Chapter 23: The Shackled One

"The apocalypse is a purgatory of this sort, so you had best adjust your mindset and shed any notions of mercy. Otherwise, the one lying there tomorrow might well be you."

Lin Yu’s words were like a siren song, sending a shudder through the women present.

They walked a bit further and discovered a large iron door. Liu Yu stepped forward and unleashed a wind blade, tearing the door apart. Inside, a young man in black was locked away. Several thick iron chains bound his limbs firmly to the four corners of the room. At the same time, countless steel bars were jammed into him, extending all the way to his neck, rendering him unable to move an inch.

More horrifying still, two steel bars had been driven through his calves; the blood at the wounds had long since coagulated. The massive noise caused the young man to open his eyes.

"You aren't Wang Hao’s men. Who are you?" the young man asked, looking at the group.

"Who are you? And who is Wang Hao?" Lin Yu countered.

Upon hearing this, the young man realized they were not with Wang Hao. His eyes lit up for a moment before dimming once more.

"I was the original occupier of this Olma Supermarket. Later, when I went out to kill zombies, Wang Hao’s younger brother came here. The beast... he actually insulted my wife..."

The young man gritted his teeth as he spoke. "By the time I rushed back, it was too late. My wife had already committed suicide."

"I hacked that bastard into pieces and threw him to the zombies, but my wife could never come back."

"Then how did you end up like this?"

"Later, Wang Hao arrived with his men. He imprisoned me here and tortured me every single day." The young man’s eyes were filled with hatred. "As long as I don't die, one day, I will send these bastards to hell. They are all animals."

"Is Wang Hao one of the people currently occupying this supermarket?" Chen Jing’er asked.

"That’s right, it’s them. Listen, I don’t know why you came here, but I advise you to leave immediately," the young man said, looking at them. "When Wang Hao and his group return, your fate will be miserable, especially for these three women."

"You don't want us to save you?" Lin Yu asked, intrigued.

The young man shook his head. "You still have a chance if you leave now. If you save me, Wang Hao will never let you go."

"You’re a man of character, but unfortunately, we must decline your good intentions."

Lin Yu stepped forward, grasped the iron chains, and applied a slight force. The chains snapped instantly. The young man’s eyes narrowed at the sight. Lin Yu then easily pried apart the steel bars trapping the man and pulled him free. He grabbed the bars embedded in the man’s calves and yanked them out.

"Hiss—" The young man’s face twisted in agony, but he gritted his teeth and held back any loud sound.

"Xiao Ruke, come and heal him," Lin Yu said.

The little girl’s face was resolute; she did not seem afraid at all. She stepped forward, placed her hands over the young man’s bleeding wounds, and a pale green light emerged. Everyone watched as the young man’s wounds healed and scarred over at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"This is terrifying!"
"Ruke is amazing! This must be a healing-type talent!"

The group was shocked by the display.

"Thank you all for saving my life. If you have any need for me, I, Xiao Wen, am at your service." The young man moved his body and bowed to Lin Yu.

"Let’s go. We’ll wait for them downstairs," Lin Yu said with a slight nod, picking up Liu Ruke. The little girl looked proud and triumphant, basking in the praise of the others.

"You aren't leaving?" Xiao Wen asked, looking astonished. These people actually intended to wait here for Wang Hao’s group? Were they courting death?

"I know you might be strong, but that gang is even stronger. If you cross them, the outcome won't be good," Xiao Wen said in a deep voice.

"That is our business. If you are afraid, you are free to leave." The group glanced at him and followed Lin Yu downstairs. They obeyed Lin Yu’s words unconditionally.

Xiao Wen watched their retreating figures, gritted his teeth, and finally let out a long sigh. "Forget it. At worst, I’ll just give them back this life. At least I won't have to suffer that torture again."

Watching the young man follow them, Lin Yu smiled and asked, "Wang Hao is so terrifying, why didn't you just leave?"

"You saved me. Wherever you go, even through fire and water, I will follow, even if it costs me my life." Xiao Wen paused, then added, "Besides, I am quite strong myself."

"Then why were you imprisoned?"

Xiao Wen’s expression stiffened, and he fell silent, feeling chagrined.

"What kind of talents do Wang Hao and his people have?"

"Wang Hao possesses an S-rank talent: 'Magic Seal.' Under the shroud of his talent, no one can use their supernatural abilities. I was captured only because my powers were sealed."

"He has five other awakeners under him: Hu Bin, an A-rank with the ability to control steel, and Chen Zhong, an A-rank who can turn invisible. Both are very powerful."

"The remaining three are not worth worrying about: C-rank Fireball, D-rank Strength Enhancement, and D-rank Acceleration."

"S-rank Magic Seal... interesting," Lin Yu muttered to himself. Without a doubt, this was an extremely powerful talent, likely belonging to the Rule-based category. Rules are fair; the caster must abide by them as well. Within the range of the Magic Seal, everyone was unable to use their talents and could only fight using their base attributes.

The group walked to the first floor and looked at the corpses littering the ground with some distaste.

"Sandification!" Yang Shanshan suddenly cried out.

As her voice fell, the hard concrete floor seemed to corrode, dissolving rapidly until it turned into sand. The sand churned, swallowing all the corpses on the ground.

"I did it!" Yang Shanshan was ecstatic. After listening to Lin Yu’s words, she had been pondering and contemplating, and finally, she had grasped the essence of sandification.

"Shanshan, you’re amazing! You grasped it so quickly." Chen Jing’er looked on with envy; she hadn't even awakened her own talent yet.

"It seems your comprehension is quite good," Lin Yu said with a smile, offering her some praise.

Xiao Wen’s expression shifted. This woman was also an awakened talent user, and she appeared quite strong.

With the corpses disposed of, the environment was much cleaner. Lin Yu took Liu Shiyun back to the warehouse to collect the remaining supplies that had not yet been taken.

Half an hour later, the rolling shutter door was slowly pulled up.

"Brother Hao, you’re too strong! That zombie earlier was at least level 10, and you killed it so easily!"
"The bosses should be able to reach level seven tonight..."

As the door rose, the voices of a group of people drifted in. Hearing them, Liu Yu and the others stood up, staring toward the entrance.

Wang Hao walked into the Olma Supermarket with seventy or eighty men in tow. He froze the moment he saw Lin Yu’s group.

"Where’s Haozi? And where did these three women come from? They’re quite the lookers."
"These women are more beautiful than movie stars. You bosses are in for a treat tonight."

The group didn't take them seriously, assuming they were women Haozi had brought in from the outside. They all looked at the three women, teasing and joking among themselves.