Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Lin Chen then put the remaining eight crystal cores into the Creation Pearl.

As soon as the crystal core entered that mysterious space, it shrank and melted rapidly, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. In less than ten seconds, it completely vanished without leaving a trace.

"It absorbs really fast..." Lin Chen muttered to himself, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Even more strangely, an incredibly clear feeling of "hunger," originating from a soul connection, entered his mind directly—it was not a sound or language, but a pure, almost instinctive, yearning.

It was as if the Creation Pearl itself had developed a vague consciousness and was eagerly seeking more and more abundant energy.

"It seems the Creation Pearl does indeed possess sentience... it yearns for 'growth'." Lin Chen's eyes flickered thoughtfully. "However, this consciousness is still very weak, barely able to coalesce into a complete thought. Since the crystal core is effective for it, we cannot stop."

He dared not waste any time. The area around the villa had been temporarily cleared, and to obtain more crystal cores, he had to take the initiative.

"Come on, let's go hunt zombies." He turned to look at Li Ya, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable determination.

Li Ya nodded almost without hesitation and replied, "Okay! Wherever Brother Lin goes, I'll go!"

There was still a hint of tension in her voice, but compared to the girl who would vomit to the point of exhaustion when faced with a corpse just a few hours ago, her eyes now held a more composed look befitting a warrior.

Thanks to her second-tier superpower, her basic physical attributes have been enhanced by at least six times. Her strength has indeed leaped forward, but her true combat power needs to be honed and proven in constant real combat.

"Okay." Lin Chen nodded and took out two thick waterproof raincoats from his spatial storage.

Although they possess superpowers and are no longer afraid of the zombie virus contained in the blood rain, none of them want to fight in a damp, cold, and sticky state, as that would seriously affect their actions and judgment.

The two quickly dressed, checked their equipment, locked the heavily reinforced gate of the villa, and then disappeared into the gray sky mixed with scarlet raindrops, steadily moving towards the outside of the community.

The villa area already had a low population density, and after Lin Chen cleared out two waves of zombies, the number of zombies roaming the area was now very small.

Lin Chen even deliberately left a few stray dogs behind, as temporary "watchdogs," which could serve as early warnings and prevent other survivors from prematurely considering this place a completely safe stronghold.

Stepping out of the residential compound, the rain showed no signs of letting up. The once bustling streets were now deserted, eerily silent, with only the distorted and eerie reflections of broken neon signs in the puddles.

A few scattered zombies lingered at the alley entrance or under the eaves of shops. Most of them were residents in their pajamas or property management staff who hadn't had time to change out of their uniforms. Their movements were stiff and their reactions were slow.

Lin Chen raised his hand, either firing a precise shot with a silenced pistol or cleanly stabbing his temple with a dagger, ending the fight silently.

He temporarily stored the corpse in his special ability space—he needed an absolutely safe and private environment to study in depth the laws and upgrade conditions of the Creation Pearl's energy absorption. It would be inappropriate to take it out and "feed" it now.

The closer you get to the main road, the more shocking the scene becomes:

Several cars collided at various twisted angles, and the drivers, whose seatbelts were already deformed, were still futilely screaming and scratching in the driver's seat;

The roadside food stalls were overturned, and milk tea cups and packaging bags were scattered all over the ground, soaking in rainwater mixed with blood.

A child's backpack with a cartoon print hangs forlornly on a lamppost not far away, its zipper half-open, revealing a half-drawn crayon picture in childlike colors—a picture of three little people holding hands, with the words "bà ba, mā ma hé wǒ" written crookedly in pinyin next to it.

Li Ya pursed her lips, forcing herself to look away, but her steps never faltered as she resolutely followed behind Lin Chen.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the largest commercial complex in the vicinity – "Shangyue Tiandi".

From a distance, several inflatable arches bearing signs such as "Welcome Special" and "End-of-Season Clearance" could be seen swaying and collapsing helplessly in the wind and rain.

It seems that some businesses took advantage of the back-to-school season to launch big promotions, which unexpectedly attracted a large number of people to gather here to shop and spend money.

At this moment, the plaza outside the mall was teeming with zombies, numbering at least several hundred.

They wandered aimlessly, including security guards in uniform, students with backpacks, and staff members with name tags around their necks, but most of them were ordinary citizens who came to shop.

Through the shattered glass curtain wall, one can see even more figures moving slowly and unsteadily inside the mall—on the escalators, in the atrium, and in the food courts.

"Densely populated areas are indeed the hardest hit areas immediately." Lin Chen lowered his voice, took out a high-efficiency silencer for sniper rifles from his spatial storage, carefully installed it, and then handed Li Ya an assault rifle with a silencer module that was more suitable for her current strength. He quickly explained the basic grip, aiming techniques, trigger control, and magazine changing methods.

While melee combat is efficient and direct, zombies have exceptionally keen hearing, and once a large group is alerted, it is easy to find yourself in a passive and trapped situation.

He knew in his heart that his current strength level was far from being able to ignore numbers and confront a horde of zombies head-on.

The two chose a good sniping spot and sneaked to the roof of a low-rise building opposite the shopping mall.

The area offers a wide view and provides shelter with water tanks and ventilation equipment.

Lin Chen steadily set up his sniper rifle, while Li Ya stood behind him, holding her breath and trying to get used to the weight and feel of the weapon in her hands.

"boom--"

With a muffled thud, a zombie that had been wandering at the edge of the square collapsed to the ground, a flower of blood blooming between its brows.

"boom--"

Li Ya pulled the trigger. The recoil made her shoulder jerk slightly, but the bullet grazed the target's shoulder and hit the pillar behind him.

The zombie suddenly turned its head, its gray eyes seemingly locking onto their direction, and roared as it charged towards the low building.

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. With a flick of his wrist, he fired another shot, accurately blowing the charging zombie's head off. Without turning his head, his voice was calm: "Don't panic, control your breathing, treat it like a moving target. Continue."

The next two hours became a brutal yet highly effective training ground. Lin Chen, like the most composed hunter, steadily picked off the lone or small groups of zombies in the square, aiming for a single, fatal shot with every bullet.

When a large number of zombies gathered, he instructed Li Ya to use her "beam" ability to attack. The condensed white beam was incredibly powerful, often able to pierce through the heads of several zombies at once, greatly increasing the efficiency of clearing them out.