Chapter 27: Targeted

Compared to two days before the apocalypse, Lin Yu’s current stats were vastly more powerful. The Flame Roar he unleashed was also far more potent than before.

Each usage consumed 200 points of mana. However, with his current massive pool of 18,500 mana, he could cast it 92 times. Each cast was enough to wipe out at least a hundred zombies. Within moments, there wasn't a single zombie left outside the 4S dealership.

"Shiyun, come over and collect the crystals."

"There are so many! Do you think we can reach level 10 by tonight?" Liu Shiyun’s eyes were filled with intense excitement. Scattered across the ground, there were an estimated five or six hundred crystals.

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, a dark shadow lunged from inside the 4S dealership, a withered, pale hand clawing toward the three of them. Lin Yu swiftly pulled Liu Shiyun and the girl aside, his fist wreathed in flames as he struck out.

"Bang!"

The shadow was sent flying by the impact. The three of them looked closely. It was a disheveled zombie, but unlike the ordinary ones, its face showed no signs of decay. Its complexion was deathly pale, bloodless, and its eyes were stark white, lacking pupils.

"A Tier 1 zombie!" Lin Yu’s eyes narrowed.

Once an evolver reached level 10, they needed to absorb ten Tier 1 crystals to break through to Tier 1. Tier 1 and Level 10 of Tier 0 were entirely different concepts; all attributes would double upon reaching that threshold.

"Roar!"

After being repelled, the Tier 1 zombie charged back with incredible speed.

"Flame Roar!"

A pillar of fire erupted, but the zombie dodged left and right, successfully evading the flames before rushing forward again. This Tier 1 zombie already possessed a degree of combat experience; it knew how to dodge rather than mindlessly charging in.

"It seems this zombie has evolved toward speed, though its strength and constitution are far inferior to a standard Tier 1 zombie."

Lin Yu shielded the two women behind him, waiting silently for the perfect opening as the zombie attacked again. In the blink of an eye, the creature was upon him, its hands reaching straight for his throat.

"Now."

Flames instantly surged over his body. He thrust his hands out, accurately catching the zombie’s lunging claws.

"Roar!"

The zombie hissed. Its strength was no match for Lin Yu’s, and once its hands were pinned, it couldn't break free. It opened its gaping maw and lunged forward to bite. At that same moment, Lin Yu opened his mouth as well.

Don't get the wrong idea! He wasn't trying to kiss the zombie.

"Flame Roar!"

A pillar of fire erupted directly from his mouth. At such close range, with its hands held fast, the zombie had no way to evade. The flame pillar slammed precisely into the zombie's throat.

"Boom!"

The terrifying force instantly pierced the zombie’s neck, and its entire head was blasted off, crashing to the ground.

"It had some combat awareness, but clearly not enough."

Lin Yu tossed the headless corpse aside, cracked open its skull, and retrieved the Tier 1 crystal. It was the size of a walnut and glowed a pale green.

"Uncle, you’re so amazing!" Little Ruke clapped her hands from the side.

Lin Yu smiled and patted her head. "Were you scared just now, Ruke?"

"I wasn't scared at all."

It took the three of them over ten minutes to collect all the crystals on the ground, totaling 527 in all. Suddenly, Lin Yu felt something and looked toward the distance. On top of a nearby low-rise building, a lean figure stood silently on the roof, seemingly staring in this direction—or perhaps, staring directly at him.

"Him again!"

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes. This was the second time he had seen this figure, and every encounter left him with a deeply unsettling feeling. Just then, the figure leaped from the roof and vanished.

"What's wrong?" Liu Shiyun sensed his unease and asked.

"It’s nothing. Let’s head inside," Lin Yu shook his head, not elaborating. Liu Shiyun didn't press further. During this time, Lin Yu took another look at his status panel. Naturally, he was most concerned with the progress of his talent evolution.

[Codename: Magician]
[Level: Tier 0, Level 10 (0%)]
[Mana: 22,500]
[Strength: 289]
[Constitution: 176]
[Speed: 182]
[Spirit: 225]
[Talent: S-Rank Flame Controller: Evolving (99%)]
[Unlocked Flame Forms: Flame, Dragon’s Breath (Unlocking 99%)]

With such a terrifying status panel, Lin Yu was certain that no one else in the world could match it. Seeing the evolution progress stuck at 99% for several days, he estimated it would be completed soon. He was very much looking forward to it.

"Brother Yu, I checked, and this place is full of sedans, which aren't very suitable," Liu Shiyun said. "There’s a Jeep dealership and a Mercedes dealership nearby. We should choose off-road vehicles."

"You're right. Many roads are damaged now; driving an off-road vehicle is more convenient." Lin Yu nodded. Off-road vehicles were the dream of many men. "Let's go to the Jeep place next door."

The three of them searched both the Jeep and Mercedes 4S dealerships, finding three intact Wranglers and one G-Wagon, all of which were stowed away into Liu Shiyun’s spatial storage.

"Do you know how to drive?"

"Yes, I used to drive a G-Wagon to work."

Lin Yu was surprised; it seemed the young woman’s company had been quite profitable before the apocalypse. Liu Shiyun drove the G-Wagon, with Lin Yu in the passenger seat and little Ruke in the back. The three of them drove ostentatiously through the area.

"Forget it, let’s go on foot." Within two minutes, the G-Wagon was blocked, as many cars were scattered haphazardly across the road. The three of them got out and stowed the G-Wagon away.

"There’s a gas station ahead. Let’s go drain all the fuel," Lin Yu said, then turned to ask, "Can your infinite space store liquids directly, or do we need barrels?"

"I don't think so. I can control the space to form barriers, partitioning it off."

"Then you should pay more attention to the flow of space, so you might eventually unlock offensive abilities." Lin Yu was now even more convinced that Liu Shiyun’s spatial talent was far from simple.

Before long, they arrived at the gas station. Liu Shiyun opened a spatial rift, threw the fuel nozzle inside, and the gasoline flowed directly into her infinite space.

Just then:

[Congratulations to the Great Xia Kingdom's "Qianqian Junzi" for becoming the world's first evolver to break through to Tier 1. All evolvers worldwide are now connected to the Rules Forum for information exchange.]

[All survivors, please pay attention to the pinned post on the forum, as it pertains to the evolution of all nations.]