Dog venue.
This is the grim territory of J City.
Where there is light, there is darkness—a timeless truth. Even in today's civilized world, in certain corners, scenes most primitive and foul still unfold.
This is a Beast Fighting Arena where competitors from various regions bring their trained dogs to participate in 1V1 matches. The rule for victory is singular: staying alive.
The battle scenes are extremely bloody. To boost the Bulldog's attack power, the owners deliberately starve the dogs for several days before the competition, turning them into voracious Evil Ghosts feasting on their kind. Furthermore, some owners inject stimulants or smear anesthetic on the dogs.
The designated Bulldog has no right to forfeit the match—this is humanity.
Outside an unremarkable door.
Chen Feng looked coldly at the simple door before him. The apocalypse was nearing. He certainly had no mind to observe dog fights here.
In his previous life, the disaster struck too abruptly. By the time Chen Feng reacted, the surroundings had already turned into Purgatory, with zombies rampant and abominations running amuck. Once lofty humanity became prey in the slaughter, and the chapter of carnage began.
Compared to those slow-moving zombies, in the early days of the apocalypse, the most terrifying were the abominations activating their genetic chains. Some creatures experienced atavism, enhancing not only their strength but also gaining bizarre abilities.
Like elite monsters in games, their appearance rates weren't high, but their power was frighteningly immense.
Hellhound.
This is its title, or perhaps a badge of honor.
Post-apocalypse in the previous life, it slaughtered an entire district of humans, standing five meters tall, with fiery red fur, capable of spewing scorching magma.
Unlike ordinary abominations, these elite monsters with special powers are the truly terrifying threats. In the previous life, national forces incurred heavy losses before they managed to kill it.
After the Hellhound perished, its corpse retained heat for three days. As the first abomination encountered in the apocalypse, the Hellhound left a deep impression on Chen Feng.
And the most unforgettable was the "斗" mark on the Hellhound's spine. According to some insiders, this is the symbol of J City's dog fighting venue. Each Bulldog is shaved and marked with a character before battle, using pain to provoke ferocity.
And this is Chen Feng's purpose for coming here.
He intends to find the abomination that will soon transform into a Demon.
Firearms are strictly prohibited in Huaxia, with only a few hours left before the apocalypse. Rather than purchasing useless cold weapons or hoarding food, entities like the Hellhound are advantageous to Chen Feng's plans.
"Knock, knock..."
Considering this, Chen Feng hesitated no longer and reached out to knock on the wooden door ahead.
"Who is it?"
The door opened, revealing a young man in a vest and cloth shoes. He first glanced left and right before cautiously eyeing the stranger before him.
Underling.
As part of a gray industry, this place follows special rules. Dog owners or gambling spectators need introductions to enter.
This Underling clearly hadn't seen Chen Feng before, and his expression turned somewhat gloomy and cautious.
"I want to buy a dog."
"What dog? This is Zhang's Noodle Shop!"
Time was not abundant. Chen Feng couldn't afford lengthy chit-chat with the other. He opened the bag in his hand, revealing ten stacks of hundred-dollar bills to the Underling.
Alone, without kin or ties.
This was all of Chen Feng's assets. For a dog, he brought out all his wealth. To the common person, Chen Feng seemed like a madman. But in fact? With the apocalypse just hours away, notions of money, house deeds, and businesses were akin to mire. In this new world, what mattered wasn't the strength of one's backing, but the hardness of one's fists.
Nobody disputes with money.
Such decisions the Underling couldn't make, nor did he dare to. After a few seconds of hesitation, he hurried inside to report to higher-ups.
...…
Man will die for wealth.
The lure of money made Chen Feng an immediate guest at this arena.
On the surface, this shop peddled grain, but within it lay a hidden world. After entering a small room, the clamor of voices and agonized howls reached Chen Feng's ears.
Blood plasma.
The viscous odor of blood plasma.
Undoubtedly, this is the Beast Fighting Arena, where a crowd gathered before an iron cage, shouting with abandon as two pitbulls clung to each other in savage bite.
At that moment, a bald middle-aged man with tiger tattoos on both arms approached Chen Feng.
He was the boss here.
The Underling's report surprised him. Dogs held different meanings for each person—some saw them as food or tools, while others regarded them as friends and partners.
In the past, many people picked their desired Bulldogs here. Those Bulldogs were fortunate, being chosen by buyers meant escaping the threat of death.
Prices ranging from thousands to tens of thousands were commonplace, but what astounded the tattooed man was someone like the young man before him, not playing by any rules—this he had never seen before.
This young man, about 175 cm tall with fair skin, lacking evident muscle. Compared to some spendthrift youths in the gray industry, he resembled a recent college graduate. Ordinarily, fledglings witnessing such scenes would be stricken with panic and fear. Yet this young man exuded a unique calmness, especially in his eyes, which were as deep and cold as a spring.