Wasteland Hideout: Upgrading from the Sewers

Chapter 86: Ambushing the Scavengers, Subway Tunnel Communication Passage

District 15. Yu Yuan arrived at the closest intersection to Lüsong Station, uncovered the sewer entrance, and slipped into the subway station.

The deeper he went into the subway station, the darker it became. Yu Yuan did not turn on his flashlight, relying instead on Dim Light Vision to feel his way along the path.

Although this was his first time here, perhaps because of the Neighborhood Rat title’s effect, he felt a strange familiarity.

The virtual map unfolded before him, and Yu Yuan studied the street routes shown on it.

“The tunnel between Lüsong Station and Songmu Station, this must be it,” he thought as he stared into the yawning darkness of the tunnel.

Based on the interrogation of that scavenger earlier, their scavenger group wasn’t small—originally over twenty people.

But that Giant Mutant Rat ate seven or eight of them, leaving only seventeen or eighteen. Subtract the six Yu Yuan already dealt with, and there would now be only eleven or twelve scavengers left in the shelter.

Yu Yuan wasn’t bothered by that number. Among those scavengers, only their leader owned a gun, and it was a revolver.

As he drew closer, Yu Yuan’s movements grew more cautious and careful. Every step he took, he examined the ground, making sure not to step on anything or trigger a trap that would make a loud noise.

Sure enough, just as he prepared to take the next step, he froze.His foot hung in the air, then slowly withdrew.

He crouched down and reached forward with his right hand. A taut thin wire was strung about ten centimeters above the ground.

That wire was connected to a bottle propped up in the corner.

It was easy to imagine: step on that bottle and, pulled by the wire, it would clang loudly against the ground and immediately reveal his presence.

Having confirmed the warning trap, Yu Yuan became even more deliberate and careful.

There was a trap every few steps; obviously these scavengers had been terrified by the Giant Mutant Rat and were far more cautious than any scavengers Yu Yuan had encountered before.

Just as he stepped over the seventh trap, a very faint yawn came from not far ahead.

Yu Yuan looked toward that spot, but saw no figure.

After a moment’s thought, he moved closer slowly.

As the distance shrank, breathing drifted into his ears.

“Hidden behind some cover! One person,” Yu Yuan deduced, viewing the slightly blurred tunnel ahead.

Very close, no more than two meters.

He slowed his breathing, a dagger appeared in his right hand, and each step forward was slower and more careful.

“Sigh... When will Allen and the others be back?”

A barely audible mutter came from behind a protrusion in the wall. Yu Yuan’s eyes flashed with ferocity.

He stepped out in a single swift motion and was already right in front of the man. The scavenger was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, resting, completely unaware that someone had approached, only feeling a breeze brush his cheek.

Before the scavenger could react, Yu Yuan’s left hand clamped over his mouth and nose, pinning him to the tunnel wall. With his dagger aimed at the chest, he stabbed hard, then twisted left and right.

Ugh...

A muffled half-sound from the throat was sealed in; it couldn’t escape. Within seconds, the scavenger’s slight twitching stilled into silence.

Yu Yuan kept his position, holding steady. Only after more than ten seconds did he slowly lower the body to the ground, withdraw the dagger, wipe the blade clean on the man’s clothes, and continue forward.

This scavenger was probably the last outpost of their sentry line; beyond him there were no more guard traps.

After only a dozen or so meters, Yu Yuan found a closed iron door and felt along the wall and the door for what looked like axe and knife marks.

He opened the virtual map. Lacking a detailed subway tunnel layout, he could only use the district map to approximate his position.

Yu Yuan figured this must be the shelter mentioned in the newspapers.

He checked the other side of the tunnel again and found no other sentries, only a few assembled traps.

He was basically certain the remaining scavengers were behind this iron door.

“There should be about ten or eleven people inside.”

He gently pulled the iron door. It moved smoother than he expected and didn’t make much sound.

Apparently the shelter’s owner had maintained the door well.

Passing through the door led to a relatively deep corridor. On the corridor wall hung a sign—Communication Passage.

At last he heard voices from deep within, and the glow of a small fire. He approached cautiously.

“Please, don’t burn my books! Those are my lifelong research!”

“Damn it! Old man, shameless! Come with us and you’ll eat well, no need to keep these vermin. What use are those books? Don’t bother my fire, move!”

Amid the thud of someone being shoved out, an old man tumbled out of the room and collapsed in the corner. He turned and locked eyes with the slowly approaching Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan held up the dark muzzle of his gun and made a shushing gesture.

The old man froze for a moment, then immediately understood Yu Yuan’s meaning. He realized this was his chance to break free of these scavengers.

Seeing the gun’s dark muzzle pointed in his direction, he no longer looked at Yu Yuan. Calmly, he backed up and exposed the room’s door.

“Brothers, hurry and eat. Old Er hasn’t come back all night. After we eat, we’ll go look for them.”

“Big brother, maybe Second Brother found a good spot and forgot about us!”

A scoffing laugh came from inside.

“With just those two shabby knives? How do you think we got our food and booze? By raiding with the gun in my hand!”

Loud laughter echoed inside the room.

“Alright, bring that old man back. That monster killed many brothers; it’s not easy to find replacements.”

“Old man, don’t try to run. Get in!”

One scavenger stepped out and looked at the fallen old man, but the instant he crossed the threshold he noticed a black figure on the left-side passage and glanced reflexively toward it.

Then...

Sss... pch!

A crossbow bolt pierced the scavenger’s throat. He clutched his neck, staring at the shadow in disbelief, blood seeping from his mouth as his body collapsed.

The old man, who had been on the ground, reacted with surprising speed. He quickly rose and caught the falling scavenger.

“Please, let me go!” he begged as he dragged the man into the passage and shut the door again.

Yu Yuan: ...

Yu Yuan watched the old man’s practiced motions and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Well, this old geezer reacts pretty fast!

Voices rose from the room once more...