Chapter Thirty-Two: This Is Not Ice Magic

Only after being tossed into the grass did the girl with the ponytail fully realize what had happened.

She had been saved! And the one who saved her was actually another stranger—a girl!

Watching the slender figure currently confronting the zombie, the girl with the ponytail felt her heart racing.

"No, I have to hide further away; I can't be a burden to her!"

Enduring the pain in her leg, she quickly crawled backward until she was hidden behind a large tree, then peeked out once more.

Seeing her prey snatched away just as it was about to be devoured, the zombie let out a sharp, angry howl.

Lin Qingqing was raising her ice blade to strike at the zombie when Chu Wei shouted from behind her, "Miss Lin, you've already seen the Level 2 zombie. Shouldn't our deal come to an end now?"

The last thing one wants during a fight is a distraction. Chu Wei’s sudden shout nearly made Lin Qingqing lose her focus. He chose to yell not a moment sooner or later, but exactly when she was about to engage the zombie—a truly malicious move.

"Fine. Then, Mr. Chu, why don't you keep an eye on this zombie while I go get the crystal core for you?" Lin Qingqing dodged the zombie's attack and replied without looking back.

"Is Miss Lin trying to drag us all down with her?"

Chu Wei did not believe Lin Qingqing could kill a Level 2 zombie on her own. In his view, this "Miss Lin" had used the pretext of saving someone to lure the zombie over, intending for them to help her kill it.

What a shameless woman!

"I’m just not free to do it, am I?" Lin Qingqing said helplessly.

It wasn't as if she didn't realize Chu Wei had ill intentions. If the zombie had stayed put, she would have certainly chosen to send Chu Wei and his group away before taking action.

But reality was inconvenient; seeing the zombie about to chase the group far away, how could Lin Qingqing just sit by and wait for death?

Although it looked like the zombie was hunting those people, it was still a six-on-one situation, and there was more than one ability user in that group. If those young people found an opportunity to kill the zombie, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?

As for that girl, she was prey right by the zombie's mouth. By saving her, the zombie would follow right along.

Chu Wei thought Lin Qingqing wanted their help, but in reality, she wasn't relying on them at all.

With the fire-type crystal core still in her possession and a lethal Level 2 zombie nearby, Chu Wei and his two companions were in a bind—they could neither leave nor stay.

However, Lin Qingqing didn't care what they thought. As long as they stayed under her watch, it was fine; if they tried any tricks, her ice blades were more than enough to kill the defenseless trio in a single stroke.

The gap between a Tier 2 ability user and a Tier 1 ability user cannot be bridged by numbers alone. It is like comparing the lethality of a master marksman to an ordinary person—the disparity is clear at a glance.

Now, the Level 2 zombie was her primary target. Lin Qingqing fought with total focus, wanting a swift resolution, but the zombie refused to cooperate.

Perhaps finding her too difficult to deal with, it turned its head and went after the others instead. After all, food was food; it didn't matter who it ate.

As the zombie shifted its target, Chu Wei, being the closest, became the first candidate.

"Damn it, why does it always target me?" Chu Wei cursed. He had no intention of helping Lin Qingqing. Seeing the zombie looking at him, he immediately turned and bolted.

As he ran, the zombie hesitated but didn't pursue him. With so many people around, it could just pick another. This time, unfortunately, it chose Xiao Li.

Xiao Li followed Chu Wei's lead and turned to run, but this time, the zombie did not intend to let him go.

"Does this zombie actually know how to pick the softest target?"

Xiao Li groaned inwardly. His ability had not yet recovered, and now his stamina was also running dry.

Perhaps the repeated chases had exhausted the zombie's patience. Seeing its prey fleeing again, it stopped and let out an angry "hissing" sound from its throat.

Just as everyone wondered what it was doing, a flash of electricity suddenly streaked across the air. A second later, Xiao Li, who was still running ahead, collapsed to the ground.

"Lightning type!"

Lin Qingqing, following behind the zombie, gasped. Not only was this a rare lightning-type zombie, but it also possessed an offensive skill.

This was going to be tricky!

Behind a tree where no one noticed, the girl with the ponytail watched the electric arc in the zombie's hand with a complex expression.

No wonder her abilities had been useless against the zombie; the opponent was of the same lightning type, and of a higher tier than her.

Staring at the zombie, the girl gripped the tree trunk tightly with her fingertips. Her expression was a mix of joy and sorrow as she muttered to herself, "The same lightning type... I should have guessed sooner..."

On the other side, seeing that the zombie had stopped chasing him, Chu Wei circled back and snuck over.

"How did Xiao Li die?"

He covered his mouth in shock, his gaze shifting back and forth between the zombie and Lin Qingqing.

Chu Wei had not seen the moment the zombie unleashed its skill. He wondered what had just happened—had the zombie killed Xiao Li, or had Miss Lin lost her patience and taken action herself?

Thinking it over, he leaned toward the idea that Lin Qingqing had done it.

Not only was this Miss Lin’s strength unfathomable, but her methods were also impossible to predict.

Chu Wei watched her back, his eyes flickering. With a person like this, one should either be on good terms with her or eliminate her.

...

Aside from being more agile, a Level 2 zombie was not much smarter than a Level 1. Even with a skill, it only used it based on instinct.

So, with fresh food available, the zombie ignored Lin Qingqing.

This was a good opportunity. While the zombie was feeding, Lin Qingqing planned to finish it off in one move. But just then, a cry came from behind the distant tree.

"Sister, look out!"

Lin Qingqing’s pupils constricted. The next second, there was a "clang" as a dagger struck a layer of ice armor.

Chu Wei looked at Lin Qingqing, his expression shifting from surprise to terror. He hadn't expected this Miss Lin to have been hiding her true strength all along.

"This is a mutated ability user? How can she be this strong?"

Chu Wei's hand, gripping the dagger, began to tremble. Looking at Lin Qingqing with suspicion and fear, only two words filled his mind: "It's over."

The next moment, two ice blades suddenly appeared in his vision. With a familiar rush of heat, Chu Wei fell into a pool of blood before he could even feel regret.

"You are... Tier... Tier..."

"Yes, I am a Tier 2 ability user," Lin Qingqing confirmed his suspicion.

Ice type! Tier 2! No wonder, no wonder...

Watching him close his eyes in resentment, Lin Qingqing efficiently disposed of Chu Wei’s body. The fresh scent of blood caught the zombie's attention, and it turned back.

It seemed to hesitate over which of the two corpses was fresher. In that moment of distraction, Lin Qingqing had already charged forward with her ice blade raised.

As the ice blade was about to strike the zombie, the girl with the ponytail behind the tree tightened her fists involuntarily. Her eyes darted between Lin Qingqing and the zombie, though it was unclear who she was more nervous for.