The elderly and the children

The raw meat in his mouth was still cold and rank as Lu Heng watched the constantly refreshing text.

A message suddenly popped up: "We've been here for almost half a day. Now that I think about it, I don't think we've seen any elderly people or children anywhere in this frozen region."

The channel fell silent for a moment at those words, then messages flooded the screen.

"I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't said anything! Ever since we arrived, it's been panicked adults everywhere. I haven't seen a single child."

"Yeah, I was too busy avoiding wild beasts and looking for somewhere to hide. Thinking back now, all the older people I knew are nowhere to be found either."

"Could we have been separated during transport? Were they sent to other regions?"

"Please, no. The elderly are frail, and the children are so young. How could they stay in such a dangerous place on their own?"

"At first I thought we'd just gotten separated, but I've been searching for ages and haven't found a single trace. What kind of rules are these?"

Questions and anxious words poured in without pause. The channel, which had been discussing shelter and wild beasts, was now completely filled with unease. Lu Heng's hand paused slightly around the piece of meat, and his heart sank as well.

Soon, someone made a suggestion.

"There's no point just guessing in our region. Let's all ask in the World Channel and see whether the other regions are the same."

Many immediately switched interfaces, and similar questions flooded the World Channel. Survivors from different environments and regions replied one after another, all with the same answer: everyone around them was a young or middle-aged adult, with no elderly people or children in sight. Panic across the entire world escalated once more, with speculation, tearful complaints, and demands for answers all mingling together.

As the uproar intensified, everyone's wristbands suddenly lit up with white light. Neatly arranged lines of text forcibly appeared-a global announcement addressed to all survivors.

[Global announcement]

Only survivors within the suitable age range were selected for the first deployment. The elderly, children, and physically weak have not yet been transported to the various regions.

All regions are currently in the countdown phase for the first natural disaster. Once the first natural disaster has fully ended, the remaining population will be sent in batches to the regions where their respective relatives are located, reuniting families.

Additional information: after transport is complete, the elderly and weak will receive minor physical adjustments, slightly enhancing their bodily functions to help them adapt to the survival environment.

Notice: during the natural disaster, environmental conditions will deteriorate, and danger levels in the wilderness will rise significantly. Once the entire population is in place, regional supplies and living space will become increasingly scarce. Please prepare in advance.

The announcement lingered for several seconds before slowly fading. The noisy World Channel briefly fell silent, then erupted again.

"Thank goodness! They'll be sent to their relatives. I can finally stop worrying!"

"They'll even adjust their physiques? That'll give the elderly and the kids a little more ability to protect themselves."

"But we can't ignore the warning about the natural disaster. Conditions will get worse, and it'll definitely be more dangerous outside."

"Once more people arrive, there won't be enough supplies to go around. I'm afraid there'll be endless fighting from then on."

Lu Heng read every word of the announcement and the comments that followed, then slowly swallowed the raw meat in his mouth. He put down the piece in his hand and closed the chat interface.

The natural disaster was approaching, and the later family reunions would also cause the region's population to surge. This cave was only a temporary stopping place, nowhere near secure. He had to use this brief respite to reinforce his shelter and stockpile more supplies.

Cold wind slipped through the gaps in the branches and leaves, carrying waves of chill. Lu Heng wrapped the animal hide tighter around himself and looked toward the dark woods beyond the cave entrance, his expression gradually growing grave.

Waves of exhaustion washed over him. Days of running and fighting, his nerves constantly stretched taut, had long since drained him. He leaned against the cold rock wall and pulled the thick hide tight around himself. His eyelids grew heavier, his awareness gradually blurred, and before long, he fell into a deep sleep.

Outside the cave, the wind rose and fell, peaceful enough at first. After an unknown amount of time, a low, savage roar suddenly erupted from the woods, its harsh, piercing sound instantly tearing through the night.

Lu Heng's eyes snapped open, every hair on his body standing on end. His sleepiness vanished in an instant, and his heart pounded wildly against his chest. Instinctively, he held his breath, not daring to make the slightest sound, his body pressed rigidly against the pile of dead leaves at the back of the cave.

Roars rose one after another, near and far, mingling with the rustle of shaking vegetation and the heavy footfalls of beasts treading over frozen ground as they prowled around the cave entrance. He quietly shifted his gaze toward the gaps between the branches. The night was too dark to see clearly, but the sounds of danger reached his ears distinctly.

The beasts' roars alone chilled his hands and feet. Back in his safe world, he had never faced savage beasts at such close range. The crude covering was hardly a reliable barrier. If he were discovered, he would have no power to fight back.

He bit down hard on his lower lip, his hands clenching unconsciously until his fingertips turned pale. He stayed utterly motionless, allowing fear to slowly seize his mind. Throughout the long night, the sounds of beasts lingered intermittently in his ears, and every low growl made his heart clench.

He endured in this state of dread until the horizon began to brighten. Only then did the strange sounds in the woods slowly recede, and silence returned to his surroundings. Lu Heng remained rigid and waited a long while more. Only after confirming that the danger had completely passed did his body, tense all night, slowly relax. His back was already soaked in cold sweat.

The horizon had just turned a pale gray-white, and peace had fully returned to the woods. His stomach and bowels had been troubling him repeatedly since the latter half of the night. The raw meat he had eaten was difficult to digest, and a heavy, bloated ache and cramping pain repeatedly tore through his abdomen. He had forced himself to endure the discomfort until now.

Lu Heng did not dare relieve himself at the edge of the woods; the smell of excrement could easily attract beasts. Gripping his stone axe, he hurried toward an open stretch of frozen ground in the distance, gathering handfuls of broad leaves along the way to cover his traces afterward.

When he reached flat ground with an unobstructed view in every direction, he warily scanned his surroundings again. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual nearby for the moment did he squat down. Waves of cramping pain churned through his abdomen. He gritted his teeth and endured, constantly looking up toward the wasteland and the forest's edge, never daring to let his guard down.

Afterward, he immediately covered it with a thick layer of the leaves he had prepared, then scraped over loose soil and carefully packed it down, doing his best to conceal the smell and traces. Once he had finished, he rubbed his still-aching abdomen, turned, and hurried back to the cave.

He rested briefly after returning to the cave, but the heavy ache in his abdomen still had not subsided. The discomfort from eating raw wild dog meat lingered, leaving him weak and drained. He knew full well that if he ate more cold, raw meat, his stomach and bowels would break down completely. In this desperate place, if severe diarrhea left him dehydrated, he would collapse before the beasts even came.

He did not dare take that risk.

Moving efficiently, Lu Heng put all the thin branches covering the entrance and the excess clutter into his wristband's storage space, leaving only a layer of dry leaves lining the back of the cave. The cave was clear and clean, with no unnecessary odors, and safe enough.

He gripped his stone axe, his eyes full of caution. His most urgent task was no longer gathering meat, but finding edible wild plants, nontoxic fruit, or herbs that could ease his abdominal pain, replacing the cold, raw meat and stabilizing his condition.

Only with his health intact would he have the confidence to survive the natural disaster and hold on in this frozen land of desperation.

Taking advantage of the bright daylight while the nocturnal beasts temporarily lay low, Lu Heng left the shelter and slowly made his way along the forest's outskirts, concentrating on finding wild resources that could replace meat and help restore his health.