Coral Island.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and with a natural harbor behind, it doesn’t even need development to serve as a crucial defensive position.

This is Ghost Shark’s territory.

In the end times, every hero has their own title, just as Chen Feng is referred to by some as the "Flame Demon" or "Slayer," Ghost Shark’s rise was similarly accompanied by a bloody storm.

When the apocalypse began, this place was also filled with bugs and beasts. Ghost Shark was originally an unassuming professional, but with a ruthless and clever mind, he gathered allies and suppressed enemies, rising swiftly to become a formidable figure.

Within just a year, he eventually ruled the nearby area, becoming the strongest force. It has to be mentioned that those so-called allies of Ghost Shark, after he seized power, all met untimely deaths—devoured by insects, torn apart by beasts, or dismembered by zombies.

No one dared to voice any dissent.

Anyone with objections wouldn’t even live to see the sun the next day.

The harbor of Coral Island is rather crude.

Warriors are stationed nearby, and generally, they take turns going out to sea. This is merely a Ghost Shark stronghold, like Death Island, meant to monitor surrounding conditions without actual development.

Outside, aside from the warriors on duty, everyone else remains indoors. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Blow! Blow! Blow it! Didn’t win again!"

"Haha, this bottle of wine is mine now!"

"Don’t be smug, I will win it back sooner or later!"

In a spacious room, there are more than twenty people gathered around. On the table, there are cigarettes and liquor; instead of money, they bet with daily commodities.

Gambling!

They’re actually gambling!

This kind of thing is almost impossible to see within Order; Chen Feng has strict rules for his subordinates, forbidding any entertainment activities like gambling during work hours, and violators will face punishment.

"Win against me? With what? You’ve got nothing left, wanna flip cards? Dream on!" A fierce warrior missing half a finger sneered at the opponent, shouting.

The opponent was a man in his forties, with sunken eyes that resembled an addict’s. He spat on the ground, then reached to a corner and pulled out a young woman.

The young woman wasn’t very old, looking only about twenty. It was supposed to be the prime of her life, yet her eyes were vacant, as if she were a mindless zombie, not even making a sound despite the man’s violent handling.

The woman wore very little clothing, without even any fabric covering her privacy; rough handling exposed glimpses of her body.

"Here, this is the bet!" The man dragged the woman directly onto the table, pulling so hard that her chest was exposed.

Bruises.

Her body was covered in countless bruises, making it hard to imagine what kind of treatment she must have endured to end up in such a pitiful state.

The middle-aged man placed one hand on her head and another on her clothes, tearing them off viciously onto the ground, cursing as he said, "This one I got for three packs of cigarettes, now, let’s keep betting!"

"Spit!"

The man missing a part of his finger spat on the ground, pointed at the woman, and jeered, "You’re truly mad, this one’s three packs of cigarettes? Pah! One pack, I tell you, just one pack!"

The middle-aged man widened his eyes in anger.

The fingerless man scratched his ear, lifted his chin, and pouted, "What’s wrong? Are you playing or not, say it straightforwardly!"

The middle-aged man took a deep breath, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted, "Play! One pack it is, you’d better watch out, if I don’t make you lose everything today, I’ll write my name backward!"

Soon, the sound of cards being dealt arose again.

However.

From beginning to end, the woman showed no emotion, remaining wooden and leaning against the table, motionless and completely forlorn.

"Hiss!"

They’re actually using [people] as stakes!

If entertaining during work hours in Order is a minor offense, not respecting women is defined as a serious crime, and offenders with heinous behavior might even be hung by their spine on the city wall.

Yet here, these warriors—they can no longer be considered disciplined soldiers but rather a group of robbers, bandits residing along the shore.

A chaotic place.

Compared to Chen Feng’s Order, Ghost Shark’s ruled area has completely become a hell on earth, with no laws or rules; the divide between strong and weak is as vast as heaven and earth, suffocating all.

Dictator.

Chen Feng and Ghost Shark, even if both are rulers of forces, holding the power of life and death over a whole city as the pinnacle of existence, act differently—where Chen Feng follows rules, Ghost Shark’s credo is only eight words: enjoy the moment, be lawless.

Eat the finest food.

Drink the best wine.

Possess the most beautiful women.

On this land, starving is a common thing, just like in the Abyss, where, with a lack of food, the elderly and children of this force end up as the first abandoned.

Ordinary men are used as laborers to build various constructions, while slightly attractive women become sad playthings for Ghost Shark and his cadre.

Glancing into the abyss.

Even at a simple outpost, the atmosphere is so foul; one can imagine the chaos at Ghost Shark’s headquarters merely by imagination.

People know ghosts are scary, but ghosts understand human hearts are wicked.

Sometimes, ghosts can’t harm humans; the real harm comes from fellow beings who share the same skin and language.

This is the norm in the apocalypse.

No law, no morals, not even the basic principle of humanity; these lands are mainly inhabited by sinister beings, far from human territory, nothing but a terrifying realm of ghosts.

Outside, the sea wind howled, beating against the glass with crashing sounds, as if even the cold wind couldn’t bear to witness such cruelty, lamenting aloud.

This is just a corner of this island.

In some houses, occasional cries of agony emerge; no one knows what kind of cruel and venomous acts are happening inside those houses.

To the east.

Three bandits listlessly leaned together, soon it would be time to switch posts; the damned weather, they could finally go back to warm themselves.

The few people made casual conversation.

"Rustle..."

Some sounds came from the bushes ahead. Two bandits moved forward, trying to see what was happening, but shortly after stepping, a shadow appeared from behind, wielding a dagger, stabbing directly into the neck of the remaining bandit without making a sound, he fell to the ground.

The two in front were completely unaware, with just a turn, their companion lost his life.

They were carrying knives, heading forward, but as they approached the bushes, they suddenly felt pain in their legs, saw two steel needles embedded in them, when they tried to call out, daggers had already stabbed into their backs, pupils dilated, life ceased.

The killer was a Half-Elf.

He was a male and possessed silver power among his tribe. He quickly hid their bodies and then instructed a companion beside him, "Inform the lord, target cleared, you can land now."

The latter nodded, quickly disappearing from sight.

The Half-Elf gazed into the distance; even after just killing a life, he showed no discomfort, instead looking at the distant lights with some expectation and curiosity.

No one knows what will happen later.

But one thing is certain.

Today,

is destined to be a sleepless night...