Chapter 38 County Town Mission
In the morning light, Ruan Ning stood in front of the bulletin board in the mission hall, her gaze fixed on one of the missions.
[Urgent Cleanup Task]
Location: Qinghe County (approximately 30 kilometers from the base)
Intelligence: A suspected Level 2 Strength-type zombie and at least one super-powered zombie (type unknown) have appeared in the city. Yesterday, the "Blood Wolf" team went to clear them out; only 2 members of the 5-man team returned seriously injured, and 3 were confirmed dead.
Objective: Clear zombies from main streets and assess the threat level of the county.
Risk: Extremely high (Non-experienced superpowered individuals should proceed with caution)
Reward: 600 points and one extra supply pack.
Several other ability users around them looked at the mission sheet and whispered among themselves:
"The Blood Wolf Squad has been wiped out. That was a team with two level-one peak members..."
"I heard the person who came back went mad, constantly muttering 'an unkillable monster' and 'a ghost that shoots arrows from the shadows'..."
"This mission would require at least three well-coordinated, top-tier level 1 teams to even attempt, right?"
Ruan Ning remained calm and reached out to remove the task sheet.
The registrar paused for a moment when she saw it was her: "Miss Ruan, are you... are you sure you want to take on this mission alone? The Blood Wolf Squad's captain is a level one peak strength-type, with very strong defense..."
“I’m sure,” Ruan Ning interrupted him, her voice soft but carrying an undeniable authority. She needed pressure, she needed real battles teetering on the edge of life and death to solidify and unleash her level two potential. This county town, which had lost its elite squad, was precisely her ideal testing ground.
During the 30-kilometer journey, Ruan Ning deliberately slowed down, adjusting his pace while observing his surroundings. The closer he got to the county town, the stronger the stench in the air became, and the more abandoned vehicles appeared on both sides of the road, some with obvious scratches and dried bloodstains.
Qinghe County is like a giant tomb. Broken glass, scattered debris, and splattered dark brown bloodstains on the walls... everything tells of the tragedy that occurred here.
The number of zombies roaming the streets was significantly denser than in the wild, and occasionally one could see individuals that were either more agile or more robust.
Ruan Ning did not conceal his whereabouts, but deliberately made noise.
"Come on," she whispered, her eyes showing no fear, only a burning desire to fight.
The zombies were alarmed and roared as they surged in from all directions.
Surrounded by dozens of ordinary zombies, Ruan Ning did not even move.
"Ice Ring - Burst!"
Centered on her, a ring of water mixed with ice crystals suddenly spread out, like a chilling ripple of death. The zombies caught in the wave were instantly frozen in the legs, their movements stiff. Then, countless tiny ice spikes burst from the water, accurately piercing their skulls.
Thump, thump—like harvested wheat, the first wave of zombies fell in droves.
Just as she finished clearing out the ordinary zombies and was taking a short break to catch her breath, a sense of crisis suddenly descended upon her!
From the shadows of the side shops, a silent wind blade shot out!
Ruan Ning's ever-present spiritual perception detected the subtle fluctuations in energy, and a water shield instantly condensed beside her.
"Clang!" The wind blade collided with the water shield, producing a crisp sound like metal clashing.
"An attacker lurking in the shadows..." Ruan Ning's eyes turned cold as she locked onto the source of the wind blade, unleashing a highly compressed spiral water arrow that retaliated at an even faster speed.
A short howl came from the shadows, then silence.
Heavy footsteps, like the beating of drums, came from the end of the street.
A giant zombie, nearly 2.5 meters tall, with bulging muscles and bluish-black skin, crashed into an abandoned bus, its scarlet eyes fixed on Ruan Ning.
It had several wounds, some new and some old, but none of them seemed fatal—which was likely the culprit behind the Blood Wolf Squad's heavy losses.
"Roar!" The level-two strength zombie roared and charged forward at an astonishing speed, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Ruan Ning dared not be negligent and activated his level two water-based superpower at full power!
"Multiple Water Bindings!" The water on the ground and the moisture in the air split into seven or eight thick water chains, instantly wrapping around the zombie's legs, waist, and arms. The zombie's momentum faltered, and it struggled angrily, causing the water chains to shake violently, almost breaking.
"Such powerful strength!" Ruan Ning was secretly shocked; this power far exceeded level one.
"Freeze!" She immediately changed tactics, and the extremely cold air spread along the water chain, instantly freezing the lower half of the zombie's body in a thick block of ice.
The zombie wildly swung its still-movable arms, smashing them against the ice, sending chunks of ice flying everywhere.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ruan Ning made a fist with both hands, and a large amount of water vapor rapidly gathered, compressed, and shaped in front of her—no longer a simple water arrow or water blade, but a water spear made entirely of highly compressed water flow, with sharp, cold light flashing at its edges!
"go!"
The spear transformed into a streak of blue light, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, and stabbed straight at the zombie's relatively vulnerable eye socket!
The zombie seemed to sense a deadly threat and suddenly tilted its head. The spear grazed its temple, tearing away a large chunk of flesh. Dark red blood gushed out, but it was not fatal.
"Roar!!" The injury fully unleashed its ferocity, and its muscles swelled further, actually shattering the ice on its legs!
Ruan Ning's pupils contracted slightly, and she retreated rapidly while simultaneously waving her hands repeatedly:
"Waterspout!"
"Ice Crystal Storm!"
High-pressure water cutting!
Newly acquired or upgraded supernatural abilities were unleashed, engaging in fierce combat with the power-type zombies. The streets were filled with shimmering water, flying ice shards, and constant roaring sounds.
This level-two zombie possessed extremely abnormal defense and strength. Most of Ruan Ning's attacks could only leave wounds, failing to deliver a fatal blow. Each of its punches and charges contained the power to shatter stone and split rocks, forcing Ruan Ning to rely on her agile movements and timely use of water shields and ice walls to maneuver around it.
The battle reached a stalemate, and Ruan Ning's supernatural abilities were being severely depleted. This couldn't continue.
Her mind raced, and she feigned an opening. Sure enough, the zombie roared and threw a full-force punch. Ruan Ning neither dodged nor evaded. Just before the fist hit her, her body seemed to transform into flowing water, twisting and sliding away in a bizarre way—this was a deeper application of "the softness of water," similar to liquid evading impact.
At the same time, she concentrated all her remaining mental energy and supernatural abilities into one point:
"Ultimate compression... rhinestone!"
A thin, yet incredibly solid, high-speed rotating stream of dark blue water, like an electric drill, under her precise control, pierced deep into the wound on the zombie's temple that had just been slashed by the spear!
Pfft—
The water drill penetrated the skull, instantly damaging the brain.
The zombie's massive body suddenly froze, its outstretched fist fell limply, the red light in its eyes quickly dimmed, and finally it collapsed to the ground with a loud "boom," kicking up dust everywhere.
Ruan Ning knelt on one knee, breathing heavily, her forehead covered in sweat. Her supernatural abilities were almost exhausted, and she felt mentally drained, but her eyes were unusually bright.
The battle was more difficult than she had anticipated.
Level 2 zombies are far stronger than Level 1 zombies, especially these pure strength-type ones, which are thick-skinned and extremely difficult to kill. If she hadn't just leveled up, improving her control over her abilities and her energy reserves, she probably would have followed in the footsteps of the Blood Wolf Squad.
"I'm still relying too much on my superpowers... When facing such a highly defensive target, penetration and pinpoint destructive power are key." She silently summarized her lessons learned.
After resting for a while, she dug open the heads of the level 2 zombie and the wind-type zombie, and sure enough, she found two crystal cores that were obviously more energetic and darker in color.
This adventure was worth it.
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