Chapter 91: The Visitors Come with Malice!

The four of them got out of the car and checked the surroundings. There was no fuel at the gas station, and the convenience store behind the glass doors had been looted, leaving a mess all over the floor.

A zombie, still wearing the work vest of the convenience store, was stuck at the cash register, groaning softly. Other than that, there were no more zombies or people in sight.

The windows and doors of the rest area on the far left were still intact. They slung their bags over their backs, drove the vehicle behind the building, and entered the rest area, locking the door behind them.

Fu Jingmo briefly explained the key points to be aware of when upgrading abilities.

“So, there’s a chance the upgrade could fail. Remember, at the moment the energy reservoir breaks through, you must release the energy, whether by using your ability or whatever method you can.”

Shen Rangchen nodded, and the two of them found a spot to sit down, leaving Lin Mu and He Ze quietly seated on the side.

“Mumu, do you think Brother Fu and Xiao Chenchen will be okay?”

Lin Mu’s expression was serious as he nodded. “They’ll be fine. You need to focus on your cultivation.”

“Oh.”

He Ze also settled himself on the sofa, and for a moment, the entire room fell into silence.

Time ticked by slowly, second by second. Lin Mu kept glancing back and forth between the two, realizing just how agonizing waiting could be.

This was the first time their small team had encountered the process of ability upgrades. Even though he believed in their capabilities, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

…

The energy within their bodies surged toward the energy reservoir. Despite the tiny gap available, the absorbed energy seemed to disappear into the abyss. Breaking through that barrier indeed required a massive amount of energy and time.

Fu Jingmo focused intently on controlling the energy. He couldn’t hear a single sound around him, nor could he sense anything else. It was as if his five senses were sealed in an isolated space, cutting him off entirely from the outside world.

The sky gradually darkened, yet the two of them remained in the same position as before, sitting with their eyes closed.

Lin Mu sharply noticed that it seemed like a small vortex had formed around them, furiously absorbing energy.

However, before the two could complete their upgrade, the distant sound of car engines reached them. The noise was loud—and it wasn’t just one vehicle. Moreover, the sound was coming from the opposite direction of their arrival, from people leaving Shancheng.

Lin Mu walked to the window. There was no source of light in the room, so if those people were just passing by, they wouldn’t notice anyone hiding in the rest area.

Outside, the sky was dim, caught between dusk and nightfall, with the gray cement road stretching ahead.

Pressing himself against the side of the window, Lin Mu shifted slightly and lifted the curtain just a bit to peek outside.

The sound of engines grew louder, and even He Ze noticed it. He stood up and quietly moved behind Lin Mu. Lin Mu glanced back and made a gesture for silence.

Three headlights appeared at the far end of the road—a car and a heavy motorcycle. The blinding lights made it impossible to see the people on the vehicles clearly.

But… they were heading toward the rest area.

“Mumu, what’s going on?”

He Ze lowered his voice. Right now, it was just the two of them—Brother Fu and Xiao Chenchen couldn’t be disturbed. If these people were hostile…

“Let’s wait and see.”

The vehicles came to a stop in the open space in front of the service area. The motorcycle made a seemingly casual loop, but the rider was carefully surveying the entire area.

Right next to the rest area was the convenience store. The person on the motorcycle, carrying a baseball bat, tapped it against the glass door as he passed by, creating an ear-piercing sound.

Then, he dragged the bat slowly across the iron burglar bars on the windows, making a sharp “da-da-da-da-da” noise.

The motorcycle stopped right in front of the rest area, and a man’s voice called out, “I know someone’s in there. Why don’t you come out and introduce yourselves?”

Lin Mu and He Ze pressed themselves against the wall. The curtain had long since been drawn, their hearts pounding wildly as they quickly analyzed the situation.

They had no idea how much longer it would take for Fu Jingmo and Shen Rangchen to complete their upgrades. Even if the upgrade succeeded, they wouldn’t be able to recover their energy immediately. For now, it was up to Lin Mu and He Ze to hold the line, at least until the others finished their ability upgrades.

Of course, the best-case scenario would be if the people outside weren’t here to cause trouble.

Lin Mu gave He Ze a slight nod, then reached out and pulled the door open. The two of them stepped outside, and He Ze turned around to lock the door behind them.

“Something you need?” Lin Mu asked.

The rest area had two steps leading down, and from his elevated position, Lin Mu looked down at the man sitting on the motorcycle.

The rider had placed his helmet on the motorcycle’s fuel tank. He looked to be about 27 or 28 years old, propping the bike up with one foot on the ground. A baseball bat dangled from his hand as he gazed at Lin Mu and He Ze with a half-smile.

“So, it’s just the two of you? I thought you had some friends inside. Why don’t they come out and chat with us too?”

Lin Mu gave them a cold stare, his icy expression making it clear how annoyed he was by the disturbance. “They’re not interested.”

“Tsk, but we are interested,” the man sneered, persistent and provocative.

A strange feeling flickered in Lin Mu’s mind. 

They had only arrived in this area today, making it impossible for them to have had any conflicts or grudges with anyone from the mountain city. Yet, these people were clearly looking for trouble.

“How’s it going, Lao Ma?”

A head popped out from one of the cars behind them, shouting the question aloud.

“Close enough, it’s them.”

Their exchange instantly put Lin Mu on high alert. Them? These people had come here with a purpose, specifically seeking them out.

Four more people got out of the car, positioning themselves behind the two men with motorcycles.

A flicker of killing intent flashed in the eyes of the man called Lao Ma, and a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Which one of you has the spatial ability?” he asked.

A flash of surprise crossed Lin Mu’s mind. He had always been extremely cautious with his spatial ability—only the four of them knew about it. When had someone else found out?

No. He forced himself to stay calm. If these people knew there was a spatial ability user among them, why hadn’t they figured out exactly who it was?

“Spatial ability? Nonsense! I think you guys have it! If any of you do, give me something to eat!” He Ze quipped, trying to deflect.

Suddenly, a jet of water shot from He Ze’s hand. It struck the man on the motorcycle, knocking the baseball bat out of his grip. The bat hit the ground with a harsh screech, dragging along the asphalt in an ear-piercing grind.

“Damn it, you punk!” One of the men behind the motorcyclist shot them a vicious glare and moved forward aggressively.

Lin Mu flicked his vine whip, blocking the man’s path. His voice was icy. “What? Looking for a fight?”

Just as his words fell, the man who had been sitting on the motorcycle let out a deafening roar, so loud it made their eardrums ache.

His entire body began to swell rapidly, his muscles bulging and tearing through the thin fabric of his clothes. Black fur sprouted across his skin.

In just a few seconds, he transformed into a towering gorilla over two meters tall.

……

“Whoa, damn! King Kong!!”

He Ze shouted, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Before he could take another look, a massive fist came crashing toward them.

In the blink of an eye, the two rolled to the side just in time. The enormous fist smashed into the steps where they had just been standing.

And the debris flew in all directions!