Apocalypse: Launching a Counterattack Against the Villainess

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However, this also suggests that it's definitely not some particularly important intelligence. Nevertheless, that subtle attitude still makes people curious.

Seeing that the other party really didn't intend to speak, Nie Qingyun could only twitch the corner of his mouth, and then patiently said in a completely insincere tone:

"Please, so don't waste any more time..."

Qin Hehuan nodded in satisfaction, seemingly quite pleased with this "spiritual victory," and slowly took a sip of tea before offering her explanation.

"People who have awakened their 'innate skills' can no longer learn skills through skill books."

"Similarly, those who have used skill books will no longer be able to awaken skills."

“There seems to be an inherent conflict between the two.”

"Skills that are self-awakened are generally more versatile, but at the same time, the number and effects of these skills are relatively constant and are unlikely to change in the short term."

"While the skills gained from learning skill books may be weaker, these skills are usually compatible with all spells of the same type, can be accumulated in large quantities and improved rapidly, and are optional."

"There are some exceptions, such as the spells used by Mei."

"Initially, the child only possessed the [Chain of the Sky], which could imprison individual units, and later evolved the [Flower Reflection Tomb], which could control gravity."

"The catalyst needed for this evolution is still unclear."

"However, one thing is certain: in terms of combat power at the same level, self-awakened skills will definitely be stronger."

Listening to the girl's explanation, Nie Qingyun subconsciously glanced at the props piled on the table.

"That's why you've monopolized all the low-level skill books produced by the gashapon machines from the very beginning."

Qin Hehuan did not deny this, but kept looking Nie Qingyun up and down before changing her tone and saying:

"Compared to this..."

“I remember you used at least two different types of magic when you fought Liu Chengyuan… How could you not even know that?”

"If you had already learned the skills back then, you should be even more surprised to hear me say this now..."

"Could it be... that you have a way to resolve the conflict between 'talent skills' and 'skill books'?"

Upon hearing this, Nie Qingyun's heart skipped a beat. Although he didn't show anything unusual on the surface, he was quite surprised inside.

Although the other party's guess was not entirely accurate, it was very close to the truth.

As expected, one has to be constantly on guard when dealing with someone like Qin Hehuan...

Fortunately, the other party did not seem to intend to dwell on this issue and changed the subject directly.

"In short, now that these things have been handed over to you, it's up to you to decide how to use them."

"Besides, I've already arranged everything for the students. So when exactly are you planning to find 'that guy'?"

Nie Qingyun tidied up the things on the table, hesitated for a moment, and then looked up.

"tonight."

Chapter 305: Their Own Secrets

After leaving Qin Hehuan's office again, Nie Qingyun's feelings were much more complicated than when he arrived.

Looking at the various equipment and items in the [Data Space], I really felt like I had suddenly become rich overnight.

It's also worth mentioning that skill books cannot be directly placed into Nie Qingyun's data space.

Because once it's put in, the system automatically converts it into a "soul-bound" skill spinner.

In fact, judging from its appearance alone, the "skill book" has nothing to do with the word "book". Its materialized form is more like a playing card, with different colors and patterns. In short, it is very abstract.

Moreover, most of these skill books contain the lowest-level skills, such as Arcane Missiles and Charged Slash.

After a simple test, Nie Qingyun gained a deeper understanding of the power of these basic skills.

For example, an F-level Arcane Missiles, after being transformed by the Noise of Causality, will become an E-level Energy-Storing Missile.

As for its power... emmm

It's probably stronger than a full-force punch from an adult, and if it's aimed at a zombie, a headshot would likely be an instant kill.

The problem is that this kind of basic spell cannot be channeled after it is used. It is okay to hit a "stake" but it is basically all luck when hitting a moving target.

Compared to this, physical skills are more practical for everything. Take the [Charged Slash] for example. It is also an F-level basic skill, but its power is much greater than that of [Arcane Missile]. When equipped with a non-blunt weapon, it can at least deal twice the power of a basic attack.

However, its drawbacks are also obvious: its "motion frames" are fixed.

People who are familiar with fighting games will find it easier to understand. For example, a simple punch action is usually divided into three stages: the initiation frame, the effective frame, and the recovery frame.

In actual combat, this skill requires a very high degree of timing; if the attack misses, there is a risk of being countered.

Of course, it's more than enough to deal with zombies, and most people wouldn't bother to study these details. Perhaps this is the biggest difference between Nie Qingyun and others.

However, using the [Skill Book] is tantamount to completely severing the path to self-awakening. If the current situation were not so difficult, Qin Hehuan would probably continue to maintain this monopoly, given her personality.

After all, the survivors don't have much time left to continue exploring possibilities.

Once the zombies evolve, or other monsters emerge on a large scale, humanity will completely lose its right to choose.

Thinking of this, Nie Qingyun couldn't help but frown.

Whether it was when the apocalypse had just begun or now, Qin Hehuan always gives people the illusion that she can predict the future.

This wasn't the first time he'd felt this way.

Whether it's the knowledge related to the "Ominous Signs," the information about the "Trials," or the intention to guide everyone to awaken on their own... there must be many secrets hidden within.

Strangely enough, Nie Qingyun has been giving the other person a lot of medical checkups these past few days...

Uh... in short, it's about using the guide's analysis function when you come into contact with the device.

The results showed that the woman did not change significantly in any aspect, except that her mental attribute increased from 16 to 29.

Of course, this is something that can't be asked openly, otherwise it would break the tacit understanding between the two of them to keep each other's secrets...

As I pondered, the door to the preparation room came into view, and I could vaguely hear various conversations coming from inside.

After Nie Qingyun went inside, the room immediately fell silent.

Besides Shikawa Yu and Byakuya Rinne, there were quite a few new faces in the room.

Seeing this, Saotome quickly approached and took out a file folder from her bosom.

"Senior, these are the profiles of the fourteen new members who have joined the task force. More people may join before the registration deadline..."

The girl's tone was normal, but there was a hint of unease in her eyes.

Nie Qingyun wasn't quite sure what attitude was correct, since he had just formally rejected the other person's confession not long ago.

Fortunately, someone intervened in time to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Yay~", Yuwen Chaolu waved playfully, then moved between the two, looked Nie Qingyun up and down, and then complained in a different tone:

"Some guys are really busy..."

"He promised to take everyone along, but in the blink of an eye, he secretly ran off somewhere."

"Still staying out all night! And dressed so flashy, he's clearly become a delinquent."

"Rinne-chan, you can't just leave a boyfriend like this around."

"It's clearly Lulu who's more worried about her!" Surrounded and pushed forward by the girls, Shirayuki Rinne seemed flustered and quickly straightened her skirt as she retorted:

"I wonder who it was that started getting ready half an hour ago..."

"That's not true at all!" Yuwen Chaolu's face immediately turned a little red. Although she didn't admit it, anyone could tell that her carefully coordinated short-sleeved shirt and hot pants were the result of meticulous dressing.

In fact, Nie Qingyun noticed this as soon as he entered the door.

Normally, whether it's a boy or a girl, when going out, they try to be "pragmatic." They don't necessarily have to be completely covered up, but they also try to ensure that their movements are not hindered.

In fact, everyone else did the same, except for a few girls like Shirayuki Rinne who dressed up as if they were going on a date, some even wearing skirts, making it hard to go unnoticed...

Seeing this, Nie Qingyun didn't make any excessive demands, after all, he knew the girls' personalities very well from the journey they had taken.

As for the others, they all seemed very uncomfortable.

Especially when they saw Shiroya Rinne clinging to the other person, many girls gave her strange looks.

Everyone knows that Nie Qingyun's girlfriend is that dazzling young lady, and he changed her again in the blink of an eye.

So before he even started his self-introduction, he was already being seen as a playboy who "deceives girls everywhere with his handsome looks."

Nie Qingyun didn't care much about this. Although he had just received a lot from Qin Hehuan, he had no intention of becoming a philanthropist.

Whether it was to live up to Qin Hehuan's trust or for his own sake, he needed to get these people into service as soon as possible.

Of course, this is definitely not a simple matter; relying solely on limited [Blessing of the King] and [Immune Injection] cannot fundamentally change anything.

Therefore, Nie Qingyun also wanted to take this opportunity to try some more interesting things...

Chapter 306: The One Abandoned Again

The Freemasons' organizational structure can be roughly divided into four levels. Qin Hehuan, at the very top of the pyramid, holds the highest authority. Next is the core management team composed of key members of the student council. Below them are the leaders of various action groups set up according to different tasks, as well as their subordinate members.

Although Qin Hehuan is the ultimate decision-maker, under normal circumstances, the daily actions of ordinary members within the Freemasons do not need to be interfered with by her; they are usually arranged by the group leaders.

Now that Nie Qingyun is the leader of the task force, he naturally has to personally arrange all internal affairs.

Although he never intended to use a large-scale attack to conquer [Ominous Sign], he had obtained quite a few good things from Qin Hehuan, and given their current relationship, he also had an obligation to help her maintain the stability of the Freemasons, so he still had to do some practical things.

Of course, things still need to be done step by step.

After a brief encounter, Nie Qingyun quickly grasped the basic information of everyone through the [Apocalypse Survival Guide].

These people are largely consistent with the descriptions in the files provided by Saotome. Without exception, they have all activated the [Data System]. However, most of them have only used the [Immunity Injection] and have not experienced any attribute improvements.

Nie Qingyun does have some [Completion Blessing] that can improve attributes, but the quantity is very limited. It is unrealistic to expect to improve the combat power of the entire team through this. Moreover, even if it can be used by some people, some relatively reliable people must be selected first.

After pondering for a moment, Nie Qingyun finally led everyone out of the preparation room and headed to the outermost perimeter of the comprehensive building's defensive fortifications.

Some of the newlyweds, initially a little nervous, all showed expressions of relief upon hearing their destination.

Because the boundaries of the fortifications are specifically designed for hunting zombies.

Speaking of this, we must mention the terrifying adaptability that humans are born with.

After using the [immunity injection], there is no risk of being infected by the virus. As long as the slow-moving and unintelligent zombies do not appear in large groups, they basically do not pose any threat.

With the leadership of a talented person like Qin Hehuan, they quickly established several sites specifically for hunting zombies and collecting [Primal Crystals] by taking advantage of the terrain.

Killing zombies has gradually become a low-level, assembly-line job, usually done by older players guiding newcomers who haven't yet activated their [data system].

In conclusion, almost every member who has joined the task force has gone through this process, which is why they all look so relaxed.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Han Zheng and Shi Chuanyu followed at the very back of the group, their faces filled with worry.

Seeing this, Nie Qingyun broke free from the girls' embrace and deliberately slowed her pace. Only when the two were right in front of her did she glance at Han Zheng and ask a question.

"Is there something you want to discuss with me?"

"It's nothing..." The latter raised his head, his expression somewhat complicated.

Before he could even speak, Shi Chuanyu, who was walking on the other side, looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"You two are giving me those looks because you want me to come and question you," Nie Qingyun said, pulling out a cigarette and offering one to the other man before lighting it for himself.

"I've already come this far, so there's no need for me to keep pretending."

"Uh..." Shi Chuanyu scratched his head awkwardly upon hearing this. This big guy seemed to have no idea how to hide his feelings.

Seeing this, Han Zheng stopped stammering and looked at the ground, saying:

"There are indeed some things that are troubling me..."

"Troubled?"

"Hmm," Han Zheng responded, and continued:

"I'm considering whether or not to side with Chairman Qin."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Nie Qingyun slightly curled the corners of his mouth, clearly intrigued, and continued to inquire:

"What, you think following me is too leisurely and not fulfilling enough?"

"That's not true!" Shi Chuanyu immediately replied, then pursed his lips and said:

"I don't have to watch those idiots kill zombies all day, I'm not forced to do missions, and I don't have to pay taxes to my superiors. I'm so happy!"

"So, why?" Nie Qingyun exhaled a puff of smoke, then looked at Han Zheng.