VAPBDB Chapter 32

‘Bang!!!’

After Pei Zhaozhou fired a shot, the female superhuman’s body paused.

Qi Ding, who had just arrived, glared fiercely, his face flushed, and screamed, “No, no, no…!”

The special bullets from the energy gun melted the flying vines and delicately grazed You Xiaolin’s right leg, left arm, and side of her abdomen.

None of these injuries were fatal; they only slowed down You Xiaolin’s movements.

Pei Zhaozhou didn’t intend to kill the female superhuman; he only wanted to give her a warning.

The female superhuman pressed her hand against her bleeding wound, realizing who had shot and injured her, and looked at Pei Zhaozhou with eyes full of anger.

Pei Zhaozhou showed no fear and said coldly, “I advise you to surrender and stop struggling. Make up for the losses the base has suffered because of you, or the next bullet won’t just be a simple graze.”

The female superhuman didn’t stop; she became even more agitated and lost her temper, attacking Pei Zhaozhou relentlessly.

Pei Zhaozhou frowned, having no choice but to continue fighting.

The vines flying everywhere blocked most of Qi Ding’s vision. Qi Ding was just an ordinary person, and his eyesight was far inferior to that of people with superpowers. He couldn’t see what Yu Xiaolin was doing from such a distance.

All he knew was that the bullet had just now injured Yu Xiaolin.

On impulse, Qi Ding rushed forward without thinking.

The battlefields of those with superpowers are incredibly dangerous; even a single flying vine can send an ordinary person flying and severely injure them, as they have no means of defense.

Zhou Fei heard something strange nearby and rushed over. He saw a fool running towards the most dangerous center of the battle and angrily grabbed Qi Ding, scolding him.

“What’s wrong with you?! Don’t you know there’s a superhuman here who’s gone berserk? Everyone around has been evacuated, but you’re the only one who’s so determined to die!”

Qi Ding completely ignored Zhou Fei’s advice, staring blankly at Yu Xiaolin, who had lost her mind and was shot. His eyes were red and filled with tears.

Zhou Fei saw that the man had actually cried after being scolded by him, and he instantly got goosebumps. With a strange and awkward expression, he said, “I didn’t want to make you cry, but you cannot come to me later to settle scores with me. I’ve had enough bad luck lately!”

These past few days, he suddenly received orders from Captain Hu to switch jobs guarding the base gate with other ability users from other bases. He was told that he needed to prepare to go to the computer mall in the next city with Commander Si. Originally, this had nothing to do with him. Chief Cao was going to see Captain Hu, and if Captain Hu hadn’t insisted on dragging him along, Zhou Fei would still be slacking off at the base gate instead of going out to buy supplies and weapons needed for leaving the base.

He was heartbroken to have temporarily lost his job of slacking off at the base. Fortunately, he was going with Commander Si, who was trustworthy and gave him a strong sense of security. Going with Commander Si was much safer than staying at the Lucheng base.

He never expected that just going out to buy some things would lead to an incident of superhumans going out of control inside the base, and…

He had looked at the list of ability users at the base, but this female ability user was not on it, and no one knew that she was actually such a powerful wood-type ability user.

It seems that this person registered as an ordinary person. Why would they conceal their identity?

Zhou Fei squinted, eyeing the female superhuman opposite him with suspicion.

His memory wasn’t bad. Back then, this woman had a boyfriend with her. Her reaction to seeing a superhuman wasn’t normal; she looked wary and distrustful. She seemed like a rather strange person.

Speaking of her boyfriend back then, he looked just like the guy he was dragging. She actually dared to come here all by herself. 

Qi Ding, standing to the side, looked extremely anxious, repeatedly calling out to the out-of-control Yu Xiaolin, “Xiaolin… Xiaolin…”

If Zhou Fei hadn’t been holding Qi Ding back, he really would have wanted to charge into the center of the battle.

Zhou Fei said irritably, “Alright, alright! Stop shouting. See if your girlfriend Xiaolin is responding to you?”

Qi Ding’s eyes suddenly filled with frustration and dejection as he looked sadly at Yu Xiaolin, who ignored him. Suddenly, he frantically scratched his hair until his scalp bled.

“Why did Xiaolin do that? She’s not that kind of person. Is it because I didn’t leave with her…?”

Qi Ding’s eyes were red with regret; he couldn’t understand why Yu Xiaolin would do such a thing.

She’s never been an impulsive person, especially not launching an attack in a public area of ​​the base. She may have been driven mad by his reluctance to leave with Xiaolin…

He regretted it; he shouldn’t have abandoned Xiaolin.

Qi Ding raised his head and continued shouting, “Xiao Lin… I’m leaving with you. I’m willing to leave with you. Please listen to me, please stop hitting me, okay?”

Yu Xiaolin, on the other side, paid no attention to Qi Ding. She was too busy dealing with Pei Zhaozhou’s attacks to pay any attention to Qi Ding.

Looking at Qi Ding’s foolish expression, Zhou Fei realized there was no way to stop the female superhuman’s rampage. He glanced at the destroyed buildings and ground around him with a slightly darkened gaze.

It seems that cleaning up the mess will be troublesome. Fortunately, Zhou Fei didn’t see any bloodstains or bodies, so it seems that there were no casualties and the consequences are not too serious.

Zhou Fei gave the useless Qi Ding a sharp look and warned in a cold voice, “If you still want to court death, I don’t care!”

Qi Ding was instantly terrified by the coldness in Zhou Fei’s eyes, which sent chills down his spine.

But his face was still pale, and he forced himself to say, “There might be something going on behind this. Let me ask Xiaolin about it. Xiaolin has never been one to cause trouble…”

Zhou Fei scoffed, “I don’t care about you, just don’t get in my way!”

Zhou Fei ran over to help Pei Zhaozhou. He was a fire-type ability user, naturally able to counter wood-type abilities.

Upon entering, a raging fire burned a patch of vines, creating an impressive sight.

Zhou Fei walked over to Pei Zhaozhou and said, “Brother Pei, I’m here to help you.”

Pei Zhaozhou nodded, but his expression became even more solemn, his eyes fixed on the vines that had not yet appeared in the sea of ​​fire.

Swooshh

A strong gust of wind blew by.

The flames created by Zhou Fei were scattered and extinguished, and the thick vines, as thick as tree trunks, became even more ferocious, continuously weaving into a large green net, resembling the gaping maw of a giant beast.

Zhou Fei, a superhuman with extensive combat experience, continued to use his fire-based abilities to burn all the broken vines away.

The stronger the fire, the faster the vines grew.

No matter how hard Zhou Fei tried, the fire couldn’t keep up with the rate at which the vines grew.

“Holy crap, what’s going on?!”

Zhou Fei cursed, puzzled.

Pei Zhaozhou explained, “She gives me an even stronger sense of danger than Captain Hu. She’s probably a higher-level ability user. If we only burn the fastest-growing tips of the vines instead of severing them at the roots, the number of these vines will only increase…”

Zhou Fei was surprised.

Captain Hu’s ability level is already at level seven. If it were one level higher, this female ability user would be a level eight wood-type ability user. No wonder his flames couldn’t burn away the vines.

Thinking about this…

Zhou Fei suddenly remembered that Pei Zhaozhou had been fighting an eighth-level wood-type female ability user all this time, relying on an energy gun and his extraordinary physique.

Suddenly, it’s magical. When did ordinary people become able to fight superhumans?

Zhou Fei didn’t quite understand, but he couldn’t let the female superhuman continue to cause chaos. He had already witnessed Pei Ge’s strength at the base gate, and Captain Hu’s face was swollen for several days before it went down.

Zhou Fei assisted Pei Zhaozhou in the attack, intending to continue firing.

Since they couldn’t burn it all off, they started fires everywhere to cause trouble.

All the vines caught fire at once, but it didn’t cause any damage. It just obstructed You Xiaolin’s vision, making her even more irritable.

Wood-type ability users hate fire the most.

Yu Xiaolin’s sinister and crazed gaze gradually shifted to Zhou Fei.

‘Burn, right? Let’s see if you can still burn after I break your legs!’

A perfectly intact vine, concealed by the flames and other vines, approached Zhou Fei like a green venomous snake.

Zhou Fei was unaware that most of the attacks were focused on Pei Zhaozhou, and he was just providing support and igniting the fire from the sidelines.

And follow Pei Zhaozhou’s orders, lighting fires wherever he points.

Noticing that the female superhuman’s offensive had slowed down, they assumed that her superpowers were almost exhausted.

Just as Zhou Fei relaxed his guard slightly, a thorny vine suddenly emerged from the blind spot obscured by the flames, causing Zhou Fei to freeze in surprise.

The next second, Zhou Fei realized what was happening and couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear.

Getting hit by a vine as thick as a tree trunk is no joke.

He desperately used his fire-based abilities to try to block the vines’ attack.

‘Bang–!!!’

A beam of energy bullets was fired before Zhou Fei could react. Just as the ambush vines were about to hit Zhou Fei’s face, the energy bullets pierced through the vines, causing them to begin to dissolve.

Pei Zhaozhou reacted quickly and hit the vine.

Tsk!

What a pity, if this person hadn’t reacted so quickly…

Yu Xiaolin gritted her teeth in resentment.

The broken, thorny vine did not fall to the ground; it continued to rush towards Zhou Fei.

Zhou Fei was caught off guard and was hit by the force of the vines. He put his arms over his chest and groaned, staggering back five or six steps before he could barely regain his footing.

Immediately afterwards, a beam of energy bullets pierced the ground half a meter in front of Zhou Fei’s toes, leaving a trail of molten, charred black in its wake.

If he got any closer, his toes would probably melt!

Thinking of this, Zhou Fei felt a sudden chill and emptiness in his toes.

Zhou Fei shook his numb arm with lingering fear, but he wasn’t seriously injured.

The only unexpected thing was that Pei Zhaozhou, to save him, used energy bullets in a critical situation and didn’t notice Zhou Fei’s position, almost causing Zhou Fei to die not from the vines, but from Pei Zhaozhou’s energy gun.

Zhou Fei wiped the cold sweat from his brow and looked gratefully in Pei Zhaozhou’s direction, saying, “Thank you, Brother Pei!”

Pei Zhaozhou glanced to the side and saw the ground in front of Zhou Fei that had been melted by the energy gun bullets. A look of understanding and apology flashed in his eyes.

“Sorry, the situation was urgent, and I didn’t calculate the direction of the bullet or where you would land. Zhou Fei, why don’t you go hide somewhere else first, and come out after I’ve dealt with this female superhuman?”

As he spoke, Pei Zhaozhou turned his attention back to the battle. His amber-gold eyes flashed, and he instantly severed another large number of vines created by the female ability users.

He had been thinking of avoiding the female superhuman’s fatal points and only injuring her to make her unable to resist, but he did not expect that the female superhuman’s physique was unexpectedly tough and strong.

Although it still couldn’t compare to Si Huaixi’s abnormal physique, even with the energy gun at maximum power, it couldn’t harm a single hair on Si Huaixi’s head.

Female superhumans can still be injured by energy guns, but because of their tough skin and superhuman wound-healing speed, their wounds are quickly healed.

Instead, due to her injury, the out-of-control female superhuman was enraged, and the number of vines increased wildly, more than doubling the original number.

They’re a bit difficult to deal with.

Pei Zhaozhou pursed his lips slightly, his eyes calm and sharp, and raised the energy gun once again, firing more than a dozen energy bullets in rapid succession.

A large portion of the vines that the female superhuman had used her powers to grow were gone, and the rate at which she was growing vines gradually slowed down.

The situation appears to be tilting in favor of Pei Zhaozhou, whose strength has remained intact.

But in reality, Pei Zhaozhou frowned as he looked at the energy gun’s remaining 17% energy bar.

A large swath of vines swept by, and Pei Zhaozhou swiftly and deftly leaped onto the roof, using the advantageous vantage point to fire his gun.

Gunshots rang out.

Yu Xiaolin was driven even more insane by the intense gunfire, her scalp tingling with fear.

She wasn’t as fast as Pei Zhaozhou; her only advantage was her special ability. To block Pei Zhaozhou’s gunfire, which seemed to be everywhere like a hawk, Yu Xiaolin conjured a thick layer of vine armor to envelop her body, but this also meant she was caught in a state of blind defense and unable to launch an attack on Pei Zhaozhou.

Watching as Pei Zhaozhou’s gunshots repeatedly sliced ​​away the armor of the vines.

Yu Xiaolin lacked courage and began to panic. She drove the vines to grow endlessly, and in her impotent rage, she pushed down the surrounding houses, leaving Pei Zhaozhou nowhere to hide!

The surrounding area was reduced to ruins.

Pei Zhaozhou moved calmly, occasionally firing his gun to interrupt the vines’ attacks, deliberately wearing down You Xiaolin’s supernatural abilities.

It was like a wise and cunning lion teasing a blind, venomous snake baring fangs.

Zhou Fei stepped aside, not daring to participate in the intense battle. This level was beyond his capabilities, and he might accidentally drag Pei Zhaozhou down with him.

The fighting intensified.

The female superhuman also began to experience physical exhaustion and slight shortness of breath.

Pei Zhaozhou decided to stop holding back, his amber-gold pupils flashing with a chilling light as he aimed at the female superhuman’s vital points.

Yu Xiaolin was not a superhuman who was mainly engaged in combat. She had always been hiding, even deliberately hiding in a corner where no one could find her when she was trying to grow a radish. When she was discovered, she didn’t dare to admit it. She was quite timid.

She was incredibly lucky to break through to the eighth-tier wood-type ability level. She discovered two high-level ability plants in the wilderness, and the wood-type crystal cores of the same origin allowed You Xiaolin to break through without much effort. However, she lacked combat experience.

Just now, she focused solely on promoting the growth of vines without conserving her special abilities.

The consequence of overusing her superpowers is that Yu Xiaolin is now exhausted. Her rapid breathing can be heard by everyone present, not to mention the visible slowing down of the vines.

Yu Xiaolin’s frantic mind seemed to cool down slightly, her gray eyes fixed on the muzzle of the gun pointed at her, the aura of danger and death drawing near.

But the apocalypse is a suffocating struggle of desperate death from beginning to end.

The difference between coming early and coming late… is simply that the suffering will be shorter…

She was a little tired.

She looked up at the gray sky, then at the anxious Qi Ding beside her, a trace of lingering sadness flashing in her eyes, and a slight smile curving her lips.

Facing Pei Zhaozhou’s gun barrel.

Yu Xiaolin released all her supernatural powers and stopped resisting.

Without the power to control them, the vines lost their vitality, and one by one they fell heavily to the ground, raising clouds of dust.

Looking at You Xiaolin’s farewell gaze, Qi Ding suddenly felt a blank in his mind and couldn’t help but feel a deep-seated panic seeping into his bones.

Without realizing it, his feet started moving involuntarily, and he rushed towards Yu Xiaolin.

“Xiaolin, why do you want to leave?”

‘Bang–‘

The last shot was fired.

Zhou Fei’s pupils slowly dilated. He saw Qi Ding suddenly appear in front of him as the energy bullet was fired in the direction of the female superhuman. He was surprised for a moment, but then gradually became indifferent.

Pei Zhaozhou frowned; the bullet had already been fired, and there was no going back.

A weapon is a weapon, especially a high-tech weapon like an energy gun with extremely high destructive power. He had turned the power of the last shot to the maximum to completely defeat the female superhuman.

Even a female superhuman with an eighth-level wood-type superpower might not be able to withstand it, let alone an ordinary person like Qi Ding who has no defensive power.

Pei Zhaozhou’s eyes were half-closed, and a hint of reluctance flashed in his amber-gold eyes.

The next second, that person will be hit by the energy gun and turn into a pool of molten, charred bones.

Yu Xiaolin stared blankly, watching helplessly as a beam of energy bullet was about to pierce through Qi Ding’s chest.

No one understood the power of bullets better than her. Even she had to carefully craft vine armor for protection. How could that idiot Qi Ding possibly withstand it? He’d die…

No… No… Qi Ding can’t die…

She’d rather die than face the cruel, cold reality, but that doesn’t include the possibility of Qi Ding dying in front of her…

Yu Xiaolin, her lips cracked and dry, cried out in anguish, tears streaming down her face, “No, no——————!!!”

Everyone knew the consequences of Qi Ding being shot.

Only Qi Ding stood there dumbfounded, not understanding the power of the bullet. He just looked at Yu Xiaolin’s crying and injured face and wanted to run to her side and be with her.

Just like the days when they were children and depended on each other for survival, always hungry but happily sharing the only food with Xiaolin, his heart remained at peace even in the seemingly hopeless apocalypse.

Yu Xiaolin was heartbroken; she regretted it! She regretted it!

She’d rather go and fight those damned zombies right now than watch Qi Ding die before her eyes because of her mistake!

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

She was wrong. She was willing to pay any price to save Qi Ding, no matter who it was!

Tears blurred Yu Xiaolin’s vision.

The bullet was inches from Qi Ding; in the next second, Qi Ding would be reduced to ashes right before her eyes.

Pei Zhaozhou suddenly looked in one direction.

With that person’s appearance, the world seemed to come to a standstill.

A sudden silence—

The air was frozen, the birds that had flown over the area stopped, and the dust rising from the collapsed buildings remained motionless, like ice crystals…

Even the energy bullet stopped less than ten centimeters behind Qi Ding.

Pei Zhaozhou’s pupils dilated slightly. His consciousness was still processing the information, but his body was frozen in place, as if controlled by some invisible force.

Time stopped—

As all things in the world move and time flows, so too does everything else.

When everything in the world stops moving, the concept of time standing still becomes meaningless.

Si Huaixi walked over alone.

We stepped over a ruin ravaged by battle, treading on mud bricks that would have taken a long time to make.

The fear, confusion, and various expressions on everyone’s faces were all visible.

He grasped the purple-blue bullet beam that was suspended in mid-air, a bullet that could turn Zidane to ashes.

Si Huaixi gently clenched his fist, and the immense energy compressed and gathered in his palm until it transformed into an ultimate spark, which dissipated into the air without a trace.

Everyone present looked like a stiff doll.

Their gazes were fixed on the person passing by them, yet they could only see, hear, and let their thoughts wander through their minds…

Unable to react in any way, unable to move.

Si Huaixi walked up to Pei Zhaozhou, reached out and touched the insignificant scratch on Pei Zhaozhou’s face. His deep blue eyes watched quietly, as if a raging fire had been stirred up in the seemingly calm sea.

The tiny wound healed instantly when the fingertip was gently rubbed against it.

Si Huaixi continued to stroke Pei Zhaozhou’s smooth cheeks again and again, until red marks left by his fingers appeared on his fair face, which was flushed with a sadistic blush.

Pei Zhaozhou felt a sharp pain, and a hint of dissatisfaction flickered in his amber-gold eyes.

He just hoped that Si Huaixi would let go soon and stop kneading his face like dough. He also hoped that Si Huaixi would find out why he couldn’t move and quickly restore him to his original state.

“You’re injured again.”

Si Huaixi continued, his deep blue pupils concealing a suppressed desire for control, his fingertips caressing Pei Zhaozhou’s cheeks, eyelashes, and unbelievably clear, bright amber-gold eyes…

The controlling nature unique to psychic beings, Si Huaixi’s innate possessiveness and perfectionist obsession were unbearable to him… Pei Zhaozhou was injured once when he was out of his sight…

“Why didn’t you come to me for help?”

Si Huaixi untied Pei Zhaozhou’s restraints and asked coldly, with hidden anger in his eyes.

Pei Zhaozhou opened and closed his mouth as if to explain something, but under Si Huaixi’s inexplicably angry gaze, he sighed and said, “Well, this was just an accident, and I wasn’t injured. Next time I…”

“There will be no next time.”

Si Huaixi’s azure eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth, saying, “No! Next! Time!”

Pei Zhaozhou looked at Si Huaixi’s anxious face and felt a little helpless. He thought Si Huaixi was being overly nervous and said with his eyes lowered.

“… Good.”

Si Huaixi gritted his teeth when he saw Pei Maomao’s hypocrisy.

What a particularly naughty cat!