Ye Zhongming had gone… somewhere even he wasn’t entirely sure of.
After more than five years of the apocalypse, the landscape had transformed beyond recognition. Cities lay in ruins, mountains had been flattened, swamps turned into forests, and deserts had become grasslands or lakes. This was no longer the work of nature, but the result of the terrifying power of mutated lifeforms.
In the early years, highways and expressways could still serve as reference points to locate cities. But now, former urban areas might be dense forests or vast lakes, roads completely destroyed or buried—no longer reliable landmarks.
Ye Zhongming lit a campfire, roasting the hind leg of a level-five mutated boar he had casually hunted. The rest of the carcass? Discarded without a second thought.
These creatures were notoriously vicious—fast, strong, and incredibly tough, with formidable evolved abilities. They were one of the few species whose notoriety had carried over from the pre-apocalyptic era.
Yet, like before, boar meat remained delicious when grilled. With just a sprinkle of seasoning, it emitted an irresistible aroma—tender, fragrant, and even beneficial to an evolved’s strength.
In the darkness of night, such a scent was bound to attract other mutated lifeforms. But Ye Zhongming didn’t care. He had even deliberately placed the fire near the broken window of this ruined house, ensuring its glow could be seen from afar.
In the nation’s current state, very few things could threaten Ye Zhongming. He no longer needed to live with the same caution as before.
Lost in thought, listening to the rain outside, Ye Zhongming felt a headache coming on.
“Should’ve brought the Exquisite Floating Ball,” he mused, sighing internally. Now, he was effectively blind.
Half an hour ago, he had deliberately released a powerful aura to deter any foolish mutated lifeforms from disturbing him on this cold, rainy night. That would be suicide for those lifeforms.
Yet, barely twenty minutes later, Ye Zhongming opened his eyes, gazing through the broken, glassless window.
In such darkness, without starlight, visibility was practically zero. But these people… what were they doing here?
Ye Zhongming spotted their silhouettes with his enhanced vision when they entered a hundred-meter radius. He could even make out the irritation and frustration on their faces by fifty meters.
Glancing at his nearly extinguished campfire, he sighed inwardly. “Maybe I should’ve kept a lower profile.”
“Brother who is inside, mind if we take shelter from the rain?”
This wasn’t some cliché novel scene where people casually barged into abandoned temples. This was the apocalypse. Anyone wandering the wilderness at night was dangerous. The chance of being attacked upon entering uninvited was over 50%.
Ye Zhongming acknowledged.
He wasn’t afraid of being robbed, and these people seemed decent enough. Letting them take shelter wouldn’t hurt. Otherwise, if they kept moving through the wilderness tonight, half might not survive till morning.
“Thanks, brother!” The leader’s voice carried genuine relief. In the apocalypse, finding someone so accommodating was rare.
The group pushed open the decrepit door—only for it to collapse under the slightest pressure. They froze momentarily, activating light sources in their hands, their expressions tense as they scanned the room for threats.
Seeing only Ye Zhongming sitting calmly on the ground, they relaxed.
The leader, however, eyed Ye Zhongming suspiciously. A lone traveler on a night like this? Unusual.
The group of seven—five men and two women—settled in the farthest corner from Ye Zhongming. Under the dim light, they rummaged through their packs for food.
Wet clothes? Irrelevant. Colds were practically nonexistent for evolved.
Ye Zhongming had already assessed their strength the moment they entered. The burly leader was a five-star evolved, as was the gray-haired elderly woman beside him. The last woman to enter, however, was a six-star—the highest in the group. The rest were four stars.
By apocalypse standards, this was a decently strong team.
Of course, by Ye Zhongming’s standards? He could kill them all in seconds if he wished.
As for their gear—unimpressive. Only the leader and the old woman had a few Silver-grade pieces. The rest wore mostly White or Gray-grade equipment.
This was normal. Cloud Peak was the anomaly.
The six-star woman, however, stood out—her gear was the worst of the group, all Gray-grade. Odd for someone of her level.
A six-star evolved could qualify as a formal soldier in Cloud Peak. In other major factions, she’d at least be a squad leader. In smaller groups, she’d be the boss.
But Ye Zhongming didn’t dwell on it. Strange? Maybe. But he couldn’t be bothered to care.
The group chewed on their dry rations, occasionally stealing glances at Ye Zhongming’s half-eaten, still-aromatic boar leg. No one dared ask for a bite, let alone try to buy it.
For a while, the only sounds in the ruined house were chewing and the rain outside.
Just as Ye Zhongming closed his eyes again, his brows furrowed.
“What now?”
Another group was approaching.
The campfire was nearly out, and the room was dim. Spotting it from a distance would require sharp eyes.
This new group was larger—over twenty people, accompanied by two battle beasts. One of them visibly radiated a Green-grade glow, indicating multiple Green-grade pieces.
After a brief pause outside, three scouts entered, scanning the room warily before reporting back. Soon, the entire group filed in.
The ruined house—likely a former factory workshop—was spacious compared to ordinary buildings, but with nearly thirty people and two battle beasts, it felt cramped.