As evening fell, the sun began to set. Its light softened, and the long shadows of high-rises blanketed most of the streets.
Outside the Qi City Epidemic Prevention Center, dozens of Skinners emerged from their hiding places in the surrounding buildings and began to roam the streets.
With the sun's power waning, their time of activity had begun.
Next, they would hunt for food. Spoiled canned goods, gutter rats, or even a lone large animal—all were delectable meals to them.
While the Type 1 vaccine for the Petrification Disease had given them fragile and grotesque bodies, it had also reinforced their tissues from within, turning them into monsters that were both fragile and powerful.
One Skinner roamed the street, sniffing the scent left by the human from earlier in the day. A craving to skin its prey stirred within its muddled consciousness.
Just then, a low rumble echoed from beneath the Epidemic Prevention Center. It was followed by a deafening BOOM from the underground parking garage exit as a black shape smashed the barrier gate to pieces.
The Skinner turned its head just in time to see a black steel chassis and six pairs of massive, heavy-duty wheels bearing down on it. Before it could react, it was pulled under and crushed to smithereens, a look of blissful relief on its face.
A heavy armored vehicle shot out of the underground garage at high speed, tearing through the street on a rampage!
The surrounding Skinners shrieked wildly and charged the vehicle, throwing themselves in its path as if they could stop it. They were all crushed to pieces for their futile efforts.
Inside the armored vehicle's cockpit, Shen Feng steered while muttering to himself:
'This thing drives a lot like Brother Hai's truck...'
The armored vehicle was now fully fueled with diesel, with several large barrels of spare fuel stowed away. Piles of light and heavy weapons and ammunition filled the rest of the cabin.
Besides Shen Feng, four statues in military uniforms sat upright in the cabin, seemingly poised to head out on a mission just before the virus completely took over.
With this armored vehicle in his possession, Shen Feng was practically ecstatic.
Beasts? Skinners? They were all a piece of cake now.
In this Doomsday World, a human armed with heavy weaponry was the undisputed king!
No matter how sharp a beast's fangs and claws, they could never tear through steel!
One by one, the Skinners fell beneath the armored vehicle's wheels like moths drawn to a flame.
In their muddled minds, they clearly understood this was the quickest way to end their suffering.
Shen Feng's expression was grim, devoid of any levity. He felt like a priest performing a sacred rite.
For these pitiful Incinerator Technicians, death was the only true release.
In a way, their attacks on him were nothing more than a plea for death.
Once the armored vehicle had driven the length of the street, all fell silent save for the rumbling of the engine.
The wheels had turned crimson, leaving two vivid tracks that gleamed like red wine in the twilight.
The sky darkened rapidly. Shen Feng didn't stop, driving the armored vehicle straight to a highway entrance on the outskirts of Qi City before finally killing the engine.
He could have used the onboard computer's map to head north toward the Capital immediately, but the roads were treacherous at night. Getting stuck in a pothole would be a major hassle, so he decided to spend the night here and continue in the morning.
There was a gas station at the highway entrance. The convenience store's door hung wide open, and several statues of its employees stood frozen in place.
Shen Feng switched on the armored vehicle's headlights, bathing the convenience store in light. He then climbed out, Shotgun in hand, and rummaged through the store before returning to the vehicle.
As someone with no professional marksmanship training, he much preferred the Shotgun, a firearm that didn't require precise aim.
Moreover, after using firearms for the past two days, he'd discovered a rather serious problem: his arm strength was seriously lacking.
Never mind how heavy the guns were to hold; the recoil from firing multiple times had already left his arms sore and covered in bruises.
If he hadn't eventually figured out the knack for firing, the Shotgun's recoil probably would have dislocated his shoulder.
'I need to start strength training,' he thought, 'and get plenty of protein to build muscle.'
As night fell, Shen Feng used some bad gasoline from the convenience store and a few pieces of wood to start a fire. He then climbed onto the roof of the armored vehicle, lay down, and stared blankly at the star-filled sky.
In the distance, Qi City was a sea of darkness, a veritable Ghost Realm. Only the lights of the Epidemic Prevention Center remained bright, proof that its Solar power system was still operational.
In a few years, or a few decades, when the system finally failed and that last bit of light vanished, the final trace of human technology in this city would disappear forever.
The city would be swallowed by the wilderness, waiting to be unearthed by some new intelligent species.
Suddenly, a faint shuffling sound came from the surrounding darkness. Shen Feng immediately sat bolt upright, raised his Shotgun, and scanned his surroundings.
In the darkness, not far from the firelight, pairs of emerald-green eyes appeared.
The eyes drew closer, and the shadowy forms of a pack of beasts materialized before him.
A pack of wolves.
Shen Feng was taken aback. Leading the pack was none other than the scar-covered golden retriever.
'They actually followed me all the way here?'
'Are they planning to attack?'
If he had felt a flicker of fear during their daytime encounter, now he wasn't scared at all.
All he had to do was slip into the armored vehicle and shut the door, and the wolf pack would be lambs to the slaughter.
Just then, the golden retriever padded toward him, a bloody animal leg clamped in its jaws!
From his extensive experience with barbecue, Shen Feng could tell it was a leg of lamb!
The golden retriever walked to the front of the armored vehicle and set down the leg of lamb. Then it panted, its tongue lolling out in what looked like a smile, and gave a gentle wag of its tail.
A pang of sorrow shot through Shen Feng's heart as he watched.
'You foolish dog!'
'What is it trying to do?'
'Does it want me to be its master?'
Clearly, Shen Feng's appearance had reminded the golden retriever of the old days, of its time with humans. That was why it was making this friendly gesture.
The golden retriever sat on the ground, watching Shen Feng intently. Behind it, the wolf pack melted back into the darkness and vanished.
Shen Feng sighed and said:
"You don't need human companionship anymore. You're the king of this pack now. Go live a good life with your kind... Humanity isn't something you should be holding on to."
He was just a visitor to this world. Whether he left or turned to stone, he had a month at most. He couldn't offer the golden retriever any real companionship.
"WOOF... WOOF... WHIMPER..." The golden retriever seemed to sense Shen Feng's emotions. It barked a few times while wagging its tail, then lowered its head.
Just then, a series of barks from the wolf pack, mixed with the chaotic clatter of hooves, echoed from the distance.
Seven or eight antelopes burst from the darkness, a pack of wolves hot on their heels!
The pack hadn't left after all. They had found signs of nearby antelope and gone hunting!
Seeing the antelopes about to rush past the campfire and escape the pack's encirclement, Shen Feng raised his Shotgun and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"BOOM!"
A spray of buckshot erupted, and two antelopes passing the fire were immediately knocked to the ground. The pursuing wolves pounced, dragging the carcasses into the darkness.
Shen Feng grinned at the golden retriever. "Go on," he said. "This feast is on me."
As if understanding his meaning, the golden retriever barked at him a few times, then turned and charged into the pack to join the feast.
Shen Feng jumped off the armored vehicle, picked up the leg of lamb, and gave it a rinse. He built another small fire on the vehicle's roof, took out some seasonings, and began to roast the meat.
The plump leg of lamb was roasted until it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Fat sizzled and popped, and its rich aroma soon wafted through the night air.
The wolves feasted not far away, occasionally barking in Shen Feng's direction as if to thank him for his help.
Shen Feng sliced off a piece of meat with his knife and popped it into his mouth. The rich, savory flavor that exploded on his tongue was better than any roast lamb he had ever tasted.
He swallowed after just a few chews, the savory flavor lingering on his palate.
After they finished eating, the golden retriever led the wolf pack to a spot not far from the armored vehicle, where they all lay down and went to sleep.
Shen Feng grinned, climbed into the armored vehicle, and drifted off to sleep himself.
The pack of wolves and the lone human kept each other company, as if longing for the warmth of a lost civilization.
Shen Feng, for his part, slept more soundly than he had in days, the tension of his ordeal finally melting away.
Early the next morning, Shen Feng emerged from the cabin to find the wolf pack still waiting outside, as if they had been standing guard until he awoke.
Looking at the golden retriever's expectant face, Shen Feng raised his gun, fired a shot into the ground in front of it, and hardened his heart. He said:
"Go on, get out of here. You don't need a master anymore. All you need is your freedom."