Chapter 3

Leroy spent nearly two months with the team, so he knew what Blondie was like.

Before the apocalypse, Blondie was a petty thug.

After it began, he got lucky and became a Beyonder.

And people like him cared more about respect than anything else.

If Leroy embarrassed him, Blondie could hold a grudge for a month and make trouble for him whenever he got the chance.

On the other hand, if Leroy showed him respect, Blondie might help him when it was within his power.

One loaf of bread could buy Leroy help in the future and spare him a certain enemy.

There was everything to gain and nothing to lose.

A loaf of bread might once have been a vital resource to Leroy.

But now, it mattered less.

With his analysis ability, he was unlikely to starve!

Just then, the man in his forties walked up to Leroy, his face full of gratitude. "Thank you. I was going to choose B, but then I saw you standing here...

"You looked like a smart kid, so I followed your lead. If I hadn't, I'd be dead too!"

The man glanced at the five bodies on the other side. He was still shaken by how close he came to joining them.

"You don't need to thank me. I didn't do anything."

Leroy turned and walked back into the crowd.

If Leroy remembered correctly, the man's name was Wayne Tanner.

He was a poor soul.

Soon after the apocalypse began, supernatural horrors killed his wife and daughter.

He was the only one who escaped.

But who wasn’t suffering in the apocalypse?

Even the Beyonders were no different.

Leroy had barely returned to the crowd when a seductive woman with a striking figure approached him.

Her thin, revealing clothes left little to the imagination.

She swayed her hips as she came to a stop before him, then leaned close enough to reveal her fair skin and ample breasts.

She looked up at him and spoke in a soft, pleading voice.

"Hey, handsome, could you spare me half a loaf of bread? If you do, I can make sure you enjoy yourself tonight."

As she spoke, the woman deliberately thrust out her chest.

Leroy did not even look up.

His voice was cold.

"Get lost."

In the apocalypse, a cold response spared him a lot of needless trouble.

The woman's expression soured, and her body trembled with anger.

She couldn't believe Leroy was so heartless.

She was attractive enough!

And she was certainly confident in her figure!

She made her offer as plainly as she could.

And all she got was a "Get lost"?

She glared at him.

"You..."

Leroy calmly pulled a dagger from his clothes and pressed its tip against her chest.

"What about me?"

The feel of metal against her body stunned her.

Her face went pale, her legs weakened, and terror filled her eyes.

Her voice shook. "No... please..."

Leroy's expression stayed calm. He slowly slid the dagger up her skin until it rested against her throat.

One push was all it would take to draw blood.

Many of the nearby survivors turned to look, their eyes full of shock and fear.

They never expected this young, good-looking man to be so ruthless.

The woman's face went pale.

Despair overwhelmed her, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I only wanted to..."

Before she could finish, Leroy put away the dagger and said coldly, "Get lost!"

The woman felt as if she had escaped death.

Her legs gave way, and she sank to the ground.

For a moment there, she thought that Leroy really meant to kill her.

Other survivors who had been eyeing his bread saw what happened and decided he was too dangerous to approach.

Instead, they turned their attention to the slender woman and the older man, who also received food.

Of course, the survival team's rules stopped them from taking it by force.

They could only try other means.

Leroy put away the dagger, his expression still calm.

He was not bluffing.

If the woman kept talking, he would have driven the dagger into her.

After all, it would not have been his first time killing someone.

The first time was hard.

The second came easier.

In the apocalypse, anyone who couldn’t bring themselves to kill was as good as dead.

The seductive woman's name was Zoe May.

Since she joined the team, she took part in only one [Choice], and that one was guaranteed to be safe.

By all rights, her supplies should have run out.

However, she was still alive and even seemed comfortable.

She survived by selling her body.

Half a loaf of bread bought a night with her.

A bottle of water bought a night with her.

In this brutal apocalypse, her body was something she could trade.

But Leroy had no interest.

The thought disgusted him.

Just then, new words flashed across the glowing screen.

A second [Choice] appeared!

[If you could receive a random vehicle by completing one of the following challenges, which would you choose...

[A: Lose one hand.]

[B: Race a Demon Spirit Rabbit and win.]

The instant the survivors saw the [Choice], their breathing quickened.

Their eyes shone with excitement!

A vehicle!

The reward was a vehicle!

What mattered most when they were fleeing through the apocalypse?

First came food.

Then came a vehicle.

For a survival team that had to keep moving, a vehicle was second only to food!

When danger struck, they didn’t need to be the fastest. They just needed to outrun someone else.

Their team had just eight vehicles, and that count included bicycles.

The other hundred or so people had to follow on foot whenever the team moved.

If they ran into danger, those people would die first!

With a vehicle, someone could get ahead of more than a hundred others and travel at the front of the group!

And now, they had a chance to get one!

It was an opportunity they could hardly hope to see again!

The survivors grew excited.

"A vehicle! The reward's actually a vehicle!"

"If I could get one, losing a hand might be worth it... My life matters more than my hand!"

"What's a Demon Spirit Rabbit? I wonder how fast it runs."

"Forget it. Humans can't outrun even an ordinary rabbit!"

"But what if we can? It's only a race, so it shouldn't be dangerous, right?"

"Not dangerous? Ha. Then why don't you try it?"

"I... Never mind..."

The survivors could barely contain their excitement.

Even the Beyonders narrowed their eyes with interest.

Vehicles were not limited to ordinary Jeeps, cars, and electric scooters.

Some vehicles possessed special abilities of their own and were classified as Ultra vehicles.

Rumor had it that someone in Cloudvale received a flying sword as a vehicle.

He could ride it through the air and use it to kill, which made him one of the most powerful Beyonders!

If someone got an Ultra vehicle, it would be worth it even if every ordinary survivor died!

Interest filled Shane's eyes.

A slight smile touched his lips as he looked over the crowd.