Little Monkey remembered clearly-Master had ventured deep into the Industrial Park and nearly lost his life, all for this fruit.

It cradled the Golden Thread Fruit Zhao Yin had given it, its mental voice trembling with disbelief. "Master, is this really for me?"

"Of course. I never mistreat those who earn their keep," Zhao Yin said.

Old Bull immediately looked over, eyes brimming with envy.

It had been eyeing that Golden Thread Fruit for a long time.

Now it had fallen into the Monkey's hands.

Still, remembering how Little Monkey had risked its life to save it earlier, Old Bull couldn't bring itself to fight for it.

"Every mutant beast can only consume one Golden Thread Fruit in its lifetime. Eating more is useless." Zhao Yin's words crushed Old Bull's last hope.

Little Monkey wanted to shower its master with gratitude, but Zhao Yin shot it a glare and cut it off. "Are you going to eat it or not?"

Little Monkey didn't dare hesitate any longer, terrified the prize would slip away.

It stuffed the Golden Thread Fruit into its mouth, cheeks bulging as it chewed.

Moments later, Little Monkey collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

Old Bull watched with a hint of schadenfreude. It knew what eating the Golden Thread Fruit felt like.

Last time, it had endured agonizing pain until it blacked out. Fortunately, the Zombie King hadn't been around then.

But when it came to understanding the Golden Thread Fruit, no one knew more than Zhao Yin.

The fruit could raise a mutant beast by an entire tier and grant a new ability. With effects that monstrous, the pain couldn't possibly be mild.

Still, the Monkey would be fine. Zhao Yin pulled out a cotton quilt, spread it over the carpet, lit a cigarette, and drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, five hours had passed. The sky had grown dim.

Song Xiaodao had returned at some point, her small body curled up beside him. Zhao Yin had been too badly wounded the night before. The Filled Bread had healed his injuries, but his body, drained from blood loss, hadn't fully recovered. He'd slept like the dead.

Nearby, Little Monkey and Old Bull sat staring at each other, both in a daze.

Zhao Yin activated the Eye of True Sight on Little Monkey.

[Growing Macaque: E-Tier Mutant Beast | Strength 40 | Agility 42 | Stamina 48 | Defense 32 | Spirit 15 | Bloodline Talents: Giantification, Berserk, Fire Control]

Mutant beasts, like zombies, gained a Defense stat after evolving to E-Tier.

But what truly caught Zhao Yin's attention was the new talent Little Monkey had awakened-Fire Control.

Fire-type abilities ranked among the best combat powers. Zhao Yin had worried Little Monkey might evolve something useless.

He hadn't expected fire.

"Monkey, show me your Fire Control... wait. Get out of the tent first." Zhao Yin didn't want the Monkey burning down his shelter.

Seeing its master awake, Little Monkey practically vibrated with excitement. Its mental voice rang out like it was presenting a treasure. "Master, I feel so strong now!"

Obviously. It had evolved to E-Tier. Of course it was stronger.

Zhao Yin led Little Monkey outside, settled into a plastic chair, lit a cigarette, and waited for the performance.

Anticipation stirred in his chest.

Little Monkey, careful not to singe its master, positioned itself over twenty meters away. Its eyes sharpened. Slowly, it raised one hand toward a pile of wood.

Poof!

A tiny flame flickered between its fingers-barely bigger than a soybean-and sputtered out in less than a second.

Little Monkey's eyes went wide. It stood frozen.

Zhao Yin stared blankly. That was its fire ability?

"Master, I... I haven't eaten enough! I don't have the strength to use my ability!" Little Monkey's mental voice was thick with embarrassment.

Zhao Yin frowned. In his previous life, by the time he'd found the Golden Thread Fruit for Lin Tianfeng, Little Monkey was already dead.

Dual-ability mutant beasts were exceedingly rare. Even Lin Tianfeng had only managed to unlock a second ability for his Contract Beast back then.

A third ability existed only in theory. First, you needed a dual-ability beast, then you needed the Golden Thread Fruit's effect to even have a chance.

Zhao Yin himself had never seen it done.

Was dual abilities the limit for mutant beasts?

He couldn't know for certain. His face remained calm as he watched Little Monkey, but inside, he mourned the wasted fruit.

"Master, can you give me some Supernatural Food? Once I'm full, I can show you real flames," Little Monkey pleaded.

"No need. I don't want to see it." Zhao Yin stood and walked toward the Invisibility Tent.

His heart bled. A whole Golden Thread Fruit!

"Master, Chestnuts are fine too! Just let me eat my fill, and I'll show you!" Little Monkey scurried after him, tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"Wait until Xiaodao wakes up. We'll eat together," Zhao Yin said.

For the next two days, Zhao Yin rested in the Tunnel with Song Xiaodao and the two beasts.

On the morning of the third day, he went deep into the Tunnel alone.

The Corn Tree had begun to wither. Its branches and leaves were turning yellow.

Zhao Yin snapped off the last corn cob, stored it in his Spatial Ring, then woke Song Xiaodao and the beasts. Time to pack up and move.

He had no intention of returning to Guangzhou City. His destination was the Dawei Mountains.

In his previous life, during the second year of the apocalypse, Zhao Yin had helped Lin Tianfeng set a trap in those mountains. They'd captured the Flying White Tiger-only a C-Tier mutant beast at the time.

That beast eventually grew to Emperor Tier.

This life, he wanted more than survival. He needed to grow stronger and stockpile resources. What he lacked most right now was a Life Space.

Zhao Yin vaguely recalled that in the fourth year of the apocalypse, a Life Space had appeared in the Dawei Mountains. A powerful ability user had claimed it.

The story reached Zhao Yin's ears in the fifth year. The most common version said that ability user had allied with over a dozen A-Tier evolvers to slay a Zombie King.

In the end, only the ability user survived. From the Star Crystal, they'd drawn an SS-Tier treasure.

SS-Tier. Enough to make anyone in the apocalypse kill for it. The revelation had sparked a bloodbath. Even SSS-Tier ability users had gotten involved. The one who'd claimed the Life Space ultimately bled out in those mountains.

Zhao Yin packed up the Invisibility Tent and led Song Xiaodao and the two beasts out of the Tunnel.

"Zhao Yin, look! What's that?"

Song Xiaodao suddenly pointed at something in the distance.

...

"Huff... huff...!"

Old Qin sprinted for his life, lungs pumping like a bellows. Over a dozen zombies chased close behind.

His panicked, directionless flight only attracted more. Soon, hundreds of them swarmed at his heels.

"God above, you let me live-so why are you doing this to me?" Old Qin lamented silently.

He knew if this kept up, he'd be dead soon.

In that moment, memories flooded back. Old friends. Old stories. All gone now. Between the desolate heavens and earth, only he remained, clawing to survive.

Honestly, what was the point?

Maybe dying wouldn't be so bad. He'd been an orphan since birth, never knowing his parents' faces. A veteran of the War of Resistance had taken him in.

When he grew up, Old Qin answered the call and enlisted. Ten years in the military, gone in a flash.

One visit home changed everything. Someone had blinded his adoptive father in one eye. The man had connections, so his father swallowed the humiliation. Old Qin grabbed a knife and killed him.

Just like that, his military career ended. Fifteen years of labor reform followed. When he got out, his adoptive father was nothing but a lonely grave.

Half a lifetime wasted. He'd never even married.

Middle-aged and branded a convict, no decent job would touch him. He'd ended up at this construction site, working as a kitchen hand.

Then the apocalypse came...