After a full-body warm-up, he didn’t neglect his simple card-throwing practice. The exercise helped train his hand-eye coordination and fine muscle control.
Half an hour later, just as Su Chen finished a fried egg, Yan Ziqian’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. With the first light of dawn, a brand-new bounty altar had appeared in the forest fissure zone.
According to drone footage, the altar’s location hadn’t changed much; it had still appeared above the original cave platform. The real problem was figuring out how to cross the forest to reach the fissure zone.
Their plan was to use Flying Skill and Light Feather Skill to travel over the treetops.
This idea coincided perfectly with Su Chen’s own.
"We’ll talk later in detail."
A departure time hadn’t been set, mainly because the situation inside the base was chaotic and complex. Before the sky even brightened, some people had already packed light and departed, crossing over Cyan Dragon Ridge.
Now, at the scheduled time for the mass evacuation, a heavily armed escort team had quietly arrived. They were waiting to lead a group on a forced crossing of the forest.
This was the only way to save most of the supplies and equipment.
What was terrifying was that people would periodically lose their minds. Becoming as irritable and aggressive as rabid animals, they would start attacking others. The nearly invisible spores drifting through the air had clearly infiltrated many people’s bodies without a sound.
If caught early, just as symptoms began to appear, the infected could still be saved through purification.
But with even a slight delay, the fungus would form a sporangium inside the host, rooting itself in the chest cavity or at the base of the skull. The moment it sensed the influx of external purifying light, it would trigger a self-destruct mechanism. The sporangium would instantly detonate, spraying a high concentration of active spores all around like a toxic mist.
That wasn’t all.
Some fully formed hyphae would erupt from the body like living tentacles, covered in sharp bone spurs and suckers as they sought their next host.
Clearly, the fungus had evolved overnight. Or perhaps, after being repeatedly purged and annihilated, it had finally found a desperate way to survive.
It was a case of mutual destruction; either way, the parasitized host wasn’t getting out alive.
In addition to the frenzied outbreaks, there were also numerous cases of missing people within the base. After their infections flared up, some Parasite Bodies would ignore all attempts to stop them and head desperately toward the forest.
When Su Chen stepped out of his RV, he found a large part of the campground deserted. It seemed many vehicle owners, wanting to save themselves the walk, had driven directly to the foot of the mountain.
The other RV owners weren’t planning on staying either. Most were either packing their belongings or on their roofs dismantling solar panels.
"You’re not planning on leaving?" Su Chen glanced at Liao Dahai.
He and his wife were relaxing in camping chairs, having been enjoying the sunrise since early morning.
Liao Dahai laughed freely. "My wife and I don’t have any kids, so we made our peace with life and death long ago. This RV has been with us for so long, we just can’t bear to leave it behind. Besides, it’s the same no matter where we go."
"You’ve got things to take care of today, right? Don’t worry. My wife and I might not be as strong as you, but we can still contribute in our own small way."
He had always been perceptive. Seeing the heavy hiking pack on Su Chen’s back, he guessed that Su Chen was heading into the forest for that cave exploration mission everyone had been talking about since yesterday.
"Then I’ll be counting on you."
Su Chen didn’t stand on ceremony, knowing he’d have a chance to repay the favor in the future.
Just then, Yang Hongyu hurried over with his daughter, Xiaoxiao. The little girl was holding the small tabby cat in her arms.
A small, typical family like theirs was, of course, evacuating.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Ancient Architect stated his intentions. "After thinking it over, we’ve decided to give our RV to you. After all, when the disaster first broke out, you were the one who saved us. If we had actually driven off that bridge, we’d probably be dead now."
’They couldn’t take the RV with them, and the solar panels were a pain to dismantle. Better to give it to their benefactor and curry some favor.’
Su Chen didn’t decline, but he didn’t accept it for free, either.
He bent down slightly and handed a small vial containing an Ignition Skill Lv2 directly to Yang Xiaoxiao. "Use it well," he instructed. "Protect your dad from now on."
’This girl’s affinity with the Fire Element must be very high. Even the first Fire essence she absorbed could be wielded with incredible power.’
’As for the kitten...’
"I’ll leave it in your care."
’Unlike Yang Xiaoxiao, who could be its constant companion, I don’t have the mind to care for it. Staying here, it would face the threat of spore infection, and Xiaoye’s aura alone is enough to frighten it away during the night watch. Considering how well it has gotten along with the girl lately, she’s the perfect person to entrust it to.’
"No problem!"
Yang Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up. She clutched the small vial in her right hand and carefully cradled the kitten in her left.
The little creature seemed to understand. It tilted its head back and nuzzled its chin.
Liao Dahai chimed in, "For an Ancient Architect like you to stay at a campground is a waste of your talents. The government is recruiting people for a massive city defense project. With your qualifications, you could land a cushy, stable job for life."
Yang Hongyu smiled, not taking him too seriously, and joked, "I’ll take that as a blessing. In that case, you’d better make sure you stay alive. If you ever show up, I promise I’ll make sure you get a meal."
「Soon.」
The family loaded their luggage onto a sightseeing cart and immediately drove toward the assembly point at the main gate.
From a bird’s-eye view, one could see streams of people and vehicles converging on the evacuation point from all directions. Judging by the scale, at least eighty percent of the base’s population was on the move.
’With the vast base emptying out and so many buildings becoming available, Su Chen started having some ideas. This crude parking camp could only ever be a temporary outpost. To build the ideal home he envisioned, he would need to pick out a new plot of land.’
Just as Su Chen finished communicating with Yan Ziqian and arranging to meet at the usual spot, an ATV pulled up, and a rather unexpected figure hopped off the back.
"Thank heavens, I almost missed you," Xing Jingsong said, letting out a long sigh. ’Another moment and I would have been too late.’
At first, Su Chen assumed he was here about the Small Straight Knife. However, the bombshell that followed made his attention snap into focus.
Apparently, the supplies from the central kitchen’s cold storage had been recovered.
"My kid saw them move a bunch of frozen food to the cold storage in the guesthouse restaurant. Some of it was probably packed up and sent away, or hidden somewhere else, but my kid just took a peek. The guesthouse’s back kitchen still has some inventory," Xing Jingsong said all in one breath.
The only reason he dared to reveal this secret was that he had already heard about the grisly deaths of Qian Bin and his men.
A wanted fugitive suffering from a fungal infection had inexplicably wiped out a whole gang from the so-called "mutual aid" organization. In a way, it was deeply ironic.
After all, the organization itself had been a parasite, leeching the lifeblood of the base.
Whether because it was too difficult to move or because everyone in the know was already dead, a batch of frozen food was now sitting completely unguarded.
’Judging by the quantity, it wouldn’t be enough for a single decent meal if split among a hundred people—and they wouldn’t even be grateful. But give it all to one person, and it becomes a massive boon.’
This was precisely why Xing Jingsong had rushed over to the camper lot. If the rumors were true, the mutual aid organization’s collapse was all thanks to this very Su Chen.
However, he hadn’t come here to trade this information for a Rune Essence.
He wanted to build a stronger relationship, to deepen their connection.
Xing Jingsong said earnestly, "After we pull back to the city, we’re going to join my younger brother. He’s at the Forgemaster’s Workshop in the Red River Innovation Park. If you ever need armor, you’re more than welcome to visit."
"I’m sure the opportunity will arise," Su Chen said, leaving the door open. The man’s earnestness did make the prospect more appealing.
Xing Jingsong was perceptive enough to know Su Chen had business to attend to, so he didn’t linger. Waving goodbye, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, wondering when they might meet again.
’But anyone who dares to head into the woods with a heavy pack during this parasite plague must be a terrifying, top-tier expert. With all the other factions and groups pulling out of the base, this might actually be a huge opportunity for a man like Su Chen.’
’As long as you’re tough enough to survive, you get to feast on all the resources left behind.’
Not long after, Su Chen met up with Yan Ziqian. The four from Jingcheng University immediately followed him as they set off toward the forest.
The situation was urgent. If their own power couldn’t grow faster than the fungal consciousness evolved, they would find themselves in extreme danger.

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