Volume One: The Apocalypse Descends Chapter 40: Reaching the Camp, Others Have Arrived First

Xiang Chenguang was unsure of any uses for the energy crystal core beyond extracting psionic energy; the introductory bestiary of otherworldly creatures contained no records of it. However, having gained a massive amount of psionic points from the recent battle, he decided to hold onto the crystal for the time being.

Once finished with his own affairs, Xiang Chenguang turned toward the migration group. The crowd, which had been watching him in silence, erupted into thunderous cheers and applause. Everyone had witnessed the role he played in this sudden skirmish. Had he not formed the first line of defense single-handedly, holding back the majority of the insectoids, the entire migration column would likely have been overwhelmed by the swarm. Most importantly, his lone sniper-like precision in taking down all the flying monsters ensured that not a single non-combatant in the group suffered casualties.

Although everyone who survived the first three days of the apocalypse had received a skill reward from the first main quest, those skills were generally primary-level and lacked significant offensive power, even for someone like Xiang Xiaoxiao, who possessed a ranged ability. Skills capable of causing effective damage to monsters like her lightning orb were rare. The vast majority of abilities—such as hydrokinesis, geokinesis, or plant manipulation—offered no direct lethality at the novice stage, serving only as utility skills. Even for those with stronger offensive potential like Xiang Xiaoxiao, low base attributes meant that after four or five attacks, their mental energy would be depleted, rendering them unable to continue fighting.

Take He Jie, for example. His entire family of three had been rewarded with primary fire manipulation, allowing them to condense fireballs the size of an adult's fist to strike targets within ten meters. While this was considered relatively powerful among novice abilities—capable of dealing burn and explosive damage, enough to kill a spider monster with a single headshot—He Jie, with a mental attribute of only six, felt a stabbing pain in his head and total exhaustion after throwing just four fireballs. He had lost his ability to fight and now required his parents' support just to remain standing. Otherwise, knowing his personality, he would have been at Xiang Chenguang’s side by now, showering him with endless flattery.

Seeing that everyone, though spirited, was visibly exhausted, Xiang Chenguang said, "Rest here for ten minutes." He then walked over to Xiang Dongliang with concern. Looking at the lethargic and pained He Jie nearby, he added, "After that fight, many of the guards should be able to level up, right? Adding attribute points can eliminate physical and mental fatigue."

Xiang Chenguang inspected his father’s arm injury and discovered a dislocated elbow. It wasn't a severe injury, but without a doctor or anyone skilled in bone-setting, it was troublesome. Xiang Dongliang reassured him, "Don't worry. Don't forget, I have some first-aid knowledge. Once we reach the militia training camp, I can find some makeshift tools and set the joint back myself."

Xiang Dongliang’s main job at the county armed forces department was training the militia. With nearly 300 people undergoing semi-military training twice a year, bumps and bruises were inevitable. Being a man of immense responsibility, he had used his spare time to learn first aid and nursing, allowing him to handle minor injuries himself. He Wan, who had been watching him with concern, felt relieved upon hearing this. She opened the van used for supplies and organized a few middle-aged women to distribute drinking water and snacks like biscuits and chocolate to replenish everyone's energy.

After the intense battle, everyone felt the joy of surviving a catastrophe and began to relax. Only Xiang Xiaoxiao remained solemn, standing on the roof of a vehicle, keeping watch over the rear and right side of the formation. Xiang Chenguang leaped onto the roof, opened a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to her. "Take a rest."

Xiang Xiaoxiao took the bottle but didn't drink immediately; instead, she tilted her head slightly and gestured with her chin for Xiang Chenguang to look to the right of the column. This movement caused a bead of sweat on her forehead to roll into her left eye, forcing her to shut it. To Xiang Chenguang, it looked as if she were haughtily tilting her head and winking, an expression and posture so adorable it made his heart melt.

Seeing that Xiang Chenguang was staring at her with glowing eyes instead of looking at the giant black scorpion carcass she had signaled, Xiang Xiaoxiao blushed, let out a soft huff, and rolled her eyes at him. Still missing her point, Xiang Chenguang only thought she looked even cuter.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out on the right side of the column. Many people, now relaxed, realized that a giant black scorpion carcass was lying just a meter or two away from them. Only then did they realize in hindsight that they had nearly been ambushed during the battle. Following the stir, Xiang Chenguang finally spotted the carcass. Connecting its location with Xiang Xiaoxiao’s earlier gestures, he finally understood what his "stinky" younger sister had been trying to do. This only made her seem even more adorable—truly, there was no other word for it!

He smiled and handed the Jackal-man’s energy crystal core to her. "Xiaoxiao performed a great service; you prevented an ambush and saved many lives."

Xiang Xiaoxiao gave another seemingly disdainful huff, but her round eyes crinkled slightly, and she couldn't help but curiously reach out to take the blood-red little orb. She immediately received a system prompt asking if she wanted to extract psionic energy. She looked at Xiang Chenguang with surprise and curiosity. He said, "You didn't participate in the direct fight because you were guarding the team from other threats, so you didn't gain any psionic points. This is your compensation."

Xiang Xiaoxiao also chose not to extract the energy, instead playing with the brightly colored, smooth little bead in her hand.

The ten-minute break passed quickly. The migration group resumed its formation and set off toward the militia training camp. Throughout the rest of the journey, although insectoid monsters occasionally burst from the shadows of the mountains and the roadsides to attack, the density of the swarms had greatly diminished. Having leveled up once or twice during the earlier battle, the members of the guard team were stronger and more experienced. Without needing Xiang Chenguang’s intervention, they were able to fend off these creatures on their own.

Xiang Chenguang sat cross-legged on the roof of a vehicle, watching the guards methodically clear the incoming monsters, and opened his apocalypse survival system's attribute panel. The most significant change was the psionic point count following his tier information. The level indicator, flashing with yellow light, now read: Tier 1, Level 2 (8395/2000).

This single battle had yielded more psionic points than he had earned in the previous three days combined. However, the points required for leveling up had also increased significantly; his eight thousand-plus points were only enough to raise him three levels. After leveling up, his status became Tier 1, Level 5 (895/3500), and his free attribute points increased to 5.

With the *Xiantian Kung Fu* technique, Xiang Chenguang found his stamina recovered much faster, making the trick of using attribute points to clear fatigue unnecessary during the recent fight. Consequently, he invested two points each into Physique and Agility, leaving one point in reserve for emergencies. Under the effect of his "Balanced Body" talent, all three of his primary attributes had reached 20 points.

The rest of the road, while filled with constant combat, proceeded smoothly. After traveling over three kilometers along the provincial highway, the column turned left onto a side road and soon arrived outside the militia training camp. However, the chains that should have secured the main gate were missing, and the gate was locked from the inside, as if someone had reached the camp ahead of them.