Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

Home, in a certain sense, is very important.

On the surface, it was just the shabby little rented room of a single loser.

Going by the original contract, it really was no longer Wen Yu's.

But, at a time like this, who would care? Wen Yu didn't, and the landlord probably didn't either!

As if returning home from a normal day's work, Wen Yu calmly strolled along the paths of the residential complex, explaining to Star the significance of the surrounding dilapidated buildings.

"You see that Exchange Stone Pillar? That's where Cyclops and I had our first intense conflict."

"Wow, so Boss, you must have given Cyclops a good beating, right?"

Wen Yu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"You could say that."

"Over there, that's where I changed my profession."

Wen Yu pointed to a nearby convenience store.

"That place, that's my home."

Although the residential complex was in ruins, the zombie corpses Wen Yu had killed had all disappeared. It was evident that someone had cleaned up.

As for whether there were any survivors, Wen Yu sensed it as soon as he stood at his front door.

The apartment across the hall, which used to belong to an old couple, had been taken over by someone else.

Possibly alerted by the noises in the corridor, soft footsteps echoed from their room. Then, a survivor behind the door peered out at Wen Yu through the peephole.

As a Level 4 professionist, Wen Yu naturally knew there were survivors in the room; at such close range, he could even discern their heartbeats.

Two people: a woman and a child!

However, Wen Yu, his back to the survivors in the room behind him, gave a self-deprecating smile.

It really has nothing to do with me.

Opening the door to his small rental apartment, Wen Yu stepped inside his humble abode for the first time in two months.

If he had to describe the state of the room in one sentence, it would be: a complete mess!

At the beginning of the apocalypse, Wen Yu hadn't thought he would ever return. Moreover, while clearing out zombies, he had unexpectedly seen the little girl from upstairs, so naturally, he hadn't locked his door.

And an empty, unlocked room was definitely a treasure in the eyes of any survivor!

"As I expected!"

Seeing the room devoid of any usable items, Wen Yu shook his head in resignation.

"Star, clean the room."

"Boss, what about the ones across the..."

Star twitched his tail, gesturing towards the survivors in the room across the hall.

Wen Yu shook his head, indicating that Star needn't bother them.

It's good for everyone to live their own lives.

Wen Yu was certain that if there was one thing abundant in the post-apocalypse, it was empty rooms.

Housing, an issue that used to trouble most people, had long ceased to be a problem.

With countless empty rooms available, furniture and similar items were naturally not lacking.

After Wen Yu scoured the entire floor above his, he had gathered everything he needed:

A bed, a sofa, a table, plus some bedding.

Simple, wasn't it?

These cobbled-together items filled the small rental unit to the brim, completely lacking any aesthetic appeal.

But as long as he had a place to sleep, that was enough.

In this regard, human adaptability was truly impressive.

While passing through the upper floor, Wen Yu had also specifically checked the situation there.

The first survivor he had seen after the apocalypse began had long since left.

He sighed quietly.

I hope you meet good people.

After bringing in some pots, pans, and gas cylinders, Wen Yu quickly prepared a simple meal.

Cherishing Star's companionship, Wen Yu silently swallowed a piece of biscuit.

This reminded Wen Yu of a film called "I Am Legend."

Too bad my dog ran off chasing females.

Inside the corridor, somewhat heavy footsteps approached. They stopped at the door across the hall, followed by a gentle knock.

A man, weighing about 140 pounds. Judging by his heartbeat, he should be in his prime.

Star curiously turned his head to look, then glanced back at Wen Yu.

Wen Yu shook his head again.

The woman and child across the hall were just ordinary people, and the man who had just returned was only at mid-First Level strength.

Considering the current strength of survivors in Mudanjiang City, this family of three was very weak.

Without a team, without power, they could only eke out a meager existence in this sparsely populated old urban district, barely managing to find a place to survive.

A single mutant beast, other survivors, a natural disaster, or an illness—any of these could be enough to extinguish these three fragile lives.

Life... so grand, yet so fragile.

In essence, Wen Yu's current state of existence was already different from these low-level professionists.

The vast gap in strength meant Wen Yu and the professionist across the hall would have no common ground.

So close, yet truly people from two different worlds!

As night fell, there was still no sign of Cyclops returning.

Wen Yu wasn't worried. After all, if Cyclops and Star, as his battle pets, lacked the ability to handle danger independently, then Wen Yu would have to wonder if he was raising battle pets or spoiled masters.

With his acute hearing, he clearly heard conversation coming from the room across the hall.

It was all just trivial household chatter, daily necessities like food and fuel.

After a while, the door across the hall opened, and a gentle knock sounded on Wen Yu's door.

"Um, hello, we live just across the hall. We wanted to come over and say hello."

A rather deep male voice spoke. Wen Yu hesitated for a moment before getting up and walking towards the door.

The sound the man had made when he returned and opened his door earlier had been quite loud.

The man hadn't known a new survivor was across the hall, so he hadn't controlled his volume. He only found out about the new arrival after chatting with the woman inside his room.

The man didn't know if the newcomer was good or bad, strong or weak.

So, he decided to make contact with this unknown survivor,

even if the risk might be great.

With a CREAK of the door, a man in his thirties appeared before Wen Yu.

He wasn't very old, but his temples were already streaked with white. The corners of his eyes were still dark with old bruises, and his clothes were tattered—all evidence of a hard life.

Seeing the slightly nervous man before him, Wen Yu offered a smile.

"Please, come in."

The man hesitated, looking at the smiling young man. After a long moment, he nodded slightly.

Simultaneously, his right hand, hidden behind his back, slowly relaxed, revealing the battered hilt of a knife.

The room wasn't large, but it was enough for two people to sit.

Wen Yu quietly handed the man a cup of hot tea. Seeing his somewhat reserved demeanor, Wen Yu said,

"Don't be nervous. This place used to be my home, so I came back to take a look. I'll probably leave in a few days."

Hearing Wen Yu's explanation, the man seemed to relax slightly and took the opportunity to look around the room.

The previously messy environment had been tidied up. Spider webs and the like that had been hanging in the room had also been cleared away.

What alarmed the man most was the small Soul Beast on Wen Yu's shoulder and Star, who was lying on the table nearby.

The small Soul Beast signified a hidden profession.

Star signified that the man before him wasn't struggling for food and even had the resources to keep a pet.

These two points alone implied that the young man wasn't as harmless as he might initially seem.

"Um, my name is Ye Nan, and I live across the hall from you, young brother."