C18 Chapter 18

Suddenly, a two-meter-tall wall of earth materialized before them, leaving everyone with eyes wide in astonishment. They could scarcely believe it—was this truly the power of humans?

"Now you possess an earth ability, but it's primarily defensive and not very effective against zombies," Jiang Ruan said, her arms folded across her chest. She wasn't sure of the full extent of earth power, but her mind was filled with various knowledge about these abilities, as though it was innate.

Zeng Qiang's excitement deflated. Jiang Ruan's words meant that, in a critical moment, his earth ability could only fend off zombies, not eliminate them.

All eyes turned to Jiang Ruan, expectant for her to continue her explanation.

She was cautious not to reveal too much, wary of arousing suspicion. "I'm not clear on the rest, but Zeng Qiang, you still have a crystal nucleus, right? Why not let someone else try it?"

Zeng Qiang wavered. If someone else gained a power stronger than his, it could threaten his leadership, so he was reluctant to offer it up.

"Yeah, Brother Zeng, let me have a go. Maybe I can harness a more formidable power, and together, we'll be even stronger," Zhu Zhengyan chimed in eagerly.

Lu Ming, too, looked on with hopeful eyes. With the crystal nucleus, they could undergo a transformation and no longer be subordinate to Zeng Qiang.

But Zeng Qiang was no fool; he knew these people yearned to outdo him, each harboring ambitions of standing as his equal someday.

He could sense their intentions—if he withheld the crystal nucleus now, they would surely revolt, leading to losses on all fronts.

His gaze finally settled on Faang Yu, someone he deemed manageable. Even if Faang Yu eventually slipped from his grasp, it was inconsequential as long as the rest remained under his thumb.

"Faang Yu, I haven't been forthcoming with my intentions until now. You've all followed us here, and by all rights, this crystal nucleus belongs to you," Zeng Qiang declared, extending the blue crystal nucleus to Faang Yu.

Zhu Zhengyan was seething with frustration. "Why give it to him? They've only just joined our team."

Lu Ming stepped forward in agreement, "Exactly, it's not fair. They shouldn't get it."

With a resounding smack, Zeng Qiang slammed his hand on the table, nearly shattering it. "Brother Faang Yu is going to be with us through thick and thin from now on. He's a newcomer, so it's only right that he gets this crystal nucleus."

Unfazed by the others' outrage, Zeng Qiang passed the crystal nucleus to Faang Yu, doing him a favor and ensuring he'd remember who had empowered him.

Faang Yu, however, was well aware of Zeng Qiang's scheme. He knew Zeng Qiang intended to use him to keep the others in line and under his command. He was no fool.

Gratefully accepting the crystal nucleus, Faang Yu expressed his thanks to both Zeng Qiang and Jiang Ruan.

"Since that's settled, use the crystal nucleus and then we'll head out. Let's all take an extra day of rest. The village has plenty of food and few zombies, so we can afford to recuperate for a bit," Zeng Qiang declared, sweeping his gaze over the group, brooking no argument as he settled down to rest.

He had stumbled upon a pack of cigarettes in the farmer's house earlier. Being a habitual smoker who hadn't had a smoke in a month, he was practically pining for the sensation of exhaling smoke.

The sight of cigarettes had the other men crowding around him in eager anticipation, their earlier anger and grievances momentarily forgotten.

Clutching the crystal nucleus, Faang Yu entered the room with determination, the others wisely choosing not to disturb him. They waited a long time, yet no roars came from within.

The boy closed his eyes, trying to connect with the nucleus. His brow furrowed, a pained expression crossing his face. Faang Yu was in agony, but he bit down on his lips, refusing to cry out.