While others seek survival, I engage in flirtation Chapter 59: Camp Survivors

"Did those freaks do this to you?" I reached out to touch his wound, and he winced in pain, nodding solemnly.

"When the camp got attacked, I was out gathering supplies with a few others. By the time we got back, there wasn't a soul in sight." Dennis's face twisted with the memory of that day.

"So, the mess at the camp was their doing?" The horrific scene at Abbott Camp flashed in my mind.

Dennis nodded and put his shirt back on.

"A few days after we got back, they hit us again. Took our supplies and slashed me. They've been on our tail ever since, like they're on some kind of mission." He paused, thinking, then hesitantly shared his theory.

That was something I hadn't thought of.

In my mind, those freaks acted purely on instinct. Given their mental state, how could anyone control them? I voiced my doubts to Dennis.

"I don't know, but they seem to have a clear goal. They captured everyone except me. I barely got away." Dennis's eyes still held a hint of fear and tension.

Honestly, I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that such a group of freaks could be controlled by anyone, let alone raid camps and capture people.

I couldn't imagine who could be behind controlling these freaks if what Dennis said was true.

"Do you know where they went?" I asked him.

Dennis nodded and pointed in one direction, whispering, "A canyon over there." From the direction he pointed, I realized he was talking about the one we visited a few days ago.

"They're really in that canyon?" I could hardly believe it. We hadn't explored the deepest part, but we covered most of it, and there was no sign of them. All we saw was a stone platform used for burning animals.

"After they left, I secretly followed them for a bit. I thought they'd be trapped at the edge of the cliff, but I didn't expect..."

Dennis's hesitation made me anxious. I snapped, "Didn't expect what?"

"They jumped off the cliff!"

I could sense Dennis's shock from his words.

But I could roughly understand how those freaks did it. The steps on the canyon walls were not obvious. If seen from a certain distance, it would look like they jumped straight off the cliff.

"So, their lair is in that canyon?" I asked, barely able to believe it. If what Dennis said was true, we would have to go back to that canyon.

After dealing with the water accumulation in the camp, we started preparing our tools.

This time, we had a clear goal. There was a place to land below the cliff, so we only prepared food and tools to make torches.

Dennis and I agreed to set off early the next morning. As I was about to return to the cave, he suddenly stopped me.

"Can I stay at this camp for a night?" He stammered, then pointed to the camp's perimeter, "I can sleep here."

"Sure, you can help us keep an eye on that bastard." I nodded, not turning him down.

I could tell he hadn't slept well for days, with those dark circles under his eyes.

Dennis was probably living alone in the woods, always on guard against wild animals and those freaks. No way he was getting any decent sleep.

Seeing me agree, he visibly relaxed.

That night, we all got some good rest. No howling wolves, no weird noises, and no freaks creeping up on us.

Early the next morning, we set off for the canyon with our gear. It was the same team of four from last time, plus Dennis tagged along.

Returning to the canyon, we were less cautious than the first time, thanks to our previous experience. We quickly made our way down to the canyon floor.

Following the path we took last time, we soon found our old campsite.

It looked just like we left it, still empty.

Last time, we only explored up to this point. Beyond this, we had no clue where to go.

But near the edge of a cave not far away, there were a few shallow footprints. Though messy, they still pointed in a direction.

The footprints were similar in depth and size, likely from the same person. As for where they went, we could only follow and see.

"Let's go this way first." I pointed in the direction the footprints led.

The footprints led into a nearby forest, dragging something along, but I couldn't tell what it was from the drag marks.

Lilian and Moon followed without a word. Dennis looked at me and hesitantly joined.

"Carl! What if it's dangerous?" Only Matt seemed reluctant, pouting.

"I don't want to be killed by those freaks!" His words made our faces darken. None of us had dared to speculate on what happened to the missing people.

To be honest, I also thought they were likely dead, but without evidence, no one could say for sure.

No one spoke further. I just walked back to Matt, grabbed his collar, and dragged him along.

We followed the footprints for a long time until they completely disappeared.

But there was no sign of the freaks we were looking for, only a large pile of burned animal remains.

The remains were almost completely burned, with unrecognizable bodies piled together, covered in ash and partially burned flesh.

"These freaks, this is the third burning site." I used a short knife to sift through the unrecognizable remains, finding only a few charred nameplates with barely visible letters.

I showed the nameplates to the others, who just shook their heads. But Moon suddenly looked surprised.

"Where did these nameplates come from?" Moon examined the charred nameplates closely, then read the information on them to us.