Chapter Thirty-One: Capturing the Silver Zombie! A Pleasant Surprise!

The Zombie Queen’s face flushed a deep red, her hands instinctively clutching at the hem of her dress. Her long, alabaster legs—now indistinguishable from a human's—were tinged with a rosy hue.

“Ahem! Well, there’s no helping it, it’s part of the mission. Let’s get started!” Gu Lang knelt down slowly, his expression brimming with righteous determination.

“Alright…” the Zombie Queen replied, her cheeks still burning, but obediently following his command.

Thus, the Zombie Queen climbed onto Gu Lang’s back, draping herself over him. Her small hands unconsciously gripped his shoulders for balance. As Gu Lang carried her, he felt a cold chill brush against his neck.

The pair looked absurd, but their combined battle strength was undiminished—if anything, it was enhanced. With both of Gu Lang’s attributes at a hundred points each, his balanced physique belied the power of a tyrannosaur. And perched atop him, the Zombie Queen was even more terrifying—her claws harder than steel.

Together, one was the artillery platform, the other the cannon itself.

“Wow! Brother Gu Lang, you’re amazing! I want a turn too!” The little girl’s eyes sparkled. She dashed forward on her short legs, eager to leap onto Gu Lang as well.

“Better focus on using your Royal Authority and don’t cause trouble for Lord Gu Lang,” Yu Qiuchi said sternly, pulling the little girl back by her ponytail.

A sudden roar split the air as the Silver Zombie, having sensed their presence, hurtled toward them. Its fleshy wings spread wide like massive hands, beating furiously as it swooped down from the sky like a missile.

“Icicle Spell!” Gu Lang spread his arms, firing two ice lances like lightning bolts. But the Silver Zombie was agile, dodging twice in mid-air and evading them with ease, then accelerating toward Gu Lang at a terrifying speed.

With the zombie airborne, close-combat experts Yu Qiuchi and Li Xiaoxiao had no chance to react. Li Muwan hesitated, afraid her spell might accidentally hit Gu Lang.

In the span of a heartbeat, no one moved.

Just as the zombie closed in, two flashes of blade light split the air. The Zombie Queen’s nails crossed, forming an X-shaped blade. The Silver Zombie crashed into it at full speed, flesh tearing open as if it had slammed into a steel mesh, its body sliced into several pieces.

Yet the vitality of a Silver-tier zombie far surpassed that of a human. For such a creature, these wounds were mere scratches—healing almost instantly. The Zombie Queen herself, when she had hunted Gu Lang before, had been shot by villagers of Zhangjia Village, but her wounds had closed in moments. Such was the terror of their regeneration.

Humans could possess such abilities too, but always fell short of the zombies’ prowess.

Gu Lang didn’t hesitate. He activated his Emperor’s Presence skill.

A ripple of invisible sound waves spread out, enveloping the Silver Zombie. Gu Lang had already cleared the surrounding area of other zombies, so the skill’s random target was now guaranteed—a one hundred percent hit.

The Silver Zombie shuddered; its eyes cleared. The flesh-wings beat as it landed before Gu Lang and prostrated itself.

Success!

He had subdued a Silver Zombie in less than ten seconds! And, crucially, the Emperor’s Presence had no time limit—the control would last as long as the zombie lived.

Against a gold-tier skill, even a Silver Zombie was utterly defenseless.

How much faster was this than winning over a wife?

Gu Lang’s spirits soared, but he quickly regained his composure. A skill, after all, was only a skill—it couldn’t be relied upon forever. It was no substitute for a lasting alliance.

However, gaining a Silver Zombie for free was a huge boost to his strength. In this apocalypse, a Silver-tier was equivalent to a fully-leveled puppet. With a few more like this, he wouldn’t need to fear the Zhao family at all.

[Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission! By pairing with the Zombie Queen, you’ve formed a human weapon, greatly improving efficiency—and you can even enjoy the process!]

[Mission reward: Favorability increased to ‘Spouse’!]

[Notice: Host has successfully shared the skill—Terrifying Regeneration!]

[Terrifying Regeneration: The body gains rapid recovery abilities—limbs regrow, flesh returns to bone, at the cost of intense stamina drain.]

Damn!

A healing skill!

Gu Lang was overjoyed—this was exactly what he had been missing! The Zombie Queen had three skills, and he’d happened to draw this one—could it be that the wretched system had finally grown a conscience?

No time to ponder, Gu Lang quickly set the Zombie Queen down from his back. Her cheeks were still flushed, and she glanced longingly at his neck, as if reluctant to part.

“Lord Gu Lang, what should we do next?” Li Muwan asked, her expression earnest.

Gu Lang’s face quickly returned to calm. Now wasn’t the time for distractions.

“We keep capturing zombies! Every additional Silver Zombie increases our chances!”

Having tasted the thrill of capturing a Silver Zombie, Gu Lang was hooked. One Silver-tier zombie was as valuable as a Chosen One of the same rank—now loyal to him without question.

Who wouldn’t want to do this again and again?

So, for a while, Gu Lang wandered the streets of Dawn City, replacing his controlled zombies as he found stronger ones, but no more Silvers appeared.

However, the group made a new discovery—they found the location of the military district. Though situated in the suburbs, the sprawling complex extended halfway into Dawn City, designed for easy access between the base and the city.

Now, Gu Lang and his companions stood outside its towering black walls, overgrown with wild grass, the barrier dividing two separate worlds.

“Lord Gu Lang, with these high walls enclosing the area, the zombies inside have no way out,” Li Muwan calmly analyzed.

“It’s like a trap—no wonder the Zhao family managed to rise so quickly.” Gu Lang snorted, already suspicious that the Zhao family was plotting against him. Yet, as he gazed at the military district, an idea sparked in his mind.

“A trap… That’s it. Why not lock the Zhao family in there?”

“Come, let’s prepare a surprise for them!”

The others barely reacted, but Li Muwan’s sharp mind caught on immediately.

“Lord Gu Lang, you don’t mean to—”

Moments later, one by one, zombies with fleshy spikes lifted and tossed their kin over the walls into the military district. All of these were puppets under Gu Lang’s skillful control. The skill had no range limit—only the act of capturing required proximity.

Now, with his puppets scattered inside, they were like mines planted and waiting—ready to explode at a critical moment and deliver a nasty surprise.

Finally, Gu Lang threw the Silver Zombie in as well. With that, he had no more controlled puppets at his side.

But, if anything, his confidence in the coming trip to the military district only grew.

By dusk, Gu Lang and his party had returned to the Zhao family’s castle. The halls buzzed with life, as lively as ever.

The old merchant found Gu Lang, a sycophantic smile plastered across his face.

“Lord Gu Lang, the appointed hour draws near. My master invites you for a meeting.”