Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Qi Wei hesitated for only a moment before putting the crystal into her mouth—if Lin Chen really wanted to harm her, why would he go through all this trouble?

The spirit crystal melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm, gentle current that slid down the throat.

"My name is Lin Chen, and I'm older than you. You can call me Brother Lin or Captain, either is fine," Lin Chen introduced himself simply.

"Then I'll call you Brother Lin," Qi Wei replied softly, feeling the subtle flow within her body.

Before he finished speaking, a heat wave far more intense than expected exploded from his dantian!

It was as if lava had suddenly poured into her bloodstream, her skin instantly burning hot, and a dense, crisp "crackling" sound came from deep within her bones, as if an invisible hand was breaking down and rebuilding every inch of her body.

The muscle fibers tightened and expanded continuously, and a savage and abundant sense of power surged out from every part of the body, almost bursting through the body's former shell.

Within a minute, the torrent of heat gradually subsided.

Qi Wei could clearly feel that her once pampered body was now full of unprecedented resilience and strength, with its intensity more than doubled!

At the same time, a clear message naturally surfaced from the depths of my mind:

"Special Ability [Metal Enchantment], Rating A."

"What did you awaken?" Lin Chen asked, a hint of barely perceptible anticipation in his voice.

"It's...it's an A-level ability!" Qi Wei felt the new energy surging through her body, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. "It's called...'Metal Enchantment'!"

When she looked at Lin Chen again, her eyes were completely different—in addition to the initial shock and awe, there was a sense of closeness and trust that had been invisibly fostered by the Creation Crystal, and a faint, burning light flickered in her eyes.

A glint of light flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

"Enchanted abilities!" This is a true strategic resource in the mid-to-late stages of the apocalypse! Faced with those high-level zombies and mutated beasts that are thick-skinned, have amazing regenerative abilities, and even possess special abilities, ordinary firearms will sooner or later become scrap metal.

Only weapons and armor enhanced by enchanters—imbued with attributes such as "sharpness," "armor penetration," "elemental penetration," and "increased durability"—can tear through their defenses and secure victory.

Qi Wei is a wonderful surprise! The long-term value of an A-level metal enchanter is probably greater than that of several combat-type ability users of the same level combined.

Without saying much, he immediately took out a set of well-fitting tactical gear from his spatial storage and handed it over: "Put this on."

Then, he drew a simple-looking but gleaming Tang sword and handed it to her, saying, "Try your supernatural ability."

Qi Wei took the Tang sword, took a deep breath, and concentrated.

She felt the new energy within her body, subtly resonating with the metal, and slowly guided it to the blade.

About a minute later, the entire Tang sword suddenly swept across a layer of pale white light like flowing water, then receded, while the blade exuded a completely different sharp aura.

"It's done! Brother Lin, here you go!" Qi Wei's voice was full of surprise.

Lin Chen took the Tang sword and casually slashed it diagonally down at a metal shelf next to him.

"Splash—!"

With a piercing tearing sound, the shelf was cleanly sliced ​​open like tofu, the cut surface as smooth as a mirror.

Lin Chen examined the blade, which was now completely smooth and gleaming even brighter, and nodded in approval, "Very good!"

Without further delay, he led Qi Wei, who was still immersed in great surprise, out of the storage room and began to clear the zombies from the second and third floor cafeterias.

Perhaps their luck had run out earlier, because apart from a few dozen wandering zombies, no other survivors were found on these two floors.

Lin Chen's swordsmanship remained as sharp as ever, each strike aimed directly at vital points, while he deliberately slowed down the pace to give Qi Wei room to adapt.

Qi Wei used her new ability somewhat awkwardly—she concentrated, and the blade of her tactical dagger gleamed with a faint metallic light. Then, she spotted a staggering zombie and slashed it to the side.

"laugh--"

As the blade swept across, the zombie's head was smoothly sliced ​​in half as if a hot knife were cutting through butter. Before the black blood could even splatter, the body crashed to the ground.

In less than half an hour, the two floors were completely cleaned up.

Back at the supermarket exit on the first floor, Lin Chen asked, "Does your school have any other supermarkets or convenience stores?"

"Yes!" Qi Wei nodded immediately, her tone enthusiastic. "It's in the faculty and staff living area, next to the graduate student dormitory building. There's also a supermarket there, about the same size as this one."

"lead the way."

"Huh? Oh, okay!" Qi Wei was taken aback at first, then realized her new role as a "guide," her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly turned around to point the way, "This way, turn left, go through the small garden and the basketball court, and you'll get there. I'll take you!"

She strode ahead. In the dim light, her figure still carried a clean air that stood out from the bloody surroundings—only the dagger she gripped tightly in her hand, its blade faintly gleaming with cold light, silently proclaimed that she had stepped into this cruel new era.

Lin Chen followed Qi Wei toward the supermarket in the faculty and staff living area.

The two tacitly avoided the eastern dormitory area, where the zombie roars were particularly dense.

Lin Chen didn't miss any of the small convenience stores, cultural and creative shops, or even the vending machines embedded in the walls along the way—breaking down doors, clearing out corpses, and collecting supplies. The whole set of actions was smooth and precise, as if it had been repeated millions of times.

Before the scattered zombies could even turn around completely, a flash of light and their heads would roll off; the corpses would then be stored in the space, with very little blood spilling onto the ground.

Qi Wei followed silently behind, her gaze always unconsciously drawn to that extremely calm figure.

His every movement was swift and precise, carrying an instinct honed through countless trials, as if the apocalyptic scene before him was nothing more than a familiar part of his daily life.

This composure and strength, far beyond his years, not only shocked her but also quietly instilled a deep sense of trust in her.

"Brother Lin... he's really strong," she thought to herself. "And his profile during battle, so calm and focused, has an indescribable charm... being with him really makes me feel safe."

The thought had barely formed when, for some reason, the image of his deep, smiling eyes when he handed over the spirit crystal, and his teasing question, "What price are you willing to pay?" flashed through my mind again.

Her ears burned, and she instinctively brought her legs together, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at their target supermarket.

A dozen or so zombies dressed in supermarket work uniforms or school uniforms were wandering around the entrance.

Without a word, Lin Chen drew his Tang sword and darted out like a ghost, flashing cold light as several hideous heads fell to the ground.

Immediately afterward, a thought swept across the supermarket, and all the intact goods on them vanished instantly, leaving only an empty storefront littered with debris.

"This supermarket has a second floor," Qi Wei said softly, pointing to the stairs beside her.

The two slowly ascended the stairs. As soon as they stepped onto the second-floor platform, the scene before them made Qi Wei pause slightly in surprise.

In the corner, on a supporting pillar, two zombies were tightly bound with rough nylon ropes, struggling and growling. Judging from their clothes, they seemed to be supermarket employees.

Not far away, at a coffee table by the window, two women sat up in fright—clearly awakened by the commotion downstairs and the roars of zombies.

One of them was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, dressed in a neatly tailored beige casual outfit, with a clean ponytail and a tall figure.

She has a beautiful face, and her eyes and brows exude a keenness and talent unique to artists.

The other woman was a bit older, around thirty years old, with a plump and well-proportioned figure, fair skin, and a round oval face with gentle eyebrows and eyes, exuding the unique charm and approachability of a mature woman.

The two are of similar height, both around 1.68 meters.

"Teacher Bai!" Qi Wei exclaimed in surprise and quickly stepped forward.

"Qi Wei? It really is you! You're alive!" The young woman called Teacher Bai rushed forward, tightly grasping Qi Wei's hand, her eyes filled with disbelief and joy at surviving such a close call. "That's wonderful! I thought..."

"Yes, I'm fine. Teacher Bai, what are you doing here?" Qi Wei nodded repeatedly and asked with concern.

"I'm friends with Huangfu Lan, the owner of this coffee shop—Sister Lan." Bai Xin pointed to the elegant and beautiful woman behind her. "We were supposed to meet here today to talk about something. Sister Lan, this is my student, Qi Wei, a top student in our art department."

"Hello, Qi Wei. I'm Huangfu Lan, the owner of this coffee shop." The beautiful woman stepped forward, her voice slightly hoarse with fatigue, yet revealing a resilience and composure born from past hardships.