Chapter 252:Attacks.
The first wave collided with the defensive line. Gunfire echoed through the valley. Several beasts were killed immediately while others slipped between them.
Silver raised his firearm.
[Phantom Draw Lv3 activated]
He fired rapidly and each shot struck its target. The beasts fell in succession.
Ravenna moved beside him. She used her sniper rifle to eliminate the creatures attempting to approach from the sides.
Antony transformed and his body changed. His female form gave him the agility needed to move through the uneven terrain.
He disappeared behind a rock. A moment later, one of the beasts flew out from the other side.
Silver smiled.
"He’s getting better."
Ravenna fired.
"He’s been fighting."
"True."
The attack lasted only several minutes. Once the strongest members of the convoy joined the fight, the beasts had no chance. The remaining creatures fled.
Larry immediately raised his hand.
"Don’t pursue."
Everyone stopped. Silver lowered his weapon. The valley became quiet again. Several dead beasts lay scattered across the road. Rebecca walked over and collected their cores.
Larry looked around.
"Everyone okay?"
"Fine."
"Fine."
"No injuries."
Larry nodded.
"Good." He looked toward the deeper valley. "We haven’t even reached the dangerous section yet, It seems the beasts are converging in this sides."
Several people became serious. Silver understood what he meant. They were still on the outskirts, if this was what the outskirts were like, the deeper regions were going to be much worse.
Larry returned to his vehicle, before getting inside, he called Silver over.
"We’ll reach the eastern border tomorrow if everything goes according to plan."
Silver looked at him.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Silver looked toward the horizon. The valley seemed to stretch endlessly.
"How far is the destination?"
"Farther than you think." Larry smiled slightly. "This valley is massive."
"I’ve heard."
"You’ve heard correctly." He glanced toward the surrounding cliffs. "Most people who enter never get to see the eastern border."
Silver’s expression became serious.
"Because of the beasts?"
"Partly." Larry looked toward the distant mountains. "But mostly because of the valley itself."
Silver didn’t ask further.
Larry continued.
"There are places where the terrain becomes impossible. Caves collapse, rivers change course, and cliffs break. Some sections become inaccessible for months." He paused. "And then there are the beasts."
Silver nodded. Larry climbed back into his vehicle.
"We’ll continue while there’s daylight. I’m informing you in advance to prepare your group, we won’t have time to protect any of you."
Silver returned to his car. Ravenna was waiting.
"What did he say?"
"We’ll reach the eastern border tomorrow if nothing goes wrong."
She looked surprised.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"That’s farther than I thought."
Silver started the engine.
"Same."
Antony climbed into the back.
"Are we going?"
Silver looked at him through the mirror.
"Yes."
The convoy began moving again. They traveled deeper into Death Row Valley and ghe attacks continued.
At first, they came every thirty minutes, then every twenty, and eventually, the distance between them became shorter.
The beasts also became stronger. Some attacked from the cliffs while others emerged from caves. A few creatures even followed the convoy for several kilometers before suddenly disappearing.
Silver found himself constantly watching the terrain. The valley was changing; the grass became taller, rocks became larger, road narrowed, cliffs rose higher, and the distant mountains seemed to close around them.
The sun began moving toward the horizon. Silver checked the time. They still had several hours before complete darkness but the shadows were already growing long.
Ravenna looked toward the sky.
"It’s getting late."
Silver nodded.
"Yes."
Antony leaned forward.
"Are we camping soon?"
"Probably."
Silver looked ahead. The convoy continued.
Another beast suddenly jumped from a cliff forcing Silver to suddenly brake. Ravenna fired.
The creature fell before it could reach the vehicle. Silver accelerated again. The convoy didn’t stop even with the occasional attacks.
They were beginning to understand something important. The valley wasn’t simply dangerous because of powerful beasts, it was dangerous because everything here belonged to something.
In every stretch of land, something lived or hunted there and the deeper they went, the more territories they crossed.
.
.
.
The convoy continued deeper into Death Row Valley, and with every kilometer they traveled, Silver became more convinced that the name wasn’t an exaggeration.
The valley was not simply a dangerous stretch of wilderness that happened to contain strong beasts. It was an ecosystem that seemed to have been designed around survival, where every patch of vegetation, every rocky slope, and every narrow passage had the potential to hide something capable of killing an unprepared contractor.
The road had become little more than a rough strip of cracked stone and dirt winding between enormous rock formations, and even the Rank Four contractors had stopped talking casually as they drove.
Their attention remained fixed on the surroundings which Silver understood.
The first attacks they had encountered had been relatively straightforward. Small groups of beasts had emerged from hiding places and rushed toward the convoy, only to be cut down by the combined strength of the contractors. But as they moved farther from the outskirts, the creatures seemed to become increasingly adapted to the terrain.
They weren’t simply stronger, they were smarter.
A group of long-legged predators attacked from a slope before retreating when the convoy turned toward them. A few minutes later, another creature attempted to approach from the opposite direction. It seemed to understand that the vehicles were moving together and didn’t attempt to attack directly but simply followed.
Silver noticed it several times through the mirror. A dark shape moved between the rocks, then disappeared. He didn’t say anything immediately because he didn’t want to create unnecessary tension; instead, he kept driving.
Ravenna eventually noticed his expression.
"Something bothering you?"
"Something’s following us."
Her eyes immediately moved toward the side mirror.
"I don’t see anything."
"Neither do I now."
She remained quiet for a few seconds, then she looked ahead again.
"Do you want to tell Larry?"
Silver considered it.
"Not yet."
"Why? It might helo if they haven’t noticed"
"Because it hasn’t attacked and the group is strong enough, I’m pretty sure they’ve noticed."
Ravenna nodded since that was reasonable.
They had already learned that the beasts in this valley were territorial. Something following them didn’t necessarily mean it intended to attack. It could simply be watching them because they had passed through its territory and Silver had no intention of provoking it.