Chapter 16: The Survivor Faction
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
June brought the searing heat.
By 9 a.m., the sun blazed fiercely, sweat beading on foreheads under its relentless glare.
Inside Apartment 602, every gap in the doors and windows was tightly covered with black cloth, allowing no light to seep through.
The dimly lit living room barely revealed the outlines of the furniture.
Lin Ze remained unaffected, fully immersed in his knife training. The energy of the world surged from all directions, entering his body and merging with the circulating True Qi, becoming part of his essence.
For the past few days, apart from spending a few hours exploring each night, Lin Ze had dedicated nearly all his time to cultivation.
In just ten days, he had begun to sense the breakthrough to his second Acupoint.
[If I push hard enough, I might completely break through tonight,] he thought.
After another ten minutes of practice, Lin Ze ended his session. He retrieved a frozen blood pack from the refrigerator and drank it.
As the overworked injuries within his body began to heal, he smiled with satisfaction. Heading to the kitchen, he set water to boil, preparing to cook exotic beast meat along with the last of his Black-Armored Python Skin.
[The skin’s nearly gone,] he noted, frowning slightly. [Two days at most before it’s used up.]
Staring at the boiling water, Lin Ze fell into thought. Over the past few explorations, he had encountered more than a dozen Savage Types, but not a single Black-Armored Python.
[This is the downside of the Martial Dao True Stele’s techniques. Without the corresponding materials, further cultivation becomes impossible.]
He resolved, [I’ll speed up my exploration these next two days and sweep through the remaining parts of Flat Ridge Town. If I still don’t find one, I’ll have to check the neighboring town.]
After tossing the meat and python skin into the boiling water, a pot of rich soup was soon ready.
Just as Lin Ze prepared to eat, a cacophony of noise erupted from below.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
In the post-apocalypse, survivors avoided making loud noises that could attract Monstrous Beasts. The residents of Golden Source Community had always been cautious about this.
[What’s going on today?]
The commotion came from the northern gate of the community. Being in the back of the complex, Lin Ze’s apartment offered no clear view of the area.
Curiosity piqued, he descended the stairs and made his way toward the north gate. From a distance, he saw a crowd of sixty or seventy people gathered in front of Building Unit 5’s entrance.
[That’s unusual,] he mused.
After four months of the apocalypse, deaths and escapes had reduced the population. Each building housed only twenty or thirty survivors, at most. With just five buildings in the community, the total number of survivors barely exceeded a hundred.
To see over half of them assembled in one place was rare.
As he approached, Lin Ze noticed that the crowd’s focus was on five young men in their twenties or thirties.
The five wore sturdy, durable outdoor clothing and carried bladed weapons. Their outdoor backpacks were dust-covered, and their weathered faces carried a sharp energy that set them apart from the rest.
At their feet lay the fresh corpse of a Blood-Eyed Wolf, its bloody wounds still oozing. The sight commanded awe and curiosity from the surrounding survivors.
Lin Ze’s sharp eye assessed the corpse. This particular Blood-Eyed Wolf was significantly larger than others he had encountered, its life energy level likely at Level 4.
One of the five, seemingly their leader, addressed the crowd in a firm, magnetic tone:
“Our group, Rock, is the largest survivor settlement in Weifeng City, with over five hundred people. We boast nearly fifty Martial Practitioners, making us a formidable force. Join us, and you won’t have to live in constant fear of a beast attack.”
“Furthermore, any healthy adult will receive Martial Arts Techniques and exotic beast meat to help them become Martial Practitioners.”
“Anyone willing to join, pack your things now. We’ll be heading to Weifeng University shortly!”
The leader’s words, brimming with confidence, carried an irresistible allure.
Many in the crowd looked tempted, their questions and chatter blending into a chaotic buzz.
[So, settlements have already begun to form,] thought Lin Ze, surprised.
“Brother Lin!”
A familiar voice broke through his thoughts. Turning, Lin Ze spotted Zhuang Rui, a bright smile on his face as he pushed through the crowd toward him.
Behind him, four young men and women followed closely.
“Brother Lin,” they greeted in unison, their voices filled with respect and admiration as they approached Lin Ze. Their eyes mirrored a mix of awe and reverence.
Lin Ze nodded slightly in acknowledgment before turning his attention to Zhuang Rui. “Who are those people?” he asked.
“They’re from a survivor group called Rock,” Zhuang Rui replied. “Apparently, their base is set up at Weifeng University. They came to our neighborhood today to recruit. The leader is Zhang Zhen’s cousin, Zhang Feng.”
Lin Ze nodded in understanding. Weifeng University, located in Magnificent River Town, was the heart of Weifeng City, separated from Flat Ridge Town by two districts. He hadn’t ventured that far yet, so it wasn’t surprising he hadn’t encountered this survivor group before.
Though he was skeptical of their claim as the largest survivor force in Weifeng City, the fact that these five had crossed two districts to reach Flat Ridge Town—and even managed to hunt down a Level 4 Blood-Eyed Wolf—spoke volumes about their strength. This Rock group was likely of a considerable scale.
“What’s this ‘Martial Practitioner’ they mentioned?” Lin Ze inquired further.
“It’s said to be a ranking system created internally by Rock,” Zhuang Rui explained. “Anyone who’s initiated into the True Essence Art is called a Martial Practitioner.
“Those who can complete one full Heavenly Cycle of cultivation are referred to as First-Level Martial Practitioners, two cycles as Second-Level Martial Practitioners, and so on.”
Lin Ze’s expression grew peculiar. The people of Rock were certainly creative.
[To be fair, ‘Martial Practitioner’ does sound better than ‘Apprentice Martial Artist,’] he mused.
At that moment, the crowd nearby parted. The young man who seemed to be the leader strode toward Lin Ze, followed by two others. Besides Zhang Zhen, the other was a slender man, a fellow resident of Building Unit 2 named He Fei.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Zhang Feng from Rock Base,” Zhang Feng greeted warmly, his face beaming with enthusiasm.
“You must be Lin Ze. My cousin mentioned you. The way you took down a Blood-Eyed Wolf in an instant—your strength is impressive. Would you consider joining us at Rock?”
Lin Ze shook his head. “Sorry, I’m used to being on my own.”
“Don’t decide so quickly.” Zhang Feng’s smile remained undeterred.
“With your abilities, the moment you join Rock, you’d immediately qualify as the leader of a ten-member Hunting Team. That’s considered part of the upper echelon at our base. The resources you’d gain far surpass what you could gather hunting alone.
“Moreover, our leader comes from a martial arts family, skilled in numerous combat techniques. He could teach you to fight more effectively. You know, for ordinary people like us, even with the True Essence Art, without systematic combat training, fighting monstrous beasts is doubly difficult. Having someone guide you would save you from many detours.”
At these words, both Zhang Zhen and He Fei wore expressions of envy and jealousy.
Five days ago, they had joined Rock and knew full well the status of a Hunting Team Leader. Exotic beast meat was supplied without restriction, and there was never a worry about cultivation resources. On top of that, women often pursued these leaders on their own initiative.
Zhang Zhen dreamed of attaining such a position. Yet here was Lin Ze, offered this status on a silver platter with just a nod. How could he not feel envious?
Even Zhuang Rui and the others looked visibly tempted. Over the past few days, they had realized the inadequacy of their combat skills. Compared to monstrous beasts born with an innate instinct to kill, their techniques were rudimentary at best. Though aware of their shortcomings, the only solution had been to slowly gain experience through combat, a painstakingly slow process. If someone were willing to teach them, it would undoubtedly accelerate their progress.
For a moment, Zhuang Rui and the others looked at Lin Ze with envy in their eyes.
To everyone’s surprise, Lin Ze remained unmoved despite the generous offer. He shook his head calmly, his tone unwavering.
“Sorry, I’m not interested.”