Lu Heng, standing before them, offered them this opportunity, to help them improve or become esper-users.
Many were tempted.
Of course, a small number still hesitated to take this step, like the mother who had just called her child back.
Lu Heng was somewhat satisfied, but it was far from enough. Those who didn't move now would become their weaknesses later, the primary cause of their demise.
However, killing these future burdens in front of everyone was also unrealistic.
"Have you made up your minds? Step forward a bit more."
"Some of us here are already third-level esper-users. How many levels can you help us reach?" the first boy to emerge asked boldly.
"How many levels do you want to reach?" Lu Heng looked at the boy, finally showing a smile.
This boy had likely been suppressed by his mother all along, which was why he hadn't become an esper-user.
"What level are you?" the boy asked Lu Heng seriously.
"Let me first explain the human esper-user hierarchy. If you meet other esper-users outside later, you must remember this.
Also, you probably won't be able to catch up to my level anytime soon. In fact, you might not even believe it if I told you."
"Then what level are you?"
"Eighteen."
A wave of gasps immediately followed.
"No wonder you could kill all those zombies in one go," the middle-aged man murmured.
"I want to upgrade to fifth level," the same boy said after a moment's thought, stating his wish first.
"Fifth level, eh? You're quite ambitious, young man. Do you have anyone else in your family?"
"My mom and my brother," the boy glanced back, and a young man standing beside him tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder.
"I have a condition too. I want to take you with me. If you agree, I can upgrade you to sixth level, and you'll be able to kill most zombies outside."
Lu Heng hadn't encountered many high-level zombies during the day, almost none above fifth level.
"Xiao Qiang." The woman behind the boy took a few more steps forward, trying to prevent the boy from doing anything rash.
The boy, Xiao Qiang, looked back again at his somewhat nervous mother.
"Sigh!"
In this apocalypse, such burdens were everywhere. Lu Heng believed that if this boy wasn't held back by his mother, with his drive, he might have a good future.
"Spoiled by indulgent mothers, it's always been like this," Lu Heng said, his gaze towards the doting mother standing behind him, a fleeting murderous intent quickly concealed.
"Have you thought it over?"
"Then I'll just be like everyone else, any level is fine," the boy finally compromised.
"Alright, each of you come to me to receive a crystal. I will help you improve based on your current levels. Of course, those who are already third level don't need to come. Those who have their levels increased must go outside the city to kill zombies before nightfall. I want each of you to bring back two crystals. No one else can help; you must kill them yourselves. I will be watching you kill zombies from the sky. If anyone fails, they will have to give me one of their arms to exchange for the crystals wasted on them."
Two or three people finally hesitated for a moment and retreated back to the crowd that had not stepped forward. They had actually come with the intention of getting something for free. Everyone knew that crystals were hard to come by, so people usually used them to improve themselves. They didn't have any spare crystals on hand.
Some people began to line up one after another to receive crystals. Lu Heng watched them consume the crystals before him and improve to the third-level.
There weren't many zombies outside the city, and he hadn't killed them yet. The highest level of those zombies did not exceed third level. As long as these people dared to kill zombies, and he was careful, there would be no problem.
"Those who are done, go outside the city now. My subordinates will also be watching you from the sky."
With a thought from Lu Heng, Lu Bai, who had transformed into human form at some unknown time, was now sitting on the back of a bird-beast, being carried into the air by it.
"Xiao Qiang, don't go. You should hide here with Mom. Your brother can definitely handle us alone."
She had already made one child consume something from a zombie's brain, and she had witnessed her eldest son's mutation. She didn't know if her eldest son's change was good or bad, but subconsciously, she felt it wasn't a good thing.
She didn't want her other son to become like that. She wanted to keep a normal son by her side, like herself.
"Mom, Big Brother is very tired every day, carrying us around to hide is exhausting. I want to help Big Brother share the burden."
The boy spoke with great difficulty. Every day, seeing his elder brother return with a tired body, he couldn't bear it. Especially when their family only had one elder brother searching for food outside, and the food they received each time was pitifully little, yet the elder brother had to save food for him and their mother.
He didn't want to experience that torment again.
Sometimes, he would look at the esper-users who were alone. They went out to find food themselves, and the food allocated was enough for that person to enjoy alone. Looking at his elder brother then, he was filled with guilt.
The boy's elder brother was now a strength-type esper-user, so he was always the one at the forefront. However, the team had a clear distribution system, calculated only by the number of working family members, so their family's burden was relatively heavy.
"It's okay, Xiao Qiang, Big Brother can still manage." Xiao Qiang's elder brother stroked the boy's hair. Due to the lack of nutrition over the past six months, the boy's hair had long lost its former softness, becoming dry and lusterless.
"Big Brother, I also don't want to be in a situation where when zombies come, I don't even have a chance to escape." The boy knew that becoming an esper-user greatly improved physical stamina compared to ordinary people. His elder brother, who used to be sickly, had much better physical fitness since becoming an esper-user.
"Then you go and try. If there's danger, I'll help you," the boy's elder brother smiled and patted the boy's shoulder.
"Dongzi, you..." The mother still wanted to persuade him.
"Mom, don't you want your younger son to be eaten by zombies in the end, or become one of them?"
"How could I..."
"Then Mom, please let your younger son try. Becoming an esper-user's body is always better than an ordinary person's. Look, I used to get sick often, but since becoming an esper-user, have you ever seen me get sick?"
"But..."
"Mom, indulgent mothers spoil their children. As a teacher, you should understand this better than I do."
With that, the young man also walked towards Lu Heng. He was only at the second-level, and upgrading to third-level would make him stronger.