Startled, the white light spots surrounding Su Su instantly dissipated.
The black snake, which had been enjoying the “warmth,” froze for a moment before viciously opening its mouth. With a sharp “whoosh,” its head shot forward, aiming to take a vicious bite out of the human.
“Ah!!!”
Su Su let out a short scream, and a burst of white light flashed, swiftly piercing into the black snake’s head.
The snake’s flicking tongue, which had just touched human skin, paused for a second, leaving a streak of transparent saliva on Su Su’s arm. Perhaps due to the effect of the “white light,” the ferocious snake head returned to normal, and the aggression in its vertical pupils faded slightly.
“Hiss~ Hiss~”
Seeing this, Su Su’s wildly pounding heart finally began to calm down. She vaguely felt like she had grasped a crucial point.
“You… You followed me just for my ability?”
Seeing that the black snake gave no reaction, Su Su tentatively released a bit more white light. This ability, which she had yet to fully understand, seemed to be greatly favored by the black snake. Its originally upright body slowly lowered itself and coiled into a pile.
“…What exactly is this ability?”
The white light gradually weakened. Su Su’s current strength had yet to reach the Tier 1, so she couldn’t sustain her ability for long.
Just as she remained on edge, constantly worried that the black snake might attack again, the window of the van was knocked on.
“Su Su, aren’t you coming down?” Her companion was peering inside the vehicle, clearly wondering what she was doing.
Su Su jolted in surprise and instinctively looked down at the black snake coiled around her thigh—it had slipped away at some point, though it was definitely still inside the van.
“I’m coming down now.”
It was dinnertime. The food on the ability users’ side smelled exceptionally fragrant. Just a whiff was enough to tell they were eating instant noodles again. That rich aroma seemed to burrow into one’s nose, slide down the throat, and drill into the empty stomach, as if trying to pierce a hole through it.
In contrast, the atmosphere among ordinary people was utterly silent.
Some had already run out of food. Others might still have some rations left but didn’t dare eat openly in front of everyone.
Su Su hugged her backpack and sat among the crowd in a daze.
Inside her bag, there was still half a bag of dried beef, a pack of instant noodles, and nothing else—she had already secretly eaten the nuts and konjac snacks while sneaking off to the restroom during the day.
It wasn’t until late at night, when everyone else had gradually fallen asleep, that Su Su finally stuffed a piece of rock-hard dried beef into her mouth, slowly grinding it with her teeth, letting it soften before silently swallowing it down.
Faint rustling noises echoed in the night. Someone else was also secretly eating.
—
The next day.
The convoy continued its journey.
Su Su sat in the back seat of the van when suddenly, she felt a familiar, slimy slithering sensation around her ankle.
Lowering her head, sure enough, there it was again—the elusive black snake!
It raised its head, staring sinisterly at the weak and useless human. Coiled like a mosquito coil, its body seemed poised to spring at any moment, ready to snap up and take a bite.
Su Su clenched her fingers tightly, fully realizing one thing—she was being stalked.
She had been targeted by a dangerous venomous snake!
She had no choice. Keeping it hidden from the others in the vehicle, she discreetly released her ability, “nourishing” the insatiable cold-blooded creature.
“Hiss~ Hiss~”
The black snake let out a satisfied hiss.
Suddenly, one of Su Su’s companions spoke up. “Did any of you hear something strange?”
“The van is making so much noise. You must’ve misheard.”
“I’m absolutely sure I heard something! Listen carefully!”
The atmosphere fell silent in an instant. Su Su’s heart tensed, and on instinct, she kicked the black snake that had been basking in pleasure.
The moment she did, a cold sweat broke out on her back.
Cold-blooded creatures had the strongest sense of vengeance. If she kicked it like that, would it decide to bite her later in retaliation?
“I don’t hear anything at all. I told you, you’re imagining things.”
“…Alright then.”
As the others dropped the subject, Su Su lowered her head anxiously—only to meet a pair of pitch-black vertical pupils, narrowed into slits.
“…Sorry.”
Her lips moved, and the apology came out as a barely audible whisper. Despite being terrified of this venomous snake, she inexplicably didn’t want it to be discovered.
If it was found, the best-case scenario was her companions panicking and getting bitten by the snake due to mishandling the situation. The worst-case scenario? It would attract the ability users at the front… Wu Zhi was dead, and her ability was still a mystery—she neither knew how to use it nor how to control it. All she could do was keep a low profile and survive until the day she could finally stand tall.
As if to compensate, white light surged into the black snake’s body at an amplified rate.
The cold-blooded creature, whose ferocity had been roused by the kick, gradually settled down once more.
It lazily coiled around her ankle, its predatory vertical pupils still coldly locked onto Su Su. Its forked tongue flicked out occasionally, brushing against her skin and leaving trails of saliva. Each touch sent shivers down her spine, raising goosebumps layer after layer.
Cold-blooded creatures had no sense of gratitude.
While it coveted the “warmth” radiating from her, it also kept a grudge over that kick.
…
The convoy was forced to stop before reaching the next service station.
Standing on top of a car, Zhao Zhenyu’s face darkened as he stared at the sea of abandoned vehicles ahead. The congested stretch of road spanned roughly two kilometers—nothing but electric motorcycles could squeeze through.
Grinding his teeth, he cursed under his breath, “Fuck! We’re stuck again!”
The apocalypse had erupted too suddenly, too violently. Many cities that lacked proper defenses fell instantly, and highways became increasingly paralyzed. Ordinary people trying to flee south in hopes of reaching the still-operational major bases faced their greatest obstacle—transportation.
Lin Weiran remained composed. “How long is the jam?”
“Two kilometers!” Zhao Zhenyu jumped down from the car roof, irritation etched across his face. “We’ll have to clear the road one vehicle at a time to make a path.”
If Wu Zhi were still here, he could’ve flipped an entire car with just his hands. It would have saved them so much effort… but he was already dead. (TL: Bro just say you’re in love with him)
Zhao Zhenyu wished he could drag out the culprit and beat them senseless.
“What now?”
Lin Weiran instinctively turned to look at Si Zhe. The latter remained calm. “Move them. We still have abilities. Two kilometers isn’t that far.”
“There are also ordinary people following behind us. Get them to help too.”
“Alright.”
Lin Weiran patted Zhao Zhenyu on the shoulder. “It’s just a blocked road. It’s not like this is our first time dealing with it. No big deal.”
It was precisely because it wasn’t the first time that the difference was so glaring!
Zhao Zhenyu’s face darkened as he unleashed a torrent of water, flipping the abandoned cars blocking the road to the sides. The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he felt.
Irritated, his work became even more sluggish. Just then, a familiar figure caught his eye—a middle-aged man who frequently traded miscellaneous-grade crystal stones for food from him. Just two days ago, the man had exchanged for a bag of konjac snacks.
Konjac snacks… He still had plenty of those.
Zhao Zhenyu’s eyes flickered as he called the man over and muttered a few words in a low voice.
“…Got it?”
The middle-aged man rubbed his hands together. “Got it, but about the payment…”
Zhao Zhenyu tossed two small packs of konjac snacks into the man’s arms as if tossing scraps to a beggar. “If you do a good job, I’ll throw in a few more.”
The middle-aged man repeatedly thanked him before walking away—his expression immediately souring the moment he turned his back.
Two packs of konjac snacks? What the hell can I do with that?
But it’s still better than starving.
…
The two-kilometer-long congestion was finally cleared, leaving a passage wide enough for the convoy to continue moving.
Su Su had helped flip a few abandoned vehicles with the others. Dusting off her hands, she silently climbed back into the van.
The piece of beef jerky in her mouth had softened after being sucked on for a long time. Once she swallowed it, the unbearable hunger in her stomach eased slightly.
Unbeknownst to her, the black snake, which had been out hunting in the mountains, had lazily slithered back.
It had just caught a foolish rabbit in the bushes. After biting it to death, the snake had unhinged its jaws and swallowed the prey whole. Now, bloated and sluggish, it curled up under the van seat, lazily closing its eyes in a half-sleep.
Since it stayed hidden, Su Su finally let out a breath of relief.
She truly had no energy left to release even a sliver of her ability today. If this greedy black snake was satisfied, then that was for the best.
…
Once the road was cleared, it didn’t take long for the convoy to reach the next service station.
As always, the ability users were the first to enter the only convenience store. Su Su waited for them to go in before quietly heading in a different direction.
Others with the same idea scattered across the area, searching other rooms for supplies.
Su Su locked onto a room and was just about to push the door open when—
Bang!
She was shoved to the ground.
“Get lost!”
A middle-aged man glared at her fiercely before barging into the room, ransacking cabinets and drawers without hesitation.
He was one of the strongest among the ordinary people in the convoy, skilled at scavenging for supplies. His condition was far better than the others, both physically and mentally.
Su Su glanced at his broad back before silently getting up and heading toward another room.
Just as she was about to begin searching—
Bang!
The door was violently kicked open. A thick, muscular arm grabbed her like a ragdoll and threw her aside.
“Scram! This room is mine to search!”
It was him again—the same middle-aged man.
He had a stale, expired bread roll between his teeth and carried himself with an overbearing arrogance.
Su Su gradually realized—
He was deliberately targeting her.
To test her theory.
Su Su went to a third room.
As expected, the middle-aged man chased after her once again and drove her out.
Standing in the corridor of the service station, Su Su felt a chill spreading through her entire body.
She wanted to walk away and search somewhere else, but the moment she looked up, she met the man’s maliciously watchful gaze.
Again. Again!
In her past life, ever since Wu Zhi’s accidental death, she had been continuously targeted and ostracized. Now, in this life, things were unfolding exactly the same way!
A burning rage ignited within her, a fire that threatened to consume everything.
She shot one last glance at the middle-aged man before turning and heading toward the most secluded room.
…
Ability users had enhanced senses, and Su Su could hear even the slightest sounds.
Before she could get close to the door, the middle-aged man rushed in from behind, slamming her aside and pushing the door open first.
As he stepped inside, he shot Su Su two vicious glares.
“Stupid brat, if you don’t get lost, do you believe I won’t slap you to death?”
The moment the man set foot in the room—
Two seconds later, a blood-curdling scream erupted.
“Zombie! There’s a zombie!”
The sounds of a fierce struggle grew louder and louder. Those who heard the screams came running out of other rooms in a panic.
“Help me! Someone get in here and help me!”
The middle-aged man’s desperate shouts echoed outside, but those who could help merely exchanged hesitant glances.
“I’ll give you crystal stones! Help me kill it, and they’re yours!”
Some were tempted. One of them hesitantly approached the door, peeking inside—
But the moment they caught a glimpse, their heart instantly turned cold.
Not only did they not step forward—they turned and ran.
“What happened?”
“It’s a Tier 1 Zombie inside!”
The moment those words fell, everyone fled in terror.
Regular zombies could still be dealt with through sheer numbers, but against an evolved zombie—only ability users stood a chance.
In the end, the only person left outside the door was Su Su.
She could hear the man’s screams growing weaker and weaker—
Until they finally fell silent.
Creak—
The door slowly opened again.
Inside, the zombie, still crouched over the corpse, turned its head to look at her—
A burst of white light froze it in place.
Then—
A chair came crashing down from above, smashing hard against its skull!
Su Su, heart pounding, crouched down and, ignoring the filth, reached for the Grade 1 crystal stone inside the zombie’s head.
Before leaving, she paused before the middle-aged man’s corpse.
His bulging eyes were wide open, like brass bells.
In just a few minutes, he would become a zombie himself.
“…You can’t blame me.”
She murmured softly.
“You were just too greedy.”
…
Su Su silently returned to the convoy.
For once, the ability users had come back early—but their expressions were grim.
As more people trickled in, someone whispered, “What’s wrong with them?”
“The convenience store in this service station was already emptied out. They couldn’t find anything.”
Su Su lifted her head and clearly saw the worry on Lin Weiran’s face.
“We might need to speed up and get to the next service station faster.”
As ability users, their energy consumption was higher, meaning they needed more food to sustain themselves.
Zhao Zhenyu gritted his teeth. “Let’s move. If we delay any longer, our food supply might not last.”
The convoy set off once again—and no one noticed the middle-aged man’s disappearance.
Su Su clutched the Grade 1 crystal stone in her pocket, and quietly let out a sigh of relief.