Long Time No See
Ren Chenxi1 and the others didn’t have long to rest. Soon, the wolf pack launched its second attack. This time, the pack was faster and fiercer. It split into three groups: one wave charged the main door, another rushed the securely boarded-up window on the other side, and the last wave continued its assault on the window that already had a hole in it.
Each of the three waves was led by a 4th-order mutated wolf.
“Lu Ping2, guard the main door. Jian Dan3, Chang Ling4, Song Xin5, and Zhu Kang6, all of you guard the other window. The rest of you, help pass me crystals. Leave this window to us!”
The wolf pack was fast, but Ren Chenxi, who was constantly on alert, was not slow either. After giving her instructions, she threw out a flash card7. When it hit the lead wolf on the far-right flank, that wave of the pack came to a halt, just as expected.
The broken wooden planks were a nuisance, making it difficult for Ren Chenxi to throw larger chunks of crystal. While telling the students on her side to help remove the planks with tools, she reached out and threw her last two flash cards at the lead 4th-order mutated wolves of the other two waves as they entered her attack range8.
Two more bright flashes went off, and Ren Chenxi continued to throw greasy cards9 at the wolf pack. She made sure to avoid the 4th-order mutated wolves; the lower-tier mutated wolves had a 100% chance of secreting oil anyway, and the oil that flowed onto the ground could make others nearby slip as well!
Ren Chenxi threw out all seven greasy cards without a moment’s hesitation. After she was done, the planks on her side had been removed. She used an acceleration card10 on herself to increase her attack speed, then took a crystal formed from a chair leg. As she threw it, she shouted to Jian Dan and the others, “You guys take down the planks too and attack these mutated wolves directly!”
Jian Dan and the others knew the wolves’ blinding effect11 only lasted 20 seconds. Fortunately, as 3rd-order espers, their strength was already greater than that of ordinary people. After tearing down the planks in a few moves, they began to attack the wolf pack, which was cautiously retreating again.
In those 20 seconds, Ren Chenxi and the S University students by her side coordinated perfectly. They specifically handed her long, large pieces of crystal with both ends shattered. This time, with even greater force, Ren Chenxi used the crystals to quickly kill 17 mutated wolves. She didn’t just kill the ones near her window; she also took out the wolves by Jian Dan’s window and those charging the door. To make it easier to throw at the other two waves, Ren Chenxi even risked leaning out of the window to attack.
When the 20 seconds were up, Jian Dan’s group had also killed three mutated wolves. With that, the dense cluster of red dots12 on the mini-map13 was suddenly reduced to just thirteen scattered ones. Among them were the three 4th-order mutated wolves, four others whose eyes had been gouged out by Ren Chenxi and were now hanging back, and six more, two of which were covered in oil and couldn’t even get up from the ground.
As soon as the blinding effect on the mutated wolves wore off, the three leading 4th-order mutated wolves glared in unison at Ren Chenxi, who was still halfway out the window. She met their ferocious gazes and threw a crystal slab at a 3rd-order mutated wolf in the middle lane that hadn’t been affected by a greasy card. With a mournful howl, that wolf also fell.
Wolves are extremely vengeful by nature. Ren Chenxi had now completely maxed out their hatred.
ROAR—
After the furious roar, the three 4th-order mutated wolves charged at Ren Chenxi together. They were even faster than before. Ren Chenxi only had time to pull herself back inside and hastily use her last free card draw14 for the day before the three mutated wolves were within 10 meters of her. The one on the far right was less than 6 meters away.
The last card Ren Chenxi got from her lucky draw was a flash card. So, as the foremost mutated wolf roared and pounced, she instinctively threw the new card while a sharp dagger appeared in her other hand. She originally had four machetes from the group of human scum in her inventory, but during their rest, she had already given them to Lu Ping at the door and a few of the non-espers like Huo Keyu15.
A bright light flashed. This time, even Ren Chenxi herself was so blinded that her vision went completely white. Her eyes watered, and she couldn’t see a thing, even though she had instinctively closed them before throwing the card.
Oh well, blinded is blinded. At least those three 4th-order mutated wolves can’t see either, right?
As she thought this, Ren Chenxi turned her head and shouted toward Jian Dan, “Jian Dan! Zhu Kang! Come over here and attack!”
The moment she finished speaking, Ren Chenxi felt something rush toward her with a whoosh. She instinctively tilted her head to the right. A sharp pain shot through her left shoulder, and she felt herself being yanked out by an immense force, her toes scraping the ground as she was dragged a long distance. The mutated wolf wants to drag me into the encirclement of the remaining pack!
“Xi-jie16!”
The few people closest to Ren Chenxi were also blinded and had no idea what was happening. But Jian Dan and the others guarding the other window watched in horror as Ren Chenxi was dragged out of the window by a mutated wolf.
“Hiss—” Ren Chenxi gasped, raising the dagger in her right hand high and stabbing fiercely toward her left front, guided only by instinct.
I’m sure of it. All three mutated wolves should have been under the blinding effect. As for why I was bitten and dragged out… it’s because I spoke! This wolf must have located me by my voice and lunged to take a bite, even if it couldn’t see a thing! Tsk, I really did a great job of drawing all their hatred!
Shlick— Ren Chenxi’s stab struck something fleshy. Enduring the excruciating pain in her shoulder, she decided to be in for a penny and in for a pound17. She pulled the dagger out and stabbed viciously into the same spot several more times.
“AWOO—” A massive roar erupted next to her ear. The pressure on her shoulder suddenly released, and Ren Chenxi fell to the ground.
“Xi-jie, get back here, quickly!”
Jian Dan’s anxious voice came from behind her, while a nauseating, foul stench wafted from the front. Ren Chenxi pushed through the pain, swung her right hand again, and slashed forward. After feeling something tear, she ignored the agony in her left shoulder and used both hands to push herself up from the ground. Just as she was about to turn and run back to the house, several more angry wolf howls rang out from further behind.
Crap, there are still three lower-tier mutated wolves that weren’t hit by the greasy cards, and two blinded 4th-order mutated wolves!
Perhaps because her eyes were blinded, her other senses grew sharper. Ren Chenxi could clearly hear the main door of the house being opened, followed by the chaotic sound of running footsteps—some human, some beastly. Closer and closer… Heavy panting was right in front of her, but at the same time, a system notification seemed to sound. What was it telling her? That she was in a perilous situation, her life in danger? Wait… there also seemed to be a rumbling sound… That sound was…
A car engine???
The 20 seconds were up. Ren Chenxi blearily opened her eyes. Before she could get a clear look at the situation, another bright light shone on her.
It was the light from a car’s headlights. Facing the light, Ren Chenxi vaguely saw several long, snake-like things shoot out from the shadows. Immediately after, a series of shrill wolf howls erupted around her.
By the time Ren Chenxi’s eyes finally adjusted to the intense light, she was stunned to see a tall, slender figure walking toward her, backlit by the glare. In a daze, she felt as if she had returned to that nightmare. The same long, loose hair, the same vine whip18 in hand, the same way of walking. But what was different… was that the backlit woman before her lacked the grim, terrifying sense of oppression from the dream.
Maybe… in the nightmare, I was in gloomy darkness, facing the fear of having my heart gouged out. But now… I’m being saved from danger in a blaze of light?
And this woman who had saved her…
Ren Chenxi stared blankly at the woman standing before her, her expression complicated.
“Long time no see, Ren Muhui. I knew you weren’t dead~” The woman’s voice was gentle in a way Ren Chenxi had never heard, and her eyes burned with a fervor she had never seen.
Long time no see, Mu Ning19.
However, I’m not Ren Muhui anymore!
Ren Chenxi forced a stiff smile and blinked her still-sore eyes. She was about to act nonchalant, pretend it was their first meeting, offer a casual greeting, and then express her thanks, when Mu Ning suddenly raised a hand to touch her face. The movement startled Ren Chenxi, who flinched and reflexively tilted her head aside, avoiding Mu Ning’s touch. In that instant, Ren Chenxi saw a flash of disappointment in Mu Ning’s eyes, followed by… rage!
“You’re avoiding me? Ren Muhui!” Mu Ning’s voice returned to its former cold hardness, and her expression darkened. She stared straight at Ren Chenxi, speaking slowly and icily, “Of course. You pursued me just to prove your own charm, didn’t you? After tricking me with your sweet words and honeyed phrases, you thought you could just heartlessly dump me? No way20! Ren Muhui, I’m telling you, I don’t care if you genuinely liked me or were just trying to prove your own appeal. Since you’ve already provoked me, don’t even think about getting away!”
That vicious look made Ren Chenxi’s heart leap. Crap, how could I have forgotten that this wooden goddess had a 100% blackening value21! Is it too late to reveal my identity now?
“N-No, I’m not…” I’m not Ren Muhui! I never said any of that scumbag stuff!
However, Mu Ning gave Ren Chenxi no chance to explain herself. She grabbed Ren Chenxi by the collar and pulled her close. “Not what? Hmm? Don’t move. Look at you, so careless, your face is all dirty. Let me wipe it for you…”
Ren Chenxi was stunned by Mu Ning’s bizarre expressions, which shifted from vicious to gentle in an instant. At the same time, being pulled like that aggravated the wound on her shoulder. She tried her best to endure it, but when the cold touch reached her face, she couldn’t help but let out a hiss.
“Trying to dodge again?” Mu Ning’s eyes narrowed unhappily.
“N-No… I…”
As Ren Chenxi tried once more to explain her identity, several anxious shouts came from behind her.
“Xi-jie!”
“Xi-jie, are you okay?”
“Xi-jie, you scared me to death just now… Eh? And who is this beautiful lady?”
“Mu… Is that Mu-xuejie22?!”
Seizing the moment Mu Ning’s attention was diverted, Ren Chenxi finally managed to speak. “Excuse me, could you let me go first? I’m not Ren Muhui. I’m his younger sister, Ren Chenxi.”
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