"You deserve to die."

Before Widow Li could react, she was thrown to the ground by an invisible force, her skull slamming against the hard stone with a chilling sound. Her eyes widened in terror, and she could not believe, even in death, that this usually taciturn young man possessed such terrifying power.

Ning Yu slowly stood up, his body swaying slightly, as if he might collapse at any moment. He endured the excruciating pain burning within his body, knowing he couldn't just sit and wait to die. The awakening of his superpower brought not only immense power but also an unbearable burden. He had to find someone who understood his superpower, or sooner or later he would be devoured by it.

He looked around; the dilapidated village, bathed in the setting sun, resembled a lifeless old man. A rumor he'd overheard flashed through his mind: the north, a former military base, perhaps still held remnants of technology and people capable of manipulating supernatural abilities.

“The North…” Ning Yu murmured to himself. He leaned against the wall, dragging his heavy steps toward the village entrance. Each step felt like carrying a thousand-pound burden, his clothes soaked with sweat, but he dared not stop, for he knew that the shadow of death was relentlessly pursuing him.

As the sun set and darkness fell, Ning Yu arrived at the village entrance. Before him lay a road overgrown with weeds, leading into the unknown distance. He took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain in his body, and resolutely embarked on this path of survival.

"roar--"

A low growl echoed from the nearby woods, accompanied by rustling sounds. Ning Yu's heart tightened, and a nameless fear welled up within him. He stopped, clenched his fists, and warily watched ahead, muttering, "What's that..."

"Shh..." The bushes shook violently, and several pairs of eerie green eyes flickered uncertainly in the dim light. Ning Yu's heart sank, and he gripped the steel pipe in his hand tightly.

Three wolf-like creatures slowly emerged from the forest. Their bodies were covered in nauseating pustules, their sharp teeth exposed, and they emitted a chilling stench. These were radiation-mutated creatures; Ning Yu had seen descriptions of them in books—bloodthirsty and extremely aggressive.

Before he could think, a mutated creature launched the first attack, roaring as it pounced on Ning Yu, its sharp claws slicing through the air. Ning Yu endured the excruciating pain and dodged to the side, barely avoiding the attack. However, another mutated creature seized the opportunity to pounce from the side, its sharp claws digging into his arm, drawing blood instantly.

"Damn it!" Ning Yu cried out in pain, striking the mutated creature on the head with his backhand, forcing it back. He clutched his wound, the intense pain making his vision blur, but he knew he couldn't fall; falling meant death.

The roars of the mutated creatures rose and fell, their eyes fixed greedily on Ning Yu as if he were a delicious dinner. Ning Yu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He looked around, searching for usable terrain.

"I must get rid of them as soon as possible." Ning Yu's mind raced, and his gaze fell on a pile of rubble not far away, which might become his temporary refuge.

He endured the pain, dodging the attacks of the mutated creatures as he ran towards the pile of rocks. Blood dripped continuously from between his fingers, leaving gruesome marks on the ground.

"Roar—" Another mutated creature pounced, and Ning Yu was unable to dodge in time, falling to the ground. He pushed the mutated creature away with all his might, staggered to his feet, and continued running towards the pile of rocks.

The mutated creature relentlessly pursued him, its foul breath spraying onto his neck as if it would tear him to shreds at any moment.

...

Just as Ning Yu was about to reach the pile of rocks, he felt dizzy, stumbled, and almost fell.

"Oh no, the energy is about to get out of control..." Ning Yu thought to himself that something was wrong. He grabbed a rock next to him and tried to steady himself.

He felt a strong wave of dizziness wash over him, as if the whole world was spinning. His body swayed precariously from the shock of the energy, and his legs felt as heavy as lead. As he crossed a small ditch, he stumbled and nearly fell headfirst into it.

"Damn it!" Ning Yu cursed under his breath. In that critical moment, he instinctively reached out and grabbed a rock nearby, barely managing to steady himself. The rough rock hurt his palm, but he couldn't care less.

He looked up at the pile of rubble so close to him, a flicker of hope seeming to dance before his eyes. But the raging energy within him was becoming increasingly difficult to suppress, like a ferocious beast about to break free of its cage.

Ning Yu felt his consciousness growing increasingly blurred, and the scene before him began to distort. He knew he had to hold on; if he collapsed, he might never get up again. Those mutated creatures wouldn't show him any mercy.

"Hold on, Ning Yu..." He told himself repeatedly, as if that would give him strength. He gritted his teeth, dragging his exhausted body step by step toward the pile of rubble.

Every step he took felt like walking on a knife's edge, with the constant threat of falling into the abyss. But he persevered through gritted teeth, because he still held onto hope and something he wanted to protect.

"Huff... huff..." Ning Yu gasped for breath, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, but he dared not stop, because he could feel the mutated creature behind him approaching.

Finally, he arrived at the pile of rubble. It wasn't large, but it was enough to provide him with temporary shelter. He leaned against a boulder and slowly sat down. With his back against the cold stone, he felt a faint sense of security.

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