True Apocalypse Game

Since entering this apocalyptic mission, Shen Feng hadn’t seen a single living human. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but ruins and zombies.

’Have all the humans in this world gone extinct?’

’Is that why "Save Human Civilization" became an optional objective?’

But he didn’t dare take that risk.

The Stone Statue Virus could still infect humans. If there were any survivors who hadn’t been eaten by zombies, only to be turned into stone statues by the virus... that would be a terrible fate.

Therefore, his current task was to cultivate his supply of the Stone Statue Virus into a strain that only targeted zombies.

This would be a slow process, one that couldn’t be rushed.

"GROWL..." His stomach rumbled.

He was hungry.

Shen Feng tossed his backpack to the ground and sat down. He began pulling ingredients from his bag, along with a solid-fuel stove and a small frying pan, and started to prepare a meal.

After several apocalyptic missions, he knew full well that being in good shape, both mentally and physically, was the fundamental prerequisite for survival and mission completion.

A hot meal was the ultimate comfort for both body and soul.

Oil began to smoke in the pan. He slid slices of ham, coated in beaten egg, into the hot oil. With a few flips of the pan, the golden egg enveloped the ham, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.

He slid the ham and eggs into his mess tin. Adding more oil to the pan, he tossed in chunks of pre-cooked beef brisket to sear them. Next came sliced tomatoes, which he began to stew down. Once they had softened, he added water, tomato paste, and salt, then covered the pan to let it simmer slowly.

The aroma of a simple beef and tomato stew gradually filled the air, a rich, hearty scent of fruit and meat.

The silicon-based framework in his chest vibrated gently, playing a lilting Mexican song.

Once the beef was tender, Shen Feng killed the flame and lifted the lid. The rich aroma of the stew washed over him. He took a deep breath, scooped up a small spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and popped it into his mouth, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

He then took out a steamed bun, tore it into small pieces, and dropped them into the pan.

The snow-white pieces of bread quickly soaked up the stew’s broth, turning a golden-red that made his mouth water.

It was evening now. The sun was about to set, filling the sky with fiery clouds. Against the backdrop of the ruined city and the distant giant tower, the sight was spectacular.

The sky full of colorful clouds, the gentle Mexican love song, and the desolate apocalyptic landscape combined to create a unique, end-of-the-world-esque vibe.

Shen Feng carried his meal over to the rooftop’s parapet. He propped one foot on the low wall, holding his plate and picking at his food with chopsticks as he looked down at the streets of Mexico City.

The zombies wandering the streets below began to slow down. As the sunlight faded, they started to stand stock-still, entering a state of standing dormancy.

Even the giant tower in the city center had grown much quieter; the writhing limbs on its surface had stilled.

The ring of eyes that resembled some kind of sensor array had also stopped turning.

Taking a bite of beef, Shen Feng nodded slightly.

He had chosen to cook and rest until dark not just because he needed the break, but also to wait for this very moment to confirm a theory:

The highly mutated zombies used sunlight as a primary energy source!

The grid-like mutation of their skin, enriched with metallic elements, wasn’t for defense. It was more like a type of solar panel.

A more advanced and lightweight solar absorption system.

This also explained why the zombies on the streets were more energetic than those inside the buildings.

Of course, this only explained one of their energy sources; it didn’t account for how they replenished their physical mass.

Still, it was a step in the right direction.

Unlike the Skinners from the Stone Statue Apocalypse, who hid during the day and came out at night, these zombies from the Biohazard Apocalypse were active during the day and dormant at night.

’After all, they’re "Solar" powered,’ he thought. ’Their energy storage must be poor, so they run out of juice at night.’

By the time Shen Feng finished his meal—mopping up the last of the stew’s sauce with the remaining piece of bread—and had cleaned and packed away his utensils, the sky had turned completely black.

It was an overcast night, with not a sliver of light in the sky.

The city had long lost its power. Without lights, an overcast night devoid of human activity was pure, absolute darkness.

A darkness as thick and indelible as ink enveloped the entire city. Shen Feng now truly understood the meaning of not being able to see his hand in front of his face.

Even with his mutated vision, he couldn’t see much, able to make out only the faint outlines of his surroundings by some nearly imperceptible ambient light.

The zombies all seemed to have ceased moving. Aside from the whistling wind and the sound of debris skittering across the ground, there was utter silence.

It was as if the entire world had come to a standstill.

’Damn, it’s dark...’

Shen Feng lamented silently. He had turned off the music playing from the speaker in his chest long ago.

Otherwise, in this silent, dark city, the music would be too conspicuous and would easily make him a target.

He took a pair of night-vision goggles from his backpack and put them on, finally able to see his surroundings clearly.

He prepared to head back to the rooftop access door and then descend to the ground via the elevator shaft.

Just then, on a distant street, a light suddenly flashed!

’Light!’

Shen Feng immediately took off his night-vision goggles and stared intently. The light had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never been there at all.