Chapter Twenty-One: An Upgrade in Powers

After Qin Yu left the gas station and returned to where their vehicles were parked, she saw Zhao Meng watching her with concern. Qin Yu felt a warmth in her heart and smiled at Zhao Meng, saying, “I’m back…”

Zhao Meng immediately rushed over, anxiously checking her for injuries. Only after a thorough inspection did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. “I knew our little Yu Yu was the best! Haha~ You really need to protect me well, you know~” As she spoke, she threw Qin Yu a playful wink.

Wang Bing, who was standing nearby, quietly turned his head away. Having long been accustomed to Zhao Meng’s boldness, he could only think, upon seeing her throw that flirtatious wink at Qin Yu, “Where’s your sense of decency?”

Zhang Kuang, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear. Truly, the way Zhao Meng tossed that wink was nothing short of world-shattering.

Qin Yu looked at Zhao Meng, exasperated by that wink, but then her lips curved into a sly smile. She dangled the crystal core she’d taken from the zombie’s brain and said to Zhao Meng, “I was going to give you this crystal core, but…”

Before Qin Yu could finish, Zhao Meng snatched the core from her hand and showered it with kisses. “Yu Yu, I knew you loved me most!”

Watching Zhao Meng’s antics, Qin Yu was tempted to point out that the crystal core had just come out of a zombie’s brain, but after considering the inevitable barrage of complaints that would follow, she wisely kept silent. Her ears simply couldn’t withstand another one of Zhao Meng’s tirades.

Zhao Meng, overjoyed with the crystal core in her hand, activated her ability to test it and was delighted to find it could indeed be absorbed! This made her even happier. She’d thought that even if she couldn’t use it herself, she could trade it with someone else in the future. But now that she could use it, she wasn’t about to hold back.

Hastily, Zhao Meng sat down to absorb the crystal core. Qin Yu watched with interest as the crystal began to emit a faint glow, which gradually dimmed as time passed. The core shrank until, at last, it crumbled into powder.

The instant the core turned to dust, Zhao Meng leapt up and hurled a fireball forward. The others, who had been resting nearby, were startled by the sudden movement. Wherever the fireball landed, the ground was left scorched and blackened.

Wang Bing’s mouth twitched. Good heavens! It looked like the little witch’s ability had just leveled up. This was going to be trouble—he’d never be able to get the upper hand over her now.

Qin Yu, on the other hand, was genuinely pleased by the scene; she realized Zhao Meng had broken through to the next level with her ability.

“Yu Yu! Yu Yu! My power leveled up! Look! Aren’t I amazing? I can protect you from now on!” Zhao Meng exclaimed excitedly. Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Wang Bing and said, “Hey you! From now on, I’ll look after you too! Haha!”

Wang Bing could only nod with a resigned expression, though inwardly he was screaming, I don’t need you to protect me! Still, he was sincerely happy for Zhao Meng. After spending these past ten days together, he had grown fond of her straightforward and bold personality—so different from some women, who could be so venomous.

Seeing Wang Bing’s twitching lips, Qin Yu couldn’t help but laugh. Little Meng truly was a treasure.

Zhang Kuang, witnessing this display of camaraderie, sighed inwardly. Clearly, it would take time for him to truly fit in with the group. But then, time was the one thing he had in abundance, wasn’t it? He smiled, the amusement deepening in his eyes.

With Zhao Meng’s abilities upgraded and their fuel tanks full, the group set out once more. But up ahead, someone entirely unexpected was waiting for them…