The Grotesque, Humanity's Public Enemy

The Grotesque—Humanity's Public Enemy

The Wood Puppet Grotesque was a problem that every camp around Redwood Ridge had to face. No one could escape it.

If it wasn't dealt with, everyone would be waiting to die. There was no doubt about that.

Hong Gang and the other three understood that even if they left, Luo Ming wouldn't simply ignore the matter.

So when the four of them had proposed leaving earlier, it wasn't as though they hadn't entertained the thought of making Rogue Camp deal with the trouble on its own.

But Luo Ming was clearly no fool.

Shi Qing wanted to leave, and that was understandable.

Too many people had died in Big Stone Camp. If the two of them didn't leave, the several hundred people in the camp would all starve or freeze to death.

But the losses suffered by the other four camps were still within an acceptable range.

Luo Ming naturally wouldn't let them go, but he wasn't a domineering, overbearing man either. He wouldn't forcibly compel the four to stay, which was why he had said what he did.

They could leave if they wanted, but Rogue Camp definitely wouldn't keep trying to find a way to deal with that Wood Puppet Grotesque. Yang Ning and Li Hu could leave if they wanted; Luo Ming wouldn't try to hold them back either.

When the Wood Puppet Grotesque wreaked havoc, everyone would suffer together in the end.

Hong Gang and the other three could naturally understand what Luo Ming meant, which was why their expressions all changed at once.

Luo Ming's final remark—that he would lead the camp elsewhere to seek a new way to survive—was basically something he had said in anger and could be ignored.

Not to mention how far they could travel in a single night.

Once they left Redwood Ridge, they would be completely blind outside.

In an unfamiliar environment, any one of the Frost Beasts, grotesques, or extreme cold would be enough to claim the lives of every one of them.

If they could really escape, why would they have waited until now?

"Chief Luo, we all respect you, so let's dispense with the nonsense. We can continue helping deal with the Wood Puppet Grotesque, but if it's going to be like the previous four times—sending people out as bait and letting our brothers die for nothing—that's impossible!"

Hong Gang, ever straightforward, was the first to speak.

Hearing this, the other three chiefs all nodded at Luo Ming in unspoken agreement, expressing their support for Hong Gang's words.

In truth, let alone the other three chiefs, even Luo Ming himself agreed with Hong Gang. Yet he didn't answer immediately. Instead, with a troubled look on his face, he turned to the two people seated above them—Yang Ning and Li Hu.

Although he felt somewhat stifled, Luo Ming had to admit that he didn't have the final say in how to deal with the grotesque. Yang Ning and Li Hu did.

Regardless of whether the two of them had truly taken a fancy to some benefit on the grotesque's body, they were genuinely helping them. At present, only the two of them truly possessed the strength to deal with the grotesque.

After thinking for a moment, Luo Ming still bowed to the two of them with a troubled expression. Then he lowered his head and spoke respectfully:

"First, allow me to thank the two lords for your righteous assistance. I believe the other chiefs feel the same and are deeply grateful that the two of you have helped us without concern for personal gain.

"But too many people died in the first four attempts. The two lords witnessed it yourselves. Hong Gang and the other three lead small camps, and they already have few Lumbering Realm fighters to begin with. If they lose several more, their survival will truly become a problem.

"Could the two lords think of another way to draw out that Wood Puppet Grotesque?"

After Luo Ming finished speaking, he quietly waited for the two men seated at the head to respond.

The other four chiefs also waited silently for Yang Ning and Li Hu to speak, hoping they could come up with another method and wouldn't make them send people out as bait again.

However, no one noticed that from the moment they had begun talking, Li Hu's expression had already grown extremely impatient.

Even Yang Ning, who had always been relatively calm compared with him, had his brows tightly knitted now, his expression equally grim.

Li Hu couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward. Judging from his temperament, he was clearly planning to vent his anger at everyone again.

But before he could speak, Yang Ning rose from his seat and stopped him. Then he turned to face the crowd and, after thinking for a moment, asked in a low voice:

"Do you think using people as bait to lure out the grotesque is too cruel, and that since it hasn't worked after four attempts, so many people have died for nothing and it isn't worth it?"

Luo Ming said nothing. The four chiefs exchanged glances but didn't speak either.

Of course, silence was an answer too.

Yang Ning naturally understood this. After looking over the five men, he suddenly let out a low laugh, then shook his head repeatedly, his face filled with helplessness.

"Do you know what it will mean if the Wood Puppet Grotesque in Redwood Ridge advances from the initial level to the intermediate level?"

When he asked this, Yang Ning's voice already carried unmistakable anger. He hadn't expected anyone to answer and continued speaking immediately.

"An intermediate-level grotesque could very likely kill even a Frost Resistance Level Expert who came without any knowledge of it. To it, an Earth-Piercer Level human isn't even worth calling an ant—it could kill one with a wave of its hand.

"So once it advances, it won't just mean that the few people in Redwood Ridge will be affected. Every large and even giant camp in the surrounding area will become its hunting ground.

"And if we have the bad luck to let it advance to the advanced level, even Beishuo Town will have to pay an enormous price to deal with it.

"Do you really think the two of us stayed here to save the few wretched lives in your camps?"

This was the first time Yang Ning had lost his temper. His cutting tone made Luo Ming and the others' hearts tremble, and the hall instantly fell into deathly silence.

But he wasn't finished:

"Grotesques are evil creatures that evolve by killing people. They are humanity's public enemy to begin with. If we weren't worried that it would harm and affect even more camps after growing stronger, do you really think the two of us would care about the two or three thousand lives in your camps combined?

"These grotesques have no humanity. They only kill and evolve according to instinct, and even after growing stronger, they won't stop. If we don't wipe it out while it's still weak, the consequences will be endless.

"Do you think I'm deliberately trying to harm you with this method?

"The grotesque is addicted to slaughter. Apart from using people as bait, there is no other way to lure it out. This is the consensus among humanity in the Ice Abyss.

"Twenty-nine lives may seem like a lot to you, but in my eyes, if we don't eliminate that Wood Puppet Grotesque soon and let it evolve successfully, then by that time, the dead will number two thousand nine hundred, twenty-nine thousand, or even more.

"Leaving aside Beishuo Town, of the nine towns around Mount Ao, which one hasn't had thousands upon thousands of people die while dealing with grotesques? I personally witnessed more than a hundred Earth Excavation Realm humans volunteer to serve as bait in order to surround and kill an intermediate-level grotesque."

At this point, Yang Ning seemed to recall something. He raised a finger and pointed at Li Hu behind him, then said loudly to the crowd, "Li Hu's father sacrificed himself after volunteering to serve as bait while hunting a grotesque for Beishuo."

When Li Hu heard Yang Ning's words, no sadness appeared on his face. There was only pride, honor, and the deep hatred for grotesques buried in his heart.

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Yang Ning seemed to feel that he had said too much. After a moment of silence, he finally shook his head and sighed, "Forget it. I've said all I have to say. We'll make one final attempt tomorrow. If we can't destroy that Wood Puppet Grotesque, Li Hu and I will return to Beishuo first to request reinforcements. When that time comes, fend for yourselves!"

With things having reached this point, neither Luo Ming nor the other four chiefs could utter any rebuttal. Even if they had wanted to, Yang Ning's words had forced the thought back down their throats.

They were all chiefs of their respective camps. Even if they weren't exceptionally shrewd, they still possessed some ability to judge people.

The emotions Yang Ning had shown while saying those things had clearly been genuine.

Now that he had spoken to this extent, the others naturally couldn't argue with him anymore.

At worst, they would make one final attempt tomorrow. If they really managed to eliminate the Wood Puppet Grotesque, wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?

After the discussion ended, everyone returned to the rooms Luo Ming had arranged for them to rest.

The accommodations at Rogue Camp were quite decent. Everyone could be given an individual room, while the brothers Shi Dong and Shi Qing were assigned rooms next to each other.

It was already dawn outside, and everyone had been exhausted after a whole night. Once they returned to their rooms, nearly all of them lay down and immediately fell asleep.

At noon, when everyone was sleeping most deeply and the temperature outside was at its coldest,

Shi Dong suddenly opened his eyes on the bed in his room.

He rose quietly, opened the door, and walked outside the wooden house.