Chapter 34 Gray Area
At the exit of the wilderness, a group of people gradually gathered.
Many rat hunting teams looked sideways as they passed by. This group of people was too conspicuous. Compared with them, many rat hunting teams composed of evolved people felt that there was a huge gap.
Yu Ziqiu led the way. She was wearing combat uniforms today, with two daggers tied between her legs and a gun on her back. Behind her were half of the members of the second action team, all following behind her. Next to her stood a man with a crew cut and wearing goggles, also fully armed, followed by a group of elite soldiers. They were the special forces sent by the military to participate in this mission.
When Gu Nian arrived, she saw this group of people stationed at the entrance of the wilderness. She raised her eyebrows and said hello to Yu Ziqiu without saying anything else, then joined the second action team.
Lan Shuangshuang, Ruan Lu and Zhao Cheng were also in today's team. The three of them were very happy to see her and greeted her warmly.
Ruan Lu even introduced everyone who came to Gu Nian. In addition to the people Gu Nian already knew, there were two members of the second action team that Gu Nian had never seen before. One was a short and cold boy named Zhuo Huai, and the other was a tall and strong man with a shy smile named Cai Ji.
Ruan Lu quietly pointed out the military personnel to Gu Nian. The leader, a buzz cut man named Shou Zhi, was said to be as strong as an elephant after his evolution. He finally said, "The only missing person is the forum personnel. The team leader has already contacted them and said they will be here soon."
"Who will come to the forum?" Gu Nian asked.
Ruan Lu said, "There are five people in total, led by Yuan Yu, the director of the Jiangcheng branch of the forum, to support this mission. However, I heard that even their forum administrators are here this time."
"Forum administrator?" Gu Nian asked with interest. She knew very little about the Lihuo Gantian Forum.
"Yes, the Lihuo Gantian Forum has a total of twenty branches across the country, but there are only three administrators in the entire forum. All forum affairs are decided by the three administrators. They are the real decision-making level of the forum, but few people have seen them. I heard that an administrator was recently sent from the forum headquarters to the Jiangcheng branch, and everyone is seeing him for the first time." Ruan Lu whispered to her.
Just as they were talking, a group of people were walking towards them.
"Hey, isn't that Yue Jian?" Ruan Lu saw Yue Jian at a glance. After all, this person was an absolute shining star in the crowd, and his too perfect appearance always had a glowing filter. He was about to wave, and happened to see Yue Jian walking towards them. "Haha, are you here to see us? Oh, I didn't expect that he looks cold, but he is actually quite good at dealing with people..." Ruan Lu was stuck in the middle of his words.
Behind Yuejian, other people from the forum also followed.
The leader, Yu Ziqiu, extended his hand and said politely, "Mr. Administrator, it's a great honor to finally meet you."
Yue Jian smiled slightly and shook hands back: "Me too, I finally meet Team Leader Yu." He nodded and joined the team with the forum staff.
"He... he is the administrator?" Ruan Lu's eyes were about to pop out. He had always thought that the administrator of the forum was an old man like their director, but he didn't expect him to be so young? Moreover, why did the last time Team Leader Yu borrowed an expert to manage the forum, the administrator was able to take action directly? Is the eldest sister so proud? Or is there any other reason?
Ruan Lu's little head was filled with big question marks. Zhao Cheng quickly covered his mouth. Today was a formal mission for cooperation with the military and the forum. Ruan Lu couldn't be allowed to talk nonsense. Didn't you see that everyone was looking at him?
According to the results of the three parties' prior discussion, Yu Ziqiu was in charge of this operation. She led everyone forward: "Let's go, hurry up and head deep into the wilderness."
As before, Gu Nian followed in the middle of the team. Yu Ziqiu did not lie, this team was much stronger than the last time. When they entered the front area of the wilderness, they did not suppress their speed, but kept moving forward at full speed. All the mutant beasts and mutant plants that were startled along the way were completely wiped out by the front team, completely violently crushed, and she had no chance to attack at all.
Even so, the further they went into the wilderness, the more Gu Nian remained alert. Lotus hid tightly in her inner pocket, occasionally popping its head out to quietly accompany her.
"We have entered the gray area. Everyone, step up your vigilance." Yu Ziqiu, who was in the front team, suddenly raised his hand and spoke to everyone on the communicator.
The so-called gray area refers to the area 300 kilometers after entering the wilderness. Almost no one has reached here, and the mutant beasts and plants are far more powerful than those near the wilderness.
Everyone present also slowed down their pace. Shouzhi, the man with a crew cut, who was also the leader of the military this time, ordered a soldier beside him: "Cui Xing, put the drone up."
The soldier named Cui Xing was an evolved man in the special forces. He took out five drones from his backpack one after another and carefully maneuvered them to fly high. He then kept his eyes on the screen on the monitor. He was a scout within the team.
After killing several mutant beasts along the way, the group arrived at the location where the mutant rats were first discovered. According to the plan, they will begin a carpet search along this route, and the entire team will advance forward in a fan shape.
"Report, there are no large mutant beasts in the drone's field of vision within one thousand meters ahead." Cui Xing said in the communicator.
"Speed up," Yu Ziqiu ordered. They had to get into the depths of the wilderness as soon as possible before dark.
The team advanced quickly, but suddenly the voice of scout Cui Xing came from the communicator: "A mutant beast is approaching quickly, be alert!"
As soon as Cui Xing finished speaking, the mutant beast could already be seen! It was a huge winged beast, with a body like a lion and an eagle. It was moving quickly on the road. When it got close, it flapped its wings and flew away, and then it swept over with momentum.
"This looks like a griffin!" Gu Nian was shocked. As evolution began, some creatures that only appeared in legends finally reappeared in people's vision.
The griffin was huge, and its broad and powerful wings created a strong wind. Gu Nian quickly rolled on the ground to avoid its steel-like claws. A soldier next to him was unable to dodge and was hit in the face. He screamed, and his face was instantly covered in blood.
Shouzhi snorted coldly, threw away the heavy machine gun on his shoulder, jumped up, grabbed the griffin's wings and went to the mutant beast's back. At this time, the special forces soldiers immediately shot at the griffin's head. At this time, Shouzhi took out a saber from his waist, stabbed it hard into the griffin, cutting a big gash on its back. The griffin turned its head and bit Shouzhi. Shouzhi took the opportunity to hold the saber in one hand to support his body, and with the other hand he drew his gun and fired a box of bullets at the griffin's open mouth.
The griffin felt pain and flapped its wings as it fell. Shouzhi let go of the saber and took the opportunity to leap to the ground, quickly increasing the distance. At this time, a huge hunting net was thrown forward and covered the griffin. There was a crackling sound of electricity, and the net was instantly electrified. The griffin instantly had charred wounds on its body and was no longer able to struggle, and fell straight to the ground.
As soon as the griffin fell to the ground, the soldiers rushed over. Unable to fly in the air, the injured griffin was trapped in the net and soon breathed its last.
Seeing this vicious mutant beast being dealt with by his men, Shouzhi also felt proud. He turned around and said to the forum staff intentionally or unintentionally: "This mutant beast is not too fierce. Maybe when we find the place, you won't have to do anything."
Yuejian's expression remained calm when he heard this, but Yuan Yu, the forum branch director standing next to him, suddenly looked stern, drew his knife and threw it straight at Shouzhi.
Shou Zhi was shocked and angry, but the distance between them was too short and it happened suddenly, so he was not prepared at all and could not react in time. He could only watch the tip of the knife getting closer and closer to him!
The knife was nailed to the tree next to Shouzhi. Shouzhi turned his head and saw that the knife was nailed to a mutant firefinch. The mutant firefinch was small in size but flew fast, and often lived as a companion animal of large mutant animals.
If it weren't for Yuan Yu, Shou Zhi would probably have been injured immediately under the sudden attack of the mutant fire sparrow.
Shouzhi was embarrassed. Their military was influenced by the higher-ups and was wary of third parties like the forum. But he didn't expect them to help him. He moved his lips and finally said reluctantly, "Thank you."
Regardless of the undercurrents of the other two parties, Yu Ziqiu went to carefully examine the body of the griffin. "There are traces of experiments on this griffin, and there are copper ring tags at the base of its wings. It seems that we have begun to enter the opponent's area." Yu Ziqiu said cautiously.
Shou Zhi's expression changed immediately after hearing what Yu Ziqiu said. Even Yuan Yu was shocked. Although everyone unanimously concluded that there was probably a laboratory hidden behind the mutant rats, it was another matter to actually find traces. Moreover, there was actually more than one kind of animal being manipulated in this laboratory! This greatly increased the danger!
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In the deep cave, the iron cage that originally held the mutant rats was now empty, replaced by other mutant creatures. Various mutant animals were roaring, crawling, and colliding in the iron cage, which was as terrifying as hell.
In the deepest part of the cave, there is a quiet stone chamber, which is arranged like a prayer room. On the high platform in the middle, there is a stone statue. Because the light in the cave is dim, even with one or two electric lights, it is difficult to see the face of the stone statue.
Qiu Yongkang wore a white lab robe, lowered his head slightly, and prayed quietly: "Father from the farther stars, all living beings suffering from natural disasters need your salvation. I will offer more sacrifices and pray for your great grace..."
He clasped his hands in front of his chest, with a pious look on his face.
The flickering light only illuminated his clothes, leaving his face in shadow, which made him look like a demon.
At this time, an assistant researcher rushed in and said, "Mr. Qiu, something bad has happened! A group of people are approaching our laboratory!"
Qiu Yongkang stood up from the ground and walked over. He was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and had a twisted and neurotic smile on his face. "Huh? What's wrong with you? How dare you interrupt my prayer to the Father?"
The assistant researcher's face flashed with deep fear, but he could only bite the bullet and continue speaking: "But at the current speed of those people, the location of the laboratory will be exposed in half an hour at most!"
"Someone was able to come to the depths of the wilderness? Who was it?" Qiu Yongkang frowned. Relying on the divine objects sent by the Father God, he was able to build a laboratory in this wilderness full of dangers. But who were these outsiders, and how could they enter the depths of the wilderness?
The assistant researcher leaned forward in front of him and said, "They should be Jiangcheng officials. The whole team has about thirty people, all of them are experts. That's how they were able to break through and reach the depths of the wilderness."
"Jiangcheng officials? The mutant rats haven't been able to form a rat tide until now, all because of these people. They came here just in time. Let's bury them here. If these elites are all dead, it will be much easier to wipe out the entire Jiangcheng..."
Qiu Yongkang sneered and said, “Let the heavy beetle go.”
"But the experiment on this batch of heavy beetles has not been successful yet. When they are released, they may easily backfire..." said the assistant researcher tremblingly.
"Then go ahead and get fully armed. You must lead the heavy beetle in front of this group of people," said Qiu Yongkang.
"But...but, there is a high possibility of death..." said the assistant researcher, his voice becoming smaller and smaller under Qiu Yongkang's gaze.
"Remember, if you die on the road, it means you are atonement for your sins. We are all sinners, and the divine punishment of destruction is unstoppable. You just return to the kingdom of God in heaven ahead of time." Qiu Yongkang looked at him with compassion.
Mr. Qiu's gaze seemed to have magical power. The assistant researcher seemed to be sucked into a strange vortex. In a trance, he felt great happiness. Yes, what is there to hesitate about? All living beings suffer, and only going to the kingdom of God in heaven is bliss...
"I see..." the assistant researcher muttered to himself. He turned around and came to the depths of the nest where the heavy beetles were placed.
Hundreds of heavy armored beetles were densely packed in that cave. That was the experimental project they had been working on recently. The assistant researcher put on a full set of protective clothing, carefully sprayed pheromones on himself, disguised as a heavy armored beetle, then picked up a sonic device and opened the cage containing the heavy armored beetles. Heavy armored beetles poured out like a tide, and the assistant researcher ran directly to the outside of the cave.
The sonic device in his hand emitted sounds beyond human hearing, leading the heavy beetle forward.
Surrounded by a swarm of insects, even though the heavy-armored beetles mistook them for the same species, the assistant researcher still found it difficult to keep up with the beetles. Once he was accidentally bumped into by the insects around him, wounds quickly appeared on his body, but he still gritted his teeth and ran forward.
Five minutes... ten minutes, it was quick, and he would soon see the target... He suddenly felt a desire for life. Perhaps he could still survive, lead the heavy beetle over, and then return to tell Mr. Qiu that he had completed the mission, redeemed his sins, and prayed for forgiveness from God the Father...
At this moment, he stumbled and could no longer keep up with the speed of the insect tide. He fell down, and one heavy beetle after another rolled over him, soon trampling him into bloody mud.
The ground suddenly roared. I had just dealt with the griffin and walked a short distance forward when I heard a louder and louder roar under my feet. There must be a group of heavy creatures running to cause such a loud noise.
"Be on alert, everyone, level one alert!" Yu Ziqiu shouted loudly. However, as soon as she spoke, an overwhelming swarm of beetles appeared in her field of vision!
No one had ever seen beetles like this! These mutant beetles were as big as cattle, and their two forelimbs waved like blades, flashing cold light. They rushed in groups, and their power was even more ferocious.
The scout walking in the front ran into it head-on, let out a scream, and was quickly run over by the mutant beetle following behind, and was no longer able to survive!
The special forces standing in front were the first line of defense. They did not dare to retreat and quickly raised their guns and fired a volley of shots. A streak of dazzling fire hit the shell, which suddenly exploded into a burst of sparks, but it did not stop the momentum of the heavy beetle at all. The shell was extremely hard!
"Retreat! Retreat immediately, find the weakness, and repeat the attack!" Shouzhi shouted the order without panicking.
The special forces immediately dispersed and avoided the swarm of heavily armored beetles. At this time, the swarm also realized that there were humans ahead. They stopped and began to attack immediately without any pause.
The special forces gunners quickly found cover and continued to shoot, while the second action group and the forum personnel stepped forward to take over, drawing their weapons and engaging in close combat. This group of heavy beetles was extremely difficult to attack, and blood and flesh flew everywhere. Everyone paid a heavy price.
Yue Jian attacked. He used a sword, but in his hand, the sword chopped like a heavy knife. The sword moves that were originally like flowing water became wide and wide. The beetle's forelimbs were like crabs, which could easily knock people to the ground. However, Yue Jian raised his sword horizontally and actually raised his forelimbs in mid-air. When the mutant beetle raised its forelimbs high, it inevitably exposed its fragile abdomen. Yue Jian took the opportunity to slash his body downwards, and the sword in his hand slid down and inserted into the abdomen, and pierced the beetle with a fierce knife. The heavy beetle raised its head and screamed, and a large amount of liquid flowed out of its abdomen, and then it fell down with a bang.
The weak point is in the abdomen! Gu Nian quickly understood. She stood high on the tree and took out the explosive arrow without hesitation, looking for a gap in the battlefield. As soon as the heavy beetle exposed its abdomen, she immediately pulled the string and shot, taking away a heavy beetle with each shot.
Action Team 2 and the forum temporarily contained the mutant beetles, giving the military gunners time to assemble shoulder-fired rocket launchers. Compared to heavy submachine guns, rocket launchers can penetrate the hard shell of the mutant beetles.
As the firepower increased again, the mutant beetles finally fell down one by one.
…
The fierce battle was over. The gray-brown land was covered with the corpses of mutant beetles, and the air was filled with the smell of blood. After finally destroying the group of beetles, no one laughed.
"Who can still move? Count!" Shouzhi shouted.
"Operation Group 2, report the situation." Yu Ziqiu said.
Yuan Hong also began to check the personnel situation of the forum.
The situation was not optimistic. Half of the people present were seriously injured in a sudden attack by beetles and had lost their mobility. If they continued to move forward, they would not only fail to form combat effectiveness, but would be a hindrance.
Yu Ziqiu gritted his teeth and said decisively: "Leave two people to watch, and the rest of you, keep going."
Two people stayed behind to guard the wounded. This meant that if they happened to encounter a large mutant beast, it was very likely that the wounded who were left behind would die here. Especially, it would be dark in the wilderness in less than two hours. Gu Nian and his team only dared to camp in the shallow area when they camped in the wilderness last time, and this was a gray area that no one had explored.
But if we return the same way, the loss might be even more serious next time, and how many people can we bring next time? The members of the team are already the elite of Jiangcheng.
Shouzhi remained silent. For a soldier, completing the mission was his duty, but he had to leave his injured brothers behind, and his heart was bleeding.
"Hurry up and move forward." Gu Nian suddenly said, "If we can get to the laboratory and deal with the situation as soon as possible, we will still have time to come back and pick people up."
Gu Nian picked up a piece of clothing and said, "I found it among the swarm of mutant beetles. This is human clothing. The laboratory should be not far away."
Everyone looked at her hand. The torn piece of cloth was the size of a palm. Yu Ziqiu took it, carefully examined it, and said with certainty: "This is the anti-bite protective clothing worn during the experiment." She was from the Noah Research Institute and had seen researchers wearing this kind of clothing many times in the laboratory.
"I suggest that we leave immediately," Yu Ziqiu said. The best solution now is to follow Gu Nian's advice.
"I agree." Shouzhi said.
"I agree." Yuan Hong looked at Yue Jian and said this when he saw him nod.
Leaving the wounded and two people to guard the place, the rest of the people who were able to move continued to move forward.
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In the laboratory, a giant mutant bee was tied to an iron chain, and two electrodes were inserted into the bee's brain and connected to the screen.
Some dim vision appeared on the screen, reflecting the traces of Gu Nian and his group.
"The heavy beetles couldn't keep them?" Qiu Yongkang said helplessly. "They are indeed failures that have not yet succeeded in the experiment."
"Let the Manticore pass," he said. "It's our most perfect experimental subject."
"But the manticore has never been very obedient, and it still retains some memories..." the person behind him answered tremblingly. He had seen the miserable state of the previous assistant researcher.
"Really?" Qiu Yongkang was a little distressed. "Then tell the beast that if he can kill these people, he will be free..."
"Yes." The people behind him left quickly.
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