A terrifying aura erupted in an instant, and everyone behind Ye Nianzhen assumed a fighting stance.

The current Thunder Wolf is completely different from before; the oppressive feeling is like the sky before a typhoon, dark and gloomy.

Ye Nianzhen remained unusually calm: "You should come with us and go to the village to take a look."

Where is paradise after the apocalyptic catastrophe?

Lei Lang had spent too much time in the mountains, living with the wolf pack, which dulled some of his senses and prevented him from noticing anything amiss.

With a gloomy face, Lei Lang transformed into a wolf on all fours and ran swiftly down the mountain without uttering a word.

The wolf pack, having received his command, dared not follow.

Ye Nianzhen followed closely behind, but couldn't keep up with his speed at all.

Qin Qiu then picked her up around the waist and chased after her like a cheetah.

Mu Guang, who had the speed advantage, also wanted to follow, but after starting, he coughed up blood and reluctantly gave up.

"Heh." A sarcastic chuckle.

Mu Guang turned around, thinking it was Luo Shui, but saw Ming Yuan covering his mouth and looking at him.

Mu Guang narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Mingyuan calmly and slowly cleaned up the remaining food.

"...Hmm? I'm laughing at those who don't want to be domesticated dogs, yet do the exact same things?"

Luo Shui silently moved away: Run! Mingyuan has started again!

Mu Guang was so angry he almost had a heart attack: "Who are you calling a dog!"

Mingyuan's expression was gentle and warm: "Who tried to follow their master when he went out...?"

Mu Guang gritted his teeth in hatred: "You think I can't kill you?"

Mingyuan: "I can't beat you, but the guy next to me won't just stand by and do nothing."

Luoshui: What does this have to do with me? Waaah.

Ye Nianzhen, come back soon! I can't handle this alone!

*

Thunder Wolf was the first to arrive at the foot of the mountain.

The village still maintained its peaceful and leisurely atmosphere; only when you get closer do you realize that they don't react to outsiders.

His fingertips trembled slightly as he touched a villager.

My hand slipped through the fabric as if touching air.

No, it's just air!

It was all an illusion, a beautiful fantasy that remained in someone's heart.

Ye Nianzhen and Qin Qiu arrived at this moment. Lei Lang's tall figure lowered his head slightly, and his voice was hoarse.

How did you know?

Ye Nianzhen knew exactly what he was asking: "I guessed it from your description."

"Heh." Thunder Wolf chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"You're quite clever."

Three years have passed, and the little girl's appearance has not changed at all. How could he not have noticed!

Perhaps it was the wolf king's memories that influenced him, because in those scenes, the little girl was always innocent and adorable.

The little girl was about ten years old when she found the wolf king.

It took the wolf king more than two years to become the wolf king. At that time, the little girl was indeed still a very young child.

Nearly three years have passed since the apocalyptic catastrophe, and the girl is now about sixteen years old, long past her prime.

Lei Lang approached the center of fantasy, the little girl's home, step by step.

When he opened the door, the person inside finally reacted and looked at him.

The illusion swayed slightly, and a girl with a round face and pigtails raised her head to look up at the person who was getting closer and closer to her.

Lei Lang gently took the girl's hand. Unlike the small, chubby hand he could see, her hand was delicate to the touch, with bones showing through the flesh.

It hurts my hand.

“…I’m sorry.” Lei Lang lowered his eyelashes. “I was too slow to react.”

He thought they were doing well and didn't want to interfere too much.

After all, he was half-human and half-wolf, and was no longer suitable to return to the human world.

The illusion shattered with a deafening roar, accompanied by the little girl's wailing cries.

The unusually thin girl was in tears, but she didn't dare to get close to the person in front of her, and only quietly held his hand tightly.

Ye Nianzhen walked into the house and saw the girl's true appearance. She couldn't believe how she had survived all these years.

This is clearly an abandoned house, with a rickety roof and drafts coming from all sides.

There were no villages left outside; everywhere was broken bricks and cement.

Ferns covered the ruins with lichen, and weeds and shrubs grew wildly, making it indistinguishable from any other human dwelling ravaged by natural disasters.

The little girl was the only survivor in the entire village.

What does she usually eat, and what does she do if she encounters a wild animal?

These are questions we can only ask her about when we take her back.

Ye Nianzhen controlled her strength and kicked Lei Lang in the calf.

"You're completely unrestrained with adult women, but meek and submissive when dealing with young girls?"

The attack was painless and ineffective, and Lei Lang looked back at her in confusion.

Ye Nianzhen said with exasperation, "She needs a hug!"

A warm, safe embrace.

It's enough to make up for the loneliness, fear, and endless hiding all these years.

Lei Lang seemed to wake from a dream, and with his large hand, he scooped up the little girl and hugged her tightly in his arms.

This was a pure and tender embrace, devoid of any romantic connotations.

The little girl was stunned at first, and subconsciously tried to break free. After a moment, she cried even more unrestrainedly, her skin-and-bones fingers clinging tightly to Lei Lang's shoulder.

*

The two of them took turns carrying the little girl and brought her back to the top of the mountain.

Qin Qiu followed silently behind, looking down at his palm.

Recalling the feeling of holding Ye Nianzhen in his arms, he blinked, his unchanging expression softening.

Ye Nianzhen held the little girl without any effort; she was almost entirely skeletal, and the outline of her spine was clearly visible when she supported her back.

Comrade Ye Nianzhen, the director of the orphanage at the base, deeply believed that this approach would not work.

This is the age when the body is growing, and it needs sufficient and balanced nutrition.

Take it back to Mingyuan's "mother" for proper care, with the goal of getting the child to a normal weight within six months!

As for her superpowers, the little girl is already very strong, able to maintain such a massive scene for a long time without any outward signs.

It is a very high-level illusion-type ability.

If this ability continues to develop, it could even make people in a dream world believe that everything around them is real.

Even the memories of those affected by the spell can be temporarily altered.

After meeting up with the others, Luo Shui curiously leaned over and asked, "Where did you find this child?"

The young girl didn't show any fear; it seems she has a very strong heart, having supported everything alone for so long.

She sniffed, her clear voice still tinged with the muffled sound of crying: "My name is Aji, the Ji of 'quiet'."

Luo Shui chimed in, "Wow, that's amazing!"

Ye Nianzhen, both amused and exasperated, slapped him, took the handkerchief from Mingyuan, and wiped the little girl's face.

The little girl probably rarely received such meticulous treatment, and her face flushed slightly.

Ye Nianzhen leaned down slightly and said gently to her, "From now on, we are family."

"You come with us to the northern base first. In a few days, the people from my sister's base will also migrate there."

“There’s a girl inside who’s a few years younger than you. You two will definitely get along.”

Her eyes were curved in a smile, and her attitude was frank and gentle.

Aji hesitated; she wasn't ready to leave and start a new life.

But under that gaze, she felt a sense of security and nodded without hesitation.