Chapter Thirty-Four: The Siege

Lin Xian hopped off the motorcycle, gripped the truck bed, and began his counterattack against the giant spider. He fired several wind-blades in succession, but because the distance was too great, they only produced faint vibrations upon striking the shadowy form hidden within the thick fog.

Just then, the giant spider’s long leg struck again. Lin Xian’s eyes flashed; he immediately lunged in front of the young girl and raised his hand to manifest an ice shield!

*Squelch!*

The long leg pierced through the ice shield, but its momentum was halted, the sharp tip of the spider’s leg coming to rest just inches from the girl’s face.

The girl’s eyes widened, her breathing erratic with shock. She looked at Lin Xian and gasped, "You’re an esper?!"

"Shasha, use this!" The rear window of the cab slid open, and a rugged-looking man, who had been driving, handed out a grenade launcher. The girl, known as Shasha, grabbed it without a second thought, expertly cocked the weapon, raised it, and fired a round straight at the giant spider!

*Boom!*

The massive recoil made the girl stagger, and combined with the truck’s momentum, she plopped onto the floor. She didn't seem to care, though. Watching the arched trajectory of the grenade hit the monster dead on, followed by an explosion of fire, she widened her eyes and cheered excitedly, "It’s a hit! It’s a hit!"

"Good, strike while the iron is hot!" Kiki stood up, grit her teeth, and prepared to unleash her own ability, but Lin Xian grabbed her by the arm.

"No need," he said.

The giant spider, struck by the grenade, let out a piercing shriek before quickly vanishing into the thick fog, having lost its target. Everyone exhaled in relief.

Only Kiki felt a bit frustrated. She searched everywhere for the dark shadow, but after realizing it was gone, she turned to the young girl. "Hey, what’s your name? You’re pretty tough."

The girl had chin-length hair and was wearing a black down jacket. Her face was smudged with dirt from long days of fleeing. She looked the two of them over but didn't speak; instead, she tapped on the rear window of the cab as if she had discovered treasure. "Brother, this man is also an esper."

The man driving glanced at the rearview mirror but kept his eyes on the road, saying nothing. He seemed to be a man of few words.

Lin Xian’s expression tightened slightly. The girl’s use of the word "also" implied that one of them was already an esper.

"Lou Hua, and I’m Lou Shasha. My brother is a block of wood; he doesn't talk much," the girl said, hugging the grenade launcher as she leaned against the window frame.

Lin Xian offered a strained smile and said gratefully, "I’m Lin Xian, and this is..."

"I’m Kiki. Did you guys just arrive here too?"

Lou Shasha shook her head, her eyes fixed on the swirling fog. "We arrived the day before yesterday, but like everyone else, we’re trapped in this damn mist."

"What? You mean you can’t get out of this fog?" Kiki frowned immediately. "How can that be? Just because of that spider?"

"It’s not just that..." The girl curled her lip. "There are all kinds of monsters in this fog. All phones and radios are dead. And if someone dies, they turn into some kind of monster incredibly fast. It’s twisted."

Lin Xian asked, "You mentioned 'those people'—are there many others trapped here?"

Lou Shasha gestured in the direction the truck was heading. "There are at least a dozen convoys and hundreds of people trapped here, all gathered in the plaza over there. My brother and I were going to wait for daylight to try and break out, but then..."

Lin Xian’s expression darkened. The situation seemed far more serious than he had imagined.

"What kind of monsters are they, that so many people can't break through?"

"Who knows?" Lou Shasha shrugged helplessly. Though her voice was childish, her demeanor was remarkably mature. "The monsters in the fog seem to have telepathy. If everyone stays put, no monsters come. But the moment someone tries to run, they all swarm out from the fog at once..."

"That’s so strange," Kiki said, bewildered. "Don't they attack you after dark?"

"What does day or night matter?" Lou Shasha said dejectedly. "Besides, in two days, this place will enter a polar night. When that happens, we’re all done for..."

Lin Xian studied the siblings, his expression somber. If what Lou Shasha said was true, the fog was effectively indistinguishable from the night. The fact that the monsters didn't actively attack the survivors huddled together sounded like they were toying with their prey, which was chilling.

*Click, click.*

He pulled out his walkie-talkie and confirmed that there was no signal at all. Unable to reach Chen Sixuan, he could only hope that the professor was holding up well.

"So, what do we do?" Kiki sat down next to Lin Xian and pulled her jacket tighter; she looked exhausted after using her ability earlier.

"I don't know," Lin Xian said. He looked at Lou Shasha. "So, are you planning to head back to that plaza?"

Lou Shasha nodded. "We can't get out, so there’s no other choice." She looked at Kiki and asked, "Are you cold?"

Kiki’s eyes widened, and she nodded.

Without a word, Lou Shasha rummaged through a pile of luggage in the back of the truck and finally found a loose-fitting blue sweater, which she handed over. "Here, it’s the biggest one I have."

"Wow, thanks!" Kiki’s eyes lit up. She took it without hesitation, shed her baseball jacket, put on the sweater, and then pulled her jacket back on over it.

"I don't have pants that long, though," Lou Shasha said, casting a complex look at Kiki’s long legs, a gaze that clearly suggested, *I’m cold just looking at you.*

"That's okay, hee hee," Kiki laughed. "I’m much warmer now, thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Anything was better than nothing. Compared to the thin camisole she had been wearing, the thick sweater made Kiki feel much warmer.

The pickup truck wound its way around several wrecked cars and slowly entered a T-shaped plaza. The fog here had thinned out significantly. From a distance, Lin Xian could see many survivors' vehicles. In what looked like the town’s central square, dozens of specially modified vehicles were parked.

These vehicles were arranged in a circular formation, creating a simple defensive perimeter that included heavy trucks, various jeeps, and even armored vehicles and fuel tankers.

However, as the pickup entered the plaza, a dozen people brandishing firearms suddenly blocked their path. The sound of bullets being chambered rang out in unison, and dark muzzles were leveled at Lou Hua, who was driving, and the three people in the back.

"Who goes there?!" A middle-aged man with a scarred face and a sinister expression shouted in a hoarse voice.

"Living, breathing people!" Kiki stood up, put her hands on her hips, and shouted back.

Lin Xian stood up as well, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. Although their clothing varied, they all wore the same type of tactical body armor, suggesting they were part of an armed faction.

"Eagle."

At that moment, a tall, cold-faced young man stepped out from the fog behind them. He looked to be in his early thirties, wore polished military boots and handsome tactical gear. Despite the heavy fog, he wore sunglasses, which looked somewhat bizarre.

The young man removed his sunglasses, stepped forward, and looked toward the cab, saying coldly, "You two siblings again."

The young man’s name was Qian Yu, the leader of the "Black Flood Dragon" convoy, the largest group here. He commanded an armed team of former security personnel from his company. With over a hundred people and plenty of weaponry, he considered his group well-equipped and had brazenly appointed himself as the leader of the trapped survivors.

*Click.*

The pickup door opened, and a man as sturdy as a tower stepped out. Standing over two meters tall, his presence seemed to make the entire truck rise a few inches.

Lou Hua looked to be in his early thirties with a square, stoic face. Because he was a man of few words, he possessed an imposing aura that made the surrounding gunmen shrink back involuntarily.

"Hey!"

Lou Shasha, though short, stood up on the hood of the truck holding the grenade launcher and said bluntly, "We’re not part of your convoy, so what business is it of yours where we go?"