The plant species on Hope Planet all seemed unfamiliar. Moreover, the ecological gardens on Earth had long since disappeared. While there were artificially cultivated retro gardens for the wealthy and powerful to enjoy, they were still different from this wild jungle.
For these soldiers who came from Earth, although they have been on Hope Star for quite some time, they still cannot get used to this environment.
Therefore, as they traversed this mountain forest, everyone was extremely cautious, tense and fearful of unexpected dangers. After all, this was a land reclamation, and even if it was within their expectations and they hoped there wouldn't be too many threatening beasts on the planet, they couldn't let their guard down.
Besides, there are more dangers in the mountains and forests than just wild beasts.
Although Earth's environment has undergone significant changes, thanks to computers, a great deal of information, especially images and videos, has been preserved. These materials were dug up for research on Hope. Before entering the forest, they received a brief jungle survival tutorial from botanists and zoologists.
In the forests, the most dangerous creatures are the inconspicuous insects, snakes, and plants. If you're not on guard, you're more likely to fall prey. Especially now, on this planet of hope, a potentially life-threatening "demon" lurks at any moment—an infectious virus.
But being too tense isn't a good thing. The forest is mostly quiet, so any sound instantly sends everyone on alert. But these sounds are often caused by someone accidentally stepping on dead branches or fallen fruit, or ripe fruit falling to the ground.
After this happened a few times, everyone's vigilance gradually turned into nervousness, and the slightest sound would cause them to move abnormally.
Seeing this, Ma Xiaoyang could only ask everyone to stop temporarily to relieve the tension. Otherwise, if they stayed in this state for a long time, it would only lead to collapse.
Seeing this, Li Bai waved to Ma Xiaoyang and walked forward. Ma Xiaoyang wanted to stop her, but after a moment's hesitation, he decided not to. Thinking that Li Bai was more alert than most people, it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to lead the charge. In case of danger, she could still give advance warning.
However, he never expected that Li Bai would never come back after he left.
As Li Bai walked forward, he carefully observed the plant species around him. This was a habit he'd developed in the game. When he arrived at a place, he'd first think about collecting some plants to fill out his collection. Perhaps the game database did store a lot of data on Hope Star, so Li Bai had actually seen some of these plants in the game before.
This made her feel slightly relieved.
For a long time, Yang Jia had been leading a group of gamers skilled in biology and chemistry to research viruses. They had also read a lot of information and were impressed by the growth habits and medicinal value of these plants. If they really encountered danger in the mountains and forests, perhaps these plants would come in handy.
This feeling was wonderful, as if it had broken the barrier between the game world and reality, merging the two together. Although he was not in the game, and Yang Jia was not around, Li Bai still felt the sense of relief that only comes from being in a game.
She thought of her own guess again and made up her mind to go to the base's data room after returning from the woods.
After walking for a while, Li Bai discovered a very fatal problem.
The mountains and forests here were extremely high, their canopies dense and lush, blocking out the sun. It was extremely difficult to discern the direction in such an environment. When she thought of this, she turned back to search for the traces of her way back, but found them too faint to be traced.
The uninhabited jungle floor is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, and unless something is broken by stepping on it, people will hardly leave any traces when walking on it.
Li Bai hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his gun and fired.
But she soon discovered that the sound was muffled and could not travel far in the forest. This was because the vegetation and the ground there absorbed some of the sound. Instead, the sound of the gunshot, alarming something, suddenly increased the noise in the forest.
Li Bai retreated immediately. As he left, he took out his dagger and carved a mark in a conspicuous place. If Ma Xiaoyang and the others followed him, he would know where he was going. If he came back in the future, he would have a better idea of where he was going.
…
Ma Xiaoyang and others encountered the first enemy after entering the forest.
It was evening, and the group was lucky enough to find a water source. However, it wasn't very deep. They followed the thin stream upwards until they found the outlet of a spring. Someone had dug a hole there, and a pool of clear water had formed.
But they soon found the suspect.
Because there was a large creature standing next to the pool. It looked like the wild boar you'd seen in documentaries. Its hard hair stood up, and its two long teeth bared, making it look very ferocious. It stared at them warily with wide eyes.
It turned out that this beast's fighting style was very similar to that of the wild boar. Because they had the information in hand and were outnumbered, the battle went smoothly. Soon the wild boar collapsed to the ground, providing everyone with today's dinner.
After this sumptuous meal, they set up camp near a water source to rest.
Ma Xiaoyang held a meeting to discuss whether to search for Li Bai. They ultimately concluded that there was no way to find her in this forest. They should just keep going forward, and they'd meet her when they were supposed to. With Li Bai's skill, there shouldn't be anything here that could threaten her life. If there was, they would be even more formidable. Dispersing their forces to search for her would be even more dangerous.
The forest was very quiet that night, but the next day, half of the 500 soldiers lying on the ground to rest were unable to get up, and instead became confused and sick.
This situation was truly horrifying. Even if there were dozens or even hundreds of ferocious beasts hiding in this forest, and they were all killed by surprise, it wouldn't be as terrifying as this scene. Because you don't even know where the "enemy" is or how they're doing it.
Things that are beyond our understanding are often more frightening.
Ma Xiaoyang himself seemed unwell, but he didn't collapse. He didn't dare move forward. He couldn't walk in his current state. As for going back—it had only been a day since they'd left, and this mission wasn't difficult. He'd promised to complete it when he'd come here. Going back now would be too embarrassing.
After much thought, I could only repair the disease on the spot and find a way to alleviate the patient's condition while looking for the cause of the disease.
…
Li Bai spent the night in the tree. When he woke up in the morning, he felt tired and lacked energy. After eating his rations, he began to head back. But instead of returning the same way, he took a different, more detour.
As luck would have it, not long after that, we came across a team lying on the ground.
"What did you encounter?" she asked after taking a vigilant look.
Ma Xiaoyang smiled bitterly. "We didn't encounter anything. You saw it, there are no signs of fighting around. We camped here last night, and this is what happened this morning. I didn't collapse, but I'm not feeling well, and so are the others. How about you?"
"I'm a little tired too." Li Bai said.
She examined the soldiers' symptoms and, considering the current environment, came to a conclusion. "It's said that in the primitive jungle, because it's uninhabited, leaves and fruits fall to the ground and remain there, covering each other. With the addition of rainwater and fermentation, over time, a layer of toxic gas forms, known as miasma."
After hearing her say this, everyone felt that it made sense. Ma Xiaoyang asked, "So what should we do now?"
"Send the person back," Li Bai said. "Every profession has its own expertise. We are helpless against this disease, but the researchers at the base will soon be able to develop a solution."
"What about the mission?" Ma Xiaoyang was unwilling.
Li Bai said, "I'll stay."
Ma Xiaoyang glanced at her and asked doubtfully, "Aren't you afraid of being poisoned?"
"There's a plant in this forest. Chewing and eating its leaves can temporarily prevent poisoning. But it can't cure someone who's already been poisoned," Li Bai said. "If you want to stay, that's fine."
Ma Xiaoyang immediately stopped worrying. He'd hesitated before because he wasn't sure how long he could hold out. Now that only half the men had collapsed, they'd finally managed to get them back. If they'd all collapsed here, they'd be doomed. Now that Li Bai knew the preventative herbs, he naturally wanted to stay.
However, the ambition I had when I first arrived is no longer there.
There are so many unknown things in this world. When exploring, every step you take must be taken with extreme caution, otherwise you will end up losing yourself if you are not careful.
Li Bai said nothing. He watched as Ma Xiaoyang arranged for some people to stay behind to care for the wounded and retreat in an organized manner. Then, he led another group of people to his side and turned to walk forward, still leaving traces as he went. After walking for a while, Li Bai found the herb he had mentioned. Each of them chewed a leaf, and the discomfort they felt throughout their body was indeed much lessened.
Although the taste of the grass leaves is not very pleasant, the medicinal effect is indeed immediate.
Ma Xiaoyang thought about it and left someone behind to pick some herbs to take back to the wounded. Although Li Bai said it was useless, it was enough to help them hold on for a little longer. After all, returning from here would take a long time.
The forest was indeed small, and there were no dangerous animals. Li Bai and his companions wandered around in it for five days, completely exploring the entire forest. They encountered wild beasts several times along the way, but they dealt with them all successfully.
If that’s the case, why did I feel dangerous at that time?
Puzzled, Li Bai sat down beside another water source, brows furrowed in thought. Just then, she caught sight of a very familiar plant, startling her so much that she nearly jumped!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
