C13 Old Enemies and New Enemies

"Here, catch!" Chen Yu tossed a bag of crystal nuclei to Lee Hao and his companions, then quickly added, "Pick out the sharp, promising survivors to form an official guard squad. Have them ingest the crystal nuclei to enhance their physiques!"

"I'll personally train them to become Evolvers when I get back!"

His voice lingered in the air even as his figure vanished from the rooftop.

Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Chu Chenhao were still reeling from Chen Yu's ferocious display when his silhouette had long since disappeared into the distance. It was Lee Hao who first snapped out of his daze, eyeing the bag of crystal nuclei on the ground. He turned to his companions, puzzled, "What exactly did Boss Yu say just now?"

"I didn't catch it all," Soong Yue admitted, scratching his head sheepishly.

Liu Qiqi had heard bits and pieces - something about forming a guard team - but the details eluded her. Chu Chenhao, usually the quiet one, was the most clear-headed. He promptly corrected the others and relayed Chen Yu's instructions accurately.

Tasked with their first official mission from Chen Yu, the four were determined not to take it lightly. They huddled together, exchanging notes on the survivors they had noted as promising among the nearly five hundred in the building. Their discussion yielded a list of potential talents.

Demonstrating their dependability, they didn't rush to finalize their choices. Instead, they brought their preferred candidates forward and asked them to suggest other reliable individuals. The four then split up to conduct one-on-one interviews with these new recommendations.

The exhaustive search for talent was driven by a desire to unearth the best among the survivors and fulfill Chen Yu's assignment with utmost diligence. Only those who passed their rigorous scrutiny were added to the list.

The selection process was lengthy but fruitful. Once the list was finalized, Lee Hao and the others wasted no time. They began training the chosen candidates using the methods Chen Yu had used with them, preparing them to consume the crystal nuclei and boost their Vitality and Physique.

The most crucial point that Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Chu Chenhao drove home was that Chen Yu held the ultimate authority within the team. No dissent would be tolerated; anyone who dared to challenge him faced the prospect of being ruthlessly expelled or even brutally crushed.

To underscore their point, the four showcased their formidable powers as Evolvers, aiming to both intimidate and inspire hope among the others. Without realizing it, they had crafted a rudimentary yet effective management system within the survivor community.

Chen Yu, for his part, remained oblivious to the intricate maneuvers Lee Hao and the rest had executed in his absence. Even if he were aware, he'd likely just offer a knowing smile and spare it no further thought.

When Chen Yu had assigned the mission, his considerations were far simpler. His instinct was to bolster the team's strength to better execute his strategies. Unlike Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Chu Chenhao, he wasn't burdened by complex notions of loyalty, human nature, or deterrence.

For Chen Yu, engaging in such elaborate tactics would be a needless diversion. To him, it was sufficient if someone showed promise and was agreeable. In the harsh reality of the apocalypse, individual sentiments often fell by the wayside.

In a world where might makes right, overwhelming strength and power compel acceptance, even in the face of despair. In such dire times, people cling to any semblance of security—no matter how monstrous the provider.

Resistance? That's a luxury for those with nothing to lose—a sure path to self-destruction. The apocalypse spares no room for the faint-hearted or the idealistic; only raw strength prevails, regardless of the wielder's morality.

Having pierced through the facade of these harsh truths over five grueling years, Chen Yu felt no need to concern himself with the loyalty of those he chose to empower. Recognizing the potential in Lee Hao and the others, he invested in their development without a second thought.

Meanwhile, as Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Chu Chenhao meticulously scouted for talent within the camp, Chen Yu was already on the move, closing in on the looming threat that beckoned.

Chen Yu sped along, paying no mind to the zombies he encountered along the way.

His focus was on the distant undead, homing in on his neighborhood.

The number of approaching zombies was significant, clearly indicating they were part of a horde.

This group had tracked their way from the zoo.

Chen Yu rifled through his memories and quickly located the relevant information.

Rorerin had been devastated in the apocalypse.

Consequently, even the government army's organized rescue efforts had failed to save many from Rorerin.

At that time, Rorerin had become a playground for zombies and monsters.

Mutated zombies, having undergone several transformations, along with formidable corpse kings, mutated beasts, and plants, battled for territory within Rorerin's radiated expanse. Humans were left to cower and cling to life in the shadows of these creatures.

Despite having a structured Evolver army, the government's rescue operation in Rorerin was cut short after just four days due to horrific losses.

Ultimately...

Several bands of survivors merged, and under the protection of the government army, they trekked a thousand miles from the apocalyptic disaster to establish the first Base City in Oakhollow, paying a heavy price.

Chen Yu's memories surged.

Even now, he felt fortunate to have lived through that massive exodus.

"It has to be the wolf pack that lost the power struggle among the zoo's mutated beasts!" Chen Yu's eyes blazed with ruthless determination, his intent to kill rising sharply.

This mutated wolf pack had inflicted significant losses on the government army, indirectly causing the premature cessation of the rescue operation.

The vicinity of Chen Yu's residential area was where the government army first clashed with this mutated wolf pack.

At that time, Chen Yu and his group were the final survivors rescued from Rorerin!

It was a vendetta, to say the least.

"Fate has it that you cross paths with me first!"

"Then... it's time for you to find peace!"

With his resolve hardened, Chen Yu scaled a high-rise, surveying the direction of the looming threat.

His eyes scanned across two streets, landing on a pack of mammalian beasts, the size of oxen with gray fur, strolling casually down the road.

He counted nineteen mutated wolf beasts in total.

Yet, Chen Yu's brow furrowed. In his recollection, this pack had numbered twenty-one, including three awakened beasts, among them a Wolf King of even more formidable strength.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to inflict such massive losses on the organized government forces.