Zheng Zha leveled the heavy machine gun at the zombified Mastiff, emptying over ten rounds into it, which managed to shove the beast back several meters. Just then, the machine gun’s ammunition was completely expended. Not only that, but where the rounds had struck the Mastiff, appendages resembling octopus tentacles began to emerge. As these tentacles sprouted, the dog charged toward the group once more.

(So this is the "T-Virus evolved form" that the "Main God" was talking about? I see now.) Zheng Zha fiercely pulled his military saber from his storage ring and lunged toward the massive zombified Mastiff. Almost simultaneously, the two crashed into each other violently. Zheng Zha rammed the saber deep into the Mastiff's neck, but before he could yank it sideways, an enormous force erupted from the beast, slamming him against a wall. Immediately afterward, a sharp agony pierced his right shoulder—something had completely impaled it from behind.

“Red Flame!” Seeing the enormous dog head about to snap at his own, Zheng Zha, in desperation, dispensed with activating the muscle-expanding power of the second stage of the Gene Lock. He instinctively unleashed his Red Flame skill. Blood-colored flames instantly billowed out from his body. Wherever the flames touched the zombified Mastiff, the flesh vaporized into ash; even the tentacles couldn't repair the damage fast enough. In moments, the gigantic Mastiff was completely reduced to a heap of ash. When the other three people walked in, the blood-red flames around Zheng Zha had died down, and he was struggling to pull a steel support beam from his right shoulder. The beam was fully lodged in his shoulder, creating a gory, bloody cavity—a sight that made Angie scream instantly.

Zheng Zha wrenched the steel beam out, offering the others a wry smile. “Let’s go. We need to get out of this school first. Who knows if there are any Crawlers or anything else lurking here.” “Can you take me with you?” a voice suddenly cut through the darkness.

The four turned sharply and saw a mercenary stumbling toward them, clearly wounded.

Alice looked at the mercenary, frowning slightly. “How long have you been infected?” The mercenary replied strangely, “Just over two hours, Doctor. He said if I found his daughter, I might have a chance to survive.” Alice let out a breath of relief. “That’s right. You’re lucky; two hours is survivable. Let’s go. We should leave this school first. I have a feeling those zombies have suddenly changed somehow.” This mercenary was named Carlos. He had received a call from Dr. Ash en route and came to the school with another team member to find Angie, but unfortunately, his teammate hadn't fared well, being torn apart by a Crawler shortly after they arrived.

When the group finally exited the school, they were astonished to find the people outside also engaged in combat. Scattered zombies were continuously shambling toward them from the distance. From these zombies’ bodies, tentacles were ceaselessly sprouting. Moreover, they were markedly different from the previous undead; bullets hitting their heads had no effect, and they just kept advancing. Only by shattering their skulls with more powerful weaponry could they be rendered permanently immobile.

(This must be the T-Virus evolved form. To counter the combined strength of our two teams, mere numbers are no longer sufficient to suppress us, so the quality must be increased. That must be what the 'Main God' meant?) “Cheng Xiao, clear a path with the axe! Everyone, hurry to the vehicle! We can’t stay here.”

Zheng Zha roared, taking the lead toward the bus.

Cheng Xiao paused at the command, then grinned wickedly at the approaching zombies. He swung his Zaku Electric Light Axe twice before hurling it ferociously toward a spot ten meters away.

With a tremendous boom, amid a burst of lightning, a deep pit nearly two meters wide appeared in the distance. All the zombies within several meters of the blast radius were instantly pulverized into meat fragments. The power of the Electric Light Axe was indeed formidable. Cheng Xiao gave a sharp tug, and the axe zipped back to him. He caught it, laughing heartily until the sound of the bus engine starting brought him back to reality, and he sprinted toward the vehicle.

Alice sat beside the driver’s seat and spoke to Zheng Zha. “I know the location of the Umbrella Corporation building, but can we really just run there? Aren’t you afraid they’ll treat you like a Crawler, freeze you solid, slice you up for research, or cultivate the T-Virus super-evolved strain within you?” Zheng Zha let out a sigh. “Running over there blindly is definitely not an option. So, we must display our strength and show them that we are not prey before them, but strong individuals capable of negotiating as equals. Rather than worrying about what happens at the tower, we should first worry about the horde of zombies we are about to face.”

Alice asked curiously, “What zombie horde? Are there zombies ahead?” She then paused. “Wait a moment.”

With that, Alice walked over to Angie and gently pressed a button on the backpack she was wearing. Instantly, a panel on the rear of the bag opened, revealing several vials of antidote for T-Virus infection.

Alice first approached Carlos, pulled up his sleeve, and swiftly administered an injection. Before the man could react, she moved to Zheng Zha. “Even though the T-Virus is already in your system, it’s better to inject this antidote just in case. This medicine is most effective against the standard T-Virus. Did you sustain an injury earlier?” Although Zheng Zha was certain he hadn't been hurt fighting the zombified Mastiff, he still exposed his arm to Alice, who wasted no time in injecting him. “So, you have the T-Virus in you too? Did your father inject you with it?” Alice asked softly, stroking Angie’s hair.

Angie nodded. “Don't blame him. I’ve been sickly since childhood. Doctors said it was hereditary, a weak immune system that required careful nurturing, but I could still die from minor illnesses like a common cold or fever. To save me, my father started researching gene-modification drugs when I was very young, later focusing his energy on viruses. It was then that he gradually developed a genetically modified virus capable of significantly enhancing human cellular vitality: the T-Virus…”

“My father said the original intent of this virus was good—to give human cells immense vitality, so strong that the body could still function even after death. Theoretically, he was just one step away from achieving true immortality. But he realized he took the wrong path at that final step, and there was a massive power beside him urging him to take that wrong turn. That’s how the T-Virus weapon was created, leading to bioweapon research: zombies, Crawlers, the Tyrant, and the prototype T-Virus strain codenamed Survivor. The prototype my father injected me with enhances physique, reaction time, and so much more, all without altering a person’s consciousness or body.” The surrounding people looked at Angie with surprise. Jill took a drag from her cigarette and crouched down to look at her. “You’re quite smart, Angie. Did you know all this naturally?”

Angie shook her head. “Like Alice, I was injected with that T-Virus prototype. They say it altered our genes, removing certain inherent restrictions. For example…” As Angie spoke, her gaze suddenly glazed over with a faraway look, but the blankness only lasted a moment before her eyes cleared again. “…For example, in that state just now, I can understand things incredibly fast. I can read an entire book once and memorize it perfectly. Alice, are you like that too?” Angie asked curiously.

Alice shook her head. “I don't know about that. I haven't tried reading a book in that state. I never imagined that this terrifying world originated from a doctor's research simply to save his child. Umbrella Corporation is to blame—all of it!” Angie sighed, the little girl lowering her head. “Sister Alice, don’t blame my father. He didn’t want this. But if he refused those people, my safety couldn't be guaranteed, so he had no choice but to agree. I often saw my father alone, drunk in his study; he was always so sad.”

Whether to blame someone or not, Zheng Zha and the others couldn't say. Although the conversation continued, the members of the small survival team felt their hearts pound, especially after the phrase "prototype T-Virus" was mentioned. The same thought echoed in Zheng Zha’s and Xiao Honglü’s minds:

“Mass Production of Gene Lock Stage One unlocked.”