Chapter 30 Collaboration
The sound of banging behind her made Candice Wright, who was already fleeing, very afraid.
Candice was the female officer, currently climbing out of the ventilation duct on the ceiling with William. The hole she escaped from was already covered by some boards and debris.
Candice looked at the man leading the way ahead with a complex expression, feeling a sense of hesitation.
Although she was reluctant to admit that the world had changed, it was a fact.
Human hearts had become ugly, too. She was also unwilling to admit, but she had just experienced betrayal.
Born into a military family, Candice grew up studying and training. Just after graduating from the police academy, she encountered the apocalypse. She didn't know what to do.
Candice wanted to save people and had tried hard, but the results were not good. If the man in front of her hadn't saved her, she might have died by now.
She thought, 'The police station is no longer an option, as it had been taken over by man-eating monsters. Going home? My parents are in a classified department. Even I have no idea where they are now. I'll be the only one at home, so going back is pointless. What should I do?'
Candice's mind was in turmoil.
Confusion, fear, oppression, panic, numbness. These were the mental states many people encountered at the beginning of the apocalypse. Many couldn't bear it and ended up committing suicide, turning into those man-eating monsters or becoming food for them.
These emotions couldn't last long because soon, humans would face the issue of survival, with food and water becoming immediate concerns. But that wasn't all; there were also hordes of corpses, beasts, monsters, mutants, and dangers everywhere.
In the end, everything would come down to survival.
Candice had known already; she just hadn't experienced them yet.
From the ventilation duct, they reached a small bathroom on the first floor. Candice saw a large-headed yellow dog standing there, wagging its tail at William.
Brushing off the dust from her body, Candice felt uncomfortable in the dark environment. Despite her background in special forces, she couldn't shake off the inherent fear of darkness that women often had. This sense of insecurity made her subconsciously hug herself.
She asked, "Why did you save me?"
She faintly saw William find a corner to sit in, the dog obediently lying next to him, its large head resting on William's leg.
Candice didn't quite understand why this obviously abnormal and extremely vicious dog that had killed someone would be so affectionate with William.
William patted the dog's large head, feeling its warmth, and said softly, "Cooperation."
Candice was stunned; this answer caught her off guard.
William knew this policewoman would be surprised, but he was speaking the truth.
Earlier, William had escaped from the second-floor bathroom and quickly found a corner to activate the key to the secret realm. However, to his surprise, the hint he received was to prepare for danger when activating the secret realm.
William wasn't reckless enough to directly activate the secret realm; instead, he chose to temporarily give up.
He wasn't confident in facing the potential dangers in the secret realm because its legends were too mysterious in the apocalypse. Even if he had the abilities of a Six-Star Evolver before his rebirth, he wasn't sure he could handle it. After all, he knew nothing about the secret realm and didn't know what was inside. If there were Seven-Level or Eight-Level Evolved Zombies or a group of abnormal mutants, he might die before even starting venturing.
So now he faced a problem, if he wanted to enter the secret realm and reap its benefits while staying alive, he had to quickly enhance his strength.
As for how much he needed to improve, William didn't have a clear idea. However, since he had the key to the secret realm, he could just make more preparations before starting.
The best way to enhance his strength was to obtain evolutionary potions or equipment and skills from the Doomsday Roulette.
He was a One-Star Evolver now, apart from items like functional cards, so the effects of the First-Level Doomsday Roulette were minimal for him. To enhance his power, he needed to spin the Second-Level Roulette.
Spinning the Second-Level Roulette required white Second-Level Magic Crystals, which were only found on second-level mutated beings. Just now, there were three mutated lizards, each with a Second-Level Magic Crystal. With the idea of rapidly increasing his strength in mind, William planned to get his hands on these three crystals.
However, he was only a One-Star Evolver for now. With two decent secondary professions, he could win against one. But against two, he could only defend himself. If there were three, he would have to flee.
So William needed help. This female officer, who could confront him with a normal person's physique, seemed like a good candidate.
In addition, William also planned to earn some wealth related to warfare, but this idea required careful planning and assistance.
In this situation, it was only natural for William to save her.
After all, William was a person who had lived through the apocalypse, and his principles were entirely based on survival. Except for those he trusted, everyone else was subject to the principle of exchange for benefits.
Since he needed the help of this female warrior named Candice, they were in a cooperative relationship in his mind. She helped him, and he gave her the corresponding reward.
William said, "You help me with two things, and I'll give you great power."
This was William's promise.
Touching her slightly uncomfortable neck, Candice asked softly, "What do you need me to do? And what do you mean by 'great power'?"
"The first thing is to take down those three small calf-sized lizards for me. Let's talk about the second thing after you've done the first."
As William thought about his plans for the future, he explained to Candice, "As for what 'great power' means, how do you rate my strength?"
Candice was taken aback, recalling the life-and-death struggle she had just experienced with this man. She remembered his extraordinary resistance to attacks and strength, beginning to understand the meaning of power.
"Are you saying this power can be bestowed?"
Candice grasped the key points in William's words.
William nodded. "If you help me take down those three large lizards, I'll give you a bottle of medicine that can double or triple a normal person's overall physique."
"Is there such a thing?" Candice was surprised, momentarily forgetting the unease the darkness brought her.
William said, "This world has changed, filled with corruption, killings, and struggles everywhere. The sole purpose of human survival is just to survive. Of course, perhaps as compensation, this world is also full of wonders that can give humans abilities and powers that were once only seen in science fiction movies."
"Does these powers include that kind of power?"
"Yes, it includes that kind of power." William nodded. "To be honest with you, if you can survive in the apocalypse, you will gradually learn how to obtain these powers. But for now, you don't know, and you need my help. Officer Wright, do you agree?"
