Chapter 14: Survival Manual of the Apocalypse

Though mentally prepared, Fang Chong was genuinely astonished as he felt the miraculous effects of the potion, his face reflecting disbelief.

"The world has truly changed," Fang Chong realized that the current world was beyond the understanding of the knowledge he gained from over a decade of studying.

"Fear Survival Manual," Fang Chong just realized that he had been too focused on the system rewards upon entering the Maya system, neglecting the Survival Manual.

Entering the Maya system again seemed troublesome, but finding the information in his memory was also feasible. Fang Chong found a comfortable spot in the warehouse, preparing to absorb the knowledge.

"Volume 1 of the Apocalypse Survival Manual: Evolution and Mutation of Zombies. Open it?" Fang Chong sat down, reminiscent of the past, searching for information about the Apocalypse Survival Manual.

Unexpectedly, as he delved into the content about the survival manual, the thick book emitted a sound similar to the Maya system.

"Open," Fang Chong jumped at the sudden sound but quickly grasped that the book must be intelligent.

"Zombies are the result of the failed evolution caused by a virus infecting humans," following Fang Chong's command, the pages of the book began flipping. Soon, Fang Chong completely understood the origin of zombies.

"The evolution of zombies consists of five stages, with one Zombie King emerging among a million zombies."

"In the early stage, zombies are referred to as Level 1 zombies. They exhibit slow reaction speed but possess immense strength, five times that of an ordinary human."

"After about a month, the majority of zombies begin to evolve. Fifty percent of them will transform into Level 2 zombies, losing their weaknesses in speed and gaining increased strength."

"At the same time, ten percent of the zombies will undergo a transformation into 'Corpsified Beasts,' appearing entirely red with long claws. They possess tremendous strength, equivalent to fifteen humans and a certain level of intelligence."

"In other words, Level 3 zombies, the 'Corpsified Beasts.'"

"Just like that?" Fang Chong, who was deeply absorbed in listening, suddenly found the voice in his mind stop. "Wasn't it mentioned that there are five evolutionary stages?"

"Do you wish to continue?" The voice from the book echoed right after Fang Chong's words.

"Yes," Fang Chong felt a bit annoyed. Why did the tone of this talking book sound so similar to that of Maya?

"After the evolution, 'Corpsified Beasts,' by the fourth month, will evolve into Level 4 zombies at a ratio of one to a thousand. They become evolved entities with both strength and speed. Due to their massive bodies, they are referred to as 'Green Giants.' Terrifyingly fast and with strength equivalent to a hundred people."

"Level 5 zombies are the elite of zombies, comparable to human intelligence. They have huge bodies, with the tallest reaching up to ten meters. The appearance ratio is one in a hundred thousand."

"With strength surpassing a thousand people, commanding a hundred thousand zombies under their control. Should we even bother challenging them? Do they even leave room for survival?" Fang Chong, who initially believed that possessing the Maya system and the Survival Handbook would be sufficient for his survival in the apocalypse, was dealt a fatal blow to his confidence upon encountering the contents of the survival handbook

"However, Level 5 zombies require at least a year to appear. In other words, there won't be such monsters within the first year?" Although Fang Chong was full of complaints, he had come to terms with this fact and could only face the days ahead.

At the same time, he believed that zombies with the strength of a thousand people, like the Zombie King, wouldn't be a problem in the face of missiles or nuclear bombs.

Thinking about this, Fang Chong's heart eased considerably. Simultaneously, he started forming a plan.

Staying in the Carrefour supermarket was not a viable option. It had been three days without encountering a living person. If this continued, his body might be fine, but his mental state wouldn't hold up.

"Do you wish to continue?" Fang Chong shifted his attention to other matters, temporarily ignoring the remaining content of the survival handbook.

"Of course, continue." Since realizing that the post-apocalyptic world was not as simple as he had imagined from the first volume, Fang Chong dared not be lazy.

"Volume 2: Evolution and Variation of Animals." With Fang Chong's approval, the Survival Handbook turned another page.

While listening to the sound emanating from the book, Fang Chong could also see the content on the pages, giving him the sensation of reading with his own eyes. The content of the book was even more miraculous, acting like a photocopier—after hearing it once, Fang Chong could recall it clearly, almost as if he had memorized it.

The more this happened, the more interested Fang Chong became in reading. As time passed, more pages of the survival handbook were turned, and Fang Chong's knowledge expanded further.

"This is truly unbelievable." After spending an entire night immersed in the survival handbook, Fang Chong, upon snapping back to reality, couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

After absorbing information throughout the night, his mind was filled with various extraordinary things, yet there were also aspects that remained beyond comprehension. Nonetheless, the useful knowledge had significantly increased.

"Strength, what I need most is strength." After this night, Fang Chong, whether due to possessing more knowledge or some other reason, seemed to undergo a transformation.

He understood now that in surviving the apocalypse, strength was the utmost importance. Whether facing zombies or mutated creatures, in the face of absolute strength, they were no problem at all.

"I wonder where this survival handbook came from." Fang Chong stood up and stretched. He had spent an entire night, yet the content he had read was less than one-tenth of this mysterious book. The information he retained mainly covered the early stages of the apocalypse.

"First, have something to eat, then take a rest." Although Fang Chong now possessed the strength of five people, significantly improving his physical condition, spending the entire night memorizing had taken a toll on his mental state.

Despite having reached the strength level equivalent to a first-level zombie, unexpected situations couldn't be ruled out. Even though it was only the fourth day of the apocalypse, the appearance of the green zombie yesterday, something that should have taken a month to appear, indicated that unexpected creatures like the 'Corpse Beasts' might emerge today.

While Fang Chong had confidence in the content of the survival handbook, accidents were still inevitable. The mentioned evolution times were only approximations.

"It seems my appetite has increased again." Fang Chong noticed a change in his appetite after finishing his meal. "If my physical fitness reaches level one hundred, will I turn into a bottomless pit?" Fang Chong jokingly entertained this humorous thought. Already at level five, his appetite had more than doubled.

"Looks like I'll have to look forward to the appearance of the green zombie and Corpse Beasts." Fang Chong thought as he leaned against bags of rice before drifting off to sleep.