Chapter 94: Du Ruanlan Under Mind Control!

Chapter 94: Du Ruanlan Under Mind Control!

Ji An stored the Zombie Cores and jumped into the tunnel dug by the Psychic Zombie Monarch with Gu Jinsheng, retreating at speed. Meanwhile, Ji An extended his psychic energy to scan the situation above ground.

By the time Ji An and Gu Jinsheng arrived, the small village had already been bombed once, leaving the ground scorched and pockmarked.

The two hurried into the prepared tunnel, with Ji An shouting, "Kong Zhongcheng, it's me and Jinsheng! Are you all okay?"

Hearing the voice, Kong Zhongcheng, who had been on guard, cautiously scanned from cover. Recognizing Ji An and Gu Jinsheng at the entrance, he sighed in relief. "We just finished dealing with the zombie horde when the R-nation stealth jets showed up. We heard the noise and immediately hid in the tunnel. Thankfully, we reacted fast enough to avoid getting hit."

"As long as no one was injured," Gu Jinsheng said. "Why did the R-nation stealth jets leave?"

Standard protocol would’ve dictated that even if they hadn’t detected anything unusual in the village, they should have bombed the area a bit longer before leaving, given how suitable it was for hiding.

Kong Zhongcheng replied, "Probably because Wan Xueying arrived with our fighters and forced their retreat. No idea where they’re fighting now."

Ji An asked, "Did you manage to contact Wan Xueying? Does she know we’re hiding here?"

"I don’t know if Wan Xueying is aware. We didn’t get in touch with her. After the R-nation fighters started bombing, we didn’t dare go out. Later, our fighters engaged them and drove them off. I’m not sure if Wan Xueying found us first or if she just saw the R-nation fighters bombing randomly and intervened."

Gu Jinsheng nodded and didn’t press further. Instead, he asked, "What about the comrades bitten by zombies? How are they?"

The group made way, revealing seven people at the innermost part, separated by an energy field. These individuals were already feverish, their lips pale and eyes dark, seizing with chills—the initial symptoms of zombification: high fever.

After the fever came the crucible. Those who survived might undergo a secondary evolution, evolving new superpowers. Those who didn’t would turn into zombies.

The mood was heavy, with no triumph in having defeated the Psychic Zombie Monarch.

Ji An took out the Spirit Spring water from his space, this time at full potency. He said to Kong Zhongcheng, "Lower the barrier for a moment. Let me give them some water."

Kong Zhongcheng wanted to say it was useless—infected enhanced individuals couldn’t consume water or food. Instead, they lunged for raw flesh. But seeing the grief weighing on them, he bit back the hard truth and waved his hand, dropping the energy field.

The infected enhanced individuals immediately lunged forward, trying to bite Ji An.

Gu Jinsheng flicked his power outward, binding them. They snarled mindlessly, eyes blood-red, no longer seeing their comrades but only food.

Ji An felt less fear and more sorrow. Comrades who had fought alongside them just an hour ago now didn’t recognize them—and wanted to devour them.

With Kong Zhongcheng’s help, Ji An worked the Spirit Spring water past the infected individuals' lips. The water aided mental fortification, but whether it could help them survive the infection and awaken psychic abilities was uncertain. So far, no psychic enhanced individuals had awakened a second superpower.

Still, whether it worked or not, it was at least some comfort.

After feeding them, Kong Zhongcheng reestablished the barrier. The group sat silently in the tunnel, the only sounds being the infected individuals’ roars, the atmosphere thick with dread.

Though He Tao had just joined the Capital City Base, fleeing from R-nation stealth jets and fighting zombies alongside its enhanced individuals had forged deep bonds in a short time.

One of the infected had bonded closely with He Tao. Voice thick with emotion, He Tao asked Gu Jinsheng, "Boss… if they turn, what do we do? Kill them?"

Silence fell. No one could bring themselves to do it. Aside from He Tao, the others were all familiar with the infected—comrades they’d fought alongside countless times.

Gu Jinsheng remained silent. Ji An sighed softly. "If they don’t make it and turn… set them loose."

"This world already has enough zombies. What’s a few more among the hordes?"

Kong Zhongcheng immediately said, "Exactly, with so many zombies out there, a few more won't make a difference. Let them go. After all, none of us brothers can bring ourselves to do it."

"Mm." Gu Jinsheng responded quietly, signaling his agreement with the proposal.

Kong Zhongcheng sighed softly. "I wonder what's happening at Luo City Base now. I hope they can hold on."

At that moment, inside Luo City Base, superpowers flared wildly, and the entire base was in chaos.

Even the command center, which should have been the safest place, was no longer secure—people could turn into zombies at any second.

Du Ruanlan, Jiang Fuzhong, and Owen were all fighting in the streets. The interior of Luo City Base now resembled China’s early apocalypse days, when acid rain had just fallen. Zombies lurked in every alley, ready to strike, and no one around could be trusted—a friend one second could be a zombie the next.

Du Ruanlan and the others had been fighting nonstop for a full day and night. Now, they were taking shelter in an empty house to rest—not because they were slacking off, but because a superpowered’s abilities were not infinite. Continuous combat drained their powers, and the only way to recover was through rest. Of course, Zombie Cores could recharge them too.

However, there were limits to recovering superpowers by absorbing Zombie Cores. Overuse without breaks, the recovery speed would gradually slow down.

Jiang Fuzhong leaned against the wall, exhausted, sipping water. He said to Du Ruanlan, "Boss, we’ve been screaming for help for twelve hours. Why’s no one answering?

We’ve always had allies. Even if we're in trouble now, we don’t need the whole world, but at least one or two bases should respond, right?

Why’s radio silence?"

Du Ruanlan drained the last of his water bottle and walked to the window, staring at the hell outside—the wandering zombies and the screams of people being torn apart. His eyes were heavy.

Owen approached and said, "Don’t look. Reinforcements will come."

But Du Ruanlan didn’t move away. He continued staring intently at the carnage on the streets, as if burning it into his brain.

"This isn’t just bad luck," Du Ruanlan said. "Like you said, our base isn’t unpopular. There should have been at least some response by now, but the reality is that not a single base has come to help."

A flicker of worry passed through Owen’s eyes. "You think they’re overrun too?"

Du Ruanlan replied, "They’re under siege."

Jiang Fuzhong widened his eyes in disbelief. "How is that possible? Where did so many zombies come from?"

Du Ruanlan said, "The Beijing Base once issued a statement—though it didn’t name names, it was clear that R Country and M Country were behind their clone labs.

If they’ve already cloned superpowered individuals, zombies would be child’s play."

Jiang Fuzhong muttered, "So the Psychic Zombie King attacking our base might not be a natural evolution but lab-grown."

Du Ruanlan nodded.

Just then, a speedster rushed in, gasping, wild-eyed. "Commander-in-Chief Du, it’s bad! The Psychic Zombie King has infiltrated the base and is now near Deputy Commander Zeng!"

Du Ruanlan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He closed his eyes briefly and asked, "Where exactly? I’ll head there now."

"No!" Owen immediately objected. "You’ve been fighting on the front lines since the crisis began. You’ve barely rested for an hour. You’ll burn out your power if you don’t rest!"

Du Ruanlan retrieved a Zombie Core from his spatial storage device and absorbed it to quickly juice back up. "There’s no time. If the Psychic Zombie King takes control, we’re toast!"

"Boss..." Jiang Fuzhong didn’t know what to say, only managing a hoarse whisper.

Du Ruanlan walked over and hugged Jiang Fuzhong. "Stay here with Owen. You... keep her safe for me."

"Boss..." Jiang Fuzhong called again, this time with a noticeable sob in his voice. "Boss, don’t talk like that. It scares me."

Du Ruanlan released him, then turned to embrace Owen, kissing him on the cheek. "‘Wife’—first time I’ve said it. And I love you. Stay here with Fuzhong. Don’t go anywhere dangerous. Wait for me to come back."

Tears instantly fell from Owen's eyes. "Darling, I'm coming with you."

For the first time, Du Ruanlan spoke to Owen in a commanding tone: "Listen to me, stay here!"

Owen shook his head. "Do you think I can just hide in safety knowing you're going to such a dangerous place? No matter what, I'm going—unless I die!"

Du Ruanlan looked at Owen, her eyes filled with helpless affection.

Jiang Fuzhong immediately said, "I'm going too!"

Du Ruanlan sighed and smiled. "Fine, let's all go."

The three rushed out, only to be immediately attacked by zombies.

These zombies were newly turned, their faces not yet fully transformed, with traces of their former appearances still visible. One of them had been a high-level superpowered individual from the command center, someone Jiang Fuzhong and the others knew well. Just days ago, they had shared a meal and shared stories.

"Xiao Li!" Jiang Fuzhong called out, his eyes pained, as if hoping to snap Xiao Li back to consciousness.

But Xiao Li was already a zombie, devoid of any awareness. To him, his former friends were now just food. Without hesitation, Xiao Li attacked Jiang Fuzhong with his superpower.

Owen swiftly countered with her superpower, neutralizing Xiao Li's attack.

"Jiang Fuzhong!" Owen shouted. "He's a zombie now. We're seven years into the apocalypse—this isn't the beginning. Don’t you know zombies have no emotions or memories? They can’t be awakened!"

Jiang Fuzhong replied, "I know. It's just... I’ve lost too many comrades today. I can’t handle it. Now it’s like every zombie out there is someone I knew. It’s like we’re back at the beginning of the apocalypse, when loved ones turned overnight."

Owen understood Jiang Fuzhong’s pain—these people weren’t just his friends, but hers too.

Jiang Fuzhong fell silent and joined Owen in fighting Xiao Li.

Xiao Li had been formidable in life as a high-level superpowered, and as a zombie, he was just as deadly. Without pain or reason, he held his own against both Owen and Jiang Fuzhong.

In the end, Du Ruanlan, after finishing off the zombies nearby, arrived and blasted Xiao Li’s head off with a single superpowered strike.

"If you don’t want to turn into zombies," Du Ruanlan said coldly, "don’t go easy on them. Otherwise, the next head I blow off might be yours."

Jiang Fuzhong asked, "Boss, if I ever become a zombie, don’t hold back—put a bullet in my head. I’d rather it be you than anyone else. Just... don’t give my Zombie Core to someone else. Even if you can’t absorb it—since our superpowers don’t align—you can string it on a necklace. Consider it a keepsake."

Du Ruanlan’s eyes glimmered. "Jiang Fuzhong, that day will never come."

"Let’s move!" Du Ruanlan urged. "If we don’t deal with the Psychic Zombie King soon, this’ll spiral out of control!"

When Du Ruanlan’s group arrived, all hell broke loose. The place was a nightmare—people were losing their minds left and right.

The Deputy Commander, holding his wounded side, rushed toward them. "Boss, the Psychic Zombie King is too powerful. It’s got our people killing each other."

Before he could finish, a superpowered beside him suddenly grabbed another and ripped into his flesh, devouring it like a starved animal, blood dripping from his mouth—like he’d turned already.

Jiang Fuzhong raised his hand to strike, but the Deputy Commander stopped him. "No! He’s not a zombie—not even infected. He’s just under the Psychic Zombie King’s Mind Control, making him think he’s a zombie attacking his own kind!"

Jiang Fuzhong hesitated, his hand hovering mid-strike.

The Deputy Commander continued, "This is how the Psychic Zombie King controls superpowereds—forcing us to slaughter our own while we second-guess. Boss, what do we do?"

What could they do?

Do we kill our own under the Psychic Zombie King’s control? If they didn’t, they’ll butcher the rest of us without blinking.

But if they did kill them, the Psychic Zombie King could simply control countless more. Every one of us is a puppet waiting to happen.

"Has the Blocking Helmet not been repaired yet?" Du Ruanlan asked.

Jiang Fuzhong shook his head. "The superpowered individuals at the research institute said the helmets in the warehouse were completely destroyed by the mind-controlled superpowered individuals. Repairing them is impossible—we can only develop new ones from scratch.

Right now, the research institute has activated its highest alert level. The entire facility is locked down—no one can enter or leave. Everyone inside is working at full speed to produce helmets that can block psychic control."

The Deputy Commander said, "I wonder how far the people from the Capital Base have gotten? And whether Gu Jinsheng actually heard your message—whether he’ll bring the psychic superpowered individuals he secretly trained.

If enough high-level psychic superpowered individuals come, we could temporarily construct a psychic defense barrier to ensure our superpowered individuals aren’t mind-controlled."

Jiang Fuzhong, recalling Du Ruanlan and Owen’s earlier speculation, said, "I’m afraid the psychic base doesn’t have that many high-level psychic superpowered individuals. Those so-called psychic elites from the Capital Base might have just been a single individual all along. If it really was him… he’s already lost his psychic superpower now!"

"What do we do then?" The Deputy Commander sounded even more desperate. "Without high-level psychic superpowered individuals, even if Gu Jinsheng brings an army of superpowered individuals, what good would it do? They’ll just become puppets for the Psychic Zombie King to control!"

Gu Jinsheng stared coldly at the Psychic Zombie King, who stood atop a high balcony, surveying the carnage below. "Before, it hid and evaded us no matter how hard we searched. Now it thinks it’s won, so it’s no longer hiding—emerging to gloat over its victory and drink in their subjugation!"

Du Ruanlan made to sprint toward the Psychic Zombie King, but the Deputy Commander stopped her. "No, Commander! That Psychic Zombie King is peak-level—its power is terrifying. Many high-level superpowered individuals in our base have already fallen under its Mind Control.

If you get controlled too… I can’t imagine what’ll happen to our base. Let’s wait a little longer. Maybe the Capital Base will arrive soon with their psychic elites!"

Du Ruanlan brushed off the Deputy Commander’s hand. "Let’s see if it’s even capable of that."

She charged up to the rooftop, with Owen and Jiang Fuzhong following—only to be blocked by a psychic barrier she cast. "Don’t come up. If the Psychic Zombie King controls you, how am I supposed to fight?"

Owen and Jiang Fuzhong had no choice but to stop.

Du Ruanlan rushed forward alone. The Psychic Zombie King didn’t move at her approach, standing calmly at the edge as the wind blew through its filthy hair and unnervingly pristine clothes.

Its outfit was clean and neat—clearly not its own, likely stripped from a superpowered individual and worn as its own.

The implication was horrifying. It meant the Psychic Zombie King had begun to imitate and adapt, even understanding concepts like cleanliness.

It studied Du Ruanlan without urgency, tilting its head slightly, its sunken eyes brazenly appraising her from head to toe.

Then it looked down at itself, as if assessing whether Du Ruanlan’s attire was superior and more pristine than its own.

The Psychic Zombie King extended its long, blackened nails, pointing first at Du Ruanlan’s outfit, then at itself—as if declaring, "That attire you wear—it will be mine."

Du Ruanlan sneered and activated her superpower, charging forward.

The Psychic Zombie King didn’t even flinch. Countless psychic tendrils erupted from its mind like a spider’s web, writhing madly as they shot toward Du Ruanlan’s brain.

The first strands invaded through her pupils. As the psychic energy flooded in, Du Ruanlan felt her mind swell, as though suddenly crammed with foreign thoughts.

Her memories—memories buried so deep she’d forgotten them—were like long-sealed archives violently unearthed, their seals broken, flipped through by an invisible hand.

A voice echoed directly in her mind, dripping with honeyed malice, speaking words she couldn’t refuse:

"Du Ruanlan, look back. Your Owen—she’s under attack by the Psychic Zombie King. And your most loyal subordinate, Jiang Fuzhong—he’s surrounded by zombies.

Will you abandon them now? Will you just stand by and watch as they’re torn apart… or turned into zombies?"

Du Ruanlan turned. Below, she saw Owen—controlled by the Psychic Zombie King, its psychic threads flooding through her eyes, ears, nostrils, and mind, invading her consciousness.

Owen’s eyes blazed crimson. Under the Psychic Zombie King’s command, she attacked every superpowered individual within reach.

Soon, she reached Jiang Fuzhong. Seeing her approach, he smiled. "Owen! Here to help me? Hurry, take down these zombies!"

But Owen’s superpower struck *him* instead. Jiang Fuzhong, completely defenseless, had trusted her completely—even turning his back to her. "NO!" Du Ruanlan tried to scream—but it emerged as little more than a whisper, so faint it was a breathless gasp lost to the wind.

Du Ruanlan stood on the rooftop, watching the illusory versions of Owen and Jiang Fuzhong, while the real Jiang Fuzhong and Owen stood below, looking up at Du Ruanlan.

The distance between them was too great to clearly see the mental tendrils released by the Psychic Zombie King. They only saw Du Ruanlan charging toward the Psychic Zombie King, only to stop halfway and turn to look at the battle in the streets.

Jiang Fuzhong felt his throat go dry. "Why did the boss suddenly stop? Has he been mind-controlled by the Psychic Zombie King?"

Just the thought of that made his teeth chatter. "We shouldn’t have let the boss go up there. He’s so powerful—if he gets controlled, what will happen to our base?"

Owen shook his head. "No, absolutely not. He’s not weak-willed."

Jiang Fuzhong argued, "But that has nothing to do with mind control. Many high-level superpowered individuals in our base have already been controlled by the Psychic Zombie King."

The Psychic Zombie King watched as the light in Du Ruanlan’s eyes dimmed, slowly replaced by deep anguish, then confusion, dullness, and finally numbness...

A flash of triumph crossed the Psychic Zombie King’s eyes. The voice in Du Ruanlan’s mind spoke again, "Du Ruanlan, what are you waiting for? Go save Owen and Jiang Fuzhong! Or will you just watch them kill each other?"

Du Ruanlan’s foot lifted in response to the voice in his head, turning him away from the Psychic Zombie King.

"It’s over—even the boss has been controlled by the Psychic Zombie King!" Jiang Fuzhong cursed. "Damn those morons from R-nation and M-nation! What’s taking Gu Jinsheng so long? When are they going to get here?"

"If they don’t come soon, by the time they arrive, our Luoshi Base will already be wiped out—overrun by zombies!"