Chapter 375: Predicament
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
"The gate can't hold them out?" Xiang Xuehai was stunned.
In this terrible post-apocalyptic world, zombies and mutant beasts ran amuck everywhere. The difficulty of laying down foundations was beyond imagination. After controlling Wu Shui County step by step, it took Xiang Xuehai a great deal of effort in creating and improving the current defense system. The city wall and gate's construction consumed a large number of various materials and labor. In Xiang Xuehai's heart, the gate was an important defensive measure in protecting Wu Shui County, which also gave her a great sense of security.
Hearing Jiang Liushi's words, Xiang Xuehai became sad. However, her reason told her that Jiang Liushi's judgment was right. Not mentioning the terrible huge water monster, just the slowly spreading flood could make the city wall's foundation collapse. Once the wall collapsed, the zombies floating on the water, and the unpredictable monsters...
She looked outside of the minibus and saw several temporarily-built low sheds by the base of the wall. Thin survivors were lying out of them or sitting inside.
There were about a hundred of them crammed together, filled with people. After thinking carefully, Xiang Xuehai made an important decision.
"Luo Junjiang, quickly dispatch manpower to help people move to higher places! Tell them that it will get dangerous!" Xiang Xuehai went out and said to Luo Junjiang seriously. Wu Shui County was built on the mountain, but the water was powerful.
Xiang Xuehai's words like an imperial edict for Luo Junjiang. He quickly took several members to evacuate the survivors in those huts.
Suddenly, a loud noise came. The entire wall trembled, and large pieces of gravel fell off. A huge claw had been thrown to the gate, and it was as if a hammer had struck it. A large piece of the gate suddenly protruded, and the entire iron gate became wobbly.
"Chii-"
A long and strange sound came from the city wall. The huge water monster used its claws to support itself on the wall and stretched its head to look inside. A cold light was flickering in its triangular eyes, as it was staring at the people inside.
When the survivors saw the hill-like monster, they all panicked. Even Jiang Liushi felt an inexplicable pressure.
In this post-apocalyptic nightmare, no matter if it were zombies or mutant beasts, they were all very aggressive.
On the city wall, several guards were observing the overall situation. They were about to escape, but the monster stretched out its long and thorny tongue and wrapped them all!
Those guards screamed and tried to resist, but they were covered by the long tongue's mucous before they were swallowed.
Presently, Luo Junjiang no longer needed to give instruction to the survivors, they already knew what to do.
"This monster is poisonous!" Someone shouted.
At that moment, Jiang Liushi's minibus reached a higher place, and the survivors followed behind it. Jiang Liushi was already in the gunner room, and he could clearly see the whole situation as his eyesight was stronger than others.
The monster's tongue was covered with viscous liquids, and once anyone came in contact with the liquids, their movements would stiffen until they were rendered motionless. They would lose the ability to resist.
"That thing seems like a mutated pufferfish." Sun Changxin looked at the water monster through the minibus' rear window. "Yes, some physiological characteristics are very much in line with the appearance of pufferfish..." The old professor nodded his head while observing the monster's appearance. "Well, the belly is white, and the body can swell like a balloon…the mouth is small, and it's really like a pufferfish."
"Yes." Li Yuxin also nodded.
Sun Changxin was a water conservancy expert. When he was researching about hydrological conditions, he had seen pufferfish.
Li Yuxin was a medical student and read many books. She also knew about the pufferfish's toxins. After carefully comparing the characteristics of that monster, they all felt it was a mutated pufferfish.
Tetrodotoxin was a strong neurotoxin that could cause nerve paralysis, vomiting, and chills in the extremities, causing heartbeat and respiratory arrest. Its toxicity was equivalent to highly toxic drugs, 1,250 times that of sodium cyanide. It takes less than 0.5 milligrams to kill people. After the mutation, the monster's toxins could only be stronger.
"Pufferfish? No wonder that the mucus is highly toxic. Its eight fins and scales seem to have mutated." Jiang Liushi frowned.
He knew that it would be more dangerous than a common monster. The first thing they had to do was to find a way against its highly toxic mucus.
The mutant pufferfish was apparently unsatisfied after eating a few ordinary guards, and it attacked the city gate with its claws.
'Boom!'
The iron gate had yet to fall, but the connection point with the city wall had begun to loosen.
After half an hour, many survivors had already reached halfway up the hill. The topography of Wu Shui County was gentle, and it was only a dozen meters higher than the root of the City Wall. However, when the hillside reached the top of the mountain, the terrain became steeper. At that point, many survivors had lost their strength and were languishing in the mud.
'Bang!'
Suddenly an earth-shattering noise came from the foot of the mountain. Jiang Liushi looked at the sound's source and saw that the iron gate had collapsed. Both sides of the large section of the city wall had collapsed too.
The pufferfish's white belly fluctuated, only a small part of it was still in the water. Several of its claws were reluctant to keep sweeping across the shore. Seeing that scene, some of the survivors who originally lived in the huts were shivering. If they hadn't left, they would have been the first to be devoured by that monster.
"I'm scared," from the crowd of survivors, the voice of a crying child sounded.
"What can I do about this? Some of my food is still in that shed. It hasn't been eaten completely. We will starve to death."
"We can't beat that monster! Will we starve to death here? We should run away. The north has yet to be flooded..."
The cries of children, mourning groans of adults, as well as the whispering discussions sounded among the ordinary survivors.
A lot of people had fled to Wu Shui County because there was order and it was a paradise near North Jiangsu. However, this area would soon become a water hell, so many people felt desperate.
"Don't be afraid! That monster can't go ashore."
At that moment, a crisp voice rang above the crowd. It was Xiang Xuehai. She stood next to the MCV and climbed the top of a three-story building on the hillside. There was a wide space. As a result, almost everyone could see her. Xiang Xuehai's voice had covered a lot of cries and whispers.
After hearing her words, everyone looked toward that mutant pufferfish. Sure enough, that huge mutant pufferfish hadn't come ashore. It was thrusting its long claws in vain while staring at the large number of survivors on the hillside. It was groaning. Although it had mutated, it hadn't broken free of nature's shackles. It was still a fish, and it could not go ashore.
"Be quiet. I'm Xiang Xuehai! We're facing floods now. I hope everyone will not panic and cheer up. Collect all food, timber, blankets, clothes...We'll camp here on the hillside for a while. Please believe me! As long as Shi Ying Squad and I are here, Wu Shui County will not fall into the water monsters claws. We will rebuild Wu Shui County and make it a Great Wall of Steel. As long as we stay and act together, we will surely be able to live on!" Xiang Xuehai's remarks were powerful, but the sincerity in her speech came from her heart.
They looked at Xiang Xuehai and whispered.
"Those paranormals can escape. How will we ordinary people escape? It's impossible…"
"You are right! Once we run, the zombies will eat us…"
"Boss Xiang took us in. She is so kind…"
Those ordinary survivors were weak, and they were simple-minded. They only wanted to live. Xiang Xuehai was a strong paranormal, and they would be happy to fight side by side with her against that monster. They trusted her.
Jiang Liushi was also looking at Xiang Xuehai, who was standing on the roof in the middle of the storm. She looked like an excellent and true leader.
"Boss Xiang is a good person," Sun Changxin suddenly said. Compared to Yang Feng, Xiang Xuehai's heart was too kind. Everyone in the minibus agreed with his words.
"But this is useless, too. Even if we hide here and the flood doesn't kill us, hunger will! Although the manpower is strong, it's impossible to fight against that thief, God!"
"Yes, it's that thief, God, who wants us to die!" Sun Changxin exclaimed angrily, looking outside sadly. All the people in the carriage were silent. Even Jiang Liushi's mood became heavy.
Sun Changxin was an old water conservancy expert, and his credibility was very high. When the floodwater's level continued to increase, that pufferfish, lurking in the water, would have the opportunity to attack the people in Wu Shui County.
That monster was blocking the way to search for food near the entrance. Even Xiang Xuehai's warehouses were blocked. Moreover, the floodwater's level was increasing fast. As a result, they didn't have time to prepare at all. Fortunately, they found out that the flood would not last long, and the monster would retreat with the flood. However, during that period of time, many people would lose their lives.
For a moment, even Jiang Liushi had thought of leaving Wu Shui County. After all, the north was not flooded. The mutant pufferfish had spotted those survivors, so it certainly could not leave the flooded area of Wu Shui County. It would be very dangerous for all of Shi Ying Squad's members to stay here.
"Alas, if the monster wasn't here, I could use a few methods to drain the water. However, we are unable to do anything." Sun Changxin sighed.
"Brother Jiang, that Ma guy is threatening his companions. It seems that he wants to run away," Ran Xiyu said suddenly.
Jiang Liushi's heart skipped a bit when he saw how exhausted Ran Xiyu was. She had been using her ability all day long, so she was too tired.
"Xiyu, rest for a moment. Let Li Yuxin help you recover…" Jiang Liushi said.
"Yeah," Ran Xiyu looked deeply at Jiang Liushi and did not decline. She was clear that her abilities were very important to the team. Therefore, she needed to rationally allocate her strength and must never overexert it. She could feel that at the moment she was not needed, so she had to regain her strength.
Li Yuxin came to and began to check her. Then Jiang Liushi observed Boss Ma.
Currently, Boss Ma was staring at six paranormals fiercely while whispering something. Some of the paranormals seemed to agree with him, but the others didn't. Although the storm made it impossible for others to listen to their conversation, Jiang Liushi could vaguely guess that he wanted to run away with some others. After all, in this world, the power of one person was insignificant.
"Did you think you can escape?" Jiang Liushi stared at him and shouted. From the beginning to the end, Jiang Liushi never believed him at all. But what Jiang Liushi didn't expect that he'd betray again so quickly. And then, Jiang Liushi aimed at Boss Ma. However, Jiang Liushi was shocked by what happened next.
Two of paranormals behind Ma suddenly struck at him. A machete severed the tendons on his legs. The unprepared Ma crashed on the ground! As soon as he fell, the four paranormals, who had disagreed with him, ganged up on him.
After a few breaths, Ma was stomped to death! Then one of the paranormals rushed out of the shed and entered the three-story building where Xiang Xuehai was located.
Jiang Liushi was simply dumbfounded.