Chapter 10: The Shelter and System Announcements

The cold aura left by the Cleaners' self‑destruction had not yet fully dissipated, and a strange smell of burnt residue and molten metal filled the alley. The survivors of the disaster stared at the four bodies on the ground that had quickly lost heat, their blood seemingly sealed by some mechanism, feeling no joy of victory, only a heavy chill.

These well‑trained, well‑equipped, death‑defying "Cleaners" were like venomous snakes in the shadows, reminding them that the water of this apocalypse was deeper than imagined.

"This place isn't suitable for staying long; they may have more accomplices," Chen Mo suppressed the still‑rising power inside him from taking Primordial Blood and said gravely. The ten‑minute temporary boost was fading, a faint weakness beginning to surface, and they had to find a safe foothold quickly.

Su Yu silently moved to his side, clutching her mother's diary to her chest. Though her eyes still held sorrow, the earlier bewilderment had faded, replaced by a calm resolve. She glanced at Chen Mo and whispered, "I know what to do… I won't run away."

Chen Mo nodded, saying nothing. He bent over a Cleaner corpse, feeling for any markings or information, but found only a custom combat suit and a defunct energy weapon. These guys were clean to a maddening degree.

"Where are we going now?" Han Qing walked over, a worried expression on his face. With the precinct's underground lab exposed, this place was clearly no longer safe.

Chen Mo looked up toward the city center. There, according to Han Qing's earlier description, a strange violet pillar of light stood. Combined with the lab's data, that spot was likely linked to the "Purple Eclipse" core, and would inevitably be the most dangerous zone.

"We can't go to the city center," Chen Mo negated that direction, his gaze sweeping the ruined streets before landing on the southeast. "Go there. I recall a repurposed underground shelter built from a wartime civil defense project—solid construction, should hold back most monsters, and may house military or government survivor forces."

It was, in his past‑life memories, one of the relatively stable large survivor strongholds in early C City.

With no objections, the exhausted squad bearing a startling secret set out again. Chen Mo led the way, guided by his past‑life memories and his keen sense of smell, dodging the roaming monster packs on the main road and threading through side alleys.

Along the way they encountered several scattered monster groups, but with their power further increased—especially after Chen Mo newly acquired the Energy Shot ranged ability—they resolved them without incident. Chen Mo's level remained solid at 5, and he also copied Acid Resistance (LV. 1 passive) from a LV. 3 "acid lizard," further boosting survivability.

Su Yu also began to test her abilities in combat. Though she lacked offensive skills, her perception was unusually sharp, warning of hidden dangers several times in advance, and even vaguely sensing some monsters' energy weak points, providing valuable guidance for Chen Mo's attacks. She was gradually adapting to her role as an "Observer."

After nearly two hours of arduous travel through a devastated district, they finally reached their destination.

It was an underground entrance built against the hillside; the original park scenery had long been destroyed, replaced by makeshift fortifications of sandbags, abandoned vehicles, and coarse barbed wire. Armed soldiers patrolled the entrance—uniforms dust‑stained and faces weary, yet eyes still sharp, maintaining basic order. Beyond the fortifications, faint tents and hastily erected shacks could be seen, with survivors moving within.

A crude wooden sign stood beside the entrance, painted in red: "C City Shelter No. 7, accepting survivors; registration and compliance with regulations required."

Finally seeing organized official forces, Zhang Yang, Wang Hu and others showed expressions of relief; even Han Qing exhaled. Their constantly tense nerves could finally relax a bit.

Chen Mo, however, dared not be careless. He signaled the group to tidy their appearance, partially conceal conspicuous weapons, and only then led the team toward the entrance.

"Stop! Who are you?" a gun‑armed soldier stepped forward, eyeing the eight of them warily. Upon seeing the battle‑worn fire axe in Chen Mo's hand and the dried blood and dust on their bodies, his gaze grew even more alert.

"Survivors, coming from the west side of the city," Chen Mo replied calmly, "We want to enter the shelter."

The soldier glanced at them, lingering especially on Su Yu and Liu Qian's faces, apparently confirming no obvious infection or mutation signs, then said, "All entrants must register basic information, hand over all weapons for us to keep, and undergo Isolation observation for 24 hours. No problem?"

Hand over weapons? The group's faces shifted slightly. In the apocalypse, weapons are a second life.

Chen Mo pondered briefly, asking, "What information must be registered? Can weapons be returned after Isolation?"

"Name, age, former occupation, and… system‑activated talent," the soldier said, pointing to a makeshift table beside which sat a civilian‑style officer with a thick notebook and a military laptop running on a generator. "Weapons will be temporarily stored after safety verification; you can request their return upon leaving, but private combat is strictly prohibited inside the shelter."

Register talents as well? Chen Mo's eyes flickered. Clearly the authorities were tallying awakened individuals' numbers and abilities, attempting to rebuild order and a power structure.

He glanced at his companions, nodded, and said, "Fine."

One by one they approached to register. Chen Mo gave his name and age, listed his former occupation as student, and concealed the Death Echo talent, stating only "strength enhancement" (matching his high strength attribute). When Su Yu registered, she hesitated briefly and wrote "perception enhancement" in the talent field. Han Qing entered "tough skin," and Zhang Yang and the others each reported relatively ordinary talents.

When it was time to hand over weapons, Chen Mo gave up the fire axe and several solid steel pipes, but secretly stashed the Cleaners' energy weapon fragments and the important diary in a hidden compartment of his backpack, and Su Yu safely secured her pendant.

After completing registration and a brief medical check, they were led by a soldier through successive fortifications into the interior of the underground shelter.

It was less a shelter than a massive, slightly cramped underground city. Wide main corridors were flanked by former air‑raid shelter rooms, now mostly filled with people; additional survivors sat on the floor or lived in makeshift tents they had built. The air mixed sweat, disinfectant, and food aromas, while the cries of children, murmurs of adults, and groans of the wounded filled the space. Though conditions were harsh, basic order existed and no monsters threatened.

The soldier took them to a designated Isolation zone, an area separated by barbed wire, containing a few empty mats and a limited supply of drinking water.

"Stay here for a full 24 hours; if no abnormalities arise, you'll be free to move. Food and water are distributed on schedule daily. Do not wander arbitrarily; obey the rules," the soldier instructed before leaving.

The group found a relatively clean spot to sit, finally able to truly relax. The fatigue from prolonged travel and combat surged like a tide, nearly making everyone want to fall asleep instantly.

However, just as they had barely settled, the cold, globally synchronized system alert tone rang again without warning deep within every "player's" mind—

【Global Announcement: The novice protection period will end in 23 hours 59 minutes.】

【Regional Event "Monster Tide" will erupt in 24 hours in zone C‑07 (the former C City and surrounding area).】

【At that time, monster activity in the area will surge, spawn frequency will increase, and higher‑level boss units will appear.】

【Successfully repelling the "Monster Tide" will grant abundant rewards to area players. If the shelter is breached, all players in the area will lose three levels and randomly have a skill or talent stripped.】

【All players, please prepare.】

The announcement repeated three times in succession.

Inside the Isolation zone, chaos erupted instantly! Not only Chen Mo's group, but every survivor in the shelter who heard the announcement fell into panic and turmoil!

"Monster Tide? What a joke! Aren't there already enough monsters?"

"Boss‑level units? What are those?"

"Level‑3? Skill loss? How could we possibly withstand that!"

"It's over… this is completely over…"

The atmosphere of despair spread like a plague.

Chen Mo's heart sank as well. In his past life he had endured a "Monster Tide," which was the first massive selection during the novice period—utterly brutal, with countless shelters and survivor bases reduced to ruins by that wave. He hadn't expected it to arrive so early this life! Was it due to his rebirth, Su Yu, or perhaps the fluctuations of the "Purple Eclipse" core?

"Chen Mo… what should we do?" Su Yu moved close to him, her voice carrying a barely perceptible dependence. Han Qing, Zhang Yang and the others also fixed their gazes on him.

Chen Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor within. He looked at the companions who had placed their hope in him, his gaze once again becoming sharp and resolute.

"Why panic?" his voice was low yet carried an odd penetrating quality, calming the few who were agitated, "There are still 24 hours."

He stood, his gaze sweeping the group: "Rest for six hours. Then, we'll go meet the shelter's person in charge."

"To survive, merely hiding won't work."

His words, like a stone thrown into still water, created ripples. Panic remained, but something called "resistance" began to sprout in their hearts.

At that moment, an officer, accompanied by a soldier, walked straight toward their Isolation zone, his gaze scanning the faces before finally fixing on Chen Mo and Su Yu.

"You are the newcomers who registered 'strength enhancement' and 'perception enhancement,' Chen Mo and Su Yu?" the officer said sternly, "The director wants to see you. Now."

Chen Mo and Su Yu exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's solemnity.

What is meant to come will eventually arrive. This shelter, however, is probably not purely a Pure Land.