Yama Reborn

The team that burst out from the camp now numbered only a little over forty people, including Ability Users.

Chen Nuo and Sea Monster walked at the very front, paving a walkable path through the vast mist.

Chen Nuo was very cautious; the airflow created by his released spiritual power merely cleared a space about ten meters wide in front of them, enough for the team to push forward before the mist could blend back together—that was sufficient.

Bonfrey covered the rear of the team, while Golden Bird and Gray Cat Black took the initiative to pick up stragglers in the middle of the group. If anyone fell behind during the march or the mist closed in too quickly as they passed, the two of them were responsible for patching things up.

The team was undeniably in a sorry state. Although the mercenaries, accustomed to military missions, had not abandoned their firearms, the supplies they brought out were pitifully scarce.

Ammo boxes—all lost! Supply crates—all lost!

A small amount of freshwater, a little bit of food.

Vanel's complexion was terrible. He was wary of unknown dangers lurking in the mist-filled jungle, and deeply concerned because all their equipment had been left behind. Especially the satellite communication equipment! In the few hurried minutes of evacuation, there was no chance to dismantle and pack up the gear. Vanel had managed to bring only two satellite phones.

Chen Nuo and Sea Monster agreed to take turns every half hour.

During Chen Nuo's second shift, he saw that Sato Ryoko had quietly moved very close to him and was following along.

Then, unexpectedly, Chen Nuo spotted someone.

That… native guide!

This guy had also managed to run out alive and follow the group. Chen Nuo was somewhat surprised.

During the chaos at the camp, the mercenaries had only cared about their own survival. If it hadn't been for Vanel's forceful suppression and Selena's strict orders, these men wouldn't even have wanted to carry the unconscious Professor and the captured sniper.

The native guide had a lean frame and was carrying someone on his back—Chen Nuo glanced and recognized his "brother" whose "soul had been taken by the devil." The one they had found in the pit.

The native guide seemed to intentionally stay close to Chen Nuo. While carrying someone, he deliberately kept near Chen Nuo in the procession and occasionally searched with his eyes to ensure Chen Nuo was always within his sight.

Marching through the jungle was extremely tough, and there were wounded among them.

In the first hour, everyone gritted their teeth and persevered. But as time went on, many of the injured began to slow down. The mercenaries, having some camaraderie, soon had the wounded supported by those with whom they had better relations. Some even took out knives to chop down trees along the way, fashioning walking sticks.

Even so, the team's pace of advance still slowed.

"We can't keep going like this! We have to slow down!" Vanel ran forward, reminding Chen Nuo and Sea Monster, his voice grave. "Our line is getting stretched longer and longer! Just now, a few times when we were passing through, we were too slow, and the mist on both sides merged. If Bonfrey and the others at the rear hadn't intervened to disperse the mist, we could have been in trouble! We must slow down!"

Before Chen Nuo could speak, Sea Monster said coldly, "God knows how large this area of mist is! If we slow down, Harvey and I will deplete our abilities more. If we don't get out of this mist before our power runs out, we'll all die here!"

The air was humid and sultry!

Above them was the dense canopy of the rainforest, seeming to obscure the sky. Through the dense, seemingly windproof canopy, wisps of mist faintly seeped down.

Vanel had previously attempted to climb a large tree, seeking a high vantage point to observe the terrain, but was quickly forced down by the Red Mist in the air.

Sea Monster continued to maintain a fast pace. Chen Nuo saw the team stretching out further and further behind him, with some members clearly unable to keep up.

He sighed and moved next to Sea Monster. "My turn."

Sea Monster looked at Chen Nuo. "It's not time yet."

Chen Nuo replied with a faint smile, "It is."

"…" Sea Monster stared at Chen Nuo for a moment, then frowned. "Alright."

He immediately withdrew his spiritual power that controlled the airflow and stepped behind Chen Nuo.

After taking Sea Monster's place, Chen Nuo continued to march forward, but it was clear that his pace had slowed.

"…Here, drink this."

Beside him, Sato Ryoko offered a canteen.

Chen Nuo glanced at it, saying coldly, "You drink it. I have water."

Sato Ryoko's face stiffened slightly, but she still said softly, "I haven't poisoned it!"

"I told you, I have my own water," Chen Nuo shook his head.

"You gave your water bottle to a wounded soldier earlier. I saw it," Sato Ryoko insisted.

As he walked, Chen Nuo glanced at the Japanese woman. Sato Ryoko took two sips from the canteen herself before offering it to him again. "Reassured now?"

Chen Nuo frowned, but this time he took the canteen.

A few sips of water moistened his parched throat, offering a sense of relief that made Chen Nuo sigh.

Marching through the humid and sultry rainforest truly drained one's physical strength and body water.

The team's water supply was now scarce. When escaping in a hurry, everyone could only carry their personal water bottles; large containers of freshwater were definitely not brought out. Not to mention water purification equipment.

So despite his seemingly composed appearance, Chen Nuo was very clear in his mind!

No more than two more hours!

If they didn't make it out of this Red Mist within that time, the team would surely suffer severe losses!

The first dilemma would be the need to abandon some of the severely wounded!

However, the unexpected still happened.

The team encountered a mud pit in their path. It seemed that during a recent rainfall, a low-lying area had formed a depression.

As they passed by, the area had turned into a muddy patch with shallow pools; the deepest part would only submerge a person's ankles.

After Chen Nuo and Sea Monster inspected it and confirmed that the mud pit wasn't dangerous enough to swallow a person, they led the team through.

But, when the team was halfway through, suddenly gunshots rang out from the back of the line!

Chen Nuo immediately turned and ran back!

Someone had died!

An unfortunate mercenary, walking through the muck, had disturbed a Forest Python lurking in the mud!

This greyish-brown-skinned Forest Python was lurking in the mud, well hidden from the mercenaries' sight, before it struck one of them.

The Forest Python quickly coiled around the poor man. He screamed and struggled while the surrounding mercenaries attempted to pull the snake off, but the constricting power of a full-grown Forest Python was enough to break every bone in an adult man's body!

Finally, when the mercenaries started shooting…

After a good while of chaos, the lifeless Forest Python still maintained its coiled posture around the mercenary. By the time his companions had pulled the man out with great effort, he was left with only a faint breath. He had countless broken bones and hardly any strength left to scream.

"He's beyond saving." The native guide accompanying Chen Nuo muttered after a glance, then shook his head and walked away, carrying his brother on his back.

In normal times, with such serious injuries, if sent back promptly and treated carefully, there would be some hope. But now…

A few mercenaries, who were probably good friends with the unfortunate man, even tried to suggest making a stretcher to carry him.

Vanel came over, looked, then, apparently having thought of something, shook his head and walked away. He knew it wasn't wise to try and stop these mercenaries, their minds filled with fear, anger, anxiety, and the grief of seeing a comrade fall.

Chen Nuo returned to the front of the team and continued the march.

Half an hour later, Sato Ryoko approached Chen Nuo and whispered, "That man… he's dead."

"Hmm."

"His friends want to dig a hole to bury the body."

"Hmm."

"But they were stopped. Selena said we don't have time to stop."

"Hmm."

"Mr. Harvey," Sato Ryoko whispered, "can we make it out of this dense fog?"

Only then did Chen Nuo glance at the woman. "If you have the energy to talk, you might as well take over clearing the path so I can rest for a bit."

"...Okay."

Clearing the path was a technical job.

Firstly, controlling the airflow to disperse the fog was a task that severely tested the finesse of one's spiritual power control. If the force applied was too weak, the path wouldn't be wide enough, and those following would quickly face merging fog from the sides. If the force was too strong, it was a waste of power and unsustainable for long.

Moreover, while clearing the path, one also had to determine the direction of advance to avoid getting lost or going in circles in the jungle. An inexperienced person, not knowing how to recognize directions, could easily walk in circles in a vast jungle, traveling a long distance only to end up back where they started. This is what's called "ghost hitting the wall."

This was why Chen Nuo was content to have the native guide stay close; he would chat with the guide from time to time while marching to confirm their direction. In this rainforest, no mercenary with supposed wilderness survival experience could compare to these natives who had spent their entire lives here!

However, when Sato Ryoko took over from Chen Nuo, she actually did quite well.

Chen Nuo followed Sato Ryoko discreetly, simultaneously keeping watch over the surrounding dense fog for her, lest some dangerous beast suddenly pounce out.

Internally, he revised his assessment of Sato Ryoko's abilities to a higher level.

Sato Ryoko cleared the path in Chen Nuo's place for about half an hour before Chen Nuo quickly took over again. Sato Ryoko seemed to still have some stamina left, but Chen Nuo had no intention of pushing her too hard. After all, among the team, she had shown the greatest goodwill toward him! Preserving the strength of an ally who showed the most goodwill was the smart move.

After Chen Nuo pushed on for another half-hour, Sea Monster took over again.

By that time, it had been almost three hours since they had fled the camp!

"We must stop to rest now!" Vanel ran over, his face looking dreadful as he reminded Chen Nuo and the others. His clothes were soaked through with sweat—the hot and humid environment made it far too easy to perspire. His face was greasy, but his lips were already somewhat dry, indicating significant dehydration. "Some people at the back can't keep up anymore. We must stop for a rest."

"Then we can only abandon those who are seriously injured." Sea Monster still refused coldly and unsympathetically. "We cannot stop!"

Vanel's face darkened. "Mr. Sea Monster! I am in command now!"

Sea Monster's face was also grim. "Then you should be even clearer about the current situation!"

"Alright!" Chen Nuo interrupted. "No need to argue."

He glanced at Sea Monster. "Let's stop and rest. Five minutes!"

"…" Sea Monster frowned at Chen Nuo.

Chen Nuo sighed. "During the five-minute rest, I'll maintain the power output to keep the fog back."

Sea Monster sneered, "Mr. Bigfoot, when did you become such a merciful person?"

Chen Nuo shook his head and glanced at Sea Monster. "These mercenaries… we need them!"

Sea Monster finally stopped talking, shook his head, walked away, found a place to sit down, and closed his eyes to rest.

The team finally stopped to rest, even if only for a brief five minutes.

Chen Nuo released his Spiritual Force Tentacles, expanding them in all directions, manipulating the airflow to constantly disperse the encroaching mist, carefully maintaining a safe "enclosure" for the team.

Every face in the team was etched with exhaustion and despair.

The water was almost gone. Some mercenaries were already sharing a single canteen, consciously conserving water. One canteen was passed among several people, each only allowed a small sip.

During the rest, another severely injured team member died. During a previous beast attack, this unlucky fellow had been pounced on by a jaguar, and his ribs were broken. Evidently, the broken ribs had punctured his internal organs, causing internal bleeding. He had held on until this moment, but finally succumbed.

Exhaustion, thirst, fear, and the death of a comrade plunged the team's morale to rock bottom.

During the rest, several Ability Users gathered near Chen Nuo, forming a circle and spontaneously beginning a discussion.

"We need to figure something out. We can't go on like this," Bonfrey spoke first.

Chen Nuo glanced at him and noticed that Gray Cat Black, Golden Bird, and Sea Monster were all silent.

He immediately understood that these men had already discussed it among themselves.

"If it were just us," Bonfrey continued, "with our abilities, we could disperse the fog while retreating, and… our speed would be much faster than when we're burdened with these ordinary people!"

"Yes, our chances of escaping this dense fog would be much higher!"

"As it is, we're being dragged down by these ordinary people!"

"Vanel can come with us! He's one of Octopus Monster's men… If we take him, we'll have done our part for Octopus Monster."

"Agreed."

Listening to this cold discussion, Chen Nuo's face showed no expression.

"So, what are your thoughts, Harvey?" Bonfrey finally asked Chen Nuo.

Chen Nuo thought for a moment and slowly said, "Are you sure that if we abandon these mercenaries, we can get out on our own?"

"Of course. All our strength is currently being spent on protecting them," Gray Cat Black said indifferently.

"So, you think these mercenaries, being ordinary people, have now become a burden?"

"Yes."

Chen Nuo sighed. "Gentlemen, I won't deny there's some logic in what you're saying. However, have you considered what kind of power created this strange, dense fog? I certainly don't think it's a natural phenomenon! And while I'm no scientific expert, no Amazon rainforest climate expert, I've never heard of such a demonic Red Mist in the Amazon! A mist that turns people into murderous maniacs upon inhalation—I've never heard of such a thing! We are facing an opponent who, until now, has remained lurking in the shadows, an opponent who certainly possesses Transcendent abilities!"

"Get to the point, Mr. Harvey!" Sea Monster interrupted Chen Nuo coldly.

"My point is simple. I think we still need these mercenaries."

"Need them? Need them to be our burden?" Golden Bird muttered discontentedly.

Bonfrey sighed. "Harvey! I don't know what you're thinking… Perhaps we needed these mercenaries before. But you know, we all know one thing very clearly! They are just ordinary people! In this team, we previously needed these mercenaries to carry out this commission. We needed them as porters, to scout for us, to set up camp, to transport supplies and provisions. Even in a normal search, these people could help us with a lot of work, explore many areas. But ultimately, they are just a bunch of laborers! A bunch of tools! When it comes to actual combat… they're just ordinary people! They can't help us at all! And now, their usefulness has diminished. We don't need those things anymore. At this critical juncture, we don't need to continue executing this damn commission! Our primary goal now is to ensure our own safety!"

Chen Nuo did not refute Bonfrey's words. He admitted that although what Bonfrey said was harsh… it was the truth.

But Chen Nuo still didn't agree with this viewpoint.

It wasn't because Chen Yanluo was soft-hearted or overly kind, much less because he was some sanctimonious White Lotus.

Rather…

Even in his previous life, Chen Nuo had formed his own small team, leading the Yama Gang, composed of mentally disturbed youths. He was rarely willing to deal with other organizations of Psychics. Indeed, apart from his own team, he didn't have a single Psychic friend in the Underground World!

It was because he always felt that most of these Psychics, though perhaps possessing outstanding strength or astonishing talent… a great majority of them lacked something.

Human touch!

The reason humans are humans, the reason humanity is a civilization.

There's an interesting story from archaeology, a story about civilization.

At a certain excavation site, the remains of an Ancient Era human were found, including a femur. Archaeologists determined that this femur had once been broken and showed signs of having slowly healed.

In the Ancient Era, humans lived by hunting and gathering; their productivity was extremely low. A person with a broken femur would have certainly lost all productive capacity. Yet, such a person, despite a severe injury, managed to slowly heal and recover. This could only prove one thing: this person was cared for by their companions, survived, and recuperated!

To understand how to care for the weak and sick within the group!

This is the greatest difference between humans and wild beasts!

This is… civilization!!

Many so-called superior individuals, or many Psychics, due to their abilities, gradually develop a different way of thinking… They slowly begin to see ordinary people not as their own kind, but as… ants, leeks, tools, cannon fodder…

Whether in his past life or this one, Chen Nuo disliked dealing with such people.

Because they lacked human touch!

The argument quickly ended—in fact, Chen Nuo hadn't argued much with them. The few Ability Users saw that Chen Nuo didn't vocally oppose them, but they also sensed his disapproval.

At the end of the conversation, Sea Monster, on behalf of the other Ability Users, made a decision.

"Until tonight at the latest, Harvey! This is the consensus we've reached. If we still haven't escaped this dense fog by tonight, we will leave on our own. At that time, you can choose whether you want to come with us or stay with this team as a nanny. Staying until tonight is the last respect we will show Octopus Monster."

Chen Nuo said nothing.

After the break, the team set off again. The short five-minute break had, with all the dawdling, actually lasted about ten minutes.

This time, Sea Monster wasn't rushing or anxious. Instead, he coldly watched the mercenaries—some exhausted, some injured—move sluggishly. When Selena sharply reprimanded the slow-moving mercenaries, Bonfrey and the others merely folded their arms and watched indifferently from the side, saying nothing.

Nightfall was not far off.

In the mist-shrouded jungle, looking around, the sky and everything in all directions was that crimson color. Looking at this color for too long was truly repulsive and made one increasingly irritable.

The ordinary mercenaries in the team did not know that the core powerhouses among them had already decided: if they couldn't escape the mist by nightfall, they would be abandoned.

As the mercenaries set out, one could occasionally see a mercenary take out a cross hanging from their neck, kiss it, and silently pray for God's blessing.

Perhaps God really heard these prayers…

An hour later…

"We're out!!!!"

Ahead was a clear, flowing river. On the opposite bank, the dense rainforest continued. As far as the eye could see, everything was lush and green.

The mist behind them had gradually thinned! Looking forward, there was only verdant green!

They had finally escaped this eerie red mist!

Several excited mercenaries scrambled to the front of the team, plunged towards the stream, then knelt on the ground and howled at the sky.