"I got it."

After the Bamboo-Pole Strange Entities that charged into the Camp were wiped out, no more Strange Entities rushed in.

The eerie, piercing laughter also stopped.

But rustling still came from the darkness beyond. It was impossible to tell whether they were detouring to avoid the Eerie Fire or gathering their strength for another assault on the Camp.

"..."

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. Standing behind the City Wall's battlements, he looked down at the scattered corpses of Strange Entities. Beside one lay an object glowing with White Light.

It was an exotic treasure.

It had been a long time since one had dropped.

If it was an exotic treasure that could immediately boost his combat strength, his chances of surviving tonight would improve a little.

But...

Strange Entities were much faster than humans.

If they suddenly charged while someone was picking up the exotic treasure, that person would be very likely to die.

If the Strange Entities were too close behind, he would have trouble opening the gate. Otherwise, they would rush through it into the Camp, rendering the City Wall useless.

"Young Master."

Crippled Monkey stood beside him with the Godslaying Spear in hand, staring fixedly at the object glowing with White Light beside the corpse. "I'll go down and fetch that exotic treasure. My leg may be crippled, but I don't run much slower than an ordinary person."

"The Strange Entities probably won't charge again just yet. It should be fine."

"..."

Chen Fan did not turn around. He had to admit that people with physical disabilities were often more perceptive. He had given no indication of his thoughts, yet Crippled Monkey had already more or less guessed them.

The moment Crippled Monkey finished speaking,

Little Qiu, standing on the other side, hurriedly spoke up. "Station Master, let me go. I'm able-bodied and in my prime. I can run fast."

He was one of Wang Kui's men.

He had joined this Camp along with Wang Kui. If they survived the Rainy Season, he certainly would not return to the Wang Family. He would stay with Chen Fan.

Tonight, he had figured things out. Chen Fan clearly intended to focus on developing a few Station Masters, while their subordinates were treated as followers and all but ignored. Their force was still weak. If he did not find an opportunity to prove himself now, he would spend the rest of his life as Wang Kui's lackey.

Wang Kui had treated him well.

But...

Given the chance, who would not want to rise a little higher?

Besides, that corpse was only seven or eight meters from the City Wall. He did not think it would be much of a problem.

The opportunity had come, and Little Qiu wanted to take his shot.

"All right. You go."

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Fan glanced at Zhou Mo, who was about to speak beside him. Saying nothing more, he immediately made a section of the City Wall disappear, patted Little Qiu on the shoulder, and said gravely, "Be careful."

Time was short.

This was no time for a lengthy exchange. The Strange Entities could launch another assault at any moment.

He could tell that Zhou Mo also wanted to volunteer. As a Level-Two Cultivator, his physical abilities were better than theirs, and he had practiced martial arts since childhood. By rights, he should have been the best choice.

But Chen Fan admitted he had his own selfish motives.

This task was extremely dangerous. If someone had to die, sacrificing Little Qiu was better than sacrificing Zhou Mo. In his eyes, Zhou Mo was more valuable.

"..."

On the City Wall, Wang Kui watched Little Qiu's retreating back as he rushed outside, his expression conflicted, but he said nothing. He certainly would not volunteer. He was getting old and could no longer run fast.

Still, Little Qiu had surprised him a little. Usually, the two of them lounged around the Camp, eating and waiting to die. He had never noticed this kind of courage in him.

Inside the Camp.

After leaving the City Wall, Little Qiu quickly passed corpse after corpse, sprinted to the fallen Strange Entity, and picked up the exotic treasure glowing with White Light. Excited, he turned toward the people standing atop the City Wall.

"Got it!"

But...

The next moment, he noticed that the faces of the people on the City Wall looked grim. He understood almost instantly, and his face went deathly pale.

Time seemed to slow endlessly.

The torrential rain seemed frozen in place.

He could vaguely see the Station Master shouting something, his face tense, but his lips seemed to move painfully slowly. Little Qiu could not even make out what he was saying. His mind had completely shut down.

A crossbow bolt skimmed his scalp and shot past him.

I'm done for.

That final thought flashed through his mind. He had no time to look behind him. A chill shot up from his tailbone, raced along his spine, and surged into the crown of his head. Every hair on his back stood on end, as though countless icy insects were crawling over it.

Run!

People really did see their lives flash before their eyes when they were about to die.

He drove his legs forward and ran for his life. At the same time, scenes from his life flashed rapidly through the depths of his mind. He had watched his parents die at the hands of Strange Entities, then sold his services to the Wang Family and drifted through his days.

The gate was still open.

But...

He was seven or eight meters from the City Wall, while the Strange Entities were only two or three meters behind him.

They were much faster than he was.

Before he could reach the City Wall, they would catch him. He might even cause the walls to fall and the Camp to be destroyed.

Realizing this in an instant, Little Qiu had no time even to wipe the rain from his face. Feeling a fierce rush of air about to strike him from behind, he mustered every ounce of strength and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Close the gate!"

Then, without the slightest hesitation,

he stopped dead and threw himself into an awkward roll, dodging the attack from behind. Scrambling on his hands and feet, his eyes bloodshot, he rushed toward the Farmland on the left. He knew there were traps there. This was his only chance to survive.

He had never imagined he could run so fast.

Several crossbow bolts brushed past his shoulders. The Arrow Towers on the City Wall were attacking the enemy. He did not know what the Strange Entities behind him looked like, or even how many there were. After only a few steps, he saw the connected Ground Spikes Traps.

Nearly a hundred holes formed a perfectly orderly grid.

Like a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate, he roared and pushed off the ground with both hands and feet, vaulting over the traps and landing in the Farmland.

The rain-soaked mud left him a bedraggled mess.

But—

Click!

The sound of a trap mechanism triggering behind him made him smile.

Little Qiu rolled over and sat up in the Farmland, wiping the rain from his face. He looked back at the two Strange Entities that had stepped onto the traps. Both were rather short, with arms that had turned into blades, resembling Mantismen. Dozens of thick, hard, black wooden spikes pierced them in an instant, killing them on the spot.

Not a single Strange Entity remained standing inside the Camp.

Another dozen or so Mantisman-like corpses now lay on the ground.

He could not help laughing again, louder and louder. The sudden surge of adrenaline and the feeling of having escaped death left him wildly exhilarated. Raising the exotic treasure high, he looked at Chen Fan atop the City Wall and shouted again, "I got it!"

"Stop fucking laughing! I know you got it! Get the fuck back inside!"

As the gate in the City Wall opened, Chen Fan's furious curses rang out from atop the wall through the rainy night.