Afterlife Department

The modified bus runs very fast and finally managed to shake the zombies off of its tail.

"Epic! You two are so epic!" Qi Ning exclaimed as he looked at both Yi Bing and Huo Ling with her bright eyes sparkling like she was looking at her idols.

Yi Bing is now sitting on the side as he watched Huo Ling took out some foods from his space after Qi Ming instructed them to feed the survivors. Meanwhile, after Qi Ning praised Yi Bing and Huo Ling, she rechecked the bodies of the survivors in case they were bitten by the zombies or have wounds that have an infection. They still don't know what is the cause why zombies were created. The best scientists in the country are still investigating it.

But, they know that once the zombies have bitten you, or even if you were scratched or your open wound that has no relation to zombies before have been exposed to zombies or the places where the zombies have been, then you are as good as dead, since you will also become a zombie like them. This has been confirmed before, as this was the reason why the number of zombies greatly increased because many people have been bitten and weren't killed before they mutated, or that their wounds have been overlooked.

As for the ability users… suddenly, Yi Bing started. His narrowed eyes slightly widened when he thought of something. "Qi Ming." He called. But, his eyes are still on Huo Ling's figure.

Huo Ling is evenly distributing the foods to the survivors. 

"Yeah?" Qi Ming answered. His eyes were closed to get rest. But, when he heard Yi Bing called, he opened his eyes and turned. Suddenly, he thought Yi Bing is a monster, as well as Huo Ling, because the two aren't even tired after spending such a large amount of energy. He really feels envious of them.

Yi Bing finally removed his gaze from Huo Ling and turned to Qi Ming, meeting his gaze. "How did the ability users came to be?" he asked.

"Huh?" Qi Ming blinked, suddenly was taken aback by Yi Bing's question. It took him a while to understand Yi Bing's question. "Ah. The ability users…" he muttered. "This is an intriguing matter." He said.

"'intriguing'?" Yi Bing's brows raised.

Qi Ming nodded. "Yes. 'intriguing'. After all – " he looked at the survivors. " – only us among everyone have awakened abilities. But – " he turned back to Yi Bing. " – we don't even know how it happened." He said.

Yi Bing was shocked. "What? You… it wasn't known how we became ability users?!" he exclaimed. He stared at Qi Ming. For a moment, he thought that Qi Ming was acting dumb and is deceiving him. But, he can feel that Qi Ming is telling him the truth.

After knowing that this is an apocalypse world, their knowledge about the zombie apocalypse movies and novels came to mind. Being bitten by a zombie, or even scratched, or your wound being exposed to the zombies, will turn you into a zombie, this rule was applied to this world. But, being bitten by a zombie and survived after can awaken your ability, there was no such rule in this world!

Once bitten, scratched or exposed to, you will mutate as a zombie. This is absolute. Then, how did the ability users came to be?

"Intriguing, right?" Qi Ming grinned as he crossed his arms on his chest while he looked at the survivors cowering on the back of the bus. "We know how to become a zombie, but we don't know how the ability users came to be." He said.

"Wait." Yi Bing spoke when he remembered something. "Wen Yan said that absorbing nucleus crystal can turn an ordinary person to an ability user." He said.

"That is just to console the ordinary people, and to give them hope." Qi Ming spoke.

Yi Bing fell silent.

"If were told that they can only pass their days relying on the ability users, what do you think they would do, especially those pride people?" Qi Ming asked. "Of course, pride can't be eaten in this apocalypse. But, if this is the world has become, with no guarantee of returning it to how it was before, would you still continue to cling on for life?" he looked at Yi Bing. "Even the ability users can fall, and there are not that many of us. How would it be for the ordinary people?" he looked away.

Yi Bing didn't speak, as he knows how it is to be left with no hope. He has seen many of it while doing his tasks as a grim reaper.

"Actually, it is not just the zombies the ordinary people feared." Qi Ming spoke. "It is also us." He bitterly smiled when he remembered a memory. "Just think. The zombies are already stronger than you. Then, there are the ability users who are stronger than zombies. What does this imply?" he asked.

"The ordinary people are in the bottom of the social pyramid." Yi Bing answered.

Qi Ming nodded in agreement. "And when they realize this, there will be two outcomes – " he said. " – to retaliate, or to continue to fear." He looked at Yi Bing. "The ordinary people have a bigger number than us. If they really will retaliate, the victory of the ability users would depend on the strength of their abilities. Of course, I don't want this to happen." He sighed. "But, I also don't want for the second outcome to happen, as it can develop to the first outcome." He explained.

Yi Bing opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. He didn't say that communication is the key, since –

Qi Ming smiled, as if he read his thought. "Communicating with them might be easy, but the change in the situation can also easily sway them." He said. "If the law still exists as well as order, then the communication might overpower any change in the situation. However, this is the apocalypse, where the law is ignored and the order has already been torn apart." He told him.

"I know." Yi Bing spoke in a low voice. "That is why there is no need for comfort." He said.

…

"They don't know how the ability users came to be?" Huo Ling muttered in surprise.

They have already returned to the base, but the second group still hasn't returned. Huo Ling has already unloaded the goods in the meeting room for the Rolling Thunder to equally distribute and they were sitting on the side, talking in low voices.

"Yes." Yi Bing nodded.

Huo Ling took a deep breath. "Don't worry. This actually has an advantage to us, since we won't be suspected." He told Yi Bing.

"I thought so, too." Yi Bing spoke.

"But, this is very alarming." Huo Ling's expression became anxious once again. "If this is really true, then there should only the zombies and the ordinary people existing. Yet, there are the ability users." He frowned.

"This world is really troubling." Yi Bing's brows knitted.

Huo Ling heaved a sigh as he continued to rack his brain. "Huh?" he muttered when he suddenly recalled something. "Don't both the ordinary people and the ability users use the nucleus crystal?" he asked. "And this nucleus crystal contains the world energy, so… they absorbed the nucleus crystal?" he said.

Yi Bing was about to agree when he remembered something. "The nucleus crystal doesn't exist before the ability users came… to… be…" his voice trailed off.

Huo Ling's eyes widened when he also realized it. They turned to look at each other. Their gazes met. "… when did the ability users appeared?" they asked.

Huo Ling retracted his gaze, and Yi Bing suddenly felt a sense of loss and lowered his gaze to hide his emotion.

"This question is crucial." Huo Ling spoke. "If the ability users appeared before the zombies appeared, then we don't have a tentative guess to the existence of the ability users. But, if the ability users appeared after the zombies appeared, then – " he took a deep breath. " – someone must have accidentally absorbed the nucleus crystal from a zombie and activated his ability." He explained.

"Yeah." Yi Bing nodded. "Earlier, Qi Ming said that the ordinary people absorbing the nucleus crystal is just a consolation for the ordinary people who can never be ability users. But – " he said. " – I don't think this is right. The ordinary people can use the nucleus crystal and it works for them. As for them becoming ability users…" he turned to Huo Ling to look in his eyes as he slowly spoke his next words. "It must be depending on how much the energy they consumed." He spoke.

Huo Ling's eyes slowly widened when he realized it. "Could it be – " his breathing became ragged.

Yi Bing nodded. "The disappearance of the world energy… the world energy crystalized and became the zombies' nucleus crystals. Then, the people consumed them and some became ability users." He said.