The black claw in the fog landed on the rock and didn't move.

Chen Hao's fingers tightened, the wooden stick making a slight clicking sound. He didn't dare blink, staring at the outline of the claw—short and thick, with outward-curving nails, covered in mud and broken leaves.

"Don't make a sound," he whispered. "It's still here."

Susan crouched on the ground, her fingers already touching the hilt of the knife stuck in the ground. Karl leaned against the cover, a metal plate held across his chest, his breathing slow and deliberate. Nana stood on higher ground, her blue eyes flashing intermittently, as if calculating something.

A few seconds later, the sound of mopping came from the fog again.

It wasn't just one claw, it was many.

They appeared one after another from different directions. Some stepped on withered branches, some scraped across the stone surface, their rhythm chaotic yet all converging on the same spot.

“Heat sources have appeared,” Nana said. “Seven, eight… a total of eleven moving units, roughly the size of a medium-sized dog, with body temperatures between thirty-eight and forty-one degrees Celsius.”

"A dog?" Karl frowned. "There's not even grass growing on this island, where would a dog come from?"

“These aren’t ordinary dogs.” Chen Hao stared ahead. “They walk in such perfect unison, like they’re obeying commands.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the first wild beast emerged from the fog.

It had greyish-black fur, long, thin limbs, a protruding snout, and eyes that reflected a dark light. It stopped and glanced at the camp, letting out a low growl.

Immediately afterwards, figures appeared on both the left and right sides.

There were five of them, spread out and approaching each other in a semi-circle.

“Three on the left, two on the right,” Susan quickly assessed. “The main attack point is likely on the left flank.”

"Then let's start with the head." Chen Hao stuck the torch into the ground and pulled out a knife from his belt. "Susan, you do it."

Susan grabbed a tree branch with a piece of iron tied to it from beside her feet and swung it around.

The branch sliced ​​through the air, striking the lead beast squarely on the bridge of its nose. The creature jerked its head back, whimpered, and took two steps back.

The others immediately stopped, their ears perked up, and they turned to their injured companion.

“It works.” Chen Hao pulled out the torch. “They are afraid of pain and they recognize formations.”

He brandished his torch and charged forward two steps, the flames kicking up a cloud of smoke. The two wild beasts on his right were choked and retreated hastily.

"Karl! Seal the breach!"

Karl gritted his teeth and stood up, dragging his injured hand as he held the iron shield horizontally in front of him, blocking the opening on his left. He stepped on a loose stone and almost slipped, but managed to stay upright.

Nana raised her right hand, palm facing the herd of beasts.

A sharp cry rang out, so high it made one's eardrums throb. The wild beasts all jerked, their ears pressed against their heads, and their movements noticeably slowed.

“The sonic interference is working,” she said. “It lasts for thirty seconds, and they will be temporarily out of balance.”

"That's enough." Chen Hao called back, "Susan, another round of throwing! Carl, don't let go!"

Susan threw three modified branches in quick succession, each studded with metal fragments. One beast had its ear slashed and turned to run. Another was hit in the leg and limped backward.

The remaining few hesitated for a few seconds before finally retreating as well.

The footsteps faded into the distance in the fog, eventually disappearing completely.

Nobody is relaxing.

"They're gone?" Karl asked, panting.

“They haven’t gone far.” Nana was still scanning. “They’re stopped about a hundred meters away, gathered together, and haven’t scattered.”

"This means this isn't a test," Chen Hao said, wiping his brow. "This is the first wave."

“You actually have the nerve to say that.” Karl sat down against the rock. “The first wave? And there’s a second and a third?”

"It depends." Chen Hao walked to his side. "How's your hand?"

"It hurts," Carl said, "but I can still move. I can't just lie down and have you carry me around."

“Then let’s get back to work.” Chen Hao stood up. “We need to reinforce the defenses.”

Susan had already begun. She picked up more sharp stones and tied them to sticks with rope to make makeshift spears. Nana, on the other hand, directed Chen Hao to move large rocks and build a wall about half a person's height in front of the camp.

“The height doesn’t need to be too high,” she said. “Just enough to block a frontal charge. They can’t jump, and their limbs aren’t designed for vertical power.”

"How did you know?" Susan asked as she tied the bandages.

“The database has records of similar species,” Nana replied. “These animals usually live in groups and hunt in coordination using their sense of smell and sound. They have poor eyesight but keen hearing.”

"That's why the sound waves worked just now." Chen Hao nodded. "Will it work again next time?"

“Yes, but it needs to cool down for twelve minutes after each use,” she said. “The energy is limited.”

“Got it.” Chen Hao patted the stone wall. “This thing can barely hold it off for a bit. Next, the division of labor: Susan will be in charge of ranged attacks, Carl will guard the left flank, I will guard the right, and Nana will command from the high ground.”

“I still think we should run,” Carl muttered. “This place is too eerie.”

"Where to run?" Chen Hao countered. "The sea? The water temperature from the last volcanic eruption hasn't dropped yet. Or back to the ship? The hull is almost cracked; if we float, we'll be easy targets."

"Then we have no choice but to fight."

“We won’t keep fighting.” Chen Hao squatted down. “We just need to hold out until they give up. No matter how smart a wild animal is, it won’t fight to the death.”

Just then, another sound came from the other side of the fog.

It wasn't a friction sound, but a short, sharp hiss.

One sound after another, like some kind of signal.

“They are communicating,” Nana said. “Their calls are at the same frequency and at fixed intervals.”

"Who is communicating with whom?" Susan looked up.

“I don’t know.” Nana stared into the distance, “but all the individuals are turning their heads in the northwest direction. After each call ends, they all look in that direction.”

Chen Hao narrowed his eyes: "You said they obey commands... could it be that someone is controlling them from behind?"

“We can’t rule out that possibility,” Nana said. “Their behavior doesn’t fit the logic of natural hunting. They move in and out in an orderly fashion, and their attack routes are precise, making it seem more like they’re being driven there.”

"Drive them away?" Karl sneered. "Who's got nothing better to do than send this bunch of mad dogs to chase us away?"

"Maybe it's not human," Chen Hao said in a low voice. "Maybe it's something else."

The air suddenly felt heavy.

The distant screams rang out again.

This time it was even more urgent.

Immediately afterwards, the ground shook.

It's more intense and faster-paced than before.

"The second batch has arrived," Nana reminded them. "There are even more, at least fifteen."

"Prepare for battle." Chen Hao grabbed a torch. "Remember the location, and don't wander off."

Susan gripped her spear tightly and stood behind the pile of stones on the left. Karl tucked his iron shield under his arm, pressing his left hand against his wound. Nana retreated to the highest point, her eyes flashing steadily with blue light.

The shadows in the fog began to move.

This time, there was no probing.

A pack of wild beasts charged out, moving quickly and spreading out, clearly changing their tactics.

"Left!" Chen Hao shouted.

Susan threw a spear, which struck a beast in the shoulder. The creature staggered but didn't stop.

The other three pounced in Karl's direction.

He raised his iron shield to take the hit, but was knocked back two steps, slipped, and fell to one knee. But he didn't fall; he braced himself, pushed the shield forward, and forced back the nearest enemy.

Chen Hao brandished his torch and rushed to provide support. The flames swept across the face of a wild beast, singeing a few whiskers. The creature screamed and turned to flee.

Nana activates the sound wave.

The high-pitched cries rang out again, the beasts paused, and chaos broke out in the ranks.

Susan seized the opportunity and threw two weapons in succession, both hitting their targets.

Two more withdrew from the battle.

The rest began to retreat.

Less than a minute later, the battlefield fell silent again.

Only the sound of the wind blowing through the bare branches could be heard.

“They… retreated again,” Karl gasped. “Why? They could still fight.”

“Because the sound stopped,” Nana said. “The scream just now was interrupted.”

"What does that mean?" Chen Hao asked.

"This means they only attack when they receive an order," she said. "That last wave was initiated on command. Now that the order has been cancelled, they're retreating."

Chen Hao looked at the gradually blurring figure in the fog and slowly said, "This isn't a wild animal attack. This is a drill."

No one responded.

On the ground in the distance, a wild beast stopped and glanced back at the camp.

Then, it raised its forelimbs and drew a line on the ground.

It left a straight mark.

Pointing northwest.