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墨書 Inktalez
A flock of Swallows had nearly driven the Survivors of the apocalypse to madness. Zheng Yifan initially thought they were the geese of the Post-Apocalypse, but upon closer inquiry, he realized they were just ordinary house martins. It was then that he understood the extent of his folly; the geese in a post-apocalyptic world lived in large groups, making it understandable for Survivors to be overwhelmed.
However, Zheng Yifan had indeed seen house martins in the real world. Bai Juyi's poem "Qiantang Lake Spring Journey" had described these birds: "In several spots, early orioles compete for warmth in trees; which family's new martins peck at spring mud?" He had been forced to memorize that line back in school.
He couldn't forget how ordinary these Birds were in the Post-Apocalypse; they weren't even raptors—if they were, it would be an insult to eagles.
This seemingly weak bird had already cornered humanity, forcing them to feed these Fellows just to gain entry into the botanical garden.
It sounded unbelievable, but Zheng Yifan wasn't prepared to challenge the experiences of others. Since their adult Swallows could rival a Fifth-Level Esper, although he had never truly witnessed a Fifth-Level Esper himself, those people could only infer higher Superpowered Individuals based on their Third-Stage Esper experiences.
Even so, in their minds, Fourth-Stage Espers were already considered super strong; they likely equated Fifth-Level Espers with gods. Thus, they continued to evaluate that flock of Swallows based on their own concept of divinity.
"We happen to be heading to the botanical garden as well; let's travel together. However, I hope you all keep your thoughts to yourselves. I don't want infighting before we even enter the garden. We're all here to buy something; Essence Fruits aren't just sitting there waiting for us to pick them," Zheng Yifan agreed to travel together. He then prepared to set up camp on the spot, planning to have some breakfast before continuing onward.
Zheng Yifan subsequently found a Recreational Vehicle. He forcefully broke open the door and laid the girl down on the bed inside. The Huang Brothers behind him eagerly covered her with a thin blanket from Zheng Yifan's backpack.
Several cans of Eight Treasure Porridge were placed on the table in front of the sofa in the Recreational Vehicle. Naturally, the girl could receive better food; Zheng Yifan had prepared warm porridge for her.
Even he couldn’t always drink hot porridge outside.
However, the girl clearly couldn't accept cold Eight Treasure Porridge; her stomach had been hungry for too long and needed gradual nourishment. Zheng Yifan considered giving her a bottle of Essence directly but ultimately decided against it. This girl wasn't one of his subordinates and hadn't risked anything for Hope Gathering Place. Everything depended on whether Zheng Yifan had enough Essence on hand. For instance, the botanical garden they were heading toward was a production site for Essence Fruits; there were plenty of Garbage Essence Fruits there that no one wanted to pick. They could simply exchange large quantities of food to take away those Garbage Essence Fruits. Today's goal was that botanical garden, though the main trading location might change since it had already been occupied by a flock of Swallows. If other people were allowed to trade there, many would likely refrain from doing so.
However, if they found a spot nearby to trade, many merchants would come seeking profit from him.
After two hours, Zheng Yifan was resting while the Recreational Vehicle was nearly filled with all five of them lying down and resting inside.
What they were about to face was not zombies, but beasts.
The beasts of the apocalypse were terrifying, frightening enough to instill dread.
"Big brother, we have enough people now. It's time to set off," Hu Lao San called from outside. They had clearly gathered their team and were ready to leave, which was why they informed Zheng Yifan.
When Zheng Yifan stepped outside, everyone was already prepared. The majority were ordinary people, carrying large backpacks, and there were many of them. The superpowered individuals dared not take advantage of the situation. They knew their mission: they were merely cannon fodder. With so many people, the Swallows wouldn't have a large appetite; they wouldn't be able to eat much before feeling full. No one knew if they would be among the unfortunate few.
Regardless, they all headed out with a sense of luck on their side. Zheng Yifan naturally walked at the front of the group, alongside a burly man who was the temporary leader of this team. The members of this group were all superpowered individuals. They couldn't discern Zheng Yifan's superpower, but when facing the Huang Brothers, it was clear he exuded the aura of a Second-Stage Esper. This was why Zheng Yifan received such attention.
Under normal circumstances, they would have directly attacked; no one would engage in a losing battle.
"Let's go! Everyone move out! Stay alert; life and death are fated, and wealth is uncertain. If you gain something good, you don't need to remember my kindness. But if you lose your life here, feel free to report me to King Yan in the afterlife! However, listen carefully: no one is allowed to attract zombies! There are two heavily infested areas nearby. If anyone brings zombies here, I won't let them die by zombie bites; I'll take care of you myself!" Hu Lao San explained the precautions to everyone and even went over the route.
It was definitely not a straight path; they had analyzed multiple routes and marked them clearly along the way, indicating that they had already scouted it out.
These people were responsible for feeding a nest of Swallows so that they could safely enter the botanical garden.
The enclosed botanical garden actually offered greater profits; the goods inside could not be easily transported out and could only be sold cheaply to attract superpowered individuals for purchase and exchange.
As a result, they had prepared all their possessions, ready to make a big profit at any moment. Although superpowered individuals had gradually become more common, they remained the strong in Ancheng. A large number of ordinary people who had unexpectedly gained wealth were waiting for an opportunity to buy some Essence Fruit.
"Stay close to me! Don't let the Swallows eat you up, especially you! Ten Thousand Steps! You're an auxiliary superpowered individual with no real combat ability—don't lose your life here! I hope you can help me build two planes!" Zheng Yifan glared fiercely at this drunkard.
He wasn't very old, yet he seemed unable to live without alcohol.
"Don't worry! I've prepared defensive measures for myself! If that thing dares to come over, I'll make sure it blooms like flowers!" Ten Thousand Steps said confidently as he dismantled the door of his Recreational Vehicle. The entire door had been embedded with Zombie Crystal s at some point and inscribed with various inscriptions. Zheng Yifan had no idea what those inscriptions did.
However, it seemed to be more advanced and sophisticated than the Formation Master’s array.
The two types of Superpower had different applications; the array excelled in grand and magnificent layouts. The Inscription Master, on the other hand, miniaturized the array, inscribing as many Inscription as possible within the smallest space.
Ten Thousand Steps clearly understood this principle well. The entire door had been inscribed by him to the point where there was hardly any blank space left. He would only feel at ease once he laid another layer of array on top.
The team was advancing, and everyone wished they had a hundred legs to run faster. The Zombies didn’t care whether they were Superpowered Individuals or not; in their eyes, even Zheng Yifan was just food. There was no mercy when it came to food.
How many times had they encountered a horde of Zombies? The tenth time? Or the hundredth?
In any case, Zheng Yifan had long since lost count and found it unnecessary to do so. The Huang Brothers beside him had taken care of almost all the Zombies around Zheng Yifan. Although they were not far apart, traversing that distance was nerve-wracking. Every turn and intersection had been meticulously calculated; most of the time, they moved through alleys and rarely took the main roads.
Hu Lao San’s dozen or so subordinates were even more agile, darting across rooftops to scout ahead, gradually moving farther away. Zheng Yifan also grasped the relative central position of this city.
They could not enter the true city center; that place was a Zombie den. For some unknown reason, the Zombies had not spread out.
Perhaps it was those Mutated Plants that repelled them. The plants lining the streets dazzled Zheng Yifan’s eyes like a cash grab. Mutated Plants were almost everywhere; as long as one walked down the street, they could see Garbage Essence Fruit. Although scarce in number, they were always present, just waiting for people to pick them.
Zheng Yifan truly saw Ancheng as a Tourist City, a city themed around ecology and greenery that thrived in the Apocalyptic World. In deep mountains and forests, Zombies wouldn’t venture in due to lack of sufficient nutrients; Mutated Plants also lacked the conditions to produce Essence Fruit.
Only cities like Ancheng had enough Zombies and enough Mutated Plants. The Zombies were even trapped by the Mutated Plants in the city center, continuously providing nutrients to them.
Such a city was a true Zombie Restricted Area.
Despite humans’ fondness for Mutated Plants and viewing them as ordinary flora, those Mutated Plants were devils to Zombies; they had various ways of extracting nutrients from them.
When it came to slaughtering Zombies, Superpowered Individuals fell short compared to them. Many Superpowered Individuals also lured Zombies onto main streets, allowing Mutated Plants to take down the Zombies.
However, the main road was far too dangerous. Who knew what kind of Zombies were hiding in the nearby Store? Any Zombie that could survive under the watchful eyes of Mutated Plants was certainly not an easy one.
"Five hundred meters ahead is the botanical garden. Everyone, prepare for a Heart Swallow ambush. If anyone gets attacked, no one is to help. Solve your own problems; if you can't, then just let them die there. Whatever you do, don't provoke these deadly ancestors!" Hu Lao San reiterated twice.
Zheng Yifan closely followed Hu Lao San, his eyes filled with vigilance. This Fellow made the Swallows sound so terrifying, yet he himself never seemed afraid. Instead, he encouraged everyone to charge forward, even advising against helping if they were attacked.
Such a situation was truly rare.
How could the normally docile and gentle Swallows become so terrifying in this Post-Apocalypse? Weren't they supposed to eat insects? Even if there were no insects left in this world, there were still Zombies. For wild beasts, Zombies would certainly make for a decent meal.
As they moved forward slowly, Zheng Yifan felt a sense of oppression. Indeed, something in the air seemed to be targeting him. If he guessed correctly, it was that giant's Swallows.
But why were the Swallows fixated on him? The Superpowered Individuals around him had gradually begun to abandon their aimless drifting and instead stayed close to the crowd.
It was bizarre!
Extremely bizarre; it was definitely not a normal life-or-death struggle. It felt more like they were planning to rob him. The surrounding Superpowered Individuals had formed a circle, ready to strike at any moment.
If it weren't for his experiences in the apocalypse, he would never have seen through this trick. But now, Zheng Yifan could clearly see it and was quite accurate in his assessment.
That Hu Lao San definitely had ulterior motives. He feared he had already become someone else's prey; however, his own strength was formidable enough that those Superpowered Individuals did not dare to attack him directly.
If he wasn't mistaken, they would surely find a way to involve those Swallows in their assault as well.
Even a cornered rabbit would bite back; moreover, these were mutated beasts of the apocalypse.
Just as the team approached within three hundred meters and entered through the outer gate of the botanical garden, a dark spot suddenly appeared in the sky.
The tail resembled a pair of scissors, its color as dark as pitch. Zheng Yifan spotted the swallow in the sky, which was less than a meter long. Its actual combat power likely wasn't as terrifying as that of the person it belonged to, probably close to the strength of a Second Tier individual nearing the Third Stage.
Compared to the lizard Zheng Yifan had encountered, this swallow was far inferior.
Yet, just this one swallow sent everyone into a panic, evoking fear of the Apocalyptic Beasts.
More than that, rumors about swallows had clearly infiltrated the crowd. Some individuals with ulterior motives began shouting loudly.
"Don't attack that swallow! It's part of a whole nest; if you disturb one, the entire nest will come, and no one will escape!"
This statement extinguished any thoughts of attacking the swallow. They could only evade; attacking would allow Huang Brothers to ensnare it easily, not to mention there were other Superpowered Individuals among the crowd.
Working together, they could easily take down this swallow. But because of that one remark, everyone hesitated. One swallow could be dealt with, but what about an entire nest? Who knew how many were in that nest? Coupled with all the tales they had heard about the invincibility of swallows, the adult swallow was described as nearly unbeatable.
The crowd was in disarray, and fueled by panic, they lost all will to resist, rushing toward the botanical garden in droves.
Outside were the swallows' attacks, while among the crowd, Superpowered Individuals began to act covertly.
No one knew when it happened, but one or two people would go missing in the chaos. No one noticed the attacks from the swallows; instead, that single swallow kept circling above.
As Zheng Yifan observed the slowly dwindling numbers in the crowd amidst the chaos, he felt something amiss. The number had already halved. The closer they got to the botanical garden, the narrower the path became; in their panic, people could hardly discern who was around them as they rapidly thinned out. (To be continued...)
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