Chapter 437: Scavenging the Abandoned Mall

If any danger arises, just shout—I’ll rush over the moment I hear it.

Lifting his head, Yenir casually called out instructions as they moved along.

Ever since he agreed to lead the team on this search, the entire group’s mood had shifted to one that clearly recognized him as their captain.

Believing in strength above all, Zhang Ke obediently followed behind him.

Looking up at the dilapidated building that resembled a beehive, Yenir immediately spotted a rusted sign atop the roof.

It appeared to be a supply depot of sorts.

Bloodstains were visible—plenty of them scattered around.

Chances were high that many Ghost Hunter squads had either wandered in voluntarily or been caught and devoured.

Perhaps as Yenir was surveying the area, an Otherworldly Ghost inside the eerily silent building was watching him.

With his gaze fixed ahead, Yenir maintained his calm stride at the forefront.

More than the tense atmosphere among his team, he eagerly anticipated an attack from an Otherworldly Ghost.

…

“Tap-tap—tap-tap.”

The disordered echo of footsteps reverberated around them.

With a spirit of volunteerism and claiming to know where the treasures were hidden, Zhang Ke accompanied Yenir as they slowly ascended to the second floor.

Though splitting up into two teams immediately upon entry was far from wise, the team members knew that simply making it inside was an achievement. Expecting zero risk was simply unrealistic.

Sticking together was seldom the way to find any real treasure.

Each team, with a Third-Stage mid-level operative, was secure enough for the task.

“Yenir, is there anything you need?”

“The first three floors are for clothing and appliances, while the upper floors stock food and Ghost Hunter equipment.”

Standing beside Yenir, Zhang Ke lifted her head and explained in a low voice.

After Otherworldly Ghosts breached the original floors, massive industrial facilities had been damaged, making almost everything salvaged here worthwhile.

For disciplined Ghost Hunters like them, bringing back some supplies was a pretty good haul.

“You’re familiar with this place?”

“The tenth floor has been under control since around six years ago, right?”

Showing little interest in the supplies, Yenir casually surveyed the interior of the mall while asking on a whim.

The entire area was in complete disarray, resembling a ruined clothing section where garments lay in tatters. Many synthetic-fiber outfits had corroded to the point of looking like rags.

“Familiar…”

“I used to live on this floor…”

Hearing Yenir’s question, Zhang Ke’s expression shifted as memories seemed to resurface, her mood suddenly falling.

“It must have been about seven years ago—this place used to be bustling.”

“Back then, there were no issues throughout all twelve floors, and our tenth floor was a major transit point.”

“The safety zone on the eleventh and twelfth floors was reserved for heavy industry, while our tenth floor served as the processing area.”

“That meant the supplies here were far richer than what you’d find on the upper floors…”

Ascending to the third floor behind Yenir, a glimmer of pride crossed the Little Girl’s eyes:

“See that? Even the home appliances that only existed before the apocalypse are still here.”

“They even produced cosmetics and daily necessities here~”

As she spoke, Zhang Ke pointed to a dark patch, her eyes lighting up as if she’d just discovered something remarkable.

Before long, she excitedly returned with a strange projector-like device, and her combat uniform pockets were jam-packed with several bottles.

“A video player! And it’s in great condition! Yenir, we even found a few bottles of unbroken perfume!”

Following Zhang Ke, several team members couldn’t hide their excitement.

They swiftly dismantled the casing of the video player and efficiently extracted its crucial components.

With the Dungeon gradually occupied by Otherworldly Ghosts, many industrial products were no longer being manufactured. This video player was highly coveted by the bigwigs upstairs.

After a thorough search, they managed to locate over a dozen units.

Bringing these back would be a significant acquisition.

Especially considering that those seemingly useless bottles of perfume

carried even higher value.

Watching Zhang Ke scurry around like industrious ants, Yenir smiled, simultaneously diverting his mental focus to scout for any trace of Otherworldly Ghosts.

Then, as if a thought had struck him, he glanced at the childlike, delighted expression on Zhang Ke’s face and casually asked:

“Any sign of baby products?”

“Do you know which floor they’re on?”

“Hmm?”

While she was busy disassembling a device that resembled a grinder, Zhang Ke froze as Yenir’s words registered.

“Baby products? What do you need those for?”

She blinked in confusion.

In her mind, wasn’t Yenir supposed to be interested in Ghost Hunter equipment? Even if she knew where baby products were, after telling him, he had never shown any interest.

Her eyes glimmering with curiosity, Yenir maintained his calm tone as he continued:

“Anya—don’t you remember?”

“She’s pregnant. I need to bring back some useful supplies.”

Upon hearing Yenir’s explanation, the Young Girl finally realized why he’d brought it up.

“Ah! That…I believe it’s on the two floors below.”

“It should be in the daily necessities section. I’ll take you there in a bit!”

….

Half an hour later.

Yenir casually tossed a few baby pacifiers and a bottle of perfume into his ring, glancing at Zhang Ke who was still busy scavenging supplies a short distance away, and couldn’t help but smile.

The perfume had been given to him by Zhang Ke.

She said that Anya loved that scent…

“Quite interesting…”

Muttering under his breath, Yenir paid it no mind.

It seemed as if the Otherworldly Ghosts could sense Liang Lie’s power.

After the group had been inside for quite some time, not a single incident had occurred.

Even Yenir couldn’t help but wonder; by all rights, one of the Otherworldly Ghosts should have attacked by now.

Just as the thought crossed his mind,

in the midst of his mental scan, a shadow flashed by in an instant.

…

On the third floor, in the clothing section.

A youthful Ghost Hunter from one of the squads excitedly searched through vacuum-sealed clean garments.

He noticed that his companions were busy rummaging through the supplies and hadn’t even glanced his way—perhaps even a little put off by his worn combat uniform.

Glancing at the uniform on a plastic mannequin, he couldn’t resist tugging at it.

Unlike before the Otherworldly Ghost outbreak.

Ever since humans retreated underground after the outbreak, aesthetic standards had dramatically shifted.

In the mall, most clothes now mimicked the look of Ghost Hunter combat uniforms—as if military attire were the height of fashion during wartime.

“This is the one…”

Having selected a sleek black combat uniform, the Youth eagerly dashed over, ready to change.

Compared to clothes made of fiber material, this set of nylon combat uniform was clearly well-preserved.

For a moment, he couldn’t help but fantasize about how dashing he would look if he wore the uniform from the plastic mannequin.

With practiced ease, he removed the uniform jacket from the mannequin, then spun around to size himself up before putting it on.

Unnoticed by him, the plastic mannequin behind him—with its unnaturally pale body—suddenly opened its sealed mouth as wide as possible.