âAh! He is awake!â
The girl called Candy noticed Ye Zhongming first and shouted out.
The others walked over and looked at this weird person.
A month had passed since the start of the apocalypse and humans started to get used to days where there are blood and bones everywhere. They had started new lives. However, these lives were not beautiful and blessed at all.
Gachapon, job, skills, monsters, zombies etc phrases replaced those popular terms of peacetime and became a new focus.
People found a new path. Everyone would squeeze their way onto that path, some stood still while some fell off.
Life would find its own path.
Much less humans who were smart, each person tried hard to survive and stand still.
This team was the same. Moreover, they were already standing stable on the path.
Ye Zhongming glanced and understood the situation that he was in.
This was a typical hunting squad.
The reason why he said that was because, out of these seven, some held shields, some held spears, some used bows and one held a⊠Green bottle.
Close combat, attack, defence, ranged, support, this was a typical hunting squad arrangement. Even when teams evolved into battle squads, nothing much would change. Just that the numbers would increase by several times.
Ye Zhongming cared about the old man who was in charge and not the little girl that wanted to save him.
His hair was white, he was calm, but⊠He was not friendly.
Ye Zhongming sensed the animosity from this old man.
That wasnât weird. If he was the captain of such a team, they should leave and not stay here to be nice because a member was being kind.
Next was the young man that searched his belongings. His expression wasnât friendly too and his gaze looked up and down his face like he was looking at a dead person.
In the end, Ye Zhongming saw that round face. Round eyes, round dimples, even her body was a little round.
This kid shouldnât be older than 16?
Ye Zhongming judged.
He glanced at the green potion in her hands and he knew that she was an Alchemist.
That green bottle was the mark of alchemists-- Neutralising Hold.
Along with what he heard before, he knew why this party was still here to look at him who was on the verge of dying. This Alchemist girl didnât leave and so did the team as this girl was the core of the team.
Recovery potion?
This was a good thing. Seemed like this little alchemist got a decent recipe when he obtained the job.
Normal jobs would grant one a few job skills. Some special jobs would give a person recipes. In truth, this was their job skill.
Potion Makers, Alchemists etc jobs used recipes the most.
Ye Zhongming looked at the rest and there was no one else that was worthy of his attention. Ye Zhongming only glanced at the middle aged guy beside the girl.
That was because he looked closer to her. Moreover, this was the only one in the team that was not evolved.
Ye Zhongming smiled in his heart. Seemed like this party wasnât as harmonious as they seem. Moreover, this middle aged man and this girl⊠Didnât have the status that they should have.
âOi, can you speak?â
The guy standing beside Ye Zhongming who was called Tian Jia kicked him and asked.
âWho⊠Who are you?â
Ye Zhongmingâs voice was hoarse. When he spoke, he felt blood surging up his throat. His injuries were still very heavy.
âYou donât have to know who we are but you need to tell us who you are Why did you come here? Are you alone or with others? What is your goal?â
âBrother Tian, he is still injuredâŠâ
Candy grumbled in unhappiness. Unfortunately, Tian Jia ignored her and just stared at Ye Zhongming.
Such a reaction was normal in the apocalypse. As for Candy⊠If she kept on like this, she was destined to be eliminated by this world.
But this didnât stop Ye Zhongming from being grateful to her.
Not everyone would show pity in the apocalypse. Such pity seemed cheap and stupid. Others wouldnât agree and would even mock them.
That was because such things would quickly disappear.
Ye Zhongming didnât have such a thing on him and he didnât allow members of his team to have that. But he wouldnât mock people with pity.
He felt like he didnât have the right to do so.
Anyone who survived for more than a year in the apocalypse didnât have the right.
âI am alone, here⊠Cough cough⊠Naturally to find some good stuff.â
The team looked at one another and they didnât believe him.
âYou dare to come here alone?â
The old man spoke. Everyone called him Uncle Da.
âNothing surprising, this is the dungeon and that doesnât mean no one came. There are people who drew maps of this place. I got the map and then came here.â
When Uncle Da heard that, the shaking of his eyes was caught by Ye Zhongming.
Tian Jia also instinctively looked at Uncle Da and thought about something.
Ye Zhongming sat up slowly, the pain caused him to sweat. But as compared to not being able to move previously, this was much better.
Although his injuries were heavy such that as an evolved he still couldnât fully heal yet, but his recovery speed was strong. He laid here for a long time and could actually move slowly now.
But to fully recover, he would need 7-8 days. This was the reason why he talked about the map.
With the current situation, the best choice would be to stick with this hunting squad to get some safety.
He wasnât afraid that they would do anything bad to him. After all, he had many trump cards that could kill everyone here but he was just afraid of the dangers of the dungeon. In just a few hours, the dungeon could use up all of his trump cards.
Uncle Da signalled and the seven of them gathered together to discuss.
âHe said that he knows the egg⊠En, he calls this dungeon. He also said that he got a map?â
âThen canât we just snatch it, there is no point in wasting time here. We spent two days and found nothing and instead bumped into so many dangers.â
âYou searched him, did you find a map?â
âEr, not.â
âHe is either lying or he wants us to bring him away from here. He might have a map but his goal is still the same, for us to help him!â
Tian Jia analysed his true goal. This wasnât hard to guess, Ye Zhongming wasnât planning to hide it too.
âIf it is up to me, leave him here and we can just search slowly!â
âOi, why do you not have a conscience at all. If he can help us then letâs just bring him, at most brother and I will take care of him.â
âCandy donât cause problems! What do you know?â
âNo, we will listen to Candy.â Uncle Da spoke, âBring him.â
Tian Jia was anxious. For some reason, he was really wary of this stranger. Hearing Uncle Da say that, he was unhappy.
âOkay, letâs find a stick for him. Candy go check his wounds.â Uncle Da stared at his nephew and when everyone left, the two of them stood together.
âUncle why keep him? He is evolved, if he heals what if he attacks us?â
Uncle Da laughed coldly, âAttack? He is alone and there are so many of us. We are all evolved, are we afraid of him?â
âButâŠâ
âNot buts.â Uncle Da waved and said, âCandy is a nice person and she wants to help him so we canât reject her. We need her to provide us with potions, especially this numbing potion. If she makes it, we can kill level two lifeforms, then would we be far from evolving? Although the girl is stupid but she is not a fool. If you donât give her face she will hate you. If anything happens what if she leaves? There are many people who want her.â
Tian Jiaâs expression changed but he still nodded. He was clear about how important Candy was to the team.
âAlso, he is useful.â Uncle Da smiled sinisterly, âIf he has a map that would be best and he would be of great help. But if not then isnât he evolved? He can scout right? He can still move and he can do so slowly? He can be a sentry? It wouldnât affect him healing right? Also, if we face an enemy we canât deal with, kekeâŠâ
Tian Jiaâs eyes lit up and felt like his uncle had considered everything. When he said that, it did make sense.
When they just came into the dungeon, they bumped into three level two beasts that chased them for a few hours and nearly killed them. If they faced such a situation again then they would let the monsters eat this person. The team would then be safe.
But⊠Dungeon? That name sounded okay. It was much more artistic than the red egg.
Uncle Da explained to his best supporter and then walked to Ye Zhongmingâs side before asking coldly, âDo you really know the map?â
Ye Zhongming nodded.
âBut you donât have a map on you.â
Ye Zhongming pointed to his brain.
Uncle Da looked at him and then he took out a piece of paper, passing it to him.
âHave you seen the materials on it?â
He checked Ye Zhongmingâs wounds while asking him with concern.
Ye Zhongming glanced and smiled.
Numbing Potion? En, not bad.
He glanced at the innocent round face and he had a bad thought.
En, he knew a few recipes that most people didnât know now right? He wasnât a Potion Maker and wasnât an alchemist so that was useless. Uncle Da knew that point too which was why he showed him the recipe, butâŠ
Candy⊠Could he use a few of his recipes to steal her? Using recipes to tempt an Alchemist was a good idea.
Ye Zhongming started to seriously consider this possibility.