NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 175
One of Lu Ming's greatest frustrations and concerns was the constant stream of adversaries he had to face, ranging from the young to the old.
The incident with the Black Feather Tribe was a prime example. Although they didn't cause further trouble after that, they still lingered as a potential threat.
And now, these zombies...
Two months ago, Lu Ming had eliminated Yamamoto Yuichiro. At the time, he hadn't given it much thought, but now, with the sudden appearance of another zombie, Lu Ming connected the two events.
Something was amiss...
"Why aren't you as strong as the previous one?" he questioned, referring to Yamamoto Yuichiro.
Shin Kanazawa's attacks hadn't even scratched his Origin Power Armor. They seemed almost laughably weak.
Unexpectedly, Lu Ming's words struck a nerve with Shin Kanazawa, wounding its fragile ego.
As an otaku from before the apocalypse, it had immersed itself in the world of anime day and night.
After embarking on the path of devouring, the suppressed ambitions in its heart had erupted like a volcano!
It was not inferior to others!
Angry flames roared and surged higher.
Fury seemed to fuel Shin Kanazawa's strength, causing its body to grow larger once again. It reached a towering height of three meters, and the flames on its body burned with renewed ferocity.
"Then what about now?!" it roared, its voice filled with rage and a thirst for revenge.
With a wild roar, Shin Kanazawa lunged again, its Flame Demon Claw aimed directly at Lu Ming's chest!
However, the result was no different than before...
Lu Ming's Current Attributes (Status; Self-Limitation State):
- Strength: 31984.5
- Physique: 31984.4
- Agility: 33795.2
- Free Attribute Points: 16358
This level of strength far surpassed that of a Level 2 Physique Realm expert.
Combined with his Perfect-Level Origin Power Armor, Lu Ming possessed astonishing defensive capabilities.
This rendered the Level 2 Physique Realm Shin Kanazawa utterly powerless against him.
A deeper analysis of the data would likely reveal the following:
[Shin Kanazawa used its ultimate move, the Flame Demon Claw.]
[The attack connected.]
[Lu Ming's HP -0.]
His defense remained unbroken.
Like a bucket of cold water had been poured over its head, Shin Kanazawa stared at the unfazed Lu Ming before it.
"What a monster..." it muttered in disbelief.
In the next second, a devastating punch hammered down on top of Shin Kanazawa's head.
With a sickening crunch, its head exploded like an overripe melon.
Location: Distant Mountain Forest
With Shin Kanazawa's demise, a wisp of dark red flame flickered into existence beside Yamanaka Hitomi.
The flames twisted and warped, forming bones, sinews, and muscles.
Soon, a naked Shin Kanazawa reappeared beside Yamanaka Hitomi.
"Very strong," it said, assessing Lu Ming's power. Then, it turned to its companions. "I'm no match for him."
Fortunately, it wasn't fighting alone.
Before arriving in the Black Mist Zone, Yamamoto Yuichiro and the other three hadn't interacted. However, after joining the Blood Flame Sect, the Undead Clan's higher-ups had decided to form them into a combat team to prepare for the upcoming Heavenly Ascension Test.
This decision revealed a key insight:
The abilities of the four zombies complemented each other to a certain extent.
Was Lu Ming powerful?
"Very strong."
Two months ago, Yamamoto Yuichiro had sought out trouble with Lu Ming, only to be slain by him.
This alone was enough to prove Lu Ming's formidable strength.
If it were any of the four zombies individually, they wouldn't dare to provoke Lu Ming.
However, now that the four of them were present, the dynamics of the situation had shifted.
Shin Kanazawa spoke urgently. "My flame regeneration ability is on cooldown. I won't be able to revive for a month. If I engage in combat with that human again, I'll be killed easily. Therefore, I'll have to rely on all of you for the rest of the battle."
With that, Shin Kanazawa opened its mouth and exhaled a murky stream of air.
The air coalesced into a grayish cloud in front of it, slowly drifting towards Yamanaka Hitomi.
"This is Lu Ming's aura. My mission is complete."
In this four-member combat team, Shin Kanazawa served as the vanguard.
With its regenerative ability, it could freely explore the nature of the enemy's abilities and collect their aura through direct contact.
Furthermore, this aura could be utilized by Yamanaka Hitomi.
Yamanaka Hitomi reached out and grasped Lu Ming's aura.
In an instant, her form began to transform.
Her original appearance, that of a delicate Japanese girl, gave way to her true form as she entered battle mode.
A pungent odor emanated from Yamanaka Hitomi.
Her skin and flesh visibly aged and decayed, pus and boils erupted on her exposed skin, and her once silky hair became dry and yellow.
In the blink of an eye, the beautiful Yamanaka Hitomi had become an old, decrepit zombie.
"Everyone!!" she rasped, her voice raspy and distorted.
A nightmarish moan escaped from Yamanaka Hitomi's mouth as she tilted her head back and consumed Lu Ming's aura.
Yamanaka Hitomi, a zombie at Level 1 of the Physique Realm, was the weakest among the four.
However, her ability was unique—she could curse enemies remotely through their aura.
This curse was incredibly potent and devastating, aptly named the "Five Decays of a Celestial Being."
In the next moment, Yamanaka Hitomi activated her ability!
Witnessing Yamanaka Hitomi's trembling form and the intensifying putrid smell, a sinister smile spread across Yamamoto Yuichiro's face.
Yamamoto Yuichiro, at Level 4 of the Physique Realm, possessed the Destructive Death Ray, capable of shattering anything and even harming Level 9 Physique Realm experts.
He was also the spearhead of their quartet.
At this moment, Yamamoto Yuichiro couldn't help but indulge in a fantasy.
He imagined that in an hour or less, Lu Ming's entire body would fester and weaken, his combat strength greatly diminished.
Then, he would deliver the finishing blow with his Destructive Death Ray, an attack that never missed its mark.
The flesh and blood of such a powerful adversary would grant Yamamoto Yuichiro newfound strength.
He yearned for the transformation ability Lu Ming possessed, a power that could propel him to even greater heights.
Lost in his reverie, Yamamoto Yuichiro was startled by Hachima An's distant cry.
"Watch out behind you!!"
The sudden warning snapped Yamamoto Yuichiro back to reality. Before he could fully grasp the situation, a sharp pain erupted in his head.
In the next second, he knew nothing more...
A hush fell over the scene.
All eyes turned towards Yamamoto Yuichiro.
He had become a headless corpse, his head utterly obliterated.
The perpetrator stood behind Yamamoto Yuichiro.
He was about 1.8 meters tall, with striking features and a handsome face, though it always seemed to hold a stoic expression.
It was Lu Ming!
Lu Ming had launched a surprise attack on Yamamoto Yuichiro, catching him completely off guard. The zombie tragically perished under a human form that couldn't even fully unleash its power!
After a brief silence, Hachima An exclaimed in disbelief, "You launched a sneak attack?!"
The statement was indeed odd.
Who said Lu Ming couldn't resort to a sneak attack?
What surprised Hachima An even more was the utter silence of Lu Ming's movements. He hadn't sensed Lu Ming's aura at all. This was, in fact, a characteristic of Lu Ming's Self-Limitation State, a detail unnecessary to explain to the zombies.
Lu Ming gritted his teeth, glaring at the group of zombies before him.
He spoke with barely contained anger, "I knew it!"
"I knew you disgusting creatures wouldn't leave me alone!"
Just moments ago, Lu Ming had been puzzled by Shin Kanazawa's relatively weak strength compared to Yamamoto Yuichiro. It didn't align with the usual pattern of younger individuals challenging their elders.
This heightened Lu Ming's caution. He had activated his perception to its fullest, successfully pinpointing the location of these zombies.
He had no intention of passively reacting to their every move.
If you want to lure me into a trap, I'll lure you first! He thought to himself. There's nothing wrong with that!
Coincidentally, as Lu Ming stealthily approached, he instantly recognized the creature that had cost him an arm in their previous encounter. This creature posed a significant threat to Lu Ming.
He decided to eliminate it swiftly with a Perfect-Level Exploding Fist.