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墨書 Inktalez
Waking up, he was greeted by a face full of exhaustion, and everything around him felt so unreal. He truly wished this was just a nightmare, and that upon waking, he would find himself in his beloved Hope Gathering Place, embracing his woman as they watched the sunrise together, waiting for the results of the Research to unfold, witnessing the gradual growth of the Gathering Place.
Unfortunately, as soon as his eyes opened to the first sight before him, Zheng Yifan knew his fantasy had shattered. It was like a burdened soap bubble bursting with a "pop!" and leaving only a few drops on the ground.
Dazed, he climbed out of bed, his head pounding as if it might explode. The battle from yesterday had nearly sucked him into the Makeup Bag thanks to the girl Zombie. His entire body felt compressed, and he had yet to fully recover from an inexplicable soreness that lingered. It was a challenge for his Super Soldier Serum.
Cellular vitality recovery would take time; this was no ordinary damage.
"Boss! You're awake?" Ten Thousand Steps peeked in with a fawning expression, carefully surveying everything in Zheng Yifan's room.
It was clear that this Fellow was craving alcohol; drool was practically dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"There are two bottles under that table. Just take them away. Save some for later; when we return to the Gathering Place, I’ll have to deal with you properly," Zheng Yifan waved his hand dismissively, pressing his still aching head as he prepared to wash up.
No matter how uncomfortable he felt, he had to get through today’s tasks. In this apocalypse, even a moment's negligence could lead to countless unforeseen events; it wasn’t like before the end times when wasting time could be taken lightly.
After Ten Thousand Steps stealthily snatched away two bottles of Wuliangye, Zheng Yifan returned to reality. He washed up quickly and didn’t have time to pay attention to the state of the real world before stepping back into the Apocalyptic World.
In his mind, the real world always seemed peaceful. After all, harmonious societies were spread across the globe.
The apocalypse still bore oppressive colors; even with clear skies and gentle winds, there was an overwhelming sense of despair—not from the environment but from within people's hearts.
As dawn broke, Zombies began to stir. Their growls echoed throughout the city; Zombies were terrifying. Their strength instilled fear in everyone, Zheng Yifan included; every cell in his body sensed their dreadful presence.
He tidied up a bit in the Apocalyptic World; in truth, he didn’t have much gear. With his Storage Space, he didn’t need to carry extra luggage—just an oversized tactical backpack filled with food and drinking water.
The Huang Brothers had left the Gathering Place in such haste that they hadn’t even managed to bring their own supplies.
As for that Ten Thousand Steps, it's best not to think about that Fellow anymore. He flew over in that patched-up plane, carrying nothing but his clothes and half a flask of liquor.
Zheng Yifan once again picked up the emaciated girl and set off on the road toward their next destination.
The botanical gardens in Ancheng are divided into three sections, all clustered near the natural scenic area in the city center. One of them is just a few hundred meters north of the Telecom Building where Zheng Yifan had emerged.
There were no suitable accommodations near the botanical gardens, making it impossible for the Survivors to form a Gathering Place.
They could only settle down at the Telecom Building. Zheng Yifan walked down the street with a few others, completely disregarding the encirclement of low-level Zombies, with the Huang Brothers leading the way. In Ancheng, the threat from Zombies had diminished significantly. As long as they stayed out of heavily affected areas, there was little risk to their lives; high-level Fellows were rarely seen among the Zombies here.
However, in this Post-Apocalypse world, pets had transformed into beasts and occupied many spaces. Even in the most devastated areas at the heart of the city, humans could still roam freely above ground.
As they moved further away, vehicles lay scattered across the street, and the asphalt surface was nearly destroyed. Dried blood had congealed on the ground, and occasionally a few sneaky Survivors would peek out to survey their surroundings before quickly hiding again. They feared Zombies even more than they feared humans; there were always some deranged individuals willing to accept any food.
In just a matter of minutes, Zheng Yifan arrived near the Telecom Building. Following its walls, he continued forward along a flat road that had been cleared by people from the Telecom Building Gathering Place, leading directly to the botanical gardens. This area was considered the core zone of the entire Telecom Building Gathering Place.
At this early stage, Zheng Yifan led the way while the Huang Brothers flanked him on either side, keeping an eye on every Zombie around them. As soon as any entered their attack range, they would strike immediately, taking down those Zombies and pocketing Zombie Crystal s.
That Fellow from Ten Thousand Steps followed along at the back without a care as long as he had his liquor, occasionally glancing at Zheng Yifan's backpack.
The group moved about casually, resembling a spring outing rather than a scene from an apocalypse.
From time to time, people peeked out from high-rise buildings to check on the situation outside.
As Zheng Yifan and his companions strolled leisurely down the road, their eyes growing heavy with fatigue, a sudden series of piercing sounds erupted from afar. A dozen Superpowered Individuals seemed to be performing acrobatics in mid-air; grappling hooks flew out to latch onto walls, and figures darted through the air at high speed toward Zheng Yifan's direction.
Just moments ago, they were still a thousand meters away, but in just a few breaths, they were almost right in front of him.
Zheng Yifan raised his Silver Spear in a defensive stance, while the Huang Brothers stood beside him, their weapons intertwined and ready to strike at any moment.
The Superpowered Individuals surrounding them had iron hooks swirling around their hands, clad in Post-Apocalypse Camouflage Uniforms. Each of them was tall and robust, their gazes carrying a mix of three parts friendliness and seven parts vigilance.
After spinning in the air for what felt like several circles, they finally landed. Even the Huang Brothers, as Superpowered Individuals themselves, found the display dizzying. Their Superpower instinctively enveloped them, wary of any sudden attacks.
To Zheng Yifan, however, this dazzling speed seemed quite ordinary. He could clearly see the expressions of everyone floating in the air.
The man at the front exuded a fierce aura, with a deep scar on his face that was visible to the bone. Yet his demeanor was spirited and well-nourished. They held long swords with good intentions, while several others carried bows and arrows as they circled around Zheng Yifan and the other four slowly.
Among them were two individuals, each pointing a Submachine Gun at Zheng Yifan. The guns bore simple formations engraved on their bodies, embedded with Zombie Crystal s.
Clearly ready for immediate use, the burly man leading them wore two handguns at his waist and had a long Bladefoot over two meters long strapped to his back, exuding an imposing presence.
As they looked at Zheng Yifan and his companions, it was evident they were not there to rob them. Instead, one of them frowned and said, “Looking at these people, they don’t seem like they’re here to buy Essence Fruits. Can they really move forward with us?”
A younger member whispered beside the burly man.
“Who knows? Let’s ask. Otherwise, this last stretch is going to be tough. Those big birds might come out looking for food; it could be deadly,” the burly man said while rubbing his head as he regarded Zheng Yifan and the others, seemingly contemplating whether to join forces.
Zheng Yifan let them talk among themselves without making a move or giving up resistance; he was curious about their true intentions.
It seemed there was some internal dispute among them; several individuals clearly felt that Zheng Yifan and his group should not be looking to buy Essence Fruits. In fact, many were more interested in engaging in some risk-free trade.
The package on Zheng Yifan attracted them; as long as there was an opportunity, they would not hesitate to turn into robbers.
"Brother, I am Hu Lao San. Are you heading to the botanical garden? It's quite dangerous along the way. We are forming a group, and once we gather enough people, we can act collectively," the leading man, Hu Lao San, stepped forward to ask Zheng Yifan and his companions.
After all, there were two Superpowered Individuals among them. It was better to go to the botanical garden together than risk an accident.
"Oh? I just heard you mention something about a big bird in the direction of the botanical garden. What's that about?" Zheng Yifan inquired.
He was curious about this big bird issue, but regardless of where these people came from, as long as they weren't Zombies, he felt confident he could handle them. After all, humanity's evolution had been painfully slow. Zheng Yifan was absolutely certain that he was at the forefront of human advancement.
But what difference did it make to be the strongest among humans? Mutated Zombies could easily overpower him, and moreover, there were those beasts hiding who knew where. He had seen one Giant Lizard before; just that creature alone could render him unable to fight back. If it came down to a real confrontation, the outcome would be uncertain.
These were still pets of post-apocalyptic humanity! What about the tigers and lions? What about the bears?
These animals were the true rulers of the jungle. Now they had all gone silent, and no one knew when they might emerge for a sudden attack.
By that time, Zheng Yifan might not even have the ability to resist.
"That’s a nest of Swallows from the post-apocalypse. It’s truly a disaster; even Swallows are beyond what humanity can handle now. Anyone wanting to enter the botanical garden will have to consider this nest of Swallows. They can only enter if the Swallows are out hunting or have already eaten their fill. If they haven't eaten enough, humans will have to feed them before they can go in."
"Some have tried to force their way in, but unfortunately, they only ended up losing their lives. There were those who said that to deal with this nest of Swallows, at least a Third-Stage Esper is needed; likely a Fourth Stage or even Fifth Level powerhouse would be required to handle it," the burly man explained to Zheng Yifan, his expression growing increasingly grim. (To be continued...)
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