Ye Chen sighed softly, turned, and began walking down the opposite end of the highway. Before he had gone many steps, he encountered a sedan smashed against the guardrail. Its headlights were shattered into useless fragments, the hood buckled upward, and the mirror was smeared with blood—the driver was clearly dead. His figure flickered, executing a perfect somersault over the wreckage, landing gracefully before continuing forward.

Along the road, wrecked cars lay strewn everywhere, accompanied by splattered blood, severed limbs, torsos, and long, dragging streaks of gore. It was a stark testament to the panic, chaos, and tragedy that had engulfed this highway when the disaster first struck.

Ye Chen walked past a corpse.

Roar!

The body, which had seemed undeniably dead, suddenly snapped its eyes open. Its pale green irises burned with a bloodthirsty glint, and an outstretched hand lunged for Ye Chen’s ankle. With a sharp thud, its head exploded like a balloon, spraying blackish cerebral matter and blood everywhere.

Ye Chen retracted his pistol, cast a cold glance at the headless corpse, and turned away to walk on.

All over the road lay zombies, some prone on the ground, others draped over vehicles, utterly motionless. If these creatures encountered no food source, they entered a state of “torpor.” In this condition, they were indistinguishable from the dead—no breath, no heartbeat—and they could remain in this state for four to five months without sustenance.

Bang, bang...

Several zombies nearby, previously in their dormant state, suddenly blinked open their eyes and charged Ye Chen, baring their fangs. Ye Chen’s expression remained placid. He flicked the safety off his gun, and three pea-sized energy slugs zipped out, instantly detonating the skulls of the approaching corpses.

He hadn't walked much further—

“Rooooaaar~~~”

Suddenly, from a nearby high-rise, an enraged bellow echoed across the highway, immediately followed by the sound of collapsing structures.

Ye Chen paused, casually dispatching a zombie that rushed him, then stepped to the edge of the highway and stared intently toward the source of the monstrous cry. Between two buildings stood a creature resembling a wolf, approximately two zhang (six meters) tall, covered in brownish-tan fur, with a small protuberance on its forehead. Along one flank, three dark patches scarred its side, where blood had long since clotted.

“A Di Jiao Beast!” Ye Chen was mildly surprised. The Di Jiao Beast was a relatively rare late-stage monster. Once fully evolved, it developed a black horn on its forehead capable of channeling lightning for protection. At this current stage, the Di Jiao Beast was already a Level 30 entity. Combined with its unique physical structure, even some Level 35 monsters would give it a wide berth; it ranked among the elite among terrestrial creatures.

Turning his gaze, Ye Chen saw, atop a sprawling two-story building in front of the beast, a woman clad in crimson armor standing against the wind. Her upper body was covered in a fiery red leather cuirass tailored from beast hide, perfectly outlining her full, prominent chest. Her snow-white navel was exposed above smooth, flat lower abdomen, clad in a short beast-hide skirt that barely covered the tops of her thighs, accentuating a pair of long, alabaster-white legs. Her explosive, fiery physique was enough to make most men’s noses bleed.

However, the most arresting feature was this breathtakingly beautiful woman who held a cigarette between her bright red lips while cradling a heavy machine gun in her hands. The muzzle trembled as if cutting through the wind, spewing a relentless torrent of bullets that forced the Di Jiao Beast to dart frantically back and forth. While the bullets couldn't penetrate its hide entirely, a direct hit could still tear through the skin and inflict damage.

Crack!

The woman in the tight, red leather armor, the cigarette still dangling from her lips, looked down at the Di Jiao Beast from her high vantage point. She casually tossed the machine gun onto the ground beside her, drew a long saber from behind her back with a reverse grip. It was an exceptionally long and broad blade, nearly 2.5 meters long and a foot wide. Resting against her slender frame, it towered nearly a meter taller than her head. At first glance, the massive saber appeared heavier than the woman herself!

Wielding the greatsword, the red-armored woman stomped her brown leather boots against the ground and leaped directly off the second-story rooftop platform. She swung the heavy blade toward the Di Jiao Beast like a barbarian warrior, her long black hair streaming out dramatically in the air—a truly imposing sight!

Boom!

The Di Jiao Beast reacted instantly, dodging to the side. The saber struck the ground where it had stood, embedding itself deep into the concrete and cracking a large crater. The material of this blade was remarkable; it was incredibly hard and did not even chip.

Ye Chen was slightly stunned... This woman could fight the Di Jiao Beast head-on? Could she be a Super Evolved Human?

Among evolved humans, there were Ordinary Evolved, Super Evolved, and Mutated Evolved!

Of these, Mutated Evolved were the rarest, with the lowest probability of occurrence. Typically, a Mutated Evolved human would possess drastically altered physiology—perhaps an extra eye, or pupils capable of seeing internal structures through the skin. These individuals were incredibly difficult to kill early on, often possessing Level 20 resilience within the first month.

Super Evolved humans simply experienced the normal enhancement of strength, constitution, and changes to respiratory organs, sometimes even shifts in heart location. They started with Level 15 resilience.

Ordinary Evolved humans began with Level 10 resilience and, after three months, would have reached around Level 30 constitution.

Evolved humans were exceedingly rare; the majority were Ordinary Evolved. Super Evolved humans were scarce, perhaps one in tens of millions. As for Mutated Evolved, they were truly one in a hundred million!

To Ye Chen’s knowledge, the Commander-in-Chief of the Huaxia Base City, Murong Xue’s father, was a Super Evolved Human! This fact alone allowed him to suppress all the lower-ranking commanders and generals, ensuring no one dared to attempt a military coup.

Without activating his Superpower Mode, Ye Chen, with his current Level 30 constitution, could not contend with such a figure. Those with innate, powerful advantages became terrifying entities later on, though most perished in ruins or secret realms, killed by the truly dark creatures lurking there.

In just three months, Ye Chen, starting with an ordinary human physique, had reached Level 30, matching the strength of an Ordinary Evolved. This ferocious rate of ascent was unparalleled globally—unique!

It was worth remembering that when the apocalyptic disaster struck, these evolved individuals woke up already possessing resilience levels in the teens. This constitution was sufficient to sweep away common zombies; only monsters evolved from fierce animals like leopards, lions, and tigers posed a genuine threat. Their speed in slaughtering zombies was terrifying, far surpassing Ye Chen's capabilities in the early days when he cautiously survived wielding only a fire axe while they swaggered through the streets. Yet, in only three months, Ye Chen had caught up to the strength of the Ordinary Evolved. If he entered his powered state, he could instantly kill even a Mutated Evolved! At this current stage, no one existed who could truly threaten Ye Chen’s life.

It was only after the Atlantis civilization was excavated that the Research Department obtained gene fusion technology, allowing supers to become more common.

While Ye Chen was deep in thought, the battle opposite him concluded. The woman in the tight red leather armor split the Di Jiao Beast’s head open with a single strike, stepping over the fallen creature. She slowly sheathed her saber, tied it with a rope, and slung it onto her back, before hoisting the two-zhang-tall monster onto her shoulder. A woman barely 1.7 or 1.8 meters tall carrying such a beast was an astonishing sight. She leaped, landing lightly on the second floor, hooked her toe around the machine gun lying below, grabbed it casually, and with another flicker of movement, sped away into the distance.

Soon, her silhouette vanished far off. Ye Chen slowly lowered his gaze, sighing internally. Evolved humans truly earned their title; their innate advantages were equivalent to the status of ancient royalty. The only solace was that anyone possessed the potential to evolve. Even a beggar might experience a sudden surge of power after the apocalypse, rising to the top, acquiring women and food through mere trade of base chemicals.

Judging by the woman's method of dispatching the Di Jiao Beast, despite her technique being abysmal, her sheer strength was overwhelming. She had crushed the beast through brute force. This suggested she was not an Ordinary Evolved, but a Super Evolved!

At the 1H3 level, a Super Evolved Human would possess approximately Level 45 resilience!

“It seems my power is still increasing too slowly,” Ye Chen muttered, shaking his head. Level 30 was powerful enough to sweep through the general corps of the Huaxia Base City, but against a Commander-in-Chief like a Super Evolved, he would need his Superpower Mode. Although he possessed memories of his past life, most places offering rapid power boosts were currently inaccessible due to his current limitations. Once he obtained the Divine Blood from Atlantis, he could assemble an elite unit and begin excavating smaller ruins, gathering treasures that would make his future power growth terrifyingly rapid...

After a moment’s reflection, Ye Chen turned and departed, sprinting rapidly toward the other side of the highway.