The sun had begun to set. Evening was settling in, painting the sky with fading streaks of gold and red.
Leo stepped out of the gates of Zone 4 and started moving toward his next destination—Aether Camp.
According to Matthew's reports, the place was led by a man named Victor. They called him Lord Victor, a title that reeked of either pride or power.
Baelor had also warned Leo about Victor's cunning nature, calling him a man who knew how to play the game of survival.
But Leo didn't judge people just by what others said. He preferred to see things for himself.
These Chinese lands were vast, ruled by many zone lords. If Leo truly wanted to understand the apocalypse, the system, and everything in between, then he needed more than power.
Making enemies left and right wouldn't help him. He wasn't here to conquer China. He was here to figure out the truth behind this new world.
So, with those thoughts, Leo walked east—towards Aether Camp, nearly a hundred miles away.
For him, it wasn't a long journey. He could cover it in no time if he wanted. But there was no need to rush. Traveling slower meant more chances to level up. That, he didn't mind.
On the way, monsters appeared. In simple terms, they were walking XP points.
Leo dealt with them easily. Some were level 1, some level 2 ferals, even a few level 3 mutants—but none of them posed a real threat.
His blood tendrils—those blood wipers—had become used to the job. One clean swipe was enough to kill, and with a touch to their cores,
Leo absorbed them effortlessly.
But the sad part was, these weaklings weren't enough to level him up. Not anymore. Now that he was in the Transcendent Tier, only level 4 monsters and above could give him a real boost.
Still, he didn't mind. Hunting was fun.
After talking to Baelor, Leo had realized something—being cold and distant wouldn't always work. Sometimes, being smarter and more approachable was the better path. Making a few allies wouldn't hurt.
Leo had observed Zone 4. Under Baelor's rule the people were happy. They were willing to fight for him, not out of fear or survival but simply because they wanted to.
Such loyalty was rare but useful. It was better to have some decent loyal men rather than having an army of wolves.
He smirked, walking through the quiet woods. "These 100 miles aren't much," he muttered to himself. "At least I don't have to drag around a bunch of survivors anymore."
But just as he thought that, luck seemed to smile on him. He stumbled upon a small group of aberrant monsters—four of them.
They were strange-looking creatures, tall like panthers but with twisted features.
He didn't even know what to call them. The system didn't recognize them either. But judging by their strength, they were level 4. Not too strong, not too weak. A perfect warm-up.
The creatures noticed him and launched into an attack. But their coordination was sloppy.
Leo dodged their strikes with ease, sidestepping faster than their eyes could follow. One of them lunged at him—Leo responded with a punch to its gut. The beast flew back with a painful yowl.
Another leapt for his arm, biting hard. But its teeth cracked on contact.
Leo chuckled. "Tough luck, buddy," he said, shaking his head. "That's not skin you can chew through."
He could almost feel the monster's embarrassment. Out of mercy, he gave it a quick end with a blood swipe.
The other three hesitated for a moment but didn't back down. Leo respected their courage. But in a few moments, they too fell. His blood tendrils sliced clean through their bodies, and the cores were absorbed into him.
Still, it wasn't enough. No level-up yet. "Guess I'll need something bigger," he sighed. "Maybe a mid-tier aberrant will do."
As he kept walking, another group appeared—about fifty ferals, mindlessly charging at him.
Leo raised his hand, blood tendrils spiraling out. In a matter of seconds, all fifty were dead. Their bodies dropped like puppets with cut strings.
This time, it worked. The final push he needed. He felt the surge within.
[Level Up]
Leo advanced from Transcendent Tier 4 to Tier 5.
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Finally," he whispered.
The rest of the journey went smoothly. He covered 80 miles that day. Only 20 miles remained now.
But after a long day of walking, fighting, and leveling up, Leo decided to take it easy. He found a quiet spot beneath the trees, set up a small makeshift camp, and sat down to rest for the night.
Tomorrow, he would arrive at Aether Camp.
And meet Lord Victor.