Zhao Tuantuan was a bit nervous at first, but after staying quiet for a while, she slowly relaxed.
In the Apocalypse, two people drifting like duckweed who come together will inevitably develop a sense of dependence on each other.
After a while, the young girl's breathing in his arms gradually steadied, and she fell asleep without realizing it.
"She can even sleep through this?"
Lin Qi pinched Zhao Tuantuan's soft cheeks. At such close range, the delicate skin was so fine that one could even see the rosy blood vessels beneath, as smooth as white jade.
Zhao Tuantuan frowned, curled her body up tightly in Lin Qi's arms, and drifted back to sleep on her own.
For these past few days, she had never had a peaceful sleep. Even a few days ago, she would often wake up in the middle of the night in a panic. Under the shroud of darkness, fantasies of zombies breaking down the door would always fill her mind, making it impossible for her to fall back asleep.
But lying in Lin Qi's arms, that sense of security made her forget all danger.
Looking at the sleeping young girl, Lin Qi suddenly felt no desire at all. His state of mind became increasingly calm, without a ripple. After a moment of silence, he began to ponder the changes in this Apocalypse.
Although the Federal Government had begun to control the city on the surface, the mutated dog he saw today signaled that animals had also begun to evolve, and no one knew how many animals were hidden within the city.
While lost in thought, he didn't notice at all that Zhao Tuantuan had curled up beside him, clutching his arm tightly.
He managed to pull his arm away, but after much hesitation, Lin Qi ultimately did not wake Zhao Tuantuan up and instead got up to go downstairs.
The special nature of Gene Awakening gave humanity the possibility of evolution, but at the beginning, most people did not notice it; only those special changes would attract attention.
Just like Zhao Tuantuan, who was still in the prime of her youth, she possessed such a peculiar ability that made her body increasingly unique. That was why, upon realizing she had this special ability, she had fallen into a state of self-protection, afraid to let anyone discover it.
Sitting back down in front of the counter on the first floor, Lin Qi lit another cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, he pondered where to go from here.
Possessing the lockpicking skill, he could come and go as he pleased anywhere in the city, needing only to avoid the wandering zombies. However, the news of the appearance of Mutant Beasts forced Lin Qi to be cautious.
"If there are dogs, there are cats; if there are cats, there are rats. Those that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and swim in the water—if they all mutate, that will be the true disaster for humanity!"
The zombies on the surface could be cleared with thermal weapons, or even destroyed with destructive strikes, but the dangers hidden underground could not be completely wiped out, even after the roar of artillery fire.
This forced Lin Qi to raise his crisis awareness to a new level. With only the skills he currently possessed, he could not face the crises that were yet to come.
Gunshots continued to ring out from outside. On the central street two blocks away, survivors were still moving toward a safe place, but as night fell, the Apocalypse under the cover of darkness became increasingly ferocious and terrifying.
The rescue team had been escorting the advancing survivors, but as the sky gradually darkened, the pace of the team slowed down significantly.
"Everyone, walk faster! Try to reach the quarantine safe zone tonight. The Federal Government has already arranged residences and food for you. It is Absolutely Safe there!"
The fully armed soldier urged them on from time to time, but one could see from his expression that the sense of tension on his face was becoming more and more obvious.
"I'm freezing to death! Why is it getting colder and colder at night?"
In the group, a young man with an honest face hunched his shoulders, cursing under his breath.
"Brother Liu, do you have any cigarettes left? Give me one."
Chen Xiaobo leaned over to Brother Liu, who was wearing a heavy coat, and said with a fawning smile.
"None left, I just finished the last one!"
Brother Liu took one last drag of the remaining cigarette butt down to the filter before handing it to Chen Xiaobo.
The five of them had heard the sound of a helicopter earlier and had come out full of hope. After learning the information from the radio station, they had followed the survivors to the central street.
Due to a lack of preparation, most people were starving and freezing. Even if some had food hidden away, they would not reveal it.
An Armored Vehicle drove past the group, its lights illuminating the road for everyone and reducing a bit of the oppression of the night.
But just then, a chaotic noise suddenly came from the back of the group, followed by bursts of screams, and the crowd fell into instant panic.
"Rats! There are rats crawling on me! So many rats!"
A massive number of rats poured out from somewhere, like a tide in the dark, rapidly spreading toward the pedestrians on the central street.
These rats varied in size; some were like ordinary rats, while others were as sturdy as house cats. But they all shared the same characteristics: scarlet eyes and sharp, pointed teeth!
They had already treated the pedestrians on the central street as prey. After the Rat Tide passed, those who had been screaming were completely silent, and even the bodies that had fallen to the ground had been reduced to bloody skeletons!
The Armored Vehicle leading the way also noticed the commotion. The moment its searchlight hit them, a dense mass of red eyes came into view.
"Call for support! Call for support quickly!"
An anxious voice came over the radio. A soldier, unable to bear the suffocating pressure, raised his Rifle and fired into the Rat Tide, but the bullets from a single magazine could not slow the Rat Tide down in the slightest.
The people in front ran fast, but the mutated rats were faster, especially in the dark, where those scarlet eyes seemed to ignore the darkness entirely.
"Run! Get out of here!"
The soldier took a flashbang from his waist and, without caring whether it would hurt nearby survivors, pulled the pin and threw it directly into the Rat Tide.
With a loud boom, several rats were instantly blown away. The momentary tremor caused the Rat Tide to pause for a second, but the next moment, it continued to spread toward the crowd!
Gunshots, explosions, and cries made the silent night boil over instantly. But after only a moment, it gradually quieted down again, leaving only the faint sound of bones being gnawed and the rustling of animals moving across the ground.
A giant rat slowly stood up, its hind legs trembling as it supported itself on the ground. It held a head in its front paws, gnawing on it. After sucking out the delicious Brain Matter, it tossed the head onto the ground.
Small Mutant Rats that had been hovering nearby scrambled to crawl into the head, licking the remaining flesh clean.
As the cold wind blew, the Mutant Rats covering the ground retreated rapidly, disappearing into the underground shadows from who knows where. Only the skeletons covering the street remained, and the smell of blood refused to dissipate.
Ten minutes later, a group of fully armed Armored Vehicles drove up quickly. Under the spotlights, the tragic scene that had just occurred was completely exposed.
The street stretched for hundreds of meters, almost entirely stained red. Red skeletons lay scattered across the ground, and for several miles around, there was no longer any sign of life.
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