Qin Luo immediately moved to the window to observe. A massive head loomed right outside. This thing was even taller than the data provided by headquarters had described.
They were on the third floor, positioned slightly above and to the left of it. The creature had grown to a height of eight or nine meters.
The little zombie, who had somehow woken up without anyone noticing, leaned its head out from the side, curiously watching the scene outside.
Xu Duoduo couldn't help but feel terrified after taking a look. *What kind of horrifying, otherworldly scene is this? A live-action anime nightmare?*
The giant zombie's skin was a sickly greenish-black. It even raised one of its massive hands to scrape at the wall, producing a grating "screeeech" sound.
Anyone with a fear of nails on a chalkboard was in for a bad time.
Sure enough, several people present turned pale, their lips losing color.
The giant zombie's claws were absurdly long—black, sharp, and menacing.
If Xu Duoduo's claws were something Qin Luo had jokingly described as "not very agile," then this giant zombie's claws were the real deal. Just one swipe could probably wipe out a whole group of people.
No one made any sudden moves. Instead, they quietly observed as the creature lumbered toward the Research Institute. The heavy thuds of its footsteps echoed in everyone's hearts.
Everyone, that is, except for Xu Duoduo.
She was scared, sure, but her heart didn’t race—because it didn’t beat at all. Instead, she clumsily tried to figure out how to fight this thing.
Noticing that she was awake and surprisingly calm, Qin Luo turned to Mu Mei and said, "Let's see how it moves first. Its growth rate is too fast. We need to end this quickly."
There was no room for delay.
The others were also aware of the situation. The mission had been labeled dangerous for a reason. With global communications down, the data they received was often outdated, with significant time lags. This meant they never knew what changes might have occurred by the time they arrived at their target. It was up to the combat teams to adapt on the fly.
The data from headquarters hadn’t described anything this massive. Now, this giant zombie was practically the size of a small building.
It was only natural for everyone to feel the pressure.
Qin Luo addressed the group: "Its size is its weakness. It lacks our agility. We need to exploit that advantage."
Outside, the giant zombie continued its guttural roars, attempting to summon other zombies. But tonight, it wouldn’t be able to call many. Most of the nearby undead had already been dealt with, and zombies from farther away wouldn’t arrive in time.
Frustrated by its inability to summon reinforcements, the giant zombie began to rage, its angry roars causing everyone's ears to ache. Silently, they all put on their headsets.
The latest models offered some resistance to sonic attacks.
"Alright, no more wasting time," Qin Luo said. "3A, Rose, and Golden Eagle Teams will focus on the main assault. White Dove will handle perimeter security, while Cheetah will adapt to any unexpected situations—especially if mutated animals show up."
The three main combat teams would go all out against the giant zombie, while the two rookie teams provided support.
Everyone agreed to the plan.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Even Jin Chuanqiong had no choice but to comply. Failing the mission would be humiliating—there was no way they could afford to lose.
Everyone got into position and prepared to move.
Originally, they had planned to act during the day, but the creature was adept at hiding in daylight. They hadn’t been able to track its movements at all. At night, however, it became more active.
But they couldn’t wait any longer.
"Damn, this is the biggest zombie I’ve ever seen," Chen Xiaofei muttered as he double-checked his gear. "Gives me goosebumps just looking at it."
Bai Shu, also inspecting his equipment, replied, "This is still better than last time. That mutated snake-man caught us completely off guard."
Back then, they had no experience dealing with three-star monsters. They were weak, their abilities unrefined, and their tactics amateurish.
At least this time, they had other teams to back them up. Plus, everyone had grown stronger.
Qin Luo reminded Xu Duoduo, "Don’t make your spatial abilities too obvious. Just focus on protecting yourself."
Their "little squad leader" had always taken care of them, even after becoming a zombie. During the mutated bat incident, she had shielded them completely, exhausting her own abilities in the process.
But they couldn’t always rely on her like that. Minor injuries were manageable, and they couldn’t afford to let her overexert herself—especially in the field. If she lost her mobility and Qin Luo wasn’t there in time, it would be disastrous. Not to mention the risk of exposing her spatial abilities.
Overprotection could also dull their sense of danger in the long run.
Xu Duoduo nodded coolly. "Got it," she said, her tone mature and composed.
Chen Xiaofei raised an eyebrow. "Wow, the little squad leader seems like she’s eighteen tonight."
Bai Shu told him to shut up.
Wang Weihu, having finished packing up, reported, "We’re ready to move."
Qin Luo nodded. "Alright, let’s move out."
At his command, everyone sprang into action.
They needed to get close to the giant zombie before it noticed them.
"White Dove and Cheetah Teams, keep an eye out. If you see an opportunity, enter the Research Institute and rescue any survivors. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Copy that!"
In the darkness, over thirty figures leapt from the third floor, silently advancing.
Using various buildings as cover, they moved swiftly toward the giant zombie, each team leveraging their unique strengths.
As they ran, Chen Xiaofei pulled out a vial of Mimicry Serum and injected it directly into his neck—the fastest way to activate it. Mimicry would make dealing with mutated monsters much easier.
The other teams watched in astonishment as every member of the 3A Team began to change.
Chen Xiaofei sprouted wings and claws. Bai Shu, now sporting animal ears and fur from the neck down, moved with incredible speed alongside him.
Wang Weihu transformed mid-run, tiger ears and a tail appearing as he dropped to all fours, his speed increasing dramatically.
Their auras radiated waves of energy, each one surrounded by faint beast-like projections.
Qin Luo, now with wolf ears and a tail, clicked his tongue in irritation but didn’t slow down. Sparks of electricity crackled around him as his speed surged.
Xu Duoduo, the little zombie, surprisingly kept up, chasing after Qin Luo’s tail with relentless determination.
The other teams were stunned.
"3A is insane! They’re using Diluted Mutation Core Serum like it’s nothing! And their Mimicry activation is so fast!"
"They’re not even worried about side effects? I used one dose and felt dizzy for three days!"
Switching to private comms, the other teams couldn’t help but whisper among themselves. This level of recklessness was unbelievable.
Mu Mei was equally shocked by how quickly 3A had adapted to the serum. Jin Chuanqiong’s expression darkened. The speed at which they adjusted reflected their compatibility with mutation cores—the faster the adaptation, the stronger the user.
The gap between the top twenty and top thirty seemed small on paper, but the reality was stark.
As they neared the giant zombie, Mu Mei and Jin Chuanqiong were still strategizing the best way to initiate the fight. Meanwhile, Chen Xiaofei had already positioned Bai Shu at an ideal sniping spot and then—without hesitation—flew straight at the giant zombie, hurling several marble bombs.
"Yoohoo! Hey, ugly! We’re here to take your worthless life!"
The other teams: "???"
*That’s it? That’s how you start the fight?*