Translator’s Note: There is no skipped chapter; there is no chapter 43.
Chapter 44: Dawn Squad
Chu Yang cleared his throat, wiping the playful grin from his face. In a serious tone, he carefully explained the purpose and absorption method of the crystal cores to the two men before him: “Hold the crystal core in your palm, clear your mind, and try to sense the energy sealed within it. Guide that power to flow through your meridians and circulate into your body… Don’t rush it. You might not feel it clearly at first, so just give it a few tries.”
As he spoke, he observed their reactions. Seeing that both were listening with rapt attention, he continued, “This stuff is absolute gold. It can replenish depleted energy and subtly enhance your physical constitution. For newly awakened abilities like yours, the effect is incredible—it’s like adding a high-grade catalyst to your growth.”
Lin Xiao leaned forward abruptly, planting his elbows on the tabletop. His eyes went wide, staring intently at the crystal cores resting in Chu Yang’s hand.
“Holy crap! Is it really that magical?!” The initial skepticism on his face vanished, instantly replaced by a wave of crushing regret. “What a waste! What an absolute waste! When we were cutting down zombies over the past few days, I was only focused on fleeing for my life! If I had known, I would’ve cracked open every single skull to search them! Look at how much we missed out on!”
His gaze burned with eager anticipation as he looked at the gleaming stones. But a heartbeat later, as if struck by a sudden thought, he lifted his eyes, looking at Chu Yang with visible hesitation. “These… are you really just giving them to us?”
Chu Yang wiped the last trace of teasing from his face, nodding with complete sincerity. “Yeah. I saved them specifically for the two of you.”
He paused, leaning forward slightly with his hands clasped over the table. Shifting his gaze from Lin Xiao to Su Mubai, who had been listening quietly the whole time, his tone turned deeply solemn: “Old Lin, Little Bai, we escaped from the campus together. We’ve literally walked through life and death as brothers. In this ruined world, surviving completely on your own is next to impossible. Over the past few days, you’ve both seen what kind of person Brother Jiang is. I, Chu Yang, have made up my mind to follow him. From now on, he is the leader I acknowledge with all my heart.”
He looked at Lin Xiao, then at the thoughtful Su Mubai, speaking from the depths of his chest: “So, I want to form an official squad with Brother Jiang. Not a temporary alliance of convenience, but a real team that can truly trust and back each other up through thick and thin in this wasteland. Are you two… willing to join us?”
Lin Xiao looked at Chu Yang, then glanced over at Jiang Jue, who stood leaning silently against the far wall. His mind was already made up. Although Chu Yang had been somewhat flighty in the past, he had grown remarkably reliable since the world collapsed. On top of that, Chu Yang possessed the rare Space Ability, which offered both immense utility and lethal offensive power. As for Jiang Jue—he was calm, ruthless in battle, formidable in close combat, and commanded devastating lightning. In an apocalypse, having someone like that at your back was an absolute dream.
Lin Xiao gave a heavy, resolute nod. “Count me in! Sticking together as brothers is a hundred times better than wandering around like stray dogs!”
Su Mubai raised his head as well, a firm resolve settling over his delicate features. His voice was soft, yet entirely clear: “I’ll join too. Even though my power isn’t meant for fighting, the healing might come in handy. I’ll practice my blade work diligently so I never become a burden to the team.”
Seeing both of them commit without hesitation, the heavy stone pressing against Chu Yang’s chest finally settled, replaced by a wave of relief. Although neither of them had been part of Jiang Jue’s inner circle in the original novel, Chu Yang was an anomaly in this timeline anyway. Following the ultimate powerhouse alongside his two best friends gave them a vastly better shot at surviving this brutal world.
With that in mind, his posture straightened, his voice taking on an uncompromising weight: “Since we’ve agreed to form a squad, there are ground rules we must establish upfront to prevent future conflicts. We are brothers, but discipline cannot be ignored. Joining this team means binding our lives together—we rise together and fall together. Our squad will never tolerate betrayal, backstabbing, or anyone putting their selfish interests above the group. That is an ironclad rule; anyone who breaks it is out immediately.”
His sharp gaze swept deliberately over Lin Xiao and Su Mubai. “Furthermore, since we acknowledge Brother Jiang as our leader, we must follow his tactical deployment and commands without question during combat. Brother Jiang has far more experience and is the strongest among us; trusting his judgment gives us the best chance of staying alive. Of course, you can always share your thoughts and suggestions during daily life, and we can discuss things openly. But once Brother Jiang makes a final call, I expect everyone to fall in line. Can you agree to that?”
Lin Xiao broke into a broad grin. “Third Brother, that’s common sense! I might run my mouth sometimes, but I am definitely not the kind of spineless coward who stabs his friends in the back! Since I accept Brother Jiang as our leader, I’ll follow his orders to the letter in any fight. No questions asked!”
Su Mubai nodded earnestly as well. “I understand. I’ll do everything I can to pull my own weight and stay out of trouble. I’ll follow Brother Jiang’s lead.”
Hearing their responses, Chu Yang let out a full breath of relief. He slapped Lin Xiao firmly on the shoulder and gave Su Mubai an approving nod. “Great! From this day forward, we are a single unit! We share every blessing and weather every storm together!”
Chu Yang turned toward Jiang Jue, who had remained silent in the background. The tall man slowly lifted his eyes, his gaze landing first on Chu Yang’s flushed, earnest face. A subtle, almost imperceptible warmth flickered deep within his dark eyes before he looked across at Lin Xiao and Su Mubai.
Truthfully, Jiang Jue did not care about being a “leader,” nor did he care about authority. He was used to walking the path alone, carrying every burden on his own shoulders. Right now, the only thing that truly mattered to him was Chu Yang’s safety and happiness. As long as Chu Yang trusted these two, was happy to travel with them, and they adhered to the rules without causing trouble or harboring hidden agendas, having a couple of extra companions to support Chu Yang was… not a bad thing at all.
Jiang Jue gave a slight nod, his deep voice carrying quiet authority: “No betrayal. No abandonment.”
With Jiang Jue’s official approval, Chu Yang’s excitement flared up again. “Awesome! Now that the squad is official, we need a proper name, right? We can’t just keep calling ourselves ‘the team’ or ‘us’—we need a memorable title!”
Lin Xiao chimed in instantly: “Yes, exactly! We need something aggressive and dominant! How about ‘Apocalypse Edge’? It sounds badass, and it’ll get our blood pumping every time we hack down zombies!”
Su Mubai offered a gentle caution: “Isn’t that… a little too flashy? Standing out too much in the apocalypse usually invites unwanted trouble.”
Chu Yang stroked his chin thoughtfully. “What about ‘The Watchers Alliance’? Hmm, feels a bit generic and doesn’t really fit our style.” Turning to Jiang Jue, he asked, “Brother Jiang, what do you think we should call it?”
Jiang Jue idly turned the crystal core in his palm. After a brief pause, he spoke a single word in a calm, steady voice: “Dawn.”
“Dawn?” the three repeated in unison, a touch of curiosity in their voices.
Jiang Jue lifted his gaze, looking calmly at each of them. “Even in the darkest night, as long as we stand together, we will live to see the darkness break and the light return. The name represents hope—and the foundational belief of our squad.”
Lin Xiao’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh in approval. “Brilliant! ‘Dawn Squad’! It has real depth without being arrogant. The boss sure knows how to pick a name!”
Su Mubai nodded in complete agreement. “It’s a wonderful name. From now on, we belong to Dawn.”
Chu Yang raised his eyebrows with a satisfied grin. In the original novel, the powerhouse’s team had been named “Thunder.” While that had certainly sounded imposing, how could it ever compare to the meaning behind “Dawn”? Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Jue, Old Lin, and Little Bai, the name felt tailor-made for them. The more he turned the word over in his mind, the wider his smile grew.
