Chapter 5

Since he could remember, Yi Chen had never experienced such a vivid visual clarity. It felt as if his eyes were high-resolution imaging devices, capturing every detail of the cemetery in full view. Even with the kerosene lamp’s light dimmed to its lowest, he could still make out the general situation ten meters away. [Sensory Surge] Experiencing this "beyond human" ability for the first time, Yi Chen’s mind grew unusually excited, stimulating his body to release adrenaline, heightening his focus further. His confidence surged, and he felt ready to face the living corpse in battle. Before acting, he had one last question. He tried to communicate with the fleshy mass through his mind, “How can I completely kill the living corpse wandering around Cemetery No. 4? By beheading it?” “It seems you don’t fully understand. Your knowledge of this world is still quite surface-level. Cutting off its head or removing its heart won’t stop it; at most, it will only affect its motor functions. The reason it became like this is due to an ‘illness.’ To kill this creature, you must locate and destroy the ‘pathogen’ within it; then it will return to its proper, lifeless state. This one is still in the early stages of infection, so the pathogen should be quite distinct. Carefully observe for any bulging, swelling, or darker areas on its body. Most likely, these will correspond to the pathogen under its skin. The ‘silver-plated axe’ in your hand is quite effective against pathogens. As for this creature's abilities, I can't say… Good luck, and try not to die.” “Got it.” The operation began. Yi Chen hugged the tombstone, stealthily peeking half his face out to scan the area. A slow-moving shadow appeared at the edge of his vision, and as his sight focused, he saw a shambling corpse. It moved slowly, but the tendril-like roots dangling from its back, resembling octopus tentacles, sent chills down his spine. It felt as if being struck by one of these would drain a person dry. Yi Chen took a deep breath, analyzing the situation in his mind. “There’s no time or equipment to set traps. The battlefield is restricted to Cemetery No. 4, so a long-range ambush isn’t possible. Direct combat is inevitable. But first, I need to pinpoint the exact location of the pathogen.” Refocusing his vision, he could clearly see all parts of the corpse, including the roots growing from its back. There were four obvious bulges on its body: at the neck, right shoulder, waist, and right thigh. “Let’s confirm…” Yi Chen picked up some palm-sized stones nearby. In his younger years, Yi Chen would always win dodgeball games at the orphanage, precisely hitting any playmate who tried to dodge, even those several years older than him. Now, with his enhanced vision, his throwing accuracy had improved even further. With a soft whiz, four stones shot toward the target, each a second apart. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* Three stones hit their marks, breaking the skin at the bulges and even causing some foul liquid to ooze out. However, as the fourth stone neared the waist, snap!—like a creature’s basic response to irritation, a root from the corpse’s back whipped out, striking the stone mid-air. It was like a perfect baseball hit, sending the stone flying out of Cemetery No. 4. Not only that, but several other roots wrapped around and adhered to the bulge on its waist, forming a unique protective barrier. The corpse’s head rotated 135° toward the arching tombstone on the hill, its special eyes, filled with mushroom spores, staring intensely. As a sense of dread overtook him, Yi Chen, though he’d obtained the answer he needed, couldn’t stop cold sweat from trickling down his face. ‘At least my actions confirmed the pathogen is in the waist bulge. This also proves the ball of flesh didn’t deceive me. However, this creature’s ‘irritability’ is beyond reason.’ Stones suddenly shot out without warning, bouncing off with precise accuracy… and quickly forming a protective layer around the waist. Whoosh! To kill this undead creature, I must sever all the tendrils at its back; otherwise, any attack on its vital spots will be ineffective. Tap-tap-tap. The sound of footsteps on the muddy ground broke his concentration. The undead approached, pausing briefly in front of an arched tombstone… Swish! Swish! Suddenly, two powerful tendrils rose into the air, crossed each other, and lashed out violently. Crack! The sturdy, large tombstone was instantly snapped in half. Along with it, a dark gray coat, still carrying a trace of human presence, was torn, and a metal nameplate dropped to the ground, engraved with the name 'William Berens.' That was all. Only the tombstone and the coat were broken—the young man hiding behind had already slipped away. Just as the undead began to feel puzzled, unable to retract its tendrils in time, a noise came from the nearby burial mound. A dark figure lying in wait suddenly leapt out, a silver gleam flashing brightly in his hand. Buzz! The silver light traced a perfect arc in the air, landing precisely on the "cross point" of the two tendrils… splat! Foul-smelling, dark green fluid splattered, and the tendrils were completely severed. And that wasn't all. The cut, inflicted by the silver-coated weapon, caused thick black smoke to emit from the tendril stumps, preventing them from healing. "Arghh!!" The undead's dry, decayed voice let out a sickening howl, as though its lifeline had been severed. Seeing this, Yi Chen retracted his axe, took a stance, and murmured excitedly, "Eight more to go!" The screeching hadn’t even stopped, and those tendrils swaying on the undead’s back seemed to gain a mind of their own, locking onto their ‘attacker.’ They transformed into spear-like extensions, thrusting forward. [Visual Capture] Yi Chen and the black flesh ball’s eyes widened like brass bells, focused intently on the scene ahead. With such a direct attack, each tendril’s trajectory was clearly in view. When they were less than a meter away, he performed a perfect side roll, dodging all the tendrils' stabs. Not only that, In the very moment he dodged, Yi Chen, in a half-kneeling position, swung a diagonal slash, severing the nearest tendril mid-air. The foul-smelling fluid splattered across his face but couldn’t hide his smile as he silently kept counting: "Seven more!" At that moment, the black flesh ball rooted in Yi Chen’s shoulder widened its eyes, astonished at the performance of this ‘lowly laborer.’ 'My judgment was correct after all… This guy is nothing like those ordinary 'meat pigs.' In a fight as dangerous as this, where a single mistake could mean death, he adapted so quickly… and seemed to even enjoy it a little. Come on, young human! If you slay this festering creature with such a weak body, it will surely draw attention ‘from above’… and I might get a chance to escape, too.' While the black orb was lost in dreams of freedom, Aaaah! Another scream echoed. But this time, the one screaming was the very youth it held high hopes for. Out of nowhere, a tendril had emerged from the ground, piercing through his shoes and both feet. Tendrils broke through the top of his feet, blooming into flowers that drank his blood, turning a bright red. In that instant, The undead creature not far away was pressing its palm to the ground. It was clear he was controlling the underground plants to perform this bizarre attack, binding his target. Crack-crack-crack! The undead twisted its neck, staring intently at its trapped 'prey.' This time, it was serious. Abandoning its previous slow movements, it used its remaining back tendrils like legs, scuttling forward like a spider. Its mouth stretched open wide. Releasing a mass of fungal threads, mycelium, from within, as if laughing with joy at its imminent capture, Or as if planning a ‘deep kiss’ with Yi Chen, to insert fungal threads through his mouth and nose into his brain, draining him dry.