novelTele Chapter 104 Woodland Sentinels and the Food Crisis
Chapter 104 Woodland Sentinels and the Food Crisis
Chapter 104 Woodland Sentinels and the Food Crisis
In the lobby of the faculty and staff dormitory building, the air seemed to have solidified, so heavy that it was difficult to breathe.
The place was filled with a nauseating mixture of smells: the sour, foul sweat secreted by dozens of survivors under high pressure, the old dust kicked up from the ruins, and the strong, pungent smell of blood that lingered in the air and could not be shaken off.
The stench of blood came not only from the dead monsters, but also from their kind who hadn't survived the first wave of attacks.
"Take all these tables and chairs apart, just the tabletops and legs."
Jiang Ming sat in the center of the hall, surrounded by piles of old furniture he had just scavenged from various dormitories.
He held a solid wood table leg that had been removed from a school desk in one hand, and a thick composite wood board in the other.
The talent "[Synthesis of All Things]" is activated.
A faint blue light flashed in his palm and disappeared.
The originally unrelated wooden planks and table legs quickly softened and recombined in the light, the wood grain became denser, and the shape changed.
A few seconds later.
A slightly rough but surprisingly thick wooden breastplate appeared in his hand.
[Simple Hardwood Armor (White, Standard)]
[Attribute: Physical Defense +3]
[Special Effect: Resilience (has a slight deflection effect on piercing attacks).]
[Note: Although rudimentary, it's far smarter than using your ribs to catch arrows.]
Jiang Ming casually tossed the wooden armor to Li Bin, who was standing to the side, and then picked up two discarded aluminum alloy basins and a pile of scraps of cloth.
The light flashed again.
[Aluminum Alloy Lined Wooden Helmet (Standard White)]
[Attribute: Head Defense +2]
[Special Effect: Shock Absorption]
In less than half an hour, more than a dozen sets of such simple equipment had been piled up at Jiang Ming's feet.
Although it looks like a product of primitive tribes, in the early days when there was a lack of armor, it was a life-saving artifact.
"Zhao Yanzhi".
Jiang Ming called out.
Zhao Yanzhi, who was directing people to move sandbags, immediately ran over and stared at the equipment on the ground.
"What... what is this?"
"Put them on the patrol team."
Jiang Ming stood up and stretched his slightly sore wrists. "Those elf arrows have a strong penetrating power; ordinary clothes are no different from paper. Although this thing can't stop direct shots at close range, it's fine for protecting against stray arrows and projectiles."
Zhao Yanzhi was so excited that his hands were trembling.
He knew all too well the value of this equipment.
In this hellish place where getting injured could mean death, a little more defense means a little more life.
"Don't worry, Brother Jiang! I'll arrange for my most elite brothers to wear them right away!"
Zhao Yanzhi immediately summoned several burly student council members.
These people donned wooden armor and helmets, and carried steel pipes and homemade shields. Their original refugee-like demeanor instantly transformed, giving them a somewhat imposing presence reminiscent of a regular army.
The other survivors working in the hall looked at the fully armed squad with envy and awe.
This is the treatment one receives when following the strong.
"Leave half of you to continue reinforcing the doors and windows; the rest of you, follow me."
Jiang Ming put the mask back on with the Silver Knight Full Armor, his voice coming from the gaps in the metal, sounding muffled and cold.
"Where to?" Wang Yang asked instinctively, carrying the [Blazing Battle Axe].
"Go and meet those neighbors."
Jiang Ming gripped the Black Iron Horse-Slaying Sword tightly, his eyes sharp. "Not fighting back after being attacked isn't my style. I want to see if these so-called elves are as tough as their arrows."
Just as Jiang Ming led the patrol team cautiously toward the outer wall of the school.
In a low shrub forest five kilometers away from the school.
A dozen or so slender figures were moving quickly through the bushes, taking advantage of the cover.
They were agile, their toes touching the ground silently, leaping through the forest like ghosts.
It was the same group of corrupt elves who had attacked the school before.
"stop."
The leading elf captain, Tavia, suddenly raised her hand and gestured for them to stop.
She crouched on a withered, crooked tree, her chest heaving violently, and a trace of lingering fear remained in her dark eyes.
"Captain, are we giving up the attack?"
A young elven sentinel caught up from behind and asked in bewilderment, "Those humans look so weak. Apart from that tin can, the others are no match for them."
"idiot."
Tavia glanced coldly at her subordinate, her voice sharp and hoarse, "What do you know? That tin can is the most terrifying thing."
She stretched out her pale finger and pointed to the quiver on her back.
"My Corrosive Poison Arrows can even pierce the skull of a thick-skinned bull. I just aimed at the gap in his neck and fired three arrows."
Tavia took a deep breath and lowered her voice, "And the result? He merely blocked with the blade, then withstood the rest, completely unharmed! That reaction speed and defensive ability—it's definitely at the level of a high-ranking warrior!"
The surrounding elves looked at each other in bewilderment.
They are scouts of the Pale Woods, constantly battling orcs and monsters, and possess a keen eye for danger.
Although it seemed like they were on the offensive in that brief exchange, Tavia knew very well that if the silver demon got close, their lightly armored scout squad would be torn to shreds in an instant.
"and----"
Tavia glanced back at the massive complex of buildings that had suddenly appeared on the plain in the distance.
The towering buildings with their distinct styles, the uniform glass windows, and the metallic texture that seemed to belong to a completely different world.
"That's an otherworldly structure."
Tavia's tone turned serious. "Her Majesty the Queen once prophesied that when the barrier between the two worlds breaks, otherworldly territories will descend. These humans are not refugees, but invaders."
"Intruder?"
The surrounding elves stirred with a commotion.
In this world, anything labeled "otherworld" represents danger, but also immense opportunities and resources.
"We must not act rashly."
Tavia made a quick decision: "That silver-armored human's strength is unfathomable. Our small force is no match for him. We must bring the intelligence back."
She turned to look at the smallest elf in the group.
"Isera".
"Yes, Captain."
"You're the fastest. Set off immediately and return to the Pale Woods."
Tavia pulled a gray runestone from her bosom and placed it in Ysera's hand. "Go and report to Her Majesty the Queen that there are signs of an otherworldly invasion in the eastern part of the Highlands. The lord is suspected of possessing high-level combat power. Please advise Her Majesty on the next course of action—to annihilate him, or—to make contact."
"yes!"
The elf named Ysera nodded solemnly and carefully put the runestone away from her body.
Without uttering a single word, she swayed and seemed to merge into the wind, instantly disappearing into the depths of the vast grassland.
"Everyone else, rest here for five minutes and erase all traces."
Tavia glanced one last time in the direction of the school, a hint of apprehension flashing in her eyes. "We have more important things to do."
These swift and deadly assassins, realizing they had met their match, displayed exceptional tactical skill and quickly disappeared into the twilight.
The night was as dark as ink, with two crimson moons hanging high overhead, rendering the highlands and plains like a ghostly realm.
Jiang Ming, along with Wang Yang, Li Bin, and six fully armed patrol members, had already circled the ruins surrounding the school twice.
"strangeness----"
Jiang Ming stopped beside a broken wall, his brows furrowed.
His extremely high level of perception meant that nothing could escape his ears, not even the slightest sound within a radius of tens of meters.
He could even hear clearly the beetles mating in the grass.
However, there were no elves.
Forget about elves, I didn't even see a single elf hair.
"Brother Jiang, there aren't any here either."
Li Bin emerged from the bushes on the other side, carrying the [Venomous Piercer], his wooden armor covered in dead leaves. "Those guys seem to have run this way."
Jiang Ming crouched down and examined the ground by the moonlight.
There were indeed some shallow footprints in the soft mud under the wall, but the marks disappeared completely on the hard ground a hundred meters away.
"They ran away?"
Wang Yang scratched his head, looking bewildered. "Weren't they shooting quite enthusiastically just now? Why did they suddenly become so timid as soon as we came out?"
"It's not cowardice, it's intelligence."
Jiang Ming stood up and gazed intently at the dark wasteland in the distance.
If it were a muscle-bound idiot like an orc, it would definitely howl and charge in to its death.
But these elves are different.
They know how to assess risks and when to advance or retreat.
Such an organized, disciplined, and intelligent enemy is far more troublesome than those mindless beasts that charge blindly.
"They must be scouts."
Jiang Ming made a judgment: "After testing me and finding that I was a tough nut to crack, he immediately retreated back to report the news."
"To deliver a message?"
The squad leader sent by Zhao Yanzhi's expression changed. "Doesn't that mean that next time they come, it will be a large force?"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the surrounding patrol members all turned ugly.
A dozen or so elves forced them to keep their heads down.
If there are hundreds or thousands—
The scene was too beautiful for anyone to imagine.
"What are you afraid of?"
Jiang Ming coldly glanced at everyone, and his calm and composed aura instantly suppressed their panic.
"Bring it on, I'll deal with it. If they dare to come, I'll turn them into my experience points and equipment."
He patted the sword at his waist. "Moreover, their retreat gave us something most precious—time."
Now that the enemy has fled far away, there's no point in staying outside in the cold wind.
"Fall back."
Jiang Ming waved his hand.
The group maintained their defensive formation and quickly retreated to the faculty and staff dormitory building.
Back inside the building, the suffocating sense of oppression eased slightly.
The windows in the hall had been completely sealed off, leaving only a few concealed firing ports.
At the entrance, three layers of woven bags filled with sand and gravel were stacked, forming a simple defensive fortification.
Although it is simple, it can at least give people a sense of psychological security.
"Brother Jiang, you're back."
-
Zhao Yanzhi greeted him, sweating profusely, and holding the notebook filled with drawings in his hand.
"How are you?" Jiang Ming took off his helmet and took the towel Su Xiaoxiao handed him to wipe his face.
"The defenses on the first floor of the faculty and staff dormitory building are basically complete."
Zhao Yanzhi pointed to the materials piled up in the corner of the hall, "We dismantled all the doors and bed frames that could be removed, and combined them with the reinforcing bricks you synthesized, we doubled the thickness of the wall. Now, even if that orc captain were to resurrect, it would take him a while to break through this wall."
"Well done." Jiang Ming nodded.
"but----"
Zhao Yanzhi changed the subject, a hint of difficulty on his face, "We don't have enough materials. If we want to reinforce the girls' dormitory building as planned, forming an 'I' shaped fortress, we need to go to the teaching building or the training building."
There you'll find enough metal components and large plates.
"I'll go with you tomorrow."
Jiang Ming had anticipated this. "Besides this, are there any other problems?"
Zhao Yanzhi remained silent for two seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he was hesitating whether or not to speak.
"Speak," Jiang Ming said, frowning.
"Yes—food and water."
Zhao Yanzhi lowered his voice, not wanting the survivors around him to hear and cause panic, "We now have more than seventy people. The snacks and drinks that the student council collected before have been greatly consumed during today's strenuous physical labor."
He turned to the last page of the notebook, which contained shocking inventory data.
"The logistics team just took inventory, and the remaining bread and biscuits, if rationed at a rate of half-full per person per day, will only last until tomorrow night at the latest."
"Water is even scarcer. The tap water has been shut off for a long time, and there are only seven bottles of bottled water left."
Zhao Yanzhi raised his head, his eyes filled with deep anxiety. "Brother Jiang, if we run out of food and water tomorrow—we'll fall into chaos before the elves even attack."
hunger.
This is a killer more terrifying than any monster.
In civilized society, missing a meal is no big deal.
But in this high-pressure environment, hunger can quickly destroy people's rationality, turning a once united group into beasts tearing each other apart.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the archery club members nearby turned deathly pale.
Although their journey was fraught with danger, at least they never went hungry.
The panic of being suddenly told that food is going to be cut off is even stronger than facing a pack of wolves.
All eyes were on Jiang Ming.
He is the brain of this team, the only pillar.
Jiang Ming remained silent for a moment.
He took a bag of chocolates out of his storage card.
I tore open the packaging, took a bite, and the sweet, cloying taste spread in my mouth.
"tomorrow."
Jiang Ming swallowed the biscuit, his voice eerily calm, "I'll take care of the food and water problem tomorrow."
"You—have a solution?" Zhao Yanzhi's eyes lit up.
"Since there are wolves, orcs, and elves in this world, there must be an ecosystem."
Jiang Ming looked out at the dark night sky, his eyes gleaming with a hunter's light. "Anything that's alive is edible. Wherever civilization exists, there are resources."
"Pass the word down: everyone should take turns resting tonight to conserve their energy."
"1
"We're going hunting outside of school tomorrow!"