Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Cheers to the Future
Sue Lawrence’s gaze turned to Mia Keller. He had swallowed a yellow Gold Attribute Crystal Core.
Mia Keller felt a sharp current of energy surge through his body. A faint golden glow inexplicably appeared at his fingertips. He instinctively clenched his fist, and a panel lit up before him.
"C Level Sharp Gold Blade!"
Mia Keller was stunned for a moment, then ecstatic. "It can make my fingertips as hard as blades?"
Sue Lawrence nodded. "The Gold Attribute is naturally sharp and armor-piercing. You’ll slice through zombie skulls like tofu. It’s perfect for close combat."
Next was Jenny Norris. She had chosen a blue Water Element Crystal Core.
A gentle, warm current spread through her body. Unlike the fierce heat the others had felt, this one carried a refreshing, soothing quality.
She stared blankly for a moment, then softly read the words on the panel: "C Level Water Therapy Skill."
The others all sighed in relief.
Sue Lawrence smiled. "Perfect, a Healing System Superpower. From now on, we’ll be counting on you whenever someone gets injured, runs a fever, or gets an infection. Getting a healing ability from a blue core is a safe bet."
Finally, it was Vivian Young’s turn. She hadn’t picked one, so she was given a green Wood attribute Crystal Core.
The energy was gentle and enduring, not flashy like an offensive ability, but it made her whole body relax. Vivian Young looked at her panel and said softly,
"D Level Vitality Technique."
Sue Lawrence explained, "The Wood attribute is mostly support-oriented. It can speed up wound healing, relieve fatigue, and is even useful for interacting with plants. Mom, your Superpower and Jenny’s healing ability complement each other perfectly."
Now that everyone had a Superpower, and with such a wide range of abilities, they could finally go out to hunt zombies and gather more Crystal Cores.
After going around the circle, only the baby, still swaddled and nursing, hadn’t participated. A body that small couldn’t withstand the energy impact from a Crystal Core.
Having absorbed their new Superpowers, everyone was eager to test out their abilities.
Leo Lawrence suddenly clenched his fists and gave a small hop. He jumped much higher than usual, landing with a dull THUD.
"I really am stronger!"
Sue Lawrence was very pleased. ’Her son is so young; his lack of strength has been his biggest disadvantage in this apocalypse. But now, in addition to his ability to restore objects to their prime, he also has the Power System. He should be able to hold his own against zombies now. That’s great.’
Seeing Leo Lawrence test out his ability, Vincent Lawrence couldn’t resist trying as well. He raised a hand, and a small cluster of sparks burst from his palm, exploding with a BANG that sent several people scrambling backward.
The old man himself was startled, but then said in a deep voice, "My Flame Burst can blast apart a horde of zombies. It seems to be a Group Attack System ability."
’It was indeed a group attack. An explosive ability was bound to have high area-of-effect damage.’
A small, dancing flame flickered to life on Elliot Lawrence’s fingertip. He tentatively touched it to a nearby piece of deadwood, and with a WHOOSH, the wood instantly ignited.
"Guess we won’t need to look for a lighter to cook anymore," he chuckled. "And it’ll be plenty useful for fighting zombies."
Mia Keller swiped his finger through the air, creating a soft whistling sound. His face was filled with eagerness. "The next time I run into a zombie, I’m going to crack its skull wide open."
Jenny Norris gently pressed her wrist, feeling the gentle Water Element energy within her. Her gaze grew much calmer. "I’ll do my best to learn how to save people."
Vivian Young, meanwhile, stroked Leo Lawrence’s head. A faint but gentle stream of vitality flowed into him, and the boy’s fatigue from all his jumping instantly lessened.
Everyone now had a Superpower. The foundations of a complete team had been laid.
The only shame was that no one had awakened a Spiritual System Superpower. Not even the Black and White Crystal Core had managed to produce one.
’But it doesn’t matter,’ she thought. ’The whole family’s Perception is already at an animalistic level. A Spiritual System user isn’t essential for now.’
So, she ate the rest of the Crystal Cores. As everyone watched, she shrugged. "I didn’t awaken any Superpowers."
Everyone immediately tried to comfort her.
"It’s okay, you’ll get one eventually."
"Yeah, yeah! When we get more Crystal Cores, you’ll get first priority!"
Everyone chattered away, trying to console her, but Sue Lawrence remained calm. ’In my past life, I never awakened a Superpower from eating Crystal Cores, either. If I had, Jason Sterling and his group wouldn’t have thought I was useless. Since I still haven’t awakened one, I’m almost certain it has something to do with my S-Level Superpower.’
’The Raider ability is all about plundering from others. It probably doesn’t allow for self-generation.’
’It seems I can save my share of Crystal Cores from now on. If there are leftovers no one else can eat, I could try them and see if they can raise my Superpower Level. But I bet that would take a huge number of cores, wouldn’t it?’
As night fell completely, the world grew silent. Zombies roamed in the distance, their terrifying roars occasionally breaking the stillness.
But the family was already used to it. Even the youngest baby wasn’t frightened.
Vincent Lawrence took Elliot and Leo to inspect all the base’s defenses. The zombies’ roars were kept at bay far beyond the blast-proof doors. Deep inside the mine, in their small shelter, the only sounds were of running water, chopping vegetables, and irrepressible, happy laughter.
"Hot pot! Hot pot! It has to be hot pot! At that crappy base of Silas Hawthorne’s, all we ate were Meal A and Meal C. Either compressed biscuits or bland canned food. I thought my taste buds were going to die from boredom!"
Elliot Lawrence couldn’t hold it in any longer. He circled Sue, his eyes glued to her. "Hurry up and pull some real food out of your space! Fatty beef, fatty lamb, tripe, duck intestines... don’t leave anything out!"
’He’d already had it once,’ Sue thought, ’but Elliot was still craving it like crazy. The apocalypse really did a number on people.’
Amused by his pestering, Sue flicked her finger, and a small mountain of ingredients instantly appeared on the table.
There were neat rolls of marbled fatty beef, red-and-white marbled slices of fatty lamb, firmly frozen beef aorta and tripe, plus various meatballs, luncheon meat, wide noodles, and tofu. She had even provided two types of soup bases—a spicy red chili oil broth and a clear bone broth—all arranged neatly, along with drinks and dishes for dipping sauces.
"Mia and I will go pick some fresh vegetables from the garden," Vivian Young said, rolling up her sleeves and grabbing a bamboo basket.
Mia Keller immediately followed. "I’ll help. And I’ll grab a chicken while I’m at it!"
They had only been gone for a moment when a faint fluttering sound came from outside, followed by Mia Keller’s slightly excited voice: "Got it, got it! This chicken is nice and fat!"
When they returned, the bamboo basket was stuffed with fresh lettuce, celtuce, and bok choy, along with a few bright red tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. Tucked at the bottom of the basket were several free-range eggs, still warm to the touch.
The rooster had already been cleaned and placed in a pressure cooker by Vincent Lawrence to stew. The rich aroma of chicken soup soon filled the entire room.
Jenny Norris was off to the side, carefully arranging everything. She sorted the vegetables into serving bowls and set out the chopsticks and bowls for everyone.
Leo Lawrence squatted nearby, his eyes sparkling as he watched. Every so often, he would reach out to sneak a slice of meat, only to have his hand playfully slapped away by a smiling Elliot.
Before long, both electric pots were bubbling away.
The red oil broth churned with brilliant chili oil, its aroma pungent and assertive. The clear broth, with red dates and goji berries floating on top, had a rich, savory flavor.
Steam curled upward, blurring the lights and dispelling the gloom and oppression that had long defined the apocalypse. Mia Keller deftly poured everyone a glass of soda.
This was the first time since the apocalypse began that their entire family had gathered for a meal, whole and complete.
Sue Lawrence was the first to raise her cup. "To our future. Cheers!"
