Chapter 19 – Journey to Huimin Town

The city of Xiangcheng was completely enveloped in an atmosphere of death. It had only been fifteen hours since the earthquake that heralded the apocalypse, but for the residents trapped within, it felt like an eternity had passed.

No one had slept that night. People huddled in various corners of the ruined city, listening intently for any movement. The slightest sound sent them into a state of panic. Everyone knew that humans were no longer the masters of this city – that role now belonged to the monsters. These creatures didn’t just kill; they devoured their victims.

Many who had doubted the danger had become scattered limbs across the city streets overnight. Whether their bones remained was uncertain. By morning, out of Xiangcheng’s nearly two million residents, half a million had failed to see the sunrise. Bloodstains were everywhere, painting a grim picture of devastation.

After a night of hiding, most survivors were now starving. Having gone without food and sleep, hunger gnawed at their stomachs. It was clear this was no ordinary earthquake. Over ten hours had passed with no communication from the outside world. In a normal disaster, rescue helicopters would have arrived by now. But not a single aircraft could be seen in the sky.

The survivors faced a dire choice: how to find food in a city overrun by monsters. Some monsters had begun to gather in groups, and the number of newly spawned demonic beasts was decreasing. This gave the braver individuals an opportunity. They cautiously emerged from their hiding places, scavenging for anything edible while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

In this desperate situation, violence erupted not just between humans and monsters, but among humans themselves. The ugly side of human nature was laid bare as people fought for survival.

However, some groups maintained their composure, banding together to help each other search for a way out of this nightmare. As more people ventured out, they noticed a massive dome-shaped light barrier at the city center. No one believed it was there by chance – it might represent hope.

The towering statues within the light emitted a comforting glow, giving people a sense of hope. From higher vantage points, observers noted that while the area inside the barrier was empty of monsters, the surrounding area was teeming with various demonic creatures. These monsters had divided themselves into groups by species, each occupying its own territory.

Though the scene outside the barrier appeared peaceful, to humans it was a living hell. Everyone knew these monsters would attack on sight, killing and either consuming or storing their victims as food.

News of the light barrier spread quickly through Xiangcheng. People tried to break through, but soon realized that without proper weapons or resources like gasoline, their efforts were futile. Most supplies had been buried in the initial earthquake, leaving only scattered food from supermarkets as their main source of sustenance.

…

By 8:00 AM, Cheng Yang and his group had finished breakfast, consuming a significant portion of their food supplies. It seemed they would have to resort to hunting for their next meal.

Cheng Yang’s expedition included Liu Hao, Niu Bing, Pang Shan, Li Wanshan, and ten other combatants. Yu Kai and the others remained at their base, with Yu Kai in charge during Cheng Yang’s absence. In this apocalyptic world, Cheng Yang couldn’t afford to take chances with his safety.

The group of fifteen moved swiftly south along the highway, encountering and quickly dispatching small groups of demonic creatures. After covering about 700-800 meters, Cheng Yang spotted a small porcelain bottle emitting a faint white glow on the road ahead.

“Our luck’s turning!” Cheng Yang smiled as he approached the bottle, stopping about ten meters away to survey the area. Suddenly, he raised his staff and fired a magic missile at a nearby tree. With a loud “bang,” a half-meter-long lizard fell from the branches.

The other ranged attackers joined in, finishing off the dazed creature before it could recover. Cheng Yang had anticipated the presence of a guardian monster, as such items in this game-like world were always protected.

Picking up the bottle, Cheng Yang read the label: “Mana Potion (Small).” Focusing on it for two seconds, he received additional information:

“Let’s keep moving,” Cheng Yang said with a smile. “Maybe we’ll find more of these.” Though he knew such discoveries were rare, finding a mana potion on the second day of the apocalypse was already fortunate.

By the time they were about a kilometer from Luofeng Village, they had killed over twenty demonic beasts. Cheng Yang estimated they were only 400-500 meters from Huimin Town. Once a bustling town with tall buildings, Huimin was now just another pile of rubble.

“Yang, isn’t it strange how the earthquake changed the landscape but left all these trees intact?” Liu Hao asked as they walked.

Cheng Yang gave a bitter smile. “The whole world’s turned strange. Monsters roaming around isn’t strange enough for you? We’ll probably see stranger things yet. Right now, our focus should be on getting stronger.”

Liu Hao looked up at the sky, muttering, “Damn this world. I’d rather be back in that boring university life than living like this.” But like everyone else, he had no choice.

Suddenly, Li Wanshan stopped. “There’s movement ahead!”

Cheng Yang listened carefully and heard the sound of heavy footsteps. “Be careful. There’s probably a large group of monsters.” He raised his wooden staff, ready for action.

Moments later, a herd of massive wild boars burst from the trees – at least twenty of them. These weren’t ordinary boars; they were the size of tigers.

“Steel-furred Boars! Everyone, retreat!” Cheng Yang shouted, positioning himself at the front to cover the others.

The group turned and ran back toward Luofeng Village. Cheng Yang fired a magic missile, hitting one of the boars and causing it to howl in pain. This only seemed to enrage the rest of the herd, who charged forward with increased speed.

The retreat was chaotic. Newly spawned monsters barely had time to open their eyes before being struck down by a barrage of magic missiles and arrows. The steel-furred boars were fast, matching the humans’ full-speed run. Only their enhanced physical abilities from job changes allowed them to make it back to safety.

Cheng Yang played a crucial role in their escape, staying at the rear and using his magic missiles to slow down any boars that got too close. With 73 MP, he could fire fourteen missiles, significantly improving their chances of survival.

PS: Only 60 more collections needed to reach our goal by tomorrow morning. Keep it up, everyone!