14 New Skills and Companions

The second hunt for Bai Shen and his group turned out to be a pleasant surprise. This was because, while killing a zombie, it dropped a skill.

Fireball: Allows the user to create a fireball and throw it toward an enemy. Unlocks Mana Attribute.

"This is..." Not to mention the girls and Fatty Jiang, even Bai Shen was moved after reading the skill's description.

While he had predicted the apocalypse and seen some interesting scenes, he wasn't aware that Mana was a thing. But since it was right in front of his eyes, how could he deny it?

"Does anyone want this skill?" asked Bai Shen.

"I'll pass; my spear is enough to focus on," Aunt Xiu declined.

"Me too, since I can't really use it with my bow, it's pretty much useless for me."

"It doesn't have synergy with me since I'll focus on defense." Fatty Jiang also quickly excluded himself.

This meant that only Lin Ruoxi and Bai Shen remained.

"Ruoxi, why don't you take it? With this skill, you'll have a greater chance at survival," said Bai Shen after a moment.

"I'm a bit tempted by it, but since you are our best option, and also the only one who can increase his attributes at a perverted rate, I think it will be more useful with you."

Contemplating for a while, Bai Shen nodded his head. He decided to accept the skill since Lin Ruoxi was right.

Ding! Skill: Fireball learned.

Name: Bai Shen (18)

Level: 7 [35/250]

Talent: Stealing, Prediction

Attributes: 3

Strength: 25.3

Agility: 25.1

Physique: 25.6

Charisma: 9.2

Luck: 1.3

Mana: 10 (100 MP)

Skills: Fireball

Inventory

Seeing an additional attribute and skill in his system, Bai Shen was overjoyed.

Not only had they managed to kill many zombies, but they also received a skill for their efforts. Even though it was basic, it would be very useful in the early stages of the apocalypse.

"Please move a bit farther away; I'm going to test this skill's might." A few moments later, the others backed away.

Since Bai Shen decided to test Fireball's power, it was only natural for them to keep some distance, lest they get burned.

'Fireball,' slowly chanting the skill's name, Bai Shen saw a red light gathering at his hand. Pointing a finger forward, the red light increased in size before being launched towards a car.

Boom! After colliding with the automobile, the fireball exploded, creating a resounding boom.

'Awesome!' Bai Shen was thrilled by the might of his skill. Checking his attributes, Bai Shen saw that only his Mana Attribute decreased. From the previous 10 points of Mana to 9, his MP also decreased from 100 to 90.

'So, one Mana equals ten MP.'

Completing his demonstration, Bai Shen turned to Li Meixue and the others. "This skill will surely help us a lot! I can feel its strength. I'm not even sure if I can resist it head-on."

Once again on the move, Bai Shen and the group decided to adopt a more detailed approach this time.

He warned them of the possibility of zombies evolving or mutants appearing, prompting the group to focus more on their surroundings.

———

"Run!" A man's voice suddenly shouted to three people: one middle-aged man, a beautiful woman in her late 20s, and a young boy.

Hearing their friend's shout, the three quickly turned and ran without stopping. Turning a corner, they saw blood splattering the alley they had just escaped from.

Gritting their teeth, the three fought back tears and continued to run.

After a while, the trio stopped in front of an open store. They exchanged glances, and the middle-aged man nodded and rushed inside. After a short while, the woman and boy followed him.

"Mister Tang?" The woman asked in a trembling tone while holding the young boy's hand.

"Over here!" Almost inaudible, Mister Tang's whisper reached the two. They quickly joined the man, who was hiding behind a shelf.

"Uncle Tang, I'm scared..." The young boy, around 11 years old, began to sob. Just half an hour ago, he had lost both his parents to zombies, leaving the poor child too frightened to even call for help.

His neighbor, Diane Reynolds, who was holding his hand, had thought about him and his family, as they were quite close; so she rushed to see their situation.

She had entered his apartment and faced two zombies, using a kitchen knife she had managed to find somewhere. Luckily, two other neighbors, Lin Cheng and Uncle Tang, arrived at that moment to help.

"Don't worry, little Feng, I'm sure everything will be alright," Diane tried to comfort the young boy.

She had moved to Shanghai from the US due to some circumstances, and she found herself quite fond of the place. Most people were nice to her, especially because she was a foreigner in another country.

"Let's gather some provisions while we're still here. We can't return to our apartments now since those monstrosities are gathering there," Uncle Tang suggested. As he tried to move, the sound of the door being pushed reached their ears.

Click!

"Fatty, don't call me that ever again."

"But Shen, this sounds so cool! I'll say it again, Boss Bai Shen..."

Fatty Jiang's words were cut short, not because he saw a zombie or anything, but because he saw normal humans facing him.

"Who are you?" Fatty Jiang turned toward Bai Shen, asking for his opinion.

"Are you survivors?" Bai Shen's magnetic voice managed to calm Diane and the other two. As fellow humans, they saw a glimmer of hope in this new, apocalyptic world.

"My name is Diane, and these two are my neighbors, little Feng and Uncle Tang. We were chased out of our apartments by a group of zombies that continued to gather there."

"A group of zombies gathering?" Bai Shen seemed to be deep in thought. "Are you sure they gathered there?"

"Yes."

"Good... Diane, would you and the other two mind joining my group? We're going to offer you protection, food, and a place to stay."

"What do you say?"