You say the cataclysm only comes after you've cleared the entire dungeon?

The boy lay straight on the bed, with many green vines sprouting from the mattress and binding his body tightly.

It was as if his soul had been sealed inside this bed.

Chu Sihua swallowed hard, carefully choosing her words before speaking: "This is my twin brother, Chu Sinian. He had an accident three years ago and became paralyzed from the waist down. Last night he suddenly developed a high fever, which subsided this morning, but he hasn't woken up. I wanted to help him wipe his body, and when I lifted the blanket, I saw..."

When Chu Sihua saw the vines growing out of the mattress in the morning, she was so frightened that she went limp.

He then learned from the residents' group chat that a monster that looked like a human but wasn't actually human had appeared, and he assumed that his brother had also turned into a monster.

Until just now, I heard Lou Fengyue and the others talking outside, saying that they had some kind of... superpower.

He took a sliver of hope and mustered the courage to go out and ask.

Unexpectedly, Lou Fengyue knew without even looking that there was another person in the room.

His brother was different from those rotting monsters outside. He hoped that his brother had simply awakened a superpower and hadn't turned into a zombie that bit anyone he saw.

Lou Fengyue looked down at the person on the bed who was bound by vines, and the surprise that flashed in her eyes quickly disappeared.

She knelt down and reached out to touch Chu Sinian's hand.

[Wood-type ability detected. Copy immediately?]

[Copy.]

Chu Sihua gripped the hem of her dress with both hands, looking nervously at Lou Fengyue.

She remained silent, which made him increasingly anxious.

[Copy successful. Congratulations, host, you have acquired wood-type abilities.]

[Congratulations, host, for replicating three different superpowers. Reward: 5 Body Tempering Pills and 5 Blood Clotting Pastes]

Lou Fengyue withdrew her hand, stood up, and gave Chu Sihua a clear answer: "Wood-type ability, the vines are generated by his own energy."

She paused, stared at Chu Sinian's handsome face, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"but……"

The fever subsided, he awakened his superpowers, fell into a coma, and his energy leaked out, binding him.

This was the first time she had encountered such a situation.

Chu Sihua's heart leaped into her throat at her abrupt change of topic. "What's wrong?"

"Wait a moment." Lou Fengyue didn't rush to a conclusion.

When in doubt, consult the system.

[System, scan Chu Sinian to investigate the cause of his unconsciousness.]

[Scanned.]

[Due to years of paralysis and bedridden state, his bodily functions had deteriorated, making him unable to withstand the energy from his supernatural abilities, and he fell into a coma.]

Because of his long-term lack of security, the overflowing energy, driven by his subconscious self-protection, manifested as vines that bound him.

So, what do we do now?

[All that's needed is to improve his physical attributes; the Body Tempering Pill can solve the problem.]

Considering that Chu Sinian's special ability contributed five Body Tempering Pills to her, Lou Fengyue didn't mind sharing one to save his life.

"Go pour me a glass of water," she instructed Chu Sihua.

Then he took out a Body Tempering Pill from his pocket, put it into Chu Sinian's mouth, helped him up, and gave him a few sips of water.

The pill was forced into Chu Sinian's stomach.

Chu Sihua, stunned, couldn't help but ask, "What did you feed my brother?"

"Good stuff." Lou Fengyue placed the glass on the bedside table and gently put the boy down.

Before long, the person on the bed started sweating profusely, the sweat soaking the pillow.

Chu Sihua thought her brother had a fever again, so she rushed to the bedside and reached out to touch her brother's forehead.

But I didn't feel any heat; instead, I felt a bit cold.

The vines began to loosen and retreat into the mattress.

When the vines were completely out of sight, the boy on the bed slowly opened his eyes.

"He's awake!" Chu Sihua burst into tears of joy and threw herself into her brother's arms. "Brother—"

Chu Sinian frowned, adjusting his gaze to the light streaming in from the window.

When I saw the girl next to the bed wearing a mask and a baseball cap, with only her eyes showing, I saw no fear or panic in her eyes, only a blank stare.

What happened?

He only remembered having a very long dream.

They crawled forward through the snow and ice.

A moment later, he was thrown into Laozi's alchemy furnace.

A voice was calling to him; it was his younger brother's voice. He was struggling to walk out, but it seemed he could never reach the end.

Chu Sihua sat up, wiped away her tears, and turned to Lou Fengyue, her words becoming hesitant again: "Um... thank you for the medicine... I... I can pay you. Name your price, I'm willing to pay whatever it is."

"No need," Lou Fengyue waved her hand.

Body Tempering Pills are something that money can't buy.

Besides, in this world, money has become worthless.

More than Chu Sihua's gratitude, Lou Fengyue was curious whether awakening superpowers would bring miracles to disabled people.

"Get out of bed and walk a few steps?"

That's what she thought, and that's why she asked the question.

The two brothers were stunned by these words.

Before he could finish speaking, Lou Fengyue interrupted him, saying, "You've awakened a special ability—a wood-type ability, which allows you to manipulate plants."

Chu Sinian's brows furrowed even more, staring at her incredulously, his eyes wide as if he were looking at a madwoman. "What are you talking about?"

"Really, brother, there are zombies outside. This young lady also has superpowers; she's the one who saved you," Chu Sihua said confidently.

Chu Sinian froze on the bed. After listening to their words, he felt as if he had gained a power he had never had before.

My lower body, which was previously completely numb, now seems to... feel the weight of the blanket on my feet and the coolness of the wind brushing against my thighs.

He was a little dazed, and tentatively moved his body to sit on the edge of the bed.

Once his feet touched the ground, he was certain he was conscious again.

It's not even the stiffness of the recovery period, but the comfort of having all the meridians unblocked.

He stood up and took a few steps. Although he still had some awkwardness from being bedridden for many years, every step was full of energy. You couldn't tell that he was a disabled person who was paralyzed in bed just yesterday.

"Brother, you...you're really healed!"

Chu Sihua wiped away her tears and turned to kneel down before Lou Fengyue.

"Thank you so much for saving my brother!"

"No!" Lou Fengyue grabbed his arm quickly. "He awakened his superpower on his own. What does it have to do with me?"

Chu Sihua's eyes were brimming with tears. "But... but if it weren't for the medicine you gave me, my brother might have..."

Upon hearing his younger brother's words, Chu Si Nian belatedly realized that he had felt a warm current flowing into his body while he was unconscious.

That wasn't because of any special ability, but because of the medicine Lou Fengyue fed him.

He quickly turned to Lou Fengyue, his words earnest: "I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Lou Fengyue waved her hand dismissively, changing the subject: "Your body is too weak to withstand superpowers. Eat more and exercise more."

"Okay." Chu Sinian smiled faintly, his eyes gentle as water. "Would you mind knowing my benefactor's name?"

"The surname is Lou, and the 'lou' in 'pavilion and tower' refers to a building or pavilion."

"I'll remember that, Miss Lou."