It really changed everything." Shangguan Bing Xue couldn't help but let her eyes widen in shock.
"This is nothing. Just wait until you get more to the center and you'll see the difference." Chen He, who had sat beside her, remarked with a serious expression.
Even though he had expected it after listening to Chen He explaining the situation the day before, Bai Zemin could not help his face from changing slightly as he scanned the surroundings while the bus he was riding on slowly moved forward.
The familiar buildings, built with the best materials available and whose plans were designed by the best architects in the country, were now cracked while some suspicious-looking tangles surrounded the walls. Some areas of the road had been cracked by long roots of trees or other extremely strange plants growing everywhere, forcing the drivers of the vehicles to slow down their speed even more.
But the most striking thing was that even from a considerable distance, Bai Zemin and the rest could already see the tops of several trees that had previously been only a few meters high, now silently rising up several tens of meters as if they wanted everyone to see them, announcing their growth.
The faces of the survivors changed and their expressions varied. But for the most part, they were all surprised and scared at the same time as they huddled together and began to whisper softly.
Although they were frightened at the strange and unfamiliar sight, no survivor present dared to make too much noise. This was so not only for fear of the unknown dangers that might lurk nearby but also because Bai Zemin's exhibition of cruelty and decisiveness in the killing had been deeply engraved in the minds of all of them.
Those with malicious intentions or ulterior motives had basically been slaughtered yesterday and those who still had some kind of wild thoughts did not have the courage to do anything for fear of having their necks destroyed without warning. Therefore, although the atmosphere was oppressive, no one made too much noise apart from the inevitable and everything went quite smoothly.
Shangguan Bing Xue, being the observant woman that she was, also noticed the change inside the bus she was riding. She could not help but look out the front window at the bus in front of her with complex eyes.
Obviously, the actions initiated yesterday by Bai Zemin were showing immediate results.
The buses stopped next to the back of a six or seven-story building that was formerly used as the main library and the survivors began to deboard in an organized manner under the watchful eyes of the eight fighters of the group.
Bai Zemin along with Chen He went into the building and made a quick job eliminating the zombies from the first three floors of the building to let the survivors enter. This would only take them ten to twenty minutes as the library was not usually a crowded place; less so on days when the internet had everything that was needed.
While the two of them were in charge of the temporary shelter in which the survivors would stay when the stronger ones went deeper into the mutant forest to try to open an exit to the outside world, Shangguan Bing Xue, Liang Peng, Cai Jingyi, who were currently the three strongest of the group, stayed behind to protect approximately three hundred survivors.
As for the remaining few more than a hundred, they were currently carrying out a different task under the guidance of Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De.
In front of the group of survivors who were walking densely packed together to lessen the possibilities of death or infection in case a mutated creature or zombie appeared, Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De were advancing silently while cautiously observing the surroundings. Because they were both men of few words, regardless of their motives, and due to the danger of the environment, neither of them tried to initiate a conversation and simply walked in silence.
After walking for about five minutes, Zhong De stopped and whilewhile observing the surroundings noted, "I think this place should be fine."
Fu Xuefeng also stopped and the survivors walking a few steps behind immediately stopped as well. He carefully observed the surroundings and noticed that the green grass that was neatly clipped in the past was now so tall that it passed his knees.
"All right." Fu Xuefeng nodded, still feeling a little depressed about missing the opportunity that Bai Zemin presented to him yesterday.
Zhong De looked at him and tapped him on the shoulder as he said with a rare smile: "Why the long face? Has big brother Bai treated us unkindly? From the time we started following him, he not just gave us the best food, but also gave us the right to express our ideas, opinions, and even continues to give us the opportunity to become stronger by giving us valuable treasures. I believe that as long as we follow him honestly we can have a better future and the opportunities to become stronger will come naturally."
Fu Xuefeng was surprised as this was the first time he heard Zhong De speak so many words at the same time. However, his companion's words lightened his pessimistic mood and he nodded firmly, "You are right. We just have to follow in his footsteps and he will lead the way as he has always done so far."
Zhong De nodded silently and raised a thumbs up at him.
Neither of them was dumb or else they wouldn't have been able to get into a university as prestigious as this one. Moreover, their adaptability was also higher than that of normal survivors, allowing them to notice things that others might overlook. Therefore, both Fu Xuefeng and Zhong De knew that as long as Bai Zemin did not die suddenly, he was destined to achieve great feats in this new world.
Currently, Fu Xuefeng was level 15 and Zhong De level 13; however, even at this point, they could not even see Bai Zemin's back. They both knew that with their current stats even facing a few dozen people was no challenge at all, yet neither of them could even comprehend Bai Zemin's strength.
They both knew that the world had changed and society would never be the same again, even if humans regained control of the world things could not go back to the way they were. New powers would arise and with the possibility of evolving, the government, military forces, everything would be restructured.
The world was far, infinitely more dangerous than in the past; however, opportunities came hand in hand with danger. Zhong De and Fu Xuefeng had decided to change their destinies and, in case they were still alive, those of their families as well.
How? Betting everything on Bai Zemin.
Since he had managed to rise to such an extent so quickly and was even able to terminate First Order existences so easily, Bai Zemin's future would be resplendent and as part of the initial group of his followers, Zhong De and Fu Xuefeng, as well as their loved ones, would naturally be able to take a small part of that resplendence.
"Shall we begin?" Fu Xuefeng looked at Zhong De and asked with a somewhat excited smile.
The corner of Zhong De's mouth twitched a couple of times but he still nodded, "Let's begin."
Fu Xuefeng turned around and looking at the survivors tried to speak in an authoritative tone, "Start spreading the oil and gasoline on the nearby plants and grass. Remember not to go too deep and only focus on the outer perimeter!"
Little by little, that young man with little self-confidence was beginning to acquire some attitude. Thanks to the wonderful opportunity provided by Bai Zemin back then, Fu Xuefeng was gradually becoming a person worthy of leadership; this was a great contrast if compared to his past self who was shy and reserved to the level that even having a normal conversation was difficult for him.
The survivors nodded and began to move with careful steps. These hundred were mostly men and there were only a few women among them; each had been carefully chosen the day before and all were brave enough to face danger indirectly.
Fighting was still out of the question but if it was a matter of taking a little risk without having to face any mutated creatures they were still okay. That was precisely why these hundred or so survivors dared to come to this dangerous place.
Each survivor carried a two liter bottle and a few of them carried five liter jerry cans filled to the brim. The bottles contained oil and the jerry cans contained gasoline that had been extracted from the cars parked in the subway parking lot the day before.
Although it was a shame to have to waste a resource like fuel, everyone knew that the plan devised by the group's leaders was the best option to wipe everything out.
The survivors moved carefully and started pouring the oil and gasoline everywhere; some fallen tree trunks or branches, dry or dead leaves, on the grass, on some bushes, basically everything in the outer perimeter of the area where the survivors were had been sprayed with flammable substance.
Right... Step number 1 was to set the forest on fire.
Although it was not possible to go any deeper since the survivors would be slaughtered without even knowing how they died, after listening to Chen He's explanation some realized that the reason why the First Order creatures did not come out of the forest was probably to protect that strange silkworm-like monster.
In fact, the only reason why the Platinum Ape had been so furious the day before and had left the forest and even ignored Shangguan Bing Xue, focusing its attention solely on Chen He, was because the beast was sleeping when he secretly tried to kill it with an arrow imbued with magic into its chest a short distance from its heart. Otherwise it was unlikely that the Platinum Ape would leave the center of the forest.
As for the rest of the First Order creatures leaving the forest, Bai Zemin and the rest couldn't be sure but it was probably because they were on the outer perimeter rather than the center.
"Done!" Fu Xuefeng exclaimed quietly as he gestured for the survivors to return.
"Let's report back." Zhong De looked at the mutated forest one last time before turning around and starting to walk back the way they had come.
* * *
At the top of a five-story building directly across from where the group of one hundred survivors had sprayed the oil and gasoline, Bai Zemin stood silently as he gazed at the mutated forest stretching as far as the eye could see.
The gentle breeze of wind that caressed his face carried the strong smell of fuel that was intoxicating but in a way also had a touch of attraction in it, constantly reminding him of what he should do next.
Beside him, Lilith was sitting up in the mid-air with one leg crossed over the knee of the other and lazily resting her face on one hand. However, though she looked casual, if one paid special attention to her striking red eyes one could easily notice the glint of excitement and exhilaration that was constantly flickering like a naughty child.
"So, will you do it now?" Lilith asked curiously.
"Em." Bai Zemin nodded without averting his gaze and said slowly, "Currently I did everything I could do. I improved my control over Mana, I also learned to get a better control over the amount of Magic I can use, and I even trained for more than fifteen hours every day practically without a break for three whole days with my Blood Manipulation."
He paused and closed his eyes, trying to feel the Mana around him as he said in a low voice: "I even devised an unstoppable attack... My strongest attack at this point. If I can't kill a First Order existence with my bare hands after all this, then I might as well start thinking that such a task really is impossible to accomplish and this unknown entity called Soul Record is insane."
"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Lilith rolled a lock of her dark hair on her index finger and said with a smile, "Your growth so far has been the most terrifying but at the same time wonderful I have ever seen. If you can't make it, then no one can."
Bai Zemin chuckled and did not comment on it.
In fact, even if Lilith did not say those words he was 99.9% confident that his attack would definitely succeed in claiming the life of his enemy. As for the remaining 00.1%... That was reserved for contingencies beyond what the current him could handle.
Soon after, Bai Zemin slowly opened his eyes and looked down the building. There, Shangguan Bing Xue was coming out from inside the facility along with Chen He and Liang Peng; they seemed to be discussing the second phase of the plan.
As if sensing his gaze, Shangguan Bing Xue stopped the conversation and looked up. Her indifferent sky-colored eyes met a pair of dark and cold eyes like a winter night.
Without saying anything, Shangguan Bing Xue started walking towards the mutated forest. On the other hand, Chen He jumped a couple of times and climbed onto a building next to Bai Zemin's before aiming his pre-loaded crossbow towards the forest.
As for the burly Liang Peng, he held tightly to his big hammer and planted both feet firmly on the ground as he narrowed his eyes towards the unfamiliar but danger-ridden forest.
Before Shangguan Bing Xue got too far away, Bai Zemin shouted loudly, "Hey, Shangguan Bing Xue!"
She stopped and half turned around to look at him just in time to see him throw something at her. With a nimble and easy movement, the object he threw was caught by her.
After seeing what it was, her small mouth opened slightly and her indifferent eyes for the first time in a long time had a wavelength of emotions that even she herself couldn't comprehend.
"I'll lend it to you. When you come back you give it back to me!" Bai Zemin's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
In the end, she looked back toward the top of the building and said the first word that came to her mind, "Thank you."
"Em." Bai Zemin nodded and smiled casually as he said, "I'm relying on you!"
Chen He and Liang Peng observed the strange interaction between Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue but had no idea what was going on or why she had thanked him. However, due to the fact that they were on high alert for what was about to happen, neither of them dared to even look away from the mutated forest.
After saying words of thanks for the first time in so long that even she could not remember when it had been the last time, Shangguan Bing Xue put away the object that Bai Zemin had given her carefully and marched into the mutated forest alone.
Bai Zemin looked at her thin, small back that seemed as fragile as a glass window slowly disappearing from his sight. Then, he knelt down on his left knee and took out two bottles of Blazing Beetle's blood from his backpack.
He carefully scattered the blood in front of him until a bright red pool formed and then closed his eyes. Although he looked calm on the outside, his mind was working overtime imagining a spear as he began to move the Mana inside his body, this time without worrying about saving.
At the same time as his Mana began to be consumed at astonishing speeds, Bai Zemin began to use his Magic to control as much magical power as possible while the image of the best possible spear shone in his mind.
The tip had to be sharp to be able to pierce through any defense and destroy any impediment.
The sheave to be sturdy enough to not be easily destroyed by the enemy; to be easy to hold for throwing but difficult to withdraw.
Every line of the weapon flickered in his mind as Bai Zemin imagined himself wielding a hammer and pounding metal on an anvil using fire at high temperatures. Even without the tools, with Magic and Mana, he could create objects by adding his Blood Manipulation.
While it wasn't the same, creation was still creation.
The blood on the ground glowed crimson and slowly a spear with three blades began to take shape; the blood solidified, strange lines similar to engravings began to appear on the pulley and an end in a shape similar to a poker card trefoil.
What Bai Zemin was creating was not a normal spear, it was specifically a trident.
His face began to pale and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as his 273 Mana points ran wildly outward as if a water dam had broken. If Bai Zemin's plan was successful then there was no need to hold anything back as he would be rewarded with far more!
* * *
Meanwhile, Shangguan Bing Xue advanced through the mutated forest, moving deeper and deeper, closer and closer to the center of the place.The first thing she noticed was the purity of the air around her; the air was so pure that she could feel as if her lungs were being purified of all the polluted air she had breathed throughout her life. However, she soon realized that what she was breathing was not exactly the same air she had known since birth.
Mana! Such a thought flashed in her mind as she kept running deeper.
The air was charged with Mana and the closer she got to the center the denser the amount of Mana became. If the air outside this place, the air breathed by humans, was a composition of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, and others; then the air Shangguan Bing Xue was breathing in right now also contained Mana as its main component!
Due to her agile speed, Shangguan Bing Xue was not paying attention to the beauty of the place or she would be surprised to notice how harmonious everything around her looked.
A few butterflies the size of basins flapped their wings gently while bees the size of adult human fists rested comfortably on flowers that reached almost a meter in height. There were even a few dogs sleeping peacefully with a few mutated cats beside them.
They all seemed to have made a tactical agreement not to fight and instead were concentrating on absorbing as much Mana as possible even while they slept.
About a minute later, Shangguan Bing Xue could not help but stagger slightly and her face changed completely as she realized that her blood began to slowly boil as if a volcano was about to erupt and she felt like vomiting due to the sudden discomfort.
The feeling was similar to the one she felt during the first day of the apocalypse just seconds before that strange message flashed in the retina of her eyes, signaling the beginning of a new era.
Humans were different from animals, bugs, or plants. Humans could not just casually absorb the Mana of the surroundings at will and that was precisely the reason why everyone had a small part of the world's Mana within their soul.
If that amount went beyond what was bearable by the user's soul, zombie-like mutations would begin to appear as the body would try to adapt to the change as best and as quickly as possible to avoid total death.
That was what she was experiencing at the moment.
She stopped breathing hurriedly to substantially slow down Mana's absorption and pushed her speed to the limit.
Although Shangguan Bing Xue was more focused on the path of magic, her melee prowess was by no means deficient. Even before the appearance of the Soul Record on Earth she was already a genius when it came to martial arts and thus she possessed the unranked passive skill level 3 Combat Expert.
Moreover, every time she leveled up, she added both points to Agility. As for the reason, perhaps only she knew exactly.
The reality was that she had currently reached level 24 the day before after acquiring a large amount of Soul Power from the Platinum Ape and was currently close to being able to start her first real evolution.
Therefore, 48 Agility points came from leveling up alone, currently reaching 109 points in total thanks to collaborating in the defeat and slaughter of two First Order existences, as well as her normal-grade treasure boots.
While she could not compare to Bai Zemin who had almost 130 Agility points even though he still had 32 status points reserved and a lot of Soul Power to be absorbed due to being stuck at level 25, her Agility was outstanding compared to most.
A few seconds later, she finally arrived at what seemed to be the center of the place, and even with her calmness she couldn't help but be terrified at the sight.
At that time, Chen He probably hadn't had time to look at the situation around him cautiously, or else he wouldn't have said that there should be at most a dozen First Order creatures.
Just by looking around a couple of times, Shangguan Bing Xue had already counted more than twenty!
After absorbing the Soul Power of the Platinum Ape, Shangguan Bing Bing Xue had received a huge boost in her stats. Precisely because of that, she was confident in fighting one-on-one and killing a First Order creature below level 45; however, if they all joined forces to attack her and managed to surround her, then she wouldn't even be able to resist for a second before being killed!