The alley was dark and damp, with piles of garbage emitting a foul stench more complex than the typical rot of zombies. Ruan Ning held her breath, her sharp eyes scanning every corner that could conceal danger.
Crack.
A faint crisp sound came from behind and to the side—not like accidentally stepping on something, but more like something breaking.
Ruan Ning tensed instantly, whipped her head around, and held her machete horizontally in front of her.
Deep in the alley, a shadow slowly rose from behind a heap of discarded cardboard boxes. It was not the stiff, staggering posture of a zombie but carried the… scrutinizing, living presence of a human.
It was a tall man, nearly blocking most of the alley’s entrance. He wore a stained but once camouflage combat uniform, his face painted with streaks of black and gray, obscuring his features. Only his eyes gleamed sharply in the dim light, like a lurking beast.
He held no obvious weapon, yet just standing there radiated an intense danger—far more threatening than any zombie Ruan Ning had slain that afternoon.
Her heart dropped.
A living person—definitely not a good one.
She gripped her knife’s handle tightly, the water elemental energy she had just partially recovered quietly flowing and gathering within her, ready to unleash. She said nothing, only returned his cold and wary gaze.
The man appraised her from head to toe, pausing briefly on her blood-stained machete and her slightly tired but still upright posture. Finally, his gaze fixed on the slightly open collar of her shirt—there hung a delicate silver chain with a small water-drop-shaped jade pendant, another heirloom from her mother that she always wore close.
His eyes seemed to flicker briefly, too fast to catch.
He spoke in a low, hoarse voice, dry as if long without water, yet commanding:
“Where did you get that necklace?”
Ruan Ning’s pupils contracted. She hadn’t expected this question. The necklace was unremarkable, worthless in this apocalypse—far less appealing than the backpack on her back.
“None of your business,” she replied coldly, with a warding tone. She subtly adjusted her stance to ensure she could strike or retreat instantly.
The man stepped forward, the pressure suddenly intensifying. “Answer me.”
Ruan Ning stopped wasting words. She knew that in this environment, words meant nothing—only strength dictated the outcome. She stomped her foot and advanced, machete flashing coldly as she struck toward his face!
The strike was fast and fierce, with no mercy.
But the man’s reflexes were unbelievably quick. He didn’t dodge; instead, he casually raised his right hand, fingers curled like hooks, precisely blocking the descending blade!
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang out.
Ruan Ning felt a huge recoil through the knife’s handle; her hand numbed as the man blocked her machete barehanded! Not only that, he twisted his wrist, fingers like iron clamps, aiming to grip her wrist!
Panic surged through her—his strength and speed far surpassed any normal survivor! Without hesitation, she formed her left hand into a sword shape, unleashing the water elemental energy she had been building.
Shhh—
A condensed, almost tangible pale blue water arrow shot out, carrying a biting chill, aimed straight at his face!
At such close range, it was almost a guaranteed hit!
The man clearly didn’t expect her to have powers; a genuine look of surprise flashed in his eyes. But his response was lightning fast—his head jerked sharply to the side!
The water arrow grazed his temple, pulling away some strands of hair, then struck the wall behind him, leaving a shallow dent. The moisture quickly froze into ice!
Ruan Ning’s heart skipped: Ice? Since when did her water arrow carry cold?
Taking advantage of his dodge, she wrenched her wrist free from his grasp and without hesitation turned sharply, pushing her speed to the limit, sprinting toward the other end of the alley!
The man did not immediately give chase. He touched his cheek, which the water arrow had grazed, feeling the cold sting. Watching Ruan Ning’s figure vanish into the dim alley entrance, he looked down at his slightly reddened palm, still faintly chilled. For the first time, his sharp eyes revealed a grave and inscrutable curiosity.
“Water element… mutation?” he muttered. Then shook his head and cast a complex look toward the direction she disappeared.
“And that necklace…”
After a moment of silence, he chose not to pursue and slowly retreated into the alley’s shadows as if he had never appeared.
Meanwhile, Ruan Ning ran hard until she was certain he was not following, then leaned heavily against a broken wall, gasping for breath. Her heart pounded—not just from exertion but the intense threat of that brief encounter.
That man was too strong! Blocking a blade barehanded, astonishing speed—definitely not an ordinary survivor! Who was he? Military? Or, like her, a power user, perhaps even stronger?
And he asked about the necklace… Could he know her mother?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, stirring unease. In the apocalypse, unknown powerful beings often meant even greater variables and dangers.
She dared not linger, suppressing her racing thoughts, moving cautiously toward the main road.
She had to leave quickly. That man—and the mystery he brought—was now classified as an extreme threat.
Right now, she was still not strong enough.