Chapter 28: Awakening of Special Abilities

“Are you done eating? Can we discuss teaming up again?” He Si walked over gracefully, his face adorned with his ever-present smile.

But Yao Zuizui found his smile more unsettling than if he hadn’t smiled at all.

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion. “Why are you so insistent on teaming up with me?”

“Because you have combat strength,” He Si replied without batting an eye, his smile unwavering.

“You don’t have combat strength?” Yao Zuizui curled her lips skeptically. The scene of him effortlessly taking down several people moments ago was still fresh in her mind.

“Dealing with a few thugs is easy, but zombies? I can’t handle them,” he said, shaking his head with a hint of regret, as if disappointed in himself.

“Bullshit,” Yao Zuizui retorted, even more doubtful. Those zombies were weak—slow, with low defense. Anyone with a weapon could take them down.

“You came in just a step ahead of me, so you might not know yet,” He Si chuckled lightly, his eyes shimmering with a lazy, gentle amusement.

“Know what?” Yao Zuizui was completely lost.

“The zombies have evolved,” He Si’s smile faded, replaced by seriousness.

Yao Zuizui tensed up as well, her brows furrowing.

If the zombies had evolved in such a short time, their rate of progression must be rapid. They would undoubtedly become even more troublesome.

“But at the same time, humans have undergone their first evolution too,” He Si glanced at Feng Ran, who was listening intently beside them, then turned back to Yao Zuizui. “For example, me…”

He raised his pale, slender hand and spread his palm open in front of her.

The next second, a small, soft cake appeared in his palm, emitting a rich, sweet aroma. “I’ve evolved a spatial ability. I can store food without it spoiling.”

Yao Zuizui eyed the cake greedily, stood on her tiptoes, and reached out with her delicate fingers to pluck it from his hand, popping it into her mouth. “Fine, I agree.”

She had come to this world to be with him in the first place. There was no point in being coy.

After savoring the cake, Yao Zuizui’s half-lidded eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, how do you know if you have an ability or not?”

She wanted an ability too. Otherwise, she’d be useless in this apocalypse.

“Just like me—raise your hand, open your palm, and focus. Your corresponding ability will appear,” He Si maintained his posture, and a small spatial blade materialized in his palm. “Abilities are like instincts. Just will it, and it’ll manifest.”

Yao Zuizui followed the steps meticulously.

But no matter how many times she focused, raising and lowering her hand repeatedly, her palm remained empty.

She sighed in defeat. “Guess I don’t have one… Ranran, what about you?”

She turned to Feng Ran.

Feng Ran was also holding up her palm—equally empty—and met her gaze.

“Ugh… looks like…” Yao Zuizui sighed again.

But Feng Ran didn’t seem disappointed at all. Instead, she comforted her, “It’s okay, Qiqi. Maybe there’s another way. Besides, we have He Si as a strong teammate. We’ll be fine~”

Yao Zuizui pouted. “Cut it out. He just said he has no combat strength.”

“True. I have no combat strength. My ability seems limited to storing things. I can’t do anything else,” He Si smiled faintly, exuding an air of noble elegance, as if he weren’t putting himself down but merely saying, “Good day, madam.”

Yao Zuizui sighed. “We need to find some decent weapons first, then figure out our next move.”

“Sure,” He Si’s palm suddenly produced a radio, crackling with static.

His slender fingers fiddled with the dials, tuning it to the right frequency. The voice that came through was clear and crisp—a professional broadcaster’s tone.

“Amid the sudden outbreak of the zombie virus, government and military forces across the nation are conducting orderly evacuations and working to establish safe zones. Currently, the S City Safe Zone is over halfway complete and is expected to be fully operational by noon tomorrow. Civilians in need of protection are advised to head to coordinates (xxx, xxx) east of S City for shelter. Awakened ability users are also welcome to join. The S City Safe Zone will provide the best protection and conditions.”

The radio repeated the broadcast, igniting a glimmer of hope in the eyes of the people in the church.

The priest prayed fervently, murmuring, “Thank the Lord! I knew God wouldn’t abandon us!”

Yao Zuizui felt a flicker of relief too. “Let’s head to this safe zone first!”

“Agreed,” He Si and Feng Ran nodded in unison.

“Can you take us with you?” The priest and his devout followers looked at Yao Zuizui with hopeful, pitiful eyes.

They were ordinary people with no combat strength, lacking the confidence to fight through S City’s zombie hordes and escape to the safe zone.

“Fine,” Yao Zuizui wasn’t a saint, but she wasn’t heartless either. Helping others without compromising her own interests was her principle. “But can you tell me where to find weapons here?”

“The church storage should have some tools like hammers that can serve as weapons. I’ll take you there,” the priest offered, leading Yao Zuizui and Feng Ran out of the hall.

He Si stayed behind, watching their retreating figures, his eyes brimming with intrigue.

This woman was truly fascinating.

It was as if she’d known the apocalypse was coming, preparing in advance.

And when it arrived, she showed no surprise, calmly executing each step.

Just how much did she know about the apocalypse? And to what extent?

He was deeply curious.

He Si licked his lips, his elegant demeanor tinged with a hunter’s predatory grace.

—

When Yao Zuizui, Feng Ran, and the priest returned to the church hall, they froze.

The church was now empty—except for He Si.

His hands were tucked into his suit pockets as he intently flipped through a Bible.

“Where are the others?” The priest had changed into a clean robe, restoring his pristine, untouchable aura.

“Some of them awakened abilities and couldn’t wait to leave. A few others thought safety lay in numbers, so they all left together,” He Si answered absentmindedly, still flipping pages.

The priest looked puzzled. They’d all agreed to leave together earlier.

And they were his most devout followers. How could they abandon him?

Yao Zuizui and Feng Ran also sensed something amiss.

But the church was exactly as they’d left it—no signs of a struggle.

Unless the followers had left voluntarily, there was no way it could be so clean.

With no other leads, Yao Zuizui shook the weapons in her hands.

She’d taken a hammer and an awl, planning to wield one in each hand. Her strength was considerable, so handling both wouldn’t be an issue.

Feng Ran had grabbed a kitchen knife. She was used to cooking at home, so it felt familiar.

The priest carried nothing. He raised his palm, and a ball of light appeared. “I think… I’ve awakened an ability. It’s light-based, but I’m not sure what it does.”

He Si already had a dagger, so he hadn’t bothered with other weapons—hence why he’d stayed behind.

He studied the light orb for a few seconds, then suddenly drew his dagger and slashed his finger. The deep cut revealed bone, blood gushing onto the floor.

The priest and Feng Ran were stunned by his self-harm, but He Si remained expressionless, as if impervious to pain. “Try placing that light orb on my wound.”

The priest found the orb as easy to control as his own fingers.

It floated straight to He Si’s injury, enveloping it in a soft white glow. Flecks of light danced, obscuring the wound.

When the light faded, He Si’s finger was completely healed—no trace of the cut remained.

“Light abilities are for healing,” He Si grinned, his smile refined and elegant. “This is perfect. With a healer on the team, we won’t have to worry about injuries during fights.”

Yao Zuizui and Feng Ran exchanged relieved glances. For ordinary people like them, a stronger team meant greater safety.

And so, the group of four—Yao Zuizui, Feng Ran, He Si, and the priest—piled into the priest’s car and headed for the coordinates from the radio.

Whenever they passed abandoned vehicles, they stopped to siphon fuel, storing it in He Si’s spatial inventory for later use.

They deliberately took backroads, so encounters with zombies were rare. When they did stumble upon one or two, Yao Zuizui dispatched them with a hammer swing and a stab to the head.

Strangely, since the apocalypse began, Yao Zuizui’s strength seemed to be increasing steadily.

The evolved zombies moved at normal human speed, making them easier to hit, but their defense was much higher.

Knocking them down was hard—let alone killing them.

Ordinary people couldn’t even pierce zombie skin with blades, yet Yao Zuizui’s awl slid effortlessly into their skulls, ensuring instant death.

He Si and Feng Ran sat in the back, Yao Zuizui in the passenger seat, and the priest drove.

He Si’s intrigued gaze never left Yao Zuizui, while Feng Ran stole occasional glances at him.

Yao Zuizui, oblivious, kept her eyes sharp on the road and rearview mirror, wary of sudden zombie attacks.

“Stop!” Yao Zuizui shouted abruptly, making the priest slam the brakes, thinking zombies were near.

“It’s getting dark. Let’s get out here, scavenge for supplies, then find a safe place to sleep. We’ll head to the safe zone tomorrow,” she pointed ahead—a wholesale market.