Chapter 148: Absolute Drive

Chen Yi frowned. Although he knew that many people now placed their hopes and reliance entirely on him, it felt absurd that they had abandoned all sense of personal initiative at such a critical moment. For this reason, his expression darkened.

Noticing Chen Yi’s reaction, a different voice emerged from the crowd. "Isn't it just about showing off in front of a loved one? What’s the big deal? If it were me, I could do it too!"

While Chu Yunxi and the others were annoyed by the speaker, Chen Yi merely smiled. Anyone capable of saying such things in public was no ordinary person. Even if there might be an ulterior motive, he was interested in meeting them.

"If you have the guts to say that, don't run away. Step out and let me see you!"

Upon hearing this, the speaker actually stepped forward. He was a lean man, yet he carried an air of vitality and a resilience that set him apart from the others. Facing Chen Yi, he remained neither humble nor pushy. "Possessing supernatural abilities but being unable to fully save humanity—in the end, you are just an ordinary person yourself."

The remark was intended as a provocation, but Chen Yi was not angry. A person who could harbor such concerns in times of peace showed that they were not merely living for the moment like the rest. However, while Chen Yi saw potential in him, others began to lose their patience and started to condemn him.

Lu Kai walked up, looked the man over, and sneered, "You don't even have abilities, so what gives you the right to criticize our leader? I think this is just pure jealousy."

The man scoffed. He looked around and saw most people glaring at him, realizing that aside from Chen Yi, many others seemed to have grown too comfortable. "Survival in battle doesn't rely on one person's abilities alone!"

Though the man lacked supernatural powers, he revealed a full set of mechanical armor the moment everyone showed their disdain. The sudden appearance of the armor caught Chen Yi and his team off guard.

"I am a failed candidate from the X Organization who later joined the New Recruit Squad. I wanted to use my strength to help everyone long ago, but you chose to doubt my capabilities." The man took a deep breath and scanned everyone with a sneer. "Because of that, I chose to keep it hidden. In fact, I even managed to deceive Chen Yi. Don't you think I'm impressive?"

"You bastard!" Lu Kai tried to rush forward to strike him, but Chen Yi blocked his path.

Slowly stepping closer, Chen Yi nodded at the man. "To be honest, you did manage to deceive me. But you should also know that some things are destined not to be achieved through mere cleverness!"

The man narrowed his eyes. Before he could speak, he saw Chen Yi toss his dual blades, instantly slaying a zombie flying toward them from the front. Chen Yi hadn't even looked back, yet he could discern the position through sound alone—a feat that went beyond mere supernatural ability.

Quickly retrieving his blades, Chen Yi spoke again under the man's stunned gaze. "Unfortunately, I am just like you; I don't like to waste my effort. In battle, I rely on my brain, not brute force."

The man had thought he was the only clever one, but Chen Yi’s presence left him feeling ashamed. He truly felt the ruthlessness and sharp intellect of Chen Yi. Every sentence was free of profanity, yet each one carried a suffocating weight.

Chen Yaxi and Chu Yunxi could barely hold back their laughter. Chen Yi was the undisputed leader in their hearts; he was always fast, precise, and ruthless. If someone offended him, he wouldn't hesitate to turn on them in public. However, Chen Yi’s method of "boiling the frog in warm water" always produced unexpected results. Seeing the expression on that arrogant brat’s face, it was clear that he had been playing the part for too long and had become overconfident. A splash of cold water was far more effective than simply killing him.

"We are heading to the mainland now," Chen Yi decided. "We will temporarily relocate to wipe out the man-eating beasts there and seize more potent core energy."

"Boss, have you discovered another treasure trove?" Lu Kai chuckled, immediately growing excited.

"Look at how undisciplined you are!" Chen Yi smiled helplessly before sweeping his gaze over the others. "This time, we are going to integrate core energy into everyone. The strength of the core energy on the mainland is far more potent than we imagined."

The group turned serious. Aside from the energy provided by the Calamity Curse Disk, core energy was now a life-saving tool for everyone. For those without natural abilities, the only way to survive was for an esper to forcibly infuse core power into their bodies. In this way, artificially created espers could at least claim the right to live.

However, Chen Yi did not dare to use such methods on ordinary people lightly. He would never take such risks until he was certain it would not harm the innocent. Chu Yunxi, as a top scholar in this post-apocalyptic world, harbored a thought: if the Calamity Curse Disk could grant power through sacrifice, could it also be used on zombies? She immediately shared her conclusion with Chen Yi.

Chen Yi nodded in agreement. "Actually, I have been wanting to tell you this for a long time. Perhaps your hypothesis has never been impossible; it may have been the truth all along."

"I knew it!" Chu Yunxi gasped. "If that's the case, aren't we being used by the Calamity Curse Disk?"

Chen Yi fell silent. To be precise, the true culprits were those who brought about the apocalypse and accelerated the world's destruction. The Calamity Curse Disk, in the end, had given humanity a chance to survive, but it required the sacrifice of even more power to function. Given the amount of energy consumed in each activation and the increasingly common nature of the skills gained, this matter could no longer be taken lightly.

At that moment, a signal flare was launched from Hu Sanhan’s side. Seeing the flare, Chen Yi knew the task was complete and turned to the others. "Let's go. George and the others have finished their work!"

"What about him?" Chu Yunxi pointed at the man who had clashed with Chen Yi. "Are we going to take him with us?"

Chen Yi smiled. "Why wouldn't we? Since he has become a member of the New Recruit Squad, don't hold it against him. Of course, if he harbors any treacherous schemes, I will cut his head off myself!"

As these words were spoken, the once arrogant man could no longer utter a sound. He lowered his head in utter defeat. This time, he was truly subdued—whether it was Chen Yi or the others, they were simply on a level he, with his artificially obtained power, could never hope to reach.