Chapter 52: The Secret of the Character for Battle

Everyone finished their meal together.

Zeng Hongsan retrieved a bag of crystal cores from the side and handed it to Lu Fei. “Boss, these are the crystal cores we dug out while clearing the nearby rooms. There are three thousand in total.”

“Well done.” Lu Fei nodded. “From now on, report to me how many crystal cores you’ve collected. I’ll distribute Body Tempering Elixirs based on the amount you bring in.”

One hundred crystal cores could be exchanged for a second-tier Body Tempering Elixir, two hundred for a third-tier, and five hundred for a fourth-tier. Lu Fei spoke calmly, knowing this would earn him a good number of crystal cores.

“Understood,” Zeng Hongsan replied with satisfaction. He was now fully capable of hunting second- and third-tier zombies, which meant he could exchange for even more Body Tempering Elixirs. The others were equally pleased and motivated by this prospect.

“We leave at seven tomorrow morning. You may rest or go out hunting zombies, just don’t be late. Stay out of the school—it's dangerous in there. If you go in, I won’t be coming to rescue you,” Lu Fei said sternly.

With that, he stood up, went to the bathroom to shower, changed into clean clothes, and returned to his bed. As he lay down, he discovered someone already there. Lifting the blanket, he found Little Dragon Maiden beneath it. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, then opened her arms and hugged him. “Handsome, did you miss me?”

“No, let go,” Lu Fei replied, feeling her soft, ample chest pressed tightly against him. It was very soft—extremely so—but unfortunately, she wasn’t his type.

At the same time, Liu Yanmeng hugged him from behind. The two beauties now had him sandwiched front and back, and while anyone else might envy his luck, Lu Fei was simply speechless, caught between two soft bodies. It was almost too much, especially after being startled earlier before the stone coffin—he’d nearly lost control and pounced on them both.

“Enough, are you two done sulking?” Lu Fei pushed them away. If they thought they could seduce him, they clearly didn’t know who they were dealing with. He shoved them off the bed, his hand pressing against those ample curves—taking advantage, but in the end, unable to sleep.

He got up and walked out.

Downstairs, he saw Zeng Hongsan heading out with his large blade, ready to hunt zombies. The others were also excited, eager to grow stronger and collect more crystal cores to trade for Body Tempering Elixirs—a desire they all shared.

Zhao Liying, however, didn’t join the hunt. She sat by the fire, lost in thought, while her younger sister had already gone out with the others.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” Lu Fei approached, looking at Zhao Liying. She now had twenty times the strength of an ordinary human.

“I’m not used to killing,” Zhao Liying said quietly, hugging her knees, her loneliness evident.

“Oh... Don’t you want to become strong? Don’t you want to protect your sister? In the apocalypse, survival isn’t easy. Even following me doesn’t guarantee safety—one monster attack could wipe out half of us. Only by becoming powerful can you protect yourself and your sister. Are you related by blood, or did you form a family after everything began?”

Lu Fei looked at the beautiful Zhao Liying with genuine curiosity. There was something different about her compared to the others. She was human, unlike Little Dragon Maiden and Liu Yanmeng—one a heroic spirit, the other a snake spirit. Naturally, he felt differently toward her, always wanting to help.

“Here, take this.” He handed her ten Body Tempering Elixirs. “Get stronger and pay me back with crystal cores—altogether, you’ll owe me one hundred and fifty. Not much.”

“Why are you so good to me? You saved me before, now you’re giving me elixirs and encouraging me.” Zhao Liying knew he was a fan of hers, but this felt like more than just admiration. She was grateful, but also aware he treated her differently from the others.

Could it be that he liked her? The thought brought a flush to Zhao Liying’s cheeks.

Night had fallen, and it was already midnight.

“Ding. Today’s red envelopes have refreshed: four in total, within a radius of 150 meters. They will disappear in an hour.”

“The red envelopes are back,” Lu Fei chuckled, glancing at Zhao Liying. To his surprise, he saw a small red envelope in her mouth. It was the first time he’d seen one appear there—surely the system didn’t expect him to claim it by kissing her and using his tongue to trigger it? That would be a bit much...

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Liying asked, puzzled by his expression.

“Nothing, I just thought your lipstick looked nice.” Lu Fei smiled.

“It’s from a famous brand I had before—probably gone now,” Zhao Liying replied, blushing under his gaze. Suddenly, she stepped closer and kissed him, pressing a hand to the back of his head. She decided to thank him with her first kiss—after all, in the apocalypse, nothing mattered as much anymore.

Lu Fei was stunned by her sudden kiss, his eyes wide with surprise. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, his hand holding her head, searching for the red envelope. Still unable to trigger it, he reached deeper, making Zhao Liying’s eyes widen at his intensity.

Finally, Lu Fei’s tongue touched the red envelope.

“Ding. Red envelope opening in progress. Time remaining: 120, 119, 118...”

“Mmm...mmm...” Zhao Liying struggled slightly, not expecting it to take so long. At first, the sensation was cool and soft, like jelly.

As the kiss lingered, it grew damp, sweet, and breathless, a dizzying intoxication that left her nearly faint. Only when she was on the verge of suffocation did Lu Fei finally release her. Zhao Liying’s face was bright red; she dared not meet his eyes.

“Ding. Red envelope opened successfully. Congratulations, Host, you have acquired the Nine-Word Secret Manual. It has been sent to your temporary storage.”

“Nine-Word Secret—jackpot!” Lu Fei’s thoughts triggered a pop-up window. He selected the Nine-Word Secret from his temporary storage.

Would you like to learn it?

He clicked yes. An obscure and profound stream of knowledge flooded his mind.

The Secret of “Soldier”:
A weapon-based secret art. Once mastered, one could wield weapons as if they were extensions of the body—fluid and unstoppable. It even allowed temporary control over opponents’ weapons, turning enemy arms against their owners—a nightmare for any adversary.

The Secret of “Battle”:
A support secret art, the supreme healing technique. It could restore both body and soul, healing wounds in an instant. Mastery granted resurrection from a single drop of blood—the user could be called undying.

The Secret of “All”:
An amplification secret art that could enhance one’s attributes tenfold, though the activation chance was low.

The Secret of “Formation”:
A support secret art, specializing in rune formations and array techniques, created by the Celestial Lord of Spiritual Treasures.

The Secret of “Advance”:
A support secret art that aided in cultivating the primordial spirit, greatly enhancing the sixth sense and intuition. In battle, it allowed one to anticipate enemy moves, always staying a step ahead.

The Secret of “Move”:
A speed secret art. Once mastered, one’s speed would be unmatched, with nothing able to obstruct their path. In formations, they could walk as if on level ground, and at the peak, even step into the domain of time.

“Damn, I actually drew such an incredible technique!” Lu Fei’s eyes widened in excitement.

Welcome to my group: 528477166. When joining, mention you’re a Dragon Emperor reader. Thank you for your support, recommendations, and tips! Ahhh...

(End of chapter)