Luo Yunxi quickly shut the main gate, her face a mask of anxiety. Unarmed, she was completely helpless.
BANG, BANG, BANG. The frenzied, violent impacts started up again.
Meanwhile, Feng Moxi smashed a monster's skull with her iron rod. Then, with lightning speed, she kicked another monster that was pouncing on her.
Using the momentum from the kick, she twisted her body and pushed off, rapidly retreating three steps. She eyed the monster banging on the iron gate and took off at a run again, heading straight for it.
CRACK.
Feng Moxi raised her iron rod and swung it forcefully at the monster. The creature, which had been roaring and ramming the gate, was knocked to the ground.
ROAR. Another low growl. The monster right behind her shrieked and pounced, its claws whistling through the air as they aimed for Feng Moxi's neck.
Sensing the attack from behind, Feng Moxi ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow. Now, three more monsters were closing in, clawing at her from a triangular formation.
But Feng Moxi was running out of steam.
Having never killed a monster before, her hands were even starting to tremble. She couldn't take them head-on. Her only choice was to flee, trying to lure the three monsters farther away.
Luo Yunxi heard the banging on the gate stop and pulled it open a crack. The scene that met her eyes made her legs go weak, and she nearly collapsed.
Feng Moxi dropped and rolled, dodging the six sharp claws that swiped at her simultaneously. She scrambled to her feet and dashed toward a curved flower bed on the side.
The monsters shrieked weirdly and gave chase.
Seeing the distance between the monsters widening, Feng Moxi lunged at the nearest one. She swung her iron rod at its ankle, causing the monster to stagger.
It crashed into another monster behind it, and both of them tumbled to the ground. Immediately, the last monster pounced, clawing at Feng Moxi again.
Feng Moxi leaped up and delivered a flying kick to the monster's chest. The kick sent it flying, leaving a large, sunken crater where its sternum should have been.
The force of the kick was clearly immense. Even she could hardly believe her own strength.
HAA... HAA... The three monsters were relentless. A gurgling sound emanated from their throats as they roared hoarsely and slowly climbed back to their feet.
They surrounded Feng Moxi once more.
By now, Feng Moxi had caught her breath. She swung the iron rod, which now shimmered with golden blades, and instantly sliced open a monster's head.
Black blood gushed out as it collapsed to the ground with a THUD.
Pressing her advantage, Feng Moxi spun her iron rod, its golden blades a blur. BANG. BANG. The remaining two monsters were also killed!
Only then did Feng Moxi collapse to the ground. This body was just too weak. After one fight, her limbs were sore and limp.
She couldn't muster a shred of strength.
Her expression gradually grew distant, a faint smile touching her lips. 'So, this is what it's like to kill a monster. In my past life, I always hid behind others. Even when I had power, I never killed a single one.'
'All I knew was how to run blindly and scream in terror.'
In her previous life, she had a useless Power Mutation, only slightly better than an ordinary person.
It was fine in the early stages of the Apocalypse. Her strength was sufficient, and she had some Combat Power. But as countless people with elemental superpowers emerged, the Power Mutation became obsolete. Not only was advancement slow...
...she couldn't even use the energy cores from monsters to advance.
That was why she had utterly rejected her power, giving up on herself and living by clinging to her cousin. To survive better in the Apocalypse, she even played the part of a helpless damsel, feigning a pathetic weakness.
'I thought I could go on like that forever, but I never expected…'
After recovering some strength, Feng Moxi slowly sat down cross-legged. She activated her Cultivation Technique, and a familiar, warm current instantly flowed through her limbs and meridians.
Her body began to relax.
The small residence fell deathly silent, standing desolate and still. The eerie quietness was terrifying, enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Luo Yunxi didn't dare make a sound. Seeing Feng Moxi meditating to recover, she hid obediently behind the iron gate, afraid that any misstep would put Feng Moxi in danger again.
After meditating for a while, Feng Moxi gradually recovered. Thanks to the battle, the power of her Gold Ability felt somewhat more refined than before.
She surveyed her surroundings. Aside from this abandoned garden, straight ahead stood a residence with white walls and blue-gray roof tiles. From the looks of it, the house wasn't in a bustling city.
It was probably in a remote little village.
The white walls were covered in bloody prints of varying shades, and the corridor was splattered with blood.
Judging by the time they had spent in the basement, the occupants of this house had either all been slaughtered or had fled.
She carefully stepped into the corridor and pressed her ear against the main door directly opposite. "ROAR!" A series of massive roars echoed from within.
It startled her so much she quickly backed away.
'It sounds like there are a lot of monsters inside the house.'
Looking back, she saw a group of girls slowly climbing out of the basement, with Luo Yunxi already a couple of steps out. She quickly put a finger to her lips in a 'shh' gesture.
The terrified girls immediately shrank back. Luo Yunxi also retreated to the iron gate to wait quietly. 'I can't help her, so I shouldn't be a burden.'
The few remaining girls were scared out of their wits. Without a second thought, they ran toward the low wall of the back garden. After all the terror they'd been through, they couldn't stand to be in this house for another minute.
They would crawl out of this horrifying place if they had to.
Luo Yunxi called out anxiously in a low voice, "Don't run! We... we can figure something out together!"
Only the whisper of the wind answered her.
But Feng Moxi was different from them. First, she needed to find some food. Second, she had to find a quiet place for Cultivation. She had to break through to the Innate Realm, or she would remain far too weak.
Therefore, her gaze returned to the door of the white-walled house as she silently estimated the number of monsters inside.
Finally, she gritted her teeth. With a flick of her finger, a golden shield materialized in front of her. She carefully pushed the door open a crack.
Immediately, a monster heard the sound and charged at her, screeching, "HAA, HAA!"
Feng Moxi immediately led it away. After a few exchanges, she finished off the monster and crept back to the door.
"HAA, HAAH!" This time, three or four monsters rushed out.
A few flashes of golden light later, the three monsters that had just reached her collapsed, all struck in the head.
The roars from inside the house grew even more intense as the remaining five or six monsters surrounded her, baring their teeth and claws.
Right now, Feng Moxi's greatest assets were her powerful strength and her agility.
Although this body wasn't yet well-honed, her Gold Ability, when channeled into the iron rod, was surprisingly effective. Weaving through the pack of monsters, she now moved with considerable ease.