014 Intelligence Update
Staring at the message in his mind, Xue Feng was clearly taken aback.
Intelligence verification successful? But those dogs haven’t mutated yet. The only one before him is You Haoyun...
Wait a minute!
Watching You Haoyun’s gaze shift from anticipation to impatience, Xue Feng suddenly understood.
So that’s what the system meant... this “rod discipline!”
And what’s more—
A single piece of intelligence could actually be verified twice!
...
An Xiaowei was also awakened by the commotion.
But with his Endurance as high as nineteen, Xue Feng was able to hold his ground against attacks from both the front and the rear, never losing the upper hand.
The struggle lasted two full hours before he finally subdued all his opponents.
“Little weaklings.”
Xue Feng looked at the two vacant-eyed figures on the bed, leisurely straightening his clothes.
He stepped out of the bedroom and immediately checked his status panel.
[Current Host Attribute Panel:]
Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Spirit: 14
Endurance: 19
Luck: 14 (+100)
Abilities: Divine Firmament (level 3), Stone Skin (level 1)
...
With the intelligence successfully verified, all of Xue Feng’s attributes had increased by two points. But the most important addition was the ability he’d just unlocked.
“Stone Skin.”
With a thought, Xue Feng activated it.
In the next moment, he watched as his exposed right arm was slowly covered by a layer of stony skin.
A defensive ability?
He quickly retrieved a dagger from his storage space.
Without hesitation, he stabbed the blade toward his arm.
There was a ringing clang, metal against stone.
Some stone fragments flew off, scattering sparks.
“With this level of defense, I can withstand most cold weapons now,” Xue Feng said, delighted.
And with the hardness of Stone Skin, he could easily resist a zombie’s claw attacks!
“The only issue is that the coverage at level one is too small—just enough to protect one forearm.”
He watched as his arm returned to normal under his control, feeling a hint of regret.
Still, he didn’t dwell on it.
Once the ability leveled up, he’d eventually become an invulnerable “man of stone.”
“Let’s go check on the dogs.”
Having verified one of his new rewards, Xue Feng felt clear-headed and exhilarated.
He walked into the yard.
He saw the eighteen dogs he’d brought back from the Wangshan Pet Shop just yesterday, spaced evenly throughout the villa’s small courtyard.
Each one stared wide-eyed, vigilantly watching the surroundings.
Clearly, they were standing guard for him.
“As expected, dogs truly are man’s best friend. Unlike certain people, who only pretend to submit while harboring ulterior motives.”
Xue Feng sighed.
Though You Haoyun had appeared to yield, he knew conquering someone completely was never so simple.
But he was in no rush.
“I have all the time in the world. I can play this slow game with you.”
Chuckling, Xue Feng didn’t linger. He took out two large boxes of food to reward the faithful dogs who had stood watch day and night.
“Hm?”
Just then, he noticed the strongest dog wasn’t eating.
“Not to your taste?”
He retrieved all sorts of food from his storage, but every time, the dog sniffed and shook its head.
Clatter—
At that moment, a mutation crystal dropped onto the ground.
At the sight of the crystal, the strongest dog’s eyes lit up. It looked at the crystal, then at Xue Feng, then back at the crystal, as if asking:
“Can I eat this?”
“Go ahead.”
Xue Feng waved with amusement, then took out a handful more crystals and tossed them into the dog’s bowl.
He still had over a hundred of these in his storage—feeding a few to the dogs was no loss.
Most importantly,
If these crystals could help the dogs mutate, the defenses of his shelter would be further strengthened!
After feeding the dogs, Xue Feng’s morning tasks were complete.
“Time to check today’s intelligence.”
[1. There is a group of survivors in the ‘Come Again’ supermarket near the Riverside Villas. They survive by winning other survivors’ trust, then poisoning or drugging them to seize their food and resources. Host, please be vigilant.]
[2. There is a researcher named Nie Xiaoyue still alive in a sewer 6,236 meters southwest. She can help the host establish a shelter, but be warned: Nie Xiaoyue is extremely strong-willed and rational. Her only weakness is her younger sister, Nie Xiaoxing.]
[3. The reason there are no people in the villa district is because a mutated creature adept at ‘concealment’ lives here. Host, remain alert at all times.]
Today’s intelligence was different.
The third piece of intel, about the “Concealed Mutant,” was highlighted in striking red and black on the system interface.
“It seems this is a particularly dangerous threat.”
Xue Feng stroked his chin. This kind of unknown danger needed to be dealt with first.
So,
After rousing An Xiaowei and You Haoyun, Xue Feng decisively headed out.
“Brother, I may not have an ability, but I’m a good shot. Leave the ordinary zombies to me.”
An Xiaowei pressed close behind Xue Feng, checking her firearm.
She’d clearly begun adapting to post-apocalyptic life.
As for You Haoyun, after her “discipline” both morning and night, she was much more obedient.
But people can wear many faces and hide their hearts.
Xue Feng didn’t fully trust her.
She was just a woman—if she proved useless or troublesome, he’d simply discard her.
Soon, the three of them cleared the villa district.
They collected a substantial amount of food and drinking water.
But the “Concealed Mutant” mentioned in the intelligence was nowhere to be found.
“Seems this mutant is clever, leaving no trace behind.”
Unable to find it, Xue Feng decided not to waste any more time.
He started up the armored vehicle and drove out of the villa district.
“Brother, where are we going?” An Xiaowei asked nervously, watching the mutants wandering the streets.
The number of mutants was clearly increasing.
Seeing the rapidly evolving zombies, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“We’re gathering supplies,” Xue Feng replied casually, driving on.
“By now, anyone still alive has adapted and is surely out collecting resources. If we don’t act fast, we’ll be the ones to starve.”
Of course, there was another crucial reason.
This trip, Xue Feng wanted to try acquiring a water purification system.
After all, with the rain tainted by blood, clean water had become truly scarce!
The armored car left the villa area and arrived at the nearest supermarket.
The moment they entered, several pairs of eyes turned toward them.
These people, even in their current disheveled state, still exuded an air of wealth—their jewelry and finery marked them as former villa residents.
“Are you survivors too?” a refined-looking man in a suit approached and greeted them.
And at that moment,
A prompt sounded in Xue Feng’s mind.
[Intelligence successfully verified. Reward: one bottle of universal antidote containing fifty pills.]