Shen Feng's eyes sharpened. He ducked into a nearby newsstand, gently closed the door, and locked it from the inside.
He only had a dinky little fruit knife on him. 'If that wolf pack spots me, I'm dead!'
He hid beside the stone statue of the newsstand owner and peered out through the cracks in the surrounding panels. The sika deer had already dashed past the newsstand, flashing by in an instant.
Immediately after, a dozen or so hulking wild wolves charged past. These wolves were massive, each two to three meters long—they were veritable beasts!
Just as the sika deer was about to cross the street, two more wolves suddenly appeared at the other end, blocking its path.
The first wolf lunged from the side, but only managed to leave a scratch on the deer.
But dodging the first attack had drastically slowed the deer down. The second wolf was on it in an instant, sinking its teeth viciously into its neck.
The sika deer didn't even have time to cry out before it was tackled to the ground. The dozen wolves from behind swarmed it, beginning to tear at it frantically.
Clearly, this was the pack's tactic!
The moment the sika deer was herded onto this street, it had fallen into a trap.
With the human world destroyed, animals had reclaimed their homes in the vast, sprawling urban jungle, becoming its sole masters.
The sounds of tearing flesh and crunching bone filled the air, accompanied by the low growls of the wolves. The heavy stench of blood hung thick in the air.
Shen Feng held his breath, kneeling perfectly still on the ground, his hand gripping the fruit knife tightly.
The newsstand's door was long since rotten, and the wooden walls were full of gaps. A solid shove could probably break it open. He couldn't let the wolves discover his presence.
The pack quickly devoured most of the sika deer, leaving behind a bloody skeleton.
It seemed the pack wasn't even that hungry. A dozen wolves sharing one deer, and they were already full.
One wolf, its belly full, let out a low growl and ambled over to the newsstand. Its nose twitched constantly as it stared at the structure.
It had caught Shen Feng's scent!
Shen Feng held his breath, locking eyes with the wolf through a crack in the wall, not daring to move a muscle.
'If it spots me and calls the pack, my fate won't be much better than that deer's!'
Just then, something like a black scarf suddenly fell from the newsstand owner's statue, landing squarely around Shen Feng's neck.
HISS HISS...
A cold, smooth sensation, and it was moving slightly.
It was a snake!
Every hair on Shen Feng's body stood on end in an instant. He swallowed frantically, his heart pounding like a drum.
The snake was right on his neck, its head raised slightly, staring at his face.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Feng saw its triangular head and the mottled black pattern on its body. He immediately recognized it—a venomous viper!
'If it bites me, I'm dead. It'll be a gruesome end.'
Beads of sweat quickly formed on his forehead, rolling down his cheeks and dripping from his chin.
The snake actually flicked out its tongue and licked a drop of sweat from his chin.
Wolves outside, a viper inside. Shen Feng felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest, but he didn't dare move.
Startle either one, and he was dead.
The wolf outside sniffed around for a moment longer, then slowly approached the newsstand's rotten wooden door, as if it wanted to come in.
AWOOO—
A howl echoed out. The alpha wolf, the largest of the pack, was standing on the roof of a rusted SUV, calling out. The other wolves immediately joined in the chorus of howls.
After howling, the alpha turned and left. The pack immediately followed close behind. The wolf outside the newsstand didn't bother checking what was inside; it turned and followed the pack.
The pack came and went quickly, soon disappearing around a street corner overgrown with mugwort, leaving only a bloody deer carcass behind.
The viper on Shen Feng's neck, startled by the noise, began to slowly slither off him and onto the ground.
The instant the viper's head touched the ground, Shen Feng—who had been waiting for this exact moment—jerked his right hand down, viciously plunging the fruit knife through the snake's head and pinning it to the floor!
The viper thrashed desperately, but with both of his hands pressing down hard on the knife handle, it couldn't break free.
After a while, once the snake's body had completely stopped twitching, all the strength left Shen Feng and he collapsed, sitting down hard.
His back was completely soaked with sweat.
It was then that he truly felt the terror of the apocalypse. Torn from society, humans were now isolated individuals, their lives in constant danger.
Compared to other types of apocalypses he knew about, the Stone Statue Apocalypse was considered a low-intensity one, yet it was already this dangerous.
He rested for a few minutes. Once he was sure it was completely quiet outside, Shen Feng picked up the motionless snake and cautiously stepped out of the newsstand.
After scanning his surroundings, he dashed towards the remains of the sika deer.
The deer had been disemboweled, its organs ripped out. The fatty areas on its hind legs and rump had been gnawed clean, but there was still a good amount of meat left on the ribs.
The head was also mostly intact.
When beasts have plenty of food and aren't particularly hungry, they become picky eaters. After consuming the most nutritious organs and fat, they often leave a lot behind.
Shen Feng immediately used his fruit knife to cut off several strips of meat from the ribs, about four or five pounds in total. He thought for a moment, then also picked up the deer's head before quickly leaving the area, running upwind along the street.
'If this city has truly become a jungle, then the leftovers from the wolves' meal and the strong smell of blood will attract other predators. Scavengers, and maybe even some more powerful carnivores.'
'This place is still dangerous!'
Sure enough, just after Shen Feng had left the block, a chaotic mix of footsteps and howls rose up behind him. It sounded like wild dogs or similar animals had appeared. A few birds of prey also descended from the sky.
By now, Shen Feng had found a dilapidated restaurant. He pushed open the rusty door, went inside, and then bolted it behind him, finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
This was a large supermarket. He could see outside through the thick glass windows, and there was a back door for escape. It was a decent spot to eat.
In the supermarket's fast-food area, there were several stone statues behind the counter. Some were still holding food that had rotted into black lumps, their faces frozen in expressions of shock.
A few customers were also seated in the main area, some even in the middle of eating.
It seemed the final stage of the Petrification Disease had struck in a single instant. Many people hadn't even had time to react before they were completely petrified.
Shen Feng found a few clean towels in the back kitchen and spread them on a table. He placed the deer meat and head on them, then started to look around the supermarket.
Several dozen stone statues were scattered about, clearly customers who had been shopping.
Needless to say, everything in the produce section had been rotting for who knows how many years; the black mush was completely inedible.
Most of the other vacuum-sealed foods had also swollen, leaked, and spoiled.
Although Shen Feng found some canned goods, they all had a strange smell when he opened them, and he didn't dare eat them.
Fortunately, there were some compressed biscuits. Though hard as rocks, they should still be edible.
What really caught his attention was the mineral water and the large water jugs.
While some had turned green and spoiled, and a good amount had evaporated, most of it still looked drinkable.
Of course, he'd have to boil it again to be safe.
The only things that hadn't spoiled at all were the salt, the alcohol, and some dried seasonings.
After a trip around the store with a squeaky shopping cart, Shen Feng returned to the fast-food area with his cart now full.
First, he used two bottles of water to scrub a wok clean and set it up. Then, he stood several dozen candles underneath it.
Shen Feng dumped several large boxes of matches onto the table and began testing them one by one.
Some of the matches were damp, but thankfully, most of them still worked. He struck a small flame and quickly lit one of the candles.
The flame caught. After lighting all the candles, Shen Feng poured several large bottles of water into the wok to boil.
Once the water boiled, he scalded a few metal skewers in it. He then used an axe he found in the supermarket to chop up a few wooden stools, building a small bonfire. Finally, he placed the skewered venison over the fire, turning it and sprinkling on salt and cumin as it roasted.
He didn't have many spices, but as long as he had salt and cumin, the roast meat would have soul.
While the meat was cooking, Shen Feng also washed some plates and cups he had just found, and steeped a cup of aged Pu-erh tea.
Soon, the meat was ready. Shen Feng took a fragrant, sizzling skewer of venison off the fire. He examined the glistening strip of meat, blew on it gently, and took a small bite.
The aroma of the venison instantly filled his mouth. It was tender, yet had that unique, firm texture of deer meat. The savory saltiness of the meat and the fragrance of the cumin intertwined, creating a delicious symphony.
'Delicious!'
He took a sip of the Pu-erh tea. The golden brew was rich and smooth with a long-lasting aftertaste. Shen Feng leaned back in his chair, so comfortable he practically melted into it.
Pu-erh tea was the kind that gets better with age. In this post-apocalyptic world, all Pu-erh was aged Pu-erh.
He had roasted about two pounds of venison in total. Shen Feng wolfed it all down in one go, then drained his teacup, patting his stomach in satisfaction.
'Finding joy in bitterness... that's me, isn't it...'
He then stretched languidly, and a series of loud CRACKLE-POPs echoed from all over his body, as if his bones were hardening.
Shen Feng's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Petrification Disease, Stage One symptom:
Audible joint cracking!