Chapter 19 Roommate

Section B, compartment 7, is located at the end of a relatively quiet side passage inside the air-raid shelter.

It was less a room and more a small space that was barely partitioned off with rough wooden boards and thick canvas, with a crooked iron plate with the number "7" written on it hanging on the door.

Those who can live here are at least confirmed to have "special abilities".

Ruan Ning used the key to open the door (or rather, pushed aside the wooden board that served as the door), and a blast of air mixed with dust, sweat, and a faint energy fluctuation rushed out.

The cubicle was small, only about ten square meters, and the ceiling was somewhat cramped. A low-wattage light bulb overhead emitted a dim, yellowish light. Several old mats were laid on the floor, and at this moment, three of the mats were already occupied.

Almost the instant Ruan Ning pushed open the door, three pairs of eyes were simultaneously cast upon her, sharp and scrutinizing, carrying the unique vigilance of those with superpowers, far surpassing the numbness or fear of ordinary survivors outside.

On the cushion closest to the door sat a short-haired woman, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with healthy wheat-colored skin and sharp, eagle-like eyes.

She was dressed in a black tracksuit that allowed her to move around easily, and a gleaming fire axe lay across her knees, its blade gleaming with a dark red sheen.

She merely glanced coldly at Ruan Ning before continuing to wipe the axe handle, her demeanor exuding a menacing aura that kept strangers at bay. Ruan Ning could vaguely sense energy fluctuations emanating from her, resembling those of the metal element or a power enhancement.

In the middle, a woman who looked to be around thirty years old, wearing black-rimmed glasses and with short hair, was examining a crumpled map of the safe zone under the light.

She looked up at Ruan Ning, adjusted her glasses, and her gaze swept over her calmly and quickly, carrying an assessment.

Her lips twitched slightly, a gesture that could be considered a greeting, but she didn't speak immediately. Ruan Ning sensed faint ripples of mental energy around her, possibly indicating a mental or some kind of sensory ability.

In the innermost corner, a figure wearing a large hoodie was huddled up, the brim pulled low, completely obscuring her face. Only her figure could be vaguely identified as a young woman.

She seemed completely uninterested in Ruan Ning's arrival, not even lifting her head, as if she had merged with the shadows. But Ruan Ning's keen water-based senses detected a faint, chilling energy swirling around her, its exact nature difficult to determine.

Three roommates, three completely different temperaments, but without exception, they are all people with superpowers.

Ruan Ning remained calm, ignoring the scrutinizing gazes. She walked to the only empty mat between the doorway and the woman with glasses, and put her backpack down.

"New here?" The short-haired woman wiping her axe didn't even look up, her voice hoarse and cold.

"Mm," Ruan Ning replied.

"What's your name? What are your abilities?" This time, the one who asked was the capable woman in the middle wearing glasses. Her voice was steady, with a rational penetrating quality. In this small circle of superhumans, ability and strength are the most direct standards for measuring each other's status and threat.

“Ruan Ning. Water element.” Ruan Ning’s words were concise. She chose to reveal her water element ability, which would explain why she was able to live here and also align with her desired “support role,” reducing others’ wariness.

"Water-based?" The woman wiping her axe paused, seemingly surprised. She glanced at Ruan Ning again, her scrutiny fading slightly. "Tsk, that's rare. We're so short of water right now." Her name was Lin Yan, and her ability was strength enhancement.

The woman with glasses nodded, her expression unchanged. "Zhou Min, enhanced perception." She introduced herself succinctly, her gaze still fixed on Ruan Ning, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of her words and their potential value. "Water-based abilities are indeed in short supply; the logistics department will really need you."

The hooded figure at the very back remained unresponsive, as if asleep or simply unwilling to communicate.

Ruan Ning nodded, said no more, and began to tidy her bed.

She could sense that Zhou Min's calm gaze concealed precise calculations and assessments, while Lin Yan was straightforward and valued strength above all else, and the one at the very back... was a completely uncertain factor.

This four-person cubicle, while much safer than the outside, is still fraught with tension. Among those with superpowers, cooperation and competition coexist, and trust is a luxury.

She had just laid out the mat when the curtain of the cubicle was lifted, and a soldier poked his head in: "Block B, number 7, is Ruan Ning here? Platoon Leader Wang wants you to go to the logistics department's water treatment plant right now; they urgently need water."

“Yes, I’ll go right away.” Ruan Ning stood up.

Zhou Min adjusted her glasses and said calmly, "It seems Miss Ruan will have to start contributing to the safe zone."

Lin Yan just snorted and continued wiping her axe.

The figure at the very back remained like a frozen shadow.

Ruan Ning remained expressionless and calmly walked out of the cubicle.

Following the soldiers' directions, Nguyen Ning passed through the somewhat crowded but still orderly passageway of Area B and arrived at a place located deeper inside the air-raid shelter, which had been designated as a logistics area.

The lights here are relatively brighter, and the air is filled with the smell of disinfectant, sweat, and a unique odor of... rising steam.

The water treatment plant, located in a large space that could have been used as a storage room, was unusually busy at the moment.

Several huge plastic buckets and every container that could be found—from washbasins to broken bathtubs—were placed in the center.

Two staff members in logistics uniforms, looking exhausted, were working tirelessly, performing simple sedimentation and filtration on a small amount of murky water, with pitifully low efficiency.

Several people were already lined up nearby waiting to get water, including medical staff and cooks in charge of meals, all of whom looked anxious.

"The water-type ability user that Platoon Leader Wang ordered has arrived!" the soldier leading the way shouted.

Instantly, all eyes were focused on Ruan Ning.

The two support staff looked at them like they'd seen a savior. One of them, a slightly older man known as "Old Chen," immediately came forward, his bloodshot eyes filled with expectation: "You're the new water-type ability user? Ruan Ning?"

“It’s me,” Ruan Ning nodded.

"Great! Quick! Over here!" Old Chen practically dragged Ruan Ning to a relatively clean empty bucket. "See these buckets? And the people queuing outside! Thousands of mouths in the safe zone are counting on clean water to survive! The medical team is in dire need of it! How much can you collect? How fast? Is it drinkable?"

He fired off a barrage of questions in a hurried tone.

Ruan Ning didn't answer immediately. She first observed the environment, sensing the relatively abundant moisture in the air (the air-raid shelter itself was quite humid). Then, she raised her hands and held them above the empty bucket.

She deliberately controlled the output and speed of her energy. Instead of pursuing speed and power as she had in previous battles, she mobilized the water energy in a steady and continuous manner.

Below the palm, invisible water molecules in the air are rapidly drawn in and gathered, first forming a hazy white mist, and then clear water flows into the empty bucket like a small waterfall!

The water flow wasn't particularly rapid, but it was steady and continuous, and it became clear and transparent at a visible speed, carrying a refreshing scent.

"It's done! It really is done!" Old Chen rubbed his hands excitedly, and the other logistics staff next to him and the people waiting in line also showed expressions of relief and joy.

"This water volume...not bad! Very good!" Old Chen nodded repeatedly as he watched the water level in the bucket rise steadily. "It's much faster and cleaner than that half-baked earth-elemental ability user's attempt to seep water from the ground! Ruan Ning, right? From now on, you'll come here to work every morning! I'll report your contribution points truthfully!"

Ruan Ning didn't speak, but focused on maintaining the water flow.

She estimated that, at this "low-key" efficiency and consumption, she could work for one or two hours to fill several large buckets, which would be enough to meet the most urgent needs of the safe zone without appearing too shocking.

As she channeled water, she silently sensed the depletion and replenishment of her own energy. In this relatively peaceful application, her control over water-based abilities seemed to be subtly becoming more refined and polished.

During breaks in her work, she would occasionally glance up, her gaze sweeping over the people queuing and the support staff coming and going. She was observing, and she was listening.

From the snippets of conversation and the weary chatter of those people, she gleaned some fragmented information: the food reserves in the safe zone seemed to be more strained than expected; the military was organizing forces to clear zombies from the surrounding areas in an attempt to expand the safe zone; the search for supplies by teams of superhumans was an important way to obtain contribution points and additional resources; and... it seemed that several well-known teams of superhumans had begun to take shape.

"I heard that the 'Fire Wolves' gang found another small warehouse yesterday and brought back a lot of canned goods..."

"Sigh, if only there were more water-based ability users like Miss Ruan..."

"It seems like someone on the medical team has another wound infection, and they're short of medicine..."

The information was chaotic, but Ruan Ning's mind, like a sophisticated instrument, quickly filtered and analyzed it. This information was crucial for her to establish herself here and find her purpose.

When the first large bucket was filled, Old Chen's eyes were filled with admiration and gratitude as he looked at Ruan Ning. Ruan Ning's expression remained calm, but fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, showing that this work was not without its challenges.

"Miss Ruan, please rest for a bit and have some water." Old Chen even personally poured her a small half-cup of the water she had just collected.

Ruan Ning thanked him and accepted the drink, taking small sips, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the entrance of the passage.

The safe zone was like a newly unfolded net, and she had already quietly fallen into it.

Next, she needs to figure out the intricacies of this network, and... where those "insects" she wants to catch are hiding.

Lin Jiaojiao, Lin Wanyun, and her selfish father... will you be here?

She put down her water glass, her gaze returning to focus as she continued to concentrate the water. Improving her strength, accumulating contributions, gathering information—every step had to be taken carefully.

Inside this seemingly orderly air-raid shelter, her path to revenge continues quietly in a more covert and patiently demanding manner.