The ranking board faded again.
Rank 2.
Zhao Ren didn't feel excitement.
He felt confirmation.
His direction was correct.
But someone was still ahead.
That meant two things:
Someone stronger existed.
And someone was moving faster.
He turned his attention back to the supermarket faction.
The survivors were reorganizing after the attack.
Barricades reinforced.
Wounded treated.
Weapons redistributed.
The leader stood on top of the truck again, speaking calmly.
No shouting.
No panic.
He had control.
Zhao Ren observed from the rooftop across the street.
Then
The leader looked directly at him.
Not guessing.
Not scanning randomly.
Directly.
Their eyes met.
Enhanced Perception let Zhao Ren detect something subtle.
The man wasn't afraid.
He was evaluating.
The Approach
Five minutes later, two survivors stepped away from the barricade.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Hands visible.
No sudden movements.
They stopped at the center of the street.
One of them spoke clearly.
"Our leader wants to talk."
Zhao Ren didn't move.
He studied them first.
Level 1.
No visible talents.
Nervous, but disciplined.
Not reckless.
That meant the leader had structure.
After a few seconds, Zhao Ren dropped lightly from the rooftop.
Landing without noise.
The two survivors flinched slightly.
They hadn't expected him to move that quietly.
"Walk," Zhao Ren said calmly.
No threats.
No aggression.
Just instruction.
They nodded.
The Leader
The man on the truck stepped down when Zhao Ren approached.
Up close, his composure was more obvious.
Level 2.
Balanced stats.
B-Rank Talent: Tactical Instinct.
"You handled the Night Stalkers efficiently," the leader said.
His voice was steady.
"You saw them before we did."
"I did," Zhao Ren replied.
"You didn't join us."
"I didn't need to."
A faint smile crossed the leader's face.
"Fair."
He extended his hand.
"Chen Wei."
Zhao Ren looked at it briefly.
Then shook once.
"Zhao Ren."
No more.
No introduction story.
No background exchange.
Chen Wei didn't press.
Instead, he gestured toward the barricade.
"We're forming a stable zone here."
"Rotations. Watch shifts. Resource allocation."
"Short-term survival."
Zhao Ren glanced at the organized layout.
They had separated food from medical supplies.
Established lookout points.
Cleared interior spaces.
It wasn't random.
It was structured.
"You want strength," Chen Wei said.
"We want stability."
"You could operate alone."
"But long-term survival improves with controlled environments."
Zhao Ren studied him.
Chen Wei wasn't asking for protection.
He was proposing mutual benefit.
"You saw the ranking board," Chen Wei continued.
"Competition will increase."
"Groups will clash."
"Information will matter."
He paused.
"Work with us."
"Not under us."
"Alongside."
The surrounding survivors watched silently.
No hostility.
No visible jealousy.
That meant Chen Wei had earned their trust quickly.
Rare.
Zhao Ren considered carefully.
Alone, he could grow freely.
But information flow would be limited.
And hidden threats would be harder to detect.
With a faction
He could hunt smarter.
And choose when to step away.
"I don't take orders," Zhao Ren said.
"You won't," Chen Wei replied.
"Then I'll cooperate."
Simple.
Direct.
No ceremony.
The New System Notice
As if responding to the decision, the sky flickered again.
A new panel appeared briefly before Zhao Ren.
Faction Status: UnregisteredOption: Register Cooperative Unit
He closed the panel.
Not yet.
But now he knew
The Trial had layers.
Monsters.
Humans.
Rankings.
And now
Alliances.
Chen Wei looked toward the dark horizon.
"Night isn't over," he said quietly.
"No," Zhao Ren replied.
"It's just beginning."
In the distance
A low rumble echoed across the city.
Not chaotic.
Not random.
Coordinated.
Something larger was moving.
Both men looked toward the sound.
This time
They would not face it alone.