Chapter 035: The Two Fugitives

Li Xiangyang and Zhao Ming had originally planned to set out the next day to hunt for solitary individuals. As the saying goes, when you worry about something, it comes right to you; when you’re sleepy, someone brings you a pillow. After savoring the benefits of being strengthened, they were utterly covetous of the mysterious gifts promised by the gods. So when they discovered another person entering this region—alone, no less—they were ecstatic, barely pausing to think. They immediately readied themselves and set off toward that person.

Whether they would win or lose didn’t even cross their minds. The game had only just begun; it was impossible for someone to be particularly powerful individually. Everyone had a fixed number of enhancements—why should this person be exceptional? As for weaponry, in their homeland, people generally only carried ordinary handguns. At this stage, numerical advantage was overwhelming.

On their way, Li Xiangyang and Zhao Ming noticed the other person hadn’t tried to escape. They wondered if the individual might be bait, perhaps part of a team. But when they checked the tracking map and expanded their search, they found no one else within tens of kilometers. Their worries melted away.

Seeing that the person didn’t flee, even as they approached, they guessed he must have just been strengthened and now fancied himself invincible, or was confident thanks to the terrain and his handgun, believing he could take on both of them at once. Maybe he was simply possessed by a mysterious self-assurance, waiting for them to come.

How naive, they thought. Still, Li Xiangyang and Zhao Ming didn’t let their guard down. They slowed their advance and, from within two kilometers, stuck close together, never splitting up. A person so confident might actually have something up his sleeve.

They were prepared: at the first sign of trouble, they’d make a swift escape. This cautious mindset was what ultimately saved them during the ensuing confrontation, allowing them to avoid being hunted on the spot.

Now, fleeing through the southern forests of BS City, Li Xiangyang and Zhao Ming recalled the events in the city, still shaken. Their adversary’s weapon had turned out to be a sniper rifle. They hadn’t even glimpsed the enemy; in a flash, both were incapacitated, grievously wounded, and near death.

Zhao Ming’s enhanced speed, coupled with their opportunities for complete recovery and healing, had enabled them to escape the sniper’s deadly pursuit.

If not for those chances at full recovery, no matter how many they had, they would have been doomed under the barrel of that sniper rifle.

They’d been running for over an hour now, yet hadn’t shaken off their pursuer. The tracking map showed the gap narrowing; soon they’d be caught.

After some discussion, Li Xiangyang and Zhao Ming decided to abandon their motorcycle and escape on foot into the treacherous mountains. They hoped the difficult terrain and perilous environment would give their pursuer pause, making him abandon the chase.

But their hopes were dashed—the tracking map revealed their adversary followed without hesitation, sticking to their trail.

By now, dusk was settling over the forest. The chorus of insects and frogs grew louder, and mosquitoes began to swarm.

“Uncle Li, that person just won’t let up. What should we do? We can’t keep running like this, especially with night falling. Who knows what beasts or bears might be lurking in these hills,” Zhao Ming asked, seeking advice from Li Xiangyang, while also reminding him of the dangers in the wilderness at night.

Zhao Ming hadn’t studied beyond high school; he was a small-time gangster who spent his days with idle friends, following a local boss, lacking any real initiative. Still, as a native, though his family lived in the city, he often heard tales of tigers and black bears roaming the uninhabited ridges of the Changbai Mountains.

There, tigers were called “great beasts,” and black bears “blind bears.” Attacks happened regularly.

Though Zhao Ming had undergone several enhancements and used full recovery treatments, making him stronger than the average person and armed with a handgun, he didn’t believe he could take on such ferocious animals in the mountains at night.

“Don’t worry, Zhao Ming. Judging by the map updates, though our pursuer keeps closing in, he’s still two or three kilometers away. We’ll keep heading deeper into the mountains. If he dares follow, we’ll ambush him at a dangerous spot and fight to the death,” Li Xiangyang replied, his brow furrowed, face grim, reflecting momentarily before speaking with a fierce expression.

Li Xiangyang was a contractor, once a thug who ran with the underworld, possessing a ruthless streak unknown to ordinary folk.

He now hated their relentless pursuer, but dared not stop and fight. The man had a sniper rifle—and possibly other powerful firearms.

From their brief encounter, it was clear their adversary had military training, perhaps was even an active soldier, skilled with weapons—otherwise, how would he have acquired such firepower?

Unless absolutely necessary, Li Xiangyang was determined to avoid confrontation.

“Damn it! How could I be so unlucky, running into such a tough opponent right from the start?” Li Xiangyang cursed inwardly, blaming his own misfortune.

After a long chase, half an hour had passed.

Zhao Ming, who had just scrambled over a massive boulder, was gasping for breath. His first enhancement had been for speed; although he’d also improved his stamina, it was only slightly above average for an adult male, still within normal range. After fleeing for so long, his energy was nearly spent, and his legs felt heavy as lead.

The deeper into the mountains they went, the less the terrain resembled anything navigable. It was all primeval forest, thick with thorns and ravines. If not for his superior speed, he would have been unable to continue.

As night fell and visibility grew poor, the path ahead became even more arduous.

“Uncle Li, the map just updated—the guy is much closer now, less than a kilometer away. He’ll catch up any minute,” Zhao Ming said anxiously, glancing at the virtual map.

“Damn it! Looks like he’s truly determined to hunt us down. Fine, we’ll set an ambush at a dangerous spot ahead. I want to see how, even with all his skill, he’ll manage to take our lives so easily in this terrain. Hmph, if he wants my life, he’d better be ready to risk his own!” Li Xiangyang replied, breathing heavily, his eyes flashing with cold resolve.

Though tired, Li Xiangyang was in better shape than Zhao Ming. His background as a foreman meant he already had solid stamina, and he’d undergone more enhancements than Zhao Ming, making him much stronger.

His stamina—recovery and resilience—now surpassed even soldiers rigorously trained before the apocalypse.

If not for Zhao Ming’s enhanced speed and marksmanship, Li Xiangyang would have abandoned him, fleeing alone.

Zhao Ming nodded in agreement, his expression weary. He was truly exhausted; if he hadn’t saved his last full recovery treatment for emergencies, he’d have used it already. He remembered well the feeling from an hour ago—after using the treatment, he felt utterly transformed.

Two minutes later, at a dangerous spot in the mountains.

Li Xiangyang and Zhao Ming quickly familiarized themselves with their surroundings and chose a defensible position, their backs to a massive rock. They drank water and ate to regain their strength, remaining silent.

Their location was a high ground; behind the rock, two or three meters lower, lay the path they had taken. From here, they could see a wide swath of the area from which they had come.