Chapter Forty-Five: Before the Battle

“How about I give you a name?” Ma Yi glanced at her. He was quite skilled at naming—names like Iron Pillar or Blossom were both memorable and pleasant.

“Are you planning to tame me?” The Queen of Corpses squatted down and studied Ma Yi’s eyes, her gaze flickering with unknown thoughts.

“No, I just want to consider you a friend, so I thought I’d give you a name.” Ma Yi was a bit puzzled. Did naming someone mean you wanted to tame them? He truly wondered if the Queen of Corpses’ way of thinking was a little off. Still, Ma Yi’s habit of naming zombies was indeed an odd quirk.

“That won’t be necessary. If there ever comes such a day, I’ll reserve that right for someone who’s strong enough to subdue me.” The Queen of Corpses looked at Ma Yi with disappointment and stood up.

Ma Yi was full of confusion. What on earth—so only someone who tames you can name you? And if not, you won’t allow it? Had he already reached the point where everyone loved him? Well, he was just passing through. If fate allowed, they could meet again.

“I should focus on helping Li Li get her revenge and then return home as soon as possible.” Ma Yi followed behind the Queen of Corpses, quietly observing the zombies around them.

Four tall, dark-gold zombies stepped aside respectfully upon seeing the Queen of Corpses. When they saw Ma Yi, their faces were filled with both hostility and terror. In their eyes, the Queen of Corpses was already an unreachable existence, but this small fellow seemed even more frightening.

Feeling the animosity and tension from these J5 zombies, Ma Yi calmly walked over and sat down on a skeleton chair. Li Li stood close by his side. The bone chair was surprisingly comfortable, likely made from the remains of some mutant beast.

“What do you think of my subordinates?” The Queen of Corpses looked at Ma Yi, her eyes filled with both challenge and subtle hints.

“They’re average. Before I left home, I had quite a few underlings too. Maybe not as many as yours, but every one of mine was an elite.” Ma Yi glanced around at the zombies. The ones present were all at least level five—about twenty or so. He figured Iron Pillar and Blossom should have cultivated quite a number of level four subordinates by now. With this many zombies, only so few being level five was hardly impressive.

“Where do you plan to attack?” Sensing the Queen of Corpses’ displeasure, Ma Yi quickly changed the subject to avoid souring the conversation and hindering their cooperation.

“Just over there—a place with many people, much stronger than the smaller settlements. I’ve been building my strength, waiting to take them down in one blow.” She pointed toward the southern base.

“How many people are there? Are they strong?” Ma Yi knew a bit about the capabilities of human evolvers, but for a level five zombie to be so cautious, there must be something he didn’t know.

“Their numbers are about the same as my current subordinates, but I don’t know exactly. When I first started out, a human discovered me and attacked me with something that shot fire. It hurt terribly, and I barely escaped. Later, I led many subordinates to take revenge, but they were all killed, and I had to flee again. There was an old man—he was formidable. He could fly. If he hadn’t been slower than me, I might have been captured right there.” The Queen of Corpses spoke angrily. She had nearly died that time, and if not for her regenerative ability, she would never have survived. This was her only chance now. If she failed to get revenge and lost these subordinates, she might never have such an opportunity again.

“A flying old man?” Ma Yi was startled. Were there already such powerful humans? Humans could fly now? Why hadn’t Qin Yu and the others ever mentioned this?

“Yes, one who could dart through the air. I couldn’t reach him, but he could hit me.” The Queen of Corpses was helpless; she would never allow herself to be so passive again.

Ma Yi recalled his previous research into slashing techniques and the ability to walk in the air. There were certainly formidable figures among humans, but he had always been in small places and had never seen them. Those who invented slashing moves—perhaps they could also come up with mysterious martial arts like Moon Step, and perhaps other martial techniques as well. Humanity was, after all, the most creative of species.

“When are you planning to attack?” Ma Yi asked.

“We’ll rest for two days and set out the afternoon after next. We just fought with some insects and lost a number of subordinates.” The Queen’s gaze remained fixed on the southern base, her eyes burning with vengeful flames.

“Doesn’t all this feel a bit strange?” Ma Yi asked, smiling at Li Li.

Li Li looked at Ma Yi and nodded. She really couldn’t understand why Ma Yi was getting involved with zombies. The zombies seemed to hold him in both awe and respect.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m so close to the queen of zombies.” Ma Yi glanced at the simple cave the Queen had provided—no human comforts, but zombies didn’t need such things. He didn’t mind; the animal pelts on the floor were comfortable enough.

“Whatever Master wishes to do, I’m sure he has his reasons. I don’t need to know.” Li Li reaffirmed her role. If there was no need to know, she wouldn’t ask. She considered herself Ma Yi’s little servant—even if self-appointed—and trusted him completely.

“You’ll find out sooner or later. It’s better I tell you now so you can decide for yourself.” Ma Yi smiled and sat down on a clean, dry spot in the cave, back against the stone wall, his expression calm.

Li Li quietly came to his side and sat down, tilting her head to await whatever important thing Ma Yi was about to tell her.

“The truth is, it’s simple: I’m not human.” Ma Yi patted his pockets and clicked his tongue. Ever since he’d reverted to a child’s body, he hadn’t smoked, but now he suddenly craved a cigarette.

Li Li watched him calmly, her eyes serene.

“I’m actually a mutated zombie. From the very beginning, when the corpse change happened, I mutated. That’s why I retained my own consciousness. Of course, you could also say I’m a human infected by zombie poison and mutated. Zombies see me as one of their own, and I have their abilities as well.” Ma Yi turned to look at her. “Aren’t you surprised?”

“Surprised? What’s there to be surprised about? As long as you have a kind heart.” When she first heard Ma Yi say he was a zombie, Li Li’s heart clenched, but she quickly reconsidered. What did it matter whether he was human or zombie? So long as he could help her get revenge, that was enough. Compared to the simplicity of zombies, were humans really any less wicked? Sometimes, humans were worse. In this world, strength was all that mattered.

“Rest well these next two days. Here’s some good news: I’ve struck a deal with the Queen. In two days, we’ll attack the southern base. I’ll let you kill your enemy with your own hands, and let her do the same.” Ma Yi gently reached up and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

Li Li stared at Ma Yi, her eyes growing moist. Before the catastrophe, she had schemed so hard, even betraying herself, yet failed to achieve this. Now, finally, her vengeance was within reach. Though she knew they were heading to the southern base, hearing it again from Ma Yi’s lips, and knowing it was only a few days away, she was overcome with emotion. At last, revenge was at hand.

“This won’t do.” Ma Yi watched the Queen of Corpses. In terms of speed, she was impressive, but her technique was sorely lacking. It was strange—though Ma Yi had taught her the intricacies of slashing, she simply couldn’t master them. Even after studying with J and S class zombies, he concluded that zombies were incapable of producing slashing attacks, no matter how much they learned.

The Queen’s attacks seemed fast, but it was all speed—there was no vibration or body movement. It seemed that such slashing attacks were unique to humans, perhaps humanity’s one remaining advantage.

The Queen looked at Ma Yi’s hand as he made a casual gesture. A massive imprint of an air palm floated through the forest, and in an instant, appeared three hundred meters away, slamming into a cliff and leaving a three-meter-high mark sunk thirty centimeters deep in the stone.

“Just focus on close combat, then.” Ma Yi demonstrated the techniques he had taught Iron Pillar, showing the Queen the entire set. She learned quickly when it came to close combat. As she practiced, Ma Yi’s thoughts drifted far away.

In myth, when heaven and earth were set, the creator god Pangu became all things, and so everything began. Whether the ancestor shamans or the demon clan, in the end, they were all Pangu. The shamans cultivated their bodies, while the demons mastered energy. Everything was so similar to now—zombies and evolvers alike were once human. Zombies had unparalleled physical strength, while evolvers excelled in skill. Now, they could even manipulate air, unleash slashes, and walk on air.

Was it a coincidence? Ma Yi gazed at the sky. Everything seemed clear, yet shrouded in mist. A bold idea formed in his mind. In modern science, the universe began with a singularity’s explosion. In the known universe, stars and even galaxies were countless. Everything seemed governed by fixed laws, like a person endlessly divided until only atoms remained, and those atoms too followed rules.

Atoms were like stars, electrons like planets orbiting the sun. Could there be infinitely tiny life forms on stable electrons, existing on them? And when these infinitesimal beings looked up at their world, was it not like humans standing on Earth, gazing at the stars?