"An unknown virus has now spread across the globe. Please stock up on food and water as much as possible, stay indoors, and avoid going outside whenever possible. The government will mobilize military forces for rescue operations as soon as possible. Please remain patient and wait for further instructions."
There were many additional safety tips listed after that, but most of them were speculative—nowhere near as practical or precise as what Huan Tian had taught her.
"Have we reached the point of no return..."
Lin Qingqing sat on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. The thrill of having taken down a Tier-2 zombie had completely vanished, replaced by a creeping sense of despair.
Suddenly, a hand reached out in front of her and took her phone.
Huan Tian stood silently, scrolling through her messages one by one. His expression was grimmer than ever, like a storm waiting to erupt.
Finally, he stopped on a particular message. His brows relaxed slightly, and a cold smirk crept onto his lips.
That smile was razor-sharp and icy, sending an involuntary shiver down Lin Qingqing's spine.
He tossed the phone back into her lap. She caught it instinctively and, as if possessed, opened the last read text message in her inbox.
"The government has issued an emergency notice: A hacker with the online ID 'Demon Hunter God' is currently being sought nationwide. His last known online activity before the outbreak was traced to the District, Beijing City. If you see this message, please contact the local military command immediately. Anyone able to provide valuable information on this person is also encouraged to come forward and will be granted military protection."
Lin Qingqing felt her heart skip a beat twice.
All the previous announcements had essentially told people to fend for themselves. But this one… This one promised protection, just for offering a lead about one person.
Who exactly was this "Demon Hunter God"? Why was he so important to the military?
"Beijing... District... hacker..."
She murmured to herself, piecing the clues together. Huan Tian was a former programmer. He matched the location. His knowledge of the infected was uncanny—almost like he'd seen it all before.
Could it be...?
Wild thoughts swirled in her mind, one more unbelievable than the last. But amid the mental chaos, she didn't notice—
Huan Tian had already walked over and quietly sat down right beside her.
"Aren't you tired? Why aren't you getting some sleep?"
"Post-apocalyptic survival rule number five: rest whenever you can. Don't let your mind wander."
His voice was still cold, but hidden beneath the chill was a trace of concern.
"What about you? Aren't you going to rest? I… I was waiting for you."
Lin Qingqing hurriedly put her phone away, but her brain had already spoken before she could stop herself. The moment the words left her mouth, she realized something was off.
That sounded… way too ambiguous!
"I didn't mean it like that, Huan Tian!"
Her cheeks instantly flushed red, burning so hot she wished she could disappear into the floor.
"There's no need to wait for me. When it's time to rest, I will."
"And…" Huan Tian deliberately drew out the word, "try not to say things that can be so easily misunderstood. I'm not exactly a vegetarian, you know. You should be glad I'm injured—otherwise, there's no way you'd make it through the night."
With that, he lay down beside her.
Lin Qingqing's face turned even redder. It took her a long time to calm down—if she ever did. Her mind kept replaying Huan Tian's predatory gaze and that dangerous warning: "You wouldn't make it through the night."
"Idiot, idiot, idiot!"
"What nonsense are you even saying?!"
She grumbled at herself in frustration and lay back-to-back with Huan Tian, heart pounding uncontrollably. There was no way she could fall asleep like this.
Huan Tian wasn't asleep either. He had already entered the system interface.
"System, exchange for one Tier-1 Genetic Enhancement Serum."
[Exchange complete. Demon Hunter Points consumed: 50. Current remaining points: 7]
With a thought, a tube of shimmering blue serum appeared from the system storage and landed steadily in Huan Tian's hand.
The syringe was exquisitely crafted. Inside the transparent chamber, a pale blue liquid swirled slowly, glowing faintly as if containing an unfathomable power.
[Perfect-grade Tier-1 Gene Enhancement Serum: 99.9% success rate for physical enhancement. Post-injection, all bodily functions will be restored to peak condition.]
Without hesitation, Huan Tian injected the serum into a vein in his arm.
In the very next instant, a searing pain exploded from the injection site. It felt like fire coursing through his bloodstream, racing down to every corner of his body. His entire frame jerked violently, and his throat tightened as overwhelming pain flooded every nerve.
The serum triggered rapid cellular division and physical enhancement, and his nerves felt like they were being pulled apart. Beads of sweat the size of raindrops formed instantly on his forehead and dripped down his chin. His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"I underestimated it…" Huan Tian's heart sank.
Gene enhancement serums were divided into four grades—Standard, Superior, Premium, and Perfect. The higher the grade, the better the success rate and enhancement effect, but the pain also increased exponentially.
And to make things worse, several of his ribs were still broken. Under the serum's influence, bone cells began to multiply rapidly to repair the fractures. The intense pain of regrowth hit him like a hammer, compounding his agony.
But it wasn't entirely his fault. In his previous life, he had only used a defective version. He had no idea how powerful a perfect-grade Tier-1 serum could be.
At that moment, Lin Qingqing felt the heat radiating from behind her. Alarmed, she sat up and turned toward Huan Tian. The concern in her eyes surged to the surface.
"Huan Tian, what's wrong!?"
He heard her voice, but the serum was accelerating his metabolism to such a degree that his body temperature was skyrocketing. It felt like a fire was burning inside him—one that couldn't escape. Even opening his mouth was a struggle.
"You're burning up!"
Lin Qingqing reached out to touch his forehead, but the moment her hand made contact, she yelped and jerked back in shock. Her face turned pale with worry.
"Hang in there, Huan Tian! I'll help you cool down—just hold on!"
Lin Qingqing quickly dragged over a bottle of mineral water, twisted off the cap, and poured bottle after bottle into a construction safety helmet she had found. Unable to find a towel, she tore off a large piece of her skirt and carefully wiped Huan Tian's forehead and neck.
But these cooling efforts were like a drop in the ocean compared to the rapid acceleration of Huan Tian's metabolism. His skin had already flushed a deep red, as if seared by a hot iron. Suddenly, Huan Tian opened his mouth and let out a muffled groan.
That sound made Lin Qingqing's heart skip a beat. Huan Tian was the strongest man she had ever known; even when his ribs were broken, he had never made such a painful sound.
Her beautiful eyes involuntarily misted over, but her gaze quickly hardened. She immediately unbuttoned Huan Tian's shirt and used the damp cloth to wipe his entire body. Whenever the cloth warmed up, she replaced it with a fresh one, continuing this without pause for two whole hours.
Finally, after two hours, Huan Tian's body temperature returned to normal. Lin Qingqing panted heavily and collapsed beside him, slowly closing her eyes.
When Huan Tian opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was the bright incandescent light overhead. Then he felt the presence of someone clinging tightly to him.
Sleeping soundly, Lin Qingqing was like a little cat, clutching him with all her might. Occasionally, her mouth made smacking noises, as if she were chewing on something delicious in her dreams.
It was the first time Huan Tian had observed Lin Qingqing so closely: her skin was snow-white and flawless, her eyelashes fluttered like delicate wings, and her exquisite, charming little mouth resembled a ripe cherry. Not to mention the soft jade-like arm and the long, pale legs resting on him.
With the drug's effects in his body yet to wear off, Huan Tian's body involuntarily reacted to her tender touch.
His reflex stirred Lin Qingqing awake. Their eyes met instantly, and her fair face flushed crimson, the color spreading visibly.
"Ah! You're awake!"
Like a frightened kitten, she hurriedly withdrew her hands and legs from around him, but the friction only made Huan Tian feel worse.
"Cough cough cough."
Huan Tian quickly rolled onto his side, twisted open a bottle of mineral water, and drank it down in one gulp to cool himself off. But soon, his attention was drawn to the strange sensations in his own body.
The injury to his sternum had completely healed, and a boundless surge of strength coursed through his entire body—a feeling he knew all too well.
Name: Huan Tian
Strength: 14
Agility: 12
Constitution: 11
Spirit: 10
Gene Enhancement Level: Tier 1
Gene Unlock Level: None
Excited, Huan Tian swung his fists twice. The punches sliced through the air, producing sharp sonic cracks—merely casual strikes showcasing his power.
His muscles had grown firmer and tighter, his skin gleaming like jade—delicate in appearance yet far tougher than ordinary human skin. The strength of his joints and bones had noticeably improved, providing more stability and endurance.
He was confident that, unless facing a strength-enhanced mutant zombie, he could now withstand attacks from other Tier-2 zombies with his reinforced body.
"Incredible. At least twice as strong as the defective Tier-1 gene enhancement serum I used in my previous life!"
[Ding. System Alert: Host detected as Tier-1 Gene Enhancer, now possessing basic self-preservation capabilities suitable for early-stage apocalypse.]
[Main mission released.]
[Current Mission: Locate a laboratory and create a Nightmare Virus Inhibitor.]
[Mission Reward: Unlock the rapid component fabrication function. Materials obtained will be bound to the host. By spending a small amount of Demon Hunting Points, components can be fabricated quickly. The required points will be evaluated by the system.]