“This ore is…” Ning Yu endured the pain and staggered towards the crowd. With each step, his wounds felt as if they were being torn apart. But he could not fall; he still had the lives of everyone on his shoulders.
"Captain!" Li San anxiously tried to step forward to help him, but Ning Yu stopped him with a raised hand. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and slowly said, "This ore was discovered in our new territory. It can absorb and transform the toxins released by the mutated plants, and it is the key to solving our current predicament."
"You say so? What proof do you have?" Wang Qiang asked aggressively, his tone full of disdain. Although the others remained silent, suspicious glances were also cast at Ning Yu.
Ning Yu ignored Wang Qiang's provocation and instead held the ore above his head, explaining, "This ore has a special pattern inside that can resonate with toxins, thereby absorbing them. Look!"
He brought the ore close to a mutated vine that was releasing a pale purple poisonous mist. The fine lines on the originally calm surface of the ore seemed to come alive, emitting a faint white light, while the surrounding purple poisonous mist dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"This..." A gasp rippled through the crowd, their previously skeptical gazes now filled with astonishment.
Ning Yu pressed on, saying, "I plan to use these ores to make a batch of simple filtration devices so that we can avoid the poisonous fog when exploring new territories."
His tone was firm and confident, like a lighthouse guiding the way in the darkness, rekindling hope in Li San and the others who had been wavering. Some team members who had initially remained hesitant also began to waver; they exchanged glances and began to discuss among themselves.
"Captain, I believe in you. What do you need us to do?" Li San was the first to stand up and express his support, his eyes shining with determination.
With Li San taking the lead, the other team members also expressed their willingness to trust Ning Yu. In the end, most of the team members chose to believe Ning Yu's judgment and joined the team to make the filtration device.
Seeing everyone's fighting spirit rekindled, Ning Yu finally smiled. He distributed the ore and began instructing everyone on how to make a simple filtration device. However, at that moment, his gaze inadvertently fell on the peculiar patterns on the surface of the ore, and for some reason, a strange unease welled up in his heart.
“These patterns…” Ning Yu murmured to himself, his brows furrowed, as if he had realized something but couldn’t quite put his finger on it, “It feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before…”
The busy atmosphere dispelled the previous suspicions and doubts. Under Ning Yu's guidance, the team members cut and polished the ore, making simple breathing masks. Although the process was rudimentary, everyone's face shone with hope. They seemed to see a future where the poisonous fog would dissipate and the secrets of their new territory would beckon them.
However, the unease in Ning Yu's heart lingered. He repeatedly rubbed the ore in his hand; the strange patterns, like some kind of ancient script, swirled in his mind, but he could not decipher any information.
"Captain, what are you worried about?" The perceptive Mu Xue noticed Ning Yu's unusual behavior, walked to his side, and followed his gaze to the ore.
“These ores might not be as simple as we think.” Ning Yu frowned. “I have a feeling that their appearance, and even our discovery of new territory, is like a carefully orchestrated scheme…”
"You mean, someone is manipulating all of this behind the scenes?" A cold glint flashed in Mu Xue's eyes. She was always meticulous and naturally understood the meaning behind Ning Yu's words.
“I don’t know.” Ning Yu shook his head. “But I can sense that an invisible force has been observing us from the shadows. Perhaps, this force is the real threat to the new territory…”
The moment he finished speaking, a chilling feeling instantly enveloped him. It was as if an invisible pair of eyes were watching his every move from the darkness, cold, scrutinizing, and devoid of any emotion.
Ning Yu suddenly raised his head and looked around, but found nothing. The empty ruins, the howling wind, and the busy figures of the team members—everything seemed normal, yet it exuded an indescribable eeriness.
"What's wrong?" Mu Xue noticed Ning Yu's unusual behavior and asked in a low voice.
"It's nothing..." Ning Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his unease. "It's probably just my imagination."
He outwardly pretended to be nonchalant, but inwardly he became even more vigilant. In order not to cause panic, he decided to temporarily conceal his unease and continue to direct everyone as if everything was normal.
However, in that instant as he turned around, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a deep, dark shadow flashing behind a boulder not far away. The shadow vanished in an instant, so fast it was almost impossible to catch, but he was certain he hadn't mistaken it…
"Strengthen vigilance! Everyone, be on high alert!" Ning Yu suddenly shouted, his tone sharp and leaving no room for argument.
Ning Yu's command was like a thunderclap, exploding across the silent ruins. The team members instantly stopped what they were doing, gripped their weapons tightly, and looked around warily.
"Captain, what happened?" a team member asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with unease.
Ning Yu didn't answer directly. Instead, he strode to the center of the group and said in a deep voice, "I know everyone is exhausted, but now is not the time to relax. The situation in the new territory is much more complicated than we imagined. From now on, everyone must remain vigilant at all times, work in pairs, cover each other, and never let their guard down!"
The team members exchanged glances, puzzled but trusting Ning Yu, they immediately followed his instructions. They formed a combat formation, surrounding the supplies and the wounded, and vigilantly watched their surroundings.
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