There was no other reason; simply because nothing else was added, and the sweet potato had only been roasted for five minutes, the aroma alone had completely dazed her.
The sweet potato appeared unremarkable, its skin even slightly charred. But once peeled, it revealed golden, fluffy flesh. One bite brought a soft, sweet texture that left a lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth.
For a moment, Ye Mian found it difficult even to walk.
How! Could it! Be this delicious!?
Seeing her stop while eating, her almond-shaped eyes wide as if she had never tasted such a common street snack as a roasted sweet potato, Xue Kai couldn’t help but feel curious about how she had lived in the past.
However, after a moment’s thought, he didn’t ask. Instead, he confirmed once more: “Are we really not taking Big Black with us?”
Although he still hadn’t figured out what Ye Mian’s skill was, it wasn’t hard to see from her overly frail physique that it certainly wasn’t a combat-oriented skill.
After all, for an “Evolutionary” with combat skills, the first and most significant change was an enhanced physique, followed by doubled strength and a corresponding increase in speed. Even an Evolutionary with defensive skills, like him, received a certain boost to their physical stamina.
When he had returned to his hometown a few days ago, the mutations had only just begun. The city was a chaotic scene of battles between Evolutionaries and mutants. By now, however, the Evolutionaries had likely either evacuated or… would never come out again.
So, were the two of them—with practically zero combat power—really going to venture into a city that was likely crawling with mutants?
“Yes. He’s too big; he stands out too much.”
Ye Mian finished one sweet potato in a few bites and took out another to peel. Catching a glimpse of Xue Kai’s worried expression out of the corner of her eye, she added, “Don’t worry. You just need to protect yourself.”
Xue Kai wasn’t worried about himself, but rather about her. Seeing her look so relaxed, however, he nodded and stopped overthinking it.
It wasn’t until they reached the highway, successfully found a functional car, and smoothly arrived at the nearest city—Li City—that a still-dazed Xue Kai began to vaguely understand why Ye Mian could speak so easily.
Along the way, they always managed to avoid danger before it arrived. Ye Mian’s sudden instructions for him to slow down, stop, or accelerate were not accidental acts, but rather a skill similar to “prediction.”
Fortunately, even before the mutations, the world had already begun to show signs of collapse. There weren’t many people left lingering or traveling outside. The roads weren’t too congested with cars, and there weren’t many mutants either.
However, things were not so smooth once they entered the formerly bustling city center.
The eight-lane main road was packed with abandoned cars, business vans, and even buses and trucks. Large trees along the roadside leaned precariously or had fallen over, as if a catastrophic storm had passed through.
Everywhere on the road were severed traffic lights, LED billboards, and a ground covered in blood, severed limbs, animal fur, and shattered glass.
In the distance, various grotesquely shaped mutants could be seen wandering, searching for new prey.
It looked exactly like a living hell.
BOOM—
A loud noise echoing from afar made Xue Kai flinch, his face turning several shades paler.
Ye Mian unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door to get out. “Let’s walk from here. It’s easier to hide.”
Xue Kai was speechless and could only scramble out of the car to follow her.
The two bypassed a messy green belt at the roadside and walked onto a two-lane side street. Although there were some hardware stores along the street, all their rolling shutters were pulled down and locked tight.
“Map.”
“…Oh.”
Coming back to his senses, Xue Kai took out a thick map he had specifically bought earlier. It contained not only detailed maps of various cities but also the distributions and routes outside the cities; even famous mountain attractions, towns, and villages were marked.
As he flipped through the map to find Li City, he asked casually, “Didn’t you say you were from Li City?”
“Yes,” Ye Mian continued walking. “I rarely went out.”
Xue Kai uttered an “oh” and then found a surviving road sign to locate their position on the map.
“Near our current location, there are three malls and one large supermarket. Although malls have everything, I think it’s better to go to the supermarket.”
There was just one problem: because the power had been out for a while, the supermarket had likely closed its doors before the mutations started. Even if they wanted to break in by force, they didn’t have the strength.
Hearing his concerns, Ye Mian thought for a moment and decided, “Let’s go take a look. There might be mutants appearing there.”
“Huh?”
After a journey of hiding, weaving through alleys, and taking back roads to reach the large supermarket on the map, Xue Kai realized he had overlooked another possibility—other Evolutionaries had already been there.
Several entrances and the underground parking lot showed signs of forced entry, which had subsequently been blocked tightly with external objects.
It looked as if something had been trapped inside, cutting off any possibility of it coming out. However, trying to get back in would also be extremely difficult.
Xue Kai scratched his head and reopened the map. “Maybe we should just go to the mall…”
“Someone is here.”
What?
Xue Kai looked up blankly, only to see Ye Mian leave those words behind and walk directly toward the main entrance of the supermarket. He looked carefully and searched for a while but saw no one.
Was there really someone else like them, coming to the supermarket for supplies only now?
The reason Ye Mian was so certain was that a line of information had just flashed through her mind. She didn’t look at the rest too closely, but she clearly remembered the word “Evolutionary.”
A busy downtown area.
A lone Evolutionary.
They were either abandoned or strong enough to protect themselves.
Either way, they would be useful to her.
It wasn’t just Ye Mian who discovered the other person; the other person also detected her and Xue Kai immediately. Before they could get closer, a cold voice warned them: “There are mutants inside. It’s dangerous, and the supplies have all been taken.”
Ye Mian didn’t stop. She walked toward the pitch-black storage locker from which the voice originated. Then, a long locker door was pushed open slightly from the inside, revealing a pair of cold, alert, narrow eyes.
“If that’s the case, then what are you waiting here for?”
Those eyes stared at Ye Mian for a moment, then looked Xue Kai up and down as he caught up, before fully pushing the door open and crouching out.
As she stood up straight, Ye Mian realized the woman was nearly a head taller than her and emitted a faint, oppressive sense of power.
She was very strong.
[??? (Evolutionary), Initial Skill: [Absolute Strength]]
“I’m waiting for it to come out so I can kill it.”
Ye Mian paused. “Why wait?”
With her strength, breaking in should have been as easy as turning a palm.
“Ahem,” Xue Kai cleared his throat from the side and whispered, “Maybe she wants to wait for it to get a bit weaker.”
The woman gave Xue Kai a flat look and then admitted candidly, “Yes. Under normal circumstances, I can’t beat it.”
If someone as strong as her couldn’t beat it, it had to be at least a mid-level mutant.
Ye Mian thought for a moment and said, “How about this: you help us get in, and I’ll assist you in killing it.”
“…”
Unlike the stunned Xue Kai, the woman didn’t show any signs of doubt. She simply looked seriously at Ye Mian. “Based on what?”
Ye Mian didn’t answer directly. She just looked at the storage locker behind the woman and asked back, “And how long can you wait?”
Hearing this, Xue Kai instinctively looked inside the locker. He could see that the woman had stockpiled some dry food and water, but even with rationing, she wouldn’t last many days.
By the time the mutant inside the supermarket came out, she might be even weaker than it was.
If the woman was truly set on killing it, her best choice was to cooperate with Ye Mian, who had safely navigated the city to reach this spot.
The woman obviously realized this too. She looked again at the calm and composed Ye Mian, who didn’t seem to be bluffing. After considering for a moment, she nodded. “Fine. But once we’re inside, everyone’s life is their own responsibility. Don’t expect me to protect you.”
If staying meant eventual death, then going in now… might also mean death. Since both led to the same end, why not take the gamble?
Ye Mian said calmly, “Don’t worry.”
Xue Kai patted his chest and guaranteed, “We can protect ourselves.”
The woman looked at the two of them as if performing a final confirmation. Then, she walked to the entrance and began moving the heavy obstacles out one by one with her bare hands, revealing a small opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Ye Mian already knew the woman’s skill, so she wasn’t surprised at all as she bent down and was the first to slip inside.
Xue Kai stared at the large gym equipment, stone lions, and landmark sculptures for a long moment, dumbfounded. Only after the woman prompted him did he snap out of it and follow.
Once the two were inside, the woman pulled something over to partially cover the opening and confirmed from the inside that it wouldn’t be easily discovered before joining them.
The supermarket was very dark and quiet, which made the sudden, violent sounds of crashing even more distinct and terrifying, giving the impression that danger could strike at any moment.
“It’s on the third floor,” the woman whispered as she approached. After a pause, she added, “Lu Ning.”
“Ye Mian.”
“…Ah,” Xue Kai reacted half a beat late to the introductions, “Xue Kai.”
“Well then, wish us luck.”
After Lu Ning spoke, she moved past the two and took the lead.
The layout of this supermarket was such that the stairs from the first to the second floor were at the entrance, but the stairs from the second to the third were at the very back. Finally, to check out, one had to return to the cashiers on the first basement level from the other side.
Of course, these were the only options since the elevators were non-functional.
Xue Kai looked at the directional sign hanging on the stair railing and whispered to Ye Mian, “That mutant is on the third floor. It probably hasn’t left much intact, so let’s focus our search on the first and second floors. We might find some seasonings or something on the basement level too.”
“Mm,” Ye Mian also saw the sign. “You go to the lower floors; I’ll search the second floor.”
The second floor was the appliances and furniture section. While the former might not be usable, the latter still had its uses. Since Ye Mian had the system storage for convenience, Xue Kai nodded and agreed.
Walking in front, Lu Ning heard their conversation, and a flicker of complex emotion crossed her eyes.
In recent days, she had seen Evolutionaries who were panicked, irritable, terrified, or hopeless. She had also seen cold-blooded, cruel, and arrogant teams. But she had never seen anyone so devoid of tension.
Though she didn’t know how the two of them managed to be so relaxed and leisurely, she believed that very soon, they wouldn’t have the luxury to think about what supplies to take.