Chapter 122: That Touch of Crimson

Chapter 122 That Striking Crimson

It was an overcast day, with dark, heavy clouds hanging low in the sky, casting a sinister feeling of doom.

Inside a villa in the U.S., people clutched their weapons nervously, their eyes filled with fear as they stared out the window.

"Damn it," a burly, muscular Black Captain growled under his breath. "What the hell is going on today? These zombies are way tougher than usual—they even seem to have tactics. I haven’t managed to take down a single one yet."

"Boss, I feel like these zombies are acting organized, like they’re acting coordinated," a teammate said, taking a shot out the window. The slow-moving zombie outside should have been an easy target, but at the last moment, just before the bullet would have blown its head off, the zombie suddenly twisted its head away as if someone had pressed a fast-forward button.

"FUCK! It dodged again! How the hell is that possible?" the teammate cursed. "It’s just a low-tier zombie! How could it dodge a bullet amped with my Tier-5 speed superpower?"

As Ji An’s smart neural tech spread across nations, more and more supers obtained and used them to train their superpowers and mental abilities. This helped many evolve and advance their abilities, unlocking new applications for their powers.

For example, speed superpowers were once limited to enhancing the user’s own movement. Now, supers had discovered they could channel speed into objects, making them accelerate instantly.

The teammate had infused his fifth-tier speed superpower into the bullet. No way it should’ve missed a third-tier low-level zombie—yet he had missed, and the zombie had dodged effortlessly.

"What the hell is wrong with these zombies today?" another teammate growled, frustrated by the zombie horde that just won’t die, no matter what they did.

The members of the Wipeout Squad exchanged uneasy glances, none of them able to make sense of the situation.

Ed, holding his daughter Mona in his arms, crouched in a corner, gripping an axe across his chest. He wore a strangely designed helmet. Seeing that the government goons sent by the U.S. government were totally clueless about the zombies outside, the usually silent man finally spoke up: "There might be a Psychic Zombie King hiding among them."

Every zombie horde had a Psychic Zombie King. It wasn’t necessarily top-tier, but it was always the strongest in the group. Just like superpowered individuals, Psychic Zombie Kings varied in abilities, making some way nastier than the rest.

But one type was particularly dangerous—the Psychic Zombie King. These creatures evolved intelligence and psychic abilities. They might start weak, but unlike ordinary zombies, which began in a mindless state, Psychic Zombie Kings were sharp right after turning. They could disguise themselves, hiding among the horde.

Then, using Mind Control, they could manipulate other zombies—or even superpowered individuals—into protecting them, becoming the shadow king pulling the strings.

Thus, a Psychic Zombie King might not be the strongest in terms of raw power, but with their heightened intellect, they could even run circles around the most powerful superpowered humans, toying with them effortlessly.

Many renowned zombie-hunting squads had fallen to low-tier Psychic Kings, often wiped out entirely without even a chance to send a final warning.

The Black Captain couldn’t help but swear again. "Just our damn luck—a Psychic Zombie King?"

A teammate asked, "What level we talking? If it’s top-tier, we’re screwed. We’re all dead meat today."

"Our boss is a seventh-tier superpowered—one of the highest known, up there with Gu Jinsheng, that legend from the Capital Base. If even he can’t kill it, what chance do we have, even if it’s not top-tier? We still can’t take it down!"

"Why the hell did we have to run into this freak bad luck?"

"It’s all because of him!" One teammate suddenly pointed at Ed.

Ed pressed his daughter’s face deeper into his chest, using his gaunt frame to shield her as much as possible, hoping to divert attention away from her.

"If we weren’t assigned to protect this guy, Command wouldn’t have dumped us here. And if we weren’t in this godforsaken place, we wouldn’t have run into a Psychic Zombie King! He’s the reason we’re in this mess!"

In an instant, the entire squad turned their hate-filled gazes on Ed, their eyes burning with such intensity it felt like they could pierce right through him. The little girl, though hidden in her father’s embrace with her eyes tightly shut, still sensed the hostility. Trembling in fear, she didn’t dare make a sound, her tiny hands gripping her father’s clothes desperately.

"I don’t get it. What’s the point of protecting scientists at a time like this? So what if he can build spaceships to the moon? How does that help us now?"

The Black Captain glared coldly at Ed and said, "You. Go outside. Lure the zombies together so we can bomb them."

Ed couldn’t believe his ears. "Me? You were sent here to protect me, and now you’re telling me to go out there and be zombie bait? Have you lost your minds?"

"You're the one who's gone mad, still refusing to face reality!" the Black Captain scoffed. "Did you really think the higher-ups sent me here just to protect you? Let me tell you the truth—they actually ordered me to monitor you, to prevent any contact between you and the Jingshi Base."

Ever since the Jingshi Base announced its immigration policies, top scientific talents from every country have been eager to defect. Many have even secretly reached out to the Jingshi Base through various connections.

Charles had long since cut off all external communications for M Country's elite scientists, even assigning superpowered guards by their sides.

"Now that it's come to this, I might as well tell you—we've all received orders from above. If the Jingshi Base ever contacts you, we take you out immediately."

Ed's face turned ashen. Holding his daughter tight, he couldn't believe the country he had devoted most of his life to would treat him this way.

"So get moving, right now." The Black Captain fired a shot into Ed's leg, making him bite back a cry.

Ed had no choice but to stand. He glanced back at his daughter and begged pitifully, "Please don't hurt my daughter. She's just a child!"

The Black Captain gave the little girl a predatory look, his eyes glinting with malice. "That depends on your performance."

Ed lovingly stroked his daughter's head one last time and whispered gently, "Mona, stay brave. Daddy will be back soon."

Mona blinked back tear-filled eyes. "Daddy, you have to come back. I'm scared."

The Black Captain barked impatiently, "Hurry up, stop dawdling, or I'll shoot you again."

Though reluctant, Ed let go of his daughter and hobbled out of the villa, leaving a bloody trail from his injured leg.

With every step, blood dripped from his thigh, leaving a trail behind him until he finally exited the villa.

The Black Captain kicked one of his teammates. "Go clean up the blood. Don't let it attract the zombies."

The teammate immediately moved to wipe away the bloodstains.

Blood was always a zombie's favorite. Even the slightest trace of fresh blood could set off a feeding frenzy.

The moment Ed stepped outside, he heard the hungry growls of zombies approaching.

Within moments, he was surrounded by a horde of zombies, driven into a bloodlust by the scent of blood as they lunged at him.

Ed was a psychic super, but before Ji An's rise, psychics had always been treated as second-class among superpowered individuals.

Their physical abilities were relatively poor, and their superpowers weren't suited for combat. Aside from boosting intelligence, they were near worthless in battle.

It was Ji An who changed the game, pioneering the concept of manifested psychic combat.

But because this combat style was Ji An's original creation, not all psychics were born knowing it—they had to learn it.

The primary method of learning was through the cerebral interfaces Ji An developed. However, Ed had been under M Country's surveillance, forbidden from contacting the outside world. Without access to a cerebral interface, he had no way to learn manifested psychic combat.

Still, one had to admit psychics were highly intelligent. Even without formal training, Ed had managed to piece together the fundamentals just from hearing the name.

He had secretly practiced on his own. Though far from mastering it, he could at least use it to save his life in critical moments.

But none of that mattered now—because Ed couldn't use his psychic abilities at all. The restrictive helmet on his head blocked his psychic powers.

A lab researcher with no combat experience, Ed clumsily dodged the zombies with his soft researcher's body.

The zombies kept coming, quickly encircling him. Fear gripped Ed—not for his own life, but for what would happen to his daughter after he died. Would those bastards really keep their word and spare her?

Unconsciously, Ed turned to look back at the villa's window. At that very moment, he saw multiple bombs being hurled straight at him from inside.

A single tear rolled down Ed's cheek. He knew he was doomed. Without his psychic abilities, how could he possibly dodge speed-charged bombs?

Yet at this critical moment, several speed zombies simultaneously lunged at Ed. Their targets were all Ed, moving in the same direction, and as a result, they collided with him, sending him flying away just before the bombs landed.

It was as if luck was on his side. Ed cheated death and quickly scrambled to his feet.

He remembered that before the zombies knocked him away, one of them seemed to grab his hand.

Zombie nails were long and infectious. Fearing a scratch, Ed hurriedly checked for wounds—only to find no injury, but something new in his hand.

An AI core—the very AI core developed by the Capital City Base!

Ed’s heart pounded violently. He looked up, scanning his surroundings, and on the rooftop of the villa behind him, he caught a flash of red streaking away like a meteor.

Had he not paid close attention, he might have dismissed it as just his imagination. But Ed was certain—he hadn’t imagined it. He had even seen a hint of gold in that red flash.

Closing his eyes, Ed mentally reconstructed the fleeting image imprinted in his memory.

This was the power of a Psychic—Ed could perfectly recall what he had seen in an instant.

That streak of red turned out to be a garment—a bright red base with golden five-pointed stars, the iconic five-starred pattern of China’s flag.

Ed clenched the AI core tightly in his palm, only letting go when his palm ached from the pressure. Slowly, he made his way back to the villa.

The moment he stepped inside, the Black Captain taunted, "You might be useless, but you sure have good luck."

Ed remained silent, walking over to pick up his daughter. The little girl, crying, kissed his cheek.

Ignoring Ed, the Black Captain turned to his men. "Who still has food? Hand it over!"

All the team members shook their heads, indicating they had none left.

The Black Captain snarled, "Damn it! Who knows if that Psychic Zombie King has left yet? What do we do? How long do we have to wait? I’m starving!"

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Ed and his daughter. A predatory gleam lit his eyes. "How could I overlook this? We’ve got fresh, tender two-legged sheep right here."

Ed immediately sensed danger. He shielded his daughter behind him, standing protectively in front of her. "What are you planning?"

"What do you think?" The Black Captain bared his teeth in a grin. "Eating two-legged sheep, of course! Old man, never tried human meat? Let me tell you—it’s addictive. One bite, and you’ll crave more."