Lu Yin

The cracked earth spread out countless fissures, with black smoke obscuring the last light of the setting sun. On the muddy road, countless people trudged wearily, their faces etched with despair and fear. Occasionally, someone would fall into a fissure, their cries never ceasing.

A line of tens of thousands stretched like a dragon. Along the sides, at intervals, were warriors with enhanced bodies, known as Evolvers, guarding the group. These Evolvers began to appear after the sudden catastrophe hit Earth six months ago.

At the back of the line, Lu Yin looked into the distance, his ears picking up the unsettling sound of chewing. With a roar, a mutated dog, two meters long with crimson eyes, burst out from behind a burning tree, blood dripping from its mouth as it charged toward the group.

Many survivors screamed in terror at the sight. Lu Yin's eyes narrowed as he drew a peculiar weapon from his waist. It looked like an iron rod, but one end was sharpened like a blade. Lu Yin leaped and brought the weapon down, decapitating the mutated dog effortlessly. Blood splattered, staining the grass red.

The group only calmed down after the mutated dog was dead, continuing their fearful march forward. Lu Yin inspected his weapon, noting a few cracks. "It won't last much longer," he muttered.

As the sun set, darkness enveloped the land. All the Evolvers lit flames, creating a line of light to drive away mutated beasts, and the group stopped moving. Traveling in the dark was a death sentence.

A crackling sound came from Lu Yin's waist radio. "Evolvers with IDs ending in three, search for food within a one-kilometer radius." Lu Yin's Evolver ID was 103. He glanced at the decapitated mutated dog, picked it up, and tossed it to the front of the line. "Eat," he said.

The group stirred, and several men stepped forward to prepare the dog. They were accustomed to this, even if the dog's mouth still had human bone fragments. One mutated dog could only feed about twenty people. Lu Yin left the fire, gripping his iron rod, and ventured into the darkness.

The chewing sounds never ceased. In the dark, pairs of green glowing eyes stared at Lu Yin. Mutated rats, though ugly, their meat was edible. He smashed ten of them with his rod and carried them back to the group. He had enough.

A sudden scream indicated an Evolver's death. Lu Yin didn't look. He knew something dangerous had attacked. It could be a venomous snake, a bloodsucking mosquito, or a powerful mutated rat capable of biting through steel. Such creatures were common in the wild.

The group remained silent, huddling behind the flames as if the thin layer of fire could protect them. Lu Yin pitied them and looked up at the sky. The stars were brilliant, the air completely clean since the disaster. Alongside the cleaner air, countless creatures, including humans, had mutated.

No one knew the cause of the mutation, but overnight, creatures became terrifying. Many people turned into mindless zombies, devouring anything alive. The survivors grew slightly stronger, able to consume crystals from mutated creatures to evolve, becoming Evolvers.

Earth had reverted to a prehistoric state overnight, where the strong preyed on the weak. The vast arsenal that once dominated the Earth was mostly destroyed. Lu Yin had witnessed the explosion of his city's arsenal, as if modern weapons had no place in this new world.

The wind blew, and a blood-stained newspaper rustled under a stone. Lu Yin picked it up. The headline read, "February 3, 2200, a historic day. On that day, the Chinese spacecraft Tian Kong 5 landed on Neptune. Bai Qian became the first astronaut to explore Neptune, a gas giant..." Lu Yin tossed the paper aside. A little girl shyly handed him a piece of cooked meat.

Lu Yin took the meat with a faint smile. "Thank you." The girl smiled shyly and ran back to the group.

The meat was tough, even with seasoning, but Lu Yin ate it contentedly. Being full meant having strength. Suddenly, the flames flickered. Lu Yin quickly swung his iron rod, smashing a mutated mantis that had crossed the fire. Such creatures caused significant casualties if they reached the group. The mantis's bladed arms glinted red, as sharp as Lu Yin's rod.

Throughout the night, Lu Yin rested for only two hours, killing over a dozen mutated creatures trying to breach the group. His area had few casualties, unlike other parts where dozens of survivors, including Evolvers, were killed by a giant mutated boar. The boar could shoot hard bristles, taking many lives in one attack. If not for a few strong Evolvers, the casualties would have been higher.

With dawn, the group resumed their march south towards Jinling, the largest survivor settlement in the province. Jinling had a military presence, many Evolvers, and Zhou Shan, known as the Punisher Saint of China.

The six months of apocalypse had birthed many Evolvers and seven supreme beings known as the Seven Saints. Communication was scarce, but Evolvers were recently categorized into levels: regular Evolvers, human-level strong ones who could crush regular Evolvers, earth-level who could destroy cities, and sky-level who could fly. The Seven Saints were sky-level.

The group continued south. Jinling was over a hundred kilometers away, a journey that would take days in this new world. A few miles away, a horde of zombies approached, drawn by the scent of the living. The Evolvers on the sides tensed, fearful of the zombies' strength and poisonous blood. Even Evolvers' skin would rot if touched, leading to madness and transformation into zombies.

Lu Yin squinted, gripping his iron rod. Fighting zombies was not hard; they didn't get stronger like Evolvers. If they did, there would be no hope. The mutated beasts were the real threat.

As the group prepared to fight the zombies, the horde suddenly stopped and turned away. Lu Yin felt uneasy. The ground shook, and a giant vine burst from the earth, grabbing many survivors. Amidst their desperate screams, the vine crushed them into blood, feeding its roots.

Survivors fled in terror, even some Evolvers. Lu Yin's heart raced; the vine was at least earth-level, beyond the ordinary Evolvers. The group's Evolvers retreated, avoiding the vine's range. After a while, the vine retracted, having fed enough.

Cries and despair filled the air. Many survivors broke down mentally, even some Evolvers. Soon, the crackling sound of the radio brought news: "Rest here. The Punisher Saint will come for us."

Cheers erupted. For the survivors, sky-level beings were like gods who could solve any problem. Lu Yin smirked at the term "Saint." He clutched his left arm, still in pain from a past event.

He recalled a night when a whole city was abandoned, modern weapons rained down, and he was left burned and scarred. He saw the high, cold eyes of Liu Shaoge, the Light Saint, one of the Seven Saints, who caused him extreme pain. Lu Yin swore to repay this pain tenfold.

As night fell, Lu Yin prepared to rest. Cries and screams arose nearby. He frowned and looked over. A hundred meters away, several girls were surrounded by over ten Evolvers, taunting them. Some girls were barely clothed, silently weeping.

This scene was familiar. The apocalypse had brought out the worst in people. Lu Yin had seen it many times; survival often came at a cost. He closed his eyes, trying to rest.

A girl's scream pierced the air as she was slapped to the ground. "Damn it, I risk my life to protect you. Letting me have some fun is the least you can do. Just the other day, a little starlet begged for it," said one Evolver, laughing. The girls glared with hatred, their eyes red with tears.

The surrounding Evolvers laughed, enjoying the lawlessness of this new era. A gust of wind brought Lu Yin to them, his iron rod at the leader's neck. "Leave," he said coldly.

Silence fell. Only the girls' sobs broke the stillness. The threatened Evolver glared, gritting his teeth. "Lu, this has nothing to do with you. They are under my protection."

"You disturbed my rest," Lu Yin replied, pressing the sharp edge of the rod. Blood trickled down. The Evolver paled, "Fine, fine. They're yours. I won't touch them."

Lu Yin withdrew his rod and walked away, indifferent. The group watched in silence, used to such scenes. The girls, grateful but cautious, followed him.

Soon, a seductive woman approached Lu Yin, her eyes scanning the girls who shrank back in fear. Satisfied, she sat next to him, blowing in his ear. Lu Yin grabbed her neck, his voice icy. "Next time, you die."

The woman's eyes flashed with anger, but she forced a smile. "You're still so heartless."

Lu Yin let go. "What is it?"

"People are plotting against you," she said, massaging her neck. "Zhang Tong and his group plan to take you down. Be careful."

"Thanks," Lu Yin replied coldly.