Chapter 56: A Thousand-Year-Old Female Corpse? A New Bride?

“Oh? Unfortunately, I must have it!” Without even thinking, Gu Lang struck out with his fist. As someone at the Gold tier, his punch crashed down like a mountain. The golden figure’s chest was obliterated; his eyes widened, dying with unresolved hatred.

“Corpse Mutation!” Gu Lang snapped his fingers. The golden body twisted, transforming into a zombie. Once a corpse mutates and ascends to Gold, no matter how badly it’s destroyed, it can revive and retain consciousness.

“Go wait for me at Iron City!” Gu Lang commanded, turning toward the two members of the Sun family.

“Lord Gu Lang! You are truly our savior!”
“Yes, Lord Gu Lang, if not for you, that old villain would have succeeded. You are the epitome of righteousness, the savior in these apocalyptic times!”

Sun Tian pressed Sun Hai’s shoulder; both men had been kneeling, awaiting Gu Lang’s arrival. In the apocalypse, strength reigns supreme. Now Gu Lang truly wielded the power of life and death.

“Heh, though you two didn’t help, you also didn’t aid the golden one, so that counts for something. Clean up the battlefield, collect the golden zombie’s remains, then return to Iron City and seek me out.”

Gu Lang’s expression remained indifferent, letting their flattery go in one ear and out the other. He knew both were fickle, spared only for the sake of the system’s quest.

…

Iron City, the city lord’s luxurious villa.

Gu Lang sat on the sofa, surrounded by a cluster of wives attending to him. Before him knelt the Sun brothers, along with the mutated golden zombie.

“Speak. How do I ascend to Platinum? And where did you find Lisa?”

After returning to the city, Gu Lang had forcefully become the new lord. With his Gold-tier power and the Sun brothers’ assistance, no one dared challenge him.

“Lord Gu Lang! I am from SPC Pharmaceuticals, the head of the city’s factory. After the apocalypse erupted, someone from SPC headquarters visited, gave me some medicine, and instructed me to remain at Iron City to protect survivors and await further orders.”

“I took the medicine and became Silver-tier, led the survivors to establish Iron City, but afterward headquarters never contacted me again. I suspect those people are Platinum-tier, their rank linked to those special drugs.”

The golden zombie crawled on the ground; after mutation, it could no longer lie.

“I grew impatient, so in pursuit of strength, I started investigating them. Though I found no trace, at the SPC factory in the neighboring city, I discovered a plant—Lisa. I intended to use her fruit to ascend to Gold, leave here, and travel three thousand kilometers to the main pharmaceutical plant!”

Gu Lang frowned. SPC again?

He still had hundreds of vials, capable of boosting a zombie by one minor tier. But they weren’t the same as the pill the golden one took; that medicine had no side effects, as evidenced by the golden one’s failure to become a zombie.

It seemed he might have to visit headquarters himself.

But it was too far, and he wasn’t strong enough yet.

“Lord Gu Lang, we’ve collected the golden zombie’s remains. They’re nothing but bits of flesh, packed in boxes.”

As Gu Lang finished questioning them, Sun Tian quickly reported. Gu Lang nodded; the golden zombie’s body could be mutated into a living zombie, but his Emperor-tier ability only allowed him to enslave Silver zombies. The remains would have to be stored for now.

“All right, your turn. You once mentioned a plan, didn’t you?” Gu Lang looked at Sun Tian; the system’s quest was linked to him. Now that the golden one was dead, the quest should continue.

“Yes! Lord, you may not know, but in the neighboring city there’s a park with an ancient tomb, the resting place of a princess from antiquity. After the apocalypse, she returned to life!”

Sun Tian hurriedly revealed everything.

“She’s powerful and intelligent. My plan was to lure the golden one there, so the zombies and he would clash…”

What?

A millennia-old female corpse?

Damn, could the new wife promised by the system be her?

Gu Lang rubbed his forehead, though he felt no fear—he now possessed true strength.

First, Lisa was about to ascend to Gold-tier, only two or three days away. Gu Lang wouldn’t use the fruit yet, saving it for a pivotal moment.

Second, there was the Zombie Queen and Wenwen. These two wives were closest to reaching Gold-tier. After a wave of zombies, Gu Lang had accrued 100 attribute points, shared between them. Judging by these points, they were only half a month or so away.

Additionally, he had a legion of Silver puppets—twenty-one in all. With the medicine, they could all ascend to advanced Silver. He would need to digest these gains.

“All right, you may leave. With the golden zombie gone, the corpse tide has ended. If you have time, search outside for Silver corpses, or seize Bronze ones if you can.”

Gu Lang drove all outsiders away.

“Lord Gu Lang, what should we do now? Shall we visit the neighboring city and seek out the ancient princess?”

Li Muwan extended her delicate hand, massaging Gu Lang’s shoulders as she spoke.

“Not for now. Iron City is a major resource—many Bronze survivors, food, and supplies. Let’s build up here first.”

Gu Lang’s eyes held a trace of caution.

“You’ve heard, the SPC main plant likely houses Platinum-tier experts. We’re not invincible in the apocalypse; many unknowns remain.”

“My plan is to fatten Lisa up, accumulate your attribute points, and ideally, have you all break through to Gold-tier. Then we’ll venture out.”

The little girl jumped up excitedly.

“Hooray! No more sleeping rough—we have food, drink, and plenty of peers to play with!”

Wenwen’s eyes sparkled; she was still just a girl, at an age for play.

“Gu Lang! What about me? Any tasks for me?”

Yu Qiuchi, now in Gold-tier, grew more proud, often acting as the principal wife among the group. Now she threw herself into Gu Lang’s arms.

Feeling her warmth, Gu Lang was surprised—the touch of Gold-tier zombies was just like a living person, warm and soft. Her facial scars had vanished, her pupils returned to normal.

Gu Lang embraced Yu Qiuchi, chuckling.

“There’s nothing pressing. At last, we can rest—let’s enjoy ourselves as a family.”

Li Muwan blushed. Zhu Li, Li Xiaoxiao, and the Zombie Queen all flushed as well.

…

Blue Sea City, the core metropolis of Dragon Nation.

Here, the zombies were more numerous and formidable, and survivors even more tenacious. It housed the strongest safe zone.

SPC Pharmaceutical Headquarters.

“Damn it, several branch staff have lost contact. The apocalypse is spiraling out of control.”

A man in a suit, fingers laden with gold rings, spoke gravely.

Across from him sat a white-haired youth, his pupils crimson.

“Heh! What’s there to fear? We hold the sacred medicine; ascending tiers is as easy as drinking water. Who could possibly surpass us? Just some zombies.”

“All the team leaders need do is keep offering tributes.”

The suited man snorted.

“Hmph! Human sacrifices—where are we to find so many survivors? Unless I fetch some from the branches.”

The copper-haired youth laughed carelessly.

“Then go. I recall Iron City has a small Silver character. His city boasts plenty of people—let’s sacrifice him.”