By the time the vitality of the plants within a hundred meters around the big tree was almost completely drained, Nan Muran finally stopped.

The rotting parts of the tree had fully healed, and even new bark had grown over them.

Then, the tree, originally five stories tall, suddenly swelled and doubled in size as if it had inflated.

It blocked out the sky and the sun, startling Si Ye and the other two waiting nearby.

“You’re all better now,” Nan Muran gently patted the tree trunk, her tone soft.

Big Tree: All my fruits are yours.

“Thank you.”

Big Tree: When you leave, please bury the drooping branches into the surrounding soil.

Nan Muran nodded and agreed, though she was a little puzzled. This tree’s attitude toward its fruits was strange, as if it didn’t care about them at all.

Big Tree: I was never a fruit tree to begin with.

The fruits had grown only because of mutations caused by acid rain. From now on, no more fruits would grow.

Nan Muran nodded. “A treasure invites trouble — that’s common in this apocalyptic world.
Without the fruits, you’ll no longer be targeted, and you can freely grow among the mountains and rivers.”

Upon hearing her words, the tree rustled happily, clearly pleased with the outcome.

It had originally grown in the mountains, nourished by sunshine and rain, undisturbed by humans, free and unrestrained.
After the apocalypse began, the strange fruits it bore first attracted the greed of humans, then attacks from giant serpents — it had been nothing but trouble.

Now, giving all its fruits to the human who healed it meant it could fully return to its past peaceful life.
It truly was the best result.

Seeing Nan Muran walk out safely, the three people who had been anxiously waiting all let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Help me bury the drooping branches around the tree. I’ll collect the fruits,” Nan Muran said with a smile.

“The fruits… they’re just giving them to us?” Eagle was surprised.
He thought they would have to fight a tough battle to get them.

Getting them so easily — wasn’t this a little too simple?

Si Ye shot him a chilly glance, and Eagle immediately shut up.

“Are you okay?” Si Ye asked worriedly, seeing Nan Muran looking so calm and composed.

He remembered very clearly that last time, when Nan Muran helped the four of them awaken their abilities, she had used a lot of vitality and ended up completely drained.

Nan Muran smiled at him, “Don’t worry. The vitality used just now to heal the tree all came from the surrounding plants. I was just a conduit.”

Hearing this, the three of them were visibly relieved.

Thanks to Xiaoliu and Xiaobai’s help, they quickly gathered the tree’s fruits.

Looking at the more than a hundred fruits in front of them, all four of them were stunned.

“This many?”

“The tree will only ever bear fruit once. There won’t be any more in the future, so it’s quite a lot,” Nan Muran said, storing all the fruits into her spatial space. “Let’s head back. The mountains are too dangerous after dark.”

After getting into the car, Nan Muran took out some water from her space, washed four blackish-red fruits, and handed them out.
“Try them. Xiaoliu said these fruits have remarkable effects on awakening abilities.”

Eagle, who was obsessed with light, convenient powers, took the fruit without hesitation and started eating it.
“Be nice to me, okay? Let me awaken something like speed, or water, or walking through walls — anything light and fast!”

“You’ve been fed too well. Now you’re getting picky about your powers,” Si Ye said, remembering how terrified they had all been when none of them had any abilities at the start of the apocalypse.

Compared to back then, their situation now was incredible.

Nan Muran smiled, “Wu-ge just awakened a speed ability. Eating the fruit will strengthen it.”

“But with abilities, it’s better not to force things,” she added, speaking specifically to Eagle.

She had a hunch that Eagle would still awaken a defensive-type ability this time.

As a mental-type ability user, her intuition was usually spot-on.

Sure enough, once they left the mountains, Eagle awakened — his skin had hardened.

“You’re kidding me,” Eagle almost cried, feeling his arm now as tough as iron.

Jiawu didn’t awaken a new ability, but he could clearly feel his speed ability had been enhanced.

The strangest one was Si Ye.
They had thought he would quickly awaken all five elemental powers, but it turned out he hadn’t.

He still only had his water, fire, and metal abilities.

Focusing his mind, Si Ye tried to sense the new power emerging inside him.

The moment he concentrated, his eyes met Nan Muran’s.

In that instant, Jiawu, Eagle, and even the entire world around them seemed to freeze — even the moving car.

But it lasted only a split second before everything returned to normal.

From each other’s eyes, both Si Ye and Nan Muran saw something unbelievable — had time just… stopped?

But why wasn’t Nan Muran affected?

Even though they were confused, the two of them silently agreed not to mention it.

The group returned safely to their courtyard house in Jin Town.

Of the fifteen members of the military’s ability team who had been there before, only four remained.

The four hadn’t gone inside but had made a bonfire in the yard, sitting around it for warmth as they anxiously waited for Nan Muran’s group.

As it got darker, the four of them grew increasingly uneasy.

“Could something have happened to them?” the short-haired girl asked nervously, looking at Han Yingting.

“No way. The strength of those four is way beyond what we imagine,” Han Yingting said confidently.
He was a proud man who rarely admired anyone.

But both Nan Muran and Si Ye were exceptions.

As he spoke, they heard the sound of a car stopping at the gate.

Soon, Nan Muran’s group walked into the courtyard.
Seeing the bonfire in the center, they all smiled and sat around it.

The four remaining military members were stunned.

“Since we’ll be working together in the future, let’s get to know each other and share our abilities,” Nan Muran said warmly.
It was the first time she had spoken to anyone from the military team other than Han Yingting.

And her attitude was very good.

The four quickly realized what was happening.

Clearly, Nan Muran had never intended to bring along all the military members — they four had been specially selected by her.

“Han Yingting, Metal-type, late Stage 2. Light-type, early Stage 1.”

“Shiwu, Speed-type, mid Stage 2.”

“Chengcheng, Control-type, early Stage 2,” the short-haired girl said a little hesitantly.

“Xiang Xi, Water-type, early Stage 2. Healing-type, early Stage 1.”

It had to be admitted — Nan Muran had picked well. These four were among the strongest in the military’s ability team.

But the one who most interested Nan Muran was the least conspicuous of them — Shiwu.

In the later stages of the apocalypse, Shiwu’s strength would only be second to Han Yingting’s — a true powerhouse.
However, his methods were a bit unorthodox, leading to mixed reputations.

“Si Ye, Water-type, mid Stage 3. Fire-type, late Stage 2. Metal-type, early Stage 1,” Si Ye introduced himself.

The four military members were stunned.
Stage 3? That was a monster!

Eagle reluctantly added, “Eagle, Wind-type, late Stage 2. Strength-type, mid Stage 1. Skin Hardening, early Stage 1.”

The four were stunned again.

“Jiawu, Lightning-type, late Stage 3. Speed-type, early Stage 1.”

“Nan Muran, Plant-type, mid Stage 3. Mental-type, late Stage 3.”

At this point, the military’s four members were completely dumbfounded.

No wonder Nan Muran’s team didn’t want to bring them along — they would have just been dead weight.