2: Chapter 2 Dawn Caravan

Zhou Che pulled himself together, shouldered his heavy load of supplies, and sprinted with all his might toward the Dawn Convoy, terrified that being even a step late would mean being left behind by the main group to become food for the anomalies.

He finally rushed back to The Convoy, locking eyes on his wuling hongguang immediately, and his suspended heart instantly settled.

Before the apocalypse, this car was just an ordinary, cheap vehicle that no one looked twice at; it had absolutely no prestige.

But in this world riddled with anomalies, it had become a highly sought-after prize.

It was sturdy and durable, didn't pick its roads, and didn't hurt to scratch or dent. Best of all, it had massive interior space, perfect for hauling supplies or hiding people, making countless people in The Convoy green with envy.

Zhou Che pulled open the car door, slid in, slumped into the driver's seat, and happily rummaged through the supplies he had just obtained.

Looking at the overflowing food and useful gear, he couldn't help but curse, "That dog-bitch bully did all sorts of evil, but at least the supplies he scavenged were solid. I'll take it all!"

Before he could finish counting, movement came from The Convoy.

The captain had set a strict rule long ago: they would only stay here for one hour. Anyone who didn't return by the deadline would be abandoned, left to face their own fate.

The time was just up, and The Convoy didn't hesitate at all. One by one, the vehicles started their engines, preparing to depart and migrate.

Zhou Che dared not delay, immediately starting his car and following closely behind The Convoy.

Leading The Convoy was Captain Wu Jue. He belonged to the Pathfinder Sequence and could avoid dangers and identify safe paths; the entire Convoy relied on him to lead the way.

After bumping along for most of the day, the sky turned pitch black—a stifling, oppressive darkness.

At the very front, Captain Wu Jue's car finally slowed to a stop, and his voice followed, crisp and decisive.

"Make camp here, everyone rest!"

As soon as the order was given, the Transcendents in The Convoy got out of their vehicles, quickly gathered at the front, lit a fire, and huddled together to discuss future defense and routes.

Zhou Che seized the opportunity, brushed the dust off his body, and walked straight over.

Before this group of veteran Transcendents could ask, he looked up and spoke with full confidence, "I have also awakened a Sequence."

Everyone was stunned, turning their heads to look at him, their eyes filled with suspicion.

If Zhou Che were just an ordinary person, he would never have had the chance to sit on equal footing with them.

Zhou Che didn't waste words, directly channeling the power of the Mechanic Sequence he had just absorbed, a faint glow appearing at his fingertips.

He casually picked up a broken flashlight nearby, and in an instant, the completely ruined flashlight lit up, casting a steady beam of light.

It was a genuine Sequence ability; there was no faking it.

The Transcendents present were first stunned, then genuine joy appeared on their faces.

In this apocalypse, having one more Transcendent meant one more source of power to fight the anomalies, and one more shred of hope for everyone to survive!

No one questioned him anymore; instead, they greeted him warmly, accepting this new companion.

Zhou Che took the opportunity to sit by the fire, his ears pricking up immediately as he wanted to hear what important matters this group of Transcendents was discussing.

But after listening for only two sentences, his heart skipped a beat.

They were talking about none other than the bully Transcendent he had hacked to death—Wang Ba.

"That kid Wang Ba still hasn't returned to the group. Nine times out of ten, he fell into the hands of the anomalies."

"His strength isn't weak, how could he just be gone like that?"

The group chimed in one after another, pondering the cause of Wang Ba's death. As they spoke, someone turned to look at the newly joined Zhou Che and asked, "Zhou Che, on your way back, did you run into Wang Ba?"

Zhou Che felt no ripples in his heart, not even a hint of panic. He put on a look of confusion and lingering fear, shaking his head as he lied:

"I didn't run into him. I was dodging anomalies the whole way, running like crazy to catch up with The Convoy; I didn't see anyone at all."

Once these words were out, the others didn't suspect much, assuming Wang Ba was just unlucky and had lost his life after being swarmed by anomalies.

After all, in this world, it was perfectly normal for Transcendents to lose their lives, and no one would associate this with Zhou Che, an ordinary person who had just awakened.

Zhou Che suppressed the cold sneer in his heart, keeping his expression calm.

After finishing their discussion about Wang Ba, the few people around the fire couldn't be bothered to hide anything and started introducing themselves one by one.

The first to speak was Captain Wu Jue. His expression was steady, his eyes sharp, and his whole being exuded the aura of a leader: "Wu Jue, Pathfinder Sequence, responsible for leading the team to find safe paths and avoid risks."

Immediately after, a crisp female voice rang out.

The woman standing to the side had a tall, upright figure. She gripped a halberd that glinted with cold light, her posture heroic and filled with a murderous aura—she was the spitting image of a female war god. She said coldly: "Luo Xi, Halberd Wielder Sequence."

Zhou Che took an extra look, sighing inwardly; this woman looked like trouble, and her combat power was definitely top-tier.

The last one remaining was a ragged old man with gray hair and a wrinkled face. Crouched there, he looked unremarkable, but his hands were constantly fiddling with unknown runes. He said slowly: "Zhang Xiuqi, Rune Master Sequence, I deal with rune formations."

The few core Transcendents in The Convoy had all revealed their identities and abilities.

Zhou Che knew clearly that he had now completely squeezed into the core circle of The Convoy; he was no longer the small fry who could be pushed around by anyone.

On the surface, he kept a smile, but a glint flashed in the depths of his eyes. With the System in hand, it wasn't impossible for him to get his hands on these people's Sequences in the future.

Just as everyone finished their self-introductions, sparks from the fire flared up, and Captain Wu Jue's face instantly turned cold.

He furrowed his brows, his tone chillingly heavy: "Don't waste time here. I've already smelled the scent of anomalies gathering this way. This crappy camp won't last until dawn. We'll stay until the second half of the night at most, then move out immediately."

Changing the subject, Captain Wu Jue looked straight at Zhou Che, laying out the rules of conduct.

"You are a newcomer who just awakened. Let me make the rules of the Dawn Convoy clear to you."

"Supplies for Transcendents are distributed based on contribution. I am responsible for leading the way, avoiding disasters, and finding safe paths. If you want to go out and scavenge for supplies, go ahead; if you don't want to, no one will force you."

"The ordinary people below must hand over ten percent of their supplies each time, which we Transcendents split equally—we risk our lives to hold off the anomalies, so this is the protection fee they owe. There's nothing to discuss."

After saying this, Captain Wu Jue waved his hand, dismissing the meeting.

"Alright, everyone go rest. Don't delay the journey."

Zhou Che didn't make any small talk with them either, turning and walking straight toward his wuling hongguang.

Before, he was the most inconspicuous bottom-feeder in The Convoy, a refugee whom everyone could ignore, but now his status had completely changed.

Just as he climbed into the car and sat in the driver's seat, a large crowd of people instantly swarmed around the vehicle.

There were those with smiling faces wanting to latch onto a powerful figure, those acting subservient and desperately sucking up to him, and those with mournful faces wanting to borrow food to survive; they crowded around, clamoring.

Zhou Che didn't even lift an eyelid. He slammed the car door shut, locked the windows tight, and had absolutely no intention of paying them any mind.

Back when he was at the end of his rope, which one of these people had ever looked at him properly? Now that they see he has awakened as a Transcendent, they all come crowding up to suck up to him?

Not a chance!

He leaned back in his seat, his heart filled with the satisfaction of his turnaround. This was the taste of becoming stronger: before, he had to watch others' expressions, but now, even if others sucked up to him, they weren't worth a single word from him.