Everyone's on a time-travel adventure! I'm raising city beasts in a post-apocalyptic world

From that day on, many subtle changes occurred in the convoy. Those who had previously lived numbly now had something indescribable in their eyes.

Although they still have to face the pursuit of the gray fog, the eeriness, the mutated beasts, hunger and death, everyone knows that this world is not just about darkness and despair, but also about someone who left a light for them long, long ago.

Now, that lamp is in their hands.

The caravan's migration never stopped, and the journey went more smoothly than expected. No one fell behind, and there were no large-scale attacks by beast tides. As soon as the mutated beasts roaming the wilderness appeared, they were spotted by the caravan and dealt with by a volley of crossbow fire.

Every time the caravan rested, Zhuoma and Yangjin would lead the guards in training. The women who were assigned to the guards gradually became more skilled from their initial awkwardness.

Zhuoma's talent allows her to establish a bond with horses and camels; under her and Yangjin's command, the riders move in unison and react quickly.

In her spare time, Zhuoma would call on Jin Tong and take a member of the guard team to hunt low-level mutated beasts in the surrounding area. This would not only train the troops but also provide them with food. Almost any edible mutated beast could improve their attributes, making them invaluable resources.

Golden Eyes hovered high in the sky, its reconnaissance range covering thousands of meters of wilderness. It could issue an early warning whenever a large herd of beasts or a powerful mutated beast approached, allowing the guard team to retreat quickly.

Wang Lie's patrol team wasn't idle either; they trained their combat skills every day, and those who couldn't persevere were eliminated. He only accepted elites who dared to fight and take risks.

Life had been a constant struggle, and the convoy had been traveling for nearly a month, getting used to this post-apocalyptic nomadic lifestyle. Whenever they stopped, everyone busied themselves with their own tasks: some helped dismantle mutated beasts, others pedaled their vehicles to generate electricity and earn crystal cores... and they would play around in safe places.

Life on the turtle's back was the most peaceful. Rooms on both sides of the outer city were still in high demand. Every day, people from convoys would run to the foot of the black turtle to ask Zhao Gao, "Are there any rooms available?" "When can we move in?" "Can we pay a deposit and get in line?"

Zhao Gao was busy dealing with a constant stream of inquiries while holding the register, keeping him extremely busy every day.

"That's all. There are only rooms left on the 3rd floor. 30 level 3 ghost crystals a month. You should line up to register. There are more than 300 people ahead of you. We'll only have rooms when someone cancels or when the building is expanded."

Fu Kui saw all of this and started making his own little calculations.

That day, he found a few honest, ordinary people in a corner of the camp. They were poor people who didn't even have a vehicle in the caravan and relied on pedaling for others in exchange for food. They huddled in the corner, eating grass cakes mixed with wild vegetables, their eyes showing exhaustion.

Fu Kui leaned closer and squatted down: "Hey guys, do you want to live up there?"

The others looked up at him. "Who wouldn't want to... I heard that staying up there costs one level 0 monster crystal per day, and it's a 10-person dormitory, but there are no rooms available anymore..."

"Yeah, the queue is already hundreds of people long now. If there were rooms available, we would have gone this morning. Otherwise, we wouldn't be generating electricity for others. I work myself to the bone for over ten hours a day, generating 20 kilowatt-hours of electricity for just one level 0 ghost crystal, and the foreman takes half of it..."

"Shh, keep your voice down. If the foreman hears you, you'll lose this job."

The group then stopped complaining.

Fu Kui sighed and patted the other man on the shoulder: "It's not easy, brother. But you can always wait in line. This isn't something that can't be compromised."

Fu Kui lowered his voice and looked around: "Do you know who I am?"

Several people shook their heads.

"Lin Feng and I are college classmates and good buddies. I live upstairs now, in the best house," he pointed in Xiao Xuan's direction. "He reserved it especially for me. The room is no different from before the apocalypse. It has water and electricity, a bathroom, a balcony, a bedroom, and you can even grow flowers and plants."

The group immediately perked up: "Really? Then could you put in a good word for us?"

"Sure, why not?" Fu Kui sat down cross-legged and rubbed his hands together. "But let me tell you, it's no use going to Zhao Gao. He's just a manager, he doesn't have the authority. You have to go directly to my brother Lin Feng. I'll talk to him and we can get a better price. If you pay monthly, it'll be half the normal rent."

"Half price?" The people opposite exchanged glances, both surprised and delighted. "Really half price?"

"Of course it's true!" Fu Kui patted his chest and said, "I'm Lin Feng's brother. Entrusting me with renting the Ghost Crystal for you is just a matter of a few words. Even if it doesn't work out, consider it a loan from me. You won't be shortchanged on your Ghost Crystal, will you?"

One of the older men hesitated, "But Boss Zhao said the prices are all fixed..."

"What is Zhao Gao?" Fu Kui waved his hand. "A word I say to Lin Feng is a million times more effective than his. Forget about the next expansion, I wouldn't even have to worry about freeing up a few rooms for you right now."

The group hesitated for a moment, then noticed that Fu Kui's clothes were much cleaner than theirs. Considering that he did indeed live on the turtle's back and was an Awakened One, it seemed that he should be reliable.

Finally, someone relented. He pulled a cloth bag from his pocket, poured out a few ghost crystals, and hesitantly handed them over: "Well... I only have 6 level 0 ghost crystals here. I spent a week traveling to collect them. You can take them for now..."

"And me, I have 5 here too. I'll drive around for a few more hours these next few days to generate electricity and exchange it for the ghost crystals. I'll give the rest to you in a few days. You have to put in a good word for us."

"This is mine..."

"Don't worry, I've got it covered!" Fu Kui took the Ghost Crystal, put it in his pocket, and patted his chest. "I'll go find a few more people. Just wait for my good news."

Fu Kui followed the same method, walked around half of the camp, and collected more than a hundred ghost crystals in total using the same method. He also took the few level 2 ghost crystals that his wife had collected in the ruins that day, and knocked on Zhao Gao's door.

"Old Zhao!"

Fu Kui, with a smile on his face, handed over the strange crystal: "I've come to pay the rent, it's all here."

Zhao Gao took the strange crystal, counted it, put it away, and made a record.

"The rent is paid. How are you planning to pay tomorrow?"

Fu Kui rubbed his hands together: "Hey, Lao Zhao, you still don't trust me? I'll owe you for now. I'll pay you a month's worth in a day when I have the money. For the sake of Lin Feng being my brother, even if you don't trust me, I have to trust Lin Feng."

"Also, is my brother free these days? I'd like to catch up with him in person, since we haven't seen each other in so long. Could you help me make an appointment?"

Zhao Gao glanced at him, then said expressionlessly, "I can't comment on the master's affairs. Go back and wait for news. I'll let you know when the master is free..."

"Alright, alright, I'll wait!" Fu Kui bowed and scraped as he left Zhao Gao's room. His smile faded for a moment, then immediately returned, and he whistled as he walked towards his own room.