Chapter 130: An Absolute Desire for Victory-Doomsday Protocol: Catastrophe Strikes, First Move—Eliminate the Pretender(A Graceful Figure Amidst the Forest)

"I have done nothing wrong, and neither have you."

The man in the cloak offered a gentlemanly bow.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Jack, the true person in charge of Organization X, and the doctor responsible for all research concerning zombies and zombie-creatures."

"You are the one who has been doing all these despicable, harmful things!" Chen Yi’s brow furrowed, his twin blades quickly rising.

Jack chuckled dismissively, his gaze turning icy once more. "Chen Yi, you are quite capable; you know that to get things done, one must always pinch where it hurts. But do you know the saying about being too clever for one's own good?"

Chen Yi’s expression remained cold, though he understood a portion of what Jack meant. In truth, it was not just the zombies; all of them, the powered individuals, were likely mere sacrifices in this bastard's calculations. If he hadn't been reborn, he would have likely died in this life without even knowing why.

Seeing that Chen Yi had begun to piece things together, Jack sneered again. "Oh, Chen Yi, you should wake up. Out of so many people, the only reason I chose you to be a test subject was that you were smarter than the rest. If not for that, did you really think you could have qualified as a powered individual?"

"Damn you!" Chen Yaxi gritted her teeth, preparing to dash forward and kill the man. Her brother was a great hero in her eyes; how could anyone spread such nonsensical rumors about him?

At this moment, Jack became increasingly excited. *Come on, get angry! As long as you are angry, I can extract the power of a powered individual much faster!*

Watching the fervor in Jack’s eyes, Chen Yi began to sense that something was wrong. An ordinary powered person might show restraint after certain events, but this guy was different. Judging by his expressions and actions, it was clear that his behavior was erratic and driven by the intent to silence anyone who knew the truth. Yet, he and his companions were not weak—why would this guy harbor such ideas? A growing sense of unease began to weigh on Chen Yi.

Just then, the Zombie Monkey King let out a roar and charged rapidly toward Jack. Jack attacked in disgust, wanting to kill the creature. However, the Monkey King, bolstered by enhanced energy, feared nothing and continued its assault, its speed staggering.

"You!" Jack found it hard to believe. It was just a monkey, yet after becoming a zombie, it possessed such capability, while the zombie-humans he had painstakingly created were unable to resist the intense attacks.

This situation confirmed to Jack that only a lineage with powerful blood could change the future. To completely reverse the situation, Jack lunged toward Chen Yaxi. "Little girl, you must come with me!"

"In your dreams!" Chen Yi didn't hesitate, kicking the bastard away.

However, Jack wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and flashed a wicked smile once more. "Chen Yi, do you think you can protect her forever? It would be child's play for me to kill her if I wanted to. But I cannot kill her, for Chen Yaxi holds great research value for my own potential to mutate further!"

"Scum!" Chen Yi struck him with another punch before pulling Chen Yaxi back. "Yaxi does not belong to anyone. She has her own will and her own value. You are not allowed to run your mouth!"

"Heh!" Jack grew smug again. Seeing Chen Yi so furious confirmed that Chen Yaxi’s abilities were indeed special. It seemed that as long as he held this little girl, everyone else’s confidence would crumble. He ordered the zombies he had controlled with parasites, "If you want to regain your freedom, capture that flying girl for me!"

Sensing the intense malice, Chen Yi frowned. He could not afford to be careless this time. As the horde of zombies swarmed toward Chen Yaxi, Chen Yi roared and flew toward them, severing their heads in a flurry of strikes. Yet, like a centipede that continues to twitch after death, no sooner had he cut down one group than a new wave emerged from the base. It was clear that these newly cultivated zombies were far more sophisticated than the early intelligent ones.

"Boss!" Lu Kai swung his spear, cutting down zombies, but his stamina was draining fast. "What do we do now? These guys don't fear death!"

Chen Yi’s brow tightened. "Don't worry, we will find a better way."

"I don't think so!" Hu Sanhan and Sun Dawei sounded discouraged. They had faced many formidable opponents, but they had never encountered anything that feared death so little. Seeing these zombies throwing themselves forward in an endless wave, a sense of hopelessness began to spread among Hu Sanhan and the others.

Chen Yi stepped in front of them and patted their shoulders. "Enough. I know you all have your concerns, but since we’ve come this far, we must keep moving into the future!" With that, Chen Yi launched another attack.

Jack began to feel a sliver of fear. What kind of freak was Chen Yi? How could he remain fearless no matter what happened? Had he miscalculated? Did this guy truly have no weaknesses?

"What are you thinking about!" Chen Yi appeared beside Jack in an instant, causing the man to panic and grit his teeth. "Don't think you can kill me! If you strike today, Chen Yi, I will make sure there is nothing left of you!"

Jack desperately pulled out a toxic spray and released it toward Chen Yi. However, Chen Yi sneered, knocked Jack aside, and absorbed the toxin. At that moment, the "strength-in-adversity" patterns granted by his ant genes emitted a white glow, simultaneously enhancing his ability to absorb external toxins. This extra talent told Chen Yi that his chances of leading everyone to survival had just increased.

Flexing his arms, Chen Yi looked at Jack coldly. "You think you can make me submit with such pathetic tricks? Keep dreaming! If I wanted to kill you, it would take me less than a minute!"

Jack didn't believe him, but he retreated, letting a massive wave of zombies shield him from Chen Yi. "Chen Yi, we will meet again!"

Watching the bastard flee, Hu Sanhan and Lu Kai gritted their teeth. "It’s too easy for this scoundrel; I really thought he’d face justice today!"

Chen Yi laughed. "You're thinking too simply. If this guy can orchestrate everything, it shows his power is significant; how could he be so easily outmaneuvered? For now, we must do something simple: work hard to improve our strength. That is the best way to avoid him in the future."

"Will it work?" Hu Sanhan frowned, still anxious. "Boss, I’m afraid this guy will come back to haunt us!"