Chapter 0010: Life and Death Crisis

"Thud..." A sharp sound was heard as the sword struck the mutated dog's neck, immediately spraying blood. The Han sword, as the pinnacle of Earth's weapon-forging technology, proved to be remarkably sharp.

The mutated dog twitched weakly, its blood-red eyes fixed on Di Ping, filled with disbelief, as if unable to accept that it had been so easily slain by a human. The three people behind him were also stunned. To see such a fierce mutated dog fall so easily to Di Ping was beyond their expectations.

Only Di Ping knew that these mutated dogs had relied too heavily on their speed. They had underestimated him, thinking of him as an ordinary person. However, his speed and strength far surpassed that of an ordinary human. Otherwise, solving this mutated dog without getting injured would have been highly unlikely.

With a swift pull, the sword was withdrawn, and the mutated dog's corpse fell to the ground. Blood soon stained the surrounding grass. At that moment, a greenish ball of energy, the size of a ping pong ball, slowly floated up, transforming into a stream of light that shot into Di Ping's body.

"Beep... Soul energy detected. System is not activated and cannot be stored. Energy consumption to enhance host's body."

A wave of warmth, even stronger than before, rose from deep within Di Ping's body, spreading throughout him. He immediately felt warm all over. After several seconds, the energy dissipated. Di Ping clenched his fists, the joints cracking with the newfound strength. This time, his power had increased significantly, by at least two hundred pounds, even more than the combined total of his previous enhancements. He could feel the overwhelming power giving him an even greater belief in his survival.

Suddenly, Di Ping's heart skipped a beat. He had forgotten that there were still three people behind him. Had they discovered anything? He turned around to see the three staring blankly at the dead mutated dog, still in disbelief.

"Di... Di bro, you're... you're too amazing!" The chubby man stammered, staring at the fallen mutated dog.

"Yeah... yeah..." The other two mumbled, nodding incessantly.

"They don't seem to notice the soul energy. Could it be that only I can see it?" Di Ping wondered, noting that the three were more astonished by him killing the mutated dog rather than noticing the soul energy. After all, if they had seen it, they would have been even more surprised.

"Beep... Crystal core detected. Host is advised to collect it!"

At that moment, the system's prompt sounded again.

"Another crystal core?" Di Ping thought, a glimmer of joy appearing in his heart. Without hesitation, he swiftly sliced open the mutated dog's head. Sure enough, a smooth, white jade-sized crystal appeared before him.

Without concern for the blood, Di Ping bent down, picked up the crystal, wiped it off, and put it into his pocket.

"Di bro! What is this thing?" The chubby man, seeing Di Ping opening the dog's head and taking something from it, asked in confusion.

"I'll explain later. We need to leave now!" Di Ping didn't answer the question, instead cautiously looking around. He then stepped forward, signaling for the others to follow.

The chubby man seemed to realize that now was not the time to ask further questions, so he quickly followed Di Ping. Li Sheng and Lao Luo also set aside their curiosity and hastened to catch up. As they passed the middle-aged woman, whose neck had been torn apart by the mutated dog, Di Ping paused. Her body was still twitching slightly, but her neck had been completely shredded. It was clear that she wouldn't survive. Di Ping sighed and shook his head before continuing to move through the grass.

In this post-apocalyptic world, human life was as cheap as grass. Di Ping had never truly felt this before, but today, he felt the harsh reality of it firsthand. Unfortunately, given the state of the world, there was little he could do about it.

Screams echoed intermittently from all directions as Di Ping and his group cautiously navigated through the grass, stopping and listening at intervals. Di Ping kept his ears sharp, ensuring there was no immediate danger before moving forward.

After nearly an hour, they had traveled less than two kilometers. The sounds of barking dogs grew distant, and the screams became less frequent. Di Ping couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. It seemed that the group of a hundred was nearly wiped out.

"Who's there?" A low voice suddenly called out from the grass ahead.

"Is that Brother Wang?" Di Ping immediately recognized the voice as Wang Delin's, though it was slightly distorted. With his enhanced hearing, he could still distinguish it clearly.

"Di... Di bro!" Wang Delin quickly pushed through the grass, his eyes widening with surprise when he saw Di Ping and his group. He smiled with joy. "You're all fine, that's great!"

Di Ping nodded and walked over. Upon getting closer, he noticed that over twenty people had gathered here. These people were incredibly fortunate, Di Ping thought to himself.

"Brother Wang, what's your plan next?" Di Ping asked in a low voice, glancing at the group of people crouching on the ground, still shaken by fear.

"I think we should head to the provincial government to regroup," Wang Delin replied, determination in his voice.

"Brother Wang, I think that's not a good idea. It's too far, and there are too many dangers on the way. I'm not going," Di Ping said, shaking his head. He had no intention of changing anyone's mind but wanted to make his position clear.

Having undergone three rounds of enhancement, Di Ping now knew that the mysterious force in his mind was indeed powerful. He didn't want too many people to learn about it, as revealing it at this point would make him a walking time bomb. Therefore, going to the provincial government base wasn't a good idea. Instead, staying here and maximizing his abilities was the best course of action for him.

"Di bro!" Wang Delin's expression grew tense. He quickly spoke, but Di Ping interrupted him with a raised hand.

"I'm not going either. I'll stick with you, Di bro!" At that moment, the chubby man, Chen Gang, spoke up.

"Me too!" Li Sheng and Lao Luo immediately chimed in, both determined to follow Di Ping.

They weren't foolish. Having witnessed Di Ping's incredible strength—the explosive power and speed with which he killed the mutated dog—they knew that following such a person was the safest choice. The group had barely set out and already suffered heavy casualties. If they continued on to the provincial government, they doubted anyone would survive.

"I… I'm going back!" A young girl, wiping tears from her face, spoke up.

"I… I'm with her!" A middle-aged man stood up as well.

One by one, five others joined the decision to stay behind, opting not to go to the provincial government. Wang Delin's expression darkened, but he was helpless. He couldn't force anyone to stay.

"Alright, let's go then!" Di Ping said, not daring to linger. The more people there were, the bigger the target they became. Mutated dogs could arrive at any moment.

"Brother Wang, we're heading back. You all stay safe!" Di Ping turned to Wang Delin, extending his hand in parting.

"Goodbye!" Wang Delin responded, shaking Di Ping's hand before turning to lead his group toward the city center.

Di Ping and his group continued on their path, carefully making their way through the grass. After nearly half an hour, the familiar sight of the apartment complex emerged. The large "Green Edge" letters on the gate felt so reassuring. Were the circumstances different, the group might have cheered in relief, but as it was, they simply sighed with relief. Di Ping also exhaled deeply.

He quickly checked the surroundings, ensuring no threats were nearby. With a sense of cautious optimism, he led the group toward the gate.

"Wang! Help! Someone save me!" Suddenly, a frantic scream rang out from behind them.

The group turned to see Wang Delin's people, barely a dozen left, running toward the apartment, being chased by several mutated dogs. Wang Delin himself was at the front, running with surprising speed. Upon seeing Di Ping, his eyes lit up, and he called out, rushing toward them.

"Dammit!" Di Ping immediately realized that Wang Delin was trying to drag him into danger. This wasn't the time to complain, so he yelled, "Run!"

Without hesitation, Di Ping turned and sprinted ahead, knowing that if they were surrounded by mutated dogs, their chances of survival would be slim. His seven companions, already aware of the situation, didn't need further prompting. In an instant, they dashed into the complex. Di Ping was the fastest, rushing toward his building, knowing that only by reaching the upper floors could they be safe.