My Apocalypse Territory-Chapter 33: Just Wash and Go to Sleep
Peng Bo patted his head, unconcerned.
He was used to this kind of thing, accustomed to the point of it being second nature, so there was nothing much to make a fuss about. He was now on his way to a construction site. According to the Sanctuary's person in charge, as long as he worked hard, he could eat his fill, and even have meat to eat.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he was an Awakener, having awakened an ability to manipulate sand and stones to form armor on his body. Only he knew how miserable he had been living these days.
He had the strength to fight Demonized Beasts and found quite a bit of food, but he simply couldn't keep up with his consumption rate.
Naturally a glutton, and even more so after the Awakening, he had hardly ever been full these past days. Just hearing that he could have his fill, and even meat, made his mouth water.
At this moment, a survivor approached him.
"What, you have something to discuss, why go to the little grove on the side to talk?!"
Peng Bo originally refused, thinking that he couldn't just go to a small grove just because someone suggested it.
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However, after the person whispered to him for a while, he still followed him to the grove to discuss something big that could get him more food.
"Help you guys? And then I'll be able to get more food from the Sanctuary?"
But the Sanctuary had already promised that meals would be plentiful.
"What, you say a dignified ability user, a person of noble status, shouldn't just listen to whatever the Sanctuary says, it's got some logic to it if you put it that way."
After the discussion.
When Peng Bo walked out of the grove alone, his head was still spinning, and his steps wobbled.
There was some logic in what the person said, especially the temptation of food, leaving him no reason to refuse, yet he still felt something was off.
Do it?
Not do it?
Peng Bo was torn inside.
Involuntarily, he walked farther and farther.
Suddenly, a roar erupted, startling him into alertness.
"Is that a Demonized Beast?"
He glanced around, his body assuming a defensive stance, while the surrounding sand and stones began to flow, ready to cover him at any moment in the direction of his will.
The roar echoed again, and this time Peng Bo understood—it was coming from some distance away. He thought for a moment, cautiously advancing, hiding behind a building to peer in the direction of the roar.
"What is that..."
A Demonized Beast with a sharp horn on its head, stout limbs, and bulging ribs appeared before his eyes.
The Demonized Beast was at least the size of an armored vehicle, even at this distance, it exerted a powerful oppressive aura that nearly made Peng Bo unable to breathe.
"Such a terrifying Demonized Beast, even with my sand armor, I couldn't withstand a single strike from it."
This was a Demonized Beast he absolutely could not provoke. Although it was close to the Sanctuary and the Demonized Beast might harm other survivors, after all, he knew his limits. Rather than rushing up to meet his demise, it was better to quickly report it to the Sanctuary's management and let them handle it.
Peng Bo was already inclined to withdraw, but suddenly his eyes focused.
He saw that the terrifying Demonized Beast seemed to be... retreating?!
How was this possible!
At this point, he noticed that in front of the Demonized Beast stood a warrior dressed in armor and wielding a longsword.
This person originally looked towering, yet before the Demonized Beast, appeared incredibly small. But such a diminutive human was actually forcing the Demonized Beast to repeatedly retreat.
He never knew until now that Demonized Beasts could also retreat!
The next moment,
The Demonized Beast seemed enraged!
A fierce wind whipped up, slapping against the surrounding buildings, leaving mottled scratches. Some of the more fragile structures, under the sweeping wind, shattered like tofu blocks!
Peng Bo's eyes widened, and he instinctively stepped back.
He once heard a rumor that among Demonized Beasts, there were those capable of using special abilities, much like the ability users among Awakeners.
These types of Demonized Beasts were even stronger, more bizarre, and more terrifying!
The beast before him, without a doubt, was one that could wield Wind Blades.
Peng Bo's gaze remained fixed ahead, his sweaty palms clenched tight!
What happened next left him utterly stunned.
The armored Awakener stood unshakable amidst the knife-like whirlwind; when Wind Blades struck the dark armor, not even a scratch was visible.
It seemed the Awakener no longer wanted to wait; with a stride he surged forward, raising the gigantic sword high, and slashed down fiercely.
The sound of the giant sword tearing through the air was even more violent than the Demonized Beast's own ability-created frenzy.
Just the sound alone rattled his eardrums.
Peng Bo covered his ears, immobile, eyes glued to the chaotic battlefield, seeing
A line of blood spurt from the Demonized Beast, splattering onto the ground and even gouging small pits!
"This, this, this!!"
The battle was intensely fierce, even tearing through an adjacent building, but it came quickly and ended just as fast.
Peng Bo walked on his way back, his mind more chaotic than before.
That image, of the warrior in armor standing beside the Demonized Beast with sword in hand, was deeply imprinted in his eyes, as an invincible presence!
Once he came to himself, he remembered the business decisions he had hesitated over just now, and negotiating conditions with the Sanctuary? Requesting a more honorable position? A dignified ability user should at least be on par with the Sanctuary Director in the Sanctuary, right?
To hell with it!
With a Man like this, and still thinking of negotiating with the Sanctuary? He might be straightforward in mind, not foolish or oblivious, but there's no way he'd help those people with their scheme.
Negotiating terms? Better wash up and sleep!
He didn't care about those people's plans. If he had the time to fuss, he'd rather work a bit more and have a fuller meal in the evening, which would be just splendid.
...
The next morning, early.
The Sanctuary didn't arrange work for the survivors; many gathered in threes and twos and went to the small plaza to wait.
Many had become so familiar with the bulletin board's content that they could recite it backward. To most survivors, each point on it concerned their future survival, their future benefits; some survivors had long since analyzed each item in detail.
Most people already had a decision in their hearts.
To them, making such a decision wasn't difficult; it was merely a procedure, with better benefits, and most were joyous inside.
Yet in the field, a minority of survivors wore uncertain expressions, seeming heavily preoccupied, then suddenly displaying excitement as if their passions were stirred by some soon-to-be-realized goal.
Ding Qiang, concealed within the crowd, casually scanned the scene, noticing the several Awakeners involved in the conspiracy last night were all prepared.
They exchanged subtle gestures, sharing knowing smiles.
Ding Qiang searched throughout the crowd, finally finding Peng Bo in a corner. As expected, there was not a single figure nearby, survivors kept their distance, and Ding Qiang, satisfied at heart, saw the sinister smile on Peng Bo's face.
Indeed, Peng Bo was also dissatisfied, otherwise, why else would he smile so malevolently?
With Peng Bo, an ability user, counterbalancing the Sanctuary Director, his confidence surged from seventy percent to ninety.
It was in the bag!
Shortly afterward,
Two survivors carried a desk over from the villa area, placing it with a thud near the bulletin board at one side of the city gate.
Chen Haiping stood next to the desk, paper and pen in hand, looking at nearly a hundred survivors present.
In a matter of days, the Sanctuary had grown from nothing. Initially just a few people, it now housed hundreds of survivors. From the initial mess, to the now cleaned-up vacation resort...
Even if his contribution was minor, Chen Haiping felt proud inside.
He had watched this Sanctuary be built up little by little with his own eyes, and it would develop even better in the future. Becoming a genuine Sanctuary, or even a medium-sized one, or a large one.
Though it seemed far-fetched, Chen Haiping thought it was possible.
His confidence did not come from himself, but from Director Tang.
Clearing out surrounding Demonized Beasts,
Ensuring the grain supply for the Sanctuary,
And in just a few breaths, building a grand city wall!
Such a Sanctuary, in this desperate land, was a vessel of hope.
Chen Haiping felt fortunate to be a member of this Sanctuary, an original member, able to witness firsthand its construction.
However, he knew the Sanctuary's development faced more than these challenges, beyond the thorny issues of Demonized Beasts and food, other less severe problems, when expanded to the Sanctuary level, could not be taken lightly, either.
Now, he needed to handle the current issues first, hoping that with the Sanctuary's restructuring today, some pests could be cleared away.