Chapter Eleven: Wishing for the Eternal Survival of Humankind!

As everyone fixed their gaze on the source of the sound, the red mist opposite them began to dissipate at a visible pace.

A solitary figure slowly emerged.

On the other side, a fashionable young woman staggered closer, her disheveled hair hinting at a rough ordeal. Upon seeing the group before her, the woman threw all caution to the wind and knelt directly on the ground.

"Help... please help me..." Her delicate face was marked with desperate pleading.

Mu Jiuer grew agitated, glancing repeatedly at Mu Chen.

At Mu Chen’s signal, Lilian stepped forward and helped the woman up.

"What happened to you? Was there a monster chasing you?"

Mu Chen felt a twinge of anxiety as he looked at the woman collapsed on the ground. If there were monsters behind her, they would need to evacuate immediately.

"No... I can't use my mental value to drive away the red mist anymore. If the last point is depleted, there will be no saving me. Please, I beg you, let me come with you. I won’t cause any trouble."

A gentle sigh.

Previously, Mu Chen would have only allowed the woman to stay with them briefly, until her mental value recovered enough for her to seek another path, then made her leave.

But the information from the regional channel had changed his mind.

"Rest here for now. Jiuer, give her some water."

"Thank you, thank you..." The woman whispered her gratitude, and after taking the water from Mu Jiuer, she quickly drained it, slumping against the wall soon after.

Seeing her pitiful state, Mu Chen asked no further questions and the group quietly waited for her to recover.

Nearly half an hour passed before she finally stood, tidied her hair, and seemed to regain some composure.

"My name is Yang Zhiying. Thank you—if not for you, I would surely have ended up like the others in the channel, slowly consumed by the red mist."

Her expression was sincere, and every word she spoke brimmed with gratitude.

"What is your mental value? And why were you wandering out there alone? Have you always been by yourself?"

Yang Zhiying didn’t answer immediately; instead, she hesitated.

Clearly, there was more beneath the surface. Mu Chen frowned.

"I have family. We got separated when monsters appeared. My mental value is six."

Seeing that Yang Zhiying had no intention of explaining further, Mu Chen did not press her.

"You can stay with us, but let me be clear: you must remain quiet at all times, and obey all instructions when with us. No acting alone. If you accept these terms, you can stay. If not, you can follow us until your mental value recovers enough to go on your own."

"I’m willing to join you. Thank you, truly—I’m willing to go with you."

With the addition of a new member, Mu Jiuer seemed delighted.

After Yang Zhiying’s unexpected arrival, the group resumed their rest.

During this time, Mu Chen and Mu Jiuer took turns activating their skills to dispel the red mist.

Six hours passed.

Above them, the countdown read 87:18:19...

A glance at the regional channel showed the number of survivors had settled around 5,100.

He did not look at the records again; he could not bear to see the information, or rather, to accept the reality that so many people had died in a single day.

Mu Jiuer’s face was pale as she pushed his wheelchair from behind, and Yang Zhiying looked equally unwell.

"Brother... so many people have died..."

In Mu Jiuer’s world, she always believed that as long as she and her brother were safe, the apocalypse would not matter. But witnessing the suffering of others now stirred something within her.

"Yes, I’ve seen it. Let’s keep moving."

Mu Chen suppressed his emotions, speaking calmly. He offered no comfort; in times like these, no one could predict what would happen next. The only way to survive was to adapt quickly.

Mu Jiuer needed to find her own way and grow.

With Yang Zhiying now part of the group, Mu Chen recounted their route and plan once more.

"We’ll continue forward. Let’s try to leave the city within three hours, and gather as much drinking water as possible along the way."

"Are we heading to the grain storage base outside the city?" Yang Zhiying asked, puzzled.

Mu Chen didn’t answer, instead unfolding the map again.

Recalling the information he’d gathered earlier, he realized the destination hinted at was likely the grain storage base.

"How did you know about that place?" Mu Chen turned, curious.

Yang Zhiying tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned over to point at a corner of the map, her faint perfume drifting to him.

"I used to work nearby and know the area well. Besides the medium-sized grain storage base, there’s also a large food processing plant close by."

Mu Chen’s interest was piqued and he stared at the marked grain storage base on the map. If they built their territory there, they would never have to worry about food again.

With their target clear, everything became simpler.

From the information they had, monsters were gathered 1,600 meters ahead. Comparing the map, he realized that was the city exit toll station.

"Besides the toll station exit, are there any other routes nearby to leave the city?" he asked.

Yang Zhiying pondered.

"Let me think. Besides this main road, there’s indeed a smaller route that merges with the main road outside the city, but it’s nearly eight kilometers away from here."

That answer was not what Mu Chen wanted.

"Eight kilometers..." The thought of taking a detour was extinguished in his mind.

He finally decided they would move ahead for a while, and if necessary, find another way around. There was no need to clash head-on with the monsters.

Once the group was ready,

"To the outskirts—let’s go!"

Their route followed the main road leading out of the city.

At present, Mu Jiuer was using her skill to repel the mist. Mu Chen’s mental value would be fully restored in an hour, while Yang Zhiying had regained only two points.

The empty streets remained eerily silent, undisturbed by their passage.

Three hundred meters—no trouble.

Six hundred meters—on the ground lay heaps of fractured human bones, horrifying in their number, the flesh clearly devoured, the area around them stained scarlet.

[Through the remains on the ground, you discover that 130 meters ahead, three “little ones” are wandering after their meal, while a “big one” is chasing two unlucky souls, soon to be pulp, 914 meters to the right.]

"Three juvenile mutants. That’s tough," Mu Chen muttered, troubled.

But the [Source of Turbidity] was essential. If he could kill all three juveniles, they could survive eighteen more hours within the red mist.

"Everyone, stop. Listen to me..."

Mu Chen called the group to a gentle halt.