Chapter 138: The Extinguished Radiance [Please Subscribe!]

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Hua Yao Hu persuaded Li Fan, who then reflected on the responsibilities a father must fulfill. He was painfully aware that he had become a monster; even though he still retained his intelligence and memories, his appearance would only cause his daughter Hu Jia to avoid him and cry. It seemed better to shorten the agony with death, to conceal this tragic reality. If that day ever came, he vowed to become the guardian within his daughter's shadow.

Of course, all of this was hypothetical. Li Fan was completely in the dark about the transformations that refining would bring.

Currently, Li Fan held a refinement item—treasures left behind by the slain corpse giant. The corpse giant was too valuable, so after verifying its worth, Li Fan reserved the refining item for himself.

After all, it was Li Fan who had risked everything to seal the corpse giant’s essence within the Monster Handbook. A little selfishness was only natural.

Hua Yao Hu’s mutation process had already begun. Once Li Fan acquired a new refinement item, he would conduct experiments on him in that regard.

For now, the most pressing matter was clear: moving house.

October 1st.

Clear skies.

In peaceful times, this would have been a day for a family outing, but now the surroundings lay utterly desolate. Due to relentless extermination of the alien creatures, not a single zombie was to be seen within a radius of several kilometers. The aliens’ bloodthirsty nature made them uncontrollable upon spotting living beings.

As a result, the once-bustling streets were eerily silent—not even the mournful howls of zombies remained. Only a few people stood rooted, gazing at the familiar buildings they had long inhabited.

A thick plume of smoke rose from one building. Before departing, Li Fan doused several rooms with gasoline and set them ablaze.

He did not want this place to become a nest for zombies after he left. It was better to destroy it himself than to let those inhuman creatures defile it.

“Let’s go!” Li Fan took a final glance and then spoke to the group.

Shops were abundant; there was no need to carry clothes or daily essentials. The group only bore enough food and water before heading toward their new stronghold.

…

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Morning sounds of washing and preparation echoed through the Jingmen Hua Residence. A few men ventured out together to dispose of waste, while women gathered in the empty rooms, lighting fires to begin cooking for the day.

Jingmen Hua Residence was a newly built community in the county. Except for a few buildings fitted with glass, most had only just been topped off; many windows remained without glass when the apocalypse suddenly struck.

Lu Tao was in a foul mood.

He sat in the shaded corner of a wall, twirling a sharpened dagger in his hand. Since being promoted to “captain” and commanding five team members, his temperament had darkened. Had he earned this position through his own strength, enjoying privileges superior to most, he might have accepted it gladly.

But everything he now possessed was built upon his sister’s humiliation. The so-called leader had seized his sister, and she was far from the only victim—most of the beautiful women in the base had been abused by that man.

The depths of human depravity were fully exposed.

In a world clouded by fear and uncertainty about what tomorrow might bring, people embraced a live-for-today mentality, rationalizing behaviors unbefitting of humanity.

“Lucky captain,” the team called him.

His promotion was the price paid on his sister’s body.

Lu Tao still remembered that night vividly. His usually gentle sister had slapped him fiercely, almost threateningly: “They have guns. Don’t do anything suicidal. Stay alive, live well! If you try to take revenge, I will die to show you!”

If not for his sister’s threat, Lu Tao would have moved without hesitation to slit the man’s throat.

A fair-faced young man approached from afar, handing Lu Tao a bag of biscuits. “Why are you hanging around in the cold here? If you catch a cold now, medicine will be hard to find.”

Liu Shang was one of the five-man squad and the only friend who treated Lu Tao with respect.

Lu Tao had saved Liu Shang’s life during a scavenging mission. Without him, Liu Shang would have long since become a wandering zombie in the streets.

Seeing Lu Tao’s downcast expression, Liu Shang glanced around then leaned closer. “Ark from Team One and Li Jinyan still haven’t returned—looks like the odds aren’t good. Plus, there have been signs of zombies nearby, so the order’s been given: no more foraging for food for the next few days.”

Lu Tao nodded slightly, seemingly indifferent to the loss of personnel. In their explorations, such losses had become commonplace. In fact, every mission was undertaken with the grim expectation some might never return.

Seeing Lu Tao’s mood remain subdued, Liu Shang sighed. “Still thinking about your sister, huh?”

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Lu Tao nodded. “Not a day goes by without it. I dragged her into this hellhole. If I hadn’t misjudged people, she wouldn’t have suffered such disgrace!”

Liu Shang curled his lips. “Well, better than being dead, right? I heard Team Four broke into a police warehouse and collected a lot of guns and ammo. You know, Team Four answers to that guy. You don’t stand a chance against them. Don’t do anything foolish!”

Lu Tao sighed heavily. “What’s become of this world? Why do the wicked go unpunished?”

“He deserves to die.”

“Every time I see him, I want to cut off his head. There is no law left in this world. If I get the chance, I’ll kill him myself!”

Liu Shang said nothing.

The camp had not always been like this. The leader, a man with deep social experience, had been chosen to lead. At first, things were relatively normal. But once he obtained the first batch of firearms and consolidated his power, conditions deteriorated.

At first, some female survivors, seeking better treatment, gave themselves over to him. As his status rose, he no longer contented himself with just those who volunteered but began to prey on other women.

Using temptation and coercion without scruples, he spared no means. There was something Liu Shang didn’t mention: yesterday, Team Four’s successful scavenging was rewarded by that man with female survivors—including Lu Tao’s sister.

Knowing the man’s temper, Liu Shang felt it necessary to warn Lu Tao before the full truth emerged.

“Ugh…”

Liu Shang sighed. He knew Lu Tao bore unimaginable pressure, but this was the apocalypse—humanity’s light had faded. To survive, they had to learn to endure.

Just as Liu Shang was about to reveal more grim news, a man came running up, gasping for breath. Seeing the two seated by the wall, he urged, “Grab your weapons! Dozens of zombies have appeared outside the community!”

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