"Minister Fu? You mean Little Yang?"

Meng Changkun’s face showed a hint of confusion; he hadn’t heard about this yet.

"Yes, my son was killed an hour ago in the Base Management Area. He’s already dead!"

Fu Dahai’s face was full of grief. He had planned to gather wealth and leave it to his son. But now, it seemed that fate had cruelly reversed, forcing the old to bury the young.

"Investigate! Conduct a thorough investigation!"

Meng Changkun, in front of so many people, had to set an example, to showcase his leadership abilities.

Two soldiers in camouflage nodded quickly and rushed out of the meeting room.

In the crowd, Dong Liang felt his heart skip a beat. Suddenly, an image of a familiar person flashed in his mind.

"Could it be...?"

...

As evening fell, Renault drove to the familiar location he remembered from his previous life.

The roadside was desolate, with only one gas station in sight.

He stopped the car and cautiously approached, gripping his Zanma Dao tightly.

**"According to my memories from the previous life, this gas station was where three men discovered a secret and were later rewarded!"**

Renault murmured to himself as he neared the gas station.

Because this place was so isolated, there weren’t many zombies. His radar only detected five red blips.

He carefully pushed open the convenience store door. Inside, the shelves were still fully stocked.

"Raaah!"

A zombie that had caught the scent of human flesh charged at Renault!

Without hesitation, Renault swung his blade, decapitating the zombie instantly.

**Huh?**

He was puzzled—there was no familiar notification sound in his ear, leaving him slightly confused.

**Could it be that my strength has increased, and these low-level zombies don’t provide any experience points?**

Before he had time to dwell on it, two more zombies lunged at him!

Renault swiftly dispatched them with two quick slashes, yet again, there was no notification.

**"What's going on? Can I no longer gain experience from killing zombies?"**

He quickly opened the system panel and realized that he hadn’t yet completed his daily sign-in.

With a single thought, the familiar sound finally rang in his ear.

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**[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully signed in. Reward: Special Operations Suit!]**

**Special Operations Suit**: Manufactured by the Future Military Fortress, model 002, made of highly durable tech fibers with features such as fire resistance, insulation, and impact resistance.

**A new piece of equipment?**

Renault’s spirits lifted. This was something he had been wanting for a long time.

Without hesitation, he equipped the Special Operations Suit.

The suit was pitch black with intricate, scale-like patterns that weren't exactly scales but something close.

Renault tested it by slashing at it with his Zanma Dao, but it didn’t leave a single scratch.

He nodded in approval. **It’s a good piece of gear.**

"Raaaah!"

Just then, a deep roar echoed.

Renault’s heart raced; he had been too distracted by the system and hadn’t noticed the nearby zombie!

He turned towards the sound and saw a massive zombie pounding its claws against the gas station’s wall.

**Boom!**

With a loud crash, cracks appeared on the wall.

The sight was beyond Renault’s expectations.

This zombie's strength far surpassed that of ordinary bronze-tier zombies.

**"If I had been any later, would I have even stood a chance against it?"**

Renault sheathed his Zanma Dao. In this situation, he needed to create some distance; his sword likely wouldn’t inflict much damage on this monstrous zombie.

**Boom!**

Under the zombie’s relentless pounding, the wall finally gave in and collapsed.

The massive zombie finally revealed its full form!

Its body was pitch black, and its eyes glowed with a bloodthirsty red hue. Muscles bulged beneath its skin, and the thick scales covering its limbs made it even more terrifying.

**"What the hell is this thing?"**

Renault was taken aback. He hadn't expected the rumors from his previous life to be true.

A terrifying zombie, carrying an evolutionary crystal, had emerged in people’s sights. According to a half-crippled survivor, a ten-person squad had fought it, only for seven to die and three to be gravely injured.

During the fierce battle, this zombie had finally been taken down, and inside its head, they discovered a white crystal the size of a ping-pong ball. That crystal marked the beginning of humanity’s evolution.

Shaking his head, Renault didn’t waste any time. He pulled out a sniper rifle from his storage ring and aimed it at the zombie.

**Bang!**

The bullet pierced the zombie’s left eye, but it roared and charged at Renault with even greater fury.

**"What? The head isn’t its weak point?"**

Renault stared in shock at the gaping hole in the zombie’s head—it hadn’t died?

**This makes no sense!**

Before he could think further, Renault quickly smashed through the convenience store’s glass window and leaped out.

Thanks to his Special Operations Suit, he avoided getting cut by the glass, which would have otherwise been a serious problem.

Landing safely, Renault activated his speed-boosting ability and quickly created some distance from the zombie.

He aimed and fired another shot, this time at the other eye.

The bullet struck true, blinding the zombie, but it continued its rampage, smashing through walls like a mindless beast.

**"What’s the problem here? Why won’t this thing die?"**

Renault stood by the roadside, feeling a pang of regret. **Had I stayed in Baoqu Town, I wouldn't have found myself in this mess.**

As the zombie continued to break down the walls, Renault’s headache only worsened.

Seeing the zombie about to break free, Renault took up his sniper rifle once more and fired two more shots.

**Bang! Bang!**

Both bullets struck the zombie’s arms, severing them, but the monster still kept moving forward, slamming into the walls.

**Boom!**

The wall finally gave way, and the zombie charged at Renault.

But Renault noticed something. **If I can sever its arms, its legs should be vulnerable too, right?**

Quickly adjusting his aim, Renault fired three shots at the zombie's legs.

As expected!

The zombie’s movement slowed dramatically. One of its legs exploded in a burst of black-green pus.

With only one leg, the zombie lost its balance and toppled to the ground.

**"Finally got you."**

Renault let out a long breath of relief, looking down at the subdued monster.

He approached and, without hesitation, swung his Zanma Dao, severing the zombie’s head.

**[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a mutated bronze-tier zombie. Reward: 50 experience points!]**

**Mutated?**

Renault glanced at the strange-looking corpse and nodded slightly.

If it was a mutation among zombies, that would explain its unusual strength.

He knelt down, sliced open the zombie’s skull, and extracted a ping-pong ball-sized evolution crystal. **This is a huge find!**

Renault hesitated briefly before swallowing the crystal.