Intelligence

“Madness, pure madness!”

As if a switch had been flipped in their bodies, all the zombies reverted to their former frenzied state, launching a fierce assault on the soldiers.

Using the cover provided by construction materials and their overwhelming numbers, the zombies began to encircle and trap the soldiers.

The trained soldiers were no pushovers, however. They quickly regrouped, shielding each other’s backs and firing at the oncoming horde.

“What on earth is going on?”

The scene descended into chaos, and Shen Yiyue, who had been observing from a distance, found herself utterly baffled by the situation.

These zombies were already strange enough. Initially, it seemed they were being escorted by the soldiers to complete some task.

But once the work began, the situation took a sudden turn as the zombies started attacking the very soldiers who were escorting them.

They acted like a group of oppressed rebels who had long planned an uprising, displaying a level of intelligence that was completely unlike what one would expect from zombies.

Soon, despite many falling under the soldiers’ relentless gunfire, the zombies, far outnumbering the soldiers, completely surrounded them.

With their advantage of distance lost, the soldiers were left in a state of panic.

“What the hell is this?! What’s the word from headquarters?!”

“We need to break through in one direction... Ah!!!”

It didn’t take long for the horde to overwhelm all the soldiers, devouring their flesh and blood.

Ning Yu noticed a peculiar detail—the communication devices on the soldiers’ bodies were taken by the zombies and systematically crushed.

“This doesn’t seem like zombies at all. It’s more like a disciplined army of the undead.”

Ning Yu muttered to herself as she watched their coordinated movements.

The soldiers’ equipment was also looted, with nearby zombies donning their helmets and bulletproof vests.

After completing these tasks, the zombies, as if following a prearranged plan, moved toward the pile of materials that had been discarded earlier.

They began reassembling the device on the mechanical base, but this time, their approach was different. They first dismantled some parts of the base and then began setting it up in a new configuration.

About half an hour later, a square structure resembling an altar was erected, with a recessed groove at its center.

Something began to gather and flow into the groove, causing it to emit a faint white light.

A zombie wearing a soldier’s helmet stepped forward, pulling an octahedral object from a backpack.

The object was entirely transparent and, as if drawn by some invisible force, slowly floated out of the zombie’s hand and flew directly into the center of the altar’s groove.

The white light gathered in the groove immediately seemed to find its target, converging on the octahedron and charging it with a dazzling brilliance.

Suddenly, numerous pathways lit up on the ground, like interconnected circuits, gradually illuminating the entire space.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz.”

The [Long-Range Disposable Communication Device] in Ning Yu’s pocket began to vibrate.

It was a signal from Ning Xuan, who had made contact.

Ning Yu immediately stopped observing the zombies’ activities, slowly retreating a few steps with Shen Yiyue before taking out the device.

“Sister, are you alright?”

Ning Yu also took out an earpiece, plugging it into the device, and soon heard Ning Xuan’s voice.

“We’re fine. Any progress on your end?”

Ning Yu handed one earpiece to Shen Yiyue and then replied in a very soft voice.

“Someone is willing to help us. She gave me crucial information.”

Ning Xuan’s voice came through again.

“Who is it?”

Ning Yu was also curious about who Ning Xuan had managed to enlist for help.

“It’s... Lacy.”

Ning Xuan mentioned a name that Ning Yu knew all too well.

“Her? How is that possible?”

Ning Yu recalled that stormy night at Tianshen Elementary School, when the blue-haired mechanical girl had split her sword in two with her massive blade.

Why would someone like that help her?

“She didn’t give a reason, but I suspect it might have something to do with a conflict with Chen Xing.”

Ning Xuan briefly recounted her encounter with Lacy in the lower levels of Eden. After listening, Ning Yu furrowed her brow.

“Alright, let’s focus on the information about Chen Xing first.”

Ning Yu knew that now wasn’t the time to dwell on this. As long as Lacy’s goals didn’t align with Chen Xing’s, she could be used.

Regardless of her motives, the priority was to break free from the deadly trap Chen Xing had set.

“The man who wants to capture you alive is named Leon.”

Leon? So this was the name of the mysterious “master” who had been mentioned countless times?

Ning Yu found the name unfamiliar. Based on the information Lin Hao had extracted from the virus, she had expected it to be “William.”

“He’s currently occupied with the critical phase of an underground project related to the so-called Final Ritual and can’t spare any time.”

Underground project?

Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue exchanged glances. They were currently beneath City A, where they had encountered a large group of strange “zombies.”

“This is also why Chen Xing dares to make her move to kill you now.”

“Using her ability to control zombies, she’s been making small moves under Leon’s nose, all leading up to this moment.”

After hearing this, Ning Yu still felt puzzled.

“Then why does she want to kill me?”

“I asked the same question. Lacy said that beneath City A, there’s a similar project. You can access the underground through these structures.”

Ning Xuan sent over a list of building addresses, unaware that Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue were already there.

“As for the reason, she said you’ll understand everything once you reach this location underground.”

Ning Xuan sent over a set of coordinates.

“If you come across a mechanical structure on your way, something that looks like an altar...”

She continued, but Ning Yu interrupted her.

“Does it have a glowing octahedron in the center, and after a while, does it start emitting black flames?”

When Ning Yu heard the word “structure,” she quietly returned to a position where she could observe the scene below.

The octahedron was spinning faster and faster, but as if tainted by something, black flames began to rise from the groove in the center.

The flames, like liquid, overflowed from the groove and slowly spread outward.

The surrounding zombies knelt around the altar, bathing in the flames as if receiving a baptism.