Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 100: Chapter 97: Performing Magic

Although Meng Hu was made of flesh and blood, it was a creature from her space. And because it loved soaking in the spring water all day, its hide was incredibly tough.

The monsters’ sharp claws and razor-like teeth couldn’t harm it in the slightest.

Thus, Chen Xing’s side, despite being vastly outnumbered, achieved a ridiculously one-sided victory.

All Chen Xing had to do was collect the Crystal Cores with her knife. In just a little over ten minutes, the entire nest of crawling zombies was completely annihilated.

The very monsters that had left both Song Yiguo and the Capital City helpless had been effortlessly dispatched by her Meng Hu.

”Good boy!” Chen Xing patted Meng Hu’s head encouragingly.

Thrilled by the rare praise, Meng Hu happily bounded around Chen Xing as if it were a little fawn.

Chen Xing felt this trip underground had been quite fruitful.

The things she could trade several hundred Crystal Cores for would be substantial.

These weren’t ordinary, low-level Crystal Cores.

The classification for Crystal Cores was simple, divided only into Low Level, Intermediate, and High Level.

The ones from these monsters were Intermediate.

This meant her guess was correct: these monsters had mutated before the apocalypse even began.

This once again confirmed for her that the start of the apocalypse was no accident.

Intermediate Crystal Cores were more than twice as effective as low-level ones, so their price was naturally more than double, too.

Chen Xing didn’t dwell on it. Staring at the monsters wouldn’t give her any answers anyway.

So, she and Meng Hu continued to search and clear the area.

For the rest of the way, she only encountered lone monsters. She was actually a little disappointed, ’I was kind of hoping to find another horde... After all, Meng Hu can do all the killing while I just watch.’

Meng Hu: ”...”

’Master, you’re going to lose me if you keep this up!’

Vice General Du’s side was also having an easy time. They only ran into lone monsters, and now that they knew their weakness, killing them was no longer a hassle.

His heart ached for the dozens of Superpower Group members who had been sacrificed earlier... even if they weren’t from his team.

After regrouping, Vice General Du noticed that Chen Xing had clearly searched a much smaller area this time.

’Looks like she’s really in no hurry!’

”This is a long route, and if you include the various platforms, it should be about enough.” Vice General Du had made a rough estimate. Although it would be crowded, in an emergency, they could squeeze everyone in. ”Should we continue clearing or head back?”

His gaze naturally fell on Chen Xing’s face.

But he knew, even without her answer, that she wouldn’t want to leave.

Sure enough, Chen Xing said, ”Let’s keep clearing. Just in case.”

’If it’s too crowded when people come in, it’ll cause psychological distress...’

Of course, she’d never admit she was actually hoping to find another horde!

Meng Hu, who was mentally linked with her: ”...”

’Master’s got her eyes on me now. I’m so pitiful!’

The next best route to clear from Line 2 was Line 12.

Although it was a long route, it had few transfer stations.

The group headed toward the transfer station for Line 12.

Chen Xing wasn’t in a hurry, Vice General Du wasn’t in a hurry, and Captain Lu wasn’t in a hurry... so the members of the Superpower Group weren’t in a hurry either.

When they returned to the junction with Line 6, they saw their comrades waiting for them, their faces tense.

Seeing Vice General Du, their tense expressions softened into worry. ”The exit has been sealed! Deputy Du, what do we do?”

Vice General Du took out his walkie-talkie, but he had completely lost contact with Song Yiguo. His phone had no signal either.

But... he had a backup.

He had a satellite phone.

The moment he took it out, it rang.

”Young Master Song, everything’s going smoothly here. Yes, that’s right! What’s the situation outside? Right! We’ll continue clearing Line 12!” After hanging up, Vice General Du saw that everyone except Chen Xing was staring at him, so he relayed Song Yiguo’s words.

”Young Master Song wants us to continue clearing. There’s a chance more refugees will be entering the underground!”

There were many safe zones around the Capital City. Although they weren’t close, when things went south, everyone thought of taking refuge in the Capital City. Moreover, most of the people from those safe zones had already arrived and were outside demanding to be let in.

The higher-ups were at their wits’ end and were starting to waver.

They were even telling Song Yiguo to hurry up and send people to clear the subway stations, not knowing that he had already taken the initiative and was nearly finished.

”The weather outside is terrible. Some buildings have already collapsed. If the hail really comes, I’m afraid none of them will hold up!”

Chen Xing had sharp ears and had already overheard their phone conversation.

’Fine by me, let’s keep clearing!’

’I get to collect Crystal Cores and avoid the disaster up top.’

Knowing their efforts hadn’t been in vain, the group was filled with renewed vigor as they began clearing Line 12.

They split into two groups again. Chen Xing went one way by herself, while the rest of the men naturally followed Vice General Du in the other direction.

This line was long and extended to the outermost parts of the city. People entering the Capital City could also use it as an entrance if they couldn’t make it to the main gates.

Chen Xing led Meng Hu forward, not setting too fast a pace.

’Even though people from the surrounding safe zones have come to the Capital City, the number can’t be that large.’

’Many people died at the beginning of the apocalypse. Plus, there are those who are content with their current situation and unwilling to risk such a long journey, preferring to hide in their own safe zones.’

’Clearing another line is just like leaving a backup route for the safe zones.’

The line was long. After walking for half an hour, Chen Xing estimated there were only a few more stations to the end, so she slowed down even more.

’Since I’m already here, I might as well stay. I’d rather not go back just to get squeezed in with a huge crowd and risk suffocating.’

Suddenly, Meng Hu let out a roar toward the darkness ahead.

Chen Xing’s eardrums nearly burst.

At the same time, amidst the deafening roar, she heard the faint sound of a gunshot.

By the time she heard the shot, it was too late to dodge.

She casually grabbed a metal plate from her space and brought it up in front of her.

With a sharp CLANG, Chen Xing felt the bullet strike the metal plate.

’I really do have a habit of collecting things.’ She had picked up this metal plate on a whim from Captain Rick’s ship and had casually tossed it into an easy-to-see spot in her space.

’Never thought it would save my life today.’

Now that her space had been exposed, Chen Xing had no intention of leaving any witnesses.

Locking onto her target, she put the plate away and lunged forward in a single, powerful stride.

The figure in the darkness was completely stunned.

’What did I just see? How could something that big appear with a WHOOSH and then vanish in a flash?’

He considered himself a man of the world, having encountered all sorts of monsters and strange phenomena.

’But... to pull out such a huge metal plate in an instant? That’s more like a magic trick.’

When he snapped out of it, he saw Chen Xing was right in front of him.

’Crap!’

In a panic, he moved to a spot far away from Chen Xing and gasped for breath.

Luckily, he had the Instant Teleportation superpower; otherwise, he would have been a dead man.

’How could he have known the woman in front of him would be so fast?’

He had no time to think about the metal plate.

’First, I have to complete the mission. I can think about the rest later!’

Thinking he had escaped Chen Xing, he raised his pistol again.

But just as he was about to fire, she vanished.

He was starting to think he’d encountered some inexplicable supernatural phenomenon, like a ghost. No human could move like that.

When Chen Xing reappeared, she was right in front of him. The tip of her knife was already pressed against the major artery in his neck; the slightest pressure would cause him to bleed out and die.

He didn’t dare move and dropped his pistol.

Fear instantly spread through his heart.