C7 Changing the Trajectory of History

After the apocalypse, research indicated that aside from the initial cataclysm which caused massive loss of life, the second peak of population decline occurred between three to seven days post-crisis. Three days marked a critical point where the average family's food supply ran out. With their reserves depleted, hunger drove the survivors to take life-threatening risks in search of sustenance. Research also showed that this period coincided with the second mutation phase of zombies and mutated plants and animals. No longer aimlessly wandering, these creatures began actively hunting and attacking the living.

Survivors foraging for food inevitably encountered these predatory mutated beings. The outcome was predictably horrific. Chen Yu remembered the relentless screams that began on the third day of the apocalypse, echoing through neighborhoods and city blocks for days before a haunting silence took over the city.

Reflecting on those times, Chen Yu was grateful for his parents' harsh upbringing, which instilled in them the habit of stockpiling provisions. Their home was always stocked with large sacks of rice and flour, and they bought vegetables like cabbages, potatoes, and carrots in bulk, enough to last at least four to five days.

It was thanks to his parents' foresight that Chen Yu managed to hold out until the military's rescue. The few who were saved from his community owed their survival, in part, to similar circumstances. Perhaps it was these common practices that helped preserve a significant portion of the population.

The post-apocalyptic world influenced the strategies of leaders and survivors alike. Many established bases, both official and otherwise, adopted the approach of digging in and amassing food supplies. The subsequent evolution of the Blue Star disaster and the emergence of cosmic civilization elites and Abyss Devils validated this tactic.

Chen Yu had long since solidified his long-term and ultimate objectives. His immediate goal was to seize the crucial three-day window to rescue as many survivors as possible and bring them under his care. He was determined not to witness again the plight of his small community, where barely a hundred frail and emaciated survivors remained, appearing as though they might topple over from the slightest nudge.

Moreover, Chen Yu aimed to empower those he rescued, transforming them into a force capable of saving even more lives!

...

Crash!

Chen Yu burst through a door to find a husband and wife shivering with fright. With a reassuring smile, he said, "Don't be scared. I've come to rescue you!"

As the couple looked on with a mix of surprise and skepticism, Chen Yu added, "Quickly head up to room 1002 on the top floor. Once we've secured this building, we'll escort you to safety."

Behind Chen Yu, three youths armed with clubs followed suit, chiming in confidently:

"We've cleared out the zombies on the upper floors. It's totally safe now!"

"Come on, you two—no dawdling!"

"With Boss Yu around, you're in good hands!"

Humans are social creatures, and seeing a group without any ill intent helped the couple quickly regain their composure. They offered hasty thanks and dashed up the stairs to the rooftop.

"Boss Yu, there are zombies in here!" came an eager shout.

Chen Yu glanced over to see a teenager, about eighteen or nineteen, pressing his ear against a door, brandishing his baseball bat with fervor.

"Lee Hao, watch it! Don't end up a zombie snack yourself!" joked a young man next to Chen Yu, flashing a grin.

Chen Yu just chuckled. Without approaching the door, he confidently instructed, "There's just one zombie inside. You four take care of it!"

"You got it, Boss Yu—leave it to us!"

The young man at Chen Yu's side responded, leading the others forward.

Chen Yu watched them storm the room, a smile on his face as he leaned against the wall, waiting. With a four-to-one advantage and his own training, there was no need to worry about their safety.

Chen Yu had a lot of respect for these four.

They were college classmates and roommates.

Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Qu Chenchen.

When Chen Yu found them, they were trapped in a stairwell by a horde of zombies. Remarkably, they hadn't tried to save themselves individually; they had stayed united, supporting one another, and that's what kept them alive until Chen Yu came to their rescue.

Later, Chen Yu learned something that impressed him even more.

Before he had cleared their building, these four lads had managed to rescue over a dozen survivors using nothing but their iron rods and baseball bats.

They were perfectly aligned with Chen Yu's thinking, sharing the goal of eradicating the zombies in the building to forge a safer haven.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side. While clearing a room, they stumbled upon a veritable family reunion of zombies seated in the living room.

The instant the door swung open, a horde of over a dozen zombies burst forth, frantically lunging at them.

Lacking Chen Yu's formidable strength, their small cleanup crew, barely ten strong, disintegrated in an instant.

To buy time for the others to escape, four of them bravely chose to hold the line, only to end up cornered in the hallway.

It's one thing to watch zombie flicks or boast about surviving a biohazard crisis, but it's quite another to actually protect oneself and save others when doomsday strikes. Those who can are truly rare.

Lee Hao and his three companions not only survived but also sought to rescue more people.

Their integrity earned them Chen Yu's immediate respect.

Perhaps returning to the onset of doomsday stirred old memories for Chen Yu.

He knew that according to the original timeline, the four would have met their demise surrounded by zombies, which left him with a nagging sense of urgency.

Saving them marked a clear moment for Chen Yu – he was altering history's course.

With this realization, Chen Yu didn't hesitate to offer his mentorship.

The four, young and eager, idolized strength. After seeing Chen Yu's unmatched power as he decimated the zombie horde with a single punch, they eagerly accepted his guidance.

Chen Yu took them under his wing during the cleanup of two more buildings, imparting his zombie-fighting techniques.

He let them take the lead in safe situations, stepping in only when necessary, all the while discreetly assessing their character.

Quick learners, the four developed a seamless teamwork, managing to methodically eliminate zombies even when outnumbered two to one, without faltering in the face of danger.

The zombies they faced were not the unmutated kind Chen Yu initially encountered but those that had undergone their first transformation.

These zombies, with their newly sprouted sharp claws and teeth, posed a real threat, ready to wound with the slightest misstep.

Chen Yu leaned casually against the corridor wall.

He listened as Lee Hao and his group entered the room, followed by a cacophony of crackles and pops.

In under a minute, Lee Hao emerged, grinning ear to ear, and extended a crystal nucleus to Chen Yu. "Here you go, Boss Yu," he said cheerfully.

Without hesitation, Chen Yu took the crystal nucleus and popped it into his mouth.

But as he swallowed it, a barely perceptible frown creased his brow. He turned to Lee Hao and the others and instructed,

"It's getting dark. You don't need to follow me anymore. Get everyone to use the zip line to regroup at my building."

"I'll take care of the buildings behind us myself."

"Once I return, I'll show you all how to become Evolvers!"