After the initial shock, Ronan was overwhelmed with a surge of exhilaration!


    Eva’s eyes had returned to a normal human appearance, which meant his theory could be true! If the virus continued to evolve, perhaps Eva could slowly regain her sanity...


    However, after her eyes changed, the virus’s evolution rate in Eva’s body seemed to slow significantly. Despite hunting hundreds of zombies over the past three days, Eva’s strength continued to grow, but the mental changes Ronan had hoped for never came.


    But there was still something to be happy about—Ronan himself had changed. As his mental powers grew stronger, he attempted to control other zombies while semi-controlling Eva. After several failed attempts, he finally succeeded. The more he practiced, the better he became at puppeteering.


    Not only that, his combat abilities were improving as well. Though his speed didn’t match Eva’s, he was now more flexible and could respond quicker than she could when fully in control of himself. He now felt confident in his ability to stay safe, even if Eva lost control.


    But then, Ronan faced an issue that left him dumbfounded—his food supply had run out....


    Previously, he had relied on the zombies to do the fighting and gather food, which meant his own consumption had been minimal. But now, as he was engaging in the battles himself, his physical demands had increased. He found himself eating more than before.


    This area was a suburb, and when the apocalypse hit, most of the food had already been looted. What remained was barely enough to last a few survivors. After combing through two small supermarkets without finding much, Ronan finally decided to take Eva into the city center.


    While the city offered much greater access to supplies, the outrageous and sheer number of zombies in the densely populated area made it far more dangerous.


    Had it not been for Eva, Ronan might have considered retreating to the countryside or the mountains. But without a doubt, Eva would starve in such a place.


    In fact, a city teeming with zombies seemed to be the best environment for both him and Eva to continue evolving.


    However, before heading to the city center, Ronan knew he needed to make thorough preparations. He’d need a reliable mode of transportation, portable food, and, most importantly, weapons...


    For transportation and food, Ronan had already prepared a bicycle, but weapons were a different story.


    Ordinary household knives wouldn''t last long and would easily become dull or chipped, making them hard to use. A good knife was absolutely essential.


    "Wait, isn''t Emma''s family in the handmade knife business...?"


    Emma was a little girl who lived in the same building as Ronan. She had a pleasant face, and Ronan couldn’t help but glance at her occasionally, every time he meets her. But since the outbreak of the apocalypse, he hadn''t seen her. The thought of her crossed his mind now, and a twinge of discomfort settled in. A girl as fragile as Emma... even if she hadn''t mutated and had somehow survived, she must have been struggling terribly.


    With that thought, Ronan packed his gear early in the morning and took Eva with him to Emma’s family knife shop.


    Though Ronan had consciously chosen a safer route, they still had to take down over a dozen zombies before reaching the now-abandoned store.


    Bloodstains smeared the glass windows, the door was shattered, and the dark interior gave off an eerie vibe—yet this kind of scene had become all too common in the apocalypse.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Naturally, Ronan sent Eva inside first. Although Eva would attack zombies on sight, the undead didn’t target her.


    When they entered, there were no zombies in the shop. Eva and Ronan walked in without encountering any problems.


    The shop was filled with knives, though most were ornamental and hadn’t been sharpened. Ronan remembered that a while ago, a friend had asked him to buy some knives here, so he knew the shop actually had sharpened blades hidden somewhere, but they weren’t displayed for sale.


    "I think the workshop is behind here..."


    Ronan walked toward a security door behind the counter. He grabbed the handle and twisted it, but something felt off.


    Usually, doors like this could be opened easily, but when Ronan turned the handle, he found it was locked.


    Could the people who ran the shop have taken refuge in the workshop? If that’s the case, maybe someone was still alive inside... perhaps even Emma!


    Ronan felt a surge of excitement as he thought of this. He knocked on the door and whispered, “Is anyone inside?”


    “Bang!”


    After a moment of silence, a muffled sound suddenly came from inside, like the sound of something being knocked over.


    “There’s someone!”


    Ronan stood stunned for a moment before knocking again, but this time all he heard was a “clang,” and the door didn’t budge.


    Could it be that whoever was inside was too weak to open it? Yet listening to the movement from inside, Ronan couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Despite his bad premonitions, the priority was still to get inside and retrieve the knives.


    Ronan alone couldn’t break down the security door, but with Eva’s help, it became a simple task.


    With a muffled bang, the door cracked open slightly. Just before Ronan could fully push it open, a hand shot out from inside.


    At the sight of this hand, Ronan’s heart skipped a beat. On the surface, it seemed like any other hand, but the faint redness of the nails and the “squeak” of them scratching the security door reminded him all too much of Eva!


    Could there be another mutant zombie inside?


    Despite suspecting this might be the case, seeing a second mutant zombie caught Ronan off guard.


    From the size of the hand, it seemed to belong to a man. This meant Emma was likely dead...


    Imagining the horrific possibility that the owner of that hand might’ve torn Emma apart and stuffed it into his stomach, Ronan felt a surge of anger. With a swift movement, he swung the sharp knife, and chopped it down with a "clang". The man’s hand was severed, falling to the ground with blood spraying, and the security door was flung wide open under the force of the blow.


    The scene that greeted Ronan was very bloody.


    Inside the small workshop, the walls and floors were splattered with blood, clothing shreds, and scattered human bones. There were also two complete corpses, both facing down, just exposing the empty back of the head.


    The only survivor was a young man, who had been knocked to the ground by the door. But as soon as he hit the floor, he sprang up like a shadow, lunging straight for Ronan.


    This was the first time Ronan had to face the mutant zombie''s assault head-on. The speed of the attack was so fast that no one had time to react. If it had been the old Ronan, he would have been struck down and killed on the spot. But now, after his improvements, Ronan remained eerily calm in the face of danger.


    Despite the mutant zombie’s speed, Ronan’s reflexes were no slouch. Almost as soon as the mutant zombie moved, Ronan was already in motion.


    He took a small step back, pivoted his body, and swung his arm, gripping the sharp knife, toward the mutant zombie.


    "Thud!"


    A spray of blood burst out as the two passed each other. In the process, Ronan spun a full 90 degrees, pulling the blade that sliced through the zombie’s abdomen upwards. He then brought the knife down with full force.


    If this had been a regular zombie, Ronan’s attack would have landed without question. But the mutant zombie was incredibly fast. The moment Ronan turned, it dodged, not only avoiding the downward strike but also charging straight into Ronan, its powerful hands reaching for his chest.


    Gripped by the zombie’s powerful fingers, Ronan''s injuries were probably not just superficial injuries. At this angle, Eva wouldn’t be able to help him.


    "Asking for death!" Ronan snarled.


    In that moment of life or death, the fury inside him ignited. He didn’t try to evade; instead, he twisted his wrist and slashed again. At the same time, he raised his knee, driving it into the mutant zombie''s chin, momentarily halting its movements.


    In a fight, even a fraction of a second of hesitation can mean disaster. And in that brief window, the sharp knife in Ronan’s hand found its mark, stabbing into the back of the mutant zombie’s neck.


    "Crack!"


    A soft sound echoed as the mutant zombie’s movements abruptly ceased. Ronan gritted his teeth and twisted the knife harder.


    "Snap!"


    With a sharp crack, the blade snapped in two, leaving only the broken portion lodged in the zombie’s body. That final strike sealed the creature’s fate.


    Clutching the half-broken knife, Ronan felt as if every ounce of strength had drained from his body. He couldn’t help but gasp for breath, his chest heaving with exhaustion.