The apocalypse begins with a dungeon game.

"Of course it's fake." Li Can dispelled the puppet and emerged from it, holding a homemade torch in his hand.

He waved the thing in front of the No. 12 puppet spider monster and tested it, simultaneously receiving its internal feedback.

It was an unusual fear, a feeling of resisting contact.

It's just a repulsion; burning it with fire wouldn't cause any real damage.

Therefore, fire can be a means of scaring monsters, but it cannot save your life.

Li Can was a little disappointed. This monster was quite fierce when it killed people, but how could there be such a design flaw?

Now that it's being used as a puppet, it has this flaw. What if we send it into battle later?

In the middle of the fight, the other side pulled out a lighter and lit it. It turned around and tried to run away. Could the fight continue...?

However, even disregarding these potential issues, it still played a significant role.

And so, they even conducted experiments on him from the side.

Chen Qi, watching Li Can bustling around in a daze, gave him a thorough analysis:

"...So you have spatial abilities?"

"No, no, it clearly looks like puppetry..."

"If you're so capable, why haven't I seen you at the First Base before?"

Are you a solo player?

"If you're not part of a group, would you be interested in joining my party after we exit the dungeon?"

But then Li Can looked up at the jungle, weighing the torch in his hand.

He then used readily available materials to make seven torches for his seven zombie puppets, wrapping strips of cloth torn from the clothes of the 1612 corpse in gasoline.

As Li Can busied himself with his work, he secretly harbored doubts.

What do you mean by joining her team after you leave?

Is there really a way in this game to let more than one person get out?

So, Chen Qi must have his own hidden methods outside of the rules, right?

He knew things couldn't be that simple.

However, Wu Xiuyuan and his apprentice should not be aware of this matter.

Otherwise, given the personalities of these two, the master and apprentice would never have repeatedly emphasized the rule that only one person could pass the level.

Especially Wangqing...

No, that's not right. Wu Xiuyuan might not actually be unaware; he might very well be faking it.

This old fox treasures his disciple so much, if he didn't have a backup plan, would he have brought him in to die?

In other words, even in a post-apocalyptic society where a new hierarchy of order is established, information cocoons still exist, and the amount of information that each person can access is always categorized.

Li Can quickly went through these logical steps in his mind, but didn't show it on his face, responding calmly:

"Oh? Well, let's get out of here alive first."

"You're right."

"..."

Chen Qi didn't respond, seemingly realizing he had said something inappropriate.

The conversation between the two abruptly stopped. She thanked him and took the medicine Li Can had given her to disinfect her wound.

the other side.

Li Can made full use of all the resource eggs he had drawn, which made him feel a little better, as he felt that he hadn't wasted the gold coins he had spent with such pain.

As for what Chen Qi's backup plan was, he didn't have the energy or inclination to try and get information out of him for the time being.

No one knows what else might be hidden in the darkness ahead; he only hopes to be as well-prepared as possible during his rest.

According to the reconnaissance intelligence from the vulture ahead, he has absorbed most of the monsters in the vicinity that could come to fight, so now is the safest time to go out.

After quickly finishing his tasks, Li Can led his large puppet squad and eight torches, deciding to cross the jungle directly.

Before they set off, Wang Qing was seen carrying the weak and unconscious Wu Xiuyuan on his back, trembling as he followed behind the group.

After Xiao Mo and Xiao Yu returned to their original forms, they blinked their pitiful big eyes and stood in a row with Chen Qi, the big one and two small ones right next to his number one zombie puppet.

Seeing this, his eyes twitched several times.

Are they all treating him like a mobile fortress? Is it really safe to follow him? Li Can himself wasn't sure.

He's not a free bodyguard!

But in the end, he didn't say much more.

Since his transmigration, Li Can has been plagued by a strange sense of sadness.

As time goes by, it becomes increasingly difficult to shake off.

"Yes, if humanity becomes extinct in ten years, will I still be able to see my fellow human beings alive?" he thought to himself.

Take one more look, even if it's just one more look... Humans are social animals.

He dared not imagine how bad his mental state would be if he were left alone in a post-apocalyptic wasteland after escaping the instance...

So far, at least, the presence of these people has not harmed him; some have even helped him.

Fine, I'll just go with them...

As for the idea he had previously considered—that he might be able to unite with humanity from ten years ago to end the apocalypse—he actually relegated it to the very end of all his plans.

He doesn't dare to gamble recklessly right now, nor does he have the capital to place bets.

Being able to play this terrible hand well is already defying fate...

There were no paths in the forest, and it was overgrown with weeds. The puppets had to forge a way through the undergrowth bit by bit.

Occasionally, spider monsters that foolishly dart out would become nutrients for his puppets to level up.

Moreover, the many torches he carried were no joke; they could not only provide light but also ward off evil spirits at any time.

"Looking from the open space towards the hospital, it didn't seem that far. This road is really long," Wang Qing said, panting.

With his already slender build, how could he not be tired carrying someone on his back all the time?

Li Can glanced back at him; his legs were already trembling and he could no longer walk.

His forehead was covered in sweat, but he had no intention of putting Wu Xiuyuan down no matter what.

Wu Xiuyuan had been in a coma ever since he vomited blood twice. At that time, Wang Qing was pinching his philtrum and chanting some incantations that Li Can could not understand.

Or he would draw some random talismans and stick them on his master's forehead. After half a day, Wu Xiuyuan's forehead was covered in yellow scorch marks.

None of these methods could awaken him.

There was no other way; after losing his master's protection, he began to become his master's protector, which actually touched Li Can quite a bit.

"Thank you, brother, for being willing to take us along."

Wang Qing lifted Wu Xiuyuan up a little higher on his back, and walked with trembling legs to Li Can's side to express his gratitude: "If it weren't for you using the puppet to kill all those monsters, my master and I would have died too."

In short

"Brother, you saved my life, you saved my master's life, and you even put aside past grievances and were willing to let me be your burden. I've decided that you're my older brother!"

"I, Wang Qing, am willing to follow you through thick and thin, even if it means going through fire and water. It is my duty."

"Hey, there just happens to be a peach orchard here. Since that's the case, let's become sworn brothers here today. Brother, don't laugh. Haven't you heard of the Oath of the Peach Garden?"

"That Liu, Guan, and Zhang swore an oath of blood, promising not to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year."

"Being loyal to your brothers is the most important thing in brotherhood!"

How come this person is even more of a chuunibyou than I am?

This was the first time in a long time that Li Can couldn't help but laugh.