“[Oh-I see. Host, you scared me to death.”]
While talking to the system, Chi Ying had already secretly used her water ability to restrain Zhang Bin, preventing him from stabbing her arm.
Even zombies, whose bodies are largely composed of water, can be controlled using the water element. This ability allows for slowing down their actions, and in some cases, even killing them without being noticed.
However, using this power requires precise control. Even Gu Chi, a seventh-level supernatural being, wouldn’t be able to accomplish this.
Otherwise, wouldn’t every water-type power user be a formidable killer who could stop a zombie army in minutes?
“…Chi Ying?”
Chi Ying turned her head to see Gu Chi, who had just turned around after speaking. He stared at the wound on her arm, his body frozen in place, unable to move.
His pupils shrank, and his breathing seemed to stop.
He seemed confused, his face blank in a way Chi Ying had never seen before.
It was only at that moment that Chi Ying noticed the sharp ice blade piercing Zhang Bin’s forehead, blood slowly trickling down from the wound.
She froze. She instantly realized that her action of blocking Zhang Bin had been unnecessary.
Gu Chi had been on guard. His turning his back had been a deliberate tactic to make Zhang Bin lower his guard and reveal his true intentions.
Chi Ying felt embarrassed.
—She had overreacted.
【Hiss, host, he must think you’re infected. Unlike you and me, Gu Chi thinks that you can be infected by the zombie virus. He values his teammates greatly, so he must be completely confused right now.】
Chi Ying: What should I do now?
She realized how reckless her behavior had been. She felt frustrated and for once couldn’t stay calm. Her face flushed with anxiety.
But it seemed pointless to explain at this moment. How could she tell Gu Chi, “Don’t worry, I’m immune to the virus”?
“…That…”
When Gu Chi heard her voice, he snapped out of his daze.
He took out handcuffs from his pocket, his expression returning to its usual calm as he looked at Chi Ying. “Put your hands behind your back.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Chi Ying complied, placing her hands behind her back, parallel to her body.
Gu Chi walked around behind her, gently holding both her wrists with one hand while using his free hand to bring the handcuffs forward.
The system, still worried about Gu Chi, became agitated.
【His reputation as a villain is truly earned! He’s heartless! Even after the host helped block an injury, he still handcuffs you like this?】
Chi Ying sighed internally, sensing the unfairness of it all. S
he argued silently with the system: He doesn’t know I’m immune to the zombie virus… He’s the commander, and I could have mutated at any time. It’s not wrong for him to restrain me.
She reasoned: If Gu Chi had been indecisive and taken me back without doing anything, and I mutated and hurt others, that would be a much bigger problem.
【…】
The system fell silent, unable to counter her logic. It grumbled bitterly: [I’ve never praised your reasoning before.]
Chi Ying: Huh?
The system growled, [You’ve got the talent to be a Saint!]
Chi Ying didn’t notice the sarcasm and responded cautiously: …Thank you?
【…】
The system gave up.
Meanwhile, Gu Chi finished securing the handcuffs, though his movements were less smooth than usual. He fumbled with the handcuffs, causing them to rub against her wrists before they were finally fastened.
“Sorry,” Chi Ying said softly, glancing at him. “I didn’t realize you were testing me.”
Gu Chi paused, then abruptly looked up at Chi Ying, his gaze sharp and unsettling.
He took a deep breath before replying, “You may die.”
“…What?”
“Are you still thinking about apologizing to me?”
Chi Ying was confused. Wasn’t it obvious he knew she wasn’t infected? Why was he acting like this?
She finally understood what he meant. She hesitated, but decided to explain, “Actually, you don’t have to worry about me. I won’t mutate, and there’s no chance anything will happen. Besides, didn’t Lu Yunfei say I’m very lucky?”
Gu Chi’s expression darkened, and he almost seemed on the verge of losing control.
“Do you know how rare it is to be injured by a zombie and not mutate? It’s less than one in ten thousand.”
This was information the system had provided Chi Ying earlier. In fact, not all supernatural beings were awakened by the apocalypse.
Some people who were bitten by zombies didn’t mutate but instead gained powers. However, the odds of this happening were extremely low.
Chi Ying fell silent.
It seemed that she would need to wait a couple of days to convince him.
As soon as the “leader” of the zombies died, nearby zombies began to lose control, wandering aimlessly like headless flies.
Gu Chi grabbed the chain of Chi Ying’s handcuffs with one hand, and with the other, he lifted Zhang Bin’s body by the collar.
“Where are we going?” Chi Ying asked anxiously.
She was afraid that Gu Chi thought she would mutate and that he was planning to destroy the corpse.
Sensing her anxiety, Gu Chi, holding back his frustration, answered tersely, “Back.”
Back at the abandoned office building, the others who had been anxiously waiting for Gu Chi’s return were relieved when they heard the doorknob turn.
“Brother Gu is back?” Song Shi asked as he stood up.
The rest of the team relaxed, their eyes fixed on the door.
Boom!
It wasn’t Gu Chi who entered first, but a blood-covered figure that was kicked through the door. The humanoid shape was drenched in dark red blood, with some unclear mucus clinging to it.
Lu Yunfei narrowed his eyes, instinctively getting into a fighting stance. He stared at the figure for a few seconds but couldn’t identify what it was.
“Zhang Bin!” Professor Lin’s voice trembled as he recognized the person.
Gu Chi entered the room shortly afterward, Chi Ying standing behind him.
“Captain, what happened?” Lu Yunfei asked.
Gu Chi explained everything, and after hearing the story, Lu Yunfei took a deep breath.
“So, Zhang Bin was the zombie leader? Damn, the zombies were so riled up today! Fortunately, Captain, you caught it early. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble.”
Gu Chi pursed his lips.
“Not me.”
He gently squeezed the chain in his hand, revealing Chi Ying behind him.
Lu Yunfei blinked in confusion. “Why isn’t it you? And why is she handcuffed?”
Then it clicked, and he strode over to Chi Ying.
Seeing the wound on her arm, his heart sank.
“Captain…”
Mu Yu, sensing something, stared at Chi Ying with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “Captain Gu, is she infected with the zombie virus?”
Gu Chi lowered his eyes.
“Sorry, I was negligent…”
“Negligent? How can that be brushed off with a simple apology!?” Lu Yunfei’s voice trembled with emotion.
“Brother Lu, what are you talking about?” Song Shi frowned. “Brother Gu is always cautious. Even if he was negligent, he would never let Chi Ying get infected.”
Lu Yunfei calmed down, realizing he had spoken impulsively. He swallowed his emotions and said, “Sorry, Captain, I was too emotional.”
Song Shi glanced at Chi Ying and added, “It’s not that I’m heartless, but objectively speaking, if Chi Ying’s behavior hadn’t been protected by everyone, this situation might have happened sooner or later.”
“….”
Lu Yunfei frowned, feeling that something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it.
This girl was strange sometimes, and her actions often made him feel like she is stretching her neck and sending herself into the zombie’s mouth…
“I think…” Mu Yu scratched her head awkwardly and said to Song Shi, “It’s said to protect her, but I actually feel like we didn’t do anything.”
After being refuted, Song Shi’s face was not very good-looking.
“We have been carrying her for so long, supplies, food… which one is not brought by everyone risking their lives?”
【Damn!】
Hearing the system’s angry voice, Chi Ying realized something new and chuckled: You can swear too?
[She’s too much! You’ve been following them, and aside from occasionally throwing the cross, where did you cause any trouble? If you hadn’t noticed Zhang Bin’s strange behavior, they might have been overrun by zombies!]
Chi Ying didn’t think much of it.
Gu Chi squeezed the chain again, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as he noticed Chi Ying’s indifferent expression.
[The “Holy Mother” value increases by one.]
Chi Ying’s eyes lit up.
Oh?
The system had awarded her the “Holy Mother” value again for no reason.
“It was Chi Ying who noticed Zhang Bin’s odd behavior,” Gu Chi said, raising his eyes. “She told me that Zhang Bin might be the zombie leader. I was worried about alarming the enemy, so I asked her to keep it secret from you.”
Lin Xun’s eyes widened in understanding. “No wonder you brought her along, Captain.”
Gu Chi scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each member. “The injury she sustained was in my defense. If she acted recklessly, it was because I kept the information from everyone.”
Chi Ying looked up, surprised. She stared at Gu Chi’s back, trying to make sense of his actions.
Why did he say that? She didn’t even fully understand the situation herself. He didn’t need to protect her.
But noticing the surprised expressions of the others, especially Song Shi’s awkward one, Chi Ying straightened her back, feeling inexplicably proud.
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1