Chapter 297 - 154: Luochuan City Settlement

Chapter 297: Chapter 154: Luochuan City Settlement

’What is this state?’

’Half-human, half-zombie? Or is she some intermediate form along an evolutionary path? That critical point of "almost zombified"—can it be reversed or stabilized somehow?’

Xu Mo thought about the people in Jiang City who had mutated from eating the flesh of mutated creatures. He then thought about those who had turned into zombies after being bitten. Finally, he thought of the child before him—a being somewhere in between.

’Is there some connection here that I’m missing?’

The third question was about the settlement’s mutation rate.

Xu Mo could see that almost everyone in this settlement was mutated.

It wasn’t an isolated phenomenon; it was universal. The vast majority of people in this settlement had likely eaten the flesh of mutated creatures. They used this extreme method to gain strength and a chance at survival, but they also paid a price: irreversible physical mutations.

The warnings from Jiang City were meaningless here. Perhaps they couldn’t even receive Jiang City’s broadcasts, or maybe even if they did, there was no way for them to comply.

Jiang City had food, walls, an army, and a complete system for survival. Even so, some people in Jiang City had still taken desperate measures and eaten the flesh of mutated creatures.

The people here had none of these things. They were trapped in the heart of Luochuan City, a veritable ocean of zombies, where they brushed with death every day. For them, the risk of mutation was far less daunting than the risk of being torn apart by the undead.

Xu Mo understood their choice.

The fourth question, and the one that put Xu Mo on high alert, was what Luo Li had said: "Don’t get the wrong idea."

Luo Li claimed she had only noticed him when he killed the Scale Beast—the level-two water-type zombie—and only then decided to invite him to the settlement.

This meant she had seen the fight in the early hours of the morning. She had only noticed him then. Therefore, she couldn’t have been responsible for the zombie hordes that had surrounded and pursued him earlier.

’Then who could it have been?’

’Does this mean my suspicion was right? There’s something else in Luochuan City that can control zombies.’

’It could be another Superpower User, a higher-level zombie, or some kind of entity I’ve never encountered before.’

Whatever it was, it had its eyes on him before Luo Li ever found him.

Xu Mo leaned against the headboard, his gaze lost in the darkness.

’What was it that targeted me first? Where is it now? Is it still looking for me? Will it keep coming after me?’

He didn’t know.

But Xu Mo was sure of one thing: for the time being, he was safe here.

As for why Luo Li had invited him to their settlement, that wasn’t too difficult to guess. But those were questions for tomorrow.

Xu Mo lay down and closed his eyes.

He wasn’t asleep, merely letting his body enter a state of light rest while maintaining his usual vigilance. The Triangular Spike lay by his pillow, within arm’s reach.

Outside the window, the rain was still falling.

A few faint zombie roars echoed in the distance before silence returned once more.

And so, his first night in the Luochuan settlement passed. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

「The next morning, the rain had stopped.」

Xu Mo was awakened by a knock on the door—not an urgent banging, but a polite rap.

"Mr. Xu, Leader Luo invites you to breakfast." A young woman’s voice came from outside the door.

Xu Mo called out in acknowledgment and got up to get ready. After quickly washing up, he followed the young woman toward the center of the residential complex.

By day, the Luochuan settlement seemed much more alive than it had at night.

People were starting fires to cook below the buildings, while others aired out clothes and bedding in an open area. A few children were chasing each other and playing. Although one of them had a visibly mutated leg and ran with a limp, the smile on his face was genuine.

As Xu Mo walked by, people looked up at him. Their gazes held curiosity and wariness, but no one approached him.

The young woman led Xu Mo to a building. It wasn’t where they had parked last night, but a multi-story building deeper in the complex that looked relatively intact. Two armed guards stood at the entrance. They nodded at the young woman and cleared a path.

They went up to the third floor, where the young woman stopped in front of a door and knocked.

"Come in."

It was Luo Li’s voice.

The young woman pushed the door open and stepped aside to let Xu Mo enter.

The room was much more spacious than the one Xu Mo was staying in, and the furnishings were more refined. There was a sofa, a coffee table, a desk, and a window with a view of the complex outside. Sunlight shone through the window, casting a warm, bright patch on the floor.

Luo Li was sitting on the sofa, dressed as modestly as she had been the night before. The only difference was that her hair was tied back, revealing a delicate, pretty face.

Across from her, Tiantian sat on a small stool, cradling a bowl and eating something. When she saw Xu Mo enter, she lifted her head. Her eyes were the same vacant black as before. Then she lowered her head and went back to eating.

A simple breakfast was laid out on the table: congee, pickled vegetables, and a few multigrain steamed buns.

"Sit." Luo Li pointed to the sofa opposite her.

Xu Mo sat down.

Luo Li picked up a bowl, filled it with congee for him, and pushed it across the table.

"Eat first. We can talk after."

Xu Mo didn’t hesitate; he was genuinely hungry. Since the early hours of the previous day, he had only eaten a few survival biscuits. He picked up the bowl and took a mouthful.

The congee was warm and contained some unidentifiable wild greens. The flavor was bland, but it was filling.

The two of them ate in silence for about ten minutes.

Tiantian finished first. She put down her bowl and returned to her vacant state, sitting motionless on the little stool.

Luo Li also put down her bowl, dabbed the corner of her mouth with a tissue, and looked at Xu Mo.

"You must have many questions. Go ahead, ask what you want."

Xu Mo didn’t speak immediately, taking a moment to organize his thoughts.

"Last night, you said you only noticed me when I killed the Scale Beast." He looked at Luo Li. "That was in the early hours of the morning. But yesterday, from afternoon until dusk, I was constantly surrounded and cornered by zombie hordes. My space was squeezed smaller and smaller until I was forced to abandon my vehicle and flee. That wasn’t you."

Luo Li shook her head.

"It wasn’t me. I just found an opening to get ahead and wait for you."

"Then who was it?" Xu Mo asked directly. "Is there something else in Luochuan City that can control zombies?"

Luo Li was silent for a few seconds.

"There is."

Xu Mo waited for her to continue.

But Luo Li didn’t elaborate, asking him a question in return instead.

"Do you know why I invited you here?"

Xu Mo paused.

"You want information about the outside world?" Even though he had a different idea, Xu Mo offered this as a possible answer.

Luo Li shook her head.

"No."

She looked at Xu Mo. Her gaze was calm, yet it exerted an indescribable pressure on him.

"Because you killed a naturally evolved Scale Beast."

Xu Mo’s pupils contracted slightly.

"A naturally evolved Scale Beast?"

"That thing..." Luo Li continued, "While I can control Scale Beasts, that’s only before they evolve..."