Yú Huī gripped Flowing Blade Like Fire at his waist, the icy hilt radiating a faint, restless heat.
He looked at Èr Gǒu Zi, who had lowered its body again beside him, and then at the system panel.
【Rank: Unranked (44/100)】
Only now did he realize how pressed for time he was!
Yú Huī immediately went to wake Lǐ Jǐnglóng, who had already lain down to rest.
"Lǐ Jǐnglóng… Lǐ Jǐnglóng… stop sleeping, get up quickly!"
Stirred by Yú Huī's pushing, Lǐ Jǐnglóng groggily opened his eyes. "What's up? Brother Hui. I was sleeping so soundly!"
Yú Huī slapped Lǐ Jǐnglóng's head hard. "Hurry up and get up! Something big has happened!"
Hearing that something big had happened, Lǐ Jǐnglóng shivered and instantly woke up.
"Something big? What big thing? Are the Zombies attacking?"
Yú Huī saw that Lǐ Jǐnglóng had sobered up and immediately told him his discovery word-for-word.
Lǐ Jǐnglóng listened, very anxious. "Ah! Brother Hui. What should we do now? It's already hard enough to survive in the Apocalypse, and now these Zombies can even evolve themselves. They're giving us no way to live! We can't just wait here to die!"
Yú Huī looked at Lǐ Jǐnglóng's flustered appearance and felt a pang of disappointment. "Did I say we were going to sit here and do nothing?"
He pointed at Èr Gǒu, who was lying beside them. "Èr Gǒu is advancing. Once it successfully advances, we'll break out immediately! I've already noted down several escape routes during the day. With Èr Gǒu, the danger to us isn't great…"
As soon as Lǐ Jǐnglóng heard that Èr Gǒu was advancing, he immediately calmed down and said with full energy, "Okay, Brother Hui! I'll listen to you!"
"Mmm. You go pack up first. Take all the supplies you can use! When Èr Gǒu breaks through, we'll immediately break out and quickly descend to the first floor… then we'll go out from…"
Yú Huī explained his breakout plan to Lǐ Jǐnglóng in detail…
Time ticked by, and the Blood Moon in the sky hung like a time bomb, ready to explode, pressing heavily on the hearts of the two. Their gazes were fixed on the huge dark shadow writhing before them.
On the dilapidated rooftop, the air was filled with the smell of blood, scorched flesh, and an indescribable sweet odor mixed with decaying plants. Dry vine remnants lay like the bones of monsters, silent in the dead stillness.
*Buzz—!*
An invisible wave of energy emanated from Èr Gǒu as the center, spreading outwards like ripples. This wave was extremely subtle yet exceptionally clear, as if the smallest particles in the universe were vibrating.
The Èr Gǒu lying on the ground, its massive body suddenly trembled! The glossy, tough, pure black short hair covering its body bristled instantly, as if cloaked in a shroud woven from steel needles. A fiercer, deeper aura than ever before surged from Èr Gǒu's body, like a slumbering volcano awakening, erupting with a roar!
Its tightly closed vertical pupils suddenly opened, and two blood-red beams of light, condensed into substance, shot out like searchlights, piercing the dimness of the rooftop. The majesty and power contained within its dark red vertical pupils pressed down on the two opposite them like a towering mountain, making them feel a palpitation, as if facing a ferocious beast from hell.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a low, powerful roar erupted from the depths of Èr Gǒu's throat! This sound was no longer an ordinary dog bark, but the true roar of a top predator, full of majesty and dominance.
Although the roar was not deafening, it contained a strange penetrative force, as if it could pierce the soul. At the same time, it brought a heavy oppressive feeling, making it seem as if the surrounding air had solidified.
At the very moment this roar sounded, Èr Gǒu's body seemed to be stimulated by a mysterious force, and began to undergo astonishing changes. Its muscles seemed to be injected with some powerful energy, swelling rapidly at an incredible speed. Its body instantly became exceptionally strong, every muscle filled with power, as if forged from steel.
Accompanying the swelling of its muscles, Èr Gǒu's bones emitted a dense popping sound like roasting beans. Its muscle fibers swelled and bulged madly, seemingly never to stop.
Èr Gǒu, already the size of a calf, rapidly enlarged in a mere few breaths. Its shoulder height easily broke through 1.5 meters and was still growing. The thick fur on its neck, which had been like a mane, became denser and more luxuriant, like a lion's ruff, showcasing its majesty and power.
At the same time, Èr Gǒu's limbs also became more robust, its muscle lines as if cast from steel. Its claws glinted with a cold metallic sheen, capable of easily tearing through steel plates, sending chills down one's spine.
Finally, everything fell silent, as if time itself had frozen at that moment.
Yú Huī and Lǐ Jǐnglóng stared with wide eyes, unable to believe the scene before them.
The calf-sized black dog that had stood there was now completely gone. In its place was a behemoth!
This behemoth's shoulder height was almost 1.7 meters, its physique as stout as a strong adult bull. Its entire body was covered in a thick, glossy black long fur that shone dazzlingly under the moonlight, like the finest black silk.
The behemoth slightly lowered its head, and a pair of dark red vertical pupils gazed down at the two before it. Its gaze was cold and sharp, as if it could penetrate one's soul. However, deep within that majesty, one could clearly feel a gentleness unique to Èr Gǒu.
This behemoth stood on the rooftop like a ferocious god from ancient times, exuding an unparalleled oppressive aura.
【Combat Partner: Èr Gǒu】
【Status: Stable】
【Rank: First-order ferocious beast】
【Bloodline: Huodou bloodline】
【Talent: Body of the Fiery Prison (Possesses fire attribute, can launch fire attacks, immune to all flames, can devour all fires in the world)】
【Ability: Multiplication Lv.1 (Consumes own stamina to exponentially increase own size, strength, and defense for a short period)】
【Special Hint: Life level leap completed! Base ability enhancement acquired (Strength, Speed, Defense, Perception greatly increased)!】
Yú Huī's eyes widened as he stared intently at Èr Gǒu's panel information, an ineffable ecstasy welling up in his heart!
It worked! Èr Gǒu really did it!
A First-order ferocious beast! And a First-order ferocious beast with the Huodou bloodline! What did this mean? This meant that in this desperate Apocalypse world, they finally had the guarantee of survival!
Yú Huī trembled with excitement. He couldn't help but take a step forward, reached out, and patted Èr Gǒu's massive head hard.
"Well done! Èr Gǒu!" Yú Huī shouted excitedly, his voice filled with praise and encouragement for Èr Gǒu.
"Woof…" Èr Gǒu responded with a low growl from its throat. Immediately afterward, Èr Gǒu affectionately nudged its giant head against Yú Huī. The force of this nudge was so great that Yú Huī almost lost his balance and staggered back a few steps.
However, Yú Huī paid no mind to this. His attention was entirely captivated by the changes in Èr Gǒu. As Èr Gǒu successfully advanced, the wounds he had sustained had also completely healed!
Just as Yú Huī was marveling at Èr Gǒu's transformation, the system's prompt tone suddenly sounded in his mind, as if to perfectly punctuate this exhilarating moment.