, halting the fight and rushing after Ma Yi. He was now Ma Yi’s most loyal fan, willing to do anything he asked—more obedient even than Tie Zhu, whom Liu Xue jokingly called Ma Yi’s number one lackey.

“Wait for me!” Tie Zhu cried, unwilling to fall behind. He had finally caught up to Erha in strength, reaching the late terrifying-level, thanks to relentless sparring with Ma Yi and Erha. Though they called it training, it was really torment, using him as a practice dummy. But it had toughened him, and now he could hold his own against Erha, finally exacting some revenge—at least now he could beat Erha black and blue.

As for Ma Yi—well, Tie Zhu knew he still wasn’t a match for him. If he managed to land a few hits on Ma Yi during a spar, it was a real achievement. Sometimes, Ma Yi would let Tie Zhu and Erha attack him to test new moves, and Tie Zhu secretly rejoiced at the chance to pummel his boss without fear of retaliation.