Lin Xibi always hoped to stay by the cocoon of "Number One" and wait for it to successfully pupate.
He was very worried about the little insect's health, and... he was also looking forward to seeing what it would look like after it pupated.
Perhaps, just as Oni and Bryce feared, he had unknowingly developed too much affection for the alien life form he had raised himself.
Lin Xi admitted that this was not good, especially under the current circumstances.
However, when he heard the mercenary make that disgusting joke in such a flippant tone, he found it hard to control his emotions.
However, if they got into a fight in the patrol car, it would probably cause Alyssa and Bryce a lot of trouble afterward—as she thought this, Lin Xi's hand involuntarily reached for the weapon in her arms.
"Wow, look, Dr. Lin Xi, are you trying to shoot me?" Lin Xi's actions caught the mercenary's eye, and he flinched almost imperceptibly. To be honest, he was a little scared.
Although he deliberately raised his voice, the mercenary knew he was avoiding the man's eyes as he spoke.
That young man named Lin Xi is very strange.
The mercenary's instincts reminded him that Lin Xi looked like the kind of researcher who would sit in an office with paper and pen. Of course, the mercenary knew that he was not the weak type. He had been punished for fighting several times on Earth (and he always won). But this level of physical skill was just child's play to the mercenary.
Before actually facing Lin Xi face to face, the mercenary did not take the latter seriously.
But now... now he can probably understand why some people hate this man named Lin Xi.
There was something truly terrifying in that man's eyes.
Cold, dark, merciless...
The mercenary couldn't say what it was, but he couldn't control the growing apprehension that was spreading through his heart.
"Sorry, but I hope you can shut up, because you're really noisy..."
Lin Xi spoke to the mercenary, her voice calm.
"Ha, I thought you'd summon bugs to shut me up—"
The mercenary forced a cold laugh in response, but before he could finish his boastful words, someone suddenly reached out and pressed his face down, then slammed him hard against the side of the patrol car with a "bang."
The man's movements were as fast as a ghost, and his attacks were exceptionally ruthless.
The mercenary with distorted features let out a piercing scream from inside the patrol car.
"Shut up."
The attackers remained indifferent to such screams.
He spoke slowly to the mercenary.
"Francis?! What the hell did you do?!"
Someone exclaimed in shock.
"He's really noisy."
The man called Francis continued to respond in that rather strange, slow voice.
He also had a tattoo on his arm that clearly indicated his mercenary identity, and he seemed to be some kind of leader among the mercenaries.
At least, after he directly attacked the other mercenary, a simple "Shut up" silenced everyone.
A few seconds later, Francis released his unfortunate mercenary. The latter clutched his head, trembling as he looked at Francis.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean to disturb you..."
He seemed to want to say something more, but under Francis's gaze, those voices gradually faded away.
For a brief moment, the atmosphere inside the patrol car was so tense that it seemed as if the air itself had solidified.
No one made a sound, and no one dared to move.
The patrol car bumped and rattled across the undeveloped alien landscape, its engine humming loudly.
Immediately afterwards, Francis walked directly toward Lin Xi.
He wasn't exactly a big man, but he was incredibly muscular, every muscle looking as if it had been hammered from the hardest rock.
Her messy light blonde hair was tied back, her cheeks were slightly sunken, and she had a layer of stubble on her chin.
Lin Xi stared at the other person warily, and suddenly realized that the man's face looked somewhat familiar.
"Dr. Lin Xi."
The man stared intently at Lin Xi.
In that instant, Lin Xi felt as if the hairs on her body stood on end.
Lin Xi had no choice but to meet the other person's gaze... She felt that if she looked away first, the man in front of her would rush up and tear her throat apart.
Although it was only a moment, Lin Xi felt as if a hundred years had passed.
It was at this moment that he remembered that this mercenary was the same one who had escorted him to Ando Shizuo's confinement cell—heaven knows what he had experienced in that short night, or perhaps it was the difference in lighting in the dim environment, but in any case, he looked completely different from when he led the way for Lin Xi. It wasn't a change in appearance, but a complete reversal of his aura.
Francis now appears cruel and dark; you can hardly see any human emotion in his eyes.
Under these circumstances, Francis nodded to Lin Xi.
"Good morning."
He said to Lin Xi.
Lin Xi: "..."
Lin Xi admitted that she didn't know how to respond to the other party.
His palms gradually became sweaty, and the goosebumps on his back grew stronger and stronger.
Francis didn't seem to care about Lin Xi's silence. He simply made a gesture, and the man who had been sitting next to Lin Xi, trembling with fear, quickly moved to another position while clutching his equipment.
Immediately afterwards, Francis, carrying a heavy load of weapons and equipment, sat down close to Lin Xi.
Moreover, Lin Xi didn't know if it was just his imagination, but the other person was sticking very close to him.
Lin Xi's muscles tensed involuntarily. He frowned, a deep sense of dread rising within him for Francis.
He couldn't figure out the other party's intentions at all. Although Francis didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards him at the moment, his every move afterward was so...strange? Lin Xi didn't know if he should use this word to describe Francis.
Overall, Francis's current reaction is more nerve-wracking for Lin Xi than straightforward malice.
Lin Xi could sense that the attention focused on the two of them from the patrol car was much more intense than before.
However, when Lin Xi glanced at those people out of the corner of her eye, she found that they all carefully averted their gazes and pretended not to see anything.
There was a heavy feeling in the air, as if everyone felt that something was about to happen—perhaps the next second, Francis would reach out and inflict horrific violence on Lin Xi, just like he had done to the mercenary before.
After all, ever since Francis sat down, he had been staring intently at Lin Xi without any attempt to hide it.
It was only because Lin Xi had an exceptionally strong personality that he kept gritting his teeth and forcing himself to appear calm and collected. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to stand it and would have pointed the gun at the man next to him's forehead, demanding to know what he was planning to do and get a quick death.
But in reality, Francis did nothing but stare at him until the patrol car arrived at the starting point of the foot survey.
"Attention all team members, we have arrived at our designated target. The patrol car doors will open in twenty seconds. All members, please prepare."
A soft electronic voice rang out inside the carriage.
At the same time, the engine stopped roaring, and the patrol car came to a stop.
After a buzzing sound, everyone put on their heavy helmets.
...except for Francis.
He seemed to find Lin Xi's clumsy attempt at putting on the helmet amusing, and kept staring at her.
Lin Xi finally couldn't take it anymore.
He pointed to the helmet that Francis had placed on his knees.
Are you planning to commit suicide in front of me?
He said sarcastically.
Francis then looked down at the helmet, pursed his lips, and took a moment to put it on.
Lin Xizhen hated this aspect of his personality—but he admitted that he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about Francis's slow movements.
Fortunately, Francis managed to install his helmet just before the patrol car opened its door.
Almost the instant the green light on his neck, indicating that the airtight seal was complete, illuminated, the rear hatch at the back of the patrol car flipped open, and the alien "sunlight" with its faint golden-red glow instantly dispelled the darkness inside the patrol car.
Lin Xi silently followed the others, awkwardly filing out of the patrol car.
They lined up, and this time the exploration team leader was standing at the very front. He was an older exploration team member with slightly graying temples, and his name tag on his chest read Jerry Edwin. Although Lin Xi had never seen him before, the name made him instantly relax.
He knew Jerry, the well-known good-natured guy in the exploration team, and he was most famous not only for his good temper but also for his professionalism.
If it weren't for his outstanding exploration experience, it would be difficult for someone his age to stay in an exploration team.
However, when he looked at Jerry, there was no smile on his face. His gray eyebrows were furrowed from head to toe, as if he were constantly in deep worry.
He checked everyone's nameplates before speaking weakly.
"Before we begin this mission, I need to briefly explain the situation to you—two-thirds of our team are newbies, and I must admit I dislike this. Newbies are prone to making mistakes, and making mistakes..."
He paused for a moment, perhaps thinking of something.
"Making a mistake means death. If you die on mission, we will not bring your bodies back to the ship. If you are too badly injured, we will not return to bring you back for treatment—we must conserve manpower and equipment here."
Jerry's words quickly turned the atmosphere very cold.
Lin Xi tried to observe him through the transparent visor of the helmet, and he noticed that Jerry was also observing them while they were talking.
"...However, there is good news: our exploration mission this time is not heavy. The area within a radius of 40 kilometers of the Helios spacecraft has been evenly divided into 26 sections, and distinguished by the letters a to z. We need to explore section z, which has already been roughly explored."
While explaining the mission, Jerry also sent the map and information to everyone's personal terminals.
Lin Xi opened the small 3D map and could clearly see that several bright spots were densely clustered together in the fan-shaped map marked with the 'z' symbol.
Those points of light represent him and his group of companions—of course, his companions could also become his enemies.
Taking advantage of a break while looking at the documents, Lin Xi quickly surveyed his surroundings. He could tell that there were one or two people each in the exploration team and the mercenaries who seemed to have ill intentions. While Lin Xi was observing them, they were also occasionally spying on him.
However, they all seemed to be wary of the unexpected person around Lin Xi, and all their little actions were controlled by their eyes rather than actual actions. Even the mercenary who had provoked them earlier was the same.
As for the person next to him...
Lin Xi glanced at Francis, racking his brains to try and figure out his intentions.
While in the patrol car, the cramped space could explain his close proximity, but now that they're out of the patrol car, Francis is still standing right next to Lin Xi.
Even through the thick exploration suit, Lin Xi still had the illusion that she could feel the man's body temperature.
Lin Xi's hand remained firmly pressed against the weapon's switch; the mission hadn't even started yet, but his fingers were already starting to feel stiff.
"...The terrain here is relatively flat. According to the information we have gathered, the only thing we need to be careful of is a dense forest—we all know now that these forests are teeming with alien insects, not alien animals. They are very interested in us, so remember to turn on your insect repellent before entering the forest. Our task is simple: to record the terrain, atmosphere, soil, and air composition here as thoroughly as possible."
Hearing Jerry's listless mission prompt, Lin Xi couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.
He had good reason to believe that this mission might be a preliminary investigation for extravehicular living.
He thought of those rumors again: the people on the Apollo had lost hope of returning to Earth. The only thing they could hope for now was the seemingly friendly environment of this unknown planet, and humans... these survivors from the Apollo would establish a human settlement here, far away from Earth.
Thinking of this, Lin Xi felt no anticipation whatsoever; instead, she felt a chill run down her spine.
I am the captain of the Providence...
The words Ando Shizuo uttered to him with empty eyes in the solitary confinement cell earlier filled Lin Xi with a sense of foreboding.
Three hundred years ago, the Providence, carrying hundreds of thousands of people, disappeared silently into space. Its initial mission was to establish a new human settlement on a foreign planet that was no different from Earth.
Even the "Second Eden" mentioned in the current rumors on the Apollo was one of the original mission names of the Providence.
No—he had to stop these wild thoughts—
Lin Xi said to herself in her heart.
At least, while he's still on this damn exploration mission, he needs to focus more on reality.
"...Does anyone have any further questions?"
Meanwhile, Jerry had finished his pre-mission briefing and asked the others.
No one said a word.
“Alright, let’s set off now. I’ll go first… Albert, Dolan, Francis, you’ll be in charge of the flanks and the rear respectively. We’ll advance in single file.”
He pointed out Francis, and two other experienced exploration team members.
The other two responded immediately, but Francis was a beat late.
Lin Xi couldn't help but glance at Frances again.
He always felt there was something off about the other person.
As a result, with just a turn of his head, he met the man's gaze—Lin Xi almost suspected that the man had been staring at him the whole time.
Otherwise, why would he make eye contact with others every time he looked at Francis?
What's even more terrifying is that the moment their eyes met, the man spoke again.
"Dr. Lin Xi."
He said.
Lin Xi held her breath, waiting for him to say something next, but apart from staring at her intently, Francis didn't make a sound until the group started moving forward.
At this time, the temperature outside the cabin was nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and as time passed and the alien "sun" rose, the temperature would gradually rise.
This was hardly a friendly temperature for humans wearing old exploration suits, especially since, as the temperature rose, a milky white mist slowly rose from the deep purple soil beneath their feet.
As Lin Xi walked, he observed his surroundings. He felt hot and tired, and his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.
The natural environment outside the cabin was just like what Lin Xi had observed inside the Sun God, displaying rich and vibrant colors. There might be a unique biosphere here; Lin Xi could easily deduce that there was vegetation, forests, and perhaps even swamps and lakes. And there were many insects here as well.
Lin Xi wanted to document the natural environment here, but he soon realized that it wouldn't be easy.
No, describing it as "not easy" seems too mild; in fact, it is very difficult, extremely difficult.
The soil, which feels like mud when you step on it, is purple, while the harder parts are dark blue.
The mushroom-shaped rocks laid on the ground are yellow and red.
Most plants growing on the ground are composed of several or more than a dozen colors, each so vibrant that it seems to fluoresce.
They swayed rhythmically with the alien winds, looking from afar like some enormous animal breathing in a regular pattern.
They had not yet entered the dense forest area that Jerry had mentioned, which was said to be the easiest part of the entire exploration team.
But Lin Xi still found it unbearable—
The colors of the plants and the earth made him feel dizzy and even a little nauseous.
On several occasions, he even experienced visual illusions—he saw a plant resembling a shrub slowly moving in front of him, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was not the plant itself that was moving, but rather the color of its surface constantly changing with the wind.
These vibrant colors may be beautiful... but only on certain special works of art, not across the entire world.
At least in Lin Xi's view, everything here seemed so chaotic, terrifying, and oppressive that it was almost suffocating.
He could even understand those hyperactive and mentally unstable exploration team members—if their previous missions involved navigating such a world.
No one can stand this.
There is no one.
Including Lin Xi himself.
"Don't stare at those things. The colors on their surfaces change with the air pressure. For humans, they can cause visual pollution and mental stress."
Lin Xi suddenly heard someone retching through the communication channel.
He then realized that he was not alone in feeling the same discomfort.
Soon, Jerry's voice came through the channel.
"Look at your feet and try to block out the color changes as much as possible."
Lin Xi tried her best to do as Jerry instructed, but it wasn't easy.
Because the soil beneath his feet was of various colors, and as these colors changed constantly, Lin Xi seemed to hear many tiny sounds rustling in his ears.
From chaos came the Mother of Insects and Her King Consort...
When the chaotic sounds suddenly coalesced into a complete sentence, Lin Xi was startled and almost fell to the ground.
But someone pulled him back forcefully.
"Dr. Lin Xi."
He said.
That's Francis.
Lin Xi didn't even know when he appeared beside her.
"Th...thank you."
Lin Xi said somewhat stiffly.
After he regained his footing with Francis's strong arm, he realized that the latter had not come to his side silently, but that he had unknowingly fallen behind and ended up at the very end of the line.
"Forest……"
"I am fine."
Lin Xi said to Francis.
If he hadn't overheard the other person's words on the way to the solitary confinement room that day, he would have almost thought that Francis only knew the word "Dr. Lin Xi" in his entire life.
Moreover, judging from the force with which Francis grabbed her, Lin Xi could still sense some goodwill from this man.
Even now, Francis still gives Lin Xi a very strange feeling.
Lin Xi glanced at his personal terminal; in that short moment, the distance between the two of them and the main force had increased again.
Lin Xi didn't know if those people hadn't noticed that he and Francis were lagging behind, or if they were just too lazy to offer help, but in any case, being separated from the main group was definitely not a good thing.
"We have to keep up with them."
Lin Xi said.
Francis pursed his lips and then silently took Lin Xi's hand.
Lin Xi instinctively tried to shake him off, but quickly realized it was futile.
Francis's arm was as strong as steel, and Lin Xiwan had no way to shake him off.
"Hmm... thank you for your kindness, but I'm much better now, I can walk by myself."
Lin Xi frowned slightly and whispered to Francis.
"Alright, let's follow them."
Francis paused, then suddenly muttered softly, "...Be good."
The author has something to say: If he hadn't heard the other person speak with his own ears on the way to the solitary confinement room that day, he would have almost thought that Francis only knew the word "Dr. Lin Xi" in his life.
No. 1: qaq
(I suffered because of my lack of education)
(Actually, they also say "good boy" and "obedient")
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