Chapter 63: The Giant Insect Reappears

"Take these gourds and remember to stay close to me. Also, take these guns; while they aren’t very effective against the monsters, they serve as a powerful deterrent against other humans." Having decided to break out, Shen Lie began giving his final instructions to those around him. In these times, danger didn't just come from monsters; sometimes, other people were far more dangerous.

Zhang Jing and Li Xue, neither of whom were Awakened, looked nervous. It wasn’t that they feared Shen Lie would abandon them—after spending so much time together, they understood his character well and knew that while he seemed cold, he was actually a man of deep feeling. Their anxiety stemmed from the fact that even with Shen Lie and Du Lili, they were still just ordinary girls, and they weren't certain they could truly make it out alive even under Shen Lie’s protection.

After briefing Zhang Jing and the others, Shen Lie briefly outlined the specific breakout route to the Dongfeng Town survivors who had been trailing them, collectively known as the Red Mist Group.

These people already knew of Shen Lie’s plan and intended to follow him. They realized the odds of the main camp holding out were slim, and even if they did survive, there was no guarantee they wouldn't face an even larger swarm of monsters later. More importantly, they knew that without Shen Lie and Du Lili, they would lose their current status and would eventually be used as cannon fodder. It was better to take a gamble with Shen Lie now.

Shen Lie didn't have any particular attachment to these survivors, but he wouldn't turn them away if they were willing to follow; every extra person added strength, or at the very least, could help distract the spider monsters during the breakout. With plenty of firearms and ammunition on hand, he distributed some to them and began moving toward the designated assembly point.

"King Shen, I’ve come to join you!" Not long after Shen Lie left the edge of the camp, two figures caught up to him.

They were a man and a woman. Shen Lie recognized the man as Duan Yu, whom he had encountered while retrieving the space gourds. The woman was average in appearance, but judging by their intimacy, they were a couple.

"Why are you here? And what did you just say?" Seeing their gear and supplies, Shen Lie had already guessed their intentions.

"I heard you were planning to break out on your own, so I came to join you. There are several other small groups planning the same thing, but I still think it's safer with you. This is my wife; don't worry, she’s an Awakened too, so she won't hold you back." Duan Yu didn't hide his intentions, speaking with blunt honesty.

Shen Lie welcomed the addition of two Awakened, though he hadn't expected Duan Yu's wife to be one as well, nor did he know that so many others were planning to break out.

"Fine, we'll go together, but you must follow my orders along the way!" Shen Lie didn't waste words. Once they joined, he continued toward their planned destination.

***

Inside a temporary military tent, a dozen people stood in a silent standoff, the air thick with tension.

"Division Commander Zhang, whether you agree or not, our Awakened Alliance will break out on our own before dark. If you want to play the hero and the saint, that’s your business, but I, Gu Fangcheng, will not sacrifice my brothers' lives just to sit here and wait. Furthermore, you must provide the supplies and ammunition I demanded. If you don't, don't blame me for taking them myself!"

"Gu Fangcheng, are you trying to mutiny?" Zhang Kaitai frowned, and just as he was about to speak, a field officer beside him shouted loudly.

"Ha! Mutiny? What mutiny? Against whom? The country, or you, Zhang Kaitai? If it were against the country, I wouldn't dare, but against you? If I decide to mutiny against you, what can you do about it?" Gu Fangcheng looked at the officer with contempt, his gaze flickering toward Zhang Kaitai. In his eyes, these ordinary people no longer had the qualifications to lead. This was the era of the Awakened; ordinary people should be serving them.

"You!" The officer’s face flushed red, but before he could retort, Zhang Kaitai waved his hand to silence him.

"Alliance Leader Gu, I cannot stop you from breaking out alone, but I cannot provide the supplies you ask for. Both sides have always managed their own resources. Your demand is essentially robbing me, and these supplies must sustain over ten thousand survivors. Don't you think you're going too far?" Zhang Kaitai suppressed his anger; he knew now was not the time for a confrontation, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Indeed, Alliance Leader Gu. These supplies are vital to us, and you couldn't carry that much anyway. Besides, I don't think it’s impossible to repel these monsters. Didn't those two subordinates of Professor Liu just wipe out a wave of them?" A staff officer, not wanting Gu Fangcheng’s group to leave, tried to persuade him.

"Who? Are you talking about Shen Lie and Du Lili, those two who call themselves 'Kings'? Heh, true, their strength is formidable. But perhaps you aren't aware, Staff Officer Lan—the two experts you speak of have likely already begun their breakout!"

Gu Fangcheng toyed with a signal receiver in his hand. He glanced at the display, sneered, and stood up. He had no interest in wasting more breath here; his subordinates had already reported that the groups he had been monitoring were making their move.

"What? What do you mean, Alliance Leader Gu? Speak plainly!" Staff Officer Lan was shocked. Zhang Kaitai and Yang Weiguo’s expressions shifted, while Professor Liu remained unmoved, his eyes fixed on a stack of documents.

"I have nothing to explain to you."

Gu Fangcheng was just about to offer a sarcastic remark when a buzzing sound echoed from above the camp. A soldier and one of Gu’s men rushed into the tent. The soldier, pale-faced, stammered, "D-Division Commander, there are... there are helicopters and... and bugs!"

The soldier’s words were garbled, but everyone in the room heard the word "helicopter," and joy flickered across several faces.

"Helicopters? Are they here to rescue us? How many?"

Everyone knew that while their danger was immense, it was currently restricted to the ground. If helicopters were coming to rescue them, the threat would be neutralized instantly. Of course, the helicopters couldn't take everyone, but they were the most important people in the camp—if help arrived, they would be the first to be saved!

Without waiting for the soldier or Gu’s subordinate to respond, everyone rushed out of the tent, looking up at the sky, searching for the source of the roar.

"Ah! No! Everyone, listen to my orders! Organize yourselves and prepare to break out immediately! Military personnel, hold the line with me! I repeat, everyone, break out immediately! Everyone, move now!"

The group’s initial look of hope vanished instantly, replaced by sheer terror. Zhang Kaitai, showing unprecedented panic, began screaming for the survivors to break out on their own.

There were indeed three helicopters in the sky, but they were in a desperate, frantic flight!

Behind the three aircraft, two giant, winged monsters were circling, seemingly toying with them like prey. As the helicopters drew closer, no one cheered. These machines didn't bring hope of survival; instead, they had opened the gates of hell.

"Flying monsters... have they finally appeared?" Gu Fangcheng silently retreated into the panicked crowd, muttering to himself, his voice barely audible.