After half an hour of speeding, Noah arrived at the outskirts of Suzhou City. Along the way, he encountered many survivors, all of whom unanimously cast envious glances at him. It wasn't because he was handsome, but because his attire was too neat. Now, almost everyone was struggling to survive, let alone taking time to groom themselves, they could hardly find food.
They were in a constant state of hunger, often fighting zombies for their lives. Everyone looked disheveled, with sallow complexions, tattered clothes, and resembled refugees.
In contrast, Noah, with his branded clothing, was neat and clean, his complexion rosy and glowing. Coupled with a brand new, handsome motorcycle, he looked like a rich second-generation who had mistakenly wandered into a refugee camp, creating a stark contrast. While some envied him, naturally, others were jealous.
Just after leaving the city, Noah was stopped by a group of people. There were about a dozen of them, all young men, each armed with a weapon.
"Hey kid, nice bike you got there. Found a lot of good stuff in the city, huh? Hand it all over," one man, leisurely carrying a steel pipe, approached Noah, his gaze sweeping over him. Not everyone was willing to risk being attacked by zombies to search for supplies in the city.
Many resorted to robbing others waiting on the outskirts, a much easier target than zombies. The group confronting Noah was precisely such bandits. Noah scanned the crowd and did not find any awakened individuals, they were all ordinary people.
The number of awakened individuals was too small at the beginning of the apocalypse, it was rare to encounter one. Only in the second phase would a large number of survivors awaken, significantly increasing the number of awakened individuals. But the prerequisite was to survive until the second phase.
In the time to come, every day an ordinary person survives, they must give it their all. Just half a month later, the global population will be reduced by another 50%, and only those who survive will have the chance to awaken.
Noah controlled his motorcycle, flying past the crowd without looking back, as the metal objects behind him turned into the grim reaper's scythe, reaping one life after another. Without exception, the group of robbers was wiped out.
Shortly after, Noah arrived at the entrance of a small survivor camp. Looking inside, there were about two to three hundred people, including men, women, the elderly, and children. The camp was surrounded by walls made of abandoned vehicles and sheet metal for protection. Beyond that, there were no other defense works, and no one was on guard, making it very insecure.
These types of temporary small camps were numerous, mostly used as temporary markets. The people inside did not permanently reside there; they were there to "do business." This involved bartering goods for essential living supplies or engaging in the flesh trade.
The camp had many small huts, only about seven or eight square meters each, hastily constructed and looking very shabby. These huts were the transaction places for the flesh trade. The price was negotiated, doors closed, and business done quietly. Often, half a loaf of bread could get you a session. The prices were transparent, affordable, and fair. As for the risk of diseases... it all depended on luck.
At this moment, many people in the camp were carrying their luggage and walking out, their faces filled with excitement, tightly clutching flyers for the Golden Dragon Reservoir. Many planned to head to the Golden Dragon Reservoir to "enjoy the good life," packing up and setting off with their families after a simple preparation. The reservoir was less than thirty kilometers away, and with swift movement, they could arrive before dark. Noah pondered for a moment, stored his motorcycle in a space, and walked inside.
He could blend in with these people and head to the Golden Dragon Reservoir, but his current attire was too eye-catching; he needed to change into something dirtier and more tattered.
Not far along, a middle-aged aunt threw seductive glances at Noah, "Handsome boy, come have fun with me. Just a pack of instant noodles and I assure you top-notch service that'll leave you satisfied."
"I'll do it for half a pack of noodles, and if it comes with a seasoning packet, you can have two rounds," chimed in another pretty young woman, not even twenty, clearly offering a more reasonable deal with better quality.
A bearded man approached Noah with a suggestive wink, "Looking for a girl, bro? My wife's stunning. A quickie for a loaf of bread, the whole night for three, and if you want me to watch... add one more..."
Beside the man stood a voluptuous young woman in her early thirties with a decent face, easily scoring an 80 out of 100.
A little girl, about eight or nine years old, peeked out from behind the woman, blinking her big eyes at Noah. Clearly, this was a family of three.
Noah's gaze shifted to the girl, above whose head slowly appeared two lines of text:
[Ability: Dream Creation A]
[Wealth Value: 3]
Noah's lips curved into a smile, finding an unexpected treasure. The little girl was an awakened, and not of a low level either. She possessed a rare mental-type ability, not for direct combat but for controlling others' dreams, crafting any dream with just a thought. Hence, those with this ability were called Dream Makers.
Of course, if used properly, it could also be employed for assassination. Destroying a target's psyche directly in their dreams could lead to mental breakdown, leaving them brain-damaged in reality if not dead.
However, this was merely the crudest use of the ability. The correct use was to open a shop, crafting desired dreams for people, allowing them to indulge and enjoy within those dreamscapes.
In his previous life, Noah had seen several of these dream-making shops, which were incredibly popular. If you wanted to buy a dream, you had to line up and make an appointment in advance, and the prices were not cheap.
Seeing Noah staring intently at the girl, the man chuckled awkwardly and shielded the girl behind him: "She's still a child, still a child, hehe..."
Noah shook his head, "Don't worry, I'm not into that kind of thing. Lead the way, find a place where we can be alone."
"Alright, this way."
Following the man, they arrived at a small dilapidated house with a bed, a table, and kitchen utensils piled in a corner, but no food in sight.
"It's my wife's first time doing this, please be gentle..."
Noah ignored the man and took out an 80-inch cream cake from his space, waving it towards the girl: "Little one, would you like this cake?"
Seeing the cake, the girl's eyes widened. She hadn't eaten for two days and instinctively ran to Noah, her eyes fixated on the cake and swallowing her saliva.
"Is this cake really for me?"
Noah smiled gently, patted the girl on the head, and stuffed the cake into her arms.
"Of course, it's yours now."
Plunder activated.
[Detected a plunderable object]
[Please select the direction of plunder]
"Replicate ability."
[Ability replication successful, obtained ability: Dream Creation A]