Chapter 125: Departure, Encounter with a Tiger
"Did you fight fierce beasts before your rebirth?" Meng Ci asked curiously.
Shen Que nodded, "Yes."
Meng Ci's interest was piqued, and he secretly pulled out a dish of caramel-flavored sunflower seeds from his spatial ring, along with some almonds and cashews.
He then brewed a pot of Da Hongpao tea, the aroma rich and inviting.
Cracking the seeds, his eyes sparkled brightly.
Seeing Meng Ci's eager expression, Shen Que didn't dampen the mood but instead racked his brain to recount the story vividly.
That time, Shen Que and the security team were on patrol at night when they encountered a tiger near where Meng Ci and his group often cut trees.
"But in the previous life, because the government wasn't prepared, more people died."
"The beasts ate more human flesh, so their bodies were much larger."
Shen Que remembered that the tiger was about the size of an SUV.
The security team consisted of seven people: two soldiers and five ordinary residents.
When they first saw it, the tiger had a man pinned down, devouring his body.
"That man was still calling for help when he saw us arrive."
"His legs had already been eaten by the tiger, blood pooling on the ground, quickly freezing into ice."
"Due to the low nighttime temperatures, the man hadn't yet felt the loss of his legs, shouting for us to save him."
"However, not long after, the man died from excessive blood loss and a sudden drop in body temperature."
The soldiers couldn't just stand by and watch the tiger harm people. To save the man, one of them decisively drew his pistol and fired two shots, which only caused the tiger minor external injuries.
Angered by the interruption, the tiger growled softly and charged at Shen Que and the others. The seven of them fought the tiger, barely managing to hold their own.
In the end, it was Shen Que who, wielding a long knife, stabbed the tiger directly in the eye, causing it to struggle in agony and lose half its fighting strength.
One of the soldiers then shot the other eye, and as the tiger writhed in pain, the group managed to kill it together.
"It seems the key to defeating these beasts is their eyes," Meng Ci said, stroking his chin.
Shen Que nodded, "Exactly."
The beasts' fur, affected by the mutation, was far tougher than before the apocalypse.
Meng Ci thought for a moment, then took out a twenty-centimeter dagger from his spatial ring and sharpened the blade on a whetstone.
To prepare for killing the beasts, Meng Ci also learned many combat techniques from Shen Que.
Soon, it was time to meet Zhang Mingtian as agreed.
The five men and the wolf met at the stairwell on the sixteenth floor. As the intermediary, Zhang Mingtian naturally introduced everyone.
Meng Ci and Shen Que didn't engage in much conversation, as they were only collaborating for this mission and would have little to talk about even if they met again.
Wu Can and the others didn't think Meng Ci and Shen Que were being arrogant; rather, they admired the duo's strong combat abilities, as Zhang Mingtian had told them.
A pound of beast meat could be exchanged for half a pound of food, a message that had sparked desire among the people, leading them to search for beasts everywhere.
But when they found the beasts, they were taken aback.
Tigers, wild boars, and other animals had grown enormous, and many residents, lacking combat skills, became easy prey.
To preserve their lives, most residents no longer dared to confront the beasts.
They stuck to chopping wood, planting vegetables, and working to earn food.
As residents ventured deeper into the forests to chop wood, the number of beasts increased.
Initially, the beasts only dared to hunt at night, but gradually, they realized humans were no match for them and began descending the mountains during the day.
Now, when cutting trees, residents always went in groups.
When Meng Ci and Shen Que arrived, it was just as the residents were leaving after cutting trees.
These people were terrified when they saw the wolf, Eggplant, following them and hurriedly urged their companions to leave.
Snowflakes drifted through the sky, and Meng Ci extended his gloved hand to catch a few.
"Shen Que, we need to act quickly."
Shen Que nodded.
Knowing where to find the beasts, Zhang Mingtian led the way.
After another ten minutes, they finally reached the area where new trees had been cut.
Due to heavy snowfall, most of the trees were buried under snow. To cut wood for warmth, they would have to clear the surrounding snow with shovels.
The mountain was now dotted with pits.
Crossing these areas, they continued deeper into the forest.
Roar!
Roar!
However, after walking for a while, Meng Ci heard warning sounds from around them.
"Ow!"
Eggplant wasn't about to back down and responded with a bark.
"Quiet." Meng Ci patted Eggplant.
Though he didn't know what Eggplant was barking about, it sounded like a threat.
If they provoked too many fierce beasts, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Eggplant could only sulk and fall silent.
After walking another hundred meters or so, Eggplant suddenly stopped, ears perked up, staring in one direction, and let out a low growl from his throat.
"They're coming!" Meng Ci said.
Meng Ci, Shen Que, and Zhang Mingtian quickly formed a back-to-back circle, gripping their long knives tightly, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Roar!"
A roar echoed as a massive tiger emerged from the west.
Its body was huge, its fur colorful and striped, and its eyes glinted with a wild light.
Zhang Mingtian swallowed hard, though he was somewhat afraid, he remained relatively calm.
Wu Can and Huang Zhi, on the other hand, were visibly trembling, their hands shaking as they held their knives.
Shen Que spoke up, "Remember, the tiger's weakness is its eyes."
"During the fight, look for an opportunity to strike at its eyes."
The group nodded in agreement.
Roar!
With the tiger's roar, its sharp teeth were clearly visible.
Noticing the tiger's round belly, it seemed to have just eaten and wasn't in a hurry to attack, instead roaring to drive the group away.
Meng Ci, Shen Que, and Zhang Mingtian, as the main force, moved forward step by step.
Wu Can and Huang Zhi retreated backward, keeping a close eye on other directions to prevent any other beasts from ambushing them.
The tiger pawed the ground with its front paws, its eyes radiating danger, then roared and lunged at the group.
Eggplant showed no fear and charged forward swiftly.
The two mutated beasts moved with incredible speed, creating a gust of wind before both fell to the ground, rolling and tearing at each other.
Despite being much smaller than the tiger, Eggplant, trained by Shen Que, put up a good fight but was no match for the tiger.
Thus, Meng Ci and Shen Que rushed to help.
Shen Que kicked the tiger's belly with his heavy Martin boots, causing the tiger to howl and release Eggplant, its eyes fiercely locked on Shen Que.
Meng Ci wielded a long knife, and as Shen Que rolled to avoid the tiger's attack, Meng Ci's blade struck the tiger.
But for the tiger, this blow was merely a minor irritation.