Chapter 732: Another S
Ling Mo had high expectations for the Niepan Experimental Group because they had produced many horrifying and disgusting results.
The fact that they could transform the terrifying creature that is a Zombie into something even more horrifying in itself was a kind of success.
The stack of experiment Reports wasn’t far from the Zombie Puppets, but reaching out to grab it was absolutely impossible. However, this didn’t mean that Ling Mo could only stare idly.
He glanced at the woman, then carefully s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the tray.
Suddenly, the stack of reports moved slightly. Then, the top sheet of paper mysteriously lifted a corner.
It was as if someone was using their fingers to pinch the Report. Under the eyes of the Experimental Group Member, this sheet of paper bizarrely lifted into the air.
“Zombies really do have excellent eyesight…” Ling Mo immediately began to read.
It felt a bit like walking a tightrope
1
. On one hand, Ling Mo needed to quickly memorize the information on the Report; on the other, he had to stay vigilant of the Experimental Group Member. If she happened to glance to the right, she’d probably be stunned. Just imagine seeing a sheet of paper floating mid-air in a silent, empty room-it’s enough to make anyone gawk in disbelief.
This was the first time Ling Mo had used this coordination method, and although it consumed more psychic power, the effect was remarkable.
It gave Ling Mo insight into a new mode of operation. Using the Jellyfish, his infiltration plans became much easier.
“These data points are totally incomprehensible… but at least there’s a conclusion…” Ling Mo scratched his head, “A concentration a.n.a.lysis chart of viruses in the blood of different levels of Zombies? And it’s the seventh revision? So long and high-end.”
Ling Mo sighed.
He actually understood this basic theory and might even have grasped it earlier than these Niepan Members. However, he only had a conceptual understanding and couldn’t a.n.a.lyze such detailed data.
He could manage to type on a keyboard, but blood tests… forget about it. His experience in that area was limited to being tested himself…
Just by looking at the t.i.tle of the Report, Ling Mo’s interest was piqued. This data was clearly newly summarized after seven comparisons and was much more accurate than the previous six reports. Blood testing isn’t overly complex, but when the subjects are Zombies, it’s a whole different story. Moreover, the test subjects here were Zombies of different levels!
Ling Mo was very curious and wondered what levels they had tested.
He quickly glanced at the complex data and then focused his gaze on the lower part of the Report.
“Newborn Zombies that have just mutated… the virus concentration in their blood is… what, five percent?!”
This line alone made Ling Mo freeze in shock. Just five percent?!
Of course, he ignored the string of decimal points that followed. Such precise numbers were only useful to the Experimental Group, whereas Ling Mo found them unnecessarily complicated.
Approximately five percent concentration-this number deeply shocked Ling Mo.
This doesn’t mean that only zombies with a virus concentration of five percent in their total blood volume can cause Infection in humans. Instead, it means that once the mutation is fully completed, the newly born Zombie has only about five percent of the virus content in its body!
The process of the virus causing Infection, followed by rapid proliferation in the body, is what is called mutation. Even a drop of fresh Zombie blood could cause this process to happen in a human body. Therefore, the initial virus causing the Infection is just like a seed… However, if just this seed exceeds the five percent concentration, the human body would not be able to withstand the viral proliferation, leading to full body cell necrosis.
“Only five percent… That means the concentration in my body hasn’t even reached five percent… Xu Shuhan might be around three to four percent, but this is because the different viruses are still competing with each other; the total should actually be five percent…”
After snapping back to reality, Ling Mo continued reading. He was most eager to find out the virus concentration in Ye Lian and the others.
For Zombies that have evolved to the first stage, the virus concentration in their blood ranges from five to nine percent…
“This must refer to common zombies… Yes, of course, once the virus concentration surpa.s.ses ten percent, they become mutation zombies. The jump to Advanced Zombies is substantial, reaching around twenty percent. Leader-Level Zombies also reach about thirty percent… Hmm, the growth rate suddenly slows down.”
Ling Mo was not surprised that the Niepan headquarters had data on dominant level Zombies. What surprised him was the growth curve of this data.
After dominant level Zombies breakthrough, the virus content in their bodies is only around forty to forty-five percent. However, there was a note beside it: “Special mutation begins to appear.”
Ling Mo pondered for a moment and quickly understood.
Whether it’s Advanced Zombies or Leader-Level Zombies, both represent significant qualitative leaps for zombies. After breaking through to the advanced stage, zombies begin to regain certain memories, and their Intelligence increases noticeably. Before evolving, zombies could be considered savage Monsters. But after the breakthrough, they start developing into knowledgeable Monsters.
Leader-Level Zombies undergo a more p.r.o.nounced transformation with the evolution of Gel into a mother hive, marking a significant change.
However, the primary change in dominant level Zombies lies in the emergence of mutation tendencies, with other aspects not improving as significantly as before.
There was no information on King level Zombies in the data, so Ling Mo couldn’t a.n.a.lyze further. The major change for King level Zombies lies in the complete formation of mutations, but how this impacts the virus concentration in their bodies remained unknown.
After reviewing the data, Ling Mo’s understanding of Zombies reached a new height. He was already well-versed in various zombie behaviors, so he could grasp these insights more deeply than others.
“It’s true that there’s strength in numbers. Niepan gathered so many Survivors, took over the Medical University and its affiliated hospitals, and with numerous superhumans collecting materials and capturing zombies for their experiments, they achieved such results. This kind of data is impossible to compile individually. Those with the capability may not understand this knowledge, and even if they do, they wouldn’t have the time or resources to fully dedicate to this task…”
The woman in the room, for instance, would barely be able to focus on survival if she were outside, let alone have the opportunity to quietly observe and conduct research…
Ling Mo speculated that perhaps even the researchers needed contribution points to guarantee their dedication to their work. Based on the various systems in place at Niepan, the higher-ups definitely wouldn’t be in the business of making unprofitable deals.
The Tentacle discreetly picked up several more reports, flipping through them before finally finding another valuable doc.u.ment.
“Huh? Vitality Test?”
This t.i.tle piqued Ling Mo’s interest. It was widely known that Zombies had formidable vitality, but he hadn’t expected such data to be included in the research scope. This indicated that Niepan’s research on Zombies was incredibly thorough, not overlooking any details…
However, as he read further, Ling Mo couldn’t help but frown.
Had the t.i.tle not been explicit, Ling Mo might have mistaken this for a torture manual…
Hunger tests were the mildest of the lot, and injecting various viruses was also minor. But acts like amputations or bloodletting made Ling Mo shake his head in dismay.
Killing Zombies in battle was one thing, but watching them being tortured to death every day, to see how long they could last-this idea was difficult for him to stomach.
“What’s this?”
Suddenly, Ling Mo noticed another doc.u.ment at the bottom. This one was written with a different color pen, clearly indicating its importance.
Especially striking was the large “S” written in red ink on the blank s.p.a.ces of the page…
“So this is an S-level mission? One that hasn’t been released yet?” Ling Mo cautiously glanced at the woman nearby before gently pulling out the doc.u.ment.
S-level Mission: Capture Task for Zombies of the Fourth Evolution Stage and Above (B-level).
Mission content: Capture a Fourth Evolution Stage (including above) [B-level] Zombie within thirty days. The contribution points awarded will be determined based on the specific level and condition of the captured Zombie.
“Fourth Stage… isn’t that Leader-Level? They actually want to capture Leader-Level Zombies and above?”
Ling Mo tried to move his head slightly. The Zombies locked up nearby and the Zombie Puppet were mostly mutation-level, with one almost reaching the advanced category.
He then noticed a small sign hanging outside the cage. Using the Tentacle to flip it over, he saw that the sign clearly indicated the Zombie’s level.
To Ling Mo’s surprise, the Zombie that hadn’t yet reached the advanced category had its internal virus levels detailed explicitly. This method of a.s.sessment was undoubtedly the most precise…
“The Experimental Group is even more formidable than I thought. But the more formidable they are, the more information I can gather.”
Ling Mo had infiltrated to gather intel, and the more information available here, the more rewarding his mission would be.
However, the fact that they could capture Leader-Level, and even dominant level Zombies, still astonished Ling Mo. Leader-Level Zombies were somewhat manageable, but once they reached the dominant level, their Intelligence significantly increased. Even with Ling Mo and his formidable squad of female Zombies, capturing a dominant level Zombie was quite an arduous task. Most crucially, they had to be captured alive…
The difficulty… was exceptionally high!
“A small squad like He Hongyan’s trio surely couldn’t handle this, could they…”
Just as Ling Mo was pondering this, something caught his eye.
Note: This mission will provide specialized bait and trapping tools designed specifically to lure and capture Zombies of the third evolution stage and higher.
“Specially designed for Leader-Level Zombies and above? What could it be?”
Ling Mo’s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.
Gel? mother hive? No, those attract Zombies of all levels indiscriminately…
But this note mentioned something specific!
Ye Lian and the others needed a large number of mother hives from Senior Zombies for their evolution, especially since he found out they were still far from complete evolution. This realization had made Ling Mo increasingly anxious. However, Senior Zombies were not like cabbages that you could find everywhere. When facing several million Zombies in a city, even Ye Lian and her squad were somewhat powerless. Killing them one by one was simply unrealistic!
Even in Xinlan Town, they had only managed to eliminate Zombies in a single area.
Attracting high-level Zombies under such physical exertion was undoubtedly dangerous.
But if there were a method to specifically lure Senior Zombies while avoiding common zombies, not only would the risk be greatly reduced, but the hunting efficiency would also be significantly enhanced!
Footnote:
- Walking A Tightrope(走钢丝):
In this context, ‘walking a tightrope’ is a metaphor that means operating in a highly tense and risky situation where one must maintain extreme focus and balance, similar to the precarious act of walking on a tightrope.