Beast-Fang Short Blade!

At Zhao Chunfeng's words, Luo Fan felt his heart tighten slightly.

He had awakened a Sequence, and an Assassination Sequence at that, so Luo Fan knew he would inevitably fight Fierce Beasts and anomalies in the future.

But this soon? He was only a Lv1 Sequence user, after all.

"Is it very dangerous?" Niu Dagang's expression grew much more serious, but there was no worry or fear in his eyes. Instead, he looked excited.

"My divination showed that it will rain this afternoon, and we'll run into trouble in the rain."

"The route I picked is already the best possible one."

"Because the hexagram showed good fortune amid danger."

"Also, this rain will probably last about two hours."

As he spoke, Zhao Chunfeng glanced at the sky. Although day had broken long ago, the sky had been gray all day. It did indeed look as though it might rain at any moment.

"All right, understood." Niu Dagang nodded firmly, then picked up a thick iron staff, fully as tall as a person, and carefully ran his hands over it.

He looked as though he could hardly wait to encounter a Fierce Beast.

"By the way, Luo Fan, do you have a weapon?" Zhao Chunfeng turned his head to look at Luo Fan.

"Brother Zhao, I have a short knife that I've always used for self-defense and cutting things." Luo Fan took out the short knife he always carried.

"Awakening a Melee Sequence mainly improves strength and physical toughness."

"But awakening an Assassination Sequence improves both strength and speed and agility."

"So, for someone who awakens an Assassination Sequence, a small, lightweight weapon is best."

"This short knife is suitable, but its quality is terrible. It feels like something from a street stall that cost a few dozen yuan before the apocalypse."

Zhao Chunfeng took Luo Fan's short knife and examined it. Worried that Luo Fan might not understand the characteristics of Sequence users, he explained them, then shook his head, indicating that Luo Fan's knife was far too poor.

With that, Zhao Chunfeng turned and left. He returned a short while later, holding a white Dagger.

"Is this... a fang?" Luo Fan took the white Dagger from Zhao Chunfeng, glanced at it, and asked in surprise.

Indeed, the white Dagger was about twenty centimeters long. It was not made of metal, but was a fang with a metal handle fitted to it.

"Yes, it's made from a Fierce Beast's fang. At least it's a little better than that ordinary short knife of yours. You can have it." Zhao Chunfeng nodded, looking quite generous.

"All right, thanks, Brother Zhao." Since Zhao Chunfeng was giving it to him, Luo Fan figured it couldn't be particularly valuable. But it was free, so how could he complain?

The Fierce Beast's fang did feel much better in his hand than his fruit knife.

After a brief chat, Zhao Chunfeng turned and left.

Before long, the Hope Convoy set off again. Sure enough, a light drizzle began that afternoon, and the rain grew heavier and heavier.

Those inside the vehicles had it a little better, but the survivors outside could only put on rain protection and keep following.

Those who had raincoats put them on. Those who didn't could drape a sheet of plastic over themselves. Anyone who had nothing could only endure it with their own body.

In the apocalypse, no one could expect help from others. Equivalent exchange was at the heart of everything.

It was raining. Niu Dagang cradled his long iron staff in his arms, while Luo Fan gripped the Beast-Fang Short Blade. According to Zhao Chunfeng's divination, trouble would come during the rain. It should be soon.

"Luo Fan, nervous?" Noticing Luo Fan's state, Niu Dagang asked.

"Yes. It's my first time fighting a Fierce Beast head-on, after all." Luo Fan nodded, making no attempt to pretend otherwise.

"There's really nothing to be afraid of. Fierce Beasts are generally easier to deal with than anomalies."

"Besides, if we're lucky and kill a nonpoisonous beast, its meat is an important resource."

"You've even killed an anomaly. Why be afraid of a Fierce Beast?" Niu Dagang reassured him.

"Brother Niu, how did you know I've killed an anomaly?" Luo Fan looked at Niu Dagang in bewilderment.

"There are conditions for awakening a Sequence."

"First, you have to experience a life-or-death situation."

"Second, you have to kill an anomaly."

"We still don't know why those things make it possible to awaken a Sequence, but those are the two conditions you have to fulfill."

Well, after hearing Niu Dagang's explanation, Luo Fan understood that this must be more basic knowledge about Sequence awakening.

He had indeed experienced a life-or-death situation in that boiled-food restaurant. Then he had grabbed the Creepy Doll and rushed into the sunlight with it, killing the Creepy Doll.

Luo Fan had originally thought his Sequence had simply awakened out of the blue. He hadn't expected there to be prerequisites like these.

"Brother Niu, if that's the case, couldn't powerful Sequence users help other people awaken?"

"Put a weak anomaly together with an ordinary person, and then..." Luo Fan trailed off, realizing that what he was saying was pointless.

"Impossible. Even the weakest anomaly isn't something an ordinary person can easily kill."

"Besides, if the anomaly is weak, you wouldn't be afraid of facing it. How would that count as a life-or-death experience?"

"And if the anomaly is powerful, how would you kill it?"

"To meet the awakening condition, an ordinary person has to kill it with their own hands."

"I heard Zhao Chunfeng say that some people couldn't awaken even after killing an anomaly with an Uncanny Artifact."

"In short, those two prerequisites are very subjective too," Niu Dagang said, shaking his head.

Just then, the bus suddenly braked to a stop.

"Xiao Wang, what's going on?" Niu Dagang asked.

"Brother Niu, Brother Zhao's off-road vehicle up ahead has stopped," Xiao Wang, who was driving, replied.

Sure enough, when Niu Dagang and Luo Fan looked ahead, the lead off-road vehicle had already stopped.

"Brother Niu, look over there..." Luo Fan pointed ahead and to the left as he spoke to Niu Dagang.

The downpour severely obstructed their view, but they could vaguely make out occasional flashes of fire about a kilometer ahead.

"Is that a Fierce Beast?" It was hard to see clearly through the curtain of rain; only a faint outline was visible. Niu Dagang quickly stood, grabbed his iron staff, and got off the bus, running toward the Fierce Beast.

Thud, thud, thud.

Niu Dagang was built like an ox. As he ran, each footfall sent muddy water splashing and left a deep footprint that the rain quickly washed over.

Luo Fan took a deep breath, gripped his Beast-Fang Short Blade, and followed.

Although he had an Assassination Type Sequence, Luo Fan was only Lv1, after all, and could not run any faster than Niu Dagang. He soon covered the kilometer or so and approached the Fierce Beast.

To Luo Fan's surprise, someone was already fighting a Fierce Beast.

The Fierce Beast was an ugly, bizarre bird, about the size of a red-crowned crane, that could spit a mouthful of flames whenever it opened its beak.

But in the downpour, the bird-like Fierce Beast's flames could do very little.

Although the figure fighting the Fierce Beast moved nimbly and had light footwork, they were being completely suppressed. They also appeared to have several wounds and seemed to be at the end of their strength.

"I'll help you!" Seeing this, Niu Dagang shouted, raised his iron staff, and charged at the Fierce Beast.