459: 45

Xingyao Safe Zone

In a cramped rented room, a young man was quickly putting away the items he had just acquired.

"Xiao Ning, rent's due!"

The door was being knocked on, and perhaps due to the force, the entire door seemed to be shaking.

"Coming!"

Ning Yuan took out a handful of coins from the box and opened the door.

"Tiger Mom, this is this month's rent."

The one who opened the door was a plump middle-aged woman. After weighing the coins in her hand, a smile finally appeared on her face: "Hmm, alright, then you go ahead and do your thing. Remember to call me if anything happens. Oh, by the way, there have been Split-Tooth Rats around here recently, so don't go out much at night. I won't be responsible if you get into danger."

"Thank you, Tiger Mom."

Ning Yuan closed the door and then opened the box he had just placed under the bed.

"This shelter item can actually transform into a house, and most importantly, it can help people awaken their Talent."

He was excited, and now, he had successfully awakened his Talent, and it was an A-Rank Talent at that.

He opened his hand, and a ball of fire emerged. The fire was purple and seemed to lack lethality, but Ning Yuan knew very well how terrifying this small flame truly was.

He extinguished the flame and his gaze fell back on the box.

Inside the box, a golden pocket watch lay quietly, its hands still turning.

This was a pocket watch with an S-Rank characteristic, Time Stasis, which could make time within a certain range fall into stasis. The stronger he became, the larger the range would be.

Ning Yuan didn't know what a shelter item was, nor what an S-Rank characteristic was, but he knew this item was very precious.

"This is the Meditation Method from the Shelter. It seems I can use this to improve my Talent."

He knew of the existence of Talent Users, but he didn't know how those Talent Users improved their strength.

The Meditation Method had already appeared in his mind. He began to sit cross-legged on the bed, attempting to meditate.

He didn't know how much time had passed until he felt his stomach rumble and saw the dark sky outside, realizing that a long time had gone by.

There was no food left in the room, and Ning Yuan stared out the window, somewhat hesitant.

Recently, Split-Tooth Rats have been appearing in nearby communities. Split-Tooth Rats are first-level Pollution Beasts, over a meter long, with teeth that can easily chew through human bones, and they are extremely fast.

"Forget it, I'll just bear it and buy food tomorrow."

His rented room was small and had no kitchen; he usually ate out.

Ning Yuan endured his hunger and checked his own strength, finding that the internal energy had indeed grown a bit, but it was still very little.

"At this rate, it will take at least a year for me to break through to the second level."

A year, he didn't even know if he could live to see a year from now in this world.

This was a world full of monsters everywhere; not only were there terrifying Pollution Beasts, but even some people could suddenly turn into monsters.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his hand. He opened it to check and found a message from the landlady, Tiger Mom. Tiger Mom was the owner of this building, and many people lived here.

"A Split-Tooth Beast has entered the building! I'll arrange for people to check rooms later, everyone remember to open your doors! Eliminate safety hazards! Those who see this, please reply 'Received'!"

309: "What? A Split-Tooth Rat actually got into the building! Doesn't the community have security guards? What's going on!"

407: "Search quickly! If something happens, I don't want to die so young!"

501: "Received!"

109: "Received!"

202: "Received!"

Ning Yuan had originally intended to reply 'Received' as well, but he suddenly felt that something wasn't right. He frowned deeply, and after some consideration, he didn't reply.

However, he continued to pay attention to the situation in the group.

"Haven't the security personnel arrived yet?"

"When can they clear out that Split-Tooth Rat? It's late at night, I don't even dare to sleep!"

"Exactly, I still have to go to work tomorrow."

109: "The security personnel have arrived. They just cleared the hazard from my home and even gave me a packet of first-level rat repellent powder, which can prevent Split-Tooth Rats from invading."

"rat repellent powder? There's such a good thing? Thumbs up! Tiger Mom is so thoughtful this time!"

"This stuff isn't cheap, a packet costs two hundred yuan! Tiger Mom is generous!"

Ning Yuan, seeing this, frowned even deeper. How was it possible? How could someone like Tiger Mom be willing to give out rat repellent powder that cost two hundred yuan a packet? The value of one packet was almost half a month's rent for him.

Let alone rat repellent powder, she wouldn't even give out a steamed bun!

Something was wrong, definitely wrong.

Oh, right, Split-Tooth Rats!

Ning Yuan suddenly realized. If there really were Split-Tooth Rats inside, how could this building be so quiet?

Split-Tooth Rats are incredibly ferocious and have extremely keen senses of smell. If they found a person, they would definitely break through the door. If there were really Split-Tooth Rats, it couldn't be this quiet.

Something was definitely wrong.

Ning Yuan felt a chill in his heart, thinking of some conjectures, and cold sweat broke out on his back. So, was Tiger Mom really still Tiger Mom?

And the person from 109.

He wanted to reply in the group immediately, but his hand hovered over the screen, hesitant to press it. If that thing truly wasn't human, doing so would only expose himself.

After a moment of hesitation, Ning Yuan decisively turned off his phone, quickly retrieved the pocket watch from under the bed, and clutched it tightly in his hand.

Aberrations, some Aberrations possess intelligence, even retaining some memories, but many Aberrations are initially very fragile, similar to ordinary people.

Only by continuously devouring people do they become more powerful.

This world is full of dangers everywhere; one could face a life-or-death crisis at any moment.

Ning Yuan stared intently at his door, clutching the pocket watch in his hand, praying that he wouldn't be discovered.

If he really were discovered...

He looked at the pocket watch in his hand; this would be his only chance.

He turned on his phone, preparing to check the thing's movements.

This building was a dormitory-style building, with ten households on each floor.

However, some were uninhabited, and some people hadn't returned.

There were a total of six floors, sixty households. He remembered that fifty-two households were occupied, so even counting those who hadn't returned tonight, there should be at least forty households, right?

But he counted, and only twenty-seven households replied 'Received'!

It seemed he wasn't the only one who had noticed a problem.

Suddenly, another message popped up on his phone.

It wasn't from the group; it was a friend request, with the note '407', a household that hadn't replied 'Received' in the group.

Ning Yuan didn't accept.

He knew this person must want to create a group to deal with that thing.

But who could guarantee that everyone in this group was human?

He lived on the third floor, neither too high nor too low.

Tap-tap-tap, footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Then they stopped at a certain spot.

"Open the door, coming to search!"

"Coming, coming!"

He recognized this voice; it was Auntie Wang from 301, a very kind person who also had a child.