Chapter 8: The Potion of Ability Activation

Chen Cheng owned two shopping malls and a large supermarket. They were all located in bustling areas, which would not be easy to reach. She could manage on a motorcycle alone, but not with Lin Qiu in tow.

[Host, Host, hurry up! Open the blind box!]

Just as Li Xiaoxiao was fretting over what to do, the system’s voice suddenly popped up.

"What blind box?"

[The lucky draw! You have six chances now. Hurry, it might just solve your current dilemma.]

"Six? I thought it was two?"

[Oh, killing one hundred zombies earns you a draw, and the tasks you just completed—feeding the baby and changing diapers—also count as rewards.]

"If it’s this easy to get rewards, why didn’t any of your previous hosts make it?" Li Xiaoxiao wondered.

[Maybe these tasks were too difficult for them?] The system was also puzzled.

It wouldn't dare say it out loud: the tasks weren't hard, but those hosts lacked backbone. They would scream in terror at the sight of a zombie and be killed before they could even do anything. Others were so frightened they would abandon their children to the zombies just to buy themselves a chance at survival. If only one of them had possessed Li Xiaoxiao’s obsession with raising a child, the system wouldn't have had to cycle through so many hosts.

"Fine, let’s draw." Li Xiaoxiao wanted to see what she could get.

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining one bulletproof off-road vehicle.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining one ability activation serum.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining one solar charging panel.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining one infinite-energy electric scooter.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining one spatial ring.]

Hearing the rewards, Li Xiaoxiao hurriedly opened the system inventory to check. She spotted the electric scooter at a glance—it could carry passengers; it was exactly what she needed. Now she could weave through the gridlocked traffic with her mother, Lin Qiu. As for the bulletproof off-road vehicle, she would bring it out once she finished gathering supplies, so she wouldn't have to squeeze in with the masses.

[The host is truly lucky, blessed by a koi fish!] The system’s flattery followed immediately.

Li Xiaoxiao knew this must be the effect of the ten points of luck the system had added earlier.

*Ability Activation Serum: Can stimulate the body's potential, ensuring a 100% success rate in activating an ability with no side effects.*

Looking at the description, it was an incredible item. If word of this got out, people would go crazy for it.

*A man commits no crime, but his wealth makes him a target.* Li Xiaoxiao understood this principle well.

"Mom, drink this." She handed the serum to Lin Qiu without hesitation.

"This is...?!" Lin Qiu received it with confusion. Upon seeing the description, she looked shocked and immediately tried to hand it back. "Xiaoxiao, this is too precious. You drink it; I can’t take this."

"Mom, please drink it. I already have abilities. Remember what I told you? I used to be a multi-elemental ability user. Besides, I need you to have the ability to protect yourself."

Li Xiaoxiao wasn't lying. As the greatest villainous boss, being a multi-elemental user was just the standard. However, the process of obtaining those powers hadn't been pleasant. Li Xiaoxiao believed that what was meant to be hers would return to her; she would reclaim her powers one by one.

Since it had come to this, Lin Qiu stopped being modest and drank the serum in one gulp.

Three minutes later, Lin Qiu stared at the water in her palm, falling into a stunned silence.

"Mom, don't worry. If you use the water ability well, it can also kill invisibly. I will teach you."

Lin Qiu wasn't worried; she was just pondering how to wield her power.

Li Xiaoxiao took Lin Qiu’s hand, pricked her finger with a blade, and let a drop of blood fall onto the spatial ring. The ring immediately vanished into her skin.

"Mom, focus your attention and see if you can see a one-hundred-square-meter space." Li Xiaoxiao gently brushed her finger over the wound, and it was perfectly healed.

"I... I see it," Lin Qiu said, trembling with excitement.

"This is a spatial ring. Store your essentials in it, especially food and water. You must be well-prepared."

In the future, Li Xiaoxiao would have to go out on missions, and having this space would make things much easier for Lin Qiu. As she spoke, she took a large amount of supplies from her own space and had Lin Qiu store them in hers.

With everything ready, Li Xiaoxiao opened the door and stepped out first. The baby had already been placed in the nursery space to sleep. Lin Qiu took one last look at the home she had lived in for half her life before turning to follow her daughter.

On the way upstairs, Li Xiaoxiao walked quietly. She only dealt with the zombies in the fire escape, leaving those in the corridors for Lin Qiu to practice on. By the time they reached the eighteenth floor, only six floors had zombies, with three on the tenth floor.

She whispered in Lin Qiu’s ear, encouraging her and explaining the essentials of killing a zombie. Lin Qiu took a deep breath to steady herself and gripped the machete Li Xiaoxiao had given her.

She recalled the demonstration Li Xiaoxiao had performed for her earlier and nodded at her daughter. Seeing the resolve in Lin Qiu’s eyes, Li Xiaoxiao pulled open the fire escape door and stepped inside. She needed to ensure her mother’s safety.

There was only one zombie here. As soon as Lin Qiu entered, she saw the hideous creature lunging toward Li Xiaoxiao. Lin Qiu was terrified, but she instinctively rushed forward and swung the blade. In her panic, she forgot everything, and her movements were chaotic.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoxiao quickly stepped forward and severed the claws that were about to reach Lin Qiu’s face.

"Mom, stay calm! Move to the side, aim for the neck!"

A zombie's skull was too hard for Lin Qiu to penetrate with her current arm strength; the neck was the best target. Hearing Li Xiaoxiao’s voice, Lin Qiu reacted immediately. She ducked, slipped under the zombie's arm to its side, and brought the machete down hard on its neck.

*Thud!* The head rolled across the floor, and the body collapsed.

Lin Qiu panted heavily, still clutching the blade, her eyes fixed on the corpse. "I... I did it."

"Yes, Mom, you were great!" Li Xiaoxiao gave her a thumbs-up. "And you didn't even... throw up!"

Before she could finish the sentence, Lin Qiu covered her mouth and rushed to the side to retch. Li Xiaoxiao rubbed her nose and smiled. She used her blade to pry open the zombie's head, checking for a core, but found nothing—it hadn't evolved yet.

Just as Lin Qiu was recovering, she turned back to see Li Xiaoxiao poking around inside the zombie's head, yellow-white brain matter smearing the blade. Lin Qiu couldn't help but vomit again.

"You! You child!" Once she couldn't bring anything else up, Lin Qiu stood up, frowned, and pointed at Li Xiaoxiao. "The zombie is already dead, why are you messing with its head? It’s disgusting." She tried hard not to look at the mangled mess.

"Mom, there are crystals called cores in zombie brains. They can be used to level up abilities and are also the primary currency in the apocalypse," Li Xiaoxiao said, standing up and wiping her blade clean on the zombie’s clothes. "It's just that there hasn't been widespread evolution yet, so only a few have them. In a few days, after they evolve, almost all of them will have cores."

"You mean... from now on, I have to open up every zombie's head?"