บท 23: Confrontation with Special Ability
They absorbed the power from the crystal cores that matched their abilities, and Jiang Zhi stored the remnants in his bag.
"Guys, taking a short nap makes me really sleepy." Zhang Rui said, starting to feel exhausted.
"Alright, we'll take turns watching during the night. We shouldn't all sleep at once," Jiang Zhi commanded.
"I'll take the first watch, you two rest. We've had a tough day on this journey," Bo Hueming volunteered.
"Okay, I'll take the third watch after that, no problem!" Zhang Rui chimed in.
After dividing the night watch duties, they fell asleep, while Bo Hueming and Jiang Zhi stayed awake. They sat down, staying vigilant.
"I just want to know why you want to save us. Will you use our powers and then discard us?" Bo Hueming asked Jiang Zhi.
Bo Hueming' question surprised and annoyed Jiang Zhi. How could someone have such ill thoughts about him after saving them? But Jiang Zhi's train of thought dissolved because he realized that this was the end of the world. He would probably think the same way as Bo Hueming if he were in his position.
Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow, "Your powers aren't that strong, so how could I use them?"
"Look, even though your powers are quite strong, our powers are still stronger. Don't be too negative, we saved you because Shen Yize didn't object," Jiang Zhi added.
"It seems you and the girl are very close."
Jiang Zhi muttered to himself, "Well, yeah, she and Shen Yize have been fighting side by side since long before the apocalypse and zombies took over the world."
"Yes, I appreciate her more than anyone." Jiang Zhi's response to Bo Hueming' question.
"Ah, I understand now."
Bo Hueming began to yawn and felt ready to wake up Zhang Rui for the next night shift after a few hours. He walked over to Zhang Rui and woke him up. Zhang Rui still seemed quite tired. Of course, everyone must be extremely tired after yesterday's day. Not only physically drained but their adrenaline was also shaken by the incredible tension.
"Ugh, do I have to take over now? Damn, I'm still so tired." Zhang Rui asked upon waking up from his sleep.
"Jiang Zhi, can you..."
"Psst! Guys, listen! Do you hear that?" Bo Hueming heard something.
"Yes, there are some sounds outside. Hopefully, not zombies. This place should be safe, right?" Zhang Rui asked.
"No, it doesn't sound like zombies."
"I'll wake up Mu Yang." Jiang Zhi then went to wake up Mu Yang. He approached Mu Yang and gently shook her.
Mu Yang, who woke up, asked Jiang Zhi, "Hey, what's going on?"
"Can you hear all the sounds outside? Check if it's human or zombie."
"Okay, bro."
Mu Yang's sharp gaze scanned the room, able to detect the number of lives even through walls, as long as they were within 100 meters. Mu Yang continued to observe. His sensitivity was remarkably high. He could clearly see what was outside the walls.
"They're humans, just a few people around our car." Mu Yang reported back.
"What? Are they seriously trying to steal our car? That's so rude, I'll show them!" Zhang Rui, annoyed, wanted to go out and confront them.
"Don't rush, bro. I sense something strange from them. They seem too relaxed for potential thieves. This... is weird." Mu Yang cautioned Zhang Rui.
Shortly after, Shen Yize woke up as well. He listened carefully to Mu Yang's analysis. He was amazed to discover that Mu Yang had an analytical ability that was no less impressive than his own. And on top of that, Mu Yang possessed an earth-based power that allowed him to see through things and also sense the life force of humans. At least, that was the extent of Mu Yang's abilities that he knew.
After finishing listening to Mu Yang's explanation, Shen Yize shook Mu Xiao's body to wake her up.
Mu Xiao woke up and smiled upon seeing Shen Yize, who had apparently woken her up. She briefly rubbed her face and asked what she could do.
Shen Yize then asked Mu Xiao to do something.
"Try making the branches you've had roots, and move them outside. The unique traits of the plants will tell you what's happening outside." Shen Yize requested Mu Xiao.
Mu Xiao looked thoughtful for a moment, touching her index finger to her chin.
"Mm-hmm, I'll give it a shot," Mu Xiao agreed.
Mu Xiao tried to cultivate the climbing plant and moved it. However, she suddenly encountered an obstacle when following Shen Yize's instructions due to the tree roots spreading into the ground.
Mu Xiao furrowed her brows and felt pressure on her abilities. After a moment, she said, "These tree roots are so stubborn! They refuse to move away from the bakery."
Hearing that, Shen Yize furrowed his brows too and pondered. Then he replied, "Perhaps one of them has an unusual psychic ability, like spatial manipulation or some clever trick."
"So, should I retract my tree roots?"
Shen Yize nodded and turned around. He saw Jiang Zhi looking at him with a question mark in his head. Shen Yize chuckled softly and asked, "Curious about the special ability of spatial manipulation?"
Jiang Zhi nodded, then walked closer to Shen Yize to listen more clearly.
Shen Yize calmly explained the special ability to everyone. He mentioned that this unique power could create barriers that block other abilities.
It was a rare special ability for protection and self-defense. While not dangerous, it was also one of the abilities that could be highly useful.
"Then we won't know what they're up to outside," Jiang Zhi commented.
Everyone nodded in agreement. This was their disadvantage when facing special abilities of the spatial manipulation type.
Seeing everyone silent, Zhang Rui raised a question, "So, what's our next plan?"
"Jiang Zhi, let's go talk to them." Shen Yize stood up. People outside might want to steal their car. So, it's better to talk to them and find a way out.
"The rest of you stay here and monitor the situation. If things get worse, come out and help us," Shen Yize said seriously before he walked away with Jiang Zhi.
As Jiang Zhi and Shen Yize exited the room and entered the main building of the bakery, they were surprised to find the door already damaged from the outside. Jiang Zhi quickly pulled Shen Yize to hide behind him as they encountered a stranger.
"Oh, didn't expect anyone to be here." The stranger spoke in a surprised tone, but the corners of his lips lifted in mockery. Clearly, he knew there were people inside.
Shen Yize stepped out from behind Jiang Zhi, but didn't completely step forward. "Yeah, we were just staying here overnight and will continue our journey tomorrow. What did you do to our car?"
The stranger looked at Shen Yize and Jiang Zhi in turn before answering, "Heh, just checking if there's anything dangerous."
Jiang Zhi's expression turned sour upon hearing the man's words, but he didn't say anything. Instead, Shen Yize spoke.
"Let me guess, you wanted to steal our car?"
The stranger burst into laughter and glanced at his friends outside. "You got us. Actually, we don't really need the car, just its fuel."
Jiang Zhi snorted and shrugged lazily. "Unfortunately, our fuel supply is running low. So, you'll have to leave empty-handed."
"Are you sure you don't have any extra fuel?" The stranger asked politely, but he was actually pressuring them. "Well, too bad, we'll just take your car and drain its tank."
The stranger walked casually out of the bakery, looking around as he observed the surroundings, twelve people standing scattered at a considerable distance from each other.
Seeing that the man didn't plan to let them have peace, Jiang Zhi, who didn't want any confrontation, persuaded, "Friend, you can't rob or kill us. Humans are rarely around these days, and zombies are rampant."
Instead of killing each other, wouldn't it be better to ally, help each other, and fight against zombies together?
It could also save unnecessary energy expenditure.
The stranger furrowed his brow. "No, we don't want to hurt anyone. We need fuel, and since we're supposed to be allies, give us some of your supplies."
Shen Yize snorted in annoyance at the man's stubborn attitude. "Haven't you searched? We don't have fuel supplies. Don't be foolish about this."
"Why should we listen..."
Bang!
The stranger's words weren't finished, but the sound of a gunshot interrupted him. Shen Yize shot precisely at the side of the person with the special spatial manipulation ability, surprising him and destabilizing his power.
Shen Yize twirled the pistol in his hand casually and smiled. "I won't hesitate to eliminate you either."
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