Abyss Summoner-Chapter 66 - 64: Ghoul Camp

Chen Feng and his group advanced towards the trading post. Although it was only a few miles away, the path was filled with numerous monsters, mostly minor ones, which were dealt with by Wei Xun.

This street used to be a plaza, surrounded by many commercial buildings. In peaceful times, this was an area for young people to hang out. After a day’s work, they would pick a restaurant, enjoy a hearty meal, have a cup of milk tea, or watch a movie with their partners.

Warm memories.

Such was the city life. Despite the occasional stress, countless young people continued to live resiliently, driven by goals like salary, housing, loved ones, and their parents.

However...

Everything ended.

The bustling plaza lost its vitality, replaced by desolation and silence.

Wasteland.

With the absence of human presence, stray cats and dogs occasionally appeared among the ruins. In the wild, stray cats and dogs became the most seen creatures. Unlike their previous docile selves that allowed humans to chase, beat, and scold them, they had undergone a transformation.

Chen Feng once witnessed a group of cats attacking a Giant Rock Beetle. Some animals had mutated, and in their quest for food, they attacked more formidable creatures.

Fearless pursuit.

It was a truly terrifying scene.

The surviving companions began adapting to the environment. Along the way, they scavenged a hardware store, where giant wrenches, sledgehammers, and steel pipes replaced their previously fragile weapons. The heavy weight gave them some courage, and compared to before, their faces were noticeably rosier.

.........

Trading post.

Chen Feng crouched down, picked up a bit of dark red concrete, and held it to his nose.

The scent of blood.

A life perished here.

Ghouls do not wait idly by; once awakened, they seek food nearby. Some drag marks around suggest this place is close to the ghoul camp.

Ghouls do not have a keen sense of smell. It seems they invested all their talent points in agility, allowing them to run on all fours like animals. Their burst speed even surpasses that of a cheetah, making encounters with ghouls disastrous for ordinary people.

Wei Xun’s expression grew somber, perhaps triggered by unpleasant memories. He swallowed nervously, fear evident in his eyes.

Nightmare.

The scene of ghouls tearing apart his comrades remains carved deep into his mind.

Soon.

A group of ghouls appeared before the group.

There were about twenty or so. Contrary to what Wei Xun said, ghouls hiding among dirt piles, this time, the ghouls crawled out of the mounds.

The ghouls gathered together, some dismembered parts laid in the center. From afar, it could be rudely speculated as zombie heads, insect legs, animal fur, and some human remains. These offerings clearly could not satisfy all the ghouls, prompting them to cry out in a manner resembling sobbing.

Spine-chilling.

It sounded like a woman’s throat being slit, emitting a ghastly wail. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Ghouls are far less dangerous when satiated because they tend to eat themselves sick. Unless their stomachs are near bursting, they stop eating. At this moment, their danger level drops significantly, with decreased agility and diminished aggression.

But...

Hungry ghouls exhibit a terrifying state. Their gastric juices are stronger than other creatures’, with hunger causing them discomfort.

Numb to pain, indifferent to death, greedy and mad.

Hungry ghouls carry a Bloodthirsty Aura that turns them into slaves of food. Upon sighting prey, they attack without hesitation, even Earth Dragons cannot avoid their harassment.

At this point, a particularly large ghoul caught Chen Feng’s attention. Standing over two meters tall, it was slender but had an exceptionally large head. It resembled a skinned wild dog, eyes wide, red blood vessels covering the whites.

"Snap!"

It grabbed a comrade, sliced open the companion’s head with its claws, and began lapping up the brain matter.

Ghouls lack intelligence. In a state of hunger, they might attack comrades. They start consuming from the brain matter, then proceed to the neck, chest, and finally the limbs.

Ghoul leader.

Devouring kin grants it certain privileges.

This creature is infinitely close to silver status, just a step away from transformation. Given more combat, its life might undergo a profound change.

Blood.

Incites further madness among these ghouls. Some, unable to bear hunger, started gnawing at their arms, not by tearing, but cautiously peeling off some skin.

Starving to the point of self-cannibalism.

These ghouls teetered on the brink of frenzy.

If an assault was chosen now, even without the leader’s intervention, these ghouls would easily tear apart Wei Xun and the survivors’ bodies and lives.

This was not a battle of equal scale.

Wei Xun’s legs weakened. The scene before him rekindled old memories, his breathing grew erratic, complexion turned pale, and thoughts of retreat burgeoned, he dared not fight these creatures.

Beside him, the survivors were utterly petrified. They had never seen such horrifying creatures. These ghouls were like blades hanging above, inducing fear to the extent some suffered convulsions, collapsed, and foamed at the mouth.

This was understandable.

Chen Feng merely glanced without reprimanding.

He never intended for them to confront the ghouls head-on. He understood the disparity between the two sides; once the fight began, besides becoming fodder, there was no other outcome for them.

Bringing everyone was just a demonstration of his strength.

Belief stems from power.

No one would worship goblins, whereas Demons and Dragons are the opposite.

Compared to futile speeches, fists are the best means of persuasion. In some sense, these ghouls were props for Chen Feng to showcase his might.

Pillar of strength.

Chen Feng intended to prove with strength that he possessed not only the power to command bunkers but that these monsters, insurmountable challenges in their eyes, were merely ants to him, easily swatted away.

Hands like hooks.

Chen Feng aimed to eradicate this camp swiftly...

Ghouls?

These were the creatures that wiped out a squad prior?

Sharp claws, crimson eyes, and those teeth full of sinew, how could such terrifying creatures exist? Can we defeat them? No, that’s surely impossible!

Despair.

Some survivors leaned aside, faces stricken with panic. Among the crowd, despair replaced fear and anxiety, a faint yet palpable hopelessness.