Chapter Thirty-Five: Occupational Divisions

Snow had begun to fall, thick flakes like goose feathers drifting down from the sky as cold winds swept through the air. Standing by the apartment complex’s pond, Yang Fan gazed blankly upward, lost in thought.

Zombies, mutated beasts, the insect horde—nature itself had become humanity’s enemy. A brutal era was descending, and now the temperature would plunge swiftly to between zero and eight degrees. Afterward, it would only grow colder. For reasons unknown, the north had become warmer than the south, perhaps a result of polar shifts.

“It’s snowing,” Fang Na murmured, staring up at the sky, equally dazed. The season for snow was still far off, yet here it fell in thick, uncanny silence. Was this another calamity awaiting humanity? The cold would freeze many to death, and hunger would drive countless more mad.

Only the successors of the apocalypse and a handful of humans would have a chance to rise—most would merely cling to life in the shadows of ruin.

“We should go. Let’s head for the city center. Maybe some of the military forces have managed to regroup there,” Yang Fan told the three women. Though none of them understood what was happening, the unnatural weather filled them with fear, so they followed Yang Fan without hesitation.

He kept his pace measured, mindful of the trio. As they made their way along the road, Yang Fan took out three pieces of equipment to inspect.

[Accessory Equipment]
Domi’s Critical Ring
Current Grade: ???
Potential Grade: ???
Effect: ???
Description: ???

It was a ring, glimmering with a faint silvery sheen, but its properties could not be identified. The Eye of the Zombie was not sophisticated enough to reveal them. He needed an Appraisal Talisman, which could be bought from the apocalypse merchant. So Yang Fan, communicating through the Ladies’ Scroll, had Liu Qiaoqiao buy a silver-grade Appraisal Talisman.

Appraisal Talismans came in white, bronze, and silver grades—the higher the grade, the better they were at uncovering hidden effects. A silver-grade talisman cost five hundred apocalypse coins, but Liu Qiaoqiao could buy one for four hundred.

The other two items were a pair of gauntlets and a greatsword, both bronze-grade equipment. The Eye of the Zombie could at least identify their properties.

[Weapon Equipment]
Aziel’s Broken Greatsword
Current Grade: Bronze
Potential Grade: Gold
Sharpness: 19
Effect—Strength: Grants an additional 8 points of strength and increases strength by 2%.
Effect—Blunt Trauma: Has a chance to inflict a stun effect.
Effect—Cleave: Comes with the active ability Cleave, sweeping in a half-circle and dealing 120% of the wielder’s strength as damage.
Description: Aziel’s greatsword was the lifelong weapon of a golden knight. In the battle against demons, the hero Aziel sacrificed himself, and his weapon was split into three pieces. If all are reunited, the wielder can inherit the knight’s spirit and secret technique, and advance to the class of Penitent Knight.

“A broken bronze-grade weapon?” Yang Fan had not expected this. In his past life, forum rumors spread that apocalypse equipment came in two types. One was the ordinary kind, nearly impossible to upgrade—white for first tier, bronze for early first tier, silver for second tier, and so on.

The other kind was broken or incomplete gear, like this sword. If you managed to gather all the pieces, its power would soar. But such fortune depended on luck. If you could collect the entire set, you’d be invincible. But if not, even reaching the third or fourth rank would do you little good.

Without the remaining pieces, no amount of skill would matter. So, while this weapon was only bronze now, it might one day become gold if the others could be found.

As for the last item:

[Defense Equipment]
Radiant Bracers
Current Grade: Bronze
Potential Grade: Silver
Defense: +8
Effect—Stamina: Grants an additional 10 points of stamina and increases stamina by 2%.
Effect—Radiant Shield: Generates a shield for twenty seconds, blocking basic damage and 20% of magical damage. Cooldown: thirty minutes.
Effect—Heal: Heals a single person’s wounds. Cooldown: ten minutes.
Description: Infused with the power of light, wear these to stand firm against evil.

A superb piece of defensive gear, capable of both protection and healing—a top-tier item for its grade. Yang Fan put it on without hesitation, immediately feeling his body toughen, his skin, muscles, and bones subtly fortified—an unmistakable increase in defense.

He murmured, “The greatsword will be perfect for slaying mutated beasts. The Thunder Blade can handle the insect horde.”

At that moment, Bai Chen—the girl whose vision might be fading—raised her silver bow and loosed an arrow to the side. A streak of silver light zipped through the air, punching clean through a zombie’s skull. Her archery was extraordinary.

“By the way, what are your talents and classes? What level are you?” Yang Fan, impressed by Bai Chen’s skill, turned to ask about the talents of the two girls.

Talents could only be acquired through the apocalypse system, and only one or two out of ten people possessed even a low-level one. High-level talents were rare, reserved for players like Yang Fan who had gained early access to the system, with the chance to obtain talents beyond even SSS rank.

“Dark Elf, A-rank hidden class. Heart of Insight, 99% accuracy, sees through all falsehoods. A-rank talent,” Bai Chen replied, her tone calm and melodious.

“Berserker, B-rank hidden class. Wild Heart, a talent skill that instantly boosts all attributes by 30%. Increases defense, strength, and agility by forty points for half an hour. Cooldown time: three days. After use, suffers 20% to 50% debilitation for three days. B-rank talent.”

“Dark Elf, Berserker—A and B-rank talents,” Yang Fan nodded in satisfaction. Bai Chen’s class was as he had expected; Fang Na’s, however, was a surprise, being quite similar to his own Ancient Martial Artist class.

Having learned about their skills, Yang Fan began to strategize. Bai Chen was clearly suited for ranged combat, Fang Na, like himself, for close quarters. To survive the apocalypse, a well-equipped team of at least thirty was essential to weather the madness of the insect horde.

He could hold his own alone, but against a swarm, even he would fall. Thus, six ranged mages and archers were required, twelve melee fighters—half for offense, half for defense. Four assassins would handle scouting and targeted strikes. For the TM roles—defenders—eight were needed to guard the four cardinal points, ideally knights with thick defenses but solid attacks. If anyone could advance to a hidden national class, such as a Buddhist disciple, they’d be invaluable—sometimes even able to serve as healers.

Healers were the rarest, not because of their power but due to their scarcity and the high cost of survival early on. Ideally, he’d have ten or twenty, but that was a fantasy. Four full-skilled healers would suffice for now.

After some thought, Yang Fan decided: Zhu Liang could serve as a melee fighter, as could himself and Fang Na, while Bai Chen would be the ranged attacker. As for the mysterious War Goddess of the Ladies’ Scroll, her true nature remained unknown.

“I hope we can find suitable teammates at the camp,” Yang Fan prayed silently as the wind howled colder, quickening his pace.

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