Chapter 34: Encircled

Lin Xian got off his motorcycle, gripped the cargo bed, and immediately counterattacked the giant spider.

He fired several wind spears, but due to the excessive distance, they struck the thick fog and dark shadow, producing only faint vibrations.

At that moment, the giant spider’s leg struck again; Lin Xian’s eyes flashed, and he lunged in front of the little girl, raising his hand to summon an ice shield.

Puff!

The leg pierced through the ice shield but was halted; the sharp tip of the spider’s limb nearly touched the girl’s face.

The girl widened her eyes, breathing rapidly in shock, and stared at Lin Xian: “Are you an ability user?!”

“Shasha, take this!” At that moment, the rear window of the cab opened; the driver was a rugged-looking man who handed out a grenade launcher. The girl named Shasha took it without hesitation, expertly chambered a round, raised it, and fired at the giant spider.

Boom!

The massive recoil made the girl stumble, and with the vehicle’s momentum, she plopped onto the ground.

Yet she seemed unconcerned; watching the grenade’s arc strike the monster spider, erupting in a burst of flame, she widened her eyes and shouted excitedly: “Hit! Hit!”

“Good! Strike while the iron’s hot!”

Kiki stood up, gritted her teeth, and prepared to activate her ability—when Lin Xian grabbed her arm.

“No need,” he said.

The giant spider, hit by the grenade, let out a piercing screech, then vanished swiftly into the fog, losing its target.

Everyone exhaled in relief.

Only Kiki was frustrated, searching frantically for the dark shadow—when she realized it was gone, she turned to the little girl.

“Hey, what’s your name? You’re pretty good.”

The girl had a blunt bob cut and wore a black down jacket, her face smudged from prolonged escape. She sized up the two before saying nothing, instead tapping on the rear window panel as if discovering treasure.

“Bro, this guy’s an ability user too.”

The driver glanced at the rearview mirror, kept his eyes on the road, and said nothing—he seemed taciturn.

Lin Xian’s gaze sharpened slightly; the girl’s words implied one of them was already an ability user?

“Lou Hua, Lou Shasha. My brother’s a brick—he doesn’t talk much,” the girl said, leaning against the rear window with the grenade launcher, introducing herself to them.

Lin Xian forced a smile and said gratefully: “I’m Lin Xian. This is...”

“I’m Kiki. Are you two new here too?”

Shasha shook her head, her eyes fixed on the endless fog: “We got here two days ago. Like everyone else, we’re trapped in this damn fog.”

“What? You mean you can’t get out?” Kiki frowned immediately. “How? Because of that spider just now?”

“More than that,” the girl sneered. “There are all kinds of monsters in this fog. All phones and radios are dead. And if someone dies, they turn into some kind of monster—fast, and creepy.”

Lin Xian asked: “You said ‘those people’—are there many others trapped here?”

Shasha gestured toward the direction they were heading: “At least a dozen convoys, hundreds of people, all gathered over there on the square. My brother and I planned to try breaking out at dawn, but...”

Lin Xian’s expression darkened; the situation was far worse than he’d imagined.

“What kind of monster is this? How can so many people not escape?”

“Who knows?” Shasha shrugged helplessly. Though her voice was childish, her expression was mature. “The monsters in the fog seem to sense us—if we stay still, none come near. But if anyone tries to run, they all swarm out of the fog at once...”

“That’s weird,” Kiki said, baffled. “Don’t they attack you at night?”

“What does day or night matter?” Shasha sighed. “In two days, this place will enter full polar night. Then... we’re all dead.”

Lin Xian studied the siblings, his expression grim.

If Shasha was right, the fog was now indistinguishable from night—and the monsters, strangely, avoided attacking the grouped survivors, as if toying with prey, sending chills down the spine. Creak... creak...

He pulled out his radio—no signal at all.

Unable to reach Chen Sixuan, he could only hope Chen Laoshi held firm.

“So what do we do now?” Kiki sat beside Lin Xian, pulling her jacket tighter; her face looked tired from using her ability earlier.

“I don’t know,” Lin Xian said, turning to Shasha. “So you’re heading back to that square?”

Shasha nodded. “Can’t break out. No other options.” She glanced at Kiki. “Are you cold?”

Kiki widened her eyes and nodded.

Shasha said nothing, rummaged through a pile of luggage in the truck bed, and finally pulled out a slightly looser blue sweater, handing it to Kiki: “Here. My biggest one.”

“Wow, thanks~”

Kiki’s eyes lit up. She took it without hesitation, shed her baseball jacket, slipped on the sweater, then put the jacket back on.

“But I don’t have pants long enough,” Shasha said, glancing at Kiki’s long legs with a look that clearly said: I can tell you’re freezing.

“It’s fine, hehe.”

!

Kiki grinned. “Much warmer now. Thanks!”

“You’re welcome.”

Better than nothing. Compared to her thin crop top and spaghetti straps, the thick sweater instantly made Kiki feel warm.

The pickup truck wound past numerous wrecked vehicles, slowly entering a T-shaped plaza. The fog here thinned considerably; from afar, Lin Xian saw dozens of survivor vehicles in view. This town-center square held dozens of specially modified vehicles.

These vehicles formed a crude defensive circle: heavy trucks, various jeeps and off-roaders, even armored vehicles and fuel tankers.

But as the pickup entered the plaza, a dozen armed men suddenly blocked the path. The sound of bullets being chambered rang out in unison; black muzzles all pointed at Lou Hua, Lin Xian, and Kiki.

“Who are you?!”

A scarred, gloomy middle-aged man in the crowd shouted hoarsely.

Kiki stood up, hands on hips, and shouted back loudly: “Living people!”

Lin Xian rose as well, scanning the group. Though their clothing varied, all wore identical bulletproof vests—clearly some armed faction.

“Eagle.”

At that moment, a tall young man stepped out from the fog behind them. He looked early thirties, wore polished military boots and sleek tactical gear, and even in the thick fog, sported sunglasses—strange, but imposing.

He stepped forward, removed his sunglasses, and stared coldly into the cab: “It’s you two again.”

The young man was Qian Yu, leader of the largest convoy here, “Black Dragon.” He commanded a private armed team composed of former security company members—over a hundred men, well-equipped, and he had no qualms about positioning himself as their de facto leader among the trapped survivors.

Creak~

The pickup’s door opened. A massive man, built like a tower, stepped out—over two meters tall. As soon as he stepped down, Lin Xian felt the entire vehicle lift slightly.

Lou Hua looked to be in his early thirties, with a square jaw. Silent and aloof, he radiated an aura that made even the armed men around him flinch.

“Hey!”

Short and defiant, Shasha stood on the truck’s hood, raising the grenade launcher. “We’re not part of your convoy. What right do you have to tell us where to go?”

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(End of Chapter)