Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

SPLASH!

The rain poured relentlessly. The campsite may have been short on umbrellas and raincoats, but it certainly wasn’t lacking for tents.

Hexagonal and butterfly-shaped canopy tents were propped up over the border fortifications like massive umbrellas. Furthermore, the half-demolished warehouse at the bottom of the slope had been noticed, and all the old tents inside were brought back.

These old tents, faded and weathered by the elements, showed no signs of tearing and were subsequently transported by a fleet of pickup trucks toward the resort.

In some places, even more stable steel-frame shelters had been erected.

"Did they get one over on that RV alliance? I heard they had a blast guarding the food court all night yesterday." The thought made people chuckle.

"You’re dreaming. They just left their vehicles behind while some of their combatants headed to the resort," someone retorted.

Banter aside, with the monster migration tide about to bear down on the city, any help was good.

For the most part, everyone was competitive but hadn’t broken ties. They were all in the same boat, not yet at the point of treating each other like sworn enemies.

With the weather taking an extreme turn for the worse, almost everyone who had been exploring the forest had returned.

Those who hadn’t made it back were either lost, or had already been devoured.

Among them, two had returned listless and in worrying health. The Healing Skill only relieved their symptoms temporarily and couldn’t cure them completely. No one knew what sort of pathogen they had contracted.

"Maybe they just ate some bad mushrooms? They’ll probably be fine in a bit."

As the temperature plummeted, many people set up barbecue grills under their tents. While adding charcoal to get the fires going, they also started on an early dinner.

The base didn’t lack warm clothing; at least, the warehouses of some outdoor supply stores still had last year’s winter stock. After constant, loud demands from people with megaphones, the warm clothes were finally delivered, albeit late.

The silhouettes of large birds flying overhead grew increasingly dense.

Exhausted from fleeing for their lives, they had no inclination to dive down and hunt.

Many people began checking the condition of their bowstrings. Modern bows are generally made of composite materials and aren’t as susceptible to water as traditional wooden ones.

However, if a bowstring wasn’t waxed beforehand, getting wet would inevitably affect its trajectory and accuracy.

For them, the rain was anything but good news.

’This is bad in so many ways.’

The only silver lining was that, judging by the direction of the monster migration, the entire campsite would only have to bear the brunt of the beast tide’s impact from the east and north, so they wouldn’t have to defend on all four sides.

Moreover, the eastern terrain was like a fortress on high ground, giving them a clear tactical advantage.

"High ground beats low ground. It’s a turkey shoot."

As things stood, the only perceived weak point was toward the resort to the north. If the enemy broke through there in one fell swoop, the entire campsite’s peace would be shattered.

「At this moment.」

As the cloud of dust and smoke from the distant forest drew ever closer, various combat forces—major factions, small groups, and even lone wolves—all began to converge toward the northeast.

"Anyone need a ride to the front line? We can give you a lift if you’re heading to the resort."

A 16-seat tour bus pulled over, offering a welcome reprieve for many people hurrying to the front. Among them was a tall figure. After closing his long-handled black umbrella, Su Chen took a seat in the back row on the left.

As he boarded, someone pointed to a crouching Shadow Hound in the back, explaining it was his Summoned Pet. He assured Su Chen it wouldn’t bite, telling him not to be alarmed or attack it rashly.

Su Chen simply nodded.

The young men and women, all carrying quivers, seemed to be part of a small team. Paying no mind to Su Chen in the back, they failed to notice that the Shadow Hound had lowered its head, its body trembling uneasily.

Their conversation quickly turned to a new discovery.

"The heartwood of those ancient trees is completely dry. It doesn’t transpire at all, so there’s zero moisture. You can make arrow shafts without needing to air-dry them."

For an Archer, this news was a truly epic buff.

Arrowheads could be made from hard monster bones.

Arrow shafts didn’t need to be air-dried.

The only remaining puzzle was how to craft a good arrow.

For that, you either had to rely on the archery range...

Or...

"...those guys from Capital City U are selling the knowledge. No paper copies, just a PowerPoint file sent to your phone. But they guarantee you’ll learn, and the price is fair—just one essence of any kind."

"Those guys are quick on their feet, figuring out how to make money off that. But I also heard someone in the base is hawking the ’essential transmigration survival guides’—the ’Barefoot Doctor’s Manual’ and the ’Manual for Dual-Use Military and Civilian Personnel.’ Now that’s a real rip-off. Daring to ask for an essence for those."

As they chatted, the dark shapes flitting across the sky grew more frequent.

But compared to the large birds flying high above, a dense swarm of insects was far more repulsive.

The mere buzzing of their wings merged into a hair-raising, low-frequency drone. Locust-like insects skimmed past treetops and rooftops, riddling everything in their path with holes.

Swarms of Iron-Eating Insects were even more terrifying. Everyone had learned to fear the phototactic beetles the night before. As a result, not a single landscape light was on; the path was lit only by a series of burning braziers.

"Fuck!"

But some people are just magnets for disaster. Up ahead, someone walking with a flashlight had just swatted one of the beetles. In the blink of an eye, his figure was enveloped by a swarm of Iron-Eating Insects. Three seconds later, only a clean-picked skeleton remained.

"Mommy, I wanna go home..."

After a moment of stunned silence, someone let out a choked sob. The tour bus paused for a moment before it, along with the vehicles in front and behind, finally continued its journey to the front line.