Seeing this prompt, Lu Luo’s heart eased a little; as long as it wasn’t an unknown area, it would be manageable.
"This isn’t an unknown area; it’s C13. I’ve read about this place in an adventurer’s handbook. Gu Fang, stay close. There might be Exotic Species around here."
While a Grade C area was still very dangerous for them, at least higher-tier Exotic Species didn’t appear as densely here, and they were rarely seen on these outskirts. The main reason was the scarcity of Dark Energy. Although after passing through the jungle, the Dark Energy had reached four times the concentration found inside the wall, it was still too little for Exotic Species accustomed to high concentrations.
With Lu Luo’s reminder, Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu also relaxed slightly and followed behind him.
Gu Fangyi tightened his grip on his rifle, scanning the surrounding buildings and beginning to memorize the environment.
Lu Luo still took the lead, habitually keeping to the right side of the road as he headed straight for the place called "Fifi’s Supermarket."
Watching Lu Luo’s direction, Qi Xinzhu felt something was off. Didn’t Lu Luo say they came outside the wall to gather herbs? Why is he heading into buildings? There are no plants here.
Buildings like these were very dangerous, although one might discover Corrosive Items. But with a narrow field of vision, if they encountered an Exotic Species, they would have to improvise and fight on the spot.
"Lu Luo, didn’t you say you were here to collect herbs? Why are we going in here?"
Lu Luo looked at the building before them. After thinking for a long moment, he couldn’t come up with any convincing lies, so he could only put on an honest expression.
"My sixth sense tells me there might be herbs inside. Do you believe me?"
Qi Xinzhu looked at the dilapidated Fifi’s Supermarket and forcefully suppressed her urge to object.
"Fine, I believe you."
The three of them arrived at the entrance of Fifi’s Supermarket. There were many reasons for choosing this as their first stop. Since they were going to hunt Exotic Species, Lu Luo had to choose a building as a base. Although buildings were dangerous, the advantages outweighed the risks, such as higher vantage points, relatively simpler environments, and external walls that could protect them from Exotic Species at night. His time was running out. He needed to kill as many Exotic Species as possible in 10 days, but his strength didn’t allow him to rush in blindly. Therefore, establishing a secure safe zone, setting traps, and preparing for various combat environments were crucial.
This place will do, Lu Luo thought, then took the lead into the supermarket. The first floor was already a mess. The goods on the shelves had been mostly cleared out, leaving only some broken iron racks. What should have been a wooden floor was already rotten, with some areas even showing claw marks and dried feces, indicating that Exotic Species had been here recently.
[On the right-hand side, the third shelf, the connected iron rod has a small wooden block; this is a Corrosive Wood Block.]
Lu Luo’s eyes suddenly lit up. He headed straight for the third shelf, but before he could inspect it, all three of them turned their gaze toward the mall’s old, disused elevator.
The sound of the energy rifle firing was muffled and coarse. The moment an Exotic Species appeared, Gu Fangyi fired immediately—authority Lu Luo had granted him.
A First Tier carnivorous rat was instantly headshot, but its tenacious vitality prevented it from dying immediately.
Lu Luo threw out a hook, snagged it on the leg of the headless rat—which was roughly the size of a wild boar—and dragged it down. Drawing the Wraith Blade, he cut the carnivorous rat in half. The severed body twitched a few times before finally going silent.
The coordination between the two was still perfectly synchronized, causing Qi Xinzhu, who was watching from the side, to look on in astonishment. Although her strength was considerable and her theoretical knowledge extensive, this was her first time outside the wall. She had sparred with other followers of the Dawn Church, but when it came to Exotic Species and killing, she was a complete theorist, a total newbie. When she saw the carnivorous rat earlier, her first reaction wasn’t to attack but to wonder what kind of Exotic Species it was, whether it was dangerous, and if she should attack.
But Gu Fangyi and Lu Luo were different. When dealing with Exotic Species, they acted swiftly and fiercely, without the slightest hesitation. This highlighted the difference between them.
After killing the carnivorous rat, Lu Luo directly used the Devourer to consume it, with no intention of hiding it from Qi Xinzhu. Lu Luo needed to continually devour Exotic Species, and they were going to be together for the next 10 days. Even if he wanted to hide it, it would be impossible, so it was better to use his ability openly.
Watching the tentacles of the Devourer extend, Qi Xinzhu asked cautiously, "Lu Luo, is this your Sequence Ability?"
"Yeah, it’s called Grade B Corpse-Eating. Pretty handy!"
[Your way of lying is so professional! Also, this woman’s Holy Light fluctuations are really strong; maybe she’s trying hard to convince herself to believe what you’re saying?]
Does Lu Luo need to make Qi Xinzhu believe him? Not really! He wants Qi Xinzhu to know that he’s lying to her; that way, she’ll stop asking questions in the future.
"Alright then, your Corpse-Eating Sequence looks quite unique," Qi Xinzhu said, then fell silent.
Lu Luo only devoured half of the large rat, hanging the remaining half of the carcass with a hook and tossing it to the side.
Next, Lu Luo went to shelf number three and pried off the Corrosive Wood Block with a small knife.
Such a small piece. It’s probably only worth around 500 to 1,000, not more than that, Lu Luo thought.
After removing the wooden block, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi continued to clear the first floor of the supermarket. This floor was too dilapidated, with many walls already damaged, clearly unsuitable for constructing a base.
After inspecting the area and finding no Exotic Species, Lu Luo headed towards the second floor of the mall.
When the three of them reached the second floor, Lu Luo pulled out the Wraith Blade, and Qi He gradually suffused the blade. With one slash, he cut through the already dilapidated old elevator. This action prompted Qi Xinzhu’s question.
"Why cut off the access? If there are no stairs or elevators, won’t it be inconvenient to move between floors for escape or combat?"
Lu Luo mainly didn’t feel like explaining. If he were to detail survival techniques for outside the wall, it would take half a day, and he didn’t have that much time.
After speaking, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi dismantled the stairs leading to the third floor.
"That should do it. With a bit more work on these two floors, this will be our base for this operation."
Gu Fangyi nodded slightly without saying a word, while Qi Xinzhu stood to the side, barely noticeable.
"Do you need my help?"
"Help us watch the luggage."
"Ah? Just watch the luggage?"
Lu Luo intentionally didn’t involve her because his original plan was for just him and Gu Fangyi to operate together. He wanted to test, as much as possible, whether the two of them could survive outside the wall. So, he chose not to venture too deep, instead setting up camp at the very edge of the area outside the wall.
Holding a blade in one hand and a gun in the other, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi moved cautiously, covering each other’s backs as they began to explore the second floor of the supermarket.
Watching the two of them advance side by side, Qi Xinzhu sat down, somewhat disheartened. Ever since she came to the Fourth Ring to find Lu Luo, it seemed like nothing had been going smoothly; she constantly felt a sense of powerlessness. This was an agonizing experience for Qi Xinzhu, who had always had things go her way.
Picking up a branch by her foot, she poked at Lu Luo’s luggage, then hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, completely unaware that in a corner behind her, a dark figure was silently observing her.