Before Lu Shiyan could answer, Jin Dongdong, who had recovered a bit, suddenly spoke, his voice still a little hoarse: "I think so."
He struggled to sit upright, took out the "Apocalypse Survival Handbook" from the backpack Lu Shiyan had given him earlier, flipped to a certain page, and pointed to the scribbled but clear drawings and text on it.
"It recorded a kind, a kind of energy symbiosis phenomenon here," Jin Dongdong organized his words. "Some powerful mutated creatures will condense special energy cores within themselves. This crystal core is one of them. And some ability users can acquire this energy core through special means, or directly absorb the energy dispersed by mutated creatures to rapidly enhance their strength."
He paused, looking towards the direction of the ruins that had already disappeared in the distance, deep in thought: "Under Black Wind Stronghold, I'm afraid it's the nest of that 'Corrupted Earth Worm'. Black Wolf kept it there to enhance his abilities."
"Very likely," Lu Shiyan took over. "That monster provides power to Black Wolf, and Black Wolf, in turn, needs to provide 'nourishment' to it."
When he mentioned the word "nourishment," his voice grew colder.
Su Wan instantly understood, and her stomach churned.
"He used living people?" She could barely imagine such a scene.
Lu Shiyan did not answer, but the cold silence was the best answer.
Connecting it to the missing people from Black Wind Stronghold and their cruel methods of treating captives, this conjecture was almost a foregone conclusion.
"These beasts!" Li Kui spat.
"That monster died, and the foundation of Black Wind Stronghold collapsed with it," Jin Dongdong mused. "There might be some deeper connection between them. Perhaps the monster's existence was key to maintaining some special underground structure of Black Wind Stronghold."
Lu Shiyan nodded slightly: "Black Wolf and the monster, they used each other and depended on each other. The monster provided him with the source of power, and he, in turn, provided the monster with shelter and food for survival. Now that the monster is dead, this balance is broken, and Black Wind Stronghold is naturally destroyed."
Xiao Han looked at the disheveled group, raising his eyebrows: "You guys were really lively in there. The commotion was deafening even a few kilometers away."
Lu Shiyan briefly explained what happened, focusing on the underground monster and the crystal core.
"Hiss, an underground giant monster, and it can produce top-tier mental-type crystal cores?" Xiao Han looked surprised.
A Mo remained silent, the muscles in his arms seemingly tensing up a bit.
"In any case, the tumor that was Black Wind Stronghold has been completely removed," Li Kui said with a sense of relief. "It's a pity about those people they harmed."
Lu Shiyan: "First, rest, treat wounds, and replenish energy. We'll decide after dawn."
A Mo applied medicine to Li Kui's arm. The corroding pain made sweat seep from his temples, but he gritted his teeth and made no sound. Xiao Han applied medicine to Jin Dongdong. Dongdong leaned against the off-road vehicle's tire, still very weak, sipping water in small sips.
Su Wan put the still unconscious Red Bean into her space. She stood up and stretched her somewhat stiff limbs.
"Hand," Lu Shiyan's voice came from behind her.
Su Wan turned around.
He pointed to the back of her left hand. A small abrasion was seeping blood, mixed with dust.
"Small injury," Su Wan tried to wipe it with her right hand.
He grabbed her wrist. The force was neither light nor heavy. With his other hand, he took out a cotton swab and antiseptic from the first-aid kit.
"Don't move," he lowered his head and cleaned the wound with the cotton swab. His movements were a bit clumsy. When the cotton swab wiped over it, Su Wan hissed.
Lu Shiyan paused, looked up at her, said nothing, but the force in his hand noticeably lightened.
Su Wan's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. The light was dim, his profile was distinct, and his expression was one she had never seen before—so serious. This concentration made her a little uncomfortable, and a strange emotion quietly spread in her heart.
"Will it leave a scar?" She made conversation, trying to break the slightly ambiguous silence.
Lu Shiyan didn't look up, his voice low: "Possibly. Scared?"
"A little bit," Su Wan answered honestly. In the apocalypse, beauty was the most useless thing, but what woman didn't cherish her skin?
His hand didn't stop. He quickly treated the wound, then took out a small piece of gauze and tape, carefully applying it. "Done."
Su Wan moved her wrist, looking at the small white square on the back of her hand, feeling a strange sensation.
Li Kui proactively checked the vehicles and organized supplies. Despite his injuries, his movements were still nimble.
Xiao Han and A Mo were responsible for vigilance.
Su Wan took out a small piece of chocolate from her space and handed it to Jin Dongdong: "Replenish some energy."
Jin Dongdong's eyes lit up. He took it and ate it in two or three bites.
After resting, the convoy set off again.
It was two days later when the fuel gauge was almost at the bottom. The off-road vehicle drove to a fork in the road.
"Wait!" Jin Dongdong suddenly shouted. He had been leaning out the passenger window, observing the road.
Lu Shiyan stepped on the brakes.
Jin Dongdong jumped out of the car, squatted on the ground, and carefully examined for a moment. He returned to the car, his voice a little tight: "Brother Lu, look at these tire tracks."
Everyone got out of the car. On the muddy dirt road, several clear and fresh tire marks were left behind.
"Heavy vehicles, at least three," Xiao Han, who often dealt with vehicles, knew at a glance. "The tire treads are military-grade, for off-road vehicles or armored vehicles."
Jin Dongdong nodded: "Exactly. The tire tracks are very neat, the spacing is almost identical. The drivers are skilled and well-disciplined. Most importantly, this direction is one of the main roads leading to Dawn Base. I suspect this is very likely an elite team from Dawn Base on a mission. Judging by the freshness of the tracks, they passed not long ago and should be returning to the base."
Lu Shiyan looked at Jin Dongdong: "Are you sure they're returning to Dawn Base?"
Jin Dongdong nodded: "Nine times out of ten. Beyond this road, there are almost no other large survivor strongholds besides Dawn Base."
Lu Shiyan made a decisive decision: "Follow them. If it really is a team from Dawn Base, following them can save a lot of trouble and get us there faster."
Su Wan did not object. She was willing to take the risk if it meant finding her father faster.
"Hold on tight!" Lu Shiyan turned the steering wheel, and the off-road vehicle accelerated, chasing along the fresh tire tracks.
The off-road vehicle sped along the bumpy dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust. After about half an hour of pursuit, a convoy consisting of three dark green military trucks and two modified off-road vehicles finally appeared on the horizon ahead.
"Caught up!" Xiao Han whistled. "They look like regular army, well-equipped."
Lu Shiyan slowed down, maintaining a not-too-far, not-too-close distance. The other party had obviously noticed them. Someone poked their head out of an off-road vehicle at the rear of the convoy and raised binoculars.
A moment later, the convoy ahead unexpectedly stopped. Several soldiers in uniform combat fatigues, fully armed, jumped out of the vehicles, quickly dispersed, and took up defensive positions.
"They don't seem to welcome us," Li Kui shrank his neck.
Lu Shiyan also stopped the car and gestured to Xiao Han and A Mo, signaling them to be vigilant.
From the leading vehicle of the other side, the most robust modified off-road vehicle, a tall young man stepped out.
He wore well-fitting combat fatigues and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a gentle and refined aura that seemed out of place with the rough style of this apocalypse.
The moment Su Wan clearly saw the man's face, her breath caught, and she froze in place.
