EDEH Chapter 34

Among those present, most survivors were deviant soldiers and a few community residents. There were many people in their vehicle, so when it slid into the crevice and they fell from the vehicle, many cushioned others, so casualties were not severe.

 

As for the driver, he did not survive. Among the supervisors, only Ran Zhen and Huo Yanji survived, but they used up the only two vials of red flower snake serum found so far.

 

The soldiers stepped forward, signaling the residents to retreat. The moment they saw the warning gesture, they all reached for the long daggers at their waists, ready to strike.

 

Bullets were useless against humanoid creatures. They had no vital spots and could not die. Only when torn apart would they dissolve into a puddle of liquid, slowly wriggling on the ground, waiting to merge again.

 

Huo Yanji propped himself up, holding the frail Sang Jue with one hand, slowly standing.

 

Ran Zhen looked at Huo Yanji’s leg wound; even the waterproof, anti-pollution bandage was stained red. He hesitated, “Sir, I can carry you—”

 

“No need.” Huo Yanji remained calm, placing Sang Jue behind a nearby rock and said coldly, “Ran Zhen, self-heating vest.”

 

Ran Zhen immediately took one from his backpack. “Here!”

 

“Wrap it around your calf. It will heat up quickly.” Huo Yanji’s eyes were always calm, reassuring. “You’ll be able to move soon.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Huo Yanji unzipped his jacket and asked, “Hungry?”

 

Sang Jue nodded, then shook his head.

 

He sniffed, catching the strong scent of blood on Huo Yanji, and tugged at the hem of his clothes. “Don’t go.”

 

Huo Yanji looked down at him. “I have to go.”

 

“You don’t have to. Wait for me three minutes. When I stand up, I’ll take care of them all—” Sang Jue thought for a moment, “Maybe two minutes will be enough.”

 

Huo Yanji’s eyes flickered, recalling the first meeting at the city gate in the pouring rain—Sang Jue, burning with fever and not yet deviant, had easily torn apart a humanoid creature that had already started polluting.

 

Shui Ming could do the same, provided his body maintained deviant strength and the humanoid creatures hadn’t started their polluting attack.

 

Sang Jue said seriously, “I’m very strong. Don’t you believe me?”

 

“I do.” Huo Yanji pulled at the edge of his clothes and subtly smiled. “I’ll hold out for two minutes first, then come save me when you’re ready.”

 

“Okay!” Sang Jue obediently nodded.

 

While observing the movements of the humanoid creatures, Shui Ming, whose ears were constantly alert, could only think, “Damn.” He finally understood why Colin had looked so worried and pained before.

 

Usually such a cold and indifferent person suddenly made an exception for someone, even subtly coaxing them without any intimate behavior, it would make people feel… a toothache, a really bad one.

 

Huo Yanji said coldly, “Ran Zhen, evacuate the residents. The rest, spread out and stay alert!”

 

He completely changed his expression, as if he had just finished coaxing a “child.”

 

Shui Ming whispered, “It seems they haven’t decided whether to attack us yet.”

 

Generally, if you encounter humanoid pollutants that haven’t transformed into humans alone in the wild, there’s not much danger. Corpses attract them far more than living people.

 

Only after they become human do they show obvious aggressive intent—at least, that’s the theory.

 

But research on humanoid pollutants is still too limited to understand their exact behavior.

 

The soldiers were also encountering so many pollutants for the first time. Seeing these monsters that looked humanoid but were not human standing not far away caused an indescribable panic and fear.

 

Several community residents covered their mouths in terror and kept retreating.

 

“…Is this their lair?”

 

Usually, the humanoid creatures seen in the wild were already in a ‘quasi-human’ state, and always alone. Even groups of two or three were never seen.

 

Shui Ming was at the very front edge of the cliff, just waiting for the order to attack.

 

But he looked back several times and only saw the general make a gesture to stop and stay alert in place.

 

Then he was shocked to find that when they didn’t move, the humanoid creatures also stopped in place, like puppets.

 

Then, Huo Yanji took a slight step backward.

 

The humanoid creature directly opposite him also strangely took a step back.

 

“…What’s going on?”

 

Time passed second by second, and everyone gradually felt chills down their spines.

 

A resident trembled and pointed out, “There are seventeen of them… and there are exactly seventeen of us.”

 

No more, no less, perfectly matching their number.

 

The most terrifying thing was that not only did their numbers match, but their limb movements and the direction their ‘faces’ faced were exactly the same, without any difference.

 

Shui Ming tentatively raised his left hand, and a second later, the slender humanoid monster opposite also raised its gray liquid arm.

 

His scalp instantly tingled.

 

Even more chilling was when Ran Zhen suddenly whispered, “We’re actually eighteen survivors now, not seventeen…”

 

Because Sang Jue had just joined them.

 

If the humanoid creatures matched their number, that could only mean…

 

The soldiers still maintained their composure, but the residents panicked: “Who isn’t human? Who is fake!?”

 

Those who had been huddled together immediately scattered, only Ah Qin remained, standing there blankly.

 

The monster that even General Huo Yanji couldn’t recognize must be extremely dangerous and terrifying. They could no longer trust anyone around them and were on full alert against everyone.

 

Only Sang Jue sniffled—damn these humanoid creatures for tricking them.

 

Seventeen had already appeared; would one more really be fatal!?

 

He’d rather wait for feeling to return to his legs so he could slaughter these stupid monsters all at once.

 

Angry.

 

Huo Yanji signaled everyone to maintain formation, then raised his knife and stepped forward.

 

With every step he took, the corresponding humanoid creature took the same step backward, maintaining the same posture. Despite having no facial features, it was as if they were silently staring at each other.

 

Shui Ming panicked: “General!”

 

Anyone here could be in danger, but not Huo Yanji. He represented not just himself but was a general of District One and the highest executive officer of the human supervisors.

 

If Huo Yanji died here, chaos would erupt in all the safe zones.

 

But Huo Yanji silenced him with a look, and Shui Ming understood—he must obey orders.

 

He took a deep breath and watched as Huo Yanji brushed past the humanoid creature beside him.

 

The creature had no reaction, still facing its corresponding human. It had no expression, which was even more chilling than having one.

 

Silence surrounded them. No one breathed heavily; breaths were faint, as if they could hear each other’s hearts pounding in their throats.

 

Huo Yanji didn’t walk in a straight line but traced a semicircle with his steps. The humanoid creature walked the other semicircle, until they stood face to face, ‘staring’ at each other.

 

At this moment, Huo Yanji faced the cliff, and the humanoid creature had its back to the cliff.

 

Suddenly, Shui Ming realized what the general was about to do.

 

Huo Yanji slowly and calmly began to retreat in the current direction.

 

The humanoid creature opposite him, like his twin, continuously changed, twisted, liquefied, flowed, and stretched. As the distance between them increased… it looked more and more like Huo Yanji.

 

It gradually grew to a height of 1.91 meters, with clearly defined fingers, a tall and upright figure, a slender neck… even the gray liquid on the outside of its left thigh stretched as if that part was severely injured.

 

Although it never had facial features, human flesh, or hair, no one doubted it was slowly becoming Huo Yanji step by step.

 

The soldiers’ hands holding knives trembled slightly.

 

Two thousand meters deep underground, in the dark and endless environment, with strange and incomprehensible humanoid matter.

 

Unlike the trembling fear of the others, Huo Yanji never wavered from beginning to end. With every step he took backward, the humanoid creature moved one step closer to the edge of the rift.

 

Until the humanoid creature stood at the edge of the cliff.

 

Huo Yanji took the final step.

 

The humanoid creature also stepped back without hesitation, like a resolute martyr, falling into the abyss without regret.

 

Someone gasped sharply, as if it was not the monster but Huo Yanji who had fallen.

 

Huo Yanji gave Shui Ming a glance.

 

Shui Ming immediately reacted and called out to the others: “Watch your positions, don’t bump into them!”

 

The soldiers imitated what they’d seen, and only the monsters corresponding to the residents remained unmoved.

 

It was as if they were performing a collective pantomime on a cold, atmosphere-less stage—a show with no beauty and almost no movement, ending with the burial of their human counterparts.

 

One after another, they toppled backward into the depths of the rift, falling in utter silence.

 

Ran Zhen let out a long sigh of relief. He didn’t understand it, but at least the crisis was resolved. Yet the general called out several times, and Shui Ming at his side didn’t respond.

 

He stared blankly at the spot where the humanoid creature corresponding to him had fallen, lost in thought, who knows about what.

 

Ran Zhen quickly reminded him, “Colonel! The general is calling you!”

 

Only then did Shui Ming snap out of it, turning to Huo Yanji. “…Here.”

 

“As a soldier, no matter what happens, wherever you are, you must always keep a firm mind,” Huo Yanji said, his voice a little cold. “Lead the team to find the base entrance and check for danger.”

 

“…Yes, sir.”

 

Huo Yanji added, “Ran Zhen, stay behind to guide the residents.”

 

Ran Zhen: “Understood!”

 

There were still five humanoid creatures corresponding to residents left unsolved.

 

Their mental fortitude wasn’t strong enough. A small, thin man’s legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground; the corresponding creature did the same, slowly slumping down, expressionless.

 

“Devil… only a devil could be so, so…”

 

Huo Yanji ignored his rambling and asked the others in a deep voice, “Do you know what to do now?”

 

Ah Qin nodded firmly.

 

The seventeen-year-old girl, who had just lost her father, was especially strong. Like all the soldiers before her, she quickly adjusted her position relative to the humanoid creature, until she was facing the cliff and the monster was facing the opposite way.

 

Huo Yanji walked to the edge of the rocks and met Sang Jue’s gaze.

 

It was obvious: only Sang Jue had no corresponding humanoid creature, only he didn’t need to do anything.

 

Sang Jue pressed his lips together, unable to think of a better explanation for a moment.

 

After a while, a cool voice sounded: “Looks like you don’t need to save me after all.”

 

“Because you’re too amazing,” Sang Jue decided to be a well-behaved praise machine.

 

But before he could finish relaxing, the resident who had collapsed in fear suddenly shouted, “He’s the only one without one, the only one… He’s not human! He’s a monster, he’s a devil!!”

 

Sang Jue: “…”

 

It felt like he was being insulted, but also not entirely inaccurately.

 

The man had completely broken down, fear overwhelming him. Suddenly, like a madman, he rushed forward, knife in hand.

 

Huo Yanji didn’t hesitate to draw his gun, the dark muzzle stopping the man in his tracks. “Whether someone is human isn’t decided by the number of those monsters, nor by you.”

 

The man did stop. Sang Jue saw the textbook definition of ‘fear’ on his face—maybe even a step further, to the point of being dazed with terror.

 

“It’s my fault… It’s the blood on my hands that brought the devil to me… I know what I have to do, I know what I have to do…”

 

He looked at Sang Jue with sorrow, backing away until his heel reached the edge of the cliff.

 

He fell backward, taking the place of the humanoid creature as he plunged into the depths.

 

Maybe he didn’t reach the bottom—the rift wasn’t vertical. Soon everyone heard a “bang,” as if he’d been smashed into pulp.

 

Ah Qin covered her mouth, her eyes instantly red.

 

Huo Yanji didn’t bat an eye and asked Sang Jue beside him, “Can you stand?”

 

Sang Jue nodded. His legs had mostly recovered from the stiffness. The self-heating vest really worked, though it seemed to be single-use—once activated, it only stayed warm for six hours.

 

He took Huo Yanji’s hand and stood up, his tail drooping behind him, still a bit confused by what had just happened.

 

He didn’t understand why that man had jumped.

 

The little dragon’s stomach rumbled.

 

Huo Yanji took a sandwich out of his pocket and handed it to Sang Jue. “Yours.”

 

Someone shouted angrily, “Isn’t your job to protect the residents? Why are you pointing a gun at us! So all that talk about life in the safe zone was a lie!?”

 

“Harry just said it—this boy is a monster, he’s a devil, that’s why the devils didn’t come for him…” a resident began to back away. “And this man has been bewitched by the devil, he won’t protect us…”

 

Ah Qin tried to persuade them, flustered, “Everyone, calm down! The general will protect us, you should do as he says! Sang Jue has been trapped here for a long time, his lower body is cold, he definitely needs warmth and food more than we do—”

 

The man roared, “Shut up!”

 

Huo Yanji watched coldly.

 

He still held Sang Jue’s hand as he said, “In the eyes of the army, the protection priority for our district’s residents is above that of the descendants of the Ruins’ rebels.”

 

“What right do you have to call us that!? We’ve never killed anyone!!”

 

“But you grew up drinking the ‘blood’ of the victims your fathers hunted.” Huo Yanji cruelly tore away their last shred of dignity, his voice icy. “If we’re talking about innocence, every one of those humanoid pollutants here is more innocent than you.”

 

Those young people who thought themselves blameless may have been struck by guilt, or maybe they were just scared; either way, they stammered for a long time, unable to speak.

 

Only Ah Qin felt genuine pain—she knew Huo Yanji was right. Before that exile named Bo Qing came to the community, their food and resources were bought with blood every day.

 

She’d already heard the truth about Bo Qing’s death from her father in the car.

 

Bo Qing had stumbled in by accident, thinking they were just ordinary wanderers. That’s why he stayed to teach them how to survive, how to farm, how to generate electricity… but in the end, he was stabbed in the back.

 

What did that young man—who had cared for them so much—feel, knowing the people he loved had once been executioners? What was the last thing he thought before he died?

 

Did he regret helping them?

 

Or did he wish he’d never been born in this hopeless world?

 

“You can leave on your own and find your way out,” Huo Yanji said, holding Sang Jue’s hand and walking toward the base without looking back. “Otherwise, you’ll have to follow my resource allocation.”

 

Sang Jue followed behind, his tail curling into a confused “?”

 

Huo Yanji hadn’t been like this before. It seemed that ever since the People’s Trial was mentioned, he’d been suppressing icy rage in the depths of his heart.

 

The remaining four humanoid creatures continued to follow the residents, making various emotionless movements, silent and taciturn.

 

Rather than monsters, they were more like alien beings imitating humans. They observed this farce without saying a word.

 

Sang Jue obediently held Huo Yanji’s hand, awkwardly tearing open the bag with one hand, biting into the sandwich as he asked, “Have you eaten?”

 

Huo Yanji hummed, “I have.”

 

**

---