Chapter 20: The Savior Part 3

The neighborhood’s landscaping was excellent, with small gardens separating each building, not densely packed.

Ahead after entering was a large garden. To the left of the garden was a kindergarten, to the right a path to the underground parking lot, and beyond the garden stood staggered buildings.

But because the neighborhood was too new and few people had moved in, despite complete facilities, it lacked vitality everywhere, appearing spacious and eerily quiet.

Quiet in an overly unusual way.

Bai Chen Zhu examined the neighborhood map on the bulletin board. “Blossoming Flowers Residences Building A, 910…”

Jiang Ye said helplessly, “It’s 901.”

Bai Chen Zhu focused only on remembering where Building A was and nodded. “A910…”

Jiang Ye reiterated, “It’s 901!”

Bai Chen Zhu propped his chin and sighed. “Ninth floor, so high. Should we shout from downstairs? Maybe the little girl will respond?”

“No.” Jiang Ye disagreed. “She can’t hear from this height, and the noise will attract mutants. Also, we can’t take the elevator.”

Bai Chen Zhu’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Jiang Ye in some surprise. “No elevator? We have to walk up?”

Jiang Ye nodded. “Unless you want the elevator to drop midway or suddenly open to a monster’s bloody maw…”

“Stop.” Bai Chen Zhu raised his hands in surrender.

A faint sound came from nearby. Jiang Ye’s expression changed slightly as he pulled Bai Chen Zhu around the greenery toward Building A.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Bai Chen Zhu glanced back. In that glance, a four-limbed crawling infant entered his eyes, and his pupils contracted sharply.

It was clearly far away, but that thing bizarrely enlarged before him: swollen purplish skin, eyes filled entirely with black pupils, every detail exposed clearly without omission.

Noticing Bai Chen Zhu’s gaze, the child gave him an innocent smile, its mouth a bloody red, the laughter ghostly as it reached him.

His throat bobbed, nearly vomiting. The next second, Jiang Ye covered his eyes. Jiang Ye’s gaze sharply swept over the little monster and whispered in Bai Chen Zhu’s ear, “Don’t panic, follow me.”

Jiang Ye forcefully pulled the pale-faced Bai Chen Zhu into the elevated lobby, pushed open the heavy iron fire escape door, and entered the stairwell.

“You have to get used to it.” Watching Bai Chen Zhu retch while supporting himself against the wall, Jiang Ye leaned against the wall tossing his stick casually, unconcerned. “Some things can’t be avoided by running; they’re no longer human.”

Bai Chen Zhu steadied his breathing. “I’m getting used to it.”

“Mm.” Jiang Ye said, “Next, try emptying your mind.”

Bai Chen Zhu looked at him puzzled.

Jiang Ye explained, “It was drawn to you. You need to learn to control your superpower. Imagine you’re a roast chicken, and what you need to do now is control that intangible ‘scent’ of yours.”

Seeing Bai Chen Zhu still didn’t get it, Jiang Ye had to speak slower. “Don’t understand? Simply put, think of nothing. Don’t be curious, don’t try to ‘see’ distant places, don’t try to ‘hear’ trivial sounds. Focus only on your immediate senses.”

“Think of nothing?” Bai Chen Zhu mused.

“Right, learn to control your thoughts, control what not to think about from afar. Focus entirely on following me and listening to me.” Jiang Ye said seriously. “I know you don’t want this, but if you don’t want to be torn apart and eaten by monsters, you must do as I say.”

“By your logic, I’m a liability who only attracts monsters.” Bai Chen Zhu couldn’t figure it out. “If so, why bring me?”

Jiang Ye quirked his lips. “Yeah, I could’ve come alone faster. But this time, I brought you for another purpose: to help you adapt to the environment.”

He wanted to personally train someone to fight side by side. Bai Chen Zhu had awakened at a perfect time; when Jiang Ye discovered his uniqueness in the villa, he had no intention of letting him go.

Bai Chen Zhu looked at him inquiringly. “What use could I be to you?”

“Huge use. You’re a rare mental ability user with great talent.” As Jiang Ye’s words fell, he saw excitement spark bit by bit in Bai Chen Zhu’s eyes.

Bai Chen Zhu grabbed Jiang Ye’s forearm and asked repeatedly, “What exactly is my superpower? How do I use it!”

In the apocalypse, superpowers were like amulets.

But what exactly was a mental ability user? Bai Chen Zhu racked his brains trying to recall book contents he had read.

No doubt, nothing came up. As time passed, those memories blurred. He rubbed his forehead, unable even to remember specifics, only a vague idea.

“It’s one in a hundred thousand among ability users.” Seeing he cared, Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow.

But now, he had to dampen the overly excited someone’s enthusiasm. “Just now, your superpower’s drawbacks outweigh benefits. Your mental power attracts instinct-driven monsters; in their eyes, you’re more enticing than other food. As for your ability… well, so far besides attracting monsters, it has no other use.”

Bai Chen Zhu immediately thought of a common trope. “So next, do I upgrade using crystals from zombie brains?”

“You…” Seeing Bai Chen Zhu’s excitement overflowing, Jiang Ye changed tack. “Dead wrong. Read too many novels? Dream on. Zombie brains don’t have that stuff; they’re creatures that discarded mental power for extreme physical enhancement. Want to upgrade? Use it or lose it—the only way is to learn control, practice more, use more.”

“Simply put, if you’re noob, just practice more.” Jiang Ye’s lips curved in his usual mocking smile, half-amused.

No upgrading by eating crystals. Bai Chen Zhu looked at him listlessly, sulking dispiritedly.

“Today’s task is to learn restraint; you must control it.” Thinking of how this guy had stretched his mental power without any sense of distance last night, Jiang Ye asked uneasily, “Did you hear what I said clearly?”

If it happened again, he wasn’t sure if his hands would act before his brain, and the guy in front of him would end up in pieces.

What else could he do? Bai Chen Zhu nodded. “You know more; I’ll follow you.”

When Jiang Ye went upstairs, he closely followed behind, vigilantly observing the surroundings.

The stairwell was covered in dust, walls bearing remnants of dark red bloodstains. They walked up, leaving two rows of footprints.

Through the iron doors, Bai Chen Zhu faintly heard strange noises from some floors, but remembering Jiang Ye’s words, he didn’t listen, didn’t look, didn’t probe, limiting everything to his bodily senses.

Jiang Ye’s reactions far exceeded Bai Chen Zhu’s expectations. Each time a noise approached, he yanked Bai Chen Zhu along twisting paths, constantly switching stairwells.

The practiced evasion saved them trouble but lengthened the already long journey.

The two ran nonstop. With three floors left, Bai Chen Zhu finally couldn’t hold on. He gripped the railing, panting, fine sweat beading on his forehead.

Even though he used to work in an office year-round, climbing a few floors wasn’t an issue before. Now, he was truly exhausted.

Bai Chen Zhu didn’t want Jiang Ye to look down on him. He forced himself to hold on, but his body wouldn’t obey, and his knees buckled, nearly kneeling.

Seeing Jiang Ye about to pull ahead, he had no choice but to gasp along the handrail, his other hand clutching Jiang Ye’s clothing corner weakly. “Slow down.”

“Hm?” Jiang Ye belatedly turned back, saw his face pale as a ghost, body temperature slightly low—clear signs of exhaustion.

The stairwell was very quiet, only their breathing audible. Bai Chen Zhu’s vision blurred, ears buzzing, leg muscles trembling uncontrollably.

Jiang Ye grabbed Bai Chen Zhu’s wrist and pulled him up. He slowed his pace markedly, clearly accommodating Bai Chen Zhu.

Uncomprehending, Bai Chen Zhu followed his pull up the stairs.

When he raised his eyes, his gaze was dazed yet stubborn, making him seem very obedient. His eyelashes fluttered like brushes, softening Jiang Ye’s heart and dispelling even the faint impatience.

After all, he was still young. Jiang Ye thought this way. Although his physical age was a year younger than others, Jiang Ye prided himself that his soul was nearly ten years older than others, so he ought to take care of the ‘little kid’.

Jiang Ye pressed his shoulders down like he was handling a doll and made him sit. He bent at the waist and used the back of his hand to feel his forehead, confirming there were no major issues. Very naturally, he took out mineral water and two pieces of bread from his small bag, tore open the packaging, and stuffed them into his hands.

He did not seem surprised by Bai Chen Zhu’s frail body. In fact, he accepted it better than Bai Chen Zhu himself. “For your build to keep up with me this far is impressive enough.”

Bai Chen Zhu assumed he knew the original host had a heart condition, so he was deliberately taking care of him, and thus said nothing.

The midday sun shone through the clear window, half-draping over him. It lit Jiang Ye’s face with a rare gentleness. “You need rest. Eat something first to settle your stomach.”

Bai Chen Zhu looked at the bread in his hands, then at Jiang Ye, and could not help feeling a bit moved. He thought that this guy seemed pretty devious on the surface, but he was quite reliable when it counted.

As expected of a protagonist.

Over there, Jiang Ye had already wolfed down a whole piece of bread.