After another six months...

After efficiently clearing yet another wave of zombies, Bing Shi perched herself atop a platform, her legs swaying in the air as she observed the bustling soldiers below.

Each passing day, the soldiers grew more adept at dispatching zombies at an astonishing pace. Their strength had soared to incredible heights. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that each soldier now posed a significant threat, easily surpassing the capabilities of the former Yi Zen.

Fuelled by Fu Lian's nourishing sustenance, feasting on nuclei like they were sweets, and engaging in relentless combat, each soldier had evolved into a force to be reckoned with.

Contrastingly, Yi Zen was akin to a living atomic bomb. Capable of obliterating an entire island with a mere storm of lightning, a single city would hardly pose a challenge.

What could a zombie queen or emperor do against a strategic assassination and weeks of planning? Not much. Before an emperor could attack the citizens with a tidal wave, Yi Zen would send special forces to scout the nearby cities, while Bing Shi ordered citizens to move to the central city, and showed them what to do in case of a sudden attack.

What about Ziek? Because Bing Shi couldn't clone herself, the situation outside the borders was much more complicated. Whenever he went outside the country, Bing Shi would lend him Kuro, to become a bridge between the two cultures.

Yes, it would ease his job by the hundreds, but would he allow her to gain more recognition? No!  He was no longer as naive as before. Using her for his benefit? That's exactly what she wanted! As if! Flinging Kuro back at her like a hot potato, he diligently carved out his own legacy.

But would Kuro leave Ziek alone? Haha. No.

Kuro, the messenger, traveled around the countries and showed Bing Shi's accomplishments. The vibrant life thriving within the self-sustaining central cities was put on display for all to witness. While Ziek had to exert twice the effort, the mere presence of Kuro was sufficient to garner followers from around the globe.

Bing Shi's growth rate was scarily tremendous. Even the international powerhouses felt overshadowed by her, an individual now hailed as the most powerful human in the world.

For the first time, Ziek found himself struggling to keep up. To whom? He stared at the girl playfully swinging her legs in the air, "..."

Yes. Exactly. This. Silly. Girl.

He didn't want to miss her. He wanted to forget her. And here he was, coming from afar, standing next to her... yet again.

As the days came by, she was becoming more and more unreachable. So what if she hid behind an army of men? She still achieved things unheard of before. While her disguise pointed at gender neutrality, she never hid that she was a woman. Without a need for her womanly assets, she showed that women were more than capable of standing hand in hand with men, without acting like men themselves.

"Taking a break?" Ziek settled beside her. Whenever he arrived, he'd find her atop the platform, either immersed in music or gazing at the men below.

"No," Bing Shi replied, "I'm training."

"...Why?..." he asked, almost forgetting about her ability. With it, she didn't need to hide, but still did, why?

Drawing closer, Bing Shi whispered, "You never know. What if one day, I need to shield my people? Overconfidence can be my downfall, especially since there will always be someone superior to challenge my assumptions. Kid, you're one of those challengers."

Ziek clenched his teeth. That struck a nerve! "I'm eighteen!" As soon as her words left her lips, his impulse was to yank off her mask, crash his lips onto hers, and kiss her with unbridled intensity until she was breathless. 

He'd prove just how much of a kid he wasn't! Had she locked away her scent too? She smelled like nothing. Why did she have to make everything about herself so exclusive?

"Why aren't you a guy?" he muttered to himself. That way, he wouldn't have to contend with these emotions.

"You can consider me as one," Bing Shi chuckled, her tone light. "How do you manage to keep the fish alive?" She swiftly changed the topic, diving into negotiations.  Yi Zen couldn't get out this information out of him, no matter how much he offered.

"...Too late..." Ziek turned away, his resolve wavering. "They're mutated fish. I fed them LVL 5 nuclei." He did the unexpected, revealing the information. You see, Bing Shi always answered his questions, all without demanding anything in return. So, why not reciprocate?

"Oh, how I never thought about it before?" Bing Shi mused aloud, creating a barrier to encompass a group of around five hundred people.

If anyone had witnessed it, they would have been astounded by how the soldiers moved within the confines of the invisible shield, completely unaware of its presence.

She speculated with a playful smile that nobody could see. "Maybe it's because I spend my days daydreaming about sweet potatoes?"

These two!! Because nobody would feed a fish with such high-level nuclei!

Ziek chuckled, his eyes following her as she suddenly stood up. Concerned, he glanced up, only to see blood trickling down her neck. "What happened?!"

His voice held a note of alarm as he quickly rose to his feet and moved toward her. As he reached out to steady her, he encountered an invisible barrier that halted his progress. His hand was caught in a tight grip, and he quickly suppressed his initial reaction.

Bing Shi hurried toward her tent. "Five hundred people was a bit too much on me. My nose started to bleed, hehe. Why do you always see me in the worst state?" she asked with a teasing tone before closing the tent's door in front of him. "Aish, this isn't any fun! I want to be a cool grandma!" 

Ziek bit his trembling lips, a mix of emotions surging within him. Was she going to disappear without a trace? While everyone assumed that Bing Shi required their protection, the truth was that she was the one shielding them all.

He tentatively reached out to touch her barrier, pressing his forehead against it. In that moment, he allowed himself to imagine a life without her, something he had done countless times to prepare himself.

Bing Shi told him beforehand about her time limit.

Once she vanished, he would finally be unburdened.

He would move forward as he always did.

Yes, that was what he intended to do.