Ning Yu sprinted through the desolate streets, dodging construction debris and the remains of mutated creatures, finally returning to his temporary shelter. His body ached all over, and his clothes were soaked with sweat, but the bottle of water in his arms remained ice-cold, as if reminding him of the purpose of his journey.
Mu Xue sat by the fire, head bowed, lost in thought. The firelight illuminated her cold profile, making her resemble a finely sculpted ice sculpture. Seeing Ning Yu return, she slowly raised her head, took the water bottle, but didn't drink immediately. Instead, she gave him a deep look. Her gaze was complex and unreadable, containing worry, gratitude, and a barely perceptible tenderness.
Ning Yu took a few sips of water and began inspecting the defensive facilities surrounding the shelter. This was his daily routine, especially after the conflict with Captain Chen and his group; he dared not let his guard down. The post-nuclear world was fraught with danger, and only by remaining constantly vigilant could one survive.
"Widow Li..."
Ning Yu's gaze swept across the corner of the wall, then suddenly stopped, his eyes landing on some strange footprints and markings. The footprints were small, seemingly women's, and the patterns on the soles of the shoes were peculiar, as if made of some kind of animal leather. The markings were even stranger, like some kind of ancient symbol; he had seen similar patterns in some abandoned libraries, supposedly used to mark territory or transmit information.
"What is she doing here?" Ning Yu felt a sense of foreboding.
Widow Li was a lone scavenger in the neighborhood, known for her cunning and ruthlessness. She always managed to find hidden supplies that others couldn't, and often sold them at high prices on the black market. It was rumored that she had once been a member of a secret organization and was proficient in various survival skills and assassination techniques.
Ning Yu dared not be careless. He returned to the shelter, found a roll of barbed wire and several steel bars, and began to set up more traps around the shelter. His movements were practiced, clearly not the first time he had done this.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain under his foot. Looking down, he realized he had accidentally triggered a trap he had set earlier. A sharp blade tore through his trouser leg, and blood gushed out instantly.
"Damn it!" Ning Yu cursed under his breath, quickly tearing off a strip of cloth to roughly bandage his wound. He ignored the pain in his leg and continued setting up the trap. He knew that in this perilous world, only by being fully prepared could he have a chance of survival when danger struck.
Just then, a strange sound came from afar, deep and powerful, like the roar of some large mutated creature, echoing through the empty street, sending chills down one's spine...
The sound grew closer, like a tremor emanating from the depths of the earth, pounding on Ning Yu's nerves. His heart tightened, and an ominous premonition surged within him. He knew this was no ordinary mutated creature; the power contained within that sound far surpassed that of any creature he had ever encountered before.
Without a second thought, he endured the pain in his leg, quickly gathered the remaining materials, and limped into the shelter. He closed the heavy iron door, locked it securely, and then picked up the weapon lying in the corner—a modified hunting rifle. This gun was a treasure he had acquired on the black market; it was incredibly powerful and his last line of defense.
"I hope they're not after us..." Ning Yu muttered to himself, but he knew it was just wishful thinking. On this ruin, any wishful thinking could be a fatal mistake.
He pressed his ear against the cold wall, listening intently to the sounds outside. The strange roar grew clearer, mixed with heavy footsteps and the grating sound of metal scraping together, as if some enormous creature was approaching. His heart leaped into his throat, and his palms were drenched in cold sweat.
Time ticked by, seemingly frozen in time. Ning Yu held his breath, not daring to move an inch, afraid of making any sound and attracting unnecessary trouble. He gripped his hunting rifle tightly; the coldness of the barrel gave him a slight sense of security.
Suddenly, the sounds outside vanished, and the world seemed to fall silent. Ning Yu didn't let his guard down; he knew this was merely the calm before the storm. He observed his surroundings even more carefully, not letting any subtle change escape his notice.
Just then, he heard light footsteps outside the door, very soft and slow, as if deliberately lowering their voices. Ning Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he gripped his hunting rifle tighter, whispering, "Who's there?"
However, he was met with deathly silence, as if the sound he had just heard was merely a hallucination. Just as he hesitated whether to go out and investigate, a sinister voice came from outside the door: "Heh, long time no see, Ning Yu..."
Ning Yu's pupils suddenly contracted. He would recognize that voice even if it turned to ashes—it was Widow Li! That greedy and vicious woman was still alive!
He suddenly remembered the unusual signs around the shelter: the soil that had been turned over, the deliberately left fragments of supplies... These were all tricks that Widow Li often used to lure her prey into a trap.
"Damn it, it was her!" Ning Yu cursed under his breath, a surge of anger rising within him. He had kindly taken in Widow Li, but she had betrayed him, stealing the supplies he had painstakingly collected and nearly causing his death in the wilderness.
Before long, Widow Li appeared not far from the shelter. She still had that sharp and mean look, but her already thin face was now even more haggard, and her eyes revealed a crazy greed.
What shocked Ning Yu even more was that Widow Li was accompanied by several radiation-mutated creatures he had never seen before. They were enormous, covered in nauseating pustules, emitting a foul stench, and looked extremely ferocious.
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