“The reason I left the military district is something I can’t disclose, but I can answer your other questions.”
The man tossed his axe aside and, ignoring the bloodstains on the ground, plopped down unceremoniously.
“Before that, let me introduce myself. My name is Fang Rui. Nice to meet you, young man.”
As he spoke, he extended a hand toward Lin Mo.
“My name is Lin Mo.”
Lin Mo shook his hand and crouched down beside him.
Song Xue’er watched the two from the side, her expression tinged with worry, though she said nothing.
“Your girlfriend?”
Fang Rui had clearly noticed her and directed the question at Lin Mo.
“No, no…”
Lin Mo quickly waved his hands.
“She’s my… uh, classmate.”
“If she’s not your girlfriend, why would you bring her along in this dangerous apocalypse?”
Fang Rui chuckled, clearly unconvinced.
“You don’t strike me as the selfless type.”
“Uh…”
Lin Mo was momentarily speechless.
While Fang Rui wasn’t entirely wrong-he certainly wasn’t a saint-his reasons for bringing Song Xue’er along had nothing to do with romantic feelings.
He was simply repaying a favor-she had helped him before.
Hearing Fang Rui’s words, Song Xue’er’s expression shifted, casting a strange look at Lin Mo.
“Don’t misunderstand… I really don’t…”
“Alright, alright, you two can sort out your little romance later. This isn’t the place for chit-chat. I’ll keep it brief-listen carefully.”
Fang Rui’s demeanor turned serious, his entire presence growing more solemn.
Now, he truly resembled an officer, whereas before, he had seemed more like a vagrant or a hardened fugitive.
“Listen up, I’ll only say this once. Don’t count on government rescue. This crisis is a global catastrophe.
Worse yet, due to unknown reasons -what the scientists call a ‘shift in the world’s elemental rules’—all of humanity’s firearms, networks, communications, and other advanced technology have failed!
Under these circumstances, the government has lost control of the situation. Without firearms, even the military is no match for the tens of millions of Zombies in densely populated areas.
And that’s not all-Zombies have emerged within the military ranks, spreading infection. In other words… the military can barely protect itself, let alone mount rescue operations…”
“This…”
Even though Lin Mo had already steeled himself to rely on his own strength, the news still shook him. Song Xue’er, standing beside him, was even more stunned.
Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide, unable to speak for a long moment.
After a brief silence, Lin Mo nodded. “I understand.”
Fang Rui couldn’t help but look at Lin Mo in surprise. He had shared this information with other survivors before-some of them even Awakened.
Yet, whether ordinary people or Awakened, their first reaction had always been disbelief, followed by despair. For someone to accept the truth so quickly, without even a hint of emotional turmoil… this young man was clearly no ordinary person.
“You don’t need to be too pessimistic. Although it seems like humanity is facing a dead end, haven’t people like us—the awakened— emerged?
And according to those researchers, the reason for the emergence of the awakened is likely related to the changes in the world’s elemental rules.
Though the exact cause is still unknown, if nothing unexpected happens, as the world continues to change, the number of awakened individuals will only increase…”
“Hmm.”
Lin Mo nodded, then suddenly frowned.
“You just said, ‘as the world continues to change’?”
“Right.”
Fang Rui nodded.
The transformation of the world’s rules isn’t instantaneous-just like how communication devices still worked in the early stages.
In fact, even now, the world is constantly undergoing changes.
Under these changes, the number of awakened individuals will grow, their abilities will become more complex and powerful, and of course… the Zombies will also grow stronger.
There may even be unknown transformations in other creatures.
“Then… doesn’t that mean ordinary humans have no chance of survival?”
Song Xue’er, standing nearby, paled slightly.
“Exactly.”
Fang Rui nodded.
“Though it’s hard to admit, this crisis is less like an apocalypse and more like a game of survival of the fittest. Only the strong will survive-everything else is an illusion. Whether it’s power, wealth, or status, none of it holds any meaning under the brutal law of the jungle.
The future world will be a stage for the strong, where they dictate the new rules. The weak, no matter how prestigious they once were-business tycoons, high-profile celebrities will merely become pawns and playthings for the strong…”