Due to a lack of proper constraints from an early age, Chen Mu had a period of aimless wandering in obscure corners and associated with a motley crew. In those places and with those people, using fists as a means of communication was essential.
This is also why he was able to overpower Wei Dalei, a guy who was a head taller than him.
But fighting and killing are two different matters.
At first, Chen Mu was full of energy, but when he realized that he had truly taken someone's life, his heart was filled with apprehension.
Taking a life is just that - taking a life.
Especially the first time, it's not something one can face calmly.
However, the will to survive forced him to suppress the discomfort in his heart.
He raised his spear and thrust it towards the second person.
He thought that after killing one of them, the remaining two would be more cautious. If he could seize this opportunity to take down another person, the situation would be greatly in his favor.
However, Chen Mu underestimated the opponents.
These three individuals didn't seem to be passing by coincidentally; it was evident that they came prepared.
After one of their companions died on his side, the remaining two didn't even bat an eye and immediately retaliated with weapons in hand.
Chen Mu wasn't a skilled fighter.
His strength was nothing extraordinary.
At best, he was just more agile from frequent fights and had a bit more courage.
Facing two individuals who were determined to fight to the death, he indeed couldn't gain much advantage.
But he also knew that there was no retreat at this moment.
Turning around to escape would only make him more passive.
When two brave souls meet on a narrow path, the brave one is victorious.
While keeping his body as low as possible, he lunged fiercely towards one of the men approaching him.
At the same time, his shoulder was struck with a blow.
Taking a hit is an art.
In need of an immediate response, Chen Mu aimed to minimize harm and counter effectively.
He was prepared to get injured, betting that the opponent's weapon wasn't as sharp as his own, as it was unlikely for anyone else to possess a bladed weapon like his.
Thankfully, he made the right bet.
The man's weapon was nothing more than a small wooden spike he had found somewhere, resembling a brow stick with a pointed tip ground on one end.
If it were to stab someone, the damage would be considerable.
However, this man clearly lacked combat experience.
In a panic, he swung the wooden stick vigorously but forgot about the pointed end entirely.
As Chen Mu's spear pierced the second person's abdomen, his shoulder and arm were struck by two blows.
When he pulled back his weapon, the opponent only then realized that his stick had a point.
Without a second thought, the man thrust it toward Chen Mu.
Chen Mu had just retracted his weapon, and the inertia prevented him from retaliating. He saw the opponent's spear coming straight at his chest, and he had no time to dodge.
His heart sank.
The rough wooden stick didn't have a sharp tip from grinding. Perhaps this blow wouldn't kill him, but getting injured was certain. In a situation without medical aid, being stabbed and left with a wound might be as good as a death sentence.
However, in that split second:
As if reacting instinctively, he subconsciously made a blocking motion with his hand.
Simultaneously:
The stainless steel weapon in his hand suddenly turned into a steel plate.
Like a shield.
"Clang!"
In the nick of time, he blocked the opponent's thrust.
The person across clearly didn't understand how Chen Mu suddenly conjured a shield, and he seemed visibly stunned for a moment.
Chen Mu was also taken aback.
Controlling the shield had been entirely subconscious.
The speed and precision of this sudden change far exceeded his usual performance. After all, he had never practiced the shield movement before.
In the midst of his astonishment, Chen Mu reacted faster than his opponent.
In the next moment, Chen Mu raised the shield and lunged at the person.
Both of them fell to the ground.
The man struggled to get up, but Chen Mu continuously struck him with the shield, leaving him disoriented.
Chen Mu felt terrified.
The discomfort after killing someone grew more severe.
Yet, he didn't hesitate to act.
Each strike was full of force, with the sole intention of bringing his opponent to a fatal end.
In the next moment.
The shield transformed into an iron spike and stabbed fiercely at the already dazed enemy.
"Squelch!"
The iron spike pierced through the man's mouth, seemingly penetrating his skull and reaching the ground below.
The man kicked his legs twice but never moved again.
Only then did Chen Mu breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
His whole body went limp on the ground.
At this moment, Wei Dalei finally arrived, dragging his wolf-tooth club. He witnessed the whole scene of Chen Mu killing the three opponents, running as fast as he could to assist, but he was still a step too late.
The fight had been over in an instant.
Dong Junwei and Tang Jing ran some distance, seeing Wei Dalei rushing past them to help. With trembling courage, they halted their steps and turned to observe.
What they saw was Chen Mu sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, and three lifeless bodies.
Wei Dalei was still some distance away from the battlefield.
It indicated that Chen Mu was the one who killed the three men.
All of this had happened during the brief moment they were running away.
"Boss!"
Wei Dalei rushed forward, intending to ask Chen Mu if he was injured. However, before he could speak, he was stunned by the scene of bloodshed before him, and the pungent smell of blood overwhelmed him.
"Gag…"
In the next moment, Wei Dalei couldn't hold back and turned his head to vomit.
His vomiting caused Chen Mu's stomach to churn as well.
...
Dong Junwei didn't immediately approach.
At this moment, she already regretted leaving Chen Mu behind and escaping on her own.
Dong Junwei always believed that she was destined for greater things. Managing the class, as Chen Mu had thought, was a way to gain experience and try things out. Her strong sense of responsibility was a display of self-confidence.
Even in the face of the apocalypse, even before she awakened her abilities, she still wanted to be the strongest.
Dong Junwei had not disappointed anyone.
Her contribution to the team's survival was immense.
She had always been proud of that.
But at the most critical moment, she failed.
Running away was purely an instinctive reaction.
Yet, this instinct for survival not only failed to console her but also stung at her pride and self-esteem.
Because at that time, Chen Mu didn't run away.
Not only did he not run away,
he immediately arranged for her and Tang Jing to retreat while he stayed behind to hold the line.
She followed her survival instinct.
But Chen Mu restrained his instinct.
In the crucial moment,
she lost.
Dong Junwei gazed blankly at the figure sitting slumped on the ground in front of her, lost in thought for a long time.
...
Chen Mu still hadn't stood up.
His emotions were complicated.
Fear, excitement, guilt, sadness... Even in self-defense, the feeling after killing someone was still unpleasant.
He even had a tiny bit of regret.
He should have spared the last person's life.
At the very least, he should have asked why.
...
At this moment, Zhu Hao, Chang Junyan, and the others finally arrived.
Wei Dalei had finished vomiting and finally recovered.
Zhu Hao and Chang Junyan had some experience dealing with Gu Ping before, so they were holding up relatively well. However, they still felt like something wanted to come out of their stomachs.
After resting for a while, Chen Mu finally stood up.
"Old Wei, we need to quickly dispose of the bodies, or it will attract a lot of ants, which will be troublesome later."
"Qian Fei, stop the girls from coming over." Chen Mu saw Dong Junwei and Tang Jing slowly coming back and asked Qian Fei, who had already vomited, to stop them.
However, Dong Junwei had already walked over and heard Chen Mu's words. She said, "Let us help."
Chen Mu was taken aback, "Are you sure? Move the bodies?"