Chapter 25: Modified - 25 Traces

Lu Ren sped along for nearly half an hour, proceeding with extreme caution, hiding in a concealed corner at the slightest movement outside. The farther he went, the more alarmed he became. Along the way, he saw no less than ten monstrous creatures, and two of them were even larger than the mutated giant bull from before. Their original forms could be discerned, a wild boar covered in scales and a giant bear, whose footsteps shook the ground. The thick armor with its metallic sheen was particularly despair-inducing. Lu Ren dared not make a sound, continuously moving into hidden narrow corners, managing to emerge unscathed. When they encountered monsters almost face to face, he kept the girl from screaming by covering her mouth and slapping her, silencing her. Stopping on the fourth floor of a residential building, Lu Ren pried open a security door with his longsword. After scanning the interior, he tossed the girl onto a sofa. Covering her reddened cheek and teary eyes, she looked at Lu Ren with fear, afraid he might suddenly go berserk and tear her apart. To be honest, if the girl hadn’t told him to hurry up, Lu Ren wouldn’t have cared about her at all. But to have him carefully protect her? No way. "You stay here while I check the building." Not waiting for her to finish speaking, Lu Ren went from apartment to apartment in the residential building, ensuring there were no hidden dangers before returning to the fourth floor, meeting the girl’s surprised gaze. Lu Ren said coldly, "This place isn’t overly dangerous. You can even try to gather edible things nearby. If you’re lucky enough, maybe you can last seven days." Seeing Lu Ren turn to leave, the girl hurriedly scrambled up. "Where are you going?" Lu Ren didn’t turn back as he tossed out a reply. "Being with you lowers my chances of survival, and I don’t like how you’re so secretive." It’s just like how women love bad boys and men love scheming women, all adept at manipulation and persuasion. She’s definitely not a good little sister. The girl stared in shock at Lu Ren disappearing around the staircase corner, unable to say even a word. After a while, the vulnerability on her face disappeared, replaced by calmness. She then showed a slight regret, a little fear, and a lot of disappointment: "What a pity, I thought I had found one!" She thought Lu Ren was one of those guys who can’t resist a pretty woman, but he didn’t even give her a chance to speak. "So cautious..." The girl felt a bit frustrated, touched her swollen cheek, and looked helpless. ... ... Lu Ren had no idea what the nameless girl thought, and even if he did, he wouldn’t care much. He only felt slightly touched by her prior behavior, but her weak and typical scheming demeanor disgusted him. Too young, not adept in deception. Maybe in a peaceful world, Lu Ren might engage more to see what antics she would pull. But in this Otherworldly vista, Lu Ren approached everyone with enough caution. Absolutely no companions! Instead of constantly guarding against others, it’s easier to be alone. After walking approximately three kilometers out of the city, high-rise buildings became much less frequent, with more residential complexes popping up. Until Lu Ren reached a large supermarket nearby. After wandering inside and searching several canned food areas, he looked at the three remaining cans in his hand with a somber expression. One beef, one herring, one peach can. There were no other long-shelf-life canned foods; practically all such items had disappeared. Signs of surviving human activity remained. Despite expecting this, seeing it for real still shocked him. Humanity’s astonishingly resilient survival power is undeniable, still enduring in this monster-infested environment. Standing at the entrance of a supermarket storage room, Lu Ren saw a fresh cut on the door frame, clearly less than fifteen days old. Where are those survivors hiding? Immediately, Lu Ren dismissed the thought of exploring, for according to the system, he only needed to survive quietly for seven days, not to delve into this world’s impending extinction truth. Whether there are others surviving in this world matters none to him. After confirming there was nothing worth taking, Lu Ren quickly left the supermarket, heading towards a residential area behind via an alley. Just as Lu Ren passed a sewer, the manhole cover suddenly shifted. He stopped, watching as the cover carefully cracked open. Stepping deftly, Lu Ren quickly moved to the backside of the crack, watching quietly. When the lid opened silently, a head cautiously peeked out. Short-haired, female, dressed in modern attire, clearly not concerned about clothing, without the sewer’s typical stench as the city’s functions had long ceased. From the back, she appeared to be a young girl, exuding agility and caution distinct from those who came from the real world. It seemed humanity lived on in secret in this world. "So, you’re the survivor of this city?" Lu Ren’s sudden words startled the girl, making her shudder, she didn’t even look back as she drew a dagger from her thigh, throwing it towards Lu Ren. Lu Ren furrowed his brow, sidestepping the dagger and drawing his longsword in one smooth motion to strike back. "Wait, you’re human?!" The longsword stopped on her shoulder, drawing a fine line of blood. Yet, the girl didn’t move, but looked at him with delight, seemingly excited. Even so, she didn’t make much noise. Lu Ren didn’t withdraw his longsword, frowning, "What are you doing?" Ten minutes later, inside a maintenance room in the wide sewer system, Lu Ren surveyed the surroundings — a sleeping bag, a few cans placed in the corner, and even some vegetables growing against the wall, though sickly due to lack of light. Following this girl into the sewers was based on the thought that the underground might be safer than the surface. Though the girl seemed excited, Lu Ren could accurately sense the deep hidden intent in her heart... The main reason being the system started spouting nonsense again. He already tested that only hostile individuals triggered the system alert. Should he kill? This thought flashed in Lu Ren’s mind, but he ultimately didn’t act, as she hadn’t done anything against him, and that would make him a murderer. As Li Ziqing said, to excel in the Martial Path, advance bravely, one must practice their beliefs in Martial Path to gain clarity. Indeed, maintaining a specific mindset quickens fist technique skill level growth. In a swift turn of thought, Lu Ren asked, "Is this where you live?" The girl named Xiang Yang shook her head slightly, "No, this is just a safe house, I don’t live here." She pointed to the heavy iron door by the entrance, "This door can block most polluted creatures’ attacks." Lu Ren asked, "Are you alone?" Xiang Yang showed a hint of sadness before replying, "Three years ago, my father was killed by polluted creatures saving me. It’s just me now." Lu Ren pondered, "Are there others in this city?"