The Wastelanders' desire to climb upwards, their wish for a better life, can it truly overcome the terrifying Infected Bodies?

Cheng Ye had no definitive answer in his heart.

But he felt that as long as the upper echelons of Happiness City have not given up struggling, this Super Shelter City entrenched in Stone Province still has hope of surviving this disaster.

"The strength of the Starfish Infected Body is not strong. Although its defense has more than doubled, humans are not like Mutant Beasts with tough skin and thick flesh. The Basic Defense Value might only be 1-2, even if doubled, it is just 2-4, not even comparable to the initial defense of some Mutant Beasts."

"And the increase in strength and constitution is only twenty percent, considering a thirty percent reduction in speed, without the contact infection trait, it is not formidable at all."

On the way to the bus stop, Cheng Ye continuously pondered over these data, repeatedly simulating the scenarios of dealing with the Infected Bodies in his mind.

For ordinary people, lacking the means to purchase protective clothing, directly facing the Starfish Infected Body is undoubtedly a very high-risk endeavor.

Once infected, the surrounding environment is in a comfortable parasitic state for the infection, and the infection rate will exponentially surge. Even if Antidote Powder is taken immediately, the success rate cannot reach one hundred percent.

But he is different. As long as he gets the equipment and avoids reckless danger, the risk is completely within a controllable range!

"Spear Technique!"

"Combat Skill!"

"I must quickly acquire these two skills, replacing Beast Intuition, to prepare for battle!"

Fear stems from the unknown, from imagined speculation.

And the profound foundation built by Happiness City is like a sharp blade cutting through this layer of fog, dispelling the panic deep in people's hearts.

Since there's no way to evacuate, one must face the Infected Bodies no matter what.

Having thought of this, Cheng Ye threw all his worries out of his mind, transforming them into motivation for moving forward.

Wanting to survive in this Wasteland, escaping is not an option.

Only by relying on a giant like Happiness City, only by continuously moving upward and gaining higher information privileges,

can one be as prepared now—having gear ready before the chaos erupts, and building a psychological defense before the storm arrives!

...

Upon reaching the bus stop, Master Tian's bus was indeed waiting at the usual spot again.

But today, he had no mind to clean the bus, pacing around restlessly.

Seeing Cheng Ye approaching from afar, Master Tian immediately came up to him.

"Inspector Cheng, I've prepared all the Trauma Medicine you wanted,"

he said, taking out the same green small bottles from his pocket as yesterday.

Three in total.

Cheng Ye took them, opened the bottle to sniff, and the smell was unchanged. He imagined the effect would not differ much either.

"Additionally, here are two special secret medicines I am giving you."

Master Tian pulled out two more small bottles from his pocket, only this time their colors were red and blue.

"The red secret medicine can be taken internally or applied externally, there are five doses in total. Taken internally, it can stimulate Life Force, significantly accelerating wound healing. Externally, it can instantly stop bleeding at the wound without any side effects. Using both ways together is also fine. The doses are separated inside the bottle, knock on the bottle after using one and the next dose will pop out automatically."

"The blue secret medicine is only for external use. If you feel mentally fatigued, open the bottle and take a breath to recover, but it comes with a price. Once you stop using it, after 12 hours, your mental state will collapse even more severely, requiring three consecutive days of full sleep to recover."

Ah?

Staring at the red and blue bottles, Cheng Ye was stunned. Aren't these the HP and MP potions from games?

One for replenishing health, the other for replenishing mana.

Master Tian actually has such treasures in his hands?

Yet, he did not directly take the two secret medicines; instead, he squinted his eyes.

As the old saying goes, trouble comes to those unaware of protocol, and something unusual must be up.

Master Tian giving him Trauma Medicine could barely pass as making up the household expenses by earning the price difference.

And although that medicine's effect was good, it wasn't to the point of making others envious.

But these two secret medicines are different. Any one of them could save a life in the Wasteland, absolutely invaluable hard currency.

Giving it to me?

Seeing Cheng Ye not only unmoved but also lightly shaking his head, Master Tian couldn't help but sigh.

"I can give you the formulas for all three medicines."

"Tell me, what's the catch?"

"My daughter... has a fever and I want to ask you to see if it might be..."

Master Tian's voice trailed off, his gaze turning towards the rear of the bus.

Following his line of sight, Cheng Ye finally noticed a girl sitting in the usually empty bus cabin.

She seemed to be of age, her appearance not particularly striking but with a serene demeanor—like the kind of well-behaved neighbor's daughter with awards covering the wall.

"She works at the Public Works Bureau, responsible for regional quarantine statistics these days... But since last night, she's had a continuous high fever."

"Just take some medicine."

Cheng Ye said, about to take out the Antidote Powder he had just acquired from his backpack.

Whether or not she's infected with the Stand-In Starfish, taking a dose for peace of mind should work. As long as within twenty-four hours, the information claims a one hundred percent success rate.

But Master Tian shook his head with a pained expression: "Inspector Cheng, you may not know, this medicine... has already been fatal for quite a few people."

"What?"

Cheng Ye paused, staring at the gray-brown powder just taken out in his palm.

"Antidote Powder was actually being distributed starting last night. When you picked it up just now, there weren't many people in line, right?"

"Hmm, not many."

It was more than not many; clearly the office hour, yet he was the only one queuing to pick up.

"They started distributing it door to door at ten last night. Many people, hearing it could enhance immunity, just poured it into their mouths... But from last night to five this morning, the corpse-carrying vehicles haven't stopped, carrying people out one after another."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.