CHAPTER 242: CHAPTER 242: THE EVOLUTION PROCESS

The world had shifted again.

The familiar groans of the undead outside the reinforced apartment blocks no longer carried the same weight of assurance they once did.

Weeks ago, their guttural wails had been predictable, mindless, and oddly comforting in their consistency. A zombie was a zombie, slow, clumsy, unthinking. But now... things were different.

Leng Pan stood on the balcony of their unit, binoculars in hand, watching the street below with narrowed eyes. The corpses still shambled, but every so often, one would break from the horde, its steps steadier, its head turning in sharp, calculated jerks. She’d seen one of them scale a broken truck earlier, using its hands like a half-remembered instinct. Another had snapped its head at the flutter of a bird, its milky eyes following the movement with frightening accuracy.

"The zombies are changing. They are evolving faster than in the past." she muttered, lowering the binoculars.

She didn’t know whether she was talking to herself or the two men standing behind her.

Earlier when the door was opened, the two found their friend and soldier under their command in their last life, and also Lu Zhen’s current friend, Ouyang Jin standing at the door.

They had talked about a lot, and decided that he could be trusted, just like in the past.

Their conversation was interrupted by some noise coming from the street and they all stood up and walked to the balcony to watch.

Only to find that while they were coming up with strategies, the world was changing.

Lu Zhen looked up at her words, reading the tension in her expression immediately. "You saw another one?"

"Yes. A tall male this time. Its skin was rotting less than the others, and it... moved differently." She leaned against the railing, her voice low. "We can’t afford to underestimate them anymore."

Earlier when she first picked up the binoculars, Leng Pan had come face to face with a female zombie that could actually change expressions like a normal person.

If not for the rotting flesh that was falling off it’s body, she could have passed for a normal human. And now, she was seeing another one behaving more like humans.

Lu Zhen’s jaw tightened. He’d been expecting this. After all, this had happened in their last lives too. Nothing had changed.

"If they’re evolving, it means they’ll soon hunt smarter, faster. Hiding behind reinforced doors won’t be enough." Ouyang Jin said with a concerned look as he stood beside his friend.

Leng Pan crossed her arms. "And resources are running thinner by the day. Our neighbors are already desperate."

The past week had seen an uptick in fights in their building, arguments over electricity rations which had started a few days prior, stolen canned goods, even petty squabbles escalating into violence.

More than once, the smell of blood had drifted up the stairwell, followed by the distant growls of zombies drawn by the noise. Humanity was unraveling, and the scavenged scraps of the old world were no longer enough to keep people civil.

Moreover, the weather was changing and becoming colder. It was almost the same as winter before the snow starts to fall.

Things weren’t looking great.

Lu Zhen walked to stand next to his wife, "Earlier when I went downstairs. A patrol passed through the area. They’re spreading word about relocation zones."

"Yes. Supposedly fortified, organized, and with ration distribution. People are clinging to that idea like it’s salvation." He let out a dry laugh. "But it won’t be free. Nothing is." Leng Pan said with mockery.

Ouyang Jin also followed the two people to the balcony.

"There are military bases being set up to take in survivors and give them a safe place to live without worrying about zombies.

But these places aren’t for free. They have to contribute something by going out to kill zombies and bring back crystal cores or offer supplies.

I don’t think it’s the safest thing to do. Some of the military leaders or those in government aren’t very honest." Even though Ouyang Jin was still in the military, he didn’t trust the leaders and was just there for intelligence.

Leng Pan remembered her life before, the betrayals, the greed that festered under human skins. Military bases would attract not only survivors but also ambition, power struggles, and corruption.

Still, she couldn’t deny the logic, an organized stronghold might last longer than scattered apartments and ragtag alliances.

She returned her gaze to the streets. "How long do you think before those things outside realize doors and walls aren’t much of a barrier?"

Zhen followed her eyes. "Not long. I’d give it weeks, maybe less."

By evening, the sounds of unrest in the building grew. Shouts, footsteps running, the metallic clang of someone trying to barricade their door in panic. Leng Pan and Lu Zhen didn’t move. They’d learned quickly not to involve themselves unless necessary, exposure brought risk.

Because there was already power rationing, the elevator couldn’t be used anymore, so the anti-theft door at the top of the stairs leading to their floor had been locked.

No one could access their floor without their consent.

Still, curiosity pulled at her. She peeked through the peephole and caught sight of two men dragging another down the corridor, blood dripping from his arm where a knife had cut him. They weren’t fighting for revenge. They were dragging him toward the stairwell.

Sacrifice.

Her eyes narrowed. Desperate people had begun to adopt cruel measures. When resources ran out, some chose to throw the weakest to the horde outside, hoping to buy themselves time.

This had happened in the past too. The weak became prey for the strong. They would be used as bait to attract the zombies, giving others the opportunity to sneak away and scavenge for supplies.

She wondered when people became so desperate? Supplies had started to become scarce, but they weren’t that scarce.

Was someone manipulating things in the dark? Why?

Leng Pan’s voice was cold. "The end of human morality."

The next morning, a distant rumble stirred them awake. At first, it sounded like thunder, but Leng Pan knew better. She slipped onto the balcony again, eyes widening as a convoy of military trucks rumbled down the street.

Armed soldiers sat alert in the back, rifles ready. Their vehicles were reinforced with welded steel and painted with markings declaring allegiance to the newly formed Northern Base.

They stopped at the intersection, loudspeakers blaring.

"Attention survivors! The Northern Base is open for relocation. Food, water, and medical treatment will be provided for those who join. Stay together, protect each other, and the army will protect you!"

Dozens of faces appeared from windows and doors below, weary eyes filled with a dangerous hope. People began to shout questions, wave makeshift flags, and cry.

Lu Zhen’s expression was cold as he observed what was happening below. He sighed slowly before saying, "They’re consolidating power. The more people they gather, the more control they’ll have over what’s left of the country."

Leng Pan nodded her head and agreed. The greed for power had reared its head.

"And the more cannon fodder they’ll have against the evolving dead," Leng Pan added, eyes narrowing at the soldiers’ polished rifles.

The convoy lingered only a few minutes, long enough to hand out flyers detailing the location of the base and promises of security.

Then, as quickly as they had arrived, they roared away, leaving behind a trail of dust and a burning question in the minds of everyone watching: Should they go?

However, hope was a dangerous thing. The military had given the survivors hope, and many would choose to go to the base, even when their sixth sense screamed danger.

That night, Leng Pan and Lu Zhen discussed their options together with the other members of the family over a sumptuous meal.

"Resources won’t last forever," Lu Zhen said, voice calm but firm. "Even with our foresight and the storage, we’ll run into scarcity when it comes to some things eventually.

The bases will control distribution, and they’ll control information. Staying outside might isolate us."

Leng Pan stirred her food without eating as she thought deeply and said, "But going inside puts us under their thumb. Once we enter, we’re at their mercy."

Silence fell at the table. Everyone understood that Leng Pan was right.

Uncle Li looked at everyone and sighed, "We need information. Whether we join or not, we need to know what the bases are doing, what technology or defenses they’re building. If the zombies keep evolving, we’ll need every advantage we can get."

Leng Pan leaned back on her seat, "Then we can scout first. Quietly." She didn’t think that would be difficult.

The following day, they slipped out at dawn, blending into a group of survivors who had chosen to follow the flyers. The road toward the Northern Base was littered with burnt-out vehicles, skeletal remains, and the occasional pack of roaming undead.

But it wasn’t the usual stumbling corpses that caught Leng Pan’s attention.