Chapter Two: Entering the Instance

During their march, he mingled with the members of the cleanup squad and got to know them, gaining a basic understanding of their current circumstances.

The group he had joined was called the Gale Settlement, led by the man who had just spoken to him—Li Kuang.

Since the apocalypse descended and fantastical monsters began appearing everywhere, small settlements like theirs had sprung up across the land.

Monstrous dungeons emerged under two circumstances: sometimes they appeared at random, and other times their appearance was triggered by the number of humans gathered in one place.

As long as the number of people assembled exceeded one hundred, a dungeon would inevitably descend upon the settlement—and the larger the group, the more formidable the dungeon.

Of course, the frequency wasn’t overwhelming. Other than the unpredictable first occurrence, as long as a settlement managed to clear a dungeon, another wouldn’t appear for at least seven days.

If the settlement failed to defeat the monsters within, the only option was to relocate.

The Gale Settlement was now on the move precisely because a dungeon had descended and they were unable to conquer it.

The entire settlement was divided into seven main squads; he was currently assigned to the seventh, under the command of Wang Ziping.

Each squad was further broken up into three combat teams, each led by a captain and two vice-captains. Normally, these teams operated independently, but now, because of the migration, they traveled together.

Including him, there were ten members in the cleanup squad, led by Wei Liang.

According to Wei Liang, the cleanup squad was where those without combat ability or whose life cards hadn’t awakened were placed.

If Lu Sheng’s life card awakened and he gained combat strength, he would be transferred to a combat unit.

Wei Liang also advised Lu Sheng not to assume that staying in the cleanup squad was a blessing simply because it was safe. If one wanted to gain more, one had to give more.

In the Gale Settlement, the cleanup squad could at least count on a full meal. In other settlements, whether or not the cleanup crew was fed depended entirely on the whims of those in charge.

Once someone’s life card awakened and they gained combat power, they should join the fighters. In this apocalypse, only one’s own strength truly mattered.

Wei Liang played the part of a big brother, and to the newcomer Lu Sheng, his warmth seemed a rare and genuine kindness in these bleak times. Whether it was genuine or just a façade, Lu Sheng couldn’t yet tell.

In his previous life, Lu Sheng had dropped out of school at sixteen and worked odd jobs for two years, during which he’d learned to read people. He felt that Wei Liang was sincere, but time would tell.

As Lu Sheng pondered these things, a cold, commanding order snapped him back to reality.

“A small-scale dungeon has appeared ahead—Squad Seven, prepare for combat!”

Wang Ziping’s order rang out from the front, and the squad sprang into action without hesitation. In the apocalypse, people had long since learned the value of swift response.

Wei Liang dragged the distracted Lu Sheng along.

“Don’t daydream—get ready.”

Lu Sheng quickly gathered his wits. He knew what was happening.

Dungeons were generally classified by the area covered by their green-light aura; a small dungeon could be handled by a single squad.

Of course, scouts would always enter first to assess the situation inside. Only after gauging the threat would the squad decide whether to proceed. They would never charge in blindly.

From the outside, only the area of the dungeon was visible; the strength of the monsters within could not be judged by the dungeon’s size.

The entire seventh squad rushed forward, Lu Sheng sticking close to Wei Liang. The squad soon broke away from the larger group, advancing to the front.

After about five minutes of rapid movement, the squad halted. Lu Sheng saw the green glow ahead, blanketing the land.

Wang Ziping stood at the front, issuing the next order.

“Sun Hong, go in and see what kind of dungeon it is.”

“On it!”

Without hesitation, Sun Hong stepped into the green-lit area, paused, and in the next instant vanished.

About ten seconds later, Sun Hong emerged, this time with a pleased expression.

“Captain, it’s a small group of food-type monsters inside!”

In this apocalyptic world, food-type monsters were invaluable—their main source of sustenance came from such creatures.

Wang Ziping’s stern face finally softened with a hint of joy. “What kind? How strong are they?”

He asked about the type because some food-types yielded more meat, others less. The question of strength was just as crucial, since even food-type monsters could be dangerous; “food-type” simply meant their flesh was edible.

There were some humanoid monsters that, no matter the circumstances, people simply could not bring themselves to eat.

Even in the apocalypse, as long as they weren’t utterly desperate, a shred of humanity remained.

“They’re Tusked Boars!”

“Excellent! We’re going in—finish this quickly!”

Wang Ziping’s delight grew. Tusked Boars were among the most bountiful food-type monsters—plenty of edible parts and not particularly powerful.

The squad moved out, all stepping into the green aura.

The moment Lu Sheng entered, he felt a pulling force—if he didn’t resist, it would draw him into a special space.

As the people around him vanished, Lu Sheng relaxed and let himself go.

The next instant—

A brand new world unfolded before him.

He stood in tall grass—some patches rose as high as his waist, some were flattened into clearings, and others parted to form winding trails, reminiscent of wild boar tracks through a mountain village.

This world spanned only a few hundred meters. Beyond that, the ground ended in white barriers, as if the area had been cut from the world and enclosed.

Which, in fact, was exactly what it was—a pocket realm.

Dozens of Tusked Boars rampaged through the tall grass. Each had two massive, sharp incisors. No one would want to be caught by those beasts—their sheer size and power, combined with those tusks, could easily tear a person in two.

Yet, facing this perilous scene, Lu Sheng noted the light of excitement in everyone’s eyes. There was no trace of fear.

He soon saw why. Flashes of light sparkled as each person summoned their life card.

Some called forth strange beasts, others produced bizarre weapons in their hands, and still others were suddenly suffused with a surge of power.

This reminded Lu Sheng of memories left by his predecessor.

Possession, Beastmaster, and Transformation.

Some used their life card to enhance themselves, some summoned monsters to fight for them, and some transformed their life card into weapons.

The world was essentially divided into these three schools. Lu Sheng’s predecessor had lived in a decent place and was familiar with this basic knowledge.

For now, the cleanup squad’s duty was to handle monster corpses; they had no role in the fight. Taking advantage of this, Lu Sheng fixed his gaze on Wang Ziping’s battle.

Wang Ziping summoned his life card: a large green spider, its body rising to his waist.

Under his command, the green spider moved with astonishing speed, charging the rampaging Tusked Boars. As it drew close, the spider spat a sheet of white webbing, pinning a boar down. The more the beast struggled, the tighter the web became, until the creature was utterly immobilized.

Lu Sheng watched in amazement. The Tusked Boars were powerful, yet even their wildest charges couldn’t break free of the spider’s web. Just how strong was this green spider?

Wei Liang handed Lu Sheng a machete. “Come on, time to show you how to slaughter a pig. From the look of you, I bet you’ve never killed a monster before.”

Lu Sheng took the blade, his eyes shining. Kill monsters? This was his chance.

“How could that be? Just watch—I’ll show you how I bring down a Tusked Boar.”