Because Xie Xuan and his team encountered an A-level area on the way and were delayed for more than an hour, they arrived at the first sample collection point much later than expected.
The five sample collection points on Route 18 are similar to those on Route 19 that they initially obtained. The only difference is that Route 19 will encounter a water system at the third collection point, but Route 18 will not encounter a lake until the fourth collection point.
To put it simply, Route 18 is much safer than Route 19, but on this route, Xie Xuan and his team have encountered Class A fungi twice in just two days.
This did not happen on other routes, including Route 1 and Route 19.
Xie Xuan didn't know whether there was something wrong with the route itself, or whether the original Team 18 and the current Team 18 were just too unlucky.
But no matter what, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day, they finally arrived at the first sample collection point safely.
Although the map and task list given to them said that this was a wilderness, what Xie Xuan and the others saw was a mushroom forest.
A hundred years ago, this was a vast farmland outside the countryside. When the rainy season ended in late summer, it was not far from the time for the crops to be harvested. But now, all Xie Xuan and his friends can see are drying mycelium and mushrooms.
Xie Xuan had only been in this world for a few months, and had been away from the city for only a few days. This sense of disconnection and absurdity made her feel as if she was dreaming.
But soon this sense of illusion was broken by a faint "buzzing" sound that suddenly came into her ears.
She wasn't the only one who heard the sound.
Because Song Zhixian was in poor health and Xie Xuan didn't have much supernatural power left, this time the collection mission was assigned to Ding Qiaoyun, Xiao Yao and Chongming together, while Yang Jiayue stayed in the RV with the two patients.
Although Xie Xuan was a little worried about how Xiao Yao would get along with the other two people, Xiao Yao and Ding Qiaoyun told Xie Xuan before they left, as if they could read her mind, that they would get along well.
Although Xie Xuan didn't think their gnashing-teeth tones were convincing, at least both of them were experienced psychics and wouldn't let personal emotional issues mess up their mission outside the wall.
While Xie Xuan was still concentrating on identifying the sound, Song Zhixian sat up from the bed without knowing when, "A swarm of insects is approaching us."
He still looked very uncomfortable, coughing several times after saying a word. "They are very fast. Let Xiao Yao and the others hurry. It will be very dangerous outside."
Before Xie Xuan traveled through time, she often saw news reports of locusts flying over crops in swarms, devouring them. She subconsciously asked, "Are they locusts?"
Song Zhixian was stunned for a moment. In the wasteland era, because humans had little contact with nature, few people actually paid attention to other creatures besides humans, fungi, and food that could be used for large-scale rapid cultivation.
Moreover, the current mainstream research directions are all in science and technology, and biological research is also related to bacterial and human research. Other biological research, like historical research, is a very unpopular subject.
Furthermore, current artificial cultivation technology is very mature, and there will be no problems with diseases and pests in the planting bases within the walls.
It was the first time Song Zhixian heard the word locust from someone else. "I'm not sure."
Xie Xuan asked, "How long will it take for the insect swarm to reach us?"
"Based on their current speed, it will probably take about fifteen minutes," said Song Zhixian.
Xie Xuan immediately asked Xiao Yao and the others on the communicator: "How long will it take you to complete the collection mission?"
"About half an hour?" Xiao Yao replied. "We can't say for sure. One of the samples requires us to collect soil, but we've been digging for quite some time and haven't found any soil."
After Xiao Yao finished speaking, Ding Qiaoyun also complained: "There is another sample that is a whole plant, and the seeds are the best. We haven't even seen a single blade of grass so far. They said half an hour is too little."
Xie Xuan switched the map in the car from the locations of all teams to the locations of all members in the team. The three of them had already walked a bit far, and their locations were quite scattered.
"A swarm of insects is approaching us. Return to the car immediately," Xie Xuan said. "We'll talk about it after the mission. Don't delay, turn back immediately."
Xie Xuan said it twice, and Xiao Yao and the others also understood the seriousness of the matter.
Although they didn't quite understand why such a big fight was necessary over just a swarm of insects, they all replied in unison, "Got it."
The three points on the map belonging to Xiao Yao and his group began to walk back. Only then did Yang Jiayue couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are locusts scary?"
"It's terrifying," Xie Xuan said. "If it really were locusts, nothing would grow wherever the swarm passed."
After Xie Xuan finished speaking, she felt like something was wrong. There wasn't even a blade of grass here to begin with.
"Uh...it's very scary anyway." After Xie Xuan finished speaking, she walked to the car door, opened it and got out.
The weather today is sunny. The sun has started to set, but the sky is still bright.
After getting off the car, the voice that had been lingering in Xie Xuan's ears since a while ago became more and more obvious.
Xie Xuan had never seen a swarm of locusts before, but just seeing it once on the news was enough to leave a lasting impression.
What's more, there is a 99% chance that these locusts are already infected.
Time passed minute by minute, and Xiao Yao and his friends were getting closer and closer on the map. At the same time, a dark cloud slowly floated over the horizon.
"Is it going to rain?" Yang Jiayue asked curiously, "But I didn't see any weather forecast in Bai Ze saying it would rain around here today."
"It's a swarm of insects," Song Zhixian said. "Captain Xie should have guessed correctly. It's locusts."
Xie Xuan changed the map to the map of all the teams. Judging from the direction, the locusts flew straight from their original Route 19 along the yellow line on the map that connected the first sample collection points of all the teams.
Because Xie Xuan and his team had been slowed down by the A-level fungus before, and there were no other teams around them, so now except for their team, other teams have already kept some distance from them.
If the locusts continue along their current route and the other teams maintain this speed, they should not collide with the locusts.
But just in case, Xie Xuan still connected to the communication channel of Route 1.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
