Chapter Forty-One: The Survivor Group and the Minotaur (Part One)

A group of twelve people marched along a dilapidated gravel road, flanked by tall, mutated plants. Their spirits, however, remained high. Leading the way were two burly men, both over one meter eighty in height—one with an ordinary yet sharply defined face, the other with a touch of handsomeness about him. These were Liang Jing and Jia Yujin, and this was their company.

Liang Jing, talking quietly with Jia Yujin, was still trying to come to terms with their predicament. Ever since rescuing Jia Yujin and witnessing his successful awakening, Liang Jing had been frustrated to discover that they seemed hopelessly lost. After days of desperate flight—first from a swarm of mutant rats, then from a monstrous “Flood Dragon”—they had no idea where they now found themselves. They’d simply followed the sun’s direction, but had become disoriented, unable to pinpoint their location. No one in the group was familiar with the Jiangnan province, so they had no choice but to keep following the rural gravel road, hoping to encounter other survivors or stumble upon a larger city.

“We’d planned to head to K City to get a sense of the situation and gather information, but now we have no idea where we are,” Liang Jing groused. They had been walking for three days without encountering another human soul. Worse still, his own power had failed to break through, still stuck at thirteen points; their journey so far had been plagued by misfortune. They had encountered plenty of monsters, but none above the elite level, and the life essence of ordinary monsters did little to strengthen him. Progress had to be earned slowly, through relentless training. However, under Liang Jing’s orders, Zhang Hu and a few others had fought these common monsters along the way. Clad in leather armor and wielding short blades, they had changed and improved considerably, their expressions now fierce and resolute as they trained under Liang Jing’s watchful eye.

“Let’s just find some other survivors first and ask them. China’s so vast—I refuse to believe we won’t run into a single living soul,” Jia Yujin said, scratching his head. He’d never been much of a student, and after spending years locked away in prison, he knew almost nothing of the outside world. Computers and the internet were little more than legends to him.

“Yes, that’s all we can do for now. With no transportation or communication, it’s a real problem—we have no idea what’s happening outside.” The world now felt even more primitive than ancient times, with no means of travel or contact. Perhaps all survivors were wandering in confusion, searching desperately for a safe haven. Cities with stationed troops would undoubtedly be the first choice.

Moo—

Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, a tremendous bellow sounded from up ahead, followed by two gunshots and the chaotic shouts of people. Liang Jing and the others immediately perked up. After so many days without seeing another human, how could they not be excited? After all, humans are social creatures by nature.

Liang Jing signaled for the others and the Venomous Ripper to stay behind and remain alert while he and Old Jia moved swiftly forward to investigate. It was best not to act rashly before understanding the situation. By now, everyone was used to Liang Jing’s commands. They set down their packs, rested while staying ready for battle at a moment’s notice. The Venomous Ripper, clad in the same reddish-brown leather armor, prowled nearby as well. Unlike the mutant black-backed hounds (zombies), it seemed unaffected by sunlight, at least as long as it wore its armor.

Rounding a bend, Liang Jing and Jia Yujin saw a large group of human survivors ahead—men and women, old and young. Some wore suits, looking every inch the urban white-collar worker; others sported tattered camouflage, the garb of rural laborers. There were even portly “successful businessmen” among them, along with many elderly, women, and children. Fear and bewilderment were etched on every face, as if they’d been thoroughly battered by the world’s recent mutations.

Moo—

Moo—

Bang!

“Damn, another bull monster is coming!” a young man in his twenties shouted in panic.

“Don’t panic! Aim carefully and shoot. I refuse to believe these monsters are truly invincible,” replied a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression. He watched as the massive bull creature, struck by bullets, seemed unfazed. Its eyes glowed a dark red as it stampeded toward them with renewed fury, its hooves igniting sparks on the road. His voice was steady, rough, but his grip on the semi-automatic Type 56 rifle tightened—betraying his anxiety.

“Daguo, aim for the vital spots. The rest of you, prepare to block and defend,” the somber man instructed his partner, repeating the command to aim carefully. Beside him, a dozen men armed with machetes, steel pipes, fire axes, and other makeshift weapons braced themselves for the coming fight.

The men’s faces blanched. Heaven help them. The bull monster—its body covered in thick, yellow-and-white shaggy hair like a yak, standing taller than a second-story building, at least three and a half meters high and over seven meters long—was thundering toward them like an ancient behemoth or a heavy-duty truck. Its demonic, red-glowing eyes fixed on them, iron hooves pounding the pavement with resounding force that shook the ground and their hearts alike. How could their paltry scrap metal hope to withstand such a beast? Their hands trembled on their weapons. No one could guarantee he’d survive even a single blow from this monster—especially since there was more than one. Secretly, they cursed the gloomy-faced man, though none dared show any dissatisfaction.

Bang! Bang!—

With another bull monster appearing, the somber man and his partner Daguo fired their rifles repeatedly, sending bullets flying. The bulls moved too swiftly; if they didn’t shoot now, they’d lose their chance. The continuous gunfire seemed to reassure those behind them; evidently, they’d faced similar threats before, and the sound of gunfire now brought a sense of security. Yet these bull monsters were unlike any they’d encountered previously…

Moo—

With the volley of gunshots, both Type 56 rifles emptied their magazines—twenty rounds spent. The bulls' speed meant only a handful of bullets found their mark, and those merely pierced the skin, penetrating just a centimeter or so. For such thick-skinned, robust monsters, that amounted to mere scratches. The pain and crimson-stained fur only enraged them further. Their furious bellows filled the air, nostrils flaring, while their mutated horns—now longer, thicker, and jet-black with a menacing gleam—looked capable of piercing anything. Lowering their heads, they charged the crowd with terrifying speed…

Not good!

Seeing the bullets do virtually nothing to the monster’s neck, the somber man finally lost his composure. Their gunfire had merely provoked the beasts, and now, with their weapons ineffective, his trump card was worthless. Facing certain death, he could no longer maintain his cool. His face changed drastically.

“Hurry, block them! Just buy us enough time to reload!” He shot a look at Daguo and, no longer caring for dignity, turned and sprinted toward the rear of the crowd. He intended to use his own men—who had benefited from his leadership and protection—as cannon fodder, buying himself precious time to escape. As for the others, they were already doomed, in his opinion. No one could save them; their fate was to be slaughtered. There was no point dying with them. Let them serve one final purpose: to delay the monsters for his escape. He’d only joined this group of survivors as a “guard” for the sake of food and women. Risk his life? Not a chance. “May my followers die before I do,” he thought. Glancing at his women in the crowd, he felt a pang of regret, but his feet never once faltered. Daguo, hardly a good man himself, was content merely to eat and drink his fill—he had no objections.

Moo! Moo!—

Kill!

The dozen men at the front had no idea what was really happening. Some, hoping to win the somber man’s favor and perhaps even earn the reward of a woman, charged bravely ahead. Others, gripped by fear, simply followed along, while the shrewder ones hung back, ready to flee if things went awry.