Volume One, Chapter 18: Better to Rely on Yourself Than on Heaven or Earth

"Chu Ge, don't you dare forget our wager~"

Su Ran stood up, a faint blush blooming on her lovely face.

"Do I look like that kind of person? It was just a small skirmish," Chu Ge replied with a calm expression, though his mind was wandering into more suggestive territory.

Back at the hotel, both were in high spirits, and they prepared a lavish lunch. At the table, Su Ran kept pouring drinks for Chu Ge, determined to see him rise to the occasion. Having lost the sparring match, he couldn't afford to lose the drinking bout too; he had a team to lead, after all.

"Bring it on! You think I'm afraid of you?"

"Little Black, don't just eat your food, have a few sips too."

"Woof!"

Making a dog drink alcohol? You really are drunk.

Seeing that Chu Ge had reached his limit, Su Ran said with a meaningful look, "I'm going to take a shower first. Come to my room later."

*Hiss~*

Hearing this, Chu Ge couldn't help but gasp. In the middle of the day? Was this appropriate? He lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and then shoved it into Little Black's mouth.

"Even more impatient than me."

...

After Su Ran emerged from the bathroom, she blushed and urged, "Chu Ge, come over~"

"Alright, coming."

Before entering the room, Chu Ge psyched himself up. "Chu Ge, you are a star pupil who has been mentored by dozens of masters. You cannot chicken out. Show Su Ran what a real man is."

*Creak.*

The door pushed open, and a faint, lingering fragrance wafted toward him. Su Ran was curled up on the bed like a kitten.

"Full body massage, okay?" She tossed the essential oil she had prepared to Chu Ge, whispering with a flushed face.

"I understand!"

"Mmh, start now."

...

Two days later.

After this period of settling in, some of the monsters outside had evolved to the first rank, condensing demon cores within their bodies. Chu Ge and Su Ran ceased their rigorous training and walked out of their room with Little Black in tow.

Liang Yin, in the room next door, heard the commotion and stepped out with a scarlet face, muttering to herself, "Is this guy an animal?"

She checked her phone; there was no signal, and her heart sank. "Sigh, the world outside is in complete chaos. Without a man in the house, I never feel secure. No, I have to step it up."

When the two people and one dog arrived at the hotel lobby, the listless crowd suddenly became energized.

Chu Ge looked at the bleached-blond hoodlum guarding the door and said in a deep voice, "Open the door. I'm going out."

"What?" The blond hoodlum was shocked. The streets were swarming with demon beasts. A few demon dogs had been lurking outside earlier, scaring everyone in the hotel so much they dared not even breathe. Going out now wasn't that just seeking death?

"What are you stalling for? Open the door," Chu Ge said coldly.

"Boss, it's full of... demon beasts out there," the blond stammered.

"What's with the 'ah'? I'll give you and the others a piece of advice: the demon beasts aren't very strong yet. If you group together in threes or fives, you still have a chance to hunt them. Killing a demon beast gives you a chance to awaken an innate talent and become a cultivator like me."

"Otherwise, once the food runs out, you'll just be waiting to die. Understand?"

After speaking, Chu Ge stared coldly at the blond.

"Boss, I'll open it, I'll open it!" The blond shivered. Chu Ge’s gaze was so fierce it felt like he might kill, and the hoodlum dared not hesitate any longer.

The blond gingerly pushed open the glass doors, moving as lightly as possible, terrified that any sound might attract the attention of the beasts.

"Don't close the door yet. We're going out too." As soon as the two and the dog stepped out, and just as the blond was about to shut the door, the young couple Chu Ge had saved earlier spoke up.

"Only powerful strength can ensure that you and your loved ones survive in this cruel world." Chu Ge’s words echoed in their ears. Having been bullied before, the couple craved strength more than ever. Hearing that killing demon beasts could awaken talents, they made an instant decision: they, too, would hunt beasts and become cultivators like Chu Ge.

The couple each held an iron pipe. They had practically slept clutching those pipes for the past few days. The blond glanced at them and, not daring to protest, wisely opened the door. People who weren't even afraid of demon beasts were capable of anything if they went ruthless. They were not to be trifled with.

"Wait, include me too." The young woman, Liang Yin, squeezed out after them.

The others in the lobby remained unmoved. Hunt demon beasts? Don't be ridiculous. Most people in modern society hadn't even killed a chicken, let alone a beast. It was safer to just hunker down in the hotel and wait for government rescue. Even if the beasts were fierce, could they be stronger than guns and artillery?

Chu Ge looked at the three people following behind him, a flash of approval in his eyes. Only those who dare to fight have the right to survive. Relying on a savior is a dead end. Only you yourself are the true savior.

This era of spiritual energy recovery was unprecedented. Although the government had received some early warnings, they were unable to launch rescue operations in the short term.

As for whether guns and artillery could kill the beasts—of course they could. However, once the beasts evolved to the fourth rank, even nuclear weapons would struggle to deal effective damage; the nuclear blasts might even be absorbed by the beasts, helping them evolve further. And that was just for ordinary beasts. The gods crawling out of the pyramids were even more terrifying. When those gods descended on a large scale, that would be the true apocalypse for humanity.

For instance, the neighboring island nation had been sunk by a high-ranking god, Godzilla, with hundreds of millions wiped out. Chu Ge had learned of this from his diary and couldn't help but give Godzilla a thumbs up.

In any case, in the era of spiritual energy recovery, relying on heaven and earth is not as good as relying on oneself.

No sooner had the group of five and one dog stepped out of the hotel than two demon wolves caught their scent and charged over. One was a first-rank beast, the other an ordinary one.

Chu Ge manipulated a flying blade with the power of metal, shooting it toward the first-rank wolf and instantly decapitating it. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and the wolf ran forward another five meters before collapsing with a boom.

"Leave the other one to the three of you. Remember, you must have the resolve of a last stand—it's either the beast or you." Chu Ge sliced the hind leg of the other wolf with his blade and stepped aside to instruct them.

*Awooo!*

The wolf roared and charged at the three. The couple, Jiang Tao and Xu Wei, gripped their iron pipes, eyes locked on the charging beast. Liang Yin picked up a wooden stick from the ground and stood beside them. All three were deathly pale with fear, but none of them retreated.

"Let's attack together, aim for its head!" Liang Yin shouted and struck first, slamming her stick toward the wolf’s skull.

The wolf was a size larger than an ordinary wild wolf and possessed considerable strength. But because its hind leg had been injured by Chu Ge, its speed was greatly reduced. As long as the three were careful, the danger was manageable.

*Bang!*

Liang Yin was too nervous; her strike missed the head and landed squarely in the wolf's mouth, the wooden stick jammed tightly between its teeth. She shouted, "Hurry! Attack now!"

"Right!" The couple’s teeth chattered, but they raised their iron pipes high, raining blow after blow down on the beast. Seven or eight strikes in, the wolf was completely dazed.

"Hah!" Finally, Jiang Tao let out a roar and, putting all his strength into it, drove his iron pipe into the wolf's mouth.

*Awoo!*

The wolf let out a mournful cry, rolled its eyes, and collapsed on the spot, breathing its last. The three, eyes bloodshot from the adrenaline, continued to rain down blows, one after another.