Wolves and House Dogs

The deafening gunshot echoed through the street. The wolves charging forward instantly halted, howled, and retreated.

They had never heard such a terrifying sound before and could not figure out what this creature before them was.

A creature with a square body, four circles underneath, and a pillar-like thing sticking out the back—it was fucking bizarre.

Just then, another howl rang out, immediately steadying the pack.

On the other side of the street, an enormous alpha wolf emerged with the rest of the pack. A terrifying gleam shone in its eyes.

The alpha had clearly not been frightened by the gunshots. It was preparing to lead the pack in continuing the hunt!

Shen Feng frowned and pulled out a submachine gun from the cart.

Unless he had no other choice, he did not want to fight the wolves.

After all, his ammunition was limited. Who knew what dangers he might encounter at the Epidemic Prevention Center?

So, intimidation remained his priority.

He aimed his pistol at a nearby glass window and pulled the trigger again.

"Bang! Crash!"

The gunshot rang out, and the window instantly shattered with a tremendous noise. The wolf pack stirred up once more, and quite a few turned, wanting to flee.

The alpha growled again, stopping its companions from running. Then it lowered its body, actually preparing to force the hunt through!

It seemed to have judged that the creature before it could not fend off the attack of dozens of beasts at once and intended to settle everything in one stroke!

Shen Feng narrowed his eyes, ready to let this vicious wolf taste the power of a bullet.

"Woof... bark!" Just then, several dog barks came from within the wolf pack!

The alpha, which had been ferocious just moments ago, abruptly stopped and instantly became much more docile. It turned toward the source of the barking.

Surprise appeared on Shen Feng's face. A Golden Retriever walked out from the pack, while the vicious wolves around it all made way for it, faintly seeming to submit to it!

One of the Golden Retriever's ears was half missing, and deep claw marks covered its face. Its fur was gray and grimy, and it was even larger than an ordinary vicious wolf. It had clearly been through many battles.

At that moment, Shen Feng suddenly realized that this pack differed from what he had imagined.

Looking closely, these dozens of vicious wolves were not all wolves. Around half of them vaguely resembled house dogs!

Alaskan Malamutes, German Shepherds, Dobermans, native dogs, even Huskies!

They were all medium-sized hunting dogs!

When he had encountered them last time, he had been too nervous to look closely. Only now did he realize that this so-called wolf pack was actually made up of wolves and house dogs together!

The wolf he had taken for the alpha did not seem to be the pack's leader. This Golden Retriever before him was.

Clearly, after humanity had completely vanished from the city, the wolves that had escaped from the zoo had merged with the stray house dogs in the city to form a new pack.

There was no reproductive barrier between wolves and house dogs to begin with, so it made sense.

The Golden Retriever slowly walked to the front of the pack and stopped before Shen Feng. A trace of tameness flashed through its sharp gaze, then it warily glanced at the gun in his hand.

Humans, humans!

They had come back!?

But this human carried a very dangerous aura!

Shen Feng looked carefully. There was still a leather collar around the Golden Retriever's neck. It had clearly once been raised by humans.

Golden Retrievers generally lived twelve to fifteen years. That meant the Stone Statue Disease apocalypse could not have begun more than fifteen years ago.

Judging by this Golden Retriever's health in its prime, it had probably been no more than eight years.

Shen Feng waved the gun in his hand, pointed into the distance, and said, "Go. I mean no harm."

The Golden Retriever seemed to understand him. It stared at him for a few more seconds, then turned and called out several times before leading the pack away, leaving only paw prints all over the ground.

Shen Feng let out a long breath and put away his gun before continuing forward with the cart.

If the pack had insisted on attacking him, he really might not have been able to get away unscathed.

There were simply too many of them...

From the Golden Retriever's behavior, it still held deep memories of and attachment to human civilization. But how long could that attachment last?

Perhaps, in a few years, after the last generation of house dogs died out, only wild wolves would remain in this world.

Or perhaps they could use the remnants of human civilization to evolve rapidly and gradually develop a civilization of their own?

Shen Feng shook his head. Those were not matters he needed to concern himself with.

A block away, a building more than thirty stories tall had appeared before him. The surroundings were completely silent, with no trace of medium or large animals.

He had arrived at the Epidemic Prevention Center.

The area was silent and desolate. Even the chirping of insects was rarely heard.

But Shen Feng instantly grew tense.

The city had now completely become a place ruled by the law of the jungle. Only places inhabited by large predators were this quiet.

There had to be Skinners in the Epidemic Prevention Center, and quite a few of them!

He quickly geared up, hid behind a wall at the street corner, and tossed an empty tin can into the deserted street ahead.

"Clang... clang..."

The tin can rolled across the ground, producing a piercing noise.

Roars and impacts immediately sounded from nearby shops and buildings.

Skinners!

Shen Feng saw with his own eyes a Skinner press its forehead against the glass pane of a door. Its eyes were filled with madness, yet it did not smash through the door and rush out.

The instant sunlight hit it, it immediately recoiled back inside.

These Skinners feared sunlight!

That made sense. Without skin, being exposed to sunlight was practically like having their flesh roasted on a branding iron.

Shen Feng immediately stepped out from behind the wall and carefully pushed the cart onto the street.

The rusty wheels squeaked, immediately stirring the Skinners inside the surrounding buildings.

Hideous Skinners rushed to the doors and windows one after another, giving crazed roars. But under the sunlight, they did not dare charge out.

At last, one Skinner could no longer endure it. It rushed into the sunlight and lunged at Shen Feng, only to be shot down by him. It wailed in agony on the ground before the sunlight quickly dried and cracked its entire body, causing it to bleed to death.

Shen Feng smacked his lips. These Skinners should count as the weakest monsters.

After crossing the entire street, with roars ringing endlessly around him and the buildings on both sides like hellish cages, Shen Feng finally arrived at the entrance to the Epidemic Prevention Center.

Several lines of text flashed repeatedly on the LED screen above the entrance:

"Through wisdom and courage, battle disease demons bravely, and achieve victory in the final stage of conquering Stone Statue Disease!"

Even after several years, the intelligent solar power system here was still operating faithfully.

Looking through the blastproof glass at the entrance, dozens of stone statues stood in the lobby, while dozens more Skinners wandered around inside. They had already rushed to the doors, roaring nonstop at Shen Feng in the sunlight.

Like a pack of evil ghosts trying to drag the living into hell.

Shen Feng remained unhurried. He first found several large spray bottles and some bottled water in a small supermarket by the street. He set up a pot and began boiling water right outside the Epidemic Prevention Center.

It was already noon, and the sun hung high overhead, blazing fiercely. The moment Skinners stepped outside, their skinless bodies would crack and they would die.

Soon, the water in the pot came to a boil. Shen Feng first made do with a pack of compressed biscuits, then filled all four large spray bottles with boiling water.

He put on a riot helmet, donned a bulletproof vest, took his guns and ammunition, and carried a large spray bottle in each hand as he headed to the entrance of the Epidemic Prevention Center.

Though covered in bloodstains, the automatic sensor door still worked. The moment Shen Feng approached, it opened.

The Skinners inside gave frenzied howls. Their muddled minds wanted only to tear this human, who was different from them, to pieces—or at the very least, strip off his skin!

Shen Feng strode inside, expressionless.

Several Skinners immediately charged at him!

Come on, let me show you what these sprayers can do!

Shen Feng immediately squeezed the triggers on the spray bottles, and scalding boiling water burst forth in clouds of steam!

"Argh—"