Chapter 22: Sin City

"You beasts! Even when I become a ghost, I will never let you go!" The young man's voice quivered with despair as he screamed out. His body was battered and bruised, his hands bound tightly, and his face was a portrait of hopelessness.

His anguish was understandable. Not long ago, he had taken wedding photos with his fiancée. Then, out of nowhere, the apocalypse struck. They sought refuge in hiding, eventually making their way to the police station, hoping for protection. But instead of safety, they found that the station had been overrun by a gang of criminals.

The thugs who now occupied the police station wore blue-striped suits with yellow pants—clothing that marked them as escaped convicts. These men, drawn by the beauty of the young man's fiancée, took pleasure in tormenting him, forcing him to watch helplessly as they brutalized her.

The man's fiancée was a gentle, kind-hearted elementary school teacher. Their wedding day had been something she eagerly anticipated, but the world had twisted her dreams into a nightmare. The young man could still hear the agonized screams of his fiancée as she was assaulted by over a dozen men. The memory of her, broken and beyond recognition, haunted him as he watched her finally find release in death.

Human depravity.

In the chaos of the apocalypse, without the constraints of law, people's darkest impulses were unleashed, their vile tendencies magnified many times over.

Even an ordinary person, after witnessing so much bloodshed and violence, could transform into a sadistic killer. And these convicts—already monsters in human skin—had completely abandoned whatever shreds of humanity they once possessed.

There were twelve of them, each a man who had been imprisoned for heinous crimes: murder, abduction, fraud, and sexual assault. They were the scum of society, embodying pure evil.

Before the apocalypse, they had been kept in check by the law, locked away in prison. Had the world remained stable, some of them would have faced execution, while others would have spent decades, or even lifetimes, behind bars. But when the world collapsed, they seized the opportunity to escape. For them, the apocalypse wasn't a disaster—it was liberation.

They took out their frustrations on others, finding twisted joy in the pain and suffering they caused.

"You won't let me go even as a ghost? Then I'll make sure you never become one!"

Ma Biao, a sinister middle-aged man, sneered at the young man. He was shirtless, his muscular upper body gleaming with sweat. With a cruel grin, he brought his boot down hard on the young man's crotch. The man's groan was choked off, blood instantly soaking his lower body. His eyes bulged, his face paling as his voice died in his throat, leaving him gasping like a strangled bird.

Ma Biao was the leader of this gang of prisoners. He had clawed his way to the top through sheer brutality. From a young age, he had been involved in all manner of criminal activity—brawling, extortion, kidnapping. His short life could easily fill volumes of crime reports.

"Haunt me as a ghost?" Ma Biao's eyes glinted with malice. "You bastard, go to hell with that bitch!"

With that, Ma Biao clenched his fists. Suddenly, they turned a sickly yellow, the skin hardening like stone. With a single, powerful punch, he drove his fist into the young man's chest, tearing through flesh and bone. Blood splattered everywhere as the young man crumpled to the ground, his eyes wide with shock, even in death.

Professionals.

How twisted was fate that someone like Ma Biao would gain special abilities?

Ma Biao's power aligned with elemental strength—he was a Rock Warrior. When he activated his ability, he could channel the very power of the earth. At his current level, he could only transform his hands, but as he advanced, his entire body would undergo a transformation, turning him into a being of living stone.

Defensive Professionals like Ma Biao were often referred to as meat shields.

"Clean this up! If there are any monsters lurking nearby, toss this guy out to them!" Ma Biao barked, his voice cold and commanding.

Throw him to the monsters? It might have sounded bizarre, but in this new world, it was all too real.

Ma Biao was a man devoid of any conscience. He had taken over the police station, and for days, desperate survivors had knocked on the door, seeking sanctuary, only to fall into his trap.

Young women were subjected to unspeakable violations at the hands of the convicts, while older women and men were held captive, destined to be thrown out as food for the monsters.

Ma Biao had committed countless atrocities, but that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of death. Even with his mutated body and the firearms at his disposal, the streets were crawling with monsters, and he knew that his small group couldn't withstand a full-on attack.

So Ma Biao came up with a plan—satisfy the monsters' hunger with human flesh. Maybe if they were full, they'd leave the police station alone.

This strategy proved effective. Whether it was insects, or other beasts, once they were fed, they would either rest lazily on the ground or turn and leave, no longer interested in attacking the police station.

In the past few days, Ma Biao had fed over twenty people to the monsters. Most of them had approached the police station for help, only to have their limbs severed and their bodies thrown from the rooftop to serve as monster fodder.

"Ayu, it's getting dark. There aren't as many monsters on the streets. Go out in your police uniform and see if there are any survivors around. If you find any, bring them back," Ma Biao ordered one of his subordinates, instructing him to pose as a police officer to lure in unsuspecting survivors—a tactic that had already ensnared dozens.

Despite having plenty of rations stored in the police station, Ma Biao knew that he needed to think ahead. The future was uncertain, and he wanted to stockpile as much as possible.

"Boss, why me again? I've been out two nights in a row. If it's anyone's turn, it should be Ah Guang or Ah Cheng..."

"If I tell you to go, you go! Stop whining. If you keep talking, I'll throw you out to feed the monsters myself!" Ma Biao's eyes flashed with menace, his tone brooking no argument. As a Professional with supernatural strength, his authority among the prisoners was absolute.

Ayu didn't dare argue further. He quickly donned his police uniform and headed out.

---

Ayu walked down the cold, empty street, muttering curses under his breath. "Damn it! Just because I didn't play along with you guys and played around with that schoolteacher, you have to use me to make an example? If I get desperate, I'll throw open the doors and let everyone die!"

But after a few steps, his bravado faded. He fell silent, his legs trembling as the weight of the night's dangers pressed in. Despite the bravado he showed in front of survivors, Ayu felt like a frightened rabbit out here in the dark streets.

The outside was far too dangerous, and one wrong move could mean death.

Man-eating monsters prowled everywhere. Of the thirty prisoners who had initially escaped, only twelve were still alive.

Nearly half of them had perished in various accidents.

Tap… tap…

A distant sound reached Ayu's ears, making him freeze in place. He tightened his grip on his gun, scanning the darkness ahead.

After a moment, a figure appeared in the distance. It was a man, young and casually dressed. Unlike other survivors, who were often frantic and desperate, this young man's face was expressionless, his movements calm as he strolled through the chaos.

A human!

Ayu sighed in relief, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.

That had been a close call.

But this encounter was turning out to be lucky. If he could trick this guy into coming back with him, his task for the night would be complete.

Ayu put on a concerned expression and called out, "Hey, brother! It's dangerous out here. Why are you wandering alone? I'm a police officer, rounding up survivors. The police station is just ahead. Come with me, it's safe there!"

"Police station?" The young man smiled faintly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Ayu with an inscrutable gaze. "Sure... why not?"