"Thankfully, it worked." Li Xuan gritted his teeth, fighting back the urge to vomit.

A marvelous power awakened within his body—he could now transform into any animal he had consumed at will.

He didn't rush to test the transformation. This wasn't the place for it; he needed somewhere open, preferably near the ocean.

The largest animal in Blue Star's history, the former ruler of the land, and the greatest wingspan ever known—these three represented the ocean, land, and sky respectively. He wondered what would happen when they combined within him.

Li Xuan had chosen these three animals for specific reasons. First, he lacked both underwater breathing and flight capabilities. Not all opportunities would be on land—some would undoubtedly lie in the ocean.

Some chances might require flight, and mastering aerial mobility would help him avoid numerous dangers while providing crucial escape options when needed. Most importantly, the intelligence system had advised selecting large-bodied animals whenever possible.

As panicked people regained their vision and saw familiar surroundings, they barely had time to feel relieved before being tackled by those around them. Blunt teeth sank into flesh, tearing away chunks of meat as excruciating pain spread through their bodies. Screams of agony filled the air.

"Ahhh! Help me! There's a madman! Damn it! Why are you biting me! My flesh!"

"Zombies! They're zombies! Why are movie zombies real! Aren't movies supposed to be fiction!"

"Get away! You've been bitten! Don't come near me!"

"Mommy, why are you biting me? It hurts so much."

Hiss~ Heh~

Strange, rasping growls echoed throughout the museum as the scent of blood spread, gradually transforming the human world into a living hell. Killing and death became the dominant themes of this era.

The sudden appearance of zombies caught countless people unprepared, plunging the entire world into chaos. densely populated areas turned into slaughterhouses where people had nowhere to run. Car horns blared on streets as vehicles crashed into walls or blocked roads entirely, dashing the hopes of those who hoped to escape by car.

A small number of people happened to be eating when the darkness descended, gaining transformation abilities. Most became chickens, ducks, or fish—transformations of limited use. A fortunate few gained the ability to transform into larger animals like cows or horses.

As crisis descended and death loomed, those with transformation abilities panicked and activated their powers, scattering in various animal forms.

In the chaos, larger animals proved less advantageous than smaller ones. Zombies primarily targeted humans, instinctively ignoring small animals like chickens and ducks when people were nearby.

Li Xuan vaulted over the guardrail and hurried toward the fire safety box. The museum's emergency equipment contained valuable items—a fire axe for self-defense, and window breakers that could prove crucial in specific situations.

Why hadn't he bought defensive weapons before coming out?

Because museums had security checkpoints that prohibited bringing such items inside.

When he encountered zombies or people being attacked by them along the way, he simply detoured without attempting rescue.

Zombies carried infectious threats. Without transforming, he remained an ordinary person incapable of defeating zombies barehanded without injury.

Approaching the fire safety box, Li Xuan spotted the company CEO—apparently sharing the same target: the fire axe.

'Never expected the boss to react this quickly'

The CEO maintained a kindly image among employees, someone who could mingle comfortably with staff, unlike the company's vice president. When problems arose, the VP would erupt first, then the CEO would step in to resolve things.

Many employees felt the VP had overstepped, even suspecting he had sidelined the CEO. Some even felt sorry for their boss.

Of course, Li Xuan never shared that sentiment—why would someone earning five thousand a month pity a CEO making at least tens of millions annually?

Li Xuan reached the fire safety box first and pressed the switch, but it failed to open.

The CEO arrived, grabbed the emergency window breaker beside the box, smashed the glass, and retrieved a fire axe. "The switch is broken."

The box contained three fire axes. Li Xuan took one and also pocketed the window breaker. "How did you know?"

"Because our company's switches are broken too," the CEO replied.

Li Xuan nodded, focusing on the museum's rear exit while mentally mapping escape routes.

The museum wasn't crowded. Even if half the visitors turned into zombies, their numbers remained manageable—far safer than packed shopping malls.

The downside was obvious: malls contained food and water, allowing survivors to gather in secure rooms and endure for some time. The museum offered only bones and specimens—staying meant starvation unless they left.

The CEO made his pitch with dramatic flair: "Li Xuan, want to collaborate? You're young, probably read apocalyptic fiction. With society's collapse, might makes right."

"A little water and food could make once-proud campus beauties and celebrities our possessions—to do with as we please. Let's work together to secure the museum, recruit other men, establish a shelter here, and build our own little kingdom. What do you say?"

The CEO smiled confidently, remembering Li Xuan as that inconspicuous, ordinary employee with typical youthful impulsiveness and minor temper.

By offering partnership as equals, he expected Li Xuan to feel flattered and eagerly agree. With Li Xuan as enforcer and his own company influence, he could establish a faction and maintain a lifestyle comparable to pre-apocalypse days.

Li Xuan felt surprised. The apocalypse had arrived, order had shattered, human darkness had been unleashed, and morality would gradually erode. Without supernatural powers in this first version, sufficiently lucky and ruthless people could commit terrible acts.

But he hadn't expected his boss to adapt so quickly—within two minutes, the usually amiable CEO had revealed his vicious nature.

Just from his words, the CEO clearly surpassed the VP in ruthlessness.

Seeing Li Xuan's hesitation, the CEO pressed further: "Don't you hate Supervisor Liu? Without him blocking you, you'd have been promoted long ago. Partner with me, and your positions will reverse—you can torment him however you want. Oh, and I'll give you the new campus belle Bai Lengning too—that woman I worked so hard to recruit before I could even make my move."

An image surfaced in Li Xuan's mind: a woman in white dress and shoes, with long flowing hair.

Bai Lengning, the celebrated beauty from a top university, currently a junior working winter break temporary at their company. Her arrival had drawn immediate attention, with rumors about her and the CEO circulating within days.

"Your offer is tempting, but I decline."

Unlike others, Li Xuan understood the zombie outbreak was merely the initial trial. As versions updated, challenges would intensify. The CEO might enjoy himself briefly after securing the museum, but his future remained uncertain.

Each version held different solutions: shelters, food, water, and transformation abilities for the zombie version; supernatural powers and mutations for the second.

Only by seizing each version's solution could one survive properly.

Others couldn't possibly grasp every version's answer, but Li Xuan differed—he possessed the intelligence system, knowing not only current solutions but future ones too, allowing him to prepare in advance.

A dangerous glint flashed in the CEO's eyes. "Since you won't cooperate, then leave the fire axe. I broke the glass."

The response came as a flash of crimson.

Li Xuan swung the fire axe without hesitation, striking the CEO's neck. Arteries ruptured, blood spraying as droplets spattered Li Xuan's cheeks. "Why force my hand? If you'd kept pretending, I wouldn't have felt the need to kill you."

Crack!

Li Xuan pulled the axe free, releasing more blood.

The CEO's mouth gaped, his hands releasing the axe as it clattered to the floor. His knees buckled, collapsing him to the ground as he clutched his wound. "You... shouldn't be like this."

Until death, the CEO couldn't comprehend why Li Xuan had struck so suddenly. He thought himself decisive enough—planning faction-building and capturing women moments after the apocalypse began, before even finding safety.

Yet Li Xuan proved even more ruthless, adapting faster than anyone, killing at the slightest provocation—completely unlike someone raised in Xia Country.

Several others approaching for fire axes froze, staring at Li Xuan in horror.

Watching zombies kill differed profoundly from seeing a man murder with an axe.

People hadn't adapted to the apocalypse yet. Witnessing human-on-human violence made their skin crawl with icy dread.