As the car entered the main street of Lamb Town, Yining was stunned by the scene before him.

The streets were teeming with countless monsters.

Most of them retained human features, yet were horrifically deformed—some had two heads, others had kangaroo-like lower limbs, or twisted limbs and spines, or heads covered in ears. Their grayish-black skin was covered with countless bumps; even a single glance was enough to give anyone nightmares.

Moreover, the monsters were so numerous that they jostled against one another, completely blocking the street.

However, as the headlights swept across the area, the monsters actually parted like a tide, creating a narrow passageway. It was this slight reaction that gave Yining the courage to drive slowly forward, suppressing his urge to turn around and flee.

【Hint: Abnormal humans—a twisted form of humanity—have lost their sanity, are highly aggressive, and feed on living humans. Their flesh is contaminated; consuming it increases the Contamination effect.】

Would anyone actually choose to eat monsters? Or does killing them drop some kind of meat?

Yining switched to the in-game view, and more detailed information appeared above each monster’s head.

【Abnormal human, Level 3, HP 200】

【Rotten Mutant, Level 5, HP 300】

【Abnormal human, Level 2, HP 150】

Some collectible icons were floating at their feet or on their bodies.

【Tattered Cloth: 1 unit of cloth, recyclable】

【Worn-out Shoes: 2 units of leather, recyclable】

“This town is full of resources,” Yining said, forcing a smile.

These abnormal humans aren’t particularly powerful individually, but they’re highly aggressive—triggering one could set off a chain reaction and draw the group’s full wrath. Ordinary people lack effective ranged weapons or area-of-effect capabilities; charging in with melee weapons would almost certainly be a suicide mission.

Moving forward, he saw streetlights lining both sides of the small town’s road. Most were broken, but the few that still worked had tungsten filament bulbs that didn’t look like the originals. Still, Yining could use them to make out the row houses behind him.

The ground floor of the house was lit, with white light spilling from the windows. The doorway was piled high with all sorts of junk—worn-out furniture, rusty metal drums, and stacked wooden planks—blocking the entrance completely. Getting inside would likely take some effort.

【Player “Xiao Dou Dou”’s Territory (Capturable)】

【Level: 2】

【Duration: 7 days】

【Owned Structure: Territory Guard (Black)】

【Territory Guard: Building-type item, Attack 5, Defense 3. When an unauthorized intruder enters the territory, it will immediately launch an attack.】

What an impressive building.

Yining recalled the rule set that YuYuYu had mentioned when building the shipping container hut: once a building-type item is constructed within YuYuYu’s territory, it is nearly impossible to steal or seize.

The only way for an outsider to claim it as their own is to kill the domain owner and seize the territory.

Consequently, the more similar buildings there are, the stronger they become, and the difficulty of seizing them increases exponentially.

Yining searched for the name “Xiao Dou Dou” on the game forum and trading marketplace. She rarely posted on the forum, and only one item was listed for sale.

【Anti-pollution torch: Burns for 36 hours under normal conditions; burns for 1 hour in the Dark Realm. Exchanges for 1 Gold Coin】

Listed today.

It was clear that domain structures and “Anti-Pollution” items would dominate this world for a long time to come. Players would not only need to boost their own strength but also build domains to ensure survival—and transform their domains into impregnable fortresses.

Yining passed through Xiao Dou Dou’s territory and continued toward his destination. Before long, something unusual occurred.

The beam of the headlights seemed to be swallowed by the darkness ahead, unable to penetrate it at all. Even the abnormal humans grew sparse until they vanished completely.

Out of caution, he slammed on the brakes. After ensuring the vehicle was in a relatively safe position, he picked up his enchanted lantern, opened the door, and stepped out, taking a few cautious steps forward.

But then he hurriedly took a few steps back.

There was no path ahead—only a massive, deep pit. Neither the headlights nor the lantern’s light could reach the opposite side or the bottom; it was like an abyss.

To avoid being stared at by the abyss, Yining decided to keep his distance.

Following the directions on the game’s digital map, Yining needs to go through the alley on the left. Holding his lantern, he returns to the car to grab his travel backpack and sets off on foot.

【Ssssh—】

【Ssssh—】

Suddenly, the sound of a loudspeaker, laced with intense electrical interference, exploded from the sky above the town without warning!

Yining, who had been walking with his guard up, was startled. He sprinted into the alley and pressed his back against the wall of a house for a sense of security.

【Attention residents: A giant monster has moved to Third Avenue today. Please avoid the area.】 The voice, emanating from a loudspeaker hidden somewhere, echoed between the buildings.

【Attention residents: A giant monster has moved to Third Avenue today. Please stay clear.】

The message was repeated five times before ending. Yining was baffled. Where was Third Avenue? If only he had a map of the town.

With that thought, he pulled the newspapers and magazines from his backpack and quickly flipped through them. He didn’t find a map, but luckily, one mentioned that the church was located on Fifth Avenue.

Just as he’d entered the intersection, he’d caught a glimpse of a rusted street sign that read “4th Ave.”

Sure enough, information and intelligence are the most valuable assets in exploration missions.

Yining breathed a sigh of relief and stuffed the magazine back into his backpack.

Reading through the information took over half an hour; he had to head back while his lantern still had 20% battery left.

He gathered his courage and continued deeper into the alley.

The place was littered with discarded junk; the air was thick and heavy, reeking of mold and rust. He took each step with extreme caution, listening intently to every sound and keeping a sharp eye out.

【Large Cardboard Box ×1】

【Empty Soda Can ×1】

【Discarded Wooden Crates ×3, the wood is rotten and cannot be broken down into planks】

【Worn cloth bag ×1】

There was a pile of junk in a corner along the road, and Yining couldn’t resist picking up the large cardboard box.

Clearly, the urge to hoard has become second nature—it’s about to turn into a full-blown hoarding habit!

After picking it up, he stood up and walked forward. In the narrow alley, the light shifted with the movement of his shadow.

What Yining never expected was that at the end of the alley stood an illegal structure, blocking the path completely. With no other choice, he had to pull open the back door of the illegal building.

With a creak, the door swung open a crack, and light spilled out from behind it.

Standing in the doorway, Yining saw another door on the opposite wall—it must be the exit from this alley.

Stepping inside the illegal structure, an even more pungent smell of rust filled his nostrils. The place was dilapidated, with a mixture of grease and dust caked on the walls. He couldn’t quite imagine what kind of people would live here.

“Hello?”

Yining called out. He didn’t want to rush headlong toward the door across the way and barge right through. In an unfamiliar town, reckless actions might not lead to good results.

Then Yining heard a faint cry for help.

“Help me…”

Instead of rushing straight to the source of the voice, Yining crept silently toward the door on the left side of the building. He set the lantern down at his feet, knife in one hand, and with the other, he pulled out the alloy thighbone strapped beneath his backpack. Using the thighbone to push the door open, he waited until he was certain there was no danger before stepping inside.

This was a slaughterhouse!

A whole pigskin hung on the wall, flanked by a variety of oddly shaped knives, their blades stained with dark brown grime. Blood on the floor had congealed and dried, only to be splattered with fresh blood.

A massive iron bed took up most of the space. At that moment, a burly man was firmly bound to the bed with thick iron chains, his hoarse voice pleading for help in Yining’s direction.

It was unclear whether the butcher, sharpening his knives, was nearby, but all signs warned Yining that his situation was extremely dangerous.

“Hurry, save me! The butcher isn’t here…” The burly man strapped to the dissection table seemed to have already shouted himself hoarse before Yining arrived. 

Strangely, the only marks on his body were where the ropes had rubbed against his skin; he hadn’t yet been subjected to cruel treatment. “A priest came looking for the butcher a moment ago, saying there was trouble at the church.”

“Who are you?” Yining asked in a low voice.

“My name is Zhang Xing. I’m a player!”

The middle-aged man answered urgently, as if clinging to his last hope. “I’m from the Graveyard, coordinates 3233.5, 4241.3. My class is Gravedigger, and my skills are at Level 3!

“I only dared come to the town to gather resources after I drew the invisibility cloak. If you help me get out of here, I’ll give you the invisibility cloak, and I can even help you fight monsters to earn resources!”

Yining listened calmly as Zhang Xing finished speaking, but instead of stepping forward to rescue him, he took his knife and the alloy thighbone and began inspecting every corner of the building one by one.

The illegal structure blocking the alley had two rooms: the one on the left was used for work, and the other for rest.

Yining walked into the room on the right, which contained a table and a bed. On the table was a half-eaten can of food, and the bread on the plate was still warm. To the right of the food lay a □□.

【Double-Barreled Shotgun (Brown)】

【Category: Weapon】

【Ammo Remaining: 5, Attack: 10, Durability Remaining: 274】

A gun…

Is it really just a coincidence that a gun appeared here?

If he can open the door to this illegal structure myself, that means others can open it too.

In a town teeming with danger, shouldn’t such a powerful weapon be treated as a valuable item to carry at all times…?

Yining didn’t know how to use a gun, but with the actual weapon right in front of him, he fiddled with it a bit and figured out how it worked.

He picked up the double-barreled shotgun; the stock felt cold to the touch. Recalling scenes from movies he’d seen, he fumbled to release the safety catch and confirmed the chamber was loaded.

Then, Yining raised the gun, walked back to the slaughterhouse, aimed the black muzzle steadily at Zhang Xing’s head on the iron bed, and asked coldly, “Who the hell are you?”

“I—I—I…”

Zhang Xing trembled all over with fear. Before long, a foul stench rose from beneath him, adding yet another repulsive odor to the already cramped space.

“My name is Zhang Xing. I’m from City G. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. I’m a car mechanic with little education. Big brother, please let me go!”

As he spoke, he suddenly broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Yining stared at him in silence for a long moment; the despair in his sobs felt all too real.

He slowly lowered his rifle, stowed it in his inventory, and instead pulled out the utility knife with +10 Attack.

The sharp blade easily severed the chains binding Zhang Xing’s hands and feet. Yining explained casually, “I’ve offended a Hunter.”

“I get it, I get it.” Zhang Xing scrambled down from the dissection table, hastily assuring him he didn’t mind Yining’s threats. Through his sobs, he declared, “I thought I was a goner… Brother, you’re my savior…”

Yining still held the flashlight in one hand and the alloy thighbone in the other. “I’m going to the church. You’re coming with me.”

Glancing at his bedraggled appearance, Zhang Xing’s face flushed crimson. “Let me change my pants first. Thank goodness—I don’t know what got into me when I left, but I brought an extra set of clothes. Who’d have thought they’d actually come in handy? Hehe.”

Yining had Zhang Xing follow him, mainly to prevent him from sneaking up behind and attacking.