Chapter Seventy-Five: The Crowd

The more Shen Lie pondered, the more he realized that this Starlight Clan was no ordinary group. Their astounding replication abilities, their even more exaggerated sacrificial techniques, and the extraordinary effectiveness of their ordinary star energy—all of these set them apart. He wondered what rank this clan held within the vast starry realm and how many even more formidable races existed out there.

Nowadays, no one naively believed that only humans existed in the universe. In fact, whether those beings were truly human was itself questionable. The mutations following the awakening of bloodlines had cast humanity’s origins into the unknown.

The silver-white star energy he had acquired this time was no small amount. It took quite a while to fully infuse it into the gifted leaf emblem. After all the energy was expended, Shen Lie noticed that the leaf’s imprint glowed much brighter than before. He also felt his affinity for lightning had increased considerably.

It was a strange sensation—mystical to the extreme. Standing atop the roof, Shen Lie gently extended his right hand and immediately sensed numerous lively lightning elements around him. If he willed it, these elemental particles would obey his command.

“Lightning!”

He softly uttered the word, and with a thought, a bolt of lightning formed in his hand. With a flick, the lightning shot forth and struck a slightly mutated fruit tree in the garden. Black smoke billowed from it, followed by a sharp crack as the tree snapped in half.

At the gate, Xia Ke was startled by the noise. Since the roof was quite high, she hadn’t seen what Shen Lie was doing and dared not climb up to look. She was unaware that he had just summoned a bolt of lightning.

“Ahem, um, are you okay?” Xia Ke cleared her throat awkwardly, still unsure how to address Shen Lie, and asked hesitantly.

“I’m fine. Let’s go!” A figure leapt down from the roof, revealing Shen Lie’s joyful face.

He hadn’t expected that merely sacrificing a small jade pendant would so greatly enhance his lightning talent. His current lightning abilities were certainly no weaker than those of ordinary lightning awakeners. With his lightning talent improved, his signature skill—the Apocalyptic Hammer—would undoubtedly be even more powerful.

“Huh, why are there so many survivors gathered over there?”

Since he wanted to find food supplies in the town, Shen Lie did not continue riding the motorcycle. The two searched as they walked forward, but despite checking many shops, they found no food. Then, rounding a corner, they saw a large crowd gathered ahead.

Shen Lie had long anticipated other survivors would appear in this town. According to Xia Ke, at least a million had fled from Yang City in this direction. Though many had fallen prey to monsters, a significant number had broken through. This town lay just over a hundred kilometers from Yang City, so many survivors would have come to this area in a fan-shaped distribution.

But by the same logic, if humans could reach here, so could the monsters. Even if these people weren’t lacking food, they shouldn’t be gathering so openly in the streets. This was no peaceful era before the catastrophe.

Where there is abnormality, there must be a cause. Though curious, Shen Lie did not recklessly approach. Instead, he took out binoculars and, with Xia Ke, climbed to the third-floor rooftop to observe.

He first surveyed the surroundings. The survivors were lucky—no monsters appeared within the binoculars’ range, and the sky was free of giant insects.

Satisfied it was safe, Shen Lie focused on the crowd’s center and saw a perplexing sight.

Some fifty or sixty people were gathered around a round table, atop which sat a very familiar object. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was an ordinary pre-catastrophe desktop radio!

“What’s going on here?” Shen Lie asked Xia Ke, puzzled. She too was peering through binoculars, which Shen Lie had in ample supply.

“Looks like a radio. Could it be that this radio is special, able to receive signals on a certain frequency?” Xia Ke suggested uncertainly. This idea sparked a surge of excitement in both of them.

Since the disaster, all wireless signals had been completely cut off. Wired signals had worked initially but soon ceased as well. Connections between regions were utterly lost.

The inability to communicate left survivors like headless flies—unaware of where conditions were better, where large groups gathered, and unable to coordinate combat. Humanity had suffered relentless defeats and countless casualties under the monsters’ assault.

If wireless communication could be restored, Shen Lie knew it would be a monumental event, capable of reshaping the world’s order. It would be a glimmer of dawn amid death’s shadow, offering countless people hope for survival.

“Is it possible?” Shen Lie suppressed his excitement and continued observing through the binoculars.

With their hypothesis, he noticed something odd about the radio on the table. Its antenna was tied with a metal wire connected to a large iron frame beside the table. Atop the frame was a dish-like object—likely a signal receiver. Beneath the table lay a sizable battery.

This setup was clearly for receiving signals, though what signals and whether reception was successful remained unknown.

Turning his gaze to the people around the table, Shen Lie was surprised to find more than ten awakeners among the fifty or sixty gathered—perhaps even more, since some awakeners’ mutations were subtle.

That was a significant ratio. If this was a team, Shen Lie was certain it included important figures.

“Oh! Oh, oh!”

“Success! Haha, finally succeeded!”

Just as Shen Lie lowered his binoculars, cheers erupted from the crowd, with many jumping and dancing in joy.

After the celebration, silence fell. Shen Lie raised the binoculars again and saw everyone leaning close to the radio, listening intently. Though the distance obscured their expressions, their focus was unmistakable.

“Let’s go check it out!” Shen Lie pocketed the binoculars and beckoned Xia Ke to descend.

Xia Ke was once again astonished to witness the binoculars vanish so mysteriously in Shen Lie’s hands. Her eyes gleamed with disbelief. Though not her first time seeing such a thing, she remained amazed—she couldn’t fathom where he stored such a long object.

Yet Xia Ke was clever, knowing what to ask and what to withhold. Her priority was not to annoy this man so she could stay by his side. He was immensely powerful and not the beastly type. Staying near him meant greater safety.

As Shen Lie approached the circle, he noticed several awakeners patrolling the perimeter. He immediately understood this was a small squad with high vigilance. He offered a friendly smile to them and purposely kept a safe distance.

Shen Lie’s appearance was deceptive. Without activating his bloodline power to turn his body golden, no one would suspect he was an awakener. Xia Ke was a true ordinary person, so the awakeners likely saw them as ordinary refugees seeking food. After casting a warning glance, they paid no further attention.

At that moment, many more survivors emerged from various shops and, unimpeded, joined the crowd. Shen Lie realized this team extended beyond those present; others were likely still scavenging in the town.

“Old Long, did you really receive a signal? What information? Any news from the capital?” A middle-aged man came running, breathless but hopeful.

“Everyone, hold on. Listen for yourselves,” the elder called Old Long replied. He was in his sixties, seemingly unscathed by hardship—both physically and mentally robust. Yet his face now showed bewilderment, as if confronted by something beyond understanding.