“H-honey… is it really okay to do this?”
Wen Xi’s eyes shifted.
She could hear the woman’s hushed voice from just outside the non-soundproof door:
“Shouldn’t we knock and negotiate first? If we just break in, wouldn’t it be too…”
“Stop your nagging! We don’t have any gold, are we just supposed to wait here and freeze to death? I saw the transaction volume in that group; this woman has hoarded hundreds of quilts at the very least! I went through so much trouble to find out where she lives from the property owners’ group—why are you backing out now when we’re at the finish line?”
The man growled in a rough voice.
The sound of a metal pry bar scratching against the door lock was like fingernails scraping against an eardrum.
“As long as we take her supplies, we can survive this damn apocalypse. In a moment, I’ll hold her down, and you cut her head off! One clean strike and there’ll be no trouble!”
Wen Xi scoffed.
He measured less than 1.7 meters in height, but his confidence reached the heavens—did he think he could tackle a polar bear with one kick too?
Since they wanted to play the “survival of the fittest” game, they couldn’t blame her for being ruthless.
Wen Xi retreated silently into the room, shoved all her supplies from her inventory space into the tent, and then stored the tent back into her inventory, leaving only the stove and the leftovers in the room—
They served perfectly as bait.
“Click!”
The moment the lock popped open, Wen Xi had already flashed to the blind spot of the entryway.
The bandage wrapped around her machete dug red marks into her palm, and the blade glinted blood-red in the light of the charcoal fire.
“Bang!”
The door was kicked open violently.
The man, wearing a mink coat, charged in first.
“Where is she?” The man looked left and right, his eyes landing on the steaming stove, and he glowed with greed. “The stove! She really did hide good stuff! Honey, hurry—”
The blade descended like silver lightning!
“Pfft!”
Blood sprayed from the back of the man’s neck, and the machete jammed into his cervical vertebrae, emitting a gruesome grinding sound.
Wen Xi used her body weight to press down hard. As the blade completely severed his trachea, warm blood sprayed over her hands.
[Hostile target -1]
“Ahhhhh!”
The woman who followed behind screamed and backed away: “Don’t kill me! I-I have an ability item!”
Wen Xi raised her eyes slightly, seeing the game prompt marking the woman’s head:
[Ability Item: Magical Shoelaces]
“Take them off,” Wen Xi said. “Now.”
The woman shivered as she untied her shoelaces, then suddenly looked up: “Go to hell!”
“Swish!”
A blinding green light erupted from the shoelaces on her feet, and the woman flashed behind Wen Xi, clawing at her neck—
“Whoosh!”
The machete stabbed backward, precisely piercing her chest.
The woman looked down in disbelief, seeing the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around the hilt of the blade.
[Hostile target -2]
[Task Completed!]
“Hoo…” Wen Xi panted as she pulled out the knife.
The game panel popped up a reward:
[Ability Item: Fluorescent Shoelaces]
[Effect: Can trigger a 5-meter teleportation 10 times every 24 hours]
[Note: Usage frequency increases with upgrades; after reaching LV.6, daily usage is unlimited (Do not skim! You must read the notes carefully!!)]
The mechanical voice had just paused.
Immediately afterward.
Countless blue specks of light emerged from the void, drilling into her body through her pores. A piercing pain, like ice needles, exploded deep in her bone marrow, only to quickly transform into a warm current that swept through her entire body.
[Anti-Cold Gene fusion successful]
[Current Anti-Cold Level: Lv.1 (No sensation at -40°C)]
Wen Xi took a sharp breath, her eyes filled with joy.
She walked out into the hallway.
The biting cold air rushed at her, but it felt as comfortable as a spring breeze. The crisp sound of icicles falling outside and the wailing of trapped people in the distance suddenly became incredibly clear—
Her five senses had been enhanced too!
“Ninini!” The little soldier followed loyally, worried that an accident might occur.
“What are you afraid of?”
Wen Xi went back into the room, took out all her supplies, wrapped the two corpses in bags, and finally fished a phone out of the inner pocket of the man’s mink coat.
The screen was still lit, left on the interface of a small group:
[Survivor Huddling Group]
The latest message was a candid photo of her standing on the balcony:
“That woman must have hoarded hundreds of quilts and various anti-cold supplies! This is the photo I sneakily took; everyone can go and demand some together.”
“She lives alone; no one will know even if we kill her!”
Scrolling up, there were even earlier discussions:
“This bitch wants gold for selling quilts; she’s clearly profiting from a national disaster!”
“Who’s going to rob her supplies? I’ll offer five catties of rice as a reward!”
“I know where she lives. Her father, Fu Zhishan, couldn’t stand her and told me out of righteousness. I’m going to go do some reconnaissance.”
…Fu Zhishan.
It was Fu Zhishan again!
Wen Xi gritted her teeth; she had to teach that damn scum of a father a lesson tonight!
Buzz, buzz.
A new message popped up in the huddling group:
“@[Mink Brother], did you get it? Reply if you see this.”
These people were really just inciting fools to scout so they could sit back and reap the rewards.
Wen Xi held back her anger, pressed the voice key, and said:
“He’s dead.”
“If you’re not afraid of dying, feel free to come and try.”
The group fell into instant silence.
They were terrified.
“A bunch of rats in the gutter.”
Wen Xi opened her phone panel, wanting to displace the urge to slaughter, just in time to see a new message pop up in the 007 group.
[007 Group Official Administrator – Bai Shi]:
“Emergency notice! A new type of infectious pathogen has been discovered in the black rain. Symptoms include black patterns appearing on the skin and physical deformity. All members are requested to self-examine immediately; if infected persons are found, please report them immediately!”
[007 Group Official Administrator – Bai Shi]: “To avoid contagion, we will seal off the residential complex for virus testing and provide free treatment; residents are asked not to wander around freely.”
[007 Group Official Administrator – Bai Shi]: “Additionally, because the black rain has penetrated water sources everywhere, we have forcibly cut off the water supply. From now on, the authorities will provide basic water and food. Other supplies can be obtained by completing tasks we issue.”
Wen Xi was stunned as she calculated the time.
Indeed, the black rain should have taken effect by now.
Counting from the night the black rain fell, today was already the third day—although not strictly, it had been over 36 hours.
For those touched by the black rain, the changes weren’t obvious within 36 hours, but after 36 hours, a qualitative change would occur!
Deformity, dementia, cannibalism… it was hard not to notice.
Wen Xi took a deep breath, her fury dissipated slightly. She stored the body bags in her inventory and threw on a raincoat.
She said to the little soldier:
“I’m going out to dispose of the bodies, otherwise they’ll stink up the place once the lockdown begins.”
“Rest assured, no one will dare to harass us again for a while. This rental is safe.”
…
The strands of rain turned into ice needles, clattering against her protective shield, the sound becoming exceptionally sharp.
The anti-cold gene made the -40°C temperature a matter of indifference, as cool as an autumn breeze. But without the barrier of her raincoat, a body not tough enough would be pierced through by the ice needles.
Wen Xi nimbly climbed out of the complex, relying on the game’s radar to dodge surveillance everywhere.
The streets were deserted.
Wen Xi tied the fluorescent green shoelaces onto her sneakers and stared at the prompt before her.
[Ability Item: Magical Shoelaces (Flash Type)]
Before she upgraded, this thing could be used ten times a day, up to five meters each time.
It seemed suitable only for close-quarters combat or to gain a few seconds when fleeing.
“Let’s test the effect.”
Wen Xi used her phone’s basic timer to step forward along the road. The moment she took a step, the knot made of shoelaces flashed brilliantly, and the world spun.
When her vision cleared, she was already standing in front of a utility pole, her nose almost bumping into it.
So fast.
The flash took 0.3 seconds.
“It’s too fast; I can’t see clearly. I must train.”
Wen Xi looked at the shoelaces and couldn’t help but laugh:
“Truly a good item. It seems like looting ability items is also a good…”
The wind blew.
Wen Xi paused instantly, sniffing hard.
The ice rain was heavy, but she could still smell a faint, metallic scent in the air.
Is it… blood?!