I'm Going to Live, and Anyone Who Stops Me Dies

Lu Chen trudged across the apocalyptic wasteland with his father on his back.

The air reeked of acrid smoke and scorching. It was the smell of death, and the prelude to new life.

He could feel his father's faint breathing against his back, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

"Medical supplies... where can I find them...?"

He muttered to himself, his voice as hoarse as a worn-out bellows.

As far as he could see, the once-bustling city had been reduced to broken walls and ruins.

Towering buildings had toppled, wreckage lay scattered across the streets, and choking smoke and dust filled the air.

Suddenly, the roar of an engine shattered the dead silence.

Lu Chen went on alert at once. Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the sound.

A battered police car was wobbling toward him.

Its body was riddled with bullet holes and bloodstains, as though telling the story of the apocalypse's brutality.

The car stopped in front of him, and several uniformed police officers got out. Their leader was a burly middle-aged man with a conspicuous scar across his face that made him look especially fierce.

"You?" The scarred officer frowned and looked Lu Chen up and down. "Was it you who set that building on fire just now?"

Lu Chen said nothing. He simply held his father in silence and watched them warily.

"Don't be nervous. We mean no harm." The scarred officer softened his tone and put on what he thought was a friendly smile. "I'm Old Zhang, the man in charge of the Dawn Shelter. We saw flames shooting into the sky over here from a long way off, and we thought some poor bastard had been eaten by zombies. I didn't expect you to be an awakened one."

With the apocalypse upon Old Zhang, awakened ones were a scarce resource. Awakened ones like Lu Chen, who could unleash such powerful flames, were especially precious.

"Looks like you're badly hurt," Old Zhang continued. "How about this? As long as you're willing to join our Dawn Shelter and become one of its guardians, I'll give you priority for medical supplies. I guarantee your father will be cured with the right medicine. What do you say?"

Lu Chen's lips curled into a mocking smile.

The Dawn Shelter?

A guardian?

Heh, it sounded nice, but didn't they just want to use his power against those zombies, or even other survivors?

He was no fool. He had seen through this kind of trick on the very first day of the apocalypse.

"I have no interest in your shelter," Lu Chen said coldly, his voice like shards of ice that sent a chill through Old Zhang.

"Don't be so hasty, young man." Old Zhang's expression changed slightly, but he held back his anger and continued trying to persuade him. "It's dangerous out there now. You'll have a hard time surviving on your own. Only by joining our shelter can you find protection and live a better life."

"Heh, protection?" Lu Chen's "

With that, he turned to leave with his father on his back.

"Stop!" Old Zhang finally lost his patience. He abruptly raised his voice, his tone turning forceful. "Kid, I'm trying to reason with you, so don't refuse a generous offer! These are extraordinary times, and everything must serve the greater good! With power as great as yours, you should be contributing to humanity's survival!"

"Contribute?" Lu Chen stopped and slowly turned around, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at a dead man. "By contribution, you mean you want me to be your cannon fodder and risk my life for you?"

"How dare you!" The officers behind Old Zhang immediately drew their guns and pointed them at Lu Chen.

The tension instantly turned explosive.

Lu Chen took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand.

A small flame appeared out of thin air in his palm, dancing as it radiated a frightening heat.

"I'll say it again. I have no interest in your shelter." Lu Chen's voice was soft, but full of menace. "Don't provoke me, or you'll be the next pile of ash."

With a flick of his wrist, the flame in his palm instantly swelled into a huge fireball, radiating a scorching light.

Old Zhang's face went deathly pale.

He could sense the terrifying energy contained in the fireball. If it really came crashing down, there probably wouldn't even be scraps left of them.

"Wh-what are you trying to do?" Old Zhang's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm not trying to do anything," Lu Chen said coldly. "I just want to stay alive."

With that, he carried his father away without looking back.

Old Zhang stood where he was, his expression shifting. He watched Lu Chen's retreating back,

"Fuck, you asked for this!" He spat viciously and cursed, "Just wait until I get my chance. I'll make you pay!"

Lu Chen ignored Old Zhang's threat.

All he wanted now was to find a safe place as quickly as possible and treat his father's injuries.

With his father on his back, he struggled through the ruins.

Suddenly, he spotted an abandoned supermarket ahead.

The supermarket's roller shutter was covered in rust, but it was still reasonably intact and could just about keep out the wind and rain.

This is the place, Lu Chen thought.

He went to the supermarket entrance and strained to lift the shutter.

It was pitch-dark inside, and the air smelled of decay.

He walked in carefully and found the supermarket empty, with nothing left on the shelves.

In a corner of the supermarket, however, he found a closed-up clinic.

The clinic door was locked, but that was no problem for Lu Chen.

He raised his foot and kicked the door open.

The clinic was a little messy, but reasonably clean.

He found some basic medical supplies and gave his father's wounds a quick bandaging.

"Dad, you have to hang on." He looked at his unconscious father, his heart full of worry.

After doing all that, he could finally relax a little.

He walked over to the window and looked out at the burning city, his mind full of thoughts.

He now had SSS-rank Flame Manipulation, as well as the F-rank Perception Enhancement he had copied from that dog-shaped zombie.

"Perception Enhancement... what use could it be?" he muttered, bringing up his "Talent Panel" in his mind.

Flame Manipulation, SSS-rank.

Perception Enhancement, F-rank.

He frowned at the lone F-rank talent, feeling somewhat displeased.

Looks like I'll have to keep working hard, Lu Chen thought.

Night gradually fell.

Lu Chen sat by the window, gazing at the burning city in the distance. There was no longer any fear in his eyes. Instead, they were full of...

He suddenly stood up and looked toward the clinic door, his gaze sharpening.

"Who's there?"

Lu Chen sprang to his feet, his gaze locking onto the clinic entrance as sharply as a hawk's. The air instantly froze, like the calm before a storm.

He barked, "Who's there?"

A rustling came from the darkness, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, enough to make one's skin crawl.

A faint, barely perceptible scent of blood spread through the fetid air, setting Lu Chen's nerves on edge.

He could feel something approaching, carrying malice and watching him.

"Heh heh... don't be nervous, little brother," a hoarse voice came from outside the door, sounding like rusty sheets of iron scraping together. "We just... want to borrow a light."

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes. A dancing flame sprang to life in his palm once more, its orange-red light flickering across his face, making him look like a demon from hell.

He could tell that the owner of the voice was not human, but one of those revolting mutant creatures-a Licker!

And there was more than one!

"Borrow a light? I'm afraid you can't afford it!" Lu Chen's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. In the apocalypse, the strong preyed on the weak and the fittest survived. If they wanted to take advantage of him, they would have to pay in blood!

"You had your chance!" A furious roar came from outside the door. Immediately afterward, several dark figures shot inside like arrows loosed from a bow, a foul stench rushing toward him.

"Heaven offered you a path, but you refused it; hell had no gate, yet you barged in!" Lu Chen roared. The flames surged instantly, turning into a wall of fire that lit up the entire clinic.

A bloody slaughter was about to unfold... Lu Chen licked his lips, excitement glinting in his eyes.