The exchange was finalized with two and a half boxes of chocolates, a meager price for the longsword, Miao knife, and tattered chain mail. Those few items, along with the hundreds of thousands of chocolates that were once valuable before the apocalypse, now amounted to a mere fraction. They held little significance against the monsters, and it was thanks to Lu Ren's family's influence that the deal was made possible. He still had some connections and influence within the survivor community.
Su Chen, appreciative of Lu Ren's family's assistance, offered him some chocolates. However, Lu Ren's family politely declined, accepting the gesture with gratitude.
Su Chen didn't dwell on it; he had already bid farewell to Wang Lidu and made his way back to the off-road vehicle.
He departed without further delay, but Lu Ren's family inquired once more, "Xiao Su, are you really not considering joining us? You have ample supplies, and if there are more people on your side, merging our groups could benefit us all."
Su Chen simply shook his head and replied, "No, leader... take care."
Lu Ren's family paused for a moment, seemingly grasping a vague understanding, and no longer pressed the matter. He simply said, "Take care, and I hope we can meet again. When it's all over, we'll have a chance to share a drink."
"I won't let you treat me this time," Su Chen quipped.
In the fragmented memories of the original owner, he often went out for drinks with Lu Ren's family. Most of the time, he was the one who invited and entertained guests. Although he claimed reimbursement, the financial aspect was always challenging, leaving a lasting impression in the fragmented memories.
However, Su Chen, having experienced so much as the successor, didn't hold any grudges. His remark was merely a lighthearted jest.
And so, they bid each other farewell. Su Chen and Qiao Zheng navigated through the crowd, swords and knives in hand, making their way toward the off-road vehicle parked outside the gas station.
With the immense crowd around, Su Chen couldn't immediately transfer the acquired items into the Anovar ring.
As they walked, Qiao Zheng suddenly posed a question, breaking the silence. "Brother Su, where is your family?"
Su Chen's response was tinged with a peculiar tone. "As far as I know, they are abroad."
He realized the inherent strangeness in his answer, clarifying, "Well, not exactly my family."
Qiao Zheng pondered for a moment before sharing, "My family is in Kyoto Prefecture... I have no idea what's happening there now." A rare melancholy crossed his face. "If the monsters have reached our city... Some people claim that only Yuanliao City has been affected. Is that true, Brother Su?"
"I don't possess all the details, but it's a possibility," Su Chen reassured him. "Your family might be safe. Just focus on surviving, and one day, you'll reunite with them."
Qiao Zheng nodded, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes. "By the way, Brother Su, I've noticed the effectiveness of practicing. I've been training diligently these past few days, and I feel a slight boost in my abilities. I can maintain them for longer durations, and the time needed to concentrate has decreased... but... I still haven't been able to tap into dark energy..."
As they spoke, they arrived near the off-road vehicle.
Gasoline had already been transferred there, and Wang Lidu had been patiently waiting. Su Chen did not hesitate any longer and swiftly stored the excess gasoline and the chain mail into the Anova ring. He had noticed that the energy consumption associated with storing items was proportional to their volume and mass. The larger the object, the greater the energy required. Strangely, objects would sink into the dark space without a trace.
He worried that the items he stored would sink irretrievably into the bottomless darkness. Thus, he hadn't attempted to store a large vehicle like a car for some time.
While other survivors were still engaged in trading and gathering supplies at the gas station, Su Chen's group took a brief rest before hitting the road once more, determined to hunt down the black scale monster.
Lu Ren's family, however, received a belated reminder and suddenly realized that Su Chen was the person in the vehicle. They couldn't help but feel a mix of disbelief, surprise, and an inexplicable sense of sighing and melancholy.
Inside the off-road vehicle, Qiao Zheng continued to diligently train his abilities. Due to the lack of safety, he practiced by gently rubbing his palms together, harnessing the light in small increments.
Meanwhile, Su Chen remained in the back seat, utilizing his skills to modify various items. He worked on the new Miao knife and longsword, infusing them with enhancements. However, he decided to postpone modifying the chain mail for now, intending to incorporate it into a more extensive renovation in the future.
Due to the intense energy consumption, Su Chen's body energy had only been maintained at around a dozen units, despite hunting several monsters. The power banks he had acquired were only half full.
For the past two days, Su Chen had been on the attack, relentlessly searching for targets. During moments of respite, he would sit on the car's roof, making calls.
Most of the calls were directed to survivors in Yuanliao City. When they answered, a sense of horror and disbelief overwhelmed them, reminiscent of a scene from a horror movie where a dead cellphone inexplicably springs to life. Consequently, most of them hastily disconnected the call, overwhelmed by fear.
Su Chen had no interest in engaging in conversation with survivors; he simply made repeated calls in search of information. His perception abilities were gradually maturing, allowing him to navigate the evolving situation more effectively.
Trailing behind their vehicle were two ominous, pitch-black monsters, constantly keeping a safe distance. This time, they had learned their lesson. They maintained a significant gap between them, remaining vigilant. The two dark behemoths were even separated from one another.
The recent appearance of these dark giants indicated a surge in the number of monsters in the area. Furthermore, many survivors had wisely taken the opportunity to evacuate in the past few days, leaving fewer and fewer individuals trapped within the encirclement.
Su Chen even encountered a horrifying sight—a group of monsters had surrounded a desperate band of survivors on a small hill. The monsters incessantly tormented them, but refrained from delivering the final blow. The survivor count remained at around seven or eight. Su Chen recognized this as a strategically placed trap, a prime opportunity for him to locate and eliminate a formidable group of monsters. However, he keenly sensed the danger and swiftly withdrew, abandoning the trapped survivors. As expected, a swarm of black scale monsters emerged from the surroundings, nearly engulfing the entire hill.
The unfortunate survivors were swallowed by the horde in an instant. The pursuing monsters seemed intent on driving Su Chen toward a particular destination.
It wasn't that Su Chen lacked the desire to help those trapped survivors, but their predicament had been deliberately orchestrated to lure him in. Su Chen observed from a distance, his heart heavy with a sigh.
Along their journey, they encountered a group of fleeing survivors who had hoped to seek refuge with Su Chen's group. However, upon witnessing the scene behind Su Chen, they hastily fled, their fear propelling them at an astonishing speed.
Su Chen had no intention of being foolishly obstructed by a group of low-level lackeys. Utilizing He Xuanheng's abilities, he seized the opportunity to swiftly escape them.
In this battle between light and darkness, the true headache lay with the favored one orchestrating these monsters.
With the increasing number and density of monsters, Su Chen had no choice but to proceed with utmost caution.