No I am just Pitiful (Chapter 76)
Listening to gossip while eating makes the food taste even better!
It made Ye Sheng find the egg crepe in her hand more delicious as well.
'Enjoyable and fascinating, give me more.'
(?ω?)
"Heh, the Gu family is just being stubborn. If Erensu is not dead, why hasn't she shown up until now? You know, Erensu's madness is incurable. How could she have gone so long without killing someone? Could she really hold back?"
"Oh, really!"
"The Gu family would never let one of their own become a 'sacrifice' for Erensu to torture and kill, so I think Erensu must have been taken out by the Gu family."
The table behind Ye Sheng was having an intense discussion. The person arguing that Erensu was dead sounded very convincing.
Before his friend could say anything, Ab Mu, who was sitting across from Ye Sheng, frowned deeply. He was holding a bowl of soup but couldn’t bring himself to drink it, and said loudly with dissatisfaction, "Impossible! Lady Erensu is so powerful, how could she be outsmarted by the Gu family?"
Almost forgot.
Ah Mu is a loyal fan of Erensu.
It reminded Ye Sheng of their first meeting, when Ah Mu had a loud argument with Lan Zhang over Erensu and almost came to blows.
After Ah Mu finished speaking loudly, he was still upset. He then forcefully placed his bowl on the table with a loud 'bang,' causing the black soup inside to shake violently, making the skull patterns on it seem to scream.
Ye Sheng: ......
She immediately clutched her egg crepe tightly, thinking that black soup with skulls was still better than skewered rat heads!
The duck neck at the cafeteria is inedible!
"Hey, Ah Mu, why are you everywhere? We're just talking casually."
"Casual talk is not okay. If the base loses Lady Erensu, how many more people will die in future S-class pollutant creature hunts?"
As soon as A Mu said this, the people who had been joking around fell silent, and the mercenaries watching the scene also quieted down.
The mood turned heavy.
It was true, as Ah Mu said. Without Erensu, when the base goes hunting powerful pollutant creatures again, it will be the lives of these mercenaries on the line.
Among the top ten strongest in the base, Erensu was the youngest and the best at dealing with pollutant creatures.
If it weren't for the 'madness' that affects psychic ability users, the base could focus its resources on cultivating her. It probably wouldn't take many years for Erensu to become the strongest in the base!
It was indeed unfortunate. Among the top ten strongest in the base, only two were not ability users.
Psychic ability users had only been around for twenty years, and research on them was a top priority for the base. However, because of their rarity, comprehensive research was difficult, leading to slow progress.
But according to current research results, compared to ordinary people, ability users had evolved more perfectly.
In terms of strength, agility, reaction time, and so on, they were at least ten times superior to ordinary people. This data from the base's research institute was derived from Erensu, while other psychic ability users were shown to be five times stronger!
Apart from stronger physical evolution, the most important thing was that & energy could give ability users 'immortality,' and the more & energy they absorbed, the stronger they would become!
However, among these ability users, except for Erensu, the others had multiple suicide attempts.
If the base didn't arrange for caretakers to follow them, ready to use advanced healing liquids to save their lives, they would probably be dead by now... If the injuries were too severe for healing liquids to save them, energy stones would be used to allow the ability users to absorb & energy and recover.
Losing any of these strong individuals was a loss for the base, so no matter how painful it was, they had to keep living.
In short, it's a state of wanting to die but being unable to.
Even worse than patients with severe depression before the apocalypse!
As soon as they absorb & energy, these ability users become mentally deranged and start self-harming. Therefore, they use strong antidepressants all year round and avoid absorbing & energy to enhance their strength.
Erensu was the only exception.
While other psychic ability users suffer from depression and pain, she is full of energy, constantly chasing after powerful pollutant creatures. Even if her bones are crushed by these creatures, she feels no pain, only joy.
Even when her flesh is torn off, revealing her bones, she will take drugs (energy stones) to kill the pollutant creatures.
She is all about killing.
After absorbing a large amount of & energy to recover, she then goes in search of other powerful pollutant creatures.
As for torturing and killing humans, it's just dessert after the main course.
Her main focus is on killing powerful pollutant creatures and experiencing the thrill of near-death.
For such a lunatic, the base officials dislike her cruelty but can't give up on someone who can suppress S-class pollutant creatures, so they treat her coldly.
After all, when Erensu kills an S-class pollutant creature, she saves countless humans.
She is both a hero and an executioner.
A figure who gives people very mixed feelings.
At the same time, the base officials strictly forbid Erensu from absorbing too much & energy to prevent her madness from worsening.
This is the real reason why Erensu has never been able to become the base's top strong person.
As for whether Erensu would comply?
When the base's research institute was studying ability users, they quickly created an instrument that could detect the amount of & energy in an ability user's body, making it impossible for psychic ability users to hide their strength.
"Now the situation in the wilderness is stable. There aren't that many S-class pollutant creatures, Ah Mu, don't be so alarmed. Besides, even without Erensu, there are other strong fighters in the base!"
The silence didn't last long before someone tried to lighten the mood.
Ah Mu rolled his eyes in frustration and suddenly found it all boring. He didn't want to talk to these self-deceiving people anymore and sulkily picked up his bowl to eat.
However, the cafeteria no longer had its previous noise. The mercenaries deliberately started talking about other topics to dispel their worries.
Quietly eating her egg crepe, Ye Sheng found herself even more curious about Erensu. Also, that earlier statement wasn't wrong—other strong fighters in the base could also deal with powerful pollutant creatures... but why did Ah Mu seem so disagreeable?
Maybe Ye Sheng's expression was too obvious, because when Ah Mu saw it, he didn't react to her with the same hostility he showed towards the other mercenaries. Instead, he gave a bitter smile and explained, "Those shortsighted fools only see the present. They haven't noticed that in recent years, there have been more S-class creatures deep in the wilderness."
"If things continue like this, one day an SS-class or even SSS-class pollutant creature might appear... At that time, those few strong fighters in the base won't be able to handle it."
"Only Lady Erensu can. If ability users are also judged by talent, Lady Erensu is definitely the top tier! As long as she absorbs enough & energy, she can fight higher-level pollutant creatures and protect the base."
Ah Mu's face was filled with worry as he said these words.
This was very different from his usual carefree manner.
Ye Sheng couldn't help but look at him twice, almost suspecting that Ah Mu was hiding his true abilities!
However, in the next moment, Ah Mu picked up his bowl of soup and gulped down the entire bowl of black soup with skull patterns. After putting down the bowl, he sighed, "If the base really can't hold on, the Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group will be gone too. Then where will I go to drink this delicious black skull mushroom soup?"
"......"
Ye Sheng twitched her mouth speechlessly.
So, his worry was really about the mushroom soup!
(? ?? )
"Erensu is so powerful, she will definitely be fine."
With this, Ye Sheng offered a dry comfort. She didn't have any feelings towards Erensu, thinking of her only as a legendary figure with whom she could never have any connection.
But Ah Mu clearly idolized Erensu.
"Yes, yes, Lady Erensu will definitely be fine. The base needs her... I heard Lan Zhang analyze that besides the powerful pollutant creatures deep in the wilderness, we also need to guard against those from the marine restricted zone."
"Marine restricted zone?"
Ye Sheng perked up immediately at the mention of the sea.
Although she hadn't been in this wasteland world for long, she had heard of the infamous human-restricted zone that is the ocean.
Even the rivers in the wilderness were extremely dangerous, let alone the vast and boundless sea!
The base's safe zone was established far from the sea precisely to guard against those polluted marine creatures.
"The toxic mist and radiation cause mutations. If those gigantic creatures from the depths of the ocean could break free from the water's limitations and come ashore..."
Even though it was just a speculation, the mere thought of it was chilling.
Ye Sheng instinctively took a big bite of her egg crepe, silently praying that the marine restricted zone wouldn't cause any trouble!
As long as they stay in the sea and don't cause trouble on land...
Due to Ye Sheng's lack of information about the wasteland world, this dinner was filled with Ah Mu imparting a lot of relevant knowledge, giving Ye Sheng a better understanding of this world.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was time for Ye Sheng to meet the vice-captain of the Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group, Xu Li.
Ye Sheng followed Ah Mu, climbing quite a few stairs, and soon they reached the vice-captain's office on the fifth floor.
"Haha, Ye Sheng, we meet again!"
As soon as the office door opened, the vice-captain greeted Ye Sheng with a hearty laugh, his fox-like eyes narrowing into slits, making Ye Sheng feel a bit uneasy.
(? _? )
"Ah Mu, don't just stand there, take Ye Sheng to the sofa, and offer her some tea."
Ye Sheng sat properly on the sofa, holding the dried meat that the vice-captain enthusiastically handed her, feeling like a weasel had given a New Year’s greeting to a chicken. But she had to politely take a bite.
And found she couldn’t chew it...
Meanwhile, Ah Mu, sitting beside Ye Sheng, took a piece of dried meat and easily bit off half of it.
Ye Sheng silently marveled at his strong teeth!
"Ye Sheng, I thought you were special when I first saw you. This time, it's thanks to you that Lan Zhang and Ah Mu safely escaped the deadly trap set by the Black Spring Freemasonry. Otherwise, our Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group would have suffered heavy losses!"
"Vice-captain, please don't praise me. Ah Mu is my friend, of course, I wouldn't stand by and do nothing... My skills are mediocre at best. I just took advantage of the chaos to shoot a few arrows and happened to hit some enemies by luck."
Ye Sheng wanted to downplay her abilities as much as possible.
However, the vice-captain kept smiling and disagreed: "Ye Sheng, you're wrong. You haven't even undergone systematic training yet, but you managed to save Lan Zhang and Ah Mu. Once you've completed training, you'll definitely be a qualified mercenary!"
Just as expected, the hidden agenda is revealed!!!
Seeing the vice-captain's smile now made Ye Sheng feel a chill in her liver.
And A Mu, enjoying the show, chimed in: "Yeah, yeah, Ye Sheng, if you join the Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group, we can train together every day. I'll guide you through weight training, combat practice, and weapon drills. Plus..."
Thanks for the offer, but she wasn't cut out for this!
She was only good for scavenging.
Initially, Ye Sheng was 100% against becoming a mercenary. After hearing Ah Mu's words, she was now 1000% against it!!!
(▼へ ▼メ )
"Vice-captain, being a mercenary is too dangerous! Although scavenging in the wilderness is also risky, it's still safer than constantly fighting pollutant creatures like mercenaries do... Right now, I just want to find some good stuff in the wilderness and save up points to buy a house in the safe zone."
Ye Sheng knew it would be hard to evade the topic, so she decided to be sincere and open.
She was timid.
She couldn't be a mercenary.
Upon hearing Ye Sheng's words, the vice-captain immediately showed a look of disappointment. Ye Sheng had a talent that others could only dream of, and with a little training, she could become a strong fighter.
Even though being a mercenary was dangerous, it was still better than starving in the safe zone.
She really lacked ambition!
"Ye Sheng, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
"Not reconsidering."
Compared to the vice-captain's regret, Ye Sheng's refusal was firm and unwavering.
The vice-captain smiled helplessly. He couldn't force her, so he had to watch a promising mercenary slip away, which made him more and more frustrated. Eventually, he told Ah Mu to take Ye Sheng for a walk in the safe zone.
Just don't hover in front of him.
Otherwise, he might be tempted to detain Ye Sheng...
Meanwhile, as a token of gratitude for saving the Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group members, the vice-captain generously transferred 100,000 base points to Ye Sheng.
Ye Sheng was dumbfounded.
Even after leaving the Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group headquarters, she was still holding her ID card in a daze, blinking her black eyes, unable to believe that she actually had 100,000 base points.
The progress towards buying a house in the safe zone had suddenly become one-tenth complete!
This was like striking it rich!
Finally snapping out of it, Ye Sheng excitedly kissed her ID card multiple times, thinking that even though she wouldn't become a mercenary, she could still lend a hand if the Azure Phoenix Mercenary Group were in danger again... No, no, she couldn't think like that!
Such life-threatening dangers should never come again!!!
Each time, it required her to deplete her lottery points, and then use her organs as collateral... It was like dancing on the edge of a knife, one slip and it would be all over.
Due to the crises resolved by previous lotteries, Ye Sheng's lottery space still had 2,420 points left.
Saving them for the next emergency...
Rather than using 1,000 points to open a random box with unpredictable results, spending double the points to get a specific item was much better.
That's the joy of spending!
o(╥﹏╥)o
After enjoying the happiness of gaining 100,000 base points, Ye Sheng calmed herself and followed Ah Mu to start exploring the safe zone.
Compared to the impoverished and backward mitigation zone, the outer city of the safe zone appeared much cleaner and more orderly. Skyscrapers rose up one after another, and smooth roads were traversed by vehicles. People seemed in better spirits, no longer looking pale and gaunt from hunger.
However, there were no overweight people either. Passersby moved hurriedly, giving an impression of being very busy.
Thus, Ye Sheng and Ah Mu, who were strolling leisurely, seemed quite out of place.
Ye Sheng looked around and ultimately felt that it wasn't much different from cities before the apocalypse, except that there were no women or children shopping—only busy passersby.
"Ah Mu, why are they walking so fast? Can't you shop in the outer city of the safe zone?"
When in doubt, ask.
A Mu answered honestly, "The people in the outer city of the safe zone, some of them work in the inner city to earn points, but their monthly salary only covers food and drink. Another portion goes scavenging in the wilderness, and their income is even less certain... As for shopping, there are streets with specialized stores. I can take you to see them."
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "If you want to check out the Swap shop, that’s fine too."
The swap shop in the outer city of the safe zone!!!
Ye Sheng quickly nodded.
She wanted to see it!
Seeing this, Ah Mu stopped dawdling and directly took Ye Sheng to the nearby swap shop. The moment Ye Sheng saw the imposing gate, she was immediately astonished.
She had thought the swap shop in Old Lin's place was quite decent, but it couldn’t compare to this one at all.
It was like comparing a small inn to a grand hotel!
Once inside, rows of glass cabinets were neatly categorized, dazzling her with their array of items.
There were even several vending machines where you could shop using points, making it extremely convenient.
Having stayed in the buffer zone for half a month, Ye Sheng felt like a savage in comparison!
As Ye Sheng curiously looked around the swap shop with a rustic demeanor, others glanced at her with slight disdain. However, due to the presence of the mercenary Ah Mu by her side, they didn’t dare to say anything aloud.
Ye Sheng ignored them. As long as they didn't bother her directly, she didn’t care.
Feeling inferior?
Hahaha, she had a hundred thousand points. What was there to feel inferior about?
After fully satisfying her curiosity, Ye Sheng dragged Ah Mu to leave.
A Mu scratched his head in confusion and asked, "Ye Sheng, you have a lot of points. Why didn’t you buy anything?"
"There's nothing I want to buy for now. I’d rather buy some clothes."
Although the swap shop had a lot of items, there were very few casual clothes, and none of them were to Ye Sheng's liking, which left her a bit disappointed.
A Mu's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "You should have said so earlier! I’ll take you to th
e shopping street. There are clothing stores there, and they're much cheaper than the swap shop!"
"Let's go, let’s go!"
With Ah Mu as her guide, Ye Sheng had a delightful shopping trip. She not only bought four sets of clothes for herself and Little one, but also bedsheets, blankets, and some snacks.
Compared to the luxurious swap shop, the shopping street had a more retro vibe.
However, the inconspicuous little shops sold a wide variety of goods, and the street was bustling with people, making it very lively!
Even Ah Mu got caught up in the shopping fever and enthusiastically went to buy a belt, planning to give it to his good friend, Lan Zhang, later.
Ye Sheng refused to accompany him into the shop. After walking around for so long, she needed a break.
Standing by the street, she noticed that the sky had completely darkened. Unlike the pitch-black mitigation zone, the streetlights in the safe zone automatically lit up, casting a soft glow and illuminating the surroundings.
The lights also highlighted the cheerful expressions on people's faces, making Ye Sheng feel a sudden sense of disorientation, as if she had returned to her original world.
But looking down at her small hands, Ye Sheng sighed.
There was no going back now!
As Ye Sheng was lost in thought, a group of people suddenly barged into the shopping street. Holding a photo, they approached people and asked questions. Soon, they reached Ye Sheng.
"Have you seen this woman?"
The man questioning Ye Sheng was strong, well-dressed, and had a terrible attitude.
His impatient demeanor left Ye Sheng speechless, but she was curious and took a glance at the photo. It didn't show the person's face, only a tall woman's graceful back with long pink hair.
Ye Sheng was momentarily dazed, thinking that if Little one could stand up, she would probably be very tall too!
Unlike Ye Sheng, who was short!
She lamented her lost height of 1.8 meters.
"Hey, I'm talking to you. Don't make me..."
"Well, well, Gu Hui, you're quite arrogant!"
Before Ye Sheng could respond, the man began to curse and was about to push her when Ah Mu, who had just come out of the shop, stopped him.
Ah Mu looked very displeased, ready to confront him.
Gu Hui rolled his eyes, not wanting to argue with this fool.
Seeing Ye Sheng's ragged clothes, he assumed she wouldn't know anything useful and decided not to waste his time. He turned and left, making Ah Mu spit in disgust at his back.
Seeing the curiosity on Ye Sheng's face, Ah Mu quickly explained, "Gu Hui is a member of the Gu family's branch. I've encountered him on missions before. He's an idiot!"
"Ah Mu, just by seeing him curse with two words, it's clear that Gu Hui must have done something."
However, Ye Sheng was more curious about what Gu Hui and his group were up to, especially after seeing that photo of the back of the person with pink hair, which sparked speculation in Ye Sheng's mind.
"Ah Mu, did you see that photo just now?"
"Yeah, it's Lady Erensu's photo!"
Just mentioning Lady Erensu's name made Ah Mu even angrier, cursing the Gu family as no good. However, seeing the Gu family making such a big fuss in their search, he began to suspect that Lady Erensu might still be alive, and they were looking for her.
Ye Sheng recalled that photo, which looked very similar Little one's figure.
That distracted her.
But her Little one wasn't such a fierce person!
Maybe all women with good figures are similar!
(o?▽?)o
Ye Sheng didn't dwell on this matter and continued shopping spree. After buying almost everything she wanted, she followed Ah Mu back and rode in the open-top four-wheeler towards the city gate.
Although Ah Mu wanted Ye Sheng to stay for the night, she firmly refused. She still had to go back to accompany Little one.
She had bought a lot of good things this time, so of course she had to let Little ond see them immediately!
Entering the safe zone required giving in 1000 points, but leaving the city did not. However, destroying the temporary identity card required some processing time, so Ye Sheng and Ah Mu had to wait in place.
While the staff were busy processing, a few idle mercenaries nearby chuckled and chatted.
"Thank goodness we didn't patrol the east side of the mitigation zone today. Otherwise, we'd be wrestled by those berserk earthworms! Those worms are fierce—they can even spray venom. After they're full, they burrow underground and escape. Can't catch them at all."
"What? Berserk earthworms? Those are D-grade big boys!"
"Exactly. And they roam in packs. Quite a few people have died on the east side of the buffer zone."
Ye Sheng initially took the gossip casually, just to pass the time.
But as she listened, her expression turned serious, her heart pounding with unease.
East side of the mitigation zone?
Wasn't that the direction of her family's shack!!!