Chapter 7: The Nursing Home

Late at Night

After a day of relentless slaughter, the entire street had transformed into a desolate graveyard. Severed limbs were strewn carelessly across the ground, and thick pools of blood had stained the earth a deep, crimson red.

Even monsters needed rest. Having gorged themselves on flesh, most had now fallen into slumber. Only a few nocturnal insects and tireless zombies still wandered the streets, leaving the night eerily quiet.

A Rare Opportunity

In the darkness, the most common threat was zombies. These tireless slaves of flesh, driven by an insatiable hunger, would attack any living creature they encountered, even when their bellies were full.

Groups of zombies roamed the streets, their vacant eyes devoid of any expression. Though they possessed great strength, their movements were slow and cumbersome. A normal person could easily outrun them on an open road.

The sound of a blade cutting through flesh.

Chen Feng gripped a boning knife he had taken from a convenience store. He had not summoned the Dretch; instead, he moved through the streets alone, using the zombies as practice for his blade.

He aimed for the neck and head. Zombies were walking corpses, impervious to most attacks. Only by destroying their heads or severing their necks could they be truly killed.

Chen Feng's reactions were astonishingly quick, a result of years spent surviving in the apocalypse. As he passed by the zombies, a swift flick of his wrist sent a zombie's head flying into the air.

Dark, rotting blood gushed from the severed neck.

Not far away, a female zombie noticed Chen Feng. She had once been a pregnant woman, dressed in a loose gown that was now soaked in blood. Her fatal wound was in her abdomen, where her unborn child had been devoured by the zombie infection. Only half of the infant's head remained embedded in her womb.

The Infected

Zombies carried the deadly infection that turned the bitten into one of them within hours, stripping them of pain and thought, reducing them to mindless monsters.

This woman had not only suffered the agony of being eaten alive but had also transformed into one of the very creatures that had killed her—a cursed fate.

Chen Feng picked up a stone and hurled it at the zombie's head. The impact shattered her skull, sending her to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Moving Forward

For Chen Feng, these zombies posed no real threat. They were nothing more than fodder, unworthy of concern.

As humanity became more familiar with the apocalyptic storm, scholars categorized strength into six levels:

Bronze

Silver

Gold

Legend

Epic

Mythic

Inferior creatures like the Dretch were classified as Bronze. The mindless zombies roaming the streets were mere cannon fodder, lacking any real power or intelligence. They existed solely to feed.

This world was fraught with peril. Only by surpassing the Gold level and reaching the fourth realm, Legend, could one truly wield power. At that point, whether joining the military or leading a faction, one would command respect and influence.

As for Bronze, it was merely the starting point. Bronze-level creatures were larger and stronger than ordinary zombies and insects, and some could even wield elemental powers like controlling fire or water.

Humans followed the same progression. Chen Feng, a summoner, was currently at the Bronze level, his mental strength severely lacking. He could only summon two creatures at a time.

Once he advanced to Silver, he would be able to summon four creatures simultaneously. If he could reach the Mythic level, he could summon up to twelve creatures at once, his mental strength vast enough to sustain them indefinitely.

The Mythic Path

Chen Feng dismissed the thought with a wry smile. In his previous life, he had only reached the Gold level before his death. The Mythic realm had been far beyond his reach.

But things were different now. In his past life, it had taken him a long time to understand his abilities. He had made many mistakes and his first summoned creature had been a worthless worm. But now, at the start of this new apocalypse, he had already summoned the Dretch —a creature far stronger than any worm.

Moreover, his mind was filled with knowledge of treasures and opportunities. Even if he couldn't obtain them all, just acquiring a few would be enough to propel him to the Legendary realm, or even higher.

But that was all in the future. For now, Chen Feng's priority was simple: survive, and survive well.

The Abandoned Nursing Home

Under the cold light of the moon, the nursing home appeared desolate and eerie, shrouded in mist. The air was thick with fog, obstructing visibility, making the building look like a haunted house.

Chen Feng needed a place to hide. This abandoned nursing home, isolated and forgotten, was an ideal stronghold. Its long-abandoned state made it a cold and lonely place, unlikely to attract monsters.

Compared to hospitals, residential areas, and schools—the epicenters of disaster—the nursing home was relatively safe, though the conditions were harsh. It would help him avoid unnecessary trouble.

Today was only the first day of the apocalypse. The monsters had satisfied their hunger with the fleeing crowds. But by dawn, they would be searching for more survivors. Locked doors would not keep them out, and human casualties would rise.

The weak would be the first to fall—children and the elderly.

In the next seven days, it was estimated that over a million people in J City would die, most of them disappearing without a trace, their remains never to be found.

With the night closing in, Chen Feng cautiously approached the nursing home.

Caution Equals Survival

Chen Feng's figure blended into the darkness as he gripped the boning knife tightly, his expression cold and his eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings like a hawk.

Before settling in, he needed to clear out any threats lurking within the nursing home...