C17 Chapter 17

"Could she be the fabled psychic I've heard about on the radio?" Lu Ming's gaze lingered on the two crystal nuclei, his eyes alight with insatiable longing.

Zeng Qiang was equally taken aback. He turned the crystal nucleus over in his hands, examining it before asking, "So, how does one absorb this?"

"I experimented with it in the room earlier. You just need to hold it in the palm of your hand, close your eyes, and clear your mind. Be warned, though—it's going to hurt. If you can withstand the pain, you'll gain a special ability."

With that, Zeng Qiang snatched up both crystal nuclei and retreated to the room, instructing everyone to stay out. It wasn't long before his agonized howls echoed from within, sounding hauntingly pitiful.

The others were ecstatic, eager for the power they hoped to witness. Yet, Zeng Qiang's tormented screams sent shivers down their spines. They were oblivious to the metamorphosis underway; only Zeng Qiang, beyond Jiang Ruan's influence, truly understood the ordeal.

Time crawled by until the room's cries of anguish finally subsided, giving way to silence. No further sound emerged.

Zhu Zhengyan brandished a dagger at Jiang Ruan's throat, his voice laced with threat, "If Brother Zeng suffers any harm, I'll hold you accountable with your life!"

But with a mere glance from her, Zhu Zhengyan's grip faltered, the knife drooping limply in his hand.

"What do I gain from harming him? Who else here is adept at slaying zombies?" Jiang Ruan's mocking tone incensed the crowd, yet they were all too aware of their own shortcomings.

Their survival thus far had hinged on the prowess of Jiang Ruan and Zeng Qiang. The woman before them was particularly formidable, capable of single-handedly dispatching fifty zombies—a force not to be underestimated and impossible to predict.

Zeng Qiang must have succumbed to exhaustion. Merging with a crystal nucleus was a harrowing ordeal for anyone of ordinary constitution. Those who endured emerged as mutants; those who failed... they became zombies.

Jiang Ruan sat to the side, wiping down her cleaver and kitchen knife with a cloth. "You all can go get some rest. He's likely to be out for the night."

The group exchanged uncertain glances in the eerie silence before Faang Yu and the others, who had joined the group later and had their own matters to attend to, were the first to leave, seeing no reason to linger.

Lu Ming and Zhu Zhengyan were the most vocal in their curiosity. Lurking in the shadows, their eyes gleamed as they watched Jiang Ruan, eager to dissect her and explore the anatomy within.

Faang Yu had been about to speak, but noticing the intense scrutiny Jiang Ruan was under, he held back, not daring to make a move. And so, he waited, all the way until the break of dawn.

Dawn broke, but the night's stillness gave way to an unsettling overcast sky. When Zeng Qiang awoke once more, he felt a surge of strength throughout his body. He twisted his neck, eliciting a series of crisp cracks.

Outside, the child with foresight snapped open his eyes—he had seen it!

Zeng Qiang was destined to become a superhuman.

"What's up?" Faang Yu asked, giving the boy's shoulder a gentle pat. He could tell the kid had seen something significant.

The boy, aware of his precarious position, shook his head at Faang Yu, signaling that now was not the time to share. They understood each other without words, and indeed, no one else pressed the issue.

As Zeng Qiang's door swung open, the crowd gathered around, eager and expectant. They found Zeng Qiang looking refreshed and free from discomfort, which only heightened their anticipation.

"Brother Zeng, what power have you gained?" Du Jianghong asked, his body swaying enticingly like a flower beckoning in the sun, ready to display all his wiles.

Zhu Zhengyan was equally eager. "Brother Zeng, give us a show!" He envied Zeng Qiang's ability to slay zombies, but he was convinced his own intellect was superior.

Basking in the adulation, Zeng Qiang extended his hands, feeling the power coalesce in his palms. With a focused thought, he prepared to unleash the energy outward.