Chapter 71: Smoke and Steel on the Battlefield

A lull in battle.

During the three-minute break, the two simply stood at the monster spawn point, waiting for the next wave of attacks.

The earlier assaults had been simple and pressure-free, so neither of them had expended much energy.

Snap

Flames flared up.

Taking advantage of the break, Chen Yong nonchalantly stepped on a zombie head and, out of habit, lit up a cigarette.

After drawing a deep, satisfying drag, he carefully pulled one out and handed it to Yenir:

“Brother Ye, want a smoke? It’s a special issue from the Military Region.”

He smiled as he offered a lighter.

In the post-apocalyptic world, resources were scarce. Although conditions had improved from pre-apocalypse times, cultivating tobacco was still a luxury. Generally, only major powers and the Military Department grew a little for exclusive use by high-ranking officials. Even though Chen Yong was a general’s grandson, his quota was very limited.

Looking up, Yenir was a bit surprised. After a brief hesitation, he accepted the cigarette labeled ‘Special Issue’.

Though he hadn’t been a regular smoker in his previous life, he had encountered it during his final months, having been coaxed into it by a few old generals.

According to those old-timers, cigarettes were a man’s spiritual sustenance.

He recalled one of the old generals lamenting, before his death, that the cigarettes rolled in-house by the Military Department were as flimsy as newspaper—and sadly, he’d never get a taste of Liqueun in this life.

Snap

The lighter sparked, and with a shared exhale of smoke, their bond seemed to grow noticeably closer.

For men, forging a connection can be as simple as sharing a cigarette.

Noticing the ‘Special Issue’ label, Yenir realized that Chen Yong must be the descendant of a high-ranking Military official.

But as soon as Yenir pulled down his mask, a look of astonishment flashed in Chen Yong’s eyes:

“Brother Ye, you look so young!?”

To him, Yenir appeared to be only about eighteen or nineteen—remarkably younger than himself.

After all, reaching Stage Two at that age was nothing short of genius. Although his family wielded great power, every bit of his strength had been honed through repeated near-death experiences. He and his sister often took pride in their rapid progress.

Unlike some second-generation slackers, they never let their guard down, not even for a day.

Yet, looking at Yenir’s face, he was taken aback.

Could this young man be the descendant of a top-tier powerhouse? And someone who also roamed the battlefield like him? What kind of talent or bloodline would allow such rapid advancement!?

Noticing Chen Yong’s astonishment, Yenir furrowed his brow and casually explained:

“He just looks young.”

“The next wave is coming.”

Before Chen Yong could ponder further, flickering illusions appeared at the center of the battlefield, instantly coalescing into solid forms.

…….

“Whoosh! Bang!!”

He was covered in blood.

After dispatching a charging Howling Banshee with his massive axe, Chen Yong panted heavily in disarray.

Blood soaked him as chunks of shattered corpses nearly buried his body.

Glancing behind him at a Blood Wolf that had been blasted apart by a dagger, he felt a surge of dread.

Just a second ago, while battling a Stage Two monster, a mutated creature had suddenly attacked from behind. With nowhere to hide and bracing for serious injury, he was shocked to see a flash of silver dart through the corpse pile, eliminating the enemy at his back.

Staring at the daggers darting around Yenir like silver fish, he was dumbfounded.

To him, Yenir now operated like an efficient killing machine; wielding dual swords, he sliced through the surrounding zombies as if mowing down grass. Along with the swift, darting daggers, any mutant that came too close was dispatched with a single blow.

Compared to his own laborious fighting, Yenir’s combat was like art—precise and efficient.

What an impressive skill! Incredible fighting technique!

Pfft!!

As a flash of silver streaked through the final Howling Banshee, the battle came to an end.

Yenir exhaled lightly as he looked at a visibly astonished Chen Yong, fully aware that his Object Control ability had caught the other’s attention.

“Flowing Light Daggers – a sustained ability – works well against lower Stage Two creatures. Against more powerful mutants, it won’t secure a one-hit kill.”

He had casually coined a skill name and chose not to elaborate further.

“Flowing Light Daggers? Is it some kind of long-range ability?”

Chen Yong’s heart skipped a beat.

Though he didn’t quite understand how Yenir’s maneuver resembled Void Object Control, he didn’t overthink it. In this world, countless skills existed; being unfamiliar with some was perfectly normal.

Staring at the mutant corpses at Yenir’s feet, his heart began to race with excitement.

Initially, he believed Yenir was just a decent Stage Two fighter. However, after several rounds, he realized that Yenir’s strength and agility were only average for an advanced Stage Two.

But once Yenir unleashed his dagger-controlling skill, his fighting power practically doubled.

With that display, his overall strength ranked among the best of advanced Stage Two fighters.

So young… Even though Yenir claimed he merely looked small, he was definitely not that old.

His combat techniques were outstanding, and he seemed like an awakened fighter who preferred to work alone.

Eyes alight with gratitude, Chen Yong thanked Yenir for his help before sincerely saying:

“Brother Ye.”

“I see you haven’t joined any faction. If you’re a lone wolf, why not come back to the Military Region with me once this battle is over?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier.”

“I’m Chen Yong – the grandson of Chen Kailai, Deputy Commander of the North China Battle Zone!”

A recruitment idea sparked within him.

Chen Yong looked at Yenir with genuine interest, clearly eager to recruit him. As long as Yenir remained a lone wolf, he was confident he could offer irresistible terms. Being raised as a high-ranking descendant, he knew the value of talent from an early age.

So young, with such remarkable strength and skill—if he could secure him on his team, Yenir would undoubtedly become a core member of his force.

Although Chen Yong was a deputy commander’s grandson, he too needed to build his own unit amid the high-stakes power struggles.

Seeing through Chen Yong’s recruitment intent, Yenir shook his head slightly and said:

“Sorry, I’m used to being on my own.”

Though Chen Yong’s status would sound like that of a top-tier big shot to other survivors—nine out of ten advanced Stage Twos would be charmed—

Yenir remained indifferent. In the final year of his previous life, he had met every so-called big shot… In the last month of the apocalypse, the entire Huaxia Battle Zone even entrusted him with command of their forces.

Chen Kailai? Never heard of him.

A battle zone deputy commander is probably just an intermediate Stage Three, hardly even qualified to be directly commanded.

After all, in the final moments, his subordinate Stage Three generals numbered in the hundreds—all advanced Stage Threes, each on par with a high-ranking general…