The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me. - Chapter 46

As they passed through the coastal thickets, they were met with a variety of buildings and ability users. The artificial island was still a work in progress, with most of the structures made of temporary wooden and stone constructions.

At this time, those with pre-apocalypse construction experience had become highly sought after. People with plenty of crystal cores were hiring others to remodel their homes.

Ability users waiting at the dock immediately boarded available boats to head to land for tasks.

On land, people were bustling about, gathered around waiting for earth-element ability users to build things and take them home, creating a lively atmosphere.

This was the first apocalypse island constructed by ability users themselves.

Just then, a deputy who was patrolling nearby was called over by Song Xinqi: “Post a multi-person task in the afternoon, asking them to go to the old safety zone to mine crystal cores.”

The deputy hesitated for a moment before nodding: “Understood.”

He looked at the two of them walking inward, wondering if the boss had gone to the old safety zone to kill zombies.

He wasn’t clear about Song Xinqi’s strength, but single-handedly clearing two waves of zombies seemed exaggerated. How many crystal cores could that possibly be?

The new safety zone was smaller than the X safety zone, with houses clustered together and narrow roads, which would be expanded gradually.

The gossip about the two of them was well-known among the safety zone residents, and the rate at which people turned their heads to look when they walked together was astonishing.

Song Xinqi’s expression darkened, and those around them immediately turned away, not daring to look any longer.

The two arrived at the center of the island, where the buildings were noticeably improved. Several structures were made of concrete bricks and tiles, larger in size, and were occupied by key personnel and high-level ability users.

It was much quieter here compared to the outskirts, and there were fewer people on the roads.

“Xiaoxue, over here!” A gruff male voice called out from a distance. A basketball-sized plush ball was thrown into the air, and before it reached the peak, a snowy white beast leaped up and swatted it down.

“Pass it to me,” another person shouted loudly.

In no time, the plush ball was thrown into the air again, this time by a figure not only Yu Xiaoxue but another person as well.

Yu Qing quickened his pace towards them, bypassing several buildings. He saw several tall figures running around in a courtyard, passing the plush ball around, with a large snow leopard darting between them, trying to snatch the ball.

These people were all high-level ability users, and playing a ball game with a mutant beast like Yu Xiaoxue seemed intimidating at first glance, as if they were fighting.

When Yu Xiaoxue caught sight of Song Xinqi and Yu Qing arriving, the group stopped playing. Yu Xiaoxue, having seized the ball, saw everyone standing still and turned to look at Yu Qing.

So, they saw the muscular snow leopard jumping up to the roof to chase the ball, and then landing in front of Yu Qing, transforming into a soft little kitten and rolling onto her back, mewing incessantly.

Yu Qing crouched down to rub the snow leopard’s belly and placed a little white mouse from his pocket in front of her: “I picked up a little brother for you outside. This is Yu Xiaobai.”

The small mouse’s tiny nose touched Yu Xiaoxue’s, hugging the leopard’s nose tightly.

“Meow?” Yu Xiaoxue stood up, staring at the tiny mouse with a tiny voice, opening her mouth to try and swallow it.

Yu Qing quickly pulled it back: “It’s not food.”

The snow leopard squatted by his feet, her fluffy, thick tail twitching.

On the other side, Wei Zheng approached Song Xinqi: “Sorry, Boss, we didn’t catch that person.”

“Not caught despite so many of you?” Song Xinqi raised an eyebrow.

“He seems to use multiple abilities. We weren’t prepared. He appears to be mentally unstable and acts crazily. One of our brothers was ambushed and killed by him. He then dug out that person’s brain and ate it, and somehow obtained that person’s super speed ability. We couldn’t catch him because he was too fast.”

Song Xinqi’s eyes flickered. This might be why that person wanted to kill him—to seize his abilities.

“But we have an ability user who left a mark in his brain. We should be able to locate him using mental abilities,” Wei Zheng said.

Song Xinqi spread his mental net but couldn’t detect the mark. After so many days, Fan Yibin might not have stayed in this area.

This person couldn’t be left alive, as he might become a future threat. However, knowing his motive made finding him easier.

Song Xinqi looked at Yu Qing, who was holding Yu Xiaobai high. Yu Xiaoxue below was mewing and scratching with her forepaws, clearly capable of reaching the mouse but refusing to.

“Yu Xiaobai is not a toy.” Yu Qing tiptoed to hold it higher, realizing that it would take some time for them to get along. He turned to meet Song Xinqi’s gaze.

Song Xinqi approached and pinched his cheek: “I need to go out for a while.”

“Where to?”

“To settle accounts.”

Yu Qing placed the white mouse back in his pocket: “Is it to find that person who wanted to kill you? I want to go too.”

If that person really had mind-reading abilities, he might know other secrets. It would be safer to go along.

“Then let’s go.”

The water ability user had just returned the two and soon saw them leaving again on another boat. Was their visit just for sightseeing?

Finding Fan Yibin was straightforward. Since he wanted to seize abilities, he would likely go to crowded places, so searching around nearby safety zones would work.

Sure enough, Song Xinqi detected the marked Fan Yibin in a nearby small safety zone.

Upon entering the safety zone, they were stopped by the guards.

After a while, the safety zone’s leader arrived and looked at the unconscious guards on the ground, cautiously regarding the two: “What are you here for?”

Song Xinqi was direct: “A person who specializes in hunting ability users has fled into your safety zone. I’m here to capture him.”

The leader, after listening to his brief explanation, said: “I understand the situation, but why did you knock out our guards?”

Song Xinqi glanced at the unconscious guards: “It’s quicker this way.”

Concerning his own safety, the safety zone leader had to take it seriously. He found the registration personnel to get the address, and the three of them entered the building.

Yu Qing, now the size of a thumb, rode on Yu Xiaoxue, who was similarly sized, and crawled through a small hole. Soon, Yu Qing came back out: “There are people inside.”

The safety zone leader raised a mound of earth, encasing the building and everyone inside within a semi-circular earth wall.

Inside, Fan Yibin sensed the sudden dimming of light. As he approached the window, the glass was shattered from the outside.

Realizing he was exposed, he used his super speed ability to escape. However, due to the excessive speed, he slammed into the earth wall without seeing outside.

Yu Qing shrank him, and the giant mutant snow leopard batted him towards Song Xinqi.

Fan Yibin found himself immobilized, with Song Xinqi’s face appearing in his vision, a chill crawling up his spine.

He was bound and thrown into the room. He couldn’t understand how he was caught despite his speed.

Song Xinqi’s gaze turned icy upon seeing his face, recognizing him slightly.

“I think I’ve seen him somewhere before,” Yu Qing also felt he was familiar but couldn’t recall where.

The safety zone leader said: “We have a level three hypnotist who can help interrogate him.”

The revelation showed that Fan Yibin was a level three ability user who could absorb the abilities of other ability users by consuming their flesh, with time and frequency limitations on the stolen abilities.

Fan Yibin had gone to extreme lengths to become stronger, having killed more than fifty ability users to gain his power.

Yu Qing listened to his account under hypnosis, unconsciously drawing closer to Song Xinqi. Song Xinqi looked at him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quietly.

If Song Xinqi hadn’t come to save him, he might have been killed by Fan Yibin, and he had said some incomprehensible things while he was feverish.

After all, Yu Qing had been involved because of him. But since Yu Qing had already apologized, Song Xinqi naturally had to respond: “So, what are you going to do in the future?”

Yu Qing: “I will definitely find you first if I encounter danger.”

Song Xinqi’s coldness gradually turned into pleasure.

Fan Yibin’s hypnotic explanation continued: “I couldn’t get close to Song Xinqi, so I targeted Yu Qing instead. I used my ability to read his memories and discovered their mental link. I designed the plan to kill him with zombies, thereby seizing Song Xinqi’s abilities.”

Yu Qing had a bad premonition upon hearing this.

The hypnosis ended, and Fan Yibin’s once dark eyes cleared, facing the inevitable with calmness. His bloodshot eyes fixated on Yu Qing.

“I did read your memories, so I know your secret,” Fan Yibin revealed, grinning eerily.

In the next moment, he could no longer speak. His eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Yu Qing hesitated, unsure how to address this secret, fearing it might lead to another misunderstanding if Song Xinqi thought he had ulterior motives.

Song Xinqi’s expression remained indifferent, seemingly unaffected by Fan Yibin’s words.

The safety zone leader asked: “What do you plan to do with this person?”

After a moment of silence, Song Xinqi made a decision: “When is your next zombie tide?”

“In about two days,” the safety zone leader replied.

“Too slow.” Song Xinqi signaled Yu Qing to bring Fan Yibin along. “We’ll handle it ourselves.”

The safety zone leader was pleased with the unexpected help. Yu Qing received a large bag of crystal cores, which he pocketed with satisfaction. The safety zone leader watched them leave: “We should consider an alliance between our safety zones to fight zombies together.”

“Sure.”

The safety zone leader said: “Alright, I’ll send someone over to discuss it properly.”

The autumn wind was brisk, and the temperature had dropped. Yu Qing sat atop a hundred-meter-high tree, watching Fan Yibin struggle among the zombie tide in the distance.

Yu Qing once again felt the fearsome nature of Song Xinqi, who had even pushed back some powerful zombies to prevent Fan Yibin’s early death.

However, a mistake allowed a powerful earth-element zombie to drag Fan Yibin down, and he disappeared from view.

“So scary,” Yu Qing murmured softly.

Seeing the lingering fear in Yu Qing’s eyes, Song Xinqi frowned, wondering what he was thinking: “Who are you afraid of?”

If he dared say it was him…

“Afraid of zombies,” he said, still shaken, “I almost ended up in that kind of dire situation. I don’t have as many abilities as Fan Yibin, so I’d be in an even worse state.”

Song Xinqi looked down at the sea of corpses with a cold, ominous tone: “Do you think I’m dead?”

Yu Qing felt a sudden urge to laugh, and his eyes crinkled with a smile as he looked down.

Although Song Xinqi had protected him before, he always felt a floating sense of uncertainty.

But now it was different. He felt a clear sense of being cared for, which was very reassuring.

He enjoyed being with him, and it felt different from being with others.

He moved closer to Song Xinqi, quietly gripping the corner of his shirt, and couldn’t help but smile.

Fan Yibin’s strength was still considerable, having used the lives of fifty people to gain power, eliminating a large number of zombies.

Yu Qing’s snow leopard extracted crystal cores from the remaining zombies, and with his strong biting power, each core was efficiently collected, filling another large bag.

Song Xinqi took out a few crystal cores to restore his abilities, sealed the bag, and handed it back to Yu Qing: “Let’s go back.”

Looking at Song Xinqi’s back, Yu Qing hesitated for a moment before calling out: “Song Xinqi.”

Song Xinqi turned: “What is it?”

“I have something to confess to you.” He kept his hands behind his back, looking at Song Xinqi’s calm gaze, “I should have told you this before. Fan Yibin said those things, but I was too scared to say it. I think it’s better to tell you sooner.”

Yu Qing took a deep breath: “Actually, I’m not Yu Qing.”

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