NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 122
That night, under the cloak of darkness, the humanoid monsters embarked on their mission once more. They moved with stealth and precision, arriving at the outskirts of the Guangping Street gathering place at 2 a.m., a time when most humans were deep in slumber.
This time, the Mother Tree had deployed a Special Operations Squad, equipped with a secret weapon: a humanoid monster with the power of Mass Invisibility.
This newfound ability opened up a world of possibilities. Despite the vigilant guards and bright lights of the Guangping Street gathering place, they couldn't defend against this silent and spectral invasion.
The humanoid monsters infiltrated the area undetected, reaching the vicinity of Lu Ming's house without raising any alarms.
Just as the Mother Tree was about to issue the order for a full-scale assault, all the humanoid monsters felt a sudden, sickening lurch. Their bodies plummeted towards the ground, caught in an unseen force.
From a nearby house, Zhang Chengcheng peered out the window, her right hand outstretched. She had activated her gravity field, amplifying it to its maximum strength.
Before the humanoid monsters could react, the second-story window of Lu Ming's house flew open.
"I knew it!" Lu Ming growled, his voice thick with frustration. "I knew you'd come back!"
He had anticipated their persistence. Though he didn't fully understand their motives, after enduring their intrusions at noon and in the afternoon, a nocturnal visit wasn't surprising.
In preparation for their return, Lu Ming had only slept for a short while that night. The sound of the human-headed monsters' wings beating the air had roused him from his slumber.
Invisibility?
A clever tactic, indeed.
But it failed to account for airflow and sound... Lu Ming had ears!
A sleepless night filled with pent-up rage had ignited a burning fury in Lu Ming's eyes. At 25, he was past the age of pulling all-nighters without consequence. These creatures were disrupting his life, his carefully planned routines.
How was he supposed to function on such little sleep? How could he recover and prepare for the next day's challenges?
Leaping from his window, Lu Ming landed before the invisible monsters. With a swift slash of his sword, he dispatched the invisible one, who, unlike its companions, lacked the ability to self-heal.
As the invisibility spell dissipated, Lu Ming didn't hesitate. He swung his sword again and again, the familiar scene of carnage repeating itself.
This time, however, Lu Ming had learned from his previous encounter. To prevent the remaining monsters from escaping, he called upon Zhang Chengcheng.
There was no need for her to fight. Her Gravity superpower was more than enough to ground the fleeing creatures.
Zhang Chengcheng performed admirably, holding the monsters captive as Lu Ming continued his relentless assault.
By dawn, all the humanoid monsters in the gathering place had been eliminated. Several houses were overturned, and some farmland lay in ruins, but thankfully, there were no casualties among the survivors.
Despite his victory, Lu Ming felt no sense of triumph as he stood in the morning light, gazing in the direction from which the monsters had come. Zhang Chengcheng, Wang Xiong, Huo Sheng, and the others joined him, their faces etched with concern.
"This won't do," Lu Ming declared, his voice heavy with determination.
Lu Ming's voice was firm, his resolve unwavering.
The others listened in silence, their eyes fixed on him.
"These creatures are insignificant," Lu Ming continued, "mere products of an assembly line. The real threat is the factory that produces them."
"I don't understand why that thing keeps pestering me," he admitted, a hint of frustration in his voice. "But there's a saying – a thief can last a thousand days, but there's no defense against a thief for a thousand days."
If there was one wave of monsters today, there would be another tomorrow, and likely another the day after that. This constant harassment was unsustainable.
Was Lu Ming ever going to get a good night's sleep again?
The threat posed by the monster factory was now undeniable, leaving Lu Ming with no choice but to take decisive action.
"Prepare the car," he instructed Wang Xiong. "I need to go out."
Lu Ming returned to his house to gather supplies for his journey, a sense of urgency weighing heavily upon him.
If possible, he would have preferred to stay within the safety of his home. However, the current situation demanded his intervention, and the stakes were even higher than before.
The previous two excursions had been for supplies, but this time, he was venturing out for the sake of his own survival.
"Weapons, water, food," Lu Ming recited, mentally checking off the essentials for his journey. Then, a crucial item came to mind.
"And... zombie crystals!"
Yes, zombie crystals were a necessity as well. Lu Ming had no way of knowing what challenges lay ahead. Could he, with his current strength, overcome the monstrous assembly line? The zombie crystals were his insurance, a last resort in case the situation turned dire.
If things took a turn for the worse, he would level up immediately, doubling his physical prowess and awakening his superpower in one fell swoop. He was confident that with such a boost, he could handle any threat the monster factory threw his way.
Of course, if he could avoid leveling up, he would. Each advancement delayed his daily attribute farming routine.
It was all about weighing the risks and rewards.
With his preparations complete, Lu Ming sat on the edge of his bed and opened his attribute panel, his eyes scanning the familiar rows of data.
Name: Lu Ming
Level: Mortal Realm, Level 1
Strength: 753.1
Physique: 764.4
Agility: 753.6
Free Attribute Points: 35
Superpower: Awakening in progress…
Skills:
- Fitness Lv25 (1900/2500)
- Slingshot Lv31 (268/3100)
- Archery Lv26 (487/2600)
- Firearms Lv25 (1330/2500)
- Hand-to-hand Combat LV30 (658/3000)
- Cold Weapon Combat LV30 (652/3000)
- Basic Spearmanship Lv25 (210/2500)
- Throw Lv7 (60/1700)
- Basic Sword Technique Lv19 (1500/1900)
- Basic Staff Technique Lv5 (100/1500)
Stance Techniques: - Tiger Steps Stance Lv7 (0/1700)
- Resistance Stance Lv8 (0/1800)
Origin Skill:
- Basic Breathing Technique (Entry) (1/100)
After carefully allocating all 35 free attribute points, Lu Ming's basic attributes transformed:
- Strength: 763.1
- Physique: 774.4
- Agility: 768.6
- Free Attribute Points: 0
Everything was in place.
With a determined glint in his eyes, Lu Ming slung his backpack over his shoulder, pushed open the door, and strode out into the uncertain night.
Day 117 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Thursday.
The day began without the usual morning exercise. Instead, they embarked on a journey at the crack of dawn, following the route the humanoid monsters had flown, searching for clues.
Inside the vehicle, Lu Ming hastily consumed some jerky to replenish his energy, ensuring he wouldn't suffer a sudden energy crash during battle. Afterward, he closed his eyes and rested.
Meanwhile, Zhang Chengcheng, Huo Sheng, and the others couldn't help but peer out the window, their curiosity piqued. Huo Sheng accompanied the team, alongside the Black Mist Exploration Team led by Bai Tianyu and Duan Mei.
After an hour of travel, they hadn't encountered a single zombie, as if they had vanished from the city.
Suddenly, Huo Sheng spoke, breaking the silence. "Stop the vehicle."
The convoy halted, and Huo Sheng whispered instructions to Bai Tianyu, who promptly led two team members in a different direction.
Thirty minutes later, Bai Tianyu returned, whispering his findings to Huo Sheng. A new command was issued: "Southeast."
The convoy resumed its journey. Within ten minutes, they spotted groups of zombies in the distance, all heading towards Linhai County.
Lu Ming opened his eyes, his gaze drawn to the figure leading the zombie horde. It possessed the body of a Tank but the head of a child.
"A Head Monster," Lu Ming muttered, his observation confirmed by Huo Sheng's nod.
"Yes," Huo Sheng agreed. "That humanoid monster is leading the zombies to a specific location."
Given the presence of several Awakened individuals in the convoy, it should have attracted a zombie wave. However, even though they were merely a few hundred meters away from the horde, the zombies remained uninterested.
This was a significant clue.
"Follow them," Huo Sheng ordered. "Their destination is our destination."