Chapter Eleven: The Husband and Wife Deception

A thunderous crash echoed, as heavy and dull as a collapsing floor.

The massive, monstrous dog was sent flying through the air by that single punch, slamming into the wall behind with such force that plaster rained down in a flurry. It let out a pained, whimpering cry.

Chen Jiahe, watching from behind, felt her eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

This… was this even the kind of strength a human could possess?

The mutated bulldog struggled to its feet, swaying unsteadily. Its left front leg hung at a grotesque angle; it was clearly broken. As it looked toward Mu Chen again, the initial ferocity was gone, replaced by a deep-seated wariness and terror.

Mu Chen remained expressionless, closing the distance with one more step.

"Woo..."

The beast let out a low whine, then suddenly turned tail, dragging its injured leg as it fled toward the stairs in a pathetic, clumsy scramble. Even while escaping, it kept glancing back in a panic, terrified that Mu Chen might pursue it.

"Is that all you've got?" Mu Chen shook his fist, his knuckles cracking with a series of crisp pops.

Chen Jiahe finally snapped out of her stupor. She walked over with unsteady steps, her voice still trembling with disbelief: "Your... your strength... how is it so immense?"

"The effect of system enhancement," Mu Chen replied flatly, showing no intention of explaining further. He turned and continued toward Building 7.

Chen Jiahe hurried to catch up, the frantic beating of her heart still refusing to settle. Recalling the moment Mu Chen had struck, that display of overwhelming, pure, and extreme aesthetic violence made her soul shudder, yet inexplicably... it also instilled in her an unprecedented sense of security.

This man might truly be able to keep her alive in this apocalypse.

"Ding! Chen Jiahe's favorability +10. Current favorability: 52/100 (Trust)."

The system notification chimed in Mu Chen’s mind at the perfect moment. The corners of his mouth quirked up, almost imperceptibly.

Before long, they reached the 12th floor of Building 7. Mu Chen raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Pan Han, open up. It's me."

A flurry of panicked, hurried footsteps sounded from within. Soon, the security door gave a "click" and opened a narrow crack.

Pan Han’s haggard, bloodshot face appeared.

"Mu Chen! It really is you! You actually came!" Seeing who it was, Pan Han’s voice cracked with excitement, nearly breaking into tears. "Quick! Come in!"

He threw the door open and ushered them inside.

The room was dim, the air thick with the cloying stench of rotting food and the stale smell of people who hadn't washed in a long time.

A frail woman lay curled in the corner of the sofa, her hair dry and yellow, her face devoid of color, and her eye sockets sunken deep. It was Pan Han’s wife, Zhang Lili. She looked as withered as a dehydrated flower; one look told you she had been starving for so long she was on the verge of exhaustion.

"Where are the supplies? Mu Chen, did you bring supplies?" Pan Han rubbed his hands together, his gaze fixed on Mu Chen with a burning, anxious intensity, as if he were looking at a savior.

"First, tell me the specific method for awakening an ability." Mu Chen walked straight to the main sofa and sat down, his posture composed. Chen Jiahe stood behind him, looking somewhat uneasy.

"No!" Pan Han’s expression crumbled, and he shook his head repeatedly. "You have to give us food first! My wife... my wife is really dying! If she doesn't get anything to eat, she's going to die!"

On the sofa, Zhang Lili seemed to hear her husband’s words. She used all her remaining strength to lift her head weakly, her voice as thin as a thread: "Husband... I... I'm so hungry..."

Mu Chen tapped his fingers on the armrest twice, then reached into his system storage and produced a 500ml bottle of mineral water and a pack of vacuum-sealed compressed biscuits, tossing them casually onto the coffee table in front of him.

"This much is enough for you and your wife to last through today and tomorrow. Tell me the method to awaken an ability, and once you’re done, the rest of the supplies will be yours."

Pan Han’s Adam's apple bobbed violently. He stared fixedly at the food and water on the table, growling with a raspy voice: "It's not enough! How is this enough to keep us alive? My wife... she's dying! At least, at least give me another case of water and ten packs! Ten packs of compressed biscuits!"

His emotions were spiraling out of control, his voice thick with tears.

"Three packs of biscuits, two bottles of water," Mu Chen said, his voice devoid of ripples. "That is the exchange."

His calm stood in stark contrast to Pan Han’s hysteria.

The muscles in Pan Han’s face twitched. He turned to look at his wife, who was barely moving on the sofa, his chest heaving.

A few seconds later, like a deflated balloon, he said dejectedly: "Fine... deal! But you have to swear that once you have the method, you will give me the rest of the stuff immediately!"

His tone was heavy with distrust and the madness of someone with nothing left to lose.

Mu Chen nodded, signaling him to continue.

Pan Han licked his cracked lips, lowering his voice as if afraid the walls might hear: "There are three hard requirements to awaken an ability. Not a single one can be skipped."

He held up a finger: "First, you must have direct contact with the black mist outside. Not looking through glass, but letting your body touch it!"

He held up a second finger: "Second, when you come into contact with the black mist, you must be in an extreme emotional state. It could be terror that shatters your nerves, or rage that boils your blood. The more intense the emotional fluctuation, the higher the chance of success!"

He paused, then held up a third finger, his tone grave: "Finally, and most importantly, the time! It must be between midnight and three in the morning! Only during this window is the energy of the black mist at its most potent, making it easiest to trigger a mutation!"

"What exactly must be done to satisfy these conditions?" Mu Chen asked, cutting to the core of the matter.

"The easiest way is to find a..." Pan Han was about to reveal the key, but stopped abruptly. He looked at Mu Chen with newfound vigilance, his tone shifting. "Wait! Mu Chen, what about the supplies you promised me? You haven't given me the rest!"

A flicker of cunning crossed his eyes; he was clearly afraid that once Mu Chen had all the information, he would renege on the deal.

Mu Chen’s expression remained unchanged as he simply stared at Pan Han.

"How much do you want?"

Greed and fear twisted together on Pan Han’s face: "I... I want... ten cases of water! Fifty packs of compressed biscuits! No! One hundred packs!" His voice trembled violently; he was practically screaming.

Mu Chen gave a cold laugh and shook his head: "It seems you still don't understand the situation."

He stood up, making a motion to leave.

"Wait!" Pan Han lunged forward, nearly falling to his knees on the spot. "Don't go! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

He looked back at the dying Zhang Lili on the sofa, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Please, save her..."

Mu Chen sat back down, signaling him to continue.

"It’s not about finding a... specific place," Pan Han lowered his voice and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his shirt. On it, drawn in charcoal, was the crooked shape of a fruit, accompanied by a few lines of small text. "It’s about finding something! A black fruit! About the size of a thumb, growing on a very short shrub with serrated leaves! I secretly saw Pan Guang hiding it—this is it!"

He pushed the paper toward Mu Chen.

"Eat it, and combine it with the black mist and the extreme emotional stimulation I told you about, and your success rate will be much higher! That’s how Pan Guang awakened! He kept it from me all this time! He was afraid that if I knew, I’d awaken too and fight him for food and women!" Pan Han’s voice was filled with venomous resentment.

Mu Chen picked up the paper and examined it closely.