Chapter 105: 105, The wolf is coming

Some people clung to desperate hopes, believing the human-faced worms would never catch up, but Ren Xiaosu knew better—the true peril in this catastrophe wasn't necessarily the worms. For whether it was the experimental subjects or the monstrous horrors from the volcano, they were beings he had to flee from the moment he laid eyes on them.

Over four hundred people pressed on toward the 109 stronghold, all refugees from the settlement, and Ren Xiaosu moved among them with Xiao Yu and the others, never exchanging a word with anyone else. Many recognized Ren Xiaosu and Yan Liuyuan, but in the frenzy of escape, no one spared much thought for anything beyond survival.

"Is there a factory along the way to the 109 stronghold?" someone suddenly recalled.

"Yes, there's a sand yard there. I even worked there once," a young man replied.

"How many people are at the factory?"

"Probably over two hundred. The sand yard usually uses machines to dig, so they don't need many workers. But they have vegetable gardens and such—maybe we can find something to eat there tonight?" someone asked, as hunger gnawed at them after their escape.

"Now that the stronghold is gone, can we go back to the pig farm and kill a pig for food?" a man suggested. "No one's in charge anymore anyway."

"I wonder if the women in the stronghold are all as beautiful as they say. I saw Luo Xinyu once—she was stunning. Now that the stronghold's people are in trouble..." another added.

Ren Xiaosu glanced at them. These people probably felt they were no longer in danger, so their nerves had relaxed. As for the dead, their passing hadn't weighed heavily on their hearts. Most of the settlement's refugees were cold and indifferent; in ordinary times, they barely trusted one another, so the death of others stirred little grief. The demise of the stronghold's elites stirred not sorrow but a flicker of grim satisfaction. Only a few who had just lost loved ones wore somber expressions.

Nearly half of the four hundred were women, eyeing the men around them warily. Some had lost their husbands moments before, and they understood all too well the perils a woman faced in such times.

"Xiaosu, should we rest at the sand yard?" Xiao Yu asked anxiously.

"No," Ren Xiaosu shook his head. "When we rest at night, we must stay far from them. First, danger always targets the largest group. Second, these people might become a danger themselves."

Xiao Yu relaxed slightly. "We brought food. Don't worry too much about eating. I know these settlement folk—they're capable of anything."

"Of course, there's no need to fret. This is just a mob," Ren Xiaosu nodded, glancing at Yan Liuyuan. "Hide the guns."

He had fired shots when killing the lookouts in the settlement, and though chaos reigned then, many had surely noticed. He didn't fear these people conspiring against him openly, but he had to be wary of their covert schemes.

"The workers at the sand yard probably don't know what happened in the settlement. They might have felt the earthquake, but they don't know the stronghold is gone," Ren Xiaosu mused. The quake's epicenter lay within Jing Mountain, radiating hundreds of kilometers outward. If the 113 stronghold had been reduced to this, what of the 112 stronghold? After all, both were roughly equidistant from Jing Mountain.

By afternoon, the fleeing group reached the sand yard, only to find the factory and workers' dormitories in ruins. A crowd of laborers, operating excavators, clawed at the debris. The workers, puzzled by the sudden influx, fell silent when they heard the news of the stronghold's destruction. What was the point of rebuilding a sand yard if even the stronghold had fallen?

Most collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to move. They planned to rest the night there, where food was available. Some wished to follow Ren Xiaosu, but seeing others stay, they hesitated. After all, remaining with the larger group felt safer.

Now, with the refugees and workers combined, there were over six hundred people. Ren Xiaosu ignored them, glancing at the sky before pressing on with Yan Liuyuan. There were still two or three hours until dark—enough time to reach a safer distance.

Wang Dalong complained, "Can't we rest a bit?"

Before Ren Xiaosu could answer, Wang Fugui slapped the back of Wang Dalong's head. "Keep moving, you fool!"

Wang Fugui smiled at Ren Xiaosu. "The kid doesn't know better. Don't mind him."

"It's fine," Ren Xiaosu waved it off. He understood Wang Fugui's bond with him and Yan Liuyuan—he couldn't afford to take Wang Dalong's grumbling seriously. No matter how insolent the boy became, Wang Fugui would still bring him to the 109 stronghold.

After a moment, Ren Xiaosu added, "We'll walk a bit further and find a place to rest. But each of you must loosen your muscles thoroughly, or you won't survive the journey tomorrow—or escape any danger."

It was a lesson learned from years surviving in the wilderness.

As Ren Xiaosu and his group moved on, those who had stayed behind watched them go. Someone sneered, "Is Ren Xiaosu going to exhaust his companions to death?"

"Wang Fugui seems clever enough, and he held some status in the settlement. Yet here he is, trailing behind a bunch of brats," another scoffed. "At first I followed him, thinking there'd be more danger ahead. Turns out, there's nothing but empty air behind him!"

"Wang Fugui must have plenty of money on him. He ran a general store in the settlement for years—his belongings are surely all here."

"And that Li Xiaoyu..."

"Forget it," someone laughed coldly. "Ren Xiaosu and Yan Liuyuan both carry guns. Don't you know that?"

"What's there to fear? We're so many—"

"We're so many, but he's only got a few bullets. What's the harm?"

"Oh, then you go first?"

The words died on their lips. Though Ren Xiaosu's bullets were limited, their lives were not. Whoever charged first would die first.

Ren Xiaosu's assessment was spot-on: a mob.

Someone waved a hand. "Enough chatter. We'll rest here tonight and move out tomorrow."

But as night fell, a distant wolf howl pierced the sky. All those resting on the ground sprang up, faces pale with terror, staring toward the sound.

They knew how fearsome wolf packs were, but never imagined they'd come this far!

By the sound, the pack was no more than three or five kilometers away!

"Run! Run! Who knew there'd be more danger!"

"We should've followed Ren Xiaosu. Damn it!"

Regret flickered in their hearts, but as they rose to flee, their legs felt as heavy as lead, their bodies wracked with aches.