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墨書 Inktalez
There was no war; every moment was a battle. There was no death, for they had forgotten what it meant to die. The figures gradually appearing in the streets were mostly those who were starving to the brink of death. They staggered about, desperately seeking an Essence Fruit, no longer concerned with its quality—only its quantity. Even the most worthless Essence Fruit held real value now.
Zombies appeared on the streets, drawn by the frenzied crowd. Wherever there were people, there were Zombies. A large group collectively attacked a single Zombie, not for profit, but to survive and protect the Essence Fruits they had already obtained.
That was their only achievement.
Now, the exchange counters around the botanical garden had reached over forty, yet even this could not satisfy the crazed masses.
The clerks at these counters were the most loyal fellows in Zheng Yifan's mind, those who provided Faith Power with unwavering conviction.
How to determine a person's loyalty did not require rigorous testing; one only needed to check the firmness of the Faith Power they provided in their mind.
"Leader! The entire Telecom Building has started to riot. The upper floors have been nearly wiped out. The superpowered individuals in the Telecom Building all want to be the highest leader themselves, and other gathering places are eyeing it hungrily, wanting to swallow up the Telecom Building," reported Huang Brothers upon returning with news Zheng Yifan longed to hear.
The Telecom Building was in chaos; its occupants had begun to turn on each other. This was undoubtedly good news for him. If the Telecom Building remained stable, he would never have a chance to intervene. The people inside held an overwhelming fear of Night Wolf.
"What do you think about the Telecom Building? Do you want to settle elsewhere or take over the Telecom Building?" Zheng Yifan asked, pointing into the distance. The standing Telecom Building had begun to flicker with flames before being quickly extinguished. Inside the Telecom Building, if any post-apocalyptic supplies still existed, they would be firefighting equipment—abundant and well-stocked. Each floor was equipped with numerous fire extinguishers to minimize any potential dangers.
A single fire could claim nearly everyone's life in the Telecom Building and reduce all their possessions to ashes.
In this apocalypse, there was no Fire Department; they could only rely on their own strength. Without water, they could use dry powder extinguishers or anaerobic methods if necessary. There were many ways to tackle fires; they just hoped to minimize future risks.
"Leader, we certainly hope to settle down in the Telecom Building. Not just me; Jie thinks so too."
"Oh! Jie is the girl you saved; her name is Xu Jie, and she is quite talented."
Huang Brothers briefly explained Xu Jie's situation before continuing with their introduction of the Telecom Building.
Although chaos reigned within the Telecom Building, its large population made it relatively influential throughout Ancheng. It could attract a significant influx of people. More importantly, if they took over the Telecom Building, they would gain control of this botanical garden.
This was the cornerstone of survival for Ancheng's survivors, providing safety and opportunities for them to become superpowered individuals.
The Survivors needed a chance. Even if it was just one percent, perhaps the Fortune Goddess had not taken a day off and would bring luck to him today.
This place had to be occupied, and whether through force or other means, Zheng Yifan hardly considered it.
In his view, occupying by force was the most convenient option. He lacked only strength. Time and resources were not worth the cost; resources were manageable, but time was the most scarce.
If he relied on time and resources, it would take at least several months to stabilize the Telecom Building. By then, Zheng Yifan might have already returned to the Hope Gathering Place and come back again.
That was too unprofitable; only battle would do! Only continuous fighting could quickly seize the Telecom Building, even keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings, recruiting more soldiers to strengthen his base, and expanding his influence with these people as a foundation.
Now, those weighing grain for customers at the Counter were the most valued targets for the new master of this Gathering Place.
They possessed stronger beliefs and loyalty; what was even more precious was that they could provide Zheng Yifan with greater support as their strength increased.
The support of a First-Level Esper could never compare to the faith provided by a Second-Stage Esper. Besides quality, sometimes quantity mattered as well.
Fully nurturing them could also develop the entire belief system of the Telecom Building; even the whole Ancheng could be a potential source of development. As long as these resources were integrated, a powerful Gathering Place would emerge—a new base for faith production.
Just like the Crusaders in the Middle Ages, they would gradually develop with Zheng Yifan's support, without worrying about issues of growth.
Moreover, there was Xu Jie, who completely believed in Zheng Yifan. Since he had taken her from her mother's arms, she had regarded him as a substitute for her mother; her sorrow was entirely hidden deep within her heart.
In the Counter stood a sweet-smiling girl with a crying soul inside her.
Her life in this world had been particularly difficult.
"At dawn tomorrow, we will attack the Telecom Building. Kill anyone who stirs trouble, anyone who attempts to occupy it, anyone who consumes human flesh, and anyone who violates women. Use the most iron-fisted and ruthless means to quell this chaos," Zheng Yifan declared solemnly. He only wanted more people to survive.
The number of humans was dwindling! With each death, Zheng Yifan felt a pang of heartache; there were still Huangdi and the entire tribe. But what about humanity now?
The population base is large, but the enemies are even more numerous, in tens or hundreds of times the number of Zombies, along with fierce beasts and the uncertainties within the Gathering Place.
The future of humanity is bleak. Not to mention restoring dominion over the entire world; that might take generations of effort to achieve.
Zheng Yifan only wants to leave hope for the future. Even if he may never set foot in the Apocalyptic World again, he still wants to leave something behind.
Life here is too difficult.
"Chief, taking down the Telecom Building is definitely something Brothers can accomplish. With a chief as formidable as you, if we still can't do it, we might as well find a block of tofu to throw ourselves against," shouted Huang Brothers loudly.
Everyone could hear his voice, completely disregarding the feelings of others.
Food, combat power, core personnel—all seemed to have come together at once. The idea of being invincible in battle was no longer a joke.
Huang Brothers' words even piqued the interest of nearby Survivors. As long as there was a powerful chief and ample food, no one would refuse a new Ruler. Most of those selling Essence Fruit belonged to the impoverished class; even those slightly better off were mostly struggling on the brink of life and death.
They hoped that Essence Fruit would always hold value. That way, they wouldn't have to worry about starvation.
Having their chief host such exchange activities meant they were beneficiaries, and that was enough for them.
Everyone hoped that Zheng Yifan would truly stay. That would mean that while they might not be able to eat their fill in the future, there was still hope for survival.
As long as they could survive, there was a chance to see tomorrow and possibly escape this era overrun by Zombies. They could truly live and perhaps one day conquer the Zombies, take control of Ancheng, and even reclaim humanity's status across the nation in this Post-Apocalypse world.
They absolutely could not be bullied by Zombies; survival was nearly impossible.
This was their wishful thinking; they had no idea about the sorrows of other Large Cities. Those people couldn't expect Ancheng to be this comfortable. Even if they managed to survive, it would require risking their lives; win or lose determined everything.
No one wept because they didn't even have time to cry.
Luck is comparative. Compared to the people of Metropolis, the residents of Ancheng are undoubtedly happier because they have hope—the hope of overcoming all difficulties and the hope of reclaiming their city.
They have even more hope for survival, as long as the man in front of them, who might possess a large stockpile of food and warehouses, agrees to become the leader of the Telecom Building Gathering Place. That food will surely never run out in the future.
Ancheng has plenty of Garbage Essence Fruit; those fruits scattered everywhere could sustain half the city's population. The pressure of life for others could also be greatly alleviated.
"Charge! Do you still recruit at the Gathering Place? I am willing to join your ranks! With our battle flag raised, we are invincible!" A military enthusiast from the Post-Apocalypse era shouted loudly, waving a weapon that could no longer fire, his face flushed with excitement.
He had gradually recovered from a state where he should have been waiting for death as a Survivor. He stood among the crowd, waiting for that moment to arrive. Upon hearing that Garbage Essence Fruit could be used at the botanical garden, he dragged his weary body and mustered his last strength to collect Garbage Essence Fruit, then headed to the botanical garden to exchange it.
With his final effort, he obtained his first bite of food. The taste was sweeter than white sugar in the Post-Apocalypse.
In just a moment, he regained his strength. The high-calorie food gave him the energy to search for more locations that others could not find, even daring to venture into areas inhabited by Zombies.
All for the Essence Fruit.
Now, he returned with a full load, hearing a sound as pleasant as music. They actually wanted to occupy the Telecom Building Gathering Place; this would give value to Garbage Essence Fruit. He knew that those hidden locations of Mutated Plants would become priceless treasures—regular monthly food supplies would make life easier than farming.
This was what he had been looking forward to. He could join this person's ranks for this goal, truly engaging in battles on the battlefield in exchange for a chance to continue living in the future.
Now! All he wanted was to survive, never realizing that from this moment on, his life would no longer be ordinary but rather an extraordinary journey filled with waves and grandeur. (To be continued...)
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