Chapter 122: The Giant

Fan Li crouched down, picking up a bit of dark red concrete and bringing it to his nose. The scent of fresh blood. The ground was even slightly damp; evidently, this prey had died not long ago.

In recent days, Fan Li had encountered some survivors who, like himself, had banded together to form small groups. Unlike him, who possessed the Monster Manual and preferred to explore alone, solitary survivors had become increasingly rare since the apocalypse began.

This bloodstain likely marked a place where a team, while exploring, had been ambushed.

Suddenly, Fan Li heard a sound and turned to see three figures emerging on a distant building. They were thin, but their heads were unusually large, resembling skinned wild dogs with bulging, bloodshot eyes that had long obscured the whites.

Though humanoid, they moved on all fours like hunting dogs, sniffing the surroundings.

A chilling cackle echoed from farther away—an unnatural roar unlike any ordinary zombie. Several zombies, as if summoned, charged toward the source of the sound with alarming speed, vanishing before Fan Li’s eyes.

This reminded him of the Bounders he had encountered earlier—zombies stronger than usual but weaker than the mutated variants.

Humanoid zombies were not the only form; during these weeks of mutation, some zombies underwent changes, becoming more destructive than common ones.

Zombies traditionally relied on numbers due to their stiff limbs, but these four-legged creatures sacrificed upright form for speed.

What did the call mean? Had their companions spotted new prey?

The world was brutal and dark. Fan Li couldn’t extend his reach across the entire county. As an adult, he wouldn’t rush into a potentially tragic crime scene simply on suspicion. He focused on his own tasks. If he encountered someone in need, he would lend a hand, but recklessly risking himself for justice was irresponsible.

His destination this time was the hospital.

Mutations, monsters, and heresies intertwined like a heavy stone pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. He needed to grow stronger to face the dangers lurking at every moment.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, he took a shortcut, and soon a dilapidated hospital appeared before him.

The building, barely constructed not long ago, looked as if it had been forcibly demolished, with debris and broken bricks scattered everywhere.

No zombies wandered nearby. Judging by his experience, a powerful zombie was surely hiding inside this hospital.

Fan Li let Ellie go ahead, then took a crucifix from his collar and a small vial of blood from his pocket.

When he encountered the Obsession textbook, its mental assault had caused his nose to bleed, so he had prepared by collecting this vial in advance.

Taking a step forward, Fan Li suddenly felt his mind falter. The hospital before him seemed to transform into the gaping jaws of a ferocious beast, radiating a deadly aura.

Through countless battles, Fan Li had developed an instinct for sensing danger. This time, the threat felt different, more ominous.

Ellie looked back, baring her teeth, urging him to hurry.

The little creature dispelled the unnecessary doubts in Fan Li’s mind. He followed, and upon entering the hospital, he sensed something abnormal again.

It was too quiet.

Like a mortuary deep within, silence reigned so utterly that even the leaves on the trees no longer rustled, as if life itself was on the verge of death.

Fan Li drew a deep breath, forcing himself to adapt to the oppressive stillness. Inside the hospital, various debris lay scattered. What was once a bustling place was now devoid of any survivors.

At that moment, a noise echoed nearby:

Bang!

Bang!

Heavy footsteps, as if gravity itself pressed down on the floor.

Fan Li didn’t rush to respond but listened carefully for two seconds, then spotted a massive figure rounding a distant corner.

“Arms dangled from it, each holding human legs, as if a magnet attracting countless severed limbs to form a colossal body!”

This was Liu Hao’s earlier description.

But words could never capture the shock of seeing it firsthand.

The monster before him stood about three meters tall, pale as if soaked in formalin, its body adorned with all manner of human remains—small arms, thick thighs—with eyes growing everywhere, blinking and gazing at Fan Li.

Most terrifyingly, its lips were formed by two merged thighs, and from its head hung a tangle of arms and legs like hair, swaying freely.

This grotesque appearance gave it a strangely feminine aura.

It seemed to be searching for prey, some of its eyes fixated on Ellie, while the majority focused on Fan Li.

A cold breeze brushed his neck, causing every hair to stand on end.

Ellie’s mouth split open, revealing stark white teeth as she let out an angry roar at the monster.

“Come!”

Fan Li shouted simultaneously.

With their deep bond, Ellie immediately turned and sprinted toward him. Fan Li then dripped the blood from the vial onto the crucifix.

At that moment, the monster locked onto its target, leaning forward. The mouths attached to its body opened, emitting chaotic, incomprehensible noises.

Though bulky, its speed was startling as it closed in on Fan Li.

Just then, a black mist slowly materialized ahead.

Boom!

A muffled sound.

A strong body barred Fan Li’s path. The Butcher had been struck but suffered no real damage. Its body, honed through countless battles, could withstand the monster’s charge; terrifying as it was, the creature could not break through its defense in a single impact.

The Butcher faced forward, its muscles swelling even more, growing taller by over ten centimeters. Its entire body trembled violently like a fermenting tumor.

The half-meter safe zone—it had finally found a true enemy!

Everything happened in an instant. The Butcher, crowned with a triangular iron headband, charged fiercely forward!