Survivor?

The feeling of being watched receded like a tide, leaving no trace.

Luo Li stood with his blade in hand, brows tightly furrowed. [Remembrance Perception] swept the surrounding rocks and shadows again and again like an invisible radar.

Apart from the wind and the crackling flames, everything was deathly silent.

Was it my imagination? No. He trusted his instincts.

Something-or rather... someone-had definitely been watching him just now.

Another vampire? Doesn't seem like it.

There had been no bloodthirsty desire in that gaze.

Follow-up support from the Guild? They couldn't have arrived this quickly, and if they were on my side, there'd be no need to hide.

Could it be... a watcher from another faction? Or... some unknown danger within the canyon itself?

All kinds of thoughts flashed through Luo Li's mind, but he could confirm none of them.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts and unease.

His priority was to recover as quickly as possible, then leave this damned place.

Although Earl Shadowwing was dead, no one knew whether it had other subordinates, or whether that watcher would return.

He walked over to Earl Shadowwing's headless corpse. Enma seemed to sense his intention, its blade trembling slightly as it conveyed the thought, "Not yet satisfied."

Luo Li ignored it and quickly gathered the spoils.

An A-rank vampire's core crystal, some bones and wing-membrane fragments containing special energy-these were all priceless materials, and he swiftly put them into his Portable Space.

Once he finished, he felt that the energy within him had mostly recovered through the feedback from Enma's [Blood-Drinking Revival]. The wound on his left chest had also largely healed, leaving only a faint red mark.

I have to get out of here immediately.

He checked his bearings and stealthily headed toward the canyon's outskirts. He was still not too far from the crash site, and needed to contact the Guild and report the situation as soon as possible.

However, he had not gone far before he stopped again.

[Remembrance Perception] had picked up an extremely faint trace of... life fluctuations, different from a vampire's deathly energy.

They were very weak and intermittent, like a candle flickering in the wind.

They came from... deep within the gaps in a huge pile of rocks ahead and to his right, which had collapsed in the explosion.

Not a vampire.

A human?!

Luo Li's heart gave a sudden leap.

Could there... be another survivor?

How is that possible? In a crash and explosion like that...

He immediately grew alert, tightened his grip on Enma, and carefully approached the rubble.

The life fluctuations became a little clearer. It was indeed a human, and there seemed to be only one.

He held his breath, concentrated his mental power, and sent it into the gaps between the rocks like fine threads.

The image he sensed was somewhat blurry, but he could roughly "see" a figure in a severely damaged dark blue uniform, covered in dust and blood, curled up in a cramped space. He seemed unconscious, his breathing extremely weak.

Judging by the uniform's style, it looked a little like... a pilot's? Or some kind of technician's uniform?

Doubts multiplied in Luo Li's mind.

He had checked the pilot and team members from the crash. None could possibly have survived. Where had this person come from?

Could he be a survivor who was already here? Trapped in the canyon and happened to get caught up in the crash?

He hesitated.

In the apocalyptic wilderness, encountering an unfamiliar survivor often came with uncertain risks.

The human heart was sometimes more frightening than vampires.

But... if this really was an innocent survivor, leaving him to die would go against his principles.

Besides, the man seemed gravely wounded and barely alive.

In the end, Luo Li made his decision.

Using [Space Folding], he carefully moved aside several pieces of rubble blocking the way, revealing an opening large enough for a person to pass through.

He did not enter immediately. Instead, he stood outside the opening and asked in a low voice, "Can you hear me in there? I'm a member of Longxia's Ability Users' Guild."

There was no response from inside, only those weak but steady life fluctuations.

Luo Li frowned, kept his blade ready, and slowly walked in.

The space within the rock crevice was small and dim.

A young man sat leaning against the rock wall, his eyes tightly closed, his face as pale as paper and his lips cracked.

He looked about twenty-three or twenty-four and was quite handsome. Even in this disheveled state, a trace of a composed, scholarly air remained in his features.

His dark blue uniform was torn in multiple places, exposing wounds of varying depths beneath. His left leg was the worst, twisted at an unnatural angle and clearly broken, with blood still slowly seeping from the wound.

Luo Li examined him closely.

No weapons. Severe injuries that don't look faked. His life signs really are weak, too.

He crouched down and tentatively reached out to check the man's carotid pulse.

Just as his fingers were about to touch the man's skin-

The young man's long eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

They were exceptionally clear eyes, like a mountain spring, carrying the confusion of someone who had just awakened and a trace of barely concealed pain. Yet deep within them lay a calm rationality beyond his years.

His gaze fell on Luo Li, and a flicker of wariness passed through it. Then, after he made out the similarly damaged but still recognizable Guild insignia on Luo Li's clothing and saw no malice in his eyes, that wariness slowly faded, replaced by the weakness of someone who had survived a disaster and... just the right amount of gratitude.

"You... you're... from the Guild?"

His voice was hoarse, dry, and breathy. Speaking sounded extremely difficult.

"Yes." Luo Li withdrew his hand and nodded, still remaining vigilant.

"Who are you? How did you end up here?"

The young man seemed to try to move, only to aggravate his injured leg. He sucked in a breath of pain, fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

After taking a few breaths, he answered haltingly, "I... my name is Lu Jingheng... I'm the accompanying data clerk... for the Star Rail Research Institute's... Third Exploration Team..."

The Star Rail Research Institute? Luo Li seemed to recall it. It was a high-level research institution under the Longxia Faction, focused on studying Blood-Erosion Clouds, the vampire virus, and otherworldly energy, and held an exceptional status.

"We... were conducting... a routine survey... on the canyon's northwest side a week ago... We were attacked by... high-level vampires... The team got scattered... I fled blindly... and ended up here... I hid... Later, I heard a huge explosion... and rocks shaken loose... fell on... my leg..."

His account was logical. Although weakness made his speech halting, he conveyed all the key information clearly.

The time, place, identity, and circumstances all sounded reasonable.

Looking at his pale face and severely injured leg, Luo Li's doubts eased a little.

An unarmed data clerk had hidden for a week in a canyon fraught with danger, only to be severely injured by the crash... It was already a miracle that he was still alive.

"Can you move?"

Luo Li asked.

Lu Jingheng tried to move, and pain immediately crossed his face. He shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "My left leg... might be broken... I can't move it... My right arm... has no strength either."

He looked at Luo Li, his gaze clear and frank, with a hint of pleading but no servility. "Sir... if... if possible... could you... take me out of here? I know... it's a lot of trouble..."

His manner was neither servile nor overbearing. Even in desperate straits, he maintained basic dignity and courtesy.

Luo Li fell silent for a moment.

Bringing along a severely wounded person would undoubtedly make the evacuation far more difficult and dangerous.

Especially when an unknown watcher might still be out there.

But...

He looked at Lu Jingheng's clear eyes, filled with the hope of survival, then at his miserable condition. In the end, his heart softened.

Although he was hardly a saint, he was no Satan either.

"My name is Luo Li."

He spoke.

"I can take you with me, but the journey ahead may be very dangerous. You must follow my instructions completely."

Lu Jingheng's eyes instantly lit up with the joy of finding a way out of certain death. He nodded firmly, his tone solemn. "Thank you, Mr. Luo Li... I understand... I won't cause you any trouble..."

His gratitude seemed sincere and restrained.

Without another word, Luo Li took some basic first-aid supplies from his Portable Space-hemostatic bandages, splints, and some clean water.

He first treated the worst wound on Lu Jingheng's leg and gave it a basic splint.

Throughout the process, Lu Jingheng clenched his teeth, trembling all over with pain and streaming cold sweat, but never cried out. He only occasionally gave a muffled grunt from the intense pain, and even thanked him quietly. "Sorry for the trouble... Mr. Luo Li..."

That resilience and courtesy improved Luo Li's impression of him further.

After treating the wounds, Luo Li carefully hoisted him onto his back.

Lu Jingheng was a little lighter than he looked, but carrying someone through such difficult terrain was still a considerable burden.

"Hold on tight," Luo Li reminded him, then resumed his evacuation with Lu Jingheng on his back.

Lu Jingheng lay against Luo Li's back very quietly, doing his best to lessen the burden he posed.

Only when Luo Li needed to shift position or cross an obstacle would he quietly warn, "Watch out for the rocks on the left," or, "The ground on the right doesn't look very stable."

He seemed very observant, and several of his warnings helped Luo Li avoid potential dangers.

"Are you... familiar with this place?"

Luo Li could not help asking.

"Not really..." Lu Jingheng's voice was still weak, but his words were coherent.

"It's just... as a data clerk, I habitually observe and remember the features of my surroundings... Things like the texture of rocks and the distribution of vegetation... In the wilderness... these things can sometimes save your life."

Luo Li silently commended him. These were indeed qualities a researcher should have.

Along the way, Lu Jingheng said little, but whenever he spoke, it was something useful, either warning of environmental hazards or asking whether Luo Li needed a rest. He was considerate and conducted himself appropriately.

He could even roughly judge the time and possible weather changes from the color and speed of the Blood-Erosion Clouds in the sky.

"At this rate... in about two more hours... it'll be completely dark.

"Nights in the canyon... are more dangerous."

His knowledge and composure became a source of help to Luo Li to some extent.

As they continued onward, Luo Li's wariness toward the "survivor" named Lu Jingheng on his back diminished considerably without his realizing it.

An intelligent, socially adept researcher who understood gratitude and could remain calm and observant even in desperate circumstances... was indeed difficult to dislike.

He even began to feel that saving this man might not have been a mistake.

Yet deep within Luo Li, the string called "the rules of survival in the apocalypse" still had not completely relaxed.

Lu Jingheng's behavior... was too good.

So good that it was almost... impossible to find fault with.

Anyone who had struggled to survive in the apocalypse would carry some degree of wariness, hostility, or numbness.

But apart from the weakness caused by his serious injuries, Lu Jingheng possessed an ingrained composure, rationality, and... an indescribably clean quality that seemed ever so slightly at odds with his experience of being "trapped in a dangerous place for a week and nearly dying."

Am I overthinking it?

Perhaps it's simply because he's an intellectual devoted to research, with a relatively pure disposition?

Luo Li could not be sure.

He could only continue onward while maintaining a minimum degree of vigilance.

At least for now, Lu Jingheng posed no threat, and his knowledge and composure had genuinely helped.

"Mr. Luo Li."

Lu Jingheng suddenly spoke softly from his back, interrupting his thoughts.

"Are we... going back to Jiangcheng?"

"Yes. We'll reach a safe spot on the outskirts first and contact the Guild," Luo Li answered.

"That's wonderful..." Lu Jingheng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, before an almost imperceptible note of sadness entered his voice.

"I wonder... how the others from the institute... are doing..."

His concern sounded heartfelt.

Luo Li fell silent for a moment and did not respond.

In the apocalypse, parting often meant never seeing each other again.

He quickened his pace.

The immediate priority was to leave Howling Wind Canyon as soon as possible.

As for this Lu Jingheng...

Feeling the steady but weak breathing from behind him, Luo Li's gaze sharpened slightly.

Hopefully, he really is just an unlucky survivor.

(PS: I nearly got caught by my boss while slacking off to write today. Thankfully, it was just a scare-I almost had my pay docked.

I'll write the remaining chapter when I get home, and give my brain some exercise on the way back.

Also, please leave comments, request updates, and give ratings-let's try to get this book an actual rating soon. Please.)