Chapter 37 - 30: Shelter
Soon, under Lin Yi’s lead, the entire class had evacuated the school building.
They plunged headfirst into a world that had been utterly overturned, rendered in an endless crimson.
Everything in sight was splattered with a thick, grotesque shade of blood-red.
The sky, the buildings, the trees—even every inch of exposed ground—seemed to be submerged in a massive pool of blood, emitting an unsettling, demonic glow.
The air was filled with the cloying, sweet stench of rust mixed with damp earth—the unique smell of the Red Moon.
PITTER... PATTER...
And then,
fine threads of rain began to drift silently from the crimson firmament.
What was even more terrifying—
The rain itself was scarlet!
The cold drops of blood rain landed on their skin, leaving a strange, sticky sensation.
It started as a light drizzle, but in the blink of an eye, the downpour intensified at a visible rate. A torrential blood rain hammered the ground, splashing up crimson blossoms that gathered into streams.
"The blood rain has started to fall! Everyone, pick up the pace! We have to reach the underground shelter before the monsters are born!" Lin Yi’s voice, laced with steely resolve, pierced through the curtain of rain.
Before his voice had even faded, he shot forward like an arrow released from its bow.
The students’ hearts sank. The shadow of death followed them like their own.
Without another word needed, the instinct for survival drove them to grit their teeth and unleash an unprecedented burst of speed, sticking close to Lin Yi’s figure.
This blood rain pouring from the sky wasn’t directly toxic to the human body.
On the contrary, the rain contained extremely dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Cultivating in the blood rain would be highly beneficial, making it a treasured rain for Martial Arts Cultivators.
However—
A fatal danger lurked within!
Once the blood rain accumulated on the ground to a certain critical point, terrifyingly shaped monsters would begin to breed and spawn from the viscous, bloody water.
The weakest of these monsters possessed the frightening power of a First-Grade Martial Artist!
Perhaps a Martial Artist could rely on their formidable strength to travel safely through the blood rain.
But for the students, who were still struggling in the Martial Disciple Realm, an encounter meant certain death, with no chance of survival.
The calamity of the Red Moon had ravaged the human world for three hundred years.
Faced with this cyclical, world-ending disaster, the authorities had long since established comprehensive contingency plans.
Beneath the vast Yang City, countless sturdy shelters had been built, spreading out under the city like a spiderweb. This ensured that when disaster struck, every citizen in Yang City could find refuge at a moment’s notice.
For an important institution like Yang City No. 1 High School, which gathered the hopes of the future, the underground shelter was an even greater priority, boasting an extremely high level of protection.
Lin Yi led his class, hurrying through the blood-drenched campus. They had already covered most of the distance.
Ahead, in the curtain of rain,
a frantic figure came running toward them.
It was their homeroom teacher, Lu Donghai!
When he saw Lin Yi and the students behind him, his extremely tense expression finally relaxed a fraction. He rushed forward, his voice heavy with ragged breaths. "Lin Yi! Is the whole class here?"
"Teacher, all present and accounted for! Not a single one missing!" Lin Yi’s reply was firm and decisive.
"Good!" Lu Donghai’s heart, which had been caught in his throat, finally settled a little. He immediately took command. "Everyone, full speed ahead! To the shelter entrance!"
At this moment, the campus had transformed into surging torrents of people desperate to survive.
Teams from three grade levels and over a hundred classes converged from all directions, like ants moving their colony.
Their final destination was one and the same—
The entrance to the shelter, buried deep underground.
The entrance was brightly lit.
Principal Chen Zhenguo stood there like an unmovable boulder, his expression grave. His hawk-like gaze scanned every arriving team.
The rain had long since soaked his graying hair and his crisp Martial Arts Uniform, which now clung to his still-imposing frame, adding to his grim aura.
"11th Grade, Class 6, all members have arrived safely!"
"10th Grade, Class 11, all present!"
"12th Grade, Class 9, arrived!"
The moment each team rushed through the heavy metal gates, the leading teacher or student representative would use all their strength to shout their class designation to the principal. Their voices rose and fell amidst the sound of the rain and hurried footsteps.
Chen Zhenguo would give a slight nod, committing each report to memory. It was his responsibility to ensure not a single child was left behind.
"12th Grade, Class 1, all members have arrived!"
Lin Yi’s voice, carrying a distinct penetration power, rang out as he led his classmates into view.
Chen Zhenguo’s gaze swept quickly over the hurried but orderly group. After confirming everything was in order, he gave a firm nod.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Yi led his exhausted but relieved classmates in a single file through the heavy doors that symbolized safety.
Lu Donghai, however, stayed behind, silently taking his place behind the principal.
Finally,
when the report from the last class had been called out,
the entrance was empty.
Chen Zhenguo spun around to face the group of teachers behind him, who were just as drenched but whose eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
He took a deep breath, his voice low but carrying immense weight, clearly overpowering the sound of the rain:
"All students have entered safely! Now, five teachers will remain behind to be responsible for order and student safety inside the shelter!"
His gaze swept over his chosen candidates before turning to the rest, a martial, iron-willed battle intent flaring from him.
"As for the rest of you, my colleagues..."
"You will march with me! We will support the Public Security Bureau, fight the monsters, and protect Yang City!"
As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere solidified, then swelled with a tragic and resolute air.
The path ahead was fraught with unpredictable danger. The monsters in the blood rain were savage beyond compare. Every teacher who followed him onto the crimson battlefield could be injured, or even... fall.
However, the only response he received was the silent, determined sound of them stepping forward as one!
Not one person backed down. Not a single one hesitated.
This was the spiritual brand of the current Martial Dao era—
To fight for one’s home, for one’s people, even if it means facing ten million foes, I will go forward!
Soon,
the five teachers who were staying behind disappeared behind the massive, slowly closing alloy gates.
With a deep, heavy RUMBLE, the shelter was sealed completely, shutting out the storm of wind and blood rain.
Chen Zhenguo took one last look at the sealed giant doors, then turned resolutely and waved a hand. "Let’s go!"
His imposing figure was the first to charge into the downpour of blood, with dozens of teachers following silently behind him.
And at that moment,
the blood on the campus grounds was already past their ankles, and in some places, even deeper.
In the murky pools of blood, bubbles began to surface frantically, as if the water were boiling. BUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLE.
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!
Accompanied by a sickening, viscous tearing sound, twisted, writhing, and ferocious black shadows began to continuously arch up and rise from the depths of the scarlet puddles...
...
「Inside the shelter.」
Lin Yi quickly led his classmates into the shelter room that had been pre-assigned to their class.
The place was clearly a fully functional underground fortress.
An efficient oxygen circulation system hummed softly, keeping the air fresh. Independent water purification pipes snaked along the walls, and emergency lights cast a soft, steady white glow.
In one corner of the room, boxes of compressed biscuits, energy bars, and bottled water were neatly stacked, enough to last for several days.
Their frayed nerves suddenly relaxed, and many students nearly collapsed, gasping for breath with dazed and grateful expressions of having survived a disaster.
"DRING DRING DRING!!!"
"BZZZT BZZZT BZZZT!!!"
"Master, that old fart is calling you!"
"..."
Almost simultaneously, a flood of jarring yet welcome ringtones swept through the room!
It was the students’ parents!
The Red Moon’s arrival had been so sudden. With their children still at school, any parent’s heart would have been seized with terror.
In an instant, the shelter room was filled with all sorts of voices:
"Mom! I’m okay! I’m in the shelter! It’s really safe!"
"Dad, don’t worry, the principal and the others arranged everything..."
"Grandpa, I’m fine, really! The doors are closed, and it’s raining so hard outside..."
"...Uh-huh, I know, you be careful too! Don’t go outside, no matter what!"
Anxious questions, tearful reassurances, repeated reports of safety, and forced attempts at calm comfort...
The sounds of conversations with family echoed continuously throughout the room.
Next to Lin Yi, Luo Qian was also on the phone with his family:
"Dad! Stop yelling! You hear me? I’m safe! I’m in the school’s underground shelter; it’s as safe as a fortress! Huh? You don’t need to send people to pick me up, it’s useless! The doors are sealed shut! The Red Moon only lasts for a day, I’ll be back tomorrow... What? You’re leading a team to hunt monsters?! Are you crazy, old man?! Even if the monsters’ Energy Cores are valuable, you need to be alive to spend the money! Take it easy! Don’t get greedy! You hear me? Hello? Hello?!"
The person on the other end seemed to have hung up. Luo Qian yelled furiously into his communicator a couple more times before finally lowering it in resignation.
Listening to the overlapping calls filled with worry and familial love, and seeing Luo Qian’s anxious and frightened expression, Lin Yi, in his corner, sighed silently in his heart.
Family...
This incredibly ordinary yet priceless scene pricked him like a tiny needle.
An indescribable sense of unfamiliarity and immense distance welled up in his heart.
’Two lives, and an orphan in both.’
’My parents’ faces are already a blur in my memory. The word "family" is too much of a luxury for me, too ethereal.’
He quickly closed his eyes, forcefully suppressing the complex emotions that had surged within him.
When he opened them again, his usual calmness and depth had returned to his gaze.
He walked to a relatively quiet corner of the shelter, sat on the floor, and leaned his back against the cold alloy wall.
Instantly, he focused all his mental energy on his Mosquito Avatar.
Far away, deep in the city’s sewers, the Mosquito Avatar connected to his senses gently flapped its wings.
Monsters...
Lin Yi’s mind began to race.
’The monsters that spawn from the crimson blood rain, despite their grotesque and terrifying forms, are, according to records, true living beings of flesh and blood!’
’Their blood also contains surging energy!’
A bold and tempting idea flashed through his mind like lightning:
’Can the Mosquito Avatar absorb the Qi and Blood Power from these monsters?!’
’If it can...’
Lin Yi’s heart leaped, and an irrepressible heat rose in his chest.
’The Red Moon will last for a full twenty-four hours!’
’During this long day, monsters will swarm like locusts, their numbers too great to count!’
’If the Mosquito Avatar can really feed on the monsters’ blood...’
’Then the biggest problem plaguing me—insufficient Qi and Blood—will be instantly resolved!’
’This Red Moon calamity will no longer be a disaster for me, but an inexhaustible treasury of Qi and Blood!’
’An all-you-can-eat buffet where I can take whatever I want!’
’I can absolutely seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! With this endless supply of "monster Qi and Blood," I can push through in one go, completely finish the Refinement of the first torso bone, and truly step into the realm of a First-Grade Martial Artist!’
’And even...’
’It might not be just about refining a single bone...’
...
PS:
We’re at 100,000 characters, and I only have 540 collections. I didn’t expect the performance to be this poor; it feels a bit disheartening.
Since the book started, I’ve been updating an average of 7,000+ characters a day. For a new book, that’s actually a lot of updates. I’ve been doing my best.
If everyone thinks this book is worth reading and happens to have some monthly tickets on hand, could you please vote for me? It would help raise my ranking on the new book chart and maybe get me a bit more exposure. I’d really appreciate it.