Chapter 10: A Small Investment
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Bang! Bang!
On an empty street, the muffled sounds of fists tearing through the air echoed, occasionally interrupted by the low growls of beasts.
Lin Ze hadn’t brought his Tang Blade in his haste to leave, but it didn’t matter. Against these ordinary Monstrous Beasts, which weren’t even Savage Types, his bare fists were more than enough.
By the time he finished venting his excitement from the breakthrough and fully enjoyed himself, the sky had already begun to lighten.
Around him, the ground was littered with the corpses of beasts. By rough count, there were over a hundred.
“That felt great!”
Lin Ze exhaled deeply, his face lighting up with a satisfied smile.
“I’ll head to the hospital again tonight. I should be able to access the second martial technique on the Martial Dao True Stele by now.”
After condensing True Qi, the benefits of True Essence Art to a martial artist had diminished to almost nothing.
Lin Ze was eager to determine the next direction for his cultivation. The answer clearly lay on the Martial Dao True Stele.
As his excitement subsided, an intense hunger gripped him. Healing his injuries earlier had consumed a vast amount of energy, and he now urgently needed blood to replenish it.
Choosing the beast with the highest Life Energy Level from the pile of corpses, Lin Ze slung it over his shoulder and headed back to the residential complex.
The morning sunlight poured down, and Lin Ze squinted instinctively at its brightness. But soon, he noticed with surprise that the discomfort from sunlight had lessened significantly compared to before.
“Is this because my Blood Factor Concentration has surged?”
“At this rate, it’s possible that once I ascend to the Knight Rank, sunlight might no longer affect me at all.”
This discovery lifted Lin Ze’s spirits even more.
Returning to the residential area, Lin Ze had just reached the second building when he heard the sound of an argument coming from the fourth floor. The voices were crystal clear to his enhanced hearing.
“…It doesn’t cost you anything.”
“Exactly, Xiao Zhuang. In the apocalypse, we should all help each other out.”
“If we learn the martial technique, it benefits you too. We could team up for outings and watch each other’s backs.”
“If you had shared the technique earlier, maybe Guo Da wouldn’t have died.”
Lin Ze’s gaze flickered as he began ascending the stairs.
“I’ve told you many times, it’s not that I’m unwilling to share the martial technique. Lin Ge was the one who taught it to me. I can’t just hand it out without his consent. If you’re serious about it, trade gasoline with Lin Ge for it.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” a man’s voice retorted. “You know how scarce gasoline is now. We barely have any left; how could we afford to trade it?”
Before the voice had even faded, a woman scoffed.
“At the end of the day, you just want it for free! You’re scared of Lin Ge, so you don’t dare approach him, and you’re too stingy to trade food with the survivors at Manlan Hotel. That’s why you’re trying to guilt Zhuang Rui into giving it to you!”
“Watch your mouth! I…”
The voice abruptly cut off. Everyone froze as Lin Ze emerged from the stairwell.
Zhang Zhen and the others who had been quarreling moments ago paled at the sight of Lin Ze and the beast carcass he was carrying. Many of them instinctively stepped back, wishing they could shrink into their own shadows.
“Lin Ge,” Zhuang Rui called out, hurrying a few steps forward to meet him. “I…”
Lin Ze raised a hand to silence him, his voice calm.
“You can do whatever you want with the True Essence Art. You don’t need to consider my opinion.”
Without waiting for Zhuang Rui’s reply, he turned and walked away.
In truth, Lin Ze didn’t care how Zhuang Rui chose to handle True Essence Art. With his current strength, gathering resources was no longer a challenge. The benefits from trading the technique were negligible to him.
The real reason he had taught Zhuang Rui the martial technique was a small gamble in the spirit of investment—a “plant a seed and see if it bears fruit” mentality.
Lin Ze had no intention of building a faction in the apocalypse.
Firstly, it was too troublesome.
As Lin Ze contemplated his immediate future, he acknowledged two critical factors: the first being the inevitability of seeking dormancy once his Blood Factor Concentration reached 100%. The passing of decades, even centuries, during this slumber meant any painstakingly built influence would likely escape his control over time. Recognizing this, Lin Ze temporarily abandoned the notion of establishing a power base. Investing significant time and energy only to potentially see it dissolve felt inefficient and ultimately futile.
Still, the life of a lone wolf in the apocalyptic era, while liberating, brought its own set of inconveniences. Chief among them was the challenge of gathering intelligence. Knowing where to find a Martial Dao True Stele or track the movements of powerful monstrous beasts was not an easy task for one individual. Having a group to collect and relay such vital information would be ideal.
Zhuang Rui, with his proactive nature and sense of gratitude, emerged as a promising candidate for such a role. This current incident could serve as a test of his abilities. If Zhuang Rui failed even this modest trial, Lin Ze would lose all interest in further engagement.
Upon returning home, Lin Ze consumed three packs of Frozen Blood Plasma in one go, finally quelling the hunger gnawing at him. Feeling satiated, he took a quick shower before heading to bed. Though vampires like himself had no strict need for sleep, occasional rest aided mental clarity. When he awoke in the evening, Lin Ze felt revitalized, his body brimming with strength.
Standing at the sink in his bathroom, Lin Ze glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Unable to resist, he ran a hand across his face. In various legends, vampires were depicted as breathtakingly handsome or stunningly beautiful, possessing an allure that could ensnare ordinary people. Lin Ze found these traits increasingly evident in himself. As his Blood Factor Concentration grew, his facial features became more chiseled, his skin smooth to the point of appearing poreless—as though enhanced by a beauty filter. In a peaceful era, this face alone would suffice to make him a sought-after celebrity.
As he mused, Lin Ze’s expression suddenly sharpened. His head turned toward the front entrance just moments before a knock echoed through the room. Leaving the bathroom, he approached the door and opened it, revealing Zhuang Rui standing there with two cans of gasoline in hand.
“Lin Ge.” Zhuang Rui’s tone was respectful.
“Come in,” Lin Ze said, turning to walk back inside.
Zhuang Rui quickly followed, setting the gasoline down before shutting the door and trailing Lin Ze into the living room. Gesturing for Zhuang Rui to take a seat, Lin Ze asked casually, “How did things go?”
“I drove them off,” Zhuang Rui replied honestly. “I told them to handle their business with the survivors at Manlan Hotel directly.”
Though Lin Ze had granted Zhuang Rui free rein to deal with the matter of True Essence Art, Zhuang Rui did not dare take this permission lightly. Besides, he had no patience for those attempting to morally coerce him. His refusal had been swift and unyielding.
Lin Ze nodded silently. [Not bad. Looks like my investment hasn’t been wasted.]
“By the way, Lin Ge, I’ve found a few trustworthy companions,” Zhuang Rui added, his tone gaining fervor. “We’re planning to train in True Essence Art together, then form a team to hunt monstrous beasts and gather food.”
Lin Ze’s gaze flicked to the gasoline Zhuang Rui had brought. “Are you planning to trade this for monstrous beast meat?”
Shaking his head, Zhuang Rui explained, “We pooled our resources to offer these as thanks for letting me share True Essence Art with my teammates.” After a brief pause, his expression turned earnest. “Also, we discussed it and want to invite you to be our leader. If you agree, we’ll follow your every command without question.”
Zhuang Rui’s offer caught Lin Ze off guard. Unfortunately, Lin Ze had no interest in such arrangements and declined decisively. “I’m used to working alone.”
Though Zhuang Rui looked disappointed, he understood that in Lin Ze’s eyes, they were likely burdens. Being refused was only natural. Despite this, Lin Ze accepted the gasoline as a token of gratitude but reciprocated by providing Zhuang Rui’s team with a portion of monstrous beast meat as a gesture of support.
[They’re just beginning their training, so their combat abilities are bound to be limited. Procuring monstrous beast meat on their own will be a significant hurdle.]
Before Zhuang Rui left, Lin Ze made an additional offer: should Zhuang Rui come across valuable intelligence—such as the location of a Martial Dao True Stele or areas frequented by powerful monstrous beasts—he could trade that information for more monstrous beast meat. Though Zhuang Rui was puzzled by Lin Ze’s interest in the Martial Dao True Stele, he readily agreed.