Chapter Five: The Bashful One

It seemed they would have to start from the left. Mu Chen pondered for a moment, then came back to himself and softly pointed in that direction.
“We’ll go that way.”
“As you command, esteemed master.”
The red mist rolled around them, transforming the once-familiar city into something utterly strange. Mu Chen lifted his head again to glance at the countdown in the sky.
“99:05:22...”
Just an hour ago, this world had still been beautiful and harmonious.
Now, all that remained was crimson, the bizarre, the terrifying—a sense of utter despair.
“I wonder if there is still a difference between day and night,” he murmured.
If there wasn’t, he would need to quickly adjust his own condition, Mu Chen mused.
He withdrew his gaze.
They had already walked nearly three hundred meters under the red mist.
On the way, they had not encountered any attacks. It was as if, aside from the red fog, all other horrors simply did not exist in this world.
But Mu Chen knew well: once their mental strength was depleted, none of them would survive; they would all perish beneath the red mist.
“Sade, if you spot anything along the way that could serve as a weapon, let me know.”
“As you instruct.”
Ever since that meal, Sade’s attitude had grown even more deferential.
Mu Chen’s gaze lingered on Sade’s ragged upper body.
When they had faced the second juvenile abomination, Sade had rushed to the front, getting his face slashed.
Now, the edges of the wound were visibly infected.
Mu Chen looked at the Basic Recovery Card in his backpack.
“Basic Recovery Card: Excellent for injuries to the skin and superficial tissue, minor effect on bone injuries.”
[You realize that the Basic Recovery Card will have minimal effect on your own legs. It would be better to save the treatment for someone who needs it more right now—if he isn’t treated in time, he will become one of the new ‘little creatures.’]
The information left Mu Chen with no more hesitation.
“Sade, stop for a moment and stand in front of me.”
Lilian bowed her head, while Mu Jiu’er watched curiously, unsure why her brother had ordered everyone to stop.
In the next moment, Mu Chen felt a strange power swirl around Sade, and in less than a second, the wound on Sade’s face vanished completely!
“Thank you for your gift. Sade will follow you until the end of his life.”
[Sade (Healthy)]
Role: Personal servant bound to Mu Chen
Status: Moderately sated
Physique: 4
Spirit: 3
Defense: 1
Loyalty: 100
Mu Chen waved his hand, signaling the group to continue.
As they passed rows of shops, a storefront called “Auto Friends Garage” caught his eye.
A sudden idea sparked in Mu Chen’s mind.

“Stop. Let’s check out that shop.”
Of course, none of the four knew how to drive.
But he was thinking of the workbench.
[No warning has appeared, which means it’s safe inside.]
Soon, the group entered the garage lobby.
The bloody flesh on the floor told a tale of what had happened here before.
But Mu Chen’s gaze quickly fell upon a brand-new sedan nearby.
In the old world, it was something he could only dream of!
He had Sade push him up to the car.
Lightly caressing the bodywork, as if touching a young woman’s face.
Then, he took out the workbench.
“Dismantling failed!”
“Dismantling failed!”
“….”
Unwilling to give up, he tried several times in a row, but every attempt ended in failure.
[You realize the workbench can only dismantle items recognized by this era—not artificial constructs like these.]
Watching Mu Chen’s silent efforts, Mu Jiu’er finally understood and covered her mouth, stifling a laugh at the side.
“Storage failed!”
“Storage failed!”
[…]
[You’ve realized the backpack’s weight limit for a single item is 200kg.]
Note: Similar resources can be stacked up to a limit of 2,000, provided you can gather that much.
The workbench wasn’t heavy, probably about five pounds.
“Lilian, come here and carry the workbench. Stay by my side.”
The group began sweeping through the garage.
Wherever Mu Chen went, he tried to dismantle any potentially useful item.
“Acquired [Iron Ingot] *13, moved to backpack.”
“Acquired [Industrial Gear] *8, moved to backpack.”
“Acquired [Industrial Wrench] *2, moved to backpack.”
“Acquired [Iron Ingot] *11, moved to backpack.”
“Acquired [Wood] *10, moved to backpack.”
“Acquired [Industrial Fuel] 10L, moved to backpack.”
After making a full circuit of the vast garage, they found themselves back at the entrance.
The gates to the new world had opened. The taste of reward made him far more eager.
“Let’s head to the restaurant next door.”
[You realize the restaurant contains many essentials for survival, but you also sense a unique presence inside—one you cannot yet contain with your current ability.]
[It is usually very shy and gentle, but if anyone glimpses its face—whether directly or indirectly—the outcome will be tragic.]
Note: No matter where you flee, it will find you. No one on earth can escape it.
“A shy person?”

…

To go or not to go—that was the question.
The information had already made it clear: seeing its face was a deadly trap, one that would certainly kill.
But if they didn’t go to gather food, the compressed biscuits in the backpack would only last four people two days, and, more critically, the drinking water would not even last one.
Originally, the three-plus liters of water were enough for him and Mu Jiu’er for two days.
But things change quickly.
Now, with two more servants, he had to consider their food and water as well.
“With such high loyalty, should I ration their supplies for two days?” The thought appeared, but Mu Chen dismissed it immediately.
Everything was unknown here. Having servants nearby was much safer; they might even save his life at a critical moment. If the servants’ condition deteriorated, accidents would be much more likely.
If he and Mu Jiu’er, both disabled, tried to survive alone in the red mist, their chances would be almost nil.
After some thought, he sent a message to Mu Jiu’er.
“Jiu’er, activate your [Expel] skill. The restaurant is special. You and Lilian wait quietly at the door for Sade and me. If we’re not out in ten minutes, leave at once with Lilian.”
With that, he handed all the supplies from his backpack to Mu Jiu’er.
At the restaurant entrance.
“Lilian, you and Jiu’er stay here. Sade and I will go in.”
Just then, the friend channel blinked. Seeing Jiu’er’s message, he shook his head.
“Sade, let’s go.”
Lilian held the door open for him.
In his wheelchair, gaze resolute, Sade carefully pushed him inside.
“Remember two things,” he instructed quietly.
“First, keep your head down at all times. No matter what happens, even if you see a monster, do not look up, and absolutely do not look at its face.”
“Second, be careful not to make too much noise. Move slowly; we’ll take things step by step.”
After these quiet instructions, the two slipped into the restaurant.
As soon as they entered, a treasure bowl appeared before them.
They went through the familiar process.
“Acquired [Copper Ingot] *5, moved to backpack.”
He didn’t have time to check the loot before a pair of huge, misshapen feet appeared right in front of him!
His heart tightened violently!
Mu Chen: “…”
“Wang Defa! Is the ‘door-opening kill’ popular these days?”
Staring at the enormous feet, Mu Chen guessed their owner must be at least three meters tall.
From the instep up to the calf, there was almost no flesh, most of the skin utterly without pigment, and not a single hair could be seen.
Clearly, Sade saw it too. For a moment, pushing the wheelchair with his head down, he froze.
To move or not to move—
…