The cold wind of dawn howled through the shattered window, carrying with it a scent of decay and death, swirling around the debris and the congealed blood on the ground.
The blood of our new companion still lingered in the air, faintly tinged with the smell of rust, silently reminding us that the horrors of last night were no nightmare.
I gasped for breath, my chest heaving violently as the weakness from consuming living flesh washed over me like a tide, nearly causing me to lose my balance.
Yet my gaze was clearer than ever, a fierce desire for power occupying my heart more intensely than before.
In this apocalyptic world, only the strong could survive, and I had to endure.
Zhong Dali, the big oaf, was squatting beside our fallen comrade's body, clumsily wiping the blood from his teammate's face with his rough hands. His eyes were red like two ripe tomatoes.
He mumbled, "We didn’t even get to eat meat together..." His voice carried an unspoken sense of grievance.
Wei Zhong wore a grim expression as he directed the other survivors to clear the battlefield. Each time his gaze swept over the fallen assassins of the Dark Council, a cold glint flickered in his eyes.
The mysterious girl stood in a corner, her figure swaying like willow fluff in the wind. She quietly observed everything with a complex expression, as if she felt both pity and scrutiny.
She didn’t approach me but nodded slightly when I looked her way, an unsettling calm that transcended her age.
I took a deep breath, forcing down my physical discomfort. My voice came out hoarse yet undeniably firm: "Stop dawdling. Everyone come here."
All eyes turned to me—some filled with confusion, others with disbelief, and beneath it all, a hint of reverence.
After enduring last night's bloody battle, they had come to realize that I, who usually appeared to be a cultured scoundrel, could be far more terrifying than any zombie when pushed to my limits.
The main conference room of the abandoned research facility was temporarily requisitioned by us. Although the walls had been blown apart, it at least provided some shelter from the wind and rain.
The dawn sunlight streamed through the shattered windows, casting a warm glow in the center of the room and illuminating the weary yet resolute faces of each survivor.
I stood in the middle, my gaze sweeping over every face, and spoke in a low voice, "Last night's lesson was profound enough."
"We have abilities, but they are not strong enough. Our coordination is still lacking."
"The Dark Council will not let this go easily; next time, they will come back even more fiercely."
Zhong Dali scratched his head awkwardly and said in a deep voice, " brother Wei, what should we do? We can't just keep passively taking hits, right?"
A cold smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "Of course not. What we need to do now is take the initiative and evolve!"
"I know that some of you have already gained special abilities through 'Soul-Eating Immunity Evolution.'"
"Now, share your abilities with us—be as detailed as possible."
As soon as I finished speaking, a low murmur arose in the conference room.
The newly joined survivors wore expressions of excitement and curiosity as they began to share the changes in their bodies.
A previously frail young man excitedly raised his arm, revealing muscles that had become significantly more defined. "I! I feel like I've gotten much stronger! I can lift concrete slabs now that I couldn't move before—all by myself!"
Another female survivor joyfully showcased her nails, which had become unusually hard and glimmered with a metallic sheen. "I can feel that my nails are as sharp as blades now, and my skin has toughened too—it's like I'm wearing an invisible armor!"
Their faces were filled with uncontainable joy and pride, as if they had received a divine gift. The excitement of surviving a catastrophe intertwined with the exhilaration of newfound abilities, transforming the atmosphere of the conference room into one of liveliness.
Zhong Dali was especially animated, dancing with excitement. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Wow! What is this! I feel like I could lift a cow! No, two cows!"
He then rushed to the wall and delivered a powerful punch. With a loud thud, the once-solid alloy wall was dented by his strike!
Gasps filled the room, followed by bursts of applause.
Watching their transformation, I felt a surge of emotion within me.
These humans altered by the virus seemed to have discovered a new survival rule in this post-apocalyptic world. They were no longer mere weaklings; they had gained the strength to combat despair.
I closed my eyes, feeling the new life force surging within me. This was the ability gained from consuming the assassin—a form of immunity to "pain," along with that strange "teleportation."
However, that was not all.
During the awakening of my abilities, I vaguely touched upon something deeper, as if grasping the primal secrets of the virus and gaining a more profound understanding of "life" and "death."
I sensed an invisible stream of information coursing through my mind. It was not merely simple memories but a higher form of "anticipation."
I could "see" the trajectory of an enemy's attack in the next second and even "perceive" their emotional fluctuations—the cold intent to kill or hidden fear.
It felt as if I had acquired some microscopic ability to glimpse into the "future." Though it lasted only for a brief moment, it was enough to alter the course of battle.
I opened my eyes and fixed my gaze on the mysterious girl.
The secrets she concealed might be more than I could imagine.
I took a deep breath, suppressing the doubts in my heart, and scanned the crowd once more.
"Very well, since we all have new powers, let's make the most of them."
"Next, we will conduct a special training session."
"We will simulate an attack from the Dark Council, combining your individual abilities to find the most effective ways to cooperate."
"Only by uniting our strengths can we truly confront the enemies lurking in the shadows."
The atmosphere in the conference room ignited once again, everyone eager and filled with fighting spirit.
A storm of evolution was brewing in this abandoned research facility.
We were no longer lambs to be slaughtered.
We were the blades about to awaken in this apocalyptic world.
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