"Replicate the ability."
[Ability replication successful.]
[Ability obtained: Strength Amplification D-grade.]
In the blink of an eye, the D-grade ability was his, and Noah was in high spirits. At last, he had a practical ability, albeit only a D-grade one. For now, it was better than nothing.
As for the other's wealth... With only 5 points, she probably had nothing but the clothes on her back. He had no interest in women's clothing, so plundering it was pointless.
"Thank you, young man. That scared me to death. Is this the end of the world?" The girl said, visibly shaken, once they were back in the car.
Noah didn't respond to her remark but instead asked, "Do you know Xue Qingyu?"
The girl nodded. "Mm-hmm, of course, we're in the same dormitory."
Hearing this, Noah's eyes lit up, feeling lucky. He quickly inquired further, "Do you know where she is right now?"
The girl thought for a moment. "I remember she went to her uncle's photo studio to be a cover model today."
"Do you know where her uncle's photo studio is?"
"Yes, I've been there with her a couple of times. It's right next to the north side of the TV station building."
With the whereabouts of Xue Qingyu known, Noah didn't hesitate, turning the car towards the school gate and speeding off. "I can take you with me, but you need to help guide me to find Xue Qingyu."
"Mm-hmm, okay, no problem," the girl quickly agreed, nodding her head.
In no time, the car had successfully exited the school and was on its way towards the TV station. The city of Su had already descended into chaos, with zombies and screaming crowds everywhere, and countless vehicles abandoned on both sides of the road.
Smoke mixed with screams filled the streets non-stop, like a real hell on earth. Fortunately, it was the onset of the apocalypse, and many people were busy avoiding zombies, so the roads weren't completely blocked. They could still plow through the occasional zombies and crowds blocking the way.
The girl looked out at the chaotic scene outside the car, her face turning pale. To distract herself, she quickly started making conversation with Noah.
"What's your name and what's your major? My name is Liu Xiaoyu, I'm 18 years old, and I love eating fish, hehe..."
As he floored the accelerator, knocking over two zombies, Noah responded indifferently, "Noah."
"Nice to meet you, Noah. I'll call you Noah then. What's your relationship with Qingyu? Are we going to save her?" Noah didn't reply, merely nodding his head slightly, his focus entirely on driving.
Seeing Noah's silence, Liu Xiaoyu didn't ask further, her big eyes filled with curiosity and a bit of envy towards Xue Qingyu. In her view, Noah and Xue Qingyu must be in a romantic relationship. That's the only reason Noah would risk his life to save Xue Qingyu, even during the apocalypse.
Liu Xiaoyu felt a bit dejected. Xue Qingyu had Noah, such a wonderful boyfriend, while she, Liu Xiaoyu, had nothing. The boys who used to say they liked her and would die for her were probably only looking out for themselves now. Even if they had the ability to protect themselves, they likely wouldn't risk their lives to save her. If only Noah were her boyfriend. And he was handsome too...
After about twenty minutes, Noah abruptly stopped the car, grabbed his watermelon knife, and got out.
"We're not there yet," Liu Xiaoyu noted. "We're switching cars," Noah replied tersely. The small sedan was struggling after the continuous driving and collisions; it was only a matter of time before it would break down.
"Oh, okay," Liu Xiaoyu hurried out of the car and followed him. Noah approached a Hummer, knocked on the windshield, and a chubby middle-aged man rolled down the window to look out.
"Scram, kid. Don't bother me," the man said. Without a word, Noah grabbed the man by the collar, yanked him out of the car, and then took the driver's seat for himself.
"Damn it!" The middle-aged man got up, pulled out a dagger from his waist, and lunged at Noah. Noah kicked out with his left foot.
With the strength amplification ability boosting him, Noah sent the middle-aged man flying with a kick. The man crashed into a roadside trash can, his condition unknown.
"Ah!!!" Inside the passenger seat was a sweet-looking, fiery woman, likely the middle-aged man's lover. She appeared to be under 20, with looks that could easily place her as the belle of her department.
Noah, expressionless, dragged her out and kicked her off the car as well. As he retracted his foot, he gently closed the car door with the tip of his shoe and signaled Liu Xiaoyu with a look.
"Get in, no dawdling."
Liu Xiaoyu nodded vigorously: "Okay, Noah."
She had observed everything Noah did; whether it was a living person or a zombie blocking the way, he dealt with them ruthlessly, seizing whatever car he fancied. Yet, Liu Xiaoyu dared not comment, as she too relied on Noah.
After all, this was the apocalypse; notions of truth, goodness, and beauty had long vanished. She hadn't experienced the end of the world herself but had seen plenty of apocalyptic movies. In those, the virtuous typically died early and in horrible ways.
She was young and hadn't even been in love yet; she didn't want to die so soon.
The journey, initially estimated at half an hour, took an hour due to obstacles but eventually, they reached their destination. "It's that photo studio," Liu Xiaoyu pointed out a building not far away.
Understanding, Noah drove up to the studio's entrance, pulled out the car key, pocketed it, and got out with his watermelon knife.
"Wait for me, Noah. I'll come with you," Liu Xiaoyu said. Though the car was relatively safer, she didn't have the courage to stay in it alone.
...
Inside the photo studio at that moment, Xue Qingyu was curled up in a corner of a photography studio, shivering.
Screams echoed from outside from time to time, turning her complexion even paler.
"Don't be afraid, Qingyu. Uncle will protect you."
"Thank you." Xue Qingyu said obediently, nodding her head.
In the room, there was another man in a suit and leather shoes, quietly comforting Xue Qingyu. This man was her uncle, Liu Chengyu, who also owned the photo studio.
Xue Qingyu had been born with stunning beauty and grew up even more radiant and charming, possessing a pure and ethereal quality that even many top stars couldn't match, perhaps even surpassing them.
However, Xue Qingyu's family wasn't wealthy, so she often worked as a cover model at her uncle's studio to earn some living expenses.
Liu Chengyu was naturally pleased and very welcoming of her. Apart from anything else, Xue Qingyu's appearance and temperament were exceptional, attracting a lot of business to his studio after she became a model there.
Like usual, Xue Qingyu had come to the studio to shoot a cover. But not long after they started, something horrific happened.
Around 10 a.m., chaos erupted on the streets. A group of frenzied, ghastly-looking individuals began attacking and biting people, even eating them, with intestines and flesh torn everywhere...
Those bitten and killed quickly revived to continue attacking others.
Before they could close the studio, the crazed attackers had rushed in amidst the chaos, biting people. Liu Chengyu and Xue Qingyu hid in a small photography studio, narrowly escaping the onslaught.
Reflecting on the events, Liu Chengyu felt his heart sink. Suddenly, he realized that this scenario was exactly like the apocalyptic world depicted in movies. The apocalypse had arrived.
With the apocalypse, the photo studio he had worked so hard for half his life was likely gone, along with all his wealth and reputation, turning into nothing but a mirage.
Thinking of this made Liu Chengyu indescribably irritable. Glancing at the youthful and beautiful Xue Qingyu next to him, a moment of madness flickered in his eyes as he reached out to her.
"Qingyu, come into my arms, and you won't be afraid. Uncle will protect you well."