[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un":3,"chapter-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-67":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},146281,236,"Chapter 67: Is It Possible This Is Man-made?","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-67",67,"\u003Cp>\"Everyone, stay alert! Don’t leave any blind spots!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson stood on the roof of a car, his gun aimed at the dozen or so zombies running toward them in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aim was true, hitting the zombies’ vitals every time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking care of all the distant zombies, he jumped off the car and handed his weapon to a team member beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had actually been practicing his Fire Element Superpower day and night. The Fireballs he produced weren’t small, but their impact force was less than a tenth of Nina Jacobs’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A zombie snarling at a team member in front of him only staggered when hit by his Fireball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, his provocation succeeded in drawing its attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t shoot. Leave it to me,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Control of your Superpower has to be maintained from start to finish. It’s not over just because you’ve fired it off. You’ve only completed the step of generating the Superpower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs began her live tutorial from the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Besides generating it, you also have to manipulate it, and convert and focus its energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Superpower is fundamentally a form of energy from the laws of nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not a bullet, and it’s not just a tool...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs’ words were a sudden revelation for Chester Pearson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other Superpower User team members around them also silently committed her words to memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Chester Pearson’s next Fireball finally set the zombie’s head ablaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s already very good. Just keep practicing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs saw the excitement on Chester Pearson’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest was up to Chester Pearson himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Manipulating and applying the laws of nature, huh...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chelsea Walsh stared at the zombie in the distance, paralyzed by her Thunder Element Superpower, and suddenly understood something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brilliant flash of lightning, the zombie collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chelsea Walsh shouted excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time she had killed a zombie using her Thunder Element Superpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without relying on anyone else, and without using a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other Superpower User rescue team members all looked over with envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, the head of the zombie Chester Pearson had set on fire suddenly burst open with a POP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I killed it!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson was ecstatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That was a little too disgusting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo Hale thought Nina Jacobs’ Fire Element Superpower was easier on the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least hers burned everything away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think so?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It saves us a bomb. Perfect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson was still reveling in the joy of using his Superpower to blow up a zombie’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs could tell that Chester Pearson had gotten the hang of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone’s method might be different,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but every technique comes down to two things—conserving your Superpower and maximizing its effect,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ian Chandler didn’t say anything, he also firmly committed Nina Jacobs’ words to heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group protected Ian Chandler in their center, allowing him to clear the road safely until they reached the outside of the mall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My God...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the dense horde of zombies packed inside the mall’s glass doors, everyone’s expression turned grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it, who locked all these zombies inside?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson hadn’t expected to run into this kind of situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like there were at least several thousand zombies locked on this floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was simply not a mission that a small team of just over thirty people could handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, there surely couldn’t be any living people left inside the mall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What floor is the supermarket on?\" Nina Jacobs asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The second floor,\" a rescue team member replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll climb in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson and Nina Jacobs had the same idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they had only brought one Space Superpower User with them today: Ian Chandler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs thought for a moment. Malls usually had jewelry stores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, she had a strange feeling about this mall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo Hale and Chelsea Walsh wanted to go up too, but Nina Jacobs refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more people who went, the easier it would be to attract zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you two have to be careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ll be waiting for you down here,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chelsea Walsh said worriedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You too. If things go south, run immediately. We have a way to escape.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining rescue team members also had a mission here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to attract the attention of the zombies inside the first-floor glass doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would make it safer for the group on the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you coming too? It could be dangerous up there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs asked, seeing that Wayne Warner was still following her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wayne Warner looked at her and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His resolve was firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, then let’s go together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Wayne Warner won’t listen to Leo Hale and the others anyway, so it’s better if he comes with us.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eaves they had to climb were over two meters high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson seemed quite skilled at climbing walls, scrambling up as nimbly as a monkey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Nina Jacobs was about to use her momentum to get up, Wayne Warner unexpectedly lifted her up with one arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never received this kind of treatment in two lifetimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your bodyguard is pretty sharp,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson said as he pulled Ian Chandler up as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yep, life is looking up,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs said, half-joking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll grow as tall as Wayne Warner one day,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ian Chandler said with a hint of envy in his eyes after Chester Pearson pulled him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, be careful now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the time for chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impossible to see inside through the mall’s glass windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Nina Jacobs had a feeling there was something behind the glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t just climb in recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had already activated her \"Five Senses Enhancement,\" so she could hear things more clearly than the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sound was strange. It wasn’t the open-mouthed roar of a zombie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Could it be a person?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson wanted to peek in and check, but Nina Jacobs stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs had Ian Chandler take out a selfie stick and a fully charged phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The selfie stick, holding the phone, was slowly extended through the mall window. After a moment, Nina Jacobs pulled it back out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phone had been set to record with both front and back cameras.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The recorded video left them shocked and filled with lingering fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zombies?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson stared at the phone’s screen in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the window, including on the floor, there were at least twenty-odd zombies scattered about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strangest thing was that these zombies seemed to be fixed in place, both on the ground and behind the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had climbed in through the window, they would have landed directly on top of those zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nina, have the zombies gotten this smart?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ian Chandler stared at the dark, gaping window, a chill running down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it possible this was man-made?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take a closer look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs watched the video twice; a theory was already forming in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The zombies’ feet had been bound and then secured in place with ground locks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a mutated zombie couldn’t have done that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A zombie couldn’t possibly use a ground lock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only ones who could do this are humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right. This is a trap.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trap aimed at people like them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder. No wonder so many zombies were locked up on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is someone trying to harm us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chester Pearson clenched his fists, his expression furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for Nina Jacobs’ caution, he would have just jumped right into the zombies’ mouths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be precise, it’s not aimed at just us,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but at everyone who comes here,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the entrances and exits on the first floor were blocked, and it was filled with a large number of zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To get into the mall, they would naturally think of the second-floor eaves with their open windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little did they know, this was playing right into a trap someone else had set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that she was clever; she had just seen this kind of trick countless times in her past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two asked in unison, and even Wayne Warner looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Think about it. What’s our purpose for coming here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Supplies...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ian Chandler was the first to realize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone didn’t want them to take the supplies from inside this mall.\u003C\u002Fp>",1398,"2026-05-29T03:44:18.304Z","2026-06-01T04:29:06.436Z",1,"novelbin.me","53a663638a597ae38638f508ac8fbba1191067a9046c4b1895860088af7dad0a","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-68","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-66",312,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-cover.jpg"]