I STACK ATTRIBUTES IN THE APOCALYPSE -MyOwnEdit-

Day 116 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Wednesday.

During lunchtime, Huo Sheng once again paid a visit to Lu Ming.

With a single glance, Lu Ming could tell that Huo Sheng was in a dire state. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his face was etched with exhaustion.

"What happened to you?" Lu Ming asked, concerned by Huo Sheng's haggard appearance.

A wave of sorrow washed over Huo Sheng's face. "Something terrible has happened," he said, his voice heavy with grief. "The military's missiles... almost all the heavy weaponry... they've been destroyed."

Lu Ming paused for a moment, then responded nonchalantly, "Oh."

And that was it.

It was clear that Lu Ming didn't place much importance on missiles, heavy weapons, or anything of the sort. While he understood their destructive power, he simply wasn't interested in them.

Consequently, he failed to grasp the true significance of these weapons for humanity's survival.

Huo Sheng, seeing Lu Ming's indifference, sighed deeply. It seemed Lu Ming still didn't comprehend the gravity of the situation.

To emphasize the importance of missiles and heavy weapons, Huo Sheng offered a simple analogy.

"Take the Flesh Mountain, for example."

The Tier 5 Flesh Mountain was undoubtedly a terrifying foe, but the military possessed the means to neutralize it, relying on nothing but the pinnacle of human technology: thermal weapons.

"Or consider the zombie waves," Huo Sheng continued, his voice laced with urgency. "The largest wave Nanxiang faced was the one led by Sima Xiao."

A horde of hundreds of thousands of zombies was indeed a horrifying sight, but even without Lu Ming's intervention, the officials had the firepower to repel it.

"All it would take is a barrage of missiles," Huo Sheng said, his voice grim. "In other words, if we disregard collateral damage, human technology's destructive power far surpasses that of Tier 4 or even Tier 5 creatures. It's even more effective against groups."

This was why many believed the zombie apocalypse wouldn't threaten humanity's dominance over the planet. Even if they couldn't eliminate their enemies without suffering casualties, humans retained the ability to destroy their foes, along with everything around them.

Assuming they didn't care about collateral damage, it was difficult to imagine any adversary that could truly shake humanity's supremacy. But now, that trump card was gone...

"I'm not sure what's targeting us," Huo Sheng admitted, his voice heavy with worry. "Last night's attack was sudden. When I heard the explosion, I sent people to investigate, but all they found were some strange biological samples."

He handed the samples to Meng Jie for analysis and immediately sought out Lu Ming. In truth, Huo Sheng was deeply unsettled and simply wanted to see Lu Ming. He didn't expect any promises or reassurances from him, just the comfort of his presence.

As if on cue, Meng Jie entered the dining room, interrupting their conversation.

"I analyzed the samples you brought," she announced, sitting beside Huo Sheng, "and discovered something interesting. Some of them belong to the Blackbird."

Among the samples Huo Sheng had brought was a charred claw from a Blackbird.

"And the day before yesterday," Meng Jie continued, "Mr. Lu hunted a monster that resembled the Black Bird, but with a human head."

"I compared the two samples," she revealed, her voice filled with excitement, "and discovered that their genes are identical!"

Huo Sheng's brow furrowed in concentration, while Lu Ming, mid-bite, looked at Meng Jie curiously. "So you're saying the culprit who destroyed the missiles was this humanoid Black Bird?" he inquired.

Meng Jie nodded, then shook her head. "The claw Huo Sheng brought back does indeed belong to a Black Bird with a human head, not a regular one."

"But the crucial point isn't that," she emphasized. "The genes of the two humanoid Black Birds are exactly the same... there's no difference whatsoever!"

Lu Ming didn't quite grasp the significance of this revelation, but Huo Sheng understood its implications all too well.

"Genetically speaking," Huo Sheng explained, "no two creatures in the world are completely identical."

"Even identical twins might be remarkably similar on a genetic level," he continued, "but there are always subtle differences in the expression of their somatic cells or genes."

The science behind it was somewhat complex, and seeing Lu Ming's disinterest, Huo Sheng summarized the key point.

"Even with cloning technology, which can create a genetically identical copy of a subject, differences can still be found at the genetic and cellular levels due to variations in the postnatal environment."

"That's why I say there are no two genetically identical creatures in the world," he concluded.

Before Lu Ming could fully process this information, Meng Jie continued, her voice filled with a scientist's fascination. "Based on my comparison of the two humanoid Black Birds, they are completely identical, even at the cellular level."

"It's not a matter of identical twins," she explained, her eyes wide with wonder. "They are exactly the same, like two identical products rolling off an assembly line."

Lu Ming remained perplexed, but Huo Sheng was visibly disturbed.

After a long silence, Huo Sheng and Meng Jie exchanged a look, and Huo Sheng finally spoke, his voice heavy with apprehension. "This could mean that a super monster capable of mass-producing Level 4 creatures has appeared in Nanxiang..."

A Level 4 production line!?

The thought sent a chill down Huo Sheng's spine.

As Huo Sheng and Lu Ming continued their conversation, three Tier 5 humanoid monsters silently emerged from the shadows outside Good Hope Village.

They stared at the peaceful settlement in the distance, their faces devoid of emotion. The Mother Tree's command echoed in their minds: capture Lu Ming! Or, at the very least, obtain a sample of his DNA.

The Blood Flesh Mother Tree was not one to procrastinate.

The black mist was rapidly encroaching, and Linhai County, situated away from the city center, had little time left before it was engulfed.

After prioritizing the destruction of the most threatening firearms, the Mother Tree dispatched its subordinates to capture Lu Ming by the following day at noon.

Obtaining Lu Ming's genetic material would allow the Blood Flesh Mother Tree to create an army of "Lu Mings," significantly boosting its forces and accelerating its plans.

Everything seemed to be proceeding flawlessly. At this point, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree couldn't foresee any obstacles in its path.

In its excitement, one of the humanoid monsters inadvertently voiced the Mother Tree's inner thoughts, "I shall savor the fruits of victory!"

As soon as the words were spoken, bat-like wings sprouted from the backs of the three humanoid monsters, and they took to the skies, flying directly towards the Guangping Street gathering place.

Inside the dining room, Lu Ming and the others were interrupted mid-conversation by the ringing of a bell from outside.

Three rings.

Enemy attack!

Lu Ming calmly wiped his mouth, stood up, and left the kitchen, followed closely by Huo Sheng and Meng Jie.

Upon exiting the kitchen, Lu Ming saw the three winged, human-headed creatures descending from above, landing gracefully on a street within the gathering place.

The Awakened individuals stationed there immediately took up defensive positions, surrounding the newcomers.

The three creatures remained expressionless, their gazes scanning the crowd before settling on Lu Ming.

One of them spoke, its voice flat and emotionless, "You must be Lu Ming. Come with us. The Mother Tree wishes to meet you."