129: Chapter 129 The Only Safe Zone

Just then, the two of them ran to a street corner.

Not far from another intersection, they spotted a store.

That store looked brand new, completely out of place in this city of ruins.

The store radiated a bright light, exceptionally conspicuous in this pitch-black world, like a beacon in a desperate situation, the single straw for a drowning man.

"What is that?" Li Taiping stopped and squinted his eyes.

"It's a Supply Store!" Su Jie's voice trembled slightly, but it was mostly filled with surprise and urgency. "Quick! Hubby, let's go in! It's absolutely safe there!"

"Safe zone?"

Li Taiping muttered to himself, but his feet didn't stop.

In this situation, it was a last-ditch effort; a place with light was better than stumbling blindly in the dark.

Moreover, the roars from behind were getting closer. It felt as if countless eyes were staring at them in the darkness. That feeling of being locked on by a top predator made the hair on his back stand up.

The two of them used every ounce of strength they had to sprint toward that sole patch of light.

The closer they got, the clearer the store's appearance became.

It looked like a 24-hour convenience store. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows were wiped spotless, and warm, bright light shone from inside, forming a stark contrast with the apocalyptic ruins outside.

"Roar!"

A violent roar exploded behind them, accompanied by a gust of fishy wind.

Li Taiping didn't even need to look back to feel a massive dark shadow pouncing behind him.

At the critical moment, the two finally crashed through the store's glass door.

The moment they rushed in, the glass door closed automatically.

*Bang!*

With a dull, heavy thud, a massive dark shadow slammed hard against the glass door, making the entire building shake.

Li Taiping turned his head sharply, his heart skipping a beat.

Outside the glass door, a monster the size of a grizzly bear, covered in bone spikes, was staring fixedly at them with its blood-red single eye.

Disgusting saliva dripped from its mouth as it repeatedly slapped the glass with its claws, making an ear-piercing scratching sound.

But this seemingly ordinary glass door was unimaginably sturdy; no matter how the monster slammed into it, it didn't budge.

"Whew... whew... we're safe."

Su Jie slumped onto the floor, gasping for breath, her chest heaving violently.

Li Taiping also leaned against a shelf by the door, adjusting his breathing.

He sized up the store.

The space inside wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either, about a hundred square meters.

Several rows of shelves were empty, with only some hollow packaging remains scattered about.

Most notably, three large metal cabinets resembling vending machines were placed in the center of the store.

In the innermost corner of the store, there was a room with its door tightly shut, making it impossible to see inside.

At this time, there were already seventeen or eighteen people in the store.

These people were dressed in rags and looked haggard, but their eyes held a glimmer of relief from surviving a disaster.

When they saw Li Taiping and Su Jie rush in, they only gave a cold glance before looking away. No one spoke, and a strange silence permeated the entire store.

Everyone's gaze drifted toward the wall from time to time.

Li Taiping followed their gaze and saw two lines of eye-catching large characters written in red paint on the wall.

[Store Rules]

Killing is prohibited inside the store. Violators will die.

"This is a Supply Store cabin that randomly spawns whenever the 'dark tide' comes."

Su Jie caught her breath, leaned close to Li Taiping, and explained in a low voice.

"The owner of this store is an Infected person who has been Infected by the 003 Weirdness Virus, but he is neutral."

"003 Weirdness Virus?"

Li Taiping frowned. This was the first time he had heard this term.

"Yes," Su Jie nodded, a hint of apprehension on her face.

"Unlike those 004 Infected outside who only have killing instincts, Weirdos retain their former sanity and some memories, but their bodies and personalities undergo various strange changes.

The owner of this store follows the rules he set himself. As long as you're in his store, no one can kill anyone, or they'll be killed by him."

Hearing this, Li Taiping glanced at the tightly closed door, becoming more vigilant.

"What are those three machines for?"

He pointed at the vending machines in the center.

"Those are Supply Machines,"

Su Jie's eyes brightened.

"They randomly spit out various things—food, water, medicine, and even some strange stuff we don't understand.

There's an unwritten rule here: everyone lines up according to the order they entered the store and takes turns. No one is allowed to take more than their share, so everyone gets a little and has a chance to survive."

Li Taiping understood.

This was basically a safe house and supply point in an dungeon.

He looked at the others in the store.

These so-called survivors were all gaunt. Although they looked stronger than ordinary people, they didn't have any fluctuations of extraordinary power.

In his eyes, these people were no different from chicks.

Even with his power sealed, taking down these seventeen or eighteen people would only take a few minutes.

"What if... someone doesn't follow the rules?"

Li Taiping stroked his chin and asked a key question.

"That would cause public outrage," Su Jie whispered. "And the owner will act. No one dares to challenge the owner's rules here; that's just seeking death."

Just then, one of the vending machines made a light "ding" sound, and a bottle of mineral water fell into the collection slot below with a "clatter."

The man at the front of the line's eyes lit up. He quickly ran over, tucked the water into his chest like a treasure, and then consciously stepped aside.

Then, the second machine sounded, and a pack of compressed biscuits fell out.

The person second in line also quickly took it away.

Everything seemed orderly yet filled with the absurdity of the apocalypse.

Li Taiping and Su Jie were the last to enter, so they were at the back of the line.

He looked at the expressions of those people—expectant, nervous, or disappointed—and felt no emotion.

Just a bunch of NPCs.

What he cared about now was the so-called "owner."

A being that could make everyone follow the rules definitely had no simple strength.

While he was thinking, an unexpected change occurred.

The middle vending machine didn't make a "ding" sound, but a somewhat dull "click" sound.

No food or water fell out of the collection slot.

Instead, it was an ancient-looking parchment scroll tied with a thin string.

The person in that position was a thin man with a goatee.

When he saw what had dropped out, his expression instantly collapsed.

"Fuck! What the hell is this crap!"

He grumbled as he walked over, grabbed the parchment scroll, and weighed it in his hand, his face full of disdain and misfortune.

"Can I eat or drink this scrap paper? It's too stiff even to wipe my ass!"

He waved the "trash" quite angrily.

But the moment he raised his hand, Li Taiping's pupils suddenly constricted!

Although there was no system light on the scroll, its ancient material and that faint energy fluctuation...

He was all too familiar with it!

[excellent grade item upgrade scroll]!

This thing was exactly the same as the weathered scrolls he had seen in the Deep Sea Ruins!

...