"Alright, I'll stop here. This place is very barren, and zombies usually don't come here." Halfway there, Shi Yin stopped and said, "Remember to introduce them to everyone first. Their sudden appearance will seem strange to everyone."

"Of course, of course, you don't need to worry about that." Old Tang waved his hand dismissively: "Go ahead and do your thing."

"Isn't my sister coming with us?" Freya asked, somewhat surprised.

This place is indeed very barren. Even the plants here are extremely withered, and the surrounding land has already shown signs of desertification. It is quite remarkable that humans have found such a remote place to build their last refuge.

In Freya's memory, Shion was usually with everyone except when she occasionally did missions alone.

Shi Yin is always in the office; she's always there, a kind of spiritual symbol.

And now, they haven't even seen a glimpse of the shelter yet, and Shi Yin is already leaving.

“Yeah, I told you, I’m a lone wolf.” Shi Yin weighed the longsword in her hand and winked at Freya: “Staying in the shelter is so boring, and I can’t help with anything else. Coming out to kill zombies is my forte.”

"And I also need to look for anything else I might have missed. It would be even better if I could find some supplies." Shi Yin pondered, "Or, finding some seeds would also be helpful."

"Alright, let's go back to the shelter. We shouldn't hold Shiyin back now." Old Tang was quite understanding. He was the largest person there, and his face was already quite wrinkled. "Remember to come back for the wine tonight, and we'll also prepare some food for you."

"Understood, thank you Uncle Tang!" Shi Yin waved casually and disappeared from everyone's sight with a few leaps.

Freya and Nanzhu wanted to follow, but they had no concept of this world and were curious about humanity's last refuge.

Since Shi Yin has been guarding this shelter in this area, there is no need for them to rush after her now.

When they arrived at the destination, they realized just how barren it was.

While the land outside may only show signs of desertification, this shelter is actually built on the desert itself.

The dark yellow sand made it impossible for any living creature to be present. There wasn't a single blade of grass, let alone cacti or chenopodium plants, much less small animals, and not even a trace of insects.

The dark red sun in the sky wasn't as hot as under a normal sky, but it was terribly stuffy, and you couldn't feel a breath of wind around you; it was a barren, windless place.

“Come on, be careful. Your previous shelter must have been very comfortable, right? You’re all so delicate.” Old Tang draped his cloak over Freya. “Wearing short sleeves here will cause the sand to cut your skin. And if you get hurt, there’s not much medicine available.”

“You guys are lucky today, you’ve caught our once-a-half-year day off.” Old Tang said, taking a sip from his water bottle. “Introducing you to everyone in advance will make you more receptive and easier to work with. If no one is around to manage you, people might just ignore you because they’re shy.”

"Is there any work I can do here?" Nan Zhu looked around.

There was nothing here, and Nanzhu didn't think it was worth exploring.

"Yes, there is. Finding water and food, cultivating and finding soil and plants, and it would be best to also study and repair electronic equipment." Old Tang sighed, "It's not that there is a lot of work, it's just that it's tedious."

This is an underground shelter. It's hard to imagine that in such a barren place with only two hundred or so people left, the elevator is still functioning properly.

The elevator was dimly lit, with a pitiful little light bulb hanging overhead; it really didn't make much difference whether it was there or not.

The elevator creaked and groaned as it ran, and you could feel the space shaking as you stood on it. I was really afraid that the wooden floor beneath my feet would collapse at any moment and I would fall down.

Fortunately, the elevator didn't descend for long. The underground shelter wasn't deep enough to require a pressure and oxygen balancer for survival.

The place was fairly clean, but inevitably a layer of sand and dust had settled on the floor. Many people sat casually on the floor, seemingly unconcerned about the dust on their clothes, and leaned against the walls, looking exhausted.

The place was deathly still; after walking for quite a while, it was difficult to hear them exchanging any words.

When they saw that Old Tang and his group had brought two newcomers, some people just looked up numbly, a hint of surprise flashing in their calm eyes, before they lowered their heads again to continue with their work.

These people's eyes were like those of emotionless puppets, or rather, the edges of their emotions had long been worn away by the accumulated impending doom, leaving only dullness and numbness.

There were a few who looked to be in good condition, but they also seemed to be struggling as if they were forcing themselves to stay awake.

The surroundings were deathly still, with only occasional sighs and hushed conversations. There were also occasional mechanical sounds as a few people tried to adjust their tape recorders, attempting to make them produce sound.

"thump."

A voice came, and Freya and Nanzhu turned around to see a little girl walking along when she suddenly fell to the ground, tripped over a pebble, and couldn't get up for a long time.

Or perhaps the little girl had no intention of getting up; it seemed as if she would simply fall asleep wherever she landed.

Upon hearing the sound, the adults around paused slightly, taking two seconds to slowly look up at the little girl who had fallen in the center.

A few seconds later, people began to approach and try to help the little girl up.

"Are you alright?" Freya was the first to run over and help the little girl up.

The little girl was a bit thin, but surprisingly, her health seemed to be passable; she wasn't so thin that her arms would be bony when pinched.

However, her eyes held a profound stillness, a silence unbecoming of someone her age.

"How is it? Does it hurt?" Freya stretched out her hand, and pink power gathered in her palm.

The pink hue was striking enough in the dilapidated shelter; these people hadn't seen such a vibrant pink in a long time, and they couldn't help but look up in surprise at the source of the power.

But then, the pink power in Freya's hand gradually condensed and materialized, turning into a cluster of pink flowers. The branches drooped down, and small, flat, round flowers hung on them like tiny bells.

"Here, this is for you." Freya smiled and handed it to the little girl: "What's your name?"

"Lin Yu." The little girl held the crystal flower with obvious delight. "It's so beautiful! Is this your power, sister?"

"Yes," Freya smiled and pinched the little girl's cheek. "How is it? Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Lin Yu's big eyes sparkled. "What kind of flower is this?"

“Snowdrops, their flower language is hope.” Freya replied, “Come on, let me treat your wound. I always carry medicine with me.”