The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 37

"What does this mean? It means that this foggy area itself is like a giant testing ground!"

"The energy properties of the monsters inside are perfect for tempering our weakest point: our mental strength."

"Only by becoming stronger here can we be qualified to explore deeper places, including Egret Harbor."

"According to information from people who fled from other areas, a kind of water snake that can control water flow is lurking in Donggang. It is incredibly fast and has a wide attack range. Many people have been turned into mincemeat before they even have a chance to react."

"Nansha Port is even more bizarre. The bottom of the water is full of soft mud monsters that secrete strong acid. Ships will melt as soon as they go in, and people will rot if they get even a little bit of their skin on them."

"In comparison, although the foggy area is eerie and dangerous, at least the mortality rate is not so high."

These ports are infested with powerful monsters.

Monsters poured in from the outside, while facilities such as ports and shipyards were mostly located on the outskirts of the city.

"Instead of wandering around like headless flies, risking huge unknowns to venture into potentially more terrifying areas, why not concentrate our efforts on cultivating this place that we already have a basic understanding of?" Chen Feng asked rhetorically.

Lu Yunping coughed lightly and interjected:

"Ahem... to add something, Old Chen may be saying this, but actually, since we arrived here, more than 50% of the Awakened have died exploring Egret Harbor and other areas..."

Chapter 40 Biyun Resort

After Lu Yunping finished speaking, Chen Feng picked up the conversation:

"That's the situation. Whether you join us or not is entirely up to you. You're free to come and go here; we never force anyone."

Han Ning pondered for a moment.

He has enough food for the time being, but he urgently needs other resources, such as intelligence, energy, some practical tools, and crop seeds.

“Okay, I’ll join.” Han Ning made his decision.

Chen Feng seemed unsurprised by the answer, and pulled out a black card with a distinctive texture from his pocket, handing it over:

"Welcome to the 'Azure Cloud Awakeners Exchange Association'. This is your room key card for a room at Azure Cloud Resort, which also serves as your membership certificate."

"With this, you can stay in that room and freely participate in all activities within the association."

“Our association currently has 57 awakened individuals and more than 100 ordinary people. People are constantly dying and being replenished.”

"There's a market here open all day for exchanging goods. Once you get to the resort, just register your basic information. It doesn't need to be too detailed; just write down the general direction of your awakened ability."

"57? That many?! Do you know how ordinary people become Awakened Ones?"

Han Ning took the cold, black room key. It was similar to a room key in a regular five-star hotel, with simple cloud patterns and a room number etched on it.

Chen Feng shook his head:

"Hehe, we've recruited almost all the Awakened in the Eastern Resort, that's why there are so many of us."

"How ordinary people become awakened is still unknown. We only know that when a person experiences drastic emotional changes, there is a greater probability that they will become awakened."

"Eating the flesh and blood of native monsters also has a very small chance of causing mutations, and more often than not, it is a malignant mutation."

"Eating monster flesh and blood can awaken an awakening?"

"Yes! But the success rate is very low."

Chen Feng's expression was serious.

"Different people consume different monster flesh and blood, resulting in varying physical conditions. It's still in the exploratory stage, and I'm not entirely sure about it either."

He seemed to have just remembered something and asked, "By the way, brother, what's your name?"

Judging from Chen Feng's expression, he didn't seem to want to say anything more about this.

Han Ning decided not to pursue the matter further and replied:

"Han Ning... Ning as in tranquility, why are you two here?"

Chen Feng replied:

"We usually operate in this area, responsible for recruiting new members or hunting monsters."

“One of our partners, a mental perception type Awakener, couldn’t make it today due to unforeseen circumstances, so we could only wander around the outskirts of the fog zone to see if we could hunt a few lone crocodile lizards. We never expected to run into you.”

At this point, he forced a smile.

"To be honest, if we recommend talented newcomers to join the association, we mentors can also receive some rewards from within the association."

"If you meet someone suitable in the future, you can recommend them, and you'll get a reward for that too."

Han Ning suddenly realized why the two were so enthusiastic; it turned out they were getting a commission.

That makes sense; it can be seen as an incentive mechanism to help the organization grow.

"Understood." Han Ning nodded, put away the room key, and then asked, "Would it be convenient for you to take me to the market now? I'd like to familiarize myself with the area."

"of course can."

Chen Feng readily agreed.

"I need to go back and treat my wound anyway. Let's go, the resort isn't far from here, it's in the direction closer to the city center."

……

Biyun Resort is located in a relatively well-preserved complex of buildings, some distance from the edge of the white mist.

The main building is a luxury hotel building with more than ten floors. There are also some supporting villas and entertainment facilities around the building. Some areas have been transformed into defensive fortifications, and people can be seen patrolling and guarding.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, it has been transformed into a makeshift reception area for the association.

The interior space is very dark, relying solely on dim natural light for illumination.

I simply registered my information.

Chen Feng said to Han Ning, "The formalities are done. Yunping and I need to go to the medical room to treat our wounds. You can wander around by yourself."

"The banquet hall on the second floor is like a market. If you have any questions, just ask the people here. They all know the rules."

"If you want to trade something, just go to a stall or talk to someone. It's all free. You can go back to your room or leave the resort anytime when you're done, no problem."

"Okay, thank you both." Han Ning nodded in thanks.

Chen Feng and Lu Yunping turned and left.

Han Ning followed the signs to the banquet hall on the second floor.

As soon as I reached the stairwell, I could faintly hear the noise coming from upstairs, a stark contrast to the relatively quiet atmosphere on the first floor.

Pushing open the heavy banquet hall doors, a complex odor, a mixture of sweat, mildew, and food smells, hits you.

The banquet hall was very large. The originally neatly arranged tables and chairs had been moved to the sides, and dozens of tables of different sizes were placed in the open space in the middle.

Some tables had items on them, and people were sitting behind them.

Most of them have simple cardboard signs standing or pasted on them, with the names of the items and the terms of the transaction written on them in crooked handwriting.

It was much more lively here than he had imagined; at a glance, there were at least several dozen people.

Some of them were standing, some were sitting, and some were talking in hushed tones.

Some were haggling over prices, while others simply sat silently behind their stalls, their expressions blank.

The lighting mainly came from the candles provided by the stalls, making it somewhat dim, like the old ghost market.

"So many people?" Han Ning guessed that most of them were probably family members of the awakened ones.

Other ordinary people can be abandoned, but family members are hard to abandon.

He took the snow cakes and went inside, then began to stroll slowly along the corridor.

The people in the banquet hall were startled when they saw the robust and ferocious-looking Xuebing.

Then, seeing Xuebing following closely beside a stranger like a pet, the tense expression on her face relaxed.

Han Ning ignored the tension of these people and looked at the items for sale on the table.

The items sold can be roughly divided into the following categories—

1. Food and water, these are the most common.

There were compressed biscuits, canned goods, vacuum-packed rice and noodles, bottled water, vegetables and fruits that didn't look very fresh, and some dried meat strips and dried fish. Han Ning hadn't seen any seeds for sale yet.

2. Everyday items: toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, towels, toilet paper, lighter, matches, batteries, candles, sewing kit, tape, rope, plastic bags...

3. Tools and weapons: fire axe, crowbar, steel pipe, sharpened steel bar, kitchen knife, dagger, wrench, hammer, screwdriver set...

Han Ning even saw two well-maintained compound bows and a small bundle of arrows at a stall, with a hefty price tag.

There were also vendors selling homemade Molotov cocktails.

4. Medicines: These are scarce resources, so there aren't many stalls selling them, and the selection is quite varied.

Common cold medicines, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, gauze, bandages, iodine, alcohol...

5. Energy: portable gas canisters, gasoline, diesel, solid alcohol blocks, and batteries.

6. Protective clothing and other items, including raincoats, windproof jackets, thick work pants, durable boots, work gloves, motorcycle helmets, etc.

7. Other strange things, such as books, cigarettes, and electronic products.

8. Intelligence.

9. Humans and other animals...

"There's quite a variety."

When Han Ning walked to a relatively secluded corner, a somewhat abrupt scene came into view.

A young woman sat behind a small table.

She had delicate features, wore no makeup, and was dressed in a loose shirt.

On the cardboard in front of me, written in red pen:

"Overnight stay: 2 cans of food or equivalent value, points."

The woman kept her head down, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. Occasionally, she would quickly glance up at the passersby, a hint of shame in her eyes.

Chapter 41 Purchasing

Han Ning's gaze lingered on the stall selling "overnight services" for less than half a second before he looked away expressionlessly.