Chapter 560, Contaminated Zone 4 (Part 1)
As the armored vehicle charged into Zone 4 of contamination, the detection devices inside the signal tower suddenly went off.
Further away.
The gray fog, hidden beneath the mist, began to writhe and change.
...
The moment we entered the fourth contaminated zone, the gray fog enveloped us from behind, and the surroundings underwent a dramatic transformation.
Apart from Xia Mingang, everyone present was a seasoned veteran.
Each person's sitting posture appears casual, but their hands are actually clasped at their waists, indicating they are already in battle mode.
Yun Zhao released his hand that was being held and opened the observation window to look outside.
—The intelligence was correct.
The armored vehicle appeared on a rural road, with an ordinary pastoral landscape in front of it.
On both sides of the road, the crops have grown narrow, green leaves that stretch to the horizon, blending into the dark green mountains.
Scattered at the foot of the mountain are farmhouses with gray tiles and white walls, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys. Some of the courtyard walls are built with rough stones, and a few clumps of wild grass stubbornly grow out of the gaps.
On the edge of the field, an old man in a dark blue work shirt was bending over chopping grass, while several women with headscarves sat around picking beans.
What's unsettling is that these "people" move in perfect sync, even down to the rhythm of wiping sweat from their heads.
There was an indescribable eeriness emanating from the tranquility.
"Look ahead," Xie Tu whispered.
Yun Zhao straightened up and looked ahead.
Directly in front was a spacious threshing ground, which was also crowded with "people": a man in a suit and tie, a woman in a skirt and high heels, and young people dressed in trendy brands...
It's like a shopping street where you can find tourists dressed in any style among the crowd.
"The gatekeepers divided outsiders into different classes."
Fu Heng looked at the people in the threshing ground and fields and could almost immediately distinguish the indigenous people.
She said, "Indigenous people can move freely in the fields, but foreign mutants are restricted by gatekeepers."
Xia Mingang brushed a stray hair from his forehead. "What does this mean?"
"The goalkeeper is likely to be the original one."
Jiang Mu sat casually, "It's a little xenophobic, but not obvious."
The crops in the fields are neat and tidy, growing well, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, creating a beautiful environment.
If the mutants that have broken in are allowed to roam freely, they will destroy the village's ecosystem.
Only the indigenous people will cherish everything in the territory.
Xie Tu did not participate in the conversation, but calmly looked around.
Fire Phoenix had already flown out of the car window, searching for the S-class Sentinel mutant who had chased down Dawn Team last time.
Their primary task is to address the known dangers.
Only then can they focus on finding the gatekeeper.
"According to the information provided by Wei Xu, that S-class mutant is approximately male, about 1.78 meters tall, and its skeletal age is no more than thirty." Fu Qian had clearly studied the intelligence data carefully.
Mutants in contaminated areas generally have two forms.
One type has a normal appearance and is very easy to identify.
Another type is completely covered in black slime, emanating black mist from head to toe, making it impossible to see its appearance.
Dawn Team 1 encountered the latter.
They were in a state of escape, trying to shake off the monster, and did not have a direct confrontation with the mutant.
Wei Xu only remembered the general shape.
Yun Zhao was concerned about where her father had put his things. Seeing that no one had moved, she said, "Then let's go down and look for them."
Xie Tu let go of her hand, got up and opened the back door.
The five people got out of the car one after another.
As they made their movements, the indigenous people in the field seemed to sense something and suddenly turned their heads in unison.
One withered face after another appeared in Yun Zhao's sight.
His eyes were empty and cloudy, his neck was twisted at an eerie angle, and he stared blankly at them without moving.
Xia Mingang muttered a curse under his breath.
For the first time, he had a direct experience of the changes that the contaminated area brought to the mutants.
Being stared at by so many murky eyes was incredibly eerie.
"Never mind them, let's go into the village."
Unaware of the danger, Fu Yu walked at the front, carrying the Gatling gun.
The most important thing is to find the S-class Sentinel mutants. As long as the mutants don't attack on their own initiative, there's no need to go on a killing spree right now.
The others had no objections, and the group headed towards the village entrance.
Yun Zhao and Xie Tu walked side by side in the middle of the group.
As they moved, the heads of the people in the fields turned with them, their eyes following them closely.
It was indescribably terrifying.
Yun Zhao subconsciously felt that these "people" were not looking at the team, but at her.
Are they looking at me?
She thought this, and that's how she asked the question.
Jiang Mu stopped and turned to observe for a moment. "Just to confirm, you stay put."
So Yun Zhao stopped moving and let the others continue forward.
She stopped, and Xie Tu naturally stopped as well.
After walking about ten meters, Fu Yu and the others turned around again to look at the fields on both sides.
They discovered that the heads of those "people" were indeed no longer turning, and their cloudy, empty eyes were still fixed on Yun Zhao.
Are they watching her?
Why?
Yun Zhao was quite certain, "I've never been here before, and I don't know these mutants."
Although Qingshan Town is very close to Pollution Zone No. 4, she has not left the town for twelve years since she was taken in by her uncles.
Xie Tu patted her gently, but didn't say anything.
She certainly didn't come, but Yun Jue definitely did.
I don't know if there's any connection.
Jiang Mu had already looked away and said leisurely, "It's possible that these mutants are face-blind and mistook you for someone else."
Fu Meng coldly glanced at the unserious person.
Are they face-blind mutants? Or is it a group of face-blind mutants?
Even a dog wouldn't believe that reason.
“That makes sense. We see that all the slimy humanoid monsters look the same, so maybe they think we look the same too, and can’t even tell the difference between men and women,” Xia Mingang added.
After all, Dawn Team 1 had just left when Team 5S followed closely behind.
Xia Mingang: "The combat uniforms of the four bases are similar in style, with only minor differences in details. The mutants definitely cannot tell them apart."
Fu Yu looked at him with a complicated expression and uttered the four-word mantra: "One who stays near ink gets stained black."
Xia Mingang: "..."
Yun Zhao lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the iron box in his arms.
Is it possible...?
The mutant wasn't looking at her, but at what she was holding?
What exactly is this thing?
"Let's go in and see if there's an answer." Xie Tu had obviously guessed this as well, so he naturally took her hand and walked to the middle of the group to rejoin the team.
The setting sun bathed the entire village in golden light.
The roads in the countryside are the old-fashioned cement roads.
The village entrance is at the end.
From a distance, everyone could see a sign standing beside the gnarled branches of the old locust tree at the village entrance.
——Wuji Second Village.
The five men, carrying backpacks, were the first to pass through the threshing ground.
The densely packed "crowd" inside showed no reaction whatsoever, mechanically moving in circles along the route.
Jiang Mu, who was at the very back, stopped and looked at the mutants who had also entered this contaminated area like them.
The threshing ground was very large; I roughly estimated there were two or three hundred people there.
Wei Xu once said that there are many mutant species inside, and this is obviously only a small part of them.
The gatekeepers keep them here, not allowing them to move around and damage the crops.
Or rather, destroy the perfect domain in its mind?
Jiang Mu didn't notice anything unusual, scoffed lightly, and followed the four people in front.
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