It’s you

Chi Bai nodded.

He also recalled his own crystal core.

Having only unleashed his ultimate ability that morning, his energy had almost fully replenished by now.

Moreover, absorbing the crystal core might even grant him an upgrade, bolstering his confidence even further.

Following closely behind Lei Yi, he advanced until they reached the north gate of the stadium.

There, he saw the soldiers who had already gathered, along with some scattered ability users standing nearby.

A subtle frown creased Lei Yi’s brow at the sight of their lackadaisical posture, yet he was powerless to demand more from them.

Chi Bai spotted Li Wei among the assembled group, though he harbored no fondness for the arrogant man.

A curt nod served as his only acknowledgment.

Lei Yi then relayed the same instructions he had given Chi Bai to the other ability users.

Afterward, a small detachment was left behind to maintain order and secure the provisional base, while the rest were directed to board the large off-road vehicles waiting outside, preparing for immediate departure.

The immediate imperative was to neutralize the mutated animals; search and rescue, along with resource stockpiling, would follow.

They drove in the direction of the most significant disturbances.

Upon realizing that the mission interface offered a map to pinpoint the mutated beasts’ locations, Lei Yi issued a directive: two vehicles would form a single team, diverging in various directions.

Chi Bai averted his gaze, turning to Lei Yi, who occupied the passenger seat.

“Is eight people sufficient?” he inquired.

“Won’t that be too few?”

Lei Yi: “We’re still ascertaining the mutated animals’ capabilities and sheer size. This initial wave is a reconnaissance. If we can eliminate them, excellent. If not, a smaller group allows for a swifter retreat. Too many people simply impede escape.”

Chi Bai nodded, his gaze fixed on the map where red dots, denoting the mutated beasts, darted across the display.

The escalating clamor ahead served as an undeniable signal that they were nearing their destination.

He retrieved the crystal core from his backpack and initiated its absorption.

A fleeting shimmer of light enveloped him, and upon checking his status panel, he confirmed his ability had indeed ascended to Level 2.

Name: Chi Bai

Gender: Male

Age: 25

Current Location: S City, Guangdong Province, China Greater Region, XX District

Awakened Ability: Natural System – Lightning

「· LEVEL 2 ║☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆║ 0%」

It appeared a single unaligned crystal core only granted him a 40% experience boost, or perhaps the requirements for advancement were simply more substantial, leaving his Level 2 progression at a nascent 0%.

Regardless, a surge of potent energy coursed through him, instilling confidence that he could eradicate any mutated beasts they were soon to encounter.

Moments later, the vehicle ground to a halt, revealing a mutated beast roughly 100 meters ahead, its back turned to Chi Bai and the others.

The screech of the brakes, however, clearly snagged the beast’s attention.

As it pivoted, Chi Bai and his companions finally glimpsed its full, terrifying form.

Damn!

Was this truly a mutated Samoyed?

It appeared to be an egregiously oversized version, easily the size of a compact car.

Alas, this was no ordinary Samoyed; its malevolent, crimson eyes marked it as an evil variant.

The mutated Samoyed, upon spotting them, immediately bared its fangs and charged, letting out a guttural howl.

Lei Yi initiated the assault, retrieving the rifle from the passenger seat—the very weapon distributed to the team members before their departure.

He aimed a swift shot at the Samoyed’s front paw.

With a resounding crack, the bullet struck the beast’s left forepaw.

Yelping in pain, it halted, then swiftly pivoted to take cover behind a nearby van.

Noting the efficacy of bullets, Lei Yi opted against involving Chi Bai and the others.

Instead, he and another team member flanked the creature from both sides, unleashing a furious hail of gunfire.

The wounded beast, visibly enraged, darted about, lashing out with its formidable claws.

The armed police officer, lacking any abilities, narrowly escaped a slashing attack, but ultimately failed to evade the beast’s pounce.

Pinned beneath the snarling beast, he frantically emptied his magazine into its head.

Regrettably, only a few rounds struck their mark, serving only to further enrage the creature.

It opened its massive maw, poised to crush the still-smoking barrel of his rifle.

The situation was deteriorating rapidly.

Perceiving the escalating danger, Lei Yi promptly discarded his weapon, leveraged a nearby architectural ruin, and with a powerful leap, landed astride the beast’s back.

He latched onto its fur, embraced its neck, and wrenched backward with all his might.

The pinned officer instantly found breathing room and scrambled to safety.

Seizing the opportune moment, Lei Yi unleashed his full power without reservation, electrocuting the beast from his vantage point until it sizzled with a burnt aroma.

The distant onlookers, who had been poised to intervene as the battle turned sour, watched in astonishment as the tide of combat shifted with bewildering speed.

Before they could even draw near, the peril had been neutralized, and the conflict concluded.

Chi Bai observed Lei Yi dispatch the mutated beast with such apparent ease that he briefly mused on the simplicity of it all.

Then, both Lei Yi and the other team member abruptly paused, turning to see the mutated Samoyed had already dissipated, much like a deceased zombie.

Only after Lei Yi and his companion approached did he speak.

“Upon eliminating a mutated beast, you can acquire mutated beast meat,” he explained.

“The system appears to process them automatically and deposit them into your backpack.

From this particular beast, I collected ten pieces, each measuring 0.2 cubic meters.”

The armed police officer who had accompanied Lei Yi in the hunt nodded in confirmation, corroborating Lei Yi’s findings.

Chi Bai mused, “That’s quite convenient.

It spares us the effort of processing it ourselves.

To be frank, I’m not sure I could have brought myself to do it.”

Lei Yi nodded in understanding, acknowledging that, despite its ferocity, the mutated beast had possessed a rather endearing appearance.

Another ability user in the vehicle clicked their tongue in disappointment.

“Such a massive mutated beast, and this is all it yields?” they lamented.

“What kind of system is this, deducting personal income tax?”

Chi Bai: ‘Pfft—Brother, your line of reasoning is quite peculiar.’

****

Lei Yi began tapping in the air, presumably reviewing updates from other team members.

After a moment, he addressed Chi Bai and the others.

“The other mutated beasts in the vicinity have been neutralized,” he announced, “but the mission remains incomplete; there might be more at a greater distance.”

He then glanced skyward before continuing, “The map indicates a significant distance remaining.

We should address it tomorrow.

It’s highly advisable not to remain outside after nightfall.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Indeed, in such circumstances, the fading light of night would render visibility poor and immensely dangerous.

Lei Yi checked his watch, then lifted his head.

“Since we’re already out here,” he stated, “we might as well clear out the nearby zombies and see if we can locate anyone in need of rescue.

Let’s all pair up, maintaining mutual vigilance.

Oh, and yes, let’s create a mission group chat.”

As he spoke, Lei Yi tapped his screen once more.

A notification chimed in Chi Bai’s mind, along with the others, signaling a friend request.

Upon opening it, they found it was a group chat invitation from Lei Yi, which Chi Bai promptly accepted.

Lei Yi: “Alright, that’s the plan for now.

We’ll leave the vehicles here.

We’ll continue working in pairs, sweeping building by building.

Ah Zhen and I will take the buildings on the left.

Chi Bai, you and this individual will search the ones on the right.

Let’s aim to clear this entire street up to the assembly point today.

It’s arduous work, so inform us in the group chat once you’ve completed your search.

After regrouping, remember to find Liu Yang to log your contribution points.”

Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Lei Yi clapped his hands together.

“Dismissed,” he declared.

“Maintain extreme vigilance, lest a zombie disembowel you from behind.”

Chi Bai: ‘…Is his language truly that coarse?’

Watching the others chuckle, Chi Bai felt a metaphorical black line appear on his forehead (TL Note: A “black line” (黑线) is a Chinese idiom indicating speechlessness, embarrassment, or exasperation, often visualized as a vertical line descending from one’s forehead in manga/anime).