042 Instant Kill: The Power of Second-Tier Abilities!

“Divine Thunder!”

A violet arc, as thick as an arm and crackling like lightning, shot out from Xue Feng and pierced the mutant in mid-air.

With a sizzle, the mutant convulsed violently, sparks bursting from its body. It collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then moved no more.

Xue Feng stepped forward and, with a fierce slash, carved out the mutant’s crystal core. Even at a glance, it was clearly more brilliant and lustrous than that of a first-tier mutant. He stored the core in his spatial backpack, deciding to examine it further once they returned.

“Thank you!” Gu Xiaoqian, having just survived a brush with death, gasped for breath. Counting this time, Xue Feng had saved her twice now. Though this man was overly familiar, even forcing her to massage him, she had to admit—without him, she would likely have died long ago.

“I only saved you because I promised to get you out of here,” Xue Feng said coldly. “Until then, I’ll keep you safe. But once we leave the water plant, you’re on your own.”

Hearing his indifferent words, Gu Xiaoqian felt no offense. Instead, she found him principled, seeing him in a new light. He kept his word, and in a place like this, if he truly wanted to force himself upon her, she would have no means to resist. Only then did Gu Xiaoqian realize, to her utter shame, that she had lost control of her bladder during the ordeal. Her face flushed crimson as she knelt, thinking to get up but hesitating when she sensed the dampness beneath her.

She hadn’t eaten or drunk in days, her bodily functions near dormant. After devouring food just now and finally regaining some strength, and having not visited a toilet in ages, she lost control at the sight of that grotesque creature. The humiliation was overwhelming.

“Let’s go,” Xue Feng urged. He had, of course, noticed her predicament—a beautiful woman drenched her own skirt and stockings right before his eyes; such a sight was rare indeed.

“Do you… do you have any spare clothes?” Gu Xiaoqian asked shyly, pressing her legs together. She half expected the answer to be no—in a world overrun by zombies, who would think to carry extra clothing? If he had none, she’d simply have to bear the discomfort.

To her astonishment, Xue Feng tossed her an ultra-short blue skirt—barely long enough to cover the tops of her thighs. “Is…is this all? No underwear?” she stammered. It was far too short!

“This is the apocalypse. You don’t get to choose,” Xue Feng replied flatly. In reality, his spatial storage contained plenty of spare clothing, given the number of women who traveled with him. When they soiled their clothes, he preferred them to change rather than remain dirty. As for the miniskirt—well, that was just a personal preference.

She had no other choice. Gu Xiaoqian picked up the skirt, preparing to change. Though the risk of exposure was high, it was better than being soaked.

“Could you…turn around?” she murmured, having already removed her stockings and underwear and about to take off her skirt, only to find Xue Feng’s gaze firmly fixed on her.

“No. I need to keep watch for zombies,” Xue Feng replied with a grin.

“You—!” Gu Xiaoqian was flustered and indignant, knowing he was doing this on purpose. She had never changed clothes in front of a man before, but reason told her that if another mutant appeared, she’d be dead without Xue Feng on guard.

Perhaps he truly was concerned for her safety. With that thought, she made up her mind, took a deep breath, and changed into the miniskirt, her sense of shame dulled by the harsh reality of the world.

“Let’s go,” Xue Feng said, the corner of his mouth lifting as he appreciated the scene before him. To think that the plant’s belle, so pure in appearance, would turn out to be a white tiger beneath.

Gu Xiaoqian trailed closely behind Xue Feng, tugging anxiously at the hem of the skirt. A chill crept upward as she wore nothing beneath. She could only hope to find a pair of pants somewhere along the way.

When Xue Feng and Gu Xiaoqian reached the warehouse entrance, they found another crowd of zombies had gathered—drawn by the earlier commotion. The black panther had already taken down more than a dozen, keeping the warehouse secure until now.

“Back, Blackie!” Xue Feng commanded. The panther instantly returned to his side, and the surrounding zombies surged toward them.

“Divine Thunder!” Xue Feng roared. Another fearsome violet arc appeared, blasting the leading zombie and exploding outward. The electric current leapt from one body to another, charring more than twenty zombies in an instant.

The repeated use of Divine Thunder left Xue Feng weary. Though the second-tier version was powerful, it couldn’t be used recklessly. In the future, he’d avoid using his abilities on weaker zombies.

Just as Xue Feng was about to head for the armored vehicle, a group of people burst out from the office building—led by a bald man, the plant director. The situation was clear: after being besieged for so long, they had run out of ammunition and food. Seeing Xue Feng had almost cleared the zombies, they seized the chance to escape, their only hope for survival. If the zombies surrounded the building again, they would be doomed.

But they failed to notice the few zombies still wandering near the office building. As soon as they dashed out, the zombies found new targets. The bald man was the first to be tackled—the zombies tore open his abdomen, blood and entrails spraying everywhere.

A scream rang out. The rest were quickly overwhelmed, blocking the doorway in their panic and soon becoming the zombies’ meal.

“Aren’t you going to help them?” Gu Xiaoqian couldn’t help but ask, her legs shaking from fear. Without Xue Feng, she would have been one of them—or worse. Who knew what those desperate men might have done to her when supplies ran out? Even before the apocalypse, the bald director had harassed her several times…

“Why should I?” Xue Feng turned to her, an expression of genuine puzzlement on his face.