029 Defense Maxed Out—And This Is Only the First Level

The expedition team was on high alert. After all, this was the apocalypse—who could tell what danger might suddenly leap out at them? Yet, contrary to their expectations, the four of them entered the neighborhood without the slightest trouble.

“When I came here before, the security guards stopped me at the gate. I never imagined we’d just walk straight in today,” remarked a gaunt man, his voice tinged with wonder.

In a place like this, a wealthy district, there were usually guards stationed at every entrance. People like him, ordinary folks, could only ever steal a few glances from afar during peacetime. Who would have thought he’d soon own a house here himself? And not just any house, but one that had been upgraded and retrofitted, boasting its own power system. At the thought, excitement shimmered in his eyes.

The bearded man at the head of the group, however, was far less thrilled. He offered a stern reminder, “Getting past the gates is one thing, but the real challenge is breaking through this security door.”

He gestured at the heavy metal door before them, his brow furrowed with doubt. Most of the villas they’d passed used ornamental, flimsy gates that were more for show than for defense. But this one was fortified with a genuine security door—a far trickier problem to solve.

“That’s easy. Watch me blow off the lock with a single shot and kick the whole thing open!” The thin man raised his pistol, ready to fire.

“Don’t be reckless!” The bearded man stopped him at once. “A rich man who can afford to upgrade his villa won’t settle for such a simple defense. If you make too much noise, we could have someone storming out with a submachine gun. We’ll be the ones in trouble then!”

“Where would they even get guns so easily…” the thin man grumbled, unconvinced.

They’d only managed to get firearms themselves because, before the world ended, they’d all been prisoners at the police station. When the apocalypse struck and the blood rain began, they’d ruthlessly fought their way to take over a police precinct, claiming all the weapons and a small supply of ammunition within. No matter how wealthy the villa’s occupants were, it was unlikely they’d have gotten their hands on guns so quickly.

Despite his misgivings, the thin man backed down, and all ten of them forced themselves to remain calm.

Just then, a short man stepped forward. “I used to be a thief. I can pick locks. Let me do it.”

“Alright,” the others responded, eyes lighting up as they made way for him.

The short man pulled a piece of wire from his pocket and, after bending it a few times, inserted it into the lock. But before he had even begun to twist it—

Creak.

The door swung open.

“That was fast!” the bearded man exclaimed in delight.

“No… I didn’t even start yet. The door just opened on its own,” the short man replied, bewildered.

His words left everyone stunned. After a moment, the gaunt man sneered, “Typical rich folks. You’d think they’d have security, but they don’t even bother locking their doors. What a joke! Makes things easier for us though, ha!”

“Once we’re inside and take over the villa, it’ll be our base. From there, we’ll quickly grow our power!” he declared.

But as he spoke, suddenly—

Creak.

The inner door of the villa opened as well. Four women appeared, each strikingly beautiful in her own unique way.

In that instant, the ten men were transfixed, eyes wide with unabashed desire.

“Damn, there are women here!” someone shouted.

“I call the short one—look at that chest, ha!” another jeered.

“What are you talking about? All four are ours. We’ll take turns!” a third chimed in.

“I want the one with glasses—she looks cultured. I’ve been a laborer all my life, never had a woman with that kind of class!”

“Then I’ll take the one who looks rich. Must be some pampered heiress. Can’t believe I, Li the Third, finally get to play with a rich girl!”

“Let’s keep them locked up and have them bear our children!”

“Good idea!”

The ten men leered at the women like starving wolves. Even before the world ended, they’d never seen women this beautiful. Each of them was already imagining how they’d enjoy themselves once the villa was theirs.

Listening to their vile conversation, the four women only showed expressions of utter disgust, but not a trace of fear. An Xiao-wei gripped the pistol pressed to her thigh, ready to gun them down the moment they let their guard down.

But at that very moment—

Bang!

The security door behind them, which had been wide open, slammed shut with a deafening crash.

The ten men froze, barely registering what had happened before a deep humming began beneath their feet. Heavy steel plates rose slowly from the ground, forming a cage that locked them all inside.

“What’s going on?” one man shouted in panic, pounding desperately at the walls. None of them had expected the villa to be equipped with real defenses. Were they going to be left here to starve?

“Panther, it’s dinnertime.”

A calm male voice rang out.

A black panther, which had been crouching in a hunting position, instantly became a streaking shadow, darting into the cage. At the same time, a half-human-sized opening appeared in one of the newly risen steel plates.

“Shit! How did that dog get in here?”

“That beast’s going to eat us—kill it!”

Gunshots rang out, but the snarling and tearing inside the cage only intensified.

“Ahh! Don’t bite me!”

“I don’t want to be eaten by a dog!”

“Please, let me go! I’ll never do it again!”

Their screams echoed from the metal prison.

Xue Feng emerged from the villa then, watching the scene unfold with calm detachment.

Gradually, the sounds within the cage fell quiet.

Xue Feng picked up a remote and pressed a button. With a soft beep, the once-impenetrable steel plates began to retract. Where moments before had stood a group of fierce, living men, now only corpses remained—each one killed by the panther, torn apart one by one.

The panther stood over its handiwork, its fur soaked in blood—not its own, but that of the would-be invaders. The bullets had bounced harmlessly off its hide. All the blood on its fur belonged to the men now lying dead on the floor.

“This is the first line of defense I designed, specifically for dealing with people,” explained Nie Xiaoyue, her tone steady. “Once someone’s trapped inside, there’s no need to risk our own people. They’ll starve, or worse, inside.”

And this was only the beginning—if anyone managed to get into the villa itself, the methods awaiting them would be even more brutal.

“All right, go clean up the scene,” Xue Feng instructed coolly.

“We should do it?” Nie Xiaoyue was taken aback.

“Yes, unless you’re waiting for me to do it,” Xue Feng replied, giving her a flat look and offering no further explanation. This was a trial they all had to go through. In the future, they might have to kill their fellow survivors themselves. Better to toughen up now than to suffer hesitation later.

Though the four women found the aftermath revolting, they still set about cleaning up as ordered.

Meanwhile, Xue Feng walked over to the panther and patted its head, clearly pleased with its performance. Not only was the beast ferociously strong, it was impervious to bullets.

“In that case…” A cold gleam flashed in Xue Feng’s eyes. “Let’s go wipe out our enemies once and for all!”