Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

"What's your name?"

Shen Xi's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly.

The soldier's body stiffened, his eyes darting away, unable to meet Shen Xi's gaze. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Shen Xi just looked at him without urging him.

I just watched quietly.

But this silent gaze is more oppressive than any interrogation.

"His name is Zhang Shun!"

Suddenly, a rough voice rang out from the side.

Shen Xi turned her head and saw a burly man in his thirties wearing leather armor in the style of a squad leader, who was frowning as he looked in this direction.

"Great God of the Primordial Beginning, what brings you here?" The squad leader stepped forward, his tone still respectful, but his eyes clearly held a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction. "I know Zhang Shun; he's honest and law-abiding, and never causes trouble. He was on guard duty half the night last night and didn't come down until dawn. If you don't have anything else to say, could you let him go and rest? The brothers have been standing here for ages, and they're all exhausted."

The atmosphere subtly shifted after those words were spoken.

Someone whispered in agreement:

"Yes, we've been on duty all night and haven't slept yet."

"I was dragged to the assembly early in the morning and didn't even get to eat."

"What is it that you have to tell me now?"

The whispers gradually grew louder.

More people began to look this way, their initial awe turning into doubt, and even a hint of dissatisfaction.

Feeling the support of those around him, the soldier named Zhang Shun's stiff shoulders relaxed slightly. He raised his head and looked directly at Shen Xi for the first time. Although his eyes were still somewhat evasive, he dared to speak.

"Great God of the Primordial Beginning," his voice trembled slightly, but he still managed a forced smile, "I...I really don't know what you want with me. I'm just an ordinary soldier, I patrol and stand guard as usual, I haven't done anything out of line."

He paused, and seeing that Shen Xi didn't react, he became even bolder:

"Why did you gather us all here today? Just say what you want, don't... can you stop scaring us like this?"

"Yes! Just say what you mean!"

"Great God of the Primordial Beginning, we know you are powerful, ranking first on all three lists, but you can't just make things difficult for a nobody like me without reason, can you?"

"What exactly did he do wrong? Explain yourself!"

Several soldiers around him spoke up, their tone becoming increasingly aggressive.

The squad leader stepped in front of Zhang Shun, looking directly at Shen Xi: "Great God Taichu, if you can't produce any evidence, I need to get an explanation from the city lord for what happened today. Our city defense force may not be as strong as yours, but we won't be bullied!"

On the high platform, Liu Xinghui frowned deeply.

She watched this scene, unsure of what to do.

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Most of the three hundred-plus city defense soldiers were now looking in this direction. Some were puzzled, some were angry, and some were observing coldly. But everyone's emotions were shifting in the same direction...

They suspect Shen Xi.

There are suspicions that the sudden appearance of the top three lists is a pretext to establish authority by targeting them.

Liu Xinghui opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Because she didn't know what Shen Xi had discovered.

She could only look at the figure surrounded by the crowd and wait for his response.

Shen Xi stood there, her expression unchanged in the face of the growing doubts around her.

He didn't even glance at those people.

He just looked at Zhang Shun.

Then he spoke.

The voice was calm.

"Mingying, kill him."

The entire square fell into a deathly silence!

Everyone was stunned!

The squad leader stared wide-eyed at Shen Xi in disbelief. The surrounding soldiers were even more dumbfounded, speechless for a moment.

On the high platform, Liu Xinghui's pupils suddenly contracted.

Zhang Shun's face turned deathly pale instantly, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. But he quickly regained his composure, and the fear on his face turned into anger, into a hysterical roar:

"Why?! Why kill me?!"

He broke free from the squad leader's support, rushed forward two steps, and stared intently at Shen Xi:

"Tai Chu! Who do you think you are?! You may be at the top of the three rankings, and you may have diamond-level equipment, but this Starshine City doesn't belong to you! The city lord is still standing there! What gives you the right to kill people just like that?!"

The surrounding soldiers also realized what was happening.

"That's too much!"

"On what grounds did he kill someone? What crime did he commit?!"

"Lord! Lord, you must do us justice!"

"Our city defense troops have defended Weixing Huicheng; even if they haven't achieved great feats, they've certainly put in the hard work. Are we just going to let them kill us like this?!"

The sentiment is indignant.

Of the more than 300 people, at least half spoke up to condemn the incident, while the rest also showed their dissatisfaction.

Mingying had already moved.

He walked towards Zhang Shun step by step.

His two-meter-tall body resembled a moving iron tower, and his deep eyes showed no emotion.

As Zhang Shun watched Mingying get closer and closer, his legs began to go weak.

He finally realized that the silent, burly man was really going to make a move.

"Stop! You stop right there!" he screamed hoarsely, his voice filled with fear.

But Mingying did not stop.

step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

The distance is getting closer and closer.

Zhang Shun finally broke down. He knelt on the ground with a thud and turned to look at Liu Xinghui on the platform:

"Lord! Lord, save me! I didn't do anything! I really didn't do anything!"

Liu Xinghui frowned and looked at Shen Xi: "Tai Chu, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Xi interrupted.

He continued to look at Zhang Shun, his voice indifferent:

"I'm asking you, which part of your body was injured by the rotting corpse?"

Zhang Shun trembled all over.

The surrounding noise instantly subsided.

Everyone looked at Zhang Shun, their expressions becoming complicated.

They had all seen the announcements for the post-apocalyptic survival game; if they were injured by rotting zombies, there was a high chance they would turn into rotting zombies themselves.

Zhang Shun's expression changed several times, then he shook his head frantically: "No! I wasn't injured by the rotting corpse! I was never touched by the rotting corpse! Tai Chu, you're making false accusations!"

"Really?" Shen Xi said calmly, "Then explain how you got that wound on your left arm?"

Zhang Shun's body stiffened again.

He instinctively covered his left arm; there was indeed a wound there, wrapped with a strip of cloth.

The surrounding soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment.

The squad leader frowned and looked at Zhang Shun: "Zhang Shun, you're injured? When did this happen?"

Zhang Shun opened his mouth, stammering, "It was...it was when I was patrolling outside the city the day before yesterday, I accidentally got scratched by the barbed wire, it's a minor injury, nothing to mention..."

"Barbed wire?" Shen Xi smiled. "Are you sure?"

Zhang Shun's face flushed crimson, but under Ming Ying's deep gaze, his voice trailed off: "I...I'm sure..."

"Then let me see." Shen Xi took a step forward. "Let me see if it's a scratch from the barbed wire or a claw mark from a rotting corpse."

Zhang Shun was trembling all over.

He looked around. The soldiers who had just spoken up for him were now looking at him with complicated expressions. Some had doubts in their eyes, some had subconsciously taken a step back, and others were staring intently at his left arm.

On the high platform, Liu Xinghui's expression also changed.

She finally realized what Shen Xi was investigating.

Infect.

People infected by rotting corpses!

A cold sweat instantly broke out on her back.

"No...no!" Zhang Shun hissed, "This is my privacy! You can't..."

"Mingying".

Shen Xi only said two words.

Mingying continued forward.

They were only three steps away from Zhang Shun.

Two steps.

step.

Zhang Shun finally broke down completely. He collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"I'll talk! I'll talk! It was...it was when I was patrolling outside the city the day before yesterday...that I encountered a rotting corpse...and I was accidentally scratched by its claws..."

He raised his head, looking at Shen Xi with pleading eyes, and then at Liu Xinghui on the platform:

"But I'm really fine! The wound was shallow, and I disinfected it as soon as I got back! Look at me now, I can eat, sleep, run, and jump—there's absolutely no sign of mutation! Lord! Lord, please believe me! I'm really fine!"

Liu Xinghui looked at Shen Xi, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes.

The surrounding soldiers also began to speak up:

"Yeah, it's just a scratch, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get infected, right?"

"I was also scratched by rotting zombies before, and I'm fine now, aren't I?"

"Primordial God, perhaps you are overthinking it?"

"Lord of the city, please say something!"

Liu Xinghui took a deep breath, about to speak...

At that moment, Zhang Shun's body suddenly convulsed violently!

His eyes widened instantly, revealing a dense network of blood vessels on his eyeballs! The blood vessels beneath his skin writhed wildly like earthworms! His mouth opened to its widest extent, but no sound came out, only a strange "hoarse" noise!

"ah……!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream echoed across the square!

Everyone instinctively stepped back!

The soldiers who had been surrounding Zhang Shun just moments before were now retreating frantically as if they had seen a ghost!

The squad leader staggered back more than ten steps, his face ashen white!

Because Zhang Shun's face is deformed!

His skin rapidly turned from normal to bluish-gray, his eye sockets became sunken, his eyes became cloudy, his lips turned purple, and black saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth! Most horrifyingly, his left arm was visibly rotting and festering under the bandages, revealing the stark white bone!

Everyone saw it!

That wound, it wasn't made by any barbed wire.

These are clearly claw marks from a rotting corpse!

Around the claw marks, bluish-gray rotting flesh was spreading rapidly!

Corruption level: 68%...79%...85%...

In Shen Xi's all-seeing vision, the line of numbers was jumping wildly.

Zhang Shun… no, at this moment it should be called a “quasi-corpse,” was still struggling. With its remaining human consciousness, it looked at Liu Xinghui, and two lines of black, bloody tears streamed from its turbid eyes:

"Lord... save me... I don't want to... die..."

Liu Xinghui stood there, looking somewhat reluctant.

She looked at the soldier who had been pleading with her just moments before, at his face turning into a rotting corpse, at the last vestige of humanity fading from his cloudy eyes…

She couldn't say anything.

Because it's no use saying anything now.

"roar!!!"

Zhang Shun has completely mutated!

Its body suddenly swelled, tearing through its uniform to reveal rotting, bluish-gray skin! Its fingernails grew wildly, transforming into ten sharp bone claws! A beastly roar escaped its throat, and its murky eyes scanned its surroundings, finally locking onto the nearest living person…

That squad leader who spoke up for it before!

"Be careful!"

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell.

But someone is faster than it.

Mingying.

The moment Zhang Shun mutated, Mingying had already moved.

There are no unnecessary movements, no fancy skills.

Only one cut.

The twin bone blades were swung upwards, drawing a pale arc of light in the air!

"Snap!"

Zhang Shun's... now it should be called a rotting corpse... head flew off with a thud!

Black blood gushed from the severed neck, splashing three meters high! The head tumbled several times in the air before landing on the ground, rolling a few more times, and finally stopping at the squad leader's feet.

The face still retained the grotesque appearance of its mutation, its turbid eyes wide open, its death stare unfulfilled.

The squad leader looked down at the head, his legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground.

The entire room fell silent.

More than three hundred city defense soldiers, more than three hundred survivors of the apocalypse, all stood in place like statues.

No one speaks.

No one dared to make a move.

Only that head was still slowly oozing black blood.

Shen Xi stood still, without moving a single step from beginning to end.

He stared at the head on the ground, at the headless corpse, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at a pile of garbage.

Then, he looked up.

His gaze swept over the more than three hundred city defense soldiers.

He glanced at the squad leader who was slumped on the ground.

His gaze swept over Liu Xinghui, who was pale-faced on the high platform.

Finally, the blame fell on the group of soldiers who had just spoken up for Zhang Shun.

"Who else?" he asked casually.

No one answered.

No one dared to answer.

Those who were just moments ago filled with righteous indignation and demanding an explanation all now had their heads down, wishing they could hide themselves in the crowd.

Shen Xi withdrew her gaze and turned to walk towards the high platform.

As he passed Mingying, he paused slightly.

"Drag them out and burn them."

Mingying nodded silently.

Shen Xi continued forward.

Behind him, Mingying bent down, grabbed the headless corpse, held it in one hand, picked up the head with the other, and strode towards the outside of the square.

Wherever he went, the crowd parted like a tide, afraid of getting even a drop of the black blood on the corpse.