Chapter 28: The Reliance for Survival

A fat, sluggish zombie with no mutations was naturally no match for Fan Li. It took only a minute for him to dispatch this roadblock, and with its death, Fan Li gained full rights to explore this room.

"Ugh!"

Yang Shuo clung to the wall. He had lost count of how many times he had vomited, but one thing was certain—all the food he had managed to force down earlier was now gone once again.

Fan Li allowed him this bout of “laziness” and began searching the room alone.

Perhaps this was the normal reaction when someone encountered a corpse for the first time. As for Fan Li’s composure, it was thanks to the Monster Manual, which had given him a measure of resistance to fear in advance, preventing such a reaction.

Over time, Fan Li had gained some unique insights into fear resistance. It was much like the so-called childhood trauma: if someone were to ask you what the scariest film is, a name would flash through your mind, but as you grew older and watched more horror, gore, and violent movies, you’d look back at your childhood terrors and realize they weren’t so terrifying after all.

Everything in life requires a gradual process—including the endurance of fear. Even if Yang Shuo had engaged in some illicit activities before the apocalypse, at heart he was just an ordinary person, never accustomed to living among corpses. So, when confronted with two bodies up close, his panic was only natural.

Fan Li, however, thanks to his fear resistance, was like an adult who had watched every horror film, to the point of numbness. The so-called elements of fear no longer fazed him, allowing him to remain calm.

"Are you done vomiting?" After finishing his search, Fan Li looked over at Yang Shuo collapsed to the side and asked.

"I'm feeling better… much better now…"

"Mm, you'll get used to it eventually. Here’s your reward." This time the haul was considerable; Fan Li had discovered an entire box of smoked meat. Who the owner had intended it for was unknown, but now it belonged to Fan Li.

In this post-apocalyptic world, supplies were scarce. Sealed meat like this was especially valuable, providing much-needed calories and strength.

There was only half a bag of rice, but plenty of dried foods—peanuts, soybeans, pistachios, at least three or four pounds’ worth. While they weren’t filling, they were a welcome addition!

Despite Yang Shuo’s somewhat shady past part-time work, he had helped out a great deal this time, so Fan Li didn’t hesitate and tossed him an unopened pack of smoked meat.

Yang Shuo caught it reflexively. When he saw the tight, sealed meat and its greasy surface, his stomach churned as if mice were clawing at his insides. He retched again, but now there was nothing left—only a bit of greenish bile.

"Rest for a while, then get back to work." Fan Li glanced at Yang Shuo, then sat to the side, eating a handful of pistachios.

---

Although those creatures had become monsters, no longer human, their appearance remained human. But what about this guy? He’d personally slaughtered two zombies and could still eat calmly?

Yang Shuo leaned against the wall, watching Fan Li seated on the sofa as if nothing had happened, and thought of him as some monster wearing human skin, utterly devoid of emotion.

"Butcher, executioner, madman!"

Yang Shuo gave Fan Li a new set of labels in his mind.

"Ding!"

Killing zombies inevitably drained one’s strength. As Fan Li rested, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.

Immediately, a line of bloody text appeared before his eyes.

[Your display of strength has subdued your subordinate.]

"Hmm? Is this an unexpected bonus?"

Fan Li glanced back at Yang Shuo, noticing a pair of eyes filled with apprehension and fear fixed on him.

It was less a sign of submission than fear, really.

Fan Li raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Instinctively, Yang Shuo shrank back, quickly avoiding Fan Li’s gaze. But then he thought, he hadn’t done anything wrong—why was he so afraid?

He cleared his throat softly, though he didn’t lift his head. Instead, he picked up the smoked meat nearby, dusted it off in silence, and tucked it into his clothes.

"I just don’t want to look at him," Yang Shuo comforted himself.

After a brief rest, the two set out again to explore.

One apartment on the fifth floor housed a zombie dog. The place was so littered with bloody scraps that it ruined the corridor’s atmosphere. After Fan Li killed the zombie dog, he closed the door tightly once more. The other apartment didn’t respond; thanks to Yang Shuo’s efforts, they managed to enter within a minute.

---

Unfortunately, there were no residents inside. Whoever had lived here had moved out long ago, leaving behind only some battered furniture and clothes. This meant they found no food this time.

Only one apartment in the entire building remained unexplored—Yang Shuo's neighbor. According to him, it belonged to a girl who frequented nightclubs and was rarely home, either at work or staying in hotels. The odds of her being home were slim.

Sure enough, when they opened the door, the room was empty. Living alone and working late hours, she had no surplus food stored. Most of the room was filled with performance costumes, whips, and decorative accessories—aside from these, just a few snacks and a thick wad of cash.

Fan Li gladly accepted the snacks, but the cash was meaningless in the world now. He glanced at it and left it behind. Even if he’d become a [Thief] due to special circumstances, he still maintained basic professional ethics: take only food, never loot for wealth!

With that, the entire building had been explored.

…

"Wash these clothes."

Fan Li tossed his stained garments aside; after slaughtering zombies, they were inevitably spattered with blood.

The benefits of having a subordinate became clear now: someone else could handle such tasks.

Yang Shuo’s pride told him to refuse, but some instinct drove him to pick up the clothes and start washing them in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Fan Li took out his notebook and recorded today’s gains. Afterward, he flipped through previous entries.

Ellie, the Muramasa Demon Blade, the food in each apartment, and Yang Shuo marked as a subordinate—all flashed before his eyes.

After a few minutes, Fan Li closed the notebook, placed his right hand on it, and stared ahead, lost in thought.

The contents of that notebook were his wealth in the apocalypse, and the sole foundation of his survival.