Abyss Summoner-Chapter 256 - 251: Ghoul

"Are there any survivors?"

The group was taken aback upon hearing this news and quickly moved towards the warrior reporting the situation. After walking for about a dozen steps, they arrived at a patch of forest.

At this moment, three team members saw Chen Feng and his party coming over, and immediately peeled apart the bushes.

The bushes were parted, revealing the head of a child. It was a boy, around twelve or thirteen years old. His face was dirty, dark, and thin, covered in dust, and his hair, about two inches long, was so disheveled that it looked like a bird’s nest.

It was a face that evoked sympathy, and the eyes partially covered by the long and untidy hair revealed a light of timidity, as though he had seen something terrifying, his pupils somewhat unfocused.

How is it possible for someone to survive here?

Zombies slaughter all life forms; theoretically, zombies wouldn’t spare any food.

Such doubts lingered in Xu Hongzhuang’s mind.

However, being an emotional woman, trusting her instincts, she stepped forward, wanting to check the boy’s condition. But Chen Feng had already passed her, arriving right in front of the boy.

The boy, seeing someone approaching, seemed more timid, even retreating a few steps, appearing utterly terrified.

In this desolate wilderness, the child was all alone– so pitiful, isn’t it?

Chen Feng smiled, deliberately trying to appear warm; then he reached out his hand, like facing a mouse, and grabbed hold of the boy’s neck, lifting him up.

What!

No one expected Chen Feng would do such a thing. Several warriors who were fathers stepped forward, wanting to rescue the child, but the Dark Elf stood out, stepping in front of everyone and raised her long bow, clearly hinting at her threat.

Earlier, this group of warriors had witnessed the Dark Elf’s prowess firsthand. Don’t be fooled by her charming appearance; when she acts, she kills like it’s nothing, as easily as eating a meal.

"Lieutenant Chen, what does this mean?"

Xu Hongzhuang’s face turned red with fury, clearly unable to accept Chen Feng’s actions, stepping out immediately.

But at this time, Inferior Demon stood behind Chen Feng, with wide eyes staring at Xu Hongzhuang, unabashedly radiating killing intent. It was clear that she sided with her master. Even if Chen Feng was guilty of indiscriminate killing, to Inferior Demon, it was insignificant– as long as her master desired it, that was all that mattered.

Facing this standoff, Chen Feng paid no attention. On the contrary, he tightened his grip, causing the child’s face to turn from pale to liver-colored.

"Quite resilient? Let’s see how long you can endure,"

Chen Feng smiled slightly as his palm gradually heated up, evident with burn marks appearing on the boy’s skin. This was no longer mere murder; it was more akin to torture.

What hatred?

What resentment?

Witnessing this, a fleeting trace of compassion appeared in Xu Hongzhuang’s eyes.

She wasn’t inexperienced, and she knew full well that in this swarm of corpses, for only the boy to survive was incredibly odd.

Yet even if questioning his identity, a gentler method could be used; there was absolutely no need for such extreme measures.

Everyone’s beliefs were different. Unlike Chen Feng, what supported Xu Hongzhuang till now was the belief in restoring a radiant world amidst the apocalypse.

She had to do something– it was an instinctive urge from someone who had experienced the same ordeal. She couldn’t stand by and watch a poor child being killed before her eyes.

Just as Xu Hongzhuang tried once more, a cold aura began to spread. The boy in Chen Feng’s grasp, whose face was black and purple, suddenly turned pale, and his eyes quickly transformed into a crimson hue, staring unblinkingly at Chen Feng.

No longer timid, his face now evoked fear: the eyes partly obscured by the long, messy hair emitted a terrifying glow. His chin was sharp, with a numb smile on his lips, no one knowing his intentions.

"Finally dropped the act?"

Chen Feng murmured, then exerted force with his right hand, executing a back throw and slamming the boy to the ground.

The ground was hard; had it been an ordinary child, this would cause spinal deformation. But the boy appeared unaffected, immediately leaping back upon hitting the ground, raising his eyes to emit a low growl at Chen Feng.

Furthermore, his hair whitened, contrasting sharply with his blood-red eyes.

"Oooooo..."

Similar to a zombie’s moan.

Everyone around was stunned; some even rubbed their eyes in disbelief. Yet reality proved everything to be true.

"What’s going on? How did a good child turn into a zombie?" Xu Hongzhuang stood by, her expression dazed and clueless.

Ghoul.

Ghouls survive by consuming human flesh; they are a breed born from a mother infected, and once born, their first act is devouring the mother’s flesh, strengthening themselves.

Ghouls are naturally imbued with endless resentments; skilled at disguise yet hating life. In the wild, they often masquerade as lost children, ready to deliver a fatal blow to their target.

The most terrifying aspect is the ghoul’s extraordinary metabolism, allowing quick growth to an age suitable for hunting once food is abundant.

Typically possessing a child-like appearance.

"Ghouls are rare zombies, one rank higher than tyrants. While tyrants are commanders’ champions, ghouls in certain environments serve an advisory role due to their semi-human semi-zombie nature, possessing some basic intelligence to better fulfill a commander’s orders.

Chen Feng looked at the zombie, with thoughts in his eyes. This ghoul had just entered maturity, only at a Bronze Tier, but its potential was considerable. Given enough flesh, it wouldn’t take long to reach Silver Tier.

However, such creatures are wild and hard to tame; any oversight may lead to backlash against their master.

How to resolve it?

Kill it? Or keep it?

As Chen Feng contemplated, Inferior Demon walked forward, behind Chen Feng’s hind leg, poking its head forward.

Some curiosity.

Inferior Demon carefully emerged from behind, cautiously approaching the ghoul. Despite this, the ghoul seemed hostile, baring its teeth, ready to devour Inferior Demon.

"Bang!"

Before anyone could react, a loud bang resounded, and the ghoul flew in an arc, landing heavily on a tree stump ten meters away.

The desolate space held only Inferior Demon’s clothes, still floating upwards.

A single punch. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Only one punch.

The ghoul’s body was even embedded in the tree. Attempting to stand, it stumbled, then fell on the ground, spewing blood mixed with organs onto the earth.

Relying on being a ghoul, an ordinary person would have long perished.

Compared to the ghoul, Inferior Demon glanced at the ones who re-stood, revealing an exuberant gaze, childishly saying, "Fun..."

Why fun?

Perhaps because it was unkillable.

Now, even when Chen Feng held its neck, the ghoul, that never begged for mercy, finally showed a timid gaze, avoiding Inferior Demon’s eyes. Evidently, that punch had instilled fear in it.

Seeing this, Chen Feng ruffled Inferior Demon’s head, "Do you like this toy?"

"Toy... like..." Inferior Demon nodded.

Chen Feng made up his mind, deciding to keep the ghoul. Later, he’d have the Undead Mage cast a Curse Skill since given its intelligence, it knew who should command it.

Inferior Demon was lonely. As an anomaly, it couldn’t live with its kind or communicate with normal people. But now, with the ghoul, it was like having a doll all its own, ready to be tormented.

Additionally, the ghoul’s potential was immense; cultivated well, it could match experts like Li Chuan.

To Chen Feng, though, having countless anomalies under his command, one more wouldn’t matter.

From beginning to end, Xu Hongzhuang and her confidants remained bewildered, dumbfoundedly staring at Chen Feng, not grasping how he discerned the boy’s secret as a ghoul.

But Chen Feng cared little; internally, he mused, "Who would’ve thought today, I’d be the biggest winner, acquiring not only several experts’ corpses, but also a Blood Core and a ghoul. Hmm... Bridge East holds many dangers, and tonight, I’ll consume the Blood Core and aim for the peak!"

Seeing as the exploration was mostly complete, after tidying up briefly, everyone embarked on their journey home...