Since the auction house only had one item up for bidding, it concluded as soon as the first lot was sold. Buyers began to leave the auction room one by one.
[This auction has successfully ended. Congratulations to Player ID 1945 for winning the bid and obtaining the Gold-tier Blueprint: Fortress Wall.]
The chat channel fell silent for a moment before someone broke the silence.
ID 132423: "Hey, whoever said earlier that 1945 wouldn't participate in the auction—where'd you go? I've got some freshly killed zombies here, still warm. If you're hungry, I'll send you the coordinates…"
ID 51542: "Unbelievable. I never thought 1945 had so many supplies… Six hundred units! I can't even scrape together a fraction of that. Absolutely terrifying."
ID 456755: "Does anyone know where 1945 lives? I'd risk my life just to find him and beg him to take me under his wing!"
Most of the chatter in the channel revolved around Chen Du's overwhelming strength. The fact that he could offer such an enormous amount of essential resources suggested he had even more stockpiled.
Qian De stared at the massive pile of supplies now in his inventory and burst into uncontrollable laughter. With this much, he could survive for ages! He decided to find a secluded spot to hide and enjoy these resources all to himself.
In this apocalyptic world, human nature was the most dangerous thing. As the saying goes, "An innocent man is not guilty until he possesses something valuable." Qian De had seen people kill others over food and water, sparing no lives in the process. So, he didn't dare flaunt his newfound wealth in front of everyone.
Meanwhile, Chen Du opened his mailbox to find the Gold-tier Blueprint: Fortress Wall sent by the auction house. He quickly skimmed through the required materials.
Fortress Wall
Fortress Wall Blueprint (1/1)
Wood (20/300)
Steel (66/300)
Cement (3/300)
Water (Infinite/300)
These materials were readily available on the trading platform. Without wasting time, Chen Du began purchasing them in bulk. Once everything was gathered, he activated the blueprint.
[Respected player, would you like to construct the Fortress Wall?]
[Yes/No]
Chen Du clicked "Yes," and the blueprint vanished into thin air. A thunderous rumble followed, startling Xie Li, who was upstairs in the villa. Outside their residence, a towering wall suddenly rose, reaching up to the second floor. Its thickness was such that even with both arms fully extended, Chen Du doubted he could touch the other side.
[Gold-tier Item: Fortress Wall constructed!]
Chen Du surveyed the newly built Fortress Wall with satisfaction. Xie Li descended the stairs, her face pale with astonishment. "Is this what the Gold-tier Blueprint does?"
As Chen Du's teammate, Xie Li naturally knew his ID. She had also been following the chat channel discussions and understood the strategic significance of this blueprint. It meant their long-term shelter would become an impenetrable fortress—at least for now.
---
After securing the shelter, Chen Du decided to venture out to nearby zombie-infested areas to gather more supplies while leaving Xie Li behind to guard the safe haven. Two factors drove his decision: immense pressure from the rapid growth of everyone else's strength and the increasing availability of advanced resources. To survive longer in this apocalypse, he needed to stay ahead of the curve.
There was another reason, too—his marksmanship was abysmal. He desperately needed to improve. Fortunately, he now had an M9 pistol equipped with a silencer, which allowed him to move stealthily without attracting hordes of zombies. Leaving Xie Li behind ensured her safety, and upon returning, he planned to share some experience points with her. While she played the role of a medic, her combat skills couldn't lag behind forever.
Chen Du explained his plan to Xie Li, who nodded obediently.
"Be careful," she said. "If anything feels off, come back immediately! I'll stay here and practice with my crossbow."
Taking advantage of the heavy rain, Chen Du donned the raincoat he had recently scavenged, bid farewell to Xie Li, and set off toward the zombie-infested zones.
Earlier, while silently observing the chat channel, Chen Du had picked up some useful intel. The villa area he was in and the neighboring district were separated by a natural barrier of zombies, effectively blocking traffic between regions. For now, breaking through would be nearly impossible. However, as resources became more abundant, inter-regional barriers would eventually lose their significance.
Chen Du headed straight for that barrier. After walking for what felt like hours, the rain finally stopped, revealing the district ahead. Quietly climbing onto a residential building, he used his pistol to eliminate two zombies and secured a small apartment. From the second floor, he could see scattered zombies wandering below.
The stench of rotting flesh made Chen Du nauseous. He pulled out a mask, which helped somewhat, but the eerie moans of the undead continued to echo around him.
Raising his pistol, Chen Du prepared to act swiftly. Below, flames consumed several zombies, while he fired shots from his vantage point atop the building. It was a massacre.
Though his aim wasn't great initially, the sheer number of zombies worked in his favor. Even if he missed his target, there was always another nearby. This was the perfect opportunity to hone his shooting skills.
His experience bar surged rapidly.
[Experience gained: +1]
[Experience gained: +1]
[Experience gained: +1]
[…]
"Congratulations, player! You've leveled up. Keep pushing forward!"
As the flames subsided, a faint wisp of smoke curled from the barrel of his gun. Chen Du opened his personal stats.
Level: 4 (0/400)
Strength: 20
Agility: 9
Stamina: Normal
Looking down at the charred remains below, Chen Du exhaled deeply. Retrieving a ladder, he climbed down and moved toward the next cluster of zombies.
By now, Chen Du had noticed a pattern: areas like abandoned supermarkets and the villa district were relatively safe because fewer resources attracted fewer zombies. Beyond one district, however, there was likely a major gathering point.
Continuing toward the hill opposite the villa area, Chen Du encountered and eliminated several lone zombies and small groups along the way. He also stumbled upon a few supply crates, though they were all Bronze-tier. By this point, his experience bar was more than halfway full.
Finding a secure spot, Chen Du scaled the roof of a small house, took out his lunch, and replenished his energy. After finishing his meal, he pressed on toward the hill.
It wasn't until sunset that Chen Du returned to the villa area. Having leveled up twice in quick succession, he noticed a dramatic improvement in his stamina and endurance. Maintaining a steady pace throughout the journey, he reached the edge of the villa district without feeling fatigued or out of breath.
Approaching the main gate, a few scattered zombies noticed him and began shambling toward him.
Chen Du stretched his legs and grinned. "Perfect timing for a warm-up. Let's see how much stronger I've become."
With that, he charged straight at the zombies. For safety, he chose to take them down one by one rather than rushing headlong into the group. Even at Level 4, he preferred caution over recklessness.