It was already five in the afternoon on the second day when they arrived in New Sunset City.
The journey was not smooth; besides rest periods, occasional roadblocks, and damaged roads, there were also frequent zombie attacks.
There were more than a dozen battles, big and small, along the way, encountering three Advanced mutated creatures and dozens of Elementary mutated creatures. The battles weren't difficult, but they greatly increased the time spent on the road.
The car slowly drove into New Sunset City against the orange sunset. Its speed was not fast, so it didn't attract the scattered zombies wandering on the road.
Along the way, everyone looked at the dilapidated and desolate scene of the city, feeling quite emotional.
"Still no response?" Zhou Ming observed the shops on both sides of the street and suddenly asked.
"No." Qin Wumeng, beside him, continuously adjusted a box-like machine on her lap.
"I've been broadcasting on all frequencies. If Dr. Max is in New Sunset City and has signal receiving equipment, he shouldn't be without a response."
During the journey, Qin Wumeng displayed surprising technical skill, using some electronic parts scavenged along the way to assemble a signal generator and broadcast on all frequencies to search for Dr. Max.
Such actions were somewhat risky; they might attract the attention of people with ulterior motives, as the apocalypse's dangers aren't just natural disasters but also human hearts.
But they currently had no better options and were willing to try any method.
"Perhaps it's because the broadcast time is too short, and Dr. Max hasn't noticed yet," Zhou Ming comforted.
"Let's find a place to rest first. The night is not conducive to our movements. The broadcast will continue, and perhaps we'll get a response tonight."
"If there's still no response tomorrow, we'll make a big move."
Everyone understood (except perhaps Xiang Zenan) that the Main God Space's missions, having no time limit, were the biggest limitation, because it meant there were more implicit conditions forcing them to complete the mission as quickly as possible.
For example, Dr. Max might encounter an accident before they find him, leading to mission failure.
Therefore, everyone in the team (except perhaps Xiang Zenan) hoped to find Dr. Max in the shortest possible time, because various accidents could occur during their search.
"There's a hotel up ahead. It looks quite high-class. Should we go check it out?" Gong He asked from the front row.
No one had any objections, and the car drove towards it.
A few minutes later, the five checked into the hotel (zero-cost check-in).
The sky gradually darkened until the sun sank below the horizon, but the world was not completely dark. The moon was bright and stars sparse, and its cold light spilled over the world.
"The same Earth-Moon System, the same 24-hour day-night cycle, species, civilization, language, writing—almost identical to Earth. It's truly like a gift from the Creator."
Standing by the window, gazing at the quiet city enveloped in darkness and the brilliant galaxy above it, Qin Wumeng's voice was clear and melodious.
Also in the living room, Whale Shark, who was Cultivating the current propulsion on the sofa, looked up at her with a slight surprise.
"You haven't said much these past two days. You don't seem like a sentimental person, much less a fool who would pray to gods."
"Does Mr. Whale Shark think praying to gods is a foolish thing?" Qin Wumeng turned around and asked calmly.
Whale Shark's tone was firm and cold: "There has never been any savior, nor any immortal emperors. How can people who entrust their hearts to gods become the strongest in the world, how can they... surpass gods!"
"There might be gods in this world, but they are absolutely not worth my worship, not even the Main God Space, because I always firmly believe that one day I will be stronger than all of them."
"Even if their power is something you cannot comprehend, cannot imagine, and is unfathomable?" Qin Wumeng's voice carried a hint of doubt, as if she couldn't understand Whale Shark's thoughts.
"Cannot imagine?" Whale Shark chuckled, "Haven't you noticed a problem?"
"What?"
"As you said, the Main God Space's abilities are unfathomable, connecting all realms, creating things out of nothing, playing with time and space, bringing all things into existence and destroying them."
"Then, among the myriad realms, endless time and space, billions of races, and countless beings, those superior to us humans are probably not as numerous as the stars, but certainly as many as fish crossing a river."
"Why is it that everyone you see in the Main God Space is from Earth?"
"Perhaps we come from different Earths, parallel universes, different time periods, or Earth's alternate plane counterparts, but ultimately, we are all humans, and we all come from Earth."
"Why does the Main God Space not choose more powerful races, more powerful existences, but instead favors humans?"
"Why?" Qin Wumeng murmured softly, following Whale Shark's words.
"I don't know, but there's always a reason, and I will eventually find that reason." Whale Shark's tone was unwavering, confident to the point of arrogance.
"But what does this have to do with our previous topic?" Qin Wumeng was puzzled.
"You don't understand?" Whale Shark's lips curved into an arrogant smile: "Whatever the reason, it proves one thing: that we, the humans of Earth, absolutely possess a unique, irreplaceable, hidden talent."
"I firmly believe this, and I firmly believe I can unearth that hidden potential, and I, will eventually stand above the stars, looking down on everything I once had to look up to!"
Is this the unique brain circuit of a magnetic field maniac?
Qin Wumeng was both astonished by Whale Shark's extraordinary thoughts and infected by his unusually firm belief, her heart gradually surging.
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly broke out.
Their gazes instantly shifted, fixed on the direction of the sound.
It was the device Qin Wumeng had assembled on the table.
Gong He, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation nearby, and Xiang Zenan, who had just fallen asleep, also opened their eyes simultaneously. The emotions of the four instantly tensed.
Along with the rustling sound, a steady male voice emerged.
"Hiss hiss... I am Michael Joe Max. Who are you? Why are you looking for me?"
"Dr. Max!" Gong He exclaimed in surprise, almost jumping up, "We finally found you!"
"Where's Zhou Ming?"
"He said he went out for a bit."
"Quick, quick, call him back!"
...On the silent street, a figure slowly moved forward, followed by countless other figures, jumping uniformly, at least a hundred of them.
Passing through the shadow cast by a building, the moonlight once again shone on the face of the figure in front, revealing a delicate and youthful face.
It was Zhou Ming.
Following him, of course, were groups of white zombies, all recruited by Zhou Ming from this city tonight.
Although the sound of the zombies jumping was extremely faint, the combined sound of hundreds of zombies still created some commotion, continuously attracting nearby zombies.
Then, they were struck by the black light of the Corpse Refining Gu that occasionally flew from Zhou Ming's hand, joining the increasingly massive zombie army behind Zhou Ming.
"Time waits for no one," Zhou Ming sighed, repeating his work.
New Sunset City had a population of nearly a million. The initial zombie crisis turned nearly seventy percent of the population into zombies. Even now, the zombies' continuous internal consumption has caused their numbers to steadily decline.
Currently, it's questionable whether there are even two hundred thousand zombies in this city.
Of course, two hundred thousand is still not a small number, and Zhou Ming couldn't possibly refine two hundred thousand zombies; time simply wouldn't allow it.
Fortunately, he didn't need too many cannon fodder.
If Dr. Max still couldn't be found tomorrow, Zhou Ming would have to resort to other methods, including some more drastic measures.
Just a few thousand zombies would be enough to cause widespread chaos in the city. If handled well, he could even incite half the city's zombies, and then he could... Just then, the communicator hanging on Zhou Ming's ear rang.
This small device, like a Bluetooth earphone, was also kindly provided by Qin Wumeng. It had a maximum communication range of fifty kilometers and an effective communication range of thirty kilometers. Being a Main God Space product, its quality was guaranteed.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Ming answered the call.
"We've contacted Dr. Max!" Xiang Zenan's excited shout immediately came through.
The sudden news invigorated Zhou Ming, and he said, "I'll be right back!"
"So smooth..." Hanging up the communication, Zhou Ming exhaled softly.
Turning to look at the dense crowd of zombies behind him, Zhou Ming gently waved his hand, and the zombies dispersed, jumping into the buildings on both sides.
"It's almost too smooth," Zhou Ming's eyes flickered. Instead of feeling relaxed, his heart grew a few shades heavier.
Sometimes, things being too smooth isn't necessarily a good thing.
Because it often means that an unseen trap is waiting ahead, and under the influence of carelessness and relaxed vigilance, the possibility of falling into the trap becomes much greater.
Directing all his zombie subordinates to hide, Zhou Ming was about to return when his ears suddenly twitched, and he stopped in his tracks.
"Heh heh, this is truly... the big one is coming!"
Accompanying Zhou Ming's laughter, a massive figure descended from the sky, carrying the immense kinetic energy of a falling meteor, and under the acceleration of gravity, it smashed heavily onto the spot where Zhou Ming stood.
Booming... The sturdy asphalt road shattered, and huge cracks spread out in a spiderweb pattern in all directions. The enormous sound shattered some of the still-intact glass on the buildings lining the street.
Gravel flew everywhere with a whistling sound, shattered glass reflected the moonlight, sparkling as it scattered, the roar still echoed in their ears, and smoke and dust billowed, obscuring half the street.
A large pit appeared on the ground, and a five-meter-tall giant rose from the pit, letting out an excessively loud roar.
It was a monster with a grayish-white body like granite, smooth from head to tail without a single hair. Its limbs were robust, muscles bulging and ferocious, filled with violent Evil Qi and wildness.
Compared to those bizarre mutated creatures, this monster's body could be considered normal, with no unusual mutations or distortions, only incredibly terrifying physical strength.
A powerful body with strength enough to tear apart tanks, speed comparable to a sports car, and body toughness that could block bullets!
"How violent."
Zhou Ming stood on a half-collapsed balcony on the third floor of a building by the street, looking down. He drew his adamantium alloy blade, its blade reflecting the moonlight from the sky, cold and serene.