Chapter 153: Mutation! Is Zhao Zheng Kidnapped?

Chapter 153: Mutation! Is Zhao Zheng Kidnapped?

The Tremor Fruit.

It was the afternoon of the following day when a package arrived for Zhao Zheng.

In the Dormitory.

Zhao Zheng opened the package, revealing a transparent plastic container.

Inside the container lay a Devil Fruit.

Zhao Zheng immediately held the fruit in his hand.

Left Eye.

A notification popped up:

[Superman-Type Tremor Fruit!]



[After consumption, gain the mysterious and powerful Tremor ability. Strike the space to cause earthquakes, tsunamis, and powerful shockwaves with immense physical destructive force!]



[Warning: This Devil Fruit has been stored for too long and has lost some of its original enhancement benefits. Only the basic destructive power remains, so use with caution. On the bright side, along with the loss of enhancements, a side effect has also been removed: you will not be rejected by the sea. You won't become a landlubber after eating it.]



Zhao Zheng's eyes lit up at the notification.

He had been concerned about the Devil Fruit's side effect of severing his connection with the sea.

Unexpectedly, the Tremor Fruit had an additional surprise? Losing the enhancements also meant losing the side effect? Excellent!

Without hesitation, Zhao Zheng devoured the Tremor Fruit.

...It tasted terrible! But Zhao Zheng endured the taste and quickly finished it.

A moment later, as the Devil Fruit reached his stomach, it transformed into an unknown energy that surged into his body...

...

Race: Human.

Constitution: 2600

Spirit: 764

Strength: 2600

Agility: 2600

Talent: Tremor Fruit Ability, Kryptonian Heritage [Steel Body IV, Super Strength IV, Super Flight].

Skills: Fist Bone Impact, Armed Color Dominance (Mastery), Demigod Descent, Super Sensory Perception.

Spirit Energy Points: 1595.

...

This was Zhao Zheng's current attribute panel.

The flashy skills and abilities listed were increasing in number...

At this moment, Zhao Zheng was already in the wilderness.

He couldn't contain his eagerness to test the Tremor Fruit's power.

Zhao Zheng clenched his right fist, and with a thought,

"Vrrmm!"

A white aura, visible to the naked eye, formed around his fist.

It was about the size of a basketball.

Gazing at the white aura on his right fist, Zhao Zheng's face lit up with joy.

This white aura was a typical sign of the Tremor Fruit's activation.

However, Zhao Zheng dared not unleash this punch.

He had just acquired the Tremor Fruit's ability and was still unable to control its intensity.

With his current strength attribute, enhanced by Super Strength, his actual attribute had already surpassed ten thousand.

If he couldn't control the strength, this punch could easily trigger a massive earthquake!

The city was not far away! Zhao Zheng couldn't afford to cause chaos here.

After some thought, he relaxed his fist.

As he did, the white aura vanished.

Zhao Zheng then raised a finger and gently tapped it on the trunk of a nearby tree.

The Tremor ability activated!

"Crack!"

A crisp sound echoed.

It sounded like shattering glass.

At the tip of Zhao Zheng's finger, numerous cracks appeared, rapidly spreading and covering the entire tree trunk in an instant.

The next moment,

"Boom!"

The entire tree exploded, shattering into pieces that fell to the ground.

Witnessing this, Zhao Zheng was thrilled!

He had only used a tiny fraction of his strength, yet the destructive power was so immense? If he unleashed a full-power punch, wouldn't it trigger an 8-magnitude earthquake? It could destroy the entire city!

The Tremor Fruit, renowned as the strongest Superman-Type ability, lived up to its reputation!

Unfortunately, there was no suitable testing ground for Zhao Zheng to unleash his full power...

It seemed he could only do so in the Spirit Realm.

...

Half an hour later.

Zhao Zheng returned to the city by car.

He didn't stop at the school gate but parked outside the apartment building.

The previous owner of the apartment had contacted Zhao Zheng, saying he had some important documents that might be in the storage cabinet inside the apartment. He asked Zhao Zheng to retrieve the cabinet so he could search for them.

When Zhao Zheng bought the apartment, there were indeed some items left in the storage cabinet by the previous owner.

Zhao Zheng, being on his way, agreed to help with this minor task.

Arriving at the apartment building, Zhao Zheng indeed saw the former owner waiting at the entrance.

As Zhao Zheng approached, the owner smiled and greeted him.

"Mr. Zhao, thank you for your help."

Zhao Zheng glanced at the owner, sensing something amiss.

The man's smile was forced, and his forehead glistened with sweat. It was already winter, and even in the south, the temperature wasn't high. The previous tenant wasn't wearing many layers, so there was no reason for him to be sweating like this.

As Zhao Zheng observed his trembling hands and rapid heartbeat, he concluded that the former tenant was extremely nervous.

"Mr. Wu, are you feeling hot? You're sweating." Zhao Zheng asked casually.

The former tenant was startled and quickly explained with a nervous laugh, "I was in a hurry when I arrived and ran a bit, so I broke a sweat."

"Oh? Is that so?" Zhao Zheng smiled but didn't inquire further.

He was now certain that something was amiss with this individual.

As Zhao Zheng reached the door and began entering the password, he could hear two distinct breathing sounds intensifying inside his apartment.

Someone was hiding inside! Zhao Zheng instantly realized he had walked into a trap.

His recent outstanding performance must have made him a threat in the eyes of some people.

However, Zhao Zheng wasn't afraid. With his current strength and abilities, it wouldn't be easy for anyone to kill him. Only top-tier experts could pose a real threat.

And those who had reached the pinnacle of strength were influential figures with no interest in such petty matters.

Most importantly, his superhuman senses hadn't reacted at all, indicating that the person inside posed no threat to him.

"Click!" The password was correct, and the door opened.

Zhao Zheng immediately sensed two people hiding, one above the door frame and another behind it.

Anyone he could sense couldn't be a formidable opponent.

He smiled and strolled into the room.

As expected, the moment he stepped inside, the two individuals leaped out from behind him.

"Don't move!" A uniquely designed rifle was aimed at Zhao Zheng.

Fearing that Zhao Zheng might make a dangerous move, the gunman quickly said, "This is an extraordinary rifle. The energy bullets it fires can penetrate 15 centimeters of steel. If you're not afraid to die, go ahead and make a move."

Zhao Zheng raised his hands and feigned fear, "Who are you? What do you want?"

He was pretending to be scared.

This so-called extraordinary rifle couldn't even trigger his superhuman senses, proving it posed no threat to him.

He hadn't attacked immediately because he wanted to see if these individuals had any accomplices.

So, Zhao Zheng pretended to be flustered and asked, "I don't know you. Is there some misunderstanding?"

"There's no misunderstanding. We're here for you, Zhao Zheng!" The gunman laughed. "Cooperate, and you might live. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to kill you with my power."

As he finished speaking, he signaled to his partner, who approached Zhao Zheng.

The partner had a pair of high-tech energy handcuffs, and as he neared Zhao Zheng, he swiftly restrained him.

Zhao Zheng examined the handcuffs while continuing his act, "What do you want? Is it money? I have money! I'll give it to you, please let me go..."

In truth, Zhao Zheng was a terrible actor.

Fortunately, he had his back to the two individuals, and they were focused on restraining him quickly, so they didn't notice his exaggerated performance.

"Shut up!" they ordered after securing Zhao Zheng.

The handcuffs they used were a superhuman artifact obtained from a technology-themed Spirit Realm. Once bound by these handcuffs, even an elephant's strength couldn't break free.

"Heart Ten, we've got him," one of them shouted towards the apartment's only room.

Soon, a tall, slender woman emerged from the room.

She appeared young, with pale skin, but wore a mask that revealed only her single-lidded eyes.

"Heh, this guy isn't as impressive as his online reputation. A single scare, and he loses his composure. Heart Ten, your backup plan is unnecessary," one of the men commented.

"Actually, if he had struggled, he might have had a chance to escape with his Spirit Energy Points from the Eighth Tier Spirit Realm. Unfortunately, this guy has poor mental fortitude..." added the other.

The woman, codenamed Heart Ten, ignored their remarks. She took out a photo of Zhao Zheng and compared it to him.

"It's him, let's go!"

The three men pressed Zhao Zheng, preparing to leave.

The former tenant at the door immediately said, "Wait, you promised me a million as long as I helped bring the person to you..."

The man with the gun showed a sinister smile, "Don't worry, we keep our word. We'll take you to get your money right now."

The former tenant, though a bit scared, had to tough it out for the money and followed them.

They all walked out of the apartment building with no concern for the cameras everywhere.

Downstairs.

A vintage seven-seater minivan was already waiting.

Zhao Zheng and the former tenant were pushed into the car, sitting in the middle row.

Once in the car, to prevent Zhao Zheng from causing trouble and damaging the vehicle, his feet were also cuffed.

Actually.

They didn't need to do that.

Before seeing his other accomplices, Zhao Zheng would definitely cooperate and not cause any trouble.

The car started and slowly drove onto the road.

Zhao Zheng glanced at the former tenant beside him.

If things went as expected, this man was in for a lot of trouble.

Of course, Zhao Zheng wouldn't feel sorry for him.

He had tricked Zhao Zheng into the apartment for the money, setting him up for a trap.

If Zhao Zheng didn't have his current strength, he would have lost his life.

To maintain the act, Zhao Zheng deliberately cursed, "You fcking bastard, you've really messed me up."

While cursing, Zhao Zheng tried to stand up and lunge at him, as if ready to bite.

The former tenant immediately reached out to stop Zhao Zheng and started cursing back.

"You're blaming me? It's all your fault, you damn scumbag. Ever since I sold the house to you, I've had nothing but bad luck, losing all my money..."

The kind of words he spat out were enough to show that this man was not only selfish but also had a twisted mind.

Seeing the two argue, the kidnappers in the car laughed and watched the show.

The driver couldn't help but speak up, "Hold them back, this is a vintage limousine. Don't let them flip the car."

They chose a vintage car because modern smart cars were all connected to the internet and would automatically call the police if they detected any abnormal activity inside.

Hearing this, the others pulled Zhao Zheng and the former tenant apart.

"Behave yourselves," the man who had captured Zhao Zheng said.

The former tenant suddenly knelt before the kidnappers, saying, "Brothers, I'm willing to join you and become your inside man. I'll work for you from now on!"

Clearly, the former tenant wasn't stupid.

He knew he was in serious trouble today, not only unlikely to get the money but also possibly lose his life.

Zhao Zheng sat back down, glanced at the former tenant again, and remained silent.

...

The car soon left the city and arrived in the suburbs.

Then.

It stopped in an abandoned village.

"Get out."

Zhao Zheng and the former tenant were pushed out of the car and into a spacious courtyard of a civilian house.

As soon as they entered, a young man, bound and gagged, ran over, crying out.

"Dad! Save me! Dad..."

"Son? What are you doing here?"

The former tenant was shocked.

Zhao Zheng noticed that Heart Ten gave a signal to his subordinate, who then dragged the father and son to the backyard.

Soon.

Two muffled gunshots were heard from the backyard...

Throughout the process, Zhao Zheng didn't make any unusual moves.

After all, he was still acting and was bound hand and foot.

His eyes, however, were carefully observing the people in the courtyard.

There were six people in the courtyard!

At this moment, Heart Ten took out a special communication device and started contacting someone.

Zhao Zheng was ordered to squat in the corner.

After more than an hour.

Two cars drove up from a distance and entered the courtyard.

Seven people got out of the cars.

Zhao Zheng noticed that all seven had a special ornament on their chests, engraved with very peculiar patterns.

If you stared at the patterns closely, they would create a strange effect, distorting your vision.

The leader, a man in a robe, looked like a cleric from some cult.

Zhao Zheng had been in this world for over half a year and naturally had a good understanding of it.

He had never heard of a cult that wore such emblems.

So, it wasn't hard to guess their identity.

They were likely members of a cult organization.

While Zhao Zheng was observing them, they approached him.

Seeing Zhao Zheng, they immediately showed a satisfied look and started talking to Heart Ten.

From their haggling, it seemed they didn't belong to the same organization...

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end