Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

"I'm waiting for you up ahead; no need to shout."

Wen Yu's deep voice rang out, causing Sun Aotian to quiet down.

In less than a minute, Sun Aotian had somewhat adapted to the conditions underground and said to Wen Yu in surprise, "Brother Wen Yu, it's so big in here!"

"Yes, it probably connects to an old air raid shelter."

There are many air raid shelters in the Northeast region. In the mountains near Chaihe Town, there are numerous such shelters and man-made caves.

"Let's go deeper."

The space where Wen Yu and Sun Aotian stood was very narrow; Wen Yu couldn't possibly summon Cyclops here.

Without Cyclops, Wen Yu naturally couldn't track the scent below. For now, they could only take it one step at a time.

They continued along the tunnel.

The ground was dry, and there were no bodies or bloodstains, meaning no fight had occurred underground.

As Wen Yu and Sun Aotian moved further, a light suddenly appeared before them.

"An exit!" Sun Aotian shouted excitedly upon seeing the light.

Wen Yu carefully calculated the distance. This tunnel wasn't short, at least several kilometers long. If I calculate the distance and direction, the exit is located...

Before Wen Yu could finish his thought, the light at the exit was blocked by a massive shadow.

A deafening, furious roar echoed around them. Sun Aotian's face turned pale with fear, but Wen Yu stood his ground, unmoving.

This is more like it!

"What's 'more like it'?"

Looking at the terrifying figure at the entrance, Sun Aotian was trembling so much he could barely speak. Then, he quickly realized something. The creature at the entrance—it can't get in!

The tunnel itself was narrow, so the exit naturally wasn't large. The huge bear at the end of the tunnel simply couldn't squeeze through.

"The exit is on the mountain," Wen Yu deduced. "Judging by this black bear's behavior, it knows there's food in the tunnel, which is why it's been blocking the entrance. This means the people inside might not have escaped yet!"

"Let's go look elsewhere!"

Wen Yu ignored the large bear at the entrance, immediately turning and heading towards the other end of the tunnel.

"Brother Wen Yu? Shouldn't we deal with that black bear?" Sun Aotian asked doubtfully.

Wen Yu waved his hand. "No need. That creature isn't weak. If we fight it, it'll be a toss-up. It's better to let it stay put outside."

The best way to earn points is to kill large numbers of cannon fodder and opponents slightly weaker than oneself. Fighting a powerful expert involves too many variables. An accident would mean certain death! Wen Yu would absolutely not initiate an evenly matched fight unless he was completely certain of victory.

Hearing Wen Yu's explanation, Sun Aotian nodded in understanding.

They continued along the other end of the tunnel. After a while, the air grew murky. A smell of decay and rot began to assail their nostrils, making them want to retch.

"What is that smell? It's terrible!" Sun Aotian pinched his nose, his expression one of utter disgust.

Wen Yu frowned. His physical constitution, twice as strong as Sun Ruixing's, allowed him to identify the smell.

"Hmm, it's the smell of human excrement, and also..." He paused, then continued, "Something terrible might have happened up ahead. I'm warning you, if your nerves aren't strong enough, you'd better stay here!" Wen Yu cautioned Sun Aotian.

His words, however, ignited Sun Aotian's pride. "I'm not a child anymore. What could possibly scare me?"

Without waiting for Wen Yu to say more, Sun Aotian walked directly ahead.

Still too young. Wen Yu smirked, standing still.

Not even thirty seconds later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. Sun Aotian ran back from the front, hand clapped over his mouth, and squatted on the ground, vomiting violently.

"See? I told you the situation up ahead wasn't good."

Hearing Wen Yu's teasing words, Sun Aotian glared at him furiously, roaring, "What do you know? What do you know? Those beasts…"

"Eat humans, right? I know," Wen Yu interrupted Sun Aotian directly.

Seeing the puzzled look in Sun Aotian's eyes, Wen Yu slowly walked forward, his deep voice reaching Sun Aotian's ears. "In the apocalypse, things like this happen. You should have realized it too. If there's no food inside, one exit is blocked by a mutant beast, and the other is sealed by zombies, it's a deathtrap. When humans lack food, instinct overpowers reason. Cannibalism isn't surprising in such situations."

"It's not their fault either. Actually, by my logic, anything done for survival can be forgiven!"

Stepping on a hand bone covered in bite marks, crushing it underfoot, Wen Yu entered the slaughterhouse.

The first things that met his eyes were two skeletons hanging from the cave ceiling, scraped clean of flesh.

Given the narrow space, not many people could have escaped the town government building—a dozen at most. From the scene, they must have left some time ago. They couldn't have lived here for long, so naturally, they wouldn't have consumed much 'food'. Two people would have been enough.

Wen Yu opened the large pot in the center. The broth inside had already congealed; organs and flesh were solidified into a lump. Surprisingly, it didn't emit a repulsive odor. However, the pale color, combined with the thought of what had been cooked in it, made Wen Yu's stomach churn.

He immediately closed the lid. Wen Yu carefully observed his surroundings. There was a good amount of firewood, and also some drinking water.

Further in, a foul stench emanated. That must have been their latrine.

After a cursory scan of the area, Wen Yu walked out.

Sun Aotian had finished vomiting some time ago. He stared blankly at the dark ceiling, what had happened here deeply affecting him.

"Let's go," Wen Yu said, heading back the way they came.

"Brother Wen Yu, these people are terrifying!" Sun Aotian struggled to his feet, his limbs still trembling.

Wen Yu thought for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't say terrifying. Honestly, if I were in their situation, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't resort to cannibalism. In fact, these people you call cannibals are also victims. If there were anything else to eat, who would choose to eat their own kind?"

Silence fell between them.

"Let's go. Don't dwell on it," Wen Yu said. "But there's still one question: how exactly did these people escape?"