Chapter 232 - 232 - Testing The Limits

The night came around very quickly. Not to attract any zombies, the fires had to be extinguished. Everyone retired to their respective tents and stayed quiet throughout the night.

Yue cuddled up to Fan Xui and slept through the night peacefully.

The next morning, without fail, Yue got up and started to ready the breakfast. The two soldiers were uncharged of night duty that day, and one of them was yawning loudly.

"go on, take some rest. I'll make some food and wake you up,"

"Thank you, it's Rai by the way. I would very much like it if you addressed me so," he winked at him and walked over to his tent.

Yue frowned slightly. That man's actions were quite brazen. He decided to ignore it.

'he must be the playful type. Who knows... maybe it's just the way he talks,'

Yue started the fire and kindled it softly with his breath. The red flames burst out beautifully. He glanced around. No one was awake at that moment.

Secretly, he held his hands out. A small spark arose in his palm.

It was so small and the voltage would not even hurt a fly.

'hmm weird... physical transformation is much easier with my copy ability rather than these pyrotechnics ability.'

He tried summoning that familiar spark once again. Like a little firefly, it sparkled in front of his eyes before disappearing.

'sigh, it's going to take a a long time.'

Tian soon joined him at 6 Am. She looked well rested and jubilant that particular morning.

"you look good,"

"I made the soldiers sleep in that guy's tents. Hehe.." she chuckled mischievously. "anyway, I saw you doing that... how does that feel?'

"feels weird. It doesn't feel comfortable. Don't know how to describe it."

When he was using the electric powers, he somehow felt like the energy was coursing through his veins like a snake. It sort of hurt and numbed his body.

That electrical energy he created was just a spark, but even so, creating that took a lot of strength.

It was not the same when he had his gills. It came to him naturally. But even there, he found a difference. The water zombie had gills as well as the membrane between its finger acting as flappers.

He did not gain that physical transformation with his copy ability.

'point 1: copy ability can only copy a certain trait of one's powers.'

He peered at Tian. "why don't we go out to the river? I have some theories to test out this new thing."

"let the others wake up first,"' she set out the pot to heat up the bottles of water. "we only have a few bottles left. we have to get this place up and running in a day or two. Today we will focus on unclogging the pipe and the dam. We have to get the hydro generators working to have a constant electric source,"

Tian sighed. "we've got a lot to do,"

"I'll help clean the pipelines."

She gave him a look.

"I can do it if I touch him..." he waved his finger tips at her. "it's safe and I also want to test something else,"

"how long it can last?" she finished his thoughts with a smirk.

Yue snapped his head in her direction. "you're good at guessing,"'

"I'm good at guessing you. I know you will take stupid risks as well..." she challengingly peered at him. "how can I trust you not to overstep the boundaries of your new 'powers'" she whispered.

Yue shrugged. "you will be watching me,"

"you've done a lot of mischievous stuff while I was watching,"

"facts," Yue smirked at her. "it will be fine. I won't risk my life... not when I have someone I wish to spend a lifetime with."' he looked at his tent with a bright smile. "he asked me to move in with him yesterday,"

Tian cautiously looked his way. "so.... what did you say?"

"I asked him to convince our dad,"

Tian let out a loud chuckle. "then you're stuck at home forever, lover boy. Happy coupling,"

"don't be mean, dad will allow me to move out. didn't they allow you?"

"I'm different. I'm mature," she flipped her long black pony tail off of her shoulders.

Yue scowled. "the ones who call themselves mature are usually the ones immature,"

Tian glared at him playfully. "fine, I accept that I'm immature." She handed him a cup of noodle and a granola bar. "dad allowed me to move out only because there was no space in our house. it was overcrowded and the girls did not have privacy. I worked that fact with him and bam, he allowed it,"

"I can use the same argument,"

"nah It won't work for you. who are you asking privacy form? Your chicken and cats. That argument won't stand. You can ask Fan to stay with you, albeit he would be made to sleep on the sofa," she bit into her candy bar and chewed on it loudly. "you can try this. You can say that you are horny and need of your hunky man Fan Xui.'

Yue threw the empty bottle at her. "you want to get me killed?"

"hehe..."

After finishing dinner, they all got to work. The two soldiers and Hary were stationed to take care of Prisitsky and not to allow him anywhere outside.

Yue Fan and Tian went out of the treatment facility to clear the piping.

By the river bed, Yue quickly stripped off his coat and t-shirt. This time he chose to remove his pants as well swimming in only his boxers.

"I'll come with you," Fan started to strip swiftly.

"whoa, nope. I'll be going alone. If in case I touch you, I might lose my gills." Yue smiled at him. "'stay there and hold the rope."

"what do you mean?" Fan Xui confusedly looked at him.

"ill explain it," giving a small smile yue dove in. 

This time too Tian tied a rope around his waist.

"go check the pipe. If you can't do anything, just leave it be. We'll give up on this plant,"

"We should not give up so easily" Yue glanced at her with a bright smile. "have some hope. I can do this."

Unlike their previous plan to pull the pipeline out and clean it, Yue planned on copying that zombie's ability to breathe underwater.

It was just a test run.

Before he swam down, he looked around and caught a plumb goldfish. They were in arm's reach. Every time someone swam around in the water, they would nibble on their feet. Their soft mouth did no damage, and it felt soothing and refreshing.

'to imagine these puffballs will become so big and vacuum such everything in their mouth...'

Just thinking about it made his heart shake in fear.

With his dagger, he swiftly killed the fish and swam under.

As soon as he swam a little deeper, the teenage zombie swam close to him. this time it chose to stay a safe distance from it.

it cautiously caressed its back of the head.

'shit he must still have a grudge for cutting his brain...'

Yue slowly approached it with a fish in hand as an offering.

His vision was dull, so he did not know what the zombie's reaction was. He simply shoved the dead fish at it.

'go on, accept my peace offering.'

A hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him close.

Startled, Yue pulled away but another hand gently caressed his neck.

He took the chance to touch the zombie's face and copied its ability.