Chapter 14 – Survivors

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

Home, to some extent, is very important.

On the surface, it was just a shabby little Rental Room belonging to a single loser.

And according to the original contract, it didn't even belong to Wen Yu anymore.

But at a time like this, who would care? Wen Yu wouldn't, and the landlord likely wouldn't either!

As if he were just coming home after a normal day, Wen Yu walked calmly along the paths of the Residential Area, explaining to Xing the significance of the dilapidated buildings around them.

"See that Exchange Pillar? That was where One-Eye and I had our first intense confrontation."

"Wow, then you must have given One-Eye a real thrashing, Boss."

Wen Yu's brow twitched slightly.

"You could say that."

"Over there, that's where I Changed Class."

Wen Yu pointed toward a nearby convenience store.

"And that place right there is my home."

…

Although the Residential Area was in ruins, the corpses of the Zombies Wen Yu had killed previously were nowhere to be seen. There were visible signs that someone had cleaned up the area.

As for whether there were any Survivors…

Wen Yu had already sensed them the moment he stood before his door.

The apartment across the hall, which had belonged to an elderly couple, was now occupied by others.

Perhaps having heard noise in the hallway, a faint sound of footsteps echoed from the old couple's room. Then, the Survivor behind the door pressed against the peephole, carefully observing Wen Yu.

With the strength of a Level 4 Class Holder, Wen Yu could hear even the sound of a heartbeat at such close range. He naturally knew there were Survivors behind the door.

Two people-a woman and a child!

However, Wen Yu gave a self-deprecating smile with his back turned to the people in the house behind him.

It had nothing to do with him.

Opening the door to his small Rental Room, Wen Yu stepped into his cramped dwelling for the first time in two months.

If there was one phrase to describe the current state of the room, it was "a complete mess."

When the Apocalypse first began, Wen Yu never thought he would return. Furthermore, when he had unexpectedly encountered the little girl upstairs while clearing out Zombies, he hadn't bothered to lock his door!

An ownerless, empty room that was also unlocked was an absolute treasure in the eyes of a Survivor!

"Just as I thought."

Looking at the room, which no longer contained a single usable item, Wen Yu shook his head helplessly.

"Xing, let's clean up the room."

"Boss, the people across…"

Xing flicked his tail, pointing toward the Survivors behind the opposite door.

Wen Yu shook his head, signaling Xing to ignore them.

It was better for everyone to just live their own lives.

…

If one were to ask what there was the most of after the Apocalypse, Wen Yu was certain that empty rooms were high on the list.

Housing, which used to plague most people, was no longer an issue.

With countless empty rooms, there was naturally no shortage of furniture and similar items.

By the time Wen Yu had scavenged the entire floor above him, he had already gathered everything he needed.

A bed, a sofa, a table, and some bedding.

Simple, wasn't it?

These mismatched pieces of furniture packed the small Rental Room to the brim, devoid of any aesthetic appeal.

But as long as there was a place to sleep, it was enough!

In this regard, human adaptability was truly formidable.

While passing through the floor above, Wen Yu took a moment to observe the situation there.

The first Survivor he had met after the start of the Apocalypse had long since departed.

He let out a low sigh.

"I hope you ran into someone decent."

…

After hauling over some pots, pans, and gas equipment, Wen Yu prepared a simple meal.

Savoring the quiet days with Xing as his companion, Wen Yu silently swallowed a piece of biscuit.

It reminded him of a movie called I Am Legend.

Unfortunately, his dog had run off to find himself a girl.

A slightly heavy set of footsteps echoed in the hallway, approaching until they stopped at the door across the hall. Then, there was a soft knock.

A male, weighing about 70 kilograms. Judging by his heart rate, he should be in his prime.

Star looked back curiously, then turned to look at Wen Yu.

Wen Yu shook his head once more.

The woman and child across the hall were merely Ordinary People, and the man who had just returned was only at the mid-stage of Level 1.

Given the current strength of the Survivors in Mudanjiang City, this family of three was incredibly weak.

Without a team or power, they could only scrape by in this sparsely populated Old City District, barely finding a place to survive and lingering on the brink of death.

A single Mutant Beast, another Survivor, a natural disaster, or even a disease would be enough to snuff out these three fragile lives.

Life was grand, yet so minuscule.

In essence, Wen Yu's current state of existence was already different from these low-level Class Holders.

The gap in strength meant that Wen Yu and the Class Holder across the hall would have nothing in common.

Though they were mere inches apart, they truly lived in two different worlds.

…

As night fell, there was still no sign of One-Eye returning.

Wen Yu wasn't worried. After all, if One-Eye and Star, as his War Pets, lacked the ability to handle danger independently, then Wen Yu would have to reconsider whether he was raising War Pets or ancestors!

With his powerful hearing, he could clearly hear voices coming from across the hall.

It was nothing more than mundane chatter-talk of family matters, food, and daily necessities.

After a while, the door next door opened, followed by a soft knock on his own.

"Uh, hello? We live across the hall. I just wanted to come by and say hi."

A slightly low male voice drifted in. Wen Yu hesitated for a moment before standing up and walking toward the door.

The sound of the man opening and closing his door earlier hadn't been particularly quiet.

At the time, the man hadn't known a Survivor had moved in across from him, so he hadn't controlled his volume. It was only while chatting with the woman inside that he learned a new Survivor had arrived.

Whether the newcomer was good or evil, a friend or a foe, or how strong he might be, the man didn't know.

So, the man decided to get a closer look at this unknown Survivor!

Even if the risk was great.

With the creak of the door, a man in his thirties appeared before Wen Yu.

He wasn't that old, but his temples were already graying. Combined with his tattered clothes and the lingering bruising around his eyes, it was clear he lived a difficult life.

Looking at the slightly nervous man, a faint smile played on Wen Yu's lips.

"Please, come in."

The man looked hesitantly at the smiling young man. After a long pause, he gave a slight nod.

At the same time, the right hand he had hidden behind his back slowly relaxed, revealing the worn hilt of a knife.

…

Though the room wasn't large, it was big enough for two people to sit.

Wen Yu quietly handed the man a cup of hot tea. Seeing the man's stiff posture, he spoke up.

"Don't be nervous. This place used to be my home, so I just came back to take a look. I'll probably be leaving in a couple of days."

Hearing Wen Yu's explanation, the man breathed a small sigh of relief and finally took the time to scan his surroundings.

The previously cluttered environment had been swept clean, and the cobwebs that once hung in the room were gone.

What made the man most wary, however, was the Little Soul Beast on Wen Yu's shoulder and Star, who was sprawled on the table nearby.

A Little Soul Beast meant a Hidden Class.

Star meant the man before him was at least not struggling for food, as he had the resources to keep a pet.

These two points alone meant the young man was not as harmless as he appeared.

"Uh, my name is Ye Nan. I live right across from you, Younger Brother."