Published: February 9, 2025
Chapter Translation:
"Let me remind you again, on November 6th there will be an event to thank our readers, with physical prizes. The specific rules can be found in the pinned post in the Qidian book review area. Everyone is welcome to participate actively at that time. On that day, there will also be some red envelopes sent in the reader group; you can grab the red envelopes while chatting in the group! Group number: 539357111."
Without the pollution of industry, any scent in the fresh air becomes very noticeable.
Usually, the air is filled with the smell of blood and decay, which fits the theme of slaughter and survival in the apocalypse, but today is somewhat different. Amidst the smell of damp earth and the sea, there is an added scent of... roasted meat.
On either side of a huge bonfire, metal racks are propped up, with a large piece of meat turning slowly on a metal skewer. The flames occasionally lick at the meat, leaving a faint layer of blackened crust and a slight sizzling sound, spreading a new aromatic scent into the air.
There are quite a few people around the bonfire, some standing and some sitting casually. Many have smaller bonfires in front of them, featuring pots of varying sizes and shapes or dried meat. Under the heat of the flames, they are rudimentarily cooking the ingredients placed atop them.
However, these people are looking at the food in front of them with an unusual symptom rarely seen in the apocalypse—an aversion to food.
As the aroma in the air grows stronger, these people's 'symptoms' become more pronounced.
"Is there anyone who wants to eat with me? I have a bottle of good wine here, let’s share! This godforsaken place, Linhai, looks like it’s been swept clean by monsters, there’s not a single thing around. This is the only bottle of wine I managed to find!"
A coarse man's voice cuts through the gathered crowd of thousands, but no one replies, just the sound of the sea breeze.
"Hey, you really don’t know how to enjoy life. It’s the apocalypse! Who knows when you might die? Why be so picky? Isn’t that just making life difficult for yourself?"
As he speaks, there is a pause filled with sounds of chewing. Many people’s expressions change, and one person can’t hold back and softly says, "But that’s human flesh."
The atmosphere suddenly becomes tense with that statement, even breathing becomes lighter.
Yet the sound of chewing does not stop, and the greasy residue drips from the corner of the man’s mouth, causing those who glance over to quickly turn away, covering their mouths to avoid vomiting.
"Yes, it is human flesh. So what? It’s delicious! You won’t know until you try. Do you want to have a taste?"
The man speaking shoves a chunk of meat into his mouth, then, using his bare hands, tears off another piece from the scorching hot meat and walks towards the crowd.
"Who just said that this is human meat?"
No one responds, and the person who spoke earlier lowers his head, burying his face deep between his knees.
"Is it you?" The man grabs a middle-aged man's hair, patting his already pale face, leaving greasy fingerprints on it.
"Not you?" The man grins maliciously, shoving the meat towards the man's mouth. No matter how the man struggles, he cannot escape the grip of the large, hairy hands.
"Then you have to eat some too!"
His tone suddenly turns vicious, his face overshadowed by a thick beard, glaring at the middle-aged man below him, "You’re all evolvers now; you can hunt mutated animals, so why not eat human flesh? When you’re starving, you’d even eat your own wife and children, and now you pretend to be so high and mighty?!"
Watching as the middle-aged man swallows the meat, the man finally releases him. With a swift motion, he mysteriously vanishes from his spot and reappears next to the person who spoke earlier. With a casual swing of his arm, the man doesn’t even have time to react before he’s hit; the sturdy head of the two-star evolver explodes with a bang, bones, blood, and brain matter spraying out and splattering onto many bystanders.