The two zombies Chu Lian targeted were no ordinary undead. For Spirit-level zombies, regardless of their evolution type, they already possessed a rudimentary level of intelligence and could communicate in a crude manner.
The one that Chu Lian had previously knocked senseless with a single punch had already relayed her monstrous strength to the others. So when they saw her flying toward them, both zombies planted their feet firmly, arms raised to guard their heads and chests.
They braced themselves to take her blow. The impact sent them skidding backward, unable to withstand her force—but they had never intended to block it completely. What they sought was the brief opening after her attack, the instant when she might be vulnerable, giving the others a chance to strike.
Grnn... grrrn... Yet Chu Lian was no longer the naïve girl she once was. While her combat experience and ferocity were still far below Dark Chu Lian's, she was no longer ignorant of battle either. The enemies had prepared their counterattack—but did they think she hadn't?
The two zombies who tried to seize the moment found their own blows swiftly blocked. Their fists slammed against her blue spiritual armor, leaving faint cracks that were instantly repaired by the continuous flow of Spiritual Power. They hadn't managed to hurt her in the slightest.
Even more frightening was the counterforce that came through her guard—an unending wave-like strength that drove them back step by step, leaving deep footprints in the ground.
Ignoring the retreating zombies, Chu Lian—now clad in her spiritual armor—stood proud. Thanks to the added height from her boots and helmet, she had finally reached a height of one meter fifty. But among these three-meter-tall giants, she still looked like a petite little girl surrounded by hulking men.
Petite though she was, her power was anything but small. Each punch, each kick sent zombies flying backward. Her movements were as fluid and fearless as Zhao Yun charging through enemy ranks, piercing in and out of the horde without hesitation.
When the final zombie was struck down, Chu Lian exhaled softly. She could now wield the power in her body with greater familiarity. At least now she understood the limits of her strength—how much force each blow carried—and her control had improved. She wouldn't make those small, technical mistakes anymore.
Of course, this was only the beginning. She still had a long way to go before she could control her power as she wished. But who could blame her? Her growth had been so rapid that it was nearly impossible to keep up. Fortunately, her body was far sturdier now—no longer the fragile little loli's body from before. She was, quite literally, a dragon wearing human skin.
[Tírnas's Blessing: To be chosen as the recipient of a blessing from one of the most powerful beings in the dimensional cosmos—how lucky can one be? Any strong being would die of envy if they knew. For a god can bless at most three people in their lifetime, and each blessing comes at a great cost of divine power. Unless someone is bound to them by the deepest intimacy, such a gift would never be given. It's something others can only dream of obtaining.]
[Abilities (Currently displaying lowest-level effects due to host's limited strength): Strength output +100%, physical regeneration +500%, body resilience +200%, bone strength +300%, energy recovery +300%, movement speed +100%, training speed for all abilities +30%, body energy capacity +50%.]
[Passive — Undying Body: Unless the inflicted damage exceeds ten times the body's maximum tolerance, the body will not sustain any injuries.]
[Passive — Dark Throne (Beginner): Dark Throne doubles the cultivation speed of dark and undead-type abilities. Passive effect "Lord of Tyrael": All native or undead beings under Tírnas's domain in Tyrael will not show hostility toward you.]
(System: I really can't figure out how you managed to win her favor—letting her own daughter call you Mommy, of all things! You're a flat-chested, tsundere loli! No curves, no figure—how disgraceful for someone with the title of 'Mommy'! Hmph.)
These notifications appeared on her system panel only after Tírnas's departure. The first few lines alone made Chu Lian's heart flutter. Although such enhancements could theoretically be purchased from the system, their prices were so astronomical that she'd feel her soul freeze just looking at the numbers—they were far beyond anything she could ever afford.
Still, receiving such a tremendous gift from Tírnas's blessing—how could Chu Lian not be thrilled? And this was only the beginner-level effect. These passives could even stack with those from her "Innate Spiritual Body" and "Battle Soul," a combination that would benefit her future growth beyond measure.
Under this blessing, Chu Lian's strength output tripled—one unit of force could now deliver the power of three. With her current 65 points of strength, she could exert far beyond what she once could. The group of giant zombies before her, each boasting 55 points of strength, were the perfect training dummies.
So, she completely ignored the system AI's snarky commentary.
Body type, tsundere attitude, flat chest, loli figure, breasts—those were all irrelevant, irrelevant, irrelevant! At her age, such things didn't matter in the slightest!
Of course, anyone with a brain could tell that receiving such immense rewards meant that protecting Anna wouldn't be a simple task. But so what? Chu Lian felt no fear.
In her own words: "Compared to opposing Tírnas, what danger could possibly be worse? If I can pick a path that's relatively less dangerous and offers better rewards, why hesitate? Even if I was forced into this mission, I've already earned treasures that are priceless across the dimensional cosmos. Totally worth it."
Her thoughts quickly shifted away from "Tírnas's Blessing." Looking around at the giant zombies regrouping for another assault, Chu Lian smiled faintly and charged forward once more. This time, she wouldn't send them flying—she would use them as punching bags. Sturdy, durable, and safe opponents like these were her favorite.
On the other side of the battlefield, under Hiru's protection, the girls could finally breathe easier. Standing atop a nearby vehicle, they watched in awe as Chu Lian pummeled the zombies one after another, her movements fierce yet graceful.
"Those zombies must be really strong, right? Sister Inori, you've fought them before—can you tell us what it felt like?" Chu Chu asked, eyes gleaming with admiration as she watched her elder sister move like a Valkyrie on the battlefield.
Since childhood, her elder sister had always been her role model. Though she had surpassed Chu Lian in many areas—and even developed a more mature figure—Chu Chu had never once thought herself superior.
Because she knew that her big sister would always be the one standing ahead of her. She believed that wholeheartedly and never wavered, no matter how many times others told her she had already surpassed Chu Lian.
Indeed, ever since that car accident about a year ago, when their grandparents passed away, Chu Lian had changed completely. She was no longer the gentle, fragile girl who seemed like an angel descended to earth. She had become someone with purpose and resolve.
And now, her strength had grown to surpass every peer—leaving even those who once considered themselves geniuses far behind.
Inori turned slightly and noticed the emotions reflected in Chu Chu's eyes, feeling a faint pang in her chest. The days she had spent with Chu Lian were far fewer than those of this little sister, she realized.
But she quickly brushed away that momentary melancholy. After a pause to think, she replied seriously, "Those zombies are incredibly strong. I couldn't withstand their power. Their physical resilience is astonishing—unless my bullets trigger 'Deathblow,' they hardly do any damage. And their offensive strength is overwhelming. To someone weaker, facing one is like being hit by an unstoppable tank… yes, a tank."
When it came to matters concerning the girls' growth, Inori took things seriously. Gone was her usual quiet demeanor—she spoke earnestly, carefully choosing her words.
"Yes, Sister Inori's description fits perfectly," Chu Chu nodded, eyes still fixed on Chu Lian's figure. "They're like tanks—charging straight ahead, unstoppable. Anyone weaker just gets crushed beneath them."
"These kinds of monsters are best dealt with using high-penetration, high-power firearms," Liu Yanran added from the side. "The more agile the fighter, the easier it is to kill them. When fighting such creatures, if your strength is lower than theirs, avoid facing them head-on. Keep moving constantly—don't stay in one place. If you're in an area with many obstacles, use them to block their attacks."
Though she hadn't fought them directly, Liu Yanran had been closely observing every second of their battle with Chu Lian, analyzing the creatures' every movement.
"It's because their movement speed is relatively slow, right?" Li Xiu'er chimed in. "Aside from their initial charge, they're not much faster than us—they actually look pretty clumsy most of the time."
Her comment drew the others' gazes. Realizing everyone was staring at her, Li Xiu'er's face turned bright red. "W-why are you all looking at me like that?" she stammered, her voice growing smaller and smaller until it was barely audible.
"Ah, now this is the Xiu'er I know! I was starting to think you'd changed completely. You scared me there for a moment," Chu Chu said with a sigh of relief. She patted her chest dramatically, the motion sending soft ripples across her curves—an action that looked almost like she was showing off.
The others could only look on helplessly. Among the group, the only ones who could rival Chu Chu in terms of bust size were Lux Lyle and Cai Ya. Unfortunately, Cai Ya was still recovering somewhere under Chu Lian's care, and Lux clearly had no intention of competing with her right now—so the display went uncontested.
"I never thought Xiu'er would voice her own opinion in front of everyone. Truly surprising," Chu Chu teased lightly, her tone half-playful, half-proud. Then she lowered her hand and clasped Li Xiu'er's gently.
"We're all changing. We're all growing. This battle was dangerous, but it's given us so much in return," Inori thought silently as she watched the girls laugh and talk together, a gentle smile touching her lips.
"They're growing so quickly," a cool voice said suddenly beside her. Inori turned her head slightly and nodded. "You're growing even faster, Satsuki. At this rate, it won't be long before you surpass me."
"No," replied the white-haired girl softly. "Soon enough, you'll leave me far behind again."
With those words, Kurosaki Satsuki's form faded back into the shadows, once more becoming the unseen guardian of the group.
Inori didn't look toward where she had vanished. Instead, her ruby-like eyes gazed into the distance, toward Chu Lian's figure. "Perhaps… you're right," she whispered.
Time flowed quietly as the girls' tension melted away and Chu Lian continued to grow more familiar with her newfound strength…