He skillfully manipulated the flying knife, circling it around a mutant fish's head. As the creature's eyes darted around and its tentacles attempted to swat the knife, Zhou unleashed a barrage of arrows from his crossbow, each aimed at the creature's eyes.

The mutant fish's defenses were weak. Its tentacles were severed by the flying knife, and its eyes were pierced by the arrows, causing it to thrash and churn the waters.

Certain of its impending doom, Zhou used his inner energy to stabilize the boat against the waves, ensuring it wouldn't capsize.

After drifting for a bit, Zhou saw the mutant fish sink. He sped up, soon reaching the lake's opposite shore.

As soon as he set foot on the land, he knew he was at the right place. He signaled the rest and waited by the lake.

After a few minutes, he remembered that the only boat had been taken by him. Slapping his forehead, he left without waiting, confident they would find their own way.

Chapter 144: Rescuing People

Zhou ran swiftly through a vast forest. The trees weren't tall, and, curiously, there were no signs of mutated or wild creatures. He speculated that, given the training involved children, the organizers probably hadn't introduced any high-level mutants, or it would be a massacre rather than a trial.

A distant scream pierced the silence. Zhou You hurriedly followed the sound and soon came upon a teenager, impaled through the chest by a mutated buffalo. The boy clutched a dagger, stabbing at the buffalo's forehead in vain; the skull was the hardest part, and he couldn’t even pierce the skin.

Zhou You aimed his crossbow at the buffalo. The beast, its eyes bloodshot, retreated a few steps and then charged at him.

Zhou You swiftly climbed to the treetop. Trees were knocked down one by one by the charging buffalo. Intent on rescuing the boy, Zhou You dashed to his location, grabbed the boy's collar, and sprinted away.

Once out of the buffalo's sight, Zhou You laid the boy down and poured a hemostatic medicine onto the wound. The bleeding from the massive wound, as wide as a forearm, wouldn’t stop. Frantically, Zhou You tried various methods but to no avail.

The boy, with a strained expression, barely whispered, "Did you... come to save me?"

"Yes, I came to help. Hold on a little longer. I have companions nearby; they can save you," Zhou You said. Anticipating challenges, Shao Qi had brought two medical devices with them.

"Thank... thank you... please... save my sister..." The boy, with blood smeared hands, grasped Zhou You’s wrist, pointing weakly in a direction. With his last breath, he uttered a single word: "Hurry."

Zhou You gently laid him down and ran in the direction the boy had pointed. From a distance, he saw three hyenas circling a tree, occasionally ramming it. A faint cry echoed from the tree, which was dangerously wobbly.

Zhou You dispatched the hyenas swiftly and shouted, "Come down; the mutated dogs are dead."

A head peeked out from the foliage above – a young girl, probably no older than ten. She quickly retreated back, seemingly not relieved by the death of the hyenas.

Zhou You, growing impatient, said, "Your brother sent me to save you. If you don't come down, I'll leave. There are others I need to rescue."

"My brother?" the girl asked hesitantly. "Is it true? He told me to run while he distracted the mutated buffalo."

Zhou You responded, "I'll take you to him later. Now, come down."

This time, she complied, sliding down the tree trunk. Upon landing, she looked up at Zhou You, a mix of surprise and curiosity on her face. Pointing at the dead hyenas, she eagerly asked, "Did you also save my brother? Where is he?"

Without time to explain, Zhou You hoisted her onto his back, saying, "We need to rescue the others first. Then I'll take you to your brother."

"But there are many mutated creatures in this forest. Can you handle them all alone?"

"Of course, I'm quite skilled."

"Then put me down. This pace is too slow; I have an idea."

Half in doubt, Zhou You set her down. The girl then produced a makeshift firework from her bag. After lighting it, it whooshed into the sky, exploding into a plume of dark smoke that lingered for some time.

"Is that a signal for your group?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, it's a plan we devised. If someone finds a safe haven, they use this to gather everyone."

"But what if it attracts the mutated beasts? It could be even more dangerous, especially for a group of children."

"It’s a risk, but if there's even a slight chance of survival, we have to try."

Zhou You patted her head gently and asked her to hide by the tree. He scouted the area, killing a few mutated beasts along the way.

Not far away, inside a well-lit cave, ten guards were divided: half were feasting around a table while the others monitored screens.

"Huh, this boy is quite impressive. He took down several mutant monkeys. But I don't recall having a kid of that height in this batch." There's no internet in the wilderness, and surveillance only works at short distances, producing grainy black-and-white images. Yet, one can discern a roughly six-foot tall boy swiftly dispatching a few squirrels.

Another person glanced over and casually remarked, "Given his height, he's probably that boy named Yan Shuo. He reached six feet at just fourteen. He's likely to be the first among the children to achieve the warrior stage."

"Yan Shuo... that name sounds familiar."

"Heh, of course it does. He's the one that a prominent figure took an interest in not long ago. But the boy resolutely refused and our boss, valuing his potential, chose not to kill him and sent him here instead."