"Alright, the three of you, step back a bit." Ni Jianrong said as he picked up the iron hammer. Seeing the others retreat, he tossed it over.
The hammer, attached to a nylon rope, landed on the balcony. Ding Longyun stepped forward, grabbed the rope, and helped steady the raft.
The raft came to a stop near the balcony. Ni Jianrong was the first to climb over, followed by Fang You and Wang Kaikang.
"Is it just the three of you here?" Ni Jianrong looked around, his gaze sweeping over Xu Xuehui and Su Li before finally settling on Ding Longyun's face. He could tell that Ding Longyun was the leader of this group.
"Yes, there were a few others, but they're all dead. Now it's just us three." Ding Longyun nodded in response. "Where did you come from? Why don't you have any supplies?"
He was also curious about the lack of supplies on their raft.
Ni Jianrong paused briefly before forcing a bitter smile. "We didn't have much to begin with, and we ran into an accident along the way that lost what we had. Let's not dwell on it..."
He trailed off for a moment before tentatively asking, "Speaking of which, since three floors here aren't submerged, there should be quite a bit of supplies, right?"
"Not really, just barely enough for now." Ding Longyun said. "It's almost noon. You all must be hungry. Let's head upstairs and talk more."
Ni Jianrong hummed in acknowledgment, seeming lost in thought.
Su Li remained silent, quietly observing the three newcomers. He noticed that aside from Ni Jianrong, Fang You and Wang Kaikang were just as quiet as he was, constantly scanning them with their eyes.
Or more precisely, they kept stealing glances at Xu Xuehui, their faces showing signs of contemplation, as if seeing her had sparked some thought. This expression struck Su Li as somewhat odd.
Especially since Ni Jianrong claimed they lost their supplies along the way, yet the three of them had clean clothes and didn't look like they'd encountered any accidents—at least they hadn't fallen into the water. So how did they lose their supplies?
And if they hadn't lost them, why would Ni Jianrong lie?
Su Li couldn't explain it, but he felt a sense of wariness toward these three survivors. This caution made him subtly reach out and touch the dagger tucked into his clothes.
The dagger was given to him by Ding Longyun, replacing the cleaver he used before. Xu Xuehui also had one, both kept close at hand, rarely used, meant for emergencies if other weapons were lost.
His iron rod was currently leaning against the other side of the balcony. If he walked over to grab it now, it would signal his alertness. Staying still like this was more deceptive and might yield better results.
Of course, maybe these three meant no harm, and he was just overthinking things. But it never hurt to be cautious.
Xu Xuehui, afraid of meeting their eyes, quietly retreated behind Su Li and tugged at his sleeve.
Su Li turned to see her expression, sensing she wanted to tell him something but couldn't speak up in front of everyone.
Ding Longyun remained warm and hospitable, taking the lead to guide the three to the top floor, planning to prepare a hearty meal to welcome them. After all, from now on, they'd be companions, needing to work together to survive.
"By the way, are all three of you Spirit Source users? What levels are you? I'm only level 3, and they're both level 2." Ni Jianrong asked with a smile, voluntarily revealing their levels to show sincerity.
Hearing Ni Jianrong offer this information, Ding Longyun didn't hide anything. He chuckled and said, "I'm level 4, Su Li is level 3, and Xuehui is a bit lower—she just reached level 2 last night."
When Ding Longyun said he was level 4, Ni Jianrong's expression shifted slightly, and he put on an admiring look. "Brother Ding, you're amazing! A level 4 Spirit Source user—I've never met anyone as impressive as you..."
As he spoke, Ni Jianrong stepped forward, extending both hands as if to grasp Ding Longyun's in a firm handshake, his face full of excitement and admiration.
Ding Longyun laughed heartily. "You're exaggerating. Level 4 isn't that big a deal. I don't feel much different from level 3, and it doesn't necessarily mean I'm stronger. Take Su—"
He was about to say that although Su Li was a level lower, in a real fight, he might be even more formidable than a level 4 Spirit Source user.
But the word "Su" had barely left his lips when Ni Jianrong, still wearing that excited and admiring expression, suddenly flipped his right hand. A bone spur emerged from his palm and stabbed into Ding Longyun's chest.
It happened so suddenly that Ding Longyun's smile froze on his face.
At almost the same moment, Fang You and Wang Kaikang struck as well, as if they had coordinated with Ni Jianrong. Fang You's right hand suddenly produced a small iron axe, swinging it at Su Li's head. With his strength, one blow would split Su Li's skull in two.
Meanwhile, Wang Kaikang lunged at Xu Xuehui, who was close to Su Li.
Instead of using the weapon on his back, he reached out with both hands, aiming to grab her arms. If he caught them, a quick twist would subdue her, clearly intending to take her alive.
It all happened so unexpectedly. Fang You and Wang Kaikang moved with incredible speed, far beyond what Ni Jianrong had described as level 2 Spirit Source users—this was at least level 3 speed.
Unlike Ding Longyun's stunned shock at the bone spur piercing his chest, Su Li had been on guard.
The moment Fang You raised his right arm and revealed the axe, Su Li shot forward. The four "Fangs of Gluttony" on his left hand extended, slashing across Fang You's chest as he darted past like an arrow.
There was no time to pull out the dagger from his clothes to attack Ni Jianrong. Su Li could only rely on his body to ram into him, knowing that even half a second's delay would mean Ding Longyun's certain death.
With a loud thud, he slammed solidly into Ni Jianrong.
Ni Jianrong had just succeeded and was about to drag the bone spur downward through Ding Longyun's chest to gut him. He never expected Su Li to be so fast. Feeling a jolt to his side as Su Li hit him, he was sent flying sideways.
Ding Longyun finally snapped out of it, letting out a roar. Clutching the wound in his chest, which was gushing blood, he stumbled backward, his face turning deathly pale as he rasped, "Why?"
He truly didn't understand. They were all facing this apocalyptic crisis—shouldn't they be working together to survive? Why would these three suddenly attack them?
He couldn't fathom it. Didn't they know that more people meant a greater chance of survival?