RIACMET chapter 120

 

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Lei looked at Cheng Jing.

“Brother Cheng, did you set the temperature too high?”

Everyone—except Jiang Nian—also turned to look at Cheng Jing.

Cheng Jing looked down at his hands. He was a little confused at first but quickly shook his head.

“No, I had it under control. It’s not my first time doing this. Besides, these things don’t burn. They can take a bullet—you all know that.”

Even a regular zombie’s crystal core is extremely tough once formed—resistant to blades and bullets alike. You had to soak it in a special solvent and then cut it with a laser just to begin breaking it down. The ones from mutated zombies were even more durable.

Everyone recalled how nothing had happened the last time they burned one in the chemical pit. They frowned and turned back to look at the ground.

The two in front of them had crumbled way too easily.

Jiang Nian crouched down and used his superpower on the crystal core fragments, but there was no reaction. He picked one up and squeezed it—what should have been rock solid crumbled like weathered brick. He couldn’t help but mutter,

“There’s nothing left. This isn’t normal.”

Then, he took a pinch of the powder and brought it under his nose to sniff it. No smell. Honestly, he’d thought about licking it, but he was grossed out just in time.

He was fine with eating all kinds of things, but he’d pass on putting his mouth near anything other than Brother Jing.

The others followed his lead, feeling the dusty fragments of the core and wearing puzzled expressions.

Usually, once zombies have crystal cores, they evolve faster than normal people.

These two had actually regressed as they evolved—which was completely abnormal.

There was no need to guess. It definitely had something to do with how fragile those crystal cores were.

“…”

Tang Yi hesitated before speaking up.

“Could it be … that, after evolving past a certain point, a zombie’s core begins to weaken and eventually breaks down? Like Brother Nian guessed earlier?”

Everyone considered the possibility.

Cheng Jing, however, wasn’t convinced that it was that simple. He turned to Jiang Nian, who was still frowning.

“What do you think’s going on?”

He wasn’t sure how to explain it either.

“Crystal cores are supposed to symbolize stable energy. It hasn’t even been a year since zombies started forming them. They should still be in their prime. They shouldn’t be breaking down like this.”

Jiang Nian shook his head and took out a specimen bottle about the size of a thumb. He carefully filled it with the core powder, stared at it for a moment, then said,

“There must be something else going on. Maybe it has to do with why we didn’t see any zombies on the surface when we entered the hospital. These crystal cores look like they’ve been completely drained—like hollow shells with no nutrients left.”

He hadn’t heard of anything like this in his past life. A bad feeling lingered in his chest, but so did a sliver of excitement.

The stranger it was, the more valuable it was for research. His rebellious curiosity had been triggered. If the energy had truly been extracted from the crystal cores, it could mean a breakthrough in harnessing them.

But until they figured out why, there wasn’t much more to say.

“All right, let’s keep going down. Everyone, stay alert. We’re heading to the second floor.”

Cheng Jing swept the area with his flashlight. Something about the situation here felt off, and they couldn’t afford to drag things out. He gestured, and the team began their descent to the fourth floor.

Zhao Lei took the lead, holding a metal shield formed with his superpower. The others were on high alert, their powers at the ready.

The fourth-floor corridor was filled with dozens of zombies. Similar to the ones on the fifth floor, these were slow and weak with crystal cores. However, those cores crumbled into ash with a single touch, turning into small piles of dark gray powder.

This time, however, Jiang Nian sensed residual traces of supernatural energy emanating from the dusty remains of the crystal cores.

After confirming he wasn’t mistaken, he spoke up carefully.

“We haven’t seen any signs of anyone else being here the whole time. I think maybe a zombie with superpowers drained the energy from the other zombies’ crystal cores. Then, before they could recover, something killed them and left them like this.”

Crystal cores are formed and stored to support a zombie’s evolution. In theory, they could be drained and recharged.

It’s just like superpowered humans: when they overuse their abilities, they eventually recover.

However, humans almost never fully drain a zombie’s crystal core in battle.

“Huh?”

“What…?”

Everyone’s expression shifted as they processed Jiang Nian’s words. The ability to drain a crystal core—what kind of terrifying superpower is that?

Zombies with superpowers mutate after infection. If one of them had the power to drain crystal cores from other zombies, then theoretically, it could also drain cores from humans with superpowers.

That was a terrifying thought.

They were all superpowered. They all had crystal cores inside them!

“Everyone, be careful,”

Jiang Nian warned them in a serious tone. A power like that would likely require mental support to function, so he pushed his own ability to the limit to protect them.

As long as they weren’t hit by a mental attack, his teammates should be safe.

Pushing his powers in high-pressure situations like this would also help him improve faster.

The deeper they went, the more zombies they encountered. By the time they reached the third floor, the hallway was packed with zombies roaming aimlessly. Some wore lab coats, while others wore patient gowns or work uniforms. There were zombies of all ages and genders.

Four of the zombies were mutated with superpowers—two had enhanced physical strength, one could manipulate fire, and one could manipulate wood. However, they were weak and fragile and could barely use their abilities.

Ice cones, vines, steel needles, thunder, and fire rained down one after another. The team took turns attacking until nothing remained in the corridor but ashes and the lingering stench of burning.

The crystal cores of the four mutated zombies didn’t crumble with a single touch, but they shattered with just a light squeeze of the palm.

After clearing out all the zombies, Jiang Nian pulled out another small bottle and carefully collected the shattered mutant cores.

Then, he turned to his teammates and said,

“The residual energy here is stronger, and the traces are fresh. The one responsible is still nearby.”

Logically, there shouldn’t be so many people in a hospital supply building. Most likely, they had turned into zombies and wandered in, or they had been lured here.

Cheng Jing thought for a moment, then said,

“There’s a pharmaceutical warehouse on the second floor. No one’s been down there yet, but there are still supplies. We should search quickly, grab what we can, and leave. Safety comes first. If anything seems off, retreat immediately. Then, we’ll regroup and come back with a new plan.”

They couldn’t afford to take risks with this kind of unknown threat. If they were careless, it could cost them everything.

“Understood.”

Everyone replied in unison. Leaving a dangerous, unknown zombie underground would pose a major threat. If they could eliminate it, great. If not, they would report it to HQ and return later.

The atmosphere turned serious as the team moved cautiously down the sloped stairwell.

Jiang Nian, whose superpower lacked offensive strength, loaded his gun with a soft click. He felt ready to step up, lead the charge, and support his team in this insane underground mission with his power.

Sure, he was scared.

But at the same time, a twisted part of him was kind of excited.