Chapter 236 Another Mutation?
The pickup truck continued to climb the dark mountain road, and the group could only sense the changes in the slope by tilting their bodies.
After driving for about half an hour on the dark road, Jiang Zhian finally stepped on the brakes.
As everyone disembarked, a cool mountain breeze swept over them.
Looking up, the entire mountain range looked as if it had been splashed with thick ink, its most basic outlines melting into the darkness.
Only the occasional whistling of the wind echoed in my ears like a sob.
Jiang Zhiwang: "Sis, guys, haven't you noticed... the temperature is dropping sharply?"
Wearing only a tank top, Jiang Zhian kept rubbing his arms: "Hiss...it's definitely getting colder!"
Lu Nange and her group were wearing temperature-controlled clothing, so they didn't feel the temperature as much.
Lu Nange pretended to rummage through her backpack, but actually took out two lightweight windbreakers from her spatial storage: "These will have to do for now."
"Thank you, boss!" Jiang Zhiwang quickly put it on.
"Nan Nan is so nice~" Jiang Zhian smiled as he zipped up his jacket.
"This godforsaken place..." He Zhuo rubbed his arms. "Could some strange, mutated animal be hiding here?"
With a "click," Chi Yanzhou switched on his high-powered flashlight, the beam piercing the darkness.
Jiang Zhiwang: "My sister and I came here twice at sunset, but we didn't encounter any mutated animals."
Lu Nange didn't reply, but instead slowly paced around the parking area at the foot of the mountain, spreading her spiritual energy in all directions.
"Nan Nan, what's wrong?" Lu Xici asked, following behind her.
"It's too dark." Lu Nange stopped, her brow furrowing slightly. "I'm worried about Sister An and Jiang Zhiwang returning alone later."
Jiang Zhiwang patted his chest confidently: "Don't worry, boss! We know this road very well!"
"It's different." Lu Nange shook her head: "It's dark, visibility is limited, what if we encounter an emergency..."
Chi Yanzhou: "Indeed, there were so many of us going up the mountain, but only the siblings came back. It was too dangerous."
Lu Nange pondered for a moment: "The occupied area of Ping City is garrisoned by the military. We had Sister An escort us before to avoid unnecessary trouble. Now that General Cheng is here, we don't need to specifically guide us anymore. I'm thinking..."
She looked at Jiang Zhian: "Sister An, could you draw us a map? After we go down the mountain, Brother Yanzhou can contact General Cheng directly so we can travel through the occupied area."
As she spoke, she looked up at Gangzi, who was circling in the air beside her: "As for this mountain, perhaps Gangzi could deliver it to us in batches?"
"Brilliant!" He Zhu clapped his hands excitedly. "Sister Bao, this is a great idea! It saves us from encountering any horror movie-like scenes in these mountains!"
Jiang Zhian: "Nan Nan, Ah Wang and I can..."
Gu Wan: "Sister An, stop being so wishy-washy. Nan Nan isn't used to saying these things. To put it bluntly, we don't want you to get into danger because of us."
Jiang Zhian: "Okay, then I'll go find some paper and pen in the car."
Gu Wan leaned closer to Lu Nange with her backpack: "Sister An, we have it! Nan Nan..."
Lu Nange pretended to rummage through Gu Wan's backpack, but actually took out paper and pen from her spatial storage.
Jiang Zhian took the paper, laid it flat on the hood, and quickly sketched the route using the headlights and flashlight.
After descending the mountain, head northwest; the buildings on the side...
She paused, pen in hand: "But Nan Nan... can Gangzi carry all of you?"
"Caw!" Gangzi proudly raised his head: "I'm the beauty's parrot!"
Gu Wan affectionately stroked its feathers: "That's right, our Gangzi is terrifyingly strong~"
Lu Nange quickly calculated: "Based on weight, carrying two to three people on your back, each paw holding one person, and Gangzi not chirping, with one more in its mouth—if we squeeze things in, we can finish transporting them in two trips..."
"I'll contact Major General Cheng." Chi Yanzhou had already pulled out his military walkie-talkie and glanced at the map Jiang Zhian had drawn: "Uncle Cheng, we need passage permits for the P2 and P3 occupied zones... We need to leave the city... Thank you, Uncle Cheng."
Shi Xu tugged at Lu Nange and Lu Beiye: "Lu Lu, Bei Bei, there's something..."
Before the words were finished, a rustling sound came from the bushes in the distance, as if something was quickly passing through the dead leaves.
Everyone instantly entered battle mode, their supernatural abilities flashing in their palms.
A gray rabbit darted out of the bushes in a panic, but before it could run two steps, it was pinned to the ground by Lu Beiye's golden dart.
"Phew—" Jiang Zhiwang let out a long sigh of relief: "You scared me."
Lu Beiye looked up at his sister and asked, "Can I eat it?"
Lu Nange nodded, her mental energy spreading out: "Something's not right..."
As if to confirm her words, strange roars suddenly echoed from the depths of the mountains and forests.
Countless scarlet lights emerged from the forest, like floating will-o'-the-wisps, particularly eerie in the pitch-black night.
"What the hell is that?" He Zhuo exclaimed in surprise, clinging to the side of the truck bed.
With a flick of their fingers, Lu Xici and Gu Wan unleashed a fireball that illuminated the scene behind them—a swarm of mutated hedgehogs, each the size of a hunting dog.
The once soft spikes now gleam with a metallic sheen.
Even more terrifying is that their eyes have completely degenerated, replaced by a protruding scarlet fleshy growth on their forehead, which constantly contracts and expands as they move.
"The forest is on fire!" Jiang Zhiwang shouted, pointing to the bushes ignited by the fireball.
However, as soon as the fire started, more than a dozen mutated hedgehogs lined up and sprayed water jets from the metal spikes on their backs. Combined with the waves of earth that were stirred up from the ground, they extinguished the fire in the blink of an eye.
"They've upgraded again? They can even coordinate attacks now?" He Zhuo gasped.
Lu Nange, Lu Beiye, and Chi Yanzhou: "Black Rain!"
"Shi Xu, come and have some fun!" Lu Nange shouted.
Shi Xu: "Okay, Lulu."
The two closed their eyes at the same time, and their spiritual energy surged out like two torrents.
With a series of loud "bang" sounds, seven or eight scarlet tumors exploded in the distance.
Chi Yanzhou and Gu Qi, relying on their senses, threw lightning and water jets towards the source of the sound. The lightning exploded into a blinding blue light in the water mist.
More than ten mutated hedgehogs were blasted into charcoal.
The darkness severely hampered his vision, so Lu Xici jumped into the driver's seat and jerked the steering wheel.
The pickup truck's tires screeched as it executed a beautiful drift maneuver, its high beams instantly illuminating the area in front of them.
"Ji Xian! Nine o'clock!" Luo Xingyou's warning arrived at the same time as the dart.
A flash of cold light, and the dart struck the mutated hedgehog, but with a crisp "clang," it was bounced off its metallic skin, sending sparks flying.
Lu Beiye raised his hands, and the golden shield instantly formed a perfect hemispherical protective barrier around everyone.
Several swarming hedgehogs crashed violently into the shield, producing a sound like hammers striking steel plates...
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