Chapter Ten: May I Follow You?

As soon as the elixir entered his mouth, it slid down his throat, and within seconds, a scorching heat surged through his body, as if his energy was overflowing and impossible to restrain. The entire sensation did not last long; after two minutes, Fang Xia returned to normal.

He picked up the newly acquired combat blade, delight flickering in his heart. This kind of weapon was certainly useful, but for ordinary people, it was a bit too heavy to wield easily. Now, however, he could lift it single-handedly without feeling any weight at all.

At least three times stronger—this was Fang Xia’s conclusion. If his strength had tripled, did that mean his speed, explosiveness, and other abilities had also increased threefold? After all, the description had promised a significant enhancement of all basic physical attributes, which implied a comprehensive improvement.

He couldn’t test the other effects for now; there would be opportunities soon enough. For now, he needed to open the rest of his spoils.

Continuing to open the cases, it seemed his luck had run out. The ninth and tenth items were nothing more than ordinary food: a rice ball and a water flask.

When all ten items had been retrieved, the glow inside the box gradually faded, leaving behind nothing but an utterly ordinary container.

Watching the light vanish, Fang Xia, unwilling to give up, examined the box thoroughly before finally accepting that it was truly empty. Still, he felt somewhat unsatisfied.

In this life, he swore he would not be as wretched as in his previous one.

The three essentials of a true powerhouse: martial technique, weapon, and armor.

At present, Fang Xia had both weapon and armor; only the martial technique was missing. Yet that was the most crucial of all—the thing everyone fought desperately to possess.

Martial techniques were somewhat like the martial arts of the old wuxia novels: Guo Jing in "Legend of the Condor Heroes," Zhang Wuji in "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre"—they became peerless masters because they possessed supreme skills.

Guo Jing relied on the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and the Nine Yin Manual to dominate the martial world.

Zhang Wuji also achieved the power of the Ming Cult’s leader thanks to the Great Shift of the Universe and the Nine Yang Divine Skill.

If one had only powerful weapons and armor, but no exceptional martial technique, one was nothing more than fast-moving prey, destined to be targeted sooner or later. No matter how formidable the gear, it would eventually be taken by others; only those with true martial technique could unleash the real power of their weapons.

In his past life, every one of the top ten masters of Dawn City possessed a unique martial technique of their own.

At this moment, Fang Xia still lacked the most important thing: a martial technique. Henceforth, his main goal would be to seek one out.

Pulling himself back to reality, Fang Xia knew now was not the time to dwell on martial arts. First, he needed to return to the hotel, rest, and make a plan.

Because Fang Xia had already cleared out all the nearby zombies and none were wandering in from elsewhere for the moment, he began organizing his belongings.

He first stored everything in his spatial ring, including his backpack, meal box, and water flask. What remained were two rare-grade combat blades and a set of rare-grade combat armor.

He donned the armor immediately; with this, he had effectively gained a second life.

As for the two combat blades, he only needed one, so he stowed the other away.

Not far off, Bai Xing watched as Fang Xia opened the box, seemingly performing magic as he pulled out item after item, which then vanished without a trace. Suddenly, a glowing purple blade appeared in his hand, and he was clad in something akin to tactical gear. Add to that the small bottle of liquid he had just downed.

At this moment, Bai Xing sensed that this man had somehow grown inexplicably stronger, though she couldn’t say exactly how. Her instincts told her that even a group of adult men would be no match for him now.

Could he be a soldier sent by the government for rescue? Or a member of some mysterious organization dispatched to investigate the apocalypse?

Whoever he was, this man was certainly no ordinary person. As long as she stuck with him, she would undoubtedly survive.

No wonder she thought so; everything that had just happened was nothing short of astounding.

To Bai Xing’s mind, it was as if she were watching a movie: the apocalypse unfolds, and secret agents from an organization long hidden within the Republic are urgently deployed. Planes drop crates containing the man’s combat gear and weaponry from his army days. Firearms are forbidden in residential areas to prevent panic, so the combat blade is his weapon of choice.

Once this idea took root in her mind, she couldn’t shake it.

When the zombie horde first appeared, Bai Xing had already realized that the rescue teams might never arrive. If she wanted to survive, she would have to rely on herself.

That was why she had dared to venture out alone to search for the supply drop.

But now, there was an even better way right in front of her. As long as she followed this man, she too could survive.

Seeing that Fang Xia had not yet left, Bai Xing finally summoned her courage and walked toward him.

If such a powerful man became her boyfriend in this hellish world, it would be the strongest support a delicate girl like herself could ask for. She was confident in her looks and figure.

To be honest, Bai Xing strode toward Fang Xia.

When Fang Xia saw her approaching, his first instinct was to grip his combat blade; this woman was very likely one of the top ten masters of Dawn City in his previous life.

But he quickly relaxed. He was now far stronger than before, and the woman before him was just an ordinary girl—she could do nothing to him.

As Bai Xing drew nearer, Fang Xia became even more aware of her beauty.

Her long hair was lustrous, her face exquisitely delicate. She stood about 165 centimeters tall, weighed around 100 pounds, and her figure was perfectly proportioned. At that moment, her expression was tinged with a pitiful helplessness that would arouse any man’s protective instincts.

Perhaps from years of fitness training, the tight clothes hugging her body accentuated every curve of her flawless figure.

A devilish body paired with an angelic face—who could possibly resist such temptation?

“I want to go with you.”

Before Fang Xia could speak, Bai Xing cut straight to the point.

As long as I stay with him, I’ll definitely survive. I don’t know if I’m good enough for him. Even if he has to follow orders and head to the front lines and can’t be my boyfriend, at least I could be his friend.

Fang Xia nearly burst out laughing. What an imagination! She’d cast him as a secret agent on a mission. Yet his smile faded just as quickly—he narrowed his eyes. Bai Xing’s heart was filled with nothing but a fierce will to live. No wonder she had become one of the top ten masters; her decisiveness alone set her apart.

“Please, I swear I won’t hold you back.”

Seeing Fang Xia remain silent, Bai Xing grew anxious. This was her only chance; if he refused, she truly had no idea what she would do.

Her desperate will to survive, coupled with the courage to walk alone through a campus swarming with zombies, made Fang Xia waver.

Add to that her future as one of the top ten masters, and the investment seemed worthwhile.

He would take her along; if she proved useless, he could always abandon her. After all, he could hear her thoughts and had nothing to fear from betrayal.

“Can you keep up with me? Try your best not to fall behind. If you get lost, I won’t come looking for you.”