Zhuang Han knelt on one knee, his enormous body casting a heavy shadow in the dim light.
“Master…” This address was like a red-hot iron, searing deep into his soul. Humiliation, unwillingness, pain… but more than that, there was a deep-seated, irresistible awe and… resignation.
The Bloodline Slave Seal was like the strongest shackles, binding his will tightly to the soul of the pale young man before him.
He could clearly “feel” the cold chain, and the vast, terrifying will emanating from the end of the chain, like an abyss.
Ling Chen quietly watched the behemoth kneeling on the ground. His face was still pale, and his aura was noticeably weaker—the cost of forcibly splitting half of his Bone Eater Realm's source energy was not small.
But all of this was worth it.
A Bone Eater Realm, intelligent, retaining some human emotions (weaknesses), and absolutely loyal “Dark Claw” was worth far more than that energy loss.
After all, using his brain was much easier than fighting himself.
He slowly took two steps forward, stopping in front of Zhuang Han. He tilted his head slightly, and under the shadow of his hood, a subtle arc slowly formed on his pale lips. That smile… held no brutality, no mockery, and even carried a hint of… an indescribable, almost playful ease?
It was as if what had just been completed was not a cruel soul enslavement, but rather… an interesting experiment?
“Emergency rations…” Ling Chen’s voice sounded, no longer cold and emotionless as before, but instead carrying a peculiar, gentle tone, like a casual afternoon chat, with even a slight upward lilt at the end, a hint of playfulness, “That name… it suits you quite well.”
Zhuang Han’s massive body stiffened abruptly! His crimson beast eyes suddenly constricted! An indescribable chill instantly shot from his tailbone to the top of his head! Emergency rations?! He suddenly looked up, staring at Ling Chen in disbelief!
The smile on Ling Chen’s face deepened a few shades, his bottomless black eyes flickering with an elusive glimmer in the shadows.
He even extended a pale finger and gently tapped his chin, as if deep in thought: “Look, your physique… is quite large. The meat… though a bit tough, is full of energy. The bones… hmm, Bone Eater Realm bones, should be quite nourishing for soup, right?”
He paused, looking at Zhuang Han’s instantly terrified eyes, the curve of his lips becoming even more pronounced, yet his tone remained as relaxed as if discussing a dinner menu.
“So, work hard, perform well. Be a useful subordinate, and you’ll naturally have meat to eat. But if you slack off, or… mess things up…”
He leaned down slightly, approaching Zhuang Han’s ferocious beast head. His voice was very low, almost a whisper, intimate, yet every word was like an ice pick, piercing deep into Zhuang Han’s soul:
“…I don’t mind stewing you into a pot of… dog meat soup, after all…”
He straightened up, spread his hands, his smile as brilliant as the warm winter sun, yet sending shivers down one’s spine.
“Emergency rations, after all, are for emergencies, right?”
These words, spoken with a smile, in an almost joking tone, yet contained an absolute disregard for life and an undeniable will to control that was more terrifying than any ferocious threat!
This was Ling Chen’s true nature. He wasn’t that brutal; he was the type who could always wear a faint smile, extremely calm, who would make inappropriate jokes in inappropriate situations, even with a hint of a prankster’s feeling, it’s just… his way of having fun was a bit special.
This was his “true self” revealed after completely shedding his disguise.
Zhuang Han’s breathing instantly stopped! A massive fear, like an invisible giant hand, gripped his throat tightly! He could clearly “feel” that his Master… was not joking! Behind that smile was a killing intent colder than the abyss! If he lost his value… he would truly be… eaten!
“Ma… Master…” Zhuang Han’s voice trembled uncontrollably, his massive head bowed deeply, almost burying itself in the cold dirt, “Zhuang Han… wouldn’t dare… I will… do my utmost…”
“Very good.” Ling Chen nodded in satisfaction, as if he had merely received an obvious answer. He clapped his hands, as if dusting off non-existent dirt.
“Then, get up. Time is precious. I’ll take you to see… your future ‘home’.”
He no longer looked at Zhuang Han, turning and walking directly towards the drainage ditch exit. His steps even carried a hint of… leisure? As if the bloody hunt and cruel enslavement had never happened.
Zhuang Han dared not hesitate in the slightest, struggling to his feet.
His massive body seemed a bit clumsy in the narrow ditch, but he carefully controlled his strength, trying not to make too much noise, silently following behind Ling Chen.
Deep within his crimson beast eyes, the faint glimmer that had just ignited due to his increased strength was completely replaced by awe and fear.
Emergency rations… these three words were like the heaviest shackles, firmly clamped around his neck.
Ling Chen was not worried about his loyalty.
The portion of cultivation integrated by the Bloodline Slave Seal would accompany his growth, subtly catalyzing his consciousness to become completely loyal to himself.
The faint light of dawn struggled to penetrate the thick clouds, casting itself upon the silent ruins of Linghui Academy. The air was filled with gunpowder, blood, and a suffocating despair.
Occasionally, the roars of ghouls could be heard from afar.
Two figures, one in front and one behind, moved like ghosts among the broken walls and rubble.
In front was Ling Chen.
He was still wrapped in his loose hoodie (though it was now tattered), his hood pulled up again, covering most of his face. His steps were not fast, and even a little unsteady—the weakness from his fallen realm was real.
But he walked steadily, as if he knew this land of death like the back of his hand. He skillfully avoided areas with dense ghoul populations, using collapsed walls and overgrown mutated plants as cover, as if strolling in his own backyard.
Behind him was Zhuang Han. His massive body was like a moving miniature armored vehicle, each step landing with a dull thud.
His gray-black steel fur reflected a metallic sheen in the faint light, and the ferocious bone spurs protruding from his shoulders, elbows, and knees gleamed with a cold light.
He tried to restrain his aura, his crimson beast eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, his massive hooked claws carefully avoiding the rubble and corpses on the ground. Looking at the seemingly slender figure in front, Zhuang Han’s heart was filled with complex emotions.
Awe, fear, humiliation… and a hint of indescribable… sense of belonging? At least… he was no longer a wandering spirit. Though the price… was becoming “emergency rations.”
“Tsk, this place… it’s even more ruined than before.”
Ling Chen’s voice suddenly sounded, with a hint of lazy emotion. He stopped in front of a half-collapsed wall, looking at the huge claw marks and dried, blackened bloodstains on it, and shook his head.
“A perfectly good basketball court, turned into a beast arena.” His tone was as relaxed as if commenting on a neighbor’s messy garden.
Zhuang Han stood silently behind him, his massive tail restlessly sweeping the ground. Basketball court… he subconsciously looked at the open space covered with rubble and corpses. That place… it was once where he had sweated and chased his dreams… and also… the starting point of him becoming a monster.
“Let’s go, don’t be sentimental.” Ling Chen seemed to see through his thoughts, continuing forward without looking back, his tone still light.
“Sentimentality can’t fill your stomach. Thinking about how to survive, how to… complete the mission, that’s the real business.” He paused, then added, “And by the way… think about how to make yourself less like ‘emergency rations’.”
Zhuang Han’s massive body trembled again, and he quickly followed.
The two (or rather, one person and one beast) moved silently through the ruins. Ling Chen would occasionally stop, pointing to a collapsed building or residual traces, and “introduce” them to Zhuang Han in that casual chat tone:
“Look over there, the Sports Hall. Zheng Xiyun’s lair. Although I killed her, there’s still some mental pollution. Don’t go near it if you have nothing to do; it’s easy to have nightmares.”
“See, the observatory on the top floor of the Experiment Building. Easy to defend, hard to attack, good view, but no food.”
“Under the playground… there’s a relatively strange thing. But it’s not time to touch it yet; it’s prone to exploding.”
His words were light and casual, as if he were a tour guide, but the information revealed made Zhuang Han’s heart pound. Zheng Xiyun? That sports teacher, it seemed she had mutated quite severely? There was something under the playground? It would explode?
Finally, they arrived near the west wall of the academy. This area was relatively secluded, with a large section of the wall collapsed, revealing a relatively quiet street outside.
After walking for a while, across the street, a high-end villa area, partially hidden behind tall phoenix trees (though most had withered), was faintly visible. One of the three-story villas with an independent garden and garage was Ling Chen’s home.
“We’re here.” Ling Chen stopped, looking at the villa, which appeared particularly silent in the morning light. The playful smile on his face receded somewhat, and his eyes deepened.
The two (beast) silently climbed over the collapsed wall and walked through the quiet, deserted street.
Abandoned vehicles and trash were scattered on the street. A few wandering ordinary ghouls were startled by the Bone Eater Realm aura emanating from Zhuang Han, letting out fearful roars and keeping their distance.
They arrived at the iron gate of the Ling Family Villa.
The gate was tightly closed, entangled with barbed wire. Ling Chen took out a brass key from his pocket, skillfully unlocked the gate, and pushed open the heavy iron door.
Creak—
The iron gate emitted a harsh screech. A cold air, mixed with formaldehyde, blood, and… a faint scent of electricity, rushed out.
The interior of the villa was a mess. Expensive furniture was overturned, and broken porcelain and crystal ornaments were scattered on the floor. Several torn oil paintings hung on the walls; one landscape painting depicting a tranquil lake was splattered with dried, blackened bloodstains.
These traces were left that night when he had just mutated, when Ling Chen unconsciously devoured Mu Xi. An unsettling silence permeated the air.
Ling Chen’s gaze swept across the living room, finally landing on the heavy alloy door leading to the basement. The door was covered with claw marks and impact dents, but it remained tightly closed.
Above the doorknob, an electronic lock, flickering with a faint red light, was still active.
He walked to the door and entered a complex string of passwords. With a soft click, the electronic lock’s green light came on. He gripped the cold metal doorknob and pulled it open forcefully.
A colder, more intense mixture of formaldehyde and blood surged out, as if an ice cellar had been opened! Behind the door was a metal staircase descending downwards, bathed in the pale light of emergency lamps.
“Follow me,” Ling Chen said, leading the way down the stairs.
Zhuang Han hesitated, his massive frame appearing somewhat cramped at the doorway.
He could feel a more concentrated aura of death emanating from behind the door, along with… a cold energy fluctuation that instinctively made him uneasy. But the master’s command could not be defied.
As Zhuang Han squeezed into the Ling Family Villa’s basement, he deliberately retracted his bone spurs to avoid scraping the doorframe. At the same time, his body made a popping sound like firecrackers, his shoulder and elbow bone spurs retracting into his body like rusty gears, and his steel-like hair receding like a tide, revealing scarred human skin. The scarlet beast eyes faded, revealing normal human pupils, and his canine hind legs transformed back into human legs.
Finally, he transformed into a two-meter-tall, scar-faced youth, his fingernails sharp as knives, his canine teeth slightly protruding from his lips, and a short bone protrusion remaining at his tailbone.
“Human form… convenient for movement,” Zhuang Han’s voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing, this was the first time he had shown autonomous transformation under conscious awareness! “However, my strength is only 50% of what it is in beast form.”
Ling Chen raised an eyebrow: “Smart. Use this form for gathering intelligence from now on.”
He lowered his head and carefully squeezed through the doorframe (his broad shoulders scraped off a layer of plaster from the wall), following Ling Chen down the stairs.
The basement space was larger than imagined. Under the pale light, it was an area converted into a temporary laboratory. A surgical table covered with a white cloth was placed in the center, flanked by various instruments with blinking indicator lights and huge low-temperature freezers.
The air was filled with a strong smell of disinfectant, but it still couldn’t mask the deep, bone-chilling scent of blood.
Most striking was a huge, independent space in the corner of the laboratory, separated by thick bulletproof glass. The glass walls were covered with a dense electric grid.
Inside the space, hundreds of dark purple bats hung upside down in dense clusters! They were like solidified sculptures, unmoving, with only their occasionally shifting scarlet eyes proving they were alive.
A heart-pounding energy fluctuation, mixed with bloodlust and lightning, permeated the entire space like an invisible magnetic field!
The Purple Lightning Bat swarm! Ling Chen’s mutated material; he hadn’t really taken care of them before, and many had probably starved to death in the past two days.
But after this battle, he suddenly found these little guys quite useful.
“From now on, this will be your ‘home’,” Ling Chen walked to the glass wall, looking at the hanging bat swarm inside, his voice returning to its previous calmness, “and also your… workplace.”
Zhuang Han stood behind him, his massive body trembling slightly from unease and curiosity.
He could feel the dangerous aura emanating from those bats; each one contained considerable power. Especially deep within the swarm, the Bat King, noticeably larger than the other bats with dark gold lightning patterns flickering along the edges of its wing membranes, its scarlet compound eyes swept over Zhuang Han, sending a faint chill down his spine.
“Your task is very simple,” Ling Chen turned around, looking at Zhuang Han’s scarlet beast eyes, filled with awe and unease, and slowly raised three fingers.
“First, guard this place. Protect the basement well, especially the ‘things’ in the freezer (he pointed to a huge, cold low-temperature freezer in the corner), and… these bats.”
His gaze swept over the bat swarm, “They are my eyes and ears; they must not be lost.”
“Second, feed them, and try to get them to breed and fill the entire basement.”
Ling Chen pointed to several large refrigerated cabinets on the other side of the laboratory.
“Inside are some ordinary meat and blood from before the apocalypse, feed them regularly and in fixed quantities. Currently, there’s only enough for three days; you’ll have to get the rest yourself. Remember, the Bat King needs extra meals.” His tone carried an undeniable sternness, “Starve them… the consequences, you know.” He gave Zhuang Han a meaningful look.
Zhuang Han’s massive body trembled again, and he nodded quickly.
“Third…” Ling Chen’s voice paused slightly, his eyes becoming deep and cold, “and the most important task. Return to Linghui Academy.”
He walked to the experimental table, picked up a tablet computer, quickly operated it a few times, and brought up an aerial view of Linghui Academy. He used his finger to draw circles around several areas of the academy.
“I want you, in the shortest possible time, to turn the entire Linghui Academy… into my home ground.” His voice was low and full of power, “Use your abilities, your wisdom, to… ‘cultivate’ as many elite ghouls as possible.”
“I might need to go out for a while after this, and it will probably be a long time before I return, at which point there will likely be big trouble.”
“Cultivate?” Zhuang Han’s hoarse voice carried a hint of confusion.
“Yes, cultivate.” Ling Chen’s lips curved into that playful arc again, “Not simple killing and infection. It’s selection! It’s catalysis! It’s… pulling up seedlings to help them grow!”
His finger heavily tapped the tablet.
“Find those targets with great potential—those who had good physical qualities, strong will, or special potential before death. Use your methods to stimulate their mutation! Accelerate their evolution! Before they break through to the Bone Eater Realm and regain partial intelligence… use the most brutal methods to obliterate their humanity! Turn them… completely into… war machines that only know how to kill and obey!”
His gaze was like a cold blade, piercing Zhuang Han’s soul: “Quantity… the more the better. Quality… the higher the better. Target… at least ten thousand elite ghoul warriors! You can even cultivate some aberrant types; they will be my first line of defense… against the army, and even… in controlling this area in the future!”
Zhuang Han gasped! Ten thousand elite ghoul warriors?! This… this was simply a fantasy! And… to “cultivate” them in such a cruel way… this was a hundred times more terrifying than the most dreadful task he could imagine!
“What? Think it’s difficult?”
Ling Chen seemed to read his mind and chuckled softly,
“Don’t forget, you are now in the Bone Eater Realm. Your aura, to those low-level ghouls and mutated beasts, is a natural deterrent and… a catalyst. You can drive ghoul hordes, create panic, incite fights… and in the bloody slaughter, select the true ‘elites.’ You can deploy ‘bait’—for example, your blood.” He pointed to Zhuang Han.
“Or… the energy-rich flesh and blood of mutated beasts… to attract ghouls to devour each other and evolve. There are… many methods. I believe… with your current ‘wisdom,’ you will definitely find the most efficient way.”
He walked in front of Zhuang Han, tilted his head slightly, looking at the hideous beast head. His face still held that faint, elusive smile, but his eyes were as cold as ten thousand years of ice.
“Remember, Zhuang Han.”
His voice was like the final judgment,
“This is your… only chance to escape the status of ‘reserve food.’ It is also your… only chance to prove your worth. Do well, and you will be my sharpest hidden claw. Fail to do well…” He paused, his smile growing even brighter.
“My freezer is still missing a few… highly nourishing ingredients.”
He patted Zhuang Han’s hard, bone-spurred shoulder, his movements as casual as if he were patting an old friend.
“Go. Time… waits for no one.”
With that, he no longer looked at Zhuang Han, turning to walk deeper into the laboratory towards the huge low-temperature freezer. He seemed completely unconcerned whether Zhuang Han left or not.
Zhuang Han stood rooted to the spot, his massive body as if petrified. His scarlet beast eyes were filled with immense shock, fear, and… a desperation, like a cornered beast, bordering on madness!
Cultivating bats… ten thousand elite ghoul warriors… escaping the reserve food status…
He took a sharp breath, the cold air filled with a strong scent of blood filling his lungs. He took one last look at Ling Chen’s slender but seemingly infinitely terrifying back, then at the hundreds of cold, scarlet compound eyes within the glass wall.
He slowly lowered his head, a low growl like muffled thunder rumbling in his throat.
Then, he suddenly turned around, his massive body crashing through the basement’s heavy alloy door, and rushed into the faint light of dawn outside. The sound of heavy footsteps quickly faded, disappearing into the depths of the ruins.
He had no choice.
To survive. To… no longer be “reserve food.”
In the laboratory, only Ling Chen remained.
He stood in front of the huge low-temperature freezer, its surface covered in thick white frost. He reached out and gently brushed away the ice crystals from the freezer’s observation window.
Inside the freezer, under the pale cold light, Zheng Xiyun’s frozen head floated quietly in a pale blue nutrient solution.
Her grayish-white long hair floated like water plants, the third grayish-white eye on her forehead tightly closed, and the dark red blood pattern at the corner of her eye was clearly visible. The ghostly blue crystal core was pressed against her temple, emitting faint, cold energy fluctuations.
Ling Chen quietly looked at the head, at the crystal core. The playful smile on his face had long vanished, leaving only a bottomless calm and… a barely perceptible… anticipation.
“Soon…” he murmured to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cold observation window.
“Once Zhuang Han sets up the ‘hunting ground’… once I get the reverse scale pendant… once the army… arrives again…”
He slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly penetrating the thick concrete and layers of ruins, looking towards the distant sky.
“This game… has only just begun.”