The cigarette in his mouth had burned down to the filter. He casually flicked it away; in the apocalypse, no one was going to lecture him about littering. He lit another, savoring the rich, calming aroma of nicotine. With more than half his backpack filled with cigarettes, he wouldn’t be running short anytime soon. For now, he could afford this small luxury.

Just then, movement stirred in the darkness beyond the firelight.

Chen Ye’s eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing the gloom.

A group of people stumbled into view, their chests heaving, their faces twisted with exhaustion and terror.

“Finally… finally made it!”

“Oh my god… I thought I was dead!”

“Wah…”

“Those monsters… they stopped chasing! We’re alive…”

They had caught up. From their ragged breathing and frantic whispers, it was clear they had been hunted all the way here.

The quiet camp erupted into chaos. Some survivors embraced, sobbing uncontrollably. Others collapsed onto the grass, gasping for air as if drowning. A few sat in stunned silence, their eyes hollow.

And then there were those whose fear had curdled into anger. They glared at the vehicle owners ahead with venomous resentment. Even Chen Ye, with his humble tricycle, wasn’t spared; their gazes swept over him, heavy with malice and envy.

Chen Ye placed his hand crossbow within easy reach, his own eyes hard and warning.

These people were in a wretched state, some smeared with blood, but their misfortune wasn’t his doing. He had no interest in playing the Bleeding Heart.

The original convoy had numbered around two hundred. Now… including these stragglers, there were fewer than a hundred left.

This was the apocalypse.

Chen Ye shifted his tricycle closer to the group with the cars, putting distance between himself and the resentment of the foot travelers. Only then did he turn his attention back to his loot.

He opened the first bag. It was filled to the brim with rice.

Chen Ye swallowed hard. He hadn’t tasted rice in days.

He opened the second bag. It was a treasure trove of snacks: potato chips, instant noodles, spicy strips, chocolate. There were even several bottles of soda and mineral water. It looked like a luxury gift basket from the old world.

A faint smile touched his lips. The sugary drinks would provide a quick energy boost, and the empty bottles were invaluable for storing water.

He quickly organized these supplies, packing them away securely before turning to the bags he had taken from Jiajia and Qiangzi.

Opening the yoga pants woman’s bag, Chen Ye nearly cursed aloud.

The foolish woman had packed almost no food. Instead, the bag was stuffed with clothes and shoes. While any supplies were useful now, these were all women’s styles. There were also numerous feminine hygiene products. These items would only be useful for trading.

Next was Qiangzi’s bag.

It was larger than Chen Ye’s own backpack and decidedly more promising. Inside, Chen Ye found a slab of cured meat—a rare and precious source of protein. There were also various snacks and two large packs of dried noodles, enough to sustain him for quite some time.

Even better, he found men’s clothing and a pair of sturdy shoes.

A flash of genuine delight crossed Chen Ye’s face. It was October, and while the nights were cool, the days were still warm enough to make him sweat profusely. His current clothes were filthy, stiff with grime and sweat, making him look no better than a beggar. A change of clothes would be a massive comfort.

He immediately changed into a clean quick-dry shirt, stuffing his dirty clothes into a bag to wash later. In this era, wasting anything was a sin. Even his old shoes, worn and smelly, were kept.

He set up his portable gas stove and pot. Lacking a knife, he used the sharp arrowhead of a crossbow bolt to saw off a chunk of the cured meat, tossing it into the pot. He didn’t bother washing the rice—water was too precious to waste on such frivolities. He added a little water to the meat and set it to boil.

Qiangzi’s bag also contained two jars of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. Finding such a condiment in this wasteland was a stroke of incredible luck.

Nearby, the newly arrived survivors were still weeping. Chen Ye ignored them. In this world, those who still had the energy to cry were the ones likely to survive.

He blew a perfect smoke ring, leaning back against his tricycle as the aroma of cooking meat began to waft from the pot. His eyes remained vigilant, scanning the camp. Seeing no immediate threats, his thoughts drifted back to the system.

Five hours remained until the tricycle upgrade was complete.

He checked his balance: 300 Slaughter Points left.

His mind wandered to the Sequence Beyonders he had seen. The power to fight Anomalies head-on…

“System, how can one awaken as a Sequence Beyonder?”

He asked tentatively, not expecting much, but the system responded instantly.

[Currently, there are two methods to awaken as a Sequence Beyonder.]

[1. Obtain a Sequence Serum and induce awakening.]

[2. Self-awakening.]

Chen Ye’s eyes narrowed. Sequence Serums sounded incredibly rare and expensive; he doubted he could afford one, and finding them in the wild would be nearly impossible now that civilization had collapsed.

That left self-awakening.

“System, is there a method for self-awakening?”

[Yes. It requires 3,000 Slaughter Points to exchange. Host, do you wish to exchange?]

Chen Ye choked on his smoke. “…”

Three thousand points? He had nearly died earning a thousand. Where was he supposed to get three thousand?

He looked at his meager 300 points. If he used them to pay off part of his loan, he’d be left with nothing. Since the system didn’t seem to have a debt collection agency, he needed to maximize the value of these points right now.

He took a deep drag, his mind racing.

In Apricot Blossom Town, whether facing the White-Dress Scissor Lady or the Weeping Paper Effigy, ordinary humans were helpless. They could only run and die.

“System, is there a way to deal with Anomalies that can be exchanged for 300 Slaughter Points?”

A small, spinning loading icon appeared in his vision, like a phone app struggling to connect.

Ten agonizing minutes passed.

Just as Chen Ye was about to give up, a message flashed.

[Consume 300 Slaughter Points to exchange for a method to counter Anomalies? Confirm exchange?]

There really was a way?

Chen Ye sat up straight, his heart pounding. “Confirm! Exchange!”

The feeling of helplessness was unbearable. Even if a 300-point solution wasn’t a silver bullet, any ability to fight back was worth it.

The points vanished from his account.

A new piece of information appeared.

[Black Dog Blood possesses a suppressive effect on Anomalies!]

Black Dog Blood!

Chen Ye felt a surge of grim satisfaction. He hadn’t expected such a traditional method.

He had been worrying about fuel for his upgraded tricycle. If he could trade this information with the Sequence Beyonders ahead, perhaps he could get gasoline in return.

Wait. Gasoline?

If the system could provide Sequence Serums, surely it could provide basic supplies like fuel?

He pulled up the exchange menu.

The system confirmed it could provide supplies.

But when Chen Ye saw the exchange rates, he fell silent. Unless his life was hanging by a thread, he would never waste points on these prices.