Chapter 34
926 Words
Soon, I reached the valley. Despite the cold outside, the valley felt warm, like it had a heater on.
The entire valley was lush and vibrant! Even more astonishing was the fact that there were wisps of mist floating around. Amid the swirling mist, the flowers and trees were lush and partially hidden, giving me the illusion of a fairyland. I never thought such a beautiful place could exist on this harsh and treacherous island.
The stunning scenery was refreshing, but it also made me more cautious. Such an unusual place likely harbored danger!
I loaded my gun and approached the valley cautiously. Only after passing through the thick mist could I see the scene clearly.
I stood there, stunned.
There was a hot spring! The valley wasn’t large. It was roughly the size of two or three basketball courts, with the hot spring inside it, like a giant gem set in stone. The heat and mist were emanating from the hot spring.
After surveying the area carefully, I found nothing unusual. Perhaps the recent strange events had made me overly paranoid. 'How could there be so many bizarre things?' With this thought, I relaxed a bit. Seeing the clear hot spring, I couldn’t resist the urge to take a dip.
Lately, we had been cleaning ourselves with stream water, which was nothing compared to soaking in a hot spring.
After ensuring there was no danger in the water, I placed the prey I had caught on the water’s edge, took off my clothes, and jumped into the hot spring. The warm water enveloped my entire body instantly, and I felt every pore on my skin relax. The exhaustion from the past few days seemed to vanish in an instant.
"This hot spring feels amazing!" I exclaimed in comfort.
I remembered the girls complaining about not taking a proper bath for days. If they found out about this hot spring, they would be thrilled.
Everyone could enjoy the hot spring together, and I could join them for a delightful swim, doubling the joy. The scenery and the experience would be truly wonderful.
As I indulged in this pleasant fantasy, night fell quickly. I had to hurry back. If I delayed any longer, who knew what monsters might emerge?
Just as I was getting out of the hot spring, a shadow darted to my clothes, grabbed one of the hunchback birds, and ran away.
I took a closer look and saw that it was a monkey, small like a child, covered in fur!
"D*mn monkey!" I cursed. Not only did it steal my prey, but it also took my pants! I grabbed my gun and chased after it.
However, despite the bright moonlight, the forest was too dense. That annoying monkey, jumping up and down, soon vanished into the trees without a trace.
Panting heavily, I trudged back, and then something even more unexpected happened!
A man and a woman had appeared near the hot spring, looking very suspicious.
I was both shocked and furious. "What are you doing?" I shouted.
The woman seemed to be on the lookout, while the man quickly grabbed the remaining birds and military coat and started to run!
Under the bright moonlight, I could see that beneath their animal-skin clothing, these two were wearing tattered shirts. I was sure they weren't savages from the mountains. They must be shipwreck survivors like me!
It was very likely that these were the ones who, along with Quinn, had stolen our supplies! They must have heard the gunshot earlier and had been following me secretly!
The appearance of the monkey just now was probably a coincidence, but it gave these two the chance to ambush me.
'D*mn it! They had just stolen from our cave, and now they're here to steal my prey! These people are too despicable!'
"Stop, or I'll shoot!" I issued my final warning, staring them down as I loaded my gun.
But they didn't take me seriously at all. They hid behind a large tree, taunting me. The man laughed arrogantly and shouted, "Coward! If you have the guts, put down your gun and fight me one-on-one. I'll make you cry for your mama with just two punches, you piece of sh*t!"
"By the way, your salted meat is pretty good. Thanks a lot. Without your hard work, we wouldn't be enjoying such delicious meat. Hahaha!" the woman added smugly.
I sneered. I couldn't believe these scums were all in league together. Quinn sure knew how to find her kind.
What made me wary was that the man's voice sounded very familiar. Since they were shipwreck survivors, he was likely someone I knew, though I couldn't remember exactly who he was at the moment.
"Thieves have no right to talk about honor. Put your hands on your head and come out, or I'll shoot you!" I said coldly, unwilling to argue with them.
At that moment, I suppressed my rage. No matter how they provoked me, I had a gun and they didn't. That was a decisive advantage.
'Put down my gun and fight you? What a joke! Do you think everyone is as stupid as you? You're just a lowlife, stealing and robbing things, yet demanding a fair fight. Hypocrites like you deserve to die!'
Seeing that I didn't make a move, the man became bolder. He picked up a large rock and threw it at me, shouting, "Come on, let's see how you're going to shoot me!"
"Bang!" Without a second thought, I raised my hand and fired.
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