Liu Yang walked toward the zombie that was still feebly struggling among the ruins, with Scarface Mouse trailing behind him.
Looking down at the creature, Liu Yang said, "This cannibalistic zombie grew muscle way too fast. Its skin couldn't keep up with the expansion, so it split completely open, leaving raw muscle exposed.
"If a human went through this, they'd have died from the sheer pain long ago. But this zombie doesn't feel a thing. Let's just call it a Moulter."
"The base stats of a Tier-1 Moulter are twice those of a Tier-1 ability user. An ordinary Tier-1 user basically stands no chance against it-unless they possess a exceptionally powerful combat ability."
"However, while Moulters have a high drive for violence and terrible tempers, their intelligence seems extremely low, no different from an ordinary zombie. If you prepare in advance, play it smart, and set a trap, taking one down shouldn't be too hard."
"If every zombie that eats its own kind turns into a Moulter, their numbers are going to skyrocket. With fewer and fewer human survivors out there, zombies will eventually turn on each other when they can't find human meat..."
Liu Yang patted Scarface Mouse on the shoulder and said, "So you guys need to hurry up and level up!"
Scarface Mouse wore a helpless expression. "We all just awakened our abilities not long ago. How are we supposed to know how to level up?"
An amused look crossed Liu Yang's face.
"Haven't you realized you've already leveled up? When you brought me here just now, I noticed your speed had at least doubled! You didn't even notice? Did you just think you grew taller?
"Looks like you're pretty insecure about your height... It's fine, little bro, being small is cute too!"
Scarface Mouse looked somewhat embarrassed and said in disbelief, "I really leveled up?"
Liu Yang nodded. "Give it a try and see for yourself."
Scarface Mouse immediately activated his power and burrowed straight underground.
Moments later, he popped out from another spot nearby.
A look of pleasant surprise washed over his face. "It really did! My digging speed doubled! I actually leveled up!"
He stared at his hands in shock.
They felt significantly stronger and more powerful. Even the skin on his fingers had begun to crystallize, hardening like diamonds.
Now, he could dig deep into thick concrete without breaking a sweat!
Liu Yang observed, "It seems ability users can only level up through life-and-death combat. After fighting that powerful zombie, you broke past your physical limits and advanced a tier."
Glancing at Scarface Mouse's fingers, Liu Yang teased, "Your hands are pretty hard and impressive now. They're practically turning into the Hands of God. I doubt any woman could handle those fingers!"
"Haha!" Scarface Mouse rubbed his head sheepishly.
Liu Yang continued, "Since actual combat is the key to leveling up, I suggest you don't avoid zombies in the future. Fight them head-on, and only run if you really can't win.
"Your ability isn't as weak as it sounds on paper. Keep developing it, and I'm sure you can come up with better combat techniques."
Scarface Mouse nodded heavily. "Understood! Thank you for the guidance, Boss Liu. I'll work much harder from now on!"
Liu Yang added:
"Also, a lot of survivors might come to join this base soon. Accept all of them. Every new survivor gets ten jin of free grain.
"They also get fifty jin of potatoes for farming.
"There's an ability user named Old Wang coming too. Every time he brings a survivor, give him one jin of grain. If he brings a thousand, give him a thousand jin.
"Make sure you handle all of this properly.
"When you go out searching for supplies, if you run into survivors or ability users, try to recruit them into the base as well.
"In a moment, I'll leave five tons of rice for the base to distribute for free to new ability users. Let me know when it runs out."
Scarface Mouse nodded repeatedly, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Thank you for your trust, Boss Liu! I'll definitely take care of everything!"
With new ability users and survivors joining, the base would only grow stronger.
Plus, five tons of rice was a monumental fortune in the apocalypse. Scarface Mouse could hardly even fathom what five tons of rice truly meant.
Handing all of it over for him to manage was an immense vote of confidence.
Scarface Mouse felt deeply grateful. Back when he first joined the base, everyone looked down on him because his burrowing power seemed useless. But now, Liu Yang was relying on him. To Scarface Mouse, Liu Yang was the benefactor who recognized his true worth.
He swore to himself that he would manage the base properly and never let Liu Yang down.
The two then began walking back toward the survivor base.
When they entered, the survivors instantly showed expressions of deep reverence and gratitude. Unable to hide their joy, they swarmed forward, greeting Liu Yang enthusiastically.
"Lord Liu, you're back!"
"Thank you for lending us the potatoes, Lord Liu! We've already planted them and are just waiting for the harvest!"
"Lord Liu, did you come to help us get rid of that mutant zombie? Thank you so much!"
...
Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Liu Yang nodded and said, "You can all relax now. That zombie has been taken care of."
A middle-aged woman stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "Sob... My husband was just killed by that mutant zombie. Thank you, Lord Liu, for avenging my family! My husband can rest in peace now!"
"My condolences," Liu Yang offered softly. He turned to Scarface Mouse and ordered, "Distribute fifty jin of grain to the families of the two deceased survivors."
Hearing this, the woman's legs went weak, and she collapsed to her knees. Tears of gratitude spilled from her eyes as she kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Lord Liu! Thank you, Lord Liu!"
With her husband gone, she would have had to go out and search for food herself, which was far more dangerous for a woman.
With fifty jin of grain, her family could survive for at least another month, solving their immediate crisis.
"Right away, Boss," Scarface Mouse agreed warmly.
He felt a wave of relief as well. He had led the team out to forage, and two people had died. Even though their families didn't blame him, he still felt guilty. Liu Yang's decision helped ease that burden.
Liu Yang's compassionate leadership proved to Scarface Mouse that he had chosen the right leader, solidifying his resolve to remain fiercely loyal.
Just then, a group of children ran over, surrounding Liu Yang and chattering excitedly.
"Lord Liu, you got even handsomer since last time!"
"Lord Liu, are you really a god from heaven? What's life like up there?"
"Are there fairy sisters? Are they really as pretty as the stories say?"
Liu Yang chuckled, patted their heads, and pulled a large bag of candy out of his Dark Space to share with them.
"Of course there are fairy sisters, and there are plenty of them! Every single one is breathtakingly beautiful!"
The kids squealed with joy.
"Wow, so much candy! Yay!"
"Thank you, Lord Liu!"
"It's so sweet! Yum!"
...
Watching the children happily hop away, Liu Yang felt his mood lift.
Scarface Mouse remarked, "Big Brother Liu, your prestige in the base is sky-high now. Many people genuinely believe you're a god, and the rumors are getting crazier by the day. I guess in desperate times, people just need something to place their faith in. When praying to God doesn't work, they look for a new one."
Liu Yang nodded. "In the apocalypse, having a bit of faith and spiritual support is a good thing."
Chatting along the way, they arrived at the base warehouse. Liu Yang dumped five tons of rice straight out of his Dark Space into the storage area.
After finishing up and giving Scarface Mouse a few final instructions, Liu Yang took off into the sky, flying back toward his villa complex.
As Liu Yang soared into the air, triggering a sonic boom and vanishing from sight within seconds, everyone in the base stared with wide eyes, breaking into hushed chatter.
"My God! Lord Liu is too fast! He vanished in an instant!"
"That's faster than a plane!"
"As expected of Lord Liu!"
The children bounced with excitement, calling out, "Lord Liu is a god from heaven! He went back to live in the Heavenly Palace!"
"There are fairy sisters up there too!"
"I wonder when Lord Liu will descend to Earth again. I hope he brings us more candy!"
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