The sky had just begun to brighten, and the temperature had yet to rise. It was the perfect time to travel.

The darkness of night concealed many hidden dangers. As the sun climbed higher, the heat of the day would only intensify, and since they had limited water, daytime was hardly suitable for continuous travel.

Perhaps because of the good rest the night before, Zhuang Xiao felt completely refreshed, walking with ease and barely even out of breath.

She finally had the presence of mind to appreciate the surrounding scenery.

Looking out, the lush forest spread like a green ocean, radiating vibrant life.

Sunlight filtered through the layered leaves above, weaving light and shadow into a beauty that was hard to put into words.

But in Huo Xiao and the others’ eyes, this emerald ocean was teeming with hidden dangers, where a single misstep could cost a life.

So, aside from Zhuang Xiao, everyone else moved tensely, a heavy atmosphere of vigilance clinging to them.

The group quietly made their way through the forest.

From time to time, birdsong and beastly roars echoed in the distance, suggesting the sources of the sounds were not too close.

Along the way, besides the dense foliage, Zhuang Xiao also saw many mutated beetles and cabbage worms.

Especially the cabbage worms—she used to be afraid of them.

But oddly enough, the oversized mutated ones, with their chubby, squirming bodies munching on leaves, were actually… kind of cute.

She secretly captured one and stashed it in her bag, planning to raise it as a pet. Weren’t these things supposed to turn into butterflies? She could witness the transformation herself.

Initially, the plump green worm resisted, wriggling furiously, but Zhuang Xiao subdued it with brute force.

Still, this cabbage worm was not fated to become a pet—

Before long, she gave it away as a gift…

Insects without offensive capabilities like these would usually be tested in the safe zone. They might even discover some edible species that way. But here, their primary goal was to escape the blind zone.

So these bugs were entirely ignored by Huo Xiao and the others.

At the moment, they were climbing a small hill. The surrounding vegetation grew sparser, with fewer trees, replaced by shrubbier plants.

Without the trees’ shade, standing at the top, Zhuang Xiao could once again see a red beam of light descending from the horizon—much closer now.

After traveling since dawn, everyone was exhausted and hungry. Huo Xiao signaled a break, assigning Meng Qingyang and Wei Sheng to keep watch while the others searched for food nearby.

First, they needed to fill their stomachs before figuring out their next move.

Zhuang Xiao had already noticed a golden fruit among the shrubs—pointed at both ends, round in the middle, and glittering brightly.

They looked like wild pomegranates, also known as jin yingzi. The fruit was about the size of a cherry, yellow when ripe, and incredibly sweet. People even used them to brew wine.

The only downside was that the fruit was covered in tiny prickly hairs.

Zhuang Xiao picked a few that looked ripe and tested them with her wrist device. “Beep beep — Moderate radiation mutation. Edible.”

She rubbed the fruits on the ground, easily scraping off the bristles.

Peeling one open, she scooped out the flesh with her knife, and her eyes lit up immediately.

The mutated fruit tasted even better—sweet and tangy, juicy and refreshing.

Beaming at her discovery, she gave half to the plump green worm.

The little guy, probably tasting something that sweet for the first time, munched it down in two bites.

Soon, everyone returned with various edible finds. Hu Qianli and Xiang Xu each held two chubby cabbage worms in their arms.

Everyone else had picked fruits of varying colors and shapes.

It was clear that within non-high-radiation parts of the blind zone, edible resources were quite abundant.

If not for the lurking mutated animals and radiation risks, most people would probably venture in.

Hu Qianli strung up his two cabbage worms and roasted them over the fire. “Everyone try a bit later. This is meat! I haven’t had meat in ages.”

He let out a hearty laugh.

Xiang Xu wiped the sweat from his brow and stared hungrily at the roasting worms. “Brother Hu is right. If it weren’t for the mutated beasts and radiation, I’d move in here—no shortage of food and drink!”

Near the safe zone, gathering grounds were crowded and resources limited.

Besides, conditions in the safe zone didn’t allow for large-scale exploration or expansion.

Feng Ziyang added, “That’s true… But judging from our journey so far, none of us have had any strange symptoms. This area might really be low in radiation. Maybe we should report this when we get back—could open up a new resource zone.”

Zhuang Xiao glanced at Feng Ziyang, then looked up at the red light beam streaking from the sky to the earth.

Young man… you’re speaking too soon.

We’re right next to a high-radiation area!

The problem was, how could she steer them away from it? There were so many of them, all mercenaries. If they all died in the high-radiation zone, she and Huo Xiao would be left alone, facing mutated beasts and the vast unknown. Escaping the blind zone would be nearly impossible.

Thinking it through—yeah, she needed to help them.

But how could she say, “I can kinda maybe see the radiation zones”? She hadn’t even decided if she was going to tell her housemate Huo Xiao yet, let alone a bunch of unfamiliar mercenaries.

Everyone chatted casually around the fire.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Xiao munched on her golden fruit, deep in thought. There were so many of them that she generously shared with everyone.

The tree was right there anyway—it cost her nothing, and it was a nice gesture.

Following her lead, others began to share their own finds as well.

Though, as for the “gifted” cabbage worms from Hu Qianli and Xiang Xu… Zhuang Xiao politely but firmly declined.

Given the choice, she really couldn’t stomach those squishy, fat worms…

Especially after seeing Huo Xiao calmly eat one—bite after bite—as if it were nothing.

And considering the two of them shared meals from the same pot…

Zhuang Xiao suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

The group savored the rare feast, finally able to eat their fill.

But in the midst of this cheerful atmosphere, that eerie rustling sound returned once more—sending chills down everyone’s spines…