Chapter 15: The First Encounter with the Supernatural Ability

A fierce roar echoed as a zombie lunged out of the house, gripping Ye Yang tightly and sinking its teeth into his shoulder, prompting startled cries from nearby villagers.

"Damn it! Get off me!" Ye Yang shouted angrily, grabbing the zombie’s neck with his free hand and yanking it down hard, splattering blood everywhere. Without hesitation, he plunged his short knife directly into its face.

"Is... is that Xiaofang’s friend? Who is this guy? So ruthless," muttered the village chief, his jaw trembling. Several villagers nodded in agreement. Indeed, Ye Yang looked like a grim reaper, a demon clawing its way out of hell.

Although many had fought zombies to the death, how many had engaged in such brutal close combat?

Ye Yang himself didn’t know why he had fought so fiercely. At the brink of life and death, only one thought echoed in his mind: he must not die—not here, not now. He hadn’t found his parents, nor his Xiaoya.

"Hey... someone come help me, I can't get through," Ye Yang waved at the dazed crowd. Although they weren’t far away, hundreds of zombies crowded between them. If he tried to break through, he’d be done for.

Suddenly, the burly figure of Ling Fengyan leapt onto a rooftop, bounding swiftly across several buildings before landing beside Ye Yang. His movements were incredibly agile, earning Ye Yang’s silent admiration. Hunters were truly no ordinary people.

"Little guy, you’ve got quite the skills," Ling Fengyan praised. Though Ye Yang didn’t display any supernatural powers, his sheer ferocity and spirit alone made him far stronger than ordinary men.

"Little guy?" Ye Yang chuckled bitterly. Despite Ling Fengyan’s thick beard, he was barely in his forties and probably younger than Ye Yang himself. Still, Ye Yang chose not to argue and let Ling Fengyan help him climb onto the roof.

Rushing into the courtyard, Qi Fang ran over with tear-streaked cheeks, throwing herself into Ye Yang’s arms and sobbing uncontrollably, ignoring the blood staining both of them. Ye Yang sighed inwardly when he noticed an elderly corpse on the ground and began to understand.

The girl was truly pitiable, and Ye Yang felt a pang of sorrow. Their fates were remarkably similar: both had lost all their loved ones. The difference was that while Ye Yang still had a sliver of hope, Qi Fang had none.

"Don’t be sad, don’t be afraid. Everything will get better. Bodyguard Number One is here, okay..." Ye Yang comforted softly, though his body trembled with pain. His injuries were severe—was there no doctor to tend to him?

A man in a white coat hurried over, pulling out bandages to dress Ye Yang’s wounds. But upon seeing the extent of the injuries, he gasped sharply. How was this man even standing? His wounds almost covered his entire body.

As the tattered clothing was pulled away, the villagers gasped. When the last rag was removed, Qi Fang’s eyes rolled back in horror and she fainted. Even the medical staff trembled as they worked; was that even a body? It was nearly shattered beyond recognition.

"Blood... serum, for you..." the village chief trembled as he handed over a vial, but Ye Yang waved it off.

"Don’t waste it. Keep it for yourselves. I... probably won’t get infected," Ye Yang said with a dry smile, now fully aware of his condition.

He had once asked Uncle Zheng about infection. After being bitten, the spot itched, then the body burned up, consciousness faded, foam appeared at the mouth, and within hours, one turned into a zombie.

But Ye Yang? Aside from agonizing pain all over, he showed no symptoms.

"Not infected?" Everyone was stunned, even Ling Fengyan glanced back in disbelief. Ye Yang caught his eye and smiled faintly. "Actually, the reason I came to find you is because of this, among other things..."

Ling Fengyan nodded but didn’t press further. "We’ll talk after the crisis. Everyone, be careful!" His gaze locked onto a patch of darkness where several massive figures emerged—Level 2 mutants.

"Rescue hasn’t arrived yet? I’m starting to lose patience!" Ling Fengyan sighed.

From then on, Ye Yang ceased worrying about the battle. He was too weak to intervene and simply held the unconscious Qi Fang, letting the village medics tend his wounds. Most importantly, he wanted to witness the hunters’ true power.

"Xiaoshi, you handle the right flank. Tingting, the left. I’ll cover the center. Don’t get surrounded. Xiaoshi, wait for your chance! Don’t rush to strike! Remember what you learned in school!"

Ling Fengyan barked orders swiftly. The others nodded, but Ye Yang froze—what school lessons? Were these teenagers students? Could it be a school for superhumans?

The battle erupted fiercely, with not just zombies but several Level 2 mutants pressing the attack. The villagers gasped, clearly recognizing the threat these creatures posed.

Multiple mutants together with hundreds of zombies created a terrifying scene that chilled even Ye Yang to the bone. Yet the three fighters showed no fear.

Suddenly, Ling Fengyan moved. Ye Yang watched intently as the apparent leader summoned a silver greatsword seemingly out of nowhere.

"Pfft..." Ye Yang spat blood in disbelief. Magic? How did he suddenly produce a greatsword? There was nowhere to hide it on his body. Were hunters not only superhumans but magicians too?

Unaware of Ye Yang’s thoughts—or choosing to ignore them—Ling Fengyan charged two mutants with the greatsword ready but not yet swung, as if gathering strength.

Two roars erupted as the mutants lunged, claws slashing toward his shoulders. Ling Fengyan didn’t even glance their way, seemingly confident in his armor’s protection.

Boom! The sound of impact shook him, but he didn’t step back. Instead, the mutants staggered, and with a hearty laugh, Ling Fengyan moved with the sword, leaping forward swiftly.

A brilliant flash cut across the village as Ling Fengyan landed. One mutant was decapitated, its neck shattered into pieces by the sheer force of the heavy sword—not chopped, but blasted apart!

Ye Yang’s jaw dropped. This was a hunter? Could Ultraman really stand a chance? This was a one-hit kill even while being attacked by two foes.

He had once prided himself on killing mutants, but what did that compare to? This guy dispatched them effortlessly without a scratch. And he himself was battered, bedridden for days, and his victories were inexplicable.

No wonder Uncle Zheng said they were superhumans!

As Ye Yang’s thoughts swirled, the battle raged on. Ling Fengyan hacked through the zombie horde with wild swings, leaving no corpse intact—only shattered fragments. The lucky ones were cut in half.

Ye Yang swallowed hard. The mercurial sword seemed overkill; this guy could probably fight mutants hand-to-hand and still win.

But the sheer number of zombies overwhelmed even Ling Fengyan. His priority was protecting villagers, so after a few ferocious strikes, he retreated to maintain the defense line.

Just then, a mutant suddenly charged from the shadows, attacking from Ling Fengyan’s side.

"Watch out!" Ye Yang shouted, but it was too late. Ling Fengyan didn’t turn back, and the mutant’s claws nearly grabbed his neck.

Clang! A metallic ring echoed as the claws struck. Ye Yang stared dumbfounded—the sound was metal on metal. A golden metallic sheen appeared on Ling Fengyan’s neck. Was that armor? When had he put it on?

No—it wasn’t armor. It was his skin. Metallic skin! Ye Yang was stunned.

"Impressive, right? Teacher Ling’s ability instantly transforms his skin into metal, giving him incredible defense. Plus, he’s a powerhouse—both offense and defense," explained a voice.

Ye Yang turned to see Xiaoshi, the boy holding a small submachine gun, casually firing bursts at approaching zombies.

"Special ability? Superpower?" Ye Yang immediately understood. Hunters possessed powers too. Cool! Plotlines from novels were coming to life before his eyes!

Looking at the boy, Ye Yang asked, "What about you? What’s your power? And why are you just watching?"

"Heh..." the boy forced a laugh.

"Heh?" Ye Yang was speechless. What a laugh.

"My power is stronger, but I can only use it once, so I have to save it," the boy said awkwardly, then fired another volley at two zombies, blowing them to pieces.

Nodding, Ye Yang noticed the boy liked to talk and decided to ask more. Watching the girl in white weaving through zombies, he asked, "What about her? What’s her power? Playing cool?"

"Pfft..." The boy laughed heartily. "You’re hilarious. Well, Ting doesn’t talk much and likes to look cool, but her power isn’t for fighting."

"But she’s strong too. Trained in martial arts from a young age, and she’s speed-oriented—really impressive."

"Yeah..." Ye Yang nodded. Though he didn’t like her attitude, she was formidable. Her twin mercurial daggers moved so swiftly it was almost impenetrable. But what did it mean that her power wasn’t for combat?

Before Ye Yang could ask more, the boy fell silent, eyes fixed on the battlefield, seemingly preparing for something.

"Xiaoshi! Now’s the time!" Ling Fengyan roared.

"Got it!" the boy responded, adjusting his stance swiftly.

"Here it comes!" Ye Yang gasped. A power usable only once—what could it be? He recalled Uncle Zheng’s words: the boy’s hands seemed capable of cannon-like attacks.

A blazing orb of light appeared in the boy’s gloved hand, flickering fiercely like the scorching sun, emitting a sharp whine.

Ye Yang was dumbfounded. Seriously? Like the Thousand Birds from Naruto? Isn’t cosplay supposed to have limits? He suddenly understood the glove’s purpose—it wasn’t just an accessory, but protection for his hand!

His guess was partially right. It wasn’t the Thousand Birds, and the boy didn’t charge with the orb. Instead, he compressed it relentlessly until it shrank to the size of a small lightbulb. Ye Yang couldn’t bear to look directly—it was a dazzling star in his palm.

"Here it comes! Demon Cannon!" the boy shouted.

Instinctively, Ye Yang’s eyes widened. Even if blinded, he had to see this move clearly—it was breathtaking.

A beam of light shot from the boy’s hand, exploding midair and expanding rapidly to the thickness of a water jar, roaring thunderously as it surged toward the zombie horde. Its speed was lightning-fast, its power like a thunderclap—truly a cannon blast!

Countless zombies were engulfed and obliterated, including three mutants. The beam extended far beyond the village, leaving nothing behind—no corpses, no blood, no debris—just a blindingly white void.

Panting heavily, the boy turned with a smile. "How’s that? Powerful, right?"

Ye Yang nodded frantically, swallowing hard. He was at a loss for words, almost overwhelmed with envy. These people were truly superhumans! And what about him? His body was different from normal humans too—could he become such a superhuman?

"How did you all become like this?" Ye Yang suddenly asked, astonished.

"How? Hmm... hard to explain. By the way, aren’t mutants evolved zombies?" the boy smiled. Seeing Ye Yang nod, he continued, "Well, we’re the evolved form of humans."

"Evolved... humans?" Ye Yang’s voice shook. The changes in the world over these twenty years far exceeded his imagination.