Chapter 28: The Shelter's Multi-User Warehouse

“Chen Zhuo, can you cut me some slack?”

“My supplies are all in your hands, my arm’s broken—once it rots, the Survival Platform won’t even work.”

“You’re not just gonna leave me to die, are you?”

Ma Yu, who’d committed murder and arson more times than he could count, didn’t believe a word Chen Zhuo said. The friendly gesture earlier had been nothing but a distraction—his plan was to slip away while they were busy fighting. But this Di Yifan? Pathetic. Couldn’t even last three moves.

Now, with no other choice, Ma Yu went full emotional appeal—begging, pleading, tears streaming down his face.

Watching Ma Yu’s painfully unnatural expression, Chen Zhuo felt a strange mix of admiration.

He actually respected this guy—resourceful, adaptable, sharp as a knife. If Ma Yu had been an ordinary survivor, someone trying to survive without burning everything down, Chen Zhuo might’ve considered taking him into the shelter.

But there was a line in his mind—one he never crossed. A killer, a thief, a burner of lives? No way he’d ever let someone like that inside.

“How about this,” Chen Zhuo said, voice calm, “I’ll give you ten minutes to run. Whether you make it or not… well, that’s on you.”

“Thank you, Brother Chen! Thank you so much!”

Ma Yu practically wept with relief. Ten minutes? With his legs, he could vanish into the wilderness before Chen Zhuo even blinked.

No Survival Platform meant he could avoid the shelter for now, grab the Territory Core first, then regroup. There was still hope—maybe team up with another survivor, rebuild from scratch.

“Still standing there? Get moving!”

The moment those words hit his ears, Ma Yu bolted—no hesitation, no second thoughts. He was terrified Chen Zhuo would change his mind.

Watching Ma Yu disappear into the distance, Chen Zhuo finally allowed himself a small smirk.

Of course he wasn’t that arrogant. Let him run?

Not a chance.

Pulling out his Bio-Scanner, Chen Zhuo kept a steady, silent trail behind him. His real goal? To find where their shelter was hidden.

That Territory Core? It had been tempting him for weeks. He wasn’t letting it go—not now, not ever.

Truth be told, he could’ve just forced Ma Yu to lead him straight there. But Ma Yu was too smart—he knew Chen Zhuo had no intention of letting him live. If he’d asked directly, Ma Yu would’ve rather died than help.

So this was the gamble: *Would he go for the core?*

And sure enough, the bet paid off. Ma Yu ran straight toward the ruins.

...

A little while later.

When the red dot on the Bio-Scanner stopped moving, Chen Zhuo slowly closed the gap.

There stood Ma Yu at the shelter’s entrance, scanning the horizon, checking for pursuers. Only after confirming he was alone did he step inside, snatch the core, and gather the scattered supplies piled near the door.

After a few minutes, Ma Yu emerged, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

The moment he pushed open the shelter’s front gate—*a steel blade shot through his left chest.*

“Guh…”

He tried to speak, but blood choked his throat. One breath. Then silence.

“Next life, watch your step,” Chen Zhuo muttered, exhaling slowly.

One day. Three kills.

This wasn’t like hunting beasts—no physical exhaustion, just a deep, creeping psychological weight. The terror in their eyes, the final gasps… it haunted him. He needed time. Real time.

Only when Ma Yu’s body showed zero signs of life did his dropped loot spill out.

Seven Territory Cores lay on the ground, glowing softly under the sun—golden light so intense it nearly blinded Chen Zhuo.

“So they’ve killed at least seven survivors… maybe more?”
“And now all of it’s mine.”

For a moment, Chen Zhuo fell silent.

Then he shook his head, pushing the thought aside. *Let’s just pretend I’m doing them justice.*

That’s how he justified it—to ease the guilt. And only then did he pick up the cores and all the other gear.

He glanced at Ma Yu’s severed left arm. The tattoo was dull, lifeless. Useless now.

Sighing, Chen Zhuo shrugged.
“If only the Survival Platform could be passed down… I could’ve used all those blueprints. Not to mention, having a fake identity in the chat channel would’ve been handy.”

He ransacked the entire shelter—beds, walls, corners—just to make sure nothing was left behind.

Once satisfied, he turned back toward his own shelter.

Originally, he’d planned to hunt today, gather materials to repair his shelter. Who knew he’d end up killing three people instead?

“Out for a hunt. Also took out three guys.”

His pack now held the combined loot of nearly a dozen survivors. If he’d brought more gear, he wouldn’t have fit half of it.

Stepping into his stone house—last upgraded over ten days ago—today was the day it upgraded again.

【Iron – 50】
【Basic Stone Hut → Iron Cottage: Happiness Value: 100】

A flash of white light washed over the structure. The dark gray stone transformed into a sleek, understated silver-white.

With the upgrade, his happiness value rose by 40 points.

“Now, the Territory Core,” Chen Zhuo said, pulling one out.

It glowed faintly in his hand. When he touched it to the core embedded in the floor, a sudden, powerful resonance sparked between them—like two streams of light weaving together, forming a dazzling display.

The energy merged seamlessly, as if water and oil had finally blended. The ground core flared brighter, pulsing with renewed power.

At the same time, Chen Zhuo noticed the territory’s range expanding.

【Territory Core Lv2 → Territory Core Lv2 (Gold) – Current Building Limit: Reinforced Iron Structures | Territory Bonus: +20% Stamina Recovery for All Living Beings, +20% Structure Durability | Upgrade Cost: Stone ×100, Iron ×50】

“Wait… is that it? Just bigger range?”

“Try the rest.”

He placed the remaining six cores onto the ground, one by one…

【Territory Core Lv2 → Territory Core Lv2 (Crimson Gold) – Current Building Limit: Reinforced Iron Structures | Territory Bonus: +20% Stamina Recovery, +20% Structure Durability | Upgrade Cost: Stone ×100, Iron ×50】

“Each core adds one meter in length, width, and height? That’s… barely useful.”

“Sure, the core quality jumped halfway to Crimson Gold—but that’s about it?”

Suddenly, a notification popped up:

【Congratulations! Your Territory Core has reached Crimson Gold Rank. Unlock: Multi-Survivor Shelter Warehouse (Large storage facility accessible to all shelter members—functionally similar to the Survival Platform backpack).】

Chen Zhuo frowned. “Huh. Thought this upgrade was kind of useless… until now.”

He paused. Then grinned.

“Okay, fine—I take it back. *This* is the real MVP.”

“This warehouse is perfect. Right now, I’m using my bedroom as storage. Can’t hold much, and food spoils in days.”

“Though… the name’s a bit awkward. Feels like it’s mocking me for being a lone wolf.”

He opened the new warehouse. Same clean, minimalist interface as his backpack—soft blue tones, simple layout. Fifty slots total.

“Not huge, but better than nothing. Fill it up, and it’s full.”

He scanned the contents of his old stash…