Four people, with a sense of unease, entered the supermarket's forecourt, passing by the gas station. On the scattered shelves, there was hardly any food to be seen. The ceramic floor was marked with haphazard shoe prints, and in the corners, there were still several dark red bloodstains that hadn't been cleaned.
"Squeak."
The iron door had started to rust due to the continuous rain. It led to an area behind the supermarket that was likely the staff's rest area, now shrouded in darkness. As the iron door creaked open, a nauseating mix of urine and the stench of feces and decay assaulted their senses. Clifford, who was the last in line, instinctively pinched his nose, feeling a bit queasy.
The floor was covered in puddles, discarded packaging bags, and unidentifiable white sleeves scattered about. Perhaps the sound of the door had disturbed the "people" inside, and the sound of rattling chains indicated someone was struggling.
Clark, walking in front, lit a lighter in his hand and the wavering flame instantly illuminated the dim room. What they saw shocked them. Clifford turned pale, and after comprehending the scene in front of him, he couldn't help but dry heave. He had to grasp the door frame to steady himself.
Dirk, his breathing heavy, stumbled back involuntarily. "What the hell are we doing here, Clark?" He had a bad feeling growing in his mind. Both he and Clifford were just regular players, unable to see clearly inside the room without enhanced vision.
Clark didn't respond but calmly ignited the lighter in his hand. The flickering flame revealed the scene before them.
"What... what is this?" Clifford's face turned ashen, and he couldn't help but dry heave as he took in the horrifying sight. Dirk, struggling to maintain his composure, breathed heavily and staggered backward.
"These damn beasts!" After coming to his senses, Dirk's furious voice resonated throughout the room. He clenched his fists, trembling with anger. In the dimly lit room, they could vaguely see seven or eight women, stripped of their clothes, with their hands and feet locked to chairs. Their dignity was completely gone, and it was hard to imagine the depths of their suffering. Iron chains held their wrists and ankles securely, and there were bloodstains from friction at the joints.
On the small tables next to each person, there was an iron bowl filled with fresh chunks of meat, which seemed to be their food. In the center of the room, a suspended body was covered in marks of being cut and torn, making it obvious where the food was coming from.
"They... they're actually eating people!" Dirk clenched his fists tightly, shaking with anger.
"How could... how could this be..." Clifford struggled to cover his chest. The scene before his eyes was too shocking. The scenes of people eating people, a legend that seemed unbelievable.
Clark didn't have much of a reaction, just patiently waiting for the two to come to terms with this reality. Indeed, it was hard to imagine.
The apocalypse had only occurred ten days ago, and no ordinary person could fathom how quickly human nature could deteriorate in just ten days.
Cannibalism, a phenomenon found only in ancient texts, was happening in modern society.
"Surprised, are you?" Clark's voice resounded. In his past life, he had witnessed scenes far more gruesome than this, and the depths of human depravity were sometimes sickening, worse than animals.
"In fact, when you saw that girl's knee with the nail on the highway, you should have realized."
"In the apocalypse, people are essentially a commodity, especially beautiful girls."
"They can use this commodity as bait, which means they don't lack women; they lack food and other things."
"Clearly, despite having plenty of women to spare, they are lacking food." So, what should they consider these 'commodities'?"
The iron chains jingled, perhaps Clark's voice had awakened the "people" in front of them. Their responses seemed instinctual, as if they had been "trained," and they involuntarily spread their legs.
Some were very young, some looked like the girl next door. At their age, they should have been lively and full of youth, but at this moment, there was no sign of life in them.
Dirk grimaced, and he finally understood why Clark had brought him here and what he wanted him to see. He couldn't help but gasp for air, and his anger nearly overwhelmed his rationality.
"I'm going to kill them!"
"These damn scum!"
These garbage didn't deserve to be called human! Dirk grabbed the handgun Clark had offered and rushed out of the door.
Clifford's face changed, and in the end, he chose to follow Dirk outside. He couldn't bear the scene before him any longer.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Gunshots rang out quickly, mixed with pleas and angry shouts.
"Clark..."
Over the team's communication channel, Dirk's voice sounded weary and lost.
"I'll take Arnold back to the car first..."
Clark let out a sigh. This was something Dirk had to go through. However, Sandra's facial expression remained unchanged, as if the scene before her had no impact at all.
Curious, Clark wondered about the origins of the young girl. Even someone with Dirk's military background couldn't bear the shock of what was happening in front of them. How could she remain so calm? Before the apocalypse, it was a normal society, and he had no idea what she had experienced in the past.
In his previous life, he had only briefly encountered Sandra, and due to his existence as a free entity and a player on the edge, nobody knew about her past. Perhaps there would be a chance to ask her.
Suppressing this thought, Clark looked at the skull of a scale beast in the girl's hand.
"Still pretending to be dead?"
He pinched the skull with his slender, jade-like fingers and applied slight pressure, producing an unpleasant sound of bones deforming.
"No."
The tightly shut eyes on the skull's head suddenly opened, and the vertical pupils were filled with hatred.
Clark didn't pay much attention and asked directly, "Tell me, where are those eyes or the mirror? When I used my psychic power to investigate in the car, I felt a strangely familiar aura. It's the aura of the 'Secret Realm Treasure.' In the past, I received such information from the chat channels shared by players. This 'key' was once taken from me. With that key, I could have entered the secret realm in my final year and become an Awakened or even stronger! Like a bolt from the blue, the vertical pupils of the scale beast showed a momentary flash of shock and unease, as if Clark had just touched upon a colossal secret.
"You! How do you know? Who are you, really?"
Clark's words hit him like a bombshell, causing waves of shock in his mind. Even when facing Clark's almost fatal blow, he hadn't been this shocked.
"3 seconds."
"I'll kill you now if you don't answer. Don't test my patience. I can feel Clark's icy intent."
"No!"
"Unless you swear not to kill me!"
Clark suddenly released his vice-like grip, chuckling.
"I said I won't kill you. I promise, and I have no reason to deceive you."
The scale beast stared at Clark in disbelief, hesitated briefly, and chose to trust him. Awakened individuals rely on willpower and physical attributes when pushing the limits of the human body, and they typically have strong self-confidence. Since Clark had made a promise and had no reason to deceive him, the scale beast believed him.
Did he think that with just his head left, he wouldn't live much longer, so not killing him would only extend his life for a little while? Idiot! You underestimated me!
"Good! I trust you won't kill me!!" The scale beast's face was filled with ecstasy, and the hatred in his vertical pupils flashed away.
However, beside Clark, Sandra looked at the scale beast with a sudden trace of mockery in her eyes.