After overloading the various systems in the Watchman Morning Dawn Headquarters and causing the power grid to fail, Qi Suian swaggered away. On his way out, he used a Plasma Cannon to blast the building's load-bearing structures. If all went according to plan, it would collapse by tonight.
That was why Qi Suian needed to get some distance, lest he get caught in the collateral damage.
He then checked the location pinpointed by his smart-brain. Combining this with the intelligence gathered from the headquarters building, Qi Suian confirmed that this was the true headquarters of the Watchman Morning Company.
'It's on an island. How am I supposed to get there...' Qi Suian stared at the map, a helpless expression forming on his pale, bloodless face.
'Going by the usual tropes, the massive zombie animals in the sea are probably even more terrifying.'
'If they were to mutate further, wouldn't that... Wait, I don't think I've seen any non-human types of zombies, have I?'
Qi Suian had suddenly realized a blind spot in his understanding.
Other than humans turning into zombies after being infected by the Profound Virus, animals and plants did not; some were even able to completely ignore the infection.
This meant that the Profound Virus's only hosts were humans. It was either harmless within animals and plants, or it simply couldn't survive in them.
Of course, there were exceptions, such as the bio-weapons created by the Watchman Morning Company, some of which were based on animal, insect, and plant specimens.
He had obtained this information from the archives in the headquarters building. As this was Watchman Morning Dawn's primary business, there were at least product descriptions, even if there wasn't detailed data. Otherwise, how could they sell them?
'The regressor's memories didn't contain anything like that either. The most there were were bio-weapons that combined animal and plant genes but were still fundamentally human.'
'So for now, I don't need to worry about non-human zombies.'
'That raises a question, then. Why do zombies only target humans? Animals are living beings, too, but they're not on the zombie food menu.'
Qi Suian began to ponder. He had been studying with the smart-brain for some time, so he needed to practice thinking more.
'This means a zombie's appetite for humans isn't for nutritional purposes, but rather some kind of craving.'
Qi Suian quickly reached his conclusion. Otherwise, why bother eating humans? Wouldn't it be much better to just eat animals?
After all, the vast majority of the human population had turned into zombies during the cataclysm, and the world's native population had been culled to an astonishingly low number. However, with the addition of hundreds of millions of survivors, the population had indeed increased significantly.
But this still wasn't a reason for them to only eat humans.
'This might have something to do with how zombies can evolve without eating or drinking.'
Qi Suian set these speculations aside for the time being. First, he lacked the necessary knowledge, and second, he didn't have the equipment to conduct research even if he wanted to.
The smart-brain could help with deductions, but it was just an intelligent system. The Tai Sui God didn't have the necessary modules, so it couldn't support the smart-brain's analysis.
So, the main focus was still on learning.
As for the matter of the Watchman Morning Dawn Headquarters, that would have to be put on hold. Qi Suian currently had no way to reach the island's location.
Moreover, his preparations were insufficient. So, he decided to raid a few Watchman Morning Dawn branch locations first to resupply.
He was particularly interested in the experimental branches focused on materials and bio-weapons. From the former, he could not only gain relevant knowledge but also acquire ready-made materials to use for evolving the Tai Sui Divine Armor.
The latter would provide the knowledge Qi Suian purely needed, and he could also see if he could get his hands on more things related to the Profound Virus.
'I just don't know if I'll make it in time.'
Qi Suian was calculating the time. The regressor had arranged to meet that lucky pair of sister survivors in three days to trade for supplies.
He was in a rush to go kill those two. The nearest laboratory branch was close enough that he could make it if he timed everything perfectly, but Qi Suian worried that cutting it so close might cause problems.
'Then I'll postpone the lab. I'll kill those two first. What if it gives my Celestial Fate: Profound a +2 enhancement effect? That would be an even greater boost.'
The laboratory branch closer to him was a materials lab. Barring any surprises, there was bound to be a Mutated Zombie inside, though it probably wasn't as strong as the so-called "Number Seven."
On the other hand, if he missed this opportunity with those two, it wouldn't be so easy for Qi Suian to find them again.
They were all survivors, and they had made it past the seven-day mark. They would all be vigilant.
Besides, the regressor and the sisters were only passing acquaintances; they hadn't yet reached the point of developing secret feelings for each other.
Speaking of developing feelings, Qi Suian suddenly remembered something: the regressor had apparently left behind three Holy Widows for him.
Of course, to everyone else, the regressor had claimed they were teammates.
One was a childhood sweetheart he'd encountered just half an hour after starting. Another was a cold and glamorous female CEO. And to top it off, there was the campus belle who had backstabbed the regressor in his past life, a woman he hadn't yet had a chance to take revenge on.
Qi Suian wondered if he should use this lull to send those three on their way, saving himself from any unnecessary trouble they might cause later.
'I'll deal with them, then. It's worth spending three days to eliminate a potential future threat.'
'In the meantime, I can study more and solidify my foundations.'
As for the fact that they'd done nothing to provoke Qi Suian? That was true. But this was the apocalypse, and these women were the people closest to the regressor.
His principle was to rather kill someone by mistake than let a potential threat escape. Qi Suian admitted to himself that what he was doing was wrong—it was murder, after all. He wasn't about to label himself as righteous. This was purely a self-serving act to eliminate future liabilities.
Even if those three women knew absolutely nothing.
-----------------
"A mission target with zero intelligence? How are we supposed to capture them?" Liu Yongfeng, captain of the Cheetah Task Force, frowned.
Chunyu Bao, however, narrowed his eyes. "The target killed Number Seven. That potential alone makes them worth the effort."
Watchman Morning Dawn maintained numerous task forces as its military arm. Their duties weren't limited to simple combat; they also included missions such as rescue, collection, and protection.
Reconnaissance and tracking were naturally also part of a task force's responsibilities.
"We're not close to the headquarters building. It'll take us at least eight hours to get there. By the time we arrive, the target will be long gone," Liu Yongfeng explained.
"Don't worry, they won't get far," Chunyu Bao said. "The target must have come to the headquarters building with a purpose. There's a high probability they obtained the locations of other experimental branches. You head over and lie in wait. I will provide you with real-time intelligence."
He had seen evidence of searching on the surveillance feed from the headquarters building. Zombies wouldn't bother with such things, so the perpetrator had to be human.
Only then did Liu Yongfeng's expression relax. Now *that* sounded reasonable.
"Understood. I'll take my men and depart immediately. Supervisor Chunyu, please lock down the target's position as soon as you can so we can make our move." In truth, Liu Yongfeng knew that even if he wasn't offered any support, he would have had to bite the bullet and set out regardless.
After all, the man was the son of a major shareholder.
"In that case, please give my regards to Director Chunyu." Liu Yongfeng made the obligatory social gesture before departing.