**Late at Night**

  Even monsters need their rest. After feasting on ample meat, they fall into slumber, leaving the streets mostly empty save for the occasional nocturnal insect and tireless zombie. Most of the creatures are fast asleep.

  This is a rare opportunity.

  In the darkness, zombies are the most common foe. These tireless flesh-and-blood servants, even when their bellies are full, will attack any living being. At this hour, groups of zombies roam the streets with hollow, unseeing eyes. They possess great strength but move with sluggishness, making them easy to evade on open ground.

  “Thud!”

  The sound of a blade slicing through flesh.

  Chen Feng wields a bone saw he found in a convenience store. Without summoning any lowly demons, he navigates the streets alone, using zombies as practice targets.

  Their heads and necks.

  Zombies are walking corpses; ordinary attacks do not affect them. Only when their heads or necks are destroyed do they truly die. Chen Feng’s reflexes are remarkable, honed by years of survival in the apocalypse. With a swift motion, he decapitates a zombie with a flick of his wrist.

  Gouts of corrupted blood spurt forth.

  “Ugh...”

  Nearby, a female zombie notices Chen Feng. Once a pregnant woman, her loose dress is now stained with blood. The fatal wound was on her abdomen, where her unborn child was consumed, leaving only a small, half-formed head embedded in her belly.

  Infected.

  Zombies carry and spread the corpse poison. A bite from one will result in transformation within three hours, turning a person into a mindless, pain-resistant monster. This woman endured the agony of being consumed by zombies and, after death, became one of them…

  A cursed corpse.

  “Bang!”

  Chen Feng continues on his way.

  To him, these zombies pose no real threat. They are mere fodder.

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  As humanity has grown accustomed to the apocalyptic storm, scholars have categorized power into tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Legendary, Epic, and Mythic.

  Six levels.

  A creature like a lowly demon from the Abyss is at the Bronze level, while these street-side zombies are just cannon fodder. They have not yet evolved, possessing simple minds and basic instincts, existing primarily to feed.

  In this world full of danger, only those who surpass the Gold level and reach the fourth stage, Legendary, truly wield significant power. At that point, whether joining the military or forming one's own faction, one would be highly regarded and sought after.

  Bronze is merely the beginning. Compared to ordinary zombies and insects, Bronze-level monsters are larger, stronger, and can wield elemental powers, such as controlling water, fire, or lightning.

  The same applies to humans.

  For instance, Chen Feng, as a Summoner at the Bronze level, has limited mental energy. Currently, he can summon only two creatures simultaneously. Upon reaching Silver, he could summon four.

  If Chen Feng were to advance to the Mythic level, he could summon twelve creatures at once. His mental energy would be vast, even allowing for the permanent existence of summoned beings.

  Mythic?

  Chen Feng scoffed. In his past life, he barely reached the Gold level before he died. Mythic was a distant dream.

  However, the situation is different now. In his previous life, it took Chen Feng a long time to master his abilities, making many detours. His initial summons were weak, mere cannon fodder. Now, however, he summoned a lowly demon early in the apocalypse, far more formidable than a mere worm.

  Moreover, his mind is filled with experience and hidden treasures. Even if he doesn’t acquire everything, just obtaining a few artifacts or opportunities could easily propel him to the Legendary level or beyond.

  But that is for the future. For now, Chen Feng’s primary concern is to stay alive. To live.

  **The Old Age Home**

  Moonlight cascades from the sky, casting a somber glow. The warmth of past days is replaced by a chill of desolation. The moonlight illuminates the ground, giving the soil a dark, greenish hue. The air is thick with fog, obscuring vision and turning the old age home into a ghostly place.

  For the next seven days, Chen Feng needs a safe haven. The old age home, situated in a remote area and long abandoned, is a relatively isolated stronghold.

  Its prolonged neglect has made it desolate and cold. In such a place devoid of human presence, the likelihood of monster intrusion is significantly reduced. Compared to hospitals, residential areas, or schools, this place is more difficult but avoids many troubles.

  Today is only the first day. The crowds running through the streets have satisfied the monsters' hunger. Tomorrow morning, the monsters will scent the lack of food and invade survivors’ homes. Thick doors will not stop their destruction, and casualties among humans will rise.

  Survival of the fittest.

  Children and the elderly will be among the most vulnerable to death.

  In seven days, it is estimated that over a million people in City J will have died, many of them missing, with their remains possibly never found.

  As night falls, Chen Feng cautiously approaches the old age home.

  Caution equals longer survival.

  Chen Feng’s figure merges with the darkness. Holding a bone saw, his expression is impassive, and his eyes scan the surroundings with the keen gaze of a predator.

  Before settling in, he needs to conduct a thorough sweep…