The next morning, Zhou Hongqiang left the Siege City with dozens of martial artists and several pickup trucks.

Zhou Zheng watched his father leave through the window and then walked to the room next door.

This was an armory, filled with an array of both cold and hot weapons, from one-handed swords to two-handed swords, and various lengths of knives. Most of these weapons were forged from special steel, their edges sharp and intimidating, representing the pinnacle of current craftsmanship.

The hot weapons were just as varied, ranging from police pistols to large-caliber handguns, submachine guns, and rifles, all hanging on the wall.

Zhou Zheng's eyes lingered on a sniper rifle hanging on the wall, an M99 semi-automatic sniper rifle.

Sniper rifles were rare in the Siege City, with only a few available.

The domestic environment made it impossible for guns to circulate freely. These few sniper rifles were obtained from the local armed police unit, seized from the hands of numerous Toxic Corpses. As weapons that posed a significant threat to martial artists, they were not easily handed over to others.

Shaking his head, Zhou Zheng merely touched the gun's body but ultimately did not choose it.

He took down a Type 03 automatic rifle from the wall, attached a bayonet, grabbed a few spare magazines, and slung the gun over his back.

Out of habit, Zhou Zheng chose a dagger and, after some hesitation, picked a one-handed sword.

Once he was ready, he left the armory with his equipment.

"Young Master, where are you going?"

Seeing Zhou Zheng fully armed, Zhou An and Lan Xi were taken aback.

"I'm planning to go out for a bit," Zhou Zheng said calmly.

Zhou An frowned and said, "Young Master, the Leader instructed that it's dangerous outside the Siege City lately, and it's a tumultuous time. It's best not to go out casually."

"It's fine. I'm just going to wander within the safe range of the Siege City," Zhou Zheng said with an undeniable tone. "Besides, with the two of you protecting me, even if we encounter Toxic Corpses or Mutant Beasts, there's no need to worry."

Zhou An and Lan Xi were a bit troubled but eventually agreed after some consideration.

As they walked out, Zhou Zheng refused their offer to carry his weapons for him.

Entering and exiting the Siege City involved inspections by the guards. Generally, only martial artists had the freedom to come and go. Ordinary people needed to apply for permission, which was a way to protect them. Outside the Siege City was too dangerous; any Mutant Beast could easily kill ordinary people with no means of self-defense.

Despite it being morning, the sunlight had already spread across the land, casting a golden hue.

The people who rose early to work didn't show signs of an apocalypse but rather a yearning for life.

Two years were enough for them to adapt to this world and no longer fear it.

Many greeted Zhou Zheng as they saw him.

With a population of 30,000 to 40,000, Zhou Zheng didn't know many people, but everyone knew he was the Leader's son. Instinctively, Zhou Zheng just smiled and responded to each greeting.

"Young Master, do we need a vehicle?"

It was Lan Xi who spoke, suggesting, "There's quite a distance to circle around the Siege City. Having a car would be much more convenient and faster, allowing us to return earlier." He was still worried about potential issues and thought it better to return early to minimize risks.

Zhou An said, "There are various cars at the vehicle management office."

The vehicle management office was a place in the Siege City responsible for the storage, maintenance, and repair of vehicles.

Zhou Zheng knew about the vehicle management office. In his memory, it even had sports cars, but no one dared to use these fuel guzzlers. Given the current situation, fuel was extremely precious, and no one wanted to waste it on sports cars.

After some thought, Zhou Zheng shook his head and said, "No, we'll walk. We won't be too far from the Siege City."

At the city gate, a thick 40-centimeter alloy door operated by machinery could close in the shortest time.

"Young Master, going out hunting?"

A squad leader from the guards stepped forward to ask.

Zhou Zheng didn't explain, just vaguely responded and led Zhou An and Lan Xi out of the city gate.

The squad leader didn't think much of it. Zhou Zheng often went out like this before, and with two guards accompanying him, there was no danger.

A nearly 45-degree cement road led down to the foot of the slope, connecting to a dirt road that passed through the fields and disappeared into the distance. The sides of the cement road were coated with cement oil, very smooth, making it difficult to stand on. In emergencies, pouring some vegetable oil could effectively stop ordinary Toxic Corpses and Mutant Beasts.

After two years of natural purification, the air was completely different from before, very fresh, with a plant-like fragrance when inhaled.

Of course, Zhou Zheng wouldn't tell Zhou An and Lan Xi his real purpose. After pondering all night, he was increasingly convinced that hunting Toxic Corpses and Mutant Beasts would earn him experience. Zhou Zheng was dissatisfied with his current situation. In this new world where strength was revered, what difference was there between an Apprentice Martial Artist and an ordinary person?

As long as he could level up, Zhou Zheng feared no one.

He also wanted to see if his hypothesis was correct, whether improving his character attributes would enhance his real-world strength.

The Rogue's abilities lay in speed and critical strikes. Apart from lower defense and health, the Rogue's attack power and speed were the best in Firmament Continent. Even at level 1, the speed was no different from a First-Stage Martial Artist.

Moreover, once the character could level up, it meant skills could be unlocked.

Compared to character attributes, unlocking skills was the most extraordinary.

With these reasons, how could Zhou Zheng resist the temptation of these factors?

At the bottom of the slope was a vast expanse of farmland, the foundation for the survival of tens of thousands in the Siege City.

People working in the fields always tried to finish their tasks before the sun became too harsh, so they could rest indoors when the sun was high. Looking over the fields of varying heights, there were many people laboring.

In the apocalypse, aside from eating enough to avoid starvation, there were almost no other demands. People's only job was likely to be involved in farming.

"Good morning, Young Master Zhou."

"Good morning, Young Master..."

"Good morning, Young Master!"

Walking on the dirt road through the fields, people greeted Zhou Zheng one after another.

Zhou Hongqiang's influence was unimaginable to outsiders. It was Zhou Hongqiang, a powerful figure, who ensured the safety of tens of thousands of people here, leading them out of the encirclement of Toxic Corpses and Mutant Beasts, establishing a haven here for survival.

Even if Zhou Zheng was considered useless, under Zhou Hongqiang's aura, he still benefited from his father's reputation.

Responding all the way, it took half an hour to cross this vast sea-like farmland.

The dirt road here connected to an abandoned secondary road. After two years without vehicles, it seemed weathered, giving a sense of decay. The trees on both sides of the road were still growing well, with a lot of wild grass covering the sides, and fallen leaves forming a thin layer on the road surface.

Stepping onto the secondary road, Zhou Zheng continued walking forward.

Zhou An and Lan Xi exchanged glances but didn't stop him, continuing to follow behind Zhou Zheng.

This area was still within the Safe Zone, with martial artists from the Siege City patrolling occasionally to drive away more dangerous Mutant Beasts. Within the Safe Zone, the most dangerous Mutant Beasts were only first or second-tier, so there was no need to worry too much about safety.

Along the roadside, some villages had turned into ruins.

Some were dismantled for building the Siege City, others destroyed by Mutant Beasts. These villages were overgrown with wild grass, a scene of desolation.

"Young Master, we can't go any further."

Lan Xi hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

This place was three kilometers from the Siege City. Although it was within the Safe Zone, there were still occasional Toxic Corpses and Mutant Beasts. He and Zhou An were only Second-Stage Martial Artists. While they could handle encounters with Toxic Corpses and Mutant Beasts here, moving further away from the Siege City might expose Zhou Zheng to dangers they couldn't protect him from.

Zhou Zheng smiled faintly, "Let's go a bit further."

Lan Xi and Zhou An whispered to each other and eventually agreed to Zhou Zheng's request.

This secondary road led to a city thirty kilometers away. Five kilometers from the Siege City, there was a checkpoint, guarded by a dozen soldiers from the Siege City carrying guns. The captain was a Third-Stage Martial Artist, primarily tasked with eliminating Toxic Corpses wandering from the city.

At the same time, passing this checkpoint meant leaving the Safe Zone of the Siege City.

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Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan