Ying Xingxing tilted her head, curiously examining the rampaging pathogen in the isolation chamber, while Ying Yueyue hovered vigilantly on Zuo Feng's other shoulder, her sharp bat wings trembling slightly, ready to attack at any moment.
Zuo Feng took a deep breath, and his Metallic Skin and Withered Wood Armor quickly covered his entire body.
For just a Two-Slash Zombie, Zuo Feng wouldn't need to go all-out on defense; Metallic Skin alone would suffice, but to ensure absolute safety, he still deployed the Withered Wood Armor.
"Roundy, you guard the entrance. Kill anyone who tries to escape. Ying Xingxing, Ying Yueyue, kill all of them except that one!"
Zuo Feng pointed at the fastest-evolving pathogen in the isolation chamber, his tone cold.
Ying Xingxing and Ying Yueyue nodded in understanding, their bat wings glinting with cold light.
Inside the isolation chamber, the fastest-evolving pathogen had just stopped its impact, its bloodshot eyes fixed on the location of the small sapling, a deeper, more malicious roar emanating from its throat.
The second Slash on its brow became clearer amidst the roar, almost fully formed, with a blood-red glow flowing like a living thing within the mark.
It had stopped not because it had given up, but because it was gathering strength!
"Open the door," Zuo Feng commanded in a deep voice, and Professor Yan quickly remote-controlled the isolation chamber door open.
Just then, the pathogen's hunched body suddenly straightened, its inverse-jointed arms erupting with terrifying power. It was no longer striking, but smashing against the wall like a battering ram!
"Boom—!"
This impact carried a destructive shockwave, and visible ripples instantly spread out. Several fragments of the sturdy alloy wall were shattered, and an even larger, torn-edged crater appeared!
The piercing alarm almost tore through eardrums, and the lights of the entire fifth-floor Laboratory flickered erratically amidst the wildly flashing red light, as if they might go out completely at any moment.
The flying alloy fragments, like sharp hidden weapons, whizzed and scattered, embedding themselves fiercely into the surrounding walls and monitoring equipment, bursting into a shower of sparks.
"Creak, creak!" The metal door slowly opened a crack. Zuo Feng instantly flashed inside. The moment Zuo Feng entered, the metal door quickly closed, isolating the inside from the outside.
Roundy stood guard outside the door, preventing any pathogen from escaping.
Ying Xingxing and Ying Yueyue stood on Zuo Feng's shoulders, their bat wings spread, their gazes sharp.
As soon as Zuo Feng entered the isolation chamber, the pathogen, which had been attacking the wall, suddenly turned its head. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Zuo Feng, and its mouth stretched into a grin, revealing blood-red fangs.
In just this short time, the second Slash on the fastest-evolving pathogen's brow had completely formed, dark red light surging, and even the third Slash had a blurry outline.
To Zuo Feng's alarm, these pathogens didn't directly pounce.
Instead, they stood in place, vigilantly staring at Ying Xingxing and Ying Yueyue on Zuo Feng's shoulders.
These pathogens actually didn't follow the zombie's instinct to pounce upon seeing humans.
Instead, they displayed a rare rationality, as if assessing the threat.
This was not a good sign. Zuo Feng wasn't sure if this was because they hadn't fully evolved yet, and thus still retained some rationality.
Or was it as Mei Xue Ji had said before, that pathogens possessed a hidden instinct and sensed the threat from Ying Xingxing and Ying Yueyue, which was why they temporarily held their ground.
Moreover, Zuo Feng could clearly feel that these pathogens' gazes were always subtly glancing at the metal door behind him.
Zuo Feng's heart tightened. These variants wanted to escape!
Among zombies, except for variants, other zombies simply couldn't escape. The fact that Slash Zombies, upon sensing a threat, actually possessed the instinct to flee was an unprecedented change and a huge threat.
"Roar—!"
The fastest-evolving pathogen's crimson pupils instantly locked onto the metal door behind Zuo Feng!
Its hunched body erupted with inhuman leaping power. It no longer struck the wall, but transformed into a dark red afterimage, carrying a fishy wind, directly crashing into the metal door!
Its goal was incredibly clear—to break through the door and escape!
Its inverse-jointed arms were bulging with muscles, tearing through the air with a wailing sound, and dark keratinous patterns rapidly spread beneath its skin. The third Slash on its brow rapidly extended, already one-fifth formed!
"Kill!"
Zuo Feng advanced instead of retreating, meeting the oncoming fishy wind like a boulder! The heavy a-level metal chain in his hand made a dull whooshing sound, carrying immense force as it precisely lashed out at the pathogen's airborne body!
"Snap—hiss!"
The chain fiercely struck the pathogen's bulging pectoral muscle, emitting a clang like metal clashing!
The tough skin and newly emerged keratin layer were instantly torn open, revealing a deep, bone-visible gash, and dark red, viscous blood splattered out!
But this strike not only failed to stop it, it completely ignited its ferocity!
Perhaps due to its injury, its roar in its throat turned into a shrill shriek, and its pouncing speed surged again. Its bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at Zuo Feng, completely ignoring the chain lashing its body. Its claws, covered in sharp bone spurs, carried a tearing, malevolent wind as they fiercely clawed at Zuo Feng's head!
"Seeking death!" Zuo Feng's eyes were cold. He shifted his body slightly, and his right arm, covered in Withered Wood Armor, blocked like a giant shield!
"Clang!"
The sharp claws collided violently with the metal arm covered in withered wood, sparks flying! The Withered Wood Armor could withstand the attacks of a Seven-Bar Zombie, so a Two-Slash pathogen naturally couldn't cause it the slightest harm.
But that seemingly insignificant claw strike made Zuo Feng feel a hidden immense force.
A powerful force surged, causing the alloy floor beneath Zuo Feng's feet to slightly indent!
That power far exceeded that of a Four-Bar Zombie, and it was still increasing!
The pathogen was repelled half a step by the Recoil Force, but its other claw had already shot out like a venomous snake, aiming directly for Zuo Feng's heart!
At the same time, Ying Xingxing and Ying Yueyue moved. "Screech!" "Puff!" They furiously slaughtered the surrounding Slash Zombies at speeds invisible to the naked eye. Their sharp bat wings cut Afterimages through the air, quickly harvesting the lives of the other Slash Zombies.
Ying Xingxing and Ying Yueyue were like two white flashes of lightning, rapidly darting through the narrow space within the isolation chamber.
Each sweep of their bat wings brought with it a piercing ripping sound, precisely grazing the necks of the ordinary pathogens that were evolving towards Two-Slash.
Dark red bloodlines instantly appeared, followed by rolling heads and gushing, foul-smelling blood.
Their movements were extremely fast. Those pathogens that were still accumulating strength, with their brow Slah just forming, had no time to make an effective response before they were decapitated in the cold light.
"Boom!" Zuo Feng was struck in the chest by the fastest-evolving Slash Zombie. The Withered Wood Armor perfectly absorbed the blow without any damage. Zuo Feng completely disregarded the Slash Zombie's attack. The chain in his hand snaked out like a spirit serpent, instantly coiling around the zombie's arms, and then he gave a fierce twist!
Binding the zombie's arms tightly, Zuo Feng wasted no time. The hook claw of the a-level metal chain seemed to have a life of its own, arcing through the air in a tricky curve, bypassing the pathogen's bound, inverse-jointed arms, and precisely looping around its neck, which was covered in dark keratinous patterns!
Immediately after, the chain rapidly coiled like a spirit serpent, instantly wrapping several times around its neck, the joints of its inverse-jointed arms, and its hunched waist! The cold metal clasp, with a click, automatically bit shut and locked the moment it struggled wildly!