"Then they are targeting something else! Let's evacuate first!" The team leader said without hesitation. The safety of the people in the team is more important, and there is plenty of time. It won't take long to wait for these lazy animals to eat and drink.
"Look over there!" another team member shouted, his weapon raised.
They were dogs with mushrooms growing on their bodies, about two meters long and one meter tall at the shoulder. Their gray fur was so long that it dragged on the ground, making them look incredibly large. They were not far away, and even through the canisters on their helmets, they could still smell a foul odor.
"What is it this time? It stinks! It's like a public toilet that has been patinated by the carpet!" There was a commotion in the formation. The stench that could not be dispelled made people physically and mentally exhausted.
"Evacuate quickly! They are mutants that live in symbiosis with some kind of fungus, somewhat similar to monitor lizards. They are not poisonous themselves, but the fungus releases toxic hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. They are all scavengers!" The researcher tried to hold his breath, but the stench had already filled the entire surrounding space.
"Which direction are they going?" asked the leader.
Someone quickly responded, "They're all heading north, which is exactly perpendicular to the way we're going back!"
"Go! I can't take it anymore! I'm going to throw up."
Everyone quickly changed formation, this time adopting an arrowhead formation that combined movement and observation. This search team was clearly well-versed in these areas, as those under protection were positioned towards the back of the arrow's center. Already overcome by the stench, they ran at full speed to escape this unpleasant place.
Xiao Wu, carrying a lot of things on his back, felt he was falling further and further behind the others in front of him, and soon he was at the end of the group. At one point, he felt as if the surrounding scenery had disappeared, the sun reappeared through the clouds, and everything he had known before returned to the world.
His pace gradually slowed. The road ahead vanished before him. He needed to turn right. In the distance, it seemed, he was destined for the harbor he should return to. It was a small, four-story house. It was his home—a place he longed for. He walked along the path with familiarity, deftly avoiding obstacles along the way: sometimes a cat, sometimes a small stall. He didn't dwell on it. In fact, even if he did, it would be useless. He was simply lost in the illusion.
The smell of home was so fresh, and he suddenly felt sticky after exercising. So he began to take off his clothes, throwing them casually on the bathroom floor. The large sink in the bathroom seemed ready, with some warm-looking steam suspended on the surface of the water. His face flushed slightly, and the humid air made him gradually breathless. He didn't hesitate, and then he jumped into the pool with a splash...
Jiang Ling and the other two walked for another ten minutes, then followed the map and walked a short distance south until they came to a pond. White mist was floating on the surface of the pond, and wherever the mist touched, it turned into barren land.
"Be careful, don't touch the water!" The flying squirrel shone the flashlight towards the pond, and everyone saw countless red flocs floating in it, which made the water in the pond appear a charming red.
"They're all nitrifying bacteria! The water inside is probably all nitric acid. I guess this used to be a fish and shrimp farm. There must be a lot of waterproof materials laid under the pond, otherwise the water would have seeped into the ground." The mole stood by the pond and observed it. He found that the pond was basically square and was a typical man-made pond.
The three of them searched along the pond's edge. It didn't take long before they found several bodies along one long side. Some were victims, others mutants. Some were already in advanced stages of decomposition. One mutant lay halfway in the pond, its lower body, naturally, reduced to blackened bones. The three of them left the bodies alone, simply collecting whatever was still intact. In total, they found three hazmat suits, several backpacks, and some plastic test tubes containing small samples.
"These should be all. I also found two passes, which should be what the search team is interested in." The flying squirrel was very efficient. He simply rummaged through the backpack and found all the valuables.
"Don't stay here. Record the coordinates here and mark it as a red zone first," said the mole. This was a safer approach. However, if an area in the yellow zone suddenly became a red zone, it might make some fearless people think there was some treasure here.
"How do you think they got here? This place looks weird, but they wouldn't all die here, right?" Jiang Ling felt sorry for these unlucky guys, but she was still confused.
Neither the mole nor the flying squirrel spoke. They were silent for a long time until they returned to the main road. The mole finally answered, "Hallucinogenic mushrooms themselves don't have any harmful effects. We've studied this. It's mainly due to other factors. Imagine if a trap suddenly appeared across your path, like a minefield, and it was covered with beautiful scenery. Would you walk along that road until you stepped on a mine and died?"
The flying squirrel sighed. "It's not that they can easily break free from the illusion simply by having a stronger will. The filter canister is effective. The mushrooms release spores in relatively weak winds, and most of those spores are blocked by the filter element in the canister. So it's actually because they are willing to believe what they see, not just having a stronger will to break free from the illusion. Not only do they lack training, but they also have too high expectations for the future."
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