Long’s Uncertainty

"Alright, the three of you step back a bit," Ni Jianrong said as he picked up the hammer. Seeing them retreat, he tossed the hammer across.

The hammer, trailing a nylon rope, landed on the balcony. Long stepped forward, grabbed the rope, and steadied the raft.

The raft drew closer and stopped by 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 surveyed the surroundings, his gaze passing over Lily and Simon before resting on Long. It was clear to him that Long was the leader.

"Yes, there were more of us initially, but they're all dead now. It's just the three of us left." Long nodded, then asked, "Where did you come from? And why don't you have any supplies?"

He was just as curious about the lack of provisions on the raft.

Ni Jianrong paused, then smiled wryly. "We didn't have much to begin with, and we lost what little we had to an accident along the way. But let's not dwell on that..."

He hesitated before tentatively asking, "There are three floors here that haven't been submerged. There must be a good amount of supplies, right?"

"Not a lot, just barely enough to get by for now," Long replied. "It's nearly noon, and you all must be hungry. Let's head upstairs and talk more."

Ni Jianrong murmured in agreement, appearing deep in thought.

Simon remained silent, observing the newcomers intently. He noticed that aside from Ni Jianrong, both Fang You and Wang Kaikang were similarly quiet, their eyes continually scanning their group.

More precisely, their gazes frequently and surreptitiously fell upon Lily, their expressions thoughtful, as if contemplating something about her. This behavior struck Simon as peculiar.

Especially since Ni Jianrong claimed they lost their supplies, yet their clothes were pristine, suggesting they hadn't encountered any mishaps or fallen into the water. How then had they lost their provisions?

If they hadn't lost them, why would Ni Jianrong lie?

Simon found himself growing wary of these newcomers. His caution led him to discreetly reach for the dagger tucked into his clothing.

This dagger, given to him by Long, had replaced his previous kitchen knife. Lily also had one, kept close for emergencies should their other weapons be lost.

At this moment, his iron rod was leaning against the other side of the balcony. If he were to go over and retrieve it now, it would show his wariness and vigilance, which might be less effective than maintaining a nonchalant demeanor. Perhaps by appearing unguarded, he could achieve a better outcome.

Of course, it was possible that these three harbored no ill intentions and his suspicions were unwarranted. Nevertheless, it was always wise to remain cautious.

Lily, fearful of the newcomers' scrutiny, quietly retreated behind Simon, gently tugging at his sleeve.

Simon turned to see Lily's anxious eyes, sensing she wanted to convey something but was hesitant to speak in front of everyone.

Long remained enthusiastic, eagerly leading the way, intending to take the trio to the top floor and prepare a sumptuous meal to welcome them. After all, they would be companions in this perilous world, needing to work together for survival.

"By the way, are you all Lingyuan practitioners? What levels are you? I'm just Level 3, and they are both Level 2," Ni Jianrong asked with a smile, voluntarily disclosing their levels to show sincerity.

Hearing Ni Jianrong's openness, Long didn't hold back either. He chuckled, "I'm Level 4, Simon is Level 3, and Lily is a bit lower, she just reached Level 2 last night."

Upon hearing Long was a Level 4, Ni Jianrong's expression shifted to one of admiration. "Brother Long, you're incredible, already a Level 4 Lingyuan practitioner. I've never met someone as formidable as you..."

As Ni Jianrong spoke, he stepped forward, extending his hands to grasp Long's in an enthusiastic and admiring gesture.

Long laughed heartily, "You're exaggerating. Being Level 4 isn't that remarkable. I don't feel much difference from Level 3, and it doesn't necessarily mean I'm stronger. For instance, Su..."

He was about to mention that despite Simon being a level lower, in actual combat, Simon might be more formidable than him as a Level 4.

However, just as he began to say "Su," the seemingly admiring Ni Jianrong suddenly flipped his right hand, revealing a bone spur that he thrust into Long's chest.

Caught off guard, Long's smile froze on his face.

Almost simultaneously, Fang You and Wang Kaikang made their moves. It was as if they had planned it with Ni Jianrong. Fang You suddenly wielded a small iron axe, swinging it towards Simon's head. With his strength, a direct hit would split Simon's skull in two.

Meanwhile, Wang Kaikang lunged at Lily, who was standing close to Simon. He didn't use the weapon on his back but instead reached out with both hands to seize Lily's arms. If he managed to grab her arms and twist them, he could easily subdue her, clearly intending to capture Lily alive.

This turn of events was utterly unexpected. Fang You and Wang Kaikang's swift attacks were far from the capabilities of mere Level 2 Lingyuan practitioners, as Ni Jianrong had introduced them. Their speed and precision were more akin to those of Level 3 practitioners.

Unlike Long, who was shocked and bewildered as the bone spur pierced his chest, Simon was prepared. Almost simultaneously with Fang You raising his right arm to reveal the axe, Simon lunged forward. The four claws of his left hand, known as the "Fangs of Gluttony," slashed across Fang You's chest as he darted forward like an arrow.

There was no time to draw the dagger from his breast pocket to attack Ni Jianrong. Simon had to rely on his body to collide with him. He knew that if he delayed even half a second, Long would be doomed.

With a resounding crash, Simon collided heavily with Ni Jianrong.

Just as Ni Jianrong had succeeded in his attack and was about to drag the bone spur downwards to disembowel Long, he was caught off guard by Simon's sudden and forceful assault. The impact sent Ni Jianrong flying sideways.

At that moment, Long finally reacted. He let out a thunderous roar, clutching his chest where blood was gushing from the wound, and fell backward. His face turned ashen as he cried out hoarsely, "Why?"

He was genuinely baffled. Faced with such an apocalyptic crisis, they should have been banding together, striving to survive. Why did these three suddenly turn on them?

He couldn't comprehend it. Didn't they realize that the more people there were, the greater their chances of survival?