Su Yan sadly tilted his head down and looked at the alert little puppy in his arms.

Just like always, the little darling looked cute and adorable, with its snow-white fur and the pair of green and blue round eyes.

"I don't think that is the case. Something tells me that there is more to her and she cannot be affected. " Su Yan replied.

He knew that he was probably not making any sense but it was a weird gut feeling.

The rats had changed. Sister Min had changed and perhaps the little puppy might also change? But if she were to change wouldn't she have already done so?

Moreover, though sister Min was affected, they themselves were still normal. So perhaps not every animal and every human being was affected?

Or perhaps everyone was affected but only some lost their mind!

There were endless questions and endless possibilities but these were only theories at this point. Su Yan had a feeling that things were going to become exceedingly clear soon enough.

Lu Chen as well agreed with his viewpoint and it was obvious that neither of them had any intentions of throwing out Qin Hua just yet.

After a while, when both the guys finally dozed off, Qin Hua couldn't help but sigh in relief. She laid still and awake beside Su Yan's warm body, thankful for their compassion and love.

She was genuinely happy to have found such a caring and decent family, at least in her second life. She gazed at the sleeping humans and silently pondered.

[ Woof! I need to figure out my new abilities and finish the daily quests.] She muttered inwardly with resolution.

She knew that she needed to become much much stronger to protect herself and this newfound family.

Her gaze then casually flickered to the tabby cat lying next to Xu Meilin and sleeping peacefully. She gave it an awkward smile.

[Sorry buddy! This missy needs some easy experience points. I would rather beat you up ten times than face another one of that weird mana zombies.]

[You understand right? This is nothing personal. I swear I will try my best to control my strength.]

She lifted her little paw suavely and blew on it before pouncing back on the floor and strutting towards the tabby furball.

However, luckily for the cat, she flipped open the quest menu one more time before leaping into action when she noticed that the quest was no longer active.

[Oops! Let's brake the pedals.] She immediately stopped and did a u-turn returning back to Su Yan's side.

The quest had actually expired! Quests can expire! Qin Hua sighed with realization. Thankfully, Qin Hua noticed it before pummeling down the cat.

[Guess, I will also take a rest now?] She leaped back up onto the couch and snuggled next to Su Yan, returning to her previous position.

[Woof. Wait a second. Why am I feeling not tired at all?]

Qin Hua remembered feeling pretty tired after the fight with the zombie but miraculously everything had disappeared after a few seconds… when she had leveled up?

[Woof. This is definitely something important that I must clarify. System. Do my health and stamina recover during these level-ups?]

<Ding. Health and Stamina are reset with each level increase>

Woof! Woof! She barked in excitement, licking her lips. She could already tell how useful this was going to be during long drawn-out battles.

Now all she needed to do was find a loophole for fast leveling every now and then and that could be one of her trump cards.

[Alright then, let's take a nap for now.] She tucked her tail in quietly and went back to her lazy pose, trying to get some sleep.

She had in fact wanted to try out her other new ability, blending into darkness, but it was not the time for it just yet. Alex was watching her actions like a hawk, even daring to get amused by it!

Surely, not revealing her abilities was not too viable in the long run but for now, she didn't want to risk getting thrown out of the group.

She looked at Alex and then at the other three humans who were fast asleep.

[One of these bozos will surely sleep on their watch! Woof! And then I can practice!] With her green eye open and her blue eye closed, she lazily rolled.

While Qin Hua eyed Alex, she as well glanced at the puppy ever so often and chuckled at her antics.

Perhaps if they were not sitting ducks in the middle of what looked like an apocalypse she would have played with the cheeky puppy more, but now she was not in a mood for it.

She was keeping the first watch and she was determined to stay alert.

After sitting for a while, Alex paced back and forth restlessly, walking over to the door every other minute.

She peeped through the keyhole to make sure that no one suspicious was lurking around.

She then sat down on the window ledge in the living room staring into the distant full moon.

The moon was still the same, white in color and crescent-shaped but everything else had changed drastically, her own life now turned upside down.

"Sigh… At least my stupid company only wanted my soul, sucking me dry, day in and day out, but now these monsters are after my actual life." She giggled lightly, murmuring to herself.

Alex hated her job, which involved long working hours and low wages, but now, considering everything she had mixed feelings.

"Well… whatever… at least I don't have to work like a brainless ghoul anymore." She thought to herself and sighed, feeling lighter in her shoulders as if a great burden was removed.

She then slowly stood back up to once again resume her pacing back and forth and regularly checking the main door's keyhole.