Chapter 165 Hundred-handed Zombies
The breeze kicked up some scraps of paper and fallen leaves, swirling them in the air before they landed on an abandoned luxury car with its door wide open. Inside, a skeleton sat in the driver's seat, its flesh completely devoured by some unknown force. The skull lay at its feet, its hollow eyes staring upward, as if longing for its lost body.
William scanned the area, matching it to the map in his mind to confirm his location.
The wind carried the mixed roars of zombies, a constant reminder of the danger nearby.
He had to act fast and find the person controlled by the Mind Parasite. If he didn't, the parasite would either escape or he'd be overwhelmed by the monsters it summoned.
Having been reborn once, William wasn't ready to die again.
After a brief pause, he determined the direction and sprinted off. Turning a corner, he arrived at a plaza in Hope Base.
This plaza, once boasting vast greenery, artificial hills, water features, and woods, had cost as much as five Bugatti Veyron Centenaire editions.
But now, it was ravaged by hordes of zombies. Only a patch of woods remained relatively intact; the rest was in ruins.
William had seen the Mind Parasite here before.
But now, the place was empty.
His gaze fell on the woods.
Pill tilted its head and sniffed the air, its large head pointing towards the woods, baring its teeth and growling lowly.
Drawing the Edge of the Moon, William cautiously entered the woods with Pill.
The sun tilted westward, its rays filtering through the leaves, forming lines and patches of light that shifted with the breeze.
Like all woods in the apocalypse, this place was filled with eerie silence and gloom.
From the moment he stepped into the woods, William's sense of alertness heightened, growing more intense as he ventured deeper.
This sixth sense, honed over ten years in the apocalypse, told him the place was fraught with danger. The Mind Parasite must have known he was coming and was either hiding or lying in ambush.
A golden hair on Pill's back gradually stood up, its eyes fixed in one direction, its mouth half-open, revealing sharp teeth.
Like its master, it sensed danger.
William strode forward.
Since today was destined to be a fight to the death, he might as well battle it out.
Moments later, William's stride turned into a sprint.
Pill ran beside him, barking furiously ahead.
The entire woods seemed to shake.
Turning past a dense thicket of vines, William saw a figure in black not far away.
A ghastly pale face devoid of blood, terrifying black eyes, and writhing, bamboo-like monstrous hands made the figure look like a ghost from hell.
"It's you?" William recognized immediately.
Though the face no longer resembled a human, William recognized Owen.
After a quick glance at Owen, William's attention shifted to the zombie beside him.
It was a black Magic Crystal! Level three!
William took a deep breath.
Though he knew he'd eventually face powerful mutants, he didn't expect it to happen so soon. Even more surprising was that the Mind Parasite could already control a level-three mutant.
No wonder it hadn't fled but waited here, relying on this Hundred-Handed Zombie.
"De...licious..." Owen struggled to speak, his mouth now a mass of black mist instead of human teeth.
"Shit," William sneered and launched his attack.
Without hesitation, he cast a spell.
Seal: Flame Blade slashed directly!
William's move was so sudden that even Pill didn't expect it. His master started with a finishing move, and a fiery blade flashed in the air, aiming for the Hundred-Handed Zombie's head.
William always believed battles should be decisive, not slow and probing. Since both sides aimed to kill, fewer words meant saving energy.
The Hundred-Handed Zombie didn't expect William's sudden attack either. Since the apocalypse, it had evolved rapidly and remained undefeated. No human had dared to attack it so boldly.
The tentacles behind it instantly shielded its body, forming a bud-like shape.
These tentacles, mutated from its back, were its most lethal weapons. Not only were they extremely tough but also had incredibly sharp tips, capable of stabbing, whipping, coiling, and sucking. As it evolved to higher levels, these tentacles would multiply, reaching or even exceeding a hundred.
At that point, these tentacles would become high-level weapons, making the Hundred-Handed Zombie invincible! In battles, it would be unstoppable, crushing even high-level Evolving persons!
Unfortunately, it was unlucky to face William today.
The Flame Blade, infused with Devil's Gold, slashed through the tightly packed tentacles, engulfing the Hundred-Handed Zombie in flames.
After this strike, William panted slightly. But seeing the Hundred-Handed Zombie not far away, his eyes narrowed.
It wasn't dead!
Though it looked miserable, with half of its tentacles severed and its body scorched, it wasn't dead.
This was the first time a Radiant Seal Blade Master's skill hit an enemy without killing it.
The Hundred-Handed Zombie let out a mournful wail, its remaining tentacles writhing above its head like Medusa's hair.
A level-three zombie was still a level-three zombie. Like the Corpse Ape from the Lakeside Plaza battle, these beings with black Magic Crystals had astonishing vitality!
William knew he had lost the best chance to kill it.
Even if he used Seal: Flame Blade again, it would be ineffective. A prepared level-three Hundred-Handed Zombie wouldn't let him hit it so easily again.
But William whistled lightly, half-raising his Arm shield, and charged at it like a warrior.
The tentacles whipped towards the Arm shield with a loud whoosh, producing a series of bangs. The Edge of the Moon thrust out from under the shield, aiming fiercely at the zombie's throat. In an instant, man and zombie engaged in a survival battle at close range.
A golden shadow suddenly leaped from behind William, crossing over the battling pair, and pounced on the Insectoid Beings Owen, who hadn't yet recovered from the shock!
