It would be a lie to say Wang Haoyu wasn't nervous at that moment, but more than nervousness, he felt a spark of excitement at the prospect of encountering another person in this desolate place.
"Are you sure this is edible?" He felt somewhat foolish for asking, especially after seeing the black-clad woman's face smeared with the broth from the meat.
"Are you going to cook or not?" The woman raised the muzzle of her gun slightly, her tone cold.
"Alright, alright... I'll cook. Just give me a moment to get the ingredients," Wang Haoyu replied, calming himself down. He realized that besides her appetite, this woman didn't seem to pose any other threat to him.
...
...
"Have you had enough?" Wang Haoyu finally asked, breaking the silence as he looked at the four dog leg bones on the floor and the woman who was sitting there, her stomach slightly bulging.
"How can it taste this good?" the woman said, licking her lips as she savored the flavor of the braised dog leg.
"Who are you, exactly, and why are you here?" It was only then that the woman seemed to remember the chubby man who had cooked for her, raising her gun again as she questioned him.
"I'm from the North. I accidentally ended up here," Wang Haoyu replied, fabricating a story to explain his presence. This woman was the first person he had seen since waking up, and he hoped to learn more about his surroundings from her.
"People from the North... is the food always this good up there?" The woman murmured, looking at him with a curious expression.
Was it really that good? Wang Haoyu wondered, feeling a bit self-conscious under her gaze. He knew his cooking skills weren't top-tier, not by any stretch.
"This dog meat... there's no problem with eating it, right?" Wang Haoyu asked cautiously.
"Have you never eaten mutated dog before?" she asked, incredulous.
Wang Haoyu shook his head, indicating that this was his first time cooking braised mutated dog meat.
"You're not going to tell me that you've never seen these mutated beasts before, are you?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise when he nodded in affirmation.
"My God..."
The woman was so shocked that she nearly dropped her gun, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Could you tell me about this place?" Wang Haoyu felt that after cooking four portions of braised dog leg for her, it was fair to ask for some information in return.
"Alright, you're the strangest person I've ever met," she admitted, finally accepting the truth in his words.
Perhaps it was because she was full, or maybe she felt grateful for the delicious food Wang Haoyu had prepared. The woman began to tell him about the current state of the world and the environment around them.
An hour later, Wang Haoyu finally understood the reality of his situation.
It was now the year 2116, in a parallel world to Earth. Twenty years ago, a T-virus outbreak occurred in the Western Federation, rapidly infecting the entire world. Those who contracted the T-virus mostly died outright, while some turned into zombies, just like the ones in the movies. From that moment, the world came to be known as the Year of the Apocalypse.
By the second year of the apocalypse, nearly all animals had undergone varying degrees of mutation due to T-virus contamination. These mutated animals were incredibly powerful and posed a significant threat to humanity.
Starting in the third year of the apocalypse, the threat of zombies and mutated beasts forced humans to gradually abandon cities and establish numerous federations, bases, and alliances in safe zones around the world.
Since then, food had become increasingly scarce, and the supplies in major supermarkets and stores were long depleted. People were forced to hunt mutated beasts to survive.
It was discovered that after killing a mutated beast, they could extract blue energy-infused crystals from their brains. These crystals, known as magic crystals, had been used as a unified currency ever since.
The amount of energy contained within a magic crystal determined its value. For example, the mutated dog and rats Wang Haoyu had killed only contained one unit of magic crystal each. More powerful mutated beasts could have crystals with much higher energy units.
As food became scarcer, people were forced to fight over territory and resources, leading to widespread bloodshed and unrest. Everyone fought desperately for another day of life and another meal.
Over time, humans gradually grew stronger through constant battles with zombies and mutated beasts. Some individuals with innate talents and strong constitutions could purchase gene modification treatments at great expense to become even more formidable.
From their conversation, Wang Haoyu learned that the black-clad woman's name was Lin Wanting. She was born in the first year of the apocalypse and had managed to survive until now, at the age of twenty.
"Are all mutated beasts edible?" Wang Haoyu asked. Having inexplicably ended up here, he had no choice but to accept this reality. However, he was more concerned about the food situation.
"Most of them are, but it depends on the taste. By the way, how did you make the mutated dog meat taste so good?" Lin Wanting asked, still savoring the memory of the braised dog leg.
"Was it really that good?" Wang Haoyu asked, still doubting his culinary skills.
"Absolutely! It's the best mutated dog meat I've ever tasted, better than anything from the luxury hotels in the major federation cities," she exclaimed, seemingly unable to forget the delicious flavor of the braised dog leg.
"Could it be that the cooking skills in this apocalypse are so poor that even the food I, a third-rate chef, make is considered delicious?" Wang Haoyu thought, sensing a potential opportunity.
Wang Haoyu then cut a piece of the mutated dog meat and asked Lin Wanting to cook it. After talking for so long, the two had lowered their guard somewhat. Given that she had lived in the apocalypse for twenty years, Wang Haoyu figured she must know how to cook.
Pfft...
Twenty minutes later, after spitting out a mouthful of the dog meat, Wang Haoyu realized Lin Wanting was telling the truth.
Using the same seasonings, Lin Wanting's dish tasted like overly salty marinated dog meat. She had added various spices, but none of them seemed to complement each other.
Now Wang Haoyu understood why Lin Wanting had kicked open the door and rushed in like a hungry wolf. If there were a Michelin restaurant across the street, Wang Haoyu might have done the same.
"Compared to yours, mine should be thrown away," Lin Wanting said with a sigh after tasting her own mutated dog meat. "If I could eat food like this every day, I could die happy."
"You seem quite capable. I thought you wouldn't lack food," Wang Haoyu remarked, recalling how she had kicked open the living room door. He doubted he could do the same even if he were twice as strong.
"What's your ID index? Let me see," Lin Wanting asked, sensing that Wang Haoyu wasn't very strong. She was curious about how he had made it here from the North.
"ID index? What's that?" Wang Haoyu asked, confused by the unfamiliar term.
"You can't be serious. Are you really from this world?" Lin Wanting asked, feeling exasperated.
She pulled a seemingly transparent card from her pocket and handed it to Wang Haoyu, instructing him to drip a drop of blood onto it.
Taking the card, Wang Haoyu still didn't understand what it was, but out of curiosity, he used a small knife to cut his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the card.
As the blood was absorbed, the card changed, displaying a menu that resembled a smartphone app. With Lin Wanting's guidance, Wang Haoyu began to navigate through it.
"Human, 21 years old. ID Number: XXXXXXXXXX
Strength: 8
Agility: 7
Reaction Time: 11"
Seeing the values displayed on the so-called ID card, Wang Haoyu understood what the ID index was.
Lin Wanting glanced at Wang Haoyu's ID index and was speechless. She took out her own ID card, opened it, and showed it to Wang Haoyu.
"Human, 20 years old. ID Number: XXXXXXXXXX
Strength: 48
Agility: 55
Reaction Time: 62
Bloodline Gene: Grade D Type 12 Gene."
"Wow, your stats are five or six times higher than mine. No wonder you're so strong," Wang Haoyu said, impressed.
Just as Lin Wanting admired his cooking skills, Wang Haoyu envied her ID index. If he had such stats, he wouldn't have needed to go through so much trouble to set up rat traps earlier.
"Don't be discouraged. Your stats will increase as your physical fitness improves. And if you have the money, you can buy a gene enhancement to boost your abilities," Lin Wanting said, trying to cheer him up.
"How about this? I'll hire you as my bodyguard and provide you with meals like this every day. Of course, there will be other unexpected surprises as well. Your job will be to ensure my safety and teach me how to improve myself," Wang Haoyu proposed after seeing Lin Wanting's ID index.
With so many mutated beasts outside, Wang Haoyu knew he couldn't rely on his own abilities alone. Having someone like Lin Wanting around would significantly increase his chances of survival. Moreover, Wang Haoyu planned to earn a lot of magic crystals as quickly as possible. Seeing the system's option to return to reality had revealed a great business opportunity.
"Alright, I've got nothing better to do anyway. And getting to eat delicious food like this every day isn't a bad deal. But you'd better improve your strength quickly. The apocalypse is dangerous, and death could come at any moment," Lin Wanting replied after a brief hesitation.
She had been living alone in this harsh world since her mother's death when she was twelve. She had learned not to trust anyone. However, for some reason, she felt that Wang Haoyu wasn't a bad person. Instead, she felt a sense of closeness to him.
"But if you have any ideas about me, don't blame me for being ruthless," she added coldly, raising the gun in her hand slightly.
"You're overthinking it..." Wang Haoyu said, shivering as he looked at the black barrel of the gun. This woman was great in many ways, but she had a habit of pointing her gun at people at the slightest provocation, which wasn't very pleasant.
"Well then... should we figure out how to deal with those mutated beasts outside?" Wang Haoyu suggested, turning his gaze to the distant beasts visible through the window.