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As soon as Julian got back, he went straight to find Hana and Mafuyu.
"Help me draw some blood."
"Later, give them thirteen portions… and let Asuka take some to distribute too."
"We need to strengthen the island's defenses. Immediately."
His expression was serious.
That motorcycle he'd run into earlier left him with a lingering sense of unease.
Even if the rider had just been passing by, it wasn't something he could ignore.
When he was at the base, it was fine. He wasn't worried about anyone showing up. What worried him was someone attacking while he was out.
A base this good couldn't be allowed to fall into someone else's hands.
Julian sat down in front of the large screen by the pool, turned on the computer, and started browsing while letting them draw his blood.
In a few days, the entire city would lose power. Who knew if the network would go down with it.
He decided to check the N City section. Maybe he could pick up something useful.
The moment he entered the Night Forum, a bunch of bizarre trending posts caught his eye.
[My neighbor caught a female zombie and brings her home every night. It's loud. Should I knock on the door?]
"Damn, that's… seriously messed up. People are into that now?"
"OP, when you say knock, do you mean stop him or join him?"
"From personal experience, putting a paper bag over her head makes it better."
"Bro above… what the hell…"
Julian was speechless.
What kind of people were these? Crushing on female zombies? Seriously…
There were also some relatively normal trending posts:
[Zombie Weakness Analysis: How to Kill Them More Efficiently]
[99 Ways to Use a Slide Tackle]
[New Book Release—Please Support! I Got Bit, Might Die Soon, Just Wanna See 1k First Subs Before I Go]
After scrolling for a while, one post caught his attention.
[Analysis and Discussion: Mutated Zombies and Awakened Humans]
The author was a forum mod known for posting analysis threads. Most of his previous theories had been proven right, so he had a lot of credibility.
Julian clicked in immediately.
"Stronger mutated zombies have already appeared among the infected. At the same time, awakened individuals have begun to emerge among humans."
"As mentioned in previous posts, the more humans a zombie consumes, the stronger it becomes, and the higher the chance it mutates."
"So what about awakened humans…?"
"Is it possible for them to grow stronger by consuming zombies?"
"Based on what we know so far, mutated zombies and awakened humans share many similarities. It's very possible both are affected by the zombie virus inside their bodies."
"Survivors, stay alert. The real apocalypse is only just beginning."
…
After reading the post, Julian fell into thought.
He already knew zombies got stronger by eating people.
That hooded zombie had admitted it himself.
But awakened humans eating zombies…
That was seriously hardcore.
Forget whether it worked or not, how would anyone even bring themselves to do it?
Not every zombie was like his two little followers, with smooth skin and decent looks.
If someone actually read this post and tried it…
Yeah, no. He didn't even want to picture that.
Still, thinking about it carefully, the logic wasn't completely off.
His own strength came from getting bitten and absorbing the virus through his followers.
So eating zombies…
Might actually work.
Of course, that would probably only apply to people who were already awakened. A normal person would likely just get infected and die.
And if that logic held…
Eating awakened humans might work too.
Julian continued browsing and opened the N City section.
[Don't go near the computer mall. You won't come back.]
"My roommate went there looking for a graphics card. Still hasn't returned."
"Yeah, I live nearby. I hear howling at night all the time. It's terrifying."
"Is there a boss monster in there or something?"
"According to the forum, it's probably mutated zombies."
"Damn… guess I'll stick with my old GTX 960. Not worth dying for an upgrade."
This post reminded Julian of something.
The group in the computer mall needed to be dealt with.
Compared to normal mutated zombies, they were practically an organized faction now.
Several mutated zombies, plus a pack of zombie dogs.
If they kept growing, they could end up controlling the entire old city.
And what if his people went into the city to scavenge?
That would be dangerous.
No, this couldn't wait. He had to deal with those "mall punks" as soon as possible.
More posts followed:
[Massive zombie activity near the power plant. Power outage incoming.]
[Who said there's a survivor camp in the Shixiao Elementary gym? I almost died going there.]
[Anyone got food? I'll do anything! I'm a math professor!]
And then—
[Blood Fang Camp—All survivors welcome!]
"No requirements. As long as you make it to the city museum, you're in."
"We provide safety and free food."
"What are you waiting for? Come now!"
Just a few lines, but it drew tons of replies.
"Is this real? No requirements? I'm shutting down my PC and heading out now!"
"Sounds like a scam…"
"They said no requirements. If you go empty-handed, what can they even scam from you? Your body?"
"…Good point."
"My cousin got in yesterday. He messaged me today telling me to join. Looks legit."
"Then I'm going too! What if they stop accepting people later?"
This post made Julian frown.
No requirements, instant acceptance. In a world like this?
That didn't exist.
Was the camp leader running a charity?
Did they think everyone was like Nanami Kento?
Back when Kento was running the gym camp, even he couldn't have supported two hundred people without Julian supplying food.
This Blood Fang Camp…
Something was definitely off.
Still, not his problem.
As long as it didn't affect him, they could do whatever they wanted.
"Hana, make a list of what supplies we need."
"Kento and his team are heading into the city tomorrow. If they see anything, they'll bring it back."
"Oh, and add swim trunks to the list."
Hana nodded and got to work immediately.
Mafuyu had already collected a full cup of blood and was preparing to distribute it to the girls.
"Hey, uncle, wanna play a game?"
Asuka happened to walk over.
"Huh? What's this, tomato juice?"
She leaned in and took a sip from the cup in Mafuyu's hand.
The taste…
Asuka froze for a split second.
Then she understood.
A wave of heat spread through her body.
"So hot! So hot!"
"I need to cool off in the pool!"
The sudden rush made her completely forget about gaming. She bolted toward the villa.
At night, all the villas looked pretty similar.
Without realizing it…
She ran straight into Julian's villa.
"....."