At the same moment, on the bank of the river.
The hooded man frowned and looked at the monster distribution map, "You said the aura of the Corpse-Eating Dragon King Insect has completely disappeared?"
"Gooji."
"Who did this? Did someone also buy the map? Impossible. The other party said that before the big storm came, this monster map was unique."
"Goojigji."
"Huh?" The hooded man looked up at the sky. The sky was incredibly blue. He was standing by the river, but there wasn't even a hint of wind.
"It's true that something is not right. But go back now? But I have only gained a little. I have only used this monster map twice. It failed this time. I am a bit unwilling. Guji, you don't feel it at all. Is it the aura of the King Insect?"
"Gooji!"
"Maybe the other party also has space storage. Okay, then let us go to the nearest human base to rob some alloy particles in the last safe period. This thing is quite popular in the market as a multi-purpose energy source. At least we have to Earn the energy consumption of the round trip."
Inner city of Zhongshan City.
Xiao Mo and Xue Lihong got out of the car. Cheng Zai turned the base car invisible as instructed, transformed into the size of an electric car and entered the blocked street smoothly. When encountering a place that cannot be passed by wheels, the base vehicle will use its spider legs to crawl over.
Xiao Mo's mood was still a little unstable.
Xue Lihong held his hand and said, "I'm sorry."
Xiao Mo raised his head in surprise.
Xue Lihong didn't look at him, her eyes looked at the surroundings casually.
There was a trace of smile in Xiao Mo's eyes, and the last bit of discomfort dissipated, and he asked: "Where are you going?"
"When we were looking for mutant wild dogs yesterday, did you notice that the mutant wild dogs that entered within the third ring road, except for the group in the supermarket, all have no fixed territory, and a few of them roam together together. The group in the supermarket More than a dozen of them joined together. I thought it was the habit of a pack of dogs before, but now that I think about it, there is no alpha dog among them."
"Huh?" Xiao Mo didn't understand.
Xue Lihong's thinking became clearer and clearer, "There is no head dog, but mutated wild dogs of equal strength gather together to live together. This seems normal but is extremely abnormal. There are no bite marks on their bodies, which shows that there is no relationship between them. There is no competition for the position of the alpha dog. So the question is, what thing or force can force a group of mutated wild dogs that are no different from mad dogs to hug together? "
"You mean those colored lights?"
Xue Lihong shook his head, his eyes bright, "The mutated wild dogs that entered the second ring are more powerful, but they still wander together in groups. There are many suitable sites for them to make nests within the second ring. Why don't they occupy them? And The same goes for those wild cats, rats, insects and ants. We can see them everywhere, but we have never found a particularly powerful one. This... is not normal."
Xiao Mo felt that he seemed to understand what Xue Lihong meant.
Xue Lihong looked at him, "If that light spot can optimize the human body, then do you think it can also optimize other living things? Since there are light spots and dense fog within the third ring, it is obviously so dangerous, why are those cats and dogs Insects, ants and even birds are still reluctant to leave? Will they not die? "
Xiao Mo's eyes narrowed and he said word by word: "Because they also want to become powerful."
"So how do those non-human beings with low IQs overcome their fear of death?"
"Because... there are already examples of successful evolution among them." Xiao Mo was suddenly startled when he said this, and he suddenly turned around and looked behind him.
The alleyway behind him was filled with abandoned vehicles and debris, and there was a strange smell under the hot sun. The heat distorted the air, making the straight lanes seem a little twisty.
Xue Lihong's muscles covered by clothes tensed up, and it happened again, and Xiao Mo noticed it again, but he didn't notice anything.
"I just felt..." Xiao Mo pointed to the alleyway.
"Shh." Xue Lihong pressed his finger, "No matter what you find, don't be hostile to it. At least so far, the other party doesn't seem to want to hurt you."
Xiao Mo put a question mark on his face.
Xue Lihong's mind was racing, "The mercenaries who entered the third ring before were often wiped out if something happened to them. This led to the fact that no one dared to come to the inner city anymore. But when we came in yesterday, we found that it was not that dangerous at all. So what’s the difference between us and those mercenaries?”
Xiao Mo was suspicious for a long time, and finally raised his finger and pointed at his nose, "You're not saying that the difference is me, are you?"
Xue Lihong's eyes were deep, "Until there is no other evidence, we cannot avoid this possibility."
Then the young man's voice became relaxed, "Boss, don't leave me too far before leaving the inner city. I may have to rely on your protection this time."
"Okay." Xiao Mo smiled, a little happy and a little overwhelmed. The mysterious creature that was happy to be here seemed to have no intention of harming him, if he really was the reason nothing happened to them yesterday. He was at a loss because he didn't understand why he received such preferential treatment, and he was even more worried that Xue Lihong had guessed wrong.
"But yesterday I didn't feel that I was being watched, but today I did..."
"You have a gun and it's very powerful. One day you meet someone you know, and he passes by your door or sits on your front steps. You may just take a casual look. But if that person suddenly shows up with you the next day, If more than 3,000 people come to your door together, what will you do?"
Xiao Mo suddenly realized, "I will look outside from time to time through the peephole, and I will even open the door and ask what happened. If I don't find out, I will definitely feel uneasy."
"That's it. This is why you feel that you are being watched by multiple pairs of eyes today. Now they are just surveillance. Once some powerful creatures hidden here feel threatened, or our actions displease them, they will We are going out to chase people away.”
Xue Lihong finally cleared up his thoughts. This time, his gaze towards the inner city changed from casual to extremely alert. "Those mysterious and powerful creatures are entrenched here and will not leave. They definitely don't want the inner city to be reoccupied by humans. They are bound to take action. It’s just a matter of time. Boss, if we want to stay when they start to drive us away, we must first establish contact with them.”
Xiao Mo asked: "You... do you want me to do something?"
Xue Lihong held his hand tightly, "Are you afraid? I plan to use you as bait to see if I can lure out those mysterious and powerful creatures."
Xiao Mo sighed and unexpectedly scratched the young man's tall nose, "Don't think of me as fragile. I just don't like you treating me like that in public, but I believe in you and this will never change. "
"Don't say never easily, boss." Xue Lihong's voice was a bit dangerous.
"Let's go, just stop by Tongtian Street where my home is. We will revisit our old place. We have never been back since the earthquake. We just want to go and have a look this time."
Xiao Mo said this but subconsciously stopped and turned his head to look in the direction of another forbidden area in Zhongshan City, where the real disaster began and where his former home was.
Nowadays, at the end of Ninggu Avenue in the Sixth District in the south of the city, with the original park as the center, including the Shannan Garden across the road, there are no human traces within a radius of ten kilometers. It is said that the place has completely become a world of birds, beasts, insects and plants. .
If the inner city still feels like a ruined wild park, then the sixth district in the south of the city is no different from a virgin forest.
All the tasks released so far at Zhongshan Base seem to have avoided that place intentionally or unintentionally.
Afterwards, Xiao Mo and Xue Lihong walked to Tongtian Street in the central city with two feet, but when they reached the intersection, they could not walk any further.
All the communities in Tongtian Street are old buildings that are over 30 years old. When the first earthquake hit, their bones and tendons were broken. When the second major earthquake hit, almost all the buildings in this community were destroyed.
Xiao Mo looked at the heavy vines, weeds and low shrubs growing on the ruins of the building, and suddenly felt that his field of vision was unusually broad.
There used to be buildings everywhere here, and there was a high-rise community that was famous as a sunless community below the twelfth floor. Because it was located in the city center, he remembered that there were densely packed houses everywhere, the green was almost invisible, and the streets were very narrow, unlike Roads and street parks can be found everywhere outside the Fourth Ring Road.
"Let's go." Xiao Mo turned around first.
Xue Lihong suggested: "It's not interesting for us to wander around like this. Why not go to the central business district and have a look. I remember that many commercial plazas there were built later and the floors are not high. Maybe they can be preserved in the earthquake."
"Okay, I have never bought luxury goods before, so giving them away does not count. Maybe this time we can enjoy the feeling of being rich." Xiao Mo smiled.
The two were chatting and laughing in low voices, but they still maintained a position ready to fight and support each other when walking. Their waists were slightly bent, and the center of landing was on the soles of their feet. Their dominant hand was always pressed on the weapon.
Xue Lihong heard the man whisper to him: "It feels more obvious here. It's not surveillance. I can clearly feel that someone is watching me."
"position?"
"later."
Behind them are the ruins of Tongtian Street. They had just looked carefully and did not see any living things.
etc! No living creatures? This is the weirdest place!
Xue Lihong couldn't help but not look back. He was recalling the ruins of Tongtian Street he had just seen. At this time, it was like turning out photos in his mind, turning out the scenes he had seen before and looking back carefully.
That's right, there's nothing alive, not even bugs, except plants.
plant? !
Xue Lihong clenched her fists. Why didn't he think of it! If we talk about the biological characteristics that can best withstand mutation and will not easily leave the same place even if they mutate, what else is more suitable than plants
Xue Lihong felt her feet were a little numb. There are plants everywhere around them, trees on the roadside, weeds and vines under their feet, and various flowers blooming in dilapidated flower beds. Almost every time they step down, no matter how careful they are, they will step on some weeds. Think about it horribly, what's the difference between this and them just walking in someone's mouth
These plants didn't move. Maybe they were lazy, maybe they were full, maybe they were curious about the purpose of so many humans, maybe...
Xue Lihong looked at Xiao Mo, perhaps because of the person beside him. But why do those or that plants treat Xiao Mo specially
at this time!
"Hula!" A group of birds flew into the sky together as if they were frightened by something.
Xue Lihong and Xiao Mo looked up at the sky together. Both of their ears were filled with the chaotic chirping of birds, some of which were very loud and shrill.
What happened
Xue Lihong quickly lowered his head. He also noticed that a large number of insects, ants and mice were escaping from somewhere, or running towards somewhere
"Huh?" Xiao Mo seemed to hear the system making a confused sound in his head.
"Boss, stop..."
"Oh!"
Before Xue Lihong finished speaking, Xiao Mo suddenly let out a scream. At this moment, his body was rolled up high by something and thrown out.
Xue Lihong didn't care to see what was attacking Xiao Mo. Her first reaction was to kick her legs to the ground and fly away to pick up Xiao Mo.
Didn’t receive it!
When Xiao Mo was about to land, a thick vine suddenly sprang up from the ground, catching him and throwing him high again.
Do it! Xue Lihong roared, but had no choice but to step on the vines and use her strength to chase after him.
The vines on the ground were like a relay, throwing Xiao Mojuan and teleporting him all the way out of the city center.
When Xue Lihong finally caught Xiao Mo, their communicators simultaneously sounded a piercing alarm.
This means that light spots or thick fog have appeared!
Xiao Mo used his strength to stand up, still in shock, pressed the alarm on the contact device, and said, "Should we go there?"
Xue Lihong was looking at the sky. When the red dot on the contact device issued by Bao Yiyong and the others was pressed, colored light bombs would be shot into the sky at the same time. At the same time, the location coordinates would be displayed on the small screen of the contact device.
"How are you?" Xue Lihong lowered her head and asked him.
Xiao Mo shook his head, "It's okay. I could feel that those vines didn't want to hurt me, so I didn't do anything."
Xue Lihong felt the same way, so he just chased after him and did not attack the vines.
"Have you ever planted this kind of... bamboo and rattan before?" Xue Lihong focused most of his attention on the seemingly inconspicuous vines on the roadside. If he saw correctly, this should be a kind of vine plant called agate rattan, commonly known as bamboo rattan. , this kind of vine is also known as the king of vines.
But when did this woody plant spread its vines to such a long length like herbaceous plants? Still crawling everywhere
"Ah? No, I have only planted cacti. Any other plants will die." Xiao Mo was also confused.
Xue Lihong could only put this issue aside for the time being and said, "It doesn't seem to want you to go there."
Judging from the position of the colored light bombs in the sky, the place where the thick fog appeared was the place where they had just been thrown away.
"Then what should we do? The official requires us to rush to the outside of the dense fog to encircle the area after receiving the warning."
Cheng Zai's contact also came, asking them what to do and whether they should rush over immediately.
Xiao Mo asked him to wait.
Xue Lihong thought for a second, "Try to tell the vine that we only stand on the periphery and watch, and we won't do anything."
Xiao Mo had a weird expression, but he really tried.
He repeated Xue Lihong's request very sincerely to the vines on the ground in the gentlest tone.
vine:…
Xue Lihong: “…”
Xiao Mo asked again, but Brother Teng Man had no response.
Xiao Mo spread his hands to Xue Lihong, saying that he and Brother Teng Man had not established telepathy.
"Ask Cheng Zai to come over, and we'll go directly in the car." Xue Lihong really didn't want to give up this good opportunity, he still wanted to give it a try. If that light spot is really what he speculated, he wants to get it no matter what!
The base vehicle was not far away from them and arrived shortly after.
The two got in the car and rushed to the place where the thick fog appeared. Miraculously, the vines did not stop them this time. Originally, Xiao Mo was worried that the vines would throw their entire car out.
Xue Lihong guessed, "Maybe what you said to it has had an effect."
Xiao Mo said honestly: "I don't think so. It feels like I know you and I have the obligation to warn you once, but if you still don't obey, then I don't care whether you live or die."
No matter what Brother Vine had in mind, the members of the scavenging team finally arrived in a car outside the area where the thick fog appeared.
At this time, anyone with eyes could see that the central business district of the inner city was completely shrouded in an unusually gorgeous purple fog.
Lei Bing and Yu Yu had already started asking everyone to sign up, checking the number of people present, and repeatedly warned no one to enter the thick fog.
Xiao Mo and the others came early and chose a deserted place to park. The five people who signed up got out of the car.
After a while, the number of people nearby began to increase. The first to arrive were three thousand soldiers, and then the mercenaries gradually arrived.
No one expected that the thick fog would appear so early, and many teams had not even reached the designated search area.
Bao Yiyong's voice came from the contact: "This is a dense purple fog. If the dense fog is indeed related to light points, then the light points in it should also be purple. According to our research, purple light points do not like metals and flames and other hot things. Now, all those with metal powers, fire control, and lightning control powers are asked to put on isolation suits, follow our instructions, and enter the dense fog to look for light spots. Others please stand on the outside and stay on the outside at any time. Pay attention to the direction the light spot leaves."
"He's lying." The system and Xue Lihong spoke almost at the same time.
Xiao Mo didn't bother to ask how the two men heard it. He just contacted Lei Bing immediately, told him that Bao Yiyong was probably lying, and told him to be careful - Lei Bing was a person with fire powers.
Bao Yiyong also specifically stated that those with special abilities must also wear isolation suits and enter the thick fog, saying that they are ready for rescue at any time.
"Don't go in yet! Give me some time." The system made such a cautious and even nervous voice for the first time.
Xiao Mo was stunned and ignored Bao Yiyong's urging for the healers to gather. He had no time to pay attention. Not long after the system finished speaking, he suddenly had a splitting headache and knelt down on the ground holding his head.
Wang Cheng and the others were shocked. The mercenaries and soldiers nearby also looked over.
Xue Lihong immediately squatted down and asked him what was wrong.
Xiao Mo's face was pale and his forehead was covered with sweat. He waved his hands with difficulty and whispered: "It's your Majesty, I'm fine."
"Damn it! I'm going to get it out sooner or later!" Xue Lihong was anxious, but she couldn't tell it at all on her face. He rubbed Xiao Mo's short hair and decided: "I'll go over and take a look. Don't move here, no matter what. Whoever urges you, ignore them."
Xue Lihong took out an air composition analyzer that Xiao Mo was familiar with and silently leaned towards the edge of the thick fog.
Bao Yiyong urged Xiao Mo again, and even Lei Bing came to ask Xiao Mo if he could get in.
Qian Yunkai took the communicator and said that their captain seemed to be affected by the thick fog and poisonous gas and was temporarily unable to move.
Someone probably reported Xiao Mo's condition to the other side, but they finally didn't come to urge him.
But Xiao Mo knew that he must have aroused Bao Yiyong's interest, because he was the only one affected by the thick fog, and that person would definitely be curious why. But Xiao Mo couldn't explain that his headache was caused by the system, so he could only acquiesce to this fact.
Just as Xue Lihong came into contact with the thick fog, the system spoke again: "Tell that bastard to stop dreaming, that thing is not something you can deal with at all."
The sound of the system was still the same as before, but Xiao Mo could hear the difference. He felt that the system seemed very excited.
What the system said below also verified his idea. It actually said: "Should I call for the highest intelligence at this time? What did I find? No, do those developers know what they have done? No! They must still do not know anything!"
Xiao Mo only felt that he could finally take a breath. He sat directly on the ground and asked in his mind: "You are talking about light spots? What on earth is that? Is it much more powerful than the corpse-eating dragon king insect?"
"The Corpse-Eating Dragon Bug King is nothing more than a bug." The system's cold voice sounded disdainful, "The colored light spots... I can only tell you that if my analysis is not wrong, if my The database content is correct, it should be a kind of life form, and there is no data yet to show that anyone has successfully captured them."
"Then how did they appear on the earth?" Xiao Mo didn't realize the seriousness at this time. He waved his hands to the team members and said that he was fine, but he needed to rest for a while.
Wang Cheng formed a triangle and surrounded him, preventing anyone from getting close.
Xiao Mo was very moved.
The system seemed to be calming its own excitement, if it had emotions at all.
"I don't know. The reasons and factors for the generation of this kind of life form are still a mystery. Maybe the developers consciously imitated the environment in which this kind of life form might occur, but whether it can actually be produced is just an unknown number. I think this is also in my database. There is a fundamental reason for this information about life forms.”
The cold mechanical sound of the system was sighing: "The Earth may really be a very special planet. Just for these light spots, there will be more adventurers willing to spend a lot of money to come to the Earth in the future. Recycler Xiao Mo, if you If you don’t want to die and want to protect your family and other humans, you must become stronger and stronger as soon as possible.” These should not be what the system said, but it said it anyway.
"Developer? Adventurer?" Xiao Mo pressed his forehead.
"I'm replacing certain objects with words you're used to and can understand."
"Okay, let's put this question aside for now. You can always tell me why the adventurers and developers you mentioned like these light spots so much? What are the benefits of these light spots to them? How to use them? What can we humans do? Use it?"
The system went silent.
Xiao Mo begged it: "Your Majesty!"
"First of all, I'm not sure whether my analysis is correct, because I have never seen it before, and there are very few introductions about this kind of life in my database." The system was silent for nearly five seconds before continuing: "This special kind of life In the language of earth, life forms can barely be called elemental life. Xiao Mo, I must send this information back. This is one of the messages that must be sent back, and I cannot violate it."
"What will happen if this information gets sent back?"
"If you think of the current situation on Earth as a big game, then as soon as this information is sent back, the game mode will immediately change from easy to hell mode."