Chapter 119: Taking the Initiative

Through a back-and-forth exchange, Yi Chen essentially pieced together the situation involving the Lurker and its subordinates over the past few days.

These infected individuals, having newly gained their freedom, were initially disoriented. However, the enhancements provided by their gear and weaponry quickly turned their confusion into euphoria. With power came the right to speak. Although the Lurker was a terrifying monster, it still retained the memories of Zhang Lei, allowing it to utilize its subordinates effectively. At the very least, they no longer had to remain trapped in sealed laboratories, trembling through every grueling day.

The living people inside the hotel soon became practice targets for some of the infected. To prevent news from leaking, they sealed off the hotel’s entrances and exits, proceeding with their actions without restraint. The Hypnotist and the Puppeteer were the most unscrupulous of the group. The Puppeteer’s ability involved controlling zombies and inanimate objects; he used his own blood to infect several living people, creating zombies on-site to test his powers. The Lurker did not restrict this behavior, and Ouyang Hong wanted to intervene but lacked the means. Times had changed; given the Lurker’s commands, the fact that these infected hadn't killed him already was a stroke of good fortune.

This was not a professional research facility, and it lacked proper containment measures. The birth of these zombies signaled the beginning of a catastrophe. Soon, the virus spread as rapidly as the flu. With new zombies constantly joining the hunt, everything spiraled out of control. The living struggled and shrieked, as if they had suddenly fallen into hell with no hope of escape. The Dream Resort Hotel was transformed into a tomb for the living dead almost overnight.

Ouyang Hong had originally held onto the idea of conducting research, but he realized that staying there any longer would be dangerous. He was no fool. The Lurker intended to leave temporarily to enter seclusion for evolution; if anyone were to defy its orders and move against him during that period, it was not impossible. He concocted an excuse and requested permission from the Lurker to leave the hotel.

"Staying here all the time prevents me from keeping track of the Future Group’s movements and Yi Chen’s recent activities. As an ordinary human, it is more convenient for me to go out and gather information."

Perhaps finding merit in Ouyang Hong’s reasoning, the Lurker granted him a green light. Their goals were aligned, and given the Lurker's precarious current situation, it trusted that Ouyang Hong would not turn around and betray it at such a critical moment.

"So... those zombies are still trapped inside the hotel?" Yi Chen realized this was a grave issue. If they were to flood the streets, the city would truly be finished.

"The Lurker had me set up ice walls to seal off the hotel’s entrances and exits. Without interference from heavy firepower, the zombies shouldn't be able to get out." Xu Man felt confident in her abilities.

Yi Chen nodded. Having just fought her, he knew the thickness of those ice walls and felt slightly relieved. He had to notify the Future Group and send someone to the Dream Resort Hotel to clear out the zombies as soon as possible.

"Wait." As this thought crossed his mind, Yi Chen found it strange. As a monster, would the Lurker really care about a massive zombie outbreak in the city? Even though it possessed Zhang Lei’s memories and could think from a human perspective, there was no reason for it to issue such a specific command. Wasn't its goal to cause chaos in the city? It had come specifically to take revenge on the Future Group and make trouble for him! Could it be that it felt the timing wasn't right?

Timing...?

A flash of inspiration struck Yi Chen, and everything suddenly became clear. Whether it was the brother duo of the Hypnotist and the Puppeteer, or Xu Man and Chang Qing, they had all mentioned that the Lurker was currently undergoing evolution. It was hiding in a place no one knew about, preparing to elevate its physical state to a new level. During evolution, it would be unable to move and would enter a brief hibernation, necessitating absolute defense. During this period, it must be terrified of him showing up!

If so, the purpose of having Xu Man seal the hotel was likely not to trap the zombies, but to completely mask its own presence. Yi Chen had a deep understanding of the effects of Xu Man’s ice walls; he had suffered for it himself earlier. Besides defense, those ice walls could also interfere with sensory perception. If his guess was correct, the Lurker hadn't gone anywhere—it was still hiding in the Dream Resort Hotel!

It was skilled at blending into its environment and masking its aura. Those five infected individuals were even less capable of tracking than Yi Chen; how could they possibly know its whereabouts? With such layers of protection, it was no wonder that he and the Bobcat Legion had searched the city high and low without ever finding a trace of it.

"I think the Lurker is still in that hotel," Yi Chen said.

"That's impossible... my clairvoyance can see through walls, and I didn't see anything there a few days ago," Chang Qing shook his head.

"The hotel must have many floors. Have you checked every single one?"

Facing Yi Chen’s questioning, Chang Qing had nothing to say. The areas the infected actually frequented were not comprehensive; he, for one, had never been to places like the high-rise buffet restaurant or the underground waste disposal center. If the Lurker were hiding in such a place, it was not impossible. The most dangerous place is the safest. If it had deceived the infected and Ouyang Hong, finding a spot to evolve right under their noses while letting them believe it had left, that would be a bold and brilliant plan.

"What do you intend to do?" Xu Man asked.

"I want to take the initiative. By staying passive, I will always be one step behind," Yi Chen’s gaze was resolute. Although he couldn't be certain the Lurker was in that hotel, the probability was high, and he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. It was currently in the midst of its evolution; if he was lucky, there would be no better time to take it down!

Yi Chen then asked Xu Man and Chang Qing about his weapon, Shengxie.

"I remember that blade you mentioned," Xu Man recalled carefully. "The Lurker seemed wary of it. It tried several ways to destroy it but failed, so it eventually threw it into the waste disposal center."

"Damn it!" Hearing that his beloved blade had been relegated to a garbage dump, Yi Chen felt incredibly frustrated. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he needed to go there as soon as possible. But as urgent as he was, he had to coordinate with the others. If he truly took this step, perhaps his fated battle with the Lurker would arrive sooner than expected.

...

As twilight deepened, Yi Chen arrived at the Future Pharmaceutical headquarters with Xu Man and Chang Qing. Lacking a private vehicle, they had to take public transport, which took some time due to the detours. Because his clothes were tattered, Yi Chen was met with disdain from all sides, but fortunately, he had Future Credits on him, so the three of them were not reduced to being unable to even ride the bus.

Xu Man and Chang Qing felt a lingering fear upon returning to this place after several days. However, they were no longer the research subjects they had been in that sealed laboratory. The past felt like a nightmare, but fortunately, it was all over.

"Liang Bing’s condition is unstable. I have already given her a large blood transfusion, but she still needs observation for a while," Ling Lan said, removing her gloves with a sigh. "She fainted while we were in the vehicle."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Yi Chen was shocked. Ling Lan and the others had his number; why didn't they reach out?

"Liang Bing wouldn't let us tell you. She was afraid you would worry. This child... even while suffering so much herself, she still has the energy to think of others," Ling Lan shook her head and smiled helplessly.