novelraw Chapter 5 Wild Grass Camp
Chapter 5 Wild Grass Camp
Because they had to be wary of strange beasts and other dangers, and because Chen Huai was injured, the group did not walk very fast.
As the setting sun cast long, distorted shadows, they finally crossed a rocky slope and found themselves in a relatively sheltered ravine, where a rudimentary defensive structure appeared—a fence crudely made of sharpened wood and rusted metal sheets, with several figures holding simple weapons peering out from the entrance.
"We've arrived, sir! The Wild Grass Camp is just ahead!"
Old Lei said with a sigh of relief.
Chen Huai looked up and saw that it was less of a camp and more of a large cluster of survivors' shacks haphazardly gathered together by the terrain of the mountain valley.
The camp was surrounded by a ring of fortifications, with thick logs driven deep into the ground, interspersed with rusted car door panels, twisted steel bars, and even large chunks of concrete.
Several key locations were occupied by rickety wooden watchtowers, with figures of people vaguely visible on them.
At the entrance were two heavy wooden doors, bound together with countless wires and ropes, which were currently half-open.
Inside the camp, dozens of low shacks were crammed together haphazardly, made of a motley collection of materials—dirty and faded waterproof tarpaulins, patchwork animal hides, and dented metal plates—forming the main parts of the shelter from the wind and rain.
Something was simmering in the pot, emitting a strange smell.
Behind me lies a familiar reality from which I may never return.
Ahead lies a strange reality where survival is imperative...
Chen Huai took a deep breath and walked forward resolutely.
Their return immediately attracted attention.
When they realized it was Lao Lei and his group, along with a young stranger, a low murmur of discussion arose.
A middle-aged man, much more robust in build and bearing several old scars on his face, parted the crowd and strode over.
He had a metal machete tucked into his waistband, which was clearly much better maintained than those of the other refugees, making him seem like the leader of the group.
Upon seeing this, Chen Huai immediately threw a probe over.
[Target: Zhou Yan (Ordinary Human)]
[Occupation: Leader of Migrants]
[Level: LV1]
【Strength: 4】
[Physical Fitness: 3]
[Agility: 3]
【Spirit: 2】
Threat level: None
……
Upon seeing him, Old Lei immediately greeted him respectfully:
"Boss Zhou!"
Old Zhou's sharp gaze swept quickly over Chen Huai, pausing for a moment on the shocking wound on his back, before he looked at Old Lei and said in a low voice:
"What happened?"
He spoke with considerable authority.
Old Lei quickly stepped forward, his face still showing lingering fear:
"We encountered a cat demon in the forest!"
"What?!"
Zhou Laoda's pupils contracted, and the surrounding refugees instantly let out suppressed gasps and gasps.
"How did it get to the edge of the forest? How did you escape?"
Boss Zhou pressed for answers, glancing at Chen Huai as if he had realized something.
"They didn't escape!"
Lei Shi's voice became somewhat agitated. He stepped aside, making Chen Huai's presence more prominent.
"It was this superhuman who saved us! That cat demon was defeated by him!"
"Repel? The cat demon?"
Old Zhou put the two words together with some disbelief.
He knew all too well how terrifying that mutated cat demon was. It was a forest overlord that could wipe out even a large scavenging team. If a real fight broke out, even if their entire camp were to be mobilized, they would still be unable to withstand this beast. Yet, it had actually been repelled.
The refugees behind him erupted in uproar, their gazes toward Chen Huai instantly shifting from curiosity to shock.
"Absolutely true! All four of us saw it with our own eyes!"
Amu, standing next to Leishi, quickly chimed in, gesturing wildly to indicate the name:
"The cat demon pounced, and the master... just like that, they exchanged a few blows, and the cat demon, completely unable to defeat the master, retreated on its own!"
Their descriptions were vague, full of the imagination and exaggeration of the lower-class refugees regarding extraordinary power, but this only added to the mystery surrounding Chen Huai.
A superhuman capable of defeating a cat demon, or even just managing to hold their own against it, is a legendary figure in the struggling Wild Grass Camp.
Boss Zhou's expression turned serious.
To be honest, he didn't really believe in such things. He understood better than Lei Shi and other simple, fearful refugees what the cat demon lurking deep in the forest meant.
The beast was as fast as a ghost, and its claws and teeth were sharp enough to tear apart light armor plates.
Even in Falling Star City, those who can face and defeat this level of mutated beast alone are extremely rare, and all of them are experienced and seasoned superhumans.
But his eyes inadvertently swept over Chen Huai, whose face was too young and whose body, apart from the fresh laceration, showed no signs of long-term training or combat.
This appearance was far removed from the superhumans he remembered. Instead, it was more like the family scions he had glimpsed from afar in Falling Star City, those who had never experienced hardship, their eyes filled with an innocence that seemed out of place in the wasteland.
Although his heart was churning, his facial movements did not stop.
Zhou Yan took two steps forward and stopped about three steps in front of Chen Huai, a distance that showed both respect and a degree of wariness.
He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said:
"My lord, I am Zhou Yan, temporarily managing this camp. Thank you for your help."
He paused, his gaze falling on Chen Huai's wound:
"Sir, your injuries are quite serious. There is a lack of medical care and medicine in this wilderness, but there is some clean water and strips of cloth in the camp. If you don't mind, please allow me to arrange for someone to treat you and let you rest for a while."
He stepped aside to make way, keeping a low profile, but subtly maintaining a distance that allowed him to guide the way while also being able to react instantly.
Regardless of the other party's purpose, whether it's simply out of kindness to save someone, they are in an absolutely vulnerable position. They should try their best to appease the other party and then extract as much information as possible.
Zhou Yan thought this way, unaware that the other party had the same idea.
Chen Huai took in all of this.
He wasn't surprised.
A person who can be a leader in such a place would never completely believe a few excited words from his subordinates. It is normal for the other party to doubt his strength or question his motives.
However, this did not affect his plans. As the camp leader, Zhou Yan's attributes were indeed slightly stronger than Lao Lei and the others, but only slightly, and he did not pose a great threat to him.
He nodded slightly, his face expressionless, and uttered only two words:
Thank you for your trouble.
The voice was flat, yet carried a sense of detachment that seemed perfectly natural.
He knew that maintaining a certain degree of mystery and aloofness in this unfamiliar world was the most advantageous position for him at present.
Stepping into the wild grass campsite, the smell of smoke, sweat, and mildew became even stronger.
Chen Huai was led by Zhou Yan to a relatively tidy shack near the center of the camp. Inside the shack were dry grass and several rough tanned animal hides. In the corner were some metal tools and miscellaneous items in plastic bottles and jars.
This is Zhou Yan's own residence.
Chen Huai refused Zhou Yan's offer to arrange for him to be cleaned and bandaged.
"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious."
As he spoke, he stretched his shoulders, and in less than two hours, he felt that they were almost fully healed.
Zhou Yan's scrutiny deepened.
He could tell that Chen Huai's recovery speed was indeed extraordinary, and the injury did not seem fake.
He then dropped the matter of healing his wounds.
"Sir, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest for a bit. I'll have someone bring you some water and food."
Chen Huai did not rest immediately in the shack.
He walked to the doorway, leaned against the rough door frame, and calmly surveyed every corner of the camp.
The holes in the waterproof fabric were patched with crooked and messy stitches, clearly made by different people using threads of varying thicknesses or even plant fibers; the supporting wooden sticks were bent and straight, barely maintaining their load-bearing structure; the rust marks on the metal plate told the story of how time had eroded it.
As everyone sat around the campfire, some stared blankly at the flames, numb with no expectation for tomorrow; others gazed longingly at the food in the pot; and some, while talking in hushed tones, would unconsciously glance at the darkness outside the shed, their necks slightly hunched—a physical memory formed from living under constant threat.
"This place is so real, it doesn't feel like a game world at all."
As a seasoned game designer, Chen Huai was absolutely certain of this.
If this is truly the result of Gaia's evolution, then the underlying rules of its evolution are probably far from being entertainment.
From a game perspective, every illogical point here is perfectly logical from a survival perspective—it's an inefficient survival strategy that human groups adapt to under extreme resource constraints.
This doesn't seem like a product cobbled together by program errors; it's more like a real entity that has been operating on its own for a long time, possessing its own history and logic.
Something's up!
Suddenly, a faint sense of crisis came from the depths of my soul.
"Ah—! They're here again!!"
Almost the next second after he sensed it, terrified screams suddenly erupted from the edge of the camp, followed by more screams and a chaotic sound of metal clanging!
"Quick! Grab the weapons!"
"Plug that gap!"
"Be careful not to get bitten!"
The campsite was instantly disrupted by tense noise.
The women hurriedly pulled their children deeper into the shacks, while the men grabbed whatever they could use as weapons—rusty machetes, sharpened wooden spears, heavy stones—and rushed toward the scene of the riot.
Zhou Yan's voice came from outside the tent:
"Please have a seat, sir. Some troublesome fellows have arrived. Let's go and chase them away."
Let's go together.
Just as Zhou Yan finished speaking and was about to rush over, he discovered that Chen Huai, who had been standing in the tent, had somehow walked up to him without him noticing.