Read Novel Full Chapter 558: Encounter with Savages
Chapter 558: Encounter with Savages
The four of them worked together, and since they were all in decent shape and didn’t slack off, they made good progress. The only issue was that the Fire Seed Container was huge, so it took a lot of time to dig it out.
However, with the wasteland losing moisture, Jiang Ning took full advantage of her space.
She temporarily stored the loosened soil in her space, which significantly boosted their efficiency.
But they celebrated too soon. They hadn’t dug very deep when they hit a layer of rock.
The Fire Seed Container was wedged between the stones, and there were a lot of them, pressing tightly against the box. Digging it out wouldn’t be easy.
Jiang Ning switched tools, taking out four steel rods with pointed tips, just right for prying the rocks loose.
As long as they could loosen and remove them, they could make progress, but it was still a slow process.
By the end of the day, they had barely pried away a third of the rocks and were completely exhausted.
There was no other choice. They had to set up a tent and rest for the night.
Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen took the first watch, while Xu Kaitai and Huang Mao covered the second half.
The night passed uneventfully, and the first pair quickly fell asleep after their shift.
In the latter half of the night, the tent was quietly tapped twice.
Huo Yishen was a light sleeper and immediately sat up.
Xu Kaitai lowered his voice, “Something’s up.”
Jiang Ning flipped over, quickly putting on her night-vision goggles and handing a pair to Xu Kaitai and Huang Mao.
In the pitch-black night, shadows crept closer.
Not just one or two, but a whole group—each carrying weapons.
The four of them exchanged hand signals. They left the tent in place and quietly split up—Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen hid behind the Fire Seed Container, while Xu Kaitai and Huang Mao circled around from the sides.
Jiang Ning pulled out a mini recorder and tossed it inside the tent. Instantly, the sound of snoring filled the air.
The group of intruders crept closer, surrounding the tent.
Then, in an instant, they lifted the tent and started stabbing and swinging wildly inside.
A string of garbled words followed, as if they were cursing.
Hmm… definitely not one of their own.
Jiang Ning was relieved. She immediately opened fire with a machine gun.
Screams rang out.
Some of the intruders panicked and turned to flee—only to be gunned down from behind.
With ample bullets and night-vision goggles, Jiang Ning didn’t stop firing until no figures remained standing.
They ceased fire but didn’t rush out immediately.
The four of them stayed on alert, maintaining their positions for another half an hour before finally stepping out.
They fired simultaneously from both directions, shredding the tent and leaving bodies scattered across the ground.
The ground was littered with corpses—dark-skinned, red-skinned, pale-skinned—a chaotic mix.
Some weren’t fatally wounded and were still breathing faintly.
Jiang Ning was merciful enough to put them out of their misery.
After that commotion, none of them could sleep anymore. One stood guard while the other three resumed digging.
They had taken down over twenty people, but there was no telling if a larger group was nearby.
It wasn’t safe to stay here long, so they worked at full speed.
Any loosened rocks were immediately stored in Jiang Ning’s space.
By sunrise, they were drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
Jiang Ning took out some steamed buns and porridge, and the four of them sat down to eat.
For her, it was just a normal breakfast. But for Xu Kaitai and Huang Mao, it had been a long time since they’d had steamed buns with a rich milky aroma.
The porridge was also thick and glutinous, accompanied by crisp, pickled vegetables.
For some reason, they suddenly felt like crying.
How pathetic.
After filling their stomachs, they got back to work.
They dug tirelessly and finally reached the halfway point—only to spot a horde of savages rushing toward them from a distance.
Barely clothed, their sun-darkened skin gleamed as they brandished wooden clubs and charged.
At least two or three hundred of them, with about a dozen carrying guns.
Whether they had bullets was uncertain.
Four against two or three hundred?
If it were just Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen, they could probably go all out with explosives and heavy firepower.
Surviving until now hasn’t been easy for anyone.
As long as no one pushed her to the brink, Jiang Ning was willing to leave others a way out. Besides, she didn’t want to show off her extraordinary skills in front of the team.
Seeing the crowd a few hundred meters away, Xu Kaitai and Huang Mao grew anxious.
Even if they weren’t afraid of dying, they couldn’t afford to waste bullets—they were irreplaceable supplies.
They had already dug through more than half, and with another half a day, they estimated they could loosen it completely.
Damn it, why did they have to show up at such a critical moment?
The two were unwilling to give up. This was a Fire Seed Container painstakingly developed by the Southern Mlitary Base. How could they let it fall into enemy hands?
They dug desperately, using every ounce of strength to pry it out.
Jiang Ning jumped down from the lookout point and attempted to store the container.
However, despite expending a great deal of energy, she couldn’t collect it. Still, she could feel it loosening.
A second attempt.
A third attempt.
The savages were getting closer. Jiang Ning gritted her teeth and exerted one last burst of strength—the Fire Seed Container vanished into thin air.
She had used too much force and lost her balance, stumbling back.
Huo Yishen quickly caught her.
Huang Mao ran to start the helicopter. “Hurry!”
Supporting Jiang Ning between them, they rushed toward the aircraft.
The savages clearly recognized the helicopter and picked up their pace, some even firing as they ran.
Just as they were about to reach them, the rotor blades roared to life. The three scrambled aboard.
One of the leading savages lunged, grabbing onto the landing gear and hanging in midair, trying to climb up and seize the aircraft.
Without hesitation, Xu Kaitai kicked the man clinging to the cabin door, sending him tumbling down.
Before they could breathe, another pair of hands suddenly grabbed onto the doorway.
They were willing to risk everything to take the helicopter!
Huo Yishen shoved the door hard, slamming it shut and crushing their fingers.
Screams rang out as blood splattered. Those who had been clinging on lost their grip and plunged to the ground, landing with a sickening crunch.
A mangled mess.
The savages refused to give up, raising their guns and firing continuously.
Bullets whizzed past the helicopter, narrowly missing the fuel tank.
Huang Mao remained steady, and the aircraft rapidly ascended, leaving the attackers behind.
That was close. If it weren’t for Jiang Ning’s “ability,” they might not have made it out alive.
Not just anyone could survive in this line of work.
Only when they were out of range did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
Jiang Ning glanced down, seeing a dense crowd of hundreds still gathered below. Even though the helicopter had left, they didn’t disperse.
Some stood at the edge of the giant pit, murmuring among themselves, while others dragged away the bodies of those who had died the night before.
Dragged away— not buried them.
Huo Yishen turned her away from the scene and asked with concern, “Are you feeling okay?”
It wasn’t as bad as the pressure at the bottom of the sea. Her body didn’t feel as strained this time.
Still, Jiang Ning popped a candy into her mouth to replenish her energy.
Thinking back to the danger they had just escaped; everyone felt a chill. That group had swarmed them like an endless stream of ants.
As the land continued to rise, most survivors had already made it ashore, all searching for ways to secure resources for survival.
With no laws and society in chaos, morality had long ceased to exist.
Finding another Fire Seed Container wouldn’t be easy.
But the base needed to grow, and these resources were indispensable.
Halfway through the flight, fierce winds suddenly raged over the ocean. The sky on one side turned dark unnaturally fast.
Thick clouds rolled in, swallowing the sunlight layer by layer, leaving only scattered rays peeking through the gaps.
The clouds kept surging, and as the last traces of sunlight disappeared, lightning crackled within the storm. Purple and blue flashes flickered through the sky, growing stronger by the second.