"If this continues, sooner or later, all the survivors will die in this dangerous place! Including you all!"
"Don't think I'm exaggerating. Perhaps you've all awakened your talents and possess strength greater than ordinary people... But, as the human population continues to decline and the living environment deteriorates, can you still survive on this land by your own strength?"
"Therefore, the purpose of my gathering you all here is very simple! It's to build a safe settlement, free from radiation!"
"Survivors of average strength, survivors with no way out, can all have a chance to survive in the settlement. You can also join the settlement as one of the initial managers, working together to ensure its safety." "
Of course, if you don't want to join the settlement, you can use it as a place for trading and exchanging ideas. In short... we have the opportunity to create a haven in this apocalypse and protect the survivors."
Lu Shen became increasingly confused as he listened, feeling like he had entered a pyramid scheme. The familiar rhetoric and the stirring voice almost made his blood boil.
However, reason prevailed over emotion, leading him to consider the meaning behind those words more deeply.
In essence, what Zhao Zhongyang said wasn't wrong.
Establishing a settlement would be a great benefit to the survivors in this area.
Regardless of Zhao Zhongyang's attitude or the sincerity of his words, the purpose was right.
For these survivors who were doing relatively well, having a settlement where they could trade with each other would be of great help.
Therefore, the surrounding survivors also fell into deep thought.
However, a female survivor, around 30 years old with a cold expression, suddenly stopped talking and said, "Officer Zhao, what you said is indeed correct, and I can accept it. But... there are only 10 people here in total. You didn't just invite these people, did you?" Zhao Zhongyang
was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Logically, there should be more, but I don't know exactly how many people can come."
Everyone present: "What the hell..."
From the back, a gaunt old man spoke up, "There are at least a hundred zombies in this town's ruins. It's unrealistic for us to take over this place with just a few people, isn't it?"
Bai Lin'en pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, everyone, our initial goal wasn't to take over this town's ruins."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"This town is too large, and there are too many rotting zombies living in it. It's really wishful thinking to think that we can clean it up with just a few people." Zhao Zhongyang explained:
"Besides, using a town ruin as a settlement is too conspicuous, making us vulnerable to attacks from rotting corpses and mutated creatures, and even attracting the attention of other survivors." "
Therefore, our only goal is to infiltrate the central area of the town ruins, find those special willow trees, collect a batch, and then rebuild an underground settlement around the town ruins."
"This not only provides greater concealment, but its proximity to the town ruins allows us to continue exploring and obtaining resources from them, ensuring future development."
"I see!" Lu Shen nodded slightly. From this perspective, the plan was much more complete and realistic.
If it were simply a matter of clearing out all the rotting corpses and then occupying Jingning Town, he would definitely turn around and leave, never getting involved in this mess.
However, even so, the difficulty was considerable.
Traveling such a long distance to the town center in an area with such a high density of rotting corpses to collect mutated willow trees—the dangers were unimaginable.
"So, how exactly should we proceed?" A younger female survivor among the group asked.
In fact, this was also the question on everyone's mind. When someone asked, all eyes turned to Bai Lin'en and Zhao Zhongyang.
Bai Lin'en pondered for a moment and said, "There's no plan. Everyone will have to find their own way. You can act alone or form groups. The goal is the same—to collect mutated willow branches." "
Officer Zhao and I have calculated that one pound of mutated willow branches can support the construction of a 20 square meter settlement." "
Finally, the settlement construction will be planned according to the number of willow branches collected. Those who collect more willow branches will naturally receive the most benefits."
Everyone nodded. Asking them to act together and follow orders would indeed be difficult.
For all the survivors, the level of trust among them was low; they didn't trust each other and naturally preferred to act independently.
Zhao Zhongyang glanced at his watch and said, "Time is running out. Let's get started. Bai Lin'en and I will be joining you. We'll meet back here afterward. What do you all think?"
"No problem."
"Let's arrange it like that."
"Okay!"
"..."
As the crowd dispersed, everyone remained silent, slowly disappearing into the snowstorm, clearly having no intention of working together.
However, after taking a few steps, Lu Shen suddenly stopped, his gaze sharpening.
"What's wrong, Brother Shen?"
Lu Shen didn't answer, but instead looked behind him, coldly saying, "Come out. How much longer?"
The snowstorm howled behind him, but not a sound was heard.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
The world seemed to fall silent.
After standing there bewildered for a few seconds, Shi Lei scratched his head and said helplessly, "Brother Shen, why are you doing this again? Looks like nobody's around. Let's go."
Lu Shen remained unmoved, merely glancing at him indifferently: "Do you think my talent is just for show?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei was taken aback, a hint of thought flashing through his not-so-bright eyes.
Lu Shen looked behind him, staring intently in a certain direction, his gaze cold and indifferent.
Shi Lei understood that Lu Shen wasn't joking, and a hint of wariness appeared in his eyes. He took a small step forward, his fist already clenched.
Lu Shen's talent wasn't just for guiding; normally, he would use it to restore the footprints behind him, making his movements more concealed.
Today, however, because he was meeting other survivors, he hadn't restored the footprints behind him to prevent his talent from being exposed.
But he would still attach his talent energy to the surrounding snow, in a state of almost guiding but not quite, a state that helped him scout the surrounding area and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Just now, he clearly felt a faint movement in the snow behind him, obviously someone had trampled on it...
If the commotion didn't subside, it meant someone was following them.
A full ten seconds passed before a figure emerged from behind a rock.
"Someone really?!" Shi Lei's gaze darkened, his aura revealing a readiness for battle.
Lu Shen was equally wary, his eyes fixed on the person. Because of the thick clothing, hat, and mask, it was impossible to see who it was.
However, he vaguely remembered the person speaking earlier, seemingly a young woman.
"Who are you? What is your purpose?" Lu Shen asked in a deep voice.
The person didn't answer directly, but remained silent for a moment before saying, "You... your surname is Lu?"
"???"
"Lu Shen?"
Lu Shen: "???"
He clearly remembered that since arriving here, he had never revealed his name to anyone.
Of everyone present, perhaps only Bai Lin'en and Shi Lei knew his real name.
"Bai Lin'en told you my name?"
Upon hearing this, the person opposite shook her head and said, "No, I just felt your voice was familiar."
As she spoke, she removed the mask from her face, revealing a gentle and intellectual face. Although her beautiful features were unadorned, they were still striking.
"You are..." Lu Shen raised an eyebrow, racking his brains.
The woman opposite him pursed her lips helplessly and said, "Back in your sophomore year, didn't you have a girlfriend?"
Lu Shen scratched his head, but his eyes were still somewhat confused. He nodded slightly and said, "It seems... yes. But you've changed a lot. I didn't even recognize you. How have you been all these years?"
"..."
It was obvious that the woman's lips twitched. She covered her forehead, unable to bear looking at him, and said, "I really don't want to scold you, but I'm your girlfriend's roommate. We've only met once or twice at most..."
"Ah, this..." Lu Shen touched the bridge of his nose somewhat awkwardly. It had indeed been several years, and his memory had obviously been a little hazy.
However, at this moment, he vaguely recalled some memories and formed a slight impression of the person in front of him.
Xue Ya, a clinical medicine major, was in the same year as him and was his ex-ex-ex-girlfriend's roommate. Although they had met before, they weren't very familiar with each other.
In this foreign land, suddenly seeing someone he had seen before, Lu Shen was quite emotional, not expecting such a coincidence.
"Xue Ya, right?" Lu Shen smiled and said, "I thought I would never see my old classmates again after graduating from university, but I didn't expect to meet them here. What a coincidence."
"I also felt that your voice was familiar, so I wanted to confirm it, but I didn't expect you to find out." Xue Ya put her mask back on, leaving only her eyes visible.
Lu Shen nodded slightly, but without much small talk, he asked, "Putting everything else aside, what are your plans? Infiltrating the center of the town ruins?"
"I'm alone, and I'm not very strong, so naturally I won't go in. I'll probably... wander around outside and collect some supplies," Xue Ya said calmly.
"Not very strong..." Lu Shen murmured, not entirely convinced that those Bai Linen had specifically invited must have awakened talents.
Perhaps Xue Ya's combat strength wasn't outstanding, but she certainly had her own unique abilities.
After all, a young girl who could survive in this apocalypse and seem to be doing well must have some tricks up her sleeve.
"What's your plan? Are you going to infiltrate the town ruins with this uncle?"
"Uncle?!" Shi Lei looked around, finding no one else, and pointed at himself incredulously.
"Ahem, he's only 19, just call him brother." Lu Shen explained helplessly, then added, "We'll act according to the situation. If it's too dangerous, we won't go deep inside."
"Okay, since we each have our own plans, it's better to act independently." Xue Ya said tactfully.
"Yes, it's fate that we met here. You can contact me if anything happens."
"Want to add each other as friends?"
"Sure."
Lu Shen casually sent a message on the communication channel, and Xue Ya clicked to add him as a friend.
After a brief exchange, the two said nothing more and went their separate ways.
Although they had known each other before, they were not familiar with each other and hadn't seen each other for many years, so they didn't understand each other.
In his eyes, they were practically strangers.
However, Xue Ya herself was of great value!
She was a graduate of clinical medicine and had reportedly even pursued postgraduate studies, so her clinical medical skills must be extremely high.
In a post-apocalyptic environment, a doctor who could suppress common diseases and treat external injuries was far more valuable than one might imagine.
For example, the massive wound Shi Lei sustained from the ambush would take a very long time to heal naturally, and even now, the wound remained quite deep.
It would take at least several months to fully recover!
This was partly due to the depth of the injury and partly due to the lack of professional medical treatment. It was
only because Shi Lei was physically strong, had a relatively good standard of living, and had Lu Shen to help him repair and suppress the injury that he was able to barely survive. Any other survivor would have died long ago.
Therefore, it is conceivable that Xue Ya, a top student in clinical medicine, was of immense value.
If the person is of good character and not disgusting, it would indeed be worthwhile to get to know them in the future; this would be an important network of connections.
Lu Shen pondered this as he walked to the edge of the town ruins, turning his attention back to the mission.
Even now, he still had some reservations about today's plan.
Zhao Zhongyang and Bai Linen were right; building a settlement would indeed be a good thing for all the survivors.
However, collecting mutated willow branches from the center of the town ruins was much more difficult and dangerous than he had imagined.
How many people were capable of traversing the hordes of rotting corpses to reach the town center?
At least Lu Shen felt that with his own strength, completing this task would be extremely difficult.
Conversely, searching the outer ruins for resources might significantly reduce the danger, and the gains would likely be just as good.
So, should they venture deeper into the town? Or explore the outer perimeter? Lu Shen remained undecided.
"Shi Lei, what do you think we should do?"
Shi Lei scratched his head, squinting at the surrounding ruins, and said, "I think… for safety's sake!"
Lu Shen nodded and said, "Then let's explore the outer perimeter and collect some useful resources. There's no need to take this risk."
In this post-apocalyptic world, personal safety is paramount, regardless of the circumstances or purpose. There's no need to put oneself in danger for the sake of someone else's ideals.
This is a belief Lu Shen has always held. In this world filled with ruins and danger, every decision can be a matter of life and death.
...
Lu Shen and Shi Lei, wary of their surroundings, slowly approached the edge of the town ruins.
The once bustling Jingning Town is now a scene of desolation, nothing but ruins and endless silence.
They cautiously entered the still-standing houses, trying to find any usable resources.
The situation here was no different from the town ruins they had explored before: old and severely damaged.
The mottled marks on the walls reflected the past bustle, but now only desolation remained. The roofs also had many holes, with faint light filtering through the cracks onto the dusty ground.
The resources were pitifully scarce, clearly indicating countless looting attempts.
Although the environment inside Jingning Town was extremely dangerous, making it difficult for survivors to enter and scavenge for resources, the outer areas had still been completely looted, leaving only some ordinary daily necessities.
Lu Shen and Shi Lei searched each house one by one, not overlooking any corner that might contain supplies.
However, after searching four entire buildings, their harvest was meager, finding only three bags of salt, five bags of sugar, and some expired, moldy bread.
"Brother Shen, the outer areas have probably been looted as well. If we want more, we'll have to go deeper inside!" Shi Lei said helplessly, his face full of disappointment.
Looking at the meager supplies in their hands, although sugar and salt were good resources, such a harvest was far from enough for their survival.
Lu Shen's gaze was calm; he knew this all too well.
However, the town's interior was teeming with rotting corpses, making it exceptionally dangerous.
Being surrounded by rotting corpses would have unimaginable consequences.
A thought crossed his mind:
Was it really worth taking such a huge risk for some resources and branches of mutated willow trees?
But soon, a thought struck him!
Perhaps… there was no need for such a risk!
Since the danger came from the rotting corpses, he could simply send them deep into the town to collect the mutated willow branches. This would not only be safer but might also yield a greater harvest.
After considering it for a moment, Lu Shen instructed, "Shi Lei, you stay here and collect resources, however much or little you can gather. I'll go closer to the town ruins and take a look at the surrounding area."
Shi Lei frowned slightly, looking worried, and said, "Brother, you don't want to go in alone, do you? It would be safer if we went together."
"Don't worry, I'd rather throw you in than risk my own life!" Lu Shen said with a smirk.
Shi Lei was taken aback: "Brother Shen, you're so honest!"
"Thank you for the compliment. Don't waste time, hurry up and collect resources."
Lu Shen patted Shi Lei's shoulder, then left alone, cautiously approaching the depths of the town ruins.
The number of rotting corpses on the outer perimeter was indeed relatively small, and Lu Shen's progress was relatively smooth.
After venturing into two or three buildings, the number of rotting corpses increased significantly. Some wandered aimlessly through the streets, while others gathered at the doorways of houses, emitting low, guttural growls.
Lu Shen dared not act rashly and found a relatively secluded house, sneaking inside.
He then began controlling the rotting corpse, Lu Shi.
Although Lu Shi remained hidden, it stayed about a hundred or two meters behind, ensuring it could rush to Lu Shen's aid without being discovered by others.
Lu Shen focused intently on controlling it, sensing the faint connection between himself and Lu Shi.
After a minute, Lu Shi slowly approached and stood before Lu Shen.
Lu Shen carefully instructed Lu Shi to venture deeper into Jingning Town and ordered it to collect branches of the mutated willow tree.
The branches of the mutated willow tree had special uses; obtaining them might greatly aid their survival.
He himself went to the third-floor attic of this self-built rural house, observing the situation from a high vantage point.
Looking out from here, he could see most of the town. Although the view was somewhat blurry, it was enough for him to grasp the general situation.
While controlling the Lu Corpse, he could also barely observe the actions of the other survivors.
Information is a crucial resource in any situation.
Previously, Bai Lin'en and Zhao Zhongyang's introduction to Jingning Town was vague, and many parts were unreliable. Lu Shen wouldn't completely trust their words. He had to use his own eyes to personally investigate the specific situation in the town.
He could see that the Lu Corpse was approaching deeper into the town, and no other zombies noticed its abnormality.
The Lu Corpse moved quickly and nimbly, cleverly avoiding the main road and proceeding along a relatively hidden path, trying not to attract the attention of other zombies and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Lu Shen silently observed the movements around him, his sharp eyes calmly scanning, not missing any detail, while also noticing the actions of the other survivors.
Judging from the previous gathering, there were a total of 10 survivors.
They could be roughly divided into 6 groups: some were pairs of allies, and others were independent survivors who chose to act alone.
Bai Lin'en and Zhao Zhongyang, himself and Shi Lei, and another unfamiliar man and woman were all traveling in pairs.
Their relationships were quite close; after all, in the harsh environment of survival, building strong bonds was impossible.
Having allies meant mutual support and cooperation in the face of dangers during exploration and the loneliness of daily life, far better than acting alone.
The other four, including Xue Ya, were traveling alone.
Lu Shen could easily locate them by the clear footprints left in the snow.
Xue Ya was nearby; perhaps out of trust in acquaintances, or perhaps subconsciously feeling safer near Lu Shen, she didn't stray far, remaining only about 30 meters away.
She, too, didn't venture deep into the town, but instead searched for survival supplies in a relatively safe area.
Besides this, Lu Shen also saw two distinct sets of footprints leading deep into the town ruins, both belonging to two people.
Clearly, Bai Lin'en, Zhao Zhongyang, and the other couple all ultimately chose to go to the town center to collect branches of the mutated willow tree.
In the current environment, these branches hold extraordinary significance.
Lu Shen could understand their choice.
Their own safety was important, but the mutated willow branches were equally important! And they were crucial for their future survival.
[Remember this site's domain: Taiwan Novel Network, solve your book drought, 𝗍𝗐𝗄𝖺𝗇.𝖼𝗈𝗆 super reliable]
If Zhao Zhongyang could truly create a safe haven free from radiation using the mutated willow branches, it would undoubtedly attract survivors from the surrounding area to settle there.
This would be the first settlement, and participating in its construction and receiving certain rights and privileges would greatly benefit future development.
There are always some who yearn to rebuild order in this chaotic world, to have a relatively stable living environment, or a radiation-free refuge.
For them, the value of the settlement was extremely high, and the value of the mutated willow branches naturally increased accordingly!
Perhaps the man and woman had this idea, seeing the enormous potential hidden behind the mutated willow branches, which is why they were willing to take the risk.
Even without building a settlement, these mutated willow branches were still very useful! They could be taken back to build a shelter, and their effect could barely replace an "Independent Shelter Core."
Lu Shen quietly observed, while also monitoring the situation of Lu Shi.
However, just when he thought everything was going according to his observation and expectations, an unexpected situation suddenly occurred!
After observing for a while, Lu Shen's gaze suddenly froze, his eyes falling on two directions in the southwest of the town, and his brows couldn't help but furrow.
Because in that direction, he actually saw several footprints!
This sudden discovery shocked him, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Huh? How come there are people there?!"
There were a total of 10 people, all of whom entered the town ruins from the eastern valley!
Logically speaking, all the footprints should have entered from the east, so how could they appear in the west and south?
Moreover, he even saw several sets of footprints where three people walked side by side. If all the footprints were added together, the number of people clearly exceeded 10.
"Is this... other survivors also here? And judging from the looks of it... there seem to be quite a few!" Lu Shen frowned, his mind racing.
Originally, although the situation in this town ruin was dangerous, it was still within his control.
After all, with only 10 people, he could roughly guess their actions. But now, these extra footprints had complicated the entire situation.
A group of unknown survivors, their exact number unknown! Their identities unknown! Their purpose unknown...
This would not only intensify the competition for resources but also easily lead to conflict.
Lu Shen frowned, his eyes showing seriousness. After only a brief moment of thought, he knew this was no simple matter.
He took out the [Survival Radio], found Bai Lin'en and Shi Lei, and sent them two messages, informing them of the situation.
Shi Lei was focused on collecting supplies. Upon hearing Lu Shen's words, his eyes were filled with surprise.
"What? Outsiders have arrived? What are we going to do, Brother Shen? This place is already dangerous enough; if there are more outsiders, it'll be even more chaotic!"
Shi Lei said, unconsciously clenching his fists, his expression becoming more serious.
"It's alright, we'll just be as careful as possible. We don't know who these people are or what their purpose is, so let's hold back for now."
Shi Lei nodded hurriedly, replying, "Yes, I understand."
...
In a secluded spot on a dilapidated street, Bai Lin'en and Zhao Zhongyang were hiding. Seeing the message they received, their expressions were relatively calm.
He merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his face showing little panic, and murmured, "Looks like someone's come, not much different from the original plan."
Zhao Zhongyang nodded and said, "Explain to Friend Lu, although we have our plan, we shouldn't put others in danger because of it."
"Okay."
Soon, a message arrived.
"Mr. Lu, there's no need to worry too much, everything is going according to plan!"
Bai Linen said calmly. "The value of the mutated willow branches is too great. With them, we can establish safe shelters and gathering places. Such a good thing will definitely attract other survivors to collect them." "
Moreover, it's too difficult for just the 10 of us to safely cross the town, avoid all the rotting corpses, collect the mutated willow branches, and then return safely."
"The appearance of this group is only beneficial to our operation. It can attract some of the rotting corpses and improve everyone's safety. Just be careful and try to avoid conflicts. If you encounter any problems... you can also ask me for help."
Lu Shen was slightly taken aback, pondering Bai Linen's words. He felt that there was some truth to them, but something still felt off.
He pressed further, "With more people, the situation will become chaotic, and it might be difficult to control in the end. Was this also part of your plan?"
Bai Lin'en smiled slightly, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Lu Shen, you must understand, establishing a settlement isn't something one or two people can accomplish. The more people who come today, the greater the chance of successfully building the settlement!"
Hearing this, Lu Shen was taken aback, seemingly understanding something, and muttered to himself, "So that's it! This was your original plan..."
At this moment, he vaguely understood that Bai Lin'en and Zhao Zhongyang had most likely deliberately revealed information, letting more people know about the mutated willow branches, thereby attracting more survivors.
Now, the survivors who had traveled such a long distance to explore Jingning Town were probably quite strong.
These stronger survivors could, on the one hand, attract the corpses, spreading the danger in the town ruins and increasing the success rate of collecting mutated willow branches.
On the other hand, the survivors had different talents; perhaps some possessed more unique methods to obtain mutated willow branches more safely.
Perhaps, for Zhao Zhongyang and Bai Lin'en, today's goal was simple!
His goal was simply to "collect enough mutated willow branches and establish a settlement!"
He was even willing to make the situation more chaotic and endanger more people, including himself, to achieve this objective!
Lu Shen was quite surprised and couldn't help but look at Zhao Zhongyang with newfound respect.
To establish a settlement, he was willing to complicate the situation so much, involving so many unknown individuals.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. In this apocalyptic world, everyone would stop at nothing to survive and achieve their goals. He
also had to admit that Zhao Zhongyang was absolutely farsighted. In this post-apocalyptic world, it was unwise for any survivor to try to fight alone.
The most suitable path was to establish a survivor settlement! This would allow more people to come together and survive in this world.
This would be of great significance to both weaker and stronger survivor groups.
However, establishing a settlement would likely require some to shed blood and tears, to pay a price.
And everyone who had come to Jingning Town was among those who would shed blood and tears, to pay the price!
If they successfully found the mutated willow branches, they would naturally gain higher privileges in the settlement.
But if they ultimately failed and died here, no one would remember them.
Lu Shen sighed. He could clearly sense that Bai Lin'en and Zhao Zhongyang were determined to successfully collect the mutated willow branches and establish the settlement.
The situation ahead might become even more unpredictable.
However, for the other survivors, challenges or dangers would indeed lie ahead.
But since he knew the situation in advance, he naturally had more time to prepare and wouldn't be caught off guard.
Silently hiding in the attic, he watched the retreating figure of Lu Shen, now extremely blurry, having walked about 500 meters.
He was actually quite close to the artificial lake in the town center; if he could reach it smoothly, he could naturally collect a batch of mutated willow branches.
Due to the height, as the distance increased, Lu Shen could no longer see the area around the artificial lake.
So, he came up with another plan…
"Bang…"
Lu Shen chiseled open the wooden planks on the attic roof and crawled out directly from the roof. He understood the principle of seeing further from a higher vantage point.
However, the roof was covered with a thick layer of snow, like a black curtain, blocking his way out.
Lu Shen used his talent repeatedly to melt the snow above his head, breaking through a passage more than 1 meter wide before finally climbing out of the roof.
This building was already quite tall, one of the tallest in the entire Jining Town. Although it only had three floors, with the attic, it was equivalent to four.
Climbing to the rooftop, all the way to the ridge, was like going up another floor, giving one a panoramic view of the entire town.
At this point, he could also barely make out the artificial lake in the town center. It was a completely frozen lake, covered with a thick layer of snow, almost unrecognizable as a lake.
However, he could make out a ring of willow trees surrounding the lake, but these were very different from ordinary willows. They were taller and more robust, but also looked more withered, their drooping branches resembling the claws of a demon, menacing and terrifying. Their
color was also very different from ordinary willows; both the branches and leaves were a pale red, very conspicuous in the vast snowstorm, even carrying a hint of eeriness.
Lu Shi, a Level 2 Corpse, moved through the perilous town ruins with ease, while Level 1 Corpses dared not approach, allowing him to reach the center.
Following Lu Shen's instructions, Lu Shi broke off branches from the mutated willow trees and stuffed them all into his backpack.
However, the willow branches were too long, resulting in only the roots being inside the backpack, with a large portion dragging outside.
The Corpse's intelligence was ultimately too low; it could only follow simple instructions and lacked flexibility.
A human survivor would have bundled the willow branches together for easier carrying and to collect more.
But clearly, Lu Shi lacked such intelligence, simply stuffing all the mutated willow branches in one go.
But the next moment, Lu Shen's gaze shifted, suddenly turning to the surface of the artificial lake, sensing a vague unease.
Suddenly, he vaguely saw that the snow on the lake's surface had slightly collapsed; although it was very blurry, it still caught his attention.
"What...is this?"
Lu Shen frowned. Snow collapses weren't uncommon, but in the current environment, even the slightest movement was noteworthy.
And soon, he realized this wasn't an accident; the snow layer on the artificial lake had collapsed again, and over an even larger area.
"Something's wrong! There's something wrong with the artificial lake!"
Although he couldn't see the specifics, Lu Shen already sensed something was amiss. He quickly issued a command to Lu Shi in his mind: stop collecting willow branches and return as soon as possible.
Lu Shi was clearly stunned for a moment; his large head and small brain made his reaction noticeably slow.
But after hesitating for a moment, he still grabbed his backpack and ran back the way he came from outside the town.
Just a few seconds later, Lu Shen felt fortunate for his decisiveness!
In the center of the artificial lake, the snow had first slightly collapsed, then been pushed up, as if some creature had broken through the ice city beneath.
Not long after, a blurry black shadow slowly emerged from the water, not revealing its full form before retreating again. Even with only half of its shadow showing, its enormous size was palpable!
Lu Shen's heart pounded. Although the distance was great and the view was blurry, a sense of dread washed over him—
the dread of a massive, unknown creature!
He estimated that even the part that was visible was several meters long, demonstrating the sheer size of the creature beneath!
"Damn it, I knew it wouldn't be this easy! How could there be something like this in this tiny artificial lake?!"
Lu Shen cursed inwardly. If he hadn't been so cautious, he probably would have been dead already!
Watching Lu Shen, clutching the mutated willow branch, running towards the outer edge, he finally let out a long breath.
After calming himself, he began to rationally analyze the situation.
Perhaps he should have realized sooner that there was an unpredictable danger lurking around these mutated willow trees, and a considerable one at that!
Previously, even in just a few withered trees, dangerous creatures like black stick insects could be found; how much more so in this vast expanse of mutated willows?
Moreover, why do these mutated willows possess the ability to absorb radiation? Perhaps this is to attract certain creatures, making them easier to prey on.
After all, in the natural environment, the evolution of any organism is never without reason; there must be a reason for its evolution.
At this moment, the artificial lake's danger level in his eyes had reached a very high level, and he would never approach it without a valid reason.
This brought him back to his senses, and when he looked at Lu Shi again, he suddenly frowned. The sudden change in the situation was faster than he had expected!
Lu Shen quickly took out his [Survival Radio] and sent a message to Shi Lei: "Shi Lei, stop collecting supplies, come over quickly, there's trouble!"