Chapter 172 The Running Plum Tree: The Plant Has Mutated
Xiao Li's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up turbulent waves in the hearts of everyone involved.
The members of the Hidden Dragon Team were all incredibly shocked; the amount of information was too much for them to process immediately.
Is this wolf named Silver Wind a wind-type mutant beast? It sounds incredibly powerful!
The captain said that Miss Lin caught the mutated beast, and that as long as the mutated beast is caught, the ferocious beast will become docile.
Ice Wolf opened its eyes, looked at Silver Wind, then at Xiao Li, and finally fixed its gaze on its master, Lin Muyan, its eyes filled with grievance.
Look, even the name of its former subordinate, Little Karami, sounds more prestigious than that of its elder brother...
Lin Muyan smiled but didn't say anything. It was impossible for her to give everyone a mutated beast; it was purely a matter of mood and personal preference.
At this moment, Xiao Li finally realized that he seemed to have revealed something he shouldn't have. He quickly glanced at Lin Muyan's expression and, seeing that she wasn't angry, felt a little relieved, but also felt a pang of self-reproach.
It's all my fault for being too happy and speaking too quickly. I must never do that again. Miss Lin probably won't talk to me anymore.
Fortunately, the members of the Hidden Dragon Team were all personally selected by Xiao Li. Seeing that their captain looked off, they all suppressed their curiosity and did not ask any questions.
The entire Hidden Dragon team began to deal with the mutated deer's carcass. The atmosphere was harmonious, and they gradually started chatting.
"I heard that someone on the next mountain discovered a plum tree that can run on its own, and several teams are chasing it all over the mountain."
"Colonel Xu Chong's team seems to have encountered a small wave of mutated rats. They're not very lethal, but it seems some team members have been bitten and will probably have to be quarantined. We don't know if they'll get infected or what will happen to them in the end."
"This mountain is really amazing. It's so hot outside, you feel out of breath after just a few words. But the weather here is much better, much cooler."
Someone mentioned the temperature, and everyone realized what was happening and pulled out cooling gear such as ice packs that they had hidden in their clothes.
Xiao Li glanced at the ice wolf, who was resting with its eyes closed, but said nothing.
I never thought these people were so gossipy before, but now I wish I could sew their mouths shut.
[Trees that can run on their own? They're probably mutated plants, but mutated plants should appear much later. These three mountains are way ahead of their time.]
[When it comes to mutated plants, most of them just become poisonous, either releasing toxic spores that cause illness from inhalation or poisoning from consumption. That's all. A tree with legs? Is it some kind of sentient being?]
[With mutant plants already existing, isn't global mutation not far off?]
Looking at the comments, Lin Muyan frowned slightly. She was really starting to lose her composure. She had thought that the plant mutation would just produce some life-threatening toxins.
If plants become spirits and monsters, is this still a proper apocalypse? It's almost evolving into a bizarre world.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Muyan stood up and said to Xiao Li:
“I want to go to other mountains. You and your team should get the mutated deer down the mountain as soon as possible. The heat will accelerate the decomposition of the carcasses. If there are no suitable conditions for preservation and transportation, I suggest you burn them.”
"By the way, you can't just eat the meat of mutated beasts, or you might lose your life. You should also remind the villagers later not to eat it by mistake."
Xiao Li noted everything down, and then he saw Lin Muyan leading the ice wolf away into the distant mountain mist.
He wanted to catch up with her, but he was afraid of being a burden and being disliked, so he could only watch her leave.
The team members saw this and were very anxious, but they knew that outsiders couldn't help with this kind of emotional situation.
Their captain was practically a statue waiting for his wife, but they could clearly see that Miss Lin had absolutely no feelings for him.
Now, another chaotic time has arrived, and various crises await them in the future. Human survival has become a problem, and there will be fewer and fewer opportunities for romance.
"Sigh, our captain didn't know how to interact with girls even before the apocalypse, he was such a straight man, and now it goes without saying that he's even worse."
"Shh, keep your voice down. The captain is already heartbroken enough. Why tell the truth?"
Xiao Li heard this and forced a bitter smile.
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting tense, the talkative team members wisely kept quiet.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Have you guys noticed that the temperature seems to have risen a lot all of a sudden?"
"Holy crap, it's so hot! Quick, put the ice pack back in."
"That's strange. It was quite cool just now. Now that Miss Lin is gone, everything feels off."
"..."
Lin Muyan rode the ice wolf over the next mountain, where the fog was also thick and the situation was unclear.
Faint shouts could be heard from all directions, just as the members of the Hidden Dragon Team had said, indicating that many teams were searching for something in the mountains and forests.
Lin Muyan did not allow the ice wolf to release its cold air, so as not to alert the enemy.
Judging from the Ice Wolf's leisurely demeanor, it must have stayed on all three mountain peaks and found no one that could threaten it.
After wandering around for almost half an hour, just as Lin Muyan arrived at a withered peach grove, a green branch suddenly darted out from the thick fog in front of her.
Many fist-sized green plums were still hanging on the branches.
Immediately afterwards, a plum tree, over three meters tall, lush and laden with fruit, rushed toward Lin Muyan.
That's right, it's sprinting!
Lin Muyan was stunned, losing all composure, her mouth agape but she couldn't utter a sound.
Good heavens! This world is truly surreal...
No, it's not that the tree grew legs; rather, its roots branched out, making it appear as if it had legs. What truly enables it to move are those horizontally extending branches.
[If even Awen's cat fur can mutate into offensive weapons, then it's not surprising that plant branches can mutate.]
[Today is another day of learning something new with Lin Muyan. By the way, can mutated plants be contracted?]
Lin Muyan was no longer paying attention to what the comments were saying when the mutated plum tree bared its fangs and charged towards her.
The other party seemed to have "seen" her too, and suddenly used a branch to brake abruptly, quickly turning around to change course to the left.
"Quick, quick, stop it! Don't let it run to the next mountain!"
"This is a walking medal of honor! If we can take it back for research, the higher-ups will definitely reward us handsomely!"
"Brothers, charge! From now on, merit points will be our salary and allowances, which can be used to exchange for supplies. Think of your wives, children, and elderly parents at home, let's go!"
"..."
The special forces soldiers chased after the mutated plum tree like madmen. Some of them didn't make it and died of heatstroke on the way, but many more people still ran desperately without fear of death.
Their feet were practically smoking from all the stomping, but they didn't stop. If they kept going like this, they'd run themselves to death and get so hot they'd die.
Lin Muyan then realized that something was off about these people.
Their eyes were bloodshot and their lips were cyanotic, as if they had been poisoned.
Could it be the work of a mutated plum tree?
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