"Then I must thank you, Brother Yi. To be honest, we've been struggling to hold off the increasingly numerous and powerful monsters. At first, we managed to resist, but now, we're barely hanging on. From the original 3,000 Yang family troops, we now have fewer than 1,500 left. Every single one of the fallen died in battle against those creatures. Their numbers are simply overwhelming," said Yang Yanping with a relieved smile.
Inwardly, he thought: This Yi Tianxing—his appearance is unusual and distinctive. He even carries a war spear on his back. For someone to survive this long in the jungle since the world's transformation—at least ten to twenty days—he must be incredibly capable. If he were to aid us in fighting off these beasts, it would be a great help. I wasn't sure of his character at first, but now I see he's a man of integrity—someone worth befriending.
Strange... why does his name sound familiar?
"When I arrived, I sensed a strong stench of blood and death outside. The ground was soaked with blood, even the fences were stained red. The attackers—what kind of monsters were they? If I'm not mistaken, your troops are elite, not some ragtag militia. For such heavy casualties to occur, the enemies must have been extraordinary," Yi Tianxing asked directly, without any attempt to conceal his curiosity.
"It was wolves. An enormous wolf pack. Thousands upon thousands of them. Each one over a meter tall, about the size of an adult human. Ferocious beyond reason—they can tear a soldier apart with a single bite. Worse, there's a Wolf King, terrifying beyond imagination. It can emit strange crescent-shaped blade attacks. No one can stand against it. Especially at night—the wolves become even stronger and more savage. Many of our men died to those beasts," Yang Yanping said grimly, taking a deep breath. He didn't hide anything—it wasn't worth concealing. Anyone with a stroll around the village would notice.
As he spoke, the recent history of Yang Family Village unfolded in Yi Tianxing's mind.
When the Myriad Worlds merged, Yang Yanping, his father, and a few brothers were on a military campaign. In the middle of marching, they were suddenly transported into this new, alien world. Their enemy nation vanished, and so did their homeland. What remained was a land with no nation, no allegiance—a brand-new world.
Naturally, the sudden relocation left them disoriented. Out of their original force, only a little over 3,000 soldiers remained. But also inexplicably transported nearby were over ten thousand civilians, terrified and confused.
Though these civilians weren't from their original homeland—some were likely from entirely different worlds—they were still human.
So Yang Yanping's father chose to use a Village Creation Order he had obtained during the descent to this world to establish a new settlement—Yang Family Village—giving the lost civilians a place to belong. The presence of elite troops gave everyone a sense of security.
But soon, the nightmares began.
The first threat wasn't beasts, but a group of sentient scarecrows, holding wooden swords, spears, and sharpened bamboo poles. They attacked with eerie coordination.
At first, even the seasoned Yang family soldiers were terrified. In ancient times, monsters and demons were feared above all. Fighting other humans, they never flinched—but these unnatural creatures stirred deep fear.
Many soldiers died in the first clash—not just to the scarecrows, but to their own fear.
Then came other monsters—flying beasts, packs of jackals. Whenever a village was detected, they would relentlessly attack. Soldiers died one after another, and with little in the way of fortifications, even civilians perished in droves.
It was a time of total crisis.
But even under such conditions, Yang Yanping's father never gave up. He led his troops to build houses, fences, and various buildings. Every day was spent in battle.
People died every day—soldiers and civilians alike. Some died in combat, others from starvation.
Food shortages became a major issue. Though the Yang family had strong military talents, they lacked administrative skills. Internal affairs were their weakness.
With battles constantly ongoing, they had no time to properly manage the village—it remained under military rule. If not for the life-and-death struggle facing all humans, such harsh governance would have caused an uproar. Among the civilians were former nobles and high-ranking officials from other worlds—not people known for their patience.
Most monsters, while strange, could be killed. But the wolves were different.
They were vengeful.
In the first assault, the Yang soldiers inflicted heavy casualties on the wolves. But the price was steep on both sides. Among the slain was a silver wolf, blinded in one eye.
That enraged the entire pack. The Wolf King, also silver, showed up on the battlefield. Clearly, the blinded one was its offspring.
After that, waves of wolves began attacking the village daily. The Wolf King, for some unknown reason, never attacked directly, as if being restrained by something. But if it ever did, the village's situation would become truly dire.
Yang Family Village was in a precarious state.
None of this was secret—everyone in the village knew. Even if Yang Yanping didn't say anything, Yi Tianxing would've learned the truth quickly enough from the villagers.
"The conditions in the village are poor, but Brother Yi is free to move about. We don't have much food, but there's hot water available. As for that beast you're carrying..." Yang Yanping glanced at the giant crocodile Yi Tianxing was dragging. "You'll need to be careful. Our people haven't had a full meal in days."
By the end, he looked somewhat embarrassed.
To found a village and still be unable to feed its people—that shame weighed heavily on him. The food they had came from their starting military rations and the meat of the beasts they killed—especially giant wolves.
But with so many people, there was never enough. Even half-full stomachs were rare. Some elderly had already starved to death.
"Don't worry. I brought my own food. I'll take care of it," Yi Tianxing replied calmly. It was easy to see just by looking: this village was facing true hardship.
Starvation. Exhaustion. Fear. The core elements of collapse.
"I'll leave you here, then. I must return to the front lines. The defenses must remain on alert. Any breach from beasts could harm the villagers," Yang Yanping said with a smile.
"Of course. Go ahead," Yi Tianxing replied with a nod.
Once Yang Yanping left, Yi Tianxing began observing the village more closely.
Yang Family Village had far more people than Xuanhuang Village—over ten thousand. It looked massive. But people were huddled around fires, thin and gaunt. Their faces were filled with despair and confusion, too afraid to think of the future.
What they had experienced in recent days had shattered their worldview.
Even the elite Yang family troops had suffered massive losses. The people knew: if the army fell, they'd be next.
Many had tried to fight back—but countless young men died in battle.
The weight of death loomed over the village, creating a heavy atmosphere. It was nothing like Xuanhuang Village.
And worst of all—they were hungry.
Day after day, they went without enough food. Few spoke anymore. What food remained went to the soldiers. Everyone knew that—and no one protested.
They had seen the monsters. They knew: the army was their only shield. As long as they weren't fools, they would swallow their resentment.
Yi Tianxing's arrival caught many eyes.
Especially the giant crocodile he dragged behind him. When people realized it was dead, their eyes lit up. That was meat.
Gurgle.
Someone involuntarily swallowed.
But no one dared to act rashly. Yi Tianxing carried that massive crocodile like it weighed nothing. The war spear on his back sent a clear message: this man wasn't someone to mess with.
Anyone thinking of stealing that food would need to think carefully—very carefully.