Chapter 28: Hold Your Fire! It's One of Us!

The telegraph machine gradually died out, its sound fading completely as Gu Lang took it away. This device was invaluable, allowing him to access firsthand information and stay ahead. As for saving people… What did that have to do with him?

At that moment, the system's prompt sounded.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. You have swept through three areas and are now fabulously wealthy! From now on, you are no longer a novice and have gained some ability to survive in the apocalypse. Continue to grow using these resources! (Tip: It is recommended to use resources to cultivate your wives. This system focuses on the strength of your harem; as your wives grow stronger, so will you!)]
[Mission reward: One mystery package!]
[Mystery package: Enhancement Card—can strengthen skills!]

The system's guidance was spot on. Strengthening his wives brought countless benefits. Not to mention, Gu Lang’s Synchronization Skill was already outrageous enough, allowing him to repeatedly gain access to the more powerful skills of his wives for free. Even more crucial was that his wives didn’t require items to advance. This meant the cost of nurturing them was much lower. Yet, each time they advanced, the synchronized skills improved in real terms.

Cultivating his wives was also Gu Lang’s plan. As for the Enhancement Card, he already had one stored in his bag. Given how powerful skills became after strengthening, it was even more valuable than attribute points—after all, the boost from skill upgrades was immense. For instance, the King’s Command could control five zombies initially, but after enhancement, that number soared to twenty. If he continued to enhance it, the power would only grow. If used wisely, he could suddenly strengthen a skill in battle with the Enhancement Card, catching the enemy off guard and turning the tide instantly.

As he pondered, the system’s voice sounded again.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a new mission: Go to the military district to rescue survivors. As a Silver-level expert, you are now the light of humanity. With great power comes great responsibility—good luck!]
[Mission reward: Evolution Crystal!]

“It seems I have no choice but to save these people.”

Wait a minute… the military district?
How could there possibly be a military district in this small county town?
Damn system, do you even know what you’re talking about?

Gu Lang was speechless. The system’s missions were becoming increasingly fanciful. In his memory, the nearest military district was three hundred kilometers away! They couldn’t drive now, so was he supposed to walk? Even if the journey was safe, by the time he arrived, who knew how long it would take?

“Master Gu Lang! If you want to go to the military district to rescue people, I have a way.”

The Zombie Queen spoke timidly.

“We can travel by water!”

Gu Lang was taken aback. Water routes were indeed a solution—safe and able to travel day and night. But where would they find a boat?

“My family owns a boat. It’s just behind the hospital, and I know the route well!”

The Zombie Queen continued,
“Before the apocalypse, my parents and I often went on outings, so we bought a boat.
It’s not large, but it has long endurance and can use sails. Most importantly, it’s stored safely in a warehouse and is still in perfect condition!”

“Good! We’ll take the water route, but let’s prepare first.”

Gu Lang was cautious by nature; such a long journey required more than just setting out on a whim. First, their base was still at the factory villa, and he needed to move it. Second, his wives’ strengths varied greatly and they needed to be armed. Although An City was small and its zombies weak, there were still resources to be found. Gu Lang planned to sweep through An City, eliminating zombies and scavenging all available resources. Only when preparations were complete would they set out.

Soon, the villa district was cleared of zombies, the ground littered with corpses. After returning, Gu Lang led his wives in sweeping through the factory. With his strength nearing Gold-level and his wives forming a formidable force, ordinary zombies were no match and were dispatched in moments. By killing these zombies, Gu Lang continuously earned attribute points. Once he had enough, he could level up his wives and increase their strength.

Currently, his strongest wife was the Zombie Queen, already half a step into Gold-level. Next was Julie, with the highest attributes, though she was more of a support. Then came the two sisters from the Li family, Yu Qiuchi, and the little girl. As for Gu Lang himself, his strength was about equal to the Zombie Queen’s. His advantage lay in his numerous and powerful skills—like a common soldier equipped with legendary gear.

What he lacked now were attribute points. With few missions recently, and only the military district rescue as an option, Gu Lang had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

By evening, the factory’s zombies were completely cleared. Gu Lang tallied up his gains and found he had earned thirteen attribute points this time. Not much—but that was due to the low level of these zombies. He realized this approach was too inefficient; even if he stayed here for half a month, it wouldn’t be enough. An City was ultimately a small place with few people and even fewer talents. There were only two or three top-tier zombies.

“It seems I’ll have to go to the military district!”

Left with no other choice, Gu Lang decided to set out at dawn the next day. That night, to foster camaraderie, everyone still slept together on one bed. With the addition of the Zombie Queen, it was a bit crowded. However, the zombies’ cool touch was actually quite comfortable for Gu Lang. The Zombie Queen wasn’t shy and squeezed right next to him.

Her personality was a bit clingy, and once she grabbed Gu Lang, she wouldn’t let go. Feeling the Zombie Queen’s smooth, flat body, Gu Lang was silently at a loss for words.

…

The next morning, Gu Lang geared up and took the portable base with him, setting out once more for the outskirts. This time, their party was more impressive than before—forty zombies surrounded a group of Silver-level powerhouses. Along the way, it was like slicing through melons and vegetables. Whenever they encountered zombies, Gu Lang didn’t even need to act; his wives handled everything.

After sweeping through, Gu Lang returned once more to the psychiatric hospital. Without any mission this time, he relaxed and took in the surroundings. That was when he noticed a river behind the hospital—artificially dug, likely a canal, stretching far enough to connect the outskirts of two cities. No wonder it led to the military district.

Following the Zombie Queen to the backyard, he suddenly saw a garage built right by the water, just a couple steps from the riverbank. Usually, it only took two people to carry the small sailboat and set it in the water. However, Gu Lang frowned. There were signs of a fire in front of the garage. Someone was here!

“Shh! I think they’re inside the garage!”
A cold gleam flashed in Gu Lang’s eyes as he summoned a shotgun with his skill. Skilled and bold, he approached the garage with the gun at the ready.

Just then, a figure darted out of the garage, running straight into the barrel of Gu Lang’s gun.

“Damn! A gun?”

It was an old man, who froze in terror at the sight of the weapon.

“Don’t shoot! I’m one of you!”

Gu Lang frowned, already having assessed the man’s attributes. He was just an ordinary person, no threat at all.

“Who are you? Why are you behind my house?”
The Zombie Queen stood behind Gu Lang, her face full of disdain.

“I’m a merchant! An apocalypse trader!”
The old man replied hastily, fearing Gu Lang would kill him.