Bai Xin and Huangfu Lan

As Bai Xin explained, she gestured towards the two zombies tied up in the corner, her face showing lingering fear and helplessness:

"When the blood rain started, Lan and I were drinking coffee by the window. Suddenly, chaos broke out downstairs. The shop assistant, Xiao Li, and the cashier, Zhang, rushed up in a panic, shouting, 'The rain is poisonous, and people who get wet will turn into monsters'... But they themselves were already soaked."

We were afraid they would get into trouble, and we were also afraid they would hurt someone, so... we worked together to tie them up, wanting to observe them a little longer.

Within minutes, they really did turn into those things outside... Soon, the downstairs was filled with the howls of zombies. We were too scared to go down and stayed hidden here, not daring to move an inch.

After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Lin Chen, who had been standing quietly to the side, holding a bloodstained Tang sword and exuding a calm demeanor, and asked Qi Wei with slight hesitation, "Is this... also a classmate of ours?"

"No, Teacher Bai," Qi Wei quickly introduced, her tone unconsciously carrying a hint of respect, "This is Lin Chen, Brother Lin. He is an Awakened One, specializing in hunting zombies, searching for supplies, and scavenging survivors."

She then turned to Lin Chen and said softly, "Brother Lin, this is Bai Xin, our art department's sketching teacher."

"Special ability? Awakened one?" Bai Xin's eyes lit up, as if she had suddenly caught a glimmer of light in endless darkness and subconsciously grasped at this ray of hope.

"Mr. Lin, could you... take us away from here?" Upon hearing the words "Awakened," Huangfu Lan grasped at the last piece of driftwood, taking two hasty steps forward, her voice pleading.

"I can offer you payment! Money, or this shop, anything! As long as you can help me find my husband and children..."

"Yes, Mr. Lin," Bai Xin quickly added, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness and anticipation, "Sister Lan's husband and child... were playing in the school's central park when the blood rain came. We haven't been able to contact them, and we don't know anything about them..."

She didn't say anything more, but the worry and unease in her eyes were clearly visible.

"A park?" Lin Chen frowned slightly, his tone calm yet brutally realistic. "Do you think anyone could still be alive now, exposed outdoors with no shelter, facing continuous rain of blood and the first wave of zombies?"

"We have to go see them, don't we?" Huangfu Lan's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up. Her tone was almost pleading, filled with a mother's stubbornness and desperate hope. "I need to see them alive or dead... I need to see their bodies. I can't just leave them like this!"

Bai Xin also pleaded in a low voice, "Mr. Lin, please... help me. The park isn't far from here. There has to be a result so that Sister Lan can... give up. If I hadn't desperately stopped her earlier, Sister Lan would have already rushed into the bloodbath."

Qi Wei, who was standing to the side, was also touched by the deep maternal love and obsession. Looking at Huangfu Lan's sad yet stubborn profile, she couldn't help but softly chime in, "Brother Lin, the park is not far ahead. Why don't we go... take a look? It won't take too much time."

Lin Chen remained silent for a moment.

He wasn't heartless; he had simply seen too many similar scenarios and knew how slim the hope was, often accompanied by unnecessary risks.

But seeing the expectant looks in the eyes of the three people before him, especially Huangfu Lan's almost broken gaze, he finally nodded and solemnly reminded her:

"I can take you there. But the bloodshed outside hasn't stopped. Since you haven't awakened any special abilities, even a single drop on your skin could result in a very high chance of contracting the virus and turning you into zombies. You must understand this."

"You mean..." Bai Xin astutely grasped the key point in his words, "As long as... one awakens their supernatural abilities, they won't be afraid of the virus in the blood rain?"

"Yes." Qi Wei nodded in confirmation, and even took the initiative to extend her palm. A faint golden light belonging to the metal enchantment ability emerged from her palm. She then raised her hand to wipe the clothes on her shoulder that were wet with blood rain. "You see, I just awakened not long ago. I got a little rain, and I'm completely fine."

"Then... how can I awaken my superpower?" Huangfu Lan seemed to have seen the only way out, and asked anxiously, looking intently at Qi Wei, then turning to Lin Chen.

Qi Wei did not answer directly, but instead turned her questioning gaze to Lin Chen—the decision-making power in this matter rested with him.

Lin Chen took out two crystal-clear Creation Crystals from his spatial storage, held them in his palm, and let them glow faintly: "Eat them, and you will awaken your superpowers and gain immunity to the zombie virus."

Bai Xin and Huangfu Lan looked at the magical crystal, and hope was rekindled in their eyes.

"However, there are conditions." Lin Chen's voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable weight. "After awakening, you must join my team and obey my commands until I deem this apocalyptic disaster over. At that time, you are free to choose whether to stay or leave. But during this period, if you dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy me, or betray me..."

His gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife, sweeping over the two of them:

"I will show you what it truly means to be worse than dead."

Huangfu Lan hardly hesitated.

For her, anything that could increase her chances of finding her family and allow her to survive was worth trying.

She stepped forward, reached out and took a Creation Crystal, and gave Lin Chen a deep look—her eyes were complex, containing pleading, determination, and a hint of desperate trust.

Then he tilted his head back and swallowed the spirit crystal.

She understood perfectly: if they stayed on the second floor of the coffee shop, they would eventually run out of food and supplies, or be discovered by zombies, and death would only be a matter of time.

If she still wanted to live, and wanted to have the chance to see her husband and children again—even if it was for the last time—following this mysterious and powerful awakened one was probably the best, and only, option.

As for deception? She no longer has the right to doubt it!

A minute later, Huangfu Lan's body trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes.

A moment of confusion crossed her face, quickly replaced by immense joy. She clearly felt a new power surging within her, a power intimate with the water element, and unconsciously cupped her palms together—and a handful of clear water materialized out of thin air.

Her gaze towards Lin Chen had unconsciously taken on the piety and reliance bestowed upon her by the Creation Crystal:

"Thank you, Mr. Lin! I really do have superpowers now!"

"Call me Leader from now on," Lin Chen said calmly. The other person was clearly older than him; calling him "Sir" felt too formal; calling him "Brother" felt awkward too. "What have you awakened?"

"It's an A-level ability, 'Water Condensation Technique'," Huangfu Lan replied after carefully sensing it, her tone filled with incredible joy.

Lin Chen's heart stirred slightly—a very practical auxiliary ability, especially in the post-apocalyptic world where water sources have been polluted, its value is immense.

He then turned to Bai Xin.

Seeing that Huangfu Lan was unharmed after consuming the spirit crystal and had indeed awakened a miraculous ability, Bai Xin's last trace of hesitation vanished.

She took another Creation Crystal, took a deep breath, and swallowed it, tilting her head back as well.

A moment later, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a strange light shone in her open eyes.

"Mine is... Grade A 'telepathy'?" she murmured softly, a hint of uncertain surprise in her voice. "It seems... I can vaguely sense the emotions of the people around me, and even some basic thought processes..."

A look of satisfaction flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

Telepathy—this is also an extremely rare and invaluable auxiliary ability! Especially in the complex interpersonal relationships and frequent betrayals of the post-apocalyptic world, a reliable telepath can often play a role far exceeding that of ordinary combat personnel.