Chapter 8

At 11:30 PM, Wu Ming finally managed to escape back to his residence in the new district with Li Xia. The journey had been perilous, with panicked and screaming crowds everywhere, and large numbers of armed soldiers rushing into Yucheng.

Indeed, these were real soldiers, and it seemed the official response was swift. It was thanks to the armed soldiers setting up defenses in the streets that Wu Ming and Li Xia were able to escape. Otherwise, their chances of getting out would have been uncertain.

The speed at which the insectoids were born was alarming; both the dead and the living could be parasitized, and the parasitic beetles reproduced rapidly. By now, the number of insectoids in several areas of Yucheng might have reached thousands, or even more.

Of course, besides the insectoids, even more terrifying monster cards had been activated. Earlier, Wu Ming and Li Xia had seen a massive figure over four meters tall in the flames a few streets away, clearly a being far more powerful than the insectoids.

Wu Ming knew that he could not deal with such a creature, let alone a whole company of soldiers. Even a battalion would not be enough to defeat that monster.

It wasn't until they returned to his small apartment and locked the sturdy security door that Wu Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief. Li Xia, however, had been in a state of shock and numbness from the start, clearly overwhelmed by the events. Seeing her pale and dazed on the sofa, Wu Ming did not disturb her. Instead, he took a bottle of sugary carbonated drink from the fridge, opened it, and placed it within her reach.

Sugary carbonated drinks could effectively alleviate tension and fear. Wu Ming also took one for himself, then walked to the window and pulled back a corner of the curtain to look outside.

The streets in his area were relatively quiet, but some people were still running around in panic, and residents in nearby neighborhoods were already packing their belongings into cars, preparing to flee.

Wu Ming smiled faintly. At this critical moment, it was impossible to leave easily. Not only were the roads leading out of the city congested, but the authorities also needed to dispatch a large number of soldiers into the city. Some of the main roads might already be under military control.

Moreover, the risk of encountering danger outdoors was too high. If they met an insectoid, it would be a death sentence.

Wu Ming knew that the area where he was was relatively safe. According to his memory, the neighborhood he was in was one of the "safe zones" in Yucheng. The real disaster zones were in the old district, where the cards had fallen. In his memory, it wouldn't be long before the military would be stationed in the nearby large districts, making it one of the safest places in Yucheng for the time being.

This period was also the time Wu Ming had set aside for his awakening. He had already obtained four units of primordial energy, less than he had expected, but he had absorbed all four units, enhancing his strength and speed by 80% compared to normal people.

Next, Wu Ming planned to collect the primordial energy floating in the air in this sturdy house and gradually awaken. From tonight, the concentration of primordial energy in the air had reached a collectible level. It was estimated that he could collect one unit of primordial energy per day. To awaken, he needed at least 24 units, meaning he would have to wait another 20 days.

Looking at the large amount of living supplies stored in the room, Wu Ming smiled faintly. Even if it were six months, it wouldn't be a problem, as long as the area didn't fall. According to his memory, Yucheng would fall in two months, but with 20 days, he would have more than enough time to awaken using the primordial energy collector.

The night was deep, but no one in Yucheng was sleeping. All TV channels had been temporarily switched to emergency channels, broadcasting official statements.

"We advise all citizens to stay in their homes, close the doors, and do not go out. In light of the terrifying events in the city, the military has been dispatched to ensure everyone's safety!"

On the TV, the female anchor repeated the message, but at around 1 AM, the broadcast suddenly interrupted, switching to a blue background with red text, repeating the same message.

This night was destined to be sleepless. Even Wu Ming, who knew what was to come, couldn't sleep. He and Li Xia chatted, discussing the disaster and their future plans. Wu Ming wanted to tell Li Xia that he had come back to life, that he knew what would happen, and what the future world would be like.

But Wu Ming ultimately didn't say anything. It was too shocking. However, he decided to share his experience on how to survive in this cruel world. To Wu Ming, Li Xia was not an outsider.

When Wu Ming mentioned primordial energy, awakeners, and even cards, Li Xia didn't show disbelief but seemed to be deep in thought, having seen the terrifying insectoids with her own eyes.

Naturally, Li Xia asked the question Wu Ming had anticipated.

"How do you know all this?"

Wu Ming chuckled and shook his head. "It's better you don't know. To survive, just remember what I said. And keep what I told you confidential for now, don't tell anyone else."

Li Xia understood Wu Ming. When he decided to do something, nothing could stop him, and when he didn't want to say something, he wouldn't. So she didn't ask further.

Fortunately, she trusted Wu Ming. Trust was the most important thing at this moment. For someone you trust, even if they keep some things from you, you wouldn't doubt them. For someone you don't trust, even if they told you everything, you would still think it was a lie.

For three days, the two of them stayed in the three-bedroom apartment. Each of them had a bedroom, and the larger bedroom was filled with living supplies. When Li Xia first saw the room, she was indeed shocked. Clearly, Wu Ming had been well-prepared, but she didn't ask any questions.

During these three days, Wu Ming successfully collected and absorbed three units of primordial energy.

Now, Wu Ming had absorbed seven units of primordial energy, which gave him twice the strength of a normal person. According to the new world's official statement, anyone could absorb the primordial energy floating in the air, but the effects varied from person to person. Some could awaken in two to three months or even less, while others might take five to six months or longer, and some couldn't awaken at all due to their physical condition.

During this time, Yucheng often heard dense gunfire and even cannon fire. The exact situation of the battle was unknown to Wu Ming. However, he knew that the insectoids would eventually gain the upper hand. By now, second-form insectoids should have appeared.

Second-form insectoids would grow a strange shell on key parts of their bodies. This shell was extremely tough, even impervious to ordinary bullets, acting as a kind of armor. Additionally, they would grow a pair of sharper fangs in their mouths and sharp bone spurs on their hands, making them a more powerful version of the first-form insectoids, with several times the combat strength, and thus even harder to deal with.

Another reason Wu Ming knew the situation was serious was that from the window, he could see many citizens seeking refuge outside. Some were hiding in the stairwells, while others had set up tents outside.

The power supply had been cut off two days ago, and as the sky grew dark, the surroundings gradually fell into night. Wu Ming and Li Xia were preparing to cook a meal with an alcohol stove when they suddenly heard a terrified scream from downstairs.

Wu Ming and Li Xia quickly rushed to the window and saw a heart-stopping scene. A manhole cover on the street was pushed open, and an insectoid quickly emerged from the sewer, pouncing on a passerby. The scream was the latter's last cry before dying.

In an instant, chaos erupted below. Some of the people seeking refuge downstairs began to scatter, while others tried to hide in nearby stairwells, creating a chaotic scene.

At this moment, Wu Ming and Li Xia saw a car at the street corner with a pair of twin sisters, no older than five, trapped inside. After killing one person, the insectoid turned its attention to the car.

"Bad, those two children are in danger!" Li Xia, seeing this, immediately wanted to go downstairs to save them. Wu Ming knew that Li Xia had a soft heart and a strong sense of justice, the type who would take action in such a situation. However, sending her down would be a death sentence, so he quickly pulled her back. "You going down would be pointless. Can you fight that monster?"

"What can we do? Should we just watch those two children be killed by that monster? Wu Ming, you must have known this disaster would happen, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have prepared so many supplies, and you wouldn't have suddenly come to find me a few days ago, nor would you have been able to kill that insectoid monster. I know you and trust you. There are some things you don't tell me, and I won't ask, but this is different. I know going downstairs is very dangerous and could lead to death, but I can't just stand by and do nothing. They are just two children!" Li Xia stared at Wu Ming, her big eyes wide and brimming with tears, making Wu Ming feel somewhat guilty.

After a few seconds, Wu Ming relented, seemingly making a decision. "I'll go. You stay here and lock the door. Don't open it for anyone but me!" Saying this, Wu Ming quickly put on his armor, wore a baseball cap, and took a Tang knife, then left the room.