Chapter 1269: GLOW

Linjiang City district, Phoenix Cry Road No. 81.

In a dead-quiet urban district, the half-street burned down by fire resembled a long tomb; on the ground, accumulated ash and filthy blood mingled together, and faintly visible were rotting hairs.

Once a colorful bar sign, it now could not light up at all; under the corrosion of acid rain, it was mottled with rust.

Hiding inside a barbecue stall, a thin-built woman couldn't help scratching her itchy lower body; a urine-like stench mixed with a fermented odor constantly seeped into her nostrils from her body.

Sitting on a corpse already reduced to white bone, the woman glared up at the ceiling with eyes full of hatred, her teeth grinding with a creaking sound.

"Long An...!!"

Repeating those few words in a low voice, the woman's chest rose and fell rapidly; perhaps a little thirsty, she swayed as she lifted her arm, and a flash of white light directly conjured a bottle of mineral water.

If Jing Tian were here and saw this scene, he would likely recognize that this woman is Zhao Mei.

Unlike before, when Zhao Mei had a sturdy build like a man's.

She, who had activated her innate ability to escape from the Faction: Long An, was now as good as dead, her breath barely maintaining at 0 Fourth Rank.

Moreover, a sense of decay emanating from her bones made it seem as if this body had little vitality left.

After gulping down a mouthful of water, Zhao Mei couldn't help but pant.

Too weak...

Feeling the extreme weakness of her power within, the hatred in her heart deepened involuntarily!

To escape from the Faction: Long An, she had no choice but to unleash her innate ability! The cost was that her strength dropped to 0 Fourth Rank, she couldn't even beat a single licker.

Just thinking of her former body, after arduous conditioning she had been about to reach 3 Fourth Rank.

At this point she wished to attract a large horde of zombies to devour every single person of the Faction: Long An!

"I will take revenge... I will definitely take revenge!!"

After gritting her teeth and muttering a few words lowly, Zhao Mei struggled to push herself up against the wall, preparing to hide for a while longer.

She knew that the people of the Faction: Long An were looking for her.

Unable to flee far due to lack of ability, she could only choose her escape route in the urban area with the most complex terrain.

Perhaps it was an instinctual tendency, perhaps because she was familiar with this place; subconsciously, she somehow ended up back on Phoenix Cry Road.

Gripping a dagger left inside her ring, Zhao Mei warily walked toward the outside of the shop.

If she now bumped into a few zombies, she would likely be in big trouble.

This body was one she collided with in the suburbs.

The original owner was a white-collar worker; after the Apocalypse, she hid in a convenience store to scrape by. Having been tricked and captured to serve as a sex slave, after escaping she still dared not approach for help even when she often encountered Awakened Ones of the Faction: Long An. Even after the Faction: Long An issued a notice, this pitiful person who feared all Survivors stubbornly remained hidden in the city, refusing to come out.

Fortunately she was foul enough; even the zombies in the sewers smelled better than her.

Over the past year, she actually managed to survive.

But when she came out to forage because she could no longer bear the hunger, she bumped into the fleeing Zhao Mei.

From then on, the tragic 'fate' came to an end.

"We must find something to enhance abilities..."

"If I sell the stuff inside the ring, my strength should recover somewhat..."

"But... it's not enough!!"

Against a wall covered in long mold, Zhao Mei constantly pondered what she should do next.

If she hid a while longer to let her body strengthen a bit, she could completely flee to another warzone and continue living decently. After all, the supplies looted from the Faction: Long An were enough for her to raise a force! But... how could she be willing!

Subconsciously, she couldn't help but glance at the distant bar sign.

For some reason, she could sense an unsettling presence there, yet also a strange feeling as if it were calling to her...

She remembered this place; it was not only where she worked before the Apocalypse, but also where that little thug obtained the ring.

Moreover, she faintly felt that the Awakened Ones of the Faction: Long An seemed to have received some order and dared not step into this place.

After entering this place, she also constantly felt an inexplicable oppression.

Want to take a look?

Go check out No. 97?

Maybe... there's still something good there?

Under some inexplicable impulse, Zhao Mei couldn't help but cautiously approach the bar.

Just as she was about to lie on the ground to check whether the broken roller shutter held any danger, a rotor noise coming from extremely far away suddenly shattered the silence.

She instinctively looked up.

In the pitch-black night sky, a strangely shaped helicopter was flying toward the distance, disappearing within a few seconds.

That was..

Someone from the Faction: Long An!?

As if seeing a mortal enemy, Zhao Mei couldn't help but clench her fists, waving them angrily, as if her venting from afar would cause that helicopter to explode.

There was no way to pay attention.

Behind her, inside the originally deathly silent second floor, a pallid eye also gazed at the departing helicopter.

"Lin Dui, have we arrived?"

"Bang-bang"

Two consecutive heavy objects fell to the ground.

Seeing Lin An slightly nod, the two then leapt like meteors from a height of a hundred meters, crashing heavily onto the ground.

No need to dissipate force.

After rising from the deep pit, Lin An casually observed the surroundings and detected nothing abnormal.

This place had already been swept clean by many Survivors; although there was nothing of value, the electronic factory built in the suburbs was still quite safe.

Before one's eyes was a circle of dismantled fencing frames; not far away, the tin factory building remained only an empty steel frame structure.

Besides the machine tools on the assembly line not being moved, the whole electronic factory is so empty you could run rats in it.

No need to think; these iron sheets and wire mesh were probably taken apart by survivors.

No time was wasted.

After confirming there were no zombies or mutants, Lin An strode toward the factory interior.

The instance's entrance is inside an office; nobody knows how the system would spawn an entrance there.

Just as he stepped inside, Lin An raised his eyebrows.

Someone's here.

There are also many people.

In the distant factory buildings whose view is blocked, many people have gathered; among them, several still have the aura of Awakened Ones.

Looks like they're all here to enter the instance?

This instance is quite popular, huh?

Half a minute later.

As Lin An and his companion appeared at the office building with their power at ninety-nine percent, the crowd that had been waiting early at the instance entrance instantly looked solemnly at them.

Only under the guise of Mi Lai's scalpel did they fail to recognize Lin An; they could only vaguely sense that the appearing Lin An and his companion must be Second Level.

Even though they are Second Level, in these people's eyes they count as super strong.

The crowd silently made way; one who looked like the leader stared at Lin An with extreme vigilance.

Before he could speak, Lin An furrowed his brow and asked directly:

"Does the instance require waiting? What are you waiting for?"

Looking at how this crowd is gathered, it seems they're waiting for the instance to open.

That shouldn't be.

Chu An hadn't told him that waiting was required here.

He blinked slightly; seeing Lin An speak first, the youth's face showed a strange expression.

"No need to wait; we're just discussing gameplay."

After he spoke, several nearby Awakened Ones gave ambiguous glances at Lin An and his companion, as if their eyes were saying, "You're not here to play either?"

"Gameplay?"

Lin An blinked slightly; he had never heard an Awakened One dare to evaluate an instance like that.

Seeing that Lin An truly didn't know,

In the group, a somewhat lewd short Awakened One snorted and said, 'tsk' —

"Alright, stop pretending. Who comes to this instance not just to have a good time?"

"All you men, stop putting on a tough act."