"Awake? The surgery was very successful, you're now a sweet, soft boy."

The cold voice reached Yun Lan's ears, making her eyes widen immediately. Finding strength from somewhere, she abruptly propped herself up.

"What the hell?"

A rescue team member nearby raised his hand, "Just joking."

Yun Lan breathed a sigh of relief, "Don't make that kind of joke, it'll scare someone to death."

A tall, burly man approached, "Alright, jokes over, time to work. What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Yuefu Residential Complex, I'm Yun Lan." Yun Lan answered truthfully.

The rescue team member who had joked with Yun Lan earlier checked the information, saying: "Her online name is 'Sixty-Year-Old Sexy Mother Cockroach', she contacted us before."

Yun Lan scratched her head awkwardly. Being called by her real name online and by her screen name offline both brought a sense of shame. Before marriage, she was something of an anime-loving funny girl and never changed her screen name.

The burly man nodded, "Why did you choose that name?"

"That's not really important, is it."

"Indeed not important, I was just curious. If you don't want to say, then let's discuss other matters. We have seven survivors from Yuefu Residential Complex registered here, agreed to gather at this location, but only you showed up. Did you encounter anyone else on the way?"

Fragments of several people flashed through Yun Lan's mind, "I met them, they fell behind, whereabouts unknown."

The burly man didn't press further. Barring accidents, those who fell behind were dead. If they couldn't keep pace with a girl like Yun Lan, the outcome was obvious.

"Need something to eat? We'll start returning to the settlement in about three hours."

"Aren't we rescuing others anymore?"

The burly man shook his head, "Sorry, it's not that we don't want to save them, but we can't. The heavy rain shows no signs of stopping. Some speculate its appearance isn't a natural phenomenon but rather, like the apocalypse's descent, a result of supernatural forces. We must prepare for the worst-case scenario. Staying here any longer means we'll die too."

No one wants to die, not even rescue teams.

The water level kept rising. They didn't bring water operation equipment, and their food supplies weren't abundant. Insisting on staying meant about a ninety percent chance of death.

"By the way, I'm looking for someone named Huo Lingling. I wonder if you've rescued her." Yun Lan pressed.

The burly man pondered, "Sounds somewhat familiar, probably the second squad captain's sister. She's been searching for Huo Lingling nonstop."

Yun Lan grew excited, "Yes, yes! Huo Shuangshuang's sister! Found her? Where is she?"

"What's your relationship with Huo Lingling?"

"Her boyfriend asked me to look for her."

"Not sure." The burly man shook his head.

A nearby rescue team member suddenly spoke up, "I have Captain Huo Shuangshuang's contact, can ask for you."

Yun Lan showed grateful eyes. The burly man glanced at his teammate, understanding his intention.

Yun Lan was strikingly beautiful with an exceptional figure. Men seeing her inevitably felt desire.

After a while, the member contacted Huo Shuangshuang, bringing bad news: Huo Lingling hadn't been found yet.

The member comforted, "Captain Huo hasn't given up, still searching. She'll find her eventually."

Yun Lan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Thank you."

The member waved it off, "Don't mention it. Captain Huo wants to know: when did Huo Lingling get a boyfriend? What's his name? Where is he?"

"Li Xuan. I don't know their relationship details. Currently, Li Xuan is at Yuefu Residential Complex. He looked for Huo Lingling before but unfortunately didn't find her." Yun Lan said without hesitation.

"He didn't come with you?" The member's eyes held slight disdain, seemingly mocking Li Xuan's lack of courage to join the rescue team.

Everyone knew once the rescue team returned this time, they wouldn't come back anytime soon.

Lacking courage to leave the complex equated to waiting for death.

"He stockpiled a lot of food." Yun Lan said.

Hearing this, the member's disdain partially faded. Eagerly, he said, "Let's exchange WeChat contacts. I'll notify you promptly if there's news."

Yun Lan nodded, and they added each other as friends.

Everyone present unconsciously smiled, nobody sensing anything amiss.

Several hours later, the rescue team departed for the settlement. During the wait, survivors arrived sporadically, making the group quite large.

Thanks to her outstanding looks, Yun Lan was protected at the group's center, arriving at the settlement safely despite some scares.

After inspections, three survivors were found with wounds, potential infection risks. Fully armed soldiers took them away for isolation. The remaining survivors couldn't enter the settlement directly either, needing to stay at a designated location for a full day.

Yun Lan was arranged to room with three other women. She believed the member pulled strings, as she heard too many survivors were brought back this time, causing housing shortages—some rooms crammed with over twenty people.

Night

Yuefu Residential Complex

Li Xuan was startled awake by suddenly refreshed intelligence.

【Gratuitous Killing Intent】【Opportunity Beneath the Waters】

【Gratuitous Killing Intent: Song Shandian learned your identity by chance. Three days later, Huo Lingling is found. Song Shandian decides to use Huo Lingling to capture you!

Full process of Song Shandian learning your identity (Click to view)

Song Shandian's capture plan against you (Click to view)】

Li Xuan gave a thumbs-up to the non-existent system. Song Shandian hadn't even started planning yet, but the Intelligence System already delivered his future plans.

After seeing how his identity was exposed, he somewhat suspected Song Shandian might be cheating.

The coincidences were too unbelievable.

Various coincidences converged, fragmented information pieced together, mistakenly allowing Song Shandian to find him!

What? I'm cheating too?

Then it's fine.

Then Li Xuan began checking the second piece of intelligence.

【Opportunity Beneath the Waters: In two days, the water level will rise to ten meters. Zombies trapped underwater will gradually change, leading the mutation evolution front. Extremely few zombies will develop supernatural characteristics within their hearts! Using transformation ability allows absorption of these characteristics for self-enhancement!

Orchid Garden, northwest corner, the zombie transformed from the garden security guard will develop Scale Reinforcement supernatural characteristic! Grows hard scales on body surface. Continuous evolution allows resisting rocket artillery in first version apocalypse! Known as 'One of North River's Ten Zombie Kings'】

"First version phase two, and zombies are already mutating. Seems zombies are the first version's protagonists." Li Xuan thought silently.

Global mutation awaits the second version.

Zombies essentially stride ahead of all Blue Star lifeforms.

But zombie mutation evolution remains within the version framework, half a step ahead, not completely surpassing it.

The scale-reinforced zombie is a rare breed, elite among zombies. Evolving to version's end only allows resisting rocket artillery, not immunity—just endurance!

Humankind possesses many weapons stronger than rocket artillery capable of killing end-version scale zombies.

Considering previous intelligence, second version supernatural abilities are immensely powerful, beyond scale zombies' league. Zombie evolution in the first version has limits; the ceiling isn't too high.

"Each version has specific protagonists. Using primordial fantasy novel terms, the world's protagonists change. First version belongs to zombies, hence their half-step lead with certain mutations. Second version's protagonist remains uncertain, but undoubtedly supernatural abilities form the core power system."

Li Xuan rubbed his chin. He wasn't a zombie, but relying on transformation ability to hunt underwater zombies for supernatural characteristics also counts as taking half a step ahead.

He noticed the intelligence specified transformation ability must be used to absorb supernatural characteristics.

This alone is enough to eliminate countless people.

Gaining that half-step ahead isn't easy. One needs transformation ability, must find mutated rare zombies underwater, kill them, then use transformation to absorb characteristics. Without accurate intelligence, how many worldwide could gain that half-step ahead?

Now Li Xuan also understood the reason behind the 【First Version Preview】 intelligence hint.

Larger size means greater mutation evolution rewards.

His Prehistoric Colossus transformation could crush zombies even without mutation. Even initially mutated zombies might not be his match.

If he absorbed zombie supernatural characteristics and mutated, how powerful would he become?

"Both gaining half-step ahead, but my advantage far surpasses zombies. If I can gain half-step ahead each subsequent version, eventually I might gain a full step ahead in some version, potentially surpassing the version's answer."