The genes injected into Ye Chen’s body began to take effect, slowly writhing. A searing heat spread from his abdomen throughout his entire frame, circulating in every limb and bone. Droplets of crystalline sweat beaded on the surface of his skin, leaving his clothes clinging uncomfortably to his body.

Within him, the previously near-transparent white genes were rapidly enveloped by a layer of black genes. The two struggled against each other, seeking to consume the other, but as they were nearly equal in strength, a stalemate ensued.

To fuse with monster genes and become the superhuman soldiers seen only in films—scientists theorized success was possible, but practice had never once yielded results. In numerous research facilities, similar experiments were being conducted on condemned criminals, injecting the genes of creatures like white mice into their systems, hoping to induce mutation and transform them into another species—superhumans!

Yet, how difficult and improbable was it for two distinct sets of genes to truly merge into one? The majority of criminals either had their systems wholly consumed by the white mouse genes with no resulting change, or conversely, were consumed by the mouse genes, causing their genetic chains to collapse, resulting in immediate death.

As a veteran survivor of ten years in the apocalypse, Ye Chen understood that ascending to the rank of a superhuman soldier was not an instantaneous process.

Superhumans are divided into five tiers!

Superhuman Tier One: Gene Fusion 20!

Superhuman Tier Two, Gene Fusion 40!

Superhuman Tier Three...

And so on. Only by reaching Superhuman Tier Five could one be considered a perfect fusion, becoming a special subspecies through genetic mutation.

The entanglement of the two gene sets inside Ye Chen felt like a million ants tearing at him simultaneously. The pain was unbearable, as if every inch of his skin was rupturing. This agony seized his nerves, drenching him in cold sweat, with veins bulging visibly on his forehead.

Endure!

Ye Chen ground his teeth with a loud kaka sound, his muscles taut, his body trembling slightly, yet he fiercely resisted the tearing sensation of the intense pain.

The night was deep and still. In the quiet room, a high-pitched ringing filled his ears. Beyond the violent agony, he could feel nothing else. Each second stretched out like an eon, and a voice in his mind seemed to whisper constantly: "Sleep, just sleep. If you fall asleep, the pain will stop..."

Sleep?

When awakening as a superhuman soldier, falling asleep meant never waking up again.

As the violent tearing sensation intensified, that voice grew increasingly seductive, like a half-naked maiden beckoning him—making him yearn to rush forward, to abandon all else, and simply cast away every worry and suffering.

This world is so agonizing; why does he still refuse to fall?

Ye Chen struggled on, his eyes fixed rigidly on the photograph in his hand, looking at the kindly middle-aged couple and the adorable little girl on the left. An inexplicable strength surged within him, forcing him to clench his jaw until, just as he was about to pass out from the pain, he fiercely bit down on his tongue tip, dragging his consciousness back to alertness.

Minutes later, the tearing pain did not abate; instead, it grew more violent. Under the agony, the muscles in Ye Chen’s face involuntarily twitched slightly. Every inch of his skin trembled, seemingly unable to bear the strain, on the verge of collapse.

Hold on one second longer, and maybe it will pass.

Ye Chen repeated this phrase constantly in his mind, giving himself more motivation to persevere. However, second after second passed, and the agony only continued to mount.

“Boom…”

Suddenly, Ye Chen felt a deafening resonance in his mind, and his consciousness plunged into a void. At that moment, his body instantly relaxed, and the two warring genes within him began to reach a state of equilibrium amid their entanglement.

They began to fuse...

1…

2…

3…

They were integrating bit by bit; the process was excruciatingly slow, and Ye Chen could no longer feel it. By the time the final burst of struggle between the two genes concluded, he had already fallen unconscious.

Fortunately, the genes achieved balance the instant he blacked out. Had the internal conflict continued without the suppression of his will, one gene set would have rapidly triumphed, leading to the collapse of his genetic chain and his body dissolving into a pool of blood.

...

“Brother, Brother.”

Bright sunlight streamed in through the window. Ye Chen felt a sharp jolt of pain throughout his body. Before he could open his eyes, he heard a familiar voice close to his ear, filling his heart with a spark of pleasant surprise. He opened his eyes to see a delicate, pretty face slowly coming into focus before him, etched with deep concern.

Success?

Ye Chen pushed himself up from the bed. He quickly checked his body with a look of relief, seeing no extraneous limbs had sprouted. He then sensed inward and immediately felt a current flowing through his body, like water, something that seemed ready to shift according to his very thought.

Ye Chen slowly clenched his fist. Although his physical strength hadn't overtly increased, he distinctly felt a terrifying reservoir of latent power hidden within, one that, once unleashed, would be formidable!

“Brother, what’s wrong?” His younger sister, Ye Zhu, looked at him strangely.

Ye Chen snapped back to the present. With the heavy burden finally lifted, his mood brightened considerably. He smiled and asked, “Nothing, did you bring breakfast?” He glanced at the steaming meal on the nearby table: two fried eggs and a cup of milk.

“I found these in the storage room at the institute. You haven't fully recovered; eating too much isn't good for you.” Ye Zhu dismissed her concern, her face blooming into a smile like a hundred flowers opening at once, as she turned and carried the tray of breakfast to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen took it and ate heartily, then slid off the bed. “Once I’ve eaten, I’m going to get some movement.”

Ye Zhu frowned. “You’re not healed yet, don’t strain the wound.”

Ye Chen chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll just wander around the institute; I won't go outside.”

Ye Zhu finally relaxed and nodded. “I’ll come with you.”

They walked out together...

The next few days, Ye Chen remained recuperating within the institute. After seven or eight days, the wound on his abdomen and the bloodied marks on his back had healed, forming scars.

During this time, Ye Chen had instructed Bai Long and the others not to leave the institute casually, as the monsters outside had grown far stronger than they could currently resist.

In the early stages of the apocalypse, the death toll was the highest, especially during the first month when people had not yet adapted to the arrival of the calamity and were easily killed by the zombies. In the second month, the monsters became even more formidable, causing many skilled survivors to perish as well.

It wasn't until the third month, when Base Cities were established across the globe, garrisoned by many powerful individuals who had evolved through the virus, that the human death rate significantly dropped.

Ye Chen clearly remembered that in the later stages of the apocalypse, the world was divided into three factions: Humans, Monsters, and Dark Creatures.

Humans were, naturally, the survivors.

Monsters were the animals that had evolved through the virus.

And Dark Creatures were the zombies.

Dark Era Year 1, Month 2, Day 7.

Inside the institute, Ye Chen woke up early and donned the soft leather armor stitched together from the hide of a Magic Wind Dog. He had padded it with a layer of cotton cloth, making it extremely soft, so that even when sweating, the hide wouldn't stick to his body.

The hide of this Magic Wind Dog was incredibly tough; ordinary knives couldn't even scratch it.

Once fully equipped, Ye Chen found a fire axe within the institute—currently, his best available weapon. Holding the lightweight axe, Ye Chen couldn't help but miss his Blood Thunder Saber from his previous life, which had been refined seven times by lightning.

“You’re healed?” His sister, Ye Zhu, who had come to deliver breakfast, looked at Ye Chen’s full battle attire with surprise.

Ye Chen smiled and nodded. “I’m fine. Starting today, I’m hunting monsters.”

Ye Zhu eyed him suspiciously, flipping up the soft leather armor he wore over his torso to see the scar on his abdomen before finally relaxing. “Then eat your breakfast first.”

...

There are few recommendation votes today, brothers, work hard!!!!!1

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