I am the Zombie King of the Apocalyptic World
Chapter 233 - 231 The Instant of Strength and Weakness_1

Chapter 233: Chapter 231 The Instant of Strength and Weakness_1

Zhou Ranjun’s gaze hardened as he looked at the two Evolution Crystal Cores sitting on the table.

The Evolution Crystal Cores were transparent, with their interiors clearly visible. They were devoid of any other hues, glistening brilliantly.

Zhou Ranjun initially thought they were Evolution Crystals taken from a zombie’s brain, but upon closer examination, they clearly were not.

The Evolution Crystals extracted from a zombie’s brain were not transparent, but rather a solid crystal substance.

Although the Evolution Crystals from Level 1 zombies were transparent, they were flexible, like jelly, interspersed with faint yellow strands within.

Zombies of Level 2 and above possessed yellow and orange Evolution Crystals, corresponding to Level 2 and Level 3, respectively.

He had never encountered a Level 4 zombie before, but Zhou Ranjun was certain that its Evolution Crystal wouldn’t be purely transparent.

Could these be solidified Evolution Crystals of a Level 1 zombie?

Although he held this thought, Zhou Ranjun would not foolishly voice it. He decided to wait for Tang Ye’s explanation.

"What are these?" he asked.

"Evolution Crystal Cores."

"Evolution Crystal Cores? What’s the difference between these and Evolution Crystals?"

"Hehe, these were extracted from a human brain."

"What?!"

Upon hearing the origin of the Crystal Cores, Zhou Ranjun was taken aback, his body trembling as he sat!

"Are you afraid?"

"How could these things exist in a human brain?"

"Ordinary people don’t have them, but the brains of evolved humans do. They are similar to zombies in that they can generate these things through evolution."

"Evolved humans..."

Zhou Ranjun gripped the table tightly, trying to suppress his fear of Tang Ye, but his hands were shaking nonetheless.

The man before him was dangerous, capable of killing him at any moment. How could Zhou Ranjun not be afraid?

"Hehe, you don’t need to be afraid, I won’t hurt you."

"Who can guarantee that?"

"People don’t need to guarantee it, because you’re a good person!"

"So, because I’m a good person, you won’t kill me?"

Tang Ye didn’t speak but nodded in response.

"Let me ask you again, do you want to kill Zhang Han?"

Zhou Ranjun hesitated. His survival in the apocalyptic world for the past year had built a strong respect for fear.

Although he was desperate to kill Zhang Han, he only dared to entertain this idea in his thoughts. He didn’t dare to actually follow through with it.

"So, do you want to kill him or not? This is your chance!"

In Tang Ye’s eyes, a hint of ruthlessness flashed but was quickly suppressed. He awaited Zhou Ranjun’s answer. If he said yes, he would give him an Evolution Crystal Core. Whether he successfully evolves and becomes an Evolved Human or not was none of Tang Ye’s concern.

If he said no, Tang Ye would leave immediately.

The room suddenly quieted. Zhou Ranjun struggled, wavering between yes and no. It was a difficult decision. The fear of Zhang Han, the curiosity of why Tang Ye would help him – he wanted to know.

But the fear of Zhang Han was more prominent. He was about to decline when the scene of his wife being taken away by Zhang Han’s men played like a movie in his mind, causing distress.

Zhang Han’s underling, Li Biao, used his powers as an evolved human to destroy both the love and the child he shared with Bai Yujie. The sight of blood flowing from his wife’s thighs was deeply ingrained in his mind!

He didn’t dare to refuse. His fear would turn into guilt. He felt that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but he had committed an unforgivable mistake.

His mistake was being weak! He was weak, the greatest sin in any era.

"I... I am a man! I don’t want to be weak!"

Zhou Ranjun suddenly roared like a madman. The sound startled the zombies hovering outside but were soon calmed by an unknown force.

"Wuu... Wuuuu, I can’t live like this!"

Zhou Ranjun held his head in tears, but because of his injury, he fell to the ground as he crouched down.

He imagined his wife sobbing in disgrace under Zhang Han, living like a slave in Zhang Han’s place. He couldn’t bear it!

He thought of his wife, reduced to a sex slave, toyed with by Zhang Han and his men while he was willingly exchanging produce for a meager supply of food to survive.

He couldn’t bear it any longer!

That day, he met this odd individual. He knew nothing about him but he provided an opportunity - a chance to change everything.

Or perhaps, change nothing. But, why not take the risk?

Zhou Ranjun raised his head, his face fierce. He looked at Tang Ye, whose cold eyes stared through the mask with rage, and said hoarsely, "I want to!"

Upon hearing his answer, Tang Ye laughed, a eerie sound emitted from behind his mask.

"Very well, first sit up."

Zhou Ranjun used his crutches to stand and sat back down at the table. He looked at Tang Ye expectantly, waiting for what he’d say next.

"Your choice is a good one, you’ve got the opportunity!"

Tang Ye pressed his hand on the table and with a "crack", a large chunk of the table was broken off, leaving only a small piece, the fractured edge just a millimeter away from the Evolution Crystal Cores!

Zhou Ranjun, stunned, took a deep breath but remained silent.

"If you consume these two Evolution Crystal Cores, you have a chance of evolving into an Evolved Human."

"You mean, an Evo?"

Upon hearing Tang Ye’s words, Zhou Ranjun’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, transfixed on the two Evolution Crystals. His previous emotions vanished, leaving only the two Evolution Cores.

Tang Ye cocked his head, puzzled. He didn’t understand what Zhou Ranjun meant, but soon realized that ’evos’ and ’Evolved Humans’ were the same, just termed differently in different areas: Evolved Humans in some areas, ’Evo’ in others.

After the rush of excitement subsided, Zhou Ranjun cooled down, suspecting something was amiss in Tang Ye’s words. His joy had not yet made him lose his mind.

"Chance? What happens if I don’t stand a chance?"

"If there’s no chance, then you die!" Tang Ye replied bluntly.

Zhou Ranjun’s enthusiasm, once burning like fire, was extinguished, his eyes dimmed.

"What? Are you too scared to try?"

"I..."

"Zhang Han is your enemy; if you wish to kill him, you must become strong! I have already given you the opportunity. Whether you can continue down this path depends on you!"

Zhou Ranjun’s face turned pale. He stared at the two Evolution Crystal Cores on the remaining piece of the table, his internal conflict palpable.

Everyone fears death. Despite living on the edge of danger, there’s always a glimmer of hope in Zhou Ranjun’s mind – to evolve into an Evolved Human under the blessings of heaven.

The apocalyptic world is filled with peril and opportunities. Some people manage to transform from inconsequential beings to mighty entities in just a split second!

He fears death! He has managed to survive this long in the apocalypse, escaping the grasp of death multiple times. This has made him realize the importance of life, how could he desire death?

Compared to evolving into an Evolved Human amidst the risk of death, he would rather accept his fate as bestowed by destiny, at least, it’s considered safe!

But, would destiny favor him?

He couldn’t be sure.