At this moment, Arno's mind seemed to suddenly expand, and his thoughts turned to the abandoned currency of the post-apocalyptic world and the myriad of gold and diamonds in various cities. If he could bring some back to his own world, becoming a billionaire would be an easy feat. And as things presently stood, even if he couldn't get his hands on the gold and diamonds in the cities, he could still acquire countless treasures through food.

  However, these thoughts were fleeting, and Arno quickly became disheartened. His space storage was only one cubic meter; how many packets of instant noodles could he bring? Though there was much of this world's money around, it was printed post-2050. Although its basic color had not changed, it was now from an unknown edition, impossible to use in his world. The cities might be filled with gold and diamonds, but in the American region, which city did not have millions of inhabitants? Those millions were now zombies, and he would have to court death to try and retrieve those treasures.

  Realizing that all the avenues to wealth he had thought of were cut off, Arno couldn't help but heave a heavy sigh. His dream of becoming a billionaire seemed vain.

  Upon seeing Arno accept her ring and small bracelet, Cervine's face returned to normal. She sat by the fire, casually laying down her weapon and tossing a few pieces of wood into the flames. Only then did Arno notice that Cervine was holding an automatic rifle of some unknown make. Indeed, after decades of development, many things were no longer what he was once familiar with. In this apocalyptic world, the strong dominated, and he, without even a gun, was one of the weak.

  With an awkward smile, Arno moved across from Cervine, turning to look at the three elders and three youngsters who had already retired to their tents. He said, puzzled, "Cervine, it seems that your team isn't so great, huh?" Cervine's face darkened, and her mood seemed low. "Should we just abandon them? They're living beings, after all. Anyone with a conscience wouldn't just leave them. In the face of this disaster, we should all stand together if there's to be any chance of rebuilding our homes." She gave a bitter smile, sighing, "But how many understand this? In the face of catastrophe, people's true ugliness emerges. As long as they can survive, anyone can become a stepping stone."

  Seeing the once-strong leader of the entire team now reduced to a pitiable woman, Arno couldn't help but feel sympathy. He asked, "Where are you all headed? The town ahead isn't a good place to pass through."

  Cervine replied somberly, "Half a month ago, after holding our base for three years, food shortages led everyone to flee. But then the base was overrun by zombies, and less than a third managed to escape. Along the way, many have starved due to lack of food. The old and weak were abandoned, as they not only needed sustenance but contributed nothing to the fight and often hindered the team."

  Arno looked strangely at Cervine and said, "So you couldn't bear to leave them, and decided to stay and lead them, forming a new team?" Cervine nodded, her face resolute. "In this world's end, women are often demeaned, treated as tools for men's lust. But I want to prove that women can kill zombies, and lead the old and weak to the provincial base."

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  Arno shook his head, stating, "Frankly, from what I see, it seems that wish may be hard to fulfill." Cervine answered in pain, "Yes, when we left the base, there were over thirty of us. Now, after half a month, only nine remain. Without food, we can't make it the several hundred kilometers to the provincial base."

  In peaceful times, those few hundred kilometers would only be a three- or four-hour drive. But in this apocalyptic world, filled with zombies and ruined roads, it would take at least half a month to cover the distance. There were no safe supply points along the way; food had to be wrested from the hands of zombies, who also launched sudden attacks. That they had made it this far was already a stroke of great fortune.

  Cervine gazed intently at Arno and inquired, "What about you?" It was, of course, unthinkable for Arno to reveal his background. Shrugging his shoulders, he responded, "I have nowhere to go and must wander aimlessly, perhaps to be devoured by zombies on the morrow. Do you think I, a lone individual bereft of weapons, can traverse several hundred kilometers to reach the provincial base?"

  Cervine hesitated briefly before rising and hurrying to the robust man standing guard. The two engaged in hushed debate, and after a brief disagreement, she returned to the fireside, fixating on Arno as she spoke, "I may be the captain of this squad, but Ethan is our main firepower. I have struggled to gain his consent for you to join us. Would you be willing?"

  Surveying the somewhat desolate team, Arno suspected that Cervine's invitation was prompted by his remaining combat capabilities. He had considered his solitary state in this apocalyptic world and realized that without weapons, he would eventually become fodder for the undead. Although the current squad was in a battered state, it was vastly preferable to being alone. Guided by this thought, he nodded affirmatively, "I am willing."

  Cervine's lips broke into a smile, revealing her pearly white teeth, as she declared, "Excellent, I am now your captain." She pulled a handgun from her leg and tossed it to Arno, adding, "We only have two automatic rifles in the squad, so you'll have to make do with this handgun for now."

  Arno accepted the weapon, feeling a thrill of excitement. After all, this was his first encounter with a genuine weapon. He was particularly struck by the cold metallic sensation and felt an urge to test the gun. Yet he managed to suppress the impulse, tucking the handgun into a convenient pocket. Although he had never handled a firearm before, he felt an uncanny familiarity with it and believed he could use it to shoot down a branch a hundred meters away.

  Upon seeing Arno stow the gun, Cervine retrieved a map from her pocket. She spread it on the ground, illuminated by the fire's glow, and pointed to a location, saying, "This is our route for tomorrow. We need to pass through three towns and seventeen villages. Have you been through there? Can we avoid it?"

  Arno nodded, "Yes, there's a small town about seven or eight miles ahead." Cervine asked, "Can you tell us about it?" Having fled through the town, Arno hadn't observed much, but he recounted what he had seen. Cervine seemed disappointed after listening, remarking, "It appears a large force has already scoured this town; otherwise, the zombies wouldn't have congregated there. I wonder if there's any food left."

  Arno, reflecting on the small supermarket he'd seen, doubted there would be much left.

  Cervine hesitated momentarily before suddenly striking the map and declaring through gritted teeth, "We must go into the town tomorrow. The squad has been starving for three days; we must find food before we starve to death..."

  Arno was taken aback. He knew that the town housed over thirty thousand zombies, and with just two automatic rifles and one handgun in their possession, this seemed no different from a suicide mission. It appeared that Cervine's desperation for food had overridden her judgment.