Chapter 6: Drawing Hatred
Yan Chuanbai held the communicator, his face expressionless:
“Close at hand. Major General, I’ll contact you later.”
With that, he ended the call.
Qi He carried the load with ease.
Just using both hands to support it, the thick tree trunk didn’t even press against his shoulder.
He showed Yan Chuanbai, “Just a little effort.”
“……”
Yan Chuanbai took a deep breath, walked over, and stopped in front of him. His gaze carefully traveled from Qi He’s wrists to his shoulders, and finally landed on his face.
“You’ve awakened an ability.”
Qi He turned his head and put the tree down.
The heavy trunk crashed to the ground with a boom! Dust and leaves scattered into the air.
He nodded, “Seems like it.”
Yan Chuanbai studied him. “Strength type?”
Qi He thought about it. “…Not exactly.”
Yan Chuanbai was silent for a moment, then said, “Let’s go back.”
Qi He broke off some branches and walked back with Yan Chuanbai. As soon as the two appeared, Meng Yan and Zhou Ziqian simultaneously looked over:
“What was that commotion just now? And why are you two coming back together?”
Qi He tossed the branches into the fire with a whoosh.
“I awakened an ability.”
The two froze for several seconds.
Then both shot up in shock: “What!?”
“You awakened an ability?” Meng Yan exclaimed in delight. “So that noise just now was you?”
“What kind of ability is it?”
Qi He answered simply, “Strength.”
Strength? That sounded like a common type.
But awakening at all was still much better than having none.
Zhou Ziqian was happy as well. Thinking back, he said, “Then your fever yesterday—maybe that was a sign you were about to awaken. Your situation’s really unusual. Like me and Brother Yan, we both awakened naturally back at the start of the virus outbreak. Meng Yan, what about you back then?”
Meng Yan said, “For me, it happened when I ran into danger. I yelled ‘Grass (F*ck)!’ and suddenly a bunch of vines sprouted up around me. I never had any high fever.”
She turned to Qi He. “So how did yours happen? Did you also run into danger while you were out looking for supplies?”
Qi He: “There was… a bit of a conflict.”
Meng Yan immediately sat upright, eyes shining as if about to confirm her theory. “And what did you shout at that moment?”
Qi He: “Yan Chuanbai.”
“……”
A moment later, a bubbling sound broke the silence.
The water in the pot had come to a boil. Meng Yan gave up on the topic and turned to cook instant noodles instead.
Two cups of instant noodles were shared among the four of them.
…
After eating, they prepared to set out again.
Just then, another car drove up along the mountain road. It swerved and stopped on the lawn.
The car door opened, and out stepped two women and a man.
The tall woman was fully armed, carrying a rifle. Behind her, a short girl with fluffy cropped hair hopped down. Finally, a young man wearing round glasses climbed out.
That little one spotted Qi He and the others and called out: “Captain, someone has occupied that place.”
“Jiayan, that’s not called occupying.”
The tall woman said, “First come, first served. There’s still plenty of open space nearby.”
Qi He happened to be packing up their things.
He paused in the act of putting out the fire. Meng Yan caught on right away and turned her head with a smile.
“We’re about to leave. You can have this spot.”
The tall woman glanced over. “Much appreciated.”
The three of them walked closer.
By then, Zhou Ziqian and Meng Yan had already carried their things back to the car, while Qi He and Yan Chuanbai were rinsing the pot with ice.
As the newcomers approached, one voice rang out: “Huh?”
The short girl named “Jiayan” had stopped by the fire pit. She tilted her head and saw the words carved into the ground: “To Those Who Come After Us.”
Ten seconds later—
“What the hell! Which bastard is so shameless!?”
And then, from that small frame, erupted a full three-minute tirade of colorful curses:
“%&^#*<@……!”
Qi He cast a brief glance over.
The two teammates beside the girl were already used to it. After venting, Jiayan even took a breath, then jabbed her finger at the words on the ground.
“Captain, look—especially that line, ‘If you’ve got the guts, come kill me~’. So shameless!!”
Qi He, Yan Chuanbai: “……”
Yan Chuanbai kept a straight face as he shook out the water in the bucket. “Let’s go.”
Qi He followed him a couple of steps, then doubled back.
Jiayan was still staring at that chibi face, as if determined to etch the smug expression deep into her memory.
Qi He stepped to the side, kindly offering, “Don’t be mad. We’re not the only ones getting taunted.”
The little one looked up at him.
Qi He added lightly, “There’ll be countless later passersby who’ll also see this masterpiece.”
The little one seemed thoughtful, then squatted down.
With a small knife, she carefully carved at the end of the message: “Well, it’s just because you’re all noobs, heh.”
The little one: “Heh.”
Qi He departed, hiding his merit and fame.
—
When he got back to the car, Yan Chuanbai looked over. “What were you doing?”
Qi He: “Carrying on your fine tradition.”
Zhou Ziqian, clueless but impressed: “Huh? What happened?”
Yan Chuanbai tugged at the corner of his mouth but didn’t answer. “Drive.”
Having more or less ruled out the possibility of infection, Yan Chuanbai didn’t keep such a close watch on Qi He anymore. The whole way, he just kept his eyes on the scenery outside, alert for external threats.
By late afternoon, they were finally nearing the outskirts of Z City.
Once they passed through Z City, they would enter the patrol range of the base.
The car came off the highway, heading toward the horizon.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled from behind, casting alternating bands of orange and gold across the road. Up ahead, the faint outline of a dark, oppressive city wall came into view.
A city wall here?
Qi He narrowed his eyes to take a closer look—when suddenly Yan Chuanbai’s voice rang out: “Stop the car.”
The vehicle braked without hesitation!
No one asked why, because everyone, including Qi He, could see that the “city wall” ahead was slowly moving closer.
Click—a bullet was chambered.
Yan Chuanbai was the first to push open his door. “Get ready—we’ve hit a zombie horde.”
…
A massive swarm of zombies blocked the only road into the city.
Qi He grabbed his gun and ammo, following right after as he leapt out of the car.
Up until now, they’d only run into scattered, wandering zombies. This was the first time facing such a large-scale surge. With the horde packed so densely, ramming through with the vehicle was nearly impossible.
—The only option was to clear a path first.
Yan Chuanbai charged to the front.
Zhou Ziqian handled both: one hand firing support shots, the other still on the steering wheel. Meng Yan vaulted onto the roof, anchoring herself with vines, and joined the fight from above.
Qi He assessed their formation and positioned himself three meters behind Yan Chuanbai.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several bullets pierced straight through zombies’ skulls.
From the corner of his eye, Yan Chuanbai glanced at him.
It was his first time witnessing Qi He’s combat skills in person.
Calm. Efficient.
Qi He ignored the look sent his way. His focus was fixed solely on the zombies lunging at him. There was still something he wanted to test—
Details sharpened, movements slowed…
He raised his gun, activated his ability, and fired. Bang!
“Holy shit…”
Zhou Ziqian stared at Qi He in amazement.
The horde gradually began to split, opening a narrow gap, but more zombies quickly closed in around them.
Just then, another gunshot rang out.
A flying zombie lunging at Meng Yan was blasted out of the air.
A familiar car sped up from behind.
The tall captain still had her rifle braced on the car window, a thin wisp of smoke curling from the barrel.
Jiayan leaned halfway out of the backseat window.
“Captain, it’s a zombie horde! They’re up ahead too!”
Ye Yi: “Then we fight our way through together.”
The glasses-wearing driver slammed the accelerator, the car surging forward.
The three of them stayed in the vehicle. Ye Yi’s bullets seemed charged with electricity— even if they didn’t hit a zombie’s head, they still paralyzed it instantly. She glanced toward the two figures fighting up ahead.
“Ice-type ability. With this power… at least S-rank.”
Her gaze shifted—landing on Qi He.
“Such accurate shooting.” At first she was impressed, but then she frowned. Something about it felt… off. “His reactions seem a little slow.”
An S-rank ability user’s hearing was keener than most.
Yan Chuanbai tilted his head slightly at her words.
Qi He’s reactions weren’t actually slow. But for someone who had once caught a flying zombie barehanded, this speed seemed… restrained.
Bang! Another shot rang out.
Qi He holstered the gun quickly, but before firing, there was always the faintest pause. Almost imperceptible—yet in that instant, the zombies twitched, shifting just enough to throw themselves into the path of his bullets, as if committing suicide.
…
The opening in the horde widened further.
Then a sharp voice rang out right on cue: “Everyone in the cars, windows shut!”
Qi He turned his head—it was Jiayan shouting.
At the same time, Zhou Ziqian gunned the engine and roared forward. Without hesitation, Qi He and Yan Chuanbai leapt up onto the car, one on each side.
The moment the doors closed, a white smoke began seeping from Jiayan’s body.
A poison-type ability.
A third of the remaining zombies froze in place.
Both cars seized the chance, breaking free of the horde and racing into the city.
—
After entering the city, the two groups went their separate ways.
Qi He’s group found a place to stay the night. After traveling all day, Zhou Ziqian and Meng Yan turned in early to rest.
Qi He trailed behind the others to wash up.
As he was rinsing his mouth at the sink, another figure appeared in the mirror. Yan Chuanbai leaned casually against the doorway.
“Before you fired today—why did you hesitate?”
So he’d noticed that closely.
Qi He was just about to explain when the system blared an alarm:
[Warning: Mind your character setting! If you act too clever, it won’t match ‘you’!]
“…”
Guessing at how to play his “idiot” persona, Qi He said, “I couldn’t decide which one to shoot first.”
Yan Chuanbai: “……”
System: [……]
Yan Chuanbai watched him for a few seconds, then gave a faint, mocking remark: “Shoot the one cursing at you.” With that, he turned and walked away.
Qi He: “System, don’t you think he’s acting like he caught some kind of neurosis from my ‘idiot’ persona?”
System, sounding miserable: [I think I’m about to catch the virus too.]
…
Early the next morning, they set out again.
It was only half a day’s drive to Base I now.
The closer they drew, the more zombies there were—and the more survivors heading for the base.
They casually cleared off some zombies along the way.
Qi He collected a bag of crystal nuclei and shook it. The deal had been a 30–70 split with Yan Chuanbai, but between falling ill and running into that zombie horde, he hadn’t managed to gather much himself.
He didn’t like owing people, so he simply gave all of it to Yan Chuanbai.
In the distance, a towering gray wall came into view.
That was Base I.
From the driver’s seat, Zhou Ziqian’s voice drifted over.
“Brother Yan, you’re still planning to head to Headquarters Base, right?”
Yan Chuanbai gave a quiet “Mm.”
“First, we’ll exchange some resources and rest here for two days. What about you guys?”
Meng Yan: “I’ll stay here.”
Zhou Ziqian: “Of course I’m going with you, Brother Yan!”
Qi He didn’t need to say anything—after all, coming to Base I was originally for his sake. But according to the storyline, he and Yan Chuanbai weren’t supposed to be separated. The only question was whether Yan Chuanbai would stay behind, or if he himself would be the one sent away.
As he was thinking, Base I loomed closer.
The full view of the base finally unfolded before their eyes.
Its curved outer walls were smooth and towering, like the ramparts of a fortress. At the base, only two gates were open: Gate A was used for registering new arrivals, while Gate B was for squads heading out on missions.
It was said this place had originally been a research facility. After the zombie virus broke out, it was converted into a base, and it had been expanding ever since to house more people seeking refuge.
Outside Gate A, a long line had already formed.
To enter, everyone had to be tested for infection, and ability users had to undergo a ranking test. Each person would be issued a personal identity code and entered into the registry.
Their vehicle pulled over to the side—they had to pass registration before they could drive in.
Even though Yan Chuanbai already had an identity, he still had to wait for Qi He and Meng Yan to finish their process together.
The line moved forward slowly.
The two gates weren’t far apart.
Qi He glanced over: squads were coming and going at Gate B as well. They too had to undergo full inspection and swipe their identity codes before passing through.
He wondered if there might be some kind of loophole in the system—some bug that could slip past the checks…
“Qi He, what are you looking at?” Meng Yan craned her neck curiously.
“Nothing.” He drew his gaze back.
After half an hour of shuffling forward, they were finally nearing the registration point.
Just as Meng Yan was speaking, she suddenly froze mid-sentence, her eyes fixed in another direction.
Qi He leaned forward. “What are you looking at?”
Meng Yan pressed her lips tightly together.
Following her line of sight, Qi He saw a squad entering Gate B. Four people—three men and one woman—all of them ability users. The man in front had a bandage tied around his arm, his posture loose and careless.
Qi He narrowed his eyes, faintly guessing what this might mean.
Yan Chuanbai and Zhou Ziqian’s expressions also darkened.
Perhaps their stares were too direct, because the other group noticed them.
When their eyes met, the squad across the way froze for a moment.
Then the man in the lead curved his lips into a mocking smile.
“Well, well. You managed to crawl your way into the base too. Not bad, Meng Yan.”
Scenes from the brink of death flashed once more in Meng Yan’s mind.
Her gaze seared as she locked onto Ke Yuan. “Seeing me alive, you don’t feel the slightest bit of guilt?”
The faces opposite her all remained indifferent.
Qi He lowered his eyes and asked softly, “It’s them?”
“…Yeah.”
He turned his head, his eyes landing on the leader’s ID tag. His tone was ice as he called out the name:
“Ke-tou.”
Meng Yan: “…”
The other squad: “…”
Ke Yuan’s teeth ground together. “My name is Ke Yuan.”
Then he turned back to Meng Yan with a cold sneer.
“This world’s always been survival of the fittest. You couldn’t pull your weight—were we supposed to let you drag down the whole team?”
Meng Yan drew in a long breath. “You didn’t have to take me with you. But you couldn’t just dump me into a swarm of zombies!”
Her words made the onlookers whip their heads around. Shock, disgust, contempt…
The expressions on Ke Yuan’s squad faltered for the first time.
Qi He said flatly, “You hear that, Ke-tou? Apologize.”
“You son of a—” Ke Yuan’s face twisted with fury, certain he was being mocked on purpose. Lightning crackled to life around him, power surging as he prepared to charge—
But a guard at the gate barked a warning:
“Abilities are forbidden inside the base!”
The arcs of electricity reluctantly subsided.
Qi He suddenly lifted a finger, pointing toward the towering wall.
“Inside the base is forbidden. But we’re outside, aren’t we?”
The guard choked, words catching in his throat.
Base I and Base II weren’t under central command anyway. They had only been assigned to stand here, and if a powerful ability user really started a fight… they wouldn’t be able to stop it.
Ke Yuan looked at Qi He as if staring at an idiot. Lightning gathered around him once more, crackling as he charged forward:
“You’re the one looking for death—don’t blame—”
Suddenly—thud!
In full view, he went tumbling, sparks flying, before skidding to a halt right in front of Meng Yan—
where he dropped to his knees with a resounding crack of his forehead against the ground!
Silence. Everyone stared.
Even Meng Yan was stunned: …?
The midday sun blazed overhead. Ke Yuan’s face was nearly pressed into the dirt, burning hot with humiliation. Bracing both hands against the ground, he struggled against an unseen force, head lifting only with difficulty, hatred blazing in his eyes as he glared at Qi He.
“What the hell did you—do to me!?”
“Oh, right. Forgot to mention.”
Qi He’s expression was perfectly serious.
“My ability makes people kneel and kowtow.”
The three people at his side: “…”
The crowd of onlookers: “…………”
Ke Yuan’s eyes nearly split with rage. “Bullshit! There’s no way such a shameless ability exists!!”
I really love Qi He~
He’s so unhinged 😆