22: Kyoto base

Beyond zombies and zombie-infected beasts, animals across the globe also evolved during this cataclysm.

Over 50% of animals worldwide have evolved; they have grown larger in size and become more ferocious, and these Mutated Beasts are completely immune to the zombie virus.

Some powerful animals have even acquired special Supernatural Abilities similar to those of an Evolver.

According to official announcements, a giant python possessing water-type Supernatural Abilities appeared in the large eastern city of Jinling.

This giant python successfully transformed into a jiao and occupied Hongshan Park, becoming its overlord.

These evolved animals are officially termed Mutated Beasts. They possess high intelligence, claim territory, and oppose humanity. However, the good news is that humans scratched by Mutated Beasts do not turn into zombies, and the meat of Mutated Beasts is edible.

Although Kyoto had a garrison of one million, the infection rate within the military was not low. Following the sudden zombie outbreak, only 300,000 troops survived in Kyoto.

Kyoto Base relied on its 300,000-strong garrison to shelter 500,000 civilians. However, because production lines were completely paralyzed and high-level personnel suffered heavy losses, the strength of the 300,000-strong army could not be amplified.

Facing Kyoto's massive population of 500 million and hundreds of millions of zombies, the defensive pressure on the 300,000 troops is immense. Furthermore, zombies are constantly evolving. According to official announcements, First-Tier Zombies—which yield yellow crystal cores upon being killed—have appeared in most cities with populations in the tens of millions.

By the fifth day of the zombie outbreak, China had experienced a total blackout and loss of internet access; all news is now transmitted via radio signals.

The authorities explicitly informed the public via radio broadcast that killing ordinary zombies has a 5% chance of yielding a crystal core, while special zombies have a 100% chance. First-Tier Zombies provide yellow crystal cores. Ordinary people who ingest crystal cores can improve their physical fitness and have a 5% probability of becoming an Evolver with powerful Supernatural Abilities. The authorities have already awakened over two hundred Evolvers, most of whom possess single-attribute enhancements such as defense, strength, vision, perception, or speed. However, the authorities also have over thirty extremely powerful superpower-type Evolvers, including those who can cast fireballs, water-type Evolvers who can produce pure water, earth-type Evolvers who can petrify their skin, and plant-type Evolvers who can control and accelerate plant growth, among others.

The four most powerful Evolvers in Kyoto are known as the Four Heavenly Kings.

The most powerful of them is a former special forces king from before the apocalypse named Yang Tian, who possesses a Spirit Possession Supernatural Ability. He can summon spirits to possess him in battle, comprehensively enhancing various abilities. His spirit is the famous Northern Song Dynasty general Yang Yanzhao.

Ranked second is an Evolver capable of casting fire-type spells, named Lin Yan.

...

These thirty-plus superpower-type Evolvers have already become First-Tier Evolvers with official support. The official announcement clearly states that becoming a First-Tier Evolver requires 20 ordinary white crystal cores; the authorities have no information yet on the second tier.

These thirty-plus First-Tier Evolvers have also become the absolute main force for Kyoto Base in resisting the Zombie Tide of hundreds of millions.

Jiang Xin is aware of Zhang Lei's abilities; he possesses near-absolute control over water and fire elements, can release spell-like attacks, summon, possess, and enchant weapons. This is a situation completely absent among the elemental-type Evolvers introduced by the authorities, who are either limited to spell-like attacks or elemental possession, making them very one-dimensional. Zhang Lei's evolution ability can be considered top-tier nationwide; as for who is stronger between him and Yang Tian, who possesses the spirit possession ability, it remains unknown.

With the global mutation, even with the red alert system, Jiang Xin feels a great sense of urgency. Although no First-Tier Zombies have appeared in Yongjiang County, the troops have killed quite a few special zombies. Jiang Xin has now collected hundreds of crystal cores, and all his trusted relatives have consumed them, yet none have gained powerful Supernatural Abilities, which shows that the occurrence rate of powerful Supernatural Abilities is extremely low.

Although Red Alert Soldiers cannot absorb crystal core energy, as it stands now, the 150% strength enhancement gained by 3-star Conscripts is already not inferior to Evolvers who have not yet reached the first tier.

The strength of the 3-star Heavy Infantry Chen Hao is even more formidable. With the assistance of his exoskeleton armor, he can kill an Agile or a Fatty Zombie one-on-one. Wearing alloy exoskeleton armor, his strength exceeds 1 ton, his defense is formidable, and the M249 machine gun in his hands has powerful firepower, with a lethality 2.5 times that of a standard M249 (1 plus 1.5). A single reinforced machine gun bullet can penetrate several ordinary zombies.

The strength of Riot Trooper Li Wei is equally impressive. The lightweight polymer armor he wears is not only convenient but also possesses excellent defensive capabilities. This armor can effectively withstand the claw attacks of zombies, providing reliable protection for Li Wei. The reinforced long-handled military saber in Li Wei's hand is extremely sharp; its blade has been strengthened three times, allowing it to easily pierce the defenses of special zombies. This gives him a huge advantage in close combat; even when facing a Fatty Zombie with formidable defense, Li Wei is capable of holding his own. Within the Red Alert forces, the close combat ability of a 3-star Riot Trooper is second only to a 3-star Heavy Infantry.

Meanwhile, the 3-star Sniper Li Ang possesses powerful lethality. The reinforced Barrett Sniper rifle he uses has immense power, capable of easily taking out a Fatty Zombie—the special zombie with the strongest defense—in a single shot. This powerful lethality makes Li Ang a deadly killer on the battlefield, capable of easily picking off special zombies within a Zombie Horde.

Jiang Xin has a vague hypothesis regarding the subsequent improvement of the combat effectiveness of Red Alert Soldiers. As his military rank increases, the system may provide methods to enhance the strength of Red Alert Soldiers. When he becomes a Major, the combat effectiveness of Red Alert Soldiers might experience a qualitative leap.