Ye Chen's body moved swiftly, rushing to the side of the mutated ant. With a cunning trajectory, the fire axe in his hand chopped down, targeting the remaining claws of the mutated ant.
"Clang!"
The sharp axe, under Ye Chen's formidable strength, struck the thin black claws, producing a shower of sparks as if it had hit reinforced steel.
To his astonishment, the axe failed to sever the claws, only leaving a shallow mark. Ye Chen marveled at the strength of this late-apocalyptic super monster, its defenses indeed formidable!
Ye Chen didn't stop; he continued hacking with the axe. As long as he shattered the black exoskeleton, the tender flesh inside would be defenseless, easily cut through.
The mutated ant, having suffered the brunt of a gas cylinder explosion at close range, was covered in lacerations from the cylinder's shards and was in a dazed state, only struggling instinctively on the ground.
After hacking over a dozen times, the axe handle broke under the strain, leaving Ye Chen to use the axe head alone to pound away. It took about a minute to completely sever the ant's legs.
Then, Ye Chen pinned the ant's head to the ground and spent several minutes breaking its mandibles before finally relaxing and lifting it up, leaving the room.
Exiting the room, Ye Chen returned to another room with the mutated ant, tossed it on the ground, and found a gas cylinder. He emptied the cylinder in an empty room, disassembled the cylinder mouth, and stuffed the mutated ant inside.
A regular wooden box would be torn apart by the slightest struggle from this mutated ant, the wood as fragile as paper in its presence...
"I can't kill this mutated ant; otherwise, its genes would become rigid and impossible to extract," Ye Chen mused. "The only thing to do now is to find a research lab, use the tools there to extract the genes from the ant, and then inject them into my body!"
Ye Chen turned to the room, switched on the hotel's computer, and checked the network, finding it unconnected. Since the apocalypse, global communications had been cut off, rendering both the internet and telephone useless.
However, Ye Chen was prepared. Early in the apocalypse, he had anticipated such a scenario, so he purchased a map of China and detailed maps of various regions.
A map costing a few bucks proved to be as invaluable as a powerful weapon in the apocalypse!
Ye Chen opened the map of his city, studied it for a while, and finally found a research institute seven kilometers away.
Ye Chen frowned.
Seven kilometers...
Not too long, yet not too short. In the past, a bus ride would suffice. But now, with monsters rampant and zombies everywhere, the seven-kilometer journey harbored countless dangers. Even if he went alone, he had less than a thirty percent chance of reaching the institute safely.
To go or not to go...
For a moment, Ye Chen hesitated.
If he were alone, he would undoubtedly risk everything to reach the institute, as this was the weakest phase for monsters and zombies. In the second and third months, the monsters and zombies would only grow stronger...
If he didn't go now, there would be no chance later.
However, he had his sister, Ye Zhu, by his side now. If something happened to him, his sister would be left alone and helpless...
Having experienced the misery of being alone, Ye Chen was determined not to let his sister go through it as well.
As he pondered, nearing noon, the door opened, and Ye Zhu and Bai Long walked in. Seeing Ye Chen safe, a hint of joy flashed in Ye Zhu's eyes as she hurried over, grinning, "What are you thinking about?"
Ye Chen looked up.
The familiar face was right before him...
Smiling so playfully...
A strong sense of warmth rose in Ye Chen's heart. He shifted aside, making room for her to sit. After a moment of silence, he looked at her and said slowly, "I'm going somewhere dangerous."
Ye Zhu was startled, her smile fading as she frowned slightly. She knew that for the usually calm Ye Chen to be so serious, the place must be extremely dangerous!
She was silent for a moment before asking softly, "Where to?"
Ye Chen gazed at her, then said slowly, "We need to leave the hotel and head to a research institute, seven kilometers from here."
Ye Zhu bit her lip, then asked bitterly, "Is it possible not to go?"
Ye Chen shook his head slowly, a simple but heavy gesture.
Only by becoming a gene warrior could one truly protect oneself in the apocalypse, otherwise, death could come at any moment.
Ye Zhu clenched her fists, then looked up resolutely, "I'm going with you!"
"No!" Ye Chen refused firmly.
Ye Zhu met his gaze, "If you're in danger, I won't live alone. Even if you leave me in the hotel, I'll follow you."
Ye Chen couldn't help but smile bitterly. This was almost what he had expected. There were only two paths before him.
First, not going to the institute!
Second, taking his sister, Ye Zhu, with him!
Ye Chen knew that once his sister, with her stubbornness, made a decision, it was hard to change. Besides, he understood that if he died, given the upcoming phases of the apocalypse—especially the volcanic and ice ages—without his guidance, his sister would struggle to survive alone.
"Alright!"
After a long pause, Ye Chen sighed, "We'll go together then."
Ye Zhu looked at him for a moment, seeing he wasn't just saying that to pacify her, and finally smiled, "That's better. From now on, wherever you go, I'll be there. Live together, die together!"
Ye Chen felt a warmth in his heart and gently rubbed her head.
"You're leaving?" Bai Long, who had been listening, finally spoke up.
Ye Chen glanced at him, nodded, "You don't have to come. With your current strength, you can survive here well. If you have the chance, join the military when they come."
Bai Long frowned, "Where are you going?"
Ye Chen said calmly, "A very dangerous place. With my strength, I have only a thirty percent chance of survival."
Bai Long fell silent.
Thirty percent chance.
Such odds were practically a death sentence.
...
During dinner, everyone was lost in their own thoughts, and the night passed quietly.
The next morning.
The curtains were drawn open, and sunlight poured into the room.
Ye Chen gathered the useful items, holding a fire axe as his weapon. He had also snapped a watermelon knife into half and tucked it into his camouflage pants, and packed a small bag of candies in his backpack.
He didn't bring petrol bottles, as the small petrol bottles were ineffective against monsters as strong as thirty men. Moreover, the explosion might attract more monsters, causing unnecessary trouble.
After getting everything ready, Ye Zhu prepared a hearty breakfast. Once they left the hotel, they wouldn't be able to enjoy such delicious, fresh food anymore.
The two devoured the breakfast.
"Where's Bai Long?" Ye Zhu looked around but didn't see Bai Long.
Ye Chen said indifferently, "Probably still asleep. Get ready, we're leaving."
Ye Zhu glanced at Bai Long's room, a hint of disappointment in her eyes, then turned to pack up. Women, unlike men, tend to pack mostly clothes…
Ye Chen was speechless. In the end, he helped her pack less clothing and added more candies. A candy's energy was almost equivalent to a bowl of rice.
"Let's go!"
Ye Chen opened the door.
He glanced back at the room, suddenly feeling a sense of emptiness.
Just as they were about to leave, the bedroom door opened. Bai Long, dressed in camouflage, holding two watermelon knives, and carrying a black bundle on his back, smiled, "Let's go!"
Ye Zhu was stunned, "What are you…?"
Bai Long grinned at her, "Someone as righteous as me can't let a delicate girl travel with a cold-blooded, heartless, triple psychopath! I'm coming along to protect you!"
"What a lousy excuse!"
Ye Zhu couldn't help but smile.
Ye Chen said coldly, "What did you say?"
"I forgot, what did you say?"
"There are many monsters on the road. Don't blame me if you die."
"Don't worry, a generous, selfless, and caring young man like me won't blame you."
"Good, you'll be the tank from now on."
"Damn! You're scaring me!"
"Whatever, don't come if you're scared."
"Xiao Zhu, did you see that? This cold-blooded psycho is so heartless!"
"You should be grateful. He just doesn't want you to die."
"Would he be so kind?"