The wilderness is treacherous. Some refugees huddle in their own dwellings, clinging to a sliver of hope, preferring to endure the onset of the Mutation Virus rather than leave their safe houses. Others, however, are unwilling to sit idly by and wait for their doom, so they risk crossing the wild beast-infested wilderness to reach the only Sanctuary.
Given Bennett's personality, he naturally couldn't abandon them. Even though the Sanctuary were overburdened, he wanted to save as many as possible. To date, the Sanctuary have received more than ten million refugees, and the main city is overcrowded. More new citadels have been built outside the walls to divert refugees who have traveled long distances.
Because of the continuous influx of refugees, the production of inhibitors has increased, but it is still in short supply. Fortunately, the players are working hard and enjoying themselves in maintaining order.
Due to the large number of people, Aurora was extremely busy, acting as a human radar to constantly identify infected individuals among the refugees, with almost no time to rest.
A checkpoint at a Sanctuary.
Thousands of disheveled, newly arrived refugees are being checked here, while fully armed soldiers maintain order. The refugees' eyes are filled with unease and tension; the disaster has kept them on edge at all times.
When can we go in?
"Do you know how many dangers I faced on my way to this Sanctuary? The body search was bad enough, but why are you leaving us here now?!"
Many refugees were emotional.
"Everyone, we need to conduct a virus check before entering the Sanctuary. Please cooperate."
A captain of the guards shouted, and the refugees, though dissatisfied, had no choice but to suppress their agitation.
At this moment, Aurora walked to the front of the crowd, closed her eyes, and used her supernatural abilities to sense the life force of these refugees.
After a while, she opened her eyes, looking apologetic, and said, "There are infected people among you. Please follow the guards to the quarantine area."
The guards walked into the crowd and pulled out infected people one by one, an action that immediately caused an uproar among the refugees.
"What are you doing! Let go! I'm not infected!"
"Let go of my child!"
"Get out of my way!"
The refugees' emotions were like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark. Even though most of them originally intended to obey, a small group took the lead and became agitated, resisting and Charge with the guards.
The scene was chaotic, filled with shouts, pleas, roars, and the sounds of people falling to the ground.
During this extraordinary period, the guards used a very forceful method to maintain order, resorting to punches and kicks to drag the infected person out, handcuff them, and throw them aside. Infected children were also snatched from their parents' arms by the guards, crying incessantly.
Bang!
Gunshots rang out.
The scene fell silent for a moment. Then, a male refugee, his face contorted with excitement, raised a pistol, wisps of smoke rising from its muzzle, and fired a shot into the air. The other refugees quickly retreated, leaving the man with the gun alone.
The guards' expressions changed drastically, and dozens of guns were simultaneously pointed at the man.
"Damn it, what's with the people doing the body search? Why did they miss his firearm?!"
"Put down your weapons! Or we'll open fire!" the guard captain shouted.
The man with the gun trembled and shouted, "No, don't be fooled by them! I heard that the infected people who were quarantined were actually executed. Don't believe them!"
"You've misunderstood. We do have a way to save them. Please don't get agitated," the captain of the guard said, trying to calm the man down, but secretly signaling to the gunman beside him with his eyes.
--Shoot the man dead as soon as his attention is diverted.
Just then, a childish, tearful cry rang out from among the infected people who had been captured.
"Dad!"
A seven or eight-year-old boy broke free from the guard's large hand, stumbled and ran to the man with the gun, tightly gripped the man's trouser leg, his big, frightened eyes scanning around, his small body trembling.
The captain of the guard cursed under his breath and hurriedly pressed his comrade's gun barrel, shooting the father in front of a child. Few people present would have been willing to do it; if the child hadn't been there, things would have been much easier.
"Think of your children, please put down your weapons immediately. We can indeed save lives!"
"How... how can I save him!" the gunman roared.
The captain of the guard patiently explained, "We have medication to suppress the virus. Isolating infected individuals makes it easier to screen patients and then administer the medication."
"Then bring the medicine over immediately and give it to my child. I want to watch the whole process!"
"This..." the guard captain hesitated, "Inhibitor production is limited, and the infected in the quarantine area are all waiting in line. It should be three days before it's your turn. I don't have the authority..."
The gunman roared, interrupting the guard captain, "I don't care! Bring me the medicine right now, or I'll shoot!"
As he spoke, the gunman pointed it at Aurora, who was watching them anxiously from a distance. He had noticed earlier that Aurora was the one who identified the infected, and seemed to be an important figure; he felt that this threat would be effective.
All the guards were terrified, their fingers almost pressing the trigger.
"Don't shoot! She's the only one who can identify infected people; everyone needs her!"
"I don't care! I want the medicine!" The man with the gun had bloodshot eyes and was extremely agitated.
At this moment, a dark red energy heavily protected Aurora, and Hila stepped out from the side, her expression as cold as ice.
The gunman immediately fired, but all the bullets were deflected by the dark red shield. Hila waved her hand, and a burst of dark red energy shot out, heading straight for the gunman's forehead.
Aurora was working, Hila always stayed by her side as her protector, preventing any accidental harm to her sister. This attack was deadly; she would show no mercy to anything that threatened her sister's safety.
"Sister, no!"
Hila frowned. The energy that should have blown the gunman's head off was redirected, only shattering the gun in his hand. The guards immediately swarmed forward, subduing the struggling man and pulling aside the little boy who was clinging to his father's trouser leg and wailing.
"You should let me kill him. Kindness is the enemy of survival. You should change that. Stop being so childish," Hila said impatiently.
Aurora smiled and said, "No, I know my sister is here. He can't hurt me. He just acted impulsively. We shouldn't take his life for that. We are the ones who should be saving refugees."
"My foolish sister..." Hila narrowed her eyes, those bloody memories flashing by, and shook her head, saying, "Never hesitate to assume the worst about others."
With her long legs encased in a black combat bodysuit, Hila stood before the gunman, looking down at him coldly. "If you don't trust us and don't want to be quarantined, then please leave. We lack everything, except refugees. No one will stop you from getting out. Guards, release him and that child."
The guards did as they were told, releasing the man. He hurriedly picked up his child and glared at Hila, but she glared back at him. Faced with Hila's murderous gaze, the man felt a chill and his anger slowly subsided.
He glanced at everyone, hugged the child tightly, and strode heavily towards the outside. He didn't want the child to be quarantined and taken away, so he didn't intend to stay.
Just then, Aurora.
Please don't leave.
The man paused, turned to look at the petite Aurora, and looked surprised.
Aurora said sincerely, "Although we won't stop you from leaving, I strongly suggest you stay. The wilderness is really too dangerous. You can only be safe in Sanctuary. Please trust my sincerity."
"Then bring the medicine over immediately to save my child," the man said hurriedly upon hearing this.
Aurora shook her head. "You risked everything to protect your loved ones, and I understand that impulse. But I'm sorry, we absolutely cannot give you the inhibitor in advance. That would be unfair to others. Making trouble won't get you special treatment. But I implore you to trust us. With patience, your child will be able to receive treatment sooner or later."
Kind as she may be, she doesn't let her emotions run wild. Having experienced a long period of darkness, the naivety in her character has long since faded away.
Her words carried a reassuring strength, and the man hesitated. At that moment, his son wiped away his tears and said, "Dad, I believe her. Let me go to the quarantine area. I'll protect myself."
The man gritted his teeth, put the boy down, and the captain of the guard stepped forward to take the boy's hand. The man tried to stop him several times, but in the end, he did not.
After this incident, the group of refugees calmed down, obediently accepted quarantine, and order was restored.
The two sisters left the station, and the giant bear that had been waiting at the door because of its enormous size followed behind Aurora, behaving obediently and docilely.
Hila stroked Aurora's head, frowning, and said, "Have you forgotten what I said? The emotional comfort of helping others is meaningless. When others demand your selflessness, it's their own selfishness. Don't extend kindness to strangers; they don't deserve your help."
Aurora shook off Hila's hand and whispered, "If you have the ability to help others, isn't it selfish to keep it hidden?"
Hila said coldly, "To do something for others is noble, to do something for oneself is vile. It's hypocritical to the point of being disgusting. Most moral principles are just a deception designed to make people stupid."
"Uncle Black Star saved me before, we're the ones who received help, so don't say you're unhappy," Aurora chuckled.
"..." Every time this topic came up, Hila would be speechless, and would say in a deep voice, "In short, I will definitely repay this favor to him. I don't like owing people."
That being said, Han Xiao had already entered a new level, and his status had changed drastically. Thinking back to when they first met, Han Xiao was just a weak, pale, and frail test subject who was being trained by her. Now, however, he had achieved so much. Sometimes she would doubt whether all of this was real. Life's twists and turns were too unpredictable.
Hila was very conflicted about how to face Han Xiao now. It seemed that Han Xiao no longer needed her power, and she didn't know how to repay this debt of gratitude.
"Sometimes it's just impossible to talk to you," Aurora sighed, feigning maturity. "If my sister weren't so eccentric, thousands of times more people would approve of you."
"Hmph, people who need others' approval are nothing special." Hila frowned.
Aurora shook her head helplessly.
Although I've always been protected by my older sister, I always feel that sometimes it's my sister who's the one who hasn't grown up.
At the corner not far away, Han Xiao and Melos had just arrived when they overheard the two sisters' conversation and looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Go back. I think you have no chance." Han Xiao squinted.
Melos was shocked.
"Damn it, you haven't even asked yet! Can't you be of any practical use?!"