Chapter 52: The Hero’s Responsibility

Zhuo Fan caught sight of the Venomous Demon Spider in the distance, and his previously swift movements became awkward and stiff. This was a natural, instinctive suppression—a primal fear embedded in his species. At the sight of such a creature, his legs turned to jelly, unable to resist, like a mouse encountering a cat.

He had not slept in three days and nights. Every day, he swung his blade to slaughter the Fanged Demons, earning hero points and Star Energy Crystals. He no longer knew how many Star Energy Tempering Techniques he had purchased, nor how many people had become Evolvers because of him.

But the last time a Venomous Demon Spider appeared, over a hundred Evolvers died or were wounded—a number that would require the slaying of ten thousand Fanged Demons to replace. And now? Would all his recent efforts be in vain once more?

Zhuo Fan did not know. Day after day, he killed the Fanged Demons, eating while fighting, never stopping. This persistence had now reached its breaking point.

“Perhaps I’m just not cut out to be a hero,” he thought bitterly. There were so many people—he could not save them all.

“Zhuo Fan, be careful!”

“Protect the hero!”

“Hold back the Venomous Demon Spider—Zhuo Fan is our hope!”

The police officers who had once worked alongside Zhuo Fan surged forward, pulling him back while the rest threw themselves into battle against the Venomous Demon Spider.

In peaceful times, each of them had simply done their jobs to earn their wages, rarely embodying the spirit of selfless service. But now, as the world descended into chaos and despair, some merely clung to life, while others chose to fight—if only to die on their feet. Their blood was up; all they wanted was to kill these monsters.

In this damned apocalypse, their parents, their wives, had all died here. How many people, like Xu Qian, would rather risk their lives to avenge their loved ones than accept defeat?

But they could die—Zhuo Fan could not.

In the seven days since the world ended, Zhuo Fan felt as if he had been pushed into this position step by step by others.

“No, stop dying—please, everyone, stop dying!” Zhuo Fan finally broke down. He had the hero system, but he felt nothing like a hero—more like a coward.

His eyes were bloodshot, but he was powerless. He wanted to charge forward and slay the Venomous Demon Spider, but he found he hadn’t the strength to even push aside the middle-aged precinct chief beside him.

Meanwhile, the Venomous Demon Spider reached the trenches they had built. Even the Fanged Demons and Serpent Demons scattered before it. Its eight insectoid legs moved with eerie agility, piercing the sand and scaling the mounds with ease. Any who stood in its way were either sliced apart by its limbs, or, with a mere scratch, poisoned fatally.

It was about to enter the throng and begin its slaughter.

At that moment, a blue car suddenly sped down the distant road. Its surface shimmered with a fantastical, iridescent blue, and it had no wheels—hovering like a broad, flat flying saucer, floating above the ground at great speed.

Silent as a shadow, it approached from behind the Venomous Demon Spider, catching everyone off guard. All eyes were drawn to it.

The car hovered directly above the creature’s head, then began to transform, melting into a liquid sphere that gradually shrank. From within, a man leapt down, landing with a thud atop the sand-formed barricade.

The Venomous Demon Spider lunged at him, jaws wide.

“Ah!” Those nearby cried out in alarm, certain that Qin Hao was about to be swallowed whole.

But at that moment, Qin Hao turned slightly, his fist aimed squarely at the beast. Star energy surged around his fist, making it appear several times larger.

A split second later, the two collided.

Qin Hao’s fist crashed into the creature’s jaw, releasing an explosive force.

With a crack, the Venomous Demon Spider’s jaw shattered instantly. The tremendous force transmitted through its body, lifting the monster clean off the ground and hurling it over ten meters into the air before it crashed down, skidding fifty meters away.

With a thunderous crash, the colossal spider collapsed fifty meters from the battlefield. Its eight legs trembled, then stilled forever.

It was dead.

Unbelievable.

For a long moment, the crowd was stunned into silence—then erupted in wild, jubilant cheers.

“A hero! A hero!”

“We’ve won! We’ve won!”

“Incredible! This man is incredible!”

“It’s him—the one who fought alongside Violet Hui!”

Some recognized Qin Hao. Over the past seven days, many had circulated the footage of that live broadcast—the harbinger of the world’s end. Some, having watched Violet Hui’s stream, had stocked up on supplies and survived the initial catastrophe.

Now, having witnessed Qin Hao with their own eyes, they could not help but be overcome with awe and adulation.

Qin Hao’s hero points soared instantly.

Previously, when separated by a screen, Qin Hao’s gain in hero points was limited by the distance and the lack of immediate emotional resonance. But now, these survivors—having directly faced the horrors of the apocalypse and witnessed Qin Hao fell the Venomous Demon Spider with a single blow—were overwhelmed by gratitude and reverence.

In an instant, Qin Hao received hundreds of thousands of hero points, so vast was the crowd.

Yet Qin Hao remained perfectly calm.

Zhuo Fan stepped from the crowd, standing before Qin Hao.

“You’re… Mr. Qin Hao, aren’t you? Thank you for saving us.” Zhuo Fan extended his hand, and Qin Hao shook it naturally.

“You know me?”

Zhuo Fan nodded, managing a wry smile. “I’m from Xingyang Station, East District. You once saved an entire block here. We have your information. Oh, my name is Zhuo Fan.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, hello.” Zhuo Fan’s gratitude shone in his expression.

At that moment, several people dragged over a few Fanged Demons, looking at Qin Hao with excitement.

“Is this man a hero too? Wonderful—Zhuo Fan, you haven’t slept in three days. Go rest. We’ll take over the hero rankings now.”

They looked eagerly at Qin Hao, even presenting the Fanged Demons to him.

Qin Hao glanced at the dying monsters and sneered. “Why should I hunt for you?”

The smiles froze on their faces, confusion and embarrassment replacing their excitement.

Zhuo Fan had killed these creatures day and night, so that others could become Evolvers—become strong enough for humanity to resist the invaders. After all, once he mastered the hero system, it was said that if someone became a god, humanity would never again be invaded.

The difference between a hero and an ordinary person lay in a single Star Energy Tempering Technique. Everyone’s talent varied; those with greater potential had a higher chance of becoming gods.

They had always believed that Zhuo Fan’s path was the right one.

None of them had expected Qin Hao to refuse so decisively.