Chapter Thirty-Six: The Myriad Facets of the Human Heart

A survivor shouted as he prepared to open the driver's door and get off the vehicle. Shen Lie frowned, took the pistol from Zhang Jing’s hand, and fired a shot.

Bang! The bullet struck the glass of the cab near the man's ear, shattering it despite its diminished force and startling him.

“What are you doing?” the man cried out, turning around, his gaze hostile as he looked at Shen Lie.

“Who told you to drive? Is this your vehicle?” Shen Lie suppressed his anger, his voice cold.

“Heh, it’s not my car, but it’s not yours either, is it? Sure, you saved us, but you can’t expect us to stay here waiting for death. If you’re leaving, we’ll do what you say, but if you want to die here, don’t expect us to stick around!” The young man’s voice grew sharper as he glanced at the approaching spider monsters in the distance.

“If you want to leave, go ahead. The vehicle stays put!” A flash of murderous intent flickered in Shen Lie’s eyes, quickly subdued. For some reason, as the power within him increased, his bloodlust grew ever stronger.

“What? Why can’t we use the vehicle? It’s not yours!”

“Exactly, who knows where you got this vehicle from? You hog it all the time, but now, when lives are at stake, you still won’t let go. Do you even see us as people?”

“I think this is my uncle’s truck. No worries, we’ll just commandeer it!”

“Anyone who tries to stop us will pay with their life!”

All the survivors knew their legs were no match for the monsters. The spider monsters pursuing them might have been cowed by the submachine guns for now, but more creatures were on their way. The truck was their only lifeline—escaping by vehicle offered their sole chance at survival.

“Comrade Shen, let them take the truck. We still have two cars left, and I doubt many more survivors will make it here,” Yang Weiguo called out from upstairs, just as Shen Lie was about to lose his temper.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Lie cast a cold glance at the survivors in the truck, turned expressionless, and looked away.

“Hmph!” Someone in the crowd snorted disdainfully, and then, amid the roar of the engine, the truck shot off like an arrow.

Just as the truck sped away, four or five staggering figures appeared around the corner. These newcomers were in worse shape, barely able to move with mutual support, and looked ready to collapse at any moment.

“Careful!” Yang Weiguo spotted these survivors before Shen Lie and shouted as he opened fire with his submachine gun. There was still a spider monster lurking around the corner!

The survivors, without needing Yang Weiguo’s warning, immediately noticed the spider monster. Its massive form was impossible to miss, and as soon as they rounded the corner, it lunged at them.

“Ah!”

“Help!”

The firepower from the submachine gun failed to deter the spider monster's hunger. Countless bullets struck its body, only making it more ferocious. It raised its head and let out a furious roar, then lifted its forelegs to strike down upon them.

Suddenly, a giant golden hammer appeared above the monster, crackling with arcs of electricity. An immense pressure descended, freezing the monster’s raised claws in midair. Its red eyes were wide with terror.

“Worldbreaker Hammer,” Shen Lie murmured inaudibly, pressing lightly with the short hammer in his hand. The phantom hammer in the air smashed down onto the spider monster.

The creature had no chance to resist and was crushed into pulp by the illusory hammer. Shen Lie scanned the remains but saw no crystal or anything of value, so he paid no further attention.

The power of the Worldbreaker Hammer left Yang Weiguo upstairs dumbfounded—he nearly choked on his own saliva as he stared at the pulverized monster, his gaze toward Shen Lie now utterly changed.

The survivors who had just escaped were also stunned, lost and confused. It took a long moment for them to come to their senses, then with a cry, they rushed toward Shen Lie.

“Thank you, Honored Awakened One, for saving our lives!” The five stumbled forward. Shen Lie could now see them clearly: three young men and two women, all quite young. One boy with a mop in his hand bowed deeply to Shen Lie, and the others expressed their gratitude.

“Are you... students?” Shen Lie asked, surprised by their appearance and bearing.

“Yes, we were seniors at Dongfeng No. 1 High School. But now the school is gone, and we are no longer students.” After three months of apocalypse, their adaptability had grown strong. Having just escaped the monsters, they remained remarkably calm—a quality necessary for surviving longer in this world.

“Get in the car. We’re leaving now.” Shen Lie pointed to a sedan behind him, then glanced at Yang Weiguo upstairs.

He doubted any more survivors would arrive; Yang Weiguo hadn’t managed to warn everyone about the evacuation. In such circumstances, most people’s first reaction was to hide. Though hiding offered little chance of escape, it was better than confronting the monsters directly.

“Honored Awakened One, many of our companions are still behind. Please, I beg you, save them!” Before Yang Weiguo could respond, a round-faced girl among the five survivors broke down in tears, pleading with Shen Lie.

Shen Lie said nothing. He didn’t need her words to hear the ongoing screams—a sign of lives being lost one after another. Yet, as the cries grew fewer, it meant fewer people remained alive. He had no desire to risk becoming the next target of the spider monsters.

“Comrade Shen, shall we go and take a look?” Having witnessed Shen Lie’s strength, Yang Weiguo’s attitude shifted. He was no longer content to stay put, eager to rescue more survivors.

“If you want to go, be my guest, but I won’t be joining you,” Shen Lie rolled his eyes and replied impatiently. He was no saint; if not for Yang Weiguo’s character, he wouldn’t have lingered even a second. Saving this many people was already his limit.

Moreover, Shen Lie sensed a creeping aura of danger—an instinct of the Awakened. He suspected a higher-level spider monster, perhaps the white spider, was approaching. Or worse, the girl who had eaten the phantom mushroom might have transformed into the two-headed canine beast. Any of these would be hard to handle. This place was no longer safe.

“But—” Yang Weiguo wanted to protest, but Shen Lie waved him off, turned, got into Zhang Jing’s car, and unhesitatingly ordered her to drive.

Zhang Jing had been waiting anxiously. The moment Shen Lie entered, she needed no prompting and sped away, leaving Yang Weiguo and the five stunned survivors behind.

“Shen—” Yang Weiguo watched Shen Lie disappear into the distance, opened his mouth to speak, then sighed in disappointment, and led the remaining survivors downstairs to evacuate.

Though Yang Weiguo possessed a sense of justice, he was no fool. He knew he couldn’t accomplish much alone; he’d already tested his submachine gun’s effectiveness against the spider monster, and it was sorely lacking. Reluctant as he was, he had to make his choice.

At the mushroom fields.

The three of them drove to the designated rendezvous point and immediately saw a vast crowd of survivors—thousands strong. Shen Lie guessed these were likely nearly all who had survived in the town; the rest, even if still alive, would eventually become food for the monster horde.

“You must be Shen Lie. Where’s Squad Leader Yang?” As Shen Lie had Zhang Jing and the other stay in the car, he stepped out alone. Just as he did, a young man in military attire hurried over, his face filled with anxiety.

“He’s behind us,” Shen Lie replied, pointing just as an SUV sped into view.

“Squad Leader Yang, we must evacuate immediately, or all these people will become monster food. Du Tianwang and I have reached an agreement: whatever your thoughts, our people will enter the mist zone in one minute!” As Yang Weiguo got out, Shen Lie saw Ma Zhanlin stride over, his expression furious, his tone both questioning and urgent.

Ma Zhanlin’s attitude made Shen Lie suspicious. So many people were risking everything to wait for Yang Weiguo—a non-Awakened, even if a soldier. It made little sense, unless Yang Weiguo possessed something they needed.