Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

Chapter 55: Chapter 12 Leaving_1

Upon hearing Mayor Li’s reply, Sun Ruixing felt a slight sense of relief. After idly chatting with Mayor Li for a while, he turned to his own people and relayed the news.

Hearing the cheers from his people, Sun Ruixing felt a mix of emotions. What could I even say? He could only sigh.

”By the way, Brother Sun, what’s the story behind that young man with the big dog?” Li Quan’an asked Sun Ruixing curiously, looking at Wen Yu, who was clearing up the battlefield from a distance.

”That’s a youngster I saved from a factory a couple of days ago. Considering his strength now, it seems my rescue was redundant.”

”Oh? Do you think he might stay? If we have a powerhouse like him, our camp’s security would be greatly assured.” Li Quan’an asked with an eager smile.

Sun Ruixing thought briefly and then replied, ”I’m afraid not. Brother Wen Yu doesn’t seem to hold any particular fondness for settlements like this. Besides, his strength is so formidable that he has little need for what a settlement can offer.”

”Hmm, I see. That’s a shame,” Li Quan’an said, looking disappointed. Though, in his heart, he was actually delighted. If Wen Yu really joined my base, would I, Li Quan’an, still be the boss? He knew the answer without even having to think.

Glancing at Wen Yu, Li Quan’an prayed, Just leave quickly, please.

Luckily, Wen Yu did not keep Li Quan’an waiting for long. After collecting his spoils, Wen Yu left with his big dog without looking back, continuing further and further away.

「...」

This was Wen Yu’s first time arriving in Hualin Town.

The infrastructure was dilapidated. There were only a few residential buildings of varying heights; most structures were low, single-story brick-and-tile houses.

As a small town in the Northeast region, its level of economic development was even lower than some rural areas.

Looking around at the desolate and ruined scenery, Wen Yu’s ominous feeling grew stronger.

People in the settlement often said that the numbers of zombies and mutant creatures in Hualin Town were dwindling. At first, Wen Yu hadn’t paid it much mind, but now, after his own observations, Things might not be as they seem, he thought.

Zombies were another matter; it was plausible that Hualin Town wouldn’t have many to begin with, and their numbers would only decrease further as survivors cleared them out.

But mutant creatures... Wen Yu hadn’t seen a single one on his way here, not even a corpse. This was completely abnormal.

Unless the mutant creatures migrated en masse... or perhaps they were gathered, or even eliminated, by a more powerful entity. Either way, this is extremely dangerous for any survivors.

”Cyclops, do you sense anything?” Wen Yu used the power of the Soul Realm to send a Spiritual Fluctuation.

Animals had a much stronger ability to sense danger than humans.

Cyclops whined softly at Wen Yu twice, then lowered its head and carefully sniffed the ground.

Cyclops didn’t sense anything.

Something’s not right, Wen Yu thought, his premonition intensifying. We need to move quickly. Get out of here fast. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Wen Yu’s sense of foreboding only intensified. Even though Cyclops hadn’t detected anything, Wen Yu didn’t believe for a second that this meant there was no danger. In this post-apocalyptic world, truly peaceful havens simply don’t exist. On the contrary, the quieter a place seems, the greater the potential danger.

Wen Yu quickened his pace. Cyclops followed closely behind, and the two of them sped towards the exit of Hualin Town.

Hualin Town wasn’t very large. Moving faster than a car, Wen Yu reached the edge of the town in less than ten minutes. Beyond it lay Chaihe Town, another small town affiliated with Mudanjiang City.

It was deathly quiet.

The dilapidated asphalt road was empty, save for dust and bloodstains.

On one side of the road was a large mountain; on the other, a vast expanse of farmland stretched as far as the eye could see.

Wen Yu’s unease grew more intense. Even Cyclops seemed to sense that something was amiss. It opened its great maw, letting out a series of low growls, its hind legs tensing slightly—a clear sign it was preparing to attack.

”Cyclops, go scout ahead.”

This was Wen Yu’s best way of dealing with unknown situations. If Cyclops encountered danger, he could recall it to the Soul Realm in an instant.

Cyclops now possessed considerable intelligence and understood that scouting ahead itself was the best way to deal with the current unknown situation.

”WOOF WOOF.” Boss, don’t you dare set me up!

After signing the soul pact, Wen Yu could understand what Cyclops expressed, just as Cyclops could understand Wen Yu’s commands.

”Don’t worry. If there’s danger, I’ll pull you back right away,” Wen Yu reassured Cyclops, patting its belly.

Cyclops moved its four limbs, walking slowly forward. As it drew closer to the path ahead, nothing happened.

Cyclops’s tense nerves gradually relaxed, and it slowly picked up its pace.

Just as Cyclops moved about a hundred meters away, Wen Yu suddenly noticed something odd.

The vegetation on the mountainside seemed unusually dense. Previously, the mountains near Mudanjiang City were mostly exposed rock, but now they were completely covered in green.

”Cyclops, rush forward! Quickly!” Wen Yu shouted loudly to Cyclops in the distance.

Upon hearing Wen Yu’s command, Cyclops in the distance didn’t question the reason and immediately burst forward at its top speed.

As Cyclops frantically accelerated, rustling sounds erupted from the mountainside and even the nearby farmland.

It sounded like countless snakes slithering across the ground, accompanied by the cracking of rocks and earth. Numerous vines sprang out from both sides.

Mutant plants, Wen Yu’s heart plummeted.

When the apocalypse first began, plant mutations weren’t rapid. Furthermore, these mutations had both pros and cons for humans.

For instance, some mutated crops grew larger, increasing food yields. Other plants even produced treasures that could Strengthen the human physique.

However, some mutant plants also developed terrifyingly aggressive traits, like these vines before him.

Wen Yu didn’t know if these things were a single entity or a colony, nor did he know their original species before mutation. All Wen Yu knew was that these things had completely sealed off the exit from Hualin Town.

About thirty meters in front of Wen Yu, the mutant plants started to appear, stretching all the way to Cyclops’s current position, a writhing mass of vines.

Further back, Wen Yu couldn’t tell how far these vines extended. This was why he had ordered Cyclops to charge forward—I must find out the extent of their spread.

Cyclops sensed the danger. Its sharp claws tore through the vines blocking its path as it pushed forward even faster.

However, the vines were too numerous. More and more of them wrapped around Cyclops, far faster than it could shred them, and its speed visibly decreased.

Eventually, Cyclops’s limbs were tightly bound.

Cyclops let out a piercing howl.