I STACK ATTRIBUTES IN THE APOCALYPSE -MyOwnEdit-

At the Guangping Street gathering place, roughly an hour later, Zhao Honglei returned with Lu Ming's "kill."

He unceremoniously dropped the humanoid bird's carcass onto the ground, then vigorously brushed off his clothes, a look of disgust etched onto his face, as if afraid of contamination.

The sight of the creature elicited muted gagging sounds from the onlookers. Its appearance was truly repulsive.

Lu Ming's custom-made heavy sniper rifle could certainly deliver a fatal blow to a Tier 4 creature, but its effect was limited to just that – a kill. If the bullet had struck an ordinary human, it would have obliterated them. However, when it hit the formerly avian, now humanoid, Blackbird, it merely shattered the skull and damaged the brain directly.

Half of the creature's head was missing, exposing a gruesome tangle of white tissue. However, the portion below the nose remained intact, preserving a semblance of its human-like visage.

Due to its tenacious vitality, the creature's red lips continued to twitch and contort, emitting faint, bird-like chirps.

A grotesque fusion of human and avian features, it was a horrifying spectacle.

A mouth, identical to a human's, twitched and contorted, emitting unsettling bird-like chirps.

The sight was too much for even Lu Ming, with his hardened resolve and steeled nerves. The atmosphere grew tense, the air heavy with a sense of unease.

Meng Jie, the ever-curious biologist, stepped forward and approached the grotesque carcass. Instead of recoiling in disgust, she adjusted her glasses, a spark of scientific interest glinting in her eyes.

Turning to Lu Ming, she inquired, "Can this be eaten? I need to examine it further, but I suspect it's not suitable for consumption."

With that, Meng Jie called for assistance to transport the "blackbird" carcass back to the laboratory.

Once it was removed, Lu Ming cleared his throat and addressed Zhang Chengcheng and Wei Lan, their faces pale with shock.

"Let's change the menu for tonight," he suggested gently. "No blackbird meat today."

It was evident that even Lu Ming was repulsed by the bizarre creature. That night, he opted for Six-Legged Wolf Bear meat, which, despite its unusual appearance, proved to be quite palatable. After indulging in a hearty meal and engaging in his daily exercise routine, Lu Ming put the incident with the strange bird out of his mind.

Following his evening stance exercises, Lu Ming washed up and retired for the night, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, hundreds of humanoid monsters were silently converging on Bin County.

Bin County, a satellite town of Nanxiang City, had been a key military area due to its strategic location, despite its small population and less developed economy. Military-controlled zones dotted the landscape around the county. However, with the onset of the apocalypse, most military personnel had retreated to official shelters, leaving the area seemingly abandoned.

But appearances could be deceiving.

Leading the horde of humanoid monsters was a creature with the face of a child and the body of Gris Klass. It stood at the vanguard, its gaze fixed on the seemingly deserted military zone in the distance. Its nostrils twitched, detecting a faint scent of blood.

With its heightened senses, the creature easily distinguished between the smell of zombies and humans.

Within moments, the humanoid monsters had locked onto their target.

The leader of the humanoid monsters, embodying the will of the Blood Flesh Mother Tree, spoke in a soft, chilling voice. "There's a missile launch center here. The missiles have been relocated, but thankfully, there are still humans stationed there. Our objective is to capture these survivors, bring them back, and extract the location of the transferred missiles."

With the command given, over a hundred figures darted into the darkness, vanishing into the silent night.

Screams soon pierced the stillness.

Due to the communication blackout, the events unfolding in Bin County remained unknown to the outside world.

By the early hours of the next day, dozens of survivors had been captured and brought to Linhai County.

Standing on the blood-red fungus layer, the captives' faces were etched with despair. Some wept, some cursed, and some begged for mercy, but their fate was sealed. They were destined to merge with the Mother Tree.

The process began: devour, digest, absorb, and plunder.

Soon, over a dozen new fruits emerged on the branches of the Blood Flesh Mother Tree, signaling that it had fully assimilated the survivors' knowledge and memories.

There was no need for further discussion.

Three Level 5 humanoid monsters turned in unison, leading their army towards Nanxiang City.

A gust of wind swept through the air, causing the branches and leaves of the Blood Flesh Mother Tree to sway ominously, as if in anticipation of the feast to come.

Soft murmuring voices whispered through the leaves of the Blood Flesh Mother Tree.

"Nanxiang is primarily an economic hub, not a major political or military center," one voice observed. "There are no nuclear weapons here."

"But missiles still pose a threat," another voice countered. "Human memories indicate that I am vulnerable to multiple missile strikes."

"If I want to consume everything in Nanxiang," a third voice chimed in, "firearms will be a significant obstacle. Fortunately, I recall someone who knew the location of Nanxiang's missile base. The survivors we just absorbed also have knowledge of where those missiles were transferred..."

The Blood Flesh Mother Tree's logic was chillingly clear.

First, eliminate the biggest threats. Once all obstacles were removed, Nanxiang would be ripe for the taking.

"There's also another intriguing matter," a new voice emerged. "Lu Ming, Brother Lu... the strongest human."

At the thought of this formidable opponent, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree shuddered with anticipation.

Its ability to devour and absorb the essence of its prey extended to memories and even strength. After consuming Gris Klass, it could utilize this power to create endless hordes of monsters, each as powerful as the fallen vampire.

By that logic, if it could devour Lu Ming... no, even a mere sample of his genes would allow it to replicate an army of beings with Lu Ming's strength!

This extraordinary ability laid out a clear and terrifying path for the Blood Flesh Mother Tree's growth.

Devour everything. Transform the weak into nourishment and the strong into warriors.

From the memories it had recently absorbed, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree learned that Lu Ming of Nanxiang City was considered invincible by the survivors.

Challenge accepted.

Day 115 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Tuesday, passed uneventfully.

But as night fell, a deafening explosion shook Nanxiang City to its core.

Even Lu Ming was roused from his slumber. He peered out the window, scanning the streets below. The gathering place seemed secure, but everyone had emerged from their homes, their faces etched with confusion and concern.

Unable to discern the source of the explosion, Lu Ming decided to return to bed.

Unbeknownst to him, Huo Sheng, within the official shelter, had been jolted awake, his body drenched in cold sweat.

"Go!" he barked, his voice frantic. "Take me to Guangping Street immediately! I need to find Mr. Lu!"

He was a far cry from his usual composed self. Panic fueled his every word until the vehicle was ready. Only then did he manage to regain some semblance of composure.

"No," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "we'll go tomorrow. Let's not disturb Mr. Lu's rest."

With a bitter smile, he added, "After all, he's all we have left."