Zheng Zha’s reaction was not slow, and his speed far surpassed that of the other two. He sprang up, stomped hard on the sofa, and launched himself across O’Connell, bursting into the room first. Inside, a long, thin tentacle stood erect by the headboard, hoisting the small boy aloft. The source of this fleshy appendage clearly emerged from the bathroom. Furthermore, two thin tendrils suddenly dropped from the ceiling. In mid-air, they sharpened impossibly, one piercing toward Zheng Zha, the other aiming for O’Connell and his wife, who were close behind.

Zheng Zha gritted his teeth and leaped, opening his arms to grasp the flesh-spikes, letting them embed themselves in his palms. Then, while still airborne, he activated his Crimson Flame skill, effortlessly engulfing the two spikes in fire. With a slight hiss, the tendrils managed only a second of struggle before being instantly incinerated into ash by the flames. However, Zheng Zha and the others were a fraction too slow. The slender flesh strip had already coiled around the boy and was retreating toward the window, sliding down the wall. Zheng Zha and the others only made it to the window in time to look out, but the boy was gone; the tentacle and the child had vanished completely.

Zheng Zha instantly spun around and roared, “Zhan Lan! Have you locked onto Alex’s seed energy? Link his location to my mind!” Before the words even faded, he kicked out at the window, shattering the already broken aperture into dust. He then pushed off forcefully, launching himself out through the opening.

Zhan Lan quickly closed her eyes, locking the small boy Alex’s location firmly in her mind, connecting it to Zheng Zha’s consciousness via the Mind Chain. As Zheng Zha leaped through the window, the boy’s position materialized in his mind. He swiftly pulled out his skateboard, stepped onto it, and accelerated toward that bearing.

Looking down from the sky.

Dozens of figures were running frantically in that direction. Among them moved a colossal monster, possessing seven or eight human legs, and a body the size of dozens of human torsos fused together.

And cradled in several of its arms was a small boy.

As Zheng Zha flew toward them from the air.

The giant monster actually shielded the small boy tightly within its arms, as if to prevent Zheng Zha from snatching him away. The surrounding zombies formed a tight cordon around the behemoth.

“Zheng Zha? This is Chu Xuan. Do not attack those monsters yet; let them take the boy. Zhan Lan has locked onto his spiritual energy, and the monster is unaware that I possess such an ability... Attacking now is too premature. Wait until the early hours before making a move.” Chu Xuan’s voice suddenly resonated in his mind.

Zheng Zha hesitated for a fraction of a second, then immediately responded, “What if Alex is turned into a zombie by that monster? I cannot take that risk! The entire team could lose ten thousand reward points. Besides, he is O’Connell and Evy’s son! I will follow Alex until the monster is found, and I will attack regardless of the time!” Chu Xuan paused before replying, “Since you have decided... In truth, both scenarios are only fifty percent likely. So, whichever path you choose is acceptable. However, Imhotep cannot assist you for now. This hotel has also been invaded by those fleshy masses, so he must secure us first at the nearby plaza. Zero Point and Overlord will arrive shortly to support you. That is settled.”

Zheng Zha stood momentarily stunned, gazing at the hotel receding in the distance. These flesh masses were simply too insidious; even a slight contact could invade the body. He became intensely worried about whether his companions could resist the terrifying attack of the masses. But turning back now was too late, so he resolved to commit fully: eliminate those monsters first! Zheng Zha trailed them through the air, practically flying directly above the boy’s head. The moment the zombie monsters showed the slightest anomalous movement, he could deliver a fatal blow. This distance was also optimal for him to launch an attack with maximum speed.

(His strength and speed will increase as mine do, so I cannot directly engage him with the ‘Explosion’ skill. His current level is nowhere near the threshold for that skill, so I must fight him at his present state... Burn him to death with Crimson Flame, but what about Alex? How can one-handed Crimson Flame kill this monster?) Zheng Zha analyzed the combat problem while flying, realizing he truly had no answer for this creature. No matter how many pieces he tore it into, or even if he blasted it to smithereens, it might not die. Likewise, its fatal weakness was sunlight, and at this hour, it was impossible to delay until dawn. This was a true dilemma.

(I can only stall him until Imhotep arrives. If I completely desiccate the water in his cells with sandstorm, and then wait for the sun to eliminate him completely—that seems to be the only way to achieve absolute victory...) After much thought, Zheng Zha could devise only this single viable plan. Fortunately, his Primordial Unity skill emphasized balance, peace, and sustained endurance. Furthermore, once his internal energy reinforced his body, his resistance to damage increased several times over, coupled with the protection of the Dragon Crystal, so he wasn't overly concerned about stalling. However, he worried that while holding the boy, any skirmish might endanger Alex, making him hesitant.

(No matter what, I can’t just tuck tail and run. I absolutely cannot let this one escape! Let’s just eliminate this monster!) As Zheng Zha pondered, the group of zombies proceeded down the main road toward a slightly secluded area of New York—a construction site housing a modern skyscraper, already completed but unoccupied. Zheng Zha spotted a brown-haired youth looking down from the rooftop. Although the hour was late, his physical constitution made the darkness irrelevant. He immediately ceased holding back, retracted his skateboard into his interspatial ring, and dropped from the air, stomping down hard onto the arm of the giant zombie.

The sound of cracking bone echoed. The zombie’s flesh was no match for the monster’s durability or its terrifying regenerative ability. With a slight snap, its arm broke under Zheng Zha’s foot. With lightning speed, while breaking the massive zombie’s arm, Zheng Zha scooped up the small boy Alex, then stomped down hard with one foot, forcing the giant zombie to its knees.

Seeing the other zombies swarm him, Zheng Zha leaped violently upward, pulling the Judgment Spear from his ring with one hand. He channeled his internal energy and Vampire energy into the shaft. Reaching the apex of his jump, he hurled the spear down toward the ground. A flash of golden light erupted, impaling the zombies rushing at his feet. The radiance spread outward; these zombies lacked the monster’s robust physiology. Those struck were instantly pulverized and vanished, while those merely brushed by the golden light corroded and burned—the Judgment Spear appeared to have a special effect against zombies.

A realization struck Zheng Zha. He landed and pulled the spear from the ground. He glanced at Alex in his arms, then at the brown-haired youth perched on the edge of the skyscraper’s roof. He summoned his Green Goblin Glider and flew toward the building’s apex.

The brown-haired youth appeared completely unhurried, standing silently as Zheng Zha ascended closer. In his hand, he held a cup of crimson liquid. When Zheng Zha flew up level with him, the sight made his heart skip a beat; the top of the skyscraper looked like a scene from a waking nightmare, utterly horrifying.

The rooftop was nearly drenched in blood. Behind the brown-haired youth stood hundreds of corpses, clustered tightly, with one large pile heaped high. Over a dozen living people, their tongues cut out, were nailed to the wall. Occasionally, a zombie would tear a person free, and two zombies would then twist the body from foot to head, squeezing the blood out until it streamed down, dyeing the entire rooftop crimson.

Zheng Zha looked closely. The brown-haired youth’s feet had transformed into countless fine, fleshy tendrils, submerged in the blood and greedily absorbing it from the ground. He seemed utterly content as the numerous tendrils continuously siphoned blood into his body, even as he sipped human blood squeezed from the corpses. He paid no mind to Zheng Zha closing in dozens of meters away, merely squinting at him.

Zheng Zha ground out, “You have become a monster not just in flesh, but in consciousness and heart as well... Perhaps death is the best release for you!” With that, he raised the Judgment Spear, pouring all his internal energy and Vampire energy into it. The brown-haired youth sensed the danger, and the tendrils beneath his feet began to retract rapidly, his twisted legs slowly reverting to their original form. Simultaneously, the Judgment Spear in Zheng Zha’s hand began to emit an increasingly blinding golden light. Just as the brown-haired youth’s legs fully reformed and he prepared to move, Zheng Zha roared and threw the spear with all his might, hurling it fiercely toward the youth...