Apocalyptic Crazy Kitty

Chapter 24: Carrot

No matter what effect this stuff might have, Zuo Chen wanted to try it for himself. After all, he certainly wouldn’t die suddenly from it—the viruses and compounds already in his body were far more potent than this Type C Evolution Serum. A burning sensation began to spread through his left forepaw as the serum was injected. This sensation was clearly different from the agony experienced by the Wasteland Bandits—it was entirely bearable. Then, unlike the bandits, whose entire circulatory systems had reacted violently, Zuo Chen felt as though the serum injected into his body was凝聚ing on his paw before slowly beginning to flow to the rest of his body. He raised his paw and stared at his furry foreleg as a wave of heat began to slowly creep toward his torso, as if trying to merge with his body. However, after several attempts, this heat was rejected by various parts of his body and had no choice but to keep moving forward. Soon, the Orange Cat looked down at his belly. By then, the burning sensation had reached his abdomen. Suddenly, the heat intensified again, as if it had found a way in, and instantly merged into his body! Zuo Chen felt as if a hot water bottle had been placed on his abdomen—it was warm and very comfortable. Then, between his hind legs, that tiny lump—no bigger than a nail—began to swell rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye! Holy shit! What the hell is this?! In the blink of an eye, the little pink bulge had grown to the size of a carrot—an absolutely staggering proportion relative to his body! How embarrassing! Zuo Chen darted forward, dragging the pink carrot under an examination table. If the bandits woke up and saw this, it would be an absolute disgrace! What the hell, cat! Why isn’t anything else reacting? Only this part has gotten so huge—it’s even getting in the way when I walk… Orange Cat was so frantic he was about to cry. Doesn’t this cat have any pride?! Sitting there on the ground, he looked as if he had two tails… Calm down, calm down! Zuo Chen quickly racked his brain, recalling the memories from several biology experts. This Type C evolutionary serum contained a mixture of various viruses and compounds, but none of them seemed to have anything to do with Viagra. Plus, judging by the reactions of the other humans who’d been injected, this wasn’t the intended effect at all. It seemed the problem lay with him after all. Fortunately, once he calmed down, the carrot began to shrink slowly and soon returned to the size of a small nail, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. However, Zuo Chen knew that if he were to experience any further stimulation, the carrot would reappear… What a nightmare! Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his paw, Zuo Chen was at a loss for words. It seems all cats go through a mating season—what if he had one too? What a beast! But then he thought better of it: at least he was a male cat, and at least he hadn’t been neutered—otherwise, it would only be even more awkward. After waiting a little longer and seeing no other physical reactions, Zuo Chen realized that, for him, this Type C Evolution Serum had only one effect: turning him into a carrot. Just then, one of the unconscious bandits let out a moan. Zuo Chen leaped forward, landing in front of them, his expression grave as he once again assumed the Beast King’s cold, ruthless demeanor. He watched as all the humans who had been injected with the evolution serum gradually awoke from their stupor and stood up. Their bodies seemed much stronger; their arms had thickened considerably. They kept clenching their fists to feel their newfound strength, their faces brimming with excitement. “Congratulations on being able to survive better,” Zuo Chen said as he scanned the group. “Now, I have some good news and some bad news.” Hearing this, the crowd looked puzzled. “The good news is that not only have you evolved, but you should also be immune to the zombie virus—this serum contains antibodies against the virus as well.” Zuo Chen paused for a moment before continuing, “The bad news is that you’re now immune to the zombie virus…” They all froze for a moment, then suddenly realized. Being immune to the zombie virus meant they wouldn’t turn into zombies, but in these urban ruins, if they were ever truly surrounded by a horde of zombies, their fate would be to be devoured alive! If they weren’t immune, as long as they could transform into zombies, the suffering they’d endure while being surrounded by zombies would be somewhat less severe. But for those who are immune, the fate that awaits them is a slow and agonizing death! When one lacks sufficient power, immunity is actually a double-edged sword. “Let’s see what kind of powers you’ve gained.” With a flick of his tail, Zuo Chen sent a test bed flying toward Erzi. “Hah!” Erzi clenched his fists, crouched slightly, and slammed a powerful punch into the center of the test bed. A thunderous “BOOM” echoed through the room as the heavy test bed crashed to the ground, its center caved in, and the steel frame was bent into a right angle. Then Erzi leaped into the air, landing right at ceiling level. He pushed off with both feet, propelling himself forward in an instant, and crashed into the wall with a “thud,” leaving a crack in the plaster. He stumbled to the ground, scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and stared at his fist in disbelief. Zuo Chen nodded. It was clear that Erzi’s strength, jumping ability, and speed had all improved dramatically. However, since his body hadn’t yet adapted to this newfound power, he found it somewhat difficult to control—but that wasn’t a problem; in a life-or-death struggle, he would quickly master it. The others also began to experience their newfound, evolved strength on the testing grounds. “A single punch can punch a huge dent in a steel plate; a 100-meter dash takes only seven or eight seconds; and with a powerful leap, I can—I’ve been following His Majesty the Beast King for only a few days longer than you all.” “It seems to me that the Beast King isn’t quite the same as the one described in the news. He isn’t as brutal as the legends say; on the contrary, he’s actually quite honorable…” Bai Biao muttered solemnly, “He looks so much like him—really, so much like him. Aside from the color being off, everything else is identical. Could it really be…” “Really what?” Erzi turned his head and asked solemnly. “Doraemon!” Jicheng Biological Research Institute. As an institute directly affiliated with the Academy of Sciences, the Jicheng Research Institute was heavily guarded. Its towering cylindrical building stood like a pillar of stability in the southern part of the city. This building could be said to be the symbol of hope in the eyes of all Jicheng residents. In the aftermath of the biochemical crisis, the biological research institutes under the Academy of Biological Sciences have become the backbone of the fight against the invasion of mutated creatures. At that moment, in the underground section of the Jicheng Biological Research Institute, inside a laboratory spanning over a hundred square meters, a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses stood in front of a screen, reviewing experimental data. It was none other than Song Tianqiao, who had fled to the Jicheng Base. Because his escape from the Yancheng Biological Research Institute had been so rushed, he had only managed to bring the core experimental data with him; he hadn’t even been able to take the Type C Evolution Serum he had already produced, meaning he would have to start all over from scratch. However, Jicheng did not have enough test subjects for him to use. After all, the numerous live-subject experiments he had conducted previously violated existing laws; if this were to leak out, he would inevitably face trial by a military court. During this period, his research had made virtually no progress. “Ding-ding… ding-ding…” A soft chime rang out, and a message flashed on the screen, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. Two surveillance logs had actually been transmitted from the Yancheng Biological Research Institute! After arriving at the Jicheng Base, he had connected to the remaining equipment at the Yancheng Biological Research Institute via a secret line that was still operational. However, the Yancheng Biological Research Institute had already been overrun by zombies, and the remaining operational equipment was unreliable, only occasionally transmitting sporadic data. He hadn’t expected to receive another message today… Song Tianqiao clicked “Play.” The cold, gloomy interior of the underground testing facility appeared on the screen, where dozens of heavily armed humans were locked in a fierce battle against hundreds of zombies!