Chapter 36: The Evil of Human Nature—Cannibalism!
In fact, he had only remembered that Xia Yan mentioned the shelter was short-staffed.
And by chance, he also sensed two people were here.
Thinking to come check them out—if they seemed decent, he could bring them back to the shelter.
But unexpectedly, from a casual chat, he felt murderous intent rise within him.
“How many people are there over there?”
Chi Youyou thought for a moment and then estimated the number.
“Before Manman and I left, there were thirty-six of us in total. That includes Shen Long and his five underlings, plus one university campus doctor—who counts as a special member—and the other thirty were ordinary folks.”
Gu Fan toyed with the massive tyrant-green crystal core he had just claimed, holding it in one hand.
“I’ve got a fairly well-stocked shelter out in the field. I’m short-handed right now, so I can consider taking in more people.”
The two sisters perked up at these words, their eyes brightening as they looked eagerly at this man.
“Really?”
Then Chi Youyou suddenly remembered something and asked hesitantly, “Is there any cost involved?”
Gu Fan raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at them.
Were they clueless or what?
There’s always a price! Work, of course! You don’t get to eat and live for free.
“The shelter will assign you suitable tasks. You’ll work every day—but here’s one guarantee: you won’t go hungry.”
“Just work?”
They seemed unable to fully believe it, glancing at each other for confirmation.
Gu Fan was weary of repeating himself. He stood and stretched his limbs.
“I need manpower. Two of you aren’t enough. Take me to Shen Long’s place.”
The sisters exchanged startled looks.
They acknowledged how strong this man appeared—possibly even stronger than Shen Long, the Tier 4 Evolver. But Shen Long wasn’t alone.
He had other Evolver underlings, including some at third level. It would be reckless for one man to face so many of them!
“No, brother, you absolutely can’t go! You’re strong, yes—but Shen Long is no slouch. Besides being a Tier 4 Evolver himself, he’s got other capable fighters with him.”
“That’s right, brother—you’d be outnumbered!”
Gu Fan ignored their protests.
With one hand, he crushed the Tier 3 crystal core in his palm, then tossed the fragments into his mouth and slowly swallowed them.
He felt his flesh and blood strengthening all over—surprisingly so.
Clearly, the stronger the zombie, the more potent the crystal core’s effect.
Chi Manman started to say something again—but Chi Youyou stopped her.
What had she just seen?
He had crushed a Tier 3 zombie core with just two fingers?
What terrifying strength!
They had also obtained crystal cores before, and back when they were with Shen Long’s group, they had studied these objects.
Not even a small hydraulic press could crack a first-level core—let alone a Tier 3 one.
And this man simply used his bare fingers.
He was a monster!
“I said I won’t wait forever. I have two options: either you take me there, or you fend for yourselves.”
With that, Gu Fan began walking out, entirely untroubled by the heap of zombies in the hallway.
“Wait! I’ll guide you!” Chi Youyou nodded to her sister, then eagerly fell in step behind him.
Chi Manman didn’t question this decision at all—her sister was the only family she had in this apocalypse, so wherever she went, so would she.
Meanwhile, Gu Fan kicked open the classroom door so forcefully that it echoed through the building—alerting every zombie on the floor.
A chorus of guttural roars and pounding footsteps followed.
Endless hordes of zombies surged out of the classroom.
Some even burst through the windows, crashing onto the hallway floor.
The sisters froze behind Gu Fan, their skin crawling at the horrific sight.
Just as their legs began to tremble and hope seemed lost…
The ominous, demonic aura on Gu Fan's hand erupted, and a black flame descended upon the surging tide of corpses.
In mere seconds, the flame spread wildly like gasoline igniting a blaze.
Instantly, all the zombies carbonized and collapsed as if snow had met magma.
They were quickly reduced to piles of ash, with only countless crystal cores rolling on the ground.
"You two collect those crystal cores behind me—don’t even think about hiding any, I’ve counted them all."
Saying this, Gu Fan strode forward, leaving the sisters stunned in place.
……
Inside the courier station near the campus gate:
“No… Brother Long! I beg you, don’t eat my baby!”
A disheveled woman clung desperately to a man’s thigh, begging earnestly.
That man was Shen Long, who held the newborn baby crying loudly in his arms.
Shen Long kicked the woman aside, his eyes filled with horrifying hunger as he stared at the infant and licked his lips.
"Foolish—can a child even survive in this apocalypse? It might die anytime. Better to feed me for now; keeps you alive longer!"
The woman didn’t give up.
Despite having a rib crushed by the kick, she still crept towards him, clutching his leg.
“No… Brother Long, remember… you—you were with me right before I got pregnant. Maybe this child is yours! Please, Brother Long!”
Shen Long's eyes darkened, and he kicked her again.
"Is that so disgusting? I treat everyone equally—if it's my child, I’d still eat it without hesitation!"
He tossed the baby aside into the arms of his subordinate.
“Go clean it up. Tonight we’ll stew it into soup. Damn—if that big one near the compound hadn’t appeared recently, I wouldn't be so wary of going out. Otherwise, I could fatten this little morsel for a few days.”
His subordinate took the baby and grinned.
“Don’t worry, Brother Long. That big guy’s been out scavenging for over half a month. Soon we can go search other shelters.”
“Hope so. Too bad those Chi sisters escaped—if I catch them, I’ll gut them alive!”
As they chatted, the woman continued her desperate pleas on the ground.
But against these cannibalistic fiends, begging was useless.
Ever since Shen Long led them in eating human flesh, they were no longer human—just heartless beasts.
“Let’s go stew the soup—I haven’t tasted meat in ages!”
Just then—
Bang, bang!
Two muffled thuds came from behind.
Shen Long looked back in confusion.
Before he could fully realize what happened, the heads of his two closest underlings smashed like watermelons.
A spray of red and white, filled with a metallic scent, splattered onto his face.
“Tch… too much force—got my hands dirty.”
Shen Long stared in shock at the four fallen bodies.
A strange man had just stepped in, leisurely and unhurried.
Gu Fan reached out and caught the baby floating in mid‑air, then called towards the doorway.
“Hey! Bring someone in.”
Chi Youyou hesitated but didn’t want her sister going alone, so she stepped inside.
At the sight of the four headless corpses on the floor, she trembled uncontrollably.
How long had passed? Ten seconds? Twenty?
Just how terrifying was this man?
In seconds, he had taken down four people—including a Tier 3 Evolver.
Gu Fan handed the baby to Chi Youyou.
“Take the child and this woman aside, and wait.”
Then he turned to Shen Long, who was still in stunned silence.
“I heard you like eating people? Convenient—I’m always in the mood too. Wanna see who devours whom?”