Chapter 7: Hidden Entries

Is it possible that Evolution Points are used this way? In his past life, Chen Xiao never had any opportunities under the Blood Moon, so he knew nothing of this. Although he was dubbed the "King of Chickens" in his previous life, he was merely a small fry in the vast army of the apocalypse. He only knew that the higher one's Evolution Points, the easier it was to join organizations, and the more respect one commanded.

Thinking of this, Chen Xiao’s expression shifted abruptly. If Evolution Points were meant for this, then ordinary people would never have a use for them in their entire lives. Could it be that everyone worked themselves to the bone, risking their lives to accumulate these points... just so they could open treasure chests for the big shots when the moment arrived? Isn't that just being a pure, harvestable leek?

Combining his experiences from both lives, Chen Xiao found many things contradictory and conflicting. He decided not to dwell on it; there would be a conclusion in time. With a thought, he checked his personal panel, and indeed, his Evolution Points had dropped by 184, leaving a pitiful 26 behind.

[Evolution Opportunity 5000/5000]

A terrifying number! This was practically equivalent to 5,000 human lives! If he wanted to unlock this opportunity on his own, wouldn't the difficulty be absurd? Kill 5,000 "New Humans"? Chen Xiao shook his head; that was madness. The path of evolution, as expected, was paved with slaughter.

[Animal No. 230001]
[Obtain Evolution Opportunity]
[Blood of the Black Goat]
Description: Drink it, drink it, drink it.
Effect: Obtain the superior bloodline of the Black Goat.

As the light faded, Chen Xiao saw a small bottle of black blood resting flat on the podium. He walked up and, without a moment’s hesitation, downed it in one gulp. He would not let these chances slip by; this was his greatest leverage for a comeback in the apocalypse. The black blood was thick and tasted incredibly bitter. The next moment, a surge of intense pain erupted from his heart! The horrific agony far surpassed what he had felt when he self-detonated! Chen Xiao gripped the edge of the podium to keep from falling, sinking to his knees on the floor.

Ten minutes passed. As the pain gradually subsided, Chen Xiao’s clothes were soaked through with sweat, enough to wring out.

[Animal No. 230001]
[Hidden Trait Unlocked]
[Bloodline]

Hearing this, Chen Xiao quickly checked his personal panel, and sure enough, the word "Bloodline" had appeared at the bottom.

Bloodline: [Black Goat]
Description: The Black Goat is a heretic among its kind, favoring brute force over magic; its birth is a disaster for its kin.
Effect 1: Immune to all elemental damage.
Effect 2: Strength increased by 50%.

"An opportunity for evolution..." Truly heaven-defying! With this, Chen Xiao’s most fatal weakness had been resolved. Before unlocking this hidden trait, his greatest fear was being kited by speed-type mages because he wasn't fast enough. But now, with the blessing of the Black Goat bloodline, he could freely close the distance on anyone and unleash his characteristic power that breaks all techniques! Even if he couldn't catch them, they couldn't hurt him! Furthermore, the most terrifying aspect of this bloodline was that his strength had increased by half for no reason at all!

"I really am walking further and further down the path of a One-Punch Man."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He remembered that the evolution opportunity obtained by the Tier 2 New Human in his past life was definitely not something like this. It should have been a true species evolution! It seemed the evolution opportunities available at each location were like Schrödinger’s cat; you never knew what you would get.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—"

Chen Xiao glanced back at Young Master Wang, who was still trying his best, eyes squeezed shut, acting as if he hadn't seen anything. Ever since witnessing Chen Xiao’s terrifying power, Wang Qi had become as obedient as a cat, crowing right on time. Even after the rules were broken, he didn't dare open his eyes, terrified of seeing something he shouldn't. But did Chen Xiao care if he saw? Of course not! What does a dead man have to fear? From the moment Wang Qi orchestrated the car accident, he had completely cut off his own path to survival.

"Someone is coming. You don't need to crow for the next five minutes."

Relying on his heightened senses, Chen Xiao realized people were approaching the library. He activated [Dragon's Breath], confirming there were three of them. Unsurprisingly, it was the three survivors he had encountered in the cafeteria. As "Awakened" with the [Dawn] talent, they had a high probability of surviving the first day. Chen Xiao didn't know their intentions and didn't plan to interact with them directly. He slipped into a dark corner on the roof to observe.

"What method could that guy possibly have used to pry open a security door?" Zhang Ming muttered in disbelief as they walked.

"It wasn't pried; it was broken open by force. The lock is completely destroyed," replied Tang Shirou. She pulled her skirt down slightly, her heart filled with ripples of anxiety.

Li Li, walking beside them, complained, "I told you to stay away from him. He can stuff a living person into a sack and carry them around. Do you really think he's a good person?"

Zhang Ming shook his head. "I don't want to be near him either, but we have no choice. There are more and more monsters in the cafeteria."

The three moved cautiously against the wall, not daring to relax for a second. The New Humans in the library had been mostly cleared out by Chen Xiao, so their journey was very smooth. Following their memories, they soon reached the entrance of the library on the ground floor. A faint, blood-colored moonlight shone through the doors—the light of hope, the path to survival! Seeing the door, the three breathed a sigh of relief. Frowns finally gave way to smiles.

But soon, their smiles faded. Because they saw what lay beyond the doors...

On the circular stairs, there were New Humans as far as the eye could see! These monsters, which had previously been aimlessly wandering, suddenly turned in unison to look inside the door.

"What the hell... why are there so many!"
"How can this be..."

Zhang Ming and Li Li’s composure shattered, their lips trembling. Tang Shirou frowned, "It’s too abnormal. Why are there so many monsters outside the library?"

Li Li had the weakest psychological resilience among the three. After the drop from heaven to hell, she finally broke down in tears. Zhang Ming pondered for a moment; he knew that at this point, they had to escape the school grounds! Although the library was safe for now, who knew when that sea of monsters outside would surge in? The library's fragile glass wouldn't hold up against so many steel-hard bodies.

Zhang Ming pointed to a small path on the right side of the stairs. "Actually, there is another way out. That path leads directly outside the school, but it’s too far from this door."

Li Li seemed to grab onto a final straw, a look of madness in her eyes. "Great! Zhang Ming, you run fast. When the door opens, you run first. Shirou and I are girls; we'll follow behind you!"

Zhang Ming hadn't expected Li Li to say such a thing, his face turning grim. In their current situation, if he dared to open the door, those white-eyed monsters would surely tear him apart alive. The piles of mangled human flesh on the ground would be his fate. This bitch Li Li actually wanted to use him as bait to escape!

Zhang Ming said coldly, "Li Li, if your talent wasn't still useful, I would have already thrown you into that pile of monsters for that comment."

Li Li raised her chin. Her talent was her greatest trump card; she knew Zhang Ming wouldn't dare do anything to her. Tang Shirou didn't participate in their squabble, forcing herself to stay calm. "There must be a way. There must be a way."

Zhang Ming had the most strength; Li Li had the most useful talent. At this moment, it was self-evident who was the most expendable. But Tang Shirou had no intention of being the bait. Soon, a flash of determination crossed her eyes. Following that, the way she looked at Zhang Ming inexplicably turned more vicious.

At this moment, she didn't know that in a corner on the roof, a "cunning old fox" was observing the scene. He naturally noticed the change in Tang Shirou. Chen Xiao was also curious to see how they would escape in this situation. With his physical strength, which had already exceeded the first stage's limits, breaking out wouldn't be difficult. But with such a massive number of New Humans, there was still a risk of failure. If he could sit back and reap the rewards, he would be more than willing!