"Captain, can we still make it back alive?"
Zhou Yue squinted, her voice laced with a hint of fear, but in the direction Qin Chuan couldn't see, her expression was devoid of any dread.
Qin Chuan turned back, looking at her strangely, and said indifferently, "I don't know."
He himself didn't know if he could make it back alive this time.
He was just a little puzzled by how quickly Zhou Yue changed the subject.
One moment she was condemning someone, the next she was pitifully asking if they could return to the lighthouse alive.
Truly, Zhou Yue was more split in personality than anyone with split personality disorder.
Hearing Qin Chuan's ambiguous answer, Zhou Yue showed no disappointment. She seemed to be contemplating something, her gaze fixed on Qin Chuan.
The monsters in the distance continued their relentless pursuit, and the tidal flats along the riverbank were covered with the corrosive, unknown liquid.
Qin Chuan frowned, asking researcher Xiao Zhang, who had been silent from the beginning and had been adjusting equipment.
"Not ready yet?" his tone held a hint of impatience.
Xiao Zhang had two corrosive scars on his arm, clearly from being splashed by the monster's viscous fluid. Yet, despite enduring this searing pain,
Xiao Zhang's instruments had not stopped.
"Not yet, the signal still can't be connected," Xiao Zhang said, his forehead beaded with sweat.
Salty sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes, causing involuntary tears. Though his vision was blurred,
Xiao Zhang dared not stop his work to wipe them away.
He knew that the sooner he could connect the equipment and contact the lighthouse,
the greater their hope of survival would be.
Captain Qin Chuan and Leader Zhou Yue had come out to protect him while he established the connection.
Their group had fled their shelter, a cave, with the sole purpose of finding a place with a signal to transmit to the lighthouse.
They had set out as six people, but by the time they reached this point, only the three of them remained.
Qin Chuan patiently asked, "How much longer will it take?"
Zhou Yue also looked intently at Xiao Zhang, who was crouched on the ground, constantly adjusting the equipment.
Xiao Zhang's breathing became ragged with nervousness, "I need another ten minutes!"
His voice trembled with an unspoken fear.
As Qin Chuan was about to respond, he noticed a massive boulder flying towards them. Almost by instinct, he grabbed Xiao Zhang by the collar of his shirt and quickly rolled behind another rock.
Zhou Yue's reaction was half a step slower than Qin Chuan's, but fortunately, she was agile enough to also dodge the boulder.
Xiao Zhang, like a chick caught by an eagle, froze in place, his eyes wide with shock. However, the instrument in his hands was tightly clutched to his chest, completely unharmed.
Seeing Xiao Zhang's state, Qin Chuan felt a slight urge to laugh but suppressed it. He couldn't help but pat Xiao Zhang on the shoulder from behind.
Xiao Zhang, after a few seconds of stunned silence, finally realized that Qin Chuan had once again saved his life.
Before he could even utter the words "Thank you," Qin Chuan spoke.
"Ten minutes is too long. You have five more minutes, at most, to get the equipment ready!"
With that, before Xiao Zhang could react, Qin Chuan charged out from behind the rock, heading in the opposite direction of the monsters.
Zhou Yue gritted her teeth, watching Qin Chuan's retreating back. After a mere second of hesitation, she glared at the still-dazed Xiao Zhang!
"What are you waiting for! Hurry up and adjust the equipment. Do you want to get me and the Captain killed!"
With that, she bit her lower lip and followed Qin Chuan's footsteps.
Watching Qin Chuan and Zhou Yue dash away, Xiao Zhang felt as though a mountain weighing thousands of pounds had been placed upon him, making it difficult to breathe, but he dared not slacken.
His hands moved twice as fast as before, frantically tinkering with the pile of instruments.
In a daze, he felt as though what he was controlling wasn't just a communication device.
But the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
A single mistake, and the lives of Qin Chuan and Zhou Yue would be in his hands today.
At this thought, an overwhelming sense of suffocation washed over him. Xiao Zhang clenched his teeth, bearing the immense pressure, and immersed himself in calibrating the equipment.
"Five minutes, I can do it!" He glanced at the backs of the two figures wrestling with the monsters, as if hypnotizing himself.
"I will definitely do it!"
"Captain! Behind you!" Zhou Yue yelled anxiously. Qin Chuan twisted his body, dodging the sprayed liquid.
"Why did you follow me?"
Qin Chuan looked back at Zhou Yue, wondering why she had followed.
He had always suspected that Zhou Yue was the "spy" hidden behind the scenes.
But he had no evidence, so when it came to escorting Xiao Zhang to contact the lighthouse this time, Qin Chuan had deliberately called her along.
If anyone in this group did not want to return to the lighthouse, it would be the "spy."
Yet, Zhou Yue's actions throughout the journey had been by the book. While not exactly loyal, she hadn't caused any trouble along the way.
That's why Qin Chuan had been so surprised when Zhou Yue asked when they could return to the lighthouse.
"I'll help you. You can't hold them off alone."
Qin Chuan was not offended by this statement. Although he was known as the King of Single Combat on the lighthouse, he never became arrogant.
In the current situation, Zhou Yue would undoubtedly be a good helper.
However, Qin Chuan still harbored a knot in his heart, constantly on guard against her.
Evidently, Zhou Yue had also sensed this vigilance, reflected in Qin Chuan never turning his back to her, indicating that Qin Chuan never trusted him.
Zhou Yue let out a wry smile, offering no explanation, but instead devoted herself to fighting the monsters before them.
The only fortunate thing was that they had brought enough weapons when they descended, allowing them to hold on.
Time ticked by, and more and more beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Zhang's forehead, his hands beginning to tremble uncontrollably, a residual effect of prolonged precision instrument operation.
He poured all his strength into his hands and mind, his body so exhausted that he no longer had the energy to sit.
Yet, even so, as the minutes and seconds slipped away, Xiao Zhang still couldn't find the signal to contact the lighthouse.
On the other side, the battle intensified. Countless colossal beasts emerged from the horizon, like charging soldiers.
They surged towards Qin Chuan and Zhou Yue.
"Captain Qin Chuan, there must be something controlling these monsters from behind. We can't keep fighting like this; we'll be worn down!"
Zhou Yue gasped, her heart growing cold as she looked at the ever-increasing number of monsters emerging from the tidal flats.
In a flash, Qin Chuan reloaded his rifle. He understood what Zhou Yue was saying.
He glanced back at Xiao Zhang, who was almost completely slumped on the ground, his eyes growing deeper.
"One minute left. Regardless of success or failure, we retreat!"