Chapter 635: Humans Are Also Growing Stronger

“Mr. Zhang!”

Yu Wen waited in the parking lot and stepped forward as Zhang Su approached.

“Old Yu, come on—grab paper and pen, we’re heading down the mountain for the selection tests.”

Zhang Su was in high spirits; the camp’s population was rising, and everything was gradually falling into place. In the future, both the Hell Legion and he himself would have an easier time, and life in this apocalypse would only get better.

Yu Wen smiled and said, “Mr. Zhang, I’ve got a small discovery I’d like to share with you—do you have time?”

“A small discovery?” Zhang Su glanced at his watch, then followed Yu Wen to a slightly more secluded spot. “What kind of discovery?”

“Mr. Zhang, have you noticed I’ve gotten stronger than before?”

Pah-pah, Yu Wen slapped his chest and arms. The question sounded funny, but his expression was dead serious.

If Pang Dakun or Wu Lue had said this, it would’ve been a joke—but Yu Wen never pulled pranks. Zhang Su studied him carefully, recalling his recent behavior, and nodded uncertainly.

“I do feel something. It’s not obvious over a short period, but compared to when we first met, your improvement is significant. What’s going on?”

“Exactly—I’m talking about comparison with the past.” Yu Wen nodded firmly. “At first, I just felt I’d changed, so I started observing others closely. Over the past few days, while chatting with people in the village, I gathered information on this.”

“I have a bold hypothesis. I don’t understand the science behind it, but based on observation and data, I believe all of us have undergone some kind of physical enhancement since the disaster.”

“Oh?”

Zhang Su’s gaze sharpened as he recalled his own changes. He’d always had a foundation, trained daily, and later studied the Ju Family Martial Art taught by Ju Wuying—his physical condition and combat power had surged steadily, and he’d never noticed any subtle, fundamental shift in his body.

Now, with Yu Wen’s words, Zhang Su turned his attention to those around him—and indeed, the trend seemed real.

“Old Yu, are you saying it’s not just the zombies that have been enhanced? Our human bodies have been strengthened by some unknown substance too?”

“From my own experience, observations, and gathered reports, this isn’t an isolated case. And the less trained people—like the logistics staff—feel it most strongly.”

Yu Wen said.

Combat personnel train daily and attribute their strength gains to hard work, while logistics staff, who lack systematic training and just do routine labor, are more likely to notice changes in their own bodies.

“It’s not just me—I’ve talked to many villagers, and they’ve felt it too. If one or two people showed this, you could blame it on training or hardship. But when it’s widespread… it’s worth studying.”

Yu Wen said seriously.

“If your theory holds… fine. Let’s use today’s afternoon test to check everyone’s level.”

Zhang Su nodded. If this were true, everyone needed to understand it—it would mean a lot for morale.

For weeks now, even still, many had been anxious and terrified by the zombies’ growing strength. If they realized they weren’t standing still either, their psychological state would shift fundamentally.

“Yes, that’s exactly my point. We might consider setting the standards higher.”

“Then it’s settled!”

…

Early on, dozens had gathered on the field ridges beneath Tianma Yu Mountain. Some eager combat members had eaten something early and rushed over to familiarize themselves with the terrain. As time neared, more and more people emerged from the village—combat personnel and ordinary logistics staff alike.

By 1:20 p.m., over three hundred people had assembled on the wasteland. With the entire Qincheng holding only a few thousand people, the scene was unusually lively!

Logistics staff huddled together whispering; combat personnel stood in clear, separate groups.

The LeGou Branch, the Kindergarten Branch, the Auto Park Branch, the Barracks Branch, the former Reserve Team, the Daqiao Fortress villagers, and the captured Xie Guangfa and two others from the Flying Wolf Gang were all present, along with some individuals who hadn’t joined any unit—Wang and his son, Zheng Ziwen, Tian Fan, and others among them.

Old blacksmith Ding Yong wasn’t there. Not only had he not come himself—he’d actively tried to keep Zheng Ziwen from attending—but Zheng Ziwen had slipped away while he wasn’t looking…

The Hell Legion was also present, but only about ten of them. Today’s event primarily targeted combat personnel outside the Hell Legion, so sentry duty naturally fell to them.

“Hey, Old Wu, look at those ropes and poles they’re carrying—what’s this for?”

In the LeGou Branch, Zhang Xin nudged Wu Baokang and pointed at the Hell Legion members. Wu Baokang gave a strange shrug. “It’s obviously related to the afternoon test. The Hell King loves inventing all kinds of tricks. We just watch.”

No matter how the selection was conducted, strength was the only key. Wu Baokang wasn’t worried at all—he was confident.

In front of the Kindergarten and Auto Park Branches, Liu Yao said to Yang Xinqi: “Hey, Old Yang, those gadgets they’re bringing look like Olympic equipment—could they be giving us a physical fitness test?”

Yang Xinqi nodded solemnly. “Looks like it.”

“That’s so boring. I thought we’d be sparring. So dull, really dull!” Liu Yao muttered, feeling a hollow sense of wasted skill.

Yang Xinqi shot him a sidelong glance. “Boring? Then save your energy later—you can just slack off and get yourself made captain of the Reserve Team.”

“Go to hell—I’m clearly destined for the Hell Legion. Why would I join the Reserve Team? It’s you who—”

“I’m warning you to shut up!”

Yang Xinqi grabbed a handful of dirt and pretended to throw it, making Liu Yao leap aside and clamp his hand over his mouth.

Within every group, people chatted, all centered on the afternoon selection. Anyone with ambition hoped to join a higher-tier unit—more resources, better training.

After everything they’d been through, everyone shared one truth: strength was the only real thing. “Here he comes!”

Qi Xiaoshuai had been watching the foot of Tianma Yu Mountain. Suddenly, he spotted someone riding a small electric scooter in the distance—it was the organizer of today’s event: the Hell King.

Wearing mirrored sunglasses, riding a small electric scooter, a rifle slung over his shoulder—he had the vibe of a Terminator, but a stripped-down version…

The scooter lacked the swagger of a big Harley, but once the speed limiter was removed, it zipped along. In no time, Zhang Su arrived among them.

His unimposing arrival instead gave people a sense of familiarity: Look, we can ride the same electric scooter as the Hell King! “You all look in good spirits.”

Zhang Su stepped to the front of the formation, scanning every face, taking in the condition of every faction.

The LeGou Branch had been devastated in Beidong Town—its two elite combat squads were nearly wiped out, leaving only Wu Baokang and Luo Yong. Yet even so, LeGou still had the most combat personnel!

The original Survivor Alliance had three Vanguard Teams, three Search Teams, and a Guard Unit, plus some marginal combat members. Even after losing over twenty people, they still had over sixty combat personnel! Of course, some were just filling space—today’s goal was to sort them into more suitable roles.

In numbers, LeGou dominated. The Kindergarten Branch had over twenty, the Barracks Branch the next largest with thirty-some.

“Huh? Old Yang, I remember the Tianqi Team’s combat force was bigger than this. Where’d the rest go?”

Zhang Su noticed the problem with the Auto Park Branch—Yang Xinqi stood behind only ten men, a stark contrast to before. At least half were missing! “It’s like this, Brother Su…”

Yang Xinqi stepped forward, chest out, head high. “Some brothers realized their limits. They were forced into combat before, but now there are better roles for them in logistics, so they chose to stay there.”

“I see…”

Zhang Su looked toward Yu Wen in the crowd. Yu Wen gave a slight nod, confirming Yang Xinqi’s words were true. Zhang Su let it go.

As the camp’s population grew, Zhang Su realized the old military-to-civilian ratio was unworkable. If he’d stuck to the original 3:1 ratio, only 25% of the population would handle logistics—far too few to feed and support so many combat personnel, even for basic operations.

In recent weeks, he and several advisors had re-studied the issue and arrived at a new plan: maintain a 1:4 military-to-civilian ratio. For five hundred people, that meant one hundred combat personnel and four hundred logistics staff.

A 1:5 ratio was the red line. Even so-called “civilians” needed basic combat ability—defined as two people working together being able to handle one zombie.

The combat personnel gathered on the ridge now numbered over one hundred sixty. The camp’s total population was seven hundred eighty-three—close to a 1:4 ratio.

Zhang Su believed some of these so-called combat personnel were slackers. Today’s screening would weed them out, and the final ratio should settle at 1:4—a healthy balance for now.

When his gaze fell on the former Reserve Team, he saw Su Xiaoya inexplicably standing in line, chest puffed out, eyes straight ahead, looking fiercely proud. Zhang Su internally sighed, amused.

The Daqiao Fortress villagers, after days of integration, showed excellent morale—thanks largely to Meng Changwei’s management.

The remaining scattered individuals were also in good shape.

(End of Chapter)