Chapter Eighteen: The Subtle Poison Mist

Li Mo drove away in Qin Yu’s car, leaving too many people for the remaining vehicles to accommodate. Just as Qin Yu was considering whether to seize another car, Zhang Kuang suddenly addressed her as she frowned in thought.

“Miss Qin, I wonder if I might have the honor of joining your team? Rest assured, everyone with me is from my squad. We’re all capable of looking after ourselves and won’t be a burden to you,” he said.

Perhaps out of a sense of camaraderie between soldiers, Wang Bing also turned to Qin Yu and said, “Miss Qin, I can tell they’re highly skilled. The road to S City is long and trouble may lie ahead. With them, we’ll have some extra strength on our side.”

Qin Yu glanced at the two vehicles parked behind Zhang Kuang, then looked again at him, pondering for a moment before nodding in agreement. Still, she felt it was necessary to make things clear from the outset. “Your team’s safety is your own responsibility. If necessary, I’ll help you, but I can’t guarantee the safety of every one of you. My abilities have their limits, after all.”

Zhang Kuang nodded, gave her a faint smile, and said nothing more.

Zhang Kuang’s squad was five strong. Originally, they’d been special forces soldiers assigned to a covert mission, but before the operation commenced, the apocalypse descended. Still, it was a testament to their prowess that all five had survived until now.

Of the five, Zhang Kuang had awakened a fire-based power. Two remained without powers, while the other two had awakened water and wind abilities, respectively. Compared to Qin Yu’s own group, Zhang Kuang’s team was indeed impressive.

Although Qin Yu didn’t know why Zhang Kuang wanted to follow her, instinct told her he meant no harm. She gave a self-deprecating smile; since her rebirth, she’d found herself increasingly trusting her instincts.

Once everything was packed, the group continued on their way. Along the route, they encountered zombies, but all were low-grade threats. For the party’s current strength, they presented little trouble unless they appeared in overwhelming numbers.

That night, while the others slept, Qin Yu kept watch. She sent her consciousness probing into her spatial dimension, where she found the small cluster of toxic mist quietly settled in place. Finding it amusing, she summoned it into her hand with a thought, carefully wrapping it in her water-based power to protect herself from harm.

She gazed at the ball of poisonous mist in her hand, finding it unexpectedly endearing. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this little thing possessed awareness.

Qin Yu tossed the mist toward an open patch of ground not far away. Instantly, the spot was shrouded in blackness. The toxic mist seemed almost sentient, pausing for a moment before circling the area. After seemingly losing interest, it drifted back to Qin Yu’s side, nuzzling against her wrist.

Qin Yu watched the little toxic cloud’s antics in disbelief—her intuition had been right all along! This thing really was alive!

She ignored its playful behavior and went to examine the patch of earth, now pitch-black. What she saw astonished her.

It seemed she’d gained yet another formidable ally. Truly, she thought, there was blessing in this misfortune.

Meanwhile, in S City, Qing Li was staring in surprise at the changes within his own spatial realm. The once boundless expanse of earth had suddenly contracted, and a thick fog had settled over one corner, obscuring everything from view. When he reached out with his mind, some unknown force repelled him.

Frowning slightly, Qing Li thought of the heat emanating from his jade pendant and the spatial anomaly. He guessed that something must have happened on Yu’er’s side—perhaps a blessing in disguise.

Qing Li smiled softly to himself. Wonderful—he’d always known his Yu’er was exceptional.

Yu’er, hurry to S City! I’ve been waiting for you, always…