Some say that in today's world of global evolution, we must be extra careful of all species other than humans, because due to differences in cellular composition, their degree and speed of evolution far exceed that of humans.

In the absence of civilized order, their primary instinct is survival, so the danger they pose to humans is self-evident.

Of course, some people say that in this wasteland and chaotic world, one must be extra wary of those around them.

Since the white gas released by that meteorite filled the globe, civilization has collapsed, laws have become history that no one studies, and morality has become a mere shell.

Everyone's goal is simply to survive.

To survive, one can resort to any means necessary.

As night falls, all is quiet...

The so-called peace and friendliness are extinguished in the crumbling survivor city, while the ugliness and darkness of human nature emerge in full force.

Fortunately, there is a place called "Final Fortress" in the center of the city.

It was a refuge established by so-called noble families at the beginning of the global evolutionary upheaval.

It contains food, weapons, and advanced technology, among other things.

It is said that there is a way to resist and survive the apocalyptic crisis inside the final fortress, but it has been so long that this claim cannot be verified. Now, it has taken on the role of "temporary leader".

As night falls, the fortress is lit up. Although the light is dim, it covers the entire city, allowing everyone to see each other's faces clearly.

In this way, people in the city will retain some semblance of dignity because of their conscience that life is precious, and will not completely degenerate into madmen of desire in the darkness.

"Thump!"

The lights of the final fortress came on.

Wang Lan also arrived at her doorstep.

"Mu Chen!"

He pushed open the door and called out.

"You're back, brother!"

A little girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, walked out of the house. Her clothes were a bit dirty, but that couldn't hide her pretty face; she was delicate and pretty.

She is Wang Lan's younger sister, Sun Muchen.

Despite not being related by blood, he was the only person Wang Lan trusted.

Seeing his brother return, Sun Muchen quickly went over to help put down the sack. At the same time, he looked at Wang Lan's clothes and said, "Why is there so much blood? Are you injured? Quickly take off your clothes and change into some clean ones."

"I'm not injured, this blood is from someone else..."

Wang Lan almost blurted out the word "person," but she swallowed it back. As she took off her clothes, she said, "They're all from the corpse-pecking birds."

He pointed to the sack on the ground as he spoke.

Sun Muchen then looked down and saw that the two sacks were full. He was both surprised and delighted. "Wow, we're rich! Brother, there's so much!"

Wang Lan chuckled, tossed her dirty clothes aside, filled a basin with water and quickly wiped herself down, saying, "I'm lucky today, I ran into three corpse-pecking birds. By the way, don't touch the big sack, we need to take it to the market tomorrow to exchange for things. There's a bird leg in the small sack, it's for you to eat. You've been studying hard lately, and it's a time when you're growing, so you need to eat something good."

"cut!"

Sun Muchen curled his lip, "Aren't you a minor too?"

"I'm nineteen years old, and I've stopped growing."

After Wang Lan finished washing up, she poured out the water and said, "How was your study today? We caught a lot of meat today, so I can get you a few more books tomorrow."

Sun Muchen was taken aback, then picked up the bird leg. "This bird leg is quite big; it'll be a delicious meal!"

Wang Lan noticed something amiss, frowned, and said seriously, "I'm asking you a question!"

"ah…"

Sun Muchen lowered his head, stammering and unable to speak.

Wang Lan immediately understood, "Didn't you read any books or study again?"

Seeing that his brother's tone was off, Sun Muchen immediately tried to explain, "I...I was sharpening arrows for you..."

After saying that, he pointed to the dozen or so black bamboo arrows placed against the wall.

"I think the 'Eternal Night' is almost here..."

Wang Lan flew into a rage, "You still know that the Eternal Night is almost here!"

Sun Muchen fell silent after being called out to like that.

Seeing this, Wang Lan's expression softened a bit. "You know the situation is escalating. The beasts outside are becoming increasingly ferocious. The border wall won't hold for long, and it's only a matter of time before it's breached. Besides, everyone in this city lives in fear and lives like animals. Only when you enter the final fortress will you be truly safe."

Sun Muchen bit his lip and nodded emphatically.

Wang Lan sighed, "After the Eternal Night, those guys in the fortress will select those who survived the Eternal Night, either warriors or scholars, and then they will go to the fortress to live, work, and conduct research."

He walked over and gently patted Sun Muchen on the shoulder. "In this chaotic world, it's too dangerous for a young girl like you. People in the city are unpredictable. If something happens to me one day, who will care whether you live or die?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Muchen suddenly raised his head and saw that there were tears welling up in her eyes. He was about to say something when Wang Lan suddenly frowned and put a finger to Sun Muchen's lips.

Sun Muchen immediately understood and shut his mouth.

A soft rustling sound came from outside the door.

Wang Lan's eyes darted around, glancing at the Vajra Umbrella before listening intently.

"rustle…"

"rustle…"

It was the sound of footsteps.

Getting closer and closer...

Wang Lan's lips moved slightly, and she mouthed, "Don't move, wait for me!"

Then he turned around, grabbed the Vajra Umbrella, and burst through the door.

Sure enough, there were two people outside the door. They were startled when they saw Wang Lan and seemed to instinctively flee the scene.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!