Chen Hao stepped across the shallow ditch, his shoe crushing a few withered leaves. The woods were denser than they appeared from afar, the tree trunks crowded together, their branches and leaves blocking most of the sunlight. He took a few steps forward; the ground softened considerably, and he sank slightly under his feet.

Nana followed behind, the projected blue line moving close to the ground. Her camera scanned the surroundings, but she didn't find anything unusual.

Suddenly, Chen Hao's right foot tightened, and he was violently lifted upwards, instantly losing his balance. He cried out and fell to the ground, his backpack sliding to the side, his right leg dangling in the air, his ankle entangled in a thick vine, the other end of which was connected to the tree canopy.

"Holy crap!" He braced himself on the ground, looked up, and exclaimed, "Who did this?"

Nana immediately stepped forward, the camera quickly scanning the vines' path. She crouched down, her fingers lightly touching the joints of the vines: "These are elastic plant fibers; they stretch when stressed. You just stepped on a trigger point."

"Can you put me down now?" Chen Hao twisted his ankle. "It's tiring hanging here."

"Wait a moment." Nana took out a multi-tool from her toolbox and aimed it at the main vine. "You need to release the tension before cutting, otherwise the rebound might hurt you."

"Then hurry up." Chen Hao lay on his back, one hand supporting his forehead. "I look like clothes hanging out to dry in this position."

Nana used the tip of her knife to slice open the surface and slowly cut the inner fibers. With a final soft sound, the vine loosened, and Chen Hao fell back to the ground with a thud.

He rubbed his ankle: "Luckily, it wasn't broken, otherwise the rescue team would have become the injured."

Nana reached out and helped him up: "The abrasion is minor, with no bleeding. We suggest checking other areas for similar structures."

"You mean there are things like this in this forest?" Chen Hao patted his pants after he steadied himself.

“High probability.” Nana’s camera panned around. “There are tiny dents in the ground and uneven vegetation distribution, which matches the layout of a trap group.”

She raised the projected blue line ten centimeters, suspending it in the air: "Adjust the path to avoid the ground trigger mechanism."

"Alright then." Chen Hao looked ahead. "Will we have to watch our heads when we walk from now on?"

"So far, only pull-type traps have been found; no falling or spiked devices have been detected." Nana walked forward. "Keep your distance, and I will report any risks in real time."

The two continued forward. This time, Chen Hao was much more cautious, testing the waters before each step. He lightly stepped on a mound of earth with his left foot, but there was no reaction; just as his right foot was about to follow, Nana suddenly spoke up.

"stop."

He froze.

"There's a pressure difference 30 centimeters ahead." Nana pulled out a metal rod and gently inserted it into the pile of fallen leaves. The rod went all the way down until it made a soft "click" sound.

“It’s hollow underneath,” she said. “It’s about 1.2 meters deep, and there are traces of wooden stakes reinforcing the edges.”

"A pit with renovations?" Chen Hao took a step back. "Who's doing construction here?"

"The intended use is presumably for hunting small animals." Nana marked the location with a twig. "These types of traps are usually used to obtain food resources."

"So we've accidentally wandered into the cafeteria?" Chen Hao grinned. "Luckily, I'm not skinny; even wild boars would be worried."

Nana didn't reply and continued exploring. The blue line bypassed the pit and pointed to a denser thicket on the right.

After walking less than fifty meters, Chen Hao stopped again.

“Wait a minute.” He pointed to a broken vine on the ground. “This end has been sharpened and stuck in the soil.”

Nana approached to examine it: "It's a fixed stake, used to restrict the range of movement. Combined with the previous structure, it's a simple control device."

"Does that mean... you just grab something and tie it here?" Chen Hao scratched his head. "That's such a primitive method."

“The materials are locally sourced, and the production time should be recent.” Nana recorded the data. “The degree of weathering indicates that the exposure time was no more than seventy-two hours.”

"Has someone been active here lately?" Chen Hao's voice was lowered. "Or... was it set up automatically?"

“We cannot determine the identity of the person who set it up.” Nana put away her tools. “But we can confirm that the threat level is low, the structure is simple, and it is easy to identify and avoid.”

"That's good." Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought I had run into a jungle god of war. He can turn a net into a maze."

They avoided the second trap, their path gradually veering deeper into the woods. The light grew dimmer, their footsteps were absorbed by the thick layer of fallen leaves, and all around was so quiet that only breathing could be heard.

Chen Hao suddenly spoke up: "You tell me... if these traps really can't trap people, why bother setting them up?"

“The function goes beyond successful capture,” Nana said. “Part of its role is to warn or drive away.”

"Oh." Chen Hao nodded. "It's like putting up a 'Danger This Place' sign, only the physical version."

"Correct understanding."

"So, we've now trespassed on someone else's territory?"

“We haven’t entered a clearly defined territory yet.” Nana scanned ahead. “All the traps are isolated; there’s no continuous defense system.”

"Sounds like a part-time hunter." Chen Hao smiled. "He sets up a scheme when he's busy, and forgets about it when he's free."

"The possibility of individual survivors working independently cannot be ruled out."

"Who cares?" Chen Hao patted his shoulder. "As long as they don't come after us."

As soon as he finished speaking, his left foot stepped on a loose stone slab, causing the ground to tremble slightly. Nana immediately raised her hand.

"Don't move."

Chen Hao remained rooted to the spot.

“There’s a linkage structure below.” Nana tapped the surrounding soil lightly with a stick. “The vibration is transmitted to the three o’clock position.”

She walked over, brushed aside a layer of loose soil, revealing a horizontal vine connected to another hanging rope.

“A dual trigger mechanism,” she said. “Stepping on the stone slab will pull the rope, causing the heavy object above to fall.”

"Good heavens." Chen Hao swallowed hard. "This time we've really become a target."

"Connection severed." Nana cut the vine. "Passage is now permitted."

Chen Hao cautiously stepped forward: "If this happened at night, I'd be lucky to escape with my life."

“The risk factor for nighttime operations increases by 63 percent,” Nana warned. “I suggest you speed up and cross the area before dark.”

"I want to go fast too," Chen Hao sighed. "The problem is that we've been surrounded by department representatives the whole way."

"The current path is 89% safe." Nana pulled up the data, "The remaining high-risk zone is about 200 meters."

"Two hundred meters?" Chen Hao smiled wryly. "Last time it took me half an hour to climb five hundred meters, this time it will probably take a whole day."

“Your physical exertion is under control,” Nana said. “Your heart rate is currently stable and your breathing is normal.”

"Do you remember how many times my heart beat?" Chen Hao glanced at her sideways. "You care more than my mother."

"As required by duty."

"Alright." He stretched his limbs. "Since we came in alive, we have to get out alive. The hot water is still in the thermos; we can't let them drink it cold."

They continued on. For the next stretch, Nana used a metal rod to probe each section, with Chen Hao close behind. Whenever they found suspicious traces, they stopped to deal with them. The third trap was hidden under a fallen tree trunk, disguised as naturally accumulated branches and leaves, but in reality, a pit had been dug underneath and sharp wooden stakes had been laid.

“This time it’s upgraded.” Chen Hao looked at the bottom of the pit. “They’re starting to play dirty tricks.”

“The defensive intent has been strengthened.” Nana marked the location, “but the craftsmanship is still rough, and the load-bearing structure is unstable.”

"Does this mean the person who made the arrangements was short-handed?" Chen Hao guessed. "The tools weren't good enough, so they had to make do?"

"The possibility exists."

"That's good." Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. "A master wouldn't make this kind of mistake."

The further in you go, the fewer the traps there are, and the wider the gaps between them. The last one appears at the edge of an open area; it's a simple tripwire, about twenty centimeters off the ground, almost invisible.

Nana gave them a heads-up, and the two of them took a detour.

"Finally, it's quiet." Chen Hao wiped his sweat. "This forest is like an exam: the beginning is difficult, the middle is even more difficult, and the last question is a freebie."

“Your analogy is illogical,” Nana said, “but the conclusion is valid—the high-risk area has been traversed.”

"Can we catch our breath?" Chen Hao stopped and leaned against the tree trunk. "My legs feel like they don't belong to me anymore."

"Three-minute break allowed." Nana checked the equipment. "Signal source direction remains the same, distance shortened to 1,100 meters."

"More than a thousand meters left?" Chen Hao rolled his eyes. "I should have brought a skateboard."

"The terrain will become a gentle slope, which will improve walking efficiency."

"Couldn't you just say 'almost there'?"

"Data did not reach the threshold."

"The robot is really honest," Chen Hao said with a smile, shaking his head. "It doesn't show any mercy."

As he was speaking, he suddenly felt his foot slip. Looking down, he saw that the soles of his shoes were covered in wet mud, and he had almost fallen while stepping on a tree root.

"Be careful." Nana reached out to steady her.

"Thanks." Chen Hao steadied himself. "This place doesn't even allow you to stand properly."

"Increased ground humidity reduces the coefficient of friction," Nana cautioned. "Be careful with your footing."

"What is footing?" Chen Hao frowned.

"It's just that my feet slipped."

"You just spoke in English?"

"The knowledge base terminology has been automatically called and switched to Chinese expressions."

"Next time, just say 'Don't slip,'" Chen Hao waved his hand. "I'm not a top student."

Nana nodded: "I understand."

After a short rest, the two set off again. The forest gradually thinned out, the gaps between the tree canopies widened, and some sunlight was able to penetrate. The ground was no longer entirely covered with fallen leaves; a layer of hard soil and gravel had appeared.

Chen Hao felt a little relieved: "Finally, it's not a nerve-wracking experience anymore."

“There are still unknowns ahead,” Nana said. “We cannot rule out the possibility of new types of traps emerging.”

"Can't you just let me be happy for a moment?" Chen Hao sighed. "You have to throw cold water on me."

"I'm just stating the facts."

"With your personality, you wouldn't be able to find a partner in modern society."

"My design goals do not include marriage and dating features."

"That's true." Chen Hao laughed. "You can still talk about feelings in power-saving mode?"

As he spoke, he raised his left foot to step over a fallen tree trunk. Just as his foot was about to land, Nana suddenly reached out and pulled him back.

His body was pulled backward, his right shoulder hit another tree, and he fell to the ground.