Ch 201: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Because of Shen Yunxuan’s strong intuition about the apocalypse, this time they brought a large amount of food supplies, mainly high-energy compressed biscuits, rice, flour, canned meat, and other essentials. They also packed various medicines, rocket launchers, and other high-powered weapons, all stored inside storage bags.

Additionally, the four space inventory slots contained four modified trucks, ensuring they were fully prepared.

On the eve of the first day of the month, everyone put on specially designed ultra-thin bulletproof vests. Over their clothes, they wore rubberized raincoats, along with leather gloves, windproof goggles, N95 masks, custom-made helmet-like headgear, and military boots. Their protective gear was meticulous.

They took a group photo. At first, everyone was somewhat tense due to the potential of entering an apocalyptic world, their expressions serious, and the atmosphere in the traversal chamber heavy. But after taking the photo and looking at each other’s odd yet uniform outfits, they all burst into laughter, instantly easing the tension.

Shen Yunxuan took the opportunity to reassure them, “Don’t worry too much. It might not be an apocalypse. Even if it is, we’re well prepared. When we arrive, we’ll first assess the environment. If it’s too dangerous, we’ll secure a shelter and hide. We just need to endure for three days, and we’ll return safely.

If the situation isn’t too bad, we won’t need to wander around. We can simply clear out some zombies nearby and collect energy crystals. There won’t be anything particularly valuable in an apocalypse anyway.”

Everyone nodded, feeling much more at ease.

This traversal was set for 8 AM on the first. All of them went to sleep late at night, then woke up alert in the morning, had a quick meal, and waited. Suddenly, the traversal began!

In an instant, they found themselves in a completely different place. Immediately, everyone surrounded Shen Yunxuan in a defensive formation, scanning the surroundings with vigilance. In just one glance, they saw filthy streets, damaged buildings, dried-up corpses, vehicles covered in dust lying in disarray—and zombies moving toward them at the sound of their arrival!

It really was an apocalypse!

A Level Four apocalypse—there was no way this was an ordinary post-apocalyptic world like the one Shen Yunxuan had been to before. It had to be the supernatural apocalypse Zhang Yang had described. In this world, not only did humans possess supernatural abilities, but even Level Three zombies had special powers. Everyone remained on high alert.

Shen Yunxuan spoke softly, “These zombies are slow-moving, which means they’re Level One. Let’s clear the nearby ones first and use the thermal imaging device to check if there are any humans around.”

“Yes!”

This time, only fifty special forces soldiers had accompanied Shen Yunxuan through the traversal, while the others stayed behind. As soon as she gave the order, the team moved swiftly. To avoid attracting more zombies with noise, they drew their triangular military daggers, used their qinggong to approach quickly, and then stabbed the zombies accurately through the skull.

Once they confirmed that a zombie had been neutralized and collapsed, everyone sighed in relief and continued clearing out the surrounding zombies. Two-thirds of the team focused on combat, while the remaining third was responsible for extracting the energy crystals from the zombies’ brains.

Digging out the energy crystals was a challenge to one’s mental fortitude. After all, zombies still retained a humanoid shape, and cutting open their skulls to retrieve crystals was unsettling. Fortunately, these zombies had bluish-white skin, pitch-black veins, and were as thin as skeletons. They looked somewhat similar to the ghosts they had encountered in the supernatural world.

Since they were all professionally trained soldiers, they simply imagined the zombies as fierce ghosts, which made them much more decisive and efficient in their actions.

Shen Yunxuan personally extracted one of the crystals. After washing it clean, she saw that it was about the size of a fingertip—a small, transparent crystal, clear and beautiful.

It was almost unimaginable that something so grotesque and disgusting could produce something so exquisite.

She tried to absorb the energy from the crystal. At first, she couldn’t figure out the correct method, but then she imagined the energy inside as the same type of natural spiritual energy she had been cultivating. When she activated her spiritual power, she successfully absorbed a bit of energy from the crystal. Immediately, the once-clear crystal lost its luster, becoming dull and brittle, covered in cracks.

This meant it was now useless. Just to be cautious, Shen Yunxuan stored it with the other energy crystals, planning to bring them back for lab analysis to confirm whether they truly lost all function or if their material could still be repurposed.

She then examined the zombie corpses, wondering if they had any useful components like the zombie in the previous ghost world. However, these zombies were essentially the same as regular human corpses, except they carried a virus. They had no additional value, and bringing them back might even risk causing an outbreak. Shen Yunxuan quickly dismissed the idea.

Just as she stood up, the team members scanning the area with the thermal imaging device ran over to report, saying that there were six people inside a small supermarket nearby and no one else in the immediate vicinity.

Shen Yunxuan walked over to check the display screen. The six individuals inside the supermarket seemed to have noticed their presence—they were all crammed near the door, peeking outside. Based on their postures, they appeared to be hiding rather than preparing to attack, indicating they likely weren’t strong individuals.

After a brief moment of thought, Shen Yunxuan instructed, “Ignore the people in the supermarket for now. If they approach us voluntarily, we’ll assess the situation then. There are no other humans nearby, but we must remain cautious in case there are high-level zombies. Stay on this street and continue clearing zombies. Gao Lang, Dong Yue, and I will check out the surrounding buildings.”

“Yes, Captain Shen!”

Before leaving, Shen Yunxuan added another reminder, “Safety first. If necessary, use any weapons at your disposal.”

Seeing everyone nod in acknowledgment, she led Gao Lang and Dong Yue into a nearby store.

Some of the stores were empty, while others had a few scattered zombies inside, which Gao Lang and Dong Yue quickly dispatched. Shen Yunxuan mainly focused on inspecting the items in this world to see if there was anything unusual. After a brief survey, she noted that clothing stores, cafes, and restaurants all seemed quite ordinary.

Dong Yue said, “Captain Shen, this seems to be an apocalypse that evolved from normal humans, nothing particularly special about it.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded, then saw Gao Lang pointing at a potted plant near the entrance. “Even the plants haven’t mutated, so we don’t have to worry about them. Just as Zhang Yang said, a Level Four apocalypse isn’t dangerous enough to trigger plant and animal mutations. There’s still some hope for survival.”

Shen Yunxuan, always cautious, noticed a bookstore sign hanging in the window of a mall across the street, located on the second floor. She said, “Let’s go check out the bookstore and see if the knowledge in this world is the same as ours. Maybe there are books worth taking back.”

“Alright!” Gao Lang and Dong Yue immediately followed Shen Yunxuan toward the mall.

The mall’s entrance was locked from the outside, clearly not the work of zombies but rather someone who had escaped and secured it from the outside. Shen Yunxuan examined the lock. “There might be a lot of zombies inside, or possibly high-level ones. We need to be extra careful.”

After saying this, she used her spiritual energy to unlock it and kept the lock in her hand, planning to relock it later after checking the place to avoid unnecessary trouble for others.

They stepped into the mall, cautiously observing their surroundings. The interior was dark and eerily quiet, with only faint light filtering in through the doors and windows. Many advertisement boards covered the windows, blocking much of the light, making the space appear even darker.

Gao Lang turned on his flashlight and took the lead. Suddenly, a faint noise came from a nearby clothing store. Two zombies staggered out.

Dong Yue swiftly moved towards them, slicing them down with a single stroke, ensuring they didn’t make much noise.

Since zombies were indeed present, they decided not to cause unnecessary disturbances. The three of them moved quietly, searching for the stairs to make their way up to the bookstore.

Over the past month, Shen Yunxuan had been cultivating, but because this world had thin spiritual energy, her progress was slow. She was still unable to release her divine sense to detect her surroundings, but her five senses had improved significantly. Just as Gao Lang and Dong Yue were still unaware, she suddenly heard a fast-moving wind-like sound approaching.

She immediately pulled Dong Yue aside and turned to confront the threat, quickly recognizing that it was an incredibly fast-moving zombie. However, her own agility was already superior to that of a regular zombie. This one was Level Two, but it was no match for her. She dodged behind it in an instant and drove her military dagger straight into its skull, skillfully extracting its energy crystal.

This speed-type zombie had a silver energy crystal, shimmering with tiny specks, noticeably more beautiful than those of Level One zombies.

After storing the crystal away, Shen Yunxuan instructed Gao Lang and Dong Yue to stay close as she led them into the bookstore.

The bookstore was large, and without any lights, it was completely dark. Shen Yunxuan stood at the entrance, listening for any movement before signaling them to wait at the door while she used qinggong to scout the area. After a quick sweep, she confirmed that there were no zombies inside.

They closed the doors and each took a flashlight, splitting up to check the shelves. The bookstore was well-organized, with books categorized into different sections, including lifestyle and educational materials. Shen Yunxuan quickly browsed through them. While not all were books she had seen before, based on the titles and summaries, she could tell that the knowledge in this world wasn’t significantly different from their own. There was nothing more advanced than what they already had.

She specifically checked the history and technology sections as well and found them to be quite similar to those in their own world. After regrouping, Shen Yunxuan said in a low voice, “Since there’s nothing here more advanced than our world, let’s focus on clearing the street of zombies. You two should head out and help. Besides me, you two are the strongest here. Be extra cautious and watch over the others. Don’t let them fall into danger.”

Gao Lang hesitated. “We’re going? What about you, Captain Shen?”

Dong Yue was also anxious. “Captain, are you planning to explore this mall? No way! This place is seven stories tall. We just encountered a Level Two zombie. Who knows how many more are hiding in the dark? You can’t go alone!”

Gao Lang quickly added, “Yeah! It’s way too dangerous! If someone has to explore, let me do it!”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head. “My senses are far sharper than yours. I can detect zombies before they get close. My cultivation is strong enough to handle them, and if I really can’t fight them, I can escape easily. If you two are here, I’ll be held back. Don’t worry—I know my limits. The moment I sense something wrong, I’ll retreat.”

Gao Lang and Dong Yue had spent the most time training with Shen Yunxuan and often sought her guidance on cultivation. Yet, they had never seen this stubborn side of her before. No matter how much they tried to dissuade her, she wouldn’t budge. More frustratingly, she outranked them, and they had to follow her orders. Even if they wanted to ask Elder Xu to stop her, it wouldn’t work.

Feeling a bit dejected and worried, they had no choice but to obey and quietly make their way downstairs.

As they descended, they saw that more than a dozen zombies had already stumbled into the mall’s main hall. Most likely, the movement caused by the earlier speed-type zombie had drawn them out.

Fortunately, they were all Level One zombies. The two of them swiftly divided the work, killing the zombies and extracting all the energy crystals before rushing outside to support the rest of the team.

Upon seeing that Shen Yunxuan wasn’t with them, one of the soldiers quickly asked, “Where’s Captain Shen?”

Dong Yue answered seriously, “Captain Shen is exploring the mall. Our task is to ensure safety and collect energy crystals. Focus on the mission!”

For a soldier, the most important thing was to follow orders. Since Shen Yunxuan had given her command, everyone had to obey. However, their attacks became even faster and more ruthless.

It was because they were not strong enough that Shen Yunxuan had to face the danger alone. This was the second time they felt powerless, and everyone gritted their teeth as they continued to slaughter zombies, as if venting their frustration.

They had to get stronger! They could not keep being like this!

At the front, Zheng Lin was cutting through zombies relentlessly, almost like a tireless machine. But suddenly, he collapsed!

Two special forces soldiers nearby were shocked. They quickly dispatched the zombies around them and ran over to protect Zheng Lin while checking for injuries.

They were fully armored, making it difficult to see any wounds. Their masks and raincoats were covered in blood and grime, so they couldn’t immediately tell if there was any of Zheng Lin’s blood. However, a person wouldn’t just collapse out of nowhere—there was a high possibility that he had been scratched or bitten by a zombie.

Seeing the situation, Gao Lang immediately used his light-footed technique to rush over, supporting Zheng Lin as he asked, “What happened to him?”

“We don’t know. He just suddenly collapsed. He was fine a second ago.”

Gao Lang pressed his fingers against Zheng Lin’s carotid artery—he was still alive, but his pulse was rapid, and his skin was burning hot. Gao Lang frowned and exchanged a glance with Dong Yue. “He suddenly fainted and has a fever… could he be awakening an ability?”

Dong Yue was initially delighted but then his expression darkened. “No, there’s another possibility—he might be infected with the virus and turning into a zombie.”

Before coming here, they had all attended a briefing on the apocalypse. The information about abilities was compiled by the clerical department, pieced together from various novels and online forums, forming a few possible scenarios.

One of the most commonly mentioned points across multiple sources was that people in the apocalypse would experience high fever. After enduring the fever for a period, they could either awaken an ability or turn into a zombie.

Their protective gear was thorough, and the virus wasn’t airborne—after all, Zhang Yang had survived three days in the apocalypse and returned unscathed. Shen Yunxuan had also learned in her last apocalypse visit that infection was linked to rain carrying the virus.

So Zheng Lin wasn’t infected through the air. But he had just fought through so many zombies—could it be that zombie blood had seeped into his mask and infected him?

The two of them instructed the others to continue killing zombies but to be cautious of zombie blood, avoiding getting it on their faces as much as possible. Meanwhile, they carried Zheng Lin into a nearby restaurant and placed him on a table.

A few minutes later, another soldier, Li Xue, collapsed with a fever and was brought in.

Dong Yue and the others had backpacks containing fever-reducing medicine, but they didn’t know whether they should administer it. If these two were awakening abilities, would reducing the fever have negative effects?

Over the next twenty minutes, six more people were brought in with high fevers, filling the tables in the restaurant. The sight of so many fallen comrades made everyone’s expressions grim. Their zombie-killing became even fiercer, filled with a sense of tragic determination.

Gao Lang, worried about potential problems, spoke up. “I know everyone needs to vent, but we must remember—safety comes first. Stay calm and don’t act recklessly. From now on, we’ll take turns resting—ten people at a time, resting for ten minutes before rotating. Those who rest will be responsible for extracting energy crystals.”

The soldiers were well-trained and had also practiced martial arts. For now, they weren’t exhausted, but repeating the same actions continuously would eventually lead to fatigue and lapses in judgment. Gao Lang implemented a plan to prevent accidents.

He also assigned someone to monitor the eight feverish individuals while he and Dong Yue rushed to the front lines to help kill zombies and keep an eye on everyone’s condition.

At that moment, the six people who had been hiding in the small supermarket suddenly emerged. They held handguns with wary expressions, keeping the weapons raised at head level as if surrendering, but unwilling to lower or discard them—ready to shoot at any moment.

Dong Yue gave Gao Lang a look, and the two of them immediately used qinggong to rush up and disarm the six, swiftly handcuffing them.

The six were terrified. “Let go of us! Let go!”

“Who are you people? What do you want?”

Gao Lang crouched in front of them. “Shh, we don’t mean you any harm. We just don’t want your guns to accidentally go off. Now, tell us—what do you want? If you’re trying to leave…”

Gao Lang hesitated. If these six belonged to a survivor base and ran back to inform their people, what if the base sent ability users to capture them? He decided, “Once we finish clearing this area, we’ll let you go when we’re ready to leave.”

Seeing that they weren’t being harmed, the six hesitated, glancing at their well-equipped captors. Their outfits were strange yet seemed safe, and they couldn’t figure out where they had come from—they hadn’t seen any vehicles arrive.

Among them, a long-haired man, clearly the leader, asked, “Where did you come from? Why are you killing so many zombies?”

Dong Yue glanced back at the battlefield. Their actions were obvious, so there was no need to hide anything. “We need a lot of energy crystals.” She observed the six—they were all thin, their bags nearly empty—so she added, “We have food. If you have energy crystals, we can trade.”

Gao Lang nodded. “The amount of food depends on the level of the crystals. However many you bring, we’ll match it with food.”

The six exchanged glances, clearly shocked. The long-haired man spoke eagerly, “You’ll take any energy crystals? Even Level One? What kind of food do you have?”

Gao Lang took out a can of meat and a compressed biscuit from his backpack to show them. The six people stared at the food with their eyes practically glowing green, swallowing their saliva repeatedly, their breathing becoming rapid.

Only then did Gao Lang and Dong Yue fully understand the desperation for food in the apocalypse—they were truly starving!

The long-haired man seemed to have made up his mind and said decisively, “The energy crystals are in our bags. You can take them out and see how much food you’ll exchange for them.”

Dong Yue remained wary. “You’re accepting this so easily?”

The long-haired man glanced at the piles of zombie corpses around them and gave a self-mocking smile. “What else can we do? You guys are so powerful, with both strength and speed—you’re clearly strength and speed ability users, right? We’re just ordinary people. How could we possibly fight against you?

Since we can’t win, we have no right to bargain. We’re completely at your mercy. You could just take everything by force if you wanted to. The choice is entirely in your hands.”

Hearing him say this, Gao Lang scratched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. But since they didn’t know much about this world, they had to be cautious. Restraining these six first was a necessary precaution. Of course, they wouldn’t take advantage of them unfairly.

Gao Lang searched their bags, pulling out all the energy crystals. The crystals varied in appearance and color, so he asked directly, “What are the levels of these? Explain them.”

The six of them suddenly looked up at him, as if they were looking at a rare, strange creature. The apocalypse had been going on for years—how could someone not know the levels of energy crystals? Was he joking?

Gao Lang looked at them seriously, his expression even carrying an authoritative sharpness. “Six ordinary people like you managed to get these kinds of energy crystals? Explain. Answer what I ask.”

Under his piercing gaze, the six of them shivered slightly, feeling that Gao Lang was suspicious of them and deliberately asking about the origin of the crystals. Fearing that he was testing them, they quickly began explaining.

They had around three to four hundred Level One energy crystals, a dozen Level Two ones—all of which were strength and speed types—and only two Level Three ones, which were fire-type and water-type crystals. They had nothing higher than that, as they were just ordinary people and couldn’t obtain high-level crystals. The ones they did have were acquired through luck or fortunate encounters.

Just when they thought Gao Lang was going to keep interrogating them, he unexpectedly stopped and simply stored away the crystals. He had only wanted to differentiate the levels of the crystals and had been putting on an act of interrogation.

Dong Yue noticed the long-haired man glancing at the Level Three crystals with a look of deep pain and reluctance. She asked, “You’re exchanging the Level Three crystals too? They must be very precious, right?”

The long-haired man gritted his teeth and admitted, “Our group started with over fifty ordinary people, but we were expelled from a survivor base. We gathered together for safety, but because we’re too weak, we struggle to find food. Yesterday, for the first time, someone starved to death. That’s why the six of us came out searching for food. But this small supermarket was already emptied—we only found a single pack of instant noodles wedged between the counter.”

His voice turned somber. “So right now, food is the most important thing to us. Nothing is more valuable than food.”

As he mentioned someone starving to death, a teenage boy among the six suddenly teared up, biting his lip hard to keep from making a sound. The long-haired man said in a low voice, “The one who died was his mother. He also has a younger sister. That’s why he came out with us today to find food.”

This truly was the apocalypse—its cruelty was evident in every aspect.

Gao Lang and Dong Yue took out food from their own bags and fed them each a couple of bites. The six didn’t dare eat much, wanting to save it to share with their group. They were also visibly shocked by the gesture, as if it had been a long time since they had experienced kindness.

But no matter how pitiful they seemed, Gao Lang and Dong Yue couldn’t just let them go immediately. They had to wait for Shen Yunxuan to come out and make the final decision.

Perhaps sensing that these people really meant no harm, the six relaxed slightly. Seeing their high-fevered teammates lying on tables, they hesitated before advising, “You may want to tie up your comrades, but if they turn into zombies, they might immediately attack those nearby. It’s best to bind them now…”

After saying this, the six exchanged glances, suddenly looking puzzled. “Wait… you guys are ability users, right? I saw it myself—those people had incredible strength and speed. They must be ability users. But ability users don’t turn into zombies! And… and they don’t get high fevers like this!”

They stared at Gao Lang, confusion and fear flashing in their eyes. “Just who are you people?”

Gao Lang had no time to explain, nor did he plan to. Instead, he hurriedly grabbed some rope and began tying up the unconscious individuals to the tables. This was something the clerical department hadn’t mentioned—perhaps they had considered it insignificant—but now it seemed like crucial information. They would have to report this back later. From now on, every detail had to be carefully recorded. Who knew which small piece of knowledge might prove useful?

As for what to do with these six, they would have to wait for Shen Yunxuan’s decision.

At this moment, Shen Yunxuan had just reached the fifth floor of the shopping mall. As she stepped up, a fireball came flying straight at her!

A Level Three fire-type zombie!

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆