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墨書 Inktalez
A cool breeze spiraled around the Arctic of the Apocalyptic World for several weeks, then spread out like a blanket, wrapping the world in an ancient chill that blew into every corner of the globe. Antarctica acted like a magnet, attracting the swirling cold air from the North Pole, which would inevitably pass through all living beings on Earth.
In an instant, all the Zombies seemed startled and began to gather slowly. The already decaying skin and muscle on their bodies froze in the cold wind. Although they had lost the intelligence of the Post-Apocalypse, they still retained their instincts. They gathered together, giving humanity more room to maneuver, but these gathering places were mostly cities. Low-Level Zombies sought out Advanced Zombies, while Advanced Zombies searched for intelligent Zombies.
The intelligent Zombies tried to consolidate their followers as much as possible, arranging them in places where they could avoid the cold wind.
In the jungle, wild beasts searched for their dens. In the Greater Khingan Range, a black bear stood upright at over ten meters tall, shaking its body as it burrowed into its den. Unfortunately, the once spacious cave could no longer accommodate it; what used to be a warm wintering spot now barely reached its nose.
"Roar!" With a furious roar, the black bear slammed its paw against the entrance of the cave, causing it to collapse. The entire mountain seemed to tremble. Its roars could not express its anger; how many times in a year had it felt this rage? Prey that had become as small as insects could no longer fill its belly, and what once provided relief had turned into mere twigs. Even its den, which it loathed being away from, was now inaccessible. With winter approaching and no place to hibernate, it stormed deeper into the mountains, determined to find a shelter before winter fully descended. Compared to over a year ago, when it lived like a god among bears, this was a stark contrast.
In the waters, fish began to migrate. Slowly diving deeper, the cold winter brought ominous signs; winter was no longer a time of happiness but rather one of death and crisis.
Some fish with longer memories and a hint of intelligence began migrating toward tropical waters. They sensed that there lay their hope for survival.
The world had gone mad; animals that had never been seen before in such numbers appeared collectively on grasslands, wastelands, and in forests.
An unprecedented migration unfolded as animals and Zombies fled together, seeking opportunities.
But destruction had already arrived; the cold currents in the air surged like relentless waves. Frost quickly covered the ground, and simple wooden houses could no longer shield against the invading chill.
Fortunately, humanity in this apocalyptic world proved far more resilient than in the Post-Apocalypse. They stepped out of their homes wrapped in whatever they could find to keep warm—even blankets draped over their shoulders. In Han Sui City Gathering Place, chaos reigned; the threat posed by the cold was more terrifying than that of the Zombies.
Finding a way to survive became the sole thought among those in Han Sui City Gathering Place. When someone returned from outside braving the cold wind, everyone learned one piece of uplifting news.
The Zombies had retreated; they had hidden away within the city. All Zombies outside buildings vanished as if they had disappeared overnight. Countless treasures seemed like a woman who had shed her vibrant makeup. Driven by severe cold, Survivors rushed into areas that were once perilous.
In an instant, warm clothing, blankets, Foam Boards—even construction materials—became precious commodities.
Wooden houses could no longer provide safety; instead, they signified death as danger gradually approached.
In the center of the Han Sui City Gathering Place, right next to the position of the First Division, a slender man slowly walked out, his arms spread wide as if embracing the world. Despite the cold wind blowing around him, he maintained a faint smile.
Behind him, figures began to emerge one by one; they were the Ice King Squad, the unchallenged kings of the Han Sui City Gathering Place. The harsh winter was their clarion call for ascendance.
With the presence of the Ice King, the Ice King Squad would be invincible in this cold season. The biting frost gradually seeped into the Ice King's body, enhancing his superpower.
He had waited a whole year for this moment; winter would be his time to shine.
Meanwhile, in the Hope Gathering Place, everyone remained calm. The crops they had planted needed to be sprayed with the liquid that melted upon the death of zombies. The Winter Wheat seeds brought by Zheng Yifan were all cold-resistant varieties; whether they could withstand the test depended on this moment.
The survivors gathered items from street stalls, and even the shops along the street were not affected in their business. The sturdy buildings made their lives more comfortable.
In the marketplace, survivors from the Hope Gathering Place took out their accumulated wealth over these days to purchase winter clothing.
With smiles on their faces and hope in their eyes, they felt warm this winter because their hearts were filled with warmth.
In the highest conference room of the Gathering Place, Zheng Yifan was absent, leaving his seat empty. Han Rui was formulating a series of new plans, focusing primarily on heating issues. The pipelines had been laid out in advance and were nearly complete, but the power plant had yet to begin construction, and there was no sign of boilers. Their attention had now turned to the Jinshan Thermal Power Plant outside Han Sui City, where they needed equipment. Although transportation would be difficult, they believed there would be a way to resolve it.
At the Han Sui City Gathering Place's Mercenary Guild, Old Guo stood on a rented platform with Leihong, Wu Yingzhou, and Tian Ye, carefully observing members of the Riot Mercenary Group below as they continuously introduced benefits for every survivor who came here wanting to join the Suicide Squad. The piles of winter supplies behind them attracted many eyes. On tables lay bottles of medicine labeled with sticky notes, containing various types of drugs capable of addressing most ailments.
The crowd surrounding the platform was immense; they might have countless reasons and various unavoidable circumstances for being there. However, today they gathered for one purpose: to become members of the Riot Mercenary Group's Suicide Squad. Here were benefits that no other mercenary group could offer, along with promises to support their families. The supplies on stage belonged to those who agreed to join the Suicide Squad and would be delivered to their families at once.
Even members from other mercenary groups came over to inquire if Riot Mercenary Group was still recruiting newcomers, which made Old Guo chuckle wryly.
Harvesting great results, they were close to achieving their goal of recruiting a thousand members.
Zheng Yifan was astonished, even setting a recruitment target of under ten thousand people without restrictions. If family members were included, the number could reach thirty or forty thousand.
A cold wave changed the situation immediately. Now was the best time to consolidate the Survivors; if circumstances allowed, Zheng Yifan even felt the urge to swallow up the Han Sui City Gathering Place. However, he refrained from doing so, lacking both the strength and the appetite for such an endeavor. Allowing hundreds of thousands of people to join a Gathering Place with fewer than three thousand members would lead to the Hope Gathering Place being assimilated by them, making it impossible to change this fact. The Gathering Place would become a chaotic mess.
Currently, a target of ten thousand was already the highest goal. After the first batch of people joined the Hope Gathering Place in a month, they could continue recruiting new members.
The only unfortunate part was that before joining the Hope Gathering Place, they would face an unprecedented trial, one that could even lead to death.
Like being reborn from fire, it was either death or transformation.
At Han Sui City Gathering Place's Hope Mall, Zheng Yifan smiled as he watched the long lines at the supermarket entrance. People were frantically buying food, and vast amounts of Zombie Crystal s flowed into the Hope Mall from various Gathering Places. Even the First Division was no exception; their plans for cultivating farmland had completely fallen through, and the surplus Zombie Crystal s were just enough to supplement their lack of winter supplies.
The Hope Mall specialized in selling blankets, cotton clothing, cotton pants, and cotton shoes—everything needed for winter survival.
These items were made from the worst materials available. Inferior cotton was everywhere, but in this apocalyptic world, they were considered the best of the best.
With these supplies, people could survive in this harsh world. To ensure more people lived, he kept his prices low: ten Zombie Crystal s for each blanket and five for each piece of cotton clothing, pants, or shoes.
Everything he did was aimed at helping these people survive—ensuring as many as possible could live on.
A trade caravan centered around the Hope Mall had already emerged within Han Sui City Gathering Place. They would gain double profits by trading with other Gathering Places. All transactions would operate under the supervision of Hope Mall; anyone attempting to sell at inflated prices would have their supply cut off entirely and be held accountable. In severe cases, they would face harsh penalties.
In this apocalypse, what could truly be considered severe? Only death.
Winter arrived months early; although it might just be a shift in air currents, it still sent chills down everyone's spine. Meanwhile, the ambitious Ice King Squad seemed to have completely forgotten about Zheng Yifan as they set out just as the cold wave approached.
No one knew their destination, but it was certain that they would strike it rich. They might even shake the control of the First Division over the Han Sui City Gathering Place.
With the Ice King present, they feared nothing in the cold.
For a moment, Zheng Yifan seemed to have become idle again; he didn't even need to restock. He had already rented an underground parking lot in the Gathering Place as a warehouse, where all the goods were piled up. The only exit had been blocked by Zheng Yifan, with dozens of soldiers setting up heavy traps and defensive measures guarding the entrance. Inside, hidden pits could be filled with gasoline at any moment. If anyone managed to break through the outer defenses, they would be met with a raging fire.
Zheng Yifan could afford to play this game; after all, these were just subpar goods from workshops. No matter how much he lost, he could always purchase more from the real world. Those workshops only feared that there wouldn't be enough orders.
"Perhaps it's time to return to the real world and make the next arrangements," Zheng Yifan murmured to himself.
Due to a cold tide, people in this apocalyptic world seemed frozen in time, with less scheming and fewer battles. Everyone was busy just trying to survive.
Hatred had faded in the face of death.
Possessing abundant resources in the real world, he found that its industries could not bring in more wealth. It was merely a software application and a fleeting jewelry business that could not sustain the ever-growing economy of the apocalypse.
He needed more wealth, more power, and tighter security measures.
In the dark room, a blue portal flickered and vanished. (To be continued)
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