On the street, a robust zombie, equipped with a large coil of thick rope, reached a big tree. In the world of the undead, it stood as an anomaly. Zombies should not behave like this.

Yet this strong zombie challenged human understanding with its next move. It took the rope from its body, tied it around the base of the tree, and made a sturdy knot. Its hands rigid, yet it managed the task of knotting the rope securely. Needless to say, it was a proxy under Lin Long's control. The rope was soon tied across the street by the underling zombie.

One rope was not enough, Lin Long prepared several, all tied to the trees at both sides of the street. After setting up this primary trap, he directed a few dozen weapon-bearing followers to stand on both sides of the rope. This small hurdle could minimize damage.

"Next, we need to lure it over."

The tactical location of the trap was reasoned. Not far from them, a Mammoth was meandering - it was Lin Long's target. Once the deployment was completed, Lin Long sprinted towards the Mammoth, controlling his zombie proxy.

The area surrounding the Mammoth had only scattered zombies. It stood out amongst the zombie crowd, with its crimson skin, powerful muscles bulged, exploding with a sense of massive power, making it quite unique. Like other zombies, it was without consciousness, just mindlessly wandering about.

Drawing closer, Lin Long took a brick in hand and tossed it unceremoniously at the Mammoth.

"Bang!"

The throw was accurate and took the beast by surprise. Lin Long didn't wait to see its reaction; he turned and began running.

The towering Mammoth, caught off guard initially, entered into a berserk state a moment later.

"Roar!"

It let out a bizarre roar and charged towards the audacious zombie. With a slightly higher speed than an average zombie, it needed a little more time to catch up with Lin Long. The other scattered zombies on the street seemed indifferent to this provocation, just as Lin Long wished.

Dashing away, controlling the proxy zombie, they could outrun ordinary humans, thanks to their indifference to muscle and joint damage. The large and small figure engaged in a pursuit. The trap Lin Long had set was not far, and within a few minutes, the underling jumped over the first rope.

"Prepare to strike its head as soon as it falls."

Lin Long issued the directive, moving his thoughts into another powerful zombie. However, the real power was he, himself. After crossing over two ropes, the Mammoth arrived. Roaring, it paid no heed to the ropes or the zombies by the ropes, choosing to ignore them. Where in the city could you not find zombies?

Running, it was tripped up by the rope. An unexpected hurdle at this speed naturally resulted in a stumble. Lin Long, who kept a close eye, didn't hesitate at all. He commanded his zombie proxy and set upon the Mammoth who had just fallen.

The Mammoth wasn't like a human with thoughts or consciousness. Instinctively, it only wanted to get up. But Lin Long didn't give it the chance. As soon as it started raising its head, he sliced down viciously with a cleaver on the back of its head.

The force behind this hit was the combined might of the zombie proxy. The blade dug halfway into the skull, only to be wedged there by the bones. Lin Long was taken aback.

The zombies, transformed after the outbreak, possessed stronger muscles and tougher bones. If it were a regular zombie, one hit would have been enough to split the head. Having no time for further thought, Lin Long lifted the second cleaver in his other hand.

This hit targeted the neck. An incredibly strong and violent slash, against the velocious Mammoth lying on the ground, his back neck nearly severed. These were fatal injuries. No matter how strong the Mammoth was, it was dead on the spot.

Only when the zombie followers, who were half a beat late, pounced as if they had gone mad, striking all their weapons upon the Mammoth's head, did Lin Long withdraw. In the blink of an eye, the mammoth's head was tattered.

Lin Long was speechless.

"Finish the job only after it's already dead? Just here for the show?"

The timely pop-up notification appeared.

【You receive a tier of Mammoth Shard!】

The first one - at hand. Only...

"Stop it!" Lin Long yelled quickly and his command halted the frenzy of the zombie underlings.

On closing observation, the Mammoth was in a shocking state. Its head and neck were nearly smashed into mincemeat, and the liquefied green fluid flowing from the mess.

Obviously, it was genetic fluid produced by the mutated zombie. When the survivors hunted the Roaring zombie, Lin Long had seen them extract this genetic fluid. The color of the Mammoth's fluid was green, while the Roarer was blue.

"It looks like the color of the genetic liquid indicates the mutation level of the zombies?"

Lin Long is still not clear about the role of genetic fluid in promoting human evolution or other potential functions. As a resident of a post-apocalyptic world, Lin Long was utterly clueless. To unlock this knowledge, he would need to interact with other survivors.

Since the genetic fluid of this Mammoth was damaged by his zombie underlings, coupled with the lack of extraction syringes, it was rendered useless.

However, Lin Long didn't grieve too much over this. Being able to hunt one meant he could hunt a second one. And with his gang of zombies, it was easy to obtain more genetic fluid.

"The next time I return to present-day Earth, I need to bring a bunch of syringes."

With this noted, Lin Long commanded his gang to drag the Mammoth's body away. This was only the first one; the next would be captured using the same method.

"Dealing with Mammoths isn't as difficult as I thought."

Prior to this, he believed it would be nerve-wracking and thrilling, but as it seemed, as long as there was proper utilization, it was actually quite effortless. The zombies, bereft of thoughts and consciousness, were more like Non-playable characters (NPCs) in a game. As long as you didn't attack them, they were harmless.

Using the advantage of his zombie followers, he could set up traps after traps, and then hunt them down. Lin Long picked up the axe again, feeling encouraged to carry on the hunt.

Not just ropes, Lin Long also commanded some underling zombies to lift several abandoned cars, making a narrow gap that allowed only one zombie to pass through, while the others ascended to the top of the cars.

As always, Lin Long took on the role of bait, resorting to the good old method of throwing objects at the Mammoths to provoke them. After drawing their attention, Lin Long used a skinny zombie proxy to squeeze through the narrow gap between the cars easily.

However, the Mammoth under pursuit wasn't as fortunate. Unaware of the trap ahead, it rushed headfirst into it.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The result was predictable; it got stuck between the two cars. No matter how much strength it put in, it failed to free itself. The underling zombies standing atop the cars, prepared in advance, aimlessly hacked at its exposed head.

Easily acquiring another piece of the Mammoth shard, Lin Long came up with a third method. This involved using the manhole covers along the street.

Similarly, he provoked some Mammoths into chasing him past several open manholes. By controlling his zombie proxy, Lin Long could easily avoid falling in, but the Mammoths could not.

One, two, three... eventually, it would fall in, and that would be the end. That poor Mammoth would fall into the sewer and get trapped. All Lin Long had to do next was control his strong zombie proxy on the street above that sewer opening, grab a spear, aim it through the grate, and stab the Mammoth in the head.

Using this strategy, he harvested several more fragments. Then came the fourth method, which involved using the height of skyscrapers.

By luring the Mammoth, or Velocious, to the rooftop and backing up right to the edge, Lin Long simply sidestepped as they charged at him, making the creatures plunge over the roof.

Choosing ten-story buildings for this, the fall would either kill or severely injure them. Underlings stationed downstairs would then promptly crush the creature's heads, securing another kill.

Days passed using these methods, and by the end of it, Lin Long managed to gather ten fragments of the Mammoth and three fragments of the Velocious.

SkyWatch City.

Lin Long's hidden refuge, a residential building on Wenhe Road, No. 059.

At this moment, Lin Long was experiencing a wave of excitement.

He had finally gathered the ten fragments of the Mammoth that he needed.

The cost? Merely the loss of three zombies.

This loss was due to clumsily handling that ended with falling from the building, smashing their heads.

The instant he gathered the fragments, Lin Long had his zombie minions go on a free killing spree, withdrawing from the proxy.

"System, unlock the Mammoth."

The retina display in Lin Long's eyes lit up. The icon symbolizing the Mammoth began to blink.

This was an unlockable prompt.

【You have unlocked the Mammoth!】

After a brief hint, the previously restricted Mammoth icon was lit up.

First Order MammothProduct Level: 2Cost:Manufacturing Points: 100Description: Gene-mutated first order zombies advancing towards power. It boasts a potent force, the manufacturing template is fixed.

A first-order Mammoth had a manufacturing cost and required points ten times that of a regular zombie. It was no longer randomly generated in appearance and gender, but had a fixed template.

That meant that the manufactured Mammoths would follow the same mold.

That didn't surprise Lin Long.

Over the period of hunting Mammoths, they all tended to look alike.

It seemed that after the gene mutation and evolution from ordinary zombies, the genes would turn the evolved zombies into nearly identical Mammoths.

Genes were tough to change, but as long as it worked, it was fine.

A Mammoth's manufacturing price was one hundred thousand, considering its strength, it was, indeed, not expensive.

Lin Long checked his current financial status.

Funds:Manufacturing points: 125

A whopping two million funds. In just two days, Lin Long had manufactured 160 zombies, spending 1.6 million.

His present assets were still a bit roomy, but he had enough manufacturing points to create one Mammoth.

Well, Lin Long wasn't exactly feeling flush with money and manufacturing points.

But still, he planned to build one at least.

"Manufacture a Mammoth," Lin Long commanded.

In front of him, mysterious particles of light once again conjured up a towering figure that stole his breath away.

Two minutes later, the 1.9-meter tall Mammoth was standing in front of Lin Long.

It was stark naked, except for a pair of shorts, its body exposed.

Crimson skin, muscles bulging.

There was a clear distinction between it and regular zombies.

A mere glance would suffice to confirm its difference from regular zombies, with its existence solely on a different level.

The presence of a nearby Mammoth sent adrenaline coursing through Lin Long's veins.

Standing at 1.78 meters, Lin Long felt short in comparison.

And given his relatively slender physique, there was a clear disparity when it came to contrasting his form with this hunky giant.

Referring to the arm itself, the Mammoth's arm wasn't much smaller than Lin Long's leg.

Its sheer appearance told him of its immense power.

If only there were enough funds and manufacturing points, Lin Long wished to create a couple more Mammoths.

Currently, Lin Long allowed his consciousness to sink into the body of the Mammoth, and in an instant, it became his avatar.

The moment his consciousness entered the Mammoth, his senses changed. He felt an overwhelming surge of power. Lin Long realized that he was capable of knocking a bull out with a single punch.

Such overpowering strength consumed his entire body.

"Does one possess the equivalent strength of the zombie's when they enter its consciousness?"

A little taken aback, Lin Long quickly processed this revelation.

He was the Mammoth and the Mammoth was now him.

He controlled the Mammoth, the Mammoth's power was just like his.

"So this is what real power feels like?"

The sensation of this kind of overwhelming power was temptingly alluring to Lin Long.

One could very well claim that after becoming a genetic evolver, they would possess similar capacities.

Lin Long moved his arm, packing a mighty punch.

He directed the Mammoth to an iron cup, his expansive palm wrapping around it with ease.

"Squeeze!"

A force pumped from his arm, traveling through his fingers.

Amazingly, the Mammoth managed to reshape the iron cup into a chunk of waste metal.

This surprised Lin Long.

The Mammoth's power had exceeded his expectations.

Under the control of Lin Long, the Mammoth walked out of the residential building, appearing on the street.

The surrounding zombies were not killed; Lin Long left them as they were.

These zombies served as the best camouflage.

Below the control of Lin Long, the Mammoth walked to an aimlessly wandering zombie. With a quick extension of his hand, he touched the top of the zombie's head.

Detecting the contact, the zombie attempted to resist.

Lin Long didn't allow it the chance. One hand gripped its head, and the other latched onto its neck.

The hand on its head exerted force.

"Crack!"

With an eerie sound, Lin Long managed to rip the zombie's head off forcibly.

The dark liquid splashed onto the body of the Mammoth, but Lin Long didn't seem to bother.

The Mammoth's brutal strength surprised Lin Long once again.

Tossing aside the decapitated zombie head, Lin Long controlled his Mammoth avatar to approach a parked car by the roadside. Crouching slightly and gripping the underside of the car, the Mammoth emitted a soft roar and flexed its muscles. The side of the car was effortlessly lifted. It should be noted that this was a 1.8-ton vehicle, the strength of the Mammoth was indeed grand.

At this moment, Lin Long felt that he could easily topple the car if he wished. After a quick test, he gained a fresh understanding of the Mammoth. Barring the use of traps, taking a Mammoth down head-on could possibly cost dozens of zombies' casualties.

While the Mammoth possessed great strength, its speed was not its forte, which made the Velocious substantially harder to kill due to its rapid speed. A Velocious could likely match the running speed of a world 100-meter champion. Ordinary people would stand no chance against such speed and would essentially be sitting ducks.

However, the Mammoth's forte lay in its power. A simple brush from it could lead to injury or death to any ordinary zombie. Lin Long controlled the Mammoth, leisurely patrolling the streets for a while until a tool shop piqued his interest.

Survivalists had not raided this place, and it had a wide assortment of tools. In fact, the city was a place teeming with zombies, and unless absolutely necessary, survivors refrained from venturing into city areas. Items like cutlery and various tools were available in plenty in the small towns and villages outside the city.

The imposing Mammoth approached the tool shop. The shop door was closed with a rolling shutter gate. Lin Long controlled the Mammoth to extend its hands to grip the bottom edge of the rolling shutter.

"Roar..."

With a dull roar, the Mammoth exerted force.

"Crack!"

The sound of metal tearing echoed as the shutter lock was forcibly broken by the Mammoth. The loud noise attracted nearby zombies, who began flocking to the source of the sound. Ignoring them, Lin Long strode into the tool shop.

This tool shop was of considerable size, with a variety of tools from cutlery to various types of hammers, screwdrivers, and so on.

Seeing these tools, Lin Long inwardly berated himself for neglecting them. They were surrounded by an unlimited arsenal, yet his zombie minions had been using crude weapons all day long. If they had been using these sharp steel tools, their efficiency in killing zombies would undeniably have been amplified significantly.

The Mammoth's strength was so massive that ordinary tools would not suffice.Therefore, Lin Long quickly settled on a large fire axe. The axe head and half of the handle were painted red, lending it a powerfully commanding presence. This fire axe measured around one and a half meters; its massive blade gleamed white.

When held in the hand of the mammoth, it fit perfectly and was suitable for single-handed use. No need for defensive tools, a fire axe, was enough to add wings to a tiger when used by the Mammoth.

"Now I'm fully equipped," chuckled Lin Long, controlling the Mammoth to exit the tool store. By now, quite a few zombies had gathered around.

Without uttering a word, Lin Long controlled the Mammoth to lift the fire axe and shattered a zombie's head. The mammoth's formidable strength, aided by the hardness and sharpness of the fire axe, caused the zombie's head to split open, with the fire axe stopping near its belly.

With a bit more force, it would likely have split the zombie in half. "Wow, this strength!" Compared to ordinary zombies, this improvements was not the least bit modest.

Within two to three minutes, he managed to wipe out about a dozen zombies, then Lin Long commanded the Mammoth to proceed down the street.