Chapter 130: Another Fierce Battle

As Chen Cao jumped off the raft and issued orders to the bewildered group, the aboriginal soldiers on the distant riverbank, unable to attack, were clearly growing agitated. However, their deep-seated fear of the piranhas in the river kept them at bay. The people on the raft finally stepped onto the island, stumbling as they hauled the raft along. One dwarven swordsman, in a fit of rage, kicked several "Ghost Children" who were wandering nearby into the water. This simple action immediately dawned on the other soldiers, who followed suit, kicking the Ghost Children into the river one after another.

Hearing the splashes, Chen Cao and Hua Fo, who were busy dragging the raft, could not help but look back. Seeing the mass of children being kicked into the water, Hua Fo grumbled while he heaved, "Do these guys have no fear of the piranhas?"

Chen Cao, thinking calmly, replied, "Not necessarily. They are playing a numbers game!"

Having spent his career on special operations, Hua Fo did not immediately grasp what Chen Cao meant by a "numbers game," but one look at the scene made the strategy painfully clear.

*Glug.* The Ghost Children, who had been struggling to swim toward the island, began to bubble and sink beneath the surface. Soon after, the river turned a deep, bloody red. The piranhas below had clearly realized that these floating objects were juicy, delicious prey. They began to leap from the water, dragging the third, the fourth, and more of the children down into the depths. Yet, despite the carnage, the piranhas’ appetites were limited, and a vast number of the creatures continued to crawl toward Chen Cao and his group. Seeing them close in, Chen Cao and Hua Fo shouted, "Move! Or we'll all end up as food for these mutants!" With that, they lunged forward, dragging the raft toward the island.

Stanley had the hardest task. Clarissa was frail, and while Lu Tianming wanted to help, he had to look after his wife; furthermore, he was so malnourished that he was of little use. He could only support his wife and follow behind Stanley, praying for divine strength to help Stanley get their "vessel of life" back into the water.

It was more like dragging the raft through the jungle than lifting it. Uji was a helping hand, but he was still just a child. While he was skilled at using the water to paddle, dragging such a massive raft on land was another matter. Due to the height difference, he could only push with all his might. Clarissa also sensed the urgency and pushed with everything she had, yet their progress remained agonizingly slow.

Fortunately, it was only a hundred meters. Chen Cao and Hua Fo soon reached the other side of the island and shoved the raft into the water. Hua Fo jumped on and grabbed the oars. Chen Cao looked back and saw that Stanley and the others were nowhere to be seen. Anxious, he turned around and ran back. Hua Fo shouted, "Chen, leave them! The Ghost Children have landed, and there are more of them coming. If we get surrounded, we're dead!"

Chen Cao did not look back, his sniper rifle gripped firmly in his hand as he dashed back.

"Damn it! Damn it all!" Hua Fo cursed, stamping his feet on the raft.

Chen Cao had only gone a few steps when he collided with Uji. Uji was no match for Chen Cao’s sturdy frame and was knocked to the ground. When he looked up and realized it was Chen Cao, he cried out, "Chen, hurry! Save Stanley! He... he...!"

Chen Cao hauled Uji to his feet without a word and sprinted toward the rear. He knew Stanley must be in trouble.

"A water snake has him!" Uji yelled, trailing behind.

When Chen Cao reached them, Stanley was already wrapped like a mummy by a water snake as thick as a human thigh. In the mere ten seconds since they had parted, Stanley had grabbed the part of the snake coiled around his throat. His face was turning an ashen blue, and his eyes were rolling back. Lu Tianming was desperately pinning the snake’s head down to keep its jaws shut, while Clarissa stood by, supporting his wife and wringing her hands in panic.

"Don't pull! It will only tighten its grip and choke you! Give me your knife!" Uji, his panic replaced by a sudden clarity at Chen Cao's command, produced his dagger even before the words had finished leaving Chen Cao’s lips.

Chen Cao took the blade, felt for the snake’s body, and pierced it precisely before slicing downward. A spurt of yellow bile erupted, and the snake’s grip instantly loosened; within seconds, its body went limp.

Stanley collapsed, gasping for air, having never realized how precious a simple breath could be. Lu Tianming crossed his chest, whispering, "My God, thank goodness!"

Chen Cao had no time for God. Frowning, he barked, "Move! Get the raft, now!" He gave Lu Tianming a kick to get him moving. Lu Tianming, suddenly revitalized by a primal urge to survive, scrambled up and hauled the raft forward.

"Chi-chi-chi!" Dozens of Ghost Children had caught up. Seeing their targets, they stood still, took a deep breath, and raised bamboo blowpipes to their mouths, ready to fire. Chen Cao had anticipated this; he whipped out his pistol, flipped the raft over to use as a shield, and began firing freely. In an instant, more than a dozen Ghost Children were gunned down before they could release their poison darts.

"Go!" Chen Cao shouted. But it was too late; waves of Ghost Children were charging, emitting chilling, high-pitched screeches. Darts thudded against the raft. Fortunately, the raft was made of reinforced rubber, and the darts were designed to deliver poison rather than kinetic force; had it been a standard inflatable, they would have been stranded long ago.

The group huddled behind the raft. The creatures were proving cunning, firing volleys of cold, calculated shots that kept Chen Cao and the others pinned down. They knew that a single scratch from those poisoned darts would be far more lethal than a bullet.

*Rat-tat-tat...* Just as despair began to set in, the sound of gunfire erupted. A deafening blast followed, spraying mud and grit over their heads.

"Damn it! What are you lot waiting for? Drag the raft and move!"

"It's Hua Fo!" Chen Cao felt a surge of energy. "Move!" he roared. He crouched low, straining to drag the raft backward. By now, many aboriginals had reached the island using makeshift wooden poles as rafts. This was critical. The dwarven swordsman discarded his pole, drew a long blade tied to his waist with vines, and charged. The spearmen were preparing to throw.

"Go!" Hua Fo fired while pulling a grenade from his vest. He bit the pin, tossed it, and it vanished into the dense formation of soldiers. A massive explosion followed, raining blood and limbs across the clearing. Hua Fo didn't give them a moment to recover; he pulled another grenade and followed up with a burst of submachine gun fire.

Chen Cao and the others ignored the thunderous blasts; they had only one goal: forward, forward. With Chen Cao and Stanley heaving and the others pushing, they finally reached the water's edge. *Splash!* They hit the water just as another grenade detonated. Hua Fo sprinted toward them, shouting, "There are too many of them, and they've figured out how to cross! Go!" He jumped onto the raft, not waiting for them to react, and began to row. Chen Cao jumped on, and Lu Tianming helped his wife aboard. Stanley pushed with his final ounce of strength before scrambling on. Because Hua Fo’s raft had already moved ahead, Clarissa and Uji were forced to cram onto this one. Overloaded, the raft sat dangerously low in the water, and the river began to seep over the edges.

"This is bad, there are too many of us!" Stanley cried out as the raft began to sink under the weight.

No one answered. No one wanted to give up their life. But from the darkness behind them, they could already hear the rhythmic, guttural chanting of the aboriginals closing in.