Chapter 282: Devour Everything

After recalling the heartless puppet, Lin An spoke in a heavy tone, revealing his speculation.

Seven days to advance to the third level.

Although this calculation is rather rough, it doesn't account for the time spent searching for zombies, or the fact that consuming large numbers of zombies could provoke mutant attacks.

But at most one month, even if we let the heartless puppet consume zombies around the city in a guerrilla fashion.

One month is enough for it to rise to at least the peak of the second level.

Reaching the third level might be difficult, but the peak of the second level is absolutely no problem.

Isn't this just a splicer?

Moreover, it is a super monster with greater potential than a splicer and a broader menu.

After hearing his analysis, everyone was silent for a long while, unable to speak.

Who would have thought that Li Lei, who couldn't become a strong one in life, would become so terrifying after death.

If Lin An is willing, letting the heartless puppet go out to devour everything.

It might truly be possible to create an existence similar to the zombie sovereign of past lives.

"Lin Dui..."

Zhang Tie spoke in a muffled voice, looking with a complex expression at the heartless puppet covered in chunks of flesh on its body:

"Why don't we just kill it?"

"If this thing keeps strengthening at this rate, it will eventually cause big trouble."

Even Xiong Hanzi, as dull as he is, could figure that out.

If one day the heartless puppet loses control and breaks free from Mo Ling's mental control.

With this ability to devour everything, as its strength grows, the speed at which it strengthens through slaughter will only increase.

Like a snowball, it's likely that upon reaching the third level it will start frenziedly devouring all living things in the entire Linjiang war zone.

Who could stop it?

Putting it bluntly, the heartless puppet before us is very likely to evolve into a death‑level calamity.

This is no exaggeration; if we let it strengthen without limit, destroying all of Huaxia would be easy.

If it can't beat the mutants, it will eat zombies; when the zombies are gone, it will eat people; after eating people and strengthening, it will go eat mutants again.

In this cycle, all life appears to it as spiritual energy fruits, moving attribute points.

Lin An remained silent, his heart rarely feeling torn and hesitant.

If the heartless puppet weren't something he had Mo Ling create, he might even think the puppet before him was actually a weak‑stage zombie sovereign.

Should we eliminate the potential disaster in advance?

He is somewhat reluctant.

A flesh puppet with enormous potential could completely serve as a trump card for himself and Mo Ling.

Used well, even nuclear weapons would be like little brothers before it.

Seeing Lin An's hesitation, Mo Ling suddenly raised his head:

"Lin An, I can feel it. My strength and its strength cannot exceed the first level."

"At most second‑level high rank; any stronger and I couldn't control it, and it would go completely out of control."

"Moreover, under normal circumstances I must constantly suppress its urge to kill and devour."

"Unlike a corpse‑split puppet, after I give it an order I don't need to worry about it."

"You decide."

"To keep or not to keep..."

"Second‑level high rank?"

Lin An's eyes flickered; after a brief thought he still chose to keep it.

If one worries about losing control, about becoming a disaster that destroys oneself.

Then why would humanity bother creating nuclear weapons?

The heartless puppet is like a double‑edged sword; just use it carefully.

Having made up his mind, he no longer hesitated, and instead rubbed Mo Ling's head:

"First, throw it into the hospital and let it feed for a while."

"As long as we are here, theoretically the heartless puppet will not lose control."

"If something happens to us, then let it lose control..."

Zhang Tie let out a light sigh after hearing that, and had no objections.

What Lin Dui said is correct.

Isn't there a saying that goes?

After I die, let the flood rage as it may.

If one day Mo Ling is gone, Lin Dui will also run into trouble.

Then if this world is gone, well, it's just gone...

After throwing the heartless puppet into the hospital, Lin An led everyone back to the inn.

The blood cocoon downstairs has already swollen to five stories high, and we don't know what kind of mutant will hatch from it.

If the system hadn't explicitly said the maximum is second‑level high grade, Lin An would definitely have sliced the blood cocoon with a single sword to stop the fusion.

A monster at least 15 meters tall is certainly no easy opponent.

Before going upstairs, Gao Tian couldn't help but glance back at the slender blood cocoon, as if within the beating‑heart‑like cocoon a tall, thin monster was gestating.

What could it be?

In three more hours, the blood cocoon will fully hatch.

On the fourth floor, Fan Bing was cleaning together with everyone, half the area of the restaurant had turned into ruins.

Hearing footsteps behind them, the crowd hurriedly cleared a spot on the table.

Fan Bing brushed back the hair in front of her forehead, hesitated a moment, then looked at Lin An.

She wanted to say something, but upon seeing Mo Ling, she still chose to stay silent.

She knew very well that Mo Ling's weight in Lin An's heart was far beyond what she could compare to.

Since Li Lei and the others "died," her value in Lin An's eyes had probably become zero.

If she provoked Mo Ling, she had no doubt Lin An would kill her with a single sword for Mo Ling's sake.

A sigh, sorrowful.

She couldn't help but give a self-mocking laugh in her heart.

When did it happen? The self once surrounded by admiring stars has ended up like this?

Lin An took the chopsticks Fan Bing had washed, sat in front of the newly lit hot pot with a smile:

"Zhang Tie, go fetch two cases of beer."

The steaming hot pot was cooking lamb rolls and enoki mushrooms.

Although they were frozen ingredients from the ring, in this apocalypse they were already a rare delicacy.

To be honest, since his rebirth, Lin An has only eaten two proper meals.

Otherwise he was either on the road or making do with self-heating rations.

Right now, waiting for the blood cocoon to finish hatching so he can advance to the Second Level, this trip has been relatively smooth.

Although he encountered the "Master," compared to previous dangers it was only a minor trick.

It's rare to have things go this smoothly; Lin An's mood is still good.

He gained the Manchineel Flower, a Huang Shaohua equivalent to a cheat device, and an infinitely growing flesh puppet.

No matter how you calculate it, it's all profit.

As for risks and dangers?

"Clang—"

Bottles clinked.

Lin An, smiling, clinked bottles with Xiong Hanzi and gulped it down.

Refreshing and smooth.

The more threats and pressure there are, the less they matter.

Many debts, no worry about lice.

Gao Tian was infected by Lin An's smile and no longer wondered what would hatch from the blood cocoon.

He just looked at Lin An with a hint of emotion.

If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be so carefree.

As a member of the team, he clearly knows what Lin An is facing.

Zhang Tie gulped down the whole bottle of beer, let out a belch, and sighed:

"Boss, you say if one day we kick the bucket..."

"... would this world be finished?"

"I always feel we're like the gatekeepers watching over hell..."

Lin An heard it, startled for a moment, then relaxed and smiled.

He understood Xiong Hanzi's meaning.

After Mo Ling dies, she will become a Necromancer Lord; after Lin An dies, the black dragon will go berserk, becoming an Imperial demon beast that strides ahead into Earth.

Sandworms, Meme dolls, ghost infants, the mysterious elder imprisoned in the crystal ball, the unknown-location mutant AnXia, the berserk lunatic puppets...

Every existence that loses control is no different from a nightmare.

Cups crossed, Fan Bing boldly drank a few cups, her face flushed, she propped her head, her gaze hazy as she looked at Lin An, wanting to say something.

Mo Ling, sleeping in Lin An's arms, secretly opened one eye and gave a dissatisfied hum.

Fan Bing forced a smile, opened her mouth, but ultimately chose to give up.

On the table, Xiong Hanzi, shirtless, swayed back and forth.

Beyond the candlelight, the blood cocoon slowly split open.