"These are... zombies?"
Zhang Chen was slightly stunned.
Within the apocalyptic system, zombies had their own tiered classifications.
Even if some survivors with considerable strength turned into zombies, they would not retain their original abilities. Instead, they would become zombies of the corresponding rank, their original abilities completely nullified, leaving only the inherent abilities of a zombie.
However, the group of zombies infected by Stephen were clearly different.
The zombie with blue clothing and an S-shaped hairstyle, fixed with hairspray, hovered in mid-air.
There was also a female zombie dressed in ancient armor, wielding a golden whip and shield, and a male zombie holding a fork...
Basically, these zombies were all armed and had retained their original abilities.
"Zombies? Ha, calling them that isn't wrong, but I prefer to call them slaves of darkness!"
"Thanks to you, I realized my own weakness."
"Through the Book of Darkness, I discovered the most powerful force in the universe."
"No wonder you could look down on us so much. It turns out the powerful energies in this world far exceed my imagination."
"You won the last battle, but now I have mastered the same power as you!"
"You are truly foolish, possessing such immense power, yet only resorting to simple, brute-force attacks and killing."
"But I am different. Through my study of magic, I can now flexibly wield this energy, change the world, and subjugate all the strong!"
"You could say... the power within your body was completely buried, while I have fully unleashed its true form. I am far more powerful than you! Hahahaha!" Stephen cackled. At the same time, the zombie-transformed heroes surrounding him also launched an attack towards Zhang Chen.
"I didn't want to kill you. You were guardians of a certain world, but we just had some minor disagreements."
"But now... since you've become zombies, let's end the lives of your physical forms!"
Zhang Chen said calmly.
*Swish!*
The zombie woman's whip coiled around Zhang Chen's arm, while a lightning-fast figure flanked him from the side. The man with the fork launched a surprise attack from Zhang Chen's back, and the flying man shot red lasers from his eyes...
"Try my new ability... Elemental Shatter!"
Zhang Chen pulled his right hand out of his pocket and gently opened his five fingers...
*Shuooo...*
In a single instant, all the zombie-transformed superheroes around him disintegrated into countless molecular and atomic states, then transformed into a cloud of mist and vanished.
[Divine Power Control EXP +5, Current Divine Power Control Level 2, Upgrade Progress 113/1000!]
This notification wasn't from the spectral form of Zhang Chen. It was from Zhang Chen, after he had ended his spectral state, reconnecting the notification system to the indigenous computer.
After all, the indigenous computer could accurately calculate upgrade data and other information through big data and various indicators.
This was quite helpful for Zhang Chen.
Actually, the skill [Elemental Shatter] was self-created by Zhang Chen.
It was essentially using the ability of the meteor core's creation and destruction to break down everything into its most basic form. This was destruction, and also the foundation of creation.
However, the difficulty of creation far surpassed that of destruction.
Zhang Chen could easily decompose anything he saw into molecules, but it was difficult to arbitrarily create new objects.
The most challenging aspect was creating life.
This was because the complexity of protein composition was not just one order of magnitude greater than inorganic matter.
The power of creation was still being gradually researched.
"That's it? All gone?"
Zhang Chen looked at the wisp of mist surrounding him and asked slowly.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a giant maw surged out from beneath the earth, swallowing Zhang Chen and the spot he had just occupied.
*Poof!*
The monster's maw had barely closed before its entire body instantly shattered, transforming into a cloud of mist and dissipating.
Zhang Chen floated in mid-air, his clothes unstained.
"Stop letting these insignificant fellows sacrifice themselves. Why don't we settle this directly? Isn't that better?"
Zhang Chen said with a hint of weariness.
These battles offered no fighting spirit whatsoever.
The monsters were simply too weak.
It was only Stephen, empowered by the meteorite shard, who greatly interested Zhang Chen.
"Alright, as you wish!"
Stephen's hands moved rapidly, forming various poses before him.
Suddenly, a massive portal opened in the space around Zhang Chen, from which countless dry, black arms extended, gripping Zhang Chen tightly.
"I'll seal you into the world of death, and you'll never be able to return alive!"
"No one can return alive from this world!"
Stephen's hands were closing rapidly, his aged face turning red.
It was evident that to pull Zhang Chen into another dimension, he had pushed himself to his absolute limit.
As his palms gradually drew closer, countless dry hands gradually pulled Zhang Chen into the portal.
*Snap!*
Stephen clapped his hands together, and at the same time, Zhang Chen and the portal vanished.
"Phew... finally... done?"
Stephen knelt on the ground, gasping for breath. The previous magic had consumed a great deal of his energy, and he had visibly aged considerably.
The power of the preceding magic was immense. Stephen could not activate it with magic alone, and he had also consumed his own lifespan to barely cast it.
Stephen rested for a while, and his stamina gradually recovered.
As a mage, though he could wield energy, close-quarters combat was still not his forte.
Therefore, he opted for his most proficient skills: summoning and spatial magic.
"I didn't expect you to be dealt with just by using spatial magic..."
"I still have a more powerful summoning technique I haven't used. What a shame. To learn that forbidden summoning art, I sold my very soul..."
"Cough cough..."
Stephen coughed violently, his hunched body trembling uncontrollably.
"However... it was all worth it. The mages you killed, I've finally avenged them!"
"Although... perhaps I have no face to meet Master Ancient One anymore..."
As Stephen's voice faded, the surrounding space suddenly began to vibrate violently.
Then, a colossal portal opened.
A demonic head, as large as a thirty-story building, was thrown out. Green blood flowed to the ground, immediately igniting spheres of hellfire.
Subsequently, Zhang Chen slowly walked out of the portal, with a succubus following behind him.
"This world is quite interesting. Are there any others?"
Zhang Chen asked with a smile.
"You are truly fortunate, or perhaps truly unfortunate. You will regret escaping from that world. My ultimate summoning technique is still reserved for you. Feel true terror!"
Stephen's hands quickly formed complex postures again. Soon, the black void turned emerald green.
Following this, a colossal tentacle emerged from the portal, then another... and a third...
"Gurgle..."