Chapter 17: Do You Really Think It’s That Easy to Be a Lone Warrior in the Apocalypse?
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Having been rejected twice in a row by Lin Ze, Zhang Feng’s smile was starting to stiffen.
“…Is that so?” Zhang Feng nodded, no longer pressing the matter, though his tone had unconsciously turned colder.
As the Hunting Team Captain, he was someone many sought to please at Rock. The only reason he had personally invited Lin Ze was due to his strength. Yet, Lin Ze had declined without hesitation, and with such a dismissive excuse at that. It was an outright rejection, leaving Zhang Feng feeling that the man was ungrateful and arrogant.
Lin Ze paid no attention to Zhang Feng’s reaction and turned to leave.
Zhuang Rui and his companions quickly followed.
Watching Lin Ze walk away, Zhang Feng’s eyes darkened slightly.
Seeing Lin Ze refuse, Zhang Zhen felt secretly pleased. However, noticing his cousin’s sullen expression, he leaned in and whispered,
“Cousin, that Lin Ze has his nose stuck so high in the air. You personally invited him and even promised him the Hunting Team Captain position, but he was too blind to accept it! He clearly doesn’t take Rock seriously at all!”
Hearing Zhang Zhen’s words, Zhang Feng snorted coldly and waved his hand dismissively.
“Forget it. He’s just an arrogant fool. If we let him into the settlement, who knows how much trouble he’d cause? The hunting team doesn’t need him. When Rock grows even stronger in the future, he’ll have all the time in the world to regret his decision.”
In truth, Zhang Feng wasn’t particularly upset.
Although his cousin had claimed that Lin Ze had killed a Blood-Eyed Wolf in one punch, Blood-Eyed Wolves varied in strength. Most likely, Lin Ze had only taken down a young and weak one.
A Third-Rank Martial Apprentice could achieve such a feat.
After all, based on Zhang Zhen’s account, Lin Ze had shown no signs of training in martial arts during the first two months of the Apocalypse. No matter how talented he was, it was impossible to reach Fourth-Rank Martial Apprentice in just over two months.
At most, he was Third-Rank.
Not everyone had the same advantages as their leader, Du Zi Du, who had trained in martial arts since childhood, had an exceptional physique, and an innate edge in cultivation. Even with all that, Du Zi Du had only managed to become a Fourth-Rank Martial Apprentice after training for over four months following the discovery of the Martial Dao True Stele on the first day of the Apocalypse.
Zhang Feng didn’t believe that anyone in Weifeng City could be stronger than Du Zi Du.
Although Zhang Feng himself was only Third-Rank, he felt confident that, with Rock backing him and providing ample resources, he would surpass Lin Ze sooner or later.
“A lone warrior?”
“Hah. Does he really think it’s that easy to be a lone warrior in the Apocalypse?”
As they entered Building Unit 2, Zhuang Rui finally couldn’t hold back his question.
“Brother Lin, why did you refuse Zhang Feng?”
From Zhuang Rui’s perspective, Rock had offered an extremely generous deal. He couldn’t fathom any reason Lin Ze would turn it down.
Lin Ze had no intention of explaining. Instead, he countered with a question. “What about you guys? Are you planning to join Rock?”
Zhuang Rui and his teammates exchanged glances before nodding.
“We’ve discussed it. There’s strength in numbers. It’s easier to survive in the Apocalypse that way.”
“Besides, we’re all First-Rank Martial Apprentices. If we join Rock, we can immediately enter the Hunting Team, and the benefits are really good.”
Lin Ze nodded without further comment.
He could understand their choice.
Humans were social creatures, rarely capable of surviving alone.
If he were an ordinary person, he likely would have made the same decision as them.
“By the way, Brother Lin.”
Zhuang Rui suddenly remembered something and quickly said,
“I asked the survivors at Manlan Hotel, and they told me that there’s a Martial Dao True Stele at Panlong Bay Resort. That’s where they got their True Essence Art inheritance.”
Lin Ze’s eyes lit up instantly.
Finally, some news about another Martial Dao True Stele.
He had heard of Panlong Bay Resort—it was north of Flat Ridge Town, the largest resort in the area, frequently visited by travelers.
“But recently, a lot of monsters have appeared there,” Zhuang Rui added. “The people from Manlan Hotel don’t dare go near it anymore.”
Lin Ze’s keen senses caught an unusual detail.
“Monsters? Not Monstrous Beasts?”
Zhuang Rui scratched his head and explained, “I thought that was strange too. But the survivors at Manlan Hotel said those creatures aren’t Monstrous Beasts—they look more like mutated humans.”
“I see…” Lin Ze murmured thoughtfully.
Regardless, he finally had a lead on a new Martial Dao True Stele. He had to check it out.
Something about Flat Ridge Town bothered him. He had expected more Martial Dao True Steles in the area, yet, despite days of searching, he had only found the one at the Hospital.
“Thanks for the info.” Lin Ze patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder. “Come by later to collect some Monstrous Beast Meat.”
Zhuang Rui was about to refuse, but Lin Ze cut him off.
“Consider it payment, as promised.”
Since Lin Ze insisted, Zhuang Rui didn’t argue.
“Any news on the Black-Armored Python?” Lin Ze asked next.
Aside from the Martial Dao True Stele, he had also asked Zhuang Rui to keep an eye out for its whereabouts.
“Nothing concrete yet, but I heard that some snake-like Monstrous Beasts have been spotted in the Industrial Park. Their description matches the Black-Armored Python you’re looking for.”
“Got it.”
Lin Ze nodded in acknowledgment before heading upstairs. He retrieved two freshly hunted Blood-Eyed Wolves from his home and handed them over to Zhuang Rui’s team.
They accepted the gift with delight.
Their squad could only take down a Blood-Eyed Wolf if they worked together, and finding a lone one wasn’t easy. On average, it took two or three days to hunt one.
The two wolves Lin Ze gave them were particularly large, packed with energy, and worth at least a week’s haul.
As expected, Brother Lin was incredibly generous!
Zhuang Rui suddenly felt that it didn’t matter whether Lin Ze joined Rock or not.
After all, Lin Ze didn’t seem to be lacking Monstrous Beast Meat.
Once Zhuang Rui and his team left, Lin Ze returned to his meal, finishing the meat soup he had prepared earlier.
Thinking it over, he realized that the emergence of survivor settlements like Rock was inevitable.
With Martial Arts Techniques, survivors now had the power to fight Monstrous Beasts head-on. They no longer needed to cower in hiding, struggling to survive. By working together, they could carve out safe havens in the Apocalypse.
It was only a matter of time before more survivor factions appeared.
One day, humanity might even drive out the Monstrous Beasts and reclaim their cities.
For now, a settlement was an undeniable lure for most survivors.
People instinctively clung together when weak.
By tomorrow, the Golden Source Community would probably be deserted.
Which was fine by Lin Ze. Fewer people meant more freedom of movement.
Though he wasn’t actively hiding his Vampire identity, the less attention it drew, the better.
Finishing his meal, Lin Ze wasted no time returning to his cultivation.
As the hours passed, his True Qi grew stronger.
By late evening, Lin Ze felt he was ready. He directed his True Qi to break through an acupoint.
The True Qi surged like a tidal wave, crashing against the blockaded point. Gradually, the resistance eroded under the relentless impact.
At last, the acupoint shattered, and heavenly energy poured into his body, refining his True Qi and further strengthening him.
“Success!”
A smile of satisfaction spread across Lin Ze’s face.
Another acupoint unlocked!
Checking the time, he saw it was just past midnight.
Without hesitation, Lin Ze drank a blood pack, rested briefly to restore his energy, then grabbed his Tang Blade, strapped on his backpack, and headed straight for Panlong Bay Resort.