Chapter 156: A Brand New Route

"What happens after I absorb it?"

[When a Superpower User absorbs this substance, the energy conversion will directly affect their Superpower, resulting in an enhancing effect.]

"Is there a limit to how much I can absorb?"

This was something Nina Jacobs was also curious about.

After all, she had just picked up so many Ice Cores.

[Based on calculations, each Superpower can only absorb this substance once, roughly the equivalent of one energy material. If you attempt continuous absorption, you will be unable to absorb any more.]

[The host can currently absorb four energy materials.]

"I understand."

With the system’s explanation, Nina Jacobs felt relieved.

It was now noon.

She set up the safe house ahead of them.

Wayne Warner needed to eat, and so did she.

But before the meal, she took out an Ice Core and began to absorb it.

A sensation like a trickling stream flowed through her limbs and bones, spreading throughout her entire body.

In the darkness, the puddle of water seemed to be fed by a new source, visibly expanding in size.

After that stream of energy flowed into a cluster of red light, Nina Jacobs opened her eyes.

A flicker of flame rose in her hand.

Nina Jacobs observed the flame in her hand.

If the flames she had conjured before were red, the color had now become a little paler.

"It really did change."

Nina Jacobs knew that the higher the temperature of a flame, the paler its color becomes.

In her previous life, Liam Grant’s Fire Element Superpower could already conjure orange-yellow or even bright yellow flames.

She had heard that beyond that was Annihilation White Fire, and even Ghostly Blue Flames.

Of them all, the blue flames were the most powerful.

But looking closely at the flame in her hand, Nina Jacobs noticed something else that was different.

Perhaps due to the effect of the Ice Core, if she maintained control, the flame in her hand was no longer just flickering upward.

It could even "flow" down from her hand like a liquid.

If she retracted her Control, the flame returned to its previous, upward-flickering orange state.

But as she kept watching, she couldn’t help but look away.

The aroma of the pickled fish was too tempting.

Wayne Warner was practically a live eating show, capable of instantly whetting anyone’s appetite.

Nina Jacobs extinguished the flame in her hand.

Across from her, Wayne Warner kept his head down, devouring his food, his gaze never leaving the dishes on the table.

When the two finally finished eating, Nina Jacobs took out a Mystic Ice Core and placed it in his hand.

"Try to absorb this."

’The changes for a Strength Element Superpower weren’t very diverse.’

’But the system had said this Ice Core had an enhancing effect, so having Wayne Warner absorb it would surely benefit him.’

Hearing this, Wayne Warner absorbed the Ice Core without hesitation.

"Do you feel anything?"

A moment later, Nina Jacobs asked nervously.

However, Wayne Warner just shook his head.

"It’s fine. I’ll just treat it as taking a supplement."

Nina Jacobs wasn’t disappointed, though.

’As long as Wayne Warner is with me, I have the ability to protect him.’

’At the very least, I can make sure he gets three good meals a day.’

The two of them rested for a moment.

While Wayne Warner was cleaning up the dishes and throwing out the trash, Nina Jacobs released the Little Zombie Rat.

She had originally wanted it to track down Pascal Paige and the others.

But the rat seemed to have encountered something else.

"There are other people?"

Following the route the rat had taken, the two arrived behind a huge boulder.

"Holden Shaw?"

Nina Jacobs was also startled when she got a clear look at the person lying on the ground.

They were already on the other side of Rexton Mountain.

’How did he end up all the way over here?’

Looking at Holden Shaw’s pale face, Nina Jacobs took out a bottle of "Superpower Enhancing Potion" and had Wayne Warner feed it to him.

Although he had no external injuries, his Superpower was severely depleted.

If he didn’t replenish his Superpower, it would probably be very difficult for him to advance his Superpower in the future.

After drinking the enhancing potion, the color slowly seemed to return to Holden Shaw’s face.

But he still wasn’t conscious.

Nina Jacobs sighed and had no choice but to have Wayne Warner carry him on his back.

...

When Holden Shaw woke up, he was surrounded by the warm aroma of food.

In the distance, he could hear the sound of laughter and conversation.

For a moment, he thought he’d had a very long dream.

A dream filled with zombies chasing him.

He ran for a very long way.

But the zombies relentlessly pursued him.

’Have I woken up from the dream now?’

Just then, he saw clearly where he was.

He was in a private room, lying on what seemed to be a round dining table. Someone had thoughtfully placed a soft cushion under him.

"It wasn’t a dream..."

Holden Shaw remembered now—being chased by zombies.

That wasn’t a dream.

’I must have been saved by someone.’

"You’re awake?"

A girl with pink-highlighted hair walked in from outside, her face full of pleasant surprise.

"Pascal Paige?"

Holden Shaw tried to sit up, but his legs wouldn’t quite obey him.

"That’s great! You’re finally awake."

Pascal Paige called the others over.

It turned out that while waiting for Nina Jacobs and her group, Wendy Marshall and the other two had found a vacant restaurant.

Luckily, the restaurant was located inside the scenic area.

The scenic area had been closed when the acid rain suddenly fell and the zombie virus broke out, so there were no zombies inside.

Plus, Nina Jacobs had already led them in clearing out the few zombies that were wandering around outside the area.

It was already nighttime.

After some discussion, the group decided to spend the night here before moving on.

As for their next destination...

"The City D shelter?"

After his initial surprise, Holden Shaw began to ponder this.

’Our previous camp is definitely gone. And even though there are other factions in City J, how long can they last?’

’But it’s so far from here to City D. Do we really have what it takes to make it there?’

"You don’t know, do you? Nina Jacobs is from City D,"

Pascal Paige said.

"What did you say?"

Holden Shaw looked up. Nina Jacobs was from City D?

"A lot has happened,

but I’m definitely going back to City D,"

Nina Jacobs replied.

’The Mystic Ice Core has been found. The next step is the return journey.’

’Starting from this side of Rexton Mountain means taking a completely new route.’

’This path will bypass most of City J, but it’ll also be convenient for me to continue my ’zero-dollar shopping’ missions.’

"Yeah, we can all kill zombies now,

we won’t let you take such a big risk again,

so let’s go together,"

Wendy Marshall said.

"That wasn’t me taking a risk."

Holden Shaw smiled.

That was what he truly wanted to do.

Not as someone else’s tool, not under anyone’s orders, but something he wanted to do from the bottom of his heart.

"I’ll do it again next time,"

Holden Shaw said, half-joking.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, can’t you say something nice for a change?"

Yvonne Willow was speechless.

"But what is that amazing smell?"

Holden Shaw had been wanting to ask.

He hadn’t smelled anything like it in a very long time.

It was a rich, spicy fragrance, accompanied by the subtle aroma of rice just before it was fully cooked.

"It’s the mutated golden pheasants from Rexton Mountain.

Wayne Warner brought back two of them,

but we also found several nests of eggs,"

Yvonne Willow said excitedly.

When the four of them came down, they had unexpectedly discovered a nest of pheasant eggs.

The eggs were about the size of ostrich eggs.

Pascal Paige thought they were a great find, so she had Yvonne Willow put them all in her space.

Meanwhile, the carcasses of the two mutated golden pheasants had already been cleaned and prepared by Wendy Marshall.

They were now stewing in a pressure cooker from the restaurant.

Yvonne Willow had also found some untainted ingredients in the restaurant, and they had actually managed to put together a full table of dishes for tonight.

"The Ice Element mutated zombie, did you find it?"

Holden Shaw rubbed his aching calves and walked over to Nina Jacobs to ask.