With the help of his summoned Wolf Beast, Mo Fan's speed was greatly increased. As a mid-tier mage, with the Wolf Beast by his side, he could move through the city almost unhindered—as long as he didn't encounter commander-level monsters. His target was the large supermarket located in the Mingwen District.
South of Mingwen Girls' School stood a once-bustling shopping plaza. The bloodstains from past battles had long since been washed away by the rain, leaving only scattered human remains. It was a gruesome sight that could make anyone sick with just a glance.
Around the plaza, low growls and occasional roars filled the air. Every now and then, a scream would pierce the silence, signaling that another unfortunate soul had been found by the demons.
The vast shopping center took up about a third of the plaza, but it had become a shattered ruin due to the rampaging monsters. Broken glass, smashed walls, and debris littered the floor.
In the basement of the plaza was a supermarket, where a small group of survivors had taken refuge. Food wasn't of much interest to the demons, which was why the supermarket had remained mostly unnoticed.
Fortunately, the elevator access to the basement made it harder for the monsters to discover it.
Inside the supermarket, a group of survivors sat helplessly on the ground. Their only hope was to pray the monsters would never find them.
"Are we just going to be abandoned here?" one girl asked softly, hugging her knees as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Most of the people outside are probably dead by now. It's only a matter of time before they find us here too." the supermarket manager said lifelessly, his face devoid of hope.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die. We have to try to leave. Out there, at least we might have a chance." a man who worked in the store said with a hint of determination.
"I've been a plumber for decades. Follow me, and I can get you through the underground tunnels safely." a skinny middle-aged man in a blue uniform spoke up.
Hearing that, the others' eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. If they stayed here, they'd eventually be found and killed by the demons. But if they went underground and avoided the surface, they might be able to escape to the safety zones.
"Let's go! I don't want to stay in this hellhole any longer."
"Yes, the red alert's been sounded. If we don't make it to the safe zones, we're as good as dead."
Everyone quickly packed up and followed the plumber, clinging to the hope of survival.
Just as they were about to leave, the crying girl from earlier spoke up, "Wait! Can someone help me? There's a girl in a wheelchair here. She can't walk!"
"You've got to be kidding. Who's got time to worry about that?" someone said, clearly annoyed.
"Yeah, the tunnels don't have room for a wheelchair. Girl, you better hurry up and follow us if you want to live." the overweight supermarket manager added.
The plumber led the way, and everyone else pretended they hadn't heard the girl's plea. They quickened their pace, leaving her and the girl in the wheelchair behind.
"Can someone at least carry her? Please, don't leave her here!" the smaller girl cried out, her voice cracking as she watched them walk away.
A few people turned to look at the girl in the wheelchair, their faces showing a brief flicker of sympathy. But in the end, they all looked away. They knew that carrying her would slow them down, and in the tunnels, where they might encounter demons, being slower meant certain death.
"This doesn't seem right... That girl looks so pitiful." one woman whispered to the person next to her.
"What's not right about it? She can't walk, and it's not our fault. If you feel bad, why don't you carry her? Just so you know, a lot of those tunnels require climbing ladders, and I doubt you'll get far carrying her." the plumber responded coldly.
"Besides, it's not like the demons will definitely find this place. She can wait here for rescue." someone else chimed in.
The group continued to walk away, each person more focused on their own survival than on saving someone else. No one was willing to take on the burden of helping the girl in the wheelchair.
Back inside the supermarket, the girl in the wheelchair, Xin Xia, had been observing the situation quietly. She looked at the smaller girl and said softly, "You should go with them."
"I'm sorry..." the smaller girl said, tears brimming in her eyes.
Xin Xia didn't hold it against her. In her heart, she didn't blame anyone. Just like she couldn't walk, those people had their own limitations. Everyone had a right to live, and in this world, survival was all that mattered.
Meanwhile, Mo Fan arrived at the plaza. His presence, along with the Wolf Beast, had already scared away most of the lower-tier demons.
He had originally been expecting to run into Yu Ang, and had even been prepared to break his neck. But the coward probably saw the Wolf Beast and didn't dare show himself. Mo Fan figured he could deal with Yu Ang later—his priority now was saving Xin Xia.
On a ten-story building next to the plaza, two men dressed in black stood on the roof, seemingly unnoticed by the nearby demons.
"There's someone riding a summon beast heading toward the plaza." the man with the hooked nose said.
"It's him!" the other man, his face hidden behind a mask, responded with clear hatred in his eyes.
"You know him?" Hook Nose asked.
"Of course I do." Yu Ang replied, clenching his fists.
Despite his hatred, Yu Ang knew he didn't stand a chance against Mo Fan, especially with the Wolf Beast. Mo Fan was stronger than he had anticipated, and his own Black Beast Demons wouldn't be enough to take him down.
Since the underground area was too cramped for the Wolf Beast, Mo Fan left it outside on the first floor while he descended into the supermarket's basement. Though the wolf was far from its full power, it was more than enough to keep lesser monsters like the One-Eyed demon wolves and Colossal-Eyed Ape rats at bay.
Just as Mo Fan entered the basement, he spotted a girl limping toward him—this was the same girl who had wanted to help Xin Xia earlier.
"You…" the girl stammered, startled by Mo Fan's sudden appearance.
"Have you seen a girl in a wheelchair?" Mo Fan asked directly.
"Are you her family?"
"Yes."
"I'll take you to her." the girl said, her face lighting up with excitement.
Seeing her reaction, Mo Fan thought to himself, You deserve to survive.
He didn't care about the others who had left. It wasn't their fault that Xin Xia had been left behind—that was his responsibility. He also couldn't save everyone in the city. Bo City was overrun with demons, and leading a large group of helpless people would only make them an easier target.
Soon, Mo Fan followed the girl to the room where Xin Xia was hiding. Inside, he saw Xin Xia holding a knife, clearly prepared to end her own life if she was discovered by demons.
"Xin Xia!" Mo Fan called out.
(End of Chapter)