The next morning, Jiang Yuan packed light. He left most of his supplies in the apartment, along with a note in case he never came back. He strapped the crowbar to his back, filled his pockets with canned food and water, and set off at dawn.
The city was a graveyard. The streets were silent, save for the distant howls of creatures and the creak of collapsing buildings. Jiang Yuan stuck to the shadows, using his Danger Prediction to avoid the worst of the threats. His range was now 15 meters, a lifeline in this hellscape.
[Danger detected: 12 meters ahead. Hostile entity: "Pack Hunter." Weak point: throat. Multiple threats detected.]
He ducked into an alley, pressing himself against a wall. Three of the dog-like creatures trotted past, their noses twitching. They were faster than the ones at the supermarket, their jaws dripping with black saliva. Jiang Yuan waited until they were gone, then continued on.
The journey was slow, and the sun was high in the sky when he reached the first checkpoint. It was a pile of rubble, with a flickering red light on top—the emergency beacon.
[Beacon 1/5 reached. Next beacon: 1 km east. Warning: high concentration of hostile entities in the industrial district ahead.]
Jiang Yuan's stomach dropped. The industrial district was a maze of warehouses and factories. It was the perfect place for an ambush.