Chapter 2, Departure

The young girl approached Fei Lun and respectfully bowed to him

However, in response to her inquiry, the captain merely shook his head

You said that you were commissioned by the gathering place to find us. Do you have any proof of that

Thus, my task comes to an end

Although I accepted the commission, I did not receive any remuneration, nor do I intend to receive any. Therefore, let us part ways here

As he spoke, Ferren cast a glance at the wall lamp not far away, as if to verify his words. The wall lamp, which had originally emitted a soft glow, suddenly began to flicker rapidly. After a moment, it returned to normal. Witnessing this scene, many people, including the young girl, changed their expressions. The girl hesitated for a moment before finally asking a question.

They died in extreme agony

Upon seeing the energy-absorbing monster, the team immediately became tense, as one of the reasons for their departure was the report of energy-absorbing monsters being discovered nearby. The appearance of the energy-absorbing monster naturally drew their attention. However, what they did not expect was that there was not just one energy-absorbing monster, but they had actually surrounded them while the warriors were dealing with the zombies

Turning the corner, the exit is already in sight

Intelligent, decisive, although still somewhat immature, she is quite commendable for her age

Ah, wait a moment, you ... ... ! !

Upon hearing the girl's gratitude, Feren smiled and nodded. It was only at this moment that the girl noticed a small black cat resting on Feren's shoulder. Feren reached out his hand and gently stroked the little cat's head before lowering his hand.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... In total, there are eight corpses; it seems that the energy-absorbing monsters chasing us are all here...

There is no need for this

Painful death is not uncommon in the apocalypse, but this is contingent upon certain conditions: one type of suffering is caused by killing, while another type of killing is caused by suffering

No one raised any objections to Ferren's orders; this wasteland was fraught with danger. Their fortunate escape did not guarantee that such luck would continue. Therefore, everyone quickly packed their belongings and, together with their severely injured captain, left this terrifying dark realm

A powerful individual with authority above level five is an existence that they absolutely cannot offend

Because you lost contact previously, the gathering place entrusted me to conduct an investigation and search. Since you are still alive, that is all the better. Now, you can pack your things and prepare to return to the gathering place. The electromagnetic storm is about to arrive, and you surely understand what that means.

However ... ...

From the struggle marks on the corpses of these energy-absorbing monsters, it is evident that they clearly belong to the latter category. If those individuals previously had doubts about how Ferren managed to enter from outside the encirclement of the energy-absorbing monsters, now they have received their answer

As recorded, during the last contact report, this team was attacked by a horde of zombies. Of course, if they were merely zombies, these well-equipped warriors would not have taken them seriously. However, what they did not anticipate was that just as they were about to completely eliminate these zombies, an energy-draining creature suddenly appeared and took advantage of their distraction to kill one of their comrades. The leg that Feren had seen among the wreckage of the vehicle was the only trace left in this world by that unfortunate soul. However, what they did not anticipate was that just as they were about to completely eliminate these zombies, an energy-draining creature suddenly appeared and took advantage of their distraction to kill one of their comrades. The leg that Feren had seen among the wreckage of the vehicle was the only trace left in this world by that unfortunate soul.

Thank you very much for your help ... ... Doctor ... ...

With the threat of the energy-absorbing monsters eliminated, these warriors encountered no further obstacles along the way. Although the torrential rain posed some hindrances, they ultimately returned to the gathering place before nightfall

Looking at the captain's arm casually resting beside him, the young girl appeared somewhat surprised. She had originally hoped to find an opportunity to keep this young man after returning to the gathering place. Having never seen him before, she was certain that he must be a mercenary or something similar. In her view, if the gathering place was willing to pay a certain price, retaining this strong individual would clearly be a good choice. However, she did not expect that upon reaching their destination, he would turn around and leave without a word, an unexpected action that truly astonished her. She had initially planned to approach him in an attempt to persuade him, but to her surprise, her most respected captain stopped her from taking action.

The alley was enveloped in silence

Hearing the captain's words, the young girl bit her lip tightly. With a complex expression, she glanced at the figure that was gradually receding. Suddenly, as if she had made a firm decision, she shouted out loud.

After saying this, Fei Lun nodded to the crowd in front of him and then turned to leave

Just as everyone was filled with excitement, a light and airy voice suddenly came from the side, causing the originally exuberant soldiers to abruptly fall silent. They turned their heads, gazing with complex expressions at the dark figure that stood nearby like a ghost, momentarily at a loss for words. Only after a brief pause did the captain, with a hint of hesitation, step forward and speak.

Upon hearing the girl's inquiry, Feren gave a commendable assessment deep within his heart. He then took a data cube from his pocket and tossed it over. The girl deftly caught it and opened it, quickly revealing a series of codes. However, it was evident that she was quite skilled in data processing; she extended her finger and lightly tapped on the codes a few times, after which the codes vanished, revealing a string of information. Feren did not know what was written on it, but it was clear that the girl and her companions appeared much more relaxed than before. They exchanged glances, and then the three men lowered their firearms, while the girl stepped out from the crowd, standing about three meters in front of Feren. In the post-apocalyptic world, this was already considered a friendly distance.

However, they soon realized that it was no longer necessary

My name is Beth! You must remember my name, I swear, we will definitely meet again!

Snap

If Feren does not appear here, then they have only two choices: either to attempt to preserve their lives amidst the electromagnetic storm that follows the torrential rain, or to rush out of the tunnel, trying to break through the encirclement of the energy-draining monsters, gambling on luck to see if they can make it back.

The crowd had slowed their pace as much as possible, yet the sound of their footsteps still echoed in the tunnel. This made them extremely anxious, especially at the thought that those energy-absorbing monsters might still be lurking in the darkness, waiting to hunt them down. These warriors became increasingly tense, almost neurotically raising their weapons and aiming at any potential hiding spots, fearing that at any moment, an energy-absorbing monster might emerge from somewhere and pounce on them.

We are back!! We are back!!

However, what they can do is limited to this. Due to the heavy rain, remote communication via the internet has completely failed, and in fact, even if they were able to make contact, it would be of no use. They are already the most powerful warriors in the settlement; if they themselves cannot solve the problem, then the settlement cannot help them resolve any issues either

As she watched Fei Lun leave, the young girl attempted to step forward to say something more, but after taking just a few steps, she was stopped by the captain beside her

There are corpses everywhere

Thank you very much for your help. But are you sure you do not want to return with us? Although I do not know how generous the reward you received there is, you saved us from the encirclement of the energy-absorbing monsters and eliminated those terrifying creatures. I believe what you have done is worth more than what you are currently receiving. Moreover ...

"Do not provoke him, Beth. He is not someone you can touch. He is not from our world, and he would not agree to stay in a small place like ours. Moreover, even if he were willing to stay, it would only bring us disaster"

In the face of Ferren, the man's attitude displayed great respect. This is only natural, as perhaps his group of fools does not yet fully understand Ferren's strength. However, their captain is well aware that they previously encountered a group of energy-absorbing monsters with Level 2 permissions, which even included a Level 4 energy-absorbing monster leader. This is also the reason why he and his subordinates were so thoroughly suppressed. Within the network area, the level of permissions represents status and strength; although the man himself possesses Level 3 permissions, under the suppression of higher-level permissions, he can only barely exert the minimum level of power. And the fact that such terrifying monsters could be easily killed by the man before him means that this person who calls himself "Doctor" likely possesses abilities of Level 5 or higher.

Alright ... ... we overlooked one ... ...

If there is nothing else, then it is best for us to leave here immediately

Is it really just relying on him alone? How did he manage to do it? Even if we all went together, whether we could kill even one of them would be a question...

In fact, among these two choices, the possibility of survival is less than one percent.

"Captain, why are you stopping me? Moreover, why didn't you keep him? You have seen his strength, haven't you? If we could have this person stay in our town, wouldn't that provide greater security for our town?"

However, in the face of the captain's plea, Feren reached out his hand to interrupt his speech

Twisted and deformed corpses lay scattered on the ground, appearing human yet distinctly not. Their bodies, though barely maintaining a human shape, exhibited a bizarre dark brown skin. The sharp nails on their fingers were as keen as blades, while their skulls resembled a mutated creature formed from an elongated human jaw, with sharp, white teeth reflecting a chilling light under the harsh, inorganic illumination. The sharp nails on their fingers were as keen as blades, while their skulls resembled a mutated creature formed from an elongated human jaw, with sharp, white teeth reflecting a chilling light under the harsh, inorganic illumination

However, everyone, including the young girl, involuntarily slowed their pace. Even their captain, the man with level 3 abilities, was now wide-eyed in astonishment, unable to believe what was unfolding before him

They are energy-absorbing monsters, one of the most feared creatures in this wasteland. However, now they have become corpses that even humans feel sympathy for. Wounds dissect their bodies, and one can even see the exposed bones and internal organs. Yet, what is most chilling is not their wounds, but the manner of these monsters' deaths

You are welcome, I merely did what I was supposed to do

Looking at the bright lights shining in the distance, the surviving soldiers could not help but show expressions of excitement and exhilaration. After enduring the trials of life and death, the only thing they now wished for was to return to their warm and comfortable homes and have a good sleep. As for other matters, they were even reluctant to think about them

Just as the crowd was whispering among themselves, suddenly, another shadow fell from above, startling everyone. They hurriedly raised their guns to aim at the shadow, but then, disheartened, they lowered their weapons. Their captain merely glanced at the mangled body before quickly averting his gaze.

After losing their means of transportation and being unable to escape, their captain made a decisive decision to lead them into the tunnels, attempting to use the geographical advantage to defend against and resist the attacks of the energy-absorbing monsters. Unfortunately, they failed, and ultimately, they lost nearly half of their personnel, only managing to evade the search of those energy-absorbing monsters by hiding in this small warehouse