Eclipse of Tomorrow

Chapter 5 Beastly Escape: The Lethal Sprint

JOE's face lit up with a hint of excitement. He had just discovered that he could use the abilities of the Evolutionary he encountered earlier, which was a bit strange. Thoughts of that Evolutionary made JOE shake his head in disdain, muttering, "That Evolutionary was nothing but a failure. Killing him would be doing him a favor." But at this moment, JOE didn't realize that his determination to find survivors was wavering. If, during this time, someone were to act particularly despicable in front of JOE, it might just be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.JOE's head started to ache. He was now caught in a dilemma. If he left this place and returned to the small building, there was still a glimmer of hope. But if he stayed here, sooner or later, the zombies would break in.Suddenly, JOE remembered Number 10 and quickly asked, "Number 10, how is my physical condition at the moment?" Number 10 replied, "Master's current physical attributes are: Strength 27, Agility 27, Speed 28, Spirit 30, Endurance 26, Stamina 28, Intelligence 31."JOE couldn't help but laugh when he heard the numbers. "And what about my abilities?" he inquired. Number 10 responded, "Master currently possesses two abilities: Black Hole Devour and Body Transformation, but both abilities are not yet mature. You can find more information in this chart."Name: JOEAbilities: Black Hole Devour, Body TransformationSpecific Information:- Black Hole Devour: Superpower-type ability, in the juvenile stage. Can create a black hole to swallow enemies and has a chance to acquire their abilities. Becomes 100% effective when mature.- Body Transformation: Physical enhancement ability, in the juvenile stage. Allows you to transform your body for increased combat power. Becomes 100% effective when mature.JOE was intrigued by the description of the Black Hole Devour ability. He had a strong urge to burst into laughter, thinking, "Isn't this the legendary ability that Number 10 mentioned? How did I end up with it?" However, he didn't pay much attention to the Body Transformation ability, considering it to be no more significant than a power-enhancing drug for him.The next day, JOE disposed of the nearly decomposed body of Su Yi. He had forgotten to clean up the body in his moment of excitement the previous day and had to endure the stench throughout the night. However, upon returning to the laboratory, JOE noticed something was amiss. The bread on the experiment table was missing (the table was stationary and couldn't be sucked into JOE's black hole), and some of the pots and pans he had recently acquired had been moved. But JOE didn't pay much attention to it. He had made a decision; he was leaving these items here for any future survivors who might come across them.JOE opened the door to the laboratory storage room, which he had never entered before, and was startled by what he found. The room was filled with countless mutant rats, just like the zombies, with various parts of their bodies rotting away. JOE's mind raced as he thought, "Mutant rats!" He remembered Number 10's explanation that animals could also be infected by the virus and could be even more formidable than zombies. A mutated Tibetan Mastiff could take down an Evolutionary. But JOE had always been curious about how Number 10 knew all this. Number 10 had consistently maintained that this information was classified and would only be disclosed when he had sufficient strength.JOE made a quick escape; with his current abilities, he had no chance against a large group of mutant rats. While his Black Hole Devour could swallow them up, he had no way of knowing how many rats there were. If he made a wrong bet, he wouldn't have the strength to flee and would be left helpless.As if he wasn't running fast enough, JOE quickly exchanged for a vial of low-grade speed-enhancing serum. To his surprise, the horde of rats behind him also received a significant speed boost. JOE was startled and put all his energy into sprinting towards Hua Xia University. Thanks to the speed-enhancing serum, the zombies around him only saw streaks of motion blur. When they detected the scent of a human and reached out to grab him, they found themselves reduced to skeletal remains as a swarm of rats passed through, leaving behind a trail of devastation.JOE was too focused on the approaching rat horde to pay attention to his path. He collided with an abandoned car, stumbled back, and collapsed, overwhelmed by the chaotic noise around him.JOE slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a quiet environment, except for one thing – a black hole. Wait, a black hole? JOE widened his eyes, staring at a black hole roughly the size of a human head. "I must have inadvertently activated the black hole, absorbing a lot of things and evolving," JOE thought to himself. However, he was in for another surprise. His psychic ability: Data Copy. It allowed him to copy and temporarily replicate anything he saw. "Isn't this similar to the Sharingan?" JOE wondered. But upon closer inspection, he realized the power had its differences. In its juvenile stage, it could copy anything perceived by the five senses.JOE then had a thought, "Could those rats have abilities too?" He was shocked by his own idea and mourned for humanity. His top priority was now to return to the small building. He was confident that the food stored there would still be intact, as long as no one or no mutated creatures had intruded. As for the zombies, JOE wasn't concerned; they were not interested in the food inside the small building and preferred fresh flesh. With this in mind, JOE borrowed a car from a nearby garage and rushed towards his destination.The nearby streets were jammed with traffic, perhaps never to move again. Fortunately, he knew of a small road. Upon reaching the small building, JOE noticed that the door lock had been smashed. He muttered, "Who's the idiot who broke the lock? This will attract zombies. I don't care if you die, but don't dirty my floor! Cleaning the floor is a waste of water!"His words would surely leave the departed soul in heaven shaking their head. JOE entered the house and found a pool of blood, with a zombie feasting on a human arm. The zombie sensed JOE's presence and lunged at him. JOE cursed under his breath, activating his Body Transformation on his left hand.With the ability to swallow life forms and non-life forms on the road, JOE's transformed left hand was now as powerful as a berserk Iron Fist. He grabbed the zombie's head and crushed it in an instant.Returning his hand to its normal state, JOE cleaned up the bloodstains and checked the food supplies, which remained untouched. It seemed that the unfortunate person had been attacked by zombies immediately upon entering the building. JOE didn't dwell on it and decided to have a meal before lying down to rest. He mumbled, "There's no place like home!"