Chapter 35: Bursting Energy

"We're going to war in a moment. I can only give you five; any more and I'll be a commander with no troops left."

Big Brother Wet-One looked sullen.

"Brother, five really isn't enough!"

"Just five. Not a single one more."

"Throw in one more, make it six. Otherwise, I really can't level up."

After some persistent wheedling, Big Brother Wet-One finally believed Lin Yu only had four crystals, and with a grim face, he let out a hiss.

"Hiss—"

Just like yesterday, six first-tier zombies twisted off their own heads—a bizarre and bloody sight.

"Wait for me."

Lin Yu took the crystals and headed up to the second floor with a grin.

The process of advancing to the first tier was quick and devoid of danger, so he didn't care about his location. He found a room, sat cross-legged, and began to absorb them. As the crystals dissolved into energy, Lin Yu's aura began to rise.

*Crack.*

As the last one was absorbed, he felt as if his body had shattered a shackle, and streams of power surged forth from within.

"So this is the power of human potential."

A terrifying wave of magical power erupted from him, shooting straight into the sky.

This was: Energy Burst!

All his magical power exploded in an instant, shrouding him in a pillar of light. The pillar pierced through the ceiling, continued upward, tore through the hotel roof, and shot into the high atmosphere. The entire hotel shook under the immense pressure.

"Roar!"

Hisses echoed throughout the hotel. Lin Yu's overwhelming magical presence filled all the zombies with fear and unease.

"This guy... he has such immense magical power! It’s terrifying to the extreme."

On the first floor, Big Brother Wet-One felt the powerful pressure. He was shocked, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

"Good thing I didn't make a move earlier," he breathed, feeling a sense of relief.

On the second floor, Lin Yu was still breaking through, unable to control this surge of power yet. The pillar of magical energy swirled around him, expanding outward. Everything in the room was obliterated by the light.

After about ten minutes, the magical energy retreated into his body, and the pillar dissipated. Lin Yu stretched his body, his bones popping with a crackle; he felt filled with infinite strength. He hurriedly checked his attributes.

[Codename: Magician]
[Level: Tier 1, Level 0]
[Magic: 69,000]
[Strength: 772]
[Constitution: 482]
[Speed: 524]
[Spirit: 586]
[Talent: S-Grade Flame Controller]
[Flame Unlock Forms: Blaze, Dragonfire]

With such monstrous stats, he could easily crush a first-tier zombie, and even a second-tier one would be no match for him. These stats were nearly six or seven times those of an ordinary evolver. Even an S-grade talent awakener wouldn't have half his power.

"Heh, as long as I reach the sixth tier, I can set that plan in motion."

Lin Yu clenched his fists. Having been reborn, even if his talent had remained the weakest F-grade, he knew too many secrets and could always stay a step ahead. In the future, he was destined to be the strongest.

The Soul Fire he had craved so much in his past life was no longer a fantasy. If he followed his plan, acquired that secret treasure, and found those specific powerful individuals from his past, he would surely be able to slaughter that terrifying monster and seize the Soul Fire. Once he devoured it, his talent would likely advance to SS-grade.

Shaking off these thoughts, Lin Yu walked downstairs.

"This guy..." Big Brother Wet-One watched him, his expression outwardly calm but inwardly shaken to the core. *This guy is unbeatable!*

Just from being scanned by Lin Yu, he felt the circulation of his own magic slow down. It was the first time he had felt such oppression.

Big Brother Wet-One took a deep breath and said, "Let's go. The Zombie King’s underlings have far more first-tier zombies than we do."

"Big Brother Wet-One, don't bother splitting the crystals with me. Let's just say whoever kills them gets the loot, how about that?" Lin Yu licked his lips.

The opponent had more first-tier zombies? Wasn't that a fortune falling into his lap? All those crystals were just waiting to be harvested.

"Deal!"

The two of them, leading the seventeen remaining first-tier zombies, walked out of the hotel.

"Roar!"

Big Brother Wet-One let out a roar. The earth began to tremble as countless zombies gathered from all directions, making Lin Yu’s scalp tingle. There must have been tens of thousands of them. Led by Big Brother Wet-One, the army surged toward the northeast—the territory of the other Zombie King.

"Big Brother Wet-One, if the other guy is a higher tier than you, won't your ten thousand minions defect instantly?"

"No, they are loyal only to me," Big Brother Wet-One replied without looking back, continuing his sprint.

Lin Yu pondered this. From what he knew of zombies, there was no such thing as loyalty. Among their kind, they followed whoever was the highest tier or the strongest. For Big Brother Wet-One to be so confident, he was not to be underestimated!

The stampede of thousands was terrifying. They tore through street after street, ignoring the occasional evolver who cowered in the corners, too afraid to move. As they entered the North District, the local zombies rioted. It wasn't just Big Brother Wet-One who wanted to kill the rival king; the rival wanted him dead too.

Soon, the North District Zombie King appeared with his own horde.

"Roar!"

The roars shook the earth. Judging by the aura, Lin Yu felt the North District King didn't look like a mere first-tier zombie—could it have already advanced to the second tier? With a roar, countless zombies swarmed forward. Behind the king stood fifty-nine first-tier zombies. Compared to Big Brother Wet-One, he was well-equipped.

"Roar!"

Big Brother Wet-One roared, and his minions charged. The two torrents of zombies collided, resembling an ancient battlefield. It was a staggering sight. Big Brother Wet-One's minions were indeed incredibly loyal, ignoring the pressure of the higher-tier zombie ahead and charging fearlessly.

"I'll take care of the Zombie King; you hold off the first-tier zombies," Big Brother Wet-One said.

"No problem."

That suited him perfectly. Whoever killed them got the crystals; with seventy or eighty first-tier zombies on the field, if he slaughtered them all, the haul would be immense. In a chaotic melee like this, he had plenty of room to maneuver, fishing in troubled waters and taking them out one by one.

"Kill!"

Lin Yu flashed forward like a giant roc spreading its wings, diving into the zombie horde and lunging straight at a first-tier zombie.

"Roar!"

Seeing a living human, the zombie hissed in excitement and swiped its claws. But Lin Yu’s stats were too high. With a slight movement of his feet, he was behind the zombie in an instant, his speed so great the surrounding zombies couldn't react.

With his fist wrapped in flames, he punched, and the zombie's head exploded instantly. Lin Yu reached in and retrieved the crystal. He kept his fist wrapped in flame simply to avoid getting the disgusting gunk from the zombie's head on him.

And so, he wove through the horde, hunting down the first-tier zombies. Once he set his sights on one, it was usually taken out in a single blow. To him, these first-tier zombies were no different from level six or seven weaklings.