Farsighted Considerations

A cluster of blue-green flames sprang into existence, coiling around Xu Xiao's arm.

The searing pain made him cry out uncontrollably, and the item he had taken out fell to the floor.

Ye Xiu's eyes remained calm and undisturbed.

"What made you think I would bare my back to others without reservation?"

Xu Xiao wanted to speak, but the intense pain spreading from his palm made it difficult for him to open his mouth.

The flames were clearly not very hot; they had not even burned through his clothes. Yet he felt an uncontrollable, bone-piercing agony drilling into his mind.

Ignoring Xu Xiao as he was scorched by the Yin Soul Fire, Ye Xiu wrapped his hands in spiritual power before picking up the pistol that had fallen to the ground.

Once it was in his hand, Ye Xiu was surprised to discover that this strangely shaped pistol was as light as air.

He opened the magazine, only to find it completely empty.

What was going on?

Ye Xiu raised his head. Before him, Xu Xiao spoke with difficulty.

"I... mean... no harm..."

Snap.

Ye Xiu snapped his fingers, and Xu Xiao immediately felt the drilling pain vanish without a trace.

He collapsed into the chair, gasping for breath, his entire body soaked through with sweat from the pain.

No matter what kind of firearm it was, it needed energy to operate.

Gunpowder or the crystal cores mentioned earlier—Ye Xiu inspected the weapon from top to bottom, yet failed to find anything that could serve as ammunition.

With a click, he chambered the gun, pulled the bolt, and fired at Xu Xiao's arm. The only sound that echoed through the air was the dry click of an empty gun.

"This is a third-generation crystal core pistol. It uses the crystal cores of mutated beasts or zombies as ammunition, and it's compatible with ninety percent of the materials dropped by monsters. It can inflict fatal damage on zombies below the fourth rank."

Seeing the interest in Ye Xiu's eyes, Xu Xiao, having recovered somewhat, added his explanation.

"I don't know why you're so resistant to other people, but in this world, you can't survive by relying on yourself alone."

"You brought Miss Xu to Azure Prefecture. I don't know what your purpose is, but at the very least, you're seeking stability. Here in Azure Prefecture, aside from Kabbalah's people, we're the only ones with the strength to offer it."

"I don't intend to make you work for nothing either. If you contribute, naturally, you should be rewarded..."

Listening to Xu Xiao ramble on, Ye Xiu felt that perhaps he had overreacted.

Although Xu Xiao seemed to have little sense of boundaries when doing things, looking back on it, Ye Xiu had to admit that he truly had no ill intentions.

"So, this is recruitment?"

Ye Xiu sat down across from Xu Xiao again.

"If you want a definite answer."

Xu Xiao's expression grew serious.

"Ye Xiu, I now formally invite you on behalf of Starfire."

"If you are willing to stand with us, we will provide you with the safest accommodation we can, the resources you need, and weapons produced by the research institute in the rear."

It had to be said that Xu Xiao had offered exceptionally generous terms. What could be more tempting than these things in the apocalypse?

Yet Ye Xiu did not show the ecstatic joy Xu Xiao had expected.

He understood deeply that there was no such thing as a free lunch. The more benefits you took, the greater the responsibilities you naturally had to bear.

"Then what is the price?"

Ye Xiu asked.

"Clear out zombies on schedule, search for materials, and of course, if you're willing, there's no harm in taking on those inhuman bastards from Kabbalah."

Xu Xiao spread his hands. "Starfire exists to carry on human civilization."

"Of course, if you're unwilling, we won't force you. I'll still arrange shelter IDs for you, but after that, you'll have to rely on yourselves."

Watching Ye Xiu fall into thought, Xu Xiao could not help growing nervous.

To be honest, Ye Xiu was the strongest ability user he had ever seen. Not only was his strength unfathomable, he even possessed multiple abilities. If someone like that ever sided with Kabbalah, Starfire's influence in Azure Prefecture would undoubtedly suffer another crushing blow.

While Xu Xiao was tense, Ye Xiu had already made his decision.

He had no reason to refuse.

It was simply that Ye Xiu did not intend to agree so easily.

People were all like that—what they obtained too easily, they never cherished properly. What they could seek but never obtain, however, would forever tug at their hearts.

Ye Xiu's mind was very clear.

Xu Xiao wanted to recruit him because of his combat strength, but he did not want to join based on strength alone.

He still had to save his sister, and that would inevitably put him against the Kabbalah organization.

To fight such a colossal entity, he naturally could not rely only on himself.

And Starfire, a ready-made organization, had happened to come knocking at his door. If he simply let this opportunity go, even Ye Xiu himself would not be able to accept it.

Of course he could join them, but he absolutely could not be controlled by others.

"I can join you."

Ye Xiu spoke steadily. Before the joy on Xu Xiao's face could fade, he immediately added another sentence.

"But not now."

"Didn't you say the organization would assign corresponding missions? I'll act with you as an external member for the time being. It'll also be a good chance for everyone to get to know each other better."

Xu Xiao naturally understood the deeper meaning behind those words.

Ye Xiu wanted to use this opportunity to demonstrate his abilities to the organization. At the same time, it was a process of observing Starfire from within.

At present, the two sides had entered a situation of mutual evaluation.

"No problem."

By the time he left Xu Xiao, it was already late at night. Yet what met his eyes was still a brilliant blaze of lights.

"Brother Xiu, our ID plaques have been processed."

Amid the crowd, Xu Hualing raised the two ID plaques in her hand and waved them at Ye Xiu.

According to the rules, everyone living in the shelter had to regularly pay a certain amount of Soul Crystals to activate their identity plaque.

After being collected by the official Human Federation, those Soul Crystals would be used as energy to power the shelter. Anyone without an ID plaque would find it impossible to move a single step within the shelter.

Besides that, the ID plaques could also monitor whether their holders had become infected.

Within this shelter, possessing an ID plaque could be said to guarantee, at the very least, the most basic trust for others to interact with you.

Although they had not directly joined Starfire, Xu Xiao still helped the two of them obtain ID plaques. At Ye Xiu's request, he had also placed them among the latest batch of newcomers to the shelter.

"Let's find somewhere to settle down first."

Ye Xiu made his decision as he accepted the ID plaques.

Contact with Starfire would still take time. During this period, he at least needed to find a place to live.

Fortunately, in this apocalyptic age, money had already lost its value. Because of their versatility, Soul Crystals had instead become the most widely accepted currency in the apocalypse.

Although he had used quite a few when breaking through his realm earlier, they should still be enough to support them for a while.

Just as the two of them were preparing to look around, they heard a resounding shout coming from ahead.