After driving for more than fifteen minutes, Li Xuan finally began to slow down. The steady hum of the SUV softened as he gradually eased his foot off the accelerator.
His eyes shifted to the rearview mirror again, calm but alert. Behind him, a line of survivors was still moving forward, their pace uneven and their movements strained from exhaustion.
They looked tired, but fear continued to push them forward.
Li Xuan gently steered the vehicle toward the side of the road, leaving enough space for them to pass. He did not stop completely, only slowing enough to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
One by one, the survivors moved ahead of him.
A man in torn clothes glanced at the SUV as he passed, his lips trembling slightly. "Thanks…" he muttered weakly, though his voice barely carried any strength.
Li Xuan didn't respond. His gaze remained steady, neither warm nor cold, simply indifferent.
Another person slowed down for a brief second as if considering something, but upon meeting Li Xuan's eyes, hesitation filled his face. Without saying a word, he turned away and continued moving forward.
No one tried to approach the vehicle.
No one asked for help.
After everything that had happened, people had already begun to understand one harsh truth—everyone was responsible for their own survival.
Li Xuan waited patiently.
Only after all of them had moved ahead did he slowly bring the SUV back toward the center of the road. His speed remained controlled, neither too fast nor too slow.
Ten more minutes passed.
The surroundings gradually fell into silence.
The distant footsteps faded completely, and no movement could be seen ahead or behind. The world once again returned to an eerie stillness.
Li Xuan checked the rearview mirror again.
There was nothing.
No survivors.
No ghosts.
Still, he did not act immediately. His gaze moved across the empty road and the silent surroundings, carefully observing for any sign of movement or abnormality.
Only after confirming everything did he slowly bring the vehicle to a stop.
The engine continued idling, its low sound the only thing breaking the silence.
For a few seconds, Li Xuan remained seated, listening carefully.
There was no wind.
No sound.
Nothing.
He opened the door and stepped out.
The air outside felt heavy and unmoving, as if even the world itself had gone still. Li Xuan closed the door quietly and walked toward the passenger side.
His steps were steady, without hesitation.
He opened the door.
The corpse remained slumped in the seat, lifeless and stiff. The expression on its face was frozen in fear, as if it still remembered the moment of death.
Li Xuan looked at it for a brief moment.
There was no emotion in his eyes.
He reached in, grabbed the body by its clothes, and pulled it out with a single motion. The corpse fell onto the ground with a dull, lifeless sound.
Li Xuan stood there, looking down at it.
His thoughts, however, were far from calm.
This world had already changed beyond recognition.
Abilities existed now, and with them came unknown dangers. There were too many things he did not understand, too many possibilities he could not ignore.
"What if the dead don't stay dead…" he muttered softly.
The thought lingered in his mind.
What if there were abilities related to resurrection?
What if this corpse turned into something else?
A zombie.
A ghost.
Or something even more dangerous—something with consciousness.
Something that could remember him.
Something that could come back.
Li Xuan's expression hardened slightly.
He could not take that risk.
Without hesitation, he turned and walked back to the SUV. Opening the rear door, he quickly retrieved a container of petrol.
The liquid inside shifted as he carried it back.
He crouched beside the corpse and began checking it thoroughly.
His movements were precise and methodical, searching every pocket, every fold of clothing, every possible place where something might be hidden.
There was nothing.
No weapon.
No supplies.
No unusual item.
Just ordinary clothes.
Li Xuan stood up slowly, his expression unchanged.
But his decision was already made.
In this world, caution was survival.
He opened the container and poured petrol over the corpse. The liquid soaked into the fabric quickly, and the strong smell spread through the air.
He stepped back slightly, his gaze fixed on the body.
There was no hesitation.
Only certainty.
He took out a lighter and ignited it. The small flame flickered in his hand, steady despite the still air.
For a brief moment, he stared at it.
Then he dropped it.
The fire erupted instantly.
Flames spread across the corpse, fueled by the petrol, growing stronger with each passing second. The body was quickly engulfed, disappearing beneath the burning light.
The sound of crackling fire filled the silence.
Smoke rose upward, dark and heavy.
The smell of burning flesh spread around him, thick and suffocating.
Li Xuan stood there, watching without moving.
His eyes reflected the flames, but his expression remained calm.
There was no pity.
No hesitation.
Only focus.
As the fire continued to burn, a thought slowly formed in his mind.
A decision.
From this moment onward, every enemy must be completely destroyed.
Not just killed.
Erased.
Reduced to ashes.
No trace left behind.
No chance of return.
"I need a skill…" he said quietly.
"A skill that can destroy even the soul."
If such an ability existed, he would find it.
He would obtain it.
No matter the cost.
He silently decided to always leave one ability slot empty for that purpose.
That slot would not be used for anything else.
Time passed slowly.
After more than fifteen minutes, the flames began to weaken. The corpse had already been reduced to charred remains, barely recognizable.
Only when he was completely satisfied did Li Xuan turn away.
He returned to the SUV and got inside, closing the door behind him.
Without delay, he pressed the accelerator.
The vehicle surged forward, picking up speed as he headed back toward the convoy.
As he drove, his consciousness shifted inward.
Soon, the familiar interface appeared in his mind.
Ability slots.
Sequences.
One of the slots was already filled.
Space Sequence — Level 1.
Li Xuan focused on it, and information surfaced clearly.
Two abilities.
Storage Space.
Space Perception.
He concentrated on Space Perception first.
Its range was approximately ten to fifteen meters.
Understanding came instantly.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So… I was discovered."
The realization was clear.
Last night, he must have been detected.
But since he had no offensive ability at that time, Long Aotian had chosen not to act.
Li Xuan exhaled slowly.
He had been lucky.
If things had gone differently, he might not have survived.
He then shifted his attention to the storage space.
The moment he checked inside, he paused.
The space was vast.
And it was already partially filled.
Nearly half of it contained water.
Another portion was filled with food, medicine, daily necessities, and various supplies.
Electronics.
Household items.
Everything needed for survival.
And then—
Vehicles.
Several cars.
Minivans.
Buses.
Trucks.
Li Xuan's eyes sharpened.
A new idea formed instantly.
"These can be used as weapons…"
He could take them out of storage and drop them onto enemies.
Simple.
Direct.
Effective.
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Now, he finally had a way to protect himself.
Not just survive—but fight back.
The convoy soon came into view.
Li Xuan slowed down as he approached and merged back into the formation smoothly, positioning himself among other vehicles.
No one paid him much attention.
Everything appeared normal.
But inside, Li Xuan's thoughts were far from calm.
He no longer worried about supplies.
Based on his estimate, he could survive for more than a year using what he already had.
Even so, he still planned to collect more.
More resources meant more security.
But his real concern was something else.
Promotion.
He needed to reach Level 2.
But he didn't know how.
The only thing he understood clearly was his main sequence—Chaos Plunder.
To advance, he needed to fill all ability slots and raise them to Level 2.
Only then could he break through.
As for stolen abilities, they could only exceed his main sequence by one level.
Which meant everything depended on his main sequence.
Li Xuan frowned slightly.
"I need useful abilities…"
He didn't want to waste slots on things he wouldn't use.
He didn't know how many slots he would have in the future.
But he was certain it wouldn't be many.
Every choice mattered.
More than an hour later, the convoy finally stopped.
People stepped out one after another, stretching their bodies and taking out food.
Fatigue was visible on every face.
They had been traveling for too long.
Small groups formed quickly as people began to eat and rest.
At the front of the convoy, a large tent had been set up.
Inside, six sequencers gathered.
Captain Xu Ming stood among them, his expression serious.
"I received information through the radio," he said.
"There is a safe zone in a nearby village."
The moment those words were spoken, the others were stunned.
"A safe zone?" one of them repeated, disbelief evident in his voice.
"What does that mean?"
Xu Ming shook his head slightly.
"I don't know everything," he replied. "But the signal was clear. It's about ten kilometers from here."
Silence filled the tent for a moment.
Then someone spoke again.
"If it's real, we should check it."
"I agree," another added. "This might be our only chance."
After a brief discussion, all of them reached the same decision.
They would go.
Soon, the news spread throughout the convoy.
A safe zone.
The words alone were enough to ignite hope.
More than two hundred people reacted immediately, their expressions filled with excitement and relief.
Many wanted to go without hesitation.
But a few remained cautious.
"What if it's dangerous?" someone whispered.
"What if we don't understand what it really is?"
Li Xuan listened quietly from his vehicle.
"A safe zone…" he murmured.
His thoughts moved quickly.
He was less interested in the place itself and more in how the information was obtained.
Perhaps an ability.
Long-distance detection.
Or something else entirely.
He leaned back slightly, his eyes deep in thought.
He needed information.
About sequences.
About ghosts.
About this world.
And the people who knew the most were the sequencers.
For a moment, he considered revealing himself.
Joining them.
Gaining access to their knowledge.
But then he stopped.
If they knew about his storage ability, they might use him.
Turn him into a logistics tool.
Not an equal.
Not a fighter.
Just a resource.
Li Xuan shook his head slightly.
"Not yet…"
He would wait.
Observe.
Choose the right moment.
But one thing was certain.
He couldn't slow down anymore.
It had already been more than twenty-five days since the world changed.
Every day, things were becoming more dangerous.
Ghosts were growing stronger.
Beasts were evolving.
And sequencers were advancing.
This was the weakest stage.
The best time to rise.
The best time to eliminate potential threats.
Because once others grew stronger—
They would become far more dangerous.
Li Xuan's gaze hardened.
"I have to take risks…"
Otherwise, he might not even know how he died.
Outside, people were resting.
Inside, Li Xuan was preparing.
For survival.
For power.
For what was coming next.