Chapter 63: The Giant Insect Reappears

“Take these gourds and be sure to stay close to me. Here are some guns as well—while their lethality against monsters is mediocre, they carry significant deterrent power against humans.” Having resolved to break through, Shen Lie began giving his final instructions to those around him. These days, danger came not only from monsters; sometimes humans were far more perilous.

Zhang Jing and Li Xue, neither of whom were Awakened, appeared somewhat anxious. Yet their nervousness did not stem from fear that Shen Lie would abandon them. After so much time together, they had come to understand his character; though seemingly aloof, he was, in truth, a deeply emotional man. Their apprehension lay mainly in the fact that despite the presence of Shen Lie and Du Lili, they themselves were ordinary girls. Even with Shen Lie’s protection, escaping alive was far from guaranteed.

After briefing Zhang Jing and the others, Shen Lie briefly outlined the planned escape route to the survivors from Dongfeng Town who had been following them—known as members of the Red Mist group. These people were already aware of Shen Lie’s plan to break out and intended to join him. Their reasoning was clear: the chances of their group holding their ground were slim, and even if they did, there was no telling if they would face an even larger horde of monsters.

Most importantly, even if the team survived intact, without Shen Lie and Du Lili, these survivors would lose their previous privileges, inevitably being sent out as cannon fodder sooner or later. It was better to take their chances now with Shen Lie.

Shen Lie held no particular affection for these survivors, but since some were willing to follow him, he would not refuse. Every extra hand meant additional strength; at the very least, they could help divert the attention of the spider monsters during the breakout.

With ample firearms and ammunition at hand, Shen Lie quickly distributed some weapons to the newcomers before leading the group toward the designated direction.

“King Shen, brother, I’m coming to join you!” Not far after stepping out, before reaching the edge of the group, Shen Lie saw two figures rushing up.

The newcomers, a man and a woman, were known to Shen Lie—Duan Yu, who had accompanied him to retrieve the space gourds. The woman was plain-looking, but judging by their interactions, they were evidently a married couple.

“What brings you here? And what did you say earlier?” Shen Lie eyed their gear and supplies, already guessing their intentions.

“I heard you planned to break out on your own, so I came to join you. Several small squads on our side intend the same, but I think it’s safer sticking with you. This is my wife—don’t worry, she’s also an Awakened, won’t slow you down.” Duan Yu spoke candidly, openly declaring their allegiance.

Two Awakened joining Shen Lie’s group was naturally welcome, though he hadn’t expected Duan Yu’s wife to be Awakened, nor that many others shared the same breakout plan.

“All right, we’ll go together, but you must follow my orders!” Shen Lie agreed without hesitation and resumed moving toward the planned route.

Inside a makeshift military tent, a dozen or so people faced each other in silence, the air thick with tension.

“Commander Zhang, whether you agree or not, the Awakened Alliance will break out on their own before nightfall. If you want to play hero or act righteous, that’s your business. I, Gu Fangcheng, won’t waste our brothers’ lives bickering with you here. Also, I want supplies—arms and ammo. If you don’t give them, don’t blame me for taking them myself!”

“Gu Fangcheng, are you trying to rebel?” Zhang Kaitai frowned, about to speak, but a nearby staff officer immediately scolded loudly.

“Ha! Rebel? Rebel against whom? Against the country or you, Zhang Kaitai? If it’s against the country, I wouldn’t dare. But if it’s against you, Zhang Kaitai, so be it!” Gu Fangcheng sneered at the officer and glanced sideways at Zhang Kaitai. In his eyes, ordinary people no longer deserved to lead or issue orders. This was the era of the Awakened; the rest should serve them.

“You!” The officer flushed red, about to retort, but Zhang Kaitai waved him silent.

“Clan leader Gu, I cannot stop you from breaking out alone, but I cannot provide the supplies you demand. Our resources have always been separately controlled. Your request is tantamount to robbery, and these supplies must support over ten thousand survivors. Don’t you think you’re being unreasonable?” Zhang Kaitai suppressed his anger, knowing this was no time for open conflict; the consequences would be dire.

“Indeed, clan leader Gu, these supplies are vital to us, and you can’t take that many anyway. Besides, I believe we still have hope of repelling the monsters. Didn’t Professor Liu’s two men utterly slaughter those beasts before?” A strategist, unwilling to see Gu Fangcheng leave, tried to persuade him.

“Who? You mean the so-called ‘kings’ Shen Lie and Du Lili? Ha! Yes, those two are strong, but perhaps you don’t know—they’re probably already in the process of breaking out!” Gu Fangcheng toyed with a signal receiver, sneered as he saw the signal, and stood up abruptly. He didn’t want to waste more words here; his men had already reported unusual movements among several monitored groups.

“What?” A strategist named Lan was shocked by Gu Fangcheng’s words. Zhang Kaitai and Yang Weiguo’s expressions darkened, but Professor Liu remained calm, focused on reviewing a stack of documents.

“I have no more explanations for you.” Gu Fangcheng’s impatience was clear as he prepared to mock them, when a buzzing sound came from above the tent. A soldier and one of Gu Fangcheng’s men burst in, the soldier pale-faced, stammering, “Com-comander, there’s a helicopter... and... and bugs!”

Though the soldier’s words were garbled, everyone inside caught the word “helicopter.” Several faces brightened with hope.

“A helicopter? Is it here to rescue us? How many?” Everyone knew their current peril was immense but confined to the ground. If helicopters came to save them, the danger might be lifted at once. Of course, no chopper could carry everyone, but these were the most important members of the team; they would be the first to be evacuated.

Before the soldier or Gu Fangcheng’s man could answer, the group surged out of the tent, looking skyward, scanning for the source of the roaring sound.

“Ah, no! Everyone, listen to my orders! Organize yourselves immediately and prepare to break out! Military personnel, follow me to cover the rear! I repeat, everyone begin the breakout at once!”

What they saw shocked them deeply. Zhang Kaitai’s panic was unprecedented as he screamed for survivors to flee.

Indeed, three helicopters drew near—but they were fleeing in a state of panic.

Behind them, two massive winged monsters prowled, as if toying with the helicopters.

The choppers approached, but no one cheered. These helicopters brought no hope, only the opening of hell’s gates.

“Flying monsters... finally appearing?” Gu Fangcheng quietly slipped back into the frantic crowd, whispering barely audibly as he gazed skyward.