Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 156: Meat of the Mutated beast

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Meat of the Mutated beast

It was late at night, and the air was still filled with the smell of blood. The corpse of the mutant giant turtle lay at the edge of the forest. Its huge body had stopped breathing, but the deafening roar and earth-shattering impact just now were still deeply imprinted in the hearts of the survivors.

After a moment’s silence, someone stood up tremblingly and looked at the giant turtle corpse that had not yet been completely extinguished, his eyes full of fear and shock.

"...Dead? That monster, is he really dead?"

"It was that black shadow... I shot an arrow through its head... and it died..."

"How is it possible? It was a level nine mutant beast! We didn’t even dare to touch it... and yet it was killed just like that?"

No one could answer. They just stared at each other, their eyes filled with deep fear and awe.

After a long while, an older man said in a trembling voice, "Everyone... go and have a look. Maybe there are valuable things on that mutant beast... crystal cores, materials... those are life-saving resources..."

Although his voice was weak, it was like a stone that caused a thousand ripples. Greed flashed in the eyes of several people. They had been hungry for too long and were too badly injured. If they didn’t seize the opportunity, they might die in the next second.

"Quick! Take other things! I saw that the black shadow only took the crystal core, and there are still many materials on it that have not been touched!"

They didn’t waste any more time.

After confirming that the giant turtle was truly dead, several people rushed toward its corpse, their legs still weak but their eyes burning with urgency. The scent of blood in the air had begun to thicken, and they all knew one thing—this kind of chance might never come again.

"We need to take everything we can," someone muttered as they knelt beside one of the massive limbs. "Meat, hide, bones... even the tendons might be useful."

They had no tools at first, only a few broken knives and dull machetes. But soon someone came running with an old axe and a small saw. Their hands shook from exhaustion, but they still started hacking.

The meat was tough and strange, but it was flesh—thick, dark, and warm. Even raw, it had a smell that made some people gag, but none of them stopped. Their stomachs had long stopped growling. Hunger had already become a constant pain in their bodies, one they no longer noticed. What they noticed now was opportunity.

"We’ve eaten mutant meat before," said an older woman with a bandaged arm. "Tastes awful, makes you feel sick for a day or two... but you’ll live."

"And living is enough," another added bitterly.

They knew the risks. Some mutant beasts carried strange toxins. Some would rot too fast. But this turtle had lived too long, fought too fiercely. It was strong, and strength meant it had value.

"Don’t just take the meat," someone shouted. "Check under the shell! There might be rare tissues or glands... some of it can be traded!"

They didn’t speak of money anymore. What mattered now were things that could be bartered—food, clean water, medicine. Materials from mutant beasts were in high demand. Some were used in weapons, others in experiments, and some even in desperate medical treatments. The base they were heading to might accept beast parts as payment or entry.

"We’re not stealing," a man said to no one in particular, as if trying to justify his actions. "That black shadow didn’t take this. It left it. Maybe it meant for us to survive."

Maybe it was foolish to think that way. Maybe they were just clinging to hope like children. But no one argued with him. They kept working—cutting, stacking, bundling meat and strange organs in scraps of cloth and salvaged bags.

Some people took action, some watched, and some just stood far away, unable to recover from the shock for a long time. They were still wondering in their hearts, what exactly was that black shadow? Is it human? Or is it some kind of existence that we cannot understand?

——However, they didn’t know that the black shadow was not a real human.

That was a shadow left behind by Liora, to guard the base in her absence.

Before Liora left the base, she felt a sense of uneasiness, so she left several powerful souls and asked them to take a shape similar to humans, so people would not be frightened when they suddenly saw a huge soul of a mutated beast and also advised them not to appear directly in front of the humans. Originally, this was just to prevent accidents, but unexpectedly, this decision played a key role at this moment.

...

Time passed slowly.

The survivors finally mustered up the courage and headed toward the base where the lights were flickering. They dragged their tired bodies and supported their injured companions. Every step was extremely difficult, but the golden light was like a dawn in the darkness, leading them towards hope.

"In front of them... is the main gate of the base..."

"Can we really... really survive..."

"Even if it’s just for one day..."

The man walking in front was supporting a companion with a broken leg. He was breathing heavily, with tears flashing in the corners of his eyes, but he didn’t want to let them fall. He knew that he had to be strong because they had no way out.

When they finally reached the towering gate, they were stunned again.

This base had no guards.

Behind the high wall, the light was steady, but there was no sign of human presence, nor any warning sounds.

"What’s going on? No one is around?"

"Impossible... How could such a large base... not have guards stationed there?"

They were full of doubts and vigilance, and some even asked: "Could it be a trap? Was the monster designed? This is not a human base at all..."

Doubt spread like a plague, but no one really turned away. Because they knew – they had nowhere else to go.

At this moment, a slight sound was heard——

"Beep—"

A mechanical sound suddenly rang in their ears, echoing in the quiet night.

[Welcome to the "Dawn Base".]

[Newcomers please maintain order.]

[You can go to the management center to register your identity and activate a temporary resident certificate. After successful registration, you will be able to rent a dormitory and enjoy the resources and protection within the base.]

[Please abide by the base rules. Violators will be forcibly expelled.]

The sudden mechanical sound startled everyone. They stared blankly at the direction of the lights and sounds coming from inside the high walls, as if they had returned to the era before the end of the world when order still existed.

"Is this... an AI voice?"

"Automatic system? Didn’t they say it was all broken a long time ago? Is there still a base that can operate like this?"

"Who... who is the owner of this base? How could he be able to do this in this apocalypse?"

Everyone looked at each other, and their original suspicion and vigilance gradually turned into awe and hope.

They began to believe that this might really be a place of miracles.

So they pushed open the heavy door and stepped into this legendary base.