Chapter Fifty-Two: Mountains of Food

Chapter Fifty-Two

The Ye family, with several hundred members, more than two hundred if one excluded the hired hands, included the family head and heir’s personal guard, direct blood relatives, and servants like Old Yu, whose family had served the Ye family for generations.

Yet among so many people, only three had awakened abilities. How could Ye Jingxuan not worry about the family’s future? Even with munitions and supplies, without overwhelming power, those hired by the Ye family would eventually leave or even betray them!

Now, hearing Mei’s explanation, Ye Jingxuan’s eyes lit up. If there were mutant animals who possessed abilities but couldn’t awaken them, then what about humans? Couldn’t the same be true?

“Humans certainly have that possibility. From my observations, the awakening of abilities generally falls into two categories. The first is natural—those who awakened right at the start of the apocalypse are mostly like this.

The second requires an external stimulus, which is also of two kinds: one is psychological—extreme fear or joy can cause a massive fluctuation in a person’s mental strength, making it easier to reach the threshold needed to use abilities, since using abilities requires the support of one’s mental power. Sister Yuan is of this type; she had the ability but lacked the opportunity to awaken it, until she was nearly caught by a zombie, and that triggered her awakening!

The other is energy stimulation—when the energy within one’s body is insufficient to meet the threshold for release, only after absorbing enough energy can one awaken. Like this fish, its innate ability level was too high, but it never had enough energy, so it couldn’t awaken. Only when A’Chen released his ability into the water, providing it with sufficient energy, did it awaken.”

Mei explained this to Ye Jingxuan. Though her reasoning was based on the magical theory from her original world combined with deductions about this world’s abilities, her conclusions were hardly off the mark.

Ye Jingxuan memorized every word, planning to experiment on the Ye family’s people upon returning. If even a few more could awaken abilities, the Ye family would secure their own domain in the apocalypse!

Whether the fish in the water had all been eaten by the ducks and geese, or for some other reason, apart from the large fish, no others had floated to the surface, stunned.

After thoroughly dredging the fish pond, the six of them rested on the boat to recover their strength before cautiously setting out again towards their intended destination.

Compared to the first half of their journey, the latter part went smoothly. They encountered no dangers and, passing by the duck and goose sheds, collected countless duck and goose eggs.

Each took a share for their own reserves, leaving the majority for Mei to gather for the Ye family’s stores—after all, their trip’s purpose was to gather supplies for the family.

Soon the six neared the small processing plant within the farm. The closer they approached, the more cautious they became.

Following the winding path, they caught sight of the plant—and were stunned by the scene before them.

Bags of rice and flour were piled into two small mountains, with heaps of vacuum-packed fruits and vegetables as well. Several trucks stood nearby, suggesting the farm had been about to ship out a batch of goods before the apocalypse struck, leaving everything abandoned.

Even those used to abundance felt a surge of excitement at the sight of so much food. Anyone else would likely have rushed forward, desperate to carry off as much as possible.

But suspecting danger, none of the six let down their guard for a moment, despite the bounty before them.

Yet as time passed, nothing happened; no danger emerged, no attack came.

“Did we get it wrong? This place looks pretty safe,” Lin Shaojie finally couldn’t help but speak.

“Just because it looks safe doesn’t mean it is. Take a good look at the food on the ground. Haven’t you noticed anything?” Mo Chen said quietly.

“What about it? It looks fresh and fine!” Lin Shaojie peered closer, seeing the vegetables and fruits, all plump and tempting.

“You really are slow—how can you not see the obvious?” Qu Wenyuan couldn’t help but sigh at his dullness. Even she had noticed something amiss. She prompted him, “Let me ask you, how long has the apocalypse been going on?”

“Over three, nearly four months... These fruits really are well-preserved, like they were just picked... Ah, I get it! It’s all an illusion, isn’t it?” At last, Lin Shaojie realized. He might lack common sense, but even he knew no fruit or vegetable would look so fresh after three months—surely they’d have rotted away.

Qu Wenyuan gave him a “not entirely hopeless” look and said no more.

Lin Shaojie chuckled awkwardly, about to scratch his head, when Mei’s arrow shot past his ear.

Instinctively, Lin Shaojie darted forward. Looking back, he saw a zombie fading into nothing where he’d just been standing. Cold sweat broke out as he realized how close he’d come to being caught.

“Be alert! That zombie can merge with the illusion and appear anywhere—stay sharp!” Mei warned.

Ye Jingxuan and Mo Chen’s reflexes were top-notch. After several failed ambushes, the zombie gave up targeting them. An Ziyou and Lin Shaojie, having awakened their abilities early, could still sense danger, and though ambushed, managed to fend off the attacks with the others’ help.

But Qu Wenyuan was the most harried—even with support, her reactions weren’t fast enough, and she escaped danger by the narrowest of margins each time. The foul maw and black claws of the zombie brushed past her, filling her face with terror and bringing tears to her eyes.

Mei, alone among them, was never ambushed. Each time the zombie approached, she evaded without leaving a trace.

This zombie, able to create such a convincing illusion and hide within it, clearly possessed formidable mental power. Yet before Mei, it was nothing. If she wished, she could destroy the illusion in an instant.

But it was rare to encounter such an opponent—strong in mental strength but not truly dangerous—so it was a perfect opportunity for the others to hone their skills.

Of course, that lack of danger applied only to Mei. To the others, the zombie’s ghostly movements made it a formidable foe.

This couldn’t go on.

Ye Jingxuan and Mo Chen exchanged a glance and signaled to each other. They shifted their focus to Qu Wenyuan while slowly moving closer to An Ziyou and Lin Shaojie.

Qu Wenyuan, tense and suppressing her fear, enveloped herself in a protective layer of her abilities, eyes darting warily around, her body taut as a drawn bowstring, ready to spring at any sound.

Sensing movement behind her, she leapt forward—only for the zombie to materialize five paces ahead. She tried to stop, but momentum carried her forward. The zombie’s sharp teeth and claws seemed to grow larger in her vision, and, pushed to her limits by terror, Qu Wenyuan finally erupted.

“Aaah—!” she screamed, thrusting her arms out in a desperate push. Instantly, a wall of water more than two meters high surged up before her, blocking the zombie and averting the immediate danger.

Yet even before her water wall rose, a powerful current of electricity had already struck the zombie. As the wall appeared, gold and soft white lights enveloped her, offering further protection.

At the same time, Mei’s arrow and Lin Shaojie’s wind blades struck almost simultaneously, bombarding the zombie and leaving it no room to maneuver, dissolving the crisis completely.

Seizing the moment, Mo Chen rushed in and slashed at the zombie, preventing it from vanishing again. An Ziyou locked onto it and intoned, “Your illusions no longer work!”

Knowing this was a rare chance, and that if the zombie escaped it would be hard to pin down again, An Ziyou poured all his power into the command. As his words fell, the surrounding scene changed rapidly—the piles of grain shrank, the fruits and vegetables decayed and rotted, filling the air with stench.

“You have to move fast—I can only hold it for three minutes!” An Ziyou cried as his ability took effect.

Ye Jingxuan and Lin Shaojie lunged forward, closing in with Mo Chen to besiege the zombie.

Stripped of its illusion, the zombie’s attacks and defenses were nothing—it was quickly dispatched by the three.

As its head rolled to the ground, a collective sigh of relief escaped the group.

But just as they relaxed, Mei’s warning rang out: “Careful!”

Her words were accompanied by the sudden appearance of a huge white barrier, enclosing the group within.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Several explosions sounded in quick succession as something struck and detonated against the shield, releasing clouds of pink smoke.

The barrage did not cease, but continued like firecrackers, bursting incessantly against the barrier.

What was happening?

What was attacking them?

Confused, the group quickly pulled out the crystals Mei had given them earlier, using them to restore their abilities and mental strength—hoping to recover their fighting power before Mei’s shield gave out.