Apocalypse Chapter 33: Wolf Pack

Chapter 33: Wolf Pack

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Chu Qiang stood up abruptly, the bottle of salted soda slipping from his hand. His eyes widened, the hairs on his arms standing on end. “Wolf… wolf meat? Xiao Jiang, are you kidding me? Where did you get wolf meat from?”

Jiang Rong didn’t want to explain too much. He simply pointed at Guan Shao. “It’s not me, Guan Shao caught them.”

Guan Shao glanced at Jiang Rong, evidently they wouldn’t elaborate on how they caught the wolves to Chu Qiang. He vaguely said, “We encountered a wolf pack yesterday, so I caught two while we were at it.”

Only then did Chu Qiang relax. “I knew it. How could someone with your slim arms and legs be a match for mutant wolves? But with Master Guan here, it’s not a problem. Master Guan’s skills are top-notch; he could take on ten at once.”

Chu Qiang grinned happily. “Thanks, Master Guan. I’ve never tasted wolf meat before, so thanks to you, today we can have a hearty meal.” He raised his voice to call outside, “Mom, take a break with dad. I’ll handle the cooking later.”

A slight frown appeared on Jiang Rong’s brow. “Having meat is good, but it seems like we’ve stirred up some trouble.”

Chu Qiang picked up the soda bottle. “Hmm? What trouble?”

“We’ve attracted the wolf pack. If I’m not mistaken, the wolf howls you heard this morning came from near my house.”

The ease on Chu Qiang’s face washed away like water, replaced by seriousness. “This… is trouble indeed. I’ve heard that wolves hold grudges. I guess when you guys were fighting them, you didn’t pay attention, and now they’ve followed your scent back home.”

Jiang Rong nodded. “Yes.”

After serious contemplation, Chu Qiang concluded, “We need to get rid of this pack of wolves. Otherwise, they’ll be camping at your doorstep every day, making life unbearable.”

Jiang Rong smiled. “That’s what I was thinking too.”

Chu Qiang became serious. “Xiao Jiang, when are you planning to deal with the wolves? Remember to call me; although I lack experience, I still have strength. If needed, I can hold my ground for a while even if things get tough.”

Jiang Rong smiled. “Alright, Master Guan and I need to go back to observe the number of wolves and choose suitable locations to set traps. We’ll let you know when we need your help.”

With their children still at home, Jiang Rong dared not leave for too long. After a few more words with Chu Qiang and the others, they prepared to head home. As they were about to leave, Jiang Rong noticed Leilei.

The delicate girl was sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading a book slowly. Seeing her, Jiang Rong thought of Jiang Hao. Although Jiang Hao’s reactions were slow, he could still respond to external stimuli. Unlike Leilei, who was immersed in her own world, oblivious to her surroundings. Fortunately, Wang Chunlan was a doctor who could provide targeted treatment for Leilei. Otherwise, Jiang Rong couldn’t imagine what might happen to the girl.

Thinking of this, Jiang Rong suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Qiang, what kind of doctor is Chunlan? Is she a surgeon or an internist?”

Chu Qiang thought for a moment. “She’s a gynecologist. Chunlan used to be the director of the Red House Reproductive Center in City C, specializing in infertility. Why? Do you need something from her?”

Jiang Rong’s expression twisted slightly. “Nothing now.”

They had a tricycle from Uncle Li’s house when they came. But on the way back, they weren’t so lucky. They needed to take smaller paths and cross several hills to get home. The paths were overgrown with weeds, causing some hindrance to their movements. However, Jiang Rong was more proficient in using his abilities now; wherever he walked, a path quickly appeared.

Guan Shao walked beside Jiang Rong, wary of dangers in the bushes. After walking for a while, he asked, “Earlier, you asked about Wang Chunlan… did you want her to check on Xiao Hao’s condition?”

Jiang Rong responded, “Yes, I thought if she could help determine whether it’s a physiological or psychological issue with the child, it would be more targeted when taking him to see a doctor in the future. Unfortunately, Wang Chunlan is a gynecologist; she can’t help much.”

Guan Shao’s low voice came, “Thank you.”

Jiang Rong smiled, “What’s there to thank for? It’s just a small effort.”

After a while, the two of them passed through Uncle Li’s orchard via the smaller path. As they approached their home, Guan Shao suddenly spoke up, “Jiang Rong, can you come out with me for a moment?”

Jiang Rong was puzzled. “Now? Right now?”

Guan Shao nodded gently. “Yes, right now. Don’t worry; we won’t go far, just around your neighborhood. If possible, bring the military car.”

After leaving the path from the Eyries cactus, they headed west along the mountain road. In no time, they reached the mountain road beside the Lingshan Reservoir. After turning off the road and driving down a few hundred meters, they came to a bend. Guan Shao parked the military car by the roadside. “Here we are.”

Jiang Rong turned to look, only seeing the shimmering lake surface. This puzzled him. Why did Guan Shao stop the car here?

Nevertheless, he followed Guan Shao out of the car, and they walked towards the reservoir. Due to the recent dry weather, the water level of the reservoir had dropped significantly, revealing the several meters high embankment. Jiang Rong’s sharp eyes spotted a gray car parked near the embankment. The driver’s side door was open, and two winding footprints extended from the direction of the car door.

Now he understood why Guan Shao had brought him here. On that day of the Black Rain, Guan Shao drove the car off the road. Luckily, the slope of the embankment was gentle, and the mud was thick, so the car’s wheels sank deeply, giving them a chance to escape.

Just one glance and Jiang Rong could guess how dangerous the situation had been at the time. If it had been him and his son who fell, they might not have been able to climb back up.

While the people escaped, the car remained on the embankment. Without any means of towing, once the heavy rain fell, it would be forever buried under the water. After the Great Crisis, transportation was essential; one more car meant one more help.

After hanging the towing rope on the military car, Guan Shao carried the rest of the rope towards the direction of the car. “Wait here for me for a moment.”

Jiang Rong responded, “Okay.”

Guan Shao dragged the towing rope towards the car’s direction. In no time, he reached the rear of the car. Seeing him tying the towing rope to the back of the car, Jiang Rong climbed onto the military car and started the vehicle.

Dragging a car stuck in mud was a technical task; the speed couldn’t be too fast, and it required gradual force. As the vehicle slowly moved forward, the pulling force made the towing rope taut. Jiang Rong’s driving skills were good, and in no time, he saw the taillights of the car in the rearview mirror.

The car didn’t seem very large when viewed from the shore, but when it steadily climbed onto the road, Jiang Rong was shocked. “A military off-road vehicle?”

The off-road vehicle in front of him had wheels several sizes larger than those of ordinary cars, with a tall and wide body, camouflage barely visible under the mud. Whether it was before or after the Great Crisis, such a vehicle was every man’s dream. Especially now, a reliable vehicle could significantly increase one’s chances of survival in a world filled with crises.

Seeing Jiang Rong’s eager gaze, Guan Shao gestured towards the off-road vehicle and invited, “Do you want to drive it?”

Jiang Rong replied eagerly, “Can I?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he found a heavy car key in his hand. Guan Shao opened the driver’s door of the off-road vehicle. “Go ahead, I’ll show you how to shift gears.”

Under Guan Shao’s guidance, Jiang Rong quickly figured it out. The military off-road vehicle was powerful, like a spirited horse. Upon starting it, he could feel the hidden power beneath its steel body.

Guan Shao closed the door and removed the towing rope. “You drive the off-road vehicle back, and I’ll drive the military car.”

Jiang Rong nodded and stepped on the accelerator. The vehicle shot forward like an arrow. Guan Shao, holding the towing rope, watched the swiftly disappearing taillights with a smile and shook his head, his eyes reflecting a hint of indulgence.

The place where Guan Shao’s car was stuck was very close to home. Before Jiang Rong’s seat even warmed up, his yard appeared in front of him. Reluctantly, he touched the steering wheel. The feeling of driving a good car was indeed different, but such a powerful vehicle must be a gas guzzler, and the fuel they had at home couldn’t afford the consumption.

As he touched the steering wheel, the military car also came to a stop behind the cacti. Guan Shao walked to the side of the off-road vehicle and knocked on the window. “How was it?”

Jiang Rong blinked. “It feels great, just not enough.”

Guan Shao smiled. “Want to take another round?”

Jiang Rong jumped down from the car. “No, we need to save some fuel.” 

Resources had to be used where they mattered most, without waste.

Looking at the mud on the car, Jiang Rong suggested, “I’ll go get some water to wash the car, and then you can park it next to the military car to avoid the sun exposure.”

Guan Shao agreed, but his hand moved towards the direction of the trunk. With a click, the trunk opened, revealing a dozen black boxes tightly strapped together.

Jiang Rong chuckled. “So there’s something inside.” 

He wondered what was inside; it looked quite mysterious.

Guan Shao didn’t avoid Jiang Rong. He unfastened the straps and opened the top box. A pitch-black gun suddenly appeared in Jiang Rong’s sight, leaving him stunned and his mind blank for a moment.

After the Great Crisis, mutants and anomalous animals were indeed terrifying, but most of them, at the beginning of their mutation, couldn’t compare to firearms invented by humans. However, it was extremely rare for ordinary people to come into contact with firearms and ammunition in their lifetime, let alone become proficient in using them.

The reason Jiang Rong had sought refuge in the Peace Base in his previous life was because he heard that the leaders of the Peace Base came from the military and had many weapons. However, after spending two years in the base, he hadn’t seen any firearms and ammunition as advertised. Ordinary people still had to rely on their flesh and blood and cold weapons to resist external threats.

Seeing Jiang Rong standing there in a daze, Guan Shao spoke gently, “Scared?”

Jiang Rong snapped out of his daze. “It’s a bit unexpected, but it’s okay.”

Guan Shao, with a special status, owning a gun wasn’t anything unusual. He was a mercenary who frequently carried out international missions. It would be abnormal if he didn’t have something to protect himself. 

Guan Shao gently stroked the gun, his movements gentle as if caressing a lover’s face. Jiang Rong didn’t understand guns, let alone the model of this gun. All he knew was that this gun looked very domineering, especially with its long barrel, which looked intimidating.

As a first-time viewer of such an object, Jiang Rong was curious. “What kind of gun is this?”

Guan Shao seemed to want to test Jiang Rong. “Guess.”

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Rong said, “AK?” 

He wasn’t a military enthusiast, but AK was too famous.

Guan Shao smiled slightly and explained in a warm tone, “This is a sniper rifle, capable of shooting all living things within a kilometer.”

Hearing these words, Jiang Rong’s mind flashed with the word “sniper rifle.” Its reputation was as loud as AK’s, one of the few gun names Jiang Rong could remember.

Guan Shao nodded slightly. “Close enough.” He tapped on a box below, “These are the AKs you mentioned.”

Jiang Rong felt his hands trembling a bit. “You’re not telling me that these boxes are all guns, are you?”

Guan Shao shook his head. “Of course not.”

Jiang Rong also felt it wasn’t possible. Just having a sniper rifle and AK was already incredible. How could there be so many guns in the trunk?

Guan Shao remained calm. “There are only six guns in here, and the rest are ammunition. Oh, and there are a dozen grenades. Do you have a place at home to put them?”

Jiang Rong turned his stiff head to look at Guan Shao. It turned out that he not only picked up a snail prince but also brought back a mobile ammunition depot.

As Jiang Rong expected, Guan Shao had activated his usual weapons to deal with the mutant wolves. Although he could kill mutant wolves with his abilities, precision and distance were highly demanded by his abilities. In non-urgent situations, using firearms was fine, but if they encountered a pack of wolves, it would be impossible to aim and shoot accurately.

Seeing Guan Shao moving the boxes, Jiang Rong was actually quite nervous. “Will the things inside explode?” 

The power of ammunition was extremely strong. If the boxes storing ammunition exploded, his home would be gone.

Guan Shao explained calmly, “Don’t worry; it’s not that easy to explode. If the ammunition exploded due to handling or high temperatures, then in harsh environments, weapons would become death warrants, wouldn’t they?”

After hearing Guan Shao’s explanation, Jiang Rong realized how lacking his knowledge was in terms of weapons.

After settling the boxes, the two of them opened the surveillance footage. There were several cameras installed on the roof of his house, each facing the mountains in four directions. If there really was a wolf pack lurking near the house last night, the cameras should have captured them.

Following the information provided by Uncle Li, they adjusted the surveillance to the early hours of yesterday. Sure enough, about an hour after Guan Shao and Jiang Rong entered the house, some red squares appeared on the northeast mountainside in the footage. Within those squares were several robust wolves stealthily approaching Jiang Rong’s house.

Yesterday, Guan Shao had skinned the wolves on the cement ground in front of Little Fairy, possibly leaving wolf blood residue. The wolves followed the scent towards the west side of the courtyard wall. However, as soon as they emerged from beyond the wall, sharp spikes from the Eyries cactus flew out.

The mutated wolf skins were tough, and the spikes couldn’t penetrate their bodies. But the impact caused them great pain, making them feel threatened. The lead wolf howled, and the pack retreated to the northeast mountainside.

The surveillance picked up the continuous howling of wolves, sounding truly eerie. Guan Shao roughly estimated, “There are over thirty wolves. Looks like we need to prepare well.”

Jiang Rong nodded solemnly, “Yes.”

At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the door. Jiang Xiaoheng’s little head peeked out from the crack, his voice soft, “Daddy, Uncle Guan, can my brother and I have ice cream? We’ll each have one, not eating too much.”

Jiang Rong checked the time and realized it was already lunchtime. The two children must be hungry. He apologized quickly, “I’m sorry, Xiaoheng. Daddy and Uncle got busy with work and lost track of time. We’ll cook right away.”

Understandingly, Jiang Xiaoheng replied, “It’s okay, Daddy. Work is important!”

Facing such a considerate child, Guan Shao’s heart softened. If he had ice cream on hand, he would give it all to him without hesitation.

Jiang Xiaoheng quickly secured his and Jiang Hao’s favorite Hawaiian fruit-flavored ice cream. Meanwhile, he also thought of Little Fairy outside, “Daddy, can Little Fairy have ice cream too?”

Jiang Rong, while rinsing rice, glanced towards the Eyries cactus outside the courtyard wall. “I don’t think so.” He hadn’t heard of Eyries cactus eating ice cream, but he could give Little Fairy some ability aura later.

Why was Little Fairy so quiet today? They were just unloading things in front of it, and it didn’t jump out to make its presence known but stood quietly. Little Fairy suddenly became less lively, which Jiang Rong found unsettling.

While the rice cooked, Jiang Rong poked Little Fairy in the mental space, “What’s wrong, Little Fairy? Are you feeling down today?”

The tiny Eyries cactus shrunk its body and even avoided Jiang Rong’s touch. Previously, it loved Jiang Rong’s touches in the mental space, gaining some wood-based abilities each time.

Concerned, Jiang Rong asked, “Little Fairy, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

After a while, Little Fairy spoke in a dejected tone, “Master Jiang…” its voice was both helpless and pitiful.

It seemed that it would take Little Fairy a long time to express its feelings fluently. Jiang Rong directly checked Little Fairy’s memories. Upon seeing them, he finally understood why Little Fairy was so despondent. It was truly feeling down.

Last night, it had shot spikes at the mutated wolves, but the spikes fell to the ground upon touching the mutated wolf fur. Despite shooting so many spikes, not one managed to injure the wolves. Little Fairy’s pride was hurt.

Master Jiang loved it the most. He entrusted it with guarding Xiaoheng and Lele, but it couldn’t even kill mutated wolves. It was a failed Eyries cactus and didn’t deserve to watch cartoons.

In the mental space, the small Eyries cactus curled up in sadness, its tiny body trembling slightly, resembling a child crying. Jiang Rong’s heart melted. He gently infused some ability aura into Little Fairy, “Little Fairy, you’re already amazing. Without you, the wolf pack would have entered the yard yesterday. You’re great!”

Little Fairy’s body stopped trembling, and its originally erect edges twisted into regular curves.

Jiang Rong continued to praise, “It’s okay if you couldn’t harm the wolf pack immediately. You’re still young; you can grow slowly. I believe that one day, the spikes you shoot will drive away all intruders. Don’t feel bad. You’re doing great. Let’s cheer up. Shall I play Meow Meow Squad for you?”

Little Fairy became happy again, wiggling its body joyfully, “Yes! Yes!”

Jiang Rong breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Guan Shao looking at him with concern. He smiled, “Cheering up kids is quite an art.”

Guan Shao chuckled, “You’re quite skilled in that art.”

*

Over the next two days, whenever it reached late at night, the wolf pack would emerge on the hills near Jiang Rong’s house. As soon as they entered Little Fairy’s attack range, they would be met with a barrage of spikes from Little Fairy.

The wolf pack wasn’t foolish; they quickly realized that there were blind spots in the range of the Eyries cactus’s spikes. As long as they descended from the mountains on the northeast corner of the house, the wall would block the spikes. Last night, they had already jumped in from outside the east courtyard wall, but Jiang Rong’s house was sturdy, and they hadn’t found a breakthrough yet.

During these two days, Jiang Rong and his companions also set up traps. Tonight would be the night of their showdown with the wolf pack. Whether they would be bitten to death by the wolves or they would end up victorious depended on tonight’s events.

Chu Qiang held the gun and kissed it a few times, then rubbed his face against the barrel, “It’s real, it’s real! Xiao Jiang, bro can now die in peace. Bro finally got to touch a real gun with his own hands, totally worth it!”

Jiang Rong took a couple of steps away from Chu Qiang, creating some distance, “You’re talking as if the other day you were playing with a toy gun.” 

Since Guan Shao brought out the gun, he had enlisted Chu Qiang to practice with them.

Chu Qiang hmphed and hugged the gun tighter, “It’s different. We practiced aiming and pulling the trigger for two days without a single bullet inside. Now it’s real combat, understand?”

Seeing his childhood friend descending into a semi-hysterical state, Jiang Rong suspected that maybe the mutated wasp had damaged Chu Qiang’s brain, “Bro, you know this is real combat. Can you be serious?”

Chu Qiang muttered something, but Jiang Rong didn’t care to listen. He turned to Guan Shao, contrasting Chu Qiang’s hysterics with Guan Shao’s terrifying calmness. Guan Shao had set up the sniper rifle and bipod on the parapet of the northeast corner. He was now meticulously wiping the gun with white cloth.

Feeling Jiang Rong’s gaze, Guan Shao looked up and smiled at him, “Don’t worry, they’re just wild beasts.” 

Even if mutated, they weren’t a match for humans, especially the three of them who were all espers.

To ease Jiang Rong’s nervousness, Guan Shao deliberately diverted his attention, “There are so many solar panels on your roof, over a hundred, right?” 

Behind the three of them, rows of solar panels were neatly arranged. It was no wonder Jiang Rong’s house could run air conditioning and appliances twenty-four hours a day.

Jiang Rong acknowledged, “Yes, there are 117.” 

He had bought these solar panels from a photovoltaic company before the Great Crisis. Each one was made with tempered glass. The lifespan of these solar panels was said to be 20 years, and he was afraid that if they broke, he wouldn’t be able to replace them, so he bought a thousand. Guan Shao looked up at the dark mountains and forests, “Jiang Rong, you’re really amazing.” 

He remembered the first time he met Jiang Rong, Jiang Rong had given him advice, telling him to buy more things. At that time, Guan Shao had only thought of Jiang Rong’s suggestion as a joke, but he hadn’t expected it to be so prophetic. Fortunately, he had listened to the advice and prepared a lot of things. When he was buying things, he found it unbelievable that he took the words of someone he had only met once so seriously. Now it seemed like it was fate’s arrangement. Jiang Rong smiled, “Just consider it me being prepared.”

As time passed, Guan Shao put on the night vision goggles and whispered, “Almost time.”

Through the thermal imaging night vision goggles, a group of grey wolves appeared in a fan shape from the northeast mountains. They silently descended along the ridge, positioning themselves towards the yard halfway down the mountain.

Jiang Rong took a deep breath and stared through the scope, his finger on the trigger gradually tightening.

The wolf pack was extremely fast, and in no time, most of them were within shooting range. At that moment, Jiang Rong heard Guan Shao’s decisive voice in his ear, “Fire.”

“Bang!”

A burst of fire erupted from the sniper rifle muzzle, tearing through the pitch-black night.

 

 

This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.