Fuel

The shopping mall was sealed by an Ability, preventing even a sliver of outside light from entering.

Jiang Chu looked up; the base squad members had all hidden in shops, locking the doors tight. As for the zombies inside, they had survived this long; surely they could handle a few ordinary zombies.

Ji Chen was the first to strike. His Mental Ability could suppress the behavior of zombies at a lower level than him. At this moment, the high-level zombie truly lurking on the top floor of the mall had yet to reveal itself, so controlling these zombies was still relatively easy for him.

"Move out." At Ji Chen's command, the eight other Ability Users, including Jiang Chu, immediately unleashed their powers. Wind, Fire, Ice, and Air Abilities surged forth relentlessly.

Qiao Rui chose close combat.

Jiang Chu looked at the blaze before her, frowning as she shouted toward Chang Chuan:

"Don't move yet! Until we find the zombie on the top floor, if the mall catches fire and the wind blows, none of us will escape. Stop now!"

Everyone was startled. Chang Chuan had used his Fire Ability to incinerate a pile of zombies; their clothes, in particular, burned very quickly. Coincidentally, Lin Yufeng had also unleashed his Wind Ability, filling the entire first floor with thick smoke from the large fire, causing several people to cough.

Chang Chuan stopped sheepishly. His Fire Ability couldn't compare to Jiang Chu's Ice Ability; once released, it couldn't be taken back.

Seeing this, Jiang Chu utilized her power as a Level 5 Ability User, converting her energy into ice water to extinguish the flames.

Afterward, she quickly dealt with the other zombies present.

"This is..." Zhao Jingyao was slightly moved. The energy she just transformed wasn't unmelting ice, but crystal-clear water. Was this another perk of a Level 5 Ice Ability User?

The others were also incredibly shocked, their surprise accompanied by envious gazes.

With such a powerful ability, Jiang Chu didn't need to worry about water shortages.

In reality, Jiang Chu wasn't lacking at all; the water source in her space was sufficient for her use. Zombies collapsed in heaps, and Zhao Jingyao's Air Ability functioned even better.

She looked up; they had to capture the leader first.

There was no telling how many more zombies were in this mall. Instead of waiting for it to release waves of zombies, they might as well take the initiative and go up to find it.

The zombies on the first floor were almost all dead. She frowned and said coldly, "The mastermind zombie is on the fifth floor. We can't just wait down here to die. I'm going up."

Chang Chuan looked surprised, a few hints of amazement appearing on his aged face. He thought for a moment and said with determination, "We'll go with you."

The top floor was dangerous; they could be wiped out by that high-level zombie at any moment. But fighting alone down here might be even more dangerous.

With Ability Users like them here, the high-level zombie likely wouldn't target the ordinary squad members who were hiding, so they would serve as decoys to draw fire. Above the hall were the second, third, and fourth floors; each floor had many Level 2 zombies, and Level 3 zombies frequently jumped down from above.

Fighting across levels was equivalent to seeking death. It was better to take a chance and follow the Leader of Shengjing Base; if she won, they might gain a chance at survival.

If Shengjing hadn't joined, the people from their three bases wouldn't have even made it past the main hall today.

Lin Yufeng and the others thought the same. His expression shifted from playful banter to gravity. "This is the only way."

Seeing that everyone was willing to go up, Jiang Chu began her ascent.

The stairs were littered with zombie remains; she stepped over them expressionlessly as she climbed.

The others followed closely behind her.

The zombies on the second floor seemed to have been waiting for their arrival. As soon as they appeared, dozens of Level 2 zombies led the charge. A few Level 2 zombies with abilities unleashed their powers, lunging at them with elemental energy.

The goal was simple: to separate them.

To say there wasn't a high-level zombie manipulating things from behind—no one would believe it.

"These zombies act as if they have brains. In a mall this large, we'll still be separated," Lin Yufeng gritted his teeth, blowing a gale that made the shop doors on the second floor rattle precariously.

He forcefully controlled the wind, swirling ordinary zombies and a small portion of Level 2 zombies into the air, using the wind's force to hurl them down into the main hall.

Only when a loud crash echoed from below did he breathe a sigh of relief, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. Qiao Rui took the opportunity to raise her long saber, charging forward with extreme speed to decapitate a Level 2 zombie.

The abilities of Ning Ting, Chen Qingqing, and the others weren't suited for direct attack, so they fired guns at the zombies' heads to help share the pressure.

Ji Chen's expression was dark. He usually maintained a gentle image, and it was rare to see him so solemn.

"It's too dark; we can't even see clearly. How can we spot every zombie approaching?" He suppressed the zombies' movements for three seconds, coordinating with Jiang Chu to pierce through them.

He looked up at her and said softly, "There are too many zombies; we can't kill them all. We'll hold them off for you. You just need to charge up."

These words were spoken heavily after Ji Chen had gone through countless internal struggles. It was also their fault for not investigating thoroughly before acting recklessly with the other bases. If the zombie on the top floor exceeded Level 5, he didn't dare imagine their end.

Ji Chen decided to use the others, including himself, as Fuel, just to get Jiang Chu to the top. Only she had the possibility of standing against a high-level zombie.

If she lost, they would all be buried together. But if she won, even if he died, that death would have meaning.

Ji Chen did not fear death, not even now.

He gave Jiang Chu a deep look. Being looked at like that, Jiang Chu felt an indescribable, bitter sensation in her heart.

She understood his intent.

Until now, her kindness toward him had been a mix of old sentiment and a hint of exploitation. She knew he was special, knowing the uniqueness of a Mental Ability User in the apocalypse. That was why, when the apocalypse broke out and he was in dire straits, she had rescued him from the fire.

It wasn't entirely out of emotion. Seven years in the apocalypse had bred a cold-bloodedness in her, making part of her motivation the recognition of his value.

But Ji Chen knew nothing of this, treating her with his whole heart, not hesitating to sacrifice himself as Fuel.

Zhao Jingyao glanced at Ji Chen, rarely standing on the same side as him. He took the lead in killing a group of Level 2 zombies to clear the path to the third floor. For an Ability User who had only recently reached Level 3, eliminating a large number of Level 2 zombies had consumed more than half of his Ability Core's energy, but there was no other way.

The only hope lay with Jiang Chu.

"Go," Zhao Jingyao pushed her, his tone carrying a cold, reliable weight. "You can't die here, and neither can we."

The corners of his mouth curved up with difficulty. "Shengjing Base was only recently established; we can't lose five Ability Users all at once. If there's no turning point, just try to escape."

Jiang Chu was pushed forward. She lowered her eyes and quickly ran upward.

Ji Chen likewise controlled the zombies on the third floor, buying her time to reach the next level.

Jiang Chu killed a group first, and upon reaching the stairs leading to the top floor, she halted her steps.