Xiu’er

Someone, clutching a rusted cleaver, fought their kin in a shadowed alley over half a bottle of mineral water.

Blood splattered the walls, making it impossible to discern if it belonged to a human or a monster.

Others knelt amidst the ruins, weeping uncontrollably before their mutated loved ones.

Only when the transformed figures lunged to tear at their throats did they finally pull the trigger.

Yet, even within such a hellscape, some stubbornly lit faint torches.

The apparent silence from the Chinese Zone in the main hall was not born of indifference.

Instead, everyone was fervently discussing matters in private chat groups.

Some recounted how their homes were close to the assembly point, allowing them to swiftly seek refuge in a safe zone once the game began, thus sparing them the turmoil outside.

Others shared how they had initially cowered in their homes, too terrified to venture out, dreading the possibility of zombies knocking on their doors.

As it turned out, the knock wasn’t from the undead, but from the soldiers dispatched from the assembly point to rescue them.

One person claimed to have been saved by an ability user within their building.

Another declared, ‘Why would I shy away from their edge?’

They had bravely fought their way out of their homes, gathering a small group of survivors to break through the siege and reach the assembly point.

And still others spoke…

The blue light from the screen panels illuminated faces etched with the relief of survival.

Messages in the private chat groups scrolled by at a frantic pace, as if this very clamor could suppress the thunderous collapse of the world beyond their doors.

‘Perhaps things aren’t as dire as they seem,’ a collective thought resonated within them.

The world might have abandoned them, but their compatriots had not.

****

Unaware of the clamor in the main hall, Chi Bai followed Li Gang to the stadium’s equipment room.

He found others already there, including a young man extending both hands, from whose palms emanated blue-white currents of electricity, absorbed by a lightning rod-like apparatus positioned in front of him.

Li Gang knocked on the door to attract the attention of those inside.

He then addressed the young man, saying, “I’ve brought him. Could you introduce yourself?”

The young man, who had been channeling his power, turned around, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Good heavens, you’ve finally arrived!” he exclaimed to Li Gang. “I couldn’t have held out much longer on my own.”

Li Gang responded, “Don’t say that. It’s not like this is an everyday occurrence.

Look at how much electricity you’ve stored from just one session—it’s enough for a whole week.”

The young man, who was also an ability user here, Lei Yi, conceded, “That’s true.”

After their brief exchange of pleasantries, Lei Yi turned his gaze to Chi Bai, extending a hand to him.

“Hello,” Lei Yi said. “My name is Lei Yi.

As you can see, I’m an electricity-type ability user.”

Chi Bai took the outstretched hand.

“Hello,” he replied. “My name is Chi Bai, and I’m also an electricity-type ability user.

Please guide me.”

Lei Yi grinned.

“Brother, you’ve come at just the right time!” he exclaimed. “Come on, let me see how powerful your ability is.”

With that, he draped an arm over Chi Bai’s shoulder, pulling him towards the lightning rod.

Chi Bai felt a slight discomfort with such physical contact, yet he found it difficult to simply shake him off.

As Li Gang’s voice echoed, saying, “I’ll be leaving now,” Chi Bai turned and waved a hand in farewell.

Lei Yi then instructed Chi Bai to unleash his ability towards the lightning rod so he could observe the effects.

Chi Bai hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

He worried he might damage the equipment, leaving them without power and paralyzed if it broke down.

Lei Yi patted Chi Bai’s shoulder, signaling him to relax.

He clearly understood Chi Bai’s concerns, as he had shared them initially.

However, the manager here had told him not to be afraid (TL Note: A colloquial expression meaning “don’t be scared” or “what are you afraid of?”), explaining that the device was designed to absorb natural lightning strikes during thunderstorms.

Therefore, an electricity-type ability of their level would surely not exceed the scope of natural lightning.

Hearing this, Chi Bai no longer demurred.

He straightforwardly raised his hand and discharged electricity.

As for Lei Yi’s mention of an “electricity-type ability,” Chi Bai had paid it no mind, assuming it was merely an abbreviation for lightning.

The very next second, Lei Yi jumped in surprise.

Crackling, sizzling arcs of electricity erupted from Chi Bai’s hand, almost roaring as they surged towards the lightning rod.

Within moments, a rapid beeping sound emanated from the nearby machine.

Lei Yi promptly urged Chi Bai to stop.

He stared in shock at Chi Bai’s seemingly delicate appearance (TL Note: ‘Xiaobailian’ refers to a handsome, fair-skinned young man, often implying a lack of ruggedness or strength), then glanced at the beeping machine.

Unable to resist, he gave Chi Bai a thumbs-up.

“That’s incredible, brother!” he exclaimed. “Your ability is so powerful, even stronger than mine.

I gave it my all just now, and I couldn’t achieve your efficiency.”

Chi Bai: “Huh?”

He felt too embarrassed to tell Lei Yi that he had, in fact, only used thirty percent of his power as a test.