The second spread of the virus was just as silent as the first. People only felt that, in the blink of an eye, those who had seemed normal just a second ago suddenly went mad. Their faces turned pale, their eyes became dull and lifeless, and their movements slowed, yet they were without restraint, extending their fangs towards fresh flesh.

A total of thirteen people had come together with Qin Yue. Among them, five had awakened supernatural abilities. Besides Qin Yue’s lightning ability and Wu Jiang’s water ability, there was also Xiaochen with strength-based abilities, as well as Shuanzi and Lao Xiong with speed-based abilities. It was because of these abilities that they were able to enter the city, find their loved ones like Li Ming, Shuanzi, and Lao Xiong, and also encounter some ordinary people seeking to join them, begging to leave together. Their group of thirteen had expanded to around forty people.

Following Qin Yue’s plan, as long as they returned the way they came without causing any trouble, they would be able to successfully escape.

However, because it took a considerable amount of time to enter the city and find people, seven days had passed in the blink of an eye. Who could have expected a second outbreak of the virus, which was even more rapid and terrifying than the first?

“Why are you biting me?!”

“Hurry, save me! Get him off!”

“It hurts so much…”

In just a short while, the small team of dozens of people had fallen into chaos. In the past, they could tell themselves that they had no choice and that it was the fault of the world. But now, when they were faced with their own loved ones turning into flesh-eating zombies, the grief and helplessness were almost overwhelming.

Li Ming’s mother, who had been pushed away by Qin Yue, had already pounced on another aunt. Seeing this, Li Ming rushed over and restrained his mother while shouting, “Yue Ge, pass me the rope!”

Qin Yue didn’t have time to think much and found a rope to help. Li Ming, crying, tied up his mother, who had already lost her sanity, with bare teeth, trying to bite him, seemingly devoid of humanity.

Li Ming remembered that when they first found his mother, the two of them had cried and hugged each other. They had cried and laughed, and he had felt incredibly fortunate. However, it had been such a short time since their reunion, and now he was crying, saying, “Mom, Mom, it’s me, it’s Little Ming, wake up!”

Qin Yue’s heart sank. There was no second path for those who had turned into zombies; they could only have their heads severed in this life, or else they would become monsters, neither humans nor ghosts.

On the other side, Wu Jiang was also under great pressure because not only were there people they had rescued who had turned into zombies, but even four of their teammates who had come with them had undergone a transformation. Former comrades-in-arms were now mortal enemies, and their strength was even more formidable. They were not to be underestimated.

Wu Jiang couldn’t help but worry about his parents, who had gone to the imperial capital with Jiang Nian. He didn’t know if their situation was as perilous as his own.

Wu Jiang shouted loudly, “Yue Ge, what should we do now? What should we do?”

Qin Yue took a look and realized that the warehouse they were in had, in the span of a second, transformed from a place of human warmth into a living hell.

…

Jiang Nian had arrived in the imperial capital two days ago and reunited with her family.

Jiang’s parents seemed to be fine, and Jiang Yuan was full of life. They were now living in a two-bedroom apartment in a safe zone, where most people who had come from outside the city were being accommodated.

Jiang Nian asked, “What about Uncle and Aunt? Are they okay?”

Jiang’s father sighed, Jiang’s mother’s eyes flickered for a moment, and Jiang Yuan pouted, saying, “After we arrived in the capital, we did go to see Uncle and Aunt. We only exchanged a few words, and Aunt hurried us to leave, as if she was afraid we would eat her out of house and home.”

Jiang’s father shot a glance at his son and said, “You say a little less. The situation is special right now, and your aunt’s family still has two children to support. It’s not by choice.”

Jiang Nian’s aunt was a local in the capital city and a demolition household with three properties in a school district. Selling any of them could make her a millionaire. She and Jiang Nian’s uncle had been in a free-love relationship, and after they got married, Jiang’s uncle lived with aunt’s family. Grandparents used to visit them during the holidays, but there was always a sense of arrogance in their words and actions, as if they looked down on their humble origins.

Most of the survivors had flocked to the capital, and those in better situations were allocated a house, while others had to live in tents on the square. For those local residents like Jiang’s uncle’s family, they lived quite comfortably, and they had hoarded quite a bit of food. However, in the current unstable situation, every mouthful of food counts.

The reason they were being cautious was that they were afraid that Jiang’s family would freeload and mooch off their food. Furthermore, Jiang’s uncle’s son and daughter had both awakened supernatural abilities, and their status was not ordinary.

Thinking about the dwindling rice bag, Jiang’s mother said with a wry smile, “I’m worried about my big brother. I just want to see him do well. Now that our family is reunited, we can overcome any difficulties.”

Jiang Yuan said, “Mom, dad, sister, don’t worry. I will work hard to develop my abilities, and I will protect you.”

Jiang’s father also said, “I heard the government is recruiting workers to repair the city walls. I’ll go sign up later. As long as we’re together as a family, we can overcome anything.”

With tears in her eyes, Jiang’s mother nodded and patted her son’s head, her face filled with contentment.

Seeing the situation, Jiang Nian knew that her family had undoubtedly faced hardships in the post-apocalyptic world and had endured the contempt of others, but surviving was a blessing in itself. A little hardship was not a bad thing and could even help people grow.

Jiang Nian took out two bags of rice from her storage ring, along with some canned beef, canned vegetables, and a few biscuits and candies. “Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I have some food here, so you don’t need to worry about food for now. And I’ve awakened a power-based ability, so I can protect you in the future.”

Jiang’s father and mother were amazed to see food appear out of thin air and couldn’t help but swallow their saliva. Jiang Yuan suddenly realized, “No wonder Captain Yang personally escorted us to the capital and allocated such a good house to us. Is it all because of my sister?”

They had been quite shocked when they were brought to the capital by special arrangement; after all, they didn’t have anything special. How could they be given special treatment? Unfortunately, Captain Yang didn’t say anything, even after they asked him for a long time. He only mentioned that it was due to a higher-level order and taught them the technique for developing their supernatural abilities. Now, they realized it was because his sister was a rare dual-ability user.

“Sis, sis! Are you really powerful now? Can you lift a cow with one hand?”

Jiang Nian puffed up her chest; of course, she was, after all, someone as powerful and rare as her, a rare find in the world!

That night, Jiang’s mother steamed a fragrant pot of rice topped with canned meat. They mixed it together and enjoyed a mouthful of meat and rice. For Jiang’s father and mother, who hadn’t had a hot meal in a long time, it was simply a divine taste, and they wished they could swallow their tongues!

Because they were full, Jiang’s father was naturally full of energy. “I’ll go to the construction site tomorrow and see. Food is scarce now, so we need to eat frugally.”

Jiang Nian said, “There’s no rush for that. The situation is still unstable now, and you’ve just arrived in the capital. Let’s see how things go first.”

Jiang’s father thought about it and agreed.

Jiang Yuan gave up his room and went to sleep on the couch. Jiang Nian returned to her room and looked at the protagonist’s halo, which had already reached fifty. She decided to try out her jade pendant. Such a valuable item as the jade pendant space couldn’t be left idle. The most important thing was that it could be used for planting. In the second outbreak of the virus, not only had most people mutated again, but even animals and plants had changed. These changes not only disrupted the ecological balance but also contaminated the soil, making clean soil precious.

So when Jiang Nian saw that her protagonist’s halo had broken through fifty, she decided to try to bond with the jade pendant again by dripping her blood.

She found a needle, pricked her fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall on it. After a while, she didn’t seem to feel any special change. Could it be that it could only bond once with a blood drop?

She was the female lead, and with the female lead halo, it was sure to work! With this thought, she squeezed another drop of blood onto the pendant, focused and composed. In a moment, she suddenly felt her spirit loosen, and when she came to her senses, she was already inside the jade pendant space. She saw a vast expanse of land, a clear spring, and a wooden house.

This was indeed a heavenly place with abundant spiritual energy, suitable not only for storing items but also for cultivation.

Under a peach tree in the courtyard, Jiang Nian saw a modern-looking tea table and chairs. Inside the wooden house, there was a neatly arranged pile of food, rice, and noodles on the table, and crates of vegetables and fruits on the floor, all still in good condition. Yao Xiaoyue had definitely looted a supermarket!

Jiang Nian looked around and thought that she would need to find more seeds in the future so she could make better use of her jade pendant space.

…

When Shen Ran returned home, his older brother and sister-in-law had gone on a mission and hadn’t come back yet. Only his grandparents were at home. Shen’s grandmother held him and cried for a good while, calling him her heart and soul, thinking he had died and she wouldn’t see him again. Even Shen’s grandfather, who usually showed no emotion, said a few good words. Shen Jingguo, hearing that his son had returned, was naturally excited. He came back during lunch and patted his son’s head, saying, “This time, stay home and be safe. The world is in chaos, and it will take a long time to restore order. Don’t run around. By the way, your grandparents, have they…”

Shen Ran lowered his head, silently acknowledging

His mother had died during childbirth when she gave birth to him. This time, when he went to City A, he had gone to see his grandparents. However, after the virus outbreak, his grandparents… He was protected and managed to escape, but later his guards were infected with the virus and died. If it weren’t for Jiang Jiejie saving him, he might have died as well.

“Dad, I owe my life to Jiang Jiejie. Can we bring Jiang Jiejie’s family to our community to live? I’m afraid she’s not safe outside.”

Shen Jingguo thought for a moment and said, “There are no vacant houses nearby. I’ll go check. Jiang Nian is your lifesaver and ours. Besides, she has made a small contribution. Thanks to her, I awakened a fire-based ability. Naturally, we should ensure she lives in a safer place.”

Shen Ran nodded and repeatedly reminded him, “You need to do it quickly! By the way, Jiang Jiejie said the situation may not be good lately. She’s worried that something might happen and asked me to tell you to prepare early.”

Shen Jingguo had already received information that Jiang Nian had sensed energy fluctuations and didn’t know what changes might occur. So he tightened security and focused on training users with supernatural abilities to deal with various emergencies. Now, Shen Ran’s reminder indicated that the situation was probably more urgent than before, so it was necessary to be on guard these days.

Shen Ran returned home and lay on the clean, large bed, but he missed the times when he and Jiang Jiejie slept on the floor together. Although it was hard and cramped, it made him feel secure.

He would go see Jiang Jiejie tomorrow and bring her plenty of food. Now he could take care of her.

…

However, two days later, another major disaster erupted, completely shattering the still-fragile order. What was even more frightening was that survivors discovered that the mutated zombies this time were several times more powerful than before. Not only did they move faster, but even crushing their skulls required more effort than before. They could even detect the slightest scent of fresh blood and hear softer sounds…

Qin Yue soon realized something was wrong because the bound Li Ming’s mother had managed to free herself from the ropes and pounced on the weeping Li Ming in front of her!

Qin Yue didn’t have time to think too much. He kicked Li Ming aside and grabbed a chair to smash Li’s mother, but it only made her stumble. After freeing herself from the chair, she lunged again.

“Li Ming, Li Ming, snap out of it! Your mom doesn’t want to kill you. She won’t find peace in the afterlife if she does!”

“But she’s my mom…”

Over there, Wu Jiang was surrounded by enemies, and he quickly moved towards Qin Yue while holding his weapon. “Most of our people have mutated, and have you noticed that this time the mutations are much more severe than before? Yue Ge, we need to retreat quickly!”

The scene was chaotic, filled with cries and screams. It was uncontrollable because it wasn’t just Li Ming. Even the situation with Shuanzi and Lao Xiong was extremely dire. How could they have expected that at the moment they were reunited with their loved ones, thinking they could face any hardships together, they would be hit so hard once again!

How could they bear to harm their mutated family members?

Wu Jiang became increasingly panicked. “Yue Ge, Yue Ge! What should we do now?”

If they continued like this, they would likely all be wiped out!

Qin Yue quickly said, “Wu Jiang, take the uninfected survivors and head upstairs. Xiao Chen, you, Zhao Ke, and Jiang Ming, clear a path. Hou Jin and Xiao Li, you stay back with me.”

Wu Jiang immediately led the uninfected survivors upstairs. But the infected were numerous, and they were drawn by the scent of flesh and blood. They had to resist them. They had to smash their skulls!

How could Lao Xiong and Shuanzi endure their own family members dying in front of them? Amidst their grief, they couldn’t bring themselves to do it and involuntarily blocked the attacks from Wu Jiang and the others. “Don’t kill my mom. I believe she will be fine. Once we find an antibody, they will surely recover and become humans again. Yes, we can go ask Jiang Nian. Jiang Nian is so powerful; she must know what to do…”

Qin Yue held Li Ming firmly, shouting, “Lao Xiong, don’t be foolish. If Jiang Nian knew about the antibody, why would she teach us to strengthen ourselves? If she knew how to counteract the zombie virus, wouldn’t she have said so? If you really care about your parents, don’t let them turn into mindless zombies!”

Lao Xiong, a robust and usually cheerful person, was now in tears, crying like a child. “I can’t do it…”

Shuanzi was also filled with anguish. “…These are my parents, who raised me. How can I harm them?”

But at this moment, they no longer recognize the people in front of them as their family. They were simply following their instinct to eat and satisfy their hunger because Lao Xiong and Shuanzi had hesitated. This increased the pressure on Wu Jiang and the others. The few survivors who had managed to survive were terrified, shouting, “Yue Ge, Yue Ge, you have to think of a way!”

Qin Yue felt heavy-hearted, but once he had made a decision, he couldn’t afford to be weak. He launched a thunderous attack on Li Ming. Li Ming, who had struggled desperately, was stunned by the blow. He shouted, “Qin Yue!” His eyes were wide and full of anguish as he desperately lunged at Qin Yue.

Qin Yue was resolute and decisive. Since he had already made a decision, he couldn’t afford to be weak. He knocked Li Ming out with a punch and carried him away. He picked up a baseball bat and swung it, sending any zombies that approached him sprawling. The baseball bat, imbued with lightning power, was extremely effective. Any zombies that got close to him never managed to get up again.

Lao Xiong and Shuanzi pointed their weapons at him. Even Wu Jiang and the others looked at him with fear and dread, while the survivors who were cowering behind Wu Jiang and the others took a few steps back in fear, looking at him as if he were a monster.

Suddenly, Qin Yue thought of the times when they were still learning in front of Jiang Nian. At that time, they would sit together, talking about the difficulties they might face in the future. They had said they would face them together, live together, and die together.

He gave a bitter smile.

…

Yao Xiaoyue followed behind Qin Yue and the others into City B. However, she didn’t go far, and after finding a supermarket, she went in to replenish supplies. Unfortunately, her jade pendant had been taken by Jiang Nian. Otherwise, she would be able to collect more supplies. When she arrived in the Imperial Capital, she had to find a way to get her jade pendant back.

She was aware of the virus outbreak this time, so she had prepared early. In addition to preparing food, she also had to wait for Qin Yue. From what she had learned, Qin Yue had almost died in this place.

She checked the situation outside from the third-floor window, and suddenly heard loud shouts not far away. Was that voice Li Ming? Was he shouting for Qin Yue?

She smiled. It seemed that Qin Yue was in a big predicament.