Apocalypse: My Apartment Has Traits - Chapter 38 - 34: The Struggle Between Camps

Chapter 38: Chapter 34: The Struggle Between Camps

Su Qi’s words were stern on the surface, but actually carried a tone of concern.

Just by looking at the injured all over the place, it was clear that the situation was dire.

The mixed smell of alcohol and medicine in the tavern was overwhelmingly pungent.

Su Lin instinctively pinched the bridge of his nose and raised his hand in a gesture of surrender:

“Second Uncle, I’m here to see Old Liu. Tongxi is now the same as me, just one piece of Treasure Meat away from breaking through the Skin Lock. I want to ask Old Liu to make an extra portion tonight.”

Hearing this, Su Can, Su Qi, and the others all turned their gaze towards Su Tongxi.

Su Tongxi nervously stepped forward to greet them.

Su Qi’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded:

“Since it’s just Treasure Meat you need to break through the Skin Lock, then you should indeed have a portion.”

He had a favorable impression of his niece-in-law, though he felt her character wasn’t as composed and stable as Yaxin’s.

But then again, if she were as strong-willed as Yaxin, he would probably worry for his nephew.

The old man also nodded slightly in agreement, offering a few words of encouragement to Su Tongxi with a kind expression.

Liu Jun naturally had no objection; making a few portions was a simple task.

However, Su Qi suddenly realized something and frowned at Su Lin:

“You’ve had four servings of Treasure Meat, and you still haven’t broken through the Skin Lock? I thought you’d make it through by this morning!”

“Uh…” Su Lin was momentarily at a loss for words.

A flash of disappointment crossed Su Can’s eyes, and he sighed:

“Alas… Your aptitude is even worse than the old man thought.”

Then he changed his tone, encouragingly, “But don’t be disheartened! So what if you’re not talent in martial arts? Our main defense relies on mechanisms, and the Search Team has your second uncle and me at the helm. Just continue living well and peacefully… But don’t ever slack off like before!”

The old man was afraid that his grandson, who had just regained his spirits, would be crushed by reality again.

Upon hearing this, Su Qi also remained silent, sharing the same fear.

Liu Jun took a glance at Su Lin and shook his head quietly.

This third generation of the Su Family, even though he’s turned over a new leaf, still has limited potential. The future of the Su Family might still be headed towards decline.

Relying solely on mechanisms might guard against the nightly assaults of Shadow Beasts, but where would the blueprints come from?

One could either spend an exorbitant amount to buy them or venture into the wilderness risking one’s life.

Whether it’s earning money or braving dangers, strong backing is necessary.

The Su Family still manages for now, but if the Su Family falls…

“Ahem.” Su Lin cleared his throat and quickly mentioned Su Tongxi’s astonishing training speed.

She only had three meals of normal beast meat, and within a day, progressed from just touching the threshold of Skin Lock to attempting to break it?

Instantly, the gaze of several people towards Su Tongxi completely changed.

Su Can and Su Qi’s eyes showed heightened importance towards her.

Su Lin’s potential might be limited, but if his wife could be nurtured, the Su Family would have a future.

With the restrictions of a house guest’s lease, there’s also no fear of Su Tongxi changing her mind in the future… as long as Su Lin doesn’t mess things up…

“By the way, what major event happened in the village today?” Su Lin finally found an opportunity to voice his doubts.

As soon as this was brought up, everyone’s expression instantly turned as dark as iron.

The painful groans of the wounded in the tavern came one after another, while villagers with some knowledge of first aid busily moved around, sweat beading on their foreheads, but it seemed hopelessly inadequate.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt suffocating.

Liu Jun pulled out a large opium pipe, lit a match, and took a couple of heavy puffs, before he began speaking sorrowfully:

“This morning, the 2nd team, as usual, was clearing Mutant Beasts on the outskirts of the wilderness. Unexpectedly, several Mutant Beast leaders suddenly appeared with a large group of beasts, catching us off guard… resulting in the loss of more than ten lives on the spot.”

Su Lin’s pupils contracted sharply.

There are only about two hundred people in the village, right?

And the dead were the elite of the second Search Team.

This was indeed a heavy loss!

“What’s more troublesome is another issue.” Su Qi heavily tapped the counter with his finger, “How is it that Mutant Beast leaders move in groups on the outskirts? Is there a major upheaval deep in the wilderness? Or…”

His eyes flashed with a cold light, revealing killing intent, “Is someone behind the scenes driving, luring these beasts, deliberately targeting our 2nd team with malicious intent?”

Su Lin furrowed his brow tightly, instinctively responding: “Chang Sanheng?”

Liu Jun immediately shook his head in denial:

“Impossible. Even if he wanted to weaken the Su Family’s influence, he wouldn’t dare touch the second Search Team. Without the strength of the 2nd team, the efficiency of wilderness clearing drops significantly, and everyone would be doomed during the Night of Survival at the end of the month!”

He paused to emphasize, “The scale of the Shadow Beasts directly depends on the number of Mutant Beasts in the wilderness! The fewer the Mutant Beasts, the fewer the Shadow Beasts! Clearing out the Mutant Beasts is key to surviving the Night of Survival without the constraints of rules! Otherwise, thousands of Shadow Beasts would overwhelm us in sheer numbers, even without their leaders making a move!”

Rage flared in Su Can’s eyes, and he struck the counter with a heavy punch, producing a dull thud:

“If someone is indeed causing trouble from behind, it’s most likely that scum from the Black Scale Village doing it! They must’ve discovered how heavily we were hit after last month’s Night of Survival and are now probing our defenses!”

The mere mention of “Black Scale Village” turned everyone’s expression as dark as a storm cloud.

Even among humans, different camps aren’t necessarily friendly.

In this end-of-the-world rule setting, there is a cruel reality:

When the population of a camp drops below a threshold, the rules will forcibly transfer all its safe houses and resident spaces to another camp for forced merging.

This often leads to bloody conflicts between the two unfamiliar forces, with the weaker side either having its “combat power” slaughtered or being completely subjugated.

Moreover, if a camp is promoted, the rules will drag smaller surrounding camps in to supplement its population.

As a result, some camps actively suppress neighboring camps to avoid being annexed.

And some even resort to plundering neighboring camps.

Black Scale Village is such a relentless role and has long coveted their village.

In the past, they refrained from rash actions due to the overall strength of the village, especially the prominence of the Su Family.

But now, with the Su Family having sustained injuries and deaths, and having lost thirty percent of villagers in last month’s Night of Survival, its strength has greatly diminished.

The situation has shifted significantly in their favor.

“These matters are beyond your involvement, kid.”

Seeing Su Lin deep in thought, Su Qi quickly put on a stern face, worried he might have some misguided ideas:

“It’s too complicated out there, and my injuries aren’t fully healed. You should stay home and train these days, don’t go out searching for supplies! If you really need money, come to me first!”

With that, he stood up and, without further ado, pushed Su Lin, along with Su Tongxi, prompting them out of the tavern door.

“Hey! Second Uncle! I still didn’t ask about…”

Bam—!

The heavy wooden door closed firmly behind them, sealing off the tension and gravity inside.

Su Lin was utterly helpless.

Not only did he miss the chance to inquire about the Level 3 Safe House, he didn’t get to ask Old Liu about the brown sugar and dates either.

But his second uncle’s words echoed in his ears; indeed, with his current strength, he had no right to be involved in such high-level crises.

Let alone he hasn’t unlocked the Skin Lock yet, even if he did, to his second uncle and grandfather, he might still be seen as weak.

Although the power of his hand crossbow wasn’t known to his second uncle.

“Alas!”

Su Lin clenched his fists, feeling dissatisfied.

Let alone Black Scale Village; even Chang Sanheng was a thorny enemy in his heart.

…Forget it, time to go home first.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com