The Hunt

"I don't like beer; I prefer the stronger stuff," Matthew Long said with a grin, retrieving a bottle of liquor and a soft drink from the room overflowing with supplies. He handed the drink to Lily Grace and placed the bottle on the table. 

Simon looked and saw it was a bottle of Feitian Maotai.

"To be honest, I've only had Maotai once in my life," Matthew Long admitted. "That was during a New Year's celebration when my uncle brought a bottle over. That was my only taste of Maotai."

"My uncle was quite wealthy, used to run his own business, but he never really shared much of his wealth with me," Matthew Long added with a laugh as he opened the bottle and fetched some glasses. "So, how about it? Shall we have a drink together?"

Simon smiled and said, "At least you've had it once. I've never tried it before. Did you find this bottle in one of the apartments? Seems like someone here had a taste for the finer things." He set his beer aside, curious to sample the renowned Maotai.

Matthew Long replied, "This isn't exactly a high-end neighborhood. Most of the residents here weren't particularly wealthy."

Simon knew this area was far from the city center and had only recently developed from the outskirts into a more residential zone. It was still quite distant from the bustling commercial districts.

"But there are always exceptions," Matthew Long remarked, pouring two glasses of the Maotai. He handed one to Simon and took a sip from his own glass, savoring the taste.

Simon took a small sip as well but frowned slightly. He didn't particularly enjoy the strong, distinctive flavor of this type of liquor; he preferred smoother, lower-proof spirits.

"In an apartment on the thirtieth floor, the decor was quite ordinary, and it appeared uninhabited. But you know what? It stored over a hundred cases of this Maotai liquor. It seems like someone was using it as a warehouse."

Simon was taken aback. "Over a hundred cases of Maotai?"

"Yes, along with gold, jade artifacts, famous paintings, and bundles of cash. When I saw it, I was utterly amazed. I suspect these items didn't come from legitimate sources. Someone probably borrowed or rented the place to stash these goods. Who they belong to or how they were acquired is a mystery."

Matthew Long sighed deeply. "In the past, these treasures were the stuff of my dreams. But now, even with all this wealth before me, I find myself uninterested. Those gold bars seem worthless compared to the food we have here."

Simon pondered for a moment and then said, "Brother Ding, haven't you considered that if the flood recedes and normalcy returns, these items would regain their value?"

Matthew Long downed his glass of liquor in one gulp, then set it down with a cold smile. "Do you really believe everything will go back to the way it was? Don't be naive, Simon. This flood, which has submerged an entire city, surely isn't confined to our area alone. If it were just a local disaster, we would have seen rescue teams by now—planes, boats—they should have arrived. But have you seen any? I haven't."

Simon fell silent, then drank his liquor, feeling the fiery burn down his throat. It was painful yet oddly exhilarating.

"Those who perished in the flood have all turned into zombies. This world has irrevocably changed." Matthew Long smiled faintly and poured another glass for Simon and himself.

"We must exercise restraint. We can't afford to get drunk," Simon cautioned, having noticed the occasional appearance of corpse beasts outside. The danger was ever-present, and inebriation would only compound their peril.

"Don't worry, I know my limits. Besides, daytime is generally safer. As long as we don't carelessly discard bodies, we can avoid major disturbances. Nighttime, however, is different," Matthew Long explained. "We should drink a little, then rest well. Nighttime is when we hunt."

His eyes gleamed as he spoke of the hunt.

"Hunt?" Simon's grip tightened around his glass.

"Yes, hunt. We use bait to lure these creatures, hunt them, and harvest spirit sources. It's the only way to grow stronger. Strength is our key to survival."

Simon observed Matthew Long with newfound understanding. Unlike Simon, who had only fought spirit beasts reactively, Matthew Long actively hunted them to accelerate his evolution. This explained Matthew Long's rapid advancement.

"Active hunting? And what do you use as bait?"

"The bait is the bodies of these creatures. Throw them into the water, and more will come. The more bodies, the stronger the creatures attracted. But we must be cautious not to attract something we can't handle. That's a sure path to disaster."

Simon nodded slowly. He had previously avoided discarding bodies in the water, fearing it would attract more monsters. In hindsight, it seemed he had unwittingly made the right decision. The thought of what might have happened if he had thrown the bodies into the water sent a shiver down his spine.

When Matthew Long poured another glass for Simon, he declined. Despite his good tolerance, Simon wanted to remain absolutely alert in this dangerous and unfamiliar environment.

Seeing Simon refuse, Matthew Long didn't insist and instead poured a third glass for himself.

Lily Grace, sitting quietly, listened to their conversation while nibbling on her food and sipping her drink. The rare treat of a beverage in this dire situation seemed to delight her.

"Finally, we're sated." After three glasses of liquor, Matthew Long inverted his cup, signaling he was done drinking. His expression turned serious. "Let's rest well after this meal. Tonight is the main event."

Seeing Matthew Long's solemn demeanor, Simon felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. Hunting spirit beasts for their sources was new to him.

After their meal, the three of them tidied up the dishes before Matthew Long led them to the neighboring apartment. It was a three-bedroom unit with an expansive living room. All the furniture had been cleared out, replaced by four beds lined up in a row.