San Wu tore a section of thorns and brought them along, digging out the hardest thorns first. These thorns were as long as fingers, suitable for making weapons when embedded in wood.

The remaining thorns were cut into sections. A few of these pieces would suffice to cook a pot of meat, and they were highly resistant to burning.

She retrieved her flint and steel, skillfully lighting a fire. San Wu then took a pot of purified sweet water and sat down to wipe off her sweat.

As she wiped her sweat, she suddenly froze as she noticed something peculiar.

“What… is this?” She rushed to the recently cleared patch of land, where vibrant green vegetation had sprung up, dominating the barren landscape.

“Has it really grown this fast?” Even though she lacked farming knowledge, she knew that vegetables couldn’t possibly grow so quickly. One of the patches seemed to be a common type of green vegetable, already taller than her palm and entirely edible.

Another set of plants had grown from the germinated seeds. These plants had wide leaves with pointed tips, but they didn’t resemble typical green vegetables. She wondered if they were edible.

“Is this due to my second awakening ability to accelerate growth? Or is it because the soil and seeds I purified promote rapid growth?” San Wu pondered while glancing at her palm, where the core glowed white when activated.

The unexpected development meant she could enjoy fresh vegetables regularly. If she had fruit seeds, perhaps fruit would grow quickly too.

San Wu plucked a small handful of the different-looking green vegetables, which appeared greener and juicier.

She hadn’t tasted vegetables in ten years. In the post-apocalyptic era, only the fortress leaders could access fruits and vegetables cultivated by plant-based supernaturals, but the variety was limited. For instance, Fortress Eighteen had a plant-based ability user who could summon vines to produce sweet red fruit. The vines themselves were also edible when cooked.

San Wu could barely recall the taste of vegetables.

She added a handful of the tender greens to the pot, found a small spoon in the kitchen, and added some salt to the soup.

The thick white soup bubbled as it boiled. San Wu also located some pots and pans left behind in the house, most of them slightly damaged, but she valued them greatly. In the fortress, everyday items were more precious than gold.

She took a spoonful of the soup, which was rich and fresh from the dried meat. It had a slight sweetness, perhaps due to the addition of vegetables, and San Wu felt a tingling numbness in her palm after taking a sip. It was significantly stronger than drinking pure water or eating meat alone.

At that moment, San Wu realized that the food she purified had the ability to enhance and nourish the ability.

“When my core’s light extends to my entire palm, it can be converted into a yellow core of a mid-level ability holder,” San Wu happily noted. “I wonder how much my ability can improve by then.””Nevertheless, my ability lacks offensive capabilities. Even though Ah Si warned me not to trust others, I still need to find cooperative teammates, even if it’s for mutual benefit.” Her eyes shifted slightly, hinting her determination to avenge Ah Si.

Surviving alone in the post-apocalyptic world was nearly impossible, especially for individuals who weren’t exceptionally powerful.

“But first, let’s eat,” San Wu decided.

As the warm sensation continued to wash over her body, San Wu couldn’t help but feel comfortable, nearly letting out a satisfied groan.

In the fortress, such a meal, especially with fresh vegetables, was an unimaginable luxury.

San Wu could finally savor a pot of meat on her own without worrying about others, and it was a fulfilling experience. The meat was tender and the broth rich.

At the end of the meal, she still had a small bowl of soup left for dinner. In the apocalypse, wasting food was unheard of.

However, just as she set down her bowl and chopsticks, a loud bang echoed through the door, causing it to rattle.

There was something outside!

San Wu’s face turned pale. She grabbed her stick and ventured outside, witnessing a horrifying scene through a crack in the door.

The zombie, who had effortlessly killed a high-level ability holder earlier, now stood at the door with its head down. It pounded the door with its palm while sniffing intensely through the gap, displaying a strange and longing expression on the rigid face.

Did it have expressions?

Could it be… smelling her? Did she have an enticing scent?