After Ling Chen's departure, the Linghui Academy Ruins seemed to have lost its backbone; the air was no longer filled with absolute dominance and a cold sense of security, but rather a more primal, more anxious longing for survival and a sense of crisis.
Zhuang Han, the "overseer" appointed by Ling Chen, stood on the dilapidated main building's rooftop, his face, covered in pale bone armor, showing no expression, only in the depths of his eyes, burned the Soul Jade Physique's will—a cold flame of devouring and guardianship, originating from the same source as Ling Chen's, yet more ferocious.
Beneath his feet, the campus, once filled with the sound of reading, had completely transformed into a grotesque lair of mutated creatures. But this lair was facing its most severe test since its establishment.
In the distance, on the horizon, the steel fortress-like silhouette of the Panshi Military Region was clearly visible.
For several days, the frequency of reconnaissance activities around the military region had noticeably increased, and occasionally, unmanned reconnaissance drones would fly overhead, carrying an unsettling hum.
Even more unsettling was the roar of heavy vehicle engines and the clamor of troop movements coming from the military region's direction, growing louder day by day.
A heavy sense of impending storm weighed on the hearts of every survivor (whether forced or willing).
"Leader."
A figure appeared silently behind Zhuang Han.
It was "Shadow Claw," the former head of the academy's security team, now Zhuang Han's most agile scout and assassin. His arms had mutated into sharp, bony claws, and he moved like a ghost.
"Three kilometers to the east, a human reconnaissance team has been spotted, equipped with heavy firepower, establishing an advanced observation post. In the direction of the western canyon, there are signs of large-scale engineering vehicle activity, suspected to be opening a new attack route."
Zhuang Han didn't turn around, his bone-armored jaw opening and closing, emitting a low, grinding sound:
"...Finally, they couldn't hold back."
The Panshi Military Region could not tolerate a growing mutated creature lair so close by.
When Ling Chen was present, his unfathomable strength and eerie control created a powerful deterrent, making the military region hesitant to act.
But now that Ling Chen had left, even if the news hadn't been fully confirmed, the military region's probing and subsequent thunderous strike were almost inevitable.
"We are still too short-handed."
Another voice spoke, it was "Iron Skull," the former sports teacher, whose body was now enlarged, his head completely encased in thick bone armor, possessing astonishing strength, a solid meat shield, but his tone carried worry.
"Those we can fully control and who have combat power are fewer than fifty. The others...are either still in an unstable transformation period or only have slight enhancements, only capable of doing odd jobs."
The "legacy" Ling Chen left behind before he departed, besides Zhuang Han as the acting leader, was a batch of nearly a hundred "new bloods" who had been transformed through devouring and forced infection.
However, these newly born mutated creatures varied greatly in strength; most were in the Corpse Ghoul Realm, with muddled consciousness, obeying orders only by instinct and Zhuang Han's suppression.
Only the dozen or so who had followed Zhuang Han earliest and reached the early Bone Eater Realm were truly useful.
"Expand the army."
Zhuang Han's voice was cold and decisive, brooking no argument.
"...It must be faster."
The pressure to survive forced Zhuang Han to adopt more radical and cruel methods than during Ling Chen's time.
He was no longer content with slow devouring and transformation but issued orders: to actively attack, hunt scattered survivor teams, isolated military personnel, and even... other weaker mutated creature groups in the surrounding areas!
All living creatures caught were to be dragged back to the academy and thrown into that bloody transformation pool!
Thus, the area around Linghui Academy was completely transformed into a death zone.
Zhuang Han's hunting teams, led by Shadow Claw, acted like venomous snakes in the night, striking everywhere. They ambushed human search and rescue teams, encircled small patrol squads, and even raided the territories of other mutated creatures.
Battles were often brief and bloody, with the victors dragging captives and corpses back to the modified "hatchery" beneath the academy, which exuded a strong smell of blood and evil energy.
There, it was no longer a simple blood pool.
Under Zhuang Han's instinctive guidance and the influence of the remaining Soul Jade Physique's will, a bizarre organ formed in the center of the hatchery, composed of flesh, bone, and twisted energy.
It pulsed like a giant heart, forcibly injecting the captured life essence and flesh into the abducted living creatures or recently deceased corpses, accelerating their mutation process, and forcibly imprinting Zhuang Han's will deep into their consciousness to ensure a minimum level of loyalty.
Efficiency increased, but the process became more painful and cruel.
Screams, the sound of bones breaking, and the squirming of flesh echoed from underground day and night, adding a hellish tint to this lair.
New mutated creatures were constantly "produced"; although most were still cannon fodder-level Corpse Ghouls, their numbers slowly increased, and occasionally, one or two individuals with slightly better talent would emerge, quickly stabilizing in the Bone Eater Realm and becoming squad leaders.
Zhuang Han stood on the rooftop, coldly observing all of this. His bone armor seemed paler and thicker than before, and the devouring aura emanating from him grew increasingly dense.
Frequent hunting and expansion allowed him to devour a large amount of life essence, and his strength was steadily progressing towards the advanced Bone Eater Realm.
But there was no joy in his heart, only a cold sense of urgency.
He knew that this frantic expansion was tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.
It would not only completely enrage the Panshi Military Region but also potentially attract other unknown dangers.
But survival was paramount, and he had no choice.
The Panshi Military Region's response was faster and more ferocious than expected.
Just on a cloudy evening, a piercing alarm (modified from captured military equipment) shrilly tore through the silence above Linghui Academy!
"Enemy attack! Southeast direction! Large number of armored units!!!" Shadow Claw's voice, transmitted through bone plate vibrations, was filled with unprecedented urgency.
Zhuang Han instantly appeared on the damaged perimeter wall's watchtower.
In the southeast, smoke billowed, and the ground rumbled! The force of a full armored reinforced company was advancing fiercely towards the academy ruins in battle formation!
Leading the charge were thirteen heavily armored main battle tanks, their long, thick barrels exuding an aura of death.
Behind them were seventeen or eighteen armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, their roof-mounted heavy machine guns and autocannons already aimed at the academy.
Further back, self-propelled artillery was deploying!
The military's intention was clear: no more probing, directly using overwhelming firepower to sweep clean and completely eradicate this growing threat!
On the distant horizon, The Boulder Military Region's steel torrent began to advance; the roar of the tanks was like the war drum of death, beating on the hearts of every surviving mutated creature—if they still had such things.
Low-level Corpse Ghouls, driven by instinct, began to howl restlessly, while the more intelligent Bone Eater Realm mutated creatures all turned their gaze to the high ground of the ruins—where their leader, Zhuang Han, stood.
However, the expected cold command did not come through the will link.
Instead, there was a violent howl that tore through the sky, utterly unlike a human voice!
"Aoooooo—!!!"
All mutated creatures, including those Corpse Ghouls with muddled consciousness, instinctively shivered, feeling the pure and primal oppression and madness from the highest level of life!
Zhuang Han, standing on the remains of the watchtower, underwent a terrifying and extreme transformation!
His pale bone armor, like a living thing, wildly proliferated, extended, and reconstructed!
His body swelled violently amidst the teeth-grinding sound of exploding bones, his limbs elongated and deformed, turning into thick, beastly limbs covered in heavy bone armor, claws extended, like the scythes of death!
His head protruded forward, his mouth and nose tore and expanded, forming an enormous, terrifying bone jaw filled with interlocking fangs! His crimson pupils narrowed, leaving only the purest desire for slaughter!
In the blink of an eye, a giant bone mastiff, over five meters tall, nearly ten meters long, covered in grotesque pale bone armor, as if it had crawled out of the abyss of hell, replaced the originally human-shaped Zhuang Han!
No tactics! No command!
Only the most primal, most brutal urge to destroy!
"Roar—!!!"
Zhuang Han, transformed into a terrifying giant beast, let out a deafening roar, his hind legs powerfully pushing off the ground!
The sturdy remains of the watchtower instantly collapsed!
His massive body, like a pale meteor, with unparalleled ferocity, leaped directly from the high ground, alone, charging head-on towards the military's advancing armored torrent!
"What... what kind of monster is that?!"
Inside the armored convoy, soldiers looking through observation scopes saw the terrifying sight, their voices changing pitch!
"Open fire! All firepower! Concentrate attack! Quick!"
The Commander roared hoarsely, his voice carrying an undisguised hint of panic!