C30 A Combination

Chen Yu was acutely aware of his actions.

Yet, he surrendered to his primal instincts, his mind devoid of any thought or distraction, focused solely on the instinct to kill.

With another swing of the streetlamp, he obliterated the small horde of zombies before him.

In a moment of clarity, Chen Yu realized that the swarm of undead that had once spread before him had been eradicated.

The zombies that now lay at his feet represented the last vestige of their resistance.

His gaze sharpened as he turned to look around.

Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, and Bai Zijian, along with the Evolvers, had joined forces with the guards led by two mutants from the district. They were now staring at Chen Yu with a mix of shock, reverence, and adoration—as if they were beholding a deity among mortals.

Unmoved by the crowd's intense stares, Chen Yu simply commanded, "Collect the crystal nuclei. Everyone, make haste to the district!"

"And don't forget about the dozens of people in the Xinxiang Building!"

Chen Yu also made sure to remind them of the five awakened beast carcasses stashed in the building opposite the mall.

Every part of an awakened beast was valuable—not just the meat for consumption, but also the potential uses of their fur and bones.

With his message delivered, Chen Yu transformed into a whirlwind, darting toward the city center and leaving a lingering trail in the air.

It was only after Chen Yu had vanished from sight that the others snapped out of their stupor.

Without delay, they set to work, faithfully executing the tasks Chen Yu had left for them.

The survivors from the mall were rallied to scour the plaza's fallen zombies, ensuring no crystal nucleus was overlooked.

The Evolvers remained vigilant, swiftly eliminating any stray zombies or mutated beasts that emerged.

Their efforts were to ensure these creatures did not encroach upon the civilians, averting any unnecessary harm.

The previous culling of the lurking awakened mutated beasts by Chen Yu had paved the way for a smooth operation.

With no further harassment from these formidable creatures, the scavenging and clean-up went off without a hitch.

The team then amassed a convoy of vehicles, loading them with as many supplies from the mall as possible.

Under the watchful protection of the Evolvers, they made their way toward the community camp.

The group was formidable, with over fifty Evolvers, including Liu Xingzhong and five other superpowered individuals anchoring the rear.

Abandoned vehicles and various debris littering the main road were no match for the advancing convoy. The Evolvers effortlessly pushed aside the clutter, and by the time Chen Yu and his guard unit arrived, they had already cleared a path through the zombies and mutated beasts. The retreat was executed smoothly.

In under four hours, nearly a thousand survivors from the mall had reached the community camp. Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, Chu Chenhao, and others had been preparing for their arrival even before Chen Yu had set out with the guards.

The influx of survivors didn't bring chaos to the community; instead, they were greeted with open arms and the atmosphere was one of joy and laughter. The ten residential buildings in the community now housed a combined total of less than two thousand survivors, so settling in was neither difficult nor cramped. Had it not been for safety considerations and the guards' stamina, there might have been enough space to give each person their own room.

With the arrival of the mall's survivors, the community's population surged, bringing a corresponding explosion in manpower and resources. Construction projects that had been progressing slowly in the community camp were now rapidly advancing. Under the leadership of Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, Chu Chenhao, Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, Bai Zijian, and two other Awakened individuals, with the assistance of dozens of Evolvers, the construction efforts were bolstered by the participation of thousands of survivors. The pace of building was breathtaking, with towering five to six-meter walls, defensive traps, and resource collection and storage all rapidly taking shape.

Meanwhile, Chen Yu was drawing closer to the urban center of Rorerin. The buildings grew taller, the population denser, and the number of zombies and mutated beasts visibly multiplied. Before the apocalypse, Rorerin's registered population had already exceeded seven million. Factoring in the transient population, the numbers could have soared past ten million. Even after discounting the rural third, the urban population was well over five million—a staggering figure that, in the post-apocalyptic world, translated into an unnerving scale of zombie hordes, tides of the undead, and a hidden mass of Awakened zombies, special mutated zombies, and countless mutated and Awakened beasts.

Even with his confidence in his own abilities, Chen Yu remained cautious as he neared the heart of Rorerin. He couldn't afford to swagger through the streets, killing without discretion, lest he be overwhelmed by the hordes of zombies and mutated beasts.

To reach the city center swiftly and without the nuisance of zombies and mutated beasts, Chen Yu leveraged his formidable physical prowess. He sprinted between buildings, leaping and rebounding off walls, easily overcoming any obstacle in his path. His movements were wilder, swifter, and more perilous than those of the fading protagonist in the tales.

Chickens scattered and dogs leapt out of the way wherever Chen Yu went, stirring up countless zombies, mutated beasts, and other creatures. Yet, none could match his blistering pace. Only those awakened beings with considerable intelligence could hope to keep up, but Chen Yu's fearsome aura was laid bare, sending the weaker ones into a shiver while deterring the stronger ones from daring to challenge him. Thus, Chen Yu's journey was remarkably unimpeded.

"Where?" Chen Yu's eyes gleamed as he spotted a building ahead with clear signs of impact. He didn't know its name, but the collision marks at the building's midsection served as an unmistakable beacon, identical to the information etched in his memory.

Without hesitation, Chen Yu adjusted his course and darted toward the towering structure. Even before his arrival, a biting chill of an aura bore down on him. With a smirk and a flash of combative spirit in his eyes, he welcomed the challenge. "Spear Emperor—Shen Yu, I've missed that fiery temper of yours!" he murmured with a light chuckle.

Unfazed, Chen Yu unleashed his own savage aura, clashing head-on with the probing force.

"Haha! Well met!" came a booming response. As Chen Yu's presence unfurled, a thunderous shout echoed from the high-rise, resonating like distant thunder in his ears.

A streak of black light burst forth from within the building. Chen Yu halted in his tracks, his palms surging with power. The white Air Explosion Mark materialized instantly, and he struck out at the approaching darkness.

A metallic clang resounded, stirring the air into a fierce, twisting current, with the epicenter being the collision between Chen Yu's palms and the black light.

Within a hundred-meter radius, the glass facades of the buildings shattered and cascaded to the ground in an instant. Yet, Chen Yu's face merely flushed a hint of red as he confidently caught the elongated beam of dark light.

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