14: Chapter 14 Before Departure

These rays of light could not pierce the thick layer of strange fog; they could only form a small, hazy halo around the headlights, illuminating the withered, blackened weeds and scattered gravel on the ground, while making the surrounding churning gray fog appear like clawing, grasping ghosts, ready to pounce at any moment.

In the open space, the excitement that had just been stirred up by the news about fuel gradually settled into steady determination. No one spoke unnecessarily; everyone knew that tomorrow's journey to the Northwest Gas Station was destined to be a tough battle that would wager the survival of the entire team.

The wind was colder than at dusk, carrying the unique, rotten, fishy dampness of the strange fog. It scraped against faces with a bone-chilling cold, drilling into collars and making people shudder uncontrollably.

The eerie roars in the distance were no longer vague, muffled sounds; they became increasingly clear and shrill, occasionally mixed with strange whispers and the harsh, grating sound of objects being dragged, as if countless unknown dangers were slowly prowling around the Caravan under the cover of the night fog.

Even with the green aura emitted by the Lost Scarecrow shielding them from the nearby strange fog's aura, those rising and falling strange noises remained like a taut string, tightly gripping everyone's hearts, and no one dared to slack off in the slightest.

Captain Wang Xuan arranged the night watch, dividing the young and strong Dependents with better physical fitness and quick reactions into four groups of two. Each group was stationed around the open space and at the front and back of the Caravan, rotating every half hour. Once any abnormal movement was detected in the fog, they were to issue a warning immediately.

He himself took the initiative to take on the first shift of night watch, gripping a polished mountain-cutting blade as he stood on the outer edge of the Caravan, scanning the fog with vigilant eyes. His aura was steady, giving everyone behind him a sense of security.

The elderly, women, and children among the Dependents crowded into the school bus, using the worn-out quilts and tarpaulins they had brought to simply set up a place to rest. They dared not make a sound, only huddled in the corners, silently closing their eyes to rest and conserving their energy as much as possible so as not to add trouble to the Caravan.

These Dependents had no combat ability. In this crisis-ridden apocalypse night, being able to rest quietly without holding back the core team members was all they could do.

Wu Ran leaned against his modified off-road vehicle, his back against the cold, hard body of the car, trying to use this coolness to calm the churning blood and energy in his body.

The deficiency of vital essence caused by the previous contract with the Straw Man had not dissipated with the short rest. His limbs still felt soft and weak, and his head occasionally felt dizzy. He raised his hand to gently press and rub his temples; the cool sensation from his fingertips made him feel a little more awake.

On the roof of the car, the Lost Scarecrow maintained its cross-like standing posture, its straw stems tightly entwined with the steel frame of the roof without any loosening. A continuous stream of soft green aura radiated from it, forming an invisible barrier that protected the entire off-road vehicle in the center.

He lowered his head to look at his palms; his originally warm hands were now somewhat cold, and his fingertips even had a faint paleness. Fighting with various strange entities in the eerie village had already consumed a lot of his energy, and combined with the vital essence consumed by the Enchanting of the Lost Scarecrow, his body had already reached its limit.

Wu Ran knew in his heart that the current weakness was only temporary, but if he encountered high-intensity combat later without enough blood and energy to support him, let alone using his spirit-pointing abilities, he was afraid he wouldn't even be able to protect himself.

"Coo, coo."

Two soft calls came from his side. The Golden Egg Treasure Chicken flapped its slightly plump wings and walked to his feet, gently rubbing against his pant leg with its warm head. Its eyes were gentle, carrying a hint of worry.

Little Claw, the Terror Claw Golden Chicken, stood on a higher stone, its sharp golden pupils vigilantly staring at the surrounding fog. Its sharp beak was slightly pursed, and its sharp claws gripped the stone, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Wu Ran bent down, gently stroked the feathers of the Golden Egg Treasure Chicken, and then raised his hand to pat Little Claw's back, his voice softened with Soothing: "I'm fine. You should rest too and get your energy up; we have to continue our journey tomorrow."

The two spirit birds seemed to understand his words. The Golden Egg Treasure Chicken obediently squatted by his feet, curled up, and closed its eyes to rest, while Little Claw remained on the stone, acting as a temporary lookout. Spirit birds had a much keener perception of danger than humans. With them by his side, Wu Ran could feel a little more at ease.

He turned to look at the supplies he had packed, took out a small piece of the scarce energy-replenishing dry rations, and slowly chewed and swallowed it. This little bit of dry rations could only slightly alleviate his hunger and was a drop in the bucket for recovering his blood and energy, but it could at least keep him from being too weak.

On the other side, Professor Qian Weiguo was using the light from the emergency lamp, squatting on the ground, and using a withered branch to sketch a simple map on the mud. He accurately marked the location of the Northwest Gas Station, which Xue Xing had mentioned, thirty miles away, on the map, and also drew out the current position of the Caravan and the potential terrain obstacles in the surrounding area, his brows locked, carefully analyzing the route for tomorrow.

"Heading northwest from here, the route is all wild wasteland, with no established roads. The fog is thick, visibility is poor, and the vehicles can't travel fast. The thirty-mile journey will take at least two hours." Professor Qian Weiguo pushed up his worn Glasses and analyzed in a low voice to Captain Wang Xuan and Xue Xing, who had gathered around, "Moreover, there are likely pits, ditches, and possibly lurking low-level strange entities hidden in the wasteland. We must be extra careful when moving. Once a vehicle gets stuck in a pit, emergency repairs in the fog will be extremely dangerous."

Xue Xing squatted to the side, his fingertips still gently pinching a seal, continuously sensing the aura in the northwest direction. He nodded in agreement upon hearing this: "Professor Qian is right. The fog over there is even thicker than it is here. My Stargazer ability can barely lock onto the direction, but I can't detect the dangers along the way at all. Furthermore, although the scent of fuel is rich, there seems to be a faint, elusive aura of strangeness mixed in. It's just very faint, and I can't tell if it's ordinary strange entities or something else."

Captain Wang Xuan stared at the simple map on the ground, his expression grave. He tapped his fingertips on the map, repeatedly considering the travel plan. The Caravan's vehicles were already old and couldn't withstand the bumps, and with the fuel running low, they didn't dare to waste any. If they encountered attacks from strange entities along the way, having to fight while on the move would place immense pressure on them. But even if the road ahead was full of dangers, they had no way back. Without fuel, the Caravan would be unable to move and would sooner or later be completely swallowed by the ever-spreading strange fog.

"Tomorrow morning, Wu Ran's off-road vehicle will take the lead. The Straw Man can drive away the fog and block the strange entities, making it the most suitable for clearing the path." Captain Wang Xuan quickly finalized the plan, his voice low but clear. "The school bus will follow in the middle to protect the elderly and children among the Dependents. The rest of the vehicles will bring up the rear. Maintain the distance between vehicles, slow down, and prioritize safety above all else. Those on night watch, work hard and pay more attention to the surroundings to ensure everyone can rest steadily at night and get enough energy."

Professor Qian Weiguo and Xue Xing nodded one after another; this plan was the most prudent choice at the moment. Subsequently, the two carefully verified the map's orientation, and after confirming it was correct, they each found a place to rest and recuperate to prepare for tomorrow.

Li Wei led the Dependents, taking tools to carefully check the condition of every vehicle. The wear on the tires, the remaining fuel in the tanks, and whether the defensive railings of the vehicles were secure—not a single detail was missed. They used the wire and wooden boards they had brought with them to reinforce the loose defensive railings, simply patched the worn tires, and wiped and polished their respective weapons—machetes, steel pipes, short blades, etc.—wiping away the stains and blood on them to make the blades sharper.

In this apocalypse, a handy weapon was the foundation of survival, and no one would treat it carelessly. Everyone was busy in silence, their movements skillful and rapid. In the open space, there were only the faint sounds of tools colliding and weapons being polished. Everyone was making the most thorough preparations for tomorrow's trip to the Gas Station.

Wu Ran looked at the Caravan, where everyone was fulfilling their duties in an orderly manner, and was slightly moved. In this apocalypse of strange fog, where human hearts were cold and thin, the Pashanhu Convoy huddled together for warmth and worked together to survive. This cohesion was far more precious than supplies and spirit items. He slowly closed his eyes, circulating the remaining energy in his body, trying to adjust his breathing and rest, striving to restore his body to a better state. For tomorrow's journey, as the core combat force of the Caravan, he absolutely could not fail.

The night grew deeper, the fog grew thicker, and the eerie roars in the distance never ceased. From time to time, a few vague black shadows flashed by outside the fog, but they were all blocked outside by the green aura of the Straw Man and dared not approach. The team members on night watch did not dare to be distracted for a moment, gripping their weapons tightly and staring fixedly into the fog. Even when rotating shifts, they only gave low-voiced instructions, maintaining a high level of vigilance throughout.

The sparse emergency lights flickered in the night fog, illuminating a small, safe world. The members of the Caravan, in their exhaustion and vigilance, gradually entered a light sleep. Everyone knew in their hearts that after dawn, a journey concerning life and death awaited them.

In his half-asleep, half-awake state, Wu Ran could clearly feel the gentle spiritual power from the Straw Man on the roof, could also perceive the warmth of the Golden Egg Treasure Chicken beside his feet, and the occasional vigilant chirping from Little Claw. He never slept deeply, maintaining a sliver of consciousness, ready to deal with sudden dangers at any time. The blood and energy in his body were slowly recovering; although the speed was slow, it allowed his strength to gradually return.

I don't know how much time passed, but a faint fish-belly white finally appeared on the horizon. However, that bit of light was still blocked by the thick gray fog, and the world remained dim, only the bone-chilling cold of the night had faded slightly.

When the first ray of morning light tried to pierce through the fog layer, Captain Wang Xuan got up and woke the resting team members one by one. There was no extra urging; everyone got up tacitly, packed their gear simply, ate a few bites of dry rations to pad their stomachs, checked their own equipment, and quickly lined up to assemble.

Everyone's face carried exhaustion, but there was no flinching. They looked at Captain Wang Xuan with determined eyes, waiting for the order to set off.

Wu Ran also stood up, patted the dust off his body, and moved his slightly stiff limbs. After a night of rest, the feeling of weakness had mostly faded, and his spirit had also been boosted quite a bit.

Captain Wang Xuan stood at the front of the Caravan, his eyes sweeping over every team member ready to set off. He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice, his voice piercing through the morning fog and falling clearly into everyone's ears: "Inspection complete. Everyone, set off! Target: Northwest Gas Station, thirty miles away. Maintain formation and proceed with caution!"