Step by Step

Lu Ren braced himself with one hand without slowing, scrambled straight up, and pulled Xiang Yang, who was still at the manhole opening, out of the sewer.

Leaning over the sewer manhole, they saw the swiftly spreading black tide of rats had even gnawed the metal ladder to pieces. The sight was enough to make one's skin crawl.

Several rats the size of medium dogs unwillingly followed the ladder out of the sewer. Before they could do anything, Lu Ren swung his sword, severing their bodies into several pieces.

Ignoring the system notifications in his mind about increased proficiency, Lu Ren sheathed his blade and kicked the manhole cover back into place. As he watched the cover continue to shake, Xiang Yang reached for his hand but grabbed empty air.

She froze slightly. Lu Ren tipped up his chin. "Lead the way."

Xiang Yang pursed her lips.

"Follow me!"

The farther Lu Ren walked, the more something felt wrong. At last, he abruptly stopped, his expression darkening. "Where did you bring me?"

"Of course, somewhere safe!"

"Bullshit!"

Lu Ren looked extremely displeased, an urge to kill Xiang Yang rising within him. He looked at the skyscraper ahead, which had been smashed open with a huge hole. "I've been here before. A lot of Contaminated Creatures gather around this building!"

This was fucking getting him killed. No wonder she had passed over several exits in the sewer.

Xiang Yang seemed somewhat guilty, her face full of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. This is the Testing Center building created by the dimensional space. I'm sorry I didn't get your consent, but I really had no choice. I can't complete this mission alone... I know I'm selfish, but..."

After realizing her own strength was insufficient, she had no choice but to seek outside help. When she discovered Lu Ren was more capable than she was, she set her sights on him.

Sure enough, without being quick-witted, there was no way one could survive in this city for more than three years.

"No buts. I refuse."

Lu Ren looked at the sky. It was still fairly early. He planned to leave immediately, find somewhere safer to hide, and get through the night first no matter what.

Seeing Xiang Yang's dejected expression, Lu Ren said, "Girl, do what your abilities allow. If there are other human survivors in this world, then there must be people stronger than you. So why haven't they been able to close the dimensional rift?"

When Xiang Yang stubbornly remained silent, Lu Ren shook his head slightly. "If I were you, I'd do everything I could to return to a human settlement. Maybe the survivors at that Antarctic base have already decided to abandon this planet and head into outer space. So think things through next time."

After saying that, Lu Ren did not linger. His sword shifted slightly in his hand, and just as he was about to slash at Xiang Yang, he suddenly stopped, his expression turning grim as he stared ahead.

It was that Giant Mutant Bull, silently watching Lu Ren and Xiang Yang.

Fuck, how had it appeared? There hadn't been a sound!

It was practically a ghost.

System: "Ding! The Giant Mutant Bull has discovered you. It happily wants to run over and give you a warm, full-body hug!"

A warm hug with flesh and blood flying everywhere?!

Hopefully Xiang Yang had not noticed his little move. He needed this place's veteran driver, Xiang Yang, to lead the way. He absolutely could not run around like a headless fly. If he ran into some dangerous area, he would not even have a place to cry.

"Move! Lead the way!"

Hearing Lu Ren's utterly impolite command, Xiang Yang pursed her lips but did not hesitate. She immediately turned and ran toward the skyscraper ahead.

Lu Ren could not help feeling helpless. There was something wrong with that building, but there was no sturdy cover anywhere around it. The nearest building was over eighty meters away, more than enough distance for that monster to ram him to death on the spot.

He did not doubt the terrifying power possessed by that abnormally enormous bull.

Xiang Yang looked up blankly as Lu Ren accelerated past her and charged toward the building. Then, without hesitation, she turned and chased after his retreating back.

"W-Wait for me, you heartless bastard!"

The two rushed into the building one after the other. Behind them, the giant bull let out a low moo, its sound waves kicking up a ring of dust. Its heavy steps gradually shifted from slow strides to rapid pounding, until it seemed as though the entire ground was trembling.

Lu Ren gripped his sword with both hands and swiftly charged into the lobby.

Xiang Yang, following closely behind, hurriedly said, "Come with me!"

Without stopping, Xiang Yang passed Lu Ren and rushed toward a round pillar deeper in the lobby. After slapping the pillar's surface wildly for a while, an LCD panel quietly appeared on its side, prompting her to enter a password.

Xiang Yang's expression brightened, apparently delighted that she had managed to find it on the first try.

"Password, password... password!"

Xiang Yang muttered urgently as she racked her brain, her fingers hovering constantly over the password keypad.

Lu Ren could not help saying, "If you can't remember it, go upstairs first. That bull is about to come in."

He could not help glancing up at the black Contaminated Creature clinging to the entrance of the spiral staircase on the second floor. It looked like some kind of tentacled monster.

With the advantage of his weapon, he should be able to force his way through.

Whatever happened, it was better than staying here and waiting to die.

The building's front entrance had long since become a gaping hole, clearly caused by a massive impact. The giant bull was about to charge into the lobby. Once it entered, given the speed of its charge, Lu Ren felt he would have no chance at all to dodge.

It was far too fast, its charging range was enormous, and the sound waves released by its moo were practically a devastating weapon.

Lu Ren drew in a deep breath. Just as he was about to leave ahead of the nearly crazed Xiang Yang, she exclaimed in delight, "It opened! It opened! The password my dad gave me was right!"

Buzz!

A burst of electrical noise rang out. The side of the pillar slid open, revealing an entrance resembling an elevator.

The Giant Mutant Bull was already outside the lobby, its blood-red eyes fixed directly on Lu Ren. The ground faintly shook beneath its running feet. That pressure, that terror, was absolutely beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Especially as the bull's massive form grew larger and larger before his eyes, its terrifying charging speed—

"Get in!"

Lu Ren had no time to think. There were too many Contaminated Creatures here. If he had not escaped this place immediately before, he would likely have been surrounded and attacked by them.

If he had been even one step slower, that giant bull would have rammed into him viciously. Now, he could only pray that this elevator was made of high-strength composite metal and could withstand the impact—or that it would plunge downward the moment they entered.

After entering the passage with Xiang Yang, the elevator doors swiftly shut, then suddenly dropped at high speed. Before they could even process the abrupt sensation of centrifugal weightlessness, a thunderous crash suddenly erupted above them.

Lu Ren involuntarily looked up. Other than the elevator ceiling, there was no movement.

It seemed to be a magnetic rail elevator. Otherwise, if the structure above had been smashed apart, the elevator would definitely have been affected.

"You look drenched in sweat," Xiang Yang suddenly teased from beside him.

Lu Ren forcibly restrained the urge to slash at her. He desperately wanted to lose his temper, but he understood that he would still need Xiang Yang. Without her, there would likely be serious problems in the Testing Center below.

He gave Xiang Yang a meaningful look and said calmly, "If you ever get the chance to face an experience where something that enormous charges straight at you instead of having your back turned to it, I think you'll piss your pants."

This woman was not simple. She looked like someone with deep convictions, innocently believing that where there was a will, there was a way.