The zombie horde quickly retreated, with Aberrants in hot pursuit, trying to earn more points by killing as many zombies as possible.

Cora watched the back of the Zombie Lord. Its two pairs of strong, fleshy wings didn’t hinder its movement but made it even more formidable. It moved swiftly on all fours, leaping several times before disappearing beyond the horizon, followed by a group of minions.

Realizing they couldn’t kill it this time, Cora crossed her twin blades, slowly sheathing them on her back.

She returned to the starship’s location, meeting up with Onyx and the others. Soon, Yuui and Suchat returned, but Damian was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Damian?” Cora asked.

“He was just here. Where did that kid run off to?” Yuui found it strange as well.

“Damian, where are you?” Cora sent a message in the F777 group chat. After a couple of seconds, Damian responded with a crying emoji, followed by a voice message. When Cora played it, she heard heavy breathing, as if he was running, “Wait for me!”

As long as he was safe, Cora jumped onto the low-hovering starship, letting one leg dangle, and sat comfortably by the hatch, waiting.

The Alliance Aberrants Headquarters issued directly by the S-rank commission to defend Sycamore. As long as the terminal’s real-time recording function was activated, it would automatically calculate the number of zombies killed and issue the corresponding rewards. This time, Cora mainly targeted evolved and Aberrant zombies. She received nearly 100,000 Alliance credits, instantly elevating her from broke to relatively wealthy.

S-rank commissions were indeed lucrative. Cora counted the balance in her personal account, silently marveling.

In the distance, several hover cars chased after the zombie horde, launching group attacks without restraint.

Cora sensed mental power and followed it with her eyes, discovering that the Aberrants in the vehicles were all very strong and coordinated. They had been the ones to first intercept the zombie horde, allowing the armored vehicles of the security team to emerge from the city.

On top of one of the hover cars, a tall young man knelt in a standard sniper pose, a night vision scope obscuring much of his face. He fired rapidly, almost without aiming, hitting one headshot per second. The specialized explosive bullets pierced the zombies’ foreheads, instantly turning their heads into shattered watermelon pieces, causing surrounding zombies to be blasted away in a violent display.

Cora observed for a moment, noticing that this man not only had impeccable marksmanship but also targeted evolved and Aberrant zombies, much like she did. As the hover car passed by, his terminal emitted a series of public notifications.

“You have killed 1 Level 3 zombie, 276 regular zombies, earning 5760 points and xxxx Alliance credits.” “You have killed 3 Aberrant zombies, 155 regular zombies, earning 4550 points and xxxx Alliance credits.” “You have killed...”

The kill notifications kept scrolling.

The man’s black hair was blown back by the night wind, a ruby earring in his left ear glinting, exuding a rebellious and flamboyant air.

Cora waited for about twenty minutes until the zombie horde was out of sight and the pursuing Aberrants returned. Some left Sycamore, while others applied for temporary admission to rest in the city. Damian finally arrived, albeit late.

“Damian, were you slacking off?” Yuui teased.

Sure enough, Damian looked like a little pig that had rolled in the mud, covered in sweat and dirt, with his curly hair wet and clinging to his forehead, looking very messy.

“I wasn’t!” Damian panted, his cheeks rosy. The mention of slacking off reminded him of the braid-headed man, making him angry. That tornado had blown him several kilometers away, and he had run back on foot. If it weren’t for his Aberrant ability and superior physical strength, he would have been exhausted.

This wasn’t the place to talk. The seven of them headed towards the city gate. By now, most of the Aberrants had dispersed, but a few hover cars were parked at the checkpoint, surrounded by a dozen people. The sniper stood at the front, and to their surprise, Sycamore’s governor, Julian Chang, had come out to greet them. As they approached, they overheard their conversation.

“Yes, Officer Scarlett arrived at District C83 recently. Hearing about Sycamore’s plight, she sent us immediately to assist,” the young man said.

“Scarlett Holland is kind. Please thank her on my behalf. We couldn’t have managed without you today,” Julian Chang sighed.

“You’re welcome,” the young man replied politely, in contrast to his flamboyant presence. “Officer Scarlett specifically instructed that with zombie hordes becoming more frequent, Sycamore must be fully prepared. She is stationed in District B and can’t interfere with District C’s affairs directly, so she pulled some strings to send two specialists to support your efforts.”

Two scholarly-looking individuals stepped out from the hover car’s backseat.

“This is Julie Robinson, a B-rank engineering Aberrant who once served as the director of the Fifth Design Institute. She has conducted extensive research on zombie horde attack patterns and will help upgrade Sycamore’s defenses.”

Julie Robinson, around forty, dressed in simple work clothes, carried a white briefcase, looking competent. Julian Chang, urgently needing engineering talent, was visibly pleased upon learning her identity and eagerly shook her hand.

“And this is Hinata Takahashi, a biogen scientist and one of the first outstanding graduates of the Lausanne Training Program. Hearing about Sycamore’s research on anti-zombification drugs, he volunteered to come and collaborate.”

Hinata Takahashi, in his early thirties and slender, adjusted his high-prescription glasses and bowed to Julian Chang. “I look forward to working with you.”

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“Dr. Takahashi, you’re too modest. Being selected for the Lausanne Program means you’re one of the top researchers in the Alliance. We should be the ones learning from you. With your help, we will surely develop the anti-zombification drug quickly.” Julian Chang waved his hand in gratitude.

Cora and her group stepped forward, and Onyx greeted Julian Chang. “Dr. Chang, good to see you again.”

“It’s you,” Julian Chang relaxed and smiled warmly at them. “Thank you for your support. Sycamore’s doors are always open to you.”

Onyx smiled, “The main reason we’re here this time is for a surgery…”

Julian Chang interrupted, “What kind of surgery? If you need anything, I can help arrange it…”

As the two conversed, Cora noticed something unusual about the scientist Hinata Takahashi. His gaze swept over the group and paused, staring intently at Onyx. His expression changed from confusion and surprise to disbelief.

Hinata Takahashi’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. Cora followed his line of sight, but saw nothing unusual on Onyx’s clean face.

The young man waited patiently for Onyx and Julian Chang to finish their conversation before continuing, “To prevent another zombie horde attack, we will stay in Sycamore for two days, ready to assist at any time.”

“We dare not impose,” Julian Chang waved his hand again, “Thank you all for your efforts.”

The young man led his group, including Julie Robinson and Hinata Takahashi, into the city. Julian Chang assigned two subordinates to arrange their accommodation. Once they had walked away, Julian Chang exhaled slightly, finally relaxing.

“Dr. Chang, who are those people? They seem quite influential,” Yuui seized the opportunity to ask.

“They certainly are,” Julian Chang explained. “They’re from Northern Base (District B10). The leader is Silver Owl, the captain of the Aberrant team ‘Tustan.’ He’s an Aberrant with strength close to S-rank, and quite famous even in District B.”

“Northern Base’s deputy governor, Scarlett Holland, was my classmate. Hearing about Sycamore’s crisis, she sent her Aberrants to support us, since she was near District C.”

Julian Chang spoke highly of his old classmate, who sent both technical experts and combat personnel without asking for money or repayment, an act of goodwill. Yet, he sighed deeply for reasons unknown.

Once inside Sycamore, they walked along the central street for a short while before Cora witnessed an amusing scene.

A local woman was pushing a stroller tent, surrounded by enthusiastic residents. Dressed in new clothes, Little Diamond sat inside, tongue out and smiling. The locals were showering the stroller with snacks and chew toys, almost overwhelming the dog with their enthusiasm. Finally, unable to bear it, Little Diamond activated its domain, bouncing everyone away except itself and its mother.

Those bounced away were surprisingly happy, excitedly speaking in strange phrases Little Diamond couldn’t understand.

After all, Little Diamond was now a hero of Sycamore, having saved the lives of everyone in the city.

Cora squeezed through the crowd and waved at Little Diamond. It had been months since they last met. Would it still remember them? Recognizing her, Little Diamond barked happily, showing that its memory was indeed intact.

After exchanging a few words with Little Diamond’s mother and promising to visit later, Cora and her team squeezed out of the crowd. They didn’t need to rent an apartment this time, as Charles needed to reissue his ID and coordinate the surgery at the hospital. Thus, F777 stayed at his place.

Damian finally found a chance to vent, angrily recounting how the braid-headed man bullied him. However, the others were focused on different details.

“Did it braid your hair nicely?” Yuui teased.

“So, they just hit you but didn’t bite you?” Charles Franz questioned skeptically.

“Are you sure you’re being objective?” Suchat doubted Damian’s account.

“I! Am! Sure!” Damian shouted, jumping up in frustration.

Cora, however, fell silent.

A zombie with obvious corpse marks yet a rational mind, able to resist the urge to bite... she had seen such zombies before.

Not only had she seen them, but she had also saved them. Six months ago, when Cora left Fool’s Wharf in District F177, Mrs. Travers and Little Travers already displayed typical zombie characteristics, but still kept a bit of consciousness.

“Plan Eternity,” Onyx suddenly mentioned, introducing an unfamiliar term. The group looked at him in confusion.

“Plan Eternity is a secret research project on mutated organisms. By controlling radiation variables within the organism, it stimulates continuous cell division and renewal, extending the lifespan and awakening of unique abilities. When radiation stabilizes, it can achieve an unending consciousness and an eternal physical form. The goal of this research is to achieve human ‘evolution.’”

“If we apply the same concept to zombies, ordinary zombies, the lowest level, are purely failed products. Evolved zombies are failed products trying to save themselves; though their rotting bodies persist, they are mindless monsters. Aberrant zombies are successful failures, awakening abilities, but losing consciousness forever.”

“Researchers hypothesized about the possibility of a zombie keeping a clear consciousness and a firm body. They named this new species ‘Fallens.’”

“Unfortunately, the study of Fallens would trigger a series of ethical issues and was soon halted. The project personnel became very secretive about it.”

“Why?” Cora asked, puzzled.

“Because they feared it. Humanity prides itself on its unique consciousness, distinguishing it from other species.”

“So, when zombies have clear consciousness, are they still monsters, or are they humans evolved in another way?”