C18 Yaya's First Lesson in the End of the World

Liang Zibang had arrived at Y University yesterday for business and checked into a room at the Cloud Hotel, located on the fifteenth floor by the stairwell.

This morning, he awoke to a drastically altered world. He and his mistress were trapped in their room, with two zombies stationed outside their door, blocking the stairway and leaving them with no way out.

At the slightest hint of noise, Liang pressed his eye to the peephole. To his astonishment, he witnessed a strikingly tall woman, smartly dressed, dispatching the zombies with remarkable ease. For a moment, he could have sworn she was the embodiment of a Martial God.

Following her was a towering man, armed with a sword and carrying a backpack. They appeared ready to descend the stairs, clearly working together.

Lin Chen scanned the zombies' heads with his mental energy, finding no crystal nucleus. He wasn't particularly disheartened; this was within his expectations. Among the Zero Level zombies, only a rare few prodigies could generate energy crystal nuclei shortly after their transformation.

Such zombies were as scarce as humans with innate evolutionary abilities. It was likely that within the entire Y University, only a handful of Zero Level zombies possessed crystal nuclei in their brains. The majority required time to absorb elemental energy from the air to form these energy crystals.

Humans could harness these crystal nuclei to enhance their Extrasensory Perception, strengthen their bodies, or boost their abilities. The process, however, required a certain finesse.

Given that zombies were absorbing evolutionary viruses and cosmic elemental energy from the atmosphere, they would progress to First Level status within three days at the latest.

After a week, and following a torrential rain, nearly all zombies would have evolved, with exceptional ones evolving multiple times.

First Level zombies would pose a genuine threat to ordinary humans. Thus, the survivors' true ordeal would begin in three days.

Yet, it was certain that all First Level zombies carried energy crystal nuclei in their heads.

Lin Chen was biding his time, ready to unleash his might, harvest these crystal nuclei, accumulate energy, and expand his Seeds World.

Lin Ya had barely descended a flight of stairs when the sound of a door creaking open reached her ears, followed by a raspy voice: "Please wait."

Turning around, she saw a middle-aged man with a protruding belly peeking out from a partially opened door, beckoning them in a hushed tone.

As the pair paused, Liang Zibang cautiously surveyed the hallway before fully opening the door and stepping out, relieved to find no zombies in sight.

When he emerged, Lin Ya's keen eyes spotted a young woman in the room, her makeup heavy and her expression one of terror.

Lin Ya's face brightened as she encountered the first living person besides her brother. "Sir, is there something wrong?" she asked in a clear, ringing voice.

Liang Zibang, hearing Lin Ya's voice, felt as if his body had turned to jelly. Catching sight of her striking beauty and flawless figure, he was momentarily spellbound, a flicker of covert desire passing through his eyes.

Lin Chen observed Liang Zibang with an amused expression, curious to see what the man might try to pull off.

In this apocalyptic world, the greatest threat came from other humans. Yet, with Lin Chen's guardianship, nobody could harm Yaya in this lifetime. Still, that wouldn't stop Lin Ya from having her own experiences and growing from them.

Impatient with Liang Zibang's daydreaming, Lin Ya pressed, "Sir, do you need something? If not, we'll be on our way."

Snapping back to reality, Liang Zibang quickly extended two business cards, saying, "Oh, yes, there is. I'm Liang Zibang, assistant to the Deputy Director of the Janville City Ministry of Education, on a business trip to Y University. Where might you two be studying?"

Lin Ya accepted the business card, while Lin Chen paid no attention to Liang Zibang's outstretched hand.

"My name is Lin Ya, and this is my brother, Lin Chen. We're both still in school. He's a senior in the International Trade program at Y University's School of Industrial Management, and I'm a sophomore in the Automation Department at East China College of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering," Lin Ya explained, candidly revealing their backgrounds.

Liang Zibang internally rejoiced upon hearing this; they were just students yet to graduate, seemingly easy to deceive. Perhaps he could even take things a step further...

As he calculated his next move, he warmly inquired, "So, you're Student Chen and Student Ya. It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you aware of the events unfolding outside?"

Liang Zibang had already surmised that the apocalypse was upon them, piecing together clues from the power outages and the emergence of zombies.

Doomsday narratives have captivated hearts for years, both domestically and internationally.

Liang Zibang was just making conversation.

"My brother says the apocalypse has already begun," Lin Ya casually mentioned.

"Oh, I'd believe that. Where did you get those swords? It looks like you were ready for doomsday."

Lin Ya grew cautious; this touched on her brother's secret.

After a pause, she explained, "A doomsday prophecy thread popped up online two days ago. My brother took it seriously, made some preparations, and called me to join him in hiding on the top floor. I used to tease him about it, but then the apocalypse actually happened."

Lin Chen felt a sense of relief; the girl knew to keep certain things unsaid.

"Ms. Ya, have you trained in martial arts? You dispatch zombies with such ease."

"No martial arts for me. I've always been in good shape and bold. Since yesterday, my strength and reflexes have been increasing. It seems to be happening to a lot of people. Haven't you noticed it yourself?"

Liang Zibang had indeed noticed his body improving, though it wasn't particularly pronounced yet.

"With the danger outside, what's your plan?"

"We're off to rescue students from my brother's dorm, then gather forces to save more people. Assistant Liang, do you have any other business? If not, we're heading out."

Liang Zibang ventured, "Classmate Yaya, could you and your brother escort me back to the Education Bureau? In these dire times, I must return to my post and serve the people. If you help me get back, you'll be doing a great service. I'll secure you a good position in the government. You must understand, even with the apocalypse upon us, our government will stand strong. And in these end times, if you want to survive, you can't do it without the government's support."

He spoke with such conviction that he almost convinced himself.

Lin Chen nearly burst into laughter.

Escort you back to your post? What good would that do now? Are we teaching zombies manners and civility? Sure, aligning with the government is wise in the apocalypse, but as a Deputy Director, how much sway do you really hold?

Do you have any idea how many zombies are out there on the streets?

Even Lin Chen wouldn't claim he could safely lead a group through the city.

Sure, the energy from the seeds he's sown keeps flowing, but his body can't handle prolonged, intense combat.

And does Liang Zibang really deserve for Lin Chen to expend even a shred of energy on him?

It's laughable!

Lin Chen wouldn't give Liang Zibang the time of day if it weren't for wanting to broaden Yaya's horizons.

When Liang Zibang made his request, Lin Ya found herself in a bind. After giving it some thought, she said, "Assistant Liang, my brother and I have our limits, so we can't assist you in getting back to the city center. It might be best for you to stay here and wait for the government rescue."

Lin Chen was both irritated and amused.

The girl had actually taken that loser's request into consideration.

Thankfully, she was level-headed enough to recognize her own limits and didn't let herself get carried away by a moment of passion.

Liang Zibang himself knew his request was a long shot. Even if Lin Chen and Lin Ya were willing, he wasn't sure he'd have the courage to follow.

His mind raced as he considered, These two students look capable. If I could con them into working for me, we could organize a student-led rescue. When help arrives, wouldn't I be hailed as a hero? And keeping this pretty girl close means opportunities will surely arise...

"Okay, Ya, I get where you're coming from. But how about taking me along to help rescue our classmates? You're both inexperienced in organizing such efforts. With my guidance, we could make the operation run smoothly and save more of our peers."

Lin Ya glanced at Lin Chen, feeling uneasy.

Liang Zibang felt a pang of anxiety, realizing he might have underestimated Lin Chen and his plans could unravel.

Desperately, he searched his mind for a contingency.

Lin Chen, unable to bear it any longer, whispered to Lin Ya, "Yaya, you have the gift of Extrasensory Perception. You can sense the general thoughts of ordinary people, and Liang Zibang is just that—an ordinary person. Use your abilities to find out what he's really thinking right now."

Lin Ya unleashed her psychic detection on Liang Zibang. The feedback was murky, yet Liang Zibang's vile fantasies and sinister intentions to exploit her lay bare within the depths of her consciousness.

With a mix of fury and urgency, she shot Liang Zibang a withering glance and bolted down the stairs without uttering another word.

She chastised herself for being such a fool, having wasted time speaking kindly to such a scoundrel.

Lin Chen kept pace with Lin Ya, trailing her closely.

Liang Zibang was utterly perplexed. How could the young beauty slip away just as she seemed to be falling into his trap?

Fueled by rage, Lin Ya charged down the stairs, paying no heed to the zombies that shuffled toward her in the hallway.

Liang Zibang's pursuit ended on the 14th floor, where the sight of zombies sent him scrambling back to his room on the 15th floor, where he slammed the door shut with a resounding thud.

Lin Ya made it to the 12th floor, where three zombies blocked her path at the stairwell. She braced herself for a fight.

In her anger, Lin Ya exceeded her own expectations. She knocked down one zombie with a swift kick and, with precise psychic calculation, she swung her sword in a perfect arc, taking out two zombies in one strike. She then swiftly decapitated the fallen zombie before it could rise again.

As she turned around, Lin Chen was watching her, his expression a blend of amusement and pride.

Lin Ya sulked and confronted him, "Brother, did you know all along that he was up to no good? Have you been silently mocking me for my naivety? Am I truly that foolish?"

Lin Chen responded deliberately, "Yaya, there are many lessons and truths that direct explanations can't impart deeply. Consider this: if I had told you from the start that the man was bad news, would you have believed me? Yaya, his reaction isn't even the worst you'll encounter. You'll soon come across much darker situations. Always remember, a woman's beauty is often seen as a sin, a sin that can provoke all manner of evils, with the gravest leading to massacres and the downfall of nations. This is documented throughout history, both ancient and modern. In a world where the law no longer deters, the plight of beautiful women becomes especially tragic."

"In this post-apocalyptic world, survivors can inflict harm on one another without any justification, leaving almost no room for genuine trust. Today's events are your first lesson in understanding this new reality. I hope you'll deeply contemplate your emotional journey from the start to the finish of this ordeal."

"In the apocalypse, there's a profound truth that goes like this: In the end times, the greatest danger is humanity itself. Take that man over there—he's clearly still in peril, a mere small fry, yet the instant he lays eyes on you, he irrationally covets your beauty, plots against you, and seeks to exploit you. Yaya, from this moment forward, you need to consider the stance you'll take to confront this accursed apocalypse."

Lin Chen took the moment to speak frankly, imparting to Lin Ya the principles of navigating the apocalypse. He intended to gradually mold Yaya into a capable survivor of these final days. He aspired for Yaya's transformation to be seamless and hoped it wouldn't bring her too much anguish.

Lin Ya had never questioned her brother's advice. As she engaged in battle, she began to grasp the truths her brother had shared, putting them into practice.