Reconnaissance

Having made his decision, Lu Heng completely suppressed the idea of returning to the Shelter.

We'll stay in the Geothermal Valley tonight and not go anywhere else.

The valley was at a comfortable temperature, with Geothermal energy slowly seeping from the rock layers beneath one's feet, neither too hot nor too cold, like a natural warm blanket. The Bone Demon stood on the outer edge, silent as a stone statue, its chilling aura spreading silently, and no living creature within its radius dared to approach even half a step.

The environment is absolutely safe.

Lu Heng sat cross-legged on a flat rock, looking up at the starry sky above.

Since the end of the world, he seemed never to have gazed at the stars so quietly.

Every day, he wakes up to thoughts of survival, killing, and scheming. His mind is filled with thoughts of the next target, the next meal, and the next potential danger. He can't remember the last time he didn't think about anything and simply looked up at the sky.

When I was young, I would lie on a straw mat in the yard during the summer and count stars until I fell asleep. My biggest worry back then was not finishing my homework for the next day. Later, when I started working, I would work overtime until late at night every day, and when I got home, I would fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, too lazy to even open the curtains, let alone look up at the sky. Then the apocalypse came, and even the "what the stars look like" was almost erased from my memory.

Lu Heng's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't laugh out loud. However, the tension between his brows and eyes did ease a bit.

He stopped thinking about the supermarket, stopped thinking about the monster, and stopped thinking about what to do next.

I just sat quietly, letting the starlight fall on me.

The Bone Demon stood guard silently on the perimeter.

Only the sound of the wind and the occasional soft bubbling of a distant Geothermal spring remained in the valley.

Lu Heng's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his consciousness gradually sinking deeper and deeper, and before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

He was completely unaware of it.

The starlight poured down silently, a thin layer of silvery light covering him. A faint power emanated from the starlight, slowly seeping into the depths of his spirit along with the rhythm of his breathing.

The Starlight Meditation Method quietly began operating on its own without Lu Heng's awareness.

Without guidance or deliberate prompting, it passively and slowly nourished his spirit, which had been depleted by days of fighting.

--

Daylight broke.

Lu Heng was stunned for a moment when he opened his eyes.

This feels so good.

It wasn't a physical comfort, but a mental one. My mind was as clear as if it had been washed by a mountain spring, and the fatigue, tension, and irritability that had accumulated over the days were swept away overnight.

He sat up, stretched his neck, and his joints made a slight cracking sound.

Something's not right.

I just had a normal nap; it's impossible for me to feel this good.

Lu Heng immediately brought up his Personal Panel.

Physical measurements -- unchanged.

Mental Strength: -22.

He stared at the number for a few seconds, his brow furrowing slightly.

The increase from 20 to 22 is not significant, but unlike the physical body, mental attributes cannot be restored by eating, drinking, or resting. Every small improvement requires solid cultivation and accumulation.

He hasn't actively practiced meditation recently.

If we rule out the possibility of deliberate cultivation, then only one explanation remains.

Lu Heng slowly raised his head and looked at the last remaining star in the sky.

Last night I gazed at the starry sky the entire time, enveloped in starlight, and my mind healed itself while I slept.

Starlight Meditation Method can be performed passively in a starlight environment.

It doesn't require his active guidance or deliberate meditation. As long as you are under the starlight and your mind is relaxed enough, it will start on its own, slowly and continuously nourishing your spirit.

AFK (away from keyboard) training.

My energy levels automatically increase at night.

A glint flashed in Lu Heng's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

A thought immediately popped into his mind—the sun is also a star, so wouldn't sunbathing during the day trigger the same effect?

Never mind, no rush, we'll test it later.

Lu Heng snapped out of his thoughts, quickly stood up, and brushed the dust off his trouser legs.

The important matters of today cannot be delayed.

He beckoned the Bone Demon to leave the Geothermal Valley, passing the Shelter without stopping, and headed straight for the Town.

--

We've arrived at the supermarket.

Lu Heng stood at the door, not in a hurry to go in.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging impulse in his heart, and calmly swept his gaze across the supermarket entrance.

The oppressive feeling from the last intrusion was still fresh in his memory, but this time, he didn't intend to recklessly break down the door.

First, conduct reconnaissance.

Lu Heng raised his hand, took the Shadow Spider Reconnaissance Drone out of his Wristband Space, and gently placed it on the ground.

The palm-sized mechanical spider landed motionless, its eight legs slightly curled up, and its dark red crystal lens flashed briefly in the morning light.

Lu Heng looked down at the Wristband screen, swiped his finger lightly, and issued a movement command.

The mechanical spider moved.

Its feet moved silently, skimming the ground as it glided swiftly towards the gap at the bottom of the supermarket door. The gap was so narrow that even a cat couldn't squeeze through, but the mechanical spider was even smaller, its eight legs nimbly retracting as it silently slipped in like a drop of water.

The night vision image unfolds on the Wristband screen, with a faint green hue filling the field of vision.

Lu Heng held his breath, his fingers twitching slightly as he controlled the mechanical spider to slowly slither through the store.

--

The first target: the Checkout Counter.

A mechanical spider emerges from the bottom of the shelf; the camera slightly tilts up.

The Cashier stood behind the counter, motionless.

Her face was contorted, her features as if soaked in some thick resentment. The corners of her mouth were stretched into an unnatural arc, and there were no pupils in her eyes, only two murky gray-white spheres. Resentment seeped silently from her body, like an invisible mist, enveloping the entire Checkout Counter area.

She didn't move, not even her breathing rose and fell, but Lu Heng could sense it—she was "guarding" this position.

The mechanical spider silently retreated, bypassed the shelves, and entered the Bulk Weighing Area.

Stock clerk.

She stood motionless, her face contorted, and an aura of intense resentment emanating from her. Her hands hung at her sides, her knuckles bent backwards, as if they had been forcibly broken and then rejoined.

She stayed in her area, not moving an inch.

The mechanical spider continued its stealth, slipping through the narrow gap between two rows of shelves and entering the Fresh Produce Section.

Vegetable vendor.

Same state, same expression, same resentment.

She stood behind the rotting vegetable stall, like a wax figure forgotten in a corner, the resentment on her face almost solidified.

Three areas, three monsters, each with its own responsibilities, and no one is allowed to cross boundaries.

Lu Heng controlled the mechanical spider to enter the main aisle of the store. In the scene, a tall monster was slowly walking along a fixed route. Its steps were mechanical and stiff. When it reached the end of the aisle, it would turn around and walk back the same way, like a machine with a set program, repeating the cycle endlessly.

Patrol type.

Lu Heng's fingers tightened slightly on the panel.

Four monsters, four roles: cashier, stocker, vegetable seller, and patroller. They are not randomly wandering supernatural beings, but stationed units with clearly defined functions.

He continued to maneuver the mechanical spider deeper, drilling into wall cracks, column bases, and the most obscure corners of the bottom shelf.

As the camera panned across the scene, dark runes suddenly appeared.

One after another, obscure and dense, they were carved inside the walls, embedded in the cracks of the floor tiles, and wrapped around the steel bars of the pillars. The runes were dark in color, like long-dried bloodstains, and would have been impossible to spot unless a reconnaissance plane's lens was brought extremely close.

Lu Heng stared at the dense, dark lines on the screen, and all the clues in his mind connected at that moment.

Cashier, stock clerks, vegetable vendors, and patrol monsters—each performs their duties and never oversteps their assigned area.

Wall runes – permeating every nook and cranny, penetrating deep into the foundation.

They are not free-roaming supernatural beings.

They are bound.

The Rune Array underground and within the walls act like an invisible net, confining all monsters to their respective areas, controlling them at fixed points, and forcibly guarding them.

Puppet.

The entire supermarket was essentially a Puppet Prison powered by Rune Array.

Lu Heng slowly exhaled.

Monster distribution -- figured out.

The rules of the venue have been understood.

The source of the mystery has been found.

He retrieved the reconnaissance aircraft, stood up, and gazed through the supermarket entrance into the dark depths.