Zou Yue could not hold back the mad scientist anymore. Like a charging bull, he jumped into the water to reach the zombie.
That zombie man, on the other hand, hisses loudly and swam away. He just put some distance between them but did not swim down into the depths.
It hesitantly kept glancing his way. "goo goooo…."
"Prisitsky stop, you're scaring it away!"
"I want my samples!" he cried desperately, swimming to it.
The zombie that was fearful till now somehow looked at the man scientist peculiarly. When Prisitsky got close, it dodged to the side. Like a little child, it kept playing with him.
Soon Prisitsky was out of breath. Panting, he glanced towards the shore. "help catch this thing. I need its tissue samples, blood samples if I could. Even its brain….. Its brain must have been affected differently. I need to know why its diet is different,"
Yue sighed. "Dr. Prisitsky please come back, to shore. I'll help you get samples. There are dangerous mutant fishes in there,"
"You mean these," Prisitsky wiggled around his arm in the water. The goldfish nibbled on his fingers. "I'm getting a free pedicure." He giggled.
Yue got into the river and pulled him out physically. "Yeah until they chop off your fingers. Stay here, I'll get his samples,"
Prisitsky tightly gripped his sleeve. "Not just samples. I want him,"
Yue frowned. "I don't think you understand what you are asking for. That is a mutant zombie that is potentially dangerous. I don't wish to risk myself trying to capture it,"
"I need it," he seriously peered into his eyes. "Don't you want to save this world? Get me him,"
Yue stood up, patting the sand off his fingertips. "Don't try threatening me. My life is my own. I won't risk it for your whims and fancies. You wanted a sample. I will get you some of his rotting flesh"
To be honest he had no idea of capturing this zombie. For one it had consciousness, it did not hurt him… and also it felt like a big puppy.
If he captured it and handed it over, Prisitsky will definitely dissect and kill it for sure….
'I mean, it is dead already but…I don't think I want to subject that to that torture,'
He floated over the river keeping an eye on the zombie
Upon seeing him, the zombie excitedly swam under his feet and grabbed his ankles,
"Hey! No grabbing!" he pushed at its face.
All of a sudden, the pain in his neck returned. He could not breathe…
Gingerly, he touched his neck. There were definitely gills there. He swiftly lowered himself, hiding his neck from view.
Cautiously he glanced towards the river bed.
Fan Xui and his sister were worriedly looking at him while priestly was mumbling something while scribbling in his notebook.
Yue let out a sigh. "Fuck, if that scientist finds out about the changes in my body, he will definitely try to experiment on my body as well.'
His body had been weird for a while now. His powers were unchanged but sometimes he felt a small spark of electricity in his body. Not knowing what it was he wrote it off as static electricity.
But now he somehow got an idea what it was.
'I have a second ability!!' he clenched his hands tightly.
As far as he knew, his ability relied on touch. The last time he felt that electric shock while fighting with the naked mole he was holding hands with Fan Xui.
The gills appeared when he touched the zombie's face. And also when Fan Xui came to rescue him from underwater the moment their finger touched the gills disappeared.
'Is it sort of like copy ability… I can copy someone's powers?'
"Fan, come here. I need your help,"
"Yue!" he hurriedly swam close to him. "What is it? That zombies giving you trouble? Should I zap it dead?"
"We're in water dummy, If you zap it now, we will all be dead." Yue dully whispered, kissing his cheeks. Secretly he held his hand.
Fan Xui smiled at him softly. "I guess my lover only needed my attention,"
Yue playfully smacked his shoulders. He touched his neck acting coy. His fingertips glided over his smooth skin.
'I knew it! Its copy ability…. I can't test it more here. Exposing my ability to Prisitsky might out me to risk,'
"Can you give me your shirt?"
"so you want to see my half-naked too. I see I see," Fan jokingly pinched his cheeks.
Yue pouted. "Yeah so what."
"stop flirting and get me my sample!" Prisitsky shouted frustratingly.
Yue rolled his eyes. He pulled off Fan Xui's shirt, rolled it over his dagger-clenched hands, and reached for the zombie.
Like an innocent puppy, it swam close to him. Its grey eyes curiously followed him.
He took a good look at him in the sunlight. The zombie looked like a teenager. He was still wearing his school uniform. A part of his neck was torn and there was a huge hole in the back of its head exposing its pink brain.
Reaching out Yue gently touched its cheeks with the dagger.
"Hey I'm not going to hurt you, just cooperate okay," he gently sliced away the rotting skin hanging off the side of its neck.
The zombie just glanced at his neck with an unknown look on its face. "goo goo…" it pointed to him.
Yue did not get distracted. He gestured for the zombie to turn around. He carefully took a chunk off its brain.
"hiisssss…" it hissed flinching slightly.
"You can feel pain! I'm sorry.. Oh I'm so sorry." he apologized immensely.
The zombie just gave him a look and swam away.
Yue waited, but the zombie did not come back out.
Sighing, he swam back to the shore with Fan. "Here, your samples." He tossed the skin samples that were covered in the cloth.
Prisitsky took it from him like it was a gift from god. "After going back to the base, I'll ask for the backup team to capture this zombie. It might be of great help to us," he excitedly giggled.
Yue did not answer him. His worried eyes only focused on the shimmering surface of the waterway. "Hey, zombie, don't ever come out…. this bad man will cut you…."
Prisitsky just gave him a serious look. "What you're doing is detrimental to my research,"
"I don't care.. I only do what my heart tells me to."