The previous night, Li Dong approached Chen Liu to discuss the restructuring of the reserve fighters, a conversation marked by careful deliberation. Together, they formalised the battle squad, appointing Chen Liu as its leader. The squad was divided into two combat teams to streamline operations. Chen Liu took on the dual role of squad leader and head of Team One, which included the seasoned fighters Zhang Chong and Yu Dachao, alongside four female reserve fighters, with Yu Na among them. Li Dong was assigned to lead Team Two, comprising Zheng Kuncheng and the remaining four female recruits. This structure paired experienced warriors with novices, a time-tested model to forge cohesion and skill. This formalises our chain of command, Chen Liu recognised the necessity of clear leadership in their precarious situation. When Chen Liu suggested that Zhang Chong, newly awakened, take over as Team One leader, Li Dong nodded in agreement. “I’ve got no objections,” he said. Zhang Chong’s eyes lit up with excitement about the prospect of his new role as an ability-user fueling his enthusiasm.
In the dining hall, Chen Liu glanced at the eight female fighters lined against the wall, clad in anti-stab suits, blast helmets, and riot shields. Their chatter was a mix of nervous energy and determination. “For the next few days, both teams should stay active around the cafeteria building,” he instructed. “Let the newcomers acclimate to battle as soon as possible.” The early days of the apocalypse, when weaker zombies served as training fodder, were long gone. Now, only real combat against formidable undead could hone their skills. Physical training had also been intensified, though Chen Liu emphasised a gradual approach to avoid overwhelming the recruits. They needed to build strength, not break under pressure. When Zhang Chong asked, “What about you, Squad Leader?” Chen Liu replied calmly, “I’m heading into the mountains.” The announcement drew puzzled looks from both Zhang Chong and Li Dong. “The mountains? What for?” Zhang Chong pressed. Chen Liu explained, “Have you noticed? All the cats and dogs from the sanatorium have disappeared.” Something had shifted in the ecosystem and he had piecing together the clues.
The absence of smaller animals struck Chen Liu as significant. “Aside from a few large mutated beasts—like wild boars—that rely on brute strength to stay near the sanatorium, the smaller mutated animals have either fled into the wild or gone up the mountain,” he continued. Those mountains were their true domain, a refuge from the roaming corpse hordes that posed a greater threat than humans. In this new world, humans, zombies, and mutated beasts formed a brutal ecosystem of conflict, each vying for survival. Ability-users like Chen Liu needed crystals from zombies or beast brains to evolve, just as zombies and beasts required the same to grow stronger—a cycle of mutual predation. “Then why go into the mountains at all?” Zhang Chong asked, his confusion deepening. Chen Liu offered a faint smile. “The unknown enemy is the most dangerous. I’m going to scout, to see what the mutated beasts are doing—before we face a surprise raid from a beast horde.” If we don’t understand what’s out there, we’re vulnerable, he thought, driven by recent insights from Professor Zhang’s notes on the evolution of nature in this altered world. Mutated beasts were a known threat, but the rapidly transforming plant life could prove equally perilous. Despite Zhang Chong’s offer to accompany him, Chen Liu waved him off. “No need. The priority is training the female fighters. I’m a Seven-Star Awakened now—I’ll be fine scouting the perimeter.” Reluctantly, Zhang Chong acquiesced, and after breakfast, the battle squad began their training.
Chen Liu set out for Mount Jing, the mountain behind Jinghu Sanatorium, on a mountain bike, following the back-road trail into the forest. At the mountain’s base, he abandoned the bike and proceeded on foot to stay alert. The moment he stepped into the woods, a wave of unease washed over him, as if he were an intruder in a forbidden realm. This isn’t the Mount Jing I knew, he thought, recalling the hikes he had taken with Old Wang before the apocalypse. The forest had been transformed. Ther were no birdsong, no insect hum… only a deathly hush. The once-familiar trees, bushes, and weeds had taken on an alien vitality, forming a new ecosystem in mere weeks. The underbrush had grown unnaturally dense, swallowing the hiking trail under thick layers of vegetation, as if nature were aggressively reclaiming its domain. This growth rate isn’t normal, Chen Liu noted, unease gnawing at him. He began to suspect that humanity’s greatest threat might not be zombies or beasts, but the silent, explosive potential of the plant world, so low on the food chain yet brimming with untapped power.
The forest teemed with unseen life. Chen Liu’s heightened senses detected countless small animals—birds, rodents, snakes, and insects—lurking in treetops and underbrush, some native, others migrants from human settlements like the sanatorium. They’ve rebuilt a food chain here, he realised, noting the collision of habitats. The deeper he ventured, the more intense the sensation of being watched, repelled, and rejected grew. The timid might have turned back, but Chen Liu pressed on, undeterred. The treetops had grown denser. Chen Liu noticed a Hongsen Locust trees—once known for their narrow canopies—now boasting thick, sprawling branches after just two weeks. Suddenly, Chen Liu halted, his instincts flaring. Danger. Something has been approaching, silent and deliberate. He tightened his grip on his axe, his senses razor-sharp. From a distant thicket, a massive wild boar emerged—the fourth and strongest of the sanatorium’s pigs, now a Six-Star Beast, weighing over five hundred pounds with tusks nearly half a meter long. Terrifying. His pulse quickening.
As if on cue, two more mutated beasts appeared, flanking him. To his left was the big yellow dog he once fought. To his right was a large black cat, likely a former pet. A boar, a dog, and a cat—three overlords of Mount Jing’s outer perimeter— surrounded him without his notice. I underestimated them. Chen Liu scolded himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The rustle of leaves underscored the tension. The realisation hit him like a blow: these beasts, of different species, formed an alliance, a coordinated threat he never anticipated. This changes everything, he thought, gripping his axe tightly and bracing for a fight unlike any he had faced before.
Yuyu: When you aura farm in a forest during an apocalypse, you get surrounded. I'm sure Chen Liu has learned.
thINKer: When pets of the household become gods of the woods…We know Chen Liu will be fine, but this will be difficult.