Chapter Thirty-One: Another

On the street south of Red River, Shen Lie stood calmly facing two monstrous spiders, a large iron hammer gripped in his hand.

“Die, you monsters!”

Suddenly, Shen Lie raised his arm, and with a swing of the hammer toward the spiders, a golden phantom of a colossal hammer appeared in midair. Crackling with electric arcs, it came down upon the monsters. The spiders didn’t even have time to react before they were smashed into pulp, the aftershock destroying much of the surrounding buildings.

Shen Lie was thoroughly satisfied with his victory. He quickly approached the flattened remains, used the hammer’s handle to prod through the carnage, and retrieved a crystalline object from the mess, his smile growing wider.

After leaving the compound, Shen Lie had ventured alone to the town south of Red River, scavenging supplies while testing the limits of his newfound abilities.

First and foremost, his strength had grown tremendously, especially with the activation of the vortex. By channeling anomalous energy through it, his bare fists could shatter bricks and stone, and his defense had become equally formidable. His constitution and speed had also markedly increased.

Beyond that, the Black Spear, empowered by the energy from the leaf mark, revealed extraordinary destructive power. The spiders’ tough shells shattered at a touch, and even elite monsters marked with dark crimson patterns couldn’t withstand its force, making it his deadly trump card.

The only regret was the limited mysterious energy within the leaf mark—each use depleted it, and only the white flowers could replenish it for now. Unlike the anomalous energy in his body, which slowly recovered on its own even without the boiling blood technique, the leaf mark could only be used as a last resort.

What thrilled Shen Lie most was the skill called Worldbreaker Hammer. Its power was beyond imagination, and it offered a long-range attack—compensating for his previous lack of such abilities. It consumed his internal anomalous energy, but replenishing it was straightforward despite the higher cost.

He felt his strength had undergone a qualitative leap. If he encountered Xiao Gang now, there’d be no need for desperate struggle; a simple gesture would send the man straight to the afterlife.

Having gathered enough supplies and with dusk approaching, Shen Lie halted his advance. The spiders in this area were numerous, and he didn’t want to be rash. After raiding one last grocery shop, he began a cautious retreat.

Before nightfall, Shen Lie pushed a tricycle back to the riverbank, tossed the supplies across, and then rode back to Qi Family Supermarket in Zhang Jing’s small truck.

While crossing the river, Shen Lie made an observation: the water of the Red River seemed paler, less blood-red than before. He didn’t know what this indicated, but a sense of danger prickled at his mind. Whatever changes might come, he could not influence them; he simply kept it in mind to check again tomorrow.

Li Cheng had already relocated everyone from the compound to the Qi Family Supermarket, leaving the compound abandoned. Shen Lie cared little for the place itself, his focus was on collecting Phantom Mushrooms. Unfortunately, Li Cheng brought no good news today—not a single mushroom had been traded.

“Brother Shen, while you were out, Sergeant Yang from the army came looking for you. When he saw you weren’t here, he left without a message.”

“The army? Oh, you mean those soldiers who came to direct the evacuation before the disaster?” Shen Lie was puzzled for a moment before realization dawned.

“Yes, they’re now at the Red Sorghum Distillery on Houxia Street. That’s where the largest group has gathered. There aren’t any awakened among them, but they have plenty of firearms, including grenades and submachine guns. Even the awakened hesitate to provoke them,” Li Cheng explained, displaying his thorough knowledge of the town’s affairs.

Shen Lie nodded. The awakened possessed superhuman abilities, but they weren’t invincible. If ordinary people were well armed with submachine guns and other weapons, the outcome of a direct confrontation was unpredictable.

Since the soldiers hadn’t stated their purpose, Shen Lie had no interest in seeking them out. He decided to rest well that night and scout the town’s outskirts tomorrow, searching for a way out. Even if he didn’t find one, he wanted to be prepared—so that if danger arose, he wouldn’t panic.

...

“You’re telling me Shen Lie killed Xiao Gang with just one move?” In a storefront called Dacheng Grain Shop, two unusually built men were conversing. One was Ma Zhanlin, the other Wang Qingshan.

Wang Qingshan was a farmer. Before the disaster, he had joined the townsfolk in responding to the army’s call to gather in the town, preparing to head south to Liao Province. He was just another refugee until he accidentally awakened anomalous abilities. Though his body became half monstrous, his status and standing transformed completely.

At his awakening, relatives and friends who once looked down on him suddenly rallied around him. Along with his fellow villagers, they quickly formed a faction in town. But Wang Qingshan’s nature was timid—he rarely competed with others and hesitated in making decisions.

Due to his character, Wang Qingshan’s resources were scant, barely enough for survival. He was swayed by Xiao Gang, who sought Shen Lie’s help to cross Red River safely. Unluckily, they ran into a wall: Shen Lie shattered Xiao Gang’s skull with a single blow, and Wang Qingshan escaped only because of his speed.

Afterwards, Wang Qingshan became frantic, fearing Shen Lie would seek revenge. His terror deepened when he learned Shen Lie had seized Xiao Gang’s stronghold, and slaughtered his kin and confidants. Desperate, Wang Qingshan rushed to Ma Zhanlin for advice.

“That’s right, Boss Ma. Shen Lie is no pushover. If he could kill Xiao Gang today, he could kill us tomorrow. If we don’t join forces, we’ll end up at his mercy sooner or later. I say we join up, go see King Du, and form a unified front. No matter how strong Shen Lie is, he won’t be able to stir up trouble then!” Though Wang Qingshan was soft-hearted, he wasn’t foolish. He understood the value of alliances; if he could get Ma Zhanlin on his side, Shen Lie would have to think twice before retaliating.

“A unified front? Heh. Wang Qingshan, weren’t you already allied with Xiao Gang? How did that turn out? And why come to me before seeing King Du? Shen Lie’s just newly awakened—he can’t be stronger than King Du. If King Du agrees to help, why fear Shen Lie?” Ma Zhanlin looked at the anxious Wang Qingshan with a half-smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Boss Ma, you know what King Du is like—he’s awfully proud! And I never knew him personally; he might not even bother with me. But everyone says you’re acquainted with him, so going together would be better,” Wang Qingshan said.

“Heh, acquainted? Who told you that? I hardly know him. Besides, I have no quarrel with Shen Lie, so forget about this alliance. If I were you, I’d show some sincerity and apologize. You never attacked Shen Lie, so he shouldn’t make things difficult for you,” Ma Zhanlin’s eyes flickered with a hint of disdain, and he flatly rejected Wang Qingshan’s proposal.

Wang Qingshan left Dacheng Grain Shop disappointed, unable to achieve his aim. He feared Shen Lie, but dared not cross Ma Zhanlin either. He felt his awakening was wasted, but lacked the courage to act.

“Dear, what did Boss Ma say?” At the street corner, a pale-faced middle-aged woman hurried up to him.

“Damn it, that Ma Zhanlin refused. He’s nothing but a coward, overrated!” Wang Qingshan hunched over and glanced up at his wife, speaking angrily.

“Oh, what now? Do you think Shen Lie will come after us for revenge? I told you not to get close to Xiao Gang, and now look where we are! Dear, should we just leave?” The woman paced in circles, lowering her voice.

“Leave? How? We don’t even know what’s out there. Besides, the passage is only half explored. I might get through on my own, thanks to my speed, but if I bring you and Lingling…”

“What do you mean, dear? You’re not thinking of leaving us behind, are you? Don’t you dare! Don’t shout—I’d never abandon my own daughter either. Besides, our girl is awakened herself—I could never leave her. And we’re not the only ones who found the passage; Yang Weiguo and King Du are investigating too!”

“We’ll think of something else. Maybe Shen Lie will just forget about me,” Wang Qingshan’s face was gloomy, unreadable.

“If only our daughter’s awakening was as strong as King Du’s woman’s! Her power’s useless for fighting, and she barely changed physically. Does less power mean less transformation?”

“Shut up—I’ve told you a hundred times not to talk about our daughter’s awakening…”