Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"...I understand." Although she knew she was dreaming, the feeling was too real, and Gu Cheng unconsciously became nervous.

Opening my spiritual vision, I saw that the black mist was neither too thick nor too thin, and the distance from the mission target was just right.

"Creak." Gu Cheng gripped the pistol tightly and carefully pushed open the door. She didn't let the flashlight shine randomly, but instead turned on the dim light and scanned the floor inch by inch.

A pair of sneakers stained with blood were revealed. Gu Cheng turned off the light and held her breath.

The owner of the sneakers crouched at the entrance of the stairwell, no more than five meters away from her.

The air reeked of rotting flesh, and the dark figure seemed to be eating something, making nauseating vomiting noises.

It couldn't be human... Drawing her multi-functional military knife from her waist, Gu Cheng crouched low as she approached the target. The stairwell was a maze of exits, and firing before determining the number of enemies would be unwise. She could only approach while keeping an eye on any potential dangers in her surroundings.

There was nothing there; this unlucky fellow must have been alone. When Gu Cheng was less than half a body length away from the shadowy figure, she suddenly made her move.

With his left arm locked around the target's neck, his right wrist bent, and the tip of the general's knife plunged into the eye socket. Cold liquid splattered out, and the blade was inevitably stained with blood.

Feeling that the corpse in her arms had stopped struggling, Gu Cheng loosened her arms and carefully examined it.

Sixty percent of its body was rotting, and some parts were irregularly swollen. The vomit on the ground was some dark red internal organs. It was hard to imagine that it had just been alive.

Zombies? Could it be because I've watched too many zombie movies that even the monsters in my dreams are leaning towards that?

Gu Cheng mentally complained a few times, which slightly relieved the pressure brought by the battle.

After dragging the body to a corner and placing it there, she continued to explore the surrounding environment.

Door numbers, elevators... This is an abandoned apartment building. Apart from the zombie at the entrance of the building, no new enemies have appeared on this floor. Patting and low growls can be heard from some rooms, clearly indicating that something is trapped. Since they can't get out, Gu Cheng naturally won't provoke them.

The flashlight beam shone on the wall, revealing a bloodstained "four." This was the fourth floor of the apartment building; the black fog above was very thin, so it shouldn't be the target's location.

As for downstairs...

The black fog grew thicker and thicker, and the bottom layer was almost solidifying.

Gu Cheng couldn't help but frown and groped her way down the stairs.

Section 19, Chapter 19: A Different Approach?

The outer railing of the staircase is covered in rust, and in many places it has oxidized and broken, revealing wide-open spaces.

Gu Cheng walked down the corridor, trying her best to slow her pace, but she still couldn't help making noise. The flashlight shone down, staining the cement floor a reddish-brown hue, indistinguishable between peeling rust and congealed blood.

The air was stuffy and hot, and even as an ability user, she felt dizzy. She heard the sound of liquid dripping, sometimes near and sometimes far.

How long has it been? The harsh environment blurred Gu Cheng's perception of time; she had no idea how long she had been lingering on those few short staircases.

"Huff..." It was that familiar sound of vomiting again. Gu Cheng tensed up and lowered her center of gravity.

This is troublesome; there's more than one sound source, at least two or more below.

Because she had dealt with the enemy so efficiently, she hadn't even been able to gather any relevant information about them.

She knew nothing about whether zombies used sight to hunt prey, or whether their strength and agility exceeded those of ordinary people... These were all crucial factors that could influence the battle.

Gu Cheng only knows one thing so far: their vital point is their head—something that almost anyone who has watched zombie movies knows.

Just to be safe, she turned off the flashlight and quietly looked into the stairwell. Besides the black mist, she could vaguely see a few faint electrical currents.

Three... she thought to herself, instantly ceasing control over her abilities.

Su Wanxi had previously mentioned that one shouldn't be bound by preconceived notions; besides electric shocks, her abilities could do much more. For example, right now, by using her abilities to stimulate bioelectricity that might exist in the darkness, she could both confirm the number of enemies and pinpoint their approximate location.

Aside from training, Gu Cheng has spent most of the past month figuring out how to utilize her abilities. Bioelectric radar is one of the ideas she's come up with; she's tried it out privately, but this is the first time she's applied it in real combat, and the results seem pretty good.

Two of them were close to the stairwell, while the other was crouching beside the railing. Gu Cheng gripped his military knife and crouched as he approached his prey.

It was too close; any move she made would be detected, but there seemed to be no better way. Weighing the pros and cons, she decided to strike first.

She adjusted her position, aiming the blade precisely at the zombie's throat. She used 80% of her strength in this strike, so that if it failed, she could retreat immediately and avoid being caught in a dilemma.

The blade sliced ​​easily through flesh, producing a crisp clang. The zombie's spine was surprisingly sturdy; the blade was firmly wedged in, unable to advance an inch.

Gu Cheng's heart sank. She twisted her wrist, turning the slash into a twist, and forcibly dragged the military knife upward.

She was lucky; the chosen zombie lacked a jawbone, allowing the knife tip to slice through its skull without hindrance.

"Thump!" It stopped struggling and fell straight to the ground.

"Hiss?" The time it took to kill this lone zombie far exceeded Gu Cheng's budget. The other two zombies, upon sensing the presence of living beings, instantly became like they had been injected with adrenaline. As soon as the corpses hit the ground, they roared and pounced on their prey.

Gu Cheng rolled to the right, barely dodging the zombie's pounce. The flashlight, due to the large movement, was knocked away somewhere.

Before she could think, she instinctively held her dagger horizontally in front of her chest. Another zombie had already flanked her from the side, pounced on the girl, and opened its blood-red maw, aiming at her fair neck.

He stretched out his left hand and firmly gripped the zombie's throat, while his right hand picked up a military knife and smashed it into the zombie's eyeball.

The red and yellow liquid splashed onto Gu Cheng's face, and the slippery feel made her feel nauseous.

He bent his knees and pushed the corpse aside. The multi-functional military knife was stuck in the zombie's head and he couldn't pull it out for a while. Gu Cheng drew the revolver from his waist and aimed around.

Without the light of a flashlight, no one can shoot accurately in complete darkness.

She pressed her back against the wall, waiting for the zombie to attack first, because only in this way could she seize an opening and defeat it in one blow.

First, make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable. The mindless, bloodthirsty zombie didn't understand this principle; it rose from the ground and recklessly pounced on its prey once more.

Unfortunately, Gu Cheng was prepared this time. He gently pulled the trigger with his index finger, and the muzzle burst into flames as the Magnum bullet, carrying unparalleled kinetic energy, pierced its brain.

After dealing with all three zombies, Gu Cheng drew her military knife and used the fabric on their bodies to wipe herself clean. She picked up the flashlight that had fallen to the ground; the light was dim, but still usable. Her outer white coat was stained with blood and clung uncomfortably to her skin. She simply took it off, leaving only a thin shirt.

"Huff..." Before they could even rest, more sounds came from afar, the earlier gunshots having attracted zombies from other floors.

Gu Cheng didn't linger. Once she was trapped in the stairwell, even if she had wings, she wouldn't be able to fly out.

Judging from the battle just now, these zombies were probably slightly stronger than her, but far slower. Gu Cheng only needed to quicken her pace to leave them behind.

The black fog in front of her grew thicker, indicating that she was getting closer and closer to her ultimate goal.

In a conference room underground, black mist lingered, likely its origin. With a flick of his wrist, Gu Cheng reloaded the revolver, gripped the gun with both hands, and slowly pushed open the conference room door.

Upon entering the room, it felt as if she were being watched by some dangerous creature; cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her slender arms trembled uncontrollably.

In the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes stared straight at her, raging and bloodthirsty, like a tyrant from hell, exuding malevolence.

"Hiss~" It didn't attack immediately, but instead growled in the distance.

It's looking for an opportunity!? Gu Cheng instantly realized that this guy wasn't stupid; his intelligence might be comparable to that of some wild beasts.

Thoughts raced through her mind as she raised her gun, aiming it and confronting the monster in the darkness.

Time passed second by second, but the tense atmosphere never subsided.

No... dragging this out will be very disadvantageous for Gu Cheng. Song Shiyan only gave her sixty minutes. Even if her physical abilities far exceed those of ordinary people, it doesn't mean she can engage in a protracted battle with the monster.

A slight soreness came from her wrist, and Gu Cheng stepped back slightly to try to relieve the stiffness in her muscles.

Just then, a sudden change occurred. A thick tongue shot out from the monster's mouth, whipping towards Gu Cheng with a powerful gust of wind. The latter reacted extremely quickly, taking a step back to dodge the attack, and using the flashlight hanging at her waist to illuminate the monster's appearance.

Its entire body was covered in scarlet skin, its muscles bulging and gleaming with a metallic sheen. The joints on both sides of its shoulders were split open, revealing dark red muscle tissue beneath. Two sharp bone blades extended from its elbows, replacing the human forearms and dexterous fingers. Its face was ferocious, with half of its skull exposed, on which fresh flesh buds were writhing.

It was injured before, and the so-called standoff was just a bluff! Gu Cheng stood up somewhat awkwardly, regretting that she hadn't noticed the monster's abnormality immediately.

Battles are ever-changing; if you miss an opportunity, you're left with no choice but to fight passively. The tongue didn't retract immediately; instead, it sprang forward again as if alive, this time aiming for Gu Cheng's arm.

There was no time to dodge; the only option was to meet the blade head-on. Upon contact, a tremendous force surged from the saber throughout the body.

"Thud." The tongue was covered with dense barbs. The sharp knife was caught in the barbs, and the strong shock sent it flying, landing on the floor some distance away.

Section 20, Chapter Twenty: Low Voltage Electricity

The dimly lit conference room lights suddenly flickered on, and Gu Cheng's pupils contracted instantly. The next second, the monster traversed several meters, raising its pristine white bone blade and slicing through the wind.

"Sizzle~" Blood mist splattered in the air, and Gu Cheng felt a burning sensation in her abdomen. Looking down, she saw a shallow but deep bloodstain. If she hadn't dodged quickly, this cut would have been enough to disembowel her.

Bright red liquid gushed from the wound, and the girl's face turned deathly pale. Without time to think, she raised her revolver to interrupt the zombie's next attack. Seeing that its prey hadn't been killed in one blow, the strange zombie seemed quite annoyed; it leaned forward and thrust another bone blade at Gu Cheng's heart.

"Bang!" The bullet left the barrel, aimed directly at the zombie's head. The sudden sense of danger made it instinctively protect its vitals, and the piercing motion stopped. The bullet struck the bone blade, leaving a shallow bullet hole. Gu Cheng seized this rare moment of respite, a flash of lightning in her eyes.

By using electrical stimulation to temporarily enhance her strength and speed, she can only sustain this for a maximum of five minutes at her current level. Once that time limit is exceeded, the intense pain from muscle spasms will instantly render her incapable of fighting.

In other words, this battle has at most five minutes left; it's either you die or I die. The bleeding area was heated by the electric current, causing the tissue to dry and seal the blood vessels. Gu Cheng could no longer even feel the pain.

The monster bared its sharp teeth and roared violently, its blood-red eyes appearing even more eerie. Its barbed tongue shot out again, but Gu Cheng dodged the attack by slightly turning her body, leaving only a huge hole in the wall after it was pierced through.

Two more shots hit the zombie's left leg and chest, respectively. The bullets failed to penetrate the muscle, and the grotesque zombie easily expelled the debris. Gu Cheng wasn't discouraged; the two bullets had served as cover. She rolled over and picked up the multi-tool knife from the ground. The zombie seemed to have lost interest in this game of hide-and-seek; it strode forward, preparing for close-quarters combat.

Damn... this is the worst-case scenario.

In an instant, the distance between them was less than half a meter. The zombie swung its bone blade, trying to cut the person in front of it in two. Gu Cheng instinctively crouched down, slamming her knee into the zombie's left leg. It didn't budge; even with enhanced strength, it couldn't shake the zombie's powerful body.

"Hiss." The grotesque zombie growled mockingly, its sharp teeth snapping at its prey. Gu Cheng had no choice but to hold her military knife horizontally in mid-air, her smooth right leg sweeping towards the monster's lower body. The knife was bitten to pieces, but it bought her the most precious time.

The zombie suddenly lost its balance, staggering and falling in front of Gu Cheng. The areas where it had been hit twice earlier gleamed with a cold light. The impacts were merely feints; the girl's real intention was to inject electricity into the enemy's muscles, hoping to paralyze it. It seemed to be working well. The zombie roared in frustration, dragging its other leg as it limped forward.

Just as Gu Cheng lowered her guard, its back suddenly bulged, revealing sharp bone spurs inside, followed by a whistling sound. The girl rolled towards the conference table beside her, but still couldn't dodge in time, and was struck in the right chest by one of the spikes. "Cough cough...cough." The ribs offered no protection whatsoever; Gu Cheng's lung was pierced, and her whole body began to burn. The girl struggled to her feet, pointing her gun at the incapacitated zombie.

The latter swung its bone blades haphazardly, trying to protect its vulnerable head. This time, she learned her lesson and aimed at the joints without muscle protection. Deprived of neural control, the two bone blades fell limply to the ground. "Sweet dreams, cough cough..." With the revolver pressed against its already rotting head, Gu Cheng coughed as she fired the last bullet.

The dream instantly shattered, and all consciousness returned to reality.

"The assessment is over." Song Shiyan picked up the flat-screen glasses on the table and gently placed them on the bridge of his nose. "It's over." Gu Cheng thoughtfully covered her right chest, feeling a soft, gentle pain, yet also a lingering ache.

The experience was so realistic that she almost forgot it was just an assessment, a dream. "Successfully passed the test, taking thirty-six minutes and eleven seconds." Time in the dream differed slightly from reality. Song Shiyan said this while glancing at her watch; the minute hand had just passed a quarter of the way.

"Congratulations, you did very well." Zhou Li leaned against the wall, looking at her approvingly. "...Thank you." Gu Cheng lowered her head in shame, avoiding eye contact. As a martial arts instructor, Zhou Li had repeatedly warned her to remain calm and collected in battle, always maintaining a clear mind. Gu Cheng thought she could do it, but in reality, she couldn't.

Her weapon was knocked from her hand, and a moment's hesitation resulted in a wound to her abdomen, putting her at a disadvantage even before the battle officially began. All of the above could be considered reckless at best; the real problem lay in the cleanup. She mistakenly believed that once her opponent lost mobility, they would become lambs to the slaughter.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Gu Cheng was no lion, and the zombie was no cute little rabbit. Its desperate attack pierced the girl's lungs. If it weren't a dream, she wouldn't have survived until the crack closed.

I was so stupid. I only remembered the sharp blade on its tongue, but I didn't expect it to have one on its back too... Luckily, this was an assessment, so Gu Cheng still had a chance to regret it.

As the dream manipulator, Song Shiyan was fully aware of the situation inside. He exchanged a glance with Zhou Li, who nodded and left the room.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Hearing Song Shiyan's question, Gu Cheng spilled out all her experiences in the battle. "Hehe, it's good that you realize the problem..." After all, she's young and has many more opportunities to learn, so Song Shiyan didn't criticize her too much. Instead, he took out a small black booklet from his pocket.

"Welcome to our official membership." The booklet cover featured a gold-embossed dragon, and the various patterns matched those on the black card. Gu Cheng flipped to the first page and saw a photo of her ID and her brief information. At the bottom of the page was a sentence in bold black text on a white background: Member of the Special Operations Team, Hermit Branch, Lanjiang City.

"From now on, you can apply for the requisition of military equipment in all districts and counties under Lanjiang City, including all kinds of knives, firearms, and even heavy weapons such as man-portable rocket launchers. In cases involving supernatural events, you can also enjoy certain immunity..." In short, all troubles can be resolved by showing your credentials, and the Hermit Bureau will be the strongest backing for its members.