As the night passed, early morning slowly arrived. The sun rose gradually from the horizon, and soft light spread across the barren land, pushing away the darkness that had covered everything.
One by one, people began to wake up.
Some opened their eyes slowly, adjusting to the light. Others sat up suddenly, as if afraid something might have happened while they slept.
But nothing had.
No screams.No attacks.No strange movements in the night.
A quiet sense of relief spread through the camp.
A man stepped out of his tent, stretching his stiff arms."Looks like we survived another night," he muttered.
Another person nearby replied, "Don't say that too early."
Even in relief, caution remained.
Li Xuan also woke up.
He sat silently for a moment, letting his senses adjust. His eyes scanned the surroundings instinctively.
Everything looked normal.
Still, he didn't relax completely.
"Too peaceful…" he thought.
Not long after, Ye Fan walked through the camp, his expression calm but serious.
He raised his voice so everyone could hear.
"We leave in one hour. Prepare yourselves."
His words spread quickly.
People immediately began packing their belongings. Bags were tied, weapons checked, and water supplies adjusted.
However, just as things were settling—
A voice rose from the crowd.
"We want to go with the other convoy."
Ye Fan stopped walking.
He turned his head slightly.
A group of people had gathered, looking hesitant but determined.
"They're stronger," another man added. "We'll have better chances there."
More people nodded.
"We've already decided," someone else said.
Ye Fan looked at them for a few seconds.
His expression didn't change.
"Do as you wish," he said calmly.
The moment those words were spoken—
More people stepped forward.
What started as a small group quickly grew larger.
Ten more joined.Then another ten.
Some hesitated at first, looking back at the convoy.
But eventually, they followed.
In total—
Sixty-five people left.
They walked away without looking back.
A woman whispered softly, "They didn't even try to stop them…"
Another replied, "Why would they? If someone wants to leave, they'll leave."
Ye Fan didn't say anything else.
He simply watched them go for a brief moment before turning around.
He headed straight toward Xu Ming.
"Captain," Ye Fan reported, "sixty-five people have left to join the other convoy."
Xu Ming listened without any visible reaction.
He stood still for a moment, then said in a calm voice—
"Let them go."
Ye Fan waited, but Xu Ming had already turned away.
"We move now," Xu Ming added.
There was no hesitation.
No regret.
Soon after, Xu Ming walked toward Xiao Yiming.
The two leaders stood facing each other.
Their conversation was short.
"We're leaving," Xu Ming said.
Xiao Yiming nodded slightly. "Understood."
There were no unnecessary words.
Both sides already knew the situation.
Within minutes—
The Peace Convoy began moving.
Engines started.
Dust rose into the air.
Li Xuan walked along with the group.
His movements were steady, but his attention remained sharp.
He observed everything.
Every person.
Every movement.
The convoy continued forward.
The land remained dry and empty, with no signs of life.
Time passed slowly.
After nearly three hours—
The convoy finally stopped.
Vehicles came to a halt, and people began stepping down.
Some stretched their legs. Others sat down immediately, exhausted from the journey.
Ye Fan picked up the loudspeaker.
"We will rest here for a short period," he announced.
People began to relax.
A few lay down on the ground. Some drank water in small amounts. Others simply closed their eyes to rest.
Ten minutes passed quietly.
Then suddenly—
Xu Ming's voice rang out loudly through the speaker.
"Everyone, be alert!"
The tone was sharp.
Serious.
"Prepare for battle," he continued. "An unknown mutant beast is within the area. It will reach us in three minutes."
The calm atmosphere shattered instantly.
People stood up.
Some grabbed their belongings. Others quickly moved backward, creating distance.
"Move! Move back!" someone shouted.
"Stay behind!" another voice followed.
Fear appeared—but this time, it didn't turn into chaos.
People had learned.
At the front—
Shen Miao stepped forward.
Her expression was calm and focused.
Beside her stood three Sequencers—
The giant.The fire mage.The archer.
"All south side," Shen Miao said.
"They're coming from there."
The group immediately adjusted their positions.
The giant moved to the front.
The fire mage stood slightly behind.
The archer took a higher position for a better view.
Li Xuan stood at a distance, watching.
His body tensed.
Then—
A sound came.
Heavy footsteps.
Fast.
Within seconds—
The creature appeared.
A massive mutated dog rushed into view.
It was enormous.
Nearly three meters long and two meters tall.
Its body was covered in thick, dark fur, rough and uneven. Muscles bulged beneath its skin, giving it a distorted and unnatural appearance.
Its eyes glowed faintly, filled with aggression.
Its mouth was wide, revealing sharp, irregular fangs coated with saliva.
It moved with terrifying speed.
Far faster than a normal animal.
"Here it comes!" someone shouted.
In just a few seconds—
It reached the camp.
But no one stood in its way.
The survivors had already retreated.
The giant stepped forward first.
He braced himself and met the creature head-on.
The impact was loud.
The force pushed him back slightly, but he held his ground.
At the same moment—
The archer released an arrow.
It flew straight and struck the beast's side.
The creature let out a low growl.
Its movement slowed slightly.
Then—
The fire mage raised his hand.
Flames burst forward.
The fire struck the beast, spreading across part of its body.
The creature roared loudly, shaking its body violently.
Shen Miao spoke calmly—
"Keep pressure. Don't give it space."
The giant attacked again, striking with full strength.
The beast tried to counterattack, snapping its jaws forward.
But its movements had already slowed.
Another arrow struck.
Another burst of fire followed.
The coordination was precise.
Within less than two minutes—
The mutated dog collapsed.
It lay still.
Dead.
Silence followed.
Then slowly—
People began to move again.
"Is it over?" someone asked.
"Yes… it's dead," another replied.
The Sequencers dragged the body back.
They gathered around it.
After a short discussion, they began dividing the corpse.
"Bones can be used," one said.
"Meat too. Don't waste anything."
In this world—
Everything had value.
The two female Sequencers stepped forward.
"We'll take the bones," one of them said.
"They're easier to carry."
No one argued.
Li Xuan watched everything carefully.
But his attention shifted.
A young man stood nearby.
Li Xuan had noticed him earlier.
When the beast died—
The man's expression had changed briefly.
It looked like—
He wanted the body.
Li Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
He observed him more carefully.
The man looked different from others.
Cleaner.
His clothes were not torn or dirty.
His physical condition also looked better, as if he had been eating properly.
Beside him was an electric bike.
A single large travel bag was attached.
Nothing else.
Too simple.
Too neat.
"This isn't normal," Li Xuan thought.
He didn't approach him.
But in his mind—
He marked him as someone to watch.
"He might be hiding something… or he's a Sequencer."
From that moment—
Li Xuan remained cautious.
Soon, the convoy started moving again.
Time passed.
Another three hours of slow travel.
Then—
Something appeared in the distance.
Water.
A small lake.
As the convoy got closer—
Excitement spread instantly.
"Water!"
"We found water!"
After more than twenty days—
This was a rare sight.
People rushed forward.
Smiles appeared again.
Xu Ming's voice came through the speaker.
"Fill your containers first."
"After that, bathe separately."
"Do not pollute the water."
Everyone followed.
Bottles.
Containers.
Barrels.
People filled everything they had.
Some even used large drums.
Li Xuan also collected water.
He filled all his bottles carefully.
Then he returned to his tent.
Inside—
He set up his electric stove.
Placed an iron barrel on top.
He began boiling water.
"Better to be careful," he muttered.
After that—
He stepped outside and sat quietly.
The sky slowly darkened.
Stars appeared.
Bright and clear.
For a moment—
Everything felt calm.
Hours passed.
People returned to their tents.
Some lay down to sleep.
Others sat quietly.
Then—
Li Xuan noticed something.
A man.
Leaving his tent.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The man looked around before moving.
Then—
He began walking toward the lake.
The convoy had set camp fifty meters away for safety.
"This is strange…" Li Xuan thought.
If not for his enhanced senses—
He wouldn't have noticed.
His body moved quietly.
He followed.
From a distance.
Silent.
Careful.
His eyes fixed on the man.
"Who is he…"
"And what is he doing…"
The night deepened as Li Xuan continued to follow him toward the lake.