The tremors at the bottom of the river made Chen Hao grab Karl abruptly, and the two stumbled ashore. Water splashed on their faces, and before they could wipe it away, a loud "whoosh" came from behind them, and a dark shadow burst out of the water, crashing into the spot where they had just been standing, scattering mud everywhere.
"Damn!" Karl plopped down on the ground. "These things come in broods, don't they?!"
Nana had already raised the detector, and the screen was rapidly scrolling through data. "More than three are retreating into deeper water."
Susan ran across from the other side, still clutching her clipboard. "Is anyone hurt?"
Chen Hao shook his head, panting, and looked back at Karl. He was trying to stand up when his right leg buckled and he knelt down again.
"This leg is almost not mine anymore," Carl grimaced. "That was a really hard hit."
"Let's get away from the riverbank first." Chen Hao reached out and pulled him up. "Don't wait for them to change shifts before coming back."
The four walked upstream for about a hundred meters and found a dry, high ground. The ground was firm, there were no bushes to block the view, and the view was unobstructed. They took off their backpacks and sat in a circle.
Nana opened her medical kit and took out spray and bandages. "Susan, your arm needs treatment."
Susan rolled up her sleeves, revealing three red welts across her forearm, the edges slightly swollen. Nana sprayed disinfectant on her; she didn't say anything, but her fingers trembled slightly.
"Tell me if it hurts," Chen Hao said, looking at her.
"It doesn't hurt," she said. "It's just a little cold."
“Your lying skills are even worse than Karl’s.” Chen Hao took a water bottle out of his backpack and handed it to him, “Have a sip to calm your nerves.”
Karl leaned against the rock, raising his right leg. "I'm too lazy to even be surprised anymore, I'm completely numb."
Nana squatted down next to him and lifted his trouser leg to examine him. The bruise was quite large, and the skin had a dark purple tinge. "It's a minor tear in the muscle tissue. I recommend applying a cold compress for thirty minutes and avoiding heavy walking."
"But we still have to go?" Carl asked.
“You can use a cane.” Nana took a retractable metal rod out of her toolbox. “It’s a temporary modification.”
“You really can conjure up anything.” Karl took the stick and tried it out. “You’re tougher than my life.”
“You’re not so unlucky either.” Chen Hao unscrewed the kettle lid. “If you hadn’t held on, the rope would have snapped.”
“It’s not that I didn’t relax, I was just too scared to move.” Carl took a sip of water. “If I had reacted even a second earlier, I would be lying down right now.”
"There's no food to eat even if I'm lying down." After bandaging her wound, Susan began to check her equipment. "There's about 60% of the food left, enough water for two days, and all the tools are here."
"Where are the weapons?" Chen Hao asked.
"The rope gun can be used twice more, and there's one flare left." Susan put everything away. "The consumption is greater than expected."
“That’s normal.” Chen Hao sat down against a rock. “Nobody expected that flying fish were hiding in the river.”
“That’s not a fish,” Carl said. “That’s a deliveryman from Hell’s Diner, who delivers people to the pot.”
Nana pulled up a map and projected it onto the screen in her palm. "The current coordinates are eleven kilometers away from the target area. According to the original plan, it will take eight hours to arrive."
"Shall we go now?" Susan looked up.
"Let's rest for two hours before setting off again." Chen Hao glanced at the sky. "It's safer to travel during the day."
“I object,” Karl raised his hand. “My leg was just certified as defective, and you want me to continue operating?”
“You can be the foreman,” Chen Hao said. “Sit on the rock and direct us as we move things.”
"Then I'll apply for a raise."
“The salary is for getting back alive.” Susan closed the notebook. “If you don’t live to payday, the bonus is useless.”
A brief silence.
A breeze blew from the river, carrying moisture. A bird called out in the distance, then disappeared.
Nana applied a cooling patch to Karl's legs and started the cycle. A blue light flashed, like some small household appliance operating.
“Even you, this robot, have a clearer life plan than I do.” Karl touched the cold device. “You know what you should do, when to do it, and how to do it. As for me? I just take it one step at a time. If I’m lucky, I’ll survive; if I’m unlucky, I’ll become fodder.”
“You know you’re moving.” Chen Hao stared at him. “As long as you’re still moving, you haven’t lost.”
“But I’ve always felt like a burden,” Carl said, his voice lowering. “Every time something happens, someone else saves me; I haven’t been able to help much.”
“You were a help,” Susan suddenly said. “You threw a flare when we were crossing the river, which disrupted our attack rhythm. If it weren’t for that, Nana and I might have been dragged into the water.”
"And you have a sharp tongue." Chen Hao grinned. "You can distract monsters by cursing them during battle. That's a skill that's unique in the whole team."
Carl paused for a moment, then laughed. "So I'm in the team atmosphere group?"
“The main atmosphere-building team,” Nana nodded. “Data analysis shows that morale fluctuations are positively correlated with your speaking frequency.”
"Even the robots have learned to show their support?" Karl stood up, holding onto the metal bar, and tried to take a couple of steps. "Alright, since everyone thinks I can do it, I'll reluctantly continue operating."
“That’s more like it.” Chen Hao also stood up. “The injuries weren’t serious, which means he’s tough. Tough people are best suited for this kind of thing.”
"You mean an expedition?" Carl asked.
"I'm talking about surviving." Chen Hao patted him on the shoulder. "The truly ruthless ones are those who can survive without complaining about the exhaustion."
Nana put away the medical equipment and rechecked the navigation system. "I suggest adjusting the route to avoid the downstream wetlands. There is a gentle mountain road ahead, at a higher elevation, which increases the safety of the journey by 62%."
"I'll listen to you." Chen Hao slung his bag over his shoulder. "It's better to climb higher than to be submerged in water."
Susan tidied up the recorder and hung it around her neck. She flexed her wrist to make sure it wouldn't interfere with her writing.
"Ready?" Chen Hao asked.
The three nodded.
“Then let’s go.” He stepped forward. “Don’t let those flying fish think we’re afraid.”
The group set off again. Chen Hao led the way, Nana followed in the middle, Susan brought up the next level, and Carl, leaning on a metal bar, brought up the rear. His steps were still a little stiff, but he didn't complain anymore.
The sun shone warmly on my back. The ground beneath my feet felt firm, and the grass grew shorter. In the distance, the mountain ridges were clearly defined, like slices of biscuit cut with a knife.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Nana suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Chen Hao turned around.
“Five meters ahead, there are signs of a slight ground subsidence.” She crouched down and gently touched the ground with her hand. “The surface is hardened, but there is a cavity underneath.”
"Go around it?" Susan asked.
“No need.” Nana took out a probe and inserted it into the gap. “The depth is less than forty centimeters. We can fill and reinforce it with gravel.”
"You can even fix roads?" Carl shouted from behind.
“The knowledge base includes basic engineering.” She didn’t look up. “By the way, your left foot is on the edge of a crack.”
Karl quickly pulled his foot back.
Ten minutes later, the road surface was repaired. The four people passed through one by one.
"Could you please give me a heads-up next time?" Carl muttered. "My heart can't take this kind of surprise."
"Your heart is more resilient than your words," Chen Hao said, walking ahead. "Beat with confidence."
The group continued forward. The hillside gradually rose, and the view opened up. The wind made the clothes rustle, and the air became drier.
"How much longer until we arrive?" Carl asked.
"Estimated five hours," Nana said, looking at the navigation. "Just maintain the current speed."
“Five hours…” Carl sighed. “I feel like I’ve been walking for fifty hours.”
“You’ve only walked one kilometer.” Susan flipped through her notebook. “Your average speed is 1.2 kilometers per hour, a new personal low.”
"That's proof that I fought while wounded!" Karl puffed out his chest. "I'll get credit for that when we get back."
"What kind of merit?" Chen Hao laughed, "First place in verbally debating the enemy?"
“At least I didn’t wet my pants,” Carl said, his neck stiff. “Do any of you have a idea how scary that was?”
“We know,” Susan said, “which is why we didn’t leave you alone.”
Carl opened his mouth, but didn't say anything, and continued walking with his head down.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows. Though their steps were slow, they never stopped.
After crossing a low ridge, a patch of exposed rock appeared ahead. Grayish-white stones covered the hillside, as if someone had dumped lime on the ground.
Nana stopped scanning. "The rock composition has a high silicon content, so the possibility of complex minerals cannot be ruled out."
"What do you mean?" Chen Hao asked.
"It might be the periphery of the target material," she said. "I recommend strengthening record-keeping and sampling preparation."
Chen Hao looked at Susan. She had already taken out the recorder, and her eyes lit up.
"Finally, there's something to look forward to," she said.
“I thought you were going to say, ‘Finally, I can take a break,’” Carl muttered.
"Take a break, but wait until we find some ore." Susan glared at him. "Don't you want a new pot?"
“I do want to,” Carl sighed, “but I’d rather get a new leg first.”
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