Chapter 13: County City No. 02011

In the wasteland, on a dilapidated abandoned highway, a fully armed Martial Artist Squad was advancing cautiously.

On both sides of the road were barren grasslands nearly as tall as a person; a light breeze rustled the grass, revealing an indescribable desolation.

The marching squad had six members: at the front, two burly men wielding long knives and shields cleared the way, and at the rear a young man carrying a shield followed.

In the middle of the formation stood a middle‑aged man with a sword, a heroic woman clutching a massive firearm and wrapped in a belt of ammunition, and a young gunner shouldering a huge iron box.

At that moment the burly middle‑aged man was repeatedly instructing the nearby young man in combat gear, who held a black Long Spear.

"Yangyang, this is your first time entering the wasteland; I need to brief you on the precautions beforehand,"

The young man beside him, holding a black Long Spear, was Zhou Yang, entering the wasteland for the first time.

"Only while alive can you avenge the dead; even if you can't, you can still look after your family, which is far better than a pointless death."

"Stop showing off, let's go!"

After displaying his remarkable strength, he quickly earned the squad members' recognition.

Having practiced the Apocalypse for over a month, he was still far from mastering the first level, but his footwork and combat techniques had improved greatly.

He said it in a joking tone, but Zhou Yang fell into a brief silence, feeling somewhat speechless inside.

As they surged forward, wandering monsters on both sides noticed them and roared, surrounding them.

In an abandoned alley, squad leader Lei Hong looked through a telescope for a while, then decisively ordered:

"Xiao Xia, give me your ammunition box; Zhou Yong, Zhou Yang, you two open the way; Lao Liu, Xiao Chen, you cover the rear; the target is the tallest residential building ahead—charge forward quickly!"

"Dad, don't say that; you look like you're planting a flag."

Lei Hong, listening to the father‑son exchange beside him, smiled faintly and continued:

"The first point is simply voluntary; if you really want to stay and die, no one will stop you."

Two days later, Zhou Yang and his group silently entered a deserted county town—County‑level City No. 02011.

Half an hour later, the party finally rushed into the towering target building without incident.

They continued to surge forward down the streets.

During the march, Lei Hong and the senior members constantly imparted various experiences and techniques to him; when they encountered lone monsters, Zhou Yang was sent up to practice.

He paused not at all, swiftly drew his gun and swept horizontally!

"Boom!"

Along the way they met several waves of blocking monsters, all easily dealt with by the father‑son duo Zhou Yong and Zhou Yang.

"Lei Shu, you say it, I'll remember it."

"Yes!"

"Yangyang, listen to the squad leader; if you truly face an unbeatable danger, flee for your life—escape if you can, and never hesitate,"

Hearing the words of the middle‑aged burly Lei Hong, he solemnly replied:

Zhou Yong let out a chuckle and quickly dealt with the last wolf‑mastiff.

"Got it!"

"Son, don't linger in battle; prioritize the charge!"

Squad leader Lei Hong grabbed the huge ammunition box of machine‑gunner Zhu Xia and followed behind them.

Zhou Yang's gaze hardened; he gripped his Long Spear tightly, and, using the technique described in the Wandering Dragon footwork, surged forward swiftly.

Now Zhou Yang's physical condition had steadily improved, comparable to that of a senior high‑rank warrior.

Zhou Yang responded with a nod and quickly kept up.

At that moment Zhou Yong had just dealt with two monsters and was handling the last one; seeing this, he whispered a praise.

"Immediately!"

A few minutes later, the squad members successfully reached the rooftop of the 24th floor.

Only then did Lei Hong break into a bright smile and continue giving directions.

"Go up!"

Perhaps having heard them, Zhou Yong, who was ahead, turned back and grinned at Zhou Yang.

"Good kid, you've improved a lot!"

"Ha ha."

At that moment five or six wolf‑mastiffs surrounded them; Zhou Yong swung his shield horizontally and slashed with his long knife, instantly drawing three of them.

The cold, forest‑glinting spear tip, sparkling with specks of starlight, surged like a water‑born dragon at a sharp angle, instantly piercing a wolf‑mastiff's throat.

"Roaaar~~~"

Another wolf‑mastiff was struck in a foreleg by a fierce spear thrust and staggered.

"I know you were recruited early by Jixian Wuguan as a prodigy; your physical condition rivals that of veteran senior warriors, but—"

"So—at the very least within our squad, I hope you won't have any prodigy arrogance, because that would endanger everyone!"

The squad members marched along the abandoned highway; these veterans had worked with Zhou Yong for years, so they naturally looked out for the junior Zhou Yang.

Behind them, machine‑gunner Zhu Xia urged the grinning Zhou Yong.

"Mm."

That burly middle‑aged man was the squad's leader, Zhui Feng Jian Lei Hong, a mid‑rank war general whose reputation was renowned in the Jiangnan Base City Warrior circles.

The massive wolf‑mastiff corpse crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

His words were serious; Zhou Yang's expression hardened slightly, and he solemnly nodded, "Don't worry, Lei Shu, I've got it!"

Lei Hong nodded, pleased with Zhou Yang's attitude, and continued:

"First and foremost, the most important point—if an unmanageable danger arises, everyone must first protect themselves and flee with all their might; do not waste goodwill on meaningless deeds!"

But you need to listen carefully to what follows!

He said this, his voice involuntarily rising, and Zhou Yang perked up his ears to listen.

This little county town left behind by the civilized era has already become a monster paradise, with hordes of monsters wandering endlessly over the ruined streets.

Zhou Yong gave a brief order, urging them to charge forward first; after using his left‑hand shield to absorb the impact and block, he flicked his right‑hand long sword, and in an instant dispatched an iron‑haired wild boar.

They kept moving, climbing quickly up the fire escape Route, and during that time Zhou Yang casually eliminated several monsters that had wandered into the building.

"Seal off the entire stairwell entrance quickly!"

The rule spoken by the burly Lei Hong made Zhou Yang slightly startled; he couldn't help glancing at his father Zhou Yong, who was clearing the path ahead, thinking that if Zhou Yong were in danger, he wouldn't be able to abandon him and flee alone.

"Also, the skirmishes in the Wilderness Zone differ from your combat assessments; here monsters are everywhere, danger lurks on all sides, and a single slip can plunge you into a beast swarm. Therefore, during battle you must keep movements subtle, act swiftly, be efficient, and ensure you don't expend too much stamina."

Zhou Yang, wielding a black Long Spear, led the charge alongside his father Zhou Yong, forging ahead at the forefront.

"Geniuses are still just geniuses; in this Wilderness Zone, no one knows how many geniuses die each year, and only those who survive have a chance to go farther and higher."

Zhou Yang already surged forward, and with a single easy thrust of his spear he ended its life.

Speaking, he fell briefly silent, then added, "Especially when I'm in peril, don't think about anything—just run. Remember, your mother can't lose her husband and then her son on the same day!"

Hearing his command, the few members of the squad sprang into action.

A few of them worked together, sealing shut every fire door leading to the rooftop, and only then did the group let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Lei Hong grinned broadly at everyone:

"Alright, comrades, take a break; our big money‑making plan is about to kick off!"

(End of Chapter)