Chapter 25

Comet mostly remained in a deep sleep, but when it woke up, it could eat some liquid food.

After seventy-two hours, Comet showed no signs of worsening injuries. Although still lying down weakly, its appetite had clearly improved.

Guan Yuanfeng took great care of it, changing its dressings, cleaning its paws, and giving it medicine.

Zhou Yun noticed that the melancholic and downcast look that had been on Guan Yuanfeng’s face was gone. He had taken the initiative to handle tasks like feeding the poultry and livestock every day, washing dishes and clothes, and even found books on the bookshelf to read—mostly veterinary books, carefully studying how to care for a dog with external injuries.

The daily routine of releasing the drone had become a fixed task. Guan Yuanfeng observed everything carefully, marking every location on the map of Danlin City—where to find supplies like generators, sugar, salt, oil, coal, rice, flour, and even places where mushrooms and bamboo shoots could be found.

The calm and steady commander seemed to have returned.

Zhou Yun understood that, although the fear of running out of resources was said in jest, Guan Yuanfeng had likely found a glimmer of hope after witnessing the power of abilities.

He had once given up because he couldn’t find any reason to continue living, any meaning for his existence. But in truth, he was a person with an incredibly strong will. A normal person might have given up after experiencing the phantom pain he had gone through, but he had persisted until now.

Once he found a sliver of hope—or perhaps someone, or even a dog, needed him—he would pull himself together. He had been working hard to save himself, setting standards for himself much higher than others.

Zhou Yun was pleased to see this change in Guan Yuanfeng, and he worked even harder to improve his own skills.

At the beginning of the apocalypse, abilities didn’t have names. Only after some time, when abilities had become more established, did people start naming them. The highest-level abilities were often named by those who had mastered them.

The lowest-level wood-type abilities, ranked as first-tier, included prosperity, detoxification, and healing. These abilities could only encourage plants to grow, perform simple detoxification, and assist with basic wound healing.

Wood-type abilities were much weaker than light-type abilities in terms of healing power. As a result, most wood-type ability users in apocalyptic bases were mainly responsible for agricultural work and similar tasks, with water and wood abilities being more common.

A large number of wood-type abilities required long periods of upgrading to reach second-tier.

The second-tier wood-type abilities included ripening, life magic, and a rather weak entangling ability. The strength of the ability determined how well it worked: a stronger ability could summon powerful roots and thorns to wrap around an enemy’s legs, while a weaker one could only summon thin vines that merely slowed down opponents.

Zombie teams often favored wood abilities because of this entangling skill, as everyone feared zombies getting too close.

Third-tier healing abilities included grafting and rejuvenation. Grafting promoted plant grafting, and rejuvenation restored life to dying plants. The healing skills remained basic but were slightly more effective than before. Offensive abilities like poison thorns, strangulation, and piercing also significantly increased.

However, wood-type abilities were slower to upgrade compared to other abilities. Early on, they were not as favored by combat teams because, despite their healing potential, their offensive power could not compete with lightning or fire abilities, and they couldn’t control or slow enemies as effectively as ice-type abilities. They were considered a necessary but secondary skill, leading to a vicious cycle. Few wood-type abilities reached the fourth tier, and only Zhou Yun had reached the fifth tier.

Upon reaching the fourth tier, wood abilities didn’t just revive and awaken plants; they also made significant advances in healing. Skills like reattaching limbs and infusing vitality into the body became possible. At this point, the advantages of planting and healing abilities began to attract attention.

After reaching the fifth tier, wood-type abilities allowed for large-scale manipulation of mutated plants for offensive purposes and almost miraculous healing abilities like resurrecting the dead and regrowing severed limbs. But these were abilities that only Zhou Yun truly knew.

Though Zhou Yun had reached the third tier, he had only just leveled up and was already facing the strain of overuse, which made his next steps difficult.

Therefore, stabilizing his third-tier abilities quickly had become an urgent issue for him.

From the third to the fourth tier was extremely challenging. With his current ability to only promote plant growth, it was hard to make significant progress in the short term.

To increase the chances of activating Guan Yuanfeng’s abilities, Zhou Yun needed to continuously increase his own ability reserves and the methods of utilizing them.

Or… he could go out at night to kill some zombies and level up.

Zhou Yun thought about this, but—he looked at Guan Yuanfeng, who was stirring raw beef with eggs to prepare a nutritious meal for Comet, lost in thought.

Should he bring Guan Yuanfeng along? It was too dangerous. But for one person, honey could be poison for another. This solitary high-rise apartment in the apocalypse was a completely safe island for Zhou Yun, but for Guan Yuanfeng, it was a prison.

Yet, he didn’t want Guan Yuanfeng to take risks.

He decided to wait. Comet was recovering well, and if things went smoothly… if Comet could develop fire abilities, it would be a great help and also provide good protection for Guan Yuanfeng.

He gazed at Guan Yuanfeng, who seemed deep in thought. Guan Yuanfeng, always perceptive, placed the bowl of beef on the steamer and turned to look at him. “Is something wrong?”

Zhou Yun thought for a moment and said, “The backup generator at the nursery next door consumes a lot of gasoline, and we’re running low. I plan to go to the community to collect some.”

Guan Yuanfeng frowned in disagreement, “It’s too dangerous, plus the elevator’s out, so you’d have to go down through the stairwell. We have enough food and water now, there’s no need to take the risk.”

Zhou Yun replied, “We’ve checked with drones every day. The sunlight is intense outdoors during the day, and zombies are rarely wandering outside; they tend to stay inside. There are fewer zombies outside, so we can deal with them one by one.”

Guan Yuanfeng said, “If you go alone, I’m not comfortable with it. Maybe wait until Comet recovers a bit.”

Zhou Yun encouraged him, “You could use the drone to scout the way for me. The drone has a speaker function.”

Guan Yuanfeng’s expression shifted slightly, clearly wavering. Zhou Yun added, “Other people’s homes might be risky, but your villa is empty, there shouldn’t be any zombies there. Should I check it out? Do you have anything there?”

Guan Yuanfeng frowned but didn’t speak, his gaze sharp as if seeing through Zhou Yun’s thoughts.

Zhou Yun looked at him earnestly, “My ability, Ice Prison, can instantly freeze the feet of zombies and trap them, so they can’t get close. I can then attack from a distance.”

Guan Yuanfeng pondered for a moment and raised a concern, “The stairwell is narrow and dark. You might encounter multiple zombies and have no place to escape.”

Zhou Yun noticed he wasn’t immediately opposing but was discussing the tactic’s feasibility, which meant his attitude was softening. He patiently explained, “You saw the ice wall I created the other day. The stairwell is narrow, so if I suddenly encounter an uncontrollable number of zombies, I can use the ice wall to block the stairs and retreat. The narrow space gives me enough time to escape.”

Zhou Yun continued earnestly, “I need to practice my powers more to improve.”

After a moment of silence, Guan Yuanfeng said, “I have a communication device that’s better than the drone’s speaker function.”

This meant he had been persuaded. Zhou Yun smiled, “Great, I’ll go change into some clothes.”

Zhou Yun also had a communication device stockpiled, but Guan Yuanfeng’s set was likely military-grade, so it would perform better.

Guan Yuanfeng slowly reached out to stroke Comet, thinking to himself: The last sentence about improving his powers was his true goal. And it seemed to be for his sake—Zhou Yun was eager to enhance his powers for that reason. He didn’t try to persuade him further, instead quietly opening his computer, starting the drone, and adjusting the wireless communicator.

A moment later, Zhou Yun came out, wearing motorcycle armor, knee and leg protectors, and mountain climbing boots. He also had armored gloves, and his tall frame looked energetic. He was holding a motorcycle helmet.

Guan Yuanfeng approved, “Not bad. It’s better to be cautious and avoid getting scratched or bitten by zombies.”

Zhou Yun took out a lightweight leather backpack he had prepared, checking the supplies inside. It already contained a first aid kit and some energy-restoring food like nuts and chocolates.

He responded with a smile, “I used to ride motorcycles for a while. My bike’s still in the underground garage—it’s a four-cylinder water-cooled ‘Land Leopard.'”

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, “Imported, huh? I wouldn’t have guessed that you, so refined, also ride heavy bikes.”

And he also flies drones, practices calligraphy, studies traditional medicine, and grows plants—each interest unrelated to the others, completely different fields, yet all fit together in the same person.

He had once heard professors in military school say that some people with high IQs learn things more easily than most people, so they tend to explore many areas and have a wide range of hobbies, excelling in various things with minimal effort.

Could Zhou Yun be one of those people? Guan Yuanfeng studied Zhou Yun, who indeed looked like a sharp and intelligent person.

Zhou Yun felt a bit guilty under his gaze. Although riding motorcycles had been a youthful interest, the armor had actually been something he ordered after his rebirth, preparing ten sets.

He put on a mask and then his helmet, fastening the visor to block out Guan Yuanfeng’s keen gaze, “Is the drone ready?”

Guan Yuanfeng handed him the drone, “I suggest you carry it down with you in the stairwell. I can monitor the rear for you. Once you’re outside, I’ll take control.”

He went back to his room, grabbed a combat harness, and showed Zhou Yun how to use the straps to secure and release the drone. Then, he attached the backpack to the harness, making sure the camera was positioned on Zhou Yun’s shoulder and could rotate 360 degrees. He also took out a wireless headset and tested it.

With a short knife on his waist and a long knife in hand, everything was set. Zhou Yun opened the door and walked toward the stairwell.

For the first time since the apocalypse, the iron door that had been locked was opened. A foul, rancid smell filled the dark stairwell.

While the outdoors was bright and sunny, the stairwell felt cold and gloomy.

Zhou Yun, holding a knife, descended quietly without making a sound.

After walking down about ten floors, he encountered his first zombie.

The fire door on that floor was wide open, splattered with dark red blood.

Accompanied by a chilling scream, a zombie lunged from the doorway. Its hair was gray, eyes hollow, mouth wide open with sharp fangs protruding. The once-lean body was now hunched, wearing a security guard uniform stained with black blood. Its arm muscles had rotted away, leaving only white bones.

“Be careful!” came Guan Yuanfeng’s voice over the headset. The foul stench of decay followed the wind in the stairwell.

Zhou Yun raised his hand, and an ice prison froze the zombie at a distance. Several ice arrows shot out, and the zombie collapsed.

Guan Yuanfeng paused, “You’re strong.”

Zhou Yun responded, “This zombie is weak. Did you notice? From my observations, zombies outside that can hunt are faster and stronger. But this one seems like an older security guard who’s been wandering the stairwell since the apocalypse. It hasn’t eaten, and its flesh has mostly rotted away, so its strength is very poor.”

He stepped forward, lowered his head, and took a long knife to strike the zombie’s skull, extracting the crystal core from inside and showing it to Guan Yuanfeng. “Look, this brain crystal is much smaller than the one we caught at the restaurant. The one from the restaurant had at least some meat to feed on.” This was a gray, attribute-less crystal core, whereas the one from the restaurant had been a fire attribute crystal.

Guan Yuanfeng said, “You’re quite attentive.”

Zhou Yun replied, “When we used the drone to scan the neighborhood before, some zombies were obviously much stronger, while others were weak. I suspect there are factors influencing this.” In truth, it was just his experience from his past life. In the later stages, zombies evolved to have abilities, making them harder to deal with.

He guessed that Guan Yuanfeng had noticed the difference too, but since he hadn’t faced the zombies head-on, he wouldn’t jump to conclusions.

Zhou Yun searched through the zombie’s body and found an electric baton hanging from its waist. “Lucky,” he said. “This security guard has an electric baton. It’s hard to get one without a permit.” He pressed on an ice block, shattering it. The headless zombie fell down, and Zhou Yun took the baton, placing it in another bag.

Guan Yuanfeng said, “The electric baton needs close-range use. It’s not very useful against zombies.”

Zhou Yun replied, “Sometimes, in the apocalypse, you’re not just fighting zombies. Having a self-defense tool is always useful.”

Guan Yuanfeng paused for a moment. He could always sense Zhou Yun’s skill and experience when it came to killing zombies, searching for supplies, and surviving in the apocalypse.

In a world where order had collapsed and resources were scarce, it was hard to guarantee that all survivors would be good people. In fact, bad people often lived longer.

But Zhou Yun had been living peacefully on the top floor since the apocalypse began, with no contact with outsiders. Even with the drone, he hadn’t found any survivors in the entire Danlin City.

In a time of peace and stability, Zhou Yun could still sense that the apocalypse wasn’t just about dealing with zombies, showing how sharp and capable he was—like an excellent soldier.

Zhou Yun reached the first floor and pushed open a fire door. In the lobby, several zombies were wandering around. The moment the door creaked open, they all turned, alert and charging toward him.

Zhou Yun waved his hand, creating an ice ring that froze the zombies in place. Then, he waved again, sending out several ice arrows. The zombies shook but did not fall.

This was expected, Zhou Yun thought to himself. He had just advanced to the third rank, so his ice skills weren’t strong enough yet.

These zombies came from the forest outside the neighborhood, and unlike the weak ones in the building that hadn’t fed on fresh flesh, these had hunted the neighborhood residents and mountain animals, feeding on fresh blood. Their gray skin was tough like leather, their fangs sharp, and their claws like blades. They ran quickly, like wild beasts.

Guan Yuanfeng saw this through the camera and his heart skipped a beat. He didn’t dare shout for fear of startling Zhou Yun and causing him to lose focus. Instead, he whispered, “Don’t let them get too close! Focus on controlling them, and if necessary, retreat and build an ice wall.”

Zhou Yun remained calm and added another ice ring to freeze the zombies that had been trying to break free. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

He walked towards the entrance, pushing open the glass door. The scorching sunlight hit him immediately.

The glass door had already shattered. Zhou Yun stood on a flowerbed where the plants, including some wild grass and jasmine, had grown wildly over the past few months. The waxy leaves reflected the light, and the clusters of white flowers exuded a strong fragrance under the sun.

Zhou Yun thought the jasmine had probably mutated. He briefly glanced at the jade-white flower clusters and noticed silver veins on the leaves. He stood still, firing more ice arrows from his elevated position.

The zombies indeed hesitated when exposed to the sunlight, but Zhou Yun froze them again under the sunlight and then ran back to the farthest distance to continue firing.

Guan Yuanfeng remembered a term Zhou Yun had used before, “flying a kite,” and almost couldn’t stop himself from laughing. But he quickly reminded him, “Be mindful of your energy, save some strength. Release the drone, and I’ll keep an eye out for zombies.”

Zhou Yun unclipped the drone, and Guan Yuanfeng piloted it into the sky.

It was noon, the sun was at its hottest. Zombies exposed to the sunlight immediately slowed down, both in speed and strength.

From the high-altitude drone, Zhou Yun, dressed in a black protective suit, appeared tall and graceful. His movements were smooth and confident, and as he fired ice arrows, he looked heroic, effortlessly leading the zombies around in the hot sun.

Guan Yuanfeng felt a moment of dazed admiration. With skills and tactical awareness like that, Zhou Yun would be invaluable in a special forces team. But then, he realized the reality—he was no longer the special forces captain responsible for selecting elite talents.

Zhou Yun continued to fire ice arrows steadily, taking down the zombies one by one. After circling the flowerbed, all the zombies had fallen.

Zhou Yun picked up the crystal cores. Sure enough, all the zombies had attribute cores: two wood attributes, one water attribute, one fire attribute, and one gray, attribute-less core. These zombies hadn’t fully evolved yet, but as abilities progressed, zombies would evolve fully and no longer be so weak.

He was satisfied, sprayed some water to clean the cores, and placed them in a bag.

Guan Yuanfeng spoke through the earpiece: “Go to villa number three, Yuexi number three. I’ve checked, and there are no zombies on the road. The temperature outside is too high, so don’t stay too long or you might get heatstroke.”

Zhou Yun acknowledged and slightly raised his head to scan the neighborhood, his helmet and goggles filtering out the glaring sunlight. He walked towards the villa area by the lake, not explaining that as an ability user, he could handle both extreme heat and cold better than ordinary people.

The neighborhood still echoed with the loud buzzing of cicadas. Not a single zombie could be seen, and it felt like a peaceful summer afternoon in the old days, with the fragrance of flowers thick in the air.

As the sun began to set, it felt like people would eventually return from work or school, and the smells of food would waft from the apartments. Elderly people and children might even be seen playing in the community.

Each villa in the area was surrounded by high iron fences, with front and back gardens, garages, and grassy areas. The buildings were two and a half stories tall, with two underground levels.

A few months after the red fog, the iron fences started to peel and rust. Many plants and flowers in the houses had either grown wildly or withered and died, just like many humans who couldn’t last until the end.

Zhou Yun stood at the door of the third villa, looking at the brass plaque nailed to the side of the iron gate that read “Yuexi No. 3.”

Guan Yuanfeng urged him over the intercom: “The longest key inside is for the iron gate. Hurry up and open it, don’t linger at the door.”

Zhou Yun took out the key Guan Yuanfeng had given him and unlocked the gate. After pushing it open, Guan Yuanfeng reminded him again: “Lock the door immediately, there’s a fuel drum in the garage. Park my car inside, and there’s a folding cart in the trunk. Take it out and use it to bring the fuel drum back.”

Zhou Yun locked the door as instructed, and upon entering, he saw Guan Yuanfeng’s imposing car parked at the entrance. It hadn’t rained for many days, and a thick layer of dust and fallen leaves had accumulated on it. Zhou Yun, feeling a bit sorry, summoned a rush of water to wash away the dust and leaves.

Guan Yuanfeng: “…Don’t waste your abilities on this.”

Zhou Yun replied, “This is your honorary medal; you should take care of it.”

Guan Yuanfeng watched as Zhou Yun adjusted his motorcycle helmet’s goggles, then looked up at the drone, his eyes and the corners of his mouth showing a hint of a smile. He couldn’t help but smile faintly at the screen.

Zhou Yun quickly cleaned the car, found the car keys, and opened the door. He ventilated the car, then checked inside. Guan Yuanfeng said, “There should be some bottled water in the trunk, not sure if it’s expired. There’s also a toolbox, a first aid kit, and a military shovel. But I see you already have these, so you can leave them in the car.”

When Zhou Yun opened the trunk, he found a large box of wedding candy, neatly packed in beautiful wedding boxes. There were also exquisite, semi-transparent gift bags containing small glass bottles labeled “Hundred Years of Sweetness,” peanuts, dates, longan dried fruits, a few chocolate beans, milk candies, and a pack of almond cookies—all from high-end brands. Additionally, there was a box of expensive white liquor.

Behind the passenger seat was a wrinkled and roughly folded large wedding photo stand of the bride and groom. The groom’s features resembled Guan Yuanfeng’s to some extent.

He was stunned.

Guan Yuanfeng paused in front of the screen: “I forgot, my family borrowed the car to pick up the bride and hold the wedding. These things might have been brought back from the hotel but weren’t unpacked before they went on vacation.”

Zhou Yun said, “They’re very nice items, they can be kept for a long time. I’ll move them inside and store them properly.”

Such good candy and cookies wouldn’t be available in the future. In peaceful times, these overly sweet treats would be disliked and avoided by those trying to lose weight, but in the apocalypse, they were valuable foods that could quickly replenish energy. And the alcohol… In the harsh post-apocalyptic weather, with food scarce, alcohol had become a luxury.

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t speak, silently accepting it.

Zhou Yun closed the trunk, got into the car, and parked it in the nearby garage.

The garage was narrow, and the car was quite large, so it wasn’t easy to park. The Guan family didn’t bother to park it properly before going on their trip, indicating they expected Guan Yuanfeng to handle the parking. But it seemed that since his brother’s wedding, Guan Yuanfeng hadn’t returned here. No, he had come back after storing supplies, but it appeared that he only dropped things off and didn’t seem interested, not even bothering to park the car. Of course, it could also be that after moving items down from the top floor, exhausted from using his wheelchair, he had no energy left.

Such a meaningful car, yet not properly cherished.

Although the person was no longer around, Zhou Yun couldn’t help but feel some discomfort on Guan Yuanfeng’s behalf.

He looked around the garage and saw only some basic tools and electric bikes. These weren’t needed immediately but could be kept as backups.

After leaving the garage, he reached the front door and unlocked it with the key. Once inside, he found the entire villa newly decorated. The arched doorways, high-quality jade-white marble floors with almost no visible seams, spacious and bright floor-to-ceiling windows with white lace curtains, a luxurious opal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a full set of high-end leather sofas, and elegant wool rugs beneath them. The house was furnished with original wood furniture.

Upon entering, there was a beautiful tiled entryway with motion-sensor light strips, a trendy design for modern homes.

The sunken entryway served as a place to change shoes, effectively trapping dust and dirt from the outdoors. Though a minor 5-centimeter height difference, with light strips installed, it looked elegant and beautiful, but it wasn’t ideal for wheelchair access.

Inside, Zhou Yun took the drone, placed it in his bag, and walked around the villa.

The villa had several rooms, including an attic and basement, a kitchen, a nursery, a yoga room, a study, a laundry room, and even an underground entertainment room. Yet, there was no room prepared for Guan Yuanfeng.

Guan Yuanfeng remained silent, not saying a word or discussing any items’ disposal. This villa had clearly been bought by him and decorated by his family, but now he felt like a guest.

The materials used for the house’s decoration, furniture, and appliances were all top-tier, yet from the very beginning, the needs of the person funding the house hadn’t been considered. The disabled family member was sent to the inconvenient top-floor relocation room, a decision made from the start.

Zhou Yun glanced at the warm wedding photo wall and thought that once Guan Yuanfeng left, he would come and clean up these useless things.

This was the rightful return of things, and justice would be served.