13: The sweetness on corpses, is it the way of Heaven?

"Ah—! Help!!"

Zhou Qian was so scared she screamed, her whole body freezing in place as she watched the crab claw about to sever her Achilles tendon.

Buzz!

The temperature in the air suddenly plummeted!

A slender black shadow coalesced in the air above the crab like a ghost!

Puchi!

A black ice blade, radiating a chilling aura, pierced through the crown of that human face!

The filthy black fluid was frozen before it even had a chance to burst out.

The shadow landed, revealing its form.

It was the third sister of the Xia Family, Xia Mo.

The black blade in her hand was slowly turning into black mist and dissipating—this was an innate ability awakened from her [Shadow Assassin] talent.

It could combine the power of shadows with the surrounding moisture to condense into a "Shadow Ice Blade" as hard as iron.

In the starting phase where everyone was unarmed, this was practically a god-tier skill!

"Don't make a sound!"

Xia Mo gave Zhou Qian a cold glance, her figure becoming blurry again. "If you scream again, you'll attract every monster on the island."

Zhou Qian covered her mouth, nodding in terror.

Looking at the shattered ice on the ground, her eyes were full of relief and envy for Xia Mo's strength.

The other girls were also pale.

Many instinctively huddled closer to their companions, seeking a pathetic sense of security.

"As expected of an S-rank talent—fast and cold. I like it."

Chen Du made no secret of his appreciation, his gaze sweeping over Xia Mo's undulating curves.

"Third Sister, well done."

Xia Mo's cheeks flushed imperceptibly.

Chen Du said no more and pointed forward with his axe: "Everyone keep up, don't fall behind."

The group continued forward.

This time, everyone stayed a bit closer to Xia Mo.

After passing through that horrifying forest filled with dried corpses, the stench of death actually began to fade.

A breeze blew, carrying a strange sweet and sour scent.

"Wait."

An Nuonuo, who had been clutching the edge of Chen Du's shorts the whole time, suddenly stopped.

The cowlick on her head twitched, and her small nose sniffed the air forcefully.

"There's... there's a smell..."

"Another monster?" Tang Ran nervously raised her fist.

"No... it's not..." An Nuonuo pointed behind a pile of scrap metal ahead and swallowed hard. "It's fragrant! So fragrant!"

Chen Du narrowed his eyes and gestured for everyone to be careful.

He gripped his fire axe tightly and led the group around the pile of scrap metal.

In the next second, everyone was stunned.

Amidst this ruin of gray, decay, and death, a splash of eye-catching emerald green was growing!

It was a small tree only two meters tall, its leaves as translucent as carved jade.

Over a dozen fist-sized fruits hung from the branches, their golden skins radiating an enticing luster.

That rich, crisp lemon fragrance was emanating from right here!

Gulp.

No one knew who swallowed first.

For this group of people who had been thirsty for a day and a night, this was practically nectar from heaven!

"It's lemons! Giant mutated lemons!"

"Oh my god, they look so juicy..."

Several girls' eyes turned green with hunger, wanting to go over and take a look.

"Stop!" Chen Du barked.

The girls slammed on the brakes.

Chen Du stepped forward and used the handle of his axe to push aside the black weeds beneath the tree.

Everyone's pupils shrank.

This beautiful lemon tree wasn't growing in the soil.

Its roots were deeply embedded within the chest cavity of a skeleton wearing a hazmat suit!

It had grown by absorbing nutrients from a corpse!

The girls who had wanted to rush forward just now felt their stomachs churn.

"Grown... grown from a corpse?" Li Yaozhi's face looked terrible. "Is this edible? Could it be poisonous?"

"But... it really smells so good..." An Nuonuo bit her finger, her instincts as a foodie locked in a life-and-death struggle with her reason.

Chen Du didn't speak.

In this eerie world, beauty often meant deadly poison.

But if they didn't try, this group wouldn't last much longer.

Find someone to taste it?

Chen Du's gaze swept through the crowd, finally landing on Zhou Qian.

In that instant, Zhou Qian felt like she was being stared at by a venomous snake.

"No... don't..." Zhou Qian seemed to realize something and backed away desperately.

"Come here," Chen Du chuckled.

Tang Ran and the Xia sisters exchanged glances.

Although they felt a bit of pity, no one spoke.

At a time like this, "better you than me" was the fundamental rule.

Zhou Qian was held by two girls and dragged in front of Chen Du.

Chen Du reached out and plucked a lemon.

The fruit felt slightly cool in his hand, heavy, and the skin had a faint pulse-like throb.

He used the fire axe to cut off a small piece.

The translucent flesh instantly burst with juice, and the sweet and sour fragrance became ten times stronger!

"Class Monitor! The chance to set an example has come!" Chen Du pinched the piece of fruit and held it to Zhou Qian's lips.

"I won't eat it! It's poisonous! It grew from a dead person! I don't want to be a hero!"

Zhou Qian cried piteously, shaking her head violently, her exquisite makeup already ruined.

She suddenly forced a charming smile, her voice trembling with tears and flattery: "Captain... let me go, okay? As long as you don't make me eat this... I... I'll listen to whatever you say, you can do anything you want to me..."

As she spoke, she reached out to pull Chen Du's arm, her seductive body swaying.

"Oh?"

Chen Du raised an eyebrow, the smile on his face deepening.

"It seems you still don't understand the situation. If I die, everyone goes down with me."

"You are the class monitor! So, this opportunity to sacrifice for the class belongs to no one but you!"

"Why me! I won't..." Zhou Qian broke down completely, screaming in protest.

Chen Du was waiting for this exact moment.

With a flick of his wrist, he stuffed the translucent piece of fruit into Zhou Qian's mouth.

The fruit melted the moment it entered her mouth; she wanted to spit it out but couldn't.

"Chen Du! I hate you!" Zhou Qian cursed while gagging herself.

Everyone held their breath, staring at her reaction.

One second.

Two seconds.

Then, her eyes widened, and an unbelievable look of surprise surfaced!

"Sweet?!"

Zhou Qian shouted in shock, "It's so sweet! It's full of juice! My throat doesn't hurt anymore!"

As the fruit went down, her face, which had been somewhat yellowed from dehydration, actually regained its rosy glow!

It seemed even her dry, curly hair gained a luster.

"Is it really okay?"

"The monitor seems to have perked up!"

"I want to try too..."

The other girls couldn't hold back either.

Their eyes glowed green with hunger as they stared at the tree like starving wolves.

Chen Du crouched down, staring at the skeleton at the base of the tree.

A metal tag covered in mud hung from the skeleton's chest.

Chen Du used the tip of his axe to lift the tag and wiped away the sludge.

A line of blurred numbers came into view:

【Serial Number: 003】

【Position: Caretaker】

【Affiliation: Heavenly Dao Logistics Department】

Below the small text, a complex symbol was engraved.

It looked like an open eye surrounded by countless twisted tentacles.

Chen Du's heart skipped a beat.

This symbol... was exactly the same as the pattern on the cover of the sacrifice notebook in his mind!

"Heavenly Dao... Logistics Department?"

Chen Du muttered to himself, a bone-chilling coldness rushing from his spine straight to the top of his head.

Caretaker... what was being cared for? Was it this tree, or the "cured meats" hanging on the trees?

He looked at the skeleton of the Caretaker.

The Caretaker was dead.

The hungry livestock had found food.

And he himself, a captain holding a notebook also from the Heavenly Dao, what was he?

A new Caretaker, or... just another piece of livestock?

"Captain! This fruit is really edible! I'm fine!"

Zhou Qian's surprised shout interrupted Chen Du's thoughts.

She looked triumphant, as if she truly were the greatest hero.

The girls cheered and swarmed toward the lemon tree, scrambling for the sweet fruit.