After Bai Mo left, we each went our separate ways and no longer confronted the Foundation. Those friends who once fought side by side have now departed, one after another. I, Yu Qiang, am no exception.
Chen Zhe is the core of our team, his humorous and witty nature always bringing me laughter. Bai Mo, on the other hand, is that inwardly passionate and outwardly cold guy, always giving me the most steadfast support and belief in the most critical moments. Bai Mo's departure was a huge blow to me.
During the time after they left, I tried to continue moving forward but found it difficult to survive without a team, so I decided to seclude myself. Everyone began to seek their own ways and strategies for survival. For me, this meant giving up confronting the Foundation and choosing a lonely and quiet corner to seclude myself.
Before leaving, I dragged the severely injured Chen Zhe to a farmhouse. To my surprise, despite his serious injuries, he managed to stay alive. Later, Qi Feng and Bai Yun also left. The twists of fate eventually led me to choose the path of seclusion. I do not know where they are now. Perhaps they continue their journey of survival in some corner of the wasteland, or perhaps they have found a new home and purpose.
For me, seclusion is not about cowardice or evasion, but an opportunity to reassess and replan. Perhaps on this wasteland, I can find my own path, reigniting the hope and courage that were once forgotten.
Three years have passed in the world of the post-apocalyptic wasteland, and each year has felt particularly heavy, as if each swing of the pendulum is reminding me. Three years ago, I chose seclusion, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, opting for a remote and quiet place.
Because supplies were running low, I ventured out again after three years. This is an abandoned industrial area, where discarded machinery and remnants of metal make it my domain. I am Yu Qiang, a young man with the ability to control metal. This ability allows me to perceive and manipulate metal around me, whether it's a piece of iron wire or an old steel plate, and I can even generate metal shards myself.
Here in these ruins, I search for what I need to survive. To me, these cold metal pieces are more trustworthy than humans; they do not deceive or betray. Aside from facing the loneliness and desolation brought by the wasteland alone, my life in seclusion also brings peace and understanding with the metal.
But sometimes, I miss my friends from three years ago, those who once fought side by side. Perhaps they are still struggling in some corner of the wasteland, or perhaps they have become another part of this wasteland. However, I know that now, I can only rely on myself to survive.
Every day is a struggle against the harsh environment, a dialogue with my own inner self. In these long and lonely three years, I have learned to rely on my own strength and reconnect with this world. Perhaps, in this wasteland, I can find a new way of survival, rediscovering the forgotten hope and future.
While searching for supplies in the ruins, I heard faint cries for help. As if by fate, I followed the voice to the side of an abandoned building. There, I found a girl dressed in tattered clothes, covered in mud, struggling hard.
Her eyes were filled with despair and exhaustion, but when she saw me, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. I approached her cautiously, helping her up. Her body was so frail that I could almost feel her fragile bones. I handed her a bottle of water, and she drank it slowly, tears involuntarily streaming down her cheeks.
"Thank you, thank you for saving me," she trembled as she spoke, her voice so weak that I could almost hear her despair and fear. I silently sat beside her, letting her gradually calm down.
I didn't ask for her name because names are almost a luxury in this wasteland. She told me she had been lost in these ruins for several days, with no food or water, only despair and fear. Listening to her description, I felt her helplessness and loneliness, which reminded me of the dark moments I once faced.
I decided to take her to my secluded place, a fishing hut. It's simple but safer than any corner of this wasteland. On the way, she almost relied entirely on me, but I didn't complain. Instead, I was more concerned about whether she could survive safely.
We walked along the paths between the ruins, and I tried to let her walk in the clear spaces beside me, as I could feel her strength was almost at its limit. She occasionally looked back at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and anxiety, as if afraid I would disappear in the next moment.
Finally, we arrived at my secluded place, a fishing hut where I had settled for some time. I took her inside, fetching some simple food and clean water for her. Despite her exhaustion, she held onto that happiness and sense of security, as if she had found a warm harbor in that moment.
I sat quietly beside her, saying little. In this lonely world, I never thought I would have the chance to bring hope and comfort to someone again. She closed her eyes, resting quietly, and I guarded this precious peace, hoping she could find a new life here.
In the quiet night, after she rested for a while, we finally started to introduce ourselves to each other. I told her my name is Yu Shi Yu Qiang, a young man with the ability to control metal, who has been secluded here for three years. She softly said her name was Feng Lijun, from Fengjing Town, which had been destroyed by bandits, forcing her to wander in order to survive.
Our conversation was not long, but every word was filled with warmth and resilience of life. She told me she used to be an ordinary villager until a disaster destroyed her home and family. She fled that broken land but lost her way in this wasteland until she met me.
I told her how my powers became the pillar of my survival in this wasteland, while also distancing me from human connections. However, in meeting her, I began to reassess my loneliness and seclusion. Perhaps in this seemingly barren world, we could find some common ways of survival and face the unpredictable future together.
That night, we did not discuss plans for the future because in the wasteland, the future itself is an unknown. But I knew that at that moment, we had become each other's support and hope.
The next morning, when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the dilapidated buildings, I made my decision. Bandits were rampant in this wasteland, becoming a hidden danger in this desolate land. Their presence threatened my own safety.
I told Feng Li that this was my own choice, a decision to end my life of seclusion and re-enter the struggle. She looked at me, understanding and supporting, though she understood the dangers and sacrifices this decision might bring.
I put on gloves that hadn't been worn for a long time, preparing to set out. In a corner of the wasteland, I found where the gang of bandits gathered. They mocked me, thinking I was an easy target as a lone wolf. However, they did not expect that I had lived in this wasteland long enough to know how to use my powers to confront them.
Swift Meteor • Song of Meteor
A brief but intense battle began. I used my abilities to control the surrounding metal objects, using them to attack and defend. The bandits began to feel real fear; their unity and arrogance were meaningless before me. In the end, I drove them away, making them understand that in this wasteland, no one can ignore the presence of justice.
When I returned to Feng Li's side, she had been supporting me all the way to the fishing hut, but I felt tired but also satisfied. This battle allowed me to rediscover the fighting spirit and passion I once had. I knew that although the wasteland was still full of unknowns and dangers, I was no longer a passive bystander but a part of this wasteland, someone who could fight for justice.