Chapter Forty-Nine: Claws and Fangs (Third Update) Please support with votes and add to your favorites.

"Old Jia, tell the people at the back to keep up. If they can't endure even this little hardship, they'll be eliminated from this world sooner or later under this scorching sun," Liang Jing complained, his tone tinged with impatience as he and Jia Yu-jin pressed forward.

Their pace was already slow. Think about it—Zhang Hu and Liu Zhixiong were just ordinary folks, never much for exercise. Ever since that night of their long run, their muscles had remained sore and never fully recovered; they needed time to adjust, and their speed had never picked up. Now, with Wu Aimin the chef—whose constitution was even worse—joining them, their progress had slowed even more. They were, after all, just regular people, barely able to cover a handful of miles in a day. Along the way, they had to tread carefully, vigilant against danger, often forced to fight mutated monsters or even flee for their lives. One could imagine how sluggish their advance was. Even so, Liang Jing was dissatisfied; alone, his pace would have been at least ten times faster.

Beside him, Jia Yu-jin rolled his eyes. Did Liang Jing think everyone was like him, some tireless brute? Still, he nodded silently. Liang Jing was right. If they wanted to survive, to live better in this new world, they had to relentlessly strengthen themselves.

And so, hardship descended upon the group behind them, especially Wu Aimin, who had once dreamed of an easier life. Forced to push beyond their limits, their bodies and spirits neared collapse. If it weren’t for the zombie-turned-bull, the ox, carrying the bulk of their supplies, and for the fact that every meal consisted of hearty mutant beast meat that quickly replenished their energy, they would have given out long ago.

Wu Aimin wore only a T-shirt, sweat soaking him through under the relentless sun. At first, he felt a twinge of regret, but it quickly vanished. Though this life was harsh and exhausting, he could feel his body growing stronger, his power steadily increasing. He’d witnessed the others in the group fighting mutated monsters and understood that, in this world, nothing was guaranteed but one’s own strength and the strength of their group. That alone could ensure survival. At least now he had hope and a clear goal, unlike the confusion and helplessness he’d felt in his previous group. Now, even the blankets they slept with were new and of high quality—goods Liang Jing had scavenged from the Qianbaihui Supermarket, enough for everyone. Their bellies were full, whether with compressed biscuits, sausages, or beast meat. Most importantly, there was a sense of safety here. Watching those terrifying monsters fall to the group’s blades, Wu Aimin’s confidence only grew.

Liang Jing led the way, handling the most formidable monsters himself, leaving those of lesser strength for the others to tackle and thus hone their combat skills. Old Jia, meanwhile, kept a strict watch at the rear, ensuring no one slacked off and protecting the group from injury during battle.

Suddenly, Liang Jing halted, advancing quietly and carefully. He heard voices up ahead—gunfire, and the shrill cries of mutated monsters...

“Brother Huang, after we kill this rat, let’s head back,” whimpered one nervous, sycophantic voice.

“That’s right, this makes three mutant rats now. Should be enough to last us a few days.”

“Yeah, just wait a moment. With these three rats, we won’t have to come out for at least three days.” Brother Huang was of medium build. Whether due to the heat or his own preference, he was shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose trousers.

Huang Yanze was frustrated. He was an Awakened, after all; ever since he’d thrown in his lot with Young Master Tu, he’d lived well. Now, he’d been sent out to ‘hunt.’ He couldn’t fathom why Young Master Tu was so obsessed with these mutated rats, constantly sending people out to kill and bring them back to eat. Just thinking of how these rats used to scurry through the city’s filth made him lose his appetite.

In truth, Huang Yanze didn’t know that the flesh of mutated beasts was excellent for replenishing physical energy, and for martial artists, it was invaluable. Training only bore fruit through perseverance, but without proper nourishment, their stamina would fail them. Forcing their bodies would only lead to injury. This meat, however, could swiftly restore what was lost, allowing for rapid improvement in martial skills.

Even so, under another’s command, he had to contribute. Why else would someone feed him, give him women to enjoy? For Huang Yanze, who had once been a laborer on construction sites, this was a blessing from the heavens.

Squeak!—

“Courting death! Hah!” With a bellow, Brother Huang’s skin began to undulate, suddenly sprouting layers of thick brown keratin. He ignored the attacks of the dog-sized mutant rat, meeting it head-on. The military spike in his hand slid into the rat’s neck with a hiss. The unique design of the trident bayonet worked its effect; though the wound was small, blood spurted from it in torrents. The mutant rat’s end was near...

“Brother Huang is amazing!”

“Of course, he’s an Awakened! These rat monsters don’t even have a chance to fight back!”

“Exactly! Brother Huang is so formidable, even Young Master Tu rewards him with beauties. Remember that woman last time? That figure, that skin, that face... Tsk, tsk...” One of his lackeys salivated at the memory.

Gulp—

The others were equally debased, their minds lingering on that woman’s allure: her fair skin, her curves, her helplessness. Brother Huang, far from annoyed, basked in their admiration. As long as he did his job well and grew stronger, Young Master Tu would surely bestow any woman upon him. He knew well the clout Young Master Tu’s group had, even with the military. If Young Master Tu set his sights on a woman among the migrant group, she would be his for the taking. Huang’s only frustration was that his own abilities were still a bit lacking compared to others; he could only accept this menial work.

“All right, do your jobs well. Who knows—maybe one day Young Master Tu will reward you with beauties too,” Brother Huang encouraged his underlings with practiced authority.

“Yes! Of course!”

“Work hard, and that day will come. I heard about Old Hei, you know? The heartless bastard. He received a woman from Young Master Tu as a reward.”

“I heard that too! Even if they were cast-offs, every one of them was a stunner. Before the world changed, any one of them would have had a throng of men chasing after her. Who would’ve thought we’d get the chance to play with them now? Let’s do a good job for Young Master Tu!”

“Those women are pitiful though. I heard that after Young Master Tu was done with them, they either became obedient dogs or lost their minds, and many even died. Who knows what horrors they endured...” one of the lackeys muttered, his face paling at the rumor.

“Enough, drop it. In this world, people die like ants—what does it matter? Get ready to head back...” Brother Huang didn’t want to pursue the topic; if Young Master Tu got wind of it, who knew what punishment might follow.

“Damn, those uppity women always acted so high and mighty. I always wanted to deal with them. Let’s see how they fare now.”

“Exactly. When Old Third snatched that married woman last time, her husband resisted, right? How did he end up?”

“What do you think? Of course he resisted. They tied him up and made him watch as Young Master Tu did unspeakable things to his wife. When it was over, they cut him all over and let him bleed to death, slowly and painfully.”

“These people are foolish to resist. If Young Master Tu takes a fancy to someone, just hand her over—otherwise, the result is never good. The lucky ones die quickly.”

At that moment—

“Brother Liang!”

Liang Jing turned to see that Old Jia and the others had caught up. Clearly, he’d been listening to these scoundrels’ filth for some time. These men were nothing but evil lackeys, guilty of heinous crimes.

“Who’s there! Show yourself!” Brother Huang’s group had heard them too. Someone barked out, tightening his grip on his gun—bullets were precious, they couldn’t waste them.

“Relax. And lower your weapons,” Liang Jing said coolly, emerging from the low bushes with his group, making no effort to hide.

“Well, well! Brother Huang, we’ve found ourselves a fine prize. Offer her to Young Master Tu and the benefits will be plentiful!” One of the gun-toting lackeys shouted excitedly when he spotted Ling Qinghe among them.

———

The further I write, the more confused I feel. It seems the deeper I go, the less I connect with the story. I can’t tell where I’ve gone wrong...