Chapter 197: Xu Chunlei's Awakening

Chapter 197: Xu Chunlei's AwakeningXu Chunlei felt defeated today. His mind was clouded with conflicting thoughts and a sense of frustration. Was the disastrous outcome really his fault? If so, he had warned Xu Dongsheng many times and ultimately saved the remaining villagers. Without his intervention, none would have survived Zhang Yi's relentless assault.

But if it wasn't his fault, perhaps fewer would have died if he had joined the initial attack. As he walked home slowly, these thoughts weighed heavily on him. "Grandpa entrusted me with protecting the Xu family before he died. But what can I do? If that killer comes, I can't stop him; I can only run."

He lamented, "I thought awakening my abilities would make me a hero, but why do so many troubles find me? I just want to be a lazy, carefree guy!" Xu Chunlei couldn't make sense of it all.

Just as he reached his home, he saw a girl waiting at the door. She was about eighteen or nineteen, wearing a long white down jacket with brown fur trim around the hood. Her small face peeked out from under the hood.

Seeing Xu Chunlei, she walked over quickly. "Are you Chunlei?" Xu Chunlei's heart skipped a beat. As an otaku, he was naturally awkward around real-life women. Her sweet voice made his mind race. "Uh... yeah, I'm Chunlei. Who are you?"

Though they were from the same village, he didn't recognize everyone. The girl smiled sweetly. "I'm Xu Lili. Thank you for saving my father today." Her eyes were filled with gratitude.

"My father said if it weren't for you, they would have all died there." Xu Chunlei's previously confused eyes brightened. He wasn't a villain; he was a hero. He was supposed to be a hero!

"Ha, it was nothing," he said modestly. Xu Lili continued, "My father is too weak to come himself, so he sent me to thank you." She lowered her head, embarrassed. "Sorry, we don't have anything to give you. I came empty-handed."

Xu Chunlei quickly waved his hands, "No, no, we’re from the same village. No need to be so formal! If you ever need anything, just come to me." Xu Lili chatted with him for a bit, then waved goodbye and disappeared into the snow.

Watching her leave, Xu Chunlei's heart pounded. Although he didn't see her face clearly, he felt he had fallen in love with her. "Xu Lili? We must be distantly related," he thought, contradicting his self-proclaimed indifference to real-life women. He clenched his fist, determination in his eyes. "I will protect this family. I must give her and our future children a safe environment."

Back home, he pondered how to handle the upcoming crisis. His encounters with Zhang Yi had shown him the man's terrifying resolve. Zhang Yi killed without hesitation, using traps and weapons designed for maximum lethality. Xu Chunlei imagined Zhang Yi as a bloodthirsty demon.

"He must be furious. He might come to attack Xu Dong Village and kill everyone!" Xu Chunlei promised his grandfather he would protect the village and now had love to fight for. But how could he confront Zhang Yi directly?

Xu Chunlei couldn't bear the thought of fighting Zhang Yi head-on. He had never killed anyone; the most he had done was use his abilities in skirmishes with neighboring villages. After much thought, he concluded there was only one solution: negotiation.

Excited by his idea, he thought, "I'm a genius! It's dangerous, but to protect the Xu family and Lili, it's worth the risk!" He quickly sat at his computer, searching for a way to contact Zhang Yi. "Lili must like me, right? I saved her father. She must have feelings for me."

As he fantasized, he convinced himself of her affections, even imagining their future children. In reality, she was just being polite and building rapport with him, an ability user in their village. But Xu Chunlei, lacking real-world experience with women, was swept away by a small gesture of kindness.

The next morning, Zhang Yi carefully cleaned up the damaged traps around the villa. The most powerful grenade traps and explosive mines had been triggered, but animal traps and nail boards were still scattered everywhere. The ground was littered with corpses, some whole, others in pieces. He buried the remains to avoid waste and reset the traps.

With most of the traps destroyed, only those within fifty meters of the villa remained intact. But Zhang Yi wasn’t worried. He had killed enough invaders, and Xu Dong Village was unlikely to dare approach again. The traps would remain for any future threats.

Reflecting on the recent battle, Zhang Yi admired the ice ability user who had maintained a cautious distance throughout the fight. Both he and the user shared a common trait: a fear of death. Zhang Yi respected that pragmatism.

However, he also recognized the potential danger. The ice ability was incredibly versatile, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities and the ability to alter terrain. It was like having an ice mage from an online game.

"I need to find a way to eliminate him," Zhang Yi decided. "Such a powerful ability user could become a major problem in the future. If he can’t be an ally, he must be dealt with as an enemy."

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