“Could this be… the spatial ability that protagonists always have in novels?”
Lu Xihe suddenly understood, and his heart stirred with a mix of joy and worry.
He was glad to have discovered a new ability, but troubled because he had no idea how to get out.
He had suddenly vanished into thin air, Cheng Yuchuan must be terrified.
The moment he thought of this, Lu Xihe couldn’t help but grow anxious. Just as he was lost in thought, Cheng Yuchuan himself appeared out of nowhere right in front of him.
“Xi-”
Lu Xihe was so startled that his whole body jolted. His hand trembled, his ability destabilized, and Cheng Yuchuan vanished again. When he reactivated his ability, Cheng Yuchuan reappeared once more.
Just like that, right before his eyes, Cheng Yuchuan flickered from nothing to something, from something to nothing, and back to something again, smoother than switching equipment on a mobile game character.
“Xihe.” Afraid of being teleported out again, Cheng Yuchuan instinctively grabbed Lu Xihe’s hand and quickly used his own ability to guide Lu Xihe’s energy back into stability.
“Is it spatial ability?” Lu Xihe turned to look at him, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably lifting, joy spreading across his eyes and brows.
“Yes.” Having been pulled in and out twice, Cheng Yuchuan had no choice but to accept it, no matter how hard it was to believe.
“Then what about earlier, when I heard the trees talking, and the grass too, was that also an ability?” Lu Xihe stepped half a pace closer, fine light shimmering in his ink-black eyes like the Milky Way in the sky, sparkling with anticipation and hope that couldn’t be ignored.
“You can hear the grass talking too?”
“Yeah, I can hear the grass on the ground talking as well.” Lu Xihe nodded vigorously, the delight in his eyes growing even brighter.
“…” Cheng Yuchuan was silent for a moment. At this point, what was there left to understand? He made the final call: “It’s a sub-ability of the Word Spirit system, Plant Language.”
“Word Spirit system?” The smile on Lu Xihe’s face stiffened slightly, a flicker of shock and bewilderment passing through his eyes.
Wasn’t it said that a person could only have one type of ability? After the Natural system, he had now awakened the Word Spirit system too?
“Mm. Being able to understand what plants say is a Word Spirit ability.” Cheng Yuchuan swept his gaze around the surroundings, then continued, “And the spatial ability you’re using right now belongs to the Space system.”
“Three different systems?! But didn’t you say-” Lu Xihe’s voice suddenly rose, then cut off abruptly. The light of joy in his eyes dimmed, gradually replaced by fear.
“Don’t be afraid. Let me ask S101.” Cheng Yuchuan tightened his grip on Lu Xihe’s slightly trembling hand and called out S101.
S101 scanned Lu Xihe from head to toe several times but found nothing abnormal. The issue of awakening three types of abilities was beyond its clearance level to resolve, so it could only report back to the main system, but no answer would come anytime soon.
Mentioning insufficient clearance reminded Cheng Yuchuan of Yu Yicheng’s max-level system. The moment they left the space, the two headed straight for Yu Yicheng.
Two living people vanishing into thin air right before his eyes, especially with Cheng Yuchuan flickering twice, scared Yu Yicheng half to death. Fortunately, Qi Jin and Ning Wanli recognized it as spatial ability from prior experience.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It should be spatial ability. Don’t be scared, okay?” Yu Yicheng was wailing from the fright, and Ning Wanli couldn’t help but laugh helplessly, patting Yu Yicheng’s back gently like soothing a child.
Before he could even catch his breath, Cheng Yuchuan and Lu Xihe went “whoosh” and appeared behind him again, giving Yu Yicheng another massive scare. He yelped and lunged forward.
If Qi Jin hadn’t been quick on the draw, Ning Wanli would have been the one trapped in Yu Yicheng’s death grip as he bawled and clung on for dear life.
“Can you two stop popping in and out like that?! Are you trying to scare me to death so you can inherit my Healing ability?!” Yu Yicheng’s heart pounded wildly, as if his chest wasn’t big enough to contain it and it might leap right out of his throat.
“Sorry. I was looking for you, and the moment I came out, I ended up here.” Lu Xihe scratched his head sheepishly, full of apology.
“Just because you have Spatial ability doesn’t mean you can, ughhh…” Yu Yicheng climbed off Qi Jin, clutching his chest to calm his racing heart, then finally asked, “So what did you need me for? Oh right, that sunburn of yours, yeah?”
“The sunburn is one thing. Also, I need you to use your system to check Xihe’s issue with his three abilities.” Cheng Yuchuan pulled over a stool for Lu Xihe to sit on, his tone growing heavier.
“Three abilities? Isn’t that great? How awesome.” Yu Yicheng didn’t understand what he was so worried about. In his view, the more abilities, the stronger you were, he’d be envious, not concerned.
Still, Yu Yicheng did as Cheng Yuchuan asked and called out 001. While waiting for 001 to slowly emerge, he casually took care of the sunburn on Lu Xihe’s neck as well.
Like S101, 001 found nothing abnormal either. Meanwhile, S101’s report to the main system also came back with the same result: no abnormalities detected.
As for Lu Xihe’s three-ability issue, 001 said it could be due to the late-stage awakening of abilities from absorbing a high-tier crystal core, or it could be because Lu Xihe’s constitution was special.
In short, no matter how they spun it, the conclusion was the same: there’s no problem, don’t worry.
The top-tier system’s response was quite convincing. After hearing this, Lu Xihe’s tense nerves finally relaxed, and the corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably in excitement.
With his worries smoothed away, what remained was joy and thrill.
A three-system ability user, though it didn’t sound as imposing as Cheng Yuchuan’s all-round system, was still incredibly formidable among ordinary people.
Yu Yicheng’s healing system conflicted with other abilities, so there was no chance of him awakening a new one. But Qi Jin and Ning Wanli got excited and pulled out the high-tier crystal cores they’d worked hard to hunt down at noon to absorb.
Everyone was anticipating their results, including Cheng Yuchuan. Yet one, two, three, after absorbing all three high-tier crystal cores, aside from Ning Wanli leveling up one of her sub-abilities to level five, there was no trace of a new ability.
The atmosphere in the car froze instantly. The group exchanged glances, all looking somewhat awkward.
Cheng Yuchuan frowned slightly and, without a second thought, pulled out his own bag of high-tier crystal cores, gesturing for the two to continue.
Qi Jin and Ning Wanli hesitated for a moment, then decided to try a few more times. But after absorbing five, then ten more, the result was still the same, nothing.
Cheng Yuchuan refused to believe it and tried it himself twice, but his outcome was identical to Qi Jin’s and Ning Wanli’s.
So it seemed not everyone who absorbed high-tier crystal cores could awaken a new ability, only Lu Xihe.
Everyone’s gaze shifted to Lu Xihe. Cheng Yuchuan handed him the high-tier crystal cores, the meaning clear without words.
Lu Xihe reluctantly took a high-tier crystal core and began absorbing it. In just a moment, a brand-new energy he’d never encountered before flowed through his body.
Lu Xihe tried to activate the new ability, gathering the energy in his palm. With a slight raise of his hand, everyone and everything instantly lost gravity and slammed toward the car roof. When Lu Xihe lowered his hand, they all fell back to the ground.
Gravity manipulation, a sub-ability of the physical manipulation system.
The appearance of a fourth system ability was already enough to shock the group, but Lu Xihe’s limits were far from that. As he continued absorbing, he even awakened an ability that left everyone utterly incredulous.
The healing system.
This shattered Cheng Yuchuan’s understanding of the world’s operating rules.
Even the answer given by the max-level system seemed pale and powerless in the face of such an absurd reality.
The changes in this life seemed increasingly uncontrollable. Somehow, Cheng Yuchuan felt something was veering off its original course.
“What are you thinking about?”
Lu Xihe, who lazed around and slept all day, was always energetic at night. But unexpectedly, tonight Cheng Yuchuan couldn’t sleep either.
“A lot of things have exceeded my expectations.” Cheng Yuchuan turned on his side, pulling the other into his arms, burying his face in Lu Xihe’s neck, drawing in the reassuring scent of his beloved.
“You mean Yicheng leveling up fast, and me awakening the healing system?” Lu Xihe had probably guessed his concerns.
Cheng Yuchuan had just told him the hidden rules of abilities, and then Lu Xihe went and overturned them all. If Lu Xihe didn’t know what Cheng Yuchuan was carrying on his shoulders, he might have thought himself a prodigy. But now, he only felt a chill running down his spine.
“You’re not bound by the rules, and I’m afraid you won’t be protected by them either.” Cheng Yuchuan’s arm around his waist tightened gradually, his voice trembling in a way he himself hadn’t noticed.
Breaking away from established rules into the unknown, things slipping out of control, they always bred fear and panic.
Feeling Cheng Yuchuan’s fear, Lu Xihe reached out and covered the back of his hand, his warm body heat transferring through his palm.
He soothed him gently: “At least for now, it’s all good, right? And the system said there’s no problem. We’ll take it one step at a time, be careful and cautious. Once we cross this single-plank bridge, it’ll be smooth sailing ahead.”
Cheng Yuchuan stayed silent, sullen, just holding him quietly. In the silent night, only two hearts pressed close together thundered in unison.
After a long moment, Lu Xihe turned around to face Cheng Yuchuan, their noses almost touching, their breaths intertwining: “You’re the protagonist of this world, you know. Protagonists never fail. Have some confidence, bro. I’m here with you, you don’t need to fear anything.”
“…Mm.” Cheng Yuchuan was silent for so long that Lu Xihe thought he wouldn’t answer, until he finally heard a low hum of acknowledgment, and the arm around his waist tightened even more.
That night, thoughts raced like a violent storm, urgent and chaotic.
Cheng Yuchuan was jolted awake by a scream. The moment he opened his eyes, not far away, Yu Yicheng and Lu Xihe were huddled together watching a movie.
One was shrieking and trembling, burrowing into the other’s arms, while the other wore a mischievous grin, holding him close and gleefully describing the terrifying scenes on screen.
Seeing Yu Yicheng about to climb fully into Lu Xihe’s lap, Cheng Yuchuan’s expression darkened. He flashed forward, snatched Lu Xihe away in one motion, then grabbed the Fluff Beast’s two big ears and wrapped them around Yu Yicheng on both sides.
“What are you doing?” Lu Xihe, who’d been in the middle of his mischief, was annoyed at being interrupted by Cheng Yuchuan, having just missed the scene where the female ghost opened her bloody mouth and bit off half the cannon fodder’s head. He immediately pouted in displeasure.
“You two are sweet, huh?” Cheng Yuchuan was even more displeased than him, speaking in a sarcastic tone.
Seeing Cheng Yuchuan’s face dark as the bottom of a pot, Lu Xihe couldn’t help but burst out laughing: “Are you jealous?”
“What do you think?” Cheng Yuchuan stared at him with a resentful look, practically having the words “not happy” stamped on his forehead.
Seeing this, Lu Xihe threw his head back and laughed heartily, which only made Cheng Yuchuan want to pinch his flesh. But before he could make a move, the man suddenly leaned in and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek.
Then he asked him: “Happy now?”
“Halfway there.” Cheng Yuchuan’s displeased expression had already softened, and he silently turned his face forward, but his words remained stubborn.
Lu Xihe naturally knew what he meant. He stifled a laugh and deliberately turned his face away, whistling as if he didn’t understand, while his hand mischievously traced light circles on Cheng Yuchuan’s chest.
It had been as long as the apocalypse had lasted since either of them had any action. Cheng Yuchuan, teased by the kiss and the circling fingers, felt an unbearable itch. He forcibly turned Lu Xihe’s face toward him and was about to press a kiss onto those tightly pursed lips.
“Hey, hey, hey! stop right there. Spare the single dogs, will you? Those two just left and now you two are at it again. Do I not deserve to live?” Yu Yicheng couldn’t help but interrupt.
Since he’d been transported here, he’d either been eating dog food or on his way to eating dog food. Single dogs needed to survive too, damn it!
His words amused both of them. Lu Xihe didn’t hesitate and kissed Cheng Yuchuan, making it loud and smacking, then said in an infuriatingly cocky tone: “Then go find someone too. I’ll allow you two to stand in front of me and kiss for me to watch.”
“Lu Xihe!” Yu Yicheng stomped his feet in anger.
“Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh~” Lu Xihe gleefully made faces at him. His arrogance lasted less than three seconds before his butt got a smack from Cheng Yuchuan.
“Why are you picking on him?” Cheng Yuchuan was both helpless and amused.
“I feel like it. Once you’re done being mushy, scram, scram, scram. Don’t block our movie.” Lu Xihe kicked the donkey after crossing the bridge, climbing off Cheng Yuchuan and pushing him elsewhere.
“Fine, fine. Kiss and then flip your face and deny it, you little brat.” Cheng Yuchuan gave his fluffy head a rough rub, then turned and headed toward the driver’s seat.
Yu Yicheng watched their clingy display, grinding his teeth in sourness, feeling a hollow emptiness inside and inexplicably lonely.
Everyone was paired up, and he was the only single dog. And in an apocalypse world, where was he supposed to find a partner right away?
Damn that 001. What kind of decent person gives a newcomer a quick-transmigration mission that starts with a total collapse? He was still a rookie host, sob, sob, sob…
“When will I ever get out of being single~” Yu Yicheng wore a look of utter misery, then gave up and said recklessly: “Heavens, let me run into a pretty lady in the next second!”
Lu Xihe mercilessly shattered his fantasy: “Dream on. There were none before the apocalypse, and now you want to date a weird creature?”
With that, the two childish guys tumbled into a playful scuffle. Amid their laughter and teasing, the rear window of the front driver’s cabin suddenly rolled down, and Qi Jin’s urgent voice came through:
“Captain, two survivors spotted on the mountain, followed by a wave of aberrants.”
Hearing this, both of them froze, turning to the driver’s cabin in disbelief.
??? Wait, speak of the devil and he appears?!