Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

Above the ruins, the moonlight was like water.

Shen Xi and Wu Anjun exchanged a glance and nodded slightly, which was considered a greeting.

Lord Wu'an's gaze swept past Shen Xi, sweeping over the devastated ruins behind him. The dome was shattered, the stone slabs were cracked, and rubble was scattered everywhere. The deepest pits were over ten meters in diameter, exposing the rock layers at the bottom, with charred marks and embers still visible at the edges.

"They hit pretty hard," Lord Wu'an said in a deep voice.

"The Gu family has an old monster who's lived for over two hundred years. That old thing is indeed something," Shen Xi said calmly. "However, it's been completely dealt with."

Lord Wu'an nodded and did not ask any further questions.

Just then, Shen Xi's gaze passed over Wu Anjun and landed on the burly figure at the back of the group.

His height of over two meters made him stand out in the crowd.

Mingying was looking down, poking at a pebble at her feet with the tip of her spear, looking rather bored.

"Mingying, come here."

Shen Xi's voice wasn't loud, but Ming Ying's ears perked up instantly. He looked up and saw Shen Xi waving at him. Without saying a word, he shouldered the Shura Spear, picked up the Lion Barrier, and ran over eagerly.

The way his two-meter-tall frame moved as he ran contrasted sharply with his terrifying aura. Like a polar bear frolicking, he was heavy and clumsy, yet possessed a comical quality that made people chuckle.

The soldiers around couldn't help but twitch at the sight. The second-ranked player on the China region's leaderboard, the one who had fought his way through the North region amidst the zombie horde and directly confronted a level 19 boss on the core battlefield, now trotted over like a large dog summoned by its master.

This scene is so jarring.

Mingying ran up to Shen Xi and stopped.

Shen Xi turned to the side, revealing the small figure behind her.

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"Come on, let me introduce you."

He pointed to the shadow, then to the small thing at his feet that was less than 80 centimeters tall.

"My new underling, Shadow. From now on, he's your brother."

Mingying lowered her head and looked behind Shen Xi.

He finally noticed the little one.

A black hoodie hung loosely on her slender frame, the pant legs rolled up several times to reveal a pair of gleaming black combat boots. A small face was hidden in the hoodie's hood, only a pointed chin and a pair of scarlet eyes visible.

Those eyes were staring at him.

Mingying was stunned for a moment.

He crouched down, his two-meter-tall frame still towering over the little guy by more than half a head. He placed the Lion's Wall at his feet, rested the Asura Spear on his shoulder, and stretched out a large hand, waving it in front of the shadow.

The shadow did not react.

Mingying swayed again.

There was still no response.

Mingying tilted his head, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. Then, he extended his index finger and carefully poked Anying's arm.

Shadow's body stiffened slightly.

The next second, the small face hidden under the hood fell. Shadow abruptly turned his head, turning his face to the side, leaving Mingying with only the back of his head. That posture clearly said four big words: Keep out of the way.

Mingying was stunned.

He poked the back of Shadow's head.

Shadow's shoulders twitched, but he didn't turn around.

I poked it again.

Shadow's body began to tremble slightly, clearly indicating that he was somewhat angry.

Shen Xi watched this scene, her lips twitching slightly.

This little creature had been locked in Gu Changsheng's iron cage for an unknown period of time. It had no trust in humans and remained highly vigilant and hostile towards any living being that approached it.

Having just been forcibly subdued by the enslavement contract, it cannot disobey Shen Xi's orders, but that doesn't mean it can accept Ming Ying as its "big brother".

"Alright, alright." Shen Xi raised her hand and tapped An Ying on the back of the head. "We're all on the same side, let's get along better, don't be so arrogant."

Shadow's body stiffened for a moment.

Then, it slowly turned its head, its scarlet eyes staring at Shen Xi, a hint of grievance flashing in them.

Shen Xi stared at it expressionlessly.

Shadow stared at him for a few seconds, then turned to look at Bright Shadow.

Mingying remained crouched there, his two-meter-tall frame hunched over like a small mountain. He stretched out his large hand, palm up, and placed it in front of Anying.

Shadow looked down at the hand, then looked up at Bright Shadow's face.

Mingying's face was expressionless, but her deep eyes radiated kindness.

The shadow remained silent for a moment.

Then, it stretched out its thin hand and placed it in Mingying's palm.

One big and one small, their hands clasped together.

Mingying's palm could almost cover Anying's entire hand, but he didn't use force, he just held it gently.

Shadow looked down at the large hand that was enveloping his own, a flicker of emotion flashing in his scarlet eyes.

Mingying released her grip and stood up.

He glanced at his majestic lion-like fortress, then at the slender figure of the shadow. Then, he did something that even Shen Xi hadn't expected…

He held the Lion Wall in both hands and presented it to the Shadow.

That massive, dark gold shield was half a head taller than Shadow himself.

Shadow raised his head, looking at the shield that was taller than himself, his scarlet eyes filled with confusion.

Shen Xi was also taken aback.

This guy is actually going to give his shield to Shadow?

He looked at Mingying's serious face, then at Anying's slender body, and then at the towering Lion Wall, which was even taller than Anying. A picture flashed through his mind...

The shadowy figure held aloft the massive shield, which dragged on the ground, completely obscuring its form. From a distance, it looked like a moving shield. Then, it peeked its small head out from behind the shield, its crimson eyes fixed on its target, and charged forward, brandishing its dagger…

The scene was so beautiful that Shen Xi dared not look.

"Alright, alright." Shen Xi stopped Ming Ying and pushed the Lion Wall back. "Put it away. He can't use your broken shield."

Mingying looked at the shield, then at Anying, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He didn't understand; the shield was a valuable item, so why couldn't Anying use it?

Shen Xi sighed: "He's an assassin, not a meat shield like you. Asking him to carry a shield taller than himself to assassinate someone is practically suicide."

Mingying was silent for a moment, then nodded as if she understood, exploring the infinite possibilities of science fiction.

An Ying stood to the side, his scarlet eyes darting back and forth between Ming Ying and Shen Xi.

After settling the two lively characters, Shen Xi turned around and walked towards Lord Wu'an.

Lord Wu'an stood still, arms crossed, patiently waiting.

"How did it go?" Shen Xi walked up to him and got straight to the point. "Have you dealt with everyone from the underground palace?"

Lord Wu'an nodded, unable to hide his excitement: "From the first floor to the fourth floor, all members of the Gu family were killed. Not a single one escaped."

His voice was calm, but Shen Xi could hear the suppressed joy beneath that calm. The Gu family, this cancer that had entrenched itself in Kyoto for over a century, had finally been uprooted. Those comrades who sacrificed themselves in the zombie horde, those players betrayed by the Gu family, those pitiful women used as breeding tools in the breeding base… their revenge had finally been taken.

"However..." Wu Anjun paused, his brows furrowing slightly, "the people scattered around the Gu family's outskirts launched a frenzied counterattack after hearing the news. Their numbers are approximately 20,000."

Shen Xi frowned as well.

20,000 people.

This number is not small. Although the combat power of those peripheral members is far inferior to that of the core elites in the underground palace, the sheer number of 20,000 people means that even a single spit from each of them could drown many.

"But don't worry," Wu Anjun quickly added upon seeing Shen Xi's expression, "I sent out 30,000 men before entering the fourth level. The situation is completely under control; all that's left is to clean up the battlefield."

Shen Xi nodded, a look of admiration flashing in her eyes.

He truly deserves the title of Lord Wu'an.

Faced with the complex situation of being surrounded from both inside and outside the Gu family's secret base, he was still able to calmly divide his forces into two groups: one to launch a main attack on the underground palace, and the other to encircle and suppress the enemy from the outside. This kind of on-the-spot command ability cannot be achieved simply by increasing one's level and equipment.

"The Gu family is completely finished." Wu Anjun let out a long breath, his voice tinged with emotion. "The head of the four great families of the capital, a family with a hundred-year history, is gone just like that."

Shen Xi nodded, then his gaze fell on the collapsed stone houses, the broken stone slabs, and the distant ruins of the dome illuminated by the moonlight.

"So, Lord Wu'an," Shen Xi began casually, "what do you think of the Gu family's secret underground palace?"

Lord Wu'an paused for a moment, then followed Shen Xi's gaze and looked around.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is..." Shen Xi pointed to the shattered dome above her head, then to the stone houses in the distance that, although damaged, were still largely intact in their main structure. "There are four floors in total, with sunlight, moonlight, water, architecture, weather, planting... all sorts of things, everything you could want. The Gu family is planning to create their own little world here."

Lord Wu'an frowned as he began to carefully observe the ruins.

Although the dome was shattered, the steel frame structure remained intact and could be easily repaired. While several stone houses collapsed, most were still in good condition and could be habitable again with minor repairs. Although the planting area was affected by the battle, the soil and water sources were undamaged, and production could be quickly restored after replanting.

More importantly, the underground palace is large enough.

The space has four floors, each very large. The Gu family crammed over 30,000 people here, yet it didn't feel crowded. If used as a military base, it could hold at least 50,000 to 80,000 people.

Moreover, its location is perfect.

It's only 130 kilometers away from Kyoto as the crow flies—not too far, not too close. It can support Kyoto in critical moments, but its proximity prevents it from being easily detected by the rotting corpses or hostile forces.

"You said..." Shen Xi's voice held a hint of seduction, "It's been over a month since the apocalypse, and the military still hasn't found a decent secret base. What if the military turned this place into your own secret base?"

Lord Wu'an's breathing became slightly rapid.

He didn't answer immediately, but closed his eyes and quickly calculated in his mind.

The underground palace's defense system. The Gu family had been operating here for countless years, with watchtowers, electric fences, and minefields on the outside, and runic restrictions, traps, and multiple lines of defense inside. Although they had breached it, the main structure was still intact, and repairing it would be much faster than building it from scratch.

The underground palace was well-hidden. Concealed underground, surrounded by rolling hills and dense vegetation, it appeared completely unremarkable from the air. If it weren't for Tai Chu providing the intelligence, they might not have discovered this place even a year later.

The underground palace is self-sufficient. It has planting areas, water sources, light sources, and a climate control system, making it completely self-sufficient. Even if there are problems in Kyoto, it can operate independently for a long time.

If we could take this place...

Lord Wu'an opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them.

"A good place." He said in a deep voice, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. "The Gu family's underground palace is indeed a good place. It's so close to the capital, yet we haven't discovered it, which shows how well it's hidden."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, according to the intelligence we just received, the Gu family has crammed at least 30,000 people into this underground palace, yet it doesn't feel crowded. The scale of this underground palace is much larger than we anticipated."

Shen Xi nodded.

This place is indeed troublesome as an enemy base. If he hadn't been the first to come in and cause trouble, disrupting the Gu family's plans, and if Mingying and Wu'anjun hadn't cleared the way ahead, the military's army wouldn't have been able to breach the underground palace so quickly.

But if this place can be used to our advantage...

"Indeed." Shen Xi continued, following Wu Anjun's lead. "Moreover, with the foundation laid by the Gu family, even if much of it was damaged in this battle, rebuilding it will be much easier."

Lord Wu'an nodded, his excitement growing stronger.

He began to sketch out the transformed underground palace in his mind. The first level would serve as the outer defense, the second as a training ground and warehouse, the third as the command center and core living area, and the fourth as strategic reserves and emergency shelters. The dome would be repaired and fitted with bulletproof glass, providing both light and protection against air raids. The planting area would be tripled to achieve food self-sufficiency. The water system would be further optimized, adding purification and recycling functions…

The more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

"However..." Lord Wu'an suddenly thought of a problem, and his brows furrowed again. "The layout of this underground palace is intricate and complex, with crisscrossing passages and a vast area. Without someone familiar with the place to guide you, it's easy to get lost inside."

He paused for a moment, his expression slightly somber.

broken.

I had such a blast killing people just now, from the first floor to the fourth, hacking and slashing at everyone I saw, leaving no one alive. Now I can't even find someone from the Gu family to guide me.

Shen Xi watched as Wu Anjun's face gradually stiffened, suppressing her laughter.

"What a coincidence."

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