Chapter 33: A Future Debt and an Awakened Blade

Seeing Li Fenghua actively heading towards the small shop, essentially walking to his death, filled me with an unbearable sense of urgency.

My intervention now was entirely to foster a good relationship with him. If he were to die, all my efforts would be utterly in vain.

While Li Fenghua would later become an incredibly formidable arms dealer, protected by a group of ruthless individuals despite his own lack of combat prowess, that was a future yet to come.

For now, Li Fenghua had no one to rely on but himself.

With his abilities still dormant, how could he possibly survive against a dozen zombies?

It was precisely this realization that compelled me to step forward and offer my assistance.

To have a future arms magnate owe me a favor would be incredibly valuable!

However, that hinged entirely on Li Fenghua remaining alive.

My interest lay in his future growth, not in his current, pathetic display of weakness.

As for why I believed he was walking to his death… it was because I couldn’t be certain if future events would unfold precisely as they did in my memories.

After all, before my rebirth, my sister had run away without a word, and I hadn’t encountered her once in ten years of the apocalypse.

Yet, after my rebirth, my sister was still safely waiting for me at home!

Clearly, some events were not replaying exactly as they had before.

The causal chain of events had already shifted, making it impossible for anyone to foresee the future’s exact trajectory.

All I could do now was my best to ensure Li Fenghua’s survival.

****

“Hmph, you brat, it seems you’ve got the guts of a bear and a leopard to actually… Argh!”

My heart pounded with impatience as I looked at the two men blocking my path, terrified that any delay would cost Li Fenghua his life.

Without holding back, I extended my left hand and forcefully shoved the garrulous man backward.

My intention had merely been to push him aside, but I had momentarily forgotten that I had already awakened my abilities.

With my physical attributes greatly enhanced, my strength had also significantly increased.

With that single push, the man was sent flying over ten meters before he finally crashed to the ground, utterly still.

Disregarding the man’s fate, I swiftly lifted my leg and sprinted towards Li Fenghua, leaving the other individual gaping in astonishment.

Simultaneously, my right hand gripped the hilt of my blade, a tremor of excitement running through me.

This was my first encounter with zombies since awakening my abilities! Facing a dozen of them all at once stirred a complex mix of emotions within me.

While I knew my current power was more than enough to dispatch these zombies, a strange tension still coiled in my gut.

It was akin to replaying a game I had already completed; even when encountering familiar traps, a sense of apprehension would inevitably arise.

I drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

With my emotions stabilized, I reached Li Fenghua’s side.

By then, the surrounding zombies had already been drawn by our movements, howling as they charged madly towards us.

“Stay close to me, and be careful not to get caught by the zombies.”

“R-right!” Li Fenghua stammered.

My eyes remained fixed on the approaching zombies, yet I still managed to issue a warning to the panicked Li Fenghua.

Ignoring Li Fenghua’s reply, I brought my great saber down directly on the zombie in front of me, splitting its head in two.

With a flick of the blade, I then impaled the head of another zombie that was rushing in from the side.

After instantly dispatching two zombies, the large horde swarmed forward, pressing in on me.

My wrist flicked, and the tip of my saber, with a cunning thrust, plunged viciously into a zombie’s temple.

After striking, I exerted force, cleaving the zombie’s head in half.

Without pause, the blade continued its arc, slicing open the head of an adjacent zombie.

The situation was well in hand. At this pace, I could annihilate the entire horde in just thirty seconds.

****

“Brother! Help me!”

As I was cutting down zombies, Li Fenghua’s panicked cry suddenly echoed from my side.

I whipped my head around to see five zombies forming a tight encirclement, all lunging to bite Li Fenghua simultaneously.

“Close your eyes, and don’t move.”

The situation was critical! After shouting fiercely, I stomped my foot down hard on the ground.

A small crater formed where my foot landed, and a network of cracks instantly spread across the floor tiles beneath me.

Ignoring the damage, I used the force to propel myself directly to Li Fenghua’s side.

Li Fenghua, obediently closing his eyes and remaining perfectly still, proved to be an immense help.

Had he moved erratically, he would have squandered his only chance at survival.

Upon reaching Li Fenghua, I gripped his shoulder with my left hand. Then, pivoting around him as the center, I twisted my body and swung my saber in a wide, arcing circle.

In the next instant, the heads of all five zombies simultaneously hit the ground.

With the majority of the zombies dealt with, the rest would be much simpler.

I released Li Fenghua’s shoulder. Given the immense force I had exerted, he would likely only feel some pain, certainly not shattered bones.

After awakening my abilities, killing zombies with sheer physical strength was truly exhilarating!