The Apocalypse Shelter System

"Old Lie, it seems quiet?"

Yue Lie and Liu Han, both hiding behind a shelf, dared not move. After waiting for over a minute without hearing any sounds outside, Liu Han could no longer hold himself back and cautiously peered out, whispering to Yue Lie.

"Can you be a little more careful? You're going to scare yourself to death with your impulsiveness!"

Yue Lie jabbed Liu Han in the side with his finger, clearly irritated.

"Heh heh... It was an accident, just an accident!"

Liu Han, realizing he had nearly caused trouble, scratched his head awkwardly and gave a sheepish laugh.

"I'm so hungry, I'm going to eat a bit more. I almost choked earlier!"

Feeling like the danger had passed, Liu Han grabbed another loaf of bread from the shelf, tearing it open and immediately starting to eat, looking like a starving man.

"You've got no hope! Can't you wait? We still don't know what's going on outside! Hey, slow down! Don't choke again!"

Yue Lie, watching his friend devour the food without care, could only sigh and quietly remind him.

"I've got this!"

Liu Han raised a bottle of mineral water, shaking it lightly, while still chewing on the bread and mumbling with his mouth full.

Yue Lie couldn't find the words to respond to his best friend, who was both careless and impulsive. He remembered back in college when Liu Han had been heartbroken after a breakup. He had cried inconsolably, and all their roommates had been shocked to see him so upset. But as soon as they mentioned going for drinks, Liu Han's tears stopped instantly, and he was all smiles as he dragged his stunned friends to the bar. The next day, he was happily playing basketball as if nothing had happened.

From then on, their friends knew that Liu Han's emotional resilience was almost unnatural—how could anyone stay mad at him when his mood shifted so easily? If he wanted to fight one day, the next day, he'd be inviting you to drink together.

Yue Lie, too, was starving. In the base, they were lucky if they were given a small piece of bread, which was hardly enough to fill anyone. After two days of hiding, his stomach had been empty, and his legs were weak from hunger. The earlier scare had momentarily distracted him from his hunger, but now seeing Liu Han eating so greedily, his own hunger surged, and he quickly grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth.

What they didn't realize was that although their conversation had been in low tones, it had been clearly overheard by Di Ping, who had carefully approached the glass door and was listening intently. His hearing had been greatly enhanced, so even the slightest movement within the supermarket, like a mouse scurrying across the floor, was audible to him.

Behind Di Ping, Gina was watching the street, guarding their backs, but she, too, had overheard the conversation. As a mage, her spiritual power enhanced her hearing far beyond that of ordinary people, and she could hear everything clearly, possibly even better than Di Ping himself.

They exchanged a quick glance, and Di Ping signaled to Gina to stay outside while he went in. She nodded in understanding. Di Ping then cautiously stepped toward the supermarket, moving lightly and quietly, like a cat on the prowl, careful not to alert anyone inside.

Crash...

Yue Lie and Liu Han were so engrossed in their meal, taking big bites of bread and washing it down with water, that they completely forgot about the danger. Every now and then, they exchanged amused glances, oblivious to their surroundings. Di Ping's footsteps were almost inaudible, and it wasn't until a gleaming sword appeared suddenly in front of them that they both froze in terror.

The sight of the sword, flashing coldly in the light, and the man holding it, was enough to send chills through their bodies. They could feel an oppressive, tangible aura of killing intent surrounding him, freezing them in place. Their hands went stiff, and they could only stare at the sword in front of them, their mouths agape. The bread they had been holding fell to the floor with a soft thud, forgotten.

"Big... Big... Brother! We... we're just eating some bread, we'll... we'll pay!"

Liu Han, pale with fear, stammered, mistakenly thinking that Di Ping was the shop owner, hoping that paying for the bread would resolve the situation.

"This brother, we're just looking for something to eat, we're not bad people!"

Yue Lie, though still visibly shaken, managed to speak more coherently than Liu Han, his voice trembling but steady enough.

"What's your name? What are you doing here?"

Di Ping, having studied their clothing and demeanor, could tell that they were students. They carried no weapons and appeared innocent. He decided to lower his sword, but his focus remained sharp as he scrutinized their faces, trying to gauge their intentions.

"This big brother, my name is Yue Lie, and this is Liu Han. We're both university students. The apocalypse came, and we've been hiding around here. We were so hungry, we came out to find some food."

Yue Lie's voice steadied as he wiped bread crumbs from his mouth and answered Di Ping's question.

"Just the two of you?"

Although Di Ping lowered his sword, his guard remained up. His eyes remained fixed on them, searching for any signs of deception.

"There used to be ten of us, but now it's just us two left."

Yue Lie's expression darkened, and his voice grew quieter as he lowered his head. Liu Han, who had been shaking earlier, also looked down, his face filled with sorrow.

"Surviving in the apocalypse is tough. Hang in there, those who are still alive need to stay strong."

Di Ping sighed, offering them some comfort. Having witnessed countless lives and deaths, and having killed himself, he understood the pain of losing loved ones. After seeing that their expressions had softened a little, he continued.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"What's there to hide? People are dead, they're gone."

Yue Lie let out a long breath, his voice tinged with deep resignation as he spoke.