Chapter 69: Treasure Secret Realm

Four people carrying a head passed through the supermarket in the forecourt of the gas station.

On the scattered shelves, almost no food could be seen.

On the ceramic floor were chaotic shoe prints, and the corners still had many dark red bloodstains that hadn't been wiped away.

"Creak."

After days of overcast rain, the iron door had grown somewhat rusty.

Behind the supermarket was probably the staff rest area.

As far as the eye could see, it was pitch black.

As the iron door was pushed open, a pungent mix of urine and rotting feces assailed the nostrils.

Liu Shiming, bringing up the rear, instinctively pinched his nose, feeling a dry heave.

The floor was covered in water stains, discarded packaging bags and unclear-colored condoms visible everywhere.

Perhaps the sound of the iron door opening disturbed the "people" inside.

"Clang-clang"

The rattling of chains, someone was struggling.

The room's windows were covered with thick black cloth; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

"Brother Lin, why did we come here?"

An Jing Tian had a vague bad feeling and couldn't help asking Lin An, who was walking ahead.

He and Liu Shiming were still ordinary players; without enhanced vision they couldn't make out the scene inside the room.

"Click."

Lin An didn't reply, simply calmly lit the lighter in his hand; the shaking flame instantly illuminated the dim room.

This is!?

"Urgh."

Liu Shiming's face turned deathly pale; upon seeing the scene before him he couldn't help a bout of dry heaving, and only by gripping the doorframe did he barely manage to stay upright.

An Jing Tian's breathing grew heavy, his steps staggered, and he couldn't help stumbling backward.

"These damned beasts!"

After regaining his senses, An Jing Tian's angry voice rang through the whole room, his face livid, fists clenched tight, his whole body trembling with rage.

In the room lit by the weak firelight, seven or eight women stripped naked could be vaguely seen, their arms and legs spread and locked to chairs.

Completely stripped of dignity, such a humiliating, degrading pose makes it hard to imagine what they have endured.

Their wrists and ankles were tightly bound by iron chains, the joints stained red from friction-induced blood.

Beside each person lay a small table holding an iron bowl filled with fresh chunks of meat, clearly their food.

In the center of the room hung a corpse covered in marks from cutting and tearing.

It goes without saying.

Where does the food come from?

"They... they actually eat people!"

An Jing Tian clenched his fists tightly, his whole body trembling with anger.

"How could this... how could it be like this..."

"How dare they!"

Liu Shiming struggled to cover his chest; the image before him was too shocking, the legendary scene of cannibalism laid bare before his eyes.

Unbelievable.

Lin An showed little reaction, merely waiting patiently for the two to recover and accept the fact.

Indeed, it's hard to imagine.

The Apocalypse broke out only ten days ago; no ordinary person can imagine how quickly humanity can degenerate in such a short time.

Cannibalism, something found only in legend and ancient texts, actually occurs in modern society.

"Are you very surprised?"

Lin An's voice sounded; in his past life he had seen scenes a hundred times more horrific than this, the evil of human nature sometimes so heinous it makes your hair stand on end, even worse than beasts.

"Actually, when you saw the nail in that girl's knee on the highway, you should have realized."

"In the Apocalypse, people are actually a kind of resource, especially pretty girls."

"They can use this resource as bait, which shows they aren't lacking in young women; what they lack is food and other things."

"It's obvious they have plenty of women to waste but lack food."

"So what should these 'resources' be?"

"Clank-clang"

The chains rattled; perhaps Lin An's voice woke the "people" before them.

Instinctively, as if they had been "trained," they unconsciously spread their legs.

Some are still quite young, some look like the girl next door.

At this age they should be lively and radiant, full of youthful vigor, yet now they show no signs of life.

Every eye is filled with numbness, lifelessness, as if they were merely meat that could twitch with one last breath.

"Huh-."

An Jing Tian gave a grim smile; he finally understood why Lin An had brought him here, what he wanted him to see.

He couldn't stop panting heavily; his anger nearly overwhelmed his reason.

"I'll go kill them!"

"These damned bastards!"

These trash aren't even worthy of being called people!

An Jing Tian snatched the handgun Lin An handed over and rushed out the door.

Liu Shiming's face shifted, and he ultimately chose to follow Jing Tian out, as he really couldn't bear what was happening before his eyes.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!"

Soon.

Gunshots mixed with pleas for mercy and angry roars rang out.

"Brother Lin..."

In the team channel, Jing Tian's voice sounded somewhat weary, lost and dispirited.

"I'll take Zhang Tie back to the car first..."

Lin An let out a light sigh; this is something An Jing Tian must go through.

Just, in his peripheral vision, Mo Ling's expression remained unchanged, as if the scene before her had no impact on her.

Curious.

Lin An wondered what the girl's background was—how could even Jing Tian, with his military background, not withstand this shock, yet the girl remain so calm?

You have to know, before the Apocalypse it was normal society; I really don't know what she went through before.

In his past life, he and Mo Ling had only met once, and with the symbiont drifting and the player on the fringes, therefore no one knows Mo Ling's past.

Maybe there's a chance to ask?

Suppressing the thought, Lin An looked at the girl's hand holding the scaled beast's skull.

"Still pretending to be dead?"

Her jade-like slender fingers directly pinched the scaled beast's skull, exerting slight force, and a bone-deforming sound that made one's teeth ache rang out instantly.

"No..."

The tightly shut eyes on the skull snapped open, the vertical pupils filled with hatred.

Lin An, seeing this, didn't care at all and directly asked:

"Tell me, where are those eyes? Or is it a mirror?"

He had previously felt an abnormally familiar aura when he activated his mental power to scout in the car.

That was the aura of the key to the Secret Realm Treasure!

Unlike before, this kind of information always came from chat channels shared by players.

This "key" had once been taken from his hand by someone.

He could have used this key to enter the Secret Realm that year before his death and become an Awakened One, or even stronger!

Like a bolt from the blue, the scaled beast's vertical pupils flashed with shock and unease, as if Lin An had asked about a huge secret.

"You! How could you know! Who exactly are you!?"

Lin An's words were like a heavy bomb detonating in his mind, stirring up huge waves; even when facing Lin An's blade that almost killed him, he had never been so shocked.

"3 seconds."

"If you don't answer, I'll kill you now—don't test my patience."

Fingers exerting force, the phosphorus beast's face was full of pain; he could feel Lin An's icy killing intent.

"No!"

"Unless you swear not to kill me!"

Lin An suddenly loosened his steel‑like fingers and gave a light chuckle.

"I said I won't kill you."

"I guarantee, I Lin An keep my word. Besides, I have no need to deceive you."

The phosphorus beast stared at Lin An in disbelief, and after a brief hesitation chose to believe.

When Awakened Ones break through human limits, they rely on will and physical fitness; such people usually have strong self‑confidence.

Since Lin An has spoken, and indeed there's no need to deceive him.

Could it be that he thinks he's just a head that won't live long, and not killing him would at most let him live a little longer?

Idiot!

You all underestimate me too much!

"Good! I believe you won't kill me!!"

The phosphorus beast's face was full of joy, the hatred in its vertical pupils flashing away.

Just, Lin An at his side.

Mo Ling's gaze toward the phosphorus beast suddenly flashed a hint of mockery.