Chapter 5: The Small Fire Pit [Requesting Fire!] |
Small Fire Pit: Can significantly increase temperature within a ten-meter radius, possesses deterrence and lethal effects against low-level Abominations, but simultaneously attracts Frost Beasts.
Daily consumption: 2 wood (first ignition provided, ten minutes without consumption)
Xia Hong had no time to carefully examine the so-called camp system, focusing instead on quickly searching through the flood of information for what he needed.
Possesses deterrence and lethal effects against low-level Abominations!
This was exactly what he wanted.
Xia Hong turned his head to look at Xia Chuan who was nearly dead, forced himself to stand up, and fixed his gaze on the fake Xia Ding.
A tiny spark suddenly appeared in front of Xia Chuan.
The fake Xia Ding looked down at the flickering light before him, frowned slightly, sensing something amiss.
But the spark was weak, seemingly harmless.
The fire spread rapidly like wildfire, engulfing not just the fake Xia Ding who was holding Xia Chuan, but also two other fake lumberjack team members nearby.
"Ah... what is this, what kind of fire is this, ah..."
In mere moments, the fake Xia Ding, now consumed by flames, let out a terrified and agonized scream.
The other two fake lumberjack team members didn't even have time to make a sound before being reduced to two plumes of black smoke.
The fake Xia Ding's body twisted and contorted within the flames, clearly trying to escape, but the fire clung to him like a persistent parasite.
His intact body was quickly burned to crimson bones, which then crumbled to ash, just like the other two fake lumberjack team members, dissipating completely into black smoke.
Meanwhile, Xia Hong had already helped Xia Chuan up. Turning to see the fire pit still burning fiercely, hope filled his face.
"Big brother, what is this fire pit?"
"I don't know, but we're saved."
The fake Xia Ding couldn't die even when his head was split open.
Yet this small fire pit reduced him to ashes in moments.
"Everyone, stop fighting! Come to the fire pit now!"
Xia Hong turned and shouted to those still fighting desperately in the cave.
Some had already noticed the fake Xia Ding being burned to death, and with this shout, all the remaining survivors quickly gathered behind Xia Hong.
Soon, the remaining hundred or so camp members had disengaged from combat and assembled behind Xia Hong.
The camp had suffered heavy casualties, while among the Abominations, apart from the three accidentally burned by the small fire pit, the remaining twenty-three were completely unharmed.
Another Xia Ding, leading the remaining twenty-two fake lumberjack team members, began approaching the fire pit.
However, he stopped when still over ten meters away.
Looking at the fire pit, the fake Xia Ding's eyes were full of wariness.
Yet seemingly unwilling to let Xia Hong's group go, he sneered after a moment:
"Little brat, how long can your fire last?"
"A very, very long time!"
Xia Hong sneered back, then turned to Xia Chuan and the others: "Bring all the wood from the back here to expand the fire."
The camp's wood supply happened to be stored against the cave wall.
Hearing this, everyone quickly moved the wood toward the fire pit.
As more wood was added, the small fire pit's flames grew larger.
Xia Hong and the others intentionally directed the fire toward the fake Xia Ding's group.
Soon, the firelight illuminated the entire cave.
The fake Xia Ding's group, as the fire spread, showed increasing wariness in their eyes while retreating step by step.
The standoff between the fake Xia Ding and the survivors lasted over an hour.
Only when forced back to the cave entrance, seeing the survivors continuously bringing more wood, did he finally show a look of bitter hatred. After giving Xia Hong a deep stare, he led the fake lumberjack team members away.
By now it was dawn. Xia Hong's group dared not leave the fire pit's vicinity, only watching the departing figures from afar.
When they finally disappeared from sight and were confirmed gone, Xia Hong finally relaxed, overwhelmed by exhaustion.
"Brother, this bonfire seems... problematic."
"I know. Only the ten-meter radius is effective. The fire beyond that is no different from what we lit before."
Xia Hong's back was already soaked with cold sweat.
He had realized when the fire spread beyond ten meters.
They had expanded the fire throughout fifty to sixty meters of the cave, but beyond the initial ten-meter radius of the small fire pit, the temperature increase was no different from their previous fires.
Remembering the system description of the small fire pit, Xia Hong understood.
The small fire pit only affected a ten-meter radius.
Even if they expanded the fire further, it wouldn't help.
Similarly, only the small fire pit could deter and kill Abominations - their other fires were useless.
Everything he'd done afterward was just bluffing to scare the Abominations.
Fortunately, they fell for it.
In the aftermath, there was no joy in the cave.
Because disasters always bring endless suffering.
By now, many had realized that the real Xia Ding and his group were already dead.
Those twelve lumberjack team members represented twelve families.
Combined with the slaughter in the cave, at least seventy lives had been lost.
The cave was filled with wails and sobs.
"The leader... is really dead?"
"My husband is gone?"
"My son was killed..."
"Mom, mom, wake up!"
...
Beyond grief, what surged strongest in Xia Hong's heart was frustration.
From beginning to end, he knew nothing about the Abomination of Redwood Ridge.
He didn't even know what it really looked like.
After the two fake Xia Dings were exposed, the one Xia Chuan ambushed took charge, while the one whose head he split seemed dazed, lacking intelligence.
When the first was burned by the fire pit, the dazed one started speaking.
This proved neither fake Xia Ding was the real entity.
Meaning the Abomination of Redwood Ridge had dealt them this heavy blow without even showing itself.
And those two Xia Dings, those twenty-four fake lumberjack team members - how were they created and controlled?
He knew nothing.
The enemy's light touch caused heavy casualties.
Worst of all, after so many sacrifices, they'd gained no useful information about their foe.
This sense of powerlessness filled Xia Hong with immense frustration.
And of course, even more fear.
Looking around the cave at the grieving survivors, Xia Hong took a deep breath and walked alone to the entrance. Picking up stones and wood, he began sealing the cave mouth.
After all this, dawn was breaking, and temperatures were dropping rapidly. If they didn't seal the entrance quickly, people would freeze to death.
Worse, they might attract Frost Beasts.
Xia Hong's actions reminded the others.
Xia Chuan was first to help, followed by others - men, women, even children.
Glancing back at the camp members working together, despite the bitter cold, Xia Hong felt a faint warmth in his heart.
Comments 6