Lin Xian jumped down from the locomotive, gripping the car plate tightly as he launched a counterattack against the giant spider.
He fired several wind cannon blasts in quick succession, but due to the distance, they only created faint vibrations upon hitting the shadowy figure in the dense fog.
At that moment, the spider's long legs struck again. Lin Xian’s eyes flashed as he quickly lunged in front of the young girl, raising an Ice Shield with a swift motion.
The spider’s leg pierced through the Ice Shield but was blocked in the process, its sharp tip stopping just inches away from the young girl’s face.
The girl stared wide-eyed, her breath quick and shallow from shock. Looking at Lin Xian, she exclaimed, “You’re an Ability User?!”
“Shasha, use this!” At that moment, the rear window of the driver's cabin slid open, revealing a rugged-looking man who handed over a grenade launcher. The girl, referred to as Shasha, took it without hesitation, expertly loading it, and fired directly at the giant spider.
The tremendous recoil sent the young girl staggering backward, and combined with the car's inertia, she plopped onto the ground.
“Good! Hit it while it’s down!”
KIKI stood up at this moment, gritting her teeth as she prepared to activate her ability. But Lin Xian grabbed her arm.
“No need!” he said firmly.
The giant spider let out a piercing screech after taking the grenade hit but quickly retreated into the dense fog, vanishing from sight.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Except for KIKI, who was visibly irritated, scanning around for the black shadow. When she confirmed it had disappeared, she turned to the little girl.
“Hey, what’s your name? Not bad with that launcher.”
The young girl, sporting ear-length short hair and wearing a black puffer jacket, had a face dirtied from long days of running. She sized up Lin Xian and KIKI without speaking before knocking on the rear cabin window like she had found treasure.
“Bro, this guy’s also an Ability User.”
The man driving cast a glance into the rearview mirror but said nothing, keeping his eyes on the road. He seemed the quiet type.
Lin Xian’s gaze sharpened. Also? Did that mean one of the two siblings was an Ability User too?
“I’m Lou Hua, and she’s Lou Shasha. My brother’s a bit of a blockhead and doesn’t talk much,” the girl introduced herself while hugging the grenade launcher and leaning against the rear cabin wall.
Lin Xian forced a smile and offered his thanks. “I’m Lin Xian, and this is...”
“I’m KIKI. You two just got here too?”
Lou Shasha shook her head, her eyes scanning the dense fog outside. “We’ve been stuck here since the day before yesterday. Just like the others, trapped in this cursed fog.”
“What? You’re saying the fog’s inescapable?” KIKI frowned immediately. “Why? Because of that spider just now?”
“That’s not all…” The little girl pouted. “There are all kinds of monsters in this fog. All phones and radios are useless. And when someone dies, they quickly turn into some kind of creature. It’s creepy as hell.”
Lin Xian asked, “You mentioned ‘others.’ Are there many people trapped here?”
Lou Shasha gestured in the direction the car was heading. “There are at least a dozen convoys and hundreds of people stuck here. My brother and I wanted to take a chance and escape during daylight, but...”
Hearing this, Lin Xian’s expression darkened. The situation seemed far more dire than he had imagined.
“What kind of monsters are keeping so many people from breaking out?”
“Who knows?” Lou Shasha shrugged, her voice youthful yet her demeanor unnervingly mature. “The creatures in the fog seem to have some kind of telepathy. If everyone stays still, they don’t attack. But the moment someone tries to escape, they swarm out of the fog all at once...”
“That’s so bizarre,” KIKI muttered in confusion. “Don’t they attack you at night?”
“What does it matter if it’s night or not?” Lou Shasha replied, clearly frustrated. “In two days, this whole area will enter Polar Night anyway. By then, we’re all done for.”
Lin Xian studied the siblings with a grave expression.
If what Lou Shasha said was true, the fog might as well already be a permanent night. And the monsters’ lack of aggression toward the survivors seemed almost like they were toying with them. The thought sent chills down his spine.
Lin Xian pulled out his walkie-talkie, only to find that there was no signal at all.
Unable to contact Chen Sixuan, he could only hope she could hold her ground.
“What do we do now?” KIKI sat down beside Lin Xian, tightening her jacket. She looked exhausted, her face pale from using her ability earlier.
“I don’t know,” Lin Xian replied, turning to Lou Shasha. “Are you heading back to that plaza then?”
Lou Shasha nodded. “Can’t get out, so there’s no other choice.” She glanced at KIKI and asked, “Are you cold?”
KIKI widened her eyes and nodded.
Without a word, Lou Shasha rummaged through the piles of luggage in the truck bed. After some searching, she found a slightly oversized blue sweater and handed it over. “Here, this is my biggest one.”
KIKI’s eyes lit up as she accepted it eagerly, taking off her baseball jacket and slipping the sweater on before putting her jacket back over it.
“I don’t have long pants, though,” Lou Shasha said with a complicated look at KIKI’s long legs, her expression almost saying, Just looking at you makes me feel cold.
KIKI laughed. “This is much better. Thanks!”
Having anything was better than nothing. Compared to her thin cropped tank top from earlier, the thick sweater made KIKI feel much warmer instantly.
The modified pickup truck weaved through wrecked cars as it made its way into a T-shaped plaza. The dense fog thinned noticeably here, and Lin Xian could see the vehicles of other survivors in the distance.
The area, resembling a small town’s central square, was packed with dozens of specially modified vehicles parked in a ring to form a makeshift defensive perimeter. The lineup included heavy trucks, various jeeps and off-road vehicles, and even armored cars and tankers.
But as the pickup entered the plaza, a group of over a dozen armed men suddenly emerged ahead, blocking the path. The sound of guns cocking filled the air as the dark barrels of their weapons pointed at Lou Hua, Lin Xian, and KIKI.
“Who are you?!” a middle-aged man with a scarred face and a hoarse voice shouted from among them.
“Living people!” KIKI stood up and placed her hands on her hips, shouting back confidently.
Lin Xian stood as well, his gaze sweeping over the group. Though their clothing varied, they all wore the same type of tactical bulletproof vests, indicating they were part of an organized armed team.
“Eagle,” a tall young man with a cold expression stepped out from the fog behind the group. He looked to be in his early thirties, wearing polished military boots and stylish tactical gear. The oddest thing, though, was his dark sunglasses, despite the thick fog.
The young man removed his sunglasses as he walked forward slowly, fixing his gaze on the driver’s seat. “It’s you two again.”
His name was Qian Yu, the leader of the largest convoy here, the Black Jiao Convoy. Backed by over a hundred armed personnel—many of them former employees of his security firm—Qian Yu had taken it upon himself to assume the role of leader among the stranded survivors, given his superior resources and equipment.
The pickup truck door opened, and a man as tall and solid as an iron tower stepped out. He was over two meters tall, and as he exited, Lin Xian felt the entire vehicle rise slightly.
Lou Hua, looking to be in his early thirties, had a square face and an intimidating aura that made it clear he was not to be trifled with. His presence caused the surrounding armed men to tense visibly.
The petite Lou Shasha climbed onto the truck hood, raising her grenade launcher as she glared at Qian Yu. “We’re not part of your convoy. What gives you the right to control where we go?”