My Cherry Will Explode in the Apocalypse – CH92

Chapter 92: Ability Advancement

Zheng Yaohua had his soldiers prepare a spacious and comfortable room for the members of Zhan Yun’s team so they could rest in peace, and he also dispatched a dedicated medical team to treat them.

At the same time, Zheng Yaohua arranged for people to go outside the city to collect zombie crystal cores. Tens of thousands of crystal cores—something that in the past might have gone completely unnoticed—had now become precious treasures that everyone wanted.

Quite a few people wanted to seize the opportunity to go outside the city and pick up some crystal cores for themselves, but Zheng Yaohua stationed heavy troops at the city gates and forbade anyone other than soldiers from entering or leaving. It took several thousand soldiers a full three hours to collect all the crystal cores.

Zheng Yaohua divided the crystal cores into two halves. One half he intended to give to Zhan Yun and his team—after all, if it hadn’t been for their help during this zombie siege, there would have been no way to deal with that Level-Four zombie. The other half was to be distributed to all the ability users and soldiers who had participated in defending the base, since they, too, had played a crucial role in the battle.

As for the Level-Four zombie’s crystal core, Zheng Yaohua carefully set it aside, intending to personally hand it over to Zhan Yun. That zombie had been killed by them, so the crystal core naturally belonged to them.

“Commander, are we really going to give even this crystal core to them?” Zheng Yaohua’s adjutant said in a low voice. “They’ve already been given half of the collected crystal cores. Wouldn’t it be fine to keep this one? This is a Level-Four zombie’s crystal core—Li Yun is already Level Three. If we keep it for him to advance, it would greatly strengthen our base’s combat power!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?!” Zheng Yaohua shot his adjutant a cold look. “They are the great benefactors of our base. Think about it—what would our situation be right now if it weren’t for them? Without them, who could have killed that Level-Four zombie? Li Yun?!”

The adjutant flushed red under the barrage of questions and lowered his head in shame. He had been thinking only about strengthening the base to face the next zombie tide, and had forgotten that without Zhan Yun and his team, the Northwest Base might already have ceased to exist.

Zheng Yaohua paid him no further attention and headed toward the room where Zhan Yun’s team was staying.

“How are they? Are they all right now?” Zheng Yaohua asked, grabbing the medical team leader.

The medical team leader gave him a very complicated look, shook his head, then pointed toward the room, signaling for him to go in and see for himself, before turning and leaving.

Puzzled, Zheng Yaohua entered the room—and then saw a completely unexpected scene.

The people he had assumed would be lying down resting were all sitting upright, brimming with vitality, each holding food prepared by the Northwest Base and devouring it with gusto.

“You’re… all fine?” Zheng Yaohua asked in astonishment.

Were these people even human? They had all been carried back just a few hours ago—how could they be so full of life again after barely three hours?

“Major Zheng, hello. Things were too rushed earlier, so I didn’t properly introduce myself. My name is Zhan Yun, and I’m the captain of this team.” Zhan Yun smiled as he sat up, introducing his teammates and explaining the reason for their earlier collapse. In fact, none of them had been seriously injured—their condition had simply been the aftereffects of the ability-enhancing potions.

Aside from Su Ruizhe, who was still unconscious after taking two bottles of the potion in succession, everyone else had basically recovered.

“Captain Zhan, our Northwest Base was able to get through this crisis safely thanks entirely to you. These crystal cores—please be sure to accept them.” Zheng Yaohua produced a suitcase packed full of crystal cores. Most of them were transparent, mixed with some pale red ones, and among them, a single peach-pink crystal core stood out as the most eye-catching.

“This is the Level-Four zombie’s crystal core?” Zhan Yun picked up the peach-pink core.

“Yes. If it weren’t for all of you working together to eliminate that Level-Four zombie, our Northwest Base might have been completely destroyed,” Zheng Yaohua said solemnly. At the time, all the zombies had been enveloped in red light, and a massive explosion had been imminent. It was Zhan Yun and Su Ruizhe who had stepped in at the crucial moment to extinguish the danger. This Level-Four crystal core naturally belonged to them.

Clearly pleased with Zheng Yaohua’s good sense, Zhan Yun smiled and nodded before putting the crystal core away. This trip to the Northwest Base had not only been about preventing a repeat of last life’s tragedy, but also about obtaining this very crystal core. Su Ruizhe had been stuck at the bottleneck between Level Three and Level Four for a long time—this Level-Four core was something they absolutely had to have.

“As for the ability-enhancing potion and the antidote—do you happen to have any extras?” Zheng Yaohua finally asked a little awkwardly after seeing Zhan Yun accept the crystal core.

He really had sent a team to seek aid because he’d heard that the Southern Base was now one of the strongest bases in the country, having developed ability-enhancing potions, antidotes, and even new types of weapons. But he hadn’t fully understood just how powerful the ability potions were. After witnessing their effects firsthand, how could he possibly not be tempted?

“Of course. We still have twenty vials of ability-enhancing serum and forty vials of antidote.”

“Would it be possible… to buy them from you?”

“Yes.” Zhan Yun agreed readily. They had come this time specifically for the Level Four zombie. Now that the matter had been resolved, it was time for them to head back. As for the remaining ability serums and antidotes, they no longer had any use for them, so selling them to Zheng Yaohua was perfectly fine.

Zheng Yaohua was instantly overjoyed. “May I ask what you’d like in exchange?”

After thinking it over, Zhan Yun said, “The twenty vials of ability serum can be exchanged for three Level Three crystal cores. The forty vials of antidote can be exchanged for five Level Two crystal cores. What do you think?”

“Deal, deal!” Three Level Three cores and five Level Two cores were well within what the Northwest Base could afford, and these ability serums and antidotes were extremely valuable to them.

The transaction was quickly concluded. After obtaining the serums, Zheng Yaohua left cheerfully, reminding his subordinates before he went to bring some extra charcoal to Zhan Yun’s room.

With full bellies and warm, comfortable bedding, Zhan Yun and the others finally enjoyed a truly restful sleep.

Su Ruizhe didn’t wake up until noon the next day. When he did, his temples throbbed painfully, and every part of his body ached, as if he had just finished running a marathon. Fortunately, he had the sunflower lamp as his secret weapon. After taking it out and shining it on himself for a while, his body quickly recovered.

Seeing that he was awake, Zhan Yun immediately had someone bring over some food. Zheng Yaohua had specifically arranged for people to stand by outside the room, ready to attend to their needs, treating them as the most honored guests of the Northwest Base.

Steaming hot noodles and stewed dishes were soon delivered. Having gone hungry for an entire day, Su Ruizhe ate to his heart’s content.

Zhan Yun handed him the Level Four crystal core and briefly told him what had happened after he fainted.

Holding the hard-won Level Four crystal core, Su Ruizhe decided to strike while the iron was hot and immediately attempt to break through to Level Four.

Zhan Yun and the others had no objections whatsoever. The crisis of the zombie siege had already been resolved, and leveling up here was perfectly safe.

Su Ruizhe took out the freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juice he had prepared from his spatial storage and handed it to Zhan Yun. Then he took a deep breath and placed the peach-pink crystal core into his mouth. The core melted instantly upon entering, quickly turning into pure energy that flowed into his body, subtly transforming it.

Just like the previous times they had advanced, Su Ruizhe soon developed a high fever. Zhan Yun stayed by his side, feeding him the juice little by little.

This time, Su Ruizhe slept for a full day and night during his advancement. When he finally woke up again, he felt as though his entire being had been reborn—his spirits were better than ever before.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Yu Dongdong sitting beside him.

“Brother, you’re awake!” Yu Dongdong exclaimed happily, his little dimples showing as he pounced forward and wrapped his arms around Su Ruizhe’s neck.

Su Ruizhe hugged him back just as happily. Dongdong had been a major contributor to their ultimate victory in this battle.

Zhan Yun, who had gone out to use the bathroom and missed his lover waking up, returned to find the two of them hugging each other.

Zhan Yun: …

Hearing the movement, Su Ruizhe lifted his head. When he saw his lover, a brilliant smile immediately spread across his face.

“Xiao Zhe… you…” Zhan Yun’s eyes widened slightly.

“What’s wrong with me?” Su Ruizhe asked in confusion.

“Your eyes… they’ve turned green…”

“Huh?” Su Ruizhe immediately took out a mirror from his spatial storage and saw that his irises had indeed turned a vivid emerald green, as if he were wearing colored contact lenses. Paired with his fair, delicate skin, refined features, and pink lips, he looked even more captivating.

Zhan Yun found it almost impossible to look away. Unable to restrain himself, he lifted Yu Dongdong out of Su Ruizhe’s arms and set him aside, claiming Dongdong’s spot for himself. He pulled his lover into his embrace and lowered his head to kiss his lips.

“Wait, the kid’s still here,” Su Ruizhe said, a little embarrassed, pushing him lightly.

“It’s fine, he’s already gone,” Zhan Yun said, sealing his mouth again.

Su Ruizhe hurriedly glanced around. Only after confirming that the child had indeed left the room did he stop resisting Zhan Yun’s closeness, soon becoming lost in Zhan Yun’s domineering and passionate kisses.

When Zheng Jiahe and the others returned from outside, they saw the child, bundled up in a down jacket, sitting obediently by the door with Little Black in his arms.

“Hey, Dongdong, why aren’t you going inside? It’s so cold out here.”

“The big brothers are kissing. I’m not allowed to go in,” the child said seriously.

Don’t let his young age fool you—Yu Dongdong had seen his parents kissing before. His mom had said that when people are kissing, you’re not allowed to peek, so he was being very good and waiting outside.

“Hahahahahaha…”

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