Mo Chu asked her from behind, “What’s your name?”
The girl, not even glancing back, replied, “Ying Yi, goodbye!”
Mo Chu watched as the girl’s figure disappeared into the distance and then stepped inside the supermarket herself.
The remnants of the initial outbreak of the apocalypse were still evident within the supermarket: shelves knocked over, walls stained with blood, and scattered about were the occasional zombie or human corpse. However, the fact that no zombies had appeared despite their noisy entry indicated that there probably weren’t any left in the supermarket.
But Mo Chu proceeded with caution.
She noticed a group, predominantly males with fewer females, heading straight for the fresh food section, quickly moving meat, grains, rice, and flour, presumably to stock up their homes. The teens, boys and girls alike, made a beeline for the ready-to-eat section, targeting various cooked and instant food items.
Mo Chu scanned the area and then moved swiftly toward the beverages. She stocked up on several bottles of purified water and then grabbed some energy drinks, filling her backpack to half.
Having survived the post-apocalyptic world in her previous life, she knew all too well the importance of water over food in such times.
After securing water, she grabbed a handful of chocolates and tucked them into her backpack’s side pocket. She then started to search for high-sugar, high-calorie foods and unprocessed grain products like oatmeal flour. Looking up at the shelves, she quickly found what she needed and added two cans of fruit to her haul.
Her movements were rapid and purposeful.
She realized that it would be impossible to find compressed rations common to the military in this type of supermarket, much less the specialized rations they had been equipped with in her previous life. High-sugar, high-calorie foods were quick energy boosters, while grains could provide more lasting sustenance than simple snacks or instant foods, and canned fruits were a rare source of vitamins during the apocalypse.
Hoisting her now heavy backpack onto her shoulder, Mo Chu took one last sweeping glance around the supermarket and noticed the man who had harbored malicious intentions towards her earlier sneaking off in a separate direction.
Recalling his behavior from before, Mo Chu frowned and followed him.
She caught up to the man in time to see him pinning the girl called Ying Yi between a shelving unit and the wall, his hand forcefully covering her mouth, the other pulling at her clothes.
In a world devoid of order, the wickedness of man manifested all too swiftly!
A fiery anger rose in Mo Chu’s chest, and without hesitating, she lunged forward, grabbing the man’s hair from behind and smashing his head against the wall with all her might!
The dull thud echoed through the supermarket, leaving the attacker seeing stars, blood streaming down from his forehead. Mo Chu quickly covered the wound with a towel, ensuring his blood wouldn’t attract any zombies, and then, with two swift kicks, she snapped the bones in both of his arms.
She stuffed another towel into his mouth to muffle his screams.
With that done, she looked at him as if he were already dead, stepping forcefully on his broken limbs.
The man, overcome with pain and unable to cry out, nearly lost consciousness.
By then, Ying Yi had also regained her senses. Expecting tears or panic, Mo Chu was surprised when the girl swiftly picked up a rolling pin and started clubbing the downed man without making unnecessary noise.
Mo Chu almost laughed at the unexpected display. She didn’t stop the girl; instead, she watched in amusement.
However, as the others heard the noise and approached, Mo Chu intervened. She quickly found a jacket and draped it over Ying Yi to cover the torn clothes.
Only then did Ying Yi seem to break down, her tears finally flowing as she choked out her gratitude, “Thank you, thank you…you’re so kind.”
Mo Chu simply patted her back.
When Ying Yi’s teammates arrived and assessed the scene, it was clear what had happened. The three lead boys were enraged. Without questions, they dragged off the beaten man and his companions, banishing them from the supermarket.
As the group expressed their thanks to Mo Chu, she waved them off, saying nothing more.
Before she left, Mo Chu searched the corpses of a few of the nearby zombies and retrieved an energy core from one of them.
She didn’t hide her actions. When the youngsters saw the crystal-like energy core in her hand, they stared in amazement.
After exchanging glances, Ying Yi asked softly, “Sister, what is that?”
“It’s a zombie energy core,” Mo Chu explained, “which espers can use to increase their level.”
The group looked shell-shocked at the revelation of energy cores, some expressing disbelief while others inquisitively pondered if this was the same superpower they had imagined.
One of the boys took the discussion more seriously, eager to understand what an energy core was and how it could be used.
Mo Chu took the opportunity to share what she could explain at the moment.
The boy was astounded, “Such important information…and you’ve just told us outright?”
