They're Here. They're Here!

Chapter 3: They're Here, They're Here

That day, a heated argument broke out in the Chieftain's Longhouse.

"I disagree. Do you know what you're doing, Charui?!" McCoy paced back and forth, his face full of agitation.

"Not only do I know, I understand it perfectly. The one who hasn't figured out the situation yet is you, McCoy."

Compared to the furious McCoy, Charui stood with his hands on his hips, exceptionally calm.

"We're discussing the Serpent Nation, not the Random Blade Society."

"So what?"

"So what?" McCoy laughed furiously.

He looked at Charui as if he had only just met the family leader today.

McCoy took a deep breath and raised both hands.

"I mean no offense. Let me say this first: if what I'm about to say makes you uncomfortable, I'm sorry for the trouble."

Then he pointed a finger sharply at Charui.

"But fuck you, Charui. Has the scorching sun cooked your brain?"

"The Serpent Nation? That's one of the seven great nations of the Nomads."

"No matter how great the conflict between Nomads is, it'll at most remain verbal. They'll never actually draw blades or open fire. And now you want to rob a Serpent Nation convoy?"

"If we do this, how are we any different from the Random Blade Society?!"

Charui remained where he was, waiting until McCoy had finished venting his anger before speaking slowly.

"The difference is that the family can survive. You know what the camp's situation is like. If we don't do something soon, the Buckle Family is screwed."

Another veteran Nomad nearby chimed in.

"McCoy, calm down. Charui isn't wrong. As long as we're careful enough and kill them all, the Serpent Nation won't know we did it."

"But I'll know!"

After dropping those words, McCoy stormed away.

The people left in the room looked at one another in dismay.

After a while, someone couldn't help asking, "He won't tell anyone, will he?"

Charui shook his head.

"He'll figure it out. Leave him be. Let's go over the plan first."

Inside a tent, Su Xiao was repairing a firearm for a Nomad.

Then McCoy walked in from outside.

"McCoy, why do you look so awful?"

McCoy said nothing. Instead, he said to the Nomad sitting before Su Xiao, "You go out first. I have something to discuss with him."

"I'll come back later, then."

He rose from the chair and left.

Once only Su Xiao and McCoy remained in the tent, McCoy's expression turned serious.

"Su, don't leave the camp under any circumstances during this period."

Su Xiao smiled and said casually, "Listen to yourself. I don't even have a car. Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't."

McCoy, however, did not smile along.

"I'm not joking."

Seeing McCoy like this, Su Xiao's expression gradually grew solemn as well.

"What happened?"

McCoy waved his hand irritably. "Fuck! Don't ask. Just promise me!"

"Fine. I promise."

"Good." McCoy seemed relieved, and only then did he let out a breath.

He patted Su Xiao on the shoulder and prepared to leave.

He had already walked out of the tent when he suddenly turned back.

"One more thing, Su." McCoy paused, looking hesitant.

He seemed to be weighing whether he should tell him about it.

In the end, McCoy decided to give Su Xiao some advance warning.

"If— and I mean if..."

"If something really happens, go to the Chieftain's Longhouse—in other words, Charui's house. There's a tunnel there that leads straight outside. Near the place where I often train you, there's a cave with a car hidden inside."

"That cave is easy to find. Search carefully, and you definitely won't miss it."

"The car's full of fuel, and there's emergency food, water, wilderness-survival supplies... as well as a little gift I prepared for you personally."

"If something really happens, floor the accelerator and drive as fast as you can. The farther away you get, the better."

Su Xiao froze for a moment.

"What exactly is going on, McCoy? If there's a problem, just tell me. I hate people who speak in riddles."

"Don't ask anything, and don't go poking around like a damn idiot. When the time comes, just run. Understand?"

Before Su Xiao could answer, a voice rang out.

A Nomad leaned against a crate at the tent entrance.

"McCoy, so you're here. Charui wants you to go over. It's about that matter—you know the one."

McCoy nodded.

He followed the Nomad out.

"Su, remember what I said. Don't forget."

Watching McCoy leave, Su Xiao wore a complicated expression.

Although he had originally only planned to use the Buckle Family as a stepping stone,

he had never intended to stay here for long.

But...

He gazed at the gloomy sky outside the tent.

Dark clouds filled the sky.

A storm seemed about to arrive.

"This looks like something major is about to happen."

He summoned his status panel, and a string of data appeared before his eyes.

Name: Su Xiao

Potential Points: 0

Skills:

Firearm Maintenance LV5

Blade Mastery LV3

Marksmanship Mastery LV2

Strength LV3

Evasion LV3

Blocking LV3

Throwing LV2

Vehicle Driving LV2

I Guess LV???

He closed the status panel.

Then he took a box out from beneath the bed.

Inside were all kinds of grenades, along with Anti-personnel Mines.

There were more than a dozen in total.

At the very bottom of the box lay a Katana and a Decrypter.

He had traded all these things for them with the other Nomads.

Helping the camp with its work really came without pay.

But he could privately accept certain benefits and move Nomads at the back of the line slightly forward.

There was no helping it.

After all, if he wanted to leave the Buckle Family, he had to get something to protect himself, right?

Charui neither issued him a firearm nor paid him a salary.

He had worked for free for nearly half a year.

Wasn't he allowed to secure a few benefits for himself?

Suddenly, engines roared outside the tent.

Su Xiao put the box back beneath the bed.

He walked out of the tent and saw a large number of vehicles leaving the camp.

Among the Nomads' social structure, families were the smallest units, ranging from two to a hundred people.

The Buckle Family was fairly average, with fifty people and eleven vehicles in total.

Now, eight vehicles drove out of the camp, trailing clouds of dust as they headed into the distance.

Charui was leading them.

After they had left, Su Xiao put on the normal reaction an ordinary person should have and approached one of the Nomads who had stayed behind. In a casual tone, he asked,

"What are they heading out to do?"

"I don't know. Charui didn't say. But with this much commotion, they're probably off to handle a big deal."

Both the Nomad's tone and expression revealed boundless regret.

He had clearly wanted to go with them too.

The moment he heard the words "big deal," along with McCoy's sudden repeated warnings...

Su Xiao felt uneasy.

Nothing happened that day, and soon it was the next day.

The Nomads who had stayed behind lit a bonfire in the center of the camp.

Su Xiao went to collect his portion of food, then found a spot with a good view and sat down. He ate while admiring the scenery in the distance.

On the Badlands, there was no need to worry about attacks from packs of wolves or wild beasts.

Most animals had already gone extinct.