Just looking at the spiritual energy gathering because Park Su was about to break through, Xu Nuo felt it would be a pity to waste such spiritual energy. After all, since he decided to continue cultivating, he naturally needed the spiritual energy too. So he set up a formation in his room to gather and channel the spiritual energy.
This way, the spiritual energy that Park Su couldn't use wouldn't just dissipate into the air; instead, it would be drawn into the formation and stored.
While he was fully focused on monitoring the actions of the convoy behind them, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming upstairs from downstairs. He frowned, knowing it could only be Chen Jingxuan at this time, but unsure of what had happened.
Given the close relationship between Chen Jingxuan and Park Su, Xu Nuo was worried that Chen Jingxuan might go straight to Park Su and disrupt his breakthrough, so he decided to check it himself.
As soon as he stepped out, he blocked the hurried child. "What's the matter?"
Jingxuan had initially intended to find Park Su but was unexpectedly intercepted by Xu Nuo, whom he always feared. Maybe it was because he had witnessed Xu Nuo's capabilities firsthand, and Xu Nuo usually didn't engage much with them. Moreover, Xu Nuo often threatened to abandon them, and since Park Su always followed Xu Nuo's lead, Jingxuan worried about being expelled. His mother had warned him that if they were left on their own, they might not survive long in this world.
Thus, he was very cautious around Xu Nuo, who held their fate in his hands. Yet, to his surprise, Xu Nuo took the initiative to ask him. In his anxiety over his mother's situation, he could only choke out, "I came to find Brother Park Su. My mother... she seems to have a fever and hasn't woken up."
Xu Nuo frowned at this. In fact, they had anticipated Lü Xia's fever, but seeing Jingxuan's anxiety, he knew he had to check on her. To avoid complications, he said directly, "Park Su is busy and can't see you now. I'll go check on your mother."
Though Jingxuan feared Xu Nuo, he knew Xu Nuo's abilities surpassed Park Su's. He was eager for any help, especially since Xu Nuo mentioned that Park Su was busy. He quickly wiped his tears and led the way.
Upon seeing Lü Xia, Xu Nuo was surprised at the severity of her condition. She was flushed, feverish, and unconscious, much worse than he expected. Knowing they had no emergency medicine, he realized her fever had surpassed human tolerance.
If her fever was just from an infection, it would be manageable. But this situation seemed similar to his own awakening, which Park Su had told him was due to the world's virus. She would either survive to become an ability user or succumb and turn into a zombie.
Xu Nuo speculated that the woman's desire to become stronger, combined with the wound exposure during their long drive, led to the infection, resulting in her current state.
If it were just a common cold or a fever caused by an infected wound, Xu Nuo could have found some way to physically reduce the fever even without medication. But if the woman's fever was due to the possibility of an ability awakening, then there was nothing Xu Nuo could do. Whether she turned into a zombie or an ability user was entirely up to her; he couldn't help.
Given her current condition, Xu Nuo realized he might need to divide his attention to monitor her illness. After all, before she fell asleep, she seemed very fragile, and if she couldn't make it through, she might turn into a zombie right in the room.
Although Xu Nuo wasn't afraid, the child would likely be in great danger. Moreover, if the situation got too chaotic, it could affect Park Su's breakthrough. Xu Nuo hoped Park Su could complete the breakthrough before the woman's possible transformation, so he would have fewer problems to deal with.
At least, with Park Su watching over the situation, he could focus on the convoy. If Park Su completed the breakthrough, they wouldn't have to worry about the convoy causing trouble, as Xu Nuo wouldn't hold back against them anymore.
Right now, Xu Nuo found it quite headache-inducing to manage three situations at once. Standing beside him, Chen Jingxuan was anxious after Xu Nuo checked his mother without saying anything.
He trembled and asked, "What's wrong with my mother? She's going to be okay, right? She won't leave me, right?"
Xu Nuo sighed seeing his expression. He felt Chen Jingxuan was mature enough to understand the situation more clearly. While he could tell a white lie, giving false hope could lead to even more pain when the truth comes out. Though he thought this way, he still felt it was a bit cruel to say it outright.
However, it was better to face the truth. If by any chance, her transformation into an ability user happened, it would bring hope to the mother and son. Chen Jingxuan wouldn't have to worry about their survival as much. But if she turned into a zombie, Xu Nuo wouldn't hesitate to help the boy deal with his mother, cruel as it might be. It was, after all, the best solution.
Xu Nuo knew the latter possibility was more likely, so instead of giving false hope about her turning into an ability user, it was better to prepare the boy for the possibility of her becoming a zombie. This way, if she didn't become a zombie but turned into an ability user, it would be a pleasant surprise rather than a disappointment.
If she did become a zombie, at least the disappointment wouldn't be as severe, and Chen Jingxuan could make his own decisions. Even if she was awakening her ability, it would take at least one or two days to see the results. Xu Nuo himself had been unconscious for three days when he awakened his rare ability.
Park Su had told him that his prolonged unconsciousness was due to the rarity of his ability. Normally, an ability awakening could cause rejection reactions lasting from half a day to two days, with cases like his being extremely rare.
But given the woman's current condition, Xu Nuo estimated it would take at least two days, disrupting their plans. He knew if Park Su awakened, he would insist on waiting for Lü Xia's outcome. The only uncertainty was how long Park Su's breakthrough would take and how long Xu Nuo would need to monitor three situations at once.
After all, the spiritual energy accumulated in his body was already on the verge of breaking through. Keeping it suppressed like this might harm his meridians. So he frowned, looked at the teary-eyed Chen Jingxuan, and said, "Your mother's fever is indeed unusual. It seems like the symptoms that appear after being infected by the zombie virus outside.
Of course, it could also be due to a large wound and bacterial infection. I'm not sure what exactly is causing her fever, but it's clearly abnormal, so the former possibility is more likely.
If it's the latter, there's nothing to worry about. You just need to help her cool down physically. Think about how she took care of you when you were sick, and take care of her the same way.
But if it's the former, once your mother wakes up, she might hurt you or even eat you. But that wouldn't be her intention, as she would have lost consciousness and become a living dead.
So if she does that, she would hate herself for being out of control, and I would help you kill her!
Now, Brother Park Su is also not feeling well, and I have to take care of him. Your mother is your responsibility because she got hurt protecting you.
No matter what happens in the end, she is your responsibility, not mine. So you need to face the outcome yourself. How you choose to handle it is up to you. If you really want to do something that would make your mother sad, I won't stop you. Do you understand?"
Chen Jingxuan, being thirteen years old, naturally understood Xu Nuo's words. His mother might turn into one of those monsters outside.
This realization left him stunned. As Xu Nuo was about to leave, he rushed to grab Xu Nuo's leg, crying, "Brother, you're lying to me, right? My mother, she can't turn into a zombie, right? Tell me you're lying!"
Xu Nuo's long eyes slightly narrowed, "You know very well whether I'm lying or not. There's no need to ask me again. I said it's possible, and it's not a small possibility.
If you want to prevent your mother from turning into a zombie, stay by her side, take care of her, and tell her how much you don't want her to leave you. Give her some motivation to survive, and maybe her chances of becoming normal will be higher.
But even so, I can't rule out the possibility of her turning into a zombie. This is the only thing you can do for her, Chen Jingxuan. You're not a child anymore. You need to learn to face these things. Crying won't change anything."