Five minutes passed, and the huge creature behind him showed no reaction. His steps were the same as before, without any sluggishness.
The system is scared: "Host, it doesn't seem to be affected. Are you okay?"
Qiao Xuejun had been running at full speed for half an hour. The temperature was very low at night, but she was already sweating and breathing heavily.
If he hadn't done a lot of physical work and had some basic skills, he would have probably collapsed by now.
Following the purple flowers, Qiao Xuejun kept running forward with his head down. Hearing it say this, he smiled and said, "Why, can you exchange some physical strength for me?" This was really necessary.
The system choked: "This is really not the case."
After a while, the system advised again: "Host, listen to the patrol team and go back now. You have delayed for so long and have done your best!"
Qiao Xuejun took two deep breaths, adjusted her breathing, and then replied, "The way back is uphill."
System: “…Yes?”
Qiao Xuejun calmly admitted: "I can't run anymore."
The system was silent for a while, then began to scream and yell: "Host! Host! Hold on!"
Qiao Xuejun smiled again: "What are you afraid of? Wu Haifan is with us. If things really don't work out, we can ask him to shoot me, and then we won't be eaten alive by the fish."
This lantern fish has a "lantern", which is a unique mark of females. Males generally do not have lanterns.
The mating process of lantern fish is a process of sexual parasitism, with the female as the main body. After mating is completed, the male will degenerate and merge into an organ or ornament on the female's body.
Female pheromones in the animal kingdom not only affect males, but also females.
Qiao Xuejun wasn't sure whether the affected female lantern fish mistook her for a male in estrus, but based on the instructions for use of the prop, it was probably the case.
But she is a human, not a fish. No matter what, she can't become a decoration or organ on the lantern fish.
She seemed to speak in a comforting tone: "Don't worry. The patrol's shooting is very accurate. It will be a quick death and won't hurt. Be brave."
System: ...Is this a brave thing to do?
The system seemed to calm down a bit, but it still complained tremblingly: "Host, you are still joking at this time! If you die, I will be swallowed by Shen Xingtang's system."
Qiao Xuejun: "Don't worry, I will try my best not to die."
While running, Qiao Xuejun listened to the noise behind him and did not dare to relax for a moment.
Wu Haifan was also communicating the situation on the wireless intercom: "Teacher Qiao, we are following you all the time. If you need any help, please feel free to contact us!"
The situation is stable at the moment, and they dare not shoot. Shooting might stimulate the lantern fish. If the sea monster goes crazy, the situation will be hard to control, and it will be unprofitable to hurt Qiao Xuejun. So they can only follow and make plans based on the situation.
Running around the purple flower protection belt, this mountain road is not as effortless as going downhill. It goes up and down from time to time, and you have to pay attention to your feet.
He ran further and further, going around the side of Hongmei Mountain, and gradually moving away from the area where Qiao Xuejun usually moved around. The road under his feet began to feel unfamiliar.
But Qiao Xuejun followed this purple flower protection belt in person most of the time, and she also had an idea of the road conditions. She ran with her head down, shining her headlamp on the ground, and stepped carefully to avoid tripping.
Another ten minutes passed, and the system had clearly sensed that Qiao Xuejun's speed had slowed down, and the sound of the wind behind him was getting urgent.
The system dare not speak.
Qiao Xuejun felt her feet getting heavier, so she asked, "How long has it been?"
System: "15 minutes."
"Host, you can still...Host! I feel the fish behind me are also slowing down! The toxin is taking effect!"
As the system cheered, the movements of the big fish behind him really changed. The frequency of its friction on the ground slowed down, its crawling seemed heavier, and its breathing sounded as heavy as a bellows.
Qiao Xuejun raised the corner of her mouth slightly, but said: "Are you sure it's just tired? Can't breathe?"
The system quickly became excited: "No, in my database, this kind of fish can run like this all day without getting tired! It's the toxin that's working!"
Until this moment, Qiao Xuejun felt a little relieved.
Not only the lantern fish, she couldn't run any longer. It was the first time in her life that she ran for so long on the mountain road. She couldn't run that fast even when she was chased by mad cow disease.
Qiao Xuejun held on because she didn't want to die or be eaten by fish, but she was really exhausted.
Now it's all just holding on.
He mechanically raised his feet and took steps forward, one step after another, not daring to stop.
It seems that if I slow down a little, I will become just a decoration on the big fish.
Once the toxin takes effect, it will be very fast. The movement behind me is getting slower and slower, like an old turtle that can no longer crawl.
Qiao Xuejun looked back and saw that the light above the lantern fish's head was brightly lit.
It was already very close to Qiao Xuejun, but now there was a hint of struggle in its eyes. It knew that it could not run anymore and could not get close to Qiao Xuejun, so it wanted to struggle forward.
They had already run to the side of the mountain. Along the way, all the purple flowers in this circle were crushed by the giant beast, lying miserably in a row.
Qiao Xuejun could no longer run and finally stepped on a raised rock.
She actually saw the stone and wanted to avoid it, but her feet were a little slow to react. As soon as she touched the stone, she sprained her ankle and fell to the ground.
Severe pain in ankle.
It's broken, there's no way to run. She reacted quickly, turned over, pulled out her pistol and shot directly at the lantern fish's belly, which was a soft and weak place.
Previously, in the experimental field, Qiao Xuejun had heard Wu Haifan and his team discuss tactics and say that lantern fish hide their soft and fragile bellies behind sentry posts and cannot be hit by guns.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" She fired several shots in rapid succession.
The lantern fish struggled slightly and then stopped moving.
Qiao Xuejun was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered that when the lantern fish started to mate, the male would bite the female's abdomen. Now she shot at the abdomen, and the lantern fish thought that mating had begun, so it stopped moving?
She held the gun in one hand and used the other hand to pick up the intercom: "Deputy Wu, the poison has taken effect. Come quickly, you can shoot."
Qiao Xuejun finished speaking quickly. Wu Haifan on the other side said in disbelief: "Awesome Teacher Qiao, you are amazing!"
After praising him from the bottom of his heart, he quickly said, "Teacher Qiao, try to find a cover! We will start shooting immediately!"
Qiao Xuejun looked around and found that there was indeed a large rock nearby that she could hide behind, but as soon as she moved, her feet began to hurt badly.
Moreover, it is fine if you don't stop long-distance running. Once you stop, it seems as if all the strength in your body is drained away, and your hands and feet seem to be rented, have passed their use period, and cannot be controlled.
She tried, but she could only crawl a short distance with all her strength. She said helplessly: "I sprained my ankle and can't move."
Wu Haifan was quiet for a moment, and a little anxious, but he still comforted her: "It's okay. Teacher Qiao, wait a minute, we're already here."
As soon as the words fell on the intercom, the lantern fish on the opposite side stared at Qiao Xuejun with big eyes like searchlights and took another step forward.
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