Dozens of warships were speeding forward in the dark night, with the searchlights at the rear obscured by clouds, looking like a field of dim stars from a distance. The sea below was surging, and the cold wind carried the waves far away until dawn, when a strange cry of white crows suddenly sounded, breaking the silence around.
“Squeak!”
Lu Yuan was originally leaning back in a chair with his eyes closed, but he opened his eyes as if he had sensed something. He tilted his head to look out the porthole, and saw a hint of paleness appear in the dark night sky. A red sun was rising slowly from the horizon at an extremely slow speed, with golden light gushing out and dyeing most of the sky. The huge primeval forest that was originally shrouded in the night finally appeared before their eyes. It was the forest that Lu Yuan had traveled through.
As if to confirm something, Justu stood up slightly and looked out the porthole, frowned and whispered, "We're here."
Admiral Safir turned on the intercom and ordered the starship behind him: "Listen to my instructions, all warships slow down, turn off the searchlights and all sound equipment, we are about to arrive at the Soridian jungle, all personnel enter combat status and be ready to land at any time!"
They did not sleep all night and were nervously observing the movements outside the whole time. Even Phaeth had a serious expression. On the entire starship, only Lu Yuan was eating and drinking. He was as leisurely as if he was going on a trip and even took a nap in the middle of the journey.
Seeing Lu Yuan's calm expression, Youstu couldn't help but look at him suspiciously: "Aren't you afraid?"
Lu Yuan asked doubtfully, "What are you afraid of?"
Lu Yuan didn't really feel the danger deep in the jungle. When he was wandering there, he didn't encounter any danger except being bitten by a snake. The most fatal problem was the lack of food. Lu Yuan even thought that as long as he had enough water and food, he could live there for a year.
Thinking of this, Lu Yuan took out a few packets of compressed biscuits from the supply box and put them in his pocket for emergency use. The feeling of being hungry is more painful than death. Only those who try it will know.
Although Lu Yuan felt that he didn't need to wear it, he put it on anyway just to be on the safe side. Then he put on the helmet and goggles, and even if his mother came, she might not recognize him.
Before he could finish his words, a cold gun barrel suddenly pressed against his head, and then a chilly voice rang in his ears: "Do you believe I will shoot you if you say one more word?"
Phaeth didn't even look at him, and coldly spat out one word: "Get lost!"
Justu glanced at him and said, "It doesn't matter. They don't regard you as my adjutant anyway."
The warship flew deep into the dense forest and slowly landed on a relatively open area. Justu and the others walked out of the cabin door one after another and subconsciously looked upward. They saw towering ancient trees around them with wildly growing branches and leaves, which blocked the rising sun completely. Not even a ray of sunlight could get through, exuding a silent chill.
As the cold warning sounded, all the pointers on the cockpit dashboard began to malfunction and shake wildly. The starship, unable to accurately locate its route, stopped directly above the dense forest. Similar situations occurred on the other starships.
“Crack!”
Mr. Maus smiled apologetically and immediately lowered his voice. However, as a reporter, his curiosity made it impossible for him to remain silent, and he was always trying to dig out some shocking secrets. He noticed Phaeth standing next to him and quickly pointed the camera at him: "Chief Phaeth, may I ask..."
The army had strict military discipline, and Justu hated those guys who ran around like rats the most. He put the barrel of his gun against Mao Si's forehead, and when he saw the other party nod in panic and promise not to talk anymore, he frowned and put the gun back.
"I'll go down first!"
Except for the curious Starnet reporter.
[Warning! Warning! The route positioning is wrong and has deviated from the original route. Please check whether the route is correct or set a new destination! ]
Hearing this, Lu Yuan looked around and suddenly realized that he seemed to be the only one wearing it. He was stunned for a moment: "Aren't you wearing it?"
Lu Yuan looked down at the soil at his feet and saw translucent crystal particles all over it. He thought it looked familiar. He was about to go to the bushes nearby to see if there was a road he knew, but Yusitu pulled him behind him and said, "It's dangerous here. Follow me and don't run around."
Lu Yuan felt that Youstu seemed to have forgotten his identity: "I am your adjutant now. You are not wearing any clothes. Is it appropriate for me to wear them?"
Even Admiral Safir frowned. Phaeth was so disobedient that they might have more disagreements after entering the jungle. "Forget it, let's get ready to leave the cabin."
"Oh, ok. Sorry."
Justu thought what was the point. Besides himself and Lu Yuan, there were only three bugs on this starship. Phaeth had recognized Lu Yuan when he was at the port yesterday. Admiral Saphir was a shrewd man and probably recognized him as well. Not to mention Brandt. He was always meticulous and careful in his actions. Maybe he had guessed it when he saw Lu Yuan for the first time yesterday.
Admiral Saphir counted the team and found that no members were missing, then he ordered them to set off. One team was responsible for exploring the way ahead, the second team would protect the professors of the research institute and the instruments responsible for clearing the source stone in the middle, and another team would be responsible for the back line, with a clear division of labor.
Justu was reloading the magazine of the light energy gun, and then quickly put on goggles and a helmet. "The team is full of female soldiers above A-level, so it doesn't matter if they don't wear them. Besides, protective clothing is not convenient for combat, so just wear it."
In the depths of the dense forest, the slightest noise could easily alert the mutants inside, so the team made no noise as they advanced, and even the voices they spoke were very low.
Seeing that they had arrived at the dense forest, Youstu stood up and took out a set of protective clothing and handed it to Lu Yuan, and reminded him, "Put it on. The dense forest is heavily polluted. Don't take it off."
Brand and the others said nothing when they saw this, and looked away tacitly. Only Phaes sneered coldly, thinking that Justu must be out of his mind, otherwise why would he bring a male insect here.
Although Lu Yuan felt that he was more familiar with this place than Yousutu, he did not refute it after hearing it. He stood beside Yousutu and even had the mood to joke: "Okay, then remember to protect me."
Maus: “…”
This Star Network reporter was obviously very courageous. He even ran to the front of the team with a camera to interview Admiral Safir: "Admiral Safir, as far as I know, this is not the first time you have led a team into the jungle. The previous plans to clear the Originium all ended in failure for various reasons. Do you have confidence this time?"
As the warships landed one after another, the female soldiers jumped out of the hatches and quickly gathered in formation, but they were vaguely divided into two factions. In addition, there were more than a dozen professors from the research institute wearing white protective clothing like Lu Yuan, and a Star Network reporter who was holding a camera and taking pictures non-stop.
Seeing this, Justu cursed coldly: "This undisciplined guy!"
But Yusitu would definitely not tell Lu Yuan these things, otherwise it would be a disguised admission that his disguise skills were poor: "Nothing, just pack your stuff and prepare to leave the cabin."
For such a large event, doesn't it require a professional team to be sent over
Justu sneered, "Everyone knows that the jungle is full of dangers. Only a fool would follow him in. It's obvious that the bug has a bad brain. Don't pay any attention to him."
“Crack!”
Seeing this, Lu Yuan wondered where this idiot came from, and turned his head to look at Youstu: "Is he the Star Network reporter who is following the report? Why is there only one of them?"
Admiral Safir once said that all flight instruments would fail without exception after entering the dense forest. Lu Yuan did not believe it before, but less than ten minutes after the battleship entered the dense forest, a buzzing alarm suddenly sounded in the cabin, and the red warning light kept flashing:
Saphir seemed to have anticipated this, and methodically controlled the landing of the starship while issuing orders via the intercom. He frowned and said, "All members, bring your weapons and prepare to land and exit the cabin!"
Yusitu hummed, "If nothing goes wrong, it should be in the center of the dense forest. At our current speed, it will take at least two days to get there."
Admiral Safir frowned and said, "Mr. Mao Si, if you have any questions, you can wait until the operation is over before interviewing. The troops are marching now, please keep quiet."
Lu Yuan's eyelids jumped: "What do you mean?"
Mao Si didn't dare to provoke him, so he had to change his target and pointed the camera at Yousitu this time: "Seventh Prince, may I ask you..."
Phaeus was impatient. He opened the hatch and flew out without waiting for the warship to land completely. The black wings behind him suddenly spread out, as sharp and swift as an eagle. With a dive, he disappeared directly into the dense leaves of the forest.
Lu Yuan was between Team One and Team Two, with Justustu and Brand next to him, strictly speaking, the safest place. He followed the team forward while debugging the terminal on his wrist, but found that there was no signal at all. He had no choice but to open the simple map he drew on the battleship and compare it with the environment around him. He asked Justustu, "Do you know where the Originium is buried?"
Justu choked for a rare moment when he saw this, and had a new understanding of Lu Yuan's heartlessness. However, he changed his mind and thought that this was a good thing, as it would prevent Lu Yuan from being under too much mental pressure, losing his appetite and sleep, and causing him to worry as well.
Lu Yuan was watching the excitement nearby, and he couldn't help but gloat over the misfortune. It was the first time he had met such a tactless guy who even dared to run into Yusitu's gun. However, just as this thought came up, the Star Network reporter suddenly pointed the camera at him and asked quietly in a low voice: "Sir, are you a professor at the institute?"
Lu Yuan was stunned when he heard this, then shook his head and said, "No."
Seeing that he was willing to pay attention to him, Mao Si's eyes suddenly lit up: "Then may I ask in what capacity did you follow the troops into the jungle?"
Lu Yuan said, "Silencer." Mao Si was stunned when he heard it: "Silencer? What silencer?"
Lu Yuan raised his eyebrows lightly: "If anyone talks too much in the army, I will beat him until he can't talk anymore. This is called a silencer. Do you understand?"
After he finished speaking, he clenched his fist imperceptibly, making a bone-crackling sound that made one's teeth ache, and asked Mao Si: "Excuse me, is there anything else you want to interview?"
Maus: “…”
The troops fell completely silent.
Justu and Lu Yuan walked side by side. Justu was very dissatisfied that Lu Yuan did not beat up the gossipy reporter just now, so he asked, "Why didn't you beat him up just now?"
Lu Yuan said calmly, "I never hit female insects."
Justu snorted, "You are quite a gentleman."
Before they knew it, they had been walking in the dense forest for several hours. As they went deeper into the forest, the surrounding environment changed significantly.
“Squeak!”
A group of three-headed white crows suddenly swooped down from the top of the dense forest, targeting the army below. Their dark eyes were cold, and there was a hook on their hard beaks that could easily dig out the eyes of any animal. When they swooped down, only their afterimages could be seen.
The female soldiers were well-trained. Upon seeing this, they immediately raised their guns and fired. With a burst of intensive gunfire, the white crows fell from the air one after another. However, several female soldiers were accidentally scratched by their sharp claws, and even their goggles were broken.
“Damn it!”
Justu shot down the last lone three-headed white crow and cursed coldly: "How many of these ghost creatures are there?"
In just a few hours, they had encountered six waves of white crow attacks and were overwhelmed. If this continued, they would not be able to enter the center of the jungle for ten days.
Admiral Safir frowned and said, "These three-headed white crows like to hunt eyeballs. Order the troops to speed up. Their corpses will soon attract other scavengers." Lu Yuan squatted down and looked at the corpses of the white crows. He found that their heads were still twitching slightly after being shot. They were not completely dead. There were a few fire ants gathered around them. He stood up and said to Admiral Safir, "There are many white crows of this kind in the dense forest. They like shiny things. It should be your goggles that attracted the attention of the white crows. If you don't take them off, they will keep attacking the team."
When Lu Yuan just crossed into the dense forest, he was almost pecked in the eyes. Later, a white crow took away his silver-framed sunglasses, and the attack stopped.
Justu was stunned when he heard this: "Why would a crow like shiny things? Do we have to take off our goggles?"
Lu Yuan: "What other reasons do I need to like someone? If you don't believe me, let me try first. If the white crow doesn't attack me, you can pick it then."
Yusitu frowned and said, "Nonsense, what if they attack your eyes!"
He took off his goggles right after he finished speaking, intending to test the law himself: "I'll walk ahead later to see if it's really the goggles that are causing the problem."
Admiral Safir looked behind him thoughtfully upon hearing this, only to see the team gathered together. Each female soldier wore a pair of translucent goggles on her face, and the slightest movement would reflect a white light, making the gathering in groups particularly obvious.
Admiral Safir raised his hand and directly selected several members with good shooting skills from the first team: "You, you, you, and you, take off your goggles and walk in front. If the white crows attack again, remember to pay attention to whether they attack you."
Admiral Safir didn't dare to gamble with the lives of all his team members, so he could only pick out a few with better skills for the experiment. Although the female soldiers were confused when they heard this, they all obeyed the order, took off their goggles, and walked at the front of the team.
Seeing this, Phaeth stretched lazily and sneered at Admiral Saphir, "You didn't really believe the words of a male insect, did you?"
Admiral Safire said calmly, "It's always better to try. If you don't believe me, just put on your goggles."
After he finished speaking, he ordered the team to continue moving forward regardless of Phaes' reaction. However, less than half an hour later, a familiar cry of white crows was heard above their heads again. When they looked up, they saw another group of three white crows swooping down.
Lu Yuan reacted the fastest. Seeing this, he immediately took off his goggles, raised his gun and shot. With a few "bangs, bangs", he killed several white crows in the front. The rest of the crows passed directly over Justu and several female soldiers in front who had taken off their goggles, and kept flapping their wings to attack the troops in the rear.
Seeing this, Justu immediately said anxiously: "Take off your goggles!"
The other female soldiers also seemed to realize what was happening and immediately retreated to avoid the attack of the white crows. They took off their goggles and threw them into the grass beside them. There was a loud rustling sound, and the white crows immediately flapped their wings and scattered, flying away with the goggles that fell into the grass, leaving only a pile of white feathers slowly falling in the air.
The storm was thus calmed down.
The female soldiers were all surprised when they saw this, and subconsciously looked at Yusitu and said, "Your Highness, it turns out that the white crows attacked us because of the goggles!"
Youstu obviously didn't expect that the reason why the white crows attacked them was because of this, and Lu Yuan actually guessed it right. He looked at Lu Yuan in surprise: "How do you know that these white crows like shiny things?"
Lu Yuan smiled but didn't answer: "I told you, I know this place better than you do."
Except for Phaeth who was a little dissatisfied, all the other bugs in the team were very happy. Admiral Saphir directly ordered the team to abandon the goggles and continue to move forward. The road was smooth and they dealt with the few difficult monsters they encountered occasionally.
Just after this incident, many insects in the team noticed Lu Yuan's unfamiliar face. Although Lu Yuan didn't say much throughout the whole process, whenever the team came to a fork in the road and didn't know which direction to go, Admiral Safir would always turn around and ask for his opinion.
[The Silencer, the most mysterious member of this Originium Project, and the indispensable backbone. ]
Reporter Mao Si had been secretly observing Admiral Safire and his men. Seeing this, he wrote a line on his notebook manuscript and then drew a heavy mark.
The map drawn by Lu Yuan had a limited area. As the team advanced rapidly, the surrounding environment became more and more unfamiliar, and the map was no longer useful. Moreover, perhaps because of the proximity to the contaminated source stone, many female insects in the team were feeling physically unwell, and their mental strength was on the verge of a riot at any time.
There was another fork in the road ahead.
Admiral Safir did not find the corresponding location on the map. He frowned and looked at Lu Yuan beside him and asked, "Have you been here before?"
Lu Yuan shook his head: "I haven't been here, but I think we should go to the left."
His answer was obviously not very reliable. Admiral Safire had no choice but to order the detection team to use a temperature sensor to conduct a simple long-range detection. The result showed that there were dense red dots on the left road, and only a few scattered red dots on the right road.
Yusitu said, "There seem to be fewer mutants on the right. Which way should we go?"
Phaeth interrupted and said, "You said there are fewer mutants on the right. If we don't go to the right, are we going to go to the left?!"
Justu said coldly: "Less does not mean safety, and more does not mean danger."
His intuition told him that it would be better to believe Lu Yuan.
Upon hearing this, Phaeth spread his hands slightly, holding the gun in his fingertips and flexibly swirling it in a circle: "In this case, let's split up into two groups. You go to the left, and we go to the right. Let's see who is safer."
Admiral Safir frowned and said, "Phaeth! No one is allowed to lead the team out of the jungle without my order, and this includes you!"
Their troops were already insufficient, and to disrupt and disperse them would be tantamount to seeking death. Even if Admiral Safir had a good temper, he couldn't help but get angry at this moment.
Finally, it was Lu Yuan who spoke up to calm the situation: "It doesn't matter. I just guessed the route anyway. Since the instrument shows that there are fewer mutants on the right, let's go to the right."
(End of this chapter)