Right at that moment, violent crashing sounds came from the titanium alloy door at the cavern's periphery. On the surveillance screen, mutated wild boars and wolves from the deep mountains were madly crashing against the door, following the scent of the living.
"Brother Lie. These mountains have mutated." Su Xiaodao gripped the three-pointed double-edged glaive condensed from the Erlang Shen apparition, his eyes blazing with battle intent.
I cracked my neck, bones popping like thunder.
"Let's go. Go out and stretch our muscles. Let me see if these so-called apocalypse beasts are worthy of being our appetizers."
Outside the air raid shelter, in the black mist, dozens of mutated beasts were frantically crashing against the titanium alloy wall. Leading them was a mutated boar king over three meters long, covered in black scales. Each impact made the ground tremble slightly.
The side door of the shelter slowly opened. I strode out barechested, with Su Xiaodao and Jiang Xinyi.
Sensing the scent of fresh flesh, the mutated beasts stopped their assault instantly. They turned their heads in unison, crimson eyes locking onto us.
The mutated boar king roared and charged on all fours, ramming toward me like a heavy tank.
"Brother Lie, be careful. That's a peak level tier one beast."
Su Xiaodao instinctively moved to bar the way.
"Stand back."
I pulled the other two back, remaining in place without dodging.
Just as the boar king's spear-like tusk was about to pierce my chest, I moved. No fancy moves. I raised my right hand, clenched my fist.
Primordial power.
I silently chanted. The primordial totem on my chest flared with dark golden light. A faint phantom of an ancient giant coalesced around my fist.
I threw the punch.
Boom.
The air, compressed to the limit by the terrifying force, made a piercing sonic boom. My fist solidly impacted the mutant boar king's skull. A dull sound echoed. A domineering hidden force penetrated its tough skull, instantly shattering all life within its body.
That multi-ton mutant boar king didn't even have time to scream. Its massive body collapsed at my feet like a pile of mud.
One punch annihilated a peak level tier one beast king.
Then nine low dragon roars sounded from behind me. The phantom of Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin appeared. Nine black dragons slowly opened their crimson eyes, dragging the ancient black coffin, suppressing the void.
As my voice faded, the black phantom trembled. A forbidden pressure, as if from the abyss, pressed down with endless force. The lower tier mutants couldn't even resist. They were directly pressed to the ground. Their bones creaked and strained.
In just ten seconds, dozens of mutants were completely wiped out.
Su Xiaodao stared, dumbfounded. "Brother Lie. That's just too insane."
Jiang Xinyi stood behind me, a flicker of shock in her cool eyes.
I didn't explain. I just walked to the mutant boar king and sliced open its skull. A thumb-sized crystal, glowing faintly red, appeared in my palm.
The apocalypse's most crucial currency, the core.
A slight smile touched my lips. First gain of the apocalypse.
I stored the core in my companion space. As it entered, I clearly felt the space vibrate slightly. The expansion was minimal, but it did grow a bit.
In my past life, humanity soon discovered cores not only enhance an awakener's power, but also fuel special spaces, totems and equipment. In the late apocalypse, they even replaced gold and currency, becoming the sole universal trade resource.
I looked at Su Xiaodao. "Harvest all the cores from these beasts. Don't waste the meat either. Purify and store it."
"Got it." Su Xiaodao perked up immediately. "On it."
Just then, from a mountain path not far away, chaotic footsteps and cries for help suddenly erupted.
"Help."
A dozen disheveled men were scrambling toward the air raid shelter. Behind them followed several creatures swift as cheetahs. Mutant bloodblade mantises.
I narrowed my eyes, recognizing the leader. Fatty Lou, the contractor for Blackstone Base's exterior construction. In my past life, these people kicked me when I was down, pushing me toward mutants to buy time.
"Boss Chen, Young Master Chen, save us. Let us in, quick. We're all from Jiangzhou. You can't just stand by and watch us die."
I stood there coldly watching him. A flash of coldness passed through my eyes.
"Last time, when you were kicking me while I was down, did you ever think we're all from Jiangzhou?"
He had no idea what I was talking about, but he understood the look in my eyes. It wasn't a look of rescue. It was a look at a dead man.
I slowly raised my right hand. "My bunker doesn't take in trash."
As the words left my mouth, I snapped my fingers. The titanium alloy walls around the bunker erupted with terrifying electric arcs. The bloodblade mantises at the front were blasted away by millions of volts.
Fatty Lou collapsed in terror. "Young Master Chen, I was wrong. I was really wrong."
I didn't look at him again. I won't slaughter the innocent, but I won't save my enemies. Evil doers must die.
I turned and walked back into the bunker. The heavy titanium alloy door slowly closed. The screams outside were soon swallowed by the black mist.
Day three of the crimson moon's descent. The outside world had become a living hell. The city center was littered with wrecked vehicles and ruins. Mutated strays, large as calves, hunted survivors in packs through the streets.
Meanwhile, inside the Blackstone bunker, the rich aroma of spicy hot pot filled the air. Su Xiaodao ate ravenously, grease on his chin.
"Brother Lie. If the apocalypse is like this every day, I could get used to it."
Jiang Xinyi shot him a glance. "Go outside and try it."
Su Xiaodao immediately shut up.
I took a sip of ice beer and leaned back on the sofa. Just then, a piercing alarm blared.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Warning. Perimeter sensors detect numerous heat signatures approaching.
I casually tapped open the giant monitor screen. On the mountain road, a kilometer from the bunker, a massive dark crowd was advancing toward us. At least five or six hundred people. They carried machetes, steel pipes, and many even held automatic rifles.
At the front was a bare-chested, brutish looking bald man. His body was covered in a vivid crimson serpent tattoo.
Long Wu, leader of the Azure Dragon Society. Last life, this Long Wu, relying on his S-class blood serpent totem, lorded it over others in the early apocalypse.
To think this time, he'd set his sights on me.