Chapter 334: Never Give Up

TL: xDh20, LifeisaJourney

If this jungle continued for another ten kilometers, Liu Gan wouldn't even be surprised.

The jungle was very well preserved, probably even before the catastrophe. It must have been a national reserve protected by the NinJing City government. That was how the jungle had maintained its natural state. There were no signs of human construction or modifications to the area, or at least nothing that Liu Gan's group had seen yet. There were no houses built or roads cutting through the mountains. The only way out was through hard work on foot.

Getting lost in this labyrinth disguised as a jungle would be a truly dangerous situation. Even if Liu Gan was a level 9 player, he was no match for Mother Nature. Only through perseverance and a little bit of luck might Liu Gan and his group survive the jungle labyrinth.

Along the route to reach the river, the bushes were grouped up more closely. Trying to tread through the terrain was very difficult. These shrubs all contained sharp thorns and the vines intertwined, making them more difficult to break.

Especially the upcoming undergrowth. When the group members tried to walk through them, they didn't make it too far. Without axes or swords to clear the path, Liu Gan was forced to use his dagger and body instead. Using this method just to clear a path was highly inefficient. They only made it through a meter after a minute.

After a certain time of clearing the path with this exhausting method, Liu Gan had to switch with another member to open up the path. Although their efficiency was far slower than Liu Gan, they gave Liu Gan time to rest.

After two hours, the group was still clearing out the brush in front of them. Three more hours later, the group was in the deep part of the jungle. Sunlight had been blocked out by the trees for some time already. It was dark, as if the sun had set.

Mosquitos were congregating under the shade of the canopy, and kept stinging frantically at members stuck in the brush. As a preventive measure, they wrapped their faces with pieces of cloth. However, these mosquitoes had a long and sharp proboscis, and could easily penetrate through the cloth. As a result, large red bumps appeared on their faces.

Aside from the pesky mosquitos flying around, there were the normal problems of hunger and thirst. They were already at their limits of endurance. Unable to overcome their problems, they felt defeated. Slowly, their confidence dropped and their resolve was about to break.

"You don't have to worry about us three. We can't continue anymore," Wei Liang said to Liu Gan, after he spoke with with his other two colleagues.

It wasn't the question of whether they want to continue or not, but they were simply exhausted. Even before entering the undergrowth, they were at their limits already. In the face of this never-ending wall of plant life, their confidence was depleted. They weren't able to continue with their persistence.

"If you give up, we will have to let you go. The moment you give up, you will die here. You won't be able to leave this place," Liu Gan replied as he turned around to explain.

These people were Su Nina's people; unless it was really necessary to abandon them, Liu Gan didn't want to leave them behind. It wasn't important if Su Nina cared about their safety, he just wanted to return them back to Su Nina's side safely, since he still owed her a favor.

"Elder Liu, I can't continue any longer. We will just become your baggage. You have done your best to help us, you don't have to worry about us anymore. It is not your responsibility to help us stay alive, you should do your best to live," Han GuangMing suddenly blurted out.

When Zhao Meng and Jiang JinYuan heard Han GuangMing say that, they took a seat on the ground regardless of the thorns. They were mentally and physically exhausted.

Liu Gan stared at Han GuangMing for a long time. He knew that this fellow was very tough and competitive. He is typically the last person who would give up. So when others heard that he was giving up, they weren't able to muster up any strength.

"What do you think you are doing! Get up! We are within fifty meters of the river! There will be clean water and fresh wish! No one can give up! If you want to die, then die by the river!" Liu Gan started yelling loudly.

Whether it was Liu Gan's shout or his promise of clean water and fresh fish, everyone licked their chapped lips in anticipation and found the strength to move forward.

They moved past more the fifty meter mark, closer to a hundred meters. Liu Gan was able to lead them pass the densest part of the undergrowth. After another hour, when the shrubs weren't intertwining as much, they didn't need to walk in a single line formation anymore. Everyone's clothes were in shambles, and their bodies had slashes from the thorns and bumps filled with pus from mosquito bites.

Liu Gan was in a better condition than the rest of his group, even though his clothes were torn. His [Mist Armor] was wounded to a red condition. Luckily, it still protected his old wounds from reopening.

Passing through the thick undergrowth nearly killed the team. After the bitter came the sweet; even though there wasn't a wide river, there was a small flowing stream. The stream was almost three meters wide at the widest part, and a meter for the narrow part. Without food, many people could survive up to half a month. Without water, many people wouldn't survive more than a few days. This small stream flowing past was fresh water, and it was drinkable.

When they arrived at the stream, they all dropped down on their knees to quench their thirst. Liu Gan halted them quickly.

"Drink it slowly, otherwise you will vomit," Liu Gan said to them. Under conditions of extreme thirst, drinking mouthfuls of water wasn't ideal for the body.

Surviving in the wilderness, Liu Gan would carry his water canteen, the type that could be carried on his back and could be boiled to sterilize it. He would typically boil all his water before drinking, especially jungle creek water. Sterilization through boiling was one of his survival principles.

However, this stream had a quick current, and it looked relatively clear. There were also signs of healthy organisms, like fish and shrimp, swimming in it. These were telltale signs that the water was clean. Liu Gan hesitated on whether he should drink it as is or boil it first. Then he realized he didn't have anything he could boil it safely in. Without any of his equipment, he could only submit and drink the unsterilized water.