After the darkness!

Lin Yijue sat up and glanced at the alarm clock: 7:30.

Outside the window, everything was shrouded in a gray haze, like a filthy rag that blocked out the morning light, revealing a bleak, leaden gray hue.

At this time last month, it was already dawn.

As they approached the Cold River, dawn broke later and the days grew shorter.

Temperatures dropped, and freezing rain occasionally condensed.

The whole world seemed to be dragged into some kind of slowly sinking gray filter.

In the stagnant air, the muffled honking of cars, the indistinct shouts of early morning vendors, and the hurried footsteps of passersby sounded particularly clear in the open space.

Lin Yijue stretched comfortably.

Crackle, crackle.

A series of rapid, crisp sounds, like firecrackers exploding.

Because I had a good night's sleep, my body's fatigue level was refreshed.

At this moment, every muscle in the body is cheering and jumping for joy, a feeling of fullness overflowing with power, which makes one feel great.

However, the energy consumption seems to be quite high.

I had just eaten two pounds of fresh meat before bed, but as soon as I got up, a strong feeling of emptiness surged up from deep within my abdomen.

Lin Yijue quickly dressed and got out of bed.

First, I fed the bamboo rats some algae, and then I took out a fresh ice pack from the sports bag containing fresh meat.

The bag contained neatly cut small pieces of rib.

Even with ice packs to keep it fresh, and even with some blood and ice crystals still clinging to its vibrant texture, the meat still tasted somewhat off after almost a week.

But Lin Yijue didn't care. He grabbed a piece of rib and stuffed it into his mouth. What he wanted was not deliciousness, but simply nutrition and undeactivated biological factors.

I don't know if it's because my physique has become stronger, or because the phagocytic inside my body has become more voracious. What used to be enough to eat five pounds of raw pork a day has now filled me up and maxed out my fatigue level.

Ten minutes later.

We're done eating and that's it.

Lin Yijue wiped his mouth and briefly assessed his physical condition.

I was only about three-tenths full.

He glanced at the empty ice pack.

The meat-like effect has weakened.

Although I already knew from Wang Mingde that the phages in the infected person's body are "insatiable" and their appetite will increase with continuous feeding.

Just like the body's drug tolerance, the more homogeneous raw meat you eat, the weaker the effects of raw meat, whether it's replenishing fatigue or suppressing pain.

"But this 'appetite' seems to have grown a little too fast."

The consumption period for this black-striped pork hasn't even been a week yet...

The existence of drug resistance means that the amount and frequency of raw meat consumption must be increased.

Because it's raw meat, it's difficult to eat it like a snack, in small, frequent portions.

At home, things are alright, but outside, the thought of someone constantly gnawing on a piece of bloody raw meat is just too disgusting.

So you either need to find higher quality meat or you need to drink so-called extracts.

Lin Yijue plans to spend the rest of his time at the club trying to find a solution.

Yes, high-quality meat is naturally easier to obtain by comparison.

After all, the black-haired pork he bought was supposed to be top-quality, but it was just a variant of domestic pigs, artificially raised.

The truly superior meat comes from the powerful beasts outside the high walls.

Now he can be considered an elite disciple of the Yun Sheng Sect. The Yun Sheng Sect, whose headquarters are located in settlements outside the base city, naturally has no shortage of so-called exotic beast meat.

It's just rare at best.

With a little effort, you can definitely get it.

Lin Yijue finalized his plan.

To his surprise, just before he finished breakfast and was about to leave, he suddenly received a call from Wang Mingde, who asked him to come to the company.

He said he had something interesting he wanted to share with him.

In return, there was a batch of fresh exotic meat that had just been transported back from outside the high walls.

*

*

drop……

The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.

The teacher slammed his hand on the desk: "Stop! Stop writing! Stand up! Last row students, collect your papers from back to front!"

The sound drowned out the tiny commotion that erupted in an instant.

In an instant, the previously quiet classroom erupted into chaos.

Some people slumped in their seats with a sigh of relief; others were still scratching their heads, frantically filling in their answer sheets at the last second; still others were craning their necks, trying to peek at a few answers from the papers on the next table.

Lin Yijue quickly stood up from his seat and neatly put the pen cap back on the nib.

He handed the test paper to the classmate collecting the papers, then picked up his schoolbag, ready to go find the homeroom teacher to submit a leave request.

"Jue Mei!"

Suddenly, someone called him from behind.

Lin Yijue turned around, and the person speaking was Wang Qi.

She also picked up her schoolbag and walked up quickly.

Compared to not long ago, the other person seems to have started to indulge themselves. They're now applying foundation to their face, which they previously didn't wear makeup on, making their skin smoother and whiter, and their features more defined.

Beneath the loose school uniform, the altered black school trousers accentuated the slenderness of her legs.

Her eyes were bright, and when she smiled, they formed crescent shapes, which was very pleasing.

Ding Jie was following behind her.

The two were practically inseparable, even following each other to the toilet.

"Is something the matter?"

Lin Yijue turned his head and asked.

Wang Qi slapped him on the shoulder. "Big sister, can't I look for you if there's nothing wrong? Don't you know what you've been doing lately? After class in the morning, you disappear without a trace in the afternoon. I can't catch you at all."

She complained, and then continued:

"Are you free this afternoon? Want to come with us to Wulong Mountain? There's a martial arts lecture there. This session's speaker is a renowned martial arts master with a very high teaching level. I've heard he's a key teacher at a prestigious high school in the inner city. I have some tickets."

"A martial arts sharing session?" Lin Yijue was taken aback and was about to reply.

"Wang Qi, we're going to the VIP session this time. After the lecture, there's a sharing session. It's real competition, not like the sparring in physical education class."

"If he really wants to go, I think I'll ask a friend to get him an outside ticket later, so he can wait for us outside after the lecture." A boy walked over with his hands in his pockets and said coldly.

The boy was not tall, only about 1.7 meters, with extremely fair skin. His neatly parted hair gave him a scholarly air, and his indifferent expression made him look like a good student in the class.

This person isn't in their class.

He glanced at Lin Yijue and smiled, "Do you want to go? Although an outer ticket costs ten thousand yuan, it's okay. You're Wang Qi's friend, I'll cover your share. It's not much money."

Lin Yijue looked up and met the other person's gaze.

The man seemed surprised that Lin Yijue dared to look him directly in the eye. He turned around and said playfully, "What? You don't believe me? You really want ten thousand yuan? Hehe."

Lin Yijue noticed that as he spoke, his eyes kept glancing at Wang Qi, who was standing to the side, and immediately understood what was going on.

"A ticket that costs ten thousand yuan is out of the question, I can't afford it." He smiled.

"Besides, I have something to do this afternoon, so I need to go to the office to ask for leave now."

He waved the leave slip he had prepared in his hand as he spoke.

"Don't worry about the money." Wang Qi frowned. "As for what might happen, what could possibly happen to a person? Or is something more important than attending class?"

That famous teacher is quite skilled; go listen to his lessons, and maybe your physical education test score will go up.

"I really have something to do, maybe next time, definitely next time." Lin Yijue waved his hand. "You guys go, listen carefully, have fun, and if you find anything good, just tell me when you get back."

"Every time we go out together, you're always busy. You're not saying you don't want to hang out with me anymore, are you?"

Wang Qi pretended to be serious and threatened.

"No, I really have something to do. I need to go to the city this afternoon to take care of some things. My family asked me to go. Wulong Mountain is in the suburbs, and I don't have enough time," Lin Yijue explained, understanding the other party's good intentions.

"Alright, Qiqi, Lin Yijue might really be busy. Let's do it next time. Next time, go to the zoo and call him. If he dares to stand us up again, I'll beat him up for you." Ding Jie said with a laugh from behind.

Just then, she noticed the look the boy next to her gave her, and pretended to glance at her watch.

"Oh dear, the car we booked is already at the school gate. Let's hurry up or we'll miss it. We still need to go to the training ground to get our equipment."

He then took Wang Qi's hand and walked out of the classroom.

Wang Qi, who had originally intended to say something, lost interest in speaking upon hearing that the equipment hadn't been packed yet, and casually remarked:

"You said you'd do it next time, so if you stand me up again, see what I'll do to you."

As she spoke, Ding Jieqiang pulled her out of the classroom.

Lin Yijue smiled, turned around, picked up his schoolbag, and walked out of the classroom.

He had just stepped out of the classroom when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

As he turned his head, his hand loosened, and the 'good student'-looking man with the parted hair was standing right behind him.

"Brother, you've got a good eye. Thanks for earlier." He smiled knowingly and continued, "I need to trouble you with one more thing: stay away from Wang Qi from now on. It's for your own good."

Lin Yijue was taken aback, finding it somewhat difficult to understand.

He could naturally tell that the other person was interested in Wang Qi, which was normal, as high school is a time when hormones are raging.

Moreover, Wang Qi is indeed good-looking and has a great figure. Most importantly, her family is extremely wealthy.

It's perfectly normal to have someone pursuing you.

But what does this threat mean?

Are absurd plots from novels becoming reality?

The person I love, all the opposite sex around them must die?

Those who love me, even the opposite sex around me, must die?

The main theme is forced love, and all men around the female lead must die?

He suddenly found it funny.

A kind of incomprehensible, speechless amusement.

"Wang Qi and I are just ordinary friends. If you want to pursue her, you don't need to consider me at all. If you do manage to win her over, I will also maintain a proper distance," Lin Yijue explained simply, too lazy to argue with the other party.

The boy was also getting impatient, and upon hearing this, his face showed even more displeasure. He raised an eyebrow and said:

"Maintain distance? You think you pose a threat to me? You idiot, you won't listen to reason."

"What I mean is, get the hell out of here. When I'm looking for Wang Qi, I don't want to see you, understand? And you say you don't even need to consider me? You're such an idiot." He was getting angry.

"Considering you're also a student, I'll let it slide today."

"Let me tell you plainly, I can pay you ten thousand dollars to attend a lecture with me, and I can also pay ten thousand dollars to buy your life, you know?" He glanced at his watch and continued cursing.

Lin Yijue glanced at the man in front of him who looked like a pretty boy.

The latter noticed his gaze, paused for a moment, then shook his head with a cold laugh, seemingly finding it hard to understand.

Then he took out his phone, as if he was scrolling through his contacts.

"I hate it when people swear..."

Lin Yijue exhaled lightly, then suddenly stepped forward and slapped him across the face.

Snapped!

A loud sound suddenly rang out in the corridor, and a slap landed on the boy's face.

An unimaginable force struck him, sending him spinning halfway around and nearly causing him to fall.

Before he could even fall to the ground, Lin Yijue grabbed him and pulled him up.

"You fucking bastard, you fucking bastard, you fucking bastard..." Lin Yijue lowered his voice and slapped the boy's face again and again.

The guy was completely stunned by the blow, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Did you hear me?!" He grabbed the boy by the collar with one hand and slammed him against the wall.

Let go.

The man slid to the ground, panting heavily.

"Alright, since you're a student too, I won't hold it against you. Let's go." He clapped his hands, picked up his backpack, and turned around.

There were still students who hadn't left, and they witnessed the whole thing. They were all dumbfounded, never expecting that Lin Yijue, who was usually the least noticeable person in the class, would actually take action.

Some girls knew the boy because they knew him well; they knew he was not only a top student, ranking in the top 20 in the whole school, but his family also ran a business, making him a second-generation rich kid.

Therefore, I stayed behind specifically to say hello and try to get closer to them.

Unexpectedly...

"Young Master Wang?! Young Master Wang, are you alright?" Several people screamed and rushed over to help the man up from the ground.

"Quickly call the teacher, call the doctor, no, two people come with me to the infirmary first!" someone continued to shout.

"This person is so famous, and he even has an entourage?" Lin Yijue hadn't gone far when he saw this scene and was immediately dumbfounded.

Is this yet another second-generation rich kid being attacked?

He recalled his previous sparring session with Xiao Ran, which was supposed to be a simple competition, but ended up causing quite a bit of trouble.

She subconsciously felt a pang of regret, wondering if she should go back and take the man to the medical room first.

But soon, Wei Hong's words inexplicably surfaced in his mind.

Before practicing martial arts, I was bullied and dared not fight back. After practicing martial arts, I am still timid and cowardly, afraid of this and that. Isn't all my martial arts training a waste?

not to mention……

He suddenly remembered Wang Mingde.

The other party was clearly very rich, but from beginning to end, he looked like a living person who was almost dead.

"Being infected with a phage is like sitting at a gambling table. It's a contest of whether 'it' will devour you first, or you can devour it. The stake is your life."

As for everything else, for someone who could turn into a monster at any moment, rules, identity, trouble... are all utterly worthless. The other person said this while smoking a cigar, the smoke swirling around them.

For some reason, the feeling of regret in Lin Yijue's heart vanished instantly.

He didn't bother to think too much. He glanced at the students behind him who seemed to be trying to stop him from leaving, then stepped forward and threw a backpack at them.

Bang!

After a muffled thud, the tallest and fattest man was knocked to the ground, screaming in pain and unable to utter a single word.

This person seems to be a classmate of theirs.

The others were stunned and stood frozen in place.

Lin Yijue didn't say anything, continued to put on his schoolbag, and turned to leave.

This time, no one shouted, and no one blocked the road.