Everyone's favorite activity is exploring the cities of the old world. As time moves further away from the apocalypse, humanity's collective memory of the past fades. Many things have vanished, and sometimes finding a battered old book in a ruin can excite someone for days, or a piece of clothing from the old times, reminding them of the once peaceful and prosperous life they had.

Da Gu base was formerly a prefecture-level city, which later expanded almost tenfold towards the suburbs. It was one of the top bases of its time, with even Yang City base only flourishing after it. To fully explore it would take days.

“Check your gear. Our only goal for entering the Da Gu ruins is to spend the night! We won't venture too deep, just stay close to the entrance in Zone A. If we encounter mutant beasts, we can hunt them down, but don't make too much noise. And remember, never act alone!” After Shao Qi finished instructing, everyone started gearing up. Everyone had an emergency backpack with essential food and water, as well as weapons—precious commodities that could save a life in the wilderness.

“You mentioned this is Yang City base's training ground. Will our vehicles be safe here? I'm concerned about our supplies.” Zhou You was anxious. If someone were to take their vehicles along with the supplies, their losses would be significant.

"Relax, all the vehicles have alarms and trackers. If someone tries to break in, I'll get a notification. Besides, these vehicles aren't easy to steal."

Miao Miao added, “We're just here for the night. It's unlikely we'll run into anyone. This time of year, everyone stays inside their bases. We didn't encounter a single soul on our way here.”

That was true. The road they traveled wasn't secluded, but from the Jiangnan base up to now, they hadn’t met another human, probably because of the heavy snowfall in the previous winter.

"Isn't Xiao Bai coming with us?" Long Gan looked into Shao Qi's vehicle but didn't see the little white tiger. "Huh?"

Zhou You explained, “It got off as we approached. Don't worry about it. Let it have some adventure. Let's go.”

"Let's move." Shao Qi took the lead, with Zhou You naturally falling behind. The group entered the city. The scene before them was heart-wrenching. The more intact the buildings, the heavier their hearts felt.

Not long after, they encountered a mutant dog leisurely taking a stroll. It probably hadn't seen humans in a while. Excitedly, it rushed over, barking and wagging its tail. However, its eyes were far from cute; they were filled with murderous intent.

Shao Qi stepped aside, allowing Li Yunxi to face the beast. Carrying a large sword, she engaged the mutant dog. Despite her beauty, her moves were fierce, slashing the ground creating a crack.

On their journey, whenever they encountered a mutant beast, they would designate someone to deal with it. A beast of this level was suitable for Li Yunxi.

The mutant dog's head was severed with one slash, its dying scream attracting other beasts. Cheng Suyan and Long Gan stepped up to help, spending some time before they cleared the beasts.

"Watch out! There's a mutant cat behind you!" A cat with mottled fur leaped from behind Cheng Suyan. Zhou You shouted too late.

Cheng Suyan rolled away, dodging the attack. With a swift move, he dismembered the mutant cat. Despite the elegance of his action, the scene was gruesome, causing others to retreat in disgust.

Miao Miao commented, "Cheng, the young master, is like a peacock showing off its feathers, trying so hard to charm, unaware of how silly he looks."

Everyone knew Cheng Suyan often flirted with Zhou You, making his intentions clear. They also knew that Shao Qi considered Zhou You as one of his own, always keeping a close eye on him. Suyan was left only with envy.

Shao Qi ordered, "Let's move. We need to reach our destination before nightfall. The ruins will be swarming with more mutants by then. We'll explore again at dawn."

No one disagreed. No one wanted to fight mutants unless necessary.

By this time, they could hear various mutant roars echoing from the city. The chilling sounds alone made their skin crawl. In this beast-ridden land, they were vastly outnumbered. If cornered, not even a deity could save them.

Shao Qi led them, navigating the rubble without even needing a map. They had a few close calls, narrowly avoiding mutant lairs, but their calm helped them go unnoticed.

After about half an hour, they reached a large, partially collapsed supermarket. The surrounding area seemed like an old parking lot. They moved to the side, pressing against the wall, listening for any sounds from inside.

"Do you think there's still stuff inside?" Cheng Suyan asked excitedly. While food was out of the question, they could find other useful items.

"Forget it. Anything valuable was probably looted long ago. Due to its prominence, this place often serves as a stronghold. But there should be a well-preserved resting area inside."

Sha Qi climbed onto the rubble and moved a large stone, revealing a small hole just big enough for one person to pass through. "I'll go in first. If I don't come out in a minute, follow me."

Everyone waited patiently. A minute flashed by, and there was no sign of Sha Qi. They lined up, crawling through the hole and passing a pitch-black tunnel before entering what appeared to be a supermarket. The space opened up dramatically. Everything seemed well-preserved; it would've felt like a regular supermarket if not for the empty shelves.

"Sha Qi? Where are you?" Zhou You noticed light streaming from above and switched off his flashlight, searching for Sha Qi.