Lin An's heart surged with joy, and an intense warmth spread from the top of his head to the rest of his body.
Although the difference between a first-level and second-level spiritual plant was just a single word, the effects were worlds apart.
In his past life, for three entire years, Lin An had only seen second-level spiritual plant information once—just a fleeting mention in the chat channel!
That message had triggered a mad scramble among dozens of Tier 2 Awakened from the East China War Zone.
In the end, a top-tier Tier 2 Awakened managed to obtain it after paying an unimaginable price—his entire team, over a thousand people, perished in the process.
But Lin An didn't have time to wonder how a second-level spiritual plant appeared here.
Without hesitation, he swallowed it whole.
"Buzz~"
A strong, warm current surged from his mouth and spread throughout his body.
"Hah—"
The violet plant dissolved instantly, transforming into a fiery streak that shot into Lin An's body.
He let out a muffled grunt, feeling a sharp pain spread through his limbs.
This was the process of spiritual energy transforming his body.
As the spiritual energy rushed through his veins, a powerful force rose from his abdomen.
Ding! You have consumed a second-level spiritual plant. Your strength has increased by 2, agility by 1, constitution by 1, and willpower by 1.
Ding! You have gained a unique enhancement from the second-level spiritual plant: Explosion power increased by 10%.
Ding! You have gained a unique enhancement from the second-level spiritual plant: Movement speed increased by 10%.
Once the enhancements were complete, Lin An was drenched in sweat, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
The glowing screen in front of him kept refreshing, and his heart swelled with joy.
This was... incredibly powerful!
No doubt, this was the second-level spiritual plant.
In addition to the significant attribute boosts, the rare additional effects were amazing.
A 10% increase in explosion power meant he could strike with force beyond the limits of his strength.
The speed boost was just as vital. In an apocalyptic world, speed often meant the difference between life and death—whether you could escape or not.
The two powerful enhancements left him feeling as though he had limitless strength within him.
Of course, Lin An knew this was probably just an illusion due to the sudden spike in power.
He decided to test it out.
His right fist raised, and he swung it through the air.
Boom!
A sharp crack echoed as his fist tore through the air, creating a brief vacuum as a sound burst followed.
The shop was filled with objects being blown away by the shockwave.
Lin An's target was the thick wall, and with one punch, the reinforced concrete wall was instantly breached, exposing the street outside.
"Gulp."
The flower shop owner stared wide-eyed, her mouth agape.
She had crouched under the window when Lin An killed the zombies, watching his movements carefully.
She had witnessed how Lin An killed the zombies.
Now, seeing him punch through a cement wall, she was struck with disbelief.
Was this even human?!
It was terrifying.
She cautiously shrank her neck, afraid that Lin An might notice her.
Wen Ya was equally stunned.
She knew how powerful Lin An was, but he seemed even stronger now than before.
She clicked her tongue in amazement, but wisely kept quiet.
Lin An retracted his fist. His pale knuckles showed no signs of injury, just a slight red mark.
The enhanced constitution had also increased his resistance to physical damage.
At this point, even if Wen Ya were to strike him, it probably wouldn't hurt.
With his strength now on display, Lin An started to feel like he was approaching the realm of the non-human.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the sounds of countless footsteps echoed from outside the shop, followed by the guttural growls of zombies.
Lin An looked up, peering through the hole he had punched in the wall.
The street outside was engulfed in darkness, with pairs of blood-red, savage eyes staring back.
"Ah!"
"A monster...!"
The flower shop owner screamed in terror as the zombies grew increasingly frantic, slamming into the stacked shelves at the entrance.
It seemed she was completely frightened out of her wits.
She dashed up the stairs with surprising speed for someone of her size.
Click.
She locked the door behind her.
The sound of heavy objects moving inside could be heard, as she seemed to be attempting to barricade herself in.
Wen Ya blinked in confusion, speechless.
She instinctively grabbed Lin An's arm.
She sighed softly, her eyes filled with sympathy as she glanced at the closed door upstairs.
In her opinion, the flower shop owner's actions were completely wrong.
Running away and locking herself in?
Did she think that would ensure her survival?
No.
The real chance of survival lay in sticking with Lin An.
"Let's go!"
Lin An paid no attention to the flower shop owner's actions. He had seen this kind of behavior countless times in his past life.
Looking around briefly, he saw that at least 400 zombies were now gathered outside.
Without hesitation, Lin An scooped Wen Ya up in his arms and bolted.
At less than 100 pounds, Wen Ya felt like nothing more than a feather in his arms.
Lin An took a deep breath and his gaze hardened.
Power burst forth!
A faint golden light flickered and disappeared into his body.
His already solid muscles seemed to explode with power.
For the first time, Lin An activated his enhanced abilities and it felt like time itself slowed down.
Outside, the zombies rushed forward in a frenzied stampede, but to Lin An, their movements appeared in slow motion.
Boom!
Like a small cannonball, Lin An kicked out with terrifying force. The half-ton shelf and dozens of zombies were sent flying.
The metal twisted as they shot through the air for ten meters.
In an instant, the crowd of zombies in front of the shop was temporarily cleared.
"Ha!"
Lin An let out a low growl and, bending down, he cradled Wen Ya in his arms as if she were an arrow shot from a bow.
With a single step, he was already ten meters ahead!
He darted through the encircling zombies, none of them able to react in time. All they could do was howl in frustration as Lin An sprinted away.
However, as the commotion echoed across the area, more zombies from the outskirts began to converge.
The small area Lin An had cleared quickly filled with thousands of zombies.
From the second-floor window, the flower shop owner peered out and saw the street completely packed with zombies, her eyes vacant.
The motorcycle sped through the streets, with Wen Ya clinging tightly to Lin An's waist.
"Lin An, where are we going now?"
It was strange. Although they had known each other for only a few hours, Wen Ya felt like they had known each other for a long time.
There was an inexplicable familiarity about him.
"City center."
Lin An's gaze was calm, but there was a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
Now that his power had grown, it was time to retrieve some gear he remembered from his previous life.
More strength meant more certainty.
He recalled a piece of equipment from the early days that was perfect for him—it was located near the city center.
Further ahead, in the city center, there were at least a million zombies and numerous first-level mutated creatures.
He had originally planned to enter on the fifth day, but now, with his unexpected power surge, the plan could change.
The boost in his abilities was beyond his expectations, and he had also gained unexpected resistance to toxins.
As long as he didn't provoke a large zombie horde, the added abilities gave him more confidence than before.
"Skullcrusher's Hand"
The only blue-tier equipment in Lijian City during the apocalypse!