Chapter 31: Extreme Heat, Weasel Crocodile

Jiang Si was a little surprised by Qin Shen’s strong reaction.

Jiang Linhai froze on the spot. Jiang Si stepped forward to defuse the situation, handing the ointment to Qin Shen. "If you feel the wound getting itchy or uncomfortable, change the dressing right away. Don’t try to tough it out."

Qin Shen accepted with a nod, his tone polite yet distant. "Okay."

The sun rose to its zenith. They stayed at the edge of the cave entrance, like pieces of meat about to melt in the heatwave.

The Pillbugs squeezed into the deeper parts of the cave. The smaller ones couldn’t push through, and their backs split open.

The pain made the smell from their stink glands even more foul.

Niu Niu clutched her nose tightly and asked Lu Zhifeng, "Dad, can’t we find a way to get out of here? I’m going to die from the stench."

Everyone else felt like they were about to die from the stench, too.

But the Sun Day radiation was more terrifying than sulfuric acid. It could melt cars and steel. Going out meant certain death.

Lu Zhifeng opened his water bottle and moistened the towel on her little face before saying, "Just bear with it a little longer. We’ll be home soon."

Niu Niu, who was far more sensible than others her age, replied, "Mm."

Shen Baoying said, "It would be great if scientists could invent clothes that resist the Sun Day radiation."

Jiang Linhai laughed at her naivety. "Without electricity for mass production, even if a scientist did invent it, they’d probably only have the one suit on their back. How would it ever be our turn to get one?"

Hearing their words, Jiang Si was lost in a brief memory.

In her past life, when the second Sun Day occurred.

The Northern Base did indeed have clothing that protected against Sun Day radiation, but only the upper class could wear it.

Lower-class people like them, with no special skills, had to risk their lives just for a bite to eat. Just looking at the suits would earn them a vicious scolding.

The day stretched on for fifteen hours before it finally got dark.

The water everyone had openly carried was also gone.

As night fell, the spiders returned to the trees, eyeing them predatorily.

Jiang Si looked at Qin Shen, whose face was a little pale, and asked, "What are we going to use to lure out the Pillbugs now?"

Qin Shen pulled three potatoes from his clothes—food Jiang Si had given him earlier.

"These will do."

Surprise showed in Jiang Si’s eyes. She had thought he had a small appetite, not realizing he’d been saving one potato from each meal to lure out the Pillbugs.

If he had just said something, she would have given him more food.

Lu Zhifeng hoisted Niu Niu onto his back and secured her with a rope. "So how do we help you?"

Qin Shen stood at a corner of the cave entrance and said to everyone, "Just stand next to me."

Everyone moved to stand with him. Qin Shen cut the potatoes into small pieces and tossed them toward the Pillbugs.

The startled Pillbugs curled up together. After a moment of stillness, they extended their antennae as if sniffing the aroma of the potatoes. The Pillbug closest to the food tentatively coiled around a piece of potato and brought it to its mouth.

With that one bite, the entire swarm of Pillbugs received the signal that potatoes were delicious, and they began to squirm around, searching.

The terrifying sight, combined with Qin Shen’s movements as he scattered the potato pieces, looked a little... like feeding chickens.

Under Qin Shen’s guidance, the Pillbugs formed lines and slowly swarmed out of the cave, breaking through the fire line and brushing against the spiderwebs.

The spiders’ predatory instincts flared in an instant, and they moved quickly toward the Pillbugs.

The Pillbugs, who thought they could get tasty potatoes just by lining up and moving forward, were suddenly bitten fiercely by the spiders.

The swarm of spiders also spat out a large amount of silk, intending to wrap them all up and devour them.

Pillbugs are docile by nature, but even a cornered rabbit will bite.

Struggling to free themselves from the webs, they immediately launched a counterattack against the spiders.

Spiders could climb trees, but so could the Pillbugs, and they were even faster. The spiders were also bullies, preying on the weak and fearing the strong.

Seeing that the tables had turned and they couldn’t beat the Pillbugs, they shot silk in all directions and leaped away to escape.

Many of the Pillbugs died from the spider venom, and Niu Niu said with a bit of heartache, "They’re so pitiful."

They were just fine in the cave, and then they got killed by spiders just because they wanted a potato.

Lu Zhifeng sighed, thinking to himself: ’The Pillbugs aren’t the pitiful ones. We are.’

Outwardly, however, he placated Niu Niu, doing his best to preserve the last shred of her innocence in this apocalypse. "At least they got to eat potatoes," he said. "They can die without regrets."

Having driven away the spiders, the Pillbugs began to return to the cave in succession.

Everyone had been about to take the chance to leave, but from inside the now-empty cave came a loud SPLASH, as if something had leaped up. The sound startled the remaining Pillbugs, causing them to curl up in unison like tires.

Everyone exchanged shocked glances.

Just now, they had clearly heard the sound of water.

There was water in this cave!

’Does Qin Shen know?’

Everyone looked at Qin Shen. He shook his head. "The potatoes must have been tastier. This is the first time I’ve managed to lure out so many of the Pillbugs."

That explained it.

If Qin Shen had intended to hide the fact there was water here, he wouldn’t have brought them in the first place.

Water in the cave—this was a momentous, joyous discovery.

It was no wonder so many Pillbugs had gathered here.

Lu Zhifeng quickly asked Shen Baoying, "Do you have any more potatoes?"

To get to the water, they had to lure all the Pillbugs out of the cave.

Shen Baoying rummaged through her bundle, and the others did the same. "There are a few left."

Everyone looked to Qin Shen again, as he was the expert. "Is this enough?"

Qin Shen took the potatoes, his expression calm. "We’ll know if we try."

That was true. They had to try. If it wasn’t enough this time, at least they would know for next time.

This time, he didn’t throw the potatoes. Instead, he went to the side, picked up a fairly long branch, and held his hand out to Jiang Si naturally. "Rope."

Jiang Si took some out of her bag and handed it to him.

After tying a potato to the rope, Qin Shen held up the branch like a professional angler.

The Pillbugs obediently formed a line, their thousand legs moving in unison, craning their heads as Qin Shen led them out of the cave entrance.

Qin Shen looked back at them. "You all go get water. I’ll lead them a little farther away."

That was incredibly selfless of Qin Shen.

Jiang Linhai immediately puffed out his chest and declared, "Xiao Shen, you be careful now! We’ll get your share of the water for you."

Qin Shen nodded and left.

Jiang Si watched his retreating figure. ’If it weren’t for the terrifying swarm of Pillbugs trailing behind him, he’d look almost leisurely.’

The group quickly raised their torches, mustered their courage, and ventured deeper into the cave.

They rounded a bend, and... SPLASH!

Hearing the sound of splashing water, everyone felt a wave of cool relief wash over them in that instant.

Jiang Si, however, grew even more vigilant. ’There’s clearly a dangerous creature in this water. Only something leaping could make a splash that big.’

After walking another ten meters or so, a deep pool about the size of a well opening gradually came into view.

Niu Niu exclaimed excitedly, "Dad, there’s water! So much water!"

Everyone was overjoyed and started forward to get water.

Jiang Si blocked their path. "Throw a rock in first, just in case."

Everyone picked up rocks in unison and tossed them into the pool.

The instant the rocks hit the surface of the water...

A huge, ferocious, sharp-toothed monster of a fish leaped more than a meter into the air, appearing before their eyes.

In that instant, a chill ran down everyone’s spines.

’Is that a mutated Weasel Crocodile?’

’God, how could it be so big!’