C8 Awakened Mutated Beast

Evolver!

At the mention of that word, excitement was unmistakable in the eyes of the four who filed out. Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Qu Chenzhao, all around eighteen or nineteen, were in the prime of their youth, their blood running hot, especially in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.

Despite their fears, they were brimming with anticipation for the unknown powers that lay ahead. The appearance of Chen Yu, a living example of what they aspired to be, set their passions ablaze.

With dreams fueling their resolve, the four eagerly agreed and hurried upstairs to coordinate the evacuation of the survivors.

As he watched them ascend, Chen Yu's expression grew stern.

The truth was, darkness was no obstacle for him; with his strength, he could easily protect them. The real reason for his concern was the faint whiff of danger he had detected moments before.

This menace wasn't a threat to him personally—it was at most a mild challenge. But for Lee Hao and the others, mere mortals, it spelled potential doom.

With the safety of the four and the other survivors in mind, Chen Yu had insisted they evacuate together.

Four hours had passed since the apocalypse began. In Chen Yu's recollection, some mutated beasts and zombies had a slim chance of undergoing an evolutionary awakening after their transformation was complete.

Should they awaken successfully, they'd possess bizarre abilities akin to those of superpowered Evolvers among humans, standing as formidable beings within their species.

These newly awakened mutated creatures would pose the greatest threat to human survivors in the early days of the apocalypse.

Chen Yu remembered that in the face of such peculiar awakened beings, some human powerhouses would typically sacrifice bait to understand the creatures' strange abilities before devising a targeted response.

But Chen Yu was not heartless. He saw great potential in Lee Hao and the others and intended to cultivate their talents.

Thus, faced with the possibility of an awakening mutated beast or zombie, it was up to Chen Yu to intervene.

Although he had not yet completed his evolution or unlocked the gene energy pathways within his body, Chen Yu, having absorbed over a hundred crystal nuclei, possessed a level of strength so formidable that he could hold his own against the high-level Evolvers of his memories.

Unleashing his full strength, Chen Yu had the power to step into the ranks of the Universe Civilization's elite, specifically the entry-level Tyrant Body Level. At this point in time on Blue Star, he was undoubtedly the strongest individual force on the planet.

Blue Star had only been experiencing the disaster transformation for a few hours. Aside from a handful of forbidden zones that could strike fear into the bravest of hearts, nothing could pose a challenge to Chen Yu.

Indeed, with each crystal nucleus he consumed, his physical fitness increased in mysterious ways. Chen Yu's once fervent desire to complete his evolution had waned. He had come to terms with the fact that, upon his return to the post-apocalyptic world, his body functioned like a black hole.

Evolution was merely a means to gain greater strength and protect those he cherished. If he could wield formidable power without evolving, there was no need to fixate on it.

In essence, the newly awakened mutated creatures couldn't threaten Chen Yu!

Moving deliberately, Chen Yu descended the stairs, tracking the ominous scent to the second floor of the apartment building.

Descending to the fifth floor, he sensed an eerie stillness. It was so quiet, not a single zombie was to be seen. As for mutated beasts, had any been present, they would have detected the presence of a living person and charged at Chen Yu by now.

The stranger the silence, the more convinced Chen Yu became of the presence of an awakened mutated creature. Such creatures, once awakened, saw a significant boost in intelligence, becoming cunning and strategic, seeking advantage and avoiding danger. Some even went so far as to submit to more powerful beings in a bid for survival.

In this post-apocalyptic world, it was common for human survivors to domesticate these awakened mutated beasts, turning them into powerful allies.

Chen Yu's face was a mask of concentration as he surveyed the second floor, but his search was fruitless. The presence he was tracking had already moved on.

"The first floor?"

Chen Yu closed his eyes, summoning his years of combat instincts to guide him. His eyes flickered, peering through the cement floor to a specific location below.

In an instant, the energy within Chen Yu swelled dramatically. Centered around him, a white streak erupted, rippling through the air.

"Hah!"

Chen Yu's right foot thundered forward in the next instant.

Boom!

Debris erupted, and a cloud of dust billowed into the air as the solid cement floor crumbled beneath the force of his stomp.

Amidst the swirling dust, Chen Yu leapt from the shattered walkway.

Aooo!

Before he could even touch the ground, a wild howl assaulted him.

Suspended in mid-air, there was no leverage to be found.

For anyone else, such an ambush would spell certain doom.

But for Chen Yu, it was trivial. A burst of mysterious energy exploded from his form, and with an uncanny twist, he faced the oncoming shadow of the beast and launched a decisive punch.

Boom!

The punch sent a visible spiral of white waves tearing through the air, sweeping the length of the corridor in a heartbeat.

Aooo!

The beast's cry rose again, this time not with ferocity but the wail of a mortally wounded creature.

Chen Yu touched down lightly, turning towards the source of the noise.

A leopard-sized tabby lay bleeding on the ground, its breaths shallow—its life hanging by a thread.

"Is that all?" Chen Yu's face showed a flicker of surprise, finding it inconceivable that the mutated cat was so feeble.

He had sensed the dangerous presence earlier and had violently made his way to the ground floor, anticipating the ambush.

Yet the feebleness of the attacker puzzled him.

Was he too strong, or was the mutated cat beast simply too weak?

"No!"

A sudden tightness gripped Chen Yu's heart, and he swiftly retreated several meters.

Where he had just stood, a shadow now loomed.

Puff, puff, puff, puff...

From within the pitch-black shadow, Chen Yu heard the hiss of projectiles slicing through the air—a seemingly benign shadow that was, in fact, a deadly trap.

Chen Yu watched the inky darkness with a cool gaze.

Across from him, the mutated cat beast that had been on death's door moments ago was now transformed.

Its fur had darkened to the shade of the shadow, with only its claws glinting ominously, and its beastly eyes flickering with an eerie glow.

This was the mutated cat beast in its true form. All the previous acts, including the feigned brink of death, were nothing but a ruse to make Chen Yu lower his guard.

It was all part of the mutated cat beast's cunning plan.

Upon seeing the beast's true form, Chen Yu's lips curled into a slight smirk as he spoke nonchalantly, "That's more like it! An awakened mutated beast couldn't possibly be that weak!"

"So, the Thorny Shadow is your awakened ability, huh?"

"Pretty average power... I've got no interest in taming trash like you! So..."

"Time to die!"

With those words, Chen Yu's figure blurred into motion again. His fists clenched, a chilling intent to kill and an overwhelming aura of menace instantly shrouded the awakened mutated cat, locking it in his sights...