The next morning arrived quietly, bringing a rare sense of calm to the camp as people moved slowly and spoke in low voices, enjoying a peace they hadn't felt in weeks while knowing deep down it wouldn't last long.
"It finally feels normal…" someone muttered, but another replied, "Don't get used to it."
The truth lingered in everyone's mind as the safe zone created by the treasure would only last around twenty days, turning even this calm into a countdown toward uncertainty.
Soon Ye Fan gathered everyone and raised his voice, "We're heading to a town forty kilometers away to scavenge supplies," and the crowd immediately grew restless with mixed reactions spreading across the group.
"We'll keep what we need and give some to Tiger Gang," he continued, then added, "We leave in thirty minutes, decide quickly."
Some people nodded and rushed to prepare while others whispered, "Is it safe?" and "Do we even have a choice?" showing the tension beneath the surface.
Li Xuan stood quietly, observing everything while activating his Sage ability, focusing first on Ye Fan and finding him completely normal without any ability or even unawakened potential.
"That's strange…" Li Xuan thought, narrowing his eyes slightly as he scanned the crowd further.
Soon he noticed an old man standing quietly with a calm expression, and using his ability, Li Xuan discovered that he was a hidden sequencer of the Beast Path with a Blazing Bear sequence and an ability called Fiery Strike.
"Hiding, just like others…" Li Xuan murmured softly, realizing once again that appearances meant nothing in this world.
His gaze shifted again and landed on a woman around thirty and a small girl beside her, and after observing closely, he confirmed that the girl was unawakened with potential, making him slightly interested.
"Stay close," the woman whispered to the girl, holding her hand tightly.
"I'll watch them first," Li Xuan decided, noticing that they weren't preparing to join the scavenging group.
After a brief moment of thought, he made his decision since his storage space still had plenty of room and gathering supplies would benefit him in the long run.
He called the three girls over and said calmly, "I'm going out to scavenge, I'll leave two days' worth of food, stay here and don't cause trouble."
"Yes…" they replied obediently, nodding without hesitation.
He pointed toward the mother and daughter and added, "Get close to them, observe carefully, and try to recruit them if possible."
"If we succeed?" one of them asked softly.
"I'll reward you with better supplies," Li Xuan replied without hesitation.
Their eyes brightened slightly, but his tone soon turned serious as he continued, "Dirty yourselves, use mud or dust, and wear loose full clothes."
They looked confused for a moment before he added, "Don't stand out, don't act proud of your looks, or you'll become targets."
"We understand," they said together, their expressions turning serious as they went inside to prepare.
As Li Xuan stepped out, he saw Ming Yue adjusting her electric bike, and she glanced at him briefly before saying, "You're going too?"
"Yeah," he replied simply, and neither spoke further.
This time only around twenty-six people were heading out with eight cars, two minibuses, one mini truck, and several electric bikes, while even car owners had brought bikes tied to their vehicles for silent movement.
"Stick together," someone said, while another replied, "Don't slow us down."
There was also a captain team with four vehicles leading, and another group called the Spark Convoy left in a different direction, splitting their forces.
After nearly two hours of travel, they reached the town around noon, and the eerie silence made everyone instinctively more alert.
Ye Fan stepped forward and said seriously, "There are three level one anomalies here, two deep inside and one on the west side."
"Don't go too deep," he warned, then added, "Stay on the eastern side and avoid unnecessary risks."
"What if they move in daylight?" someone asked nervously.
"We don't know, so don't test it," Ye Fan replied firmly.
Groups began entering cautiously, and Li Xuan stayed in the middle, keeping distance from the six sequencers at the front, quietly observing but not interfering.
"Our side has three…" he thought, glancing briefly, "Fire girl, giant, and archer."
"The other side has three too," he noted, choosing not to observe further to avoid drawing attention.
As he entered the town, he activated Space Perception and immediately noticed the change as its range expanded significantly, making him pause for a moment.
"From fifteen to thirty meters…" he muttered, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"That's useful," he added quietly before moving forward.
He chose less crowded paths while others split into small groups and used electric bikes for silent movement, avoiding noise that could attract danger.
Soon he reached a market street filled with broken shops and abandoned buildings, where shattered glass and scattered goods told a story of chaos, but to him it was an opportunity.
"Let's see what's left," he said softly as he began scavenging methodically.
Over the next three hours, he cleared multiple locations including medical stores, grocery shops, and clothing stores, collecting medicines, clothes, shoes, and thermal wear without leaving anything useful behind.
"Take everything useful," he reminded himself, storing items quickly and efficiently.
He also found five electric bikes and two electric cars, storing them effortlessly while continuing to search nearby houses for electronics like clocks, cameras, and appliances.
In one house, he found a working drone and smiled slightly, saying, "This will help later," before storing it carefully.
After finishing with basic supplies, he shifted his focus and said quietly, "Fuel next."
While searching, he discovered a hidden warehouse and muttered, "Lucky," before breaking the lock and entering.
Inside were countless boxes filled with supplies, and he wasted no time storing everything from household items to packaged food, rice, flour, oil, spices, and other essentials.
"This alone can last a year," he calculated silently, feeling satisfied.
Even though some food had rotted, he still collected a portion and said, "Might still be useful."
With time running out, he moved quickly, draining fuel from vehicles and collecting alcohol along with empty bottles.
"Molotovs," he said briefly, already planning ahead.
After searching for a while, he found a group carrying fuel and asked, "Where did you get that?"
"Gas station deeper inside," one of them replied, pointing the direction.
"Thanks," Li Xuan said, handing them cigarettes before rushing off.
Soon he reached the gas station and began collecting fuel rapidly, filling containers while also gathering tools, vehicle parts, and a generator.
"Take everything," he muttered, not wasting a single second.
Behind the station, he found a hidden room and broke it open, discovering a safe filled with money, gold, jewelry, and documents.
"Useful," he said simply before storing everything.
With limited time left, he started returning but suddenly stopped when he noticed a strange tree behind a house.
"That's different…" he said quietly as he approached.
Using his perception ability, he confirmed it was mutated but found no fruit, and just as he was about to leave, something above caught his attention.
A nest sat on the tree, and inside it was a tiny humanoid figure sleeping peacefully while holding a small stone.
"What… is that?" Li Xuan whispered, immediately using his Sage ability.
The information appeared, revealing the creature to be a fairy named Aril with a level two Holy Light ability set, making his expression freeze instantly.
"Level two…?" he said under his breath, disbelief clear in his voice.
As he read further, his face grew serious, especially after seeing its stats.
"Physique forty-three… spirit ninety-seven…" he muttered, feeling cold sweat forming.
"This thing could kill me instantly," he realized, his instincts screaming danger.
Not knowing whether it was friendly, he slowly stepped back and said, "Not worth it."
"Forget the treasure," he added, choosing survival over risk.
"People say risk brings opportunity…" he scoffed softly, "This is just death."
Without another glance, he turned and left quietly, moving carefully to avoid making any noise.
"This world is insane," he muttered as he rode away, his thoughts heavy with realization.
However, what he didn't know was that the fairy had already awakened and was watching him curiously before deciding, "Not dangerous…"
In an instant, it used Light Jump and appeared on his bag silently before slipping inside through an open zip without making a sound.
Inside, it found bread, biscuits, and chocolate, and sniffed them curiously before tearing open the chocolate.
"Sweet…" it mumbled happily, its tiny face lighting up with joy as it began eating.
Meanwhile, Li Xuan continued riding back, completely unaware of what had just happened, thinking only about returning safely.
Hidden inside his bag, the small fairy made itself comfortable, enjoying its newfound treasure, while the one who feared it the most remained completely unaware.
The existence he had tried to avoid…
Had already chosen to follow him.