Looking at the pile of crystal cores on the table, though covetous, no one moved. They all looked at Mingyue, having already appointed her as the leader of their small team and awaiting her distribution.
Seeing their eager yet restrained expressions, Mingyue's heart finally settled. In the past, in the Great Wilderness, tribes didn't perish due to lack of strength or inability to hunt. It was due to selfishness, dissatisfaction with the leader's distribution of spoils, which over time, eroded unity. Without a common goal, the tribe would become fragmented and ultimately perish.
It seemed their small group had not yet encountered such issues. Mingyue reached out and divided the crystal cores into several piles based on their attributes. She gave the dozen gold-attribute cores to Ji Shiyou and the twenty-odd wood-attribute cores to Tian Shang. Water-attribute cores were scarce, only six, which she gave to Bu Zhi. The remaining earth and fire-attribute cores, numbering over forty, were unceremoniously handed to Ba Jiu, leaving him momentarily stunned and unsure.
"Swallow and absorb them directly; it will help you level up."
"Don't think it's unfair. These crystal cores are best for Ba Jiu as you can't absorb them. He can directly absorb cores of his own kind, and more thoroughly than us, leading to faster advancement. Ba Jiu is currently level six, the highest among us. The higher his level, the safer we will be. Do you understand?"
After explaining to Ba Jiu how to use the cores, Mingyue turned back to the others, fearing they might misunderstand her favoritism.
"Mingyue, you don't need to explain to us. You are the leader; we trust whatever you do."
The method for zombies to level up by consuming crystal cores was told to Mingyue by Ji Shiyou. Since they had taken Ba Jiu in, they should make the best use of him. She intended to cultivate Ba Jiu into a zombie king, a plan Ji Shiyou naturally supported wholeheartedly.
Bu Zhi and Tian Shang had witnessed Ba Jiu's abilities that day and understood Mingyue's intentions. The stronger Ba Jiu became, the safer they would be, so they nodded in agreement. As for Wen Qingtian, these crystal cores were obtained by Mingyue and her group from killing zombies; they had nothing to do with him. Moreover, he had just joined and had no right to speak, so he was automatically ignored.
"This is a core from a level one zombie, wind attribute, suitable for you to absorb. I'll give it to you."
To his surprise, Mingyue picked up the remaining, single wind-attribute crystal core and offered it to him.
"For me? I... I just joined, haven't killed a single zombie, and I get to participate in the spoils distribution?"
Looking at the egg-sized, greenish crystal core, Wen Qingtian felt its powerful wind-attribute energy but still hesitated to accept it.
"Take it. We are a team. If you feel embarrassed, then tomorrow, kill more zombies and find more crystal cores. Remember, our principle of distribution is based on the needs of our members, and strengthening everyone's abilities is our goal. But remember, we become stronger to better protect ourselves and our comrades, to be united against outsiders, and to never betray. If you cannot do this, you will be an enemy to all members and face pursuit."
In the Great Wilderness, although Mingyue was a princess of the Wu clan, the other Ancestral Witches and Great Witches focused on cultivation. The daily management of the tribe was handled by Mingyue. Therefore, she had long seen that Wen Qingtian was feigning compliance and deliberately trying to curry favor, with the sole purpose of joining her team. Unlike the simple Bu Zhi and Tian Shang, this man was more calculating, his face full of schemes, and capable of enduring humiliation to achieve his goals. He lacked a sense of belonging to this team, merely seeking a life-saving reliance in the apocalyptic environment. Thus, Mingyue first gave him the wind-attribute core to make him feel the fairness and justice of the team, then stated her demands and the consequences of betrayal. The implication was clear: if you join this team, don't be two-faced. If you intend to keep your options open or use this team as a stepping stone, then don't join.
"Mingyue, I, Wen Qingtian, swear here that in my lifetime, I will never betray you all. Otherwise, may I be bitten to death by zombies. I know you don't trust me, but in the days to come, I will prove with my actions that you have not misjudged me."
The shrewd Wen Qingtian saw through Mingyue's intentions. He shed his previous subservient pretense and spoke solemnly. Having navigated the business world for years, he knew the importance of following the right person. Mingyue's actions had already won him over. If he had hesitated before, he was now wholeheartedly devoted to following Mingyue and her team, never to leave.
"Alright, let's use this time to absorb the crystal cores and improve our strength. Only with great power can we truly survive."
Ignoring Wen Qingtian's oath, Mingyue believed in her own eyes rather than words, as time would tell. Seeing Mingyue signal them to begin absorbing, Ba Jiu stuffed all the crystal cores in his hand into his mouth, crunching them loudly as if eating popcorn. Then, before everyone's eyes, Ba Jiu's aura steadily climbed, finally returning to calm.
"How is it, Ba Jiu? Have you leveled up?"
The person most concerned about Ba Jiu's advancement was Ji Shiyou, who expected him to become a zombie king. Advancement through crystal cores was his hypothesis, and if successful, it would be immensely beneficial to their team.
"Sev~en."
Tearing open a bag of potato chips, Ba Jiu uttered two words before pouring the entire bag into his mouth. As a zombie, he had no sense of taste, yet he inexplicably loved snacks. In reality, everything Ba Jiu consumed was converted into energy and absorbed, eliminating the need for a restroom. He simply enjoyed the act of eating, which made him feel like a normal person, not a zombie.
"You've leveled up by one. If you absorb these tomorrow, won't you be level eight?" Bu Zhi exclaimed in surprise upon hearing of Ba Jiu's advancement, wishing he could give his own crystal cores to Ba Jiu.
"Too much. Difficult." Ba Jiu rolled his eyes at Bu Zhi and said four words, implying that he shouldn't dream. This advancement was merely the culmination of his previous accumulation. The crystal cores were just the final push. To level up again would require far more.
Mingyue could communicate mentally with Ba Jiu. Seeing that everyone didn't quite understand his words, she explained.
"In short, as long as it's useful for advancement, it's good. Let's hurry back to our rooms. We can't compare with Ba Jiu; our absorption is very slow."
Regardless, this was good news. Ji Shiyou urged everyone back to their rooms to cultivate, but he stayed behind.
"Why didn't you keep any crystal cores for yourself? You are our leader; you should need to improve your strength even more."
In front of everyone, Ji Shiyou hadn't objected to Mingyue's distribution of the crystal cores. Because Mingyue was the leader, she needed to establish authority and couldn't be openly opposed, so Ji Shiyou chose to stay behind to inquire.
"I don't need them. I have a faster cultivation method than absorbing crystal cores."
Without hiding anything from Ji Shiyou, Mingyue revealed her Wu clan's cultivation method, as Ji Shiyou was the person she trusted most in this world. Knowing that Mingyue could increase her cultivation by absorbing spiritual energy from the air, Ji Shiyou was relieved and returned to his room.
The next morning, everyone gathered in the living room. Each of them had leveled up by one. Wen Qingtian was even more remarkable, directly advancing to level three in the wind attribute, likely due to the wind-attribute crystal core.
"Everyone, come over. I will announce today's action plan."
Mingyue delegated the daily action arrangements to Ji Shiyou, as she disliked speaking. Ji Shiyou, with his extensive knowledge of the apocalypse, was appointed as the team's vice-captain, responsible for daily management, a role everyone approved of.
"Today, we have two objectives: first, to kill zombies and collect crystal cores. Second, to search for weapons, real weapons, firearms and ammunition."
This was Ji Shiyou's well-considered plan. Although everyone possessed abilities, they could become exhausted, making firearms a necessary form of defense.
"I know where to find them. I can lead the way," Wen Qingtian said, raising his hand.