Chapter 44

Chen Mo smiled bitterly and said, "We find it strange too. This matter is really bizarre; such things suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

Chu Nan thought for a moment, with no clue, and Su Yao behind him said, "It can only be said that it appeared after the earthquake. Perhaps it has a lot to do with this strange earthquake. If there's a chance, we might need to go and take a look."

Chu Nan's body trembled, and he said, "That's right. Why didn't I think of it? Perhaps... there we can find some answers about the earthquake. This feeling... seems very strong..."

"I feel the same..." Chen Mo smiled bitterly, "Ever since I saw it, I've had this strange notion. Although we all have our reasons for entering the city, on the other hand, we all want to see what that glowing thing is."

After watching from a distance for a while, everyone finally left carefully.

In Chu Nan's mind, the strange, monument-like glowing object seemed to be calling him. It felt as if just by seeing the monument, many mysteries could be unraveled.

Chen Mo led them back down and said, "Hey, let me tell you something. Brother Chu Nan just saw what that glowing object is."

The originally lazy people around them immediately perked up. One of the smoking men stood up and said, "Really? What is it?" He looked at Chu Nan with urgency.

Chu Nan said, "It looks like a giant monument. To see more clearly, we need to get closer."

The man was somewhat disappointed, sighed, and muttered, "Damn, a monument? Why is it glowing, and... why does it give such a strange feeling? It seems like there's something important there, and we need to go and see to feel at ease."

Chu Nan was startled. Could it be that everyone has this feeling? Is this glowing monument really calling them?

"Chen Mo, what are your specific plans?" Chu Nan found a place to sit and rest, looking at Chen Mo and asking.

Chen Mo shrugged and said, "What plans? We just need to gather some people and clear the area as we go..." He paused and continued, "We must clear the area, not rush in recklessly. Otherwise, if we get surrounded, we're dead. Everyone should have awakened the power of adrenaline and know the aftereffects of using this power. We need to consider this..."

The smoking man laughed and said, "So the plan is simple. We advance slowly and kill these zombies, which can help us evolve and become stronger. Most importantly, I believe that Jiangtian City isn't entirely filled with these zombie monsters. There should be many survivors. So, although it seems like a hell of monsters, if we are careful, there is still some hope."

Chu Nan pondered for a moment and then nodded, understanding their plan.

Their idea was not to advance quickly but to clear the area piece by piece. This way, although the speed of advancement would be slower, the safety would be much higher. Moreover, it would greatly benefit everyone, as killing enough zombies could help them evolve to a higher level.

"Those aren't called monsters, but zombies. The evolved ones are called the Undead, and we are called Awakened." Tang Sanli suddenly spoke.

Everyone was surprised and looked at him.

Tang Sanli pointed at Su Yao and said, "She named them. Like it, it's called a Mutant." He then pointed at the wolf lying next to Zhou Yun.

"The Undead, the Awakened... the Mutant... interesting, these names are good." Chen Mo smiled and looked at Su Yao, saying, "I didn't expect you to be such a talented woman."

Su Yao glanced at him and said nothing.

That night, Chu Nan and the others quietly rested there. At midnight, the smoking man brought out some food and several boxes of mineral water, distributing them one by one, saying, "There's not much food, and it's hard to come by, so everyone should save it."

Another person said, "Food and water are indeed a problem. We should find a large supermarket. With so many of us, we need a lot of food every day."

The smoking man said, "At the beginning, food is still manageable. There are many supermarkets of different sizes in the city, and it's not hard to find food in the ruins. The problem is later on..."

Everyone sighed, expressing their concerns.

After all, as time passed since the earthquake, the food in the supermarkets buried in the ruins would eventually be eaten or spoiled and unusable. Without new supplies, the result would be a great famine.

"Fear not, the whole world hasn't had an earthquake. There are places that haven't had an earthquake and can produce new food. And... if it comes to the worst, there are those guys to eat..."

One of the people said this, licking his lips and showing a row of white teeth. Everyone immediately understood what he meant by "those guys."

Zombies or mutants, now covering the ground, would inevitably lead to cannibalism during a great famine.

Chu Nan received a bottle of mineral water and a few pieces of dry bread. He quietly tore the bread and put it in his mouth. The food was scarce, and Chu Nan didn't want to finish it all at once but slowly chewed it, feeling that these few pieces of dry bread were the most delicious food in the world.

Chen Mo went out from time to time and brought in new people, explaining the situation. Most agreed to join them in entering the city, while a few, like Zhao Yiming, chose to leave early the next morning.

The smoking man distributed food to the new arrivals but did not give any to those like Zhao Yiming who decided to leave.

"We are going to fight tomorrow morning, so we need to replenish our strength. You are leaving tomorrow, so your journey will be safe. You'll have to find your own food. We are also short on food."

The smoking man explained, and Zhao Yiming and his group looked displeased, watching others eat bread and cookies and drink mineral water, feeling increasingly restless.

A man with a tattoo couldn't stand it and stood up, saying, "It's just some food, is it that big a deal? There are supermarkets everywhere in the city. You have plenty of food, and we will have a hard time finding food on our journey."

"Right..." Seeing the tattooed man speak up, Zhao Yiming and his group immediately agreed.

The others eating looked over.

The smoking man, with a cigarette in his mouth, said coldly, "There are many supermarkets in the city. Go find food there." He pointed in the distance, indicating that the tattooed man could go there.

The tattooed man's forehead veins bulged, clearly very angry. His hands formed fists, and he shouted, "Don't push me too far. I'm not a pushover."

Chen Mo, who had just brought in a few more people, saw the situation and said, "Nangong Xiong, give him some food. Don't make a big deal out of it."

"This won't do," the smoking man, Nangong Xiong, smiled coldly, "This food was obtained at the risk of our lives. We can't just give it to these cowards. Want food? Go find it yourself. As you said, there are supermarkets everywhere in Jiangtian City, and food is everywhere."

Chu Nan took a sip of mineral water and looked over, surprised to learn that the smoking man's surname was Nangong, which was relatively rare in the Jiangtian City area.

The tattooed man's face turned red, and his body trembled slightly, as if he was about to punch Nangong Xiong in the face.

Chen Mo frowned, and the new arrivals were stunned, unsure of what to do.

Nangong Xiong threw away the cigarette butt, stepped on it, and extinguished it, saying, "Kid, I know you're not satisfied. I'll give you a chance. Beat me, and you can take the food."

The tattooed man's face showed a sinister smile, saying, "You said it, everyone heard it."

A few people sitting around laughed, saying, "We all heard it. Nangong, you keep your word. We can vouch for it."

The tattooed man said, "Fine!" His eyes flashed, and a terrifying aura suddenly enveloped him. His muscles tensed, and he burst with a terrifying aura. The people around him were surprised, saying, "He's already at Level 2 Awakened. No wonder he has the nerve."

The tattooed man's punch was faster than their words. It instantly reached Nangong Xiong's face. Clearly, he hated Nangong Xiong and intended to break his nose and knock him to the ground with a bloody face.

The punch was heavy. Nangong Xiong's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly crouched. The punch almost grazed his hair.

The punch missed, and the tattooed man's center of gravity was off balance. He was startled, and Nangong Xiong suddenly grabbed his waist, performed a shoulder throw, and lifted him into the air, then slammed him down hard.

The tattooed man let out a惨叫, falling to the ground solidly. Nangong Xiong had held back; otherwise, his head would have hit the concrete, causing immediate bleeding and brain damage.

However, the tattooed man didn't think about this. In intense pain, he roared and rolled over, landing behind Nangong Xiong. He kicked Nangong Xiong's crotch with all his might.

"Looking for death!" Nangong Xiong, surprised by the other's viciousness despite his restraint, changed his expression, spread his fingers, and turned around, striking the tattooed man's face with his fingers.

Instantly, blood splattered from the tattooed man's face, his nose and mouth almost crushed. Nangong Xiong sneered and stomped down hard.

"Go easy..." Chen Mo called out, but it was too late.

(Second update of the day, third update to follow! Requesting recommendations. Congratulations to Ming Qian Sui for becoming the first guardian of the book, and Fan Xin Ting Yue for becoming the fourth captain. Thank you!)