Awakening Potion

The hazy spatial light curtain slowly dissipated behind me, and the surrounding scenery instantly returned to its familiar state.

Lu Heng steadied himself, his feet resting on the dry, rough gravel ground in front of the Shelter. Behind him, the heavy, oppressive silence of the ruined Town was completely blocked by the light barrier. Just one step away, yet they were two completely different worlds.

He glanced around.

The wind in the wilderness rustled through the wild grass, and the cold, hard outline of the cliff was right in front of me; everything was exactly the same as when I left.

But the scene in the supermarket is still vividly etched in my mind.

Silent and motionless, yet constantly watching Cashier Mannequin living; an invisible rule hangs overhead, every step must be taken with utmost care, for a wrong step means unknown death.

The time and physical sensations on both sides almost overlapped.

A sense of disorientation washed over Lu Heng.

He couldn't tell whether that strange Town was a forbidden zone on this land or an Other Plane that had been inserted out of thin air. There were no clues, and no way to verify it.

A few seconds later, the daze dissipated. Lu Heng suppressed his chaotic thoughts and reached out to push open the stone door of the Shelter.

The heavy stones slowly closed together, clicking into place with a satisfying click.

All the sounds and noises from the outside world were blocked out. The sealed, dry stone cave enveloped him, and his tense nerves finally relaxed.

Only by returning here can he truly be considered out of danger.

He brushed off the dust and dried blood from his clothes and shoulders, walked through the passage, and headed straight for the inner bathroom.

Light seeped in through the cracks in the stone door, casting long, dim patches of light, plunging most of the cave into shadow. With no other light source, the environment was quiet, isolating the cave from the putrid chill of the outside world.

Inside the bathroom, there was a spring flowing with fresh water. Lu Heng turned on the water valve, and the cool spring water gushed out.

The dust and stench of the Zombie, picked up from the battles outside, clung to my skin and the wrinkles of my clothes. That smell lingered on me, as if I were still there in those deathly ruins.

Lu Heng bent down and repeatedly scrubbed his neck, forearms, and cheeks with cold water. His fingertips rubbed through every fold of his clothes, removing the embedded grime and half-dried bloodstains bit by bit. The icy water soaked his flesh, and the biting cold gradually diluted the lingering putrid smell.

After rinsing, he took out the Bronze Hunting Blade from his back.

Fine bits of blood clots were stuck in the crevices of the blade, and a faint, lingering stench remained.

Lu Heng held the blade under the running water, rubbing and cleaning it repeatedly with his fingertips. Over and over again, until the metal surface regained its cold, bright luster and there was no longer any trace of the stench of corpses, he then took a piece of dry animal hide, wiped the blade dry, and carefully returned it to its sheath.

After cleaning himself of all the grime, Lu Heng returned to his living Stone Chamber, sat down by the stone bench, and laid out his spoils from the trip one by one on the stone table.

Zombie Bone, blackened Dog Fang, congealed Zombie Blood, three heavy Black Iron Energy Core, and a slightly cool-to-the-touch Corpse-Control Ring.

Finally, he pushed the nameless treasure chest he had brought back from the eerie area to the very center of all the objects.

The box has an ordinary appearance, without any fancy decorations. However, when you get close, you can detect a very faint, cool odor, a scent that ordinary beast materials would never have.

Lu Heng raised his wrist.

The Survival Bracelet glowed with a faint blue light, which was projected onto the surface of the treasure chest, quickly completing the scan and analysis.

A line of black text slowly appeared in mid-air.

[Nightmare Chest]

Description: You have a chance to obtain this item only if you confront the strange survivors directly.

Lu Heng stared at the line of text.

There was no additional information, no probability values, and no detailed explanation of the triggering conditions. In just one sentence, he summarized his entire ordeal.

Those scenes from inside the supermarket flashed through my mind again. Unseen rules bound all actions, and the surrounding objects watched silently. One wrong step, and the consequences were unimaginable.

He was indeed lucky; he survived such a deadly place and received this special gift.

But for someone else, they might not have made it out alive. It's hard to say whether this was good luck or an unavoidable calamity.

He was certain in his heart that he never wanted to set foot in that Town again.

Lu Heng snapped out of his thoughts, gripped the edge of the treasure chest with his fingertips, and lifted the lid upwards.

There was no blinding light. Inside the box lay three things, each emitting a faint, distinct aura.

A vial of medicine, the liquid a pale blue hue, sealed in a transparent animal hide container.

A thin, plain white token with faint, blurry patterns engraved on its surface.

There was also a bone scroll with neatly polished edges; the cold, hard texture of the bone could be felt even from a short distance.

Lu Heng activated the Wristband authentication in turn.

[Awakening Potion]

Description: After use, one personal unique ability or Talent may be randomly awakened.

Upon seeing this description, Lu Heng's eyes widened in surprise.

Along the way, he relied solely on hunting exotic beasts, collecting materials, refining equipment, and honing his physical body to become stronger. He had never seen an item that could directly awaken a person's Talent.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, he looked at the second item.

[Summoning Order]

Description: Players can recruit two survivor companions to form a temporary team to undertake and participate in various World Mission and area explorations.

Having long been a loner, he was used to shouldering all dangers alone. This token meant that this world also had a system of team missions, which he had never encountered before.

My gaze fell on the last bone scroll.

[Bone Demon Crafting Scroll]

Description: This scroll allows you to use the bones of various wild and exotic beasts to create Bone Demon artifacts with basic autonomous intelligence. The quality of the finished product varies depending on the quality of the materials used. Each scroll can only be used three times.

After reading all the information, Lu Heng sat there, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the three objects on the stone table, completely stunned.

In the past, the harvests were all flesh and blood, bones, and Energy Core —all tangible and visible, following the logic of slaughter and plunder.

These three things in front of him belong to a completely different level. Each one has the potential to completely change the way he survives in the future.

The pale blue light from the Wristband reflected on his face.

Lu Heng stretched out his finger, holding the container of the Awakening Potion.

The cool, animal-hide container pressed against my skin, and the pale blue liquid inside sloshed gently.

This is yet another potion that can change one's destiny.

The thought uncontrollably arose from the depths of my heart.

He had no idea what he would get. He was filled with hesitation and his emotions were in turmoil.

It's possible to acquire an extremely powerful skill, which will make surviving in the ruins much easier in the future.

It's also possible to gain a useless ability, wasting this hard-won gift.

The temptation was right in front of him, but the unknown weighed heavily on his mind.

Every gamble comes with its own consequences.

He held the medicine between his fingertips, his knuckles slightly tense, and quietly watched the blue liquid flowing in the tube.