Yu Xi understood immediately.

Both roads out of the village had to pass by the mountain’s base. If they couldn’t leave before the volcano erupted, given the proximity of the peak to the village, they’d be trapped there. Even if they weren’t hit by volcanic rocks, they’d be consumed by lava. Not to mention the volcanic ash, which isn’t just smoke but tiny, water-insoluble particles that can damage respiratory tracts when inhaled.

Lava, projectiles, volcanic ash, gas globules—all were highly dangerous. They had to leave immediately!

“Hurry up, don’t hesitate! Don’t have any wishful thinking! Put on warm clothes, pack some food and water in a backpack, and bring gas masks, goggles, or masks if you have them, and wet towels!” Yu Xi urged, then quickly ran outside.

Ya Tong had already driven the SUV to the door, and Yu Qi was in the back seat. They hadn’t taken off their clothes, so when Yu Xi woke them, they quickly forced themselves awake, put on their shoes, grabbed two backpacks that Ya Tong had taken from the space, zipped up their jackets, and climbed out of the window, starting the SUV and driving to the door.

They had just stopped when two young men ran out of the house and headed straight for their pickup truck. After opening the doors, they turned on the roof lights and honked the horn.

Two long beeps followed by a short one, then a pause, and then it repeated. This was the agreed-upon alarm signal to warn everyone of a meteor strike. Someone kept watch every night, and if something was amiss, they would sound the horn and keep the lights on.

The youths’ actions woke the entire village, about a dozen households. Everyone hurriedly put on their clothes, intending to run down the slope beside the cliff. On the other side of the slope, there was not the sea but a pebble beach with a small cave, perfect for shelter.

But as soon as the villagers ran out, they sensed something was wrong.

Then the person who had been on watch on the roof came down the ladder: “What’s going on? There’s no meteor! Everything’s fine, why are you sounding the alarm?”

The youths quickly explained, thinking everyone would act immediately, just as their family did, but the villagers exchanged puzzled looks, all showing disbelief.

“What rumbling sound?”

“Yeah, I don’t smell any sulfur, just the sea.”

“Smoke? Were you dreaming? There’s no smoke; everything was fine during the day!”

Some glanced towards the mountain, but in the deep black of midnight, without enough light and being far away, they couldn’t see anything.

A sturdy middle-aged man, apparently the village chief, stepped forward: “Were you scared by the meteor strikes before? Don’t say things like volcanic eruptions. Life is already hard enough, don’t add to it. If you have energy, finish repairing the fishing boat. It’s the only one left that can go to sea—after the village’s other two boats were destroyed, you said everyone could use this one, so they helped you bring it up the slope. Times are tough, and if we don’t go to sea, we won’t have food soon…”

The chief’s words immediately gained everyone’s agreement.

Yu Qi and Ya Tong didn’t understand the commotion; they were puzzled. After getting in the car and realizing there was no meteor or earthquake, they didn’t understand why Yu Xi was so tense.

But they trusted her. Their synergy was such that even without knowing the reason, they followed her lead immediately.

As Yu Xi quickly explained the situation to them, she also listened to the ongoing conversation.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Many people die in disasters not because they lack time to escape, but because, when there’s enough time, no one believes it. They think it’s fake news, only believing what they want to, self-righteously, until it’s too late.

While Yu Xi didn’t want the village to lose their lives needlessly, she wasn’t a saint. If others didn’t believe or listen, she wouldn’t go out of her way to play God and persuade them.

In the end, Yu Xi didn’t really know these people. She had already done her duty by warning them. Her real responsibility was to take care of Yu Qi and Ya Tong and get them safely back home. The only ones she felt slightly more concerned about were the DeNa family, mainly because of the girl—Alicia.

Fortunately, due to their previous interaction and possibly because of the urgency in her demeanor when she rushed into their house, the DeNa couple had already come out with packed bags, bringing Alicia along. Behind them were the rest of their family, mostly young adults—a thriving household.

Most of them didn’t quite understand what was going on but followed the DeNa couple’s anxious lead and packed their bags.

While the DeNa family and the villagers were still entangled in debate, Yu Xi, who had just gotten into the SUV and was ready to let Ya Tong drive, heard the strange noise again.

“Wait—” She stopped Ya Tong and turned off the car, then rolled down the window to listen.

This time, it wasn’t the rumbling noise from before but a sound similar to boiling water—or rather, a heavier liquid pushing upwards, breaking through some barriers, making a cracking noise as it was about to burst out…

“No way…” Before coming to this world, Yu Xi had researched volcanic eruptions online. Usually, volcanic eruptions have a brewing period, but the current situation was clearly different.

Yu Xi had never actually experienced a volcanic eruption. She understood that not all volcanoes behaved the same, especially this dormant volcano that had been hit by meteors many days before. The specific circumstances were uncertain.

She didn’t dare take any chances and told Ya Tong to wait. Then she quickly got out of the car and ran to the DeNa couple.

They had just put Alicia in the car, and everyone was loading their bags into the truck bed, preparing to get in. The women took the seats while the men climbed into the truck bed.

“Wait a minute!” She gestured for them to hold on and asked Alicia’s father, “How long will it take to get around the base of that mountain, including the tricky sections you mentioned earlier?”

Understanding the urgency, he pushed aside his fear and focused on the question: “There are several hard-to-navigate forks, even during the day, and it takes time to find the right path. At night, it’ll take longer. Including the time to get around the base and out of the danger zone…at least three hours! Five hours to be completely safe!”

Yu Xi’s heart sank. She grabbed the DeNa couple and said solemnly, “Listen carefully. My hearing and vision are better than most people’s. I think we have at most one to two hours. Both mountain routes are too risky. If the volcano erupts halfway, we’ll be heading straight into its mouth! The only way out now is by water—”

Her words terrified the couple. Hearing ‘water route,’ they seemed to see a glimmer of hope. “Yes, we can go by water! We have a boat! But—the boat isn’t fully repaired!”

“The deck isn’t finished, but it can go in the water, right?”

“It can go in the water—but it’s not just the deck. There are a few parts missing. Without them, even if it’s in the water, it won’t move!” Being so close to the volcano, not being able to move would still leave them within range of the eruption.

Realizing this, the man slapped his head in frustration, regretting not working harder to fix the boat earlier.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a few parts. They should be quick to install. Alicia showed me the warehouse. That fishing boat can fit all of us if we squeeze in. I don’t know how you got it up from the bay before, but now I need you to think of a way to fix it in two hours and get it back to the sea. Can you do that?”

Yu Xi’s clear instructions seemed to calm him. He nodded and immediately gathered his family, giving them orders.

The DeNa family rushed to repair the boat, no longer wasting time arguing with the other villagers or the village chief. Seeing this, the other villagers complained a bit but then went back to sleep.

Under Yu Xi’s direction, Ya Tong parked the SUV next to the tall warehouse. This warehouse, attached to their house, had only two walls and two open sides supported by columns. The DeNa family’s young adults had turned on the warehouse lights and were quickly jumping into the boat, urgently starting the repairs.

Yu Xi leaned against the car, her brow furrowed tightly. They didn’t have a boat; if they did, they wouldn’t need to be waiting here so passively. But the Star House storage space could only hold two vehicles at most, and both the RV and the SUV had their roles while traversing the wasteland. Even if they had acquired a boat earlier, it would have been a difficult choice to make. She still felt too poor!

If she had enough star coins to continue upgrading the Star House, she believed its storage space would also change significantly.

Ya Tong lit a cigarette with trembling hands, leaning against a pillar as she smoked. Yu Qi glanced at her worried sister and gently put an arm around her shoulders. Time ticked by, and Yu Xi’s brows furrowed more and more because she was the only one who could clearly hear and see the changes in the volcano.

An hour later, even though the others didn’t have her heightened senses, they also noticed the changes in the volcano. The once faint rumbling grew louder until everyone could hear it, and the sulfur smell in the air spread, becoming noticeable to everyone.

“Mom, I can smell the volcano like the sister said…” Alicia, nestled in her mother’s arms, had a pale face. The woman holding her tightened her grip and couldn’t help but urge, “Hurry up! How much longer?”

“Ten more minutes!” the man replied, instructing his brother to notify the village chief and get the other villagers ready to prepare the round logs to transport the boat down the slope to the sea.

With the car towing the boat and the round logs placed under it, with everyone’s help, they could safely transport the boat to the sea. Of course, while going uphill, the car would drag the boat; downhill, the car had to control the descent to avoid damaging the boat.

The young man ran out of the warehouse to call for help. The villagers had already woken up from the night watch’s warning, realizing the changes in the volcano. Their faces were filled with fear as they gathered in the open area, looking at the dark mountain.

It was around three in the morning, very dark. They couldn’t see the mountain top clearly but could hear the rumbling, like a deep roar from within the mountain, very terrifying.

This time, no one blamed the DeNa family for being overly cautious. They frantically ran back home, starting to pack their belongings—money, valuables, clothes, food… But there was too much stuff, their only possessions. They wanted to take everything, panicking and not knowing what to take.

Only a few people returned with the young man to prepare the logs for the boat. Yu Xi glanced at the volcano, then went to the cliff and looked down. The drop was about seven to eight meters to the sea below.

She quickly ran back and asked Alicia’s mother, “How deep is the water below the cliff?”

“…At least three or four meters. Why?”

“Nothing.” Three or four meters should be enough.

She hurried back to the SUV and told Ya Tong to put away everything in the car that could be stored.

“What’s going on?”

“We might have to abandon the car.”

Someone shouted from the warehouse that the boat was finally repaired.

“Get it to the sea quickly!” someone else yelled, but too few villagers had come to help, with most still packing their belongings.

In the early morning darkness, there were loud noises everywhere, children crying, and adults cursing. Suddenly, with a loud bang, all the noise in the small village ceased. Everyone ran out of their houses, turning to look in the same direction.

In the deep black night, a blood-red light appeared at the mountain’s peak, the color of fire and lava bursting from a crack in the mountain—a color of death…

After a moment of deathly silence, the crowd erupted in shouts, “Run! The volcano is erupting—”

With continuous loud explosions, the red-hot lava started to show and spread from behind the mountain.

At that moment, no one cared about packing anymore. Almost everyone ran to the warehouse. Some were clumsily preparing the logs, some were securing ropes to the boat, and some were driving cars to hold the boat from behind.

“Boom!” With the first wave of eruptions, the nearby forest bore the brunt, hit by several red-hot volcanic rocks. Some exploded into black smoke, while others set the trees on fire.

“No—there’s no time! Run! Go to the cave on the opposite cliff!” the first person yelled and let go, immediately followed by others.

The boat, no longer held in place, toppled over as the villagers let go, pinning one man’s leg. He screamed in pain, unable to move.

“Dad—” Alicia cried out.

The villagers didn’t look back, dragging their families down the slope toward what they saw as their only hope—the cave.

Although the DeNa family had many members, there were only seven of them, including Alicia. The boat was heavy, and due to the angle, they couldn’t lift it, let alone transport it to the bay.

“Don’t leave! Help us! The boat is crushing Sim!” Alicia’s mother cried out in panic, trying to pull back the villagers running past her.

But just then, the volcano erupted again, with another round of projectiles landing in the forest and exploding. The loud noise was like a death knell.

Feeling guilty but determined, the villagers shook off her hands, “I’m sorry, I have to take care of my family. I’m sorry!”

One after another, they all did the same.

Uncle Chuck, who had been on night watch, sighed and rushed over to help.

Together, they tried several more times, with Alicia crying and pushing as hard as she could. But the more they panicked, the worse it got. The boat moved a little only to settle back, crushing Sim even more tightly.

Sim stifled a cry of pain and grabbed his brother, “Liv, listen to me… There’s no time. You can’t move the boat. Take Alicia and the others and go!”

“Brother—”

“Don’t argue, there’s no time! If we delay, everyone will die here! Don’t go to the cave; there are small boats in the bay… Take everyone, including those three…”

Sim glanced around but didn’t see Yu Xi and the others, assuming they had already left for safety, “Forget it. Take the family and row as far as you can…”

The others, with eyes red and tears streaming, looked at Sim, feeling their bodies and hearts being torn apart. How could they leave their family behind?

But staying was futile. The volcanic projectiles were getting closer, and they could hear the sounds of the burning forest.

“Go, please, go…”

“Go!” Finally, Uncle Chuck shouted.

The DeNa family grabbed their bags. One person picked up the crying Alicia, and two others pulled Alicia’s mother, running down the slope in a panic.

Sim watched his family leave, pain spreading through him again. He lay on the ground, the sound of explosions getting closer, seemingly hitting the roof above him.

This village, where they had lived for generations, would be completely destroyed, and he would be buried with it.

Sim closed his eyes silently.

A stun baton appeared at the back of his neck and struck him without hesitation.

Wearing a gas mask, Yu Xi emerged, instantly putting the boat into the transportation space and effortlessly hoisting Sim onto her shoulder. She rushed out of the warehouse and ran towards the cliff amid the increasing volcanic projectiles.

Some houses had already caught fire, the flames crackling, and the air was filled with smoke and ashes. Firelight flickered, illuminating everything around.

Yu Xi glanced back as she ran. A burning volcanic rock shot towards her.

She sped up, finally reaching the cliff edge and leaping into the sea without hesitation.

The volcanic rock exploded on the cliff, sending debris tumbling down. Once in the water, Yu Xi quickly surfaced, put away her gas mask, and swam two meters to find the unconscious Sim.

She lifted his chin to keep him above water. Four hands reached out, helping her pull Sim onto the inflatable boat.

Soaking wet, Yu Qi and Ya Tong were on the inflatable boat, also wearing gas masks. At Yu Xi’s request, they had jumped off the cliff first, swam to the inflatable boat Yu Xi had left, and rowed to a safer area to wait for her.

“Are you hurt?” Yu Qi asked, having seen the volcanic rock that had nearly hit them. The close call had her heart pounding.

“No.” Yu Xi climbed onto the inflatable boat and immediately released the fishing boat into the water.

“Where are the others? Why didn’t they come down?”

“They went to the cave on the slope,” Yu Xi replied briefly, picking up an oar to row.

Yu Qi understood something must have happened and stopped asking. She and Ya Tong joined in, and they quickly rowed to the fishing boat.

Relying on her agility, Yu Xi used a dangling rope to help climb onto the fishing boat. She found the rope ladder on the deck, secured it, and threw it down the boat’s side. She then climbed back down to help Yu Qi and Ya Tong up first, before hoisting the unconscious Sim onto her shoulder, pulling up the inflatable boat, and carrying Sim back onto the fishing boat.

They had no time for words and continued their tasks.

Yu Xi checked the fuel tank and then ran to the wheelhouse to start the boat.

Ya Tong and Yu Qi dragged Sim into the cabin, opened a compartment door, quickly stripped off their wet clothes, used towels to dry their hair and bodies, and changed into dry, comfortable clothes.

Finally, Ya Tong put away the wet clothes and took out two backpacks from the space, with Yu Qi and her each shouldering one.