Chapter 6

"Lejia Convenience Store"

A dust-covered sign hung askew on the second floor, teetering on the verge of collapse.

This store is smaller than the previous "Lejoy Life", but its location is more remote, possibly yielding an unexpected gain.

Black Tortoise stopped at the store entrance, its massive body almost blocking the entire alley.

In the air hung a faint, intermittent stench of rot.

The convenience store's glass doors were shattered, littering the ground, and two desiccated, blackened corpses lay at the entrance.

Their deaths were gruesome, their bodies covered in fine claw and bite marks, bones exposed, as if something had devoured their flesh alive.

"Someone has already been here, and they failed."

Lin Yue slipped down from the turtle's back, his brows slightly furrowed.

He glanced at the corpses, and from their twisted postures and the weapons beside them, he judged that they had fought fiercely before death, but ultimately could not prevail.

"Black Tortoise, as usual, guard the door."

Lin Yue instructed.

"Roar..."

Black Tortoise gave a low reply, its millstone-sized head slightly raised, vigilantly scanning the surroundings like the most reliable door god.

Lin Yue gripped the iron pipe, took a deep breath, suppressed his unease, and darted into the dim store.

The store was similarly messy, but better than the previous one, with most shelves still standing.

He swiftly moved between the shelves, his sharp gaze sweeping across.

"Water... we have it."

He found several bottles of water with blurred labels in the corner of the beverage area.

He shook them; the water was a bit cloudy but had no sediment, and boiling would make it drinkable.

"Canned food... here!"

On the lowest shelf lay several dust-covered cans of luncheon meat and fermented black bean chub mackerel.

He picked one up; the can was intact and still within its expiry date.

"Not bad luck."

Lin Yue felt a surge of joy, stuffing all these treasures into his backpack.

With these, his food supply for the coming week was secured.

While scavenging, he calculated: food and water were just the basics, not enough.

Medicines, especially antibiotics, were the real hard currency.

Moreover, he needed a more handy weapon; this iron pipe was awkward to use.

His gaze fell on the wall behind the counter, where something seemed to have been hung.

He walked over and looked; sure enough, in the corner he found a discarded rubber baton.

He hefted it; it felt solid and was much more usable than the iron pipe.

Just as he felt satisfied and was about to check the back storeroom, his steps suddenly froze in place.

In the innermost corner of a shelf, he saw a scene that would be etched in his memory forever.

It was a mother-and-baby supplies shelf.

A female skeleton lay curled in a protective posture beneath the shelf.

In her arms she tightly held a smaller skeleton, that of an infant completely desiccated.

The woman's bony hands: one shielded the infant's head, the other still clutched tightly to an empty formula can.

Around them lay scattered diapers and empty milk bottles.

There was no struggle, no bloodstains, no signs of combat.

They simply lay there, quietly and desperately, having exhausted their lives in this place.

Lin Yue's heart felt as if clenched by an icy hand, an indescribable sourness and anger surging from his feet to his head.

He had seen torn-apart corpses, seen struggling people, and had personally killed monsters.

He thought his heart was hard enough to face this world's cruelty.

But when he saw this mother and child before him, the heart he thought was hard still involuntarily trembled.

His throat tightened, and he could not utter a sound.

He slowly walked over and crouched down.

He wanted to do something, but didn't know where to begin.

Should he close their eyes, which no longer existed?

Or should he bury them?

But in this ruin, where isn't a grave?

"To live on..."

Lin Yue gazed at the tiny skeleton, his voice low and terrifying,

"No, merely surviving is not enough."

In his mind repeatedly appeared Black Tortoise's broad, heavy shell.

A thought, crazy yet firm, took root in his heart.

I want to build a home... a truly safe home.

A home where mother and child can sleep soundly, never again worrying about hunger or monsters!

He rose, not disturbing the mother and child, merely pulling a nearby shelf to shield them, as a final peace.

At this moment, his gaze changed completely.

Carrying this heavy yet fresh goal, Lin Yue hoisted his heavy backpack, gripped the baton he had just acquired, turned and walked toward the door.

It was time to leave.

He said to himself.

This place was too oppressive.

However, he had just reached the doorway and hadn't yet managed to draw a breath of outside air when a dense, scalp‑tingling howl burst forth from all sides!

Aoo—!!

Howl—!!

It wasn't just one or two monsters, but an entire massive horde!

Lin Yue's face changed drastically; he took a single step to the shattered doorway and peered outside cautiously.

At a glance, his blood ran cold halfway.

On the street, at some point a black‑pressing mass of monsters had gathered.

They were a mutant creature slightly larger than a domestic dog, gaunt and hairless, with sickly gray‑white skin stretched tight over bone like moving dog skeletons.

Their limbs were long, with barbs at the joints, and their eyes glowed with a mad, hungry green light.

Mutant Dogs!

That name sprang instantly to Lin Yue's mind—it was what Zhao Si had told him when describing Hangcheng's situation earlier.

Mutant Dogs live in packs, are fast, numerous, and extremely troublesome!

At this moment, at least thirty‑forty Mutant Dogs sealed the convenience‑store entrance completely.

They were frenziedly lunging at Black Tortoise.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Mutant Dog after Mutant Dog fearlessly slammed into Black Tortoise's black shell, howling as they were flung back, some even breaking bones on impact.

These attacks were hardly more than a tickle to Black Tortoise; its massive body blocked the doorway firmly, and occasionally it would dart its head out, snapping a Mutant Dog's head to pieces with a lightning‑fast bite.

Well done, Black Tortoise!

Lin Yue shouted, his heart easing a little.

This pack of Mutant Dogs could hardly harm it.

But he was happy too soon.

Behind the dog pack, a noticeably larger leader with a ridge of bone spikes along its back raised its head and let out a sharp, long howl.

Aoo—!!!

Having received the signal, the dog pack instantly ceased its futile charges.

They quickly dispersed, dozens of grim‑green eyes locking in unison onto the convenience‑store's windows, holes in the walls, and every possible entrance!

Damn! Lin Yue's heart sank. These beasts actually knew tactics!

Clatter!

On his left, a Mutant Dog smashed the remaining glass of the window and thrust half its body inside!

Screech—

From the warehouse behind, a harsh screech of metal scraped by claws came— they were attacking the back door!

Thud! Thud!

The ceiling overhead also trembled as something leapt onto the roof, searching for weak points!

In an instant, Lin Yue and Black Tortoise were completely surrounded.

He gripped his rubber baton tightly, hearing the howls and scratching from all sides draw nearer, his heart sinking.

These Mutant Beasts posed no threat to Black Tortoise, yet they could threaten him!

If he let his guard down even a moment, he might very well die here!