Chapter Seventeen: The Plan

Damn it, do those bastards really have to progress so smoothly? They already have a class-holder among them. Guo Lang and Alice retreated to the security office of another nearby mid-rise building. After taking care of the zombies inside, they settled down for the time being.

The situation over there was unclear, and night was fast approaching. To attack rashly would be reckless. The information he’d just gathered had left Guo Lang disheartened. The time distortion in this game was a matter of luck, but the gap was considerable—while he had only just begun, someone else had already managed to evolve into a class-holder!

He knew the Necromancer path was considered a smooth start, but he hadn’t expected it to be this easy. It was outrageous. In his previous life, he himself had only become a knight after a year as a follower; obtaining a class was notoriously difficult for any race, and once achieved, it meant stepping out of the mundane and into the ranks of the extraordinary.

What’s more, the other side had unlocked Necromancer—such a mysterious and powerful class. Guo Lang even felt the urge to turn and leave. Of all the classes, mages were the ones he least wanted to face, especially early on. While strength and agility classes had the upper hand in skirmishes, when prepared, the combat ability a mage could unleash was terrifying.

Take the Necromancer’s dread arsenal, for instance—a technology only available to mage classes. It allowed the crafting of horrifying weapons from available materials. The zombies roaming everywhere now couldn’t normally be controlled by necromancers, but with the Dread Arsenal, a mage could cultivate broodmothers and create advanced zombies. These not only possessed formidable combat power themselves but, thanks to the broodmother’s traits, could control other zombies within a certain range. As the mage’s mental strength grew, so did the broodmother’s, increasing the control radius even further.

Given time, a Dread Arsenal could spawn other bizarre mutated creatures, all bound by contract. With enough time, a necromancer could create an army of monsters that far exceeded their own individual strength. A well-prepared necromancer could take on a dozen class-holders of the same level—this was no exaggeration!

The key now was to determine how far the other side had progressed. Guo Lang needed to observe, not just to see how many people they had, but, more importantly, to gauge the growth of their Dread Arsenal. If they’d already produced more than two dread creatures, Guo Lang wouldn’t hesitate to turn and leave immediately!

“Papa…” Alice tugged at him, her face pitiful, making Guo Lang sigh helplessly. He lifted her onto a nearby seat and gently explained, “Your hunch this afternoon was right—someone did sense you. And those people are the culprits behind all of this.”

Alice lowered her head, a trace of coldness flashing in her eyes. “Why would they do this?”

“I’ll explain that later. First, let me tell you why your mother might still be alive.”

“Okay!” Alice’s eyes sparkled as she nodded obediently.

Guo Lang paused, searching for the right words, then carefully said, “At first, I thought your mother’s chances of surviving in an urban environment like this were slim. You’ve seen what these zombies are like—nothing like the mindless ones in movies. They’re fast, strong, and retain certain predatory instincts. They seek out dark corners to lurk and actively hunt. Even if your mother, like you, managed to evade the first wave and find a hiding spot, the zombies would eventually search her out within a few days. Offices aren’t like homes; they rarely have reinforced doors, so they’re difficult to defend.”

At this, Alice’s face paled, so Guo Lang quickly brought up the turning point. “But things are different now.”

“How are they different?” Alice looked up at him, her expression full of hope, reminding Guo Lang of a puppy and stirring his sympathy.

“The ones who caused the disaster are here. I found their Necromancer faction’s Dread Arsenal on one of the rooftops. Normally, such valuable buildings wouldn’t be established here, because the army would eventually sweep the area with heavy firepower—it’s risky. But they built it here anyway, and besides their absolute confidence, there’s another reason.”

He continued, “They’re selecting suitable biological templates. The Dread Arsenal can create elite monsters, but it still requires hosts of a certain caliber—the more talented, the better. Most of the office workers in this building are society’s elite, so the chance of finding suitable hosts is high. That increases the likelihood that your mother survived.”

“Can they control these zombies?” Alice still seemed unsure.

“They can’t control them all—not yet. If I’m right, the first monster produced by the Dread Arsenal would be a broodmother-type zombie, which can control some of the others. But this ability needs to be nurtured; it doesn’t allow them to command all zombies from the start. However, they can establish biological domains in certain areas—no-go zones—where other zombies are forbidden to enter.”

“Why would they do all this?” Alice, though relieved at her mother’s increased chances, remained calm and asked rationally.

“To observe,” Guo Lang said gravely. “Those who survive the first wave are either lucky or possess acute senses and adaptability. That makes them exceptional. By trapping them here without sufficient food or water, the necromancers can watch how they struggle to survive. The flashes of brilliance people show in moments of despair are the truest measure of their innate talent. Trust your mother; to become a famous CEO of the Federation at such a young age, she must have extraordinary abilities. She won’t be among the first to fall.”

“I believe in Mom!” Alice nodded firmly, then added with excitement, “Dad, your analysis makes so much sense. So what do we do next?”

Little rascal, it only makes sense because it’s good for you, right? Guo Lang smirked but thought carefully, then said, “We need to observe first—figure out where the restricted zones are, then deduce your mother’s likely location.” He gritted his teeth and, with some reluctance, called out to Xiao Tao, “I need to borrow—no, two—thermal vision scopes, and make sure they’re high-resolution!”

Xiao Tao blinked. “Master, you know a lot about these tech products, but I’ve never seen you browse them before!”

“None of your business!” Guo Lang snapped. “Hurry up and exchange them!”

“Okay!” Xiao Tao replied, not at all put out by the scolding, and instead beamed. “Each scope is 75 energy points. On credit, it’s 150 each, with daily compound interest of five percent.”

“Are you robbing me?” Guo Lang nearly jumped up in outrage.

“It’s just the rule…” Xiao Tao put on an innocent face. “I think it’s unfair too. So, do you still want them?”

“You—” Guo Lang shook with frustration, wanting nothing more than to grab the AI, flatten it, and stomp it into dust.

Sensing the murderous intent, Xiao Tao quickly backed away, trembling. “How about I apply for a ten-day interest-free period?”

“Can you lower the price?” Guo Lang asked darkly.

“That’s absolutely not negotiable!” Xiao Tao declared righteously, unfazed by the murderous glare. “No discussion—the price is firm!”

Your bottom line, my foot! Guo Lang nearly choked. He’d learned in his previous life how these smart systems operated—they’d exploit you at every turn, especially when you were desperate. He couldn’t figure out what they did with the energy points they squeezed out of him.

“Two sets!” Guo Lang said through gritted teeth.

“Hehe, you have to spend money to make money…” Xiao Tao giggled. “Wise choice, Master!”

With a heavy heart, Guo Lang accepted two black mini scopes. He tried one himself and found the craftsmanship exquisite. They were cleverly disguised as contact lenses and made of active materials that adapted to the wearer’s eye movements and even provided some nourishment. The function was excellent—not only did they greatly expand his field of view, but they could also see through several walls to spot lurking zombies. The intelligent filtering was superb, allowing instant switching between thermal and normal vision based on neural input. The product was truly top-notch.

After trying it out, Guo Lang handed the other set to Alice, reminding her, “Give it a try, but don’t look toward the Dread Arsenal—it might sense you!”

“Okay!” Alice nodded obediently, looking around in amazement. “This is great!”

“Isn’t it?” Xiao Tao chimed in, eager to please.

“Get lost!” Guo Lang snapped, glaring. Xiao Tao grinned sheepishly and retreated to the corner.

Guo Lang ignored the insufferable AI and turned to Alice. “Rest for now. Tonight, we’ll use these to monitor zombie movements and mark the restricted zones. Also, remember: the broodmother will return to the zone at night to secrete residue—pay close attention, and see how many zombies follow it.”

This was the key to whether they could rescue her mother. The enemy was a class-holder; Guo Lang’s bottom line was that they had only one mutated creature, and it hadn’t grown strong yet. If that broodmother was controlling more than ten zombies, he would take Alice and retreat at once.

A mage is a high-value class—no matter how fragile they are early on, their strength grows with time and preparation. Guo Lang could only hope the enemy hadn’t had enough time to prepare.