Chapter 6: The Graveyard

After one night.

At 6 a.m., Chen Jian, having finished his final watch duty, stretched his somewhat sore limbs and removed his smart goggles.

The remaining battery displayed was at 60%. Calculated for continuous use throughout the day, it could last at most three days.

The situation was dire. Supplies were depleted, ammunition was scarce, and now even the power was running low.

If the battery ran out, all electronic devices would become useless, and the combat effectiveness of his small team could plummet drastically.

—Of course, Chen Jian did not rely solely on electronic equipment.

Even without any gadgets, based on tactical training and individual abilities alone, the four members of his team were undoubtedly among the best on Earth.

But the question was, who would refuse to be stronger?

Without drone surveillance, night vision, or smart goggles, even some battles that seemed less dangerous could become fraught with peril.

Chen Jian furrowed his brows, but upon seeing his face, the locals instead showed expressions of delight.

“I thought... you were hunters too.”

The woman who first spoke to Chen Jian approached, scrutinizing him before saying,

“You’re purebloods, just like us!”

Her tone carried a hint of excitement, but Chen Jian keenly noticed a flicker of disappointment in Du Hu’s eyes, the so-called “mutant” beside her.

He was a hunter, but not a pureblood.

So, what exactly was the difference between the two?

Chen Jian looked at the woman and asked,

“How did he become like that?”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t.”

Chen Jian answered frankly.

He saw no need to hide anything because after a night of observation, he had thoroughly assessed the strength of this band of refugees.

Their combat skills were stuck in the era of cold weapons, without any electronic gear and completely unable to communicate externally.

Such a team was hardly a threat; in his previous world, these people would have been under protection.

Therefore, in the face of severe intelligence shortages, it was better to communicate openly than to probe with suspicion.

Only then could they obtain enough information in the shortest time and make reasonable plans for their next moves.

After hearing Chen Jian’s answer, the woman glanced back at Du Hu and then lowered her voice slightly, saying,

“He drank the monster’s blood, but it wasn’t the sacred blood.”

“All hunters must drink blood; only then can they grow stronger.”

“But... not everyone survives.”

“He was lucky, but unfortunately, it’s still not enough...”

“I understand.”

Chen Jian nodded thoughtfully and gestured to He Shuo beside him. Moments later, new intelligence rapidly updated in their briefing system.

“Mutation is related to blood; a virus is likely.”

“After mutation, the human body gains enhancements; the ‘sacred blood’ has greater effects or fewer side effects.”

“Humans use mutation to combat monsters.”

“The monsters likely originate from mutation.”

In just a few sentences, the basic framework of this post-apocalyptic world was established.

What remained was to fill in the details.

After a pause, Chen Jian asked,

“Are there any places in this world without monsters?”

“I don’t know.”

The woman sighed and answered,

“If there are, they’re in the north.”

“The north is the territory of the sacred blood bearers and the Mechanical God cult; maybe there, monsters are fewer.”

“But they have long abandoned this place; they won’t come to save us.”

“We were doomed from the start.”

“Fortunately, you cleared out the mantises here, so before the next patrol, at least we can go out to gather food.”

“As long as we catch prey, we can hold on for at least a month...”

At these words, Chen Jian frowned sharply.

Hold on for a month?

They still intended to stay here?

“Why don’t you leave the city? We didn’t see any monsters outside when we came in; wouldn’t it be much safer there than inside the city?”

At Chen Jian’s question, all the refugees’ gazes fixed on him.

A faint bitter smile appeared on the woman’s face before she answered,

“As long as the mother is still here, we can’t leave — and neither can you.”

“The mother’s territory is far larger than what we can see, and within it, she sees everything.”

“She is omniscient and omnipotent.”

“Anyone who tries to leave dies; only those who stay here can barely survive...”

Her words were cryptic, tinged with religious overtones.

To her, this so-called “mother” seemed to have taken on the guise of a mythical being.

Chen Jian was not convinced. After carefully studying the infrared images captured by the drones, he found everything about that monster was strikingly familiar.

Whether it was the heat patterns formed by blood circulation or the muscles enveloping its skeleton,

whether the whip-like bony segments on its tail or the faintly visible hair on its tentacles,

every detail spoke clearly of one fact:

Though strange, this creature was a perfectly normal carbon-based organism.

And any carbon-based life form could never possess supernatural powers beyond the laws of physics.

So, yes, it was strong — especially against unarmed humans.

But to claim it was all-knowing and all-powerful?

Last night, it failed to find the four of us who killed more than a dozen of its minions.

Chen Jian looked at the woman suspiciously. She seemed unsure how to respond and eventually said only,

“You should see it for yourselves.”

“There is one place; after visiting it, you will understand why.”

“What place?” Chen Jian pressed.

“A graveyard.”

The woman took a deep breath and replied,

“A graveyard created by the mother.”

“There you will find the answers you seek, and after seeing it, you will understand why we cannot leave...”

Still shrouded in mystery, Chen Jian’s mind was full of questions. He could not fathom what she meant.

It seemed he had no other choice.

To avoid going meant facing completely unknown dangers, possibly being trapped in this city forever.

But going... blindly venturing into the unknown was no less dangerous.

Chen Jian hesitated, and at that moment, the woman spoke at just the right time:

“We are about to go there to gather food.”

“If you want to come... you can join us.”

At her words, Chen Jian slowly nodded.

Then he turned to his team and said,

“Pack up your gear. Prepare to move out!”