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

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

Bang! The bullet whistled past the man's ear and shattered the cab window. Even though its power was diminished, the shot was enough to break the glass and startle the man.

“What are you doing?” he cried, turning around, his gaze towards Shen Lie growing unfriendly.

“Who told you to drive? Is this your vehicle?” Shen Lie spoke coldly, suppressing his anger.

“Heh, it’s not my truck, but it’s not yours either, right? Sure, you rescued us, but you can’t just leave us here to die. If you’re leaving, we’ll listen to you. But if you’re staying to die, don’t expect us to stick around!” The young man’s tone grew sharper as he glanced at the spider monsters approaching in the distance.

“Leave if you want, but the vehicle stays put.” A murderous glint flashed in Shen Lie’s eyes before he tamped it down. For reasons unknown, as the energy within him grew, so did his murderous aura.

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

“Exactly! Who knows where you got this truck from, monopolizing it all the time. Now, when our lives are at stake, you still won’t let go. Do you even see us as human?”

“This truck belongs to my second uncle, so it’s fine—we’ll commandeer it!”

“Anyone who tries to stop us, we’ll take their life!”

All the survivors knew that on foot, they could never outrun the monsters. Though the spider monsters chasing them now had been intimidated by the submachine gun, more creatures were on their way. This truck was their only lifeline; only by fleeing in it did they stand a chance.

“Comrade Shen, let them take the truck. We still have two cars left; there aren’t likely many more survivors coming,” Yang Weiguo’s voice rang out from upstairs just as Shen Lie was about to lose his temper.

Shen Lie took a deep breath, shot a cold glance at the survivors in the truck, and turned away without a word.

“Hmph!” Someone in the crowd snorted, and the truck roared off like an arrow.

As the truck sped away, four or five staggering figures suddenly appeared from around the corner. Their condition was dire; they could only move by leaning on each other, and any lapse would see them collapse.

“Careful!” Yang Weiguo saw them a moment before Shen Lie, shouted, and fired the submachine gun again. There was still a spider monster lurking at the corner!

But the survivors had already spotted the monster—it was impossible to miss its massive form. As they came around the bend, the creature lunged at them!

“Ah!”

“Help!”

The submachine gun’s firepower couldn’t halt the spider monster’s feeding frenzy; countless bullets only made it more vicious. With a roar, it raised its forelimb and prepared to strike the group down!

Suddenly, a colossal golden hammer appeared above the spider monster, crackling with arcs of electricity. An immense pressure descended, freezing the creature’s raised limb in place, its red eyes wide with terror.

“The Hammer of World’s End,” Shen Lie murmured, barely audible. He pressed down lightly with the short hammer in his hand, and its phantom smashed down hard onto the monster.

The spider monster had no chance to resist—it was crushed into pulp by the spectral hammer. Shen Lie scanned the remains from afar but found no crystals or similar items, so he turned his attention elsewhere.

The power of the Hammer of World’s End left Yang Weiguo on the second floor dumbfounded; he swallowed hard, his gaze towards Shen Lie forever changed.

The fleeing survivors were stunned, bewildered by what they had witnessed. It took a while for them to recover, then they rushed toward Shen Lie with cries of gratitude.

“Thank you, Lord Awakened, for saving our lives!” As the five stumbled closer, Shen Lie could see them clearly: three men and two women, all young. One of the men, holding a mop, bowed deeply to Shen Lie, and the others also expressed their thanks.

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

“Yes, we were once seniors at Dongfeng First High School. Now the school is gone, and we are no longer students.” After three months of apocalypse, their adaptability had strengthened. Even after escaping the monsters’ deadly pursuit, they were remarkably calm—such qualities are crucial for survival in this world.

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

He no longer expected more survivors here; Yang Weiguo hadn’t managed to notify everyone about the evacuation. Most people’s first instinct would be to hide, even if hiding only delayed the inevitable. Still, better to avoid the monsters for a while than face them now.

“Lord Awakened, many of our companions are still left behind. Please, save them! We beg you!” Before Yang Weiguo could speak, a round-faced girl from the group suddenly pleaded tearfully with Shen Lie.

Shen Lie said nothing. Even without their pleas, he could hear screams echoing in the distance—each cry marked another life lost. The screams were growing fewer, meaning fewer survivors. He had no intention of becoming the next target for the spider monsters.

“Comrade Shen, should we go and take a look?” After witnessing Shen Lie’s strength, Yang Weiguo’s resolve seemed to shift. He was no longer content to stay put and wanted to rescue more survivors.

“Ahem, if you want to go, I won’t object—but I won’t be joining you!” Shen Lie rolled his eyes, his tone impatient. He was no saint; had he not been moved by the man’s character, he wouldn’t have lingered for even a second. Saving so many was already his limit.

Moreover, Shen Lie sensed danger approaching—a feeling unique to the Awakened. He suspected a higher-level spider monster or the white spider was coming, or perhaps the girl who had eaten the phantom mushroom had turned into a two-headed dog monster. Any of these would be difficult to handle; they could not remain here.

“But—” Yang Weiguo tried to protest, but Shen Lie waved him off and climbed into Zhang Jing’s car, unhesitatingly directing her to drive.

Zhang Jing had been anxiously waiting; the moment Shen Lie entered, she sped off, leaving Yang Weiguo and the five stunned survivors behind.

“Shen—” Yang Weiguo watched Shen Lie disappear down the road, opened his mouth, then sighed in disappointment. He went downstairs, gathered the remaining survivors, and led them away.

Yang Weiguo possessed a sense of justice, but he wasn’t reckless. He knew that on his own, he could do little more; he’d already tested his submachine gun and found it barely harmed the spider monsters. As much as it pained him, he had to make a choice.

At the mushroom fields.

Shen Lie and his companions drove to the designated rendezvous point, where they found thousands of survivors gathered. He guessed these must be nearly all who had survived in the town; those left behind would sooner or later become food for the monster horde.

“You must be Shen Lie. Where’s Squad Leader Yang?” Shen Lie had Zhang Jing and the others remain in the car as he got out. Immediately, a young man in military uniform rushed over, his face tense with worry.

“Behind,” Shen Lie replied, pointing to an approaching SUV.

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

Ma Zhanlin’s attitude aroused Shen Lie’s suspicion. So many people were risking their lives to wait for Yang Weiguo, an ordinary soldier. Unless Yang Weiguo possessed something vital to them, it made little sense. The only possibility was that Yang Weiguo carried something they desperately needed.