Chapter 93: Cloning the Psychic Zombie King

Chapter 93 The Cloned Psychic Zombie King

The superpowereds rushed out of the house and saw zombies emerging one after another from the ground.

"How did these zombies come from underground?" Kong Zhongcheng joined the battle while asking.

Ji An said, "A Psychic Zombie King - everyone be careful! There’s likely a Psychic Zombie King nearby."

Only a Psychic Zombie King could strategize and deploy troops like this, planning to ambush them unseen and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

He Tao cursed, "This Psychic Zombie King is evolving way too fast! Is it even giving us a chance to live?"

Gu Jinsheng roared, "Everyone, try to finish this quickly. Don’t attract R-country's stealth fighters!"

Otherwise, it would be a disaster—they’d have to defend against both the zombies and the missile bombardments from R-country’s stealth fighters.

Ji An’s Psychic Superpower took the form of a sword. He leaped into the air, the sword sweeping through in a wide arc, its energy slash cutting down a row of zombies.

Zombies don't feel pain. Unless their heads were blown off, even those cut in half or left as just a head hopping around on the ground could still bite.

Gu Jinsheng released Thunder Dragon, which soared into the sky and circled around Ji An. Its tail flicked out, crushing a zombie’s head, or it snapped its jaws to bite off a zombie’s skull, swallowing it before burning it to ashes and spitting it out.

Thunder Dragon followed closely behind Ji An. Whenever Ji An cleaved zombies apart, Thunder Dragon would take advantage of their disabled state to spit out a thunderball, incinerating them into ashes.

This time, the zombies were clearly organized and disciplined. As Ji An and Thunder Dragon worked in flawless coordination—one slashing zombies while the other burned them—a pillar of water suddenly descended from above, extinguishing Thunder Dragon’s flames.

A disembodied zombie head rolled toward Ji An, its bloody jaws gaping as it aimed for his calf.

Ji An pierced another zombie’s skull with his sword, extracting its Zombie Core, while his other hand, reaching beneath his sword arm, pulled a gun and blasted the head attempting to bite him.

Gu Jinsheng wielded a fiery whip crackling with sparks and lightning, lashing it so fiercely that any zombie it touched burst into flames. In the past, this move would take out half the horde or more.

After all, zombies lacked intelligence. When set on fire, their instinct was to extinguish it, causing them to run wildly and ignite their comrades—effectively becoming mobile fire hazards.

But now, the tactic was useless. The moment zombies caught fire, a water-ability zombie would spray them with a water pillar, quenching most flames.

Seeing this, Thunder Dragon taunted loudly, "Gu Jinsheng, you’re useless! A Level 6 superpowered like you can’t even keep your flames from being put out by zombies? Is your power even real?"

Finally seizing the chance, Thunder Dragon jeered from above.

Gu Jinsheng warned Ji An, "Be careful. There are many high-level zombies mixed in this horde."

Though Gu Jinsheng was a Level 6 superpowered, his power was forged in constant battle, far surpassing the average Level 6. If zombies could extinguish his thunderflames, their superpower must be at least two minor tiers above his—possibly even Level 7, the max-tier for zombies.

Ji An thrust his sword at a zombie’s head, but the zombie dodged and counterattacked. Blocking with his blade, Ji An replied, "These zombies are evolving way too fast. There are too many high-level ones in the horde. I suspect the Zombie King’s interference."

"By cannibalizing their own kind?" Gu Jinsheng asked mid-battle.

"Exactly. Otherwise, they shouldn’t evolve this quickly. Zombies evolve alongside humans, but humans have intelligence and artificial means. The fastest-evolving humans have only reached Level 6.

Countries like M and R created max-tier superpowereds using the 'raising gu' method.

Zombies, once they gain intelligence but lack morality, would naturally adopt the same brutal evolution method."

Both Ji An and Gu Jinsheng felt a chill run down their spines.

"Ah!" Suddenly, a scream rang out among the superpowereds. Ji An turned to see one of them bitten on the arm by a zombie.

The zombie’s two sharp fangs sank deep into the superpowered’s flesh.

Ji An swept his long sword, releasing a surge of psychic energy to repel the zombies. Seizing the moment, he swapped his sword for a bow and fired an arrow straight into the head of the lunging zombie. The zombie's skull exploded into a bloody mess, yet its fangs remained deeply embedded in the superpowered’s arm.

The superpowered fighter’s eyes widened in terror as panic set in.

Thunder Dragon swooped down, blasting a fireball that incinerated the fangs lodged in the superpowered's arm. But it was too late—two gaping fang wounds gushed black blood.

The zombie virus had already invaded the superpowered's body.

Yet no one could reach the infected superpowered, all of them entangled in battle with zombies.

Ji An couldn’t break free either. He swiftly fired several arrows, blasting the skulls of ambushing zombies.

Bi Xue, splattered with blood, only then realized a zombie had ambushed her from behind. She didn’t even have time to thank him before being swarmed again.

"Ahhh!!!" Another scream erupted as a superpowered cried out in horror, "I’ve been bitten! I’m finished!"

Gu Jinsheng roared, "Hold it together! Remember your family at the base—you must keep fighting!"

The bitten superpowered, reminded of his loved ones, forced himself to focus. Tears welled in his eyes, but he clenched his teeth and fought on despite the hopelessness.

The zombies kept coming, a relentless wave.

"Boss, this isn’t working!" Kong Zhongcheng bellowed.

He Tao added, "It’s already dark, and our superpower flares are lighting us up like beacons. If those R-nation stealth jets still can’t spot us, they’re blind as bats!"

"Cut off the head, and the body dies—has anyone spotted the Psychic Zombie King?" Ji An demanded.

"No," Kong Zhongcheng, He Tao, and Bi Xue answered in unison.

Gu Jinsheng said, "The Psychic Zombie King shouldn’t be nearby. I haven’t sensed it either."

"Remote control?" Ji An turned to Thunder Dragon. "Cover me. I’ll scout with my psychic energy."

"Got it, An’an. Don’t sweat it—I’ve got you covered!" Thunder Dragon coiled around Ji An.

While fighting alongside Thunder Dragon, Ji An spread his psychic energy outward.

This time, his energy flooded outward, unlike the meticulous room-by-room search before.

Soon, his awareness engulfed the entire village—every building exposed to his senses. But no zombies were inside.

Ji An couldn’t pinpoint where the besieging horde had emerged from.

Zombies couldn’t appear out of nowhere. That left only one possibility: underground.

His psychic energy swept in a rapid, carpet-like search, soon reaching the bombed-out district Bi Xue had mentioned earlier.

A psychic disturbance pulsed there. Ji An’s energy plunged in, tracing the energy trail until it revealed newly dug tunnels beneath the ruins, sprawling in all directions.

Now he understood—the zombies had infiltrated through these underground passages.

His energy raced backward along the tunnels, finally reaching a vast cavern over a hundred square meters, set up like a human living space with beds and chairs.

A zombie sat upright on a chair, radiating the commanding presence of a ruler.

Ji An’s psychic energy lunged for the Zombie King’s head. The king lifted its gaze—its eyes, no longer glassy and empty, but flickering with intelligence.

With a wave of its hand, thick psychic tendrils, thick as a baby’s arm, erupted from its mind and collided with Ji An’s energy. The impact stunned Ji An, his awareness scattering like a receding tide as he stumbled back two paces.

Gu Jinsheng, who had been keeping an eye on this side, immediately asked, "Xiao An, what happened?"

"The Psychic Zombie King, it's hiding beneath the destroyed houses at the center of the village. There are tunnels down there." Ji An swung his sword, forcing a zombie back, and said, "It must be a Level 6 Psychic Zombie King—not quite Level 7 yet!"

"A Level 6 Psychic Zombie?" Kong Zhongcheng roared, "Why is the Zombie King here? Wasn't it supposed to be near the Luo City base?"

"Maybe there's one over there too. Who knows which one has the higher superpower level—this one or that one?"

"Goddammit, what are Country M and Country R trying to do? Isn’t this apocalypse chaotic enough, the zombies strong enough? Enhancing superpowered individuals is one thing, but now they’re creating intelligent, evolving Zombie Kings? Do they want to die faster?" Kong Zhongcheng cursed.

Ji An turned to Gu Jinsheng. "Jinsheng, fighting like this isn’t working. Let’s go capture the Zombie King."

"Alright."

Thunder Dragon swooped down and landed in front of Ji An. "Hop on, I'll take you."

Ji An leaped onto Thunder Dragon’s back. The dragon shook its head and tail, flying toward Gu Jinsheng. "For Xiao An’s sake, you can come too."

Gu Jinsheng also jumped on. Just then, a zombie sprang up, trying to follow them onto Thunder Dragon’s back. The dragon spun 360 degrees in midair, flinging the zombie off.

At the same time, Thunder Dragon screeched, "No one but Xiao An is allowed to tarnish Longlong’s pristine back!"

More zombies leaped into the air, charging at Gu Jinsheng and the others. Thunder Dragon accelerated, soaring higher and leaving the zombies behind. But the zombies didn’t give up, hurling superpower attacks one after another. Thunder Dragon dodged through the attacks, occasionally turning back to launch thunderbolts to counter the zombies’ abilities.

Ji An remarked, "Thunder Dragon seems even stronger now. It doesn’t even need your commands to fight anymore?"

Gu Jinsheng nodded. "I only need to give it minor guidance. It can fight on its own. Sometimes when I observe it, I notice its combat style aligns perfectly with my thoughts—as if I were right there commanding it."

Ji An recalled their last battle against the low-level Zombie King. "Last time, Thunder Dragon wasn’t this agile or intelligent. And now it can even carry people. It just ferried over a hundred superpowered individuals earlier—that must’ve taken a huge toll. Yet it can still carry both of us now. Thunder Dragon has grown much stronger?"

Carrying people consumes energy—a lot of it, comparable to combat.

Back when they faced that Level 4 Zombie King, Thunder Dragon lacked this agility and strength. Otherwise, it could’ve carried Ji An away by flying back then.

Now, it seemed Thunder Dragon’s ability to carry people was a newly unlocked ability. Its strength likely stemmed from Gu Jinsheng’s own enhanced superpower.

"Jinsheng, is your superpower about to level up recently?" Ji An asked.

Gu Jinsheng replied, "It’s on the verge, but I don’t think that’s the reason."

"Then what is it? Do you know?" Ji An pressed.

"I think it might be related to psychic power. I feel like my psychic power is growing stronger." Gu Jinsheng himself was puzzled. Typically, those with strong psychic power were psychics—but he wasn’t one. After suspecting his psychic abilities might be strengthening, he inspected his Superpowered Crystal Core. There was still only one.

"Paradoxically, while my control over Thunder Dragon is weakening, my psychic power feels stronger. The stronger my psychic power gets, the more powerful Thunder Dragon becomes—yet my command over it weakens. It’s contradictory, but that’s how it feels."

As a Level 6 superpowered individual, Gu Jinsheng’s instincts were rarely wrong. Ji An, who had no Superpowered Crystal Core but possessed psychic power, figured the Magic Spring was responsible. The spring was damn miraculous—it seemed not only to enhance psychic power but also alter its evolutionary path.

Thunder Dragon weaved through the sky and said to Ji An, "Xiao An, thank you for praising me, but I’m exhausted now. Even though I’m only carrying two of you, it feels harder than transporting a hundred superpowered earlier."

Thunder Dragon darted swiftly and soon reached their destination. It crashed to the ground with a thud, kicking up dust. "Xiao An, Longlong’s wiped out. Longlong can’t fly anymore."

Like a lazy husky, Thunder Dragon flopped on the ground like a dead weight, unmoving. Ji An glanced at it, then turned to Gu Jinsheng. "How do you feel?"

Gu Jinsheng said, "Psychically drained, as if my brain has been overloaded with thoughts."

"How is that possible? Thunder Dragon is the embodiment of your superpower. If it’s exhausted, your superpower should be the issue—why do you feel mentally tired?" Ji An was baffled.

Thunder Dragon grumbled, "No more, Longlong is too tired. Longlong needs to rest now. Bye, Xiao An!"

Thunder Dragon waved goodbye with its claws at Ji An, then slipped into Gu Jinsheng's mind with a whoosh.

Ji An and Gu Jinsheng had no time to dwell on Thunder Dragon’s departure, as the zombie horde was already closing in.

Ji An turned to engage the zombies while calling out to Gu Jinsheng, "The Psychic Zombie King is down there, but there are too many tunnels. We can’t go down—if zombies are hiding inside, we’ll be sitting ducks."

"Leave it to me." Gu Jinsheng unleashed his fire superpower, blasting the aboveground structures to smithereens and ripping open the entire ground.

As the ground was peeled back inch by inch, the labyrinth of underground tunnels was gradually exposed.

While fighting the zombies, Ji An and Gu Jinsheng advanced along the torn-up ground. Suddenly, a zombie darted into view and swiftly slipped into one of the tunnels. Ji An shouted, "Jinsheng! The Psychic Zombie King ran that way—"

Before he could finish, another zombie shot out from the tunnel. Its height, build, and appearance were a carbon copy of the first. It dashed into a completely opposite tunnel.

Before disappearing, both zombies turned to glance at Ji An, revealing identical faces.

"They look the same—cloned zombies!" Ji An immediately realized. "M-country and R-country’s cloned Psychic Zombie Kings!"

"Jinsheng, let’s split up—each of us chases one!" Ji An urged. "We can’t let them escape!"

"Got it." Gu Jinsheng nodded. "Watch out for traps by yourself."

"You too!" Ji An spun around, cutting through the last zombie with his sword. He took over the task of ripping up the earth as he ran, sprinting forward in pursuit of the Psychic Zombie King.

Ji An had no idea how far he had run, but by the time he stopped, he was already outside the village. The sounds of battle behind him had completely faded. The fleeing Psychic Zombie King finally halted.

It turned to face Ji An, its jaw spasming grotesquely. Though it resembled a facial spasm, Ji An knew better—this was the zombie king’s twisted version of a smile.

Ji An instantly recognized it as the same Psychic Zombie King he had seen underground, the one controlling the entire zombie horde.

It seemed this zombie king had deliberately separated him from Gu Jinsheng, luring him here alone.

Ji An warily scanned his surroundings as four or five elite zombies emerged from the surrounding woods.

He cursed under his breath—this bastard zombie king was playing mind games again.

The Psychic Zombie King stretched out a long, black-nailed finger and tapped its temple mockingly.

Ji An understood immediately. *Shit, this freak’s after my psychic core. I haven’t even thought about taking its crystal, and it’s already eyeing mine!*

"Let’s see who ends up dead!" Ji An roared, charging forward with his arms spread. His psychic energy wove into a net, trapping the elite zombies mid-lunge before they could react.

The zombies crashed into each other inside the net, screeching insults—if zombies could talk—as if cursing Ji An for his underhanded ambush.

If zombies could outthink him, Ji An saw no reason to fight fair. Before they could tear free, he pulled out grenades from his space and lobbed them in rapid succession at the trapped zombies.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* The explosions sent chunks of undead meat flying. In an instant, the Psychic Zombie King stood there, freshly orphaned.

Ji An smirked tauntingly at it and pointed at his own head.

Though they didn’t share a language, the Psychic Zombie King perfectly grasped the insult—Ji An was calling it brain-dead.

Enraged, the zombie king let out a skull-splitting shriek and lunged with its razor-sharp claws.

Ji An conjured a blade of pure mental energy and clashed with the zombie king. Its nails were as hard as steel, and each strike against his blade sent painful vibrations through his hands.

Dodging sideways, Ji An pulled out another grenade and hurled it at the zombie king. Recognizing the deadly object that had obliterated its comrades, the zombie king scrambled back like the grenade was holy water.

Ji An’s spatial storage device was stuffed with these things, all prepared by Gu Jinsheng back when Ji An’s powers were fried.

Ji An chucked grenades at the Psychic Zombie King like they were going out of style. At first, the Psychic Zombie King only dodged, but after realizing what was happening, it started deflecting them with its powers.

Ji An had to admit the Psychic Zombie King’s incredible learning ability.

Dodging a grenade deflected back by the Zombie King, Ji An leaped into a nearby bush.

The Psychic Zombie King, unsure of Ji An’s trick, kept its distance, lurking and peeking like a scaredy-cat. Meanwhile, Ji An retrieved grenades from his spatial storage device, lined them up, and manifested psychic tendrils to snatch the grenades, pull the pins, and hurl them at the Zombie King.

Ji An then sprinted in the opposite direction, bailing into the Zombie King’s old hidey-hole and rolling inside.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The world exploded in a chain reaction of blasts. Some grenades were deflected back by the Zombie King, detonating right where Ji An had been standing, rattling the earth like a quake.

When the tremors finally subsided, Ji An’s ears were screaming with tinnitus. "Xiao An… Ji An…"

He faintly heard someone calling his name but couldn’t make it out clearly. Crawling out of the tunnel, he saw Gu Jinsheng picking through the zombie confetti, searching for him.

Ji An bellowed loud enough to wake the dead, "Jinsheng, I’m here!"

Gu Jinsheng turned around and, seeing Ji An’s filthy, grenade-shocked look, let out a relieved laugh. "Are you hurt?"

Ji An shook his head and pointed to his ears.

Gu Jinsheng yelled, "It’s fine! Just shell shock—it’ll pass!"

Ji An nodded, pulling out his Magic Spring stash. After taking a sip, he suddenly straight-up funneled it into his ears like a mad scientist, rinsing them out.

Gu Jinsheng blinked at the audacity.

Ji An’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. "Wow, it actually worked! I didn’t expect it to help, but it did!"

Gu Jinsheng replied awkwardly, "Neither did I."

"Did the zombie you chased have any traps?" Ji An asked.

"Yes, but they were just mid-to-low-level zombies—easy to deal with. And that zombie that looked identical to the Psychic Zombie King wasn’t psychic at all—it was a water-type zombie. Check this out." Gu Jinsheng opened his palm, revealing a water-blue Zombie Core nestled among a pile of differently colored ones, glowing like a neon sign.

Ji An naturally collected all the Zombie Cores and said, "Mine were all high-level zombies—who knows where the cores flew. Let’s search around."

"Got it," Gu Jinsheng agreed.

The two began combing the wreckage, with Ji An even using his psychic energy to assist the search. As they worked, Ji An remarked, "I wasn’t entirely sure these zombies were R and M’s doing before, but now that we’ve seen two identical ones, I’m certain—these are R and M’s freakin’ zombie clones!"

Gu Jinsheng frowned. "Who knows how many more high-level clones they’ve created or how many they’ve already released? And what’s the situation at other bases?"

"After this, who knows how many bases will survive? For China, this is like doomsday all over again. Countless people probably didn’t even realize what was happening before being killed—or turned—by their own family members under the Psychic Zombie King’s control."

Gu Jinsheng didn’t respond. Instead, he found the psychic core glittering like a disco ball, hidden in the weeds—its crystal-clear surface dazzlingly beautiful.

Ji An took it and stored it inside the spatial storage device he had developed.

Gu Jinsheng sighed. "Pray Luo City Base lasts another day!"

With a deafening BOOM, the ground beneath Ji An and Gu Jinsheng trembled violently. They locked eyes—oh shit.

R’s cloaked jets were on their ass!