Chapter 400: The Unknown

Chapter 400: The Unknown

Everything was an unknown.

Zhang Yi was clever but never blindly confident. In the apocalypse, only pure interests mattered—faith and loyalty were nonexistent.

Relationships between individuals and alliances between forces were built on mutual exploitation. One moment might see close cooperation, and the next, a knife in the back.

Because Zhang Yi trusted no one, he had to meticulously account for everyone’s intentions.

The ideal outcome of this war would be as he envisioned. Yet even in the worst-case scenario, where both Qingfu Base and the Baixue Sect betrayed him and joined forces with Yangsheng Base and Chaoyu Base to attack the Shelter, Zhang Yi wouldn’t be surprised.

“At worst, I’ll abandon the top two floors and retreat to the heavily fortified underground defenses. That’s the absolute worst outcome,” Zhang Yi muttered coldly.

“But that would come at a heavy cost for them!”

His gaze turned icy.

On reflection, Zhang Yi realized he was undoubtedly one of the top superhumans in Tianhai City. Perhaps not the strongest, but those who could rival him were few, if any.

When he chose to defend and counterattack cautiously, the devastation he could unleash was unimaginable.

---

In the dead of night, frantic knocking suddenly echoed through Zhang Yi’s door.

"Zhang Yi! Zhang Yi! Something’s happening with Yang Siyah!"

Outside was Zhou Ke'er's anxious voice.

Zhang Yi leapt out of bed, startling Hua Hua, who had been sleeping soundly. The feline’s eyes snapped open, glowing like copper bells.

Zhang Yi hurried to open the door, simultaneously checking the surveillance footage of Yang Siyah’s room on his phone.

As expected, Yang Siyah was strapped to the bed with restraints, her face flushed red and her body drenched in sweat.

At the center of her forehead, a white glow flickered, as if something within her was about to erupt.

“Let’s go check!” Zhang Yi said with a grave tone.

If he found any sign that Yang Siyah was being controlled, he wouldn’t hesitate to incapacitate her—or worse, if necessary.

After all, superhumans were inherently unpredictable.

Sensing Zhang Yi’s tense aura, Zhou Ke'er trailed behind him without a word.

With Hua Hua by his side, Zhang Yi quickly reached Yang Siyah’s room.

By the time they arrived, however, the abnormal sweating and redness had subsided. Yang Siyah lay gasping for breath on the bed, her movements inhibited by the drugs.

“Yang Siyah? Yang Siyah?” Zhang Yi called softly, maintaining his distance.

Yang Siyah’s eyes fluttered open. Upon seeing Zhang Yi, she forced a small, joyful smile.

“Zhang Yi, I did it!”

At that moment, Hua Hua jumped onto the bed, swishing its tail as it prowled over Yang Siyah. Finally, it turned its calm gaze toward Zhang Yi.

This was all the assurance Zhang Yi needed.

The demon cat’s senses were hundreds of times more acute than a human’s. Any anomaly, no matter how faint, would not escape its notice. Hua Hua’s reaction told Zhang Yi that Yang Siyah was unchanged—the same woman he knew inside and out.

“Could I have been overthinking this? Could the Ice Soul, verified by even the Western Bases, truly be harmless?” Zhang Yi wondered.

But he quickly discarded the thought. Better to doubt and verify than to trust blindly. A little extra caution never hurt.

Without untying her restraints, Zhang Yi asked, “How do you feel now? What kind of ability did you awaken?”

When superhumans awakened their powers, they instinctively understood their nature, as if an extra limb had grown, clear and intuitive.

Closing her eyes to sense her ability, Yang Siyah suddenly chuckled. “Turns out I’m only destined to be a homemaker!”

Despite her self-deprecating words, her face showed no disappointment; instead, she seemed quite pleased with her newfound power.

Yang Siyah explained, “My ability is Feast. The food I make can restore a person’s depleted superhuman energy.”

She smiled again. “It’s a support-type ability, just as I thought! Honestly, that’s fine. I was never good at fighting anyway.”

Relaxing at her explanation, Zhang Yi leaned against the doorframe and smiled.

“That’s actually a very useful ability. It means we won’t have to worry about energy depletion during battles.”

He turned to Zhou Ke’er. “Ke’er, help her out of the restraints.”

Though her eyes shone with envy, Zhou Ke’er moved to untie Yang Siyah. However, the lingering effects of the drugs still left Yang Siyah immobilized.

“When you’ve recovered by tomorrow, show everyone what you can do,” Zhang Yi said warmly.

“Alright!” Yang Siyah agreed, her face still glistening with sweat but her eyes sparkling with determination. Finally, she could contribute to the team and prove her worth.

Leaving Zhou Ke’er to tend to Yang Siyah, Zhang Yi returned to his quarters.

Infusing food with restorative properties was not an overwhelmingly powerful ability, but it was undeniably practical—especially with a major battle on the horizon.

"The Great Decree was right—the effects of the Ice Soul depend entirely on the individual’s potential. Yang Siyah’s abilities may only reach a support level, even with her awakening."

“She reminds me a bit of Li Jian,” Zhang Yi mused, recalling the second Ice Soul he possessed.

After pondering for a while, he decided to hold off on using it for now. Creating another superhuman wasn’t urgent. He would continue observing Yang Siyah to ensure there were no unforeseen issues. Only then would he consider letting Zhou Ke’er or Lu Keran use the Ice Soul.

---

The next day arrived.

By mid-morning, Zhang Yi called Xing Tian.

“Come over now. The meeting place has changed—it’s Xu Family Town in the Lu River District.”

“Your territory?” Xing Tian asked, frowning.

Zhang Yi chuckled. “I’m the one being surrounded and attacked, not you. It’s only prudent for me to be cautious. Surely you don’t suspect me of plotting against you?”

Their agreed-upon time was 2:30 PM, but Zhang Yi had no intention of adhering to it.

Setting a fixed time and location would only create opportunities for ambushes. Zhang Yi preferred to eliminate all variables.

Xing Tian snorted. “Fine, have it your way—Xu Family Town it is!”

Although Xing Tian had gathered some information on Zhang Yi’s group, he was unsure about their individual capabilities. He only knew that Zhang Yi had a small team and, without the Shelter’s defenses, couldn’t contend directly with base-level forces.

Qingfu Steelworks was about 100 kilometers from Cloud Manor. Since they rarely left their territory, Xing Tian’s group wasn’t certain about travel times, so the plan was to contact Zhang Yi upon reaching Xu Family Town.

Author's Note