Chapter 66

Chapter 66

In response to Cheng Jing's guess, Jiang Nian didn’t confirm or deny:

"Maybe, but I can't be sure without testing... Though this might sound arrogant, I think so far, only I know the true nature of the Purification Superpower."

After speaking, he took a deep breath and looked down at his hands, muttering helplessly to himself:

"It's precisely because I discovered the uniqueness of my superpower that I kept it hidden."

"It has to be hidden."

Cheng Jing's tone suddenly turned extremely serious.

To outsiders, it’d seem like a blessing—a silver bullet against the zombie virus. But for the possessor, without enough clout or power, exposing such a superpower attribute would be a death sentence.

Jiang Nian also nodded firmly:

"I need to work hard to reach 500 meters and confirm the final attribute. That way, whether facing zombies or humans, we’ll have another ace up our sleeve."

His past as a lab rat still haunted him, so he had no intention of playing the martyr with his ability.

The eggheads’ll figure it out—why should a dead man hog the limelight?

"Alright."

Cheng Jing supported him:

"Just say the word."

Compared to the function of the Purification Superpower, he was more concerned about Jiang Nian's safety.

If only his power let him stash people in a pocket dimension—then he could hide Jiang Nian away.

"..."

Jiang Nian thought for a moment and said:

"Nothing levels up a power like real combat. My range has already reached 200 meters, so training at home isn’t very effective anymore. So... if you get the chance, take me into the field, yeah?"

He really wanted to see the direct effects of his superpower on zombies.

"..."

Cheng Jing went quiet upon hearing this.

Jiang Nian swatted his cheek with his palm:

"Brother Jing?"

He knew it—the moment he mentioned going outside, this mother hen would balk.

"..."

Cheng Jing grabbed his hand, wrestled with it for a long while, and finally spoke again:

"The base put out an open call—cashing in zombie cores for credits. The day after tomorrow, our team’s rolling out with volunteers to clear zombies near the base. We’ll leave in the morning and return by evening. You’re in if you want."

"Volunteers?"

Jiang Nian looked puzzled.

Cheng Jing explained:

"It's a joint operation between the base's official rescue teams and survivors, including both ordinary people and Superpowered. The goal is to clear out the zombies approaching the base. Since the risk is relatively low, the command has officially sanctioned this collaborative approach."

Normally, survivors could go out on their own, but this time, with the base rescue teams involved, the scale would be much larger.

Jiang Nian chuckled:

"Oh, I see. So it's like everyone going out to clear out zombies together..."

Cheng Jing nodded:

"You could say that. Plus, all the zombie crystals collected—including ours—don’t have to be handed over. Ordinary zombie crystals are worth 10 points each, while Superpower Zombies' crystals are worth 30 points each."

"The prices are about the same as last time around... The brass catches on quick. They’ve already started collecting zombie crystals on a large scale."

Jiang Nian was a little surprised.

He remembered that in his past life, it wasn’t until after the extreme heat, a full year into the collapse, that a researcher from S Base discovered zombie crystals could be processed into power for base generation and other purposes.

After the news spread, various bases began posting bounties for exchanging zombie crystals for points—something that shouldn’t happen for several more months.

He wasn’t sure if Nan Cheng Base had also collected zombie crystals this early in his past life, or if his choice to reincarnate had caused some *butterfly effect*, moving up the timeline.

"I heard that the experts at Nan Cheng Base’s research institute had scout teams closely monitor zombie changes as soon as Superpowered appeared. They’ve had teams bagging crystals for a long time."

Cheng Jing shared what he knew from internal sources. The military’s response was indeed faster and more perceptive.

Jiang Nian pressed further:

"Any actual progress so far?"

"Not yet."

Cheng Jing shook his head.

"But the experts said that since the crystal energy can promote zombie evolution, it must be special. They recommended collecting them, which led to this base-wide scav op."

"I see..."

Jiang Nian understood. It made sense—the top brass in military-led bases during the apocalypse were all heavy hitters, so spotting patterns early was only natural.

It was just that in his past life, he never moved in those circles.

"Is something wrong?"

Cheng Jing noticed something off at his weird look.

"Not really. It’s just that some things seem to be happening much earlier than I remember from my past life. But that’s a good thing, I guess."

Jiang Nian waved it off, then shot back with a grin:

"Brother Jing, if we hadn’t had this conversation today, would you have left me in the dark about this mission?"

They were already rolling out the day after tomorrow—it couldn’t have been an eleventh-hour heads-up.

He hadn't been running around these past few days, so he was a bit out of the loop.

"Yeah."

Cheng Jing admitted openly, then rubbed his nose guiltily under Jiang Nian's gaze:

"I originally thought you should focus on running your shop and farm—no need to go zombie-hunting. We've got enough points and supplies as is. But now that it’s for improving your superpower, we’ll go. I’ll find a separate place for you to practice."

Protecting his partner was instinctive. Even if the risk was low, he didn’t want Jiang Nian to take unnecessary risks.

"I knew you thought I was dead weight!"

Jiang Nian sighed helplessly, placing both hands on the man’s sturdy shoulders, begging:

"Brother Jing, from now on, you have to take me on missions like this. If you refuse, I’ll just go alone or team up with others."

Honestly, sometimes he really wanted to fight his boyfriend!

Cheng Jing’s heart skipped a beat, blurting out:

"Got it, don’t do anything stupid! I’ll take you on these missions from now on."

If this guy really went solo or teamed up with others, there was a high chance of some serious relationship drama happening.

"OK, it’s settled then! Thanks, Brother Jing."

Having achieved his goal, Jiang Nian suppressed the fire in his chest with a smile.

Still had to use reverse psychology—worked like a charm every time.

"......"

Cheng Jing was already regretting his impulsive agreement, but words spoken couldn’t be taken back. Another day of being riled up by this little troublemaker.

"It’s getting dark, I’ll turn on the lights."

Afraid he’d change his mind, Jiang Nian quickly changed the subject, getting up to switch on the living room lights.

Cheng Jing, meanwhile, headed off to shower.

"Brother Jing, I’ll grab your clothes for you later~"

Someone was deliberately stirring the pot, doubly amused as he grabbed his game console and tablet, playing games while watching a show.

Cheng Jing ignored him, picking up his clothes and heading into the bathroom. But once the door was shut, he let out a silent chuckle.

Back when they’d just started dating, he’d imagined married life with Jiang Nian:

Quiet, ordinary days, occasional bickering, or watching his born troublemaker stir up mischief.

Though apocalypse life was harder now, he’d still got what he wanted.

He didn’t care about others’ lives, nor did he worry about when the disaster would end. All he wanted was for Jiang Nian to be happy, safe, and free from the suffering of his past life.

For that goal, anyone foolish enough to bark in his face would be thrown to the zombies.

Including Jiang Nian’s so-called family—if given the chance, he wouldn’t spare a single one.