Ning Yu stood on the newly built observation platform, his gaze sweeping across the area surrounding the base. The joy of victory didn't linger on his face for long, replaced by a deep thoughtfulness. In the distance, unexplored areas stretched across the map, like a sleeping behemoth, mysterious and dangerous.
“That’s our next target,” Ning Yu said firmly, pointing to an area on the map.
Three days later, an elite team assembled and prepared to depart. Mu Xue walked up to Ning Yu, handed him a water bottle, and teased, "What, you can't wait to expand your territory so soon?"
“This isn’t about expansion; it’s about giving more people a stable home.” Ning Yu took the kettle, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Besides, I have a feeling that something we’ve been searching for might be hidden there.”
The group set off, traversing barren plains and climbing rocky hills before entering an unfamiliar forest. Towering trees blocked out the sun, the air thick with the damp, decaying scent, and the silence unsettling.
“Something’s weird here,” a member of the team said in a low voice.
Ning Yu also noticed the anomaly. The forest seemed vibrant with life, but there were no animal calls, not even a trace of insects, as if it had been wiped out by some terrifying force.
"Stay alert and keep moving forward," Ning Yu ordered in a low voice, gripping his weapon tightly.
The group continued deeper into the area, and the more they went, the stronger the chilling feeling became. Suddenly, one of the team members at the front cried out and stumbled back a few steps.
"What's wrong?!"
Everyone immediately crowded around, and saw that the team member was pale-faced, pointing to a huge tree in front of him, and said in a trembling voice, "There's... something up there..."
Following his finger, everyone looked and saw a blurry shadow looming on the tree trunk, like a huge, nauseating tumor attached to it.
"What is that thing..." Before anyone could react, the shadow suddenly moved, lunging at them with astonishing speed...
The shadow was incredibly fast, reaching the group almost instantly. Only then did they realize it was a gigantic spider, covered in a hard carapace, with eight scarlet eyes gleaming menacingly, and a nauseating green liquid dripping from its mouth.
"Mutant creature!" someone in the group exclaimed.
The giant spider let out a piercing hiss and swung its sharp legs at the group. Caught off guard, several team members were unable to dodge and were struck by the spider's legs, flying backward with screams.
"Scatter!" Ning Yu shouted, his long sword bursting into flames as he slashed at the giant spider.
The flaming blades struck the spider's carapace with a piercing scraping sound, but failed to penetrate its defenses. Enraged, the giant spider attacked the group even more frantically.
"Its defenses are too strong; our attacks are ineffective!" a team member shouted anxiously.
"I'll give it a try!" Mu Xue flashed and appeared behind the giant spider, the dagger in her hand turning into a cold light as she stabbed towards its eyes.
The giant spider reacted swiftly, turning its head sharply and using its hard carapace to block Mu Xue's attack.
"Damn it!" Mu Xue cursed inwardly. The mutated creature's reaction speed and defense were beyond her expectations.
"Everyone be careful, something's wrong with this area!" Ning Yu said, while fending off the giant spider's attacks, he used his special ability to try and investigate the surroundings.
However, an invisible force interfered with his perception, preventing him from seeing his surroundings clearly.
"My superpower... has been interfered with!" Ning Yu's expression changed, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.
"What?!" Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned grim.
Ning Yu is the strongest member of the team. If even his superpowers were interfered with, wouldn't they be in even greater danger?
"Retreat first!" Ning Yu made a decisive decision and ordered a retreat.
However, just as they were preparing to retreat, the surrounding trees suddenly began to shake violently, and a strong, nauseating stench filled the air.
"What's going on?!"
The group looked around in surprise and disbelief. They saw twisted vines emerging from the once dense forest, coiling towards them like venomous snakes.
The vines were covered in sharp thorns and emitted a dizzying stench, clearly indicating they were highly poisonous.
"Oh no, it's a mutated plant!"
Ning Yu's expression changed. Just as he was about to warn everyone to be careful, he suddenly felt dizzy and his vision went black. He swayed a few times and almost fell to the ground.
"Ning Yu, what's wrong?!" Upon seeing this, Mu Xue quickly supported him and asked anxiously.
Ning Yu shook his head, wanting to speak, but found his throat dry and unable to utter a single word. He looked down and discovered that a thin vine had somehow become entwined around his arm, and the spot where the vine had pierced his skin had turned an eerie black... "Poisonous! These vines are poisonous!" someone in the group exclaimed, and panic spread rapidly through the crowd like vines growing.
Ning Yu shook his heavy head, his vision blurring as eerie blackness spread upwards along his veins, bringing a chilling sensation.
"Don't panic! Use your powers to protect yourself first, I'll think of something!" Ning Yu gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort in his body, and whispered.
Although his voice was weak, it carried an irresistible authority, which calmed the somewhat flustered team members down a bit.
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