Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

A foul stench permeated the air.

Shen Xi suppressed the churning in his stomach and placed the golden nanmu wood box next to the stone platform. The heavy feeling in his hand told him that the contents of the box were extraordinary, but now was not the time to open it.

His gaze returned to the two rotting corpses.

Let's go check out the big one first.

Shen Xi strode towards the iron pillar. The heavy chains gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the dim light; each link was as thick as a thumb and covered with intricate runes. The runes glowed faintly, clearly enhanced by a secret technique of the Witch Clan, specifically designed to trap inhuman beings like corpses.

The figure bound to the iron pillar was a head taller than an average human, at least two meters tall. Its entire body was covered in dark gray bone armor, each piece the size of a palm, with edges as sharp as knives. Its head hung low, its disheveled hair obscuring most of its face, revealing only a single scarlet eye.

That eye was fixed on Shen Xi.

It lacked the murky and frenzied quality of ordinary rotting corpses, instead possessing a... how to put it, a calmness like that of a wild beast scrutinizing its prey.

Shen Xi walked three steps in front of it and stopped.

Gain insight into all things, and unlock the secrets.

Golden light shimmered in his eyes, and rows of information panels appeared before him.

[Rotting Corpse - Dark Armor Guardian (Level 10 Normal)]

Strength: 78, Spirit: 35, Agility: 42, Constitution: 85

[Talent: Bone Armor Enhancement (Silver Grade) - Bone Armor Defense +50%]

[Skills: Claw Strike, Bite, Charge]

Weaknesses: Head, neck, joint gaps

Shen Xi frowned.

Level 10 (Normal)?

Its attributes, talents, and skills are utterly ordinary. It's not even comparable to the elites, leaders, and lords he'd killed before; even a random mutant pulled from a horde of zombies is stronger.

Why would that old man keep such a useless animal?

Shen Xi took another half step forward, getting a little closer. Through that messy hair, he finally saw the face clearly.

Then, he froze.

That face bore a resemblance to Gu Zhengxiong.

The same square face, the same thick eyebrows and big eyes, even the position of the mole at the corner of the mouth was exactly the same. It's just that this face looks younger, like he's in his early forties, while Gu Zhengxiong was already over fifty when he died.

A thought suddenly flashed through Shen Xi's mind.

Gu Zhengxiong's younger brother? Gu Tianxin's second son?

He remembered hearing a rumor in his previous life. The Gu family had a second young master who disappeared on the first day of the apocalypse. Some said he was bitten to death by rotting corpses, some said he was trapped in a dungeon and couldn't get out, and others said the Gu family had been offering a high reward for a potion that could turn rotting corpses back into humans.

At the time, he thought it was just a rumor, but now it seems that the rumor was true.

This second young master of the Gu family has indeed turned into a rotting corpse.

Moreover, he was imprisoned here by that old monster Gu Changsheng, bound with chains, suppressed with the secret techniques of the Witch Clan, and raised like an animal.

"I see……"

Shen Xi murmured, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

No wonder the Gu family could get involved with rotting corpses.

Shen Xi stared at the rotting corpse bound by chains, a cold killing intent flashing in her eyes.

But the killing intent vanished the next second.

Not urgent.

Let's look at the smaller one first.

Shen Xi turned around and walked deeper into the cabin.

The darkness grew thicker, and the golden light of the Eye of Truth flowed in his pupils. His gaze pierced through layers of darkness, locking onto the iron cage in the corner.

The iron cage was small, only about a meter square, and was welded together from iron bars about the thickness of a thumb. Each iron bar was covered with densely packed runes, which glowed faintly in the darkness, completely isolating the space inside the iron cage from the outside world.

Inside the iron cage, a small, thin figure was huddled up.

It huddled in the innermost corner of the iron cage, its back to Shen Xi, motionless. If it weren't for the penetrating vision of the Eye of Truth, Shen Xi wouldn't have even noticed its presence. Its aura was so faint, so faint, that it didn't even trigger the alert system.

Shen Xi walked to the iron cage and squatted down.

He finally saw the full appearance of the rotting corpse.

It was a child.

No, it should be said that it was a child turned into a rotting corpse.

It was less than 80 centimeters tall, extremely thin, and its skin was an eerie bluish-white, almost translucent, with dense veins clearly visible beneath. It wore a tattered little garment, its original color unrecognizable, soaked in black blood and filth, emitting a strong stench of decay.

Its head was the only part that was relatively normal.

A small head, messy hair, tightly closed eyes, and slightly parted lips. If it weren't for the unusual skin color, it would look like a sleeping child.

But its body...

Shen Xi's gaze moved down from its head, her pupils contracting slightly.

The body of this little rotting corpse, from the neck down, has been completely modified.

It wasn't a normal mutation of a decaying corpse, but some kind of artificial modification.

Its spine had been replaced with some kind of silvery-white metal. Not inlaid, but replaced. The entire spine, from the cervical vertebrae to the coccyx, had been removed and replaced with that kind of metallic skeleton that gleamed with an eerie light. At the junction of the metallic skeleton and the flesh, there were countless fine runes, which glowed faintly in the darkness, clearly still in operation.

Four of its ribs had been removed. Not broken, but deliberately taken away. The chest cavity was empty, and without the protection of a row of ribs, the heart and lungs were almost directly exposed under the skin. Through the translucent skin, Shen Xi could clearly see the small heart beating slowly, each beat accompanied by a flash of dark red light.

Its limbs were infused with some kind of black liquid. The liquid wasn't injected into the muscles, but directly into the bones. Through the translucent skin and muscles, Shen Xi could see that its arm and leg bones had an eerie black color; the black wasn't dyed on, but rather seeped from within the bones.

Its fingertips were embedded with countless silver needles as thin as hair. Each needle pierced beneath the fingernail, extending along the finger's bone all the way to the wrist. Ten fingers, ten silver needles, gleaming with a chilling light in the darkness.

And its feet, its shoulders, its knees, every single joint...

They've all been modified.

Shen Xi's lips twitched slightly.

"What the hell is this monster...?"

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

No wonder that old bastard Gu Changsheng called this little corpse "Jun". It's not because of its current strength, but because it has the potential to grow into a true monarch.

Gu Changsheng spent countless years of painstaking effort, using the essence of hundreds of rotting corpses, a few drops of spiritual liquid as catalyst, and the modification of the Witch Clan's secret techniques to transform an ordinary child corpse into this near-perfect killing machine.

Shen Xi stared at the small, decaying corpse, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

This little corpse didn't react at all after seeing Shen Xi. Unlike the other corpses that screamed and attacked randomly, it just quietly curled up in the corner, not even glancing at Shen Xi.

That posture wasn't one of fear or indifference, but rather...

ignore.

Utterly ignored.

Shen Xi frowned.

This isn't right.

Even a level 10 ordinary corpse like that large rotting corpse would keep an eye on him and be wary of him. This small rotting corpse, which Gu Changsheng called "Lord," and which he had poured so much effort into, how could it be inferior to him?

unless……

Shen Xi's eyes sharpened, and he activated his full power to perceive all phenomena.

Golden light swirled wildly in his pupils. He was no longer just passively receiving information, but actively probing, pushing the analytical capabilities of his Eye of Truth to their limit.

A densely packed information panel unfolded before Shen Xi's eyes like a tidal wave.

【Corpse Rot - Shadow Corpse (Level 14 Gold - Modified)】

Strength: 68, Spirit: 105, Agility: 92, Constitution: 58

【Talent 1: Shadow Body (Legendary - Passive)】

[Effect 1: Flexibility - Extremely flexible body, capable of performing various difficult movements, including but not limited to skeletal misalignment, joint reversal, and body folding.]

[Effect 2: Mimicry - Can control every inch of the body's muscles, bones, and skin, changing appearance, body shape, and skin color within a small range to simulate any human form.]

[Effect 3: Silent Movement - Completely silent during movement; heart rate, breathing, and body temperature can be reduced to their lowest possible levels, significantly reducing presence and making the user difficult to detect with perception-based skills.]

[Effect 4: Focused Power - Allows you to concentrate all your strength into a single point and unleash a burst of 300% instant damage, but there will be a brief power vacuum period after the burst (approximately 0.5 seconds).]

【Talent 2: Puppet Body (Epic, Passive)】

[Effect: The body is completely transformed by the secret arts of the Witch Clan, granting perfect control over every organ. Metabolic rate is reduced by 90%, eliminating the need for food, water, or respiration. Immune to all instant-death effects and most control skills. Can actively sever pain receptors, ignoring any pain and continuing to fight.]

【Talent 3: Child of the Night (Epic, Passive)】

[Effect: When in darkness or shadow, all attributes +30%, movement speed +50%, critical hit rate +20%. Perception range increased to 200 meters, allowing the perception of body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing of all living beings.]

[Skill 1: Shadow Strike (Gold-tier, Active) – Vanish into the shadows, instantly teleporting to any shadowy location within 30 meters. Upon reappearing, launch a sneak attack, dealing 250% damage. If the target is in an "unaware" state, it will always be a critical hit. Cooldown: 12 seconds.]

[Skill 2: Silent Strangulation (Gold Tier, Active) – Approach the target from behind and execute a strangulation attack before the target is alerted, dealing 200% damage and inflicting the "Suffocation" effect (the target loses 5% of their maximum health per second for 5 seconds, during which time they cannot use skills). If the target is successfully killed, all skill cooldowns are reset. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]

[Description: An ultimate killing machine, modified by both the secret arts of the Witch Clan and the essence of decaying corpses, combining assassination, disguise, infiltration, and explosive power. It possesses extremely high growth potential; given sufficient time and resources, it is expected to break through to the Monarch level or even higher. Currently in a "dormant" state, it has not yet fully awakened.]

Shen Xi stared at the string of information, her eyes wide.

He even forgot the pain he had sustained in the battle.

Three rows of talents.

One legendary, two epic.

The legendary talent "Shadow Body" has four terrifying effects. Flexibility allows its body to perform inhuman movements, Mimicry allows it to transform into anyone's appearance, Silence allows it to completely conceal its existence, and Focus allows it to unleash three times the instantaneous damage.

This isn't an assassin, this is a ghost.

The epic talent "Puppet Body" grants perfect control over every organ in the body, immunity to instant death and most forms of control, and the ability to actively cut off pain sensation.

This means that even if you cut off its arm, it won't even flinch and can still strangle you with its remaining arm.

Another epic talent, "Child of the Night," grants a 30% increase to all attributes, a 50% increase to movement speed, and a 20% increase to critical strike chance in darkness and shadow. It also grants a 200-meter perception range, allowing the user to sense the body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing of all living beings.

In the darkness, this little thing is invincible.

In addition, those two gold-level assassination skills...

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Xi's back.

He dared not imagine what would have happened if the little corpse had already awakened, if it hadn't been dormant, if it had suddenly attacked while he was fighting Gu Changsheng...

With its terrifying assassination ability, plus the "Child of the Night's" all-attribute bonus in the dark, and the fact that Shen Xi was focused on dealing with Gu Changsheng at the time, it might actually succeed.

"This is fucking..." Shen Xi murmured, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

He used his Eye of Insight again to carefully examine the inside of the small, decaying corpse.

Golden light pierced through the translucent skin, through the modified bones and muscles, and looked straight into its internal organs.

Then, Shen Xi frowned even more deeply.

Not only externally, but even internally, the organs show signs of modification.

The heart was covered by a thin, dark gold membrane, intricately engraved with fine runes, resembling some kind of protective device. The lungs were soaked in a black liquid, which flowed with each breath. The stomach was empty, clearly indicating it needed no food. Most of the intestines had been severed, leaving only a small section, its purpose for digestion unknown.

Even their brains have been modified.

Through the gaps in the skull, Shen Xi could see a faint glow on the surface of its brain. The glow covered the entire cerebral cortex, like a protective film, or perhaps some kind of seal.

"Just how much effort has that old bastard Gu Changsheng put into this child?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Xi's mind.

In his previous life, during the apocalypse of the last decade, he had seen countless rotting corpses and countless modified mutants. But he had never seen anything like this little rotting corpse before him, so meticulously and thoroughly modified.

Gu Changsheng is not raising rotting corpses.

He is creating a god.

He created a god of slaughter that belonged to him, that would never betray him, and that possessed unlimited growth potential.

Cola Novels: This is where dreams begin, and where dreams come true.

This isn't an assassin, this is a ghost.

The epic talent "Puppet Body" grants perfect control over every organ in the body, immunity to instant death and most forms of control, and the ability to actively cut off pain sensation.

This means that even if you cut off its arm, it won't even flinch and can still strangle you with its remaining arm.

Another epic talent, "Child of the Night," grants a 30% increase to all attributes, a 50% increase to movement speed, and a 20% increase to critical strike chance in darkness and shadow. It also grants a 200-meter perception range, allowing the user to sense the body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing of all living beings.

In the darkness, this little thing is invincible.

In addition, those two gold-level assassination skills...

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Xi's back.

He dared not imagine what would have happened if the little corpse had already awakened, if it hadn't been dormant, if it had suddenly attacked while he was fighting Gu Changsheng...

With its terrifying assassination ability, plus the "Child of the Night's" all-attribute bonus in the dark, and the fact that Shen Xi was focused on dealing with Gu Changsheng at the time, it might actually succeed.

"This is fucking..." Shen Xi murmured, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

He used his Eye of Insight again to carefully examine the inside of the small, decaying corpse.

Golden light pierced through the translucent skin, through the modified bones and muscles, and looked straight into its internal organs.

Then, Shen Xi frowned even more deeply.

Not only externally, but even internally, the organs show signs of modification.

The heart was covered by a thin, dark gold membrane, intricately engraved with fine runes, resembling some kind of protective device. The lungs were soaked in a black liquid, which flowed with each breath. The stomach was empty, clearly indicating it needed no food. Most of the intestines had been severed, leaving only a small section, its purpose for digestion unknown.

Even their brains have been modified.

Through the gaps in the skull, Shen Xi could see a faint glow on the surface of its brain. The glow covered the entire cerebral cortex, like a protective film, or perhaps some kind of seal.

"Just how much effort has that old bastard Gu Changsheng put into this child?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Xi's mind.

In his previous life, during the apocalypse of the last decade, he had seen countless rotting corpses and countless modified mutants. But he had never seen anything like this little rotting corpse before him, so meticulously and thoroughly modified.

Gu Changsheng is not raising rotting corpses.

He is creating a god.

He created a god of slaughter that belonged to him, that would never betray him, and that possessed unlimited growth potential.

This isn't an assassin, this is a ghost.

The epic talent "Puppet Body" grants perfect control over every organ in the body, immunity to instant death and most forms of control, and the ability to actively cut off pain sensation.

This means that even if you cut off its arm, it won't even flinch and can still strangle you with its remaining arm.

Another epic talent, "Child of the Night," grants a 30% increase to all attributes, a 50% increase to movement speed, and a 20% increase to critical strike chance in darkness and shadow. It also grants a 200-meter perception range, allowing the user to sense the body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing of all living beings.

In the darkness, this little thing is invincible.

In addition, those two gold-level assassination skills...

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Xi's back.

He dared not imagine what would have happened if the little corpse had already awakened, if it hadn't been dormant, if it had suddenly attacked while he was fighting Gu Changsheng...

With its terrifying assassination ability, plus the "Child of the Night's" all-attribute bonus in the dark, and the fact that Shen Xi was focused on dealing with Gu Changsheng at the time, it might actually succeed.

"This is fucking..." Shen Xi murmured, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

He used his Eye of Insight again to carefully examine the inside of the small, decaying corpse.

Golden light pierced through the translucent skin, through the modified bones and muscles, and looked straight into its internal organs.

Then, Shen Xi frowned even more deeply.

Not only externally, but even internally, the organs show signs of modification.

The heart was covered by a thin, dark gold membrane, intricately engraved with fine runes, resembling some kind of protective device. The lungs were soaked in a black liquid, which flowed with each breath. The stomach was empty, clearly indicating it needed no food. Most of the intestines had been severed, leaving only a small section, its purpose for digestion unknown.

Even their brains have been modified.

Through the gaps in the skull, Shen Xi could see a faint glow on the surface of its brain. The glow covered the entire cerebral cortex, like a protective film, or perhaps some kind of seal.

"Just how much effort has that old bastard Gu Changsheng put into this child?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Xi's mind.

In his previous life, during the apocalypse of the last decade, he had seen countless rotting corpses and countless modified mutants. But he had never seen anything like this little rotting corpse before him, so meticulously and thoroughly modified.

Gu Changsheng is not raising rotting corpses.

He is creating a god.

He created a god of slaughter that belonged to him, that would never betray him, and that possessed unlimited growth potential.

Cola Novels - Dedicated to providing the most comfortable reading experience.

Shen Xi stared at the string of information, her eyes wide.

He even forgot the pain he had sustained in the battle.

Three rows of talents.

One legendary, two epic.

The legendary talent "Shadow Body" has four terrifying effects. Flexibility allows its body to perform inhuman movements, Mimicry allows it to transform into anyone's appearance, Silence allows it to completely conceal its existence, and Focus allows it to unleash three times the instantaneous damage.

This isn't an assassin, this is a ghost.

The epic talent "Puppet Body" grants perfect control over every organ in the body, immunity to instant death and most forms of control, and the ability to actively cut off pain sensation.

This means that even if you cut off its arm, it won't even flinch and can still strangle you with its remaining arm.

Another epic talent, "Child of the Night," grants a 30% increase to all attributes, a 50% increase to movement speed, and a 20% increase to critical strike chance in darkness and shadow. It also grants a 200-meter perception range, allowing the user to sense the body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing of all living beings.

In the darkness, this little thing is invincible.

In addition, those two gold-level assassination skills...

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Xi's back.

He dared not imagine what would have happened if the little corpse had already awakened, if it hadn't been dormant, if it had suddenly attacked while he was fighting Gu Changsheng...

With its terrifying assassination ability, plus the "Child of the Night's" all-attribute bonus in the dark, and the fact that Shen Xi was focused on dealing with Gu Changsheng at the time, it might actually succeed.

"This is fucking..." Shen Xi murmured, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

He used his Eye of Insight again to carefully examine the inside of the small, decaying corpse.

Golden light pierced through the translucent skin, through the modified bones and muscles, and looked straight into its internal organs.

Then, Shen Xi frowned even more deeply.

Not only externally, but even internally, the organs show signs of modification.

The heart was covered by a thin, dark gold membrane, intricately engraved with fine runes, resembling some kind of protective device. The lungs were soaked in a black liquid, which flowed with each breath. The stomach was empty, clearly indicating it needed no food. Most of the intestines had been severed, leaving only a small section, its purpose for digestion unknown.

Even their brains have been modified.

Through the gaps in the skull, Shen Xi could see a faint glow on the surface of its brain. The glow covered the entire cerebral cortex, like a protective film, or perhaps some kind of seal.

"Just how much effort has that old bastard Gu Changsheng put into this child?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Xi's mind.

In his previous life, during the apocalypse of the last decade, he had seen countless rotting corpses and countless modified mutants. But he had never seen anything like this little rotting corpse before him, so meticulously and thoroughly modified.

Gu Changsheng is not raising rotting corpses.

He is creating a god.

He created a god of slaughter that belonged to him, that would never betray him, and that possessed unlimited growth potential.