Clearing the Area

Bai Yaoyao told everyone, "Most of the level-two and level-three Crystal Cores are nature-type, so let's give them to Lulu first. Once we push Lulu's ability to level three, we'll have large-scale AOE damage.

Tomorrow's high-level Crystal Cores will go to A-Dai. That way, each of our three squads will have someone at level three.

After that, we should prioritize Fat Brother's and Stone's Earth Ability defense and crowd-control skills, along with Peiqi's healing ability, so we're prepared if anything goes wrong.

Does anyone have any other ideas?" Bai Yaoyao asked.

"Yaoyao, what about yours?" Lulu asked.

"Hehe, I grabbed a little extra when I went out looking for Little Crook last night and collected some Crystal Cores," Bai Yaoyao replied.

"That's not fair, Sister Yao! You went off for a feast without us!" Xiao Shiliu teased.

"I have a spatial ability, so it's easier for me to escape danger..." Bai Yaoyao was about to explain further, but when she saw everyone's worried looks, she quickly changed her tune. "I was wrong. I'll tell everyone beforehand next time!"

"Exactly! We're a team. We face things together. Boss, don't worry. Even if all I have is a speed ability, whenever everyone's in danger, I'll be the first to rush in and cover the retreat!" Xiaomi said, thumping his chest.

Bai Yaoyao slapped him. "Get lost! Can't you watch your fucking mouth? Knock on the table and spit that bad luck away!"

Of course Bai Yaoyao knew Xiaomi meant every word. That was exactly what he had done in her previous life. Even without an ability, he had rushed in to cover their retreat, so hearing him suddenly say that was more than she could bear.

"I was wrong, I was wrong! Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Xiaomi hastily knocked on the table and kept spitting away the bad luck.

Everyone joined in scolding Xiaomi, forgetting all about Bai Yaoyao going out for an "extra meal" the night before. Only Lulu shot Bai Yaoyao a fierce glare.

"Everyone else gets thirty-five Crystal Cores each. Hurry up and absorb them. Little Crook will keep watch tonight. Call us if anything happens," Bai Yaoyao said.

After taking their Crystal Cores, everyone had planned to sit leaning against the wall. Instead, Bai Yaoyao pulled twelve large beds straight out of her space, all fully made up with four-piece bedding sets.

"Whoa! I thought we'd have to rough it tonight. I never expected beds!"

"Awesome! Sister Yao, you really do have everything in your space!"

"Of course. I spent billions. I had so much money I didn't even know how to spend it, so naturally I bought everything. Hurry up and absorb your cores," Bai Yaoyao said with a smile.

Over the next few days, Bai Yaoyao led everyone in clearing out the entire University Town.

"Sister Yao, this is the last school, H City University of Political Science, Law, and Finance," Xiaomi said, sounding a little tired as he wiped his slightly rolled blade.

"Here, take another one. We'll repair this one when we get back and use it again.

Xiaomi, take it one step at a time." After noticing the blade, Bai Yaoyao gave Xiaomi a new Mountain-Cleaving Knife.

Over the past few days, everyone's ability levels had gradually risen, and they rarely fought at close range anymore. Only Xiaomi, whose sole ability was speed, still hacked at zombies with a knife.

After hearing Bai Yaoyao say that danger made it easier to awaken new abilities, he lured several zombies at once every time. In three days, he had rolled the edges of several blades. Everyone watched with their hearts in their mouths, terrified he would get bitten.

Xiaomi might have seemed like a careless rascal, but he was actually fiercely competitive. Afraid of holding everyone back, he pushed himself especially hard.

"I know my limits, Sister Yao," Xiaomi said with a smile.

Seeing that Xiaomi wasn't listening, Bai Yaoyao stopped trying to persuade him and simply told Little Crook to focus on helping him.

They walked into the school and looked around, only to find something strange.

"What's going on with this school? There are barely any zombies, and we haven't seen any students. We finally spot someone alive, and they turn around and run," Dada Juan said, puzzled.

"Follow him."

The man was clearly wearing construction-site work clothes and a hard hat. He definitely wasn't a student. His first reaction to seeing them wasn't curiosity but guilt, which piqued Bai Yaoyao's curiosity.

When the man saw Bai Yaoyao and the others following him, he ran even faster.

Xiaomi and A-Dai activated their speed abilities and caught him in no time.

"Why are you running?" Bai Yaoyao asked.

"You're chasing me! How could I not run?" the man retorted indignantly.

"Why does it smell so strongly of blood?" Stone rubbed his nose and looked toward the auditorium ahead.

"Let's go inside and take a look."

"Boss! Boss! The cops are here!"

"You still dare to talk? You fucking want to die?" Monkey punched the man in the stomach, sending him crumpling to the ground.

"A soldier's beating me! I'm going to report you! I'm going to... Urgh..."

The closer Bai Yaoyao got to the auditorium, the stronger the smell of blood became.

Fat Brother hurled a chunk of earth, smashing the door open. Gunfire rang out, but fortunately, everyone was prepared and had already dodged aside.

"Holy shit, assault rifles? Who's in there? They even have gear like that," Dada Juan exclaimed.

Bai Yaoyao glanced inside during a gap in the gunfire. At least twenty-odd corpses lay on the floor. Judging by their clothes, they were probably all students, both male and female.

Four people held guns, while a crowd behind them carried clubs, stools, kitchen knives, and all kinds of other weapons. Some were students, and others were construction workers.

"Surround them!" the man leading them shouted. Everyone rushed out and encircled Bai Yaoyao's group, leaving no gaps.

"Wang Jianbin?" Peiqi suddenly said.

"What's his story?" Bai Yaoyao asked curiously, seeing that Peiqi recognized him.

"He's vicious. He went into an elementary school and tortured seventeen children to death, one after another. He even recorded it. He was wanted, and the whole thing caused an uproar online. I never expected him to flee to University Town," Peiqi briefly explained.

When Peiqi had come to H City to buy property, she had seen the police searching door to door, yet they still hadn't caught him. He clearly had some skills.

"Why did he kill elementary school kids?" Bai Yaoyao asked curiously.

"I don't know the details. A girl I know in the underworld said it was because the students' parents took up more than half the road while picking up their kids, blocking his way. He sat through three traffic lights without getting through, so he came back the next day specifically to take revenge," Peiqi said.

"Holy shit, that vicious? The parents blocked the road, so what did the kids have to do with it? Is he a fucking moron?" Xiao Shiliu cursed in disbelief.

Stone frowned as well. "Yaoyao, this man deserves to die."

Bai Yaoyao nodded. None of them could really be called good people, but at least they didn't slaughter innocent people indiscriminately. Wang Jianbin was a genuine psychopath, capable of doing something like that even to children.

With such a heavy stench of blood coming from the auditorium, they didn't need to think to know what had happened.

Nothing good would come from someone like him growing stronger. Better to kill him now.

"Who are you people? If you know what's good for you, leave now. We'll stay out of each other's way!"

One look told Wang Jianbin that not a single person in this group was ordinary. They definitely weren't cops like his subordinate had claimed. They had to be involved in the underworld. With the equipment they carried, they might even be international mercenaries.

Even the women looked like people he shouldn't mess with.

"Since we're already here, leaving empty-handed isn't our style." Bai Yaoyao smiled and stepped forward, utterly unconcerned by the four assault rifles.