Chapter 101: The Beginning of Transformation

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Seeing the fearful expressions on the students’ faces, Kong Zhe felt somewhat helpless. What they didn’t realize was that the giant snake would never attack them proactively. In fact, staying near the snake was actually safer; even if the safety zone’s barrier were to break, no magical beast would dare approach it. So the closer they were to the snake, the safer they actually were.

However, Kong Zhe had no intention of explaining this to them. After all, their encounter was purely coincidental, and he wasn’t about to invite trouble on their behalf. As long as they stayed away, he was perfectly content with the peace and quiet.

“Woo woo!”

When Kong Zhe approached, the giant snake lifted its head and rubbed against him to show affection. But Kong Zhe noticed it seemed weak and listless. Its coiled body remained motionless, its tail lazily swaying behind it, and its face carried a clear expression of fatigue.

It seemed the safety zone’s suppression was very uncomfortable for the snake, making it drowsy.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Kong Zhe sighed, reaching out to stroke its nose in comfort. But there was no avoiding it—he was about to leave and needed the snake to stay within the safety zone to guard Xue Feifei and the others.

Entering the building, Kong Zhe saw three women gathered in the hall.

Xue Feifei and Tuan Tuan were, as usual, bickering incessantly. The sisters’ constant quarrels had long become routine, and Kong Zhe was already used to it.

“Brother Kong Zhe!”

Little Lei spotted Kong Zhe’s arrival and ran up to him with a beaming smile.

“Hm…”

Kong Zhe couldn’t help but be warmed by her smile. He smiled faintly, brushing her head gently. “Little Lei, come with me somewhere later, alright?”

“Okay!”

Without hesitation, Little Lei agreed.

Kong Zhe was momentarily surprised, then chuckled. Did she not even want to ask where they were going?

“Where are you going? I want to go too!”

Tuan Tuan, who had been in the midst of a heated argument with Xue Feifei, overheard Kong Zhe’s words. Her eyes darted, and she eagerly leaned in, shouting excitedly.

At this moment, Xue Feifei noticed the situation and approached, casting Kong Zhe a puzzled glance.

“What are you going for? Stay here and behave!”

Kong Zhe first shot a glance at Tuan Tuan, then turned to Xue Feifei.

“I have some things to take care of; I need to leave for a bit.”

Xue Feifei was stunned, about to say something, but Kong Zhe cut her off before she could speak.

“I’m taking Little Lei with me; you and Tuan Tuan stay here.”

“…Oh.”

Upon hearing this, disappointment immediately clouded Xue Feifei’s face. Though she hadn’t been with Kong Zhe long and they seldom spoke, she had already grown accustomed to their time together in just a few days. Only with him nearby could she feel truly secure. Now, hearing that he was leaving stirred an inexplicable anxiety deep within her heart.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing major. I should be back by tomorrow at the latest.”

Seeing the worry etched on her face, Kong Zhe reassured her.

“I want to go too! I want to go too!”

Tuan Tuan clenched her tiny fists in protest.

“No.”

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Kong Zhe ruffled her hair seriously. “You’re staying. Even though the giant snake is here, it’s still a magical beast with limited intelligence. It can’t understand many situations, and it’s not in good condition right now. So you need to stay and protect your sister.”

“Ah?”

Tuan Tuan’s face twisted in displeasure as she pouted and muttered, “Protect the angelic saint? No way!”

But noticing Kong Zhe’s unwavering gaze, she reluctantly quieted down, then finally complained, “Fine, fine!”

She then turned to Xue Feifei with a superior expression. “Since you’re just an ordinary person, I guess I’ll reluctantly protect you. Hmph, you better be grateful!”

“Ah? Who asked you to protect me?” Xue Feifei, annoyed by Tuan Tuan’s attitude, flushed red and snorted coldly. “You can barely take care of yourself! I’m not counting on you!”

“What?”

…

Their quarrel quickly resumed. Kong Zhe sighed and paid them no mind, letting them bicker as they pleased.

He had come to realize that these two were both too proud to back down, so this was likely the only way they expressed their feelings for one another.

“Let’s go.”

After leaving some food for the two, Kong Zhe took Little Lei and left.

Once Kong Zhe departed, only the two sisters remained in the room. Xue Feifei sighed but no longer had the heart to argue with Tuan Tuan. After a moment, she walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked down.

Below, Kong Zhe and Little Lei were gradually walking farther away.

“Hey, what are you looking at?”

Tuan Tuan, noticing Xue Feifei ignoring her, felt bored. She saw the worry on Xue Feifei’s face and asked.

Xue Feifei didn’t answer but muttered to herself, “I don’t know why, but I have a feeling something bad is about to happen…”

“Ah?”

Tuan Tuan was taken aback, then pouted in rebuttal. “What could possibly happen? Don’t worry, since I promised, I’ll protect you! Hmph!”

She looked mischievous as she patted Xue Feifei’s shoulder.

Because she was so short, she had to stand on tiptoe and stretch out her arm to barely reach her shoulder, making her look somewhat comical.

Xue Feifei couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Ah! Are you laughing at me…”

Tuan Tuan blushed and began to playfully wrestle with Xue Feifei.

…

Meanwhile, Kong Zhe had reached the edge of the safety zone.

“Little Lei, stick close to me, okay… Actually, never mind, I’ll just carry you.”

After some thought, Kong Zhe shook his head and pulled out a rope from his ring. He lifted Little Lei onto his back and secured her there.

The reason he brought Little Lei was because she could help neutralize his curse, but to fully dispel it, he needed to stay very close to her at all times.

Carrying her would free his hands, which, though slightly awkward, would allow him to handle most fights.

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“Beep, you have a new message; please check promptly!”

The sudden notification made Kong Zhe pause. Opening the panel, he saw it was from Su Meiqin.

Come to think of it, this was the first time she had sent him a message in several days. But when he opened it, he was speechless.

It was a regular mail!

The timestamp showed it was sent two days ago. Among awakeners, there were two ways to send messages: one, by spending a gold coin, which ensured fast delivery; the other, free but slow, known jokingly as “regular mail.”

Since timeliness was key for messages, and awakeners usually didn’t mind spending a coin, regular mail was seldom used.

Kong Zhe had explained all this to her before; it seemed she had mistakenly chosen the slower option since this was her first time sending a message.

Shaking his head, Kong Zhe opened the message, which contained only one sentence:

“…What should I do?”

Kong Zhe was silent for a moment before sighing deeply. Judging by this sentence, he could guess Su Meiqin’s current predicament.

It seemed she had met her team and was reliving similar scenes from her past life. From this line, Kong Zhe sensed her heart was filled with hesitation and helplessness. Otherwise, with her strong-willed nature, she would never ask for help in such a fragile tone.

But Kong Zhe could not help her.

He had already said enough to Su Meiqin; some things she had to figure out on her own. Interfering forcibly would only backfire.

After some thought, Kong Zhe chose not to reply and closed the panel.

Since two days had passed without another message, it meant she had made a decision and the matter was resolved. Perhaps she was already on her way to the new district, making any reply from him too late.

Closing the panel, Kong Zhe resumed his journey.

…

Two days earlier.

In a small alley of the old district of Jin City, Su Meiqin held a white spear and crept along the building walls toward another street.

Shortly after parting with Kong Zhe, she headed directly to where her team was.

Before the apocalypse, after receiving orders to head to the airport, she had also instructed her team to stay put. They should still be holed up in a residential house.

The monsters along the way posed no hindrance to her. Su Meiqin had become adept at fighting these first- and second-level magical beasts.

It was a regret that she hadn’t been able to spar with Kong Zhe before. These low-level beasts were no match for her; they fell in less than two moves, which frustrated her somewhat.

Others would never dare to walk so boldly, but Su Meiqin no longer cared. She even wished for some higher-level beasts to fight fiercely.

Before long, she accumulated enough experience points to level up to four.

Her profession was the Dance of the Holy Spear. Unlike Kong Zhe’s focus on efficiency in attacks, her skills were all very elegant. Especially when performed by a graceful woman, every battle resembled a delicate dance—beautiful and captivating—without sacrificing combat effectiveness.

This class showcased feminine grace to the fullest, which was one reason Su Meiqin felt excited. Women naturally care about aesthetics. Though she was straightforward and focused on strength, she still instinctively cared about appearances.

As Su Meiqin swept through the area, she soon neared her destination.

Drawing closer, her heart quickened with anticipation. She wondered how her team was doing, and whether any awakeners had appeared.