After dinner, Chen Wei took the little girl to the entertainment room for some playtime.
Meanwhile, Chen Wei settled in front of the television, flipping it on to catch up on the latest news. Staying informed about the world's shifting landscape was a necessity for him.
His brow furrowed as he saw the global death toll climbing yet again, breaking through another grim kilometerstone. Thankfully, the rate of increase had begun to slow, a sign that military management was effectively stemming the tide.
The TV broadcast scenes of soldiers clashing with mutated beasts and humans, painting a picture of human cities engulfed in turmoil. Many had fallen, now strongholds for these mutated creatures, while the remaining human territories were rapidly contracting.
A final news update hit close to home: their small border city had been overrun, now a domain for the mutated beasts. The military was evacuating survivors, retreating to another city where they had established the first defensive perimeter.
Under military management, the efficiency of operations had soared, bolstered by unprecedented human unity and cooperation. Yet, Chen Wei couldn't muster any joy at these developments.
Was this not an admission that they had been forsaken?
Just then, the TV interrupted with breaking news.
"Our nation has erected the first and second lines of defense!"
"The heart of the central region is now Luo City!"
"The National Alliance of Inhumans has been officially formed!"
"We urge more exceptional individuals to join the ranks of the alliance!"
"Per the government's latest announcement: we will initiate nuclear strikes on the overrun cities!"
Chen Wei's frown deepened, especially upon hearing the last announcement about the nuclear strikes. He shot to his feet in outrage.
"Damn it!"
"They're writing us off, leaving us survivors for dead!"
Fury consumed Chen Wei. He felt like an orphan, discarded by his own country.
The military hadn't bothered to reach their rural areas. Li Depiao had mentioned that even the town had seen nothing more than a rushed procurement of supplies before the soldiers withdrew.
It was clear: those in remote areas like theirs had been ruthlessly abandoned.
And now, they were the fortunate ones, spared from the onslaught of a nuclear attack.
While the notion of sacrificing a few for the safety of the many was understandable, Chen Wei was just an ordinary man without such lofty convictions. Now, the military was expecting him to lay down his life.
How could he contain his fury?
Chen Wei couldn't just sit back and accept his fate. His initial instinct was to grab his sister and break through the siege, making a beeline for the first line of defense. But he hesitated, realizing the futility of his plan.
"Even if I manage to escape with my sister, we're still hundreds of kilometers from the new defensive line," he thought. "And there's no guarantee we'd be welcomed even if we reached the first line of defense. Worse, we could be mistaken for infected mutants and killed on sight."
He had no illusions about the soldiers at the defense line; they were simply following orders, cold instruments of war. They had already been forsaken, deemed expendable in the face of a nuclear strike. Compassion for those potentially infected or mutated was not on the agenda.
So, Chen Wei wavered, unwilling to risk his sister's life on such a gamble.
Glancing at the TV, he saw the announcement: nuclear strikes on the fallen cities were scheduled for the next day. He had only one day, perhaps just one night, left.
"The only chance for survival now is to trust in the system," he mused before reaching out to it. "System, you can read my thoughts, right? You know what's happening?"
"I know," came the System's terse, chillingly emotionless reply.
Chen Wei swallowed hard, his voice tinged with apprehension. "So, what's the plan, System? Can you withstand a nuclear attack?"
"Of course," the System responded. "Host, you may activate the energy shield. It can withstand a nuclear strike, protecting the current farm area. The cost for one activation is 100 million exchange points."
Chen Wei's face drained of color. "100 million exchange points! I've only got 3.6 million. Even with a full night's harvest from the farm, livestock farm, and fishery, I'll barely scrape together 6 million points. That's nowhere near enough."
"System, if I'm short on exchange points, does that mean I can't make the exchange?"
"No!"
The System's icy voice cut through the silence, plunging Chen Wei into the depths of despair.
"Are you just going to stand by and watch me die?"
Chen Wei's voice was thick with defiance as his eyes blazed red with frustration. Deep down, he was consumed by a relentless sense of injustice.
He had been nothing more than a humble farmer, aspiring only to lead a simple, peaceful life.
But then the apocalypse had to come crashing down.
And somehow, he found himself shackled to this system.
Now, abandoned by his sister and facing an imminent nuclear strike, the system he once took pride in wouldn't even lift a finger to help.
His heart had turned to ice.
The system fell into a contemplative silence upon hearing his plea, seemingly weighing its response with a human-like consideration. But ultimately, the silence persisted, offering no solace or solution.
Chen Wei was painfully aware that his current abilities were no match for the devastation of a nuclear blast.
Even at the Nirvana Stage's third level, he was no more significant than an ant, destined to be obliterated in an instant by the oncoming inferno.
"System, mark my words. If I die, I'll haunt you as a ghost. You won't escape my wrath," Chen Wei vowed.
The system remained silent.
Then, it announced, "Alert: Host may now proceed to hunt mutated fierce beasts to earn exchange points. Based on the host's current level and hunting pace, it is feasible to amass 100 million exchange points before the launch of the nuclear bomb."
At that moment, the system's voice broke through.
Chen Wei's head snapped up, his eyes sparking with renewed determination.
Yes, he could still hunt those mutated fierce beasts.
A Level-1 mutated fierce beast would net him 10,000 exchange points.
A Level-2 mutated fierce beast, 100,000 points.
And a Level-3 mutated fierce beast, a whopping 1 million points.
____
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